hump day nuggets: little bits of the season in photos and words about the last week
I was whining to a friend the other day about how I miss running and how I am annoyed with myself for not making time to run. I need it, I miss it so what gives? She, as friends do, put a great perspective on it. She explained that our lifestyle, the one we choose by living here, is active. She told me that even when she isn’t running she feels fit. She inhales fresh air most of the day, gets physical in the kitchen filling jars with food, digs carrots, hangs laundry, bikes to and from work. True, I thought as I rubbed my achy tricep.
My arms were a little sore from kneading pretzel dough for our German supper club gatthering. And then I jogged to our hosts’ home whilst balancing the pretzels atop my head in a basket I wove that morning. Andy biked in his lederhosen, sporting wine in a shoulder yoke.
I get what Molly is saying. It might not be my legs turning over early morning, Alice keeping rhythm, our breath vapors visible in the quiet, hopeful dark. I’ll have that time again one day. For now, I get a lot of movement and activity just living the life I chose. I eek out little, infrequent spaces to run alone but, mostly, my girls and I hike, walk, bike, schlep, dig and roll all over this valley and her peaks. And I feel thankful.
nuggets.
:: Margot’s pumpkin is Fred. We are still trying to find the perfect arms and legs. Ruby regularly, spontaneously declares My Punkin! and, like a Chinese fire drill she races to the steps to say hello.
:: And I wasn’t kidding about the pretzel dough tiring my arm muscles. Holy hell that is some stiff dough.
We used this recipe. Once it rose it was super pliable and easy to work with. Andy taught the girls how to twirl the dough into the classic shape.
Also, we made mustard which I will do from now on. So easy, so delicious.
:: Popcorn, tofu and plums for lunch.
:: In my estimation, nature’s most brilliant color combination:
:: Can’t believe she is nearly two, my little opinionated cherub. While nursing, she stops, looks into my eyes and asks, kiss mama? You bet.
:: Welcome to new sponsor Melody Joy 1983! This mama knits up the dreamiest numbers my neck has ever laid skin on. She came on board as a sponsor, surprised me with a box of delicious goodies and I was so smitten with the cowl that I bought another. I get compliments on my cowls every day (I wear them every day). I love the cowls y’all! She is also the brilliant artist behind the Mama Bird’s Nest necklace many have asked me about. That non-cowl photo is of my warm legs. A few things: free shipping for you! Use code DIGSFREESHIPPING. And, to stay in Melody’s creative loop, like her on facebook. She posts sales and such there. Thanks so much, Melody Joy!
:: I need to get on making a few costumes today. One three year-old wants to be half sun, half moon with a yellow jacket stinger on the bum. One one year-old wants to be a boofly, as decided by her big sis who knows her love of butterflies. Margot and I drew this up together and I took Ruby to the fabric store where she got to pick any fabric she wanted.
:: We made dishwasher detergent and laundry power last week and I updated this page to address a few questions that have come up.
:: Margot and Ruby recently inherited this little shopping cart from friends and little sis is a neighborhood dynamo with it.
baby carrier made by my mama
:: I am looking forward to winter in the kitchen with these two, especially with the stack of recipes we have to explore and all the good ideas my kids have.
:: And…hump day nuggets will be making occasional appearances for a while. This mama just wants to shake it up a bit. You’ll see.
happy hump day out there
:: :: ::
32 Comments
A happy hump day to you! I am going to have to try those pretzel and mustard recipes, they look delicious!
And check out those shiny new red shoes on the girls! Booya!
Wishing you all sorts of inspiration and perspiration on getting the costumes finished. Really, I cannot wait to see Margot’s design in fabric.
And as for running versus being active, it’s all an ebb and flow and shift, right? I too find it really hard to get my normal running time in, if normal means I start at 9pm in the dark. So I’ve shifted to borrowing my husband’s “Insanity” workouts and now I know what it’s like to survive a gym class from hell.
Happy Hump day!
Jennifer
oh my goodness — totally loving your new sponsor’s stuff! almost as much as that cute baby carrier for your little sweetpea. 🙂
just stumbled onto your blog — can’t wait to read more!
LOVE the shopping cart! 🙂 You have such precious girls and I love their little personalities!
picturing the image from your second paragraph puts a big grin on my face.
Just marked melodyjoy1983 as a favorite…
Looking forward to more nuggets.
The pretzels and mustard are speaking to this preggo momma!!! They look beautifully delicious! 😉
Little Ruby and that shopping cart are precious as can be!
Love this blog so much!
Loving Miss Thang with her shopping cart. How cute is that!
Margot’s costume will be amazing for sure. I still haven’t forgotten her mix of costumes from last year! She is such a creative, spirited little soul!
I’ll miss the weekly nuggets, but look forward to whatever scheme it is you have up your sleeve.
just wondering…does your powdered detergent recipe work well for cloth diapers (ie- does it leave that coating that makes cloth diapers less absorbent?)
I’ve been reading your blog for close to a year now and absolutely love it. The chickens, the recipes, your sweet girls, your appliqued clothing and your writing- it all makes my heart sing! Thanks for being such an honest and creative person here in this forum!
Happy hump day! Can’t wait to see what you’ve got up your sleeve. 🙂
Oh, I love the fall photos in this post, especially the first one. Two things: 1) will you make a doll carrier for this mama in your Etsy shop, and I will be happy to pay any amount for it? My little girl has been dying for one, and I am just so so challenged in that regard.. 2) like you, I have great trouble finding time to “exercise,” and have been longing to come back to running for at least a year now; a friend recently converted me to the idea of “minimalist” running and I just bought Saucony’s Hattori shoes, which he swears changed his running life, from one full of aches and pains to one of pure bliss.
Happy fall to you and yours.
love love love the crowls!!!
Bought one today…but it didnt work to get the discount =(
Gorgeous cowls!!! They’d start comin’ in handy here, too…..Brrrr!
And your Ruby….oh, my! She’s such a dolly anyway, and then throw in a shopping cart and baby carrier and I’m over the edge! LOVE!
Love that last picture…and loooove the cowl necks! Hafta get me one of those! 🙂
Margot and Ruby are going to go off to school or get married someday and start talking about their awesome halloween costumes and I predict this sentence is going to cross their minds: “You mean not every kid had a Mom who could make them any costume they could dream up?”
Can’t wait to see the finished products!!!
Abby
Just home a quick view…back tomorrow to comment…I PROMISE!
xo
OHG. Where are the new red shoes from? LOVE them.
QuietClimb, I used a similar laundry soap recipe for years with our cloth diapers and it works just fine, better than store bought brands.
The sparkly red shoes were a gift from Gram…they are awesome. Really sturdy with nice treaded soles…an essential in Montana! Ma, where’d you get those shoes?
Oh and I misspelled the coupon code! It is:
DIGSFREESHIPPING
Melodie will refund those who made purchases! And I changed it above. Geez, sorry about that!
xo
Oh, man. I always drool over your autumn maple–it seems to hit full brilliance around the time our aspens are loosing theirs. Just trying to hang on to my favorite season, I guess!
Forgot to link up my nuggets on my earlier comment!
http://littlesidekicks.blogspot.com/2011/10/hump-day-nuggets-swollen.html
This comment has been removed by the author.
Your girls are just so cute – my daughter also really liked the photos on this post (and those red shoes!).
Can’t wait to see what is shaking up for you! I love that you are willing to make exactly what Margot wants for Halloween. The illustration is priceless. xoxo
The pic of Ruby walking down the fairy tail street looking straight at the camera is the best! Way to capture Autumn!
When I bug myself out over not climbing or running track from frisbee (which, okay, was a few years ago when I did that) I remind myself that I’m in constant motion. Walking everywhere, mostly. “Like the French!” I say, and then I eat a lot of rich foods. Like the French!
When you’re whole week is a blur of activities, you don’t need to worry too much about the exercise plan.
WISE WORDS FROM MELINA, I call this…
xo
Melina
RED SHOES!
A great websites: shoes.com…15% off right now, free shipping! Here is the link to THE red shoes ~ Mini Mia style #EC1099725 http://www.shoes.com/en-US/Product/EC1099725-5067213/MIA/Red/Kids%27+Drama+Tod_Pre.aspx
ps…Burb looks like I could market the doll carriers! 🙂
xo
,,,thanks for the “nuggs” on this cool, raining autumn morning!,,,love ALL the photos!,,,
Thanks for the follow-up on the red shoes!
As a side note on the baby carrier, my first daughter re-purposed my Bella Band… (you know, those maternity bands that supposedly hold your pants up/cover your mid-section when pregnant) as her baby dolly sling. “Dolly sling” is the *ideal* application for that thing; the company should market it as a post-partum use.
Crystal! Brilliant! I have a few of those kicking around!
There’s so much goodness here I don’t know where to start. I keep coming back to these nugs thinking I might have something witty and poignant to say, but I think this sums it up:
I love all of it. Autumn colors, your little cuties. This post makes me so happy and so energized. Thanks.
I love fall! I wish we would have had a bit more color here…it is so dry the poor leaves never had a chance. Like the squirrels, I think I am ready for winter…canning done, flower pots emptied & stored, patio furniture scrubbed & nestled, hammock down, perennial beds put to sleep, beneath a blanket of annuals, humming bird feeder down & replaced with winter bird feeder, shrubs trimmed, kayak cleaned and moved to lower garage, tractor retired, snow blower primed & anxious, croquet & Frisbees laid to rest, skis & snow shoes twitchy to go…come on Minnesota winter…BRING IT!
Margot ~ BOO! Happy Halloween!!! I can’t wait to see your finished costume. Have fun trick or treating tonight! I REALLY need to see you soon…I miss you so much! I Love You A Bushel and A Peck!
Ruby ~ BOO! to you too my little Boofly!! Can’t wait to see your costume too!! This year Halloween will take on a special meaning for you! (I used to dress up and give out goodies…ask your mama about those Halloweens sometime). You Are My Sunshine!
Burb ~”shake it up a bit”? Now what are you up to?! Can’t wait!
Love to all!
xoxo, Mom/Gram
Hello, just wanted to tell you, I enjoyed this article. It was practical. Keep on posting!