Ikea Trip(s)

I'm out of the hospital and feeling much better.  So good, that I went to Ikea twice this weekend.  Which is generally how many Ikea trips I make in a year.  However, our new house is MUCH closer to Ikea - as in, it doesn't feel like I should devote an entire day if I want to go shop there.  Just another reason why I love our new house.

I went the first time because my mom and sister were in town and wanted to go.  Luckily, Ikea has wheelchairs that you can borrow, so I got to relax and ride through the store like a queen.  I mostly picked up kitchen stuff, but I also grabbed a couple of green fitted sheets and pillowcases for my son's room.

They're "Last Chance" - so if you like them, hurry and go get them.  They didn't have any flat sheets at my store, so I'm going to have to work something out.

The next day, the boyfriend arranged to meet a seller from Craigslist at Ikea to buy some golf clubs.  And since we were already there, I talked him into going in and getting a couple of more sheets (can't be too careful when they're on clearance).

The sheets are "Dvala" and the best part is that they are only $4.50 each twin fitted sheet and $5.99 for two pillowcases.  I'm sure they're like 50 thread count or something, but we've had bedding from Ikea before and never had any problems.  I'm super happy about the color - a really saturated grass green that just pops. 

Health

I'm writing this blog post from the comfort of my hospital room.

I've been here nine days and today they finally gave me the good news that my discharge will hopefully be tomorrow or the day after.  If you can believe it, I came in for back pains, thinking they would give me a shot and send me home. It turned out that I needed my gallbladder removed, which I was assured was usually an outpatient procedure.  Well, I obviously had a lot of complications.  The nurses and doctors at my hospital have been absolutely nothing short of outstanding, and I am eternally thankful for everything they have done for me during my (drawn-out) stay.

I'd like you moms who read my blog to stop and take a moment to think about your own health.  I am totally at fault for what has happened.  Around seven years ago I started getting what I thought were "back spasms".  They ranged from uncomfortable to knock-me-down for a couple of days.  Instead of seeking out a cure or even a good diagnosis, I settled on learning how to manage my pain.  Eight months ago, I had an attack almost as bad as this last one and, knowing what I now know about what was really going on in my body, I'm surprised (and lucky) that I lived.

I don't think I am the only mom out there who puts everyone else before herself.  Moms don't usually get sick days.  Even as the ambulance took me away in the pre-dawn hours last week, I remember trying to put on a "brave face" for my pajama-clad son. We often are and need to be the one person in the house who keeps it all running smoothly - and that's hard to do from a sickbed.

But it's also really hard to be a mom from a sickbed.  I have been very fortunate that my mom and older sister came in to help with my son so that the boyfriend didn't miss a ton of work.  We have to take care of ourselves, ladies.  Sometimes first.  It might mean something simply like demanding a "morning off" to sleep in, or something much more important, like not putting off your next mammogram.  It's not selfish.  In fact, it's probably one of the least selfish things you can do.

Lots of love.

Summer

Sorry for the lack of consistent posting lately.  We've been enjoying the pool - a lot.

And my stepdaughter turned 8 this weekend!

I can make myelf sad by thinking of how old she's getting and how quickly it all goes by.  Instead I'm focusing on what a cool girl she's turning into.

Bento Lunches

The first year I taught preschool, I had adorable two-year old twins in my class named Joey and Riko.  Their mom, who was originally from Japan, would pack them amazing lunches.  The food looked like art - cute shapes, nice composition, etc.  What was more amazing was that Joey and Riko were great eaters.  While we were coaxing other kids to take "one more" bite of their PB&Js, the twins would be eagerly munching away on shrimp, broccoli, meatballs, etc.  Whatever their mom sent them, they ate with gusto.

I didn't know it then, but that was my introduction to bento lunches.  Bentos are originally from Japan - and they're not just for kids.  The hallmark of a bento lunch is the small box artfully crammed full of food.  In Japan, the main part of a bento is usually made out of rice - which can be molded and tinted to create fantastic food art.



Both from http://blog.modes4u.com/tag/lunch-box

Some people get really into the art of making a bento lunch.  It's amazing, but not something I see myself doing five days a week.  What really appeals to me as a mom is the nutritional focus of a bento lunch.  A typical Japanese bento lunch contains 3 parts grain (rice, pasta, bread or noodles), 2 parts vegetable, 1 part protein (meat, fish, eggs).  I plan on adapting my bentos to follow more closely the new MyPlate initiative the USDA rolled out earlier this year.

Bento boxes make it fairly easy to focus on food groups because most come with little divided sections.  You can also use little silicone cups or even tupperware containers to section out your food.  It keeps the different types of food from mixing together and emphasizes the great variety of food presented in a bento box.

There's also the green factor.  Where I taught preschool, the children had to bring their lunches.  You would be amazed at the amount of trash that was accumulated from eight kids' lunches.  Bentos will also help cut down on the cost of packing a lunch.  Instead of buying individually portioned bags of pretzels, buy one regular bag and dole out five at a time.

www.anotherlunch.com

My son is starting kindergarten in the fall and I plan on sending his lunches most days.  I'd even like to start doing bento lunches myself when I go back to work (they're great for portion control because there's only so much food you can fit in a tiny box).  I'll keep you updated on our latest food adventures.

If you're interested in bento lunches - two great websites are lunchinabox.net and anotherlunch.com.

Preppy Bedroom

I've been at a loss for inspiration when it comes to ideas for the master bedroom.  Desperate, I asked the boyfriend what colors he thinks we should use.  He suggested green and I liked it.  We don't have green in the living area, and just a couple of pops of grass green in my son's room.  A couple of minutes of fabric (window) shopping later, and I was sold on a vision of a blue and green bedroom. 

Annie Selke makes a lovely coordinated line - perfect for pillows.

Annie Selke Seema Bluemarine

Annie Selke Links Indigo



Annie Selke Happy Poppys Blue Marine



Annie Selke Pearls Citrus


I also like this Iman fabric for drapes - velvet trellis!

Iman Sultana Lattice Luna

It reads pretty preppy, though - which is not how I would describe our style.  At all.

I thought about maybe adding a fancy carved headboard in bright pink, just for a dash of fun.  And to take advantage of the boyfriend's declaration that I can decorate the bedroom however I want.  I'm sure he wasn't thinking I'd ever want  a hot pink bed - but whatevs.

Then I came across Design Manifest's gorgeous color combo of pink and orange, and it made me want to scrap the entire blue/green thing and start all over.  Too bad that Schumacher fabric is $250 a yard - yikes!

So, to recap, I still haven't decided on a color scheme for the bedroom and it will remain a giant beige box for the near future.  Actually, it'll always stay a giant beige box because we rent and can't change the walls, ceiling or carpeting.  But you can put pretty things in a beige box - and that's the goal.

West Elm Striped Duvet

I found this gray striped duvet at West Elm and I'll be watching for a sale.

I love it as a poor woman's version of this Serena and Lily duvet. 

Yes, the West Elm stripe is missing the awesome green piping and is a totally different color - but I actually like it more.  The gray will definitely read less nautical and I think the gray will look lovely with the orange bunkbeds (that currently live in my head since we are nowhere near ready to tackle that project).

Obviously the best part is that the West Elm duvet is only $59 - almost $100 less each than the Serena and Lily duvets.

P Kaufmann Feather Stripe

Loving this fabric:

P. Kaufmann Feather Stripe Mecca Gold


Bold and organic at the same time.