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Welcome June
Our newest grand has arrived — happy and healthy!!!
So in case you missed it, I am in DC, halfway across the country for several weeks caring for the exhausted Mom and Dad and they care for our newest Grand
And enjoying as much time as I can with our original Grand who is 21 months old.
It is such an honor and joy to be able to do this for and with them.
And we haven’t even started the nursery beyond just a bit of dreaming. So it looks like another visit from Grandma DeeDee will be on the calendar soon (you can tell I’m disappointed, right?).
Short story from this morning’s walk to daycare:
Last night both of E’s beloved duck binkies broke. Dad snuck into L’s future nursery and procured a dragon binky and a tiger binky as replacements. She is thrilled with these new friends. On the way to school this morning we talked about how lucky she is to get to walk through so many beautiful gardens between home and school. (seven blocks of historic row houses). We started identifying all the flowers by colors until we came upon the first lily – you guessed it! A tiger lily! We found eight gardens with orange tiger lilies named after her new tiger friend!
We’re excited to walk the other side of the blocks on the trip home and see how many we find.
In the meantime, I have missed several newsletters, so let’s get caught up:
Pool Noodle For the Win!
What?
Yes! So I had an idea, but not a good way to implement it.
So I looked around a bit and in the tool cabana I found the barrel of pool/lake noodles.
It was a lightbulb moment! Come see how it works. You’ll want one, too.
A Card to Hold a Small Token or Piece of Art
These DIY handmade frame cards are designed to hold a small piece of original art right inside the frame opening.
Torn paper collage, a watercolor bookmark, dried botanicals, a clay piece, even a photo — whatever speaks to you.
The art slips out to display as a bookmark, prop on an easel, or tuck into a small frame on the wall.
Torn Paper — Easy & Fun!
Torn paper collage art is one of those creative techniques that sounds almost too simple — and then completely surprises you with how stunning the results can be.
We’re talking layered landscapes, moody seascapes, gorgeous abstracts, and even optional stitching that takes the whole thing to another level entirely.
How to Customize Generic Store-Bought Bunting
Mailbox swag. Pillar flags. A sweeping porch bunting.
All from two 20-foot rolls of Amazon bunting and an afternoon of relaxed sewing. I
‘m breaking down all three projects step by step on the blog — including the magnet trick that makes the mailbox swag the easiest part of the whole thing.
The links in this post may include affiliate links, which means if you purchase anything using these links, you pay no extra, but I may receive a small commission that helps keep this blog running. I truly appreciate you using affiliate links whenever possible. Please know that I will never recommend a product I do not believe in!
I am halfway across the country, at our daughter’s home where two weeks ago, we welcomed her 2nd daughter, our 2nd grand! It has been a wonderful, yet exhausting time.
When planning for this extended stay, I knew I needed to think comfort, washable, versatile capsule wardrobe!!!
Packable, Highly Wearable Essentials
I ordered this dress for my extended stay.
WOW! I have been reaching for it on repeat.
Plus it launders beautifully, It is made of the best knit fabric with plenty of structure that still drapes beautifully. It’s an easy, forgiving fit that is neither too tight nor a boxy blah — and has pockets!
I can tumble on the floor with the big sister, and then throw on these sneakers for our walk to daycare. It looks great with an oversized crew neck sweater for chilly mornings and A/C aggressive rooms.
Runs true to size! 13 color and 3 print options (I have the dusty blue, so far). And did I mention they are on sale for just $20..
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New Skort
During the summer, I live in skorts.
They transition so easily from creating, to cleaning, to gardening, to walking, even kayaking. And casual nights out, too!
I failed to pack my black skort, so I had to order a khaki skort I’ve been eyeing.
It’s the best! I just added the black version to my cart. I love the added length and the extra flip in the back let’s me even sit cross legged on the floor with the grands.
Safe Outdoor Fun For the Big Sister
I ordered this “plastic” rug to cover most of their small deck as a temporary solution until they are able to replace and enlarge it in the next couple of years.
For this summer, it will take care of the splinter and embedded dirt and grime issues.
Summer Means Water Fun!
On this rug, they have this water table for the almost 2-year-old. Now you know why a clean safe solution for the deck needed to happen.
I added this adorable whale pump. The water and fun keep going without the hose running constantly.
Now Let’s See What the Other Gals Found For Us
Lynn – Living Large in a Small House
If you are new here, our daughter moved back to Chicago from Dallas with her family. She and her husband, Tommy, have a 2-1/2-year-old son. Little man has spent a lot of time at Grandma and Grandpa’s.
Recently Dad dropped him off here in a panic as their sitter arrangements had changed. He didn’t have much of anything, including shoes, packed for him. It became clear that we needed to have a well-stocked home for just these kinds of days. Besides the obvious of diapers, wipes, food, and snacks, these are the things I have to purchase to keep at my house.
- Some PJs, clothes, and shoes that are age- and weather-appropriate are so convenient to have extras handy at your home for the grands.
- The way car seats are attached to cars these days, it’s difficult to swap them out, so I find it best to have my own in my car. This car seat is well worth the investment, as I can swivel it to get him in and out effortlessly. I also like to have a lightweight stroller in the trunk.
- While I didn’t use sound machines with my kids, they use one, and the little man doesn’t sleep well without it. I also like having a monitor. When our kids were little, it was just a sound monitor. Now you can see them, which I, personally, like, as he is in a toddler bed at our house, and I like to know what he’s up to!
- We did not purchase this. Mom and Dad brought it from Dallas, and it is at our house. This bouncy house has provided hours worth of fun. If you have the space to store it and the yard to set it up in, this is a great Grandma and Grandpa fun adventure toy. I think I’ve paid more renting one!
Cindy – Reinvented Delaware
Lately, I’ve been buying random things from Amazon. This month’s shopping list includes a little bit of DIY, a little bit of gardening supplies, and a little bit of fun for my grandkids. Let’s take a look at my Amazon cart!
- I’ve been working on making my yard work as easy as possible. That means lightweight tools to maintain the 1 & 1/3 acre of land at my home. I have some help with the heavy lifting yard projects, but honestly, I want to stay as active as I can as I age. My small handheld battery powered pruner is perfect for keeping the shrubbery at a manageable size as well as trimming a random branch on my crape myrtles. I also have a lightweight battery powered leaf blower that is on its way. Both of these tools use the same batteries so I won’t have to manage several different chargers. My garden shed also has a vintage inspired outdoor thermometer to help me know when to open all the windows during the heat of summer.
- Speaking of staying active and healthy, my new friend Cindy from the YouTube channel ‘Growing Again’ shared a recipe for the homemade electrolyte drink she is making. She looked at the ingredients for the very popular “LMNT” electrolyte drink that was on their packaging and makes her own for pennies! The drink includes Magnesium Malate, Potassium Chloride and Redmond Real Salt. One box of 18 servings of LMNT costs $27. Having these ingredients and mixing my own will save me so much money! Each homemade batch will last for weeks and will only cost pennies! I’ll include the recipe below this list as well as my friends YouTube video showing all about the drink mix.
- The last couple of weeks I’ve been giving one of our guest bedrooms a refresh. It’s about half way done. Part one of that room refresh goes live on my YouTube channel this weekend. Part 2 will be coming soon. The room has a new bed that is solid construction. It’s a bit modern looking for my tastes so I ordered some beautiful solid wood appliques to give the bed a vintage and antique aesthetic. I also ordered wood finials for the bedframe posts. The wood appliques and finials could also be used on furniture makeovers giving any piece a vintage look. Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss any of the room makeovers I’m doing including this guest bedroom!
- My children and grandbabies spent several weeks with me in May. They made the month go by smoother for me. My birthday, my hubby’s birthday as well as the first anniversary of his passing all happened in May. Having all of the little ones here, playing and running around was just what I needed to walk through hard days. All five of them loved playing with these remote cars. Two sets kept all of them happy! They raced them in the kitchen and down the hallway with such joy. ❤️ Here are the links to both sets: Set One and Set Two
Lora – Lora Bloomquist
- My hubs says the best gift I’ve gotten him is THIS mini chainsaw. (We also got the batteries HERE). It’s perfect for cutting branches and small logs because you can hold the wood with one hand and cut with the other. I can even use it! Bonus-he’s done a lot of landscaping jobs this Spring;) Perfect Dad’s day gift!
- Sister says her hubs loves their new smart bird feeder with a camera. At work, he enjoys seeing what birds are at their home feeder:) They come in a wide variety of styles and prices: Find them HERE. (think this may be our dad’s day gift)
- One of my favorite vintage sellers on IG recommended THESE furniture markers that come in a pack of browns. They are so handy to have around! I used them to touch up a couple of brown frames that had some little scratches. I will be keeping these close at hand.
- I’m finishing up planting all my container pots around the house. I just love popping THESE little solar lights into them for nighttime interest. I’m also wanting to use them in a vintage chandelier, since the bases are nice and thin. I got black, but THESE copper look ones are so pretty!
Anna – Sky Lark House
Sadly, Anna is not available this month, but she’ll catch up with us next month.
Wishing you the most beautiful spring weekend!
