Denim Daisies

 Happy Friday!!! We read with the boys every night before bed as a way to settle down after their baths/showers and an episode or two of Bluey.  Usually it's a book or two from me and then Grant reads them to sleep from something that he enjoys. I'm not a huge fan of reading aloud, just not my thing, so I try to find somewhat shorter, but still engaging books for them that they can participate in and then Grant worked through several Tamora Pierce Books, one on Eisenhower I think, and now is going through Lord of the Rings with them.  These are my favorite books that Jamie can stay engaged with, but are still fun for Leo as well and short enough that I look forward to reading aloud rather than it being a chore. I've included the amazon links as well, just in case:  5.  Llama Llama Red Pajama - I LOVE this book, we get really into it and even have our own routine with this book that the boys act out with me. I'm not a creative person when it comes to pretend pla...

 Hello, I'm so excited about the news release that the Cincinnati Zoo just shared of one of the Cheetah mom's fostering a new cub!!! Cheetah Adds Cub to Litter Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens does so much work with so many species to ensure their survival in the long term. The amount of work that went into this from the initial organization recognizing that the cub's birth mother would not be able to provide milk for it (it's sibling sadly died and cheetah mom's typically can't produce milk for a single cub), to the volunteer pilots who flew this little one to Cincinnati with it's carer until it got situated, to the cheetah mom and new siblings that adopted this sweet little one into their litter. I'm just so proud of the zoo and everyone's efforts to save this little one to be a representative and important link in species survival for these beautiful felids!!!! Seriously check out the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens if you haven't alr...

Our first cucumber from the backyard garden! As you can see despite the heat our pumpkins, cucumbers, tomatoes, and a few other plants are THRIVING!!! Now the trick is keeping Jamie from picking everything prematurely! 😅 Have a great day!!! 💛Jess

 Hello!!! So for all the parents/babysitters/anyone who has tiny humans around a lot, summertime equals water time! It’s so much fun, cools everyone down, and tires them out so bed/Naptime is soooo much easier! All this said, the key to a fun and meltdown-free outing is being prepared and being flexible with expectations. The latter I’m still working on, but the former I think I’m finally getting and my pool bag with the kids is as follows: 1. Bathing suits (with tops for the boys to avoid as many sunscreen issues) 2. Towels for EVERYONE, I tried just doing a couple of towels because they do take up space but no, it’s worth it!!! 3. Sunscreen… we are a very pale family… we bath in this all summer, blue lizard is my new favorite because their spray seems to truly work! 4. Water bottles for everyone… leak proof because no one wants to put on a wet suit at the start. 5. Small individual snacks… Leo is a hangry boy at times and he gets it from me!!! 6. POOL TOYS. I always forget this a...

 Hello! Seriously I have been eating one of these cooked in the air fryer for lunch everyday with avocado and a little salsa (probably would be more efficient just to buy the guac but oh well).  I love them, Grant loves them, and the kids will gain better taste buds one day I’m sure! 😆 This is part of my “decide once” from The Lazy Genius and so I just eat this for lunch everyday. It’s always a treat, quick to make, and pretty healthy. Check check check! I am a habitual lunch skipper, so this is perfect to remember to eat when I know it will be one of my favorite foods! That’s all for today! 💛 Jess

 Hello! A little late in posting as we’re Al settling into a more relaxed summer schedule for the next few weeks before the busier part picks back up right before school.  My top five today is candle scents, being that we’re in summer these are definitely spring/summer oriented, but even if you don’t burn them, a strong scent will still work some in the area without fire if it’s scorching outside! I didn’t used to burn candles at all after an incident with our cat trying to warm her butt on one in Alaska. She was fine but it scared us away from candles for a while. Now I love them again and Belle has become older and much wiser. (I say this as she’s bathing herself right in front of me. 🙄) 1. I love all things lemon… need I say more? 2. Diamond of the Season by bath and bodywork’s is Bridgerton themed and I am here for it! 3. I’m also loving this Peach Bellini that Grant got me for Christmas. Apparently I’m a fruity floral scent person! 🥰 4&5. A tie for me as these are c...

 Happy Solstice!!! Once of my favorite traditions from living in Alaska early in our marriage was attending solstice block parties. Our cul-de-sac would end up having a giant cook-out and everyone would be up having a, relatively tame, party at 1-2am because it was still light out and... well... why not? A lot of our friends would also go fishing all night as their celebration.  To appease my nostalgia for where Grant and I were roughly a decade ago, I wanted to highlight one of our favorite nature organizations from our time in Alaska.  Eagle River Nature Center  was one of our favorite walks and happened to be a great place to take visiting friends to see local wildlife and was also the backside of of of the best hikes in the Anchorage area, Crow's Pass. Seriously it's a great place to support local conservation and to get some wonderful experiences with nature and especially wildlife like moose, bear, and, of course, bald eagles! Just be safe on the trails!!!! Tha...