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While the rest of the country swelters and suffers through heat waves, those of us in the PNW are still bundled up.   What does one do when summer weather [that we all so so desperately want] is elusive? Trudge through, I suppose.  Make the most of it when it arrives and try not to complain if it ever does get really hot.  Let's have a great weekend.  Make the most of it [rain, endless cloud cover, or shine].

a summer track: hello

This song, Hello by Martin Solveig and Dragonette, just makes me happy. Build a new playlist and add this track.  [Ironically, the video continues with my tennis theme from yesterday!]

tennis whites

Last year, I decided to enter the tennis playing world.  It is actually an extremely fun, albeit frustrating, game.  Along with tennis, comes tennis attire.  While tennis whites are a long standing tradition, the courts are now decorated with ruffled skirts, Lululemon tanks, and colorful court shoes.  Oh, the fashion possibilities.

Thinking about stretching my court attire, just a bit.  Sticking to the traditional white, but with a modern twist.  Wondering if this outfit would work at our family-friendly swim and tennis club?

I find white a little unforgiving on me, but I am pretty sure I can pull of the shoes.  Mixed doubles night...here I come.

Party. Rinse. Repeat.

I am thinking that it is high time for some outdoor entertaining. A few things from ACME Party Box Company would set the mood.   The company motto is party. rinse. repeat.  Don't you love that?  Started by two working moms, this online company specializes in darling, reusable party items.

This is what I am thinking for a warm afternoon on the patio:

[mason jar sippers]

[stripey straws]

[Weck carafe]

[white bottle vases]

Check out ACME Party Box.  What items shout, "Let's Party!" to you?
Add some sun and let's go.

sweet single serving [part deux]

My new fascination with small single serving desserts continues.  After my post about espresso mousse in tiny mason jars, my sister-in-law gave me a tip for another fun idea. 

[via whipperberry]

Single serving chocolate chip cookies...in a jar!  A Pazookie.  I recently made them for my son's birthday.  [They hold a candle perfectly!  Great birthday dessert.]  Simply make your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, fill 4oz mason jars 1/2 full with dough, and bake them at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes.  You can let them cool completely or serve while warm with a scoop of really good vanilla ice cream on top.  The outside is crisp but the inside is gooey goodness.  Low labor, huge impact!

never met a dip I didn't like

 [via pioneer woman]

Never met a dip I didn't like.  Or any appetizer for that matter.  When I saw this recipe for spinach artichoke dip, I knew I was going to fall victim.  It might be a labor of love.  Much more involved than dumping salsa into a bowl with a side of chips.  Still, I am thinking the end product will be worth it.  This dip will be coming with me the next time I asked bring an appetizer.

what to wear?

Lucky Magazine has taken the pressure off of us.  That question that is always hanging over your head.  [No.  Not, "What's for dinner?"  The other one.]  What should I wear today?

 

First, review these 19 afordable pieces to have in your wardrobe to mix and match.  

Then, choose one of these 45 combinations and rock your new outfit!  Just a few of my favorites...

 Be brave and have fun!

gonna need your sunnies

It is reported that the sun will shine today in the greater Seattle area.  [love.]

Gonna be sporting my new sunnies.  An adorable pair of stud earrings in the shape of sunglasses.

marc by marc jacobs. mini sunnies

 We've been waiting....bring on summer! 

a bowl of love

Our family has a new favorite cereal.......

What does Quaker have to say about this cute little heart-shaped cereal?

"Enjoy the perfect balance of taste and nutrition. Finally! Every lightly sweetened piece of deliciously crisp oat cereal is in the shape of a heart to remind you that you’re starting your day with a heart-healthy choice."

My boys ask for them as a dry snack.  I enjoy a bowl for breakfast with a ton of blueberries.  Tastes great. Good for you.  How often does that happen?

Interested in the nutritional information?  Get all the specifics here.

chips n' fish

Father's Day calls for a special dinner.  Fish and chips.  That was my husband's request.  He has Celiac Disease and gluten free fish and chips are hard to come by.  Even though I have never fried up a batch, I was eager to give it try!

The recipe chips n' fish came from the fabulous cook book Fishes and Dishes!

Main ingredients halibut, eggs, corn starch, Italian parsley, and Salt and Vinegar potato chips!  Hello, all gluten free.

I gave the potato chips a whirl in the food processor.  Dredged fish (I used cod) in corn starch, dipped in egg, and then the chip mixture.  I used peanut oil to fry the fish and it was amazingly easy!  The end product was lip-smackin', finger lickin' good.

[delicious!]

For this and other fantastic seafood recipes-you need this cookbook (written by some pretty awesome women) for yourself!  Find it at an independent bookstore or at good ol' amazon. 

[PS.  Thanks Kiyo!  Aaron loved the fish.  Miss you.]

get this party started.

Summer officially begins, around these parts, at 11:01am today.  Let the marathon begin.

Stay up late, let them run wild, encourage them to get dirty, play catch with them, take them swimming, buy them super soakers, build something together, say yes to candy, take a bike ride, go on a road trip, lay in the shade and read, make ice cream.  Love them and enjoy them.  If not now, when? 

[via the poem farm]

run like a mother.

 Where can your running shoes take you?

Look where mine took me in the month of May!  Unbelievable beauty.  A sleepy, morning beach on Maui. A serene, wooded road in the Canadian Gulf Islands.  Both runs were equally invigorating and restorative. 

While I love great fitness classes, nothing can beat a pair of running shoes and an iPod while away from home.   You need nothing else to get a great workout.  I know that running isn't for everyone.   If you aren't a runner [or absolutely HATE to run], give it another shot.  You may find that it isn't that bad if you have simple, attainable goals.  Run for fitness, health, and overall well-being.  So what if you walk a lot and jog a little.  I promise you won't regret going for a run.  [Plus, it means you earn an extra glass of wine or cocktail at the end of the day!]

Go run like a mother!

a sweet single serving

Ok.  So I came across this recipe for espresso mousse in the March issue of Everyday Food.  While the dessert itself looks delicious, it was the presentation in the individual jars that did me in!  I can't get over how darn fabulous this idea is.  The execution of the recipe was proven to be a tad difficult.  Not actually making the mousse, but gathering 2 items in the recipe.

The first is espresso powder.  After a little reading, I surmised that this is not essential to the recipe working, but I wanted to find it.  It was not in my local supermarket.  A quick google search landed me at Williams-Sonoma.

[espresso powder. williams-sonoma.  $10.95]

And the most important item are those insanely cute 4 oz jars.  I could not find them anywhere.  I searched supermarkets, Target, hardware stores.  Not one store had this petite size. 

The one-stop shop, amazon.com, had them available so I quickly added them to my cart.  $8.99 for a dozen of these darlings!  They will arrive next week.  I plan to make the mousse for my husband on his birthday.  [It just happens to be gluten free!]

Life is sweet, indulge in dessert.

yep, you still have homework.

Summer is looming.....I mean coming!  These Summer Bridge Activities books are perfect if you are interested in having your kids do "just a little" this summer to keep their brains nimble. [And appropriately torture them.]

They bridge the months from one grade to another-spanning from entering kindergarteners through entering 8th graders.  They are organized to have your sweeties do one page (front and back) each day.  There is an excellent mix of grade-specific exercises in language, reading, and math.  Science, social studies, and extension activities are also included.  The pages are colorful and non-repetitive, so the kids "kinda" like them.  We have used them the past two summers with moderate success. Because let's be honest, no child wants to do any kind of school work while on summer break.

You can see sample pages on the summer bridge activities website.  The books themselves can be ordered from through their website, on amazon, or purchased at teacher supply stores. 

Bring on summer [learning]!

mom uniform:: summer layers

It hasn't been that warm around the Pacific Northwest in recent weeks.   [That might be the understatement of the century, but I won't get started.]  It is also still raining...a lot.   Now, while I would love to be wearing my cut-offs, breezy tops and summer sandals, it is simply not feasible when the high reaches 58 degrees.

So, enter my recent "cold summer day" uniform.  My Splendid maxi skirt keeps my legs warm, a favorite long and lean tank from Target [my affection has been documented], and a Gap jean jacket.  And how do I accessorize?  Chuck Taylors to keep my toes dry in the downpours, a scarf [with a pop of color] to keep me from shivering, and my Ray-Bay aviators.  I also roll up the sleeves on the jacket and layer bracelets.  I am certainly not happy about this weather and I am desperately trying to mix in a few summer pieces.

Bring on summer.  Please. 

 

don't cry. it's back

Next week is going to be way better than this week.  How do I know?  For starters, True Blood is back on Sundays.  The perfect way to quick off the last week of school.  Season 5 starts this Sunday night.

A Season 4 recap in case your memory needs some jogging...

Season 4 Recap

Pissed off werewolves, vampire preachers, possessed Lafayette, heartbroken Sookie, lovestruck Jason,  Bill. Eric. Alcide.  Oh, it really is that good.  Happy Watching!

go...vino. go.

Sticking with my backyard barbeque and/or pool side bash theme, I highly recommend these govino stemless wine glasses.  I grabbed a box of 4 at The Tyler Florence Shop while in Napa last summer.  They are the perfect marriage of the good 'ole keg cup and your favorite stemless bar ware.

 These glasses are made from a food-safe, BPA-free polymer and it is recyclable (#1), but better yet it is reusable.  The glasses are actually flexible and completely shatter proof.  Perfect for the pool deck or anywhere else glass is not permitted.  $12.95 for 4 - you can't go wrong!

You can order directly from the govino website (they also have decanters, stemless flutes, and stemless cocktail glasses) or I just spied them in the recent cb2 catalog.