The Weekend Send-Off

May 20th, 2011 - filed under: Furthermore » Feedback

Some oldies but goodies from a few weeks back:


Three generations.



What. A. Week.

I’m not going to lie – it’s been a really rough one. And I apologize for my absence around here. On top of writing one book while editing/finishing up another, I’ve had a bunch of work come in for my “real” job (oh yeah, I have one of those too!) Then Damian was sent off to Baltimore for a very last minute conference, leaving me single mom stylee . . . with a *very* tooth-troubled toddler. If you follow me on Twitter you might have seen this gem earlier today:

Whenever I reach my breaking point and cry, it makes Waits crack up. It’s sort of infuriating to be honest, but I guess it’s a good thing.



That’s right. I lost it. *sigh* See guys? I definitely do not have it all together, all the time.

Parenthood is such a trip. Ha! Waits may push me to my very edge, but boy does he lift me up to my greatest height, too. As I tweeted:

Dang my kid is friggin’ adorable. Which is really good . . . for his sake!



And it’s true. See?





How could I possibly, ever, stay anything even resembling upset with that sweetest little guy?


I also want to give a HUGE thanks to Kristen, who was kind enough to drop a little something in my tip jar this past week. Thank you, lady. It feels so good to be supported, and your encouragement couldn’t have come at a better time.


And on!

Le Love List

1. Raw Cacao. I was never really a chocolate person, but now . . . I am a convert! Oh my goodness, if you’ve never tried silky smooth, raw chocolates made with real, raw cacao, you need to rectify that situation immediately.

2. Uncooking. Damn, you know what? I’m pretty good at this! I’ve been having success after success in my raw kitchen, devising some truly amazing and innovative recipes. It feels really good to discover this new passion and skill set, and MAN – it tastes good!

3) My garden. Eeep! It’s soooo amazing this year, guys! I need to get a post up and share how it’s coming along. I’m growing curly kale, dino kale, swiss chard, bok choy, chioga beets, heirloom beets, snap peas, calendula, dill, walla walla onions, tomatoes (4 varieties), basil, zinnias, spinach, pumpkins, acorn squash, butternut squash, black squash (heirloom), watermelon, pickling cucumbers, slicing cucumbers, cosmos, heirloom lettuce, romaine, butter lettuce, and chamomile. I think that’s it? Woo-hoo!


Alright guys, now it’s your turn! What do you love this week?

My darlings, this happy little post will stay at the top of the page all weekend, so stop by any time to leave your Love List, ask a question, or offer some feedback! Or if you’re new, please introduce yourself and say ‘Oi!’! This is your community, so get involved!

Have a rejuvenating, relaxing weekend!

  • kristen

    in the past week i’ve made your overnight oats, some cashew-sunflower seed-hempseed-pumpkin seed butter, and was inspired to do some other excellent cooking experiments as well–like ginger syrup so i can make ginger ale with the help of my sodastream. your blog makes me feel so excited and inspired about food! what ended up in your tip jar is just a fraction of what i would have spent on unexciting, uninspired, prepared-by-somebody-else meals this week without you. :)

  • charlotte

    1. Furniture. We’ve been living out of boxes and suitcases for the past six years but now we finally have a new bed, bookshelves and a wardrobe. Not to mention two new sofas. My home is looking very homey.

    2. Libraries. My children have recently joined the library and we’re currently working our way through a HUGE pile of books.

    3. Picnics in the sunshine and my children playing without fighting.

  • http://twitter.com/erosan erosan

    Sigh, I envy you for your ability of taking care of plants. My garden update: no seed sprouted, and the plants I bought all died. I don’t know if it was the horrible heat-wave or that I simply suck at gardening. oh well.

  • http://windycityvegan.wordpress.com Monika {windycityvegan}

    Raw cacao is the best, and your garden sounds amazing this year! Can’t wait for your updates this season and next!

    LOVE:

    1. Liz Phair’s Girlysound. I’m not one to usually get star struck, but waaaaay back in what seems like an entire lifetime ago, I plunked myself down next to her at the bar at Delilah’s and managed to keep my cool…I think… Anyway, I practically have her first two albums memorized, but Girlysound is new to me and brings back very fond memories.

    2. Watching Nina dance to Garrison Keillor’s children’s CD, Daddy’s Girl.

    3. Our garden is putting out so much food right now that we literally can’t keep up. It’s awesome!

  • http://www.sarathomas.etsy.com sara thomas

    happy weekend everyone!

    love highlights for this week:

    1. getting presents in the mail!! last week i ordered a bunch of great things and they have been arriving little by little each day. anything from stuff to begin sprouting, a nut bag for making my at milk, bamboo eatery for my little guy, kleen kanteen sippy cups, a few books that i plan on diving into over the weekend, lavender oil for my homemade laundry detergent/fabric softener, etc. i never know what is going to show up each day! i get so excited when i see the mail lady coming =)

    2. Hanging strawberries! I decided to decorate with fruit this year by planting some strawberries in planters that hang & put them on hooks in the front yard. super cute? heck yes they are! can’t wait to get some berries!

    3. Making jewelry. This past week i custom made made some pieces for a wedding as well as for the daughter of a family friend who has her prom tomorrow. Until i became a full-time mommy i was a full-time metalsmith. I made and sold jewelry on ETSY as well as at various shows. Life got a little too busy for to continue working once simon came along (my hubby works 2 jobs and goes to school full time. i know, what a guy huh?) so i am basically a single mom & in charge of anything house-related right now. getting back in my studio lit a fire under me to really try to re-open my etsy shop again. i am going to set some time aside every week to work on that!

  • Kathryn

    Love, love, love the generation picture!

    1. Getting my health back. Hopefully I’ll have my shunt surgery soon so that I can get back on my feet.

    2. My family for taking such good care of me this past week.

    3. My coworkers who have been generous enough to donate some of their PTO time to me so that I can take as much time off as I need.

  • Court

    I am wondering if y’all could provide some insight…

    I too have been doing research into a RAW diet (and as always, expanding my vegan bag o’ trix). Despite squaring off to my desire for a VitaMix (i have a working blender, an average food processor, a poor excuse for a juicer. mostly: dayam! it’s expensive!) but i am struggling against my urge for a dehydrator. so many recipes call for one! and the time it takes in my oven for some experiments have been unbearable.

    is it really worthwhile? if so, can you suggest a make and model?

    cheers!

  • http://www.glassdharma.com Gail Johnson

    I love getting orders for GlassDharma glass straws- Just wanted to thank you for an order from someone who saw them here. Thank you!!

  • Brianna

    @Gail I was wondering today where I could get a glass straw like Sayward’s. lol

  • http://www.etsy.com/shop/KristinFriesen Kristin

    MUST SEE PHOTOS OF YOUR AMAZING GARDEN! <3

  • Nicole

    Re. the teething… I know this might be against your parenting style, but when it gets really rough, I don’t hesitate to use a bit of baby Tylenol or Advil. My thoughts are that, really, a few doses, used in moderation, are harmless, and if you want to put it into perspective, you have to compare what the (unknown, if any) long term damage of a small dose of pain meds is going to cause vs. the physiological and psychological damage of sleeplessness, anxiety, pain and a cranky, impatient and overstressed family. It’s also worth noting that a little bit of reprieve will enable Waits to better handle subsequent discomfort, so the effect of one small dose could carry forward by putting him (and you) in a better emotional position to handle more teething. Of course, everyone should try the non-medicinal routes first (chewing on frozen toys/cloths, frozen fruit, amber necklace, etc.), but if it comes down to watching my baby suffer from severe discomfort, losing sleep, getting more and more anxious and frustrated, I’ll give her something to take the edge off so that we can all enjoy life a little more. I truly believe that the health benefits to being happy and content far outweigh any very minimal cost of a small dose of meds. Just my thoughts :) Have a great weekend.

  • Kathryn

    Another great tip for teething is to use humphreys. I live by them. Here is the website so that you can check them out. I find mine at Wal-Mart. http://www.humphreysbaby.com/index.html

  • http://twitter.com/alihalsaba Alina S

    Happy List:

    1. Taking a spontaneous long weekend away from DC to chill with my boyfriend’s family in Long Island
    2. realizing that I really FOR REAL am moving to Long Beach CA in 2 MONTHS!! AHH!
    3. getting some great pieces at my friend’s yard sale for super cheap- I can’t remember the last time I’ve bought new clothes that weren’t socks or underwear. happy me, happy bank account!

  • Liz

    1. made rooster sauce for my husband for his birthday, and we’re both loving it!

    2. perfect spring evening with friends on our back deck around the fire pit.

    3. looking forward to spending memorial day weekend with my best friend in chicago!

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

    @ kristen – Aw man, and again, thank you SO much. It just means so much to me to hear that. =)

    @ charlotte – I have such big dreams of future library days! My mother was a children’s librarian and I get wait to get my little guy into reading and into the library.

    @ erosan – Man, you have really bad garden luck. =(

    @ Monika – Back at you! I want pictures! Full scale! I’d love to see everything you’re growing and what it all looks like all laid out, pleeeease?? =D

    @ sara thomas – Packages in the mail is seriously one of my greatest pleasures in life, ha!

    @ Kathryn – I know, isn’t that picture the sweetest? I hope everything works out for you and your health, and you’re able to get the treatment you need (and quickly). Also, WOW awesome co-workers!

    @ Court – My own 2 cents: Last time I went raw I didn’t have a dehydrator and I was like “yeah whatever dehydrator-shmidrator, you don’t really need one!”, which is of course true, but . . . OHMIGOD this time going raw I have a dehydrator and it is SO MUCH BETTER. Being raw this time around is easy and fun and filling and honestly, I don’t feel like I’m doing anything out of the ordinary at all. By which I mean, I don’t miss *anything* and I don’t feel like I’m sacrificing *anything*. And I definitely did not feel this way last time, and I totally think the difference is the dehydrator. Just my input!

    @ Gail Johnson – Yay! <3 you guys! =)

    @ Kristin - Ask and ye shall receive! =D

    @ Nicole – Actually, I totally agree with you. We’ve used it very infrequently, but we’ve definitely used traditional pain relievers. I know it’s a totally personal choice and I certainly don’t judge anyone. For me, there is a cut-off point where pain relief is more important than potential chemical side affects. I think that point is probably just in a different place for each parent. But anyways, yes, I agree with you!

    @ Kathryn – Man, those didn’t work for us!

    @ Alina S. – Sounds like a great weekend. =)

    @ Liz – Woo-hoo Rooster!!! That’s great to hear!

  • Denise

    Ok, first, I’ve been peeking into your life (reading your blog) for awhile now and although I don’t have the same disciplined diet- I am very interested in getting my family to a healthier level of eating and you’ve been inspiring. My daughter is about a year behind Waits and your adventures with him (culinary and otherwise) give me great ideas.
    Like I said I have been reading awhile, but haven’t ever posted.
    This post though- I just wanted to say thanks. I know that what goes onto someone’s blog is filtered, but talking about reaching your limit and crying- I just don’t think it ever gets old hearing that it happens to other people too.
    Also, I just don’t know how you do all this. The gardening, the books, the blog AND in a recent post you mentioned your regular job. HUH? Didn’t think you had one. Mine sure cramps my schedule – haha. I guess your pretty blog photos make it look easy when really it’s not, for anyone.
    Bottom line, thank you.

  • Denise

    Oops, meant to participate in “Le Love List”. Haven’t before, but may become a regular ;]

    1.A/C- My air conditioning unit is out at the house. I’m hoteling it and appreciate the fact we have somewhere comfortable to lay our heads at night. Especially with baby girl. Which leads me to #2….

    2. Watching my baby girl sleep, or eat, or smile…. pretty much her… in general.

    3.My husband. Although we all get cranky with stress, he made sure we got into this hotel, has argued with the various companies and sat all day in a hot house. <3