Garden Tea Party 1st Birthday Party

Our youngest child (we have 5) turned one this month. We waited to have her party until this weekend so her Godparents could come and celebrate this special milestone with her.  Normally it is super hot here already in May, but God gave us the most wonderful weekend, the most beautiful temperate day, for our beautiful, sweet mannered daughter, Brooke.

I love looking at the party blogs and getting ideas. However, I look at them and think "Good Lord, who spends that much money on a 5 yr old's (or however old) birthday party!? There seems to be an awful lot of excess going on. It makes my head hurt.  and I'm sure their pocketbooks. I love a beautifully, well done party, where common sense  (and a reasonable budget) prevail! (cue the trumpets!, cue the husbands sharing a collective sigh of relief!)

I would like to clarify that if I were an amazing DIY'er like some of the women out there  on some of my fave party blogs, where doing more would not cost me more...I would! and my hats go off to them and the amazing parties they put out on budgets similiar to mine, putting mine to shame! But this post is to give you ideas and make you think about how your next party can be a pretty party on a reasonable budget (and pocketbook/environment friendly)! Actually, this post is about showing you one of the little people who make my life amazing, because, well, in my opinion she may be the best and sweetest baby in the world, but I digress...

I wanted to share with you a few pictures for you of our daughter Brooke's first birthday party that we held yesterday. Keep in mind that all the decorations were either handmade by the older kids (who were thrilled to be asked to take part in such an important task) or came from the Dollar Tree (our dollar store) and can all be reused. We fed 14 people and the party was under $200.  The food was enough to feed our family of 7 two more meals.

                                        Brooke's First Birthday Garden Party Tea Party

place: our house and yard

attendees: 7 adults, 7 kids

menu: orange bbq pulled pork sandwiches (for the recipe click here) , chips with homemade pico de gallo and guacamole (for recipes click here) , vegetable platter with homemade California dip and my easy summer cucumbers. And there was cake...lots of cake...too much cake...sick of cake....

The butterflies the older kids made (they are made from folded magazine paper and pipe cleaners...click here for the tutorial...the 4 older kids made a clothes basket full and we hung them everywhere.

they looked so cute hung from the kitchen light like a butterfly chandelier

 As usual, we kept the environment in mind for Brooke's party, buying only decorations that could be reused (the flowers will be used for the Girl Scout Mother Daughter Tea I will host this coming year, among other things) and in keeping with my promise to Mr. Darcy that I would help him make our savings goals for this year, they all came from Dollar Tree. I have to say, Brooke, the guest of honor, had no idea what the budget for her party was and the guests didn't care.

   My mom used to say "people will remember, will only remember,  if you were a welcoming hostess and if the food was good. In the end, the rest is just fluff". Since my boys are special needs and homeschooled, their party invitations are few and far between. By making a bigger effort for the family birthdays, and including them in the making of the decorations,  they don't feel like they are missing out. Brooke's party was a wonderful "marriage" of a small crowd, great food, homemade decorations, and some fun party activities for the kids....like

We had a crafting table set up outside with painting crafts (from the dollar tree) and a spray bottle activity to make colored coffee filter butterflies. The kids painted, literally, for hours...I also found butterfly nets at the Dollar Tree...they were a big hit. The kids ran around the yard catching small butterflies the adults threw. FUN!

The weather was cooperative, with a cool breeze so we did cake picnic style outside. I am so glad we moved Brooke outside for cake. She had it Everywhere!

After a quick (well, not so quick) after-cake bath...we changed into our birthday outfit, opened a few gifts and then took a few more pictures of the birthday girl:

  I encourage all of you to think outside the box and think of ways to make parties special without spending unnecessarily, without undue stress, without undue plastic, and with always being true to your vision of what you want your celebrations to be about. I think my Mom would think I hit the mark with this one. The food was great and everyone who came was welcomed with old fashioned hospitality to a party that had old fashioned common sense. How do you make parties special at your house? Are you a DIY'er when it comes to parties? If so, I would like a shade structure built for our next family birthday. The twins turn 11 in July and it's mighty hot here then...

Blessings,

Easy Summer Cucumbers

              These are Mr. Darcy's favorite and super easy. They are an excellent side dish for summer fare.

Easy Summer Cucumbers

6 English Cucumbers, peeled and sliced.

1 small red onion cut in small pieces or thin slices

1/2 cup chopped parsley (curly, not flatleaf)

                                                         1 cup rice wine vinegar
                                                                1/2 cup sugar

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Enjoy right away or keep in refrigerator. 

This recipe post is hooked up with the Friday Potluck over at www.ekatskitchen.com  Please hop over there for some other great recipes! This recipe is also linked up with Tina at www.momscrazycooking.blogspot.com for her This week's craving linky which is all about great summer salads perfect for your Memorial Day celebrations! To check them out, click here.

and we are linked up to: 

Theme Units: Dr. Seuss

Last month we had a Dr. Suess theme unit. The kids loved it. It was wonderful as far as reading/phonics go and we were able to tie in some great crafts that the kids loved.  We had been super busy with tax season and birthday parties and our trip so these crafts came from our local Michaels. I bought them 3 months ago when they had them all on sale which made them homeschool economical!  There are great resources on the web for Cat in the Hat tophats, ties, Christmas ornaments, you name it! But here are the easy out of the box ones that we did:

The boys really enjoyed crinkling the tissue paper for the fish and the cat in the hat mosaics were a great fine motor activity!

while the girls loved the frilly pink embellishments that came with these Horton hears a Who magnets

Lastly, were these cute puzzles. Tim loves puzzles so he loved the idea of coloring his own:

We also made thing 1 and thing 2 bookmarks, but just like their name sakes they are missing in action.  We watched the 2008 version of "Horton hears a Who" the same week we made the bookmarks. Netflix comes in handy when I am planning my theme units.

 Some other things we did for our Dr. Seuss month (besides reading the stories, of course) were using green food coloring to make green eggs and ham and discussing preservation (tied our green unit weekly lesson) in with the story "The Lorax".  Do you celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday in your homeschool? If so, what did you do this year to celebrate?

Blessings to you and your homeschool,

Pride and Prejudice and Marriage

Twelve years ago today, I had my first date with Mr. Darcy.  He picked me up and took me out to dinner.  It was a fabulous first date.  6 short weeks later he took me to dinner again, but this time he flew us to San Francisco, and then after dinner proposed to me at Coit Tower (who knew CPA's were so romantic?). A short six months after that, we were married. I have learned a few things these past dozen years, and I still have alot to learn. But these are worth sharing:

1. Smile. Smile when it is going great and smile when the going is tough. You will show your spouse that you can roll with the punches with a good attitude and you will show your kids that  its not that hard to be happy and pleasant. For a great post I wrote about the power or a smile, click here. Remember, when things get tough, you are in the trenches together. Smiling helps. Alot.

2. Date nights are important.  We have always had date nights. During times we were saving money (or just didn't have any) we would have an adult only late dinner after the kids went to bed.  Sometimes they are casual, and sometimes they are dress up.  Never underestimate the power of a good date night. Ours always end up with us both laughing so hard I have tears. I love that.

3. You can't pick your family, or his. I wish I knew when we got married what I know now about dealing with family. Mainly, that ignoring those who can't be happy for you is the best way to go.  You will continue to be happy and they will continue to be miserable and bitter. You are getting the better end of this deal.

4. Never understimate the power of a romantic gesture. Make them. Appreciate them. Recognize that your spouse's idea of a romantic gesture might not always be yours, but that doesn't mean the thought behind it is any less. If your husband unloads the dishwasher or feeds the baby; he gets credit and should be praised accordingly.

5. Believe in happily ever after. It is worth it to believe you are in it for the long haul. That you have something of value. The best gift you can give your children is married parents. Find things every day to love about each other. As my Mr. Darcy says "just be happy". So believe IN happily ever after. Believe that you HAVE a happily ever after. Make your own happily ever after happen.  Hey, I found a romantic accountant...in the middle of Los Angeles... it can happen.

This post is linked up with the Domestically Divine Homemaking Link up at Far From Rubies. and also at:

 

Blessings,

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

In my life this week…The Jane Austen Book Club I wanted to organize and start this year had its first meeting this evening. Goal accomplished! and also, since I started sewing I seem to have taken over the dining room with my sewing machine and notions. This week I converted my craft room into a sewing/craft room. It was a big job. I'm glad that is done.

In our homeschool this week…Watched two versions of Alice in Wonderland (our May theme unit) and then made Venn diagrams comparing them. Finished up first grade spelling. Ordered fall curriuclum books for the girls from Catholic Heritage. (click here to view their great homeschool supplies site).

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing… actually I am enjoying being in "stay at home" mode.  Mr. Darcy, however, seems to be making alot of trips to Home Depot. 

My favorite thing this week was… Audrey's girl scout bridging ceremony. She is now officially a Brownie, and I have been asked to take over as leader of her troop this coming year. I am very excited about that.

What’s working/not working for us…  Starting earlier is working for us. We use to start school at 9, but starting at 8 is really working out well. Getting up earlier is working out better for me. You could say this is a byproduct of my recent jetlag but I do get more done when I get up earlier as opposed to staying up later. How about you?

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have…  I am thankful for the opportunity to homeschol. I am thankful for a husband who supports it and is okay with me not working  at an outside job (I am a speech-language pathologist) while I educate our children. Overall, I am just thankful.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share… one of my favorite things in my sewing room...my Buckingham palace pin cushion; picked up on our trip last month. Isn't it darling?

Blessings!

Girl Scouts and the "S" word

This past weekend was my daughter Audrey's girl scout troop bridging ceremony. Audrey "bridged" from a Daisy to a Brownie. 

While she will start as a Brownie this coming fall, her little sister Charlotte will get to start her own girl scout journey as a Daisy. It will also start a new journey for me as I go from being a helper to being one of the two main leaders. (I am thrilled that my co-leader this fall will be the only other homeschool mom of the troop!)

Love that little "smirk"...

Girl Scouts are a wonderful extracurricular activity for girls. It promotes leadership, making friends, responsibility and civic duty.  If you have been considering Girl Scouts for your daughter, I encourage you to try it out. (Remember that girl scout leaders are all voluntary unpaid positions and thank your leaders for their time and talent they share with your daughters!) If you homeschool, it is a great answer to that dreaded "S" subject....

"You homeschool? But is your child Socialized?"
"Why yes, we do girl scouts"

Funny that of all the activities and friend related activities our kids are in, I have never had a response that seems to satisfy the socialization nay-sayers as well as saying we are involved in scouts. Put that in the "pro" column!

Do you have a girl scout reference or source you can share with me? I would love it if you did!

Blessings,

Easy Southwest Staples

Summer is coming and that means more grilling by Mr. Darcy and lighter fare than we have been eating this winter. It also means very tasty, (and they make the plate so beautiful) homemade condiments to go with our meals.

 Living here in the Southwest, we eat alot of pico de gallo, guacamole and salsas here at Brighton Park.  Now, I could write literally 50 posts on different salsas that Mr. Darcy and I eat and enjoy...but for today, I will share with you my simple Pico de Gallo and my simple guacamole recipes. I encourage you to make them and watch how fast they disappear!

Simple Pico De Gallo

Pico de Gallo is easy to make and very underestimated as far as how it can make an ordinary meal, well, wonderful!  You can make it as spicy as you want (we always do ours mild/medium so it is kid-friendly). It is great with grilled meats of all kinds and while it makes Mexican (tacos) delish, it makes grilled skirt steak  or other grilled fare amazing!

The great thing about pico de gallo is you can't really mess it up. So if you "don't cook", this is for you.  Your three main ingredients are cilantro, diced (seeded) tomatoes, and onions (you can use red or white, though red is traditional). I use one cup of each.  (You can see I used red onion in the top picture and a white in the bottom. My family didn't complain the night it was a white onion used, and being flexible saved me a trip to the grocer!)

 If my onion is strong, I will decrease my onion by 1/3 to 2/3 cup. Next add 2 tsp lime juice, one teaspoon celtic or kosher salt (less if your chips are salty; you might want to taste test with a chip prior to adding salt and then decide if any more at all is needed!) , and 1 tablespoon minced garlic. I add one small jalepeno. (If you want it hotter use the pith and seeds; if you want it milder discard the pith and seeds.)Stir and done.  It is better if the flavors sit and get a chance to meld together.  It will last about 3 days in the refridgerator, but at my house it is always gone by day's end.

GUACAMOLE: My favorite way to make guacamole is the easiest way and a recipe I learned from "The Barefoot Contessa", Ina Garten, and tweaked it ever so slightly...

Take 6 avocados. pit and cut in big chucks and set in a bowl.
drizzle with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. (this is important: it  keeps the avocados from turning brown)
sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp of kosher or celtic salt.
mash with a fork until a thick chunky consistency.
Perfect as a side dish or condiment. Absolutely perfect with tortilla chips.
Easy.

You will find these on our table usually a couple times a week here at Brighton Park when the weather is warm. Neither of them ever last very long and I find myself making them over and over. This year, I will be using my own cilantro for the pico de gallo from my herb garden I started last year. Do you have a different version? Share them with us in the comments!

This post is hooked up with the Friday Potluck over at www.ekatskitchen.com ; one of my favorite cooking blogs. Head over there for more great recipes from others!

Blessings,

Our pets make our breakfast

As you know if you have read my blog for long, we moved last year to a "country in the city" house so that we could have animals.  We have 6 lovely ladies (the hens): Effie, Sunny, Jennie, Baby, Poppy and Abbey.

Baby, our white cochin

Abbey, on the right, is a splash blue cochin. There is a reason cochins are called "fluffy-butts"...

Jennie, my lovely Brahma.

All 6 of our hens are laying.  It has been a most satisfying lesson in sustainability for us and the kids.

We get a nice mix of white, creme and tan/browns. About 3 1/2  dozen a week. Aren't they pretty?

Then today...a different kind of egg was collected...

Our ducks layed their first eggs.  Our female ducks are Bella and Hermione. (Yes, our daughter named the one bog/girl pair Bella and Edward and the other pair Harry and Hermione)...As someone who loves to cook I am very excited the ducks have started laying. For starters, duck eggs are higher in albumen, making them excellent for baking and we are also hoping later for ducklings! Here are a few more pictures of our ducks here at Brighton park...

Edward swims in the kiddie pool. This year, Mr. Darcy has plans to put in a small duck pond for them. The back row, from left to right, is Bella, Harry and Hermione.

I love the dark royal blue plumage that Harry and Hermione have on their wings. Gorgeous.

We have 5 more baby chicks due to be delivered next week that, once laying, should add blue, green and dark brown eggs to our morning egg basket (so excited!).  This past week I sent Mr. Darcy to the feed store to buy scratch (chicken feed). He came home with no feed and two baby turkeys... They aren't terribly photogenic right now...

I do love that about Mr. Darcy...always full of surprises. (Maybe I should be happy that the feedstore that day wasn't selling calves or ponies...). If you are thinking about chickens, I recommend this website, http://www.mypetchicken.com/  It is a wonderful source of information and a great place to order specific breeds and unlike other sellers, they have a minimum order of 3 chickens and not 25, making them backyard friendly for the beginner.  The chickens and ducks have been just one step on our journey to lead a more green and sustainable lifestyle. How about you? Making any steps, big or little, to be more sustainable? Leave a comment and share them with us!  Blessings,