this weekend

Several people asked about the Life-Changing Bread I posted about yesterday. Here it is. It tastes pretty much like it looks (healthy!), but something delicious happens when slices are toasted and the seeds get all crunchy and yummy. I think I maybe should have added a tiny bit more liquid when I was mixing it up, and probably baked it for the full 40 minutes in the last baking step (I baked it for 35.) Also, I would have chopped up my hazelnuts, and maybe added a little bit of something extra for a little kick - maybe some nutmeg, or ginger, or something along those lines. That said, I've only tried it with a bit of butter, and maybe jam or another spread will make it taste quite different. I sliced the loaf and tucked most of it in the freezer, for toaster-ready slices, which I'm thinking will be kind of awesome to start the day with.

This sweet boy has an ear infection. He's a champ at taking his medicine, which is such a wonderful thing. He's downstairs with me right now, with his camera in hand and looking for things to take pictures of for a blog post he wants to write today. We just heard Thomas wake up singing in his crib. That's a nice way to start the day.

 This is just to show you how impressed I am that not only have I managed to keep this bit of fern alive that was given to me, it's growing new fronds! I'm delighted.

Lastly, this makes me ridiculously pleased. I've been hankering for a big spool of baker's twine for awhile, but haven't found any locally and didn't want to bother to order it online. Sweet Austen sent us some Valentine's goodies, and included some twine for me! The sugar jar is from our health food store - the lid cost a whopping 61 cents; I had the jar already. It's the perfect way to dispense twine! Much like the jute twine system (for which you probably have everything you need already) I posted about before. Tiny little things that make life a bit lovelier.

We're going to have a quiet recovery day at home together. I'm hoping to fit in a bit of soapmaking and some reading, in between the cleaning and regular duties kind of stuff. I haven't heard Adam up and about yet, though, so hopefully he hasn't been afflicted. Happy weekend!

february 23

We all went to bed feeling fine last night; by this morning, we'd all been up several times - one boy with a stomach something, and one with a terrible earache. Adam has taken P to see the doctor for his ear, and T seems to be feeling much better and is reading his Busytown books in the living room. (He'll be three in a few weeks, and we're having a little Busytown party when we're visiting the grandparents. Each morning when he wakes up, he's a different Busytown character. So far today it's Huckle.)

Just mixed this bread up last night and took it out of the oven moments ago. (It's nothing like most bread. No flour, mostly nuts and seeds. Interesting, though - I especially love the odd method! I'm excited to try it toasted.)

I wrote a post for HandPicked Nation earlier this week on naturally cleaning your home earlier this week. (Fun! I love cleaning.)

I mentioned awhile ago that I was having awful headaches; they seem to have passed. In possibly related news, I bought a buckwheat pillow which I *love* from this Maine Etsy shop. I also bought these earrings, which I can't get enough of. I don't think the earrings have done anything for the headaches, but they're pretty.

Okay, off to tidy up the breakfast dishes and see if a certain someone wants to 'help'.

snow day!

There was no wind, and the weather was perfect on Saturday morning when I headed to the beach. Today, though, it's a blizzardy winter wonderland out there! So we're all cozy together at home again today. Adam has the boys outside playing in the snow. One drift is taller than Thomas!

The weekend was lovely, lovely, lovely. I spent part of my time working on a few fun projects I'll be able to share soon. And aside from Thomas' lingering cough, we've all been feeling well, at last. I think I'm finally able to see the light at the end of winter - only a few more weeks until the time change and the snowdrops appear in the garden! The days are getting noticeably longer, and there is hope in my heart. I'm feeling inspired by just about everything.

I love this song (it somehow manages to make me want to laugh, cry, and dance all at the same time), and it's somehow perfect for a snow day.

Happy Monday!

tangled garden

I've written about Tangled Garden in beautiful Grand Pré, Nova Scotia before. In fact, I gushed and swooned and took a zillion pictures.

So I was delighted and ecstatic tonight to see them featured in the March 2013 issue of Martha Stewart Living! (It's kind of like any time that Canada is mentioned on American TV. Only even closer to home!)

It's one of those places that everything just feels right.  It's a feast for the senses. Everything is made and grown right there, and is so delicious! The spring onion jelly was a particular favourite of mine. It's a place that couldn't be much closer to everything that I love. Unless there were some herb soaps. Hmm... maybe I should get in touch!

There's a lovely short video about Beverly McClare, the woman behind the garden, here. I'm so delighted for her, and hoping that the piece will bring lots of people to visit my beautiful, beautiful province. (This seems to be a running theme here lately.)

In other brief news, we're all feeling much better, thanks! Just the occasional cough, nose blow, and sniffle. And a bit of fever hanging on to conquer over the weekend. And I have grand plans for the weekend - my mom will be watching the boys tomorrow, and I have plans for picture taking and Gooey Cinnamon Square making (from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook). Sounds very, very good to me.

I hope that your weekend is full of loveliness, too!

out and about (and "in and not going anywhere today")

Phillip's been sick with a nasty cough and fever. I think I'm coming down with it, so I'm staying put for the day, and hoping to fight it off with plenty of rest and honey lemon tea. (Highly recommended! Even the boys love it.)

 These are a few pictures I took last week while driving around my beautiful end of the province for work. I will often post them to Instagram, but wanted to share them here, too.

These last two are straight out of my phone. I love winter skies.

I heard on the radio this morning that something like 80% of visitors to Nova Scotia become repeat visitors. No wonder - it's such a beautiful, lovely place. I am so happy to call it home!

Mozart & Beethoven

I found these handsome fellows at Value Village over our little Christmas break in Saint John. I couldn't resist! (And for $2.99 each, they were a steal.) Mozart and Beethoven have been hanging out in the dining room, on the little shelves I love so much, and watching over us as we go through our days.

In completely unrelated news, does anyone have any headache prevention tips? I've had some doozies lately, to the point where I'm nauseous. It did seem to improve a bit when I made a conscious effort to drink crazy huge amounts of water through the day, but I still had some. (And I'm hopping back on that bandwagon tomorrow.) I'm tired of taking Advil in order to enjoy the evenings - I want to avoid them in the first place. I'm open to suggestions!

And I hope that you're having a lovely week, headache-free.

february 2

Happy weekend! We're having a lovely, quiet one so far. Of course, I've been watching Downton in the evenings. Have you seen Upside Downton Abbey, the Sesame Street spoof? Love it.

Phillip came home from school yesterday with two loose teeth. He is over the moon. And they're really wiggly - I think they'll be out within a week. (Any bets?)

We're making some play-doh for his class this afternoon, and I'm making another batch of balm.

I cleaned the glass on the wood stove, and it's like a whole new object.

Valentine's decorations are popping up like nobody's business in our house. Hearts are exploding everywhere. I made Philip cry by pointing out that he cut one of our heart garland decorations in half last year. I meant it in a teasing, loving way, but I really hurt his feelings. Which broke my heart a little bit. That I could do that without intending to. And of course, it makes me consider all of my interactions with everyone else, too. Oh, this parenting thing makes us so vulnerable. We learn so much about ourselves.