Well, here we go.
A few good things:
Dinner:
Try this recipe for Pad Thai. Quick, easy, yummy. Hadley had seconds. Blake had fourths.
Then he ran back to the table for one more bite.
Dessert:
Chocolate Rads. Super delicious, crispy outside, gooey center, major chocolate flavor, and fairly easy. I snuck 2 dozen of them into a movie theater last night (I shared)- way better than movie theater popcorn.
Flowers:
How can you not love spring time? No picture can capture the beauty that is Boise right now. Huge flowering trees and bushes line the streets; tulips and daffodils line my yard. The windows are open, the house is filled with a delicious breeze. Life is good.
Can you see the hint of pink? Blake's bedroom doesn't have much of a view (sideyard/neighbor's house), but when this tree blooms, his view will be filled with plum blossom awesomeness.
Blinds:
Speaking of views, do you know about top down/bottom up blinds (that's probably not the real name)? I had never heard of them until we moved into our new house, but I'm a fan. We leave them on the bottom half only in our master bedroom and bathroom, so we have privacy, but still get views and daylight/moonlight. We can lie in bed and see the stars, or wake up to this view in the morning.
I love blue skies and "Simpsons" clouds.
Or this view from the master bathroom: Sky, flowering pear tree (which sadly does not produce pears), and the chance to pretend that there are not actually 50 houses visible from that window.
Fun fact: The other day I was standing on the edge of the tub to open that window, when I realized that we can see the Owyhee mountain range in the distance to the South. Imagine that- a mountain range has been out our window this whole time, and we didn't even know it. (You can also see the Boise foothills from Hadley's room, and just barely from Blake's room). Hooray for mountains.
Black out curtains: If you have kids and you want them to fall asleep before 10 PM in the summer, you need black out curtains. Target has a much improved selection compared to a few years ago, with some colors and patterns designed for kids. I think the curtain was about $25 and I bought a cheap curtain rod for under $15. For the extra sleep they'll provide, they are worth every penny.
Master Bedroom: Blake wasn't the only one to get new curtains. Our master bedroom has been bothering me since we moved in. The walls were the same pink/mauvey brown as the rest of the house, and we had only put a few things on the walls. I tried to freshen it up with new curtains last fall, but they just didn't look right (perhaps it was because they hung on a lovely brass rod with flower finials). So, I tricked my husband into painting it with me late on Easter Sunday. I told him it would take two hours; it took six. Close enough. After a fresh coat of Bleeker Beige ($25), some new curtains ($25x2 at JC Penney), a new curtain rod ($13 super clearance at Penney's!), and a lovely quilt/shams from Pottery Barn (not on sale, but I had a 15% off coupon), it feels like a new room. We added a wall hanging from the old house (originally purchase at TJ Maxx about 5 years ago- I think it was $39). The room isn't done, but it feels much more complete and purposeful. The quilt is not our usual style, but there is such a cozy sense about it, and I am hopeful that the classic print will stand the test of time.
Tortillas:
Have you tried Tortilla Land tortillas yet? They are fresh, uncooked flour tortillas. I'd heard rumors of these magically fresh tortillas from my Costco shopping friends, but I had never tried them, so I was so excited to spot them at Fred Meyer a few months ago. They have no preservatives and only a few ingredients (have you looked at the ingredient list on regular store bought flour tortillas?), and they taste awesome. Oh, and they literally cook up in a minute!
Butterflies:
Have you or your kids ever raised butterflies? We used to catch caterpillars, stick them in a jar with a few leaves, then dump them out when they died. I don't think they ever made it to the butterfly stage. A few weeks ago, my kids were asking lots of questions about how The Very Hungry Caterpillar became a beautiful butterfly. And, well, I really didn't know how to answer that one. I decided to embrace the learning opportunity, and ordered a butterfly house. We've already all been amazed by the quick transition from larvae to caterpillar to chrysalis; the butterfly hatch is sure to blow our minds.
A Feel Good Film:
Well, that's all for April. Who knows what May will bring?
