Fried Green Tomatoes, Confiscated Pillowcases, and Twin Transgressions {7QT}

--1--

I tried fried green tomatoes for the first time this week. Not by choice, but because Elizabeth decided to pick a rather large one, attempt several bites, and then discard it in the grass.

I was NOT pleased. But I sliced it up, sprinkled with salt & pepper, and fried it in some olive oil with panko bread crumbs. Surprisingly tasty!

Meanwhile, the twins also decided to pick about a dozen green cherry tomatoes, burying them in the garden because "We're gwowing da tomatoes!!!"

Some people plant extra crops in order to make up for natural loss due to animals. I planted extra to make up for loss due to toddlers.

So now I'm picking them as soon as they start ripening, in the hopes that I'll save more from the twins that way!

--2--

And speaking of the twins, you'll be shocked to hear that they're still crazy indoors, too!

After putting them on time out in their room for one transgression, I went to get dressed and returned to find that they had removed every item from their dresser and then climbed onto it to remove everything from their closet bar. Oh, and they took their pillowcases off their pillows.

So now their dresser is no longer in their room AND they're not allowed to have pillowcases. The punishment fits the crime, but I still feel ridiculous... "NO! You're not allowed to have a pillowcase anymore!"

--3--

Why do I even try?

They *wanted* me to take their picture! And yet... The expressions. Kills me!

--4--

Apologies for not rotating this picture but... I've been working on these quick takes for more than a day, so I just don't care!

John Paul sorted through one of those coupon mailers we get in the mail every few weeks, setting aside the ones he wanted. My personal favorites?

"I saved this garage door one, because we don't have a garage!"

and

"I saved this cell phone one because I really want a cell phone!"

So thoughtful, that kid.

--5--

Blueberry season is here! Andrew's mom is going to be visiting at the end of the week and we don't have room in the car for everybody to go blueberry picking, so I get to stay home with Peter while they labor in the fields!

And then we'll enjoy our waffles on Waffle Wednesday with fresh blueberries! Those holes are just perfect blueberry spots!

--6--

Peter's still bellyflop-crawling and it's SO funny to watch but kid can move! Nothing is safe anymore, and he's also trying (unsuccessfully, so there's that) to pull up on tables and chairs and all sorts of things. I'm considering removing the little table from the playroom until he's figured it out, solely because there's too much potential for head bumping and I can't spot him 24/7!

--7--

On the plus side, "crawling" means he's a little more content to be put down for more than 4 seconds at a time. Favorite toys? Obviously Legos! Actually, he tends to go for cars, trucks, balls, trains... Very typical "boy" things which is interesting to me because John Paul was not at ALL that way, so it'll be fun to see what he ends up liking!

In anticipation of him actually liking cars (and because Elizabeth always really likes this toy at other people's houses), we found this toy for $6 at a consignment store and bought it for him for his birthday... Which is in November. I've been socking away rather a lot of birthday & Christmas presents for all the kids and need to remind myself to STOP because then we'll end up with mountains and mountains of presents come birthday season, which is just ridiculous because we don't need *all the things* at all! 

Cutting myself off. No more toys. I hope.

Linking up with Kelly for some Saturday Quick Takes! Hope you have a beautiful weekend! We'll be celebrating our 7th anniversary early tonight (it's tomorrow) because my awesome sister is babysitting!

Five Favorites: Toys, Gardening, Recipes, and Books

Some recent favorites...

These dress-up skirts - a friend gave these to the girls months ago and they wear them every. single. day (sometimes at night, too...) - they're holding up REALLY well despite being washed many times, and they're easy for the twins to put on by themselves which is a HUGE plus!

I bought this tomato fertilizer two years ago and have definitely seen a big difference in our tomatoes since I started using it - the bag is still more than half full, so it lasts a while! I follow up the fertilizer application with this fish emulsion fertilizer (it smells VILE but seems to work really well on all our plants) and am probably going to need to buy a new bottle soon, but again it lasted for ages and is a nice organic way to provide more nutrients to your plants.

I've linked to this waffle recipe before, but I just want to reiterate how deliciously amazing yeasted waffles are! You make the batter the night before, so it takes almost no extra time in the morning. Waffle Wednesdays are the best!

And last, here's one of our current favorite books, which comes in a sturdy board book version and is fun to read! We've checked it out so many times from the library that it's probably time to buy our own copy!

Linking up with Jenna for Five Favorites, because I like her!

Buying through my affiliate links helps me be able to purchase really cool things like reusable straws and CDs that monks recorded!

Our Christmas List {7 Quick Takes)

Our big plan this year was to do a handmade Christmas - only gifts that we made ourselves or purchased from artists on Etsy or the like.

But then I got pregnant.  And making all the things either in the last trimester of pregnancy or while dealing with a newborn?  Not happening.  So that's postponed (although the kids ARE each getting a print from Flor Larios, so we're doing our part a *little* bit!) until next year...  But what ARE we giving everyone?

Nothing.  Jesus is the greatest gift!

No, sorry, I'm just kidding.  I mean, Jesus is awesome and obviously the reason we're celebrating.  We'll probably save a lot of this for Epiphany, but we DO do Christmas presents.  Honestly, a lot of this is stuff we would have gotten for the kids *anyway* but now we have a reason to give it to them.  Need ideas?  Look no further:

Many of these links are affiliate links - I really appreciate you clicking through and making any purchases you'd already be making through these links, because it helps fund this blog at no extra cost to you!  Think of it as your Christmas present to me :)

--1--

For Mom:

Gift cards!  Bonus if they're to places where she can ONLY shop for herself, and won't be tempted to buy stuff for the kids instead (you know you've done it...), like the ones below:

Le Tote - Like Netflix for clothes!  A great way for a mom transitioning in sizes to try stuff on without the obligation to buy, but she CAN buy if she loves it!  I'm hoping to try it out and post a review for you in the coming months!



ThredUP (Here's $20 off your purchase of $75 or more for ALL customers, not just new ones!) - They sell children's clothes too but the prices are better for women's stuff

Twice ($10 off your first purchase!) - ONLY women's clothing!  And they just added shoes and handbags, too!

(You know I love them both!  Here's my review of them, in case you haven't read it already!)

But what do I REALLY want?

Well, I finally ordered a pair of boots and am really looking forward to wearing them to death!


And mostly I just want things for the kitchen...  I'd love this handy little gadget that Emily recommended - we use a LOT of garlic around here!  And it would be awesome to have a second apron - mine is always getting way too dirty before I bother washing it, and it'd be convenient to have a spare.  My go-to pan has been in baaaaad shape and I think it's time to retire it, but a new stir-fry pan would be the perfect replacement!



I don't use a planner, but maybe it's time to start?  And I definitely think Kelly's looks awesome!  Although I have a feeling John Paul would hijack it...  What do you think, Kelly?  Suitable for the 5-year-old crowd AND the 28-year-old crowd?

--2--

For Dad:



I've had this soccer goal on my wishlist for a while, and it's cheaper right now that I've ever seen it so I think I may go ahead and get it as a joint present for Andrew and John Paul

It's been ages since we last played a video game together but I kind of miss it!

But I'm kind of at a loss beyond that - what would YOU get the man who has everything and really really doesn't want more stuff cluttering up the place?

--3--

For the easy-to-please nerdy 5-year-old boy:

I picked up this construction set at a consignment sale in September and am really hoping it keeps him busy!  He's the type to take EVERYTHING apart and try to put it back together, so having something actually geared towards that as the goal is probably a good idea!



I also got a great deal on this magnet lab kit, since he's been reading a lot about magnets and trying to set up his own experiments with the ones we have...  But all we really have are letter magnets, so this should be a lot more satisfying AND double as homeschooling!

Do you have a kid like that who's always getting into things?  John Paul got these excavation kits for his birthday and spent DAYS digging the pieces out and putting them together - it was amazing!  Definitely a great gift for a 5-year-old, and a great way to keep a kid busy.

--4--

For the 3-year-old girl who thinks she's 30:

Cecilia has been bitten by the American Girl bug.  Specifically, she's DYING for a Bitty Baby and considering her birthday is in January, I think it's a reasonable joint present.  She spends all day every day playing baby dolls, and DESPERATELY wants a more realistic doll than her beloved Baby Stella (who has really served her well for the past 3 years!).



I got her this dress-up doll set at a consignment sale last spring, and she'll be getting a couple of books as well.  Her birthday's at the end of January so I don't want to get her much because she'll be overloaded!

Oh, but I did promise to make her a purple cape.  Want to know how I do that?  Buy a yard of fleece.  Cut it in the shape of a cape.  Tie it.  BAM!

--5--

For the 2-year-old crowd:

Mary Claire and Elizabeth just had their birthday and each got their own baby doll (this one and this one, so everybody matches!), so they're kind of set, plus they still don't get the whole present thing anyway, which I'm taking advantage of!  But they need *something* so I got a couple more Water Wow books for them because they ADORE those things and I know they hold up really well.


We also got this Melissa & Doug Slice and Bake Cookie Set for my 2-year-old niece - it's been a favorite over here for a couple years, and is always a hit with the play date crowds!



I'm keeping my eyes open for good used books too - they're HUGE fans of anything Jan Brett, and Berlioz the Bear is their current favorite from the library.  We need to purge our home library and replace a lot of damaged (and terrible) books with GOOD books, and this is definitely the place to start!

--6--

For the newborn:

Nothing.

Sorry, kid.

Well, I know my mom is making matching hats for him and John Paul (Size up! Enormous noggins on both these kids!).  Does that count?

We've got more toys and books than we need - what would YOU get a newborn who already has 4 siblings close in age, and thus has all their hand-me-downs?



Maybe rompers? He has like, 3 things that fit and are seasonally appropriate, and I do love me some Hanna Andersson...



Or one of these adorable hooded numbers from Carter's?  In reality, we have very few pairs of footie pajamas and might grab a couple pairs of zippered jammies to carry us through until he's big enough for John Paul's old winter stuff.

--7--

What do you think?   Can we do a handmade Christmas *next* year?  How do you keep yourself from going overboard with presents?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Linking up with the lovely new hostess of Seven Quick Takes, Kelly of This Ain't the Lyceum!