Month: September 2018

WIP Wednesday: 38/52

mildlygranola, , 5 Comments

I got a lot of knitting done this week.

I made a hat for John. Our anniversary was last week. The traditional gift for 7 years is wool, so I picked up some yarn in colors I thought he would like. He picked out the pattern (Little Boxes Beanie by Benjamin Matthews). This was a fun, fast knit. I’m going to make Elliot and Audrey hats that match John (if I ever get around to it).20180926_1543461786263975601356255.jpgI finished my sweater.20180923_1633467145695112801741029.jpg

Twice, actually, because after blocking the sleeves grew about six inches. I fixed that.

And now I am never going to take it off.20180926_1106121359089853249569434.jpg

I cast on a Zadie sweater as soon as I finished the caramel sweater. If I’m going to meet my goal of knitting it before Thanksgiving I’m going to have to knit a skein a week. It will be an easy project to travel with, as it is all stockinette. It is, however, incredibly boring to knit, so having the deadline is probably a good thing. Without the knitalong this would end up in a project bag for months.

I finished the first stocking and cast on the second one. I will duplicate stitch the names and years on to the stockings when they are both done. I hope to have these both done in a couple of weeks.

Once I’m done with the stockings and sweater I’ll pick up the socks again. Until then they will sit in their project bag.

I hope you had a productive week too!

Orchard Pit Stop

mildlygranola, , 4 Comments

The kids and I drove up to visit my parents yesterday. It is a two-hour drive, so we usually stop at some point because my kids are small and two hours is a long drive for them.

Instead of stopping at a rest stop yesterday we made use of our season pass to Center Grove Orchard. The orchard is only 5 miles off the interstate on our drive back to my parents house. It is about a quarter of the way into our drive, which is perfect for car naps.20180924_1119272959868064732549028.jpg

We spent about a half hour exploring the farmyard. It was a great way to wear them out.

They learned how to milk a cow.20180924_1139266436608292976159587.jpgThey drove tractors.

They played in the corn pool.

Audrey even went down the dump truck slide with the big kids. 20180924_112939(0)8615374697558427391.jpg

After wearing them out we had lunch before hitting the road. I’m posting this picture so you can see how tired they were. 20180924_1205493940418993455185143.jpgDid they nap? Of course not. Did they complain when I didn’t let them listen to The Laurie Berkner Band for the entire ride? Of course. Do I care? Not really. We were able to play in the sunshine on a beautiful fall day. It’s OK if they skipped a nap yesterday (it is really easy for me to write that because they are both napping well today).

Fall Passport

mildlygranola, , 2 Comments

Because our Summer Passport was so successful I decided to make one for fall too. When cooler weather hits we usually fall into a rut, so I’m hoping this will keep us trying different things all fall.

When the kids complete an activity they get a sticker in their passport and a sticker to wear. For the summer passport I only gave out stickers the first time we did an activity. For the fall I have changed that; there are a few activities that will allow the kids to earn more than one sticker. I’ve noted those activities in the list.

Activities in the fall passport:

Go to the zoo (can earn a sticker for up to four trips)

Visit Center Grove Orchard (can earn a sticker for up to four trips)

Visit the Science Center (can earn a sticker for up to two trips)

Go to the Learn and Play Center at the YMCA (can earn a sticker for up to four trips)

Hike (can earn a sticker for up to four trips)

Visit the State Historical Building (can earn a sticker for up to two trips)

Visit Living History Farms

Meet Aunt Kathleen for lunch (I should probably ask her about this one)

Play at a park in Cedar Falls

Go on a picnic (can earn a sticker for up to four trips)

Make bagels

Make pita bread

Make sugar cookies with camel and giraffe cookie cutters

Walk to the coffee shop

Go to story time at the library

Go to the Fall Festival parade

Go on a carnival ride

Play with Daddy on a vacation day

Mail a package to Aunt Mary-Claire

Make a pretzel cake

Celebrate Audrey’s birthday

Visit Riley Park

Visit Beaverdale Park

Visit Quail Cove Park

Camp with Sophia and Bryan

Visit Annie’s farm

Go to the Omaha Zoo

I really enjoy having the passport. If we don’t have plans in the morning we can look through the passport to see if there is something we want to do. It also helps me make sure we get to the things I want to try – like making pita bread.

WIP Wednesday: 37/52

mildlygranola, 5 Comments

Happy Wednesday! I’ve been knitting away this week, making progress on most projects. I haven’t touched my sock project at all. It feels weird to not be working on socks, but I’m just not feeling them.

I’m getting so close on my sweater. I’m actually to the point where I’m excited to be working on it because I’m so close to having a new sweater for fall. I just need to finish up the second sleeve.20180919_1242287837708890853937678.jpg

I started a stocking last week and made a 10 rows a day goal. I’ve been sticking pretty close to that, with the exception of yesterday when I did 10 rows and the heel. Doing 10 rows a day is perfect for me, as I don’t love colorwork and this breaks the project out. 20180919_1238243756778440712550706.jpgThis is the fifth stocking I’ve made from this collection. It is the first time I’ve made the heel as written without any issues. It was actually pretty simple and now I’m wondering why I ever had trouble with it. Has that ever happened to you?

Breaking Up With My Phone

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I’m currently reading How To Break Up With Your Phone by Catherine Price. It is wonderful. I can’t stop talking about it, so if I’ve seen you over the past month or will see you at any point over the next year I’m sure I’ll gush about it to you.

The book is full of tasks to complete over a four-week period to end the addiction to your cell phone. I’m only at the beginning at week 2, but I am astonished at how much more time I have. I deleted Instagram (I’m planning to reinstall it once I have a better relationship with my phone) and suddenly I have so much extra time. I’m trying new recipes. I’m knitting more. I’m knitting faster (it’s amazing how much time I spent playing with my phone between rows).

The main reason I want to break up with my phone is I want my kids to have a mom who is engaged with them, not one who always has her face in her phone. I also didn’t want to be out with friends and wonder when the next time I could check my phone was. I hope I continue to find great help in the book. I’m never going to give up my smart phone, but I am going to use it as a tool, not something that keeps me from ever being bored.

If you have ever thought you spend too much time on your phone I highly recommend the book. I will probably share more about it once I’ve finished the book.

Beaverdale Fall Festival

mildlygranola, , 4 Comments

I love our neighborhood. We’re within the city of Des Moines, but it often feels like we’re in a small town. I get that feeling the most often during our fall festival. The neighborhood comes together to celebrate all things Beaverdale. We spent a lot of time enjoying it this weekend.

Last night we walked downtown to get some food and let the kids pick a ride. Audrey had never been on a ride and was incredibly excited to experience it (after all, Pig from If You Give a Pig a Party goes on carnival rides with her friends, so it must be amazing). Elliot got so far as to go up onto the platform and then screamed until John handed him back to me. 20180914_1809213789777245907480539.jpg

After the ride we let the kids try cotton candy. It was a HUGE hit.

They enjoyed the cotton candy on the walk home and we enjoyed the quietest walk we have had in quite some time.

This morning we were up bright and early. We loaded up the stroller and headed off to enjoy the morning.20180915_0858406182858676259470280.jpg Our first stop was my dear friend Laura’s house for brunch. It was great to catch up with her and spend some time with her family.20180915_0919202326140436678133535.jpgAfter brunch the whole house headed a few houses down to watch the Beaverdale Fall Festival Parade. I planned ahead this year and brought bubbles to keep the kids entertained until the parade started. I also brought a mimosa with me, which really makes parades more enjoyable. A little champagne makes firetrucks, horses, dancers, and members of Congress just a tad more enjoyable.

We had planned on heading back to the fall festival this afternoon, but it is so hot here we are staying put. Taking toddlers going through a post-parade candy detox out to a crowded street in 90 degree heat sounded like a recipe for disaster.