7 Quick Pre-Fab Takes

1.  This is a 100% pre-published post; right now, the girls and I are away visiting friends on our very first solo road trip.  Solo, meaning, I have to navigate, drive, check-in, entertain, check-out, and maintain control all without the assistance of my husband.  You know him, right?  The one who owns the majority of our combined navigational and directional skills?  The one who's the most entertaining and capable of the two of us?  

But I'm excited!  Wish us luck!



2.  Despite my grandly simple, lovely plans for a tangled flower garden, I did, indeed, plant actual food.  Again.  In my defense, it's only two varieties of tomatoes, and a few watermelon seeds.  Probably some pumpkins.  Definitely some strawberries.  See?  All easy things, right? 

I can't help it; spring means gardening!  To be truthful, the prospect of planning and planting a flower garden was beginning to stress me out more than just doing what I know, or sort of know, which is: plant a few veggies -- mismatched as they may be -- water them when you remember, weed them but never, and see what happens.



3.  Proof that flowers might not be the best option for me:
Mia: We have a thornbush at our house that sometimes grows roses.
Me: *snort*



4.  Here's my happy discovery of the week: Berry-Berry Kix are healthy!  Well, at least they're not as worthless as I suspected (although the assumption of worthlessness wasn't enough to stop me from giving in to my 3-year-old's grocery store request)  Instead of being colored with red dye and whatever else, they're colored with fruit and veggie juices, plus their air-puffed simplicity actually includes a couple of grams of fiber.  Oh!  And only 7 grams of sugar (which is comparable to Multi-Grain Cheerios)!  See?  Healthy!

The bigger issue for me, though, is the way it tints the milk in the cereal bowl to a sweet shade of pink.  This means my milk-hating Lauren begs to drink her milk -- something that's never happened before to my reckoning.  Is it completely ridiculous to filter all her milk through Berry-Berry Kix?  Sure, I could buy strawberry milk mix, but...that's got to have a ton of sugar, right? 

Kix it is.



5.  It only took 8 weeks of procrastination and slow-stitching, but I finally finished a baby blanket for my friend Lenae's sweet Quinn!  I followed this tutorial for making chenille, and if I were any kind of seamstress at all, it would have been a snap.  As it was, it's highly imperfect, but still totally cool-looking.  And crooked.  And soft.  (I still can't believe I forgot to photograph the finished chenille...sigh.)  Lenae posted a photo of Quinn and her big brother snuggling up on it, and I feel...blessed.  That the blanket will be loved.

And as for the gorgeous binding, I did not actually do that; my talented and generous Aunt Linda did, and I owe her a pan of cinnamon rolls or something extravagant in thanks.  What would you suggest?



6.  Do you like getting pedicures?  I don't -- well, I haven't.  Because I'd never had one until a few days ago.  I'm 28, and a first-time pedi-chair user.  I know.  But I have this issue with people touching my feet.  As in, they're not allowed to.  But my sister-in-law offered to share a pedicure with me, and I couldn't say no.  My winter feet needed a pedicure; knowing I didn't have the energy to do it myself, I swallowed my fears and ticklish tendencies (kind of) with a giggling sister-in-law at my side, and had my first pedi. 

Look!  So pretty!  I actually enjoyed it, too.  Which means (of course) that a mere 12 hours after the appointment, I stubbed my big toe so badly that the cuticle is bruised and bleeding.  Nevertheless, thank you Emily! 



7.  Happy Easter, everyone!  I hope your weekend is full of blessings!



More Quick Takes are at Conversion Diary.