Tuesday, January 8, 2013


Our bedtime routine looks a little something like this:
I tell the girls its time for bed about 100 times. I finally follow them closely up the stairs and monitor the proper placement of daytime clothes in the hamper and nighttime clothes over the sleepy heads. They {sometimes} brush teeth and climb into bed with several requests {always}. "I need some water", "Can you read THIS book!?!" "Where's TEDDY!?!" Then I read a chapter from the Little House on the Prairie series.

(we're on "On the Banks of Plum Creek" right now -
at the part where the grasshoppers destroy the crop, spoiler alert}

Brandon is then beckoned for the final good night kisses and granting of final wishes (water mostly). A prayer is said, tender hearts are reassured of anything last-minute before dreams sweep in ever so gingerly... but until then, I pin.

I lie in the dark with only my iLight to direct me to the land of a million projects and the perfect home. I plan for a chicken coop and garden, the perfect Valentines are found, then trumped by the next, I find just the thing to make Christmas 2013 epic I tell ya, and then the food - the glorious food. So yeah, I know that Pinterest can be a time-suck and overwhelming and "when will anyone do all those things anyway!?!" but seriously that's not actually the point. The fact is, for me, it is better than television, it feels productive and inspirational and communal all at once. So, I kind of love it and walk away each night with a few new ideas tucked into the cloud that I may or may not ever use but smiling, so that' good.

So, here's a few I've tried and REALLY liked. I save all the recipes I've actually made to THIS board because on a day like today when the photographer/husband/homeschooler/cook calls to ask "how we made that one thing, with the orzo, and the chicken and spinach!?" I don't want to dig back through my 5,000 pins (yes, 5,000... if I had a dollar for everything I'd pinned...)


1. Oreo Truffles - I found out why I'm not a chocolatier, so props to those guys.
2. Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin - we did this a lot in the suite life, and I also made if for my Grandpa whom I love, who consequently loved this pork
3. Lazy Saturday Breakfast - I said while preparing "I really hope this tastes good" to which Brandon reminded me "It's crescent rolls, sausage, eggs and cheese, how could it not?" Fact.
4. Cheesy pull-apart bread. The hardest part is cutting the bread, the rest is ah-mazing.
5. Crispy Edamame - healthy, easy, yummy snack we served on New Year's Eve (along with 1, 4 and 7 cause come on, it was New Year's)
6. Bacon - so pinterest did not introduce me to the wonders of bacon, but it sure taught me how to prepare it without stinking up my house for days.
8. Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Apples - I brought this for Christmas dinner and it was was a hit, plus its pretty in a rustic, Little House, sort of way. Bonus.

3 comments:

Missy said...

I love pinterest. It is the best way for me to unwind at the end of the day and it really does help me organize ideas and projects.

Kari said...

My mom read Little House to me and my sister every night at bedtime. I even wrote about it in my childhood journal. Such great memories! I love that you do that with your girls, too.:)

Anna said...

remember when you were all "i don't have time for "pine-trest." what is it anyway? i need you to teach me."

ha. ;)

love and miss you.