Inspiration

Do Your Part – Go Vote

No matter what your politics, the democratic process doesn’t work unless we each do our part to get out and exercise our right to vote.  So if you haven’t already taken advantage of early voting or absentee voting (like me!), please get out there on November 6th and vote.  This will certainly be a close election so make your voice heard.

And, make sure you vote with YOUR voice, YOUR heart, and YOUR head and not the voice of some talking head off the TV.

GO VOTE!

The amazingly talented Lisa Congdon drew the above illustration.  Do yourself a favor and check out her art work and her series 365 Days of Hand Lettering. You’re sure to be inspired.

November 5, 2012
Obstacle Course
Gratitude

Things I Want to Remember

//  He didn’t want to watch “Happy Feet 2” anymore because “it was a bit silly.”  So, he picked out 5 other suitable Blu-rays and shoved them all into the player.  Gotta give the kid credit for trying to solve a problem on his own.

//  When we have races in the back garden he says “On your mark, get UPSET, go.”  It’s too cute for me to bother correcting him.

//  At a pub lunch he decided he should use two forks to eat as there were two at his place.  Not really out of the ordinary except that he tried to use them both simultaneously.

//  He’s desperate to wear his new purple shirt ALL the time.  Even on school days when he can’t wear it because he has a uniform.  So, it’s became his “breakfast shirt” and sometimes his “sleeping shirt.”  Then, I finally got why the purple shirt was so important.  “I want to wear my purple shirt like mummy.”  I do wear a lot of purple.

//  Yeah, he’s got on sandals with socks.  His choice, not mine.

//  “Mummy, we need to learn to fly.”  Yes we do sweetheart, yes we do.

October 30, 2012
On the Roundabout
Everyday Adventures

Lately

Things have been a little quiet around here.  And, I have more than one person comment “Are you OK?  You haven’t posted many updates lately.”

Well I am OK, it’s just that with me still on the mend from surgery I just haven’t had much mojo to get out and do.  And there’s really not a lot of interesting stuff to write about or take pictures of from bed.  But, the good news is that I’m starting to come around and feel much better.  So, I thought I’d share just a little glimpse into what we’ve been up to lately, even if it’s not very much.

Newly Minted 3 Year Old in His New Big Boy Bed
Big Boy Bed
Up on See Saw at the Playground
See Saw
Riding Mr. Dinosaur at Peppa Pig World
Riding Mr. Dinosaur
Driving Grandpa Pig’s Boat
Driving Grandpa Pig's Boat

A BIT OF HOUSEKEEPING …

The blog has had a facelift, AGAIN, as it was time to freshen things up a bit.  I’m also reorganising things to make room for some new content.  Stay tuned for more on that.

Also, I’ve learned that Google has plans to drop its FeedBurner service which is what I’ve used for RSS and Email subscriptions. While Feedburner may still be around for a while, I thought it prudent to migrate to something else.  So what does this mean and how to you keep getting updates?  If you were getting your updates by email, you shouldn’t need to do a thing as I’ve moved you over to the new email feed.  If you were subscribed with RSS and want to keep getting updates uninterrupted, you will need to subscribe to the new feed.  It’s super easy.  Just click here.

Of course you can still keep up with me on Twitter or Facebook as well.  Really whichever way works best for you.

October 27, 2012
Everyday Adventures

My Do It Yourself Pumpkin Spice Latte

It’s that time of year again. Pumpkin time.

And, as I wrote last week, nothing symbolizes the taste and smell of Autumn better than my beloved Pumpkin Spice Latte. Finally now available at Starbucks stores in the UK.

But, as much as I’m excited by this news, the reality is that I’m not going to Starbucks everyday. Plus, we’ve got a brand new fancy latte / espresso / cappuccino maker at home so it just seems silly to go anywhere else to buy coffee. But what about the Pumpkin Spice Latte? Does this mean I have to go without all Autumn?

Well, thank goodness, no. Yesterday, the lovely Creature Comforts posted a collection of delicious pumpkin recipes. Given how much I love pretty much anything made with pumpkin, I immediately want to make and eat all of these. But, check out number 16, Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup. A quick scan of the ingredients revealed that I had everything I needed in the house. Woo hoo!

So this morning, I got to work making my Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup. It was quick and easy. My batch made about 12 oz of syrup, certainly enough to last me most of the season. Maybe next time I’ll get some fancy bottles to put it in instead of the random jar I found. Wouldn’t that make a nice holiday gift?

How did it compare to Starbucks? Spot on. Delicious. No need to head to Starbucks anymore to get my Pumpkin Spice Latte fix. Just put a little of my homemade syrup in my mug, press latte on my super-duper latte machine, and top with a swirl of whipped cream. Yum. I’m even going to tell myself that this is healthier than the Starbucks version as it’s homemade with real pumpkin.

And, because I had plenty of pumpkin purée left over, I also made the Simple Pumpkin Pie Bars because they looked yummy, easy, and I had all the ingredients in the cupboard. I may even like these better than pumpkin pie. They’re that good.

The house was full of pumpkin goodness today. And that made me smile.

October 9, 2012
Polaroid

Hello Autumn

The word “autumn” still doesn’t quite roll off my tongue.  It’s much more comfortable to say “fall” when describing the season.  But as the UK recently approved my latest visa application, I’ll guess I’ll be learning to say autumn more often.

But whether it’s autumn or fall, it’s a lovely time of year, possibly my favorite.  It’s marked by falling leaves, gorgeous rich color, crisp air, and pumpkin.  And this year, joy o joy, the Pumpkin Spice Latte has made its way to UK Starbucks.  So I treated myself to one just yesterday.

It’s a decadent treat but it’s like drinking in the season.

October 3, 2012