new dipes

I must confess - we've been using disposable diapers more often than not as of late. We had been using prefolds along with Bummis Super Whisper Wraps, which worked really well for awhile. I don't know if Phillip's bladder grew exponentially overnight or what, but we started to have lots of leaks. Big leaks. When he was smaller, we had some second hand fitted diapers which worked really well with the Bummis covers, but we only had the prefolds for his current size. Until today! I came across this amazing deal for these gorgeous velour all-in-one diapers. Apparently the company is re-branding, and this kit, including 5 all in ones, a waterproof cover (for night time use) and 5 velour wipes - was $34.99 (it's $32.99 for smaller sizes). Regular $65.99! Plus shipping, of course. What a deal! Fast, efficient service and shipping, too. They're so soft, I almost want to wear them. You can buy them here.

fall nesting

Thanks to Melissa over at The Inspired Room for including my photo and pumpkin ideas in one of her fall nesting posts! You can see the post here. Funnily enough, I bought a few mini pumpkin gourds at the farmer's market this morning. And I used my new mesh produce bags! They're perfect.

The workshop this afternoon went perfectly (well, almost!) and I think everyone had a good time. But (you won't believe this) I forgot my camera! So I don't have a single picture. If I can get my hands on any, I'll share some pictures. Happy weekend, and hope you're feeling better, Ingrid!

quilt

Nights have been getting chillier, and Phillip is big enough now to sleep with a blanket. How fortuitous that I found this sweet little quilt (I'm quite certain it's handmade, but not 100%) at Frenchy's! I love the Peter Rabbit print on some of the squares, and it's the perfect size for cuddling with.

new family pic

Here we are, in a pic taken by MIL when we were on my Dad's boat a few weeks ago. I think it captures us pretty accurately, squishy face included.
And how pleased does my Dad look to be showing Phillip how to steer? I love this pic. Thanks, MIL!

Happy weekend! I'll be busy doing this tomorrow. Should be fun!

natural pod

How cute is this little sheep? It's made from organic wool, and is from Natural Pod, a Canadian company based in British Columbia. Many of their prducts are made right in BC, and they have beautiful toys, craft items, and other lovely things to promote creative play for babies and kidlets.

I updated my sidebar links and added a bookshelf widget from Shelfari, so you can see what books I have on the go. You can set up an account there and keep track of books you've read or hope to read, and connect with other people who have read the same books. Social networking for bibliophiles, I guess you could say. It's easy to set up, and you don't have to disclose any ridiculous information.

I'm at home for lunch, so I should scoot. Happy Thursday!

stopping to smell the flowers

Our little goofball turned 15 months old yesterday. Adam took this picture of him stopping to smell the flowers.

mesh produce bags

Look what arrived in today's mail! I'm very excited about these mesh produce bags I ordered on Etsy from amkdesigns. They're the kind of thing I could absolutely make myself, but know that I would only get around to in a very long time. So I took a little piece of my soap profits and reinvested in a fellow Etsy seller. Here's the deal: I hate those thin little plastic produce bags and haven't used any for a very long time. Translation: I've been chasing my plums, oranges, mangoes and kiwis down the conveyer belt and frustrating cashiers who can't keep them all on the scale at the same time, because they're not bagged up. Not to mention trying to keep the tomatoes from falling down between the other items in my Lee Valley totes and getting squished. There are six beautifully made mesh bags which weigh next to nothing, and they come with a nifty Amy Butler print carrying bag. Which very thoughtfully has a clip so it can be attached to your reusable grocery tote or purse. Nifty, eh? You can see amkdesigns' shop here.

september first

"September first" has always sounded so clean and fresh to me. It inspires thoughts of sharp new pencils and blank notebook pages. New school outfits and cool, crisp weather. Somehow it seems even better that today is a Monday, and that the weather is indeed cool and brisk.

Houseguests have come and gone, the lawn is mowed (mown?) and we're in the midst of tidying up, as well as rearranging some of the rooms here in our little home, which is always fun. We made this recipe with some sweetened whipped cream for fun, and it was a hit. And so easy! I'm also cleaning out closets and sorting things to give away or save for future babes. That's what September does to me.

The hydrangeas are in bloom outside the window where I'm sitting, the black-eyes Susans are in full force, and so are our phlox and clematis. What are your favourite things about this month?

Happy September!

drying dishes

I used to detest washing and drying dishes. Now I tolerate it quite well, although I would be thrilled if someone were to sneak into our house and install a dishwasher. There is something nice about the rhythm of washing up after a meal, and how it brings things full circle from when the food began to be prepared, that makes it satisfying. Ah, the cyclical nature of housework. There's always more.

We're tickled to have some wonderful friends of ours here with us for a few days. They have a two year old, and she and Phillip get along famously, for the most part. They're the kind of friends who are just nice to be around, you know? There's none of that anxiety about the state of the house or other peripheral things when they're here. I'm learning that that's something significant for me.

After a beautiful meal of food we bought at the farmer's market this morning, doing dishes with the fabulous friends we shared it with is quite lovely indeed.

charlotte lane and other tidbits

Remember Charlotte Lane? Ingrid and I went there last weekend with Mr P. It was delicious. Definitely worth the drive to Shelburne. I bought myself a special treat - on of Hunter Street Silver's rings for myself! We also went to Frenchy's, of course. I wanted to do something fun and out of the ordinary before going back to work, so we did!
Phillip says 'Tea! Tea!" whenever he sees a teacup or mug. Lots of people we know drink lots and lots of tea, so he gets to say it often.
This is Sandford, the community where I grew up, as seen from my Dad's lobster boat. He took a bunch of us out for a little ride on a sunny afternoon last weekend. It was lovely, and it was Phillip's first time on his Bompie's boat. We saw another boat while we were out - I loved all of the shades of blue.
Here are some of the gorgeous tomatoes I've been telling you about. They grew too tall for their tomato cages, and some of the stems have keeled over. Most of the tomatoes seem to be fine, though.
Adam and I watched Sicko last week, and I have never been so thankful to be Canadian. My middle knuckle on my right (and dominant) hand has been very sore lately, and I thought I should get it checked out. It has been the most efficient process with almost no waiting. I called to make an appointment with my GP on Tuesday afternoon, and they took me first thing on Wednesday morning. I was busy yesterday (with my first work-related duties after a lovely summer), so I went to the hospital this morning to have the bloodwork and and an x-ray of my hand. Note: always go to the hospital on the day before holiday weekends! I had my blood taken within ten minutes. I've had to wait much longer before, so this was a treat. I went to the x-ray department to schedule an appintment, and because they weren't busy, they took me in right away and did the x-ray. The only problem was that the technician asked me to wait while she went to finish up, and she forgot about me. For about 20 minutes. I could have left, but I wasn't sure if they were done. But for all of that, I was in and out in an hour, without paying a cent. I love you, Tommy Douglas!

giggly gus

Phillip got a bit giggly after supper last night.

sale ends Saturday

I've been in a bit of a soaping sweatshop for the past few weeks, and here are some of the curing soaps. Just wanted to let you know that my soap sale ends on Saturday at midnight, so this is your last chance to snag a great deal! I have limited quantities of sale soaps, so don't miss your chance! Visit my Etsy shop here.

poppy pod

We still have some poppies hanging around in the garden, and the most beautiful part of all - the pods. I'm enjoying them very much.

dream bathroom

Remember my dream kitchen? Well, this is almost my dream bathroom. I have always wanted a giant soaker tub by a window, looking out over my garden. Add in a few stacks of my soap, and lighten up the green a bit, and this is perfect. Via The Inspired Room (where I see lots of beautiful home-y pictures, and where there's an upcoming celebration week you should check out if fall decorating is up your alley!)

the glass doorknob

The Glass Doorknob is one of the blogs that I read, and it's written by a blogger also named Sherrie (well, Shari - pretty close.) I couldn't help but think of her blog when I took this photo of one of our glass doorknobs yesterday morning.

door

The front door is open - come on over! I took this shot in some beautiful morning sunlight, and I'm very happy with how it turned out. We have company this week and next weekend, so we'll be busy having a pleasant last few days of summer.

frenchy's for the uninitiated

Ingrid, Phillip and I went to Shelburne today for a lovely lunch and a visit to Frenchy's. If you've never been to Frenchy's, this is it in a nutshell! (Complete with random friendly man at the door.)

morning

Phillip's word of the week - "Mor-ning!"
Other new words are "Ging-Ging" (Ingrid), "Nee-Nee" (Annie), and 'back'. And a bunch of others I can't think of right now. Hope you've enjoyed or are enjoying a pleasant morning!

my word-slinging sister

My sister, Marla, (or "Lar-la" as P calls her) and her husband are moving into their first house today. We talk with her on Skype every now and then, and now when P sees the computer, it's very loud 'Lar-la!' 'Lar-la!' 'Lar-la!' 'Lar-la!'s.

Larla's a whiz with words, and has a business writing poems for other people's special occasions. So, for example, if you have an upcoming wedding and you're expected to give a toast but have no idea what to say, you send her some pertinent information (names, quirks, funny stories) about the people involved, and she will write your speech (in poem form) for you. Nifty, eh? She does these for any and all occasions, and they're pretty good. Okay, they're really good and very clever, even though she used to call me 'Piglet'. There was an article recently published on NovaNewsNow about her.

You can see her Etsy shop here. There's an article about her here, with a picture of her cooking up some rhymes.

great giveaway at Simple Mom

This is one of my new soaps - Cafe Mocha. It smells divine. Made with coffee, coffee grounds, and a fabulous fragrance. I love it!

I know I've been mentioning lots of giveaways lately, but did I mention that I won one recently? Some beautiful soaps from Elizabeth of Gracefruit. They haven't arrived yet, but I'll surely post them when they do.

Other miscellany - my credit card company credited my card for the Well, Naturally incident. Yay!

So here's my point - there's a FANTASTIC giveaway at Simple Mom. Reusable produce bags, and the cutest little apron that I ever did see, amongst other great prizes. Just comment over here with your favourite thing about fall for your chance to win! Good luck!