Dear Nicholas,

Tomorrow will be your second first day of kindergarten. Daddy and I are just as proud of you as we were this time last year. More proud, actually, because we’ve seen you struggle and come out the other side with a smile on your face.

You were my “Kindergrad” in 2013 and you will be my Double Kindergrad in 2014.

Son, there is never any shame in dusting yourself off and trying again.

But you already knew that, didn’t you?

We are your third family, after all.

Sometimes it takes more than one try to get it just right.

And that is more than okay.

That’s the measure of a good man, a man like your daddy, who will never quit, but just keep trying until he gets good results.

I believe with every fiber of my being that you will love school this time around. We just needed some extra time to get the kinks out.

Yesterday you and your sister were in the backseat of the minivan talking about how you would be back in school in just a few more days and she told you, “Some of the other kids might be scared, but you will be like their big brother.”

Being a big brother is one thing we already know you excel at doing.

The letter sounds and math concepts will come in time.

Your heart is good and your soul is sweet and new friends can’t resist the energy of kindness.

All of the kindergarteners in Mrs. B’s class are going to love their new big brother.

I know I do.

Love,

Mommy  

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For several years when I was in college I lived with my grandmother. She was in her eighties by then and spent a lot of her time at home. She would sit in a chair by the window, walk around with a dust rag, never actually dusting anything, or just sit and tell me stories about years gone by.

She called those moments “putzing” and at the end of the day she would usually tisk tisk herself for not getting more accomplished. 

What Mommom did not realize is this: It is in the Land of Putzing that bonds are formed.  Unbreakable bonds between a granddaughter and her mommom. Between two tween girls laying on the floor reading teeny bopper magazines with bare feet swinging and bubble gum popping. Between a husband and a wife lazily snuggling on a couch. 

Even between grown women putzing around on the internet.

Over dinner a few weeks ago Yvonne from Stone Gable told me that she sees us as the Laura Ingalls Wilders of our time, documenting the every day through our blogs, preserving memories for future generations. I have never heard it described in a better way. We share our lives, our children, our homes and families through these blogs and in doing so we forge strong friendships.

Like many of my current friends, I met friend Courtney though blogging. Courtney has always had a gift for recognizing the beauty and the value behind moments that others may just see as “putzing around.”

She even named her blog Our Small Moments. She took beautiful pictures to record everyday interactions. Wrote about the small stuff because she knew it would add up to be big stuff.   

Tragically, Courtney was right.

When her husband, Scott, was diagnosed with cancer, Courtney fought even harder to capture every small moment that she could.  Her family fought for each small moment with Scott that they could get, but there would never be enough.

Scott died this week.

Courtney and her two beautiful children are left to pick up the pieces.

And as a community of her fellow bloggers, writers, wives, mothers, and friends, our hearts have ripped wide open.

As women tend to do, we started buzzing and organizing right away. Although we are scattered around the country and unable to be there in person to hold up our friend as she lowers her husband into the ground today, we will still be here for Courtney.

Putzing around on the internet.  

And if you are putzing here with us today, reading our blogs and Facebook feeds and wishing there was something you could do, please consider clicking over to the fundraising page that has been established in Scott’s honor. If you can donate $1 or several to show Courtney your love in a practical way,  please do. If not, please visit and leave her a virtual hug.

It is these small things that add up to be big ones.

The other day I made homemade french fries for the first time and I was really happy with the way they came out! (I’ve made sweet potato fries a bunch of times, but I’ve never used regular potatoes before this, go figure.)

Don’t shoot me, but I am going to go ahead and put the “healthy” label on these. Yes, they are fried, but I used organic potatoes from our local CSA and I only used 3 tablespoons of coconut oil to fry the entire batch-enough for our family of five.   

See? That’s not a lot of oil.

Did you notice we were eating rotisserie chicken again? I wasn’t kidding when I told you we eat it all. the. time. 

The secret to these is to cut your potato into pretty skinny sticks and fry them in small batches. TWICE. Doing it twice is the secret to getting them nice and crispy and golden brown. I make my sweet potato fries the same way.

The kids were really excited about these!

Healthy Boardwalk-Style Fries

2014-06-14 12:22:56

Serves 6

Crispy, golden-brown french fries that won't leave you feeling guilty.

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Ingredients

1. Organic potatoes (1 medium potato for every 2 people)
2. Organic coconut oil
3. Sea salt

Instructions

1. 1. Wash and dry potatoes thoroughly.
2. 2.Slice potatoes into long, skinny strips the desired size of your fries.
3. 3. Heat 3 tbs coconut oil over high heat
4. 4. Fry potatoes in small batches
5. 5. Remove each batch from oil when potatoes are cooked, but still pale yellow
6. 6. Drain on paper towels
7. 7. Repeat frying additional batches until pale yellow and draining on paper towels
8. 8. Again in small batches, add cooked potatoes back into hot oil and fry until golden brown. Add a small amount of additional oil if necessary.
9. 9. Drain on paper towels.
10. 10. Add sea salt while fries are still hot.

By Stephanie {Binkies and Briefcases}

Binkies and Briefcases http://binkiesandbriefcases.com/

Linking up with Amanda

I was SOOOOO excited to go to the Haven conference this year!! My mom bought me a ticket as an early birthday present and she went with me. I have so much to tell you, I think the easiest way will be to break it down by day.

Thursday

We flew into Atlanta around lunch time. (There were even four other Pennsylvania bloggers who were going to Haven on the same flight!)  At the airport mom and I were looking for a cab and a nice man in a suit asked if we needed help. We told him we needed a taxi and it turned out that he was a limo driver waiting on a passenger whose flight had been delayed. He offered to drive us to the hotel in his stretch town car for the same price as a taxi ride. The trip was off to a good start!

Thursday night was registration. We were given our swag bags and then there was a cocktail party. It was so cool to meet people in person who I had been following for years! I talked to Mandi from Vintage Revivals and Miss Mustard Seed herself for a little while. Mandi really liked my Stitch Fix dress and Marian signed my book. They were both super nice and Marian even suggested we go shopping when she found out how close we live to each other.

Mom and I grabbed dinner at the hotel restaurant and then it was bedtime.

Friday

Friday there was a welcome and key note speech by Ana White. This was THE main reason I wanted to go to Haven. I have been following Ana for her entire career. I think I was one of her first 1,000 followers. She has been such an inspiration and empowering force in my life. She showed me that girls can use power tools and taught me how to build my own furniture! That’s pretty awesome. Can you tell I was excited that morning?

I went to a prayer meeting in the morning with some of the other bloggers and we were a little late for the opening. Ana spoke about focusing on your content and believing in yourself.  She suggested ignoring SEO because if your stuff is the best people will find it, regardless of how many hash tags you use or linky parties you join. She spoke about her journey from being a young working mom waitressing with her baby on her back to where she is now, with millions of followers all over the world. So many people wanted to see her speak that it was standing room only. 

 After Ana’s keynote, we went to our first class. I chose Let’s Case This Joint with Sandra from Sawdust Girl,  Brittany from Pretty Handy Girl, and Traci from Beneath My Heart. It was so fun! It was very hands-on and they taught us how to use a miter saw and we worked together to install door casing, floorboards, a farmhouse paneling treatment, and crown molding. Brittany and Sandra did most of the instruction and they were so patient and encouraging! We even made templates for each kind of angle you may need to cut for crown molding. It was the first time I ever understood it. Using the templates was MUCH easier than the upside-down and backwards way I have helped Eddie do before.

We took a break for lunch, then I went right back to the same room and did another hands-on workshop with the representatives from Kreg and Ryobi. They showed us how to use the Kreg Jig and the Ryobi tools and answered all of our questions. I appreciated that I never felt like they were talking down to me.

In the meantime, my mom was sitting in other sessions about building relationships with brands and getting published in magazines. She is not a blogger or a DIYer, but I was glad to have her there because there were a lot of times I wished I could be two places at once. I was happy we could split up and she was taking great notes for me.

The last session I did was advanced advertising with Rhoda from Southern Hospitality, Becky from Infarrantyly Creative, and Cassity from Remodelaholic. I have been following Becky and Cassity for years. They have each featured projects for me before, but this was the first time I ever met them in person and I was blown away by how SMART and business-savvy those ladies are. They shared in detail about ways to earn money from your blog and the different ways that work for each of them.

Friday night there was a cocktail hour at the hotel, followed by a dinner and dance party across the street.

We were fed very well all weekend. We didn’t stay super long, but I heard it got WILD later in the evening!

Saturday

I had a hard time sleeping that night, so I tried to use my extra awake time wisely. Ana White had been very hard to find in the sea of people and I was determined to meet her no matter what since we may never be in the same place ever again. I tweeted poor Ana in the middle of the night and I also sent her a Facebook message that I really wanted to meet her before we left. She may or may not now think that I am a creepy stalker, but I did get to meet her first thing in the morning and I got my copy of her book signed!

I went to the photography with Kristen Duke session in the morning. I was super excited to meet Kristen as well.  I love her work and it was amazing to be able to get practical tips from her. I also went to the Social Media session that afternoon. 

My final session was with Whitney and Ashley, the sisters behind Shanty 2 Chic. They built a behind-the-door spice rack and managed to get it done during the class while being hilarious and answering our questions. These girls need their own tv show. They are super talented, not to mention gorgeous, and they are two of the sweetest people you will ever meet. Would you believe that between the two of them they have eight kids?!

 The closing and wrap-up got everyone emotional. There was a video of several bloggers who got to work with GMC and Habitat for Humanity last year to decorate a home as a surprise for a deserving family, then a very moving speech about using our social media influence to “do good on a grand scale.” I already have a project in mind. Stay tuned. 

Friday night my mom took me to dinner at Ruth’s Chris, which was across the street from our hotel.

As soon as we got back from dinner I crashed. We had a lot of fun, but it was exhausting!

Sunday

Sunday was a full day of travel. We headed to the airport (and learned we were on the same flight as Doreen, again!) in the morning and our flight left around noon. We had several bags full of swag to check. The Haven sponsors were VERY generous! We flew into Baltimore, stopped for lunch, and then I got in the car and drove back to Pennsylvania. I didn’t get home until just before dinner.

I had an amazing time! Even if you are not a blogger, Haven was a great experience and I would definitely recommend it!

P.S. Monday

 Ryobi tweeted me that I won $300 worth of their tools through a contest they were having at Haven. How awesome is that??!!! I can’t wait to use them on some projects for the new house! 

When I told you about our vacation to North Captiva Island in Florida last month, I promised you a post about my dad and step-mom’s new house.

My dad is a CPA, but for as long as I can remember he has had a side business scooping up rental properties. When he married my step-mom, Helen, a few years ago she joined him and this is one of their first projects together. Since between them they have seven grown children, several with families of our own, they wanted a big vacation home to be able to hold all of us. Unlike the other properties they own, they actually designed and built this house from the ground up.

For now this house is also available for rent, but one day it may be where they retire.

It’s not your average beach house. It’s very modern and Helen, who is already a very talented decorator, worked with an interior designer to create some jaw-dropping spaces. Since this is a source of income, it’s important to use quality fabrics and furnishings that can not only stand up to harsh weather conditions, but also draw renters. (If you are interested in booking a week, you can get more information here. There are also much better pictures of the kitchen on the listing.)

The house easily sleeps 10+ people and has 5 bathrooms, which is awesome when you have a very large family. There are also private balconies on each level (the house has 3 floors), and a salt water pool.

North Captiva is a very secluded island on the Golf Coast of Florida. You can only access it by boat and once you get there they don’t allow cars, so you have to travel by golf cart. A large part of the island is a dedicated nature preserve, which makes for some truly breathtaking scenery. 

It’s also very pricey. (As you already know if you clicked over and glanced at those rates and almost had a heart attack, like I did the first time I saw them.) Even the Popsicles at the little convenience store were over $5 each! That’s because nearly everything needs to be imported by barge onto the island. 

But since it’s my dad’s house and we were invited to stay there for a week, I get to share the pictures with you for free. 🙂

The ground floor is not finished. There are plans to add a game area and maybe another bathroom, but for now it is access to the pool deck area and the beach.

And now, just to prove how much I love you, I will show you a picture of me in a bathing suit crouching next to my more-than-half-naked child because this is the best picture I have of the pool deck area.

The second floor has a living area, 3 bedroom suites, and a large laundry room. Each bedroom has an attached bathroom. There is also a wet bar area with a small refrigerator. This is the floor that we stayed on. Eddie and I had a room, Nick and Abby shared a room with my little brother, and my sister and her guest shared a room. We set up a Pack n Play for Penny in the laundry room. (Don’t judge me.)

This is the room where Eddie and I stayed.

  And this was my sister’s room. (She brought her own pillow, which is why the slouchy blue one looks out of place.)

The top floor has a living area with a beautiful view, the kitchen (which I truly regret not taking more pictures of), the master suite where Dad & Helen were staying (which I also regret not getting ANY pictures of), the dining room, and an extra half bath. There is also a screened-in eating area.

It was a little strange getting used to the kitchen being on the top floor, but it made sense, because this was the view out the window.

Because of way that the property rights work in North Captiva, Dad & Helen actually own all of the property from their house down to the water line, which means that this is a private beach. It was so awesome to have that much privacy and not think twice about the way that you look in a bathing suit or having to strain to keep an eye on the kids through a crowd!

Well, that’s about it. I’m sorry I was a bad blogger and didn’t take more detailed pictures of each space. Especially the kitchen.

Next time, I promise.