Five for Friday: Shop Update

Dear Reader,

First of all, I hope you are having a good week. Hard to believe that July is coming to a close and back to school displays are out in full force.  I plan to savor every minute of summertime that remains!

I haven't posted an update on my shop in a while, so I wanted to share five small updates with you.

One. Both the blog and my Etsy shop received a facelift in the last week, and I couldn't be happier with the results!  Danielle Moss assembled a lovely end product in short order, and I am so thankful to her for the updates!  If you follow the blog via a feed reader, please take a moment to look around. 

Two. I haven't put a new set of blocks on Etsy for a bit, but know that I am always up for a custom request or an order of a product that I previously sold on Etsy.

Three.  If you're a Grand Rapids local, you may find some block sets exclusive to Minty Keen (and many wonderful items while browsing - I speak from experience!)

Four. Block production is under way in preparation for a fall craft show where I have signed up for a booth.  Should be fun.  More details to follow.

Five.  A set of duck patterned blocks will be included in an auction taking place August 1 - 7.  Tara and her husband are adopting a little girl from Taiwan.  So excited for them and so hopeful that this auction is helpful!

http://livingintaradise.wordpress.com/adoption-auction-donors/

And that's five.  Happy Friday!

Sincerely,
Abi

Five for Friday: Weekend Plans

Dear Reader,

Happy 1st of July!  I have the weekend on my mind, so here are five plans for our weekend:

One. Celebrating my son's fourth birthday with my husband's side of our family.  His birthday is in a few weeks, and he is quite excited about turning four.

Two. Spending time with my aunt and uncle along with my parents.  Always fun.

Three. Enjoying a full day with my husband and son on Monday, which will hopefully include a leisurely breakfast and then hike and beach time.

Four. Taking in some fireworks.  We'll see how my son reacts to the idea this year.  Last year he was not a fan.  (Maybe attending a parade would be a better?!)

Five. Getting an ice cream cone.  Perfect time of year for such a treat.

And that's five.  Happy Friday!  Happy 4th of July weekend!  Any plans to share?  I hope you have a great time!

Five for Friday: Common Questions

Dear Reader,

The weekend is just about to arrive - woo hoo!  I hope you are having a nice start to your Friday.  I'm writing today about the most common questions I have received about my Etsy shop from family, friends, and buyers alike.  Here goes...

One. What made you decide on making blocks?  In the past ten years or so, I have tried many crafts both as a creative outlet and a way to make handmade gifts, but I never settled on one craft that I wanted to repeat regularly.  After my son was born, I thought it would be interesting to develop a gift for the many new babies born to our friends and family.  Enter: baby blocks. The style of my block sets has certainly evolved over time, but I have a fairly firm process by this point.  Now the fun comes from selecting patterns and continuing to find ways to make the blocks even more environmentally friendly. 

Two. Tell me more about milk paint.  I first learned about milk paint from my cousin who painted her baby's crib using milk paint.  I appreciate milk paint because it is non-toxic, water based, and made with milk and lime.  Because I often mix colors and proportions, I enjoy that each set of blocks is a bit unique in its coloring.

Three. Who makes your blocks?  My dear husband.  We usually select the wood together, and then he cuts and sands the blocks by hand.  (Side note: my husband is incredibly talented at woodworking!)

Four. Do you take custom orders? Absolutely.  I have made blocks for new babies and for home decor, and if you are thinking about a set as a gift, I am glad to mail them directly to the recipient with a gift tag enclosure with a personal message.  

Five.  Do you give blocks as gifts?  I certainly do.  I often like to pair a set of blocks with a nice sleeper or sleep sack.  I must admit that the first sets that I gave as gifts (about four years ago) were not as polished of a product.  I've definitely learned better methods along the way.

And that's five.  Any other questions?  Please let me know!

Happy Friday!

Sincerely,
Abi

Five for Friday (on Sunday): Father's Day

Dear Reader,

Today promises to be a fun day.  I have the opportunity to spend time with both my dad and my father-in-law to celebrate them and their roles in my life, my husband's life, and our son's life too!  I also celebrate the amazing father my husband is to our son.  Here are five of my favorite qualities about him as a dad:

One. Curiosity and explanations. My husband is exceptional at encouraging our son's curiosity and interest in how things work (a quality that both my husband and son so naturally possess), and my husband excels at teaching and explaining.

Two. Patience.  When I seem to be running low on patience, my husband offers such solid words and expectations of our son.  Grateful that we share in parenting well.

Three.  Fun.  He provides endless moments of laughter and enjoyment for our son, and I count on his playful spirit as a dad to our boy!

Four. Kindness.  I am not overstating this by saying that my husband is one of the nicest people I have ever met.  He demonstrates kindness and consideration as a father so often.

Five. Love.  My husband expresses his love to our son through carefully listening to him, through making certain that he kisses him goodnight before bed each night and each morning before he goes to work, through affirming the great things our boy does and through his thoughtful words of discipline and forgiveness when our son makes mistakes.

And that's five!  I consider myself blessed to be able to parent with my husband!

If it weren't enough to celebrate Father's Day today, I have another GREAT reason to celebrate.  My friend Kara turns thirty today!  Happy Birthday, dear friend.  Your friendship is such a constant gift in my life!  Can't wait to celebrate together soon!

Sincerely,
Abi

Five for Friday: Children's Books

Dear Reader,

We experienced some rather high temperature days this week and are only grateful for our wonderful neighbors who invited my son to join the other kids in their blow-up pool to cool off!  And today is a rather rainy day around here.  Hot, humid days and rainy days both lead to lots of book reading at our house.  My son and I make a weekly trip to the library, and here are some of his (and my) favorites right now:

One. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

Two. What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

Three. Mole Hill: A Woodland Tale by Lois Ehlert

Four. Library Mouse: A Friend's Tale by Daniel Kirk

Five. Little Whistle by Cynthia Rylant

And that's five.  Any recommendations?  Please send them along!  Happy Friday!

Sincerely,
Abi

Five for Friday: Birthdays Remembered

Dear Reader,

In just a few days, I turn thirty.  I'm looking forward to this birthday and the year ahead.  Here are a few memorable birthday celebrations from past years:

One. Twenty-one.  On my 21st birthday my boyfriend took me for a picnic dinner at our favorite beach and asked me to marry him.  One of my favorite nights ever.

Two. Twenty-two.  The night of our wedding rehearsal and dinner.  The rehearsal went really smoothly.  The dinner was very enjoyable (my in-laws did a lovely job hosting.)  The night was topped off with late night bowling with our wedding party.  Fun.

Three. Five. Clown party at our house.  Every child had a fabulous clown costume, and we did a big wheel parade with streamers and balloons around our neighborhood.  We also ate clown cones for dessert.  (Every year between the ages of one and ten could be listed as a favorite though; my parents always made them quite special!)

Four.  Eighteen.  Starting a very nice getaway with my parents after celebrating my graduation from high school and open house in the previous two days.

Five. One.  Do I actually remember this birthday? No.  But this first birthday started a long-standing tradition of angel food cake, whipped cream, and strawberries for my birthday cake.  Early June birthday = perfect time for strawberry birthday dessert!

And that's five.  Happy Friday!

Sincerely,
Abi

Five for Friday: Memorial Day Weekend

Dear Reader,

Memorial Day weekend is just about here!  My husband and I starting discussing plans for the weekend which included mowing the lawn, a few small house repair things, etc. but also some fun and relaxing ideas:

One. Eat waffles (using the recipe from yesterday's post.) 

Two. Plant a container garden on our front porch.

Three.  Take a walk at our favorite county park.

Four. Blend up some strawberry smoothies this weekend and sip them on the deck.

Five. Play in the sandbox with our son for as long as he'd like.

And that's five.  Happy Friday!  Happy Memorial Day Weekend!  Plans for this weekend?  I'd love to hear about them!

Sincerely,
Abi

Five for Friday: This Week

Dear Reader,

This week has been full of some wonderful highlights, plenty of moments for which to be grateful.  Here are five to share:

One.  Visiting with a dear friend of mine and holding her beautiful new baby girl. 

Two. Heading to the farmer's market with my mother-in-law and son.  I hope to repeat this often throughout the summer months.

Three.  Catching up with another amazing friend and her daughter on a playdate to the museum yesterday.

Four. Spending some time with my mom this week.  Always a highlight.

Five.  Looking forward to dinner tonight with my parents, my aunt and uncle, and a cousin that I rarely have the opportunity to see.  Fun!

And that's five.  Happy Friday!

Sincerely,
Abi

Five for Friday: Sliders Toppings

Dear Reader,

So, we left off with yesterday's recipe with grilled burgers on a bun with some cheese (colby jack, provolone, or Swiss would all be good options.)  Today I am going to suggest five versions of three ingredient toppings to add a little extra flavor to the burgers (having condiment stations works great for parties and is a fun twist on grilling out burgers!)   And the beauty of sliders is that people can try more than one combination!  Here are five ideas:

One.  The All-American =  ketchup + mustard + pickles

Two. Southwestern Style = salsa + sour cream + shredded lettuce

Three.  Italian Inspired = marinara sauce + Parmesan cheese + oregano

Four. BBQ Brilliance =  BBQ sauce + ranch dressing + shoestring potato shreds

Five. Reuben Recipe =  thousand island dressing + sauerkraut + dill

And that's five.  The possibilities are endless, and you may have a guest that really goes the extra mile to try something new!

Happy Friday!

Sincerely,
Abi

Five for Friday: Mother's Day

Dear Reader,

This weekend I have the pleasure of celebrating and remembering women in my family whom I love dearly.  I have listed five of the women that I will be thinking about on Mother's Day.

One.  My mom.  She is one of the most caring and insightful people I have ever met.  I have enjoyed more wonderful moments with her than I can count, and I am grateful for all that she teaches me - in word and example.

Two.  My mother-in-law.  She makes every time together as a family a celebration and places such a priority on family.  She makes a difference in many lives and does it so kindly and quietly.

Three.  My sister-in-law.  She balances being a great mom to two very young kids with working part-time and still manages to bake regularly - impressive, right?!  I really admire her flexibility and ability to handle things in a relaxed way (and from what she describes about her own mom, they seem to share that trait!) 

Four.  Remembering Grandma S.  Selfless is one of the first words that comes to mind in describing my Grandma S.  She constantly provided for the needs of others, especially her family, and trusted her Lord to be with her throughout her life.  She gave me such a wonderful example of faith informing the whole of life.

Five. Remembering Grandma B.  Her cooking and baking often reflected her love for the people in her life.  She always had homemade cinnamon rolls prepared when we would come to visit (knowing that they were a favorite of mine) - how thoughtful. 

This blog is ultimately about inspiration.  Each of these women has brought some inspiration into my life, and I am grateful for each of them.  Happy Friday!  Happy Weekend!  Happy Mother's Day!

Sincerely,
Abi

Five for Friday: Today

Dear Reader,

It's Friday afternoon, and the day is scooting along mighty quickly.  I decided this week to list five things that have made me smile today.

One. Sunshine.  With many rainy days this week, what a wonderful way to welcome the weekend.

Two. Royal wedding.  I loved waking up to this beautiful event with all the pomp and circumstance, and her dress is f.a.b.u.l.o.u.s.

Three.  Laundry advice.  My son wore a new pair of socks yesterday which he thought were too big.  I said we may need to put them away for a little while and allow his feet to grow a bit more.  His response, "Mom, just put the socks in the washer with hot water, and they'll shrink right up."  How did he know this?  Curious George.  Seriously.

Four.  New treasury.  The handwriting patterned blocks made into a lovely collection of items.  Please check it out. 

Five. Slow cooker dinner.  In the last few months, I've made it a habit to do a slow cooker recipe each Friday so that very little cooking and cleaning has to happen on Friday night - a treat for me! 

And that's five.   Happy Friday! 

Sincerely,
Abi

Five for Friday: Savoring Spring

Dear Reader,

This past week has brought such a welcome change in the air with warmer temperatures and a number of wonderfully sunny days.  I decided to name off five of my favorite aspects of moving into springtime:

One. My son's bike rides around the block.  He couldn't be happier about time spent outside on his bike, and I enjoy walking (sometimes running) along with him.

Two. Daffodils.  I love how clumped together they often are, which creates this lovely burst of yellow.

Three.  Birds chirping outside my window.  So nice.

Four. More daylight.  It seems like there is more time in the day when it's still bright and sunny at 8 p.m.

Five. Trading snow brushes for umbrellas.  At this time of year, somehow rainy days seem more appealing than snowy ones.  Seriously.

And that's five.  What has been a highlight for you as spring has sprung?

Happy Friday!

Sincerely,
Abi

Five for Friday: Kitchen Essentials

Dear Reader,

I recently purchased a wedding gift, which made me think about the wedding presents that my husband and I received - specifically the kitchen tools.  I decided to list off my top five items for the kitchen*:

One.  Pyrex 4-cup measuring cup.  I use this for cooking and baking constantly.

Two. Oxo mixing bowls.  In baking with my three and a half year old, these bowls manage to stay in place.  Amazing!

Three.  Rubbermaid Premier food storage containers.  These containers have stood up to years of my husband taking his lunch to work, and they clean up very nicely.

Four.  Pampered chef tongs.  I think these are a very clever design, and they are a great serving piece as well.

Five. Cutco potato peeler.   I have found this peeler to be a great staple with my kitchen tools. 

And that's five.  What are some of your favorite kitchen essentials?  Please let me know!

Happy Friday!

Sincerely,
Abi

* I included brand names above only as my personal preference.  

Five for Friday: Spring Salads

Dear Reader,

It's April!  Springtime makes me start longing for grilling outside and eating lots of cut up fruit and fresh vegetables.  Here are five of my favorite ingredients in a spring salad:

One. Mixed greens.  Love a bit of variety instead of exclusively iceberg lettuce (though iceberg wedges are so yummy!)

Two. Sliced strawberries.  (If you're not a strawberry person, pears are a treat too!)

Three. Chopped pecans. 

Four. Parmesan cheese shreds.  (I'm all about the goat cheese, but Parmesan is more popular with my family.)

Five. Poppyseed dressing or a berry vinegrette.

And that's five.  Do you have a favorite salad you'd like to share?  I'm always up for new ideas!  Happy Friday!

Sincerely,
Abi

Five For Friday: Spring Decorating Accessories

Dear Reader,

Since my last five for Friday post, spring has arrived (in name at least - we're still waiting for the weather to reflect it!)  As I had posted in my rather long-winded post about my table turning, I had planned to change the decor on my dining room buffet.  I added some spring touches there and also to my dining room table.  Here are my top five spring accessories:

One.  Bird candle.  This was a gift from my aunt and makes us look forward to the birds that nest in our backyard.

{Source: Pottery Barn}

Two.  Plate rack with crisp white dishes.  This element seems so classic and fresh to me.

{Source: plate rack from Target, white plates from Pottery Barn}

Three. Porcelain white egg crate.  Jill gave this to me as a birthday present last year, and I love it!

{Source: Anthropology}

Four. Bowl of pastel colored eggs.  These are just foam inside, which means they are perfect for regular egg hunts around our house throughout the season (which is a hit with my three and a half year old.)

{Source: Jo-Ann Fabrics}

 Five. Yarn bunny.  This reminds us of my husband's grandma who kindly put this together for my son.  She made so many sweet gifts for him.

And that's five.  What are some of your favorite decorations to welcome spring?  Happy Friday!

Sincerely,
Abi

Five for Friday: Handmade Gifts

Dear Reader,

I received an e-mail from one of my good friends this week asking if I had any ideas for a good handmade item for each member of her Bible study as the group wraps up the year.  I have included five ideas and their sources below.  I think these handmade gifts would be great for a Bible study group, book club, teacher thank you, party favors, or Mother's Day. 

One. Coasters.  Tile or fabric, I think they are a fun way to update a living room coffee table/end table.  Very practical.  {Sources: Style Me Pretty and How About Orange}

Two. Bath salts.  Not too personal and yet a way to provide something relaxing and pampering. {Source: Oh my handmade goodness}

Three.  A flower pin.  A great accessory for an outfit. {Source: Martha Stewart}

Four. Homemade granola in a glass jar.  Add a pretty ribbon, and it's a yummy treat ready to share.

Five. Embroidery hoop art.  I have no personal experience with making this, but I love the tutorials I have found about them.  {Sources: So many.  under the sycamore and the Joy cottage are two of them.}

And that's five.

Other gift ideas?  Should-have cited sources?  Please do share!  Happy Friday!

Sincerely,
Abi

Five for Friday: Hosting a Shower

Dear Reader,

I've decided to start a list post each week on different topics, practical (not necessarily profound) ideas.  I think it's safe to say that we are in the season of bridal showers, and having hosted a number of showers in the past few years (bridal and baby versions), here are my top five plans for each event:

One.  Printed invites.  Somehow the occasion feels more planned and special with invites crafted specifically for the bride, perhaps recognizing her favorite color or tying in the theme/color scheme for the shower.  A host of Etsy shops would provide a lovely product, but this is also a great diy project.

Two. Add a banner.  A fabric or paper banner with a "Congratulations <Insert Bride's Name>" is a very cheery decoration.  I have attended a baby shower where the mom-to-be liked the fabric banner so much that it became part of the nursery decor.

Three. Fresh fruit.  Regardless of the menu, fresh fruit always seems to be a hit with guests.

Four. Favors = Fun.  Favors are a great way to thank guests for coming and to tie together the theme/color of the event one last time.

Five. Thank you note prep.  I love presenting the shower honoree with a box of thank you notes and printed labels for each guest that attended the shower.  Hopefully this will make that responsibility a little bit easier for her.

And that's five.  Happy Friday!

Sincerely,
Abi