Weekend Round-up!

What are you up to this weekend? My mom is coming to visit tomorrow morning, and I'm very much looking forward to sharing a few solid summer days with her and watching my girls interact with their Bubby (mostly I'm just excited to show off Hudi's fat baby legs, though! :) My younger sister (we'll miss you Rivkee!) will also be staying with us until Thursday when she'll be jetting out to NYC for the summer. Plus, my brother is driving in from San Diego tomorrow with his two daughters to hang out with us for the day. We've got a full-house, folks! So we'll be keeping the plans simple and efficient: swimming out back, a walk to the ice cream shop, the afternoon in a well-shaded park, and a pizza + salad dinner picnic. #Foolproof. :)

Anyways, while I make sure I have enough clean bedding for everyone, here are some things I've stumbled upon this week that I though you might enjoy:

- Talk about pizza + salad!

- Freida's favorite, most-worn dress is now on sale - check it out!

- Creative cardboard madness!!

- Currently coveting these flats for fall!

- Fun Mad Men facts that you totally didn't know.

- How precious is the watermelon rattle Hudi is holding??

- Lego Anatomy totally made me laugh out loud!

- These blocks would make for such a fun arts and crafts project!

- For some reason these fashion-shoot photos really inspired me... (?)

- Clash it or match it??

- These are perfect for picnicking!

Hope you have a wonderfully summery weekend!! Lap up the sunshine!

The Sum of Summer

Happy summer, girls!! Can't quite believe it's already that time of year again!! As you well know by now, I love comparing growth at the start of each season... can't get over how much has changed! (This time last year I was newly pregnant, and my sweet baby girl is by far my greatest accomplishment of the year! :) Anyways, I've been summer-bucket-listing sporadically for a few weeks now, and I just want to reiterate just how helpful this method of list-making is! For instance, you know how when Sunday comes around it can take about an hour or more of bickering back-and-forth before settling on something everyone wants to do for the day? Bucket Lists nip that baby in the bud! Sunday comes around, you look at your list (of already agreed on fun and enjoyable trips and activities) and pick one that suits the time and weather. It's pie!

Anyways, I think yesterday was the perfect kick-start to the season: Camp Mom (plus the next-door-neighbor :) spent the entire afternoon in our backyard - swimming, fresh cherry-bombing, tricycling, gardening, and generally frolicking! Freida was so wiped out that she cried all the way through bath and dinner until I finally let her conk out in bed at 6:10pm! :)

But that's when the fun really started - and this is where "bucket listing" comes in to play; it was the first day of Summer and Manash and I were scheduled for a date night... We jumped head-in to that list of Summer-goodness and knocked off one of our want-to's: hiking Runyan Canyon together at sunset and going for sushi and drinks afterwards. It was a lovely start to the season, and I'm so looking forward to many, many more pre-determined moments with my kids, husband, family, and friends!

I'll be posting more about some of the things on my list this year, but I'd love to hear some of yours! Anything awesome or simply relaxing you have planned for this Summer?? Would love some more new ideas!!

P.S. Apologies for the instagram photos - my camera is busted after I jumped in a pool on Sunday with it still in hand. Drowning is a very real, very frightening, and hauntingly silent thing - please exert serious caution this summer!!!!

Together Alone

Little humans never cease to amaze me. They are so much smarter and more in-tune with their small world than we'd ever imagine...

On Shabbos the eruv in our city was down, and since my sister (thanks Rivkee!) was staying with me for the weekend I was able to leave Hudi at home with her and walk to Shul with Freida. As we were leaving she was a little perturbed as to why Hudi had to stay behind, but after asking a few questions about why her and Rivkee weren't coming along, she seemed satisfied that all was alright. We were walking about half a block when she stopped and said "Mommy I want to tell you something important. I really, really love doing something alone with you like this!", and flashed me the brightest, more hopeful smile ever.

Naturally, I melted. And suddenly realized just how seldom she and I get time alone together. And I mean alone (as in not with a napping baby that will wake any minute and a sink full of dishes calling my name). She completely opened my eyes as to how important this is for our relationship. The same way I make it a priority to spend time with my husband alone, I need to find the time to spend with my daughter alone. So! Today I am coming up with a little list of teeny-tiny one-on-one activities we can share together throughout the week (an evening tricycle ride around the block after dinner, a Sunday morning cartoon screening before dad and baby wake etc.), and I'm so looking forward to seeing how these small one-on-one snippets of time with her will enhance the development of the very complex mother/daughter relationship we share.

I smiled right back at her, squeezed her still-pudgy hand a little tighter than usual, and made a promise to share many more times like this with her - together, and alone.

Happy Father Day + Weekend Round-up!!

Hello friends! "Mommy Camp" had commenced on Friday, and with a sweet, bright and sunshine-filled start (frozen yogurt and hours at Coldwater Canyon Park), I'm very much looking forward to Summer filled with heaps of fresh air, frequent trips, and lots of hands-on learning! So happy to be able to spend the next few months watching my little girls laugh,eat, play, and grow - together.

Anyways, while I re-arrange and pencil in some more of our June lessons plans, and decide just how decadently we'll be treating Mr. Dad tomorrow morning, here's a list of things I've been checking out this week:

- A hilarious song (that Freida and I have been singing non-stop!) to kickstart your weekend!

- Can't wait to make these oats + caramel bars this week to keep in stock for impromptu summer picnics.

- Wondering if I can pull-off neon eyeliner...?

- The absolute cutest little pair of baby girl shoes!!

- Water blob's look freaking awesome!! Will definitely be trying this out over the summer!

- More elephant awesomeness!

- Coveting this grey bathing beauty.

- This new iPad app looks like heaps of artistic fun!

- Ha! Love this!!

Have a lovely weekend! And special thanks to all the Daddies out there - you make it all worthwhile!!!

Modern Crafts

Yesterday was Freida's last little day at Gan Chai :(

She been telling everyone "my Morah Esther is crying right now because she is going to miss us so much." (HUGEST thank you to the best Auntie Morah ever!!). She's also been telling everyone (mailman, neighbors, stray cat) "My Gan is over and it's the Summer and I'm starting MOMMYCAMP!". Nothing like a little pressure, eh?

Anyways, to jumpstart your children-home-from-school days I thought I'd let you in on some fabulous crafting supplies and kits that are just around your corner. Apparently, Kid Made Modern has collaborated with Target! I was so excited when I was browsing the aisles and happened upon a heap of Kid Made Modern supplies! Who knew?? You gotta love the minimalistic and cheerful packaging, plus the little details - like the names of the colored pencil shades. :)

If you have a little window with your kids home between school and camp, or just want to arm yourself with some spur-of-the-moment entertainment for the evenings, head over and snag yourself some of the modern jewelry kits, a hip duct-tape crafting set, make-your-own board book kit, giant gem crayons, acrylic paints, and heaps more goodies!!

Cheers to Todd Oldham! And cheers to Summer break (hope you're not driven to drinking already)!