Birthday Feature!

Nothing like starting out my birthday morning by waking up to this Freidafroo feature on Ohdeedoh!! :)

Shout-out to the very best, most creativity-inspiring spot on the www! Thanks Apartment Therapy!!

Let the Wheels Roll

As I've previously mentioned, due to my cleaning help this year I was able to focus more on spring cleaning/home improvements instead of actual nitty-gritty Pesach prep. We got quite a lot done (some of which had been on our "to do" list for about a year...), and although I felt really productive in the weeks leading up to the holiday, I'm still in "organize-mode" and clearing out some (more!) junk drawers and setting up some better systems (my method for storing recipes really needs a revamp!). Thought I'd share some of the more fun projects we knocked out over the past month...

A few months ago we found this shipment crate laying out for recycling down the block. We decided to nix it's journey on the eco-friendly truck and give it a new life as a toy/random object box for our living room; a much-needed spot to stash or transport "floaters" that have made their way around the house.

The project was inspired by a Milk magazine cover I had seen a while ago, and I had one wish-listed from Rose & Grey for quite some time (but there's like a 4 week wait list!), so we conjured up a similar concept with some sandpaper, spay-on shellack, shipment stencils, black spray paint, and 4 industrial wheels.

Oh, how I love having a handy husband! :)

Naturally, Freida is a bit obsessive over the push-able "stuff box" and is totally loving the fact that she can keep some toys in someplace other than her room... Perhaps her obsessive compulsive mama is slowly cracking. Hooray!

Cupcake Anatomy

Post-Passover shout-out in appreciation of that which is leavened! :)

Once upon a time a photographer and an illustrator got together and produced this image for a friend's birthday (They even documented the whole process in this rad video!) Once out on the web, this cute and colorful photograph got heaps of unexpected attention - suddenly, it was a world wide hit! After numerous inquiries about how to get the print, the talented folk behind it decided to put it into production. You can now snag your own sweet little "Anatomy of a Cupcake" print here.

Also, check out the rest of Allen Hemberger's incredible imagery!

Bacterial Bath Toys

I'm totally one of those obnoxious women who's "Pesach cleaning" gleefully erupts into a full-on dirt, grime, and invisible-dust busting euphoria. Oh! How I love scrubbing and sanitizing my way to disinfection heaven! Well, this year, thanks to my new cleaning help(!), I somehow managed to lay low in the sterilization station, and happily put my own elbow grease into things that actually make a healthy daily difference! For one, bath toys. It's never yet happened to me, but the sheer look of horror of other mom's faces when they tell tales of dark-greenish slime spurting from squirty bath toys during a sudsy bubble bath with the babes has got me grossed out enough to pick up on some proactive prevention!

I soaked the stash of bath toys in a solution of 4 parts white vinegar - 1 part warm water, but first i filled each little squirty with straight-up bleach! Just suck it up into the toy, and let it sit in there for at least an hour while soaking with the rest of the bath toy bounty. Bleach will, no doubt, fight off any impending germ-y buildup - gnarly or not.

But most important, make sure to ALWAYS squeeze out the water from each little rubber toy after every single bath session. We made it part of the bath routine. Thankfully Freida likes being helpful. :)

P.S. People are always asking me how I have time to teach Freida so much etc. While I'm supremely lucky to be able to work from home, I just want to mention how involving a child in every-day tasks - no matter how much harder it may seem to be - will prove to be easy, gratifying, and effective. There is no good-enough reason why all the Pesach cleaning should be done when the kids are napping or out of the house for the day. It's part of the way they learn and develop as social little people. Watching Freida scrub up the toys immediately brought me back to my childhood - washing down the little tykes rocking horse with a sponge and a bucket of soapy water. I felt like it was yesterday. These little things are all part of "teach them to your children"...

On the Lawn

I've previously posted about this Grass countertop drying rack, which was essentially intended for baby goods (i.e. bottle parts, eating utensils, sippy cups etc.). Well, it seems the creators at Boon caught on to the fact that these little square inches of grassy land have quickly become a dish drying fad in kitchens with or without kids; they finally brought us these hot little blades of grass on a larger scale. Boon Lawn Dish Drying Rack, $29.99