The Very Best Homemade Lemonade
There is nothing that quenches my thirst on a hot summer day quite as well as an icy glass of fresh squeezed lemonade. Whether it’s straight up lemonade or a fruity lemonade infused with herbs or flowers, I take mine with plenty of ice and by the quart. Read on to find out my secrets to sweeten up your summer and make the perfect pitcher of lemonade. Get ready to get refreshed.
…Hello From Greece!
Hello! We’re on a family vacation to Greece! With all six kids! I can hardly believe it. Ben Blair and I used to lived in Greece — it was many years ago when I was pregnant with our first baby, Ralph. We loved living and working there but despite our best plans, we’ve never been able to get back. So getting to be here again, 23 years later, is dreamy. And getting to be here with ALL the kids — they’ve never been here before! — is over the moon fantastic.
As the kids get older and have independent lives, it’s harder and harder to spend time together like this (even when it’s not a pandemic). So I’m soaking up every moment.
Our itinerary: We’re spending a couple of days in Mykonos, a couple of days in Santorini, and a couple of days in Athens. (You can see what we’ve been up to so far in my Instagram stories (Greece highlight).
Something extra fun: getting to hear Ben speak Greek. He first learned Greek as a missionary (he lived in Greece for two years before I knew him), and then we lived in Greece together early in our marriage, and then he studied more Greek during grad school, and he’s been practicing again daily for the last year. He’s not fluent but he’s conversational and it’s lovely to see people’s faces light up when they expect to hear English and he engages in Greek instead.
I posted about this trip on Instagram and readers have shared lots of excellent recommendations. Feel free to add yours too!
Living With Kids: Lynne Knowlton
You just might fall head-over-heels for this home. And then you may feel a little dizzy when you see the tree house so unlike any other tree house you’ve ever seen that you could want to call it a home in the trees instead. Because it needs a fancier title. Some of you might drool over the pool situation or the poolside bench that was once a Balinese boat, or the barn with lanterns to light up any night. A candlelit outhouse. And oh, yes. There is a mermaid shower.
But I’m betting that Lynne (and her amazing family!) is the element in this tour for whom you’ll all fall the hardest. I don’t know her, but I wish I did. She is strong and positive and happy with her life, and all of the qualities in between that I strive to make a part of me, too. If you look only at the pictures, you might envy her. If you only read her story, your heart will swell. Friends, I hope this tour will change your day. Or more. (Because, for me, it changed more.) Enjoy.
…DIY: Flower Frog Bowls
Fresh flowers are a nice addition to any given day. But I’ve got a little trick that will take a simple arrangement up a notch — even that ordinary bundle of grocery store flowers! Instead of using an basic, nondescript vase, use a small dish with a pin-type flower frog and take the ordinary to extraordinary.
If you haven’t used, or even heard of, flower frogs before, no need to be intimidated. There are a variety of flower frogs (people actually collect them!) that all serve the same basic purpose — to help you arrange your flowers. For this project, I’ve incorporated the pin version or pin flower frog (called such because it looks like lots of pins sticking up).
With this type of frog, the flower stems are stuck into the pins to keep the flowers in place. Stems can be stuck and restuck, arranged and rearranged in the pins until it is just right.
I purposely chose simple, inexpensive flowers for this project because, really, it’s not about the flowers. Flower arranging prowess is not needed, and you don’t need to seek out a specialty floral shop. It’s the pin flower frog in the small bowl, decorative or otherwise, that is the big deal. It is the inside secret to a good looking arrangement in a small container.
It’s so easy you will flip!
…Newsletter & Friday Link List
Hey there. How are you? I read an article about Romance novels that I keep thinking about. The author started reading romance novels when she was in her early 30s because she needed to for work, and she has kept reading romance novels, because she says she found out they were awesome. The article is titled “Why You Should Be Reading Romance Novels” and suggests that if you think you don’t like romance novels, you might want to unpack why that is (the author thinks the reason is probably: misogyny). Let’s discuss!
Click here to read the full newsletter (it’s free!) and find my weekend link list.
Ultimate Guide to Campfire Cooking
Campfire cooking is definitely one of my favorite things about summer and being outdoors. There is definitely something deeply satisfying about cooking over an open fire. The flavors, the smells, the sounds. All of it conjures up good memories of childhood camping trips and communing with nature. Campfire cooking can be just as fun and satisfying whether it’s for a week at a campground or for the day in your own backyard. Let’s get to it!
…Living With Kids: Elle
When Elle reached out about being featured a few weeks ago, she had some simple requests. Elle is in the middle of a complicated and painful divorce and wanted to keep certain parts of her life (like her last name) private. She also spoke beautifully about how her garden, both working in it and walking around it, has been a key part in her ongoing healing process. Elle’s home and garden are both beautiful, the former full of striking mid-century pieces and cool mod patterns. But what is especially beautiful is Elle’s thoughtful and vulnerable words about going through something immensely difficult. Welcome, Elle!
…DIY: Yard Yahtzee (And It’s a Bargain, Too!)
Have you noticed the fun trend of turning childhood table games into oversize outdoor games? For the record, I am fully on board. Big interactive games that the whole family can play, and that get people outside? Yes, please. In fact, lately, my new favorite housewarming gift to give has been an oversize outdoor Jenga set. But I think I like this DIY Yard Yahtzee even more! And it’s a total bargain project too.
…Newsletter & Friday Link List
Hey there. Lots of happy things happening here at the moment, but the biggest happy thing is that all six of our kids are under one roof, for the first time since Christmas 2019. I can hardly believe it. A full year and a half since the younger siblings have been with the oldest two. It feels like our collective joy is going to burst at the seams! A few observations from the few days we’ve had together:
Click here to read the full newsletter (it’s free!) and find my weekend link list.
Living With Kids: Maureen Vazquez
Maureen seems like she would be a great instant friend. You know the one: she invites your kids over for a crafter-noon just when you’re on the verge of a “I can’t glue one more thing to one more thing” moment, delivers a meatloaf just because she made two, and shares all her secrets for making her life easier just in case you need one. She is someone I love sharing with you today, and you’ll soon understand why.
Oh, and her London space isn’t too shabby either! Welcome, Maureen!
…Slow Cooker Recipe: Greek Gyros
I think it’s safe to say that gyros are the most famous of Greek meals — a classic sandwich, with meat cut from a spit, wrapped in a pita, and topped with tzatziki (yogurt sauce). Happily, gyros are easy to make at home. True, they will not be as authentic as the kind you’d get from a sandwich cart in Athens, but they sure hit the spot when I have a craving!
It’s nice to be able to toss everything into a pot, forget it, and let it cook slowly for a few hours until it’s time to eat. While the chicken is delicious on its own inside a soft pita bread, adding tzatziki makes it that much better. We like to serve our gyros with a simple Greek salad on the side. We use mixed baby greens and add some sliced cucumber, tomatoes, kalamata olives, crumbled feta, and a basic balsamic vinaigrette. For an additional side, roasted potato wedges cooked with lemon and oregano, or even potato chips, are great. If you’re serving a large group, you could also add a chickpea salad, fresh veggies and fruit.
And that’s it. A super easy summer meal that you can take with you to a park or eat it out on the patio.
Ready to get cooking?
…Sun-Dye Bandanas — Easy DIY
Let me start by telling you I’m kind of obsessed with sun-dyes. They are super cool and feel a little magical. Essentially, they are dyes that are colorless when you apply them, but turn vibrant colors when exposed to sunlight. My mom introduced sun-dyes to me when I was in college and I’ve been going through sun-dye phases ever since.
For this activity, we decided to dye bandanas. I couldn’t actually find plain white bandanas, so we used square cotton dishcloths instead. They’re a generous size and work as head wraps, capes, or can even be tied around the waists of little ones as a beach/pool coverup.
…American Military Cemetery at Omaha Beach
Yesterday, we spent time at the D-Day beaches and the American Military Cemetery. We’ve been here many times and it’s an emotional journey every visit. This is a sacred place that makes me feel incredibly angry, overwhelmed, heartbroken, and deeply grateful. So much was sacrificed — an incalculable amount — to fight back fascism, nazis, and white supremacists.
…Living With Kids: Ruth de Vos
If you’ve ever participated in a Living With Kids home tour, you know how much thought goes into one. Which photos to take, which photos to send, which words to write, and how in the world to keep the house clean until all of the above is completed! I definitely appreciate all the hard work and extra thought on top of all of the usual work and thoughts that fill up a day, and I hope you do, too.
Lately, I’ve been thinking more and more about thoughtful environments – both living and working – and Ruth‘s Perth home and philosophy epitomize this idea perfectly. From concept to actual daily use, this is one thoughtful home, work space, and family. It will make you rethink your home office and the size of your dining room table! Also, you will probably want floor-to-Everest-high-ceiling bookshelves. And a ladder. You’ll see. Please enjoy the tour, Friends.
…Summer Fun! Make A Tricycle Car Wash For The Kiddos
Holy fun times!! Water play is one of the best ways to beat the summer’s heat and a kid-sized, water-only “car wash” — that kids can ride through on tricycles, big wheels, bikes, skateboards, or rollerblades — is every child’s water heaven dream. I can attest that even as an adult, I am pretty giddy about it myself. So I thought it would be fun to build one for my own kids, and I took notes and drew up plans, so that you can build one too! Everything you need to know is right here in this post.
…Summer Fun! Make A Tricycle Car Wash For The KiddosRead More »
Newsletter: Changing Your Name & A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? Have you missed my “A Few Things” posts on Fridays? You may have noticed I’ve been transitioning the weekly link list to my newsletter. I’m still settling in to the newsletter and figuring out what I want it to be, but I think publishing it on Fridays and including a link list may be the way to go.
You may have also noticed my site has been totally unstable for the past two weeks. It’s actually been unstable since November, but it’s been particularly inaccessible for at least the last 10 days. I’ve had a programmer figuring out the bugs for months, and she was able to get major problems resolved yesterday. I practically cried I was so relieved! I’ve been updating this blog almost daily for the past 15 years, and when it’s unreliable it really throws me off. So I’m feeling huge amounts of gratitude today (I also published several posts that I wanted to publish over the last two weeks but couldn’t, so if you’d like to catch up, feel free.)
And now, here’s the excerpt from today’s newsletter:
…Ping-Pong Cancer
The news coverage and debates about Critical Race Theory are especially frustrating because they’re pretend. CRT isn’t a problem. CRT is being taught in exactly zero K-12 schools. CRT is hurting no one. And CRT doesn’t need to be solved/fixed with new laws. The only reason we’re having to talk about CRT and read about CRT and argue about CRT is because the Republicans know if we’re using up all our energy on CRT then America won’t have time to solve actual problems. They’ve used the same strategies for years (so many years!) bringing up other fake problems like The Caravans, Sharia Law, and The Gay Agenda, instead of coming up with plans, policies, and platforms that Americans want to support.
I wrote a thread about this, and made a comparison to what this kind of distraction/time-wasting strategy would look like in an operating room. I’m going to share it here in case you’d like to read it.
…Tall House Updates
The work progresses! In this update, we’ve got lots of progress on the powder room near the entry, we oiled and filled an armoire in the living room, and we also learned about shibboleths.
…Living With Kids: Chelsey Woolley
There’s something special about the Woolley home. It’s definitely in a state of repair and redesign, I’m sure the exposed brick lends an added chill, and the constant sprinkling of dust from the perpetual updating must get old. But on the flip side, it’s a home where anything seems possible when the sunlight streams in. It’s a home where cuddling up together in one room creates all the warmth needed. And as for the dust, who notices such things against such a colorful backdrop? From the way Chelsey describes her six children to the way she chooses wall color and their two non-negotiable house rules, this is a tour to enjoy. I really hope you do!
…Newsletter: Birthday Quirks & Birthday Bummers
Several years ago, in May 2016, I was at a conference, and I joined an art session taught by the fabulous A’Driane Nieves. I settled myself at one of the tables and as I got to know my table mates, it turned out that most of us had June birthdays (which means we are Geminis, if you follow that sort of thing). In fact, one of the women even had my exact same birthday! It’s always fun to find a birthday mate, right?
Except when it isn’t.
After realizing we had the same birthday, June 14th, she said, “You know, it’s also Donald Trump’s birthday. June 14th. Flag Day.”
My mouth fell open. I have rarely been caught that off guard. I said, “Are you joking? Is that for real?” I could not believe it. But apparently it’s true. I share a birthday with Donald Trump… Click here to continue to read this newsletter, share your own birthday quirks and bummers, and to find my weekly link list.
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