Alyssa does not overly love the sprinkler.  She does, however, enjoy it being turned on really low and making a mud puddle in my front yard to jump in.

I'm not convinced my grass loves this game quite so much.

But it is fun for me to watch.  :)

I decided that a good trip to the fabric store deserved a "prize."  I also decided to work with the fact that the line to pay at Joann's is full of $1.00 items at just the right height for a 3 year old.  Alyssa picked out fingernail polish.  

I found the cutest adirondack chair and table set at the Goodwill.  It has since moved outside but they did want to eat breakfast on it one day. 

My husband is taking this week off from work to build new decks.  The lower one will be enclosed like a sunroom and that will be my sewing room.  I cannot wait to have a space to organize!  Sadly, I would say there is no way this project will be done in the estimated week.  :(

I know I'm not the only one with a baby who climbs things but this is dangerous!  (She will climb higher if not stopped but behind the camera I can't really catch her when she falls.)

What have you been up to?

Let's do the exciting part first!  I had 2 entries for my spur of the moment giveaway (you really should have entered )

Abby suggested a homemade bird feeder made from an empty toilet paper roll, peanut butter, and bird seed.  I love this project and I have everything on hand for it.  

Beverly from Flamingo Toes suggested finger painting with pudding.  She says, "Yes, it makes a mess, and yes, she ate most of it. But sometimes you have to get in there and get messy, right? :)"  Beverly, I totally agree!  The other benefit I see to this is that my youngest daughter, Kensley, can "participate" too.  I don't have to worry about her putting paint in her mouth.  Beverly, you are the winner!  Yay!  I will contact you regarding your prize. 

So after I did my rainy day post, the sun came out.  :)  Here are some pics from my garden that I took this weekend.

The raspberries, blueberries, and apples are all doing well (we can never have too many of these)...

My first attempt at cilantro and the pumpkins I bought at the farmer's market...

The roses and foxglove are blooming...

 and the peonies will open soon...

OK, that was a lot of pictures, but I just couldn't decide what to show you.  What is blooming in your garden right now?

You still haven't entered to win?  Let's just say your odds are pretty good right now.  :)

Yesterday was beautifully sunny!  Of course, I was so busy enjoying the sun that I forgot to take product photos.  Oops.  But watching Alyssa run through the sprinkler is really much more fun.  :)

Today (in the rain) we are going to the zoo.  Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo is so very pretty.  I almost feel like I'm at an arboretum or botanical garden sometimes looking at all the flowers and plants.  I have more fun looking at those than the animals.  Of course watching Alyssa stand on one foot while looking at the flamingos or roar like a lion is pretty fun too!  

Rain, rain, go away.  Come again another day.  

And the rain continues.  Aside from one really nice week in early May and a day here or there, May and June have been very wet.  I've got a dozen new skirts to photograph and list in my Etsy shop but can't get good enough lighting for that.  I'm pretty sure we've done everything fun inside 2 or 3 times over now and the kids are getting pretty bored (I'm getting bored).  I can't take a morning walk because I don't want to push the stroller in the rain getting it and everyone inside wet.  And let's just say that the rain does not motivate me to run (I missed 2 runs last week and the half marathon is 3 weeks away).  Grrr.

On the bright side I have been getting lots of sewing done.  When Kensley goes down for her morning nap, I pop in a video for Alyssa and I sew.  Maybe sitting her in front of the tv isn't my greatest parenting moment but it's what works for us.  It is her only tv time during the day and we don't do it every day.

So, this is a new week.  The forecast currently shows sun for tomorrow and Friday but that is likely to change and in the meantime I need some new indoor ideas (starting for today since it is currently raining).  I think a contest sounds like fun!

OK!  Give me your best indoor activity suggestions!  I will pick my favorite and the winner will get a prize...$15 off anything in my Etsy shop.  If it affects your suggestions I have 2 girls ages 1 and 3.  Kensley will do her own thing.  I'm really looking for something for Alyssa, my 3 year old, to do.  I will take suggestions through Thursday night and announce a winner next Monday.

Let's hear them!

Awhile ago I suggested making bread as a homemade gift.  Both of my girls are sleeping so I thought I would share my favorite bread recipe.  I got this recipe from a friend who grinds her own wheat into flour.  She is the one who showed me how good homemade bread could be.  

Whole Wheat Bread

2 packages active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

2 1/2 cups hot water

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 TBS salt

1/4 cup oil

4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup wheat germ

3 cups unbleached white flour (regular flour is fine, it's what I used today, but I do think it's better with unbleached white flour)

1. Soften yeast in 1/4 cup warm water

2. Combine hot water, sugar, salt, and oil in another bowl

3. Cool to lukewarm (I skip this, by the time everything is mixed it's not that hot anyway)

4. Stir in whole wheat flour and wheat germ (ummm...mixer!)

5. Stir in yeast (mixer again!)

6. Add remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough

7. Knead until smooth and satiny (I prefer to knead by hand but I'm sure you could use your mixer here too)

8. Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 1/2 hours)

9. Punch dough down, divide into 2 portions, shaping each into a loaf

10. Place loaves in lightly greased pans and let rise until double (about 1 hour)

11. Bake about 35 minutes at 350 degrees

Remove bread from the pans to cool.  It is done when tapping on the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow.  This is a pretty hefty bread.  My oven generally cooks things fast but this bread takes the whole 35 minutes so yours may take longer.  

Enjoy!