Sincerely Lauren

With Macks and Avery on the same nap schedule in the afternoon, Harlan and I have been spending a lot of one-on-one time together. I’ve been trying to find creative ways for us to spend the afternoons. Sometimes we’ll play board games, kick around the soccer ball in the backyard, make cupcakes, and she even helps me make our favorite summer-time drink, mint lemonade.

We’ve been drinking this stuff all summer long and the girls and MacKay and I love it. It’s so refreshing and tastes delicious! The perfect summer-time drink.

The mint not only tastes good, but it looks so beautiful in the lemonade!

Muddle the mint to let the leaves emit their aroma.

Cut the lemons in half.

I really need to get a regular juicer. By the time I’m juicing these lemons my arm is so tired. But it is a good workout.

There is no substitute to fresh squeezed lemon juice.

Pour the juice in.

Follow it with the sugar.

Stir away. Harlan loves this part.

Keep stirring. You want to make sure the sugar is dissolved.

Add your water and ice and stir.

Enjoy!

What you’ll need:

-2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 10-12 lemons)

-fresh mint leaves (depending on how minty you want your lemonade I usually use a handful of leaves)

-1/2 cup sugar (you can also substitute with honey)

-5 cups water

-ice

Directions:

1. put mint leaves in bottom of pitcher and muddle the leaves. I use the bottom of a wooden spoon because I keep forgetting to get a muddler everytime I’m out.

2. Cut the lemons in half and juice them.

3. Pour the juice and the sugar into the pitcher with the leaves.

4. Stir continuously until sugar dissolves.

5. Add ice and water to the pitcher.

6. Stir.

7. Pour and enjoy!

I know this is completely simple, but we’ve been enjoying it so much that I just had to share. 🙂

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Motherhood

Conversations with Har

July 30, 2014

A little more than year ago I took Harlan to American Girl for an afternoon of girl time. While we waited for our food in the cafe, they had these little cards with questions on them. I started asking the questions to Harlan and was so surprised by her answers that I started writing them down. It turned out to be a quirky little post that I still love looking back on.

Most afternoons Har and I are by ourselves while Macks and Avery sleep. It’s fun to get that one on one time with her, especially before she starts kindergarten in the fall. Last week as I was looking back at that post, I decided to see how much Harlan’s answers have changed to those questions. It’s only been a year, but I think I might like her answers even more this time.

Question 1: What food would you never give up?

Harlan: Peas……wait……. a turkey sandwich.

My thoughts: Peas? She hates peas. I would’ve thought candy. Maybe she didn’t understand the question.

Question 2: Who is the smartest person you know?

Harlan: Daniela

My thoughts: So sweet. Daniela is her friend from preschool. She misses her so much. Still waiting for her to say mommy, though. 😉

Question 3: If you could choose to fly or be invisible what would you be?

Harlan: Invisible. Because I could move and no one could see me.

My thoughts: Yeah I probably would have chosen the same thing.

Question 4: What is the most beautiful animal in the world?

Harlan: Butterfly. That’s an easy one. That’s the easiest one I ever heard.

My thoughts: She’s been obsessed with butterflies lately, so I wasn’t surprised by this answer. They are beautiful.

Question 5: Would you want to live on a space station or underwater station?

Harlan: Underwater Because I want to see all of the creatures.

My thoughts: I would have thought she would have said space because she is terrified of anything under water.

Question 6: Why do you like being the oldest in your family?

Harlan: Ha! Did you make that question up? That is a tricky one. I guess because I was born first.

My thoughts: LOL. I guess she’s right. She doesn’t have control over being the oldest. But I thought she was going to say so she could boss everyone around, because she’s doing that quite a lot lately.

Question 7: If you could start a club, what kind of club would it be?

Harlan: Princess Club

My thoughts: Some things never change. (This was the same answer as last year.)

Question 8: What is the biggest dream you have?

Harlan: That I can watch Netflix all day.

My thoughts: Oh gosh. ::hangs my head in shame:: I need to get this girl out more.

Question 9: What is one word you would use to describe yourself?

Harlan: Smart. Because I remember stuff in from a long long time ago.

My thoughts: Very true. She has the sharpest memory. She’s always saying, “Remember that time…..”

Question 10: What is the earliest memory you have?

Harlan: Remember that old house with that piano….?

My thoughts: Nope, I don’t remember that. Good memory indeed.

I’m thinking about starting this into a little series. Different questions each month with the same quirky answers from my Har. What do you think?

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Family, Home, Life, Suburban Life

House Tour: The Girls’ Room

July 28, 2014

You might remember at the beginning of the year I showed you the girls’ room makeover in our apartment in the city. Not only did I fall in love with everything that the ladies from Bellini and the amazing talented artist Sam Simon did for the room, but the girls loved it as well. It became their oasis. The room that they told stories in each night in their bunk beds. A place for them to have tea parties with their dolls. A space just for them.

When we were house hunting, one of my must-haves was to find a room that could accommodate their bunk beds. We saw several houses that we loved, but the rooms were situated weird and the bunk beds would have to have been taken apart, which wasn’t an option for us.

Thankfully the house we fell in love with was perfect for all of the furniture in the girls’ room. Although I couldn’t move the amazing plaid wall from Sam Simon, I did paint the room gray similar to the color in their old room.

The girls love to read, especially at night, so my dad helped put these Pottery Barn Kids Collector’s Shelves on the wall of each bunk so they can easily grab a book before trying to fall asleep.

I was so worried I wouldn’t be able to find the perfect spot for my favorite piece of art from Sam Simon, but I love the way it looks on this wall.

Their closet is HUGE compared to our apartment and has so much storage space for all of their clothes. I love the old door knobs too. So much character in this old house and I am so grateful for all of it.

Another book shelf on their wall so that they can sit down and read together during the day.

One of their favorite things to do is play dress up. I am always finding them upstairs dressed in their favorite princess costume and doing some sort of princess role play. It’s the sweetest thing to watch their relationship from the outside. They are so thankful for each other and it’s always so apparent.