“It’s the most…wonderful time…of the year!” Do you know this commercial? I think it’s Staples or something and it shows the parents going up and down the aisles gathering school supplies and sending their kids back to school. I’ve been singing this to myself today thinking just that…they will be back in school in just 3 ½ weeks. This is the time of the summer in which they have hit the wall of boredom with all their free time and they are BEGGING for structure again and schedules. Me too and so I’m singing Christmas carols in my head.

So this photo, my kitchen counter, well, it’s a snapshot into my day. A little hodge podge of everything. Let’s see, there’s the yummy smelling bottle of baby wash in cucumber melon scent. Why? Because the babys bottom seems to explode daily and she takes a bath in the sink – well, in her infant tub in the sink. A little garlic, onion and some butter to sauté them. Why? Because I have a pot of marzetti on the stove. The little green measuring cup from the laundry soap box…Why? Again, did I mention the baby explodes quite often? This is for my “poop bucket” where I soak her clothes in Tide before throwing them in the wash. Works well. Then there’s the Nestea – Why? If you know me, you know I love my sweet tea. My girls and I drink probably two pitchers of tea a day. Mmm…good, good stuff.

Then, there’s one of my girls, digging in the pasta box to eat raw pasta before I cook it. Why? I think she just likes the way it crunches. Pay no attention to the fact she’s in her undies and wearing an apron. She and her sister had been cleaning dishes and didn’t want to get their clothes wet. I gave them a tip on how to get rid of the fat from the hamburger I browned – courtesy of my smart husband (a bowl, full of ice cubes, foil on top of them formed in a bowl shape, pour in grease and the ice will solidify it, wrap up in the foil and toss). They help me in the kitchen now and then and I try to share with them secrets of the kitchen so they can cook someday – I’ve learned how, no thanks to my Mom who may have shared kitchen wisdom with me it just wasn’t always the full picture. She’d give me a recipe but then tell me after I made, “oh yeah, I always add in this”. But Mom, that wasn’t in the recipe…”oh, it wasn’t? Didn’t I tell you that part? Well, hello! No wonder nothing I make tastes like hers!

To wrap it up, I have a quick challenge for you. I made a quick placemat purse today. Super easy and super fast to make – great to carry around a book in or for a quick purse or maybe even your knitting or makes a nice “homemade gift”. Anyway, find a placemat you love. This one is from Vera Bradley. Fold in half, sew. You can do this on the machine or by hand. ..a running stitch or a blanket stitch would look good. Then attach prefab handles with some coordinating ribbon. Cut 4 pieces of ribbon 4” in length. Run them through the loops of the handles and then stitch with a heavy stitch the ribbon to the bag. Viola! Instant new bag! Send me your photos when you make one!

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