the beach!

Posted on March 29, 2011 by BeSquirrely

Since it’s Spring Break here in northern Michigan, we decided to go to the beach. And it wasn’t crowded at all! I guess everyone decided to go to another beach a little further south? Although it was a bit chilly, the sun felt so good on our cheeks. And we actually enjoyed what’s left of this wacky winter without bemoaning being home when seemingly everyone else is someplace warmer and sunnier and more exotic.

Speaking (err, writing) of exotic. I’m not sure what the scientific name for this wild natural phenomenon is, but check it out. It’s just plain weird, no? And beautiful too. Oh how we love you, Lake Michigan. You and all your strange and wonderful ice formations.

It was a treat to find some open sand to walk on too – not even frozen! Before we know it, we’ll have sand in our sheets again. And probably complaining about the heat… Ha!

Do you find that when you spend time with a child, you use your imagination more? It’s fun to pretend that it’s summer sometimes, no? Chris and the little birdie decided to lie down in the sun for a little while… Such squirrely people, I love those two.

Happy Spring Break, lovelies, wherever you may be!

pina colada, anyone?

Posted on March 28, 2011 by BeSquirrely

So I decided to stop feeling so sorry for myself that we weren’t lounging around at an all-inclusive resort this week. And I picked up a bottle of pina colada mix and some fun drink umbrellas. Voila! Instant Spring Break. Funny how just having a tiny taste of the tropics can be enough for some family fun at home. And my grumpy pants are gone. This is something for which everyone in our nest is very thankful…

Have any other ideas for a fun Spring Break at home?

Click on, lovelies

Posted on March 25, 2011 by BeSquirrely

22 months old already, wow.

Truth be told, I’m a bit bummed. 12 and snowy is not exactly what I had in mind for Spring Break. Apparently I cursed myself by washing the little birdie’s snowsuit last week AND washing my car. I knew it was too good to be true. Sigh. I know, I know. We live in northern Michigan and furthermore, it’s incredibly boring to complain about the weather, no? Soooooo… how ’bout we get lost in the Interwebs for a while instead, lovelies?

Tweet tweet. Super cute birdie mobile kit.
DIY Kindereier. Ridiculously cute.
More egg love.
One of my favorite new blogs. Can you say eye candy? Ooh la la.
Finally! Easy & lovely DIY party decorations for the rest of us.
Follow along on the adventures of a couple bicycling with their young children across the continent & beyond for an entire year. Truly amazing.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends. XO

icy down south

Posted on March 24, 2011 by BeSquirrely

Just got back from a quick trip down south. Chicago! While we were in the Windy City, we got to see our nieces perform in their annual ice skating show. It was so much fun AND I had a great reason to try out my new camera lens. Here are a couple interesting pics for you…

Made me wonder what kind of activities the little birdie will enjoy when she’s a little older… Soccer? Interpretive dance? Basketball? The drums? What’s your perspective on kids activities? Do you like to expose your kiddos to lots of different things or do you choose one or two things and make them stick with it, ala Tiger Mom? Maybe a combination? Or do you prefer to have more of a home-centered life and not try to do too many outside activities? I’d love to hear your perspective!

spring has sprung

Posted on March 19, 2011 by BeSquirrely

Most of March so far had me fooled into thinking that spring just might not arrive after all this year. We’d get a tiny taste of spring then WHAM! Winter would say uh-uh, not so fast. Such is life in northern Michigan and maybe I’m just becoming more of a softie. But. I’m ready for spring. Bring. It. On! I’m ready to be able to get outside easily and not worry about layers and wet cotton socks, about lost mittens or hats, about driving through a white-out, about Chris shoveling off the roof. About flannel and another pot of hot soup. Steamy tea and more blankets. Thanks, winter. You definitely paid us a good visit, but you’ve overstayed your welcome and we’re now saying, “good bye!”

The reality here near the 45th parallel is that with the glory of a blooming crocus comes the distinct possibility that it will just as soon get blanketed in snow. Maybe this is why they are so very beautiful? So brave, no?

Well I’m taking my clue by the skinny snowmen who are now almost completely gone and yes, by the calendar posted on the wall. And by the amazingly bright full moon. And by the new found energy that the little birdie has: so excited to run on grass again. Makes me wonder if she even remembers what it is, it’s been so very long since she’s seen it in her short life!?

Truth be told, I’m not putting away one piece of winter gear. Yet. But I just washed Wren’s snowsuit for, what I told myself, would be the LAST time this year. If that doesn’t curse me, I’m not sure what else could.

Welcome, spring. We’re happy you’re here.

What signs of spring have you seen in your neck o’ the woods, lovelies? XO

remains of winter

Posted on March 16, 2011 by BeSquirrely

pizza party!

Posted on March 11, 2011 by BeSquirrely

One of my favorite decadent foods is pizza. You too? I thought so. So I thought it would be fun to revisit the local-only pizza tasting party I had for my birthday last month. We are grateful to have a lot of independently-owned pizza joints in the Traverse City area and we love to support the mom-and-pops, but I always forget what I like the best. Hence, a pizza tasting party! Plus, wine and cheese tasting parties are so 2005, right?! Ha. Actually, if you invited me to one, I would be very excited and try to wear a pretty dress, but I digress…

So here’s how it worked. I invited a bunch of friends and their families to come to a local microbrewery that allows patrons to bring in their own food. Each family was assigned a different locally-made pizza to bring. I assigned the pizza place to each family based on geography so it would help with pick-ups on the way to the brewery. Each family got to choose what kind of pizza they ordered. I originally thought I wanted to have two categories, e.g., cheese or meat, to even the playing field, but Chris and I decided this would be too bossy (who, me?) and each family would have more fun if they picked out their own kind. People then ordered and brought the pizzas, or had them delivered to the brewery, around 5 p.m. on a Saturday. I thought this would be a family-friendly time for a party and also would be quieter at the brewery.

I created simple signs for each pizza that we posted and we cut most of the pizzas into smaller pieces upon arrival.

Let the ~~mayhem~~ fun begin!

I created a “Local Pizza Tasting Card,” that guided the tasting experience. The categories under consideration were: appearance, crust, toppings, cheese and overall favorite pizza. Each person circled his/her favorite choice in each category.

Hard work, but someone had to do it…

And the overall favorite? Pizza from our favorite Italian restaurant, Trattoria Stella. Crispy, airy, cheesy, fresh, seasonal toppings… ooh la la. Of course, there weren’t any pizzas that people didn’t like, but we all got great ideas for branching out into the cornucopia of toppings that our local pizza joints offer. Therein lies the beauty of a tasting party! Most of us wouldn’t ordinarily commit to a Friday night pizza for the family with something new like roasted eggplant and goat cheese, or chicken with blue cheese and bbq sauce. But now, heck yes we would! Delish.

Dear pizza, you are a wonder food that often brings me back from the dead. And unites my friends and family. For this I thank you, pizza!

{this moment}

Posted on March 11, 2011 by BeSquirrely

{this moment} Just a moment in time I want to remember, inspired by Soule Mama. Feeling very grateful today. Have a good weekend, lovelies.

just wait a few minutes

Posted on March 10, 2011 by BeSquirrely

Oh, March, you never fail to break my heart. The old adage about Michigan weather is so painfully true: if you don’t like the weather, just wait a few minutes. It will change. Oof. One day we’re joyfully jumping through puddles and the next? Building a snowman and throwing snowballs. What might today bring?

So yeah, I admit that even this winter-lover is a bit grumpy about it and so are just about all the adults I know. But the kiddos? No big deal. Seize the day! “Play, Mamma, play!”

Ponyo Soup!

Posted on March 9, 2011 by BeSquirrely

Why hello there, lovelies. How are you today?

I had to share this little idea with you because it’s a big part of life in our nest right now. We are experiencing a major Ponyo obsession in our nest. The little birdie wants to watch the movie every day, all day! Have you seen the movie? It’s a beautiful movie – amazing animation and wonderful music. The story is inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen story, The Little Mermaid. It’s much more abstract and interesting than the Disney original The Little Mermaid, don’t you think?

In one of the scenes, Ponyo escapes the ocean again and comes to visit her new friend, Sōsuke. Sōsuke’s mom brings them inside and makes them big bowls of ramen soup with ham, Ponyo’s favorite. I thought it would be fun to have “Ponyo Soup” for lunch so I bought some ramen and ham. I threw in some frozen mixed veggies and voila! Big hit. I have a feeling Ponyo Soup is going to be a regular thing around here for a while…

Be Squirrely

creating a nest worth sharing