Peck Life

Snow Days

It seems we've been housebound a bit lately. Monday I stayed home from work sick {yuck}. Wednesday, I worked from home, as I'm lucky enough to get to do each and every Wednesday. Next, Thursday came with 5 inches of fresh snow so yet again, home {I don't think anyone was in the office anyway}. So what happens when we are home a lot?

We look outside:

 
 
 
 We cook food:

  
 
 
We play in the snow:

 
 
 
Here's hoping you have all taken the time during this snowy February to do the same!

 

Friday Favorites

Welcome to a weekly round-up of my favorite bloggy blog finds!

  

1. I adore these felted owl hats.

2. Yet another use for my salad spinner!

3. I really love these prints by Nikki McClure.

4. Tips for feeding the birdies this winter.

5. Hands down, my DREAM HOME. I would move in a heartbeat if I had the money.

6. Diggin’ these organic clothes from A Little Lark for my boy.

7. How did I NOT discover this site when I was pregnant?! Gorgeous nursery ideas!

8. Next time I need a new diaper bag…

9. Crafty Project Round-up!

10. I'm pondering joining twitter....but I just don't know. Either way, this might be helpful.

A Sunny Outing

This sun sure is amazing.

Even though it's FREEZING cold and everything is covered with frost, it's been clear and bright the past few days. Josh was off work at noon yesterday so we decided to soak up a little Vitamin D and visit Molbaks. I received a gift card for my birthday so my main mission was "operation vegetable garden"; it's time to get seeds! Apparently, I wasn't the only one with this thought. The seed isle was PACKED, making it really hard to actually look at anything. But, in the end we gathered the most important items: peas, beans, lettuce, kale, cucumber, carrots, and a few flowers. Sky enjoyed touching and smelling all the plants and flowers.

After Molbaks, we ended up at Teddy's- a place we've been meaning to try for a while now. Excellent burgers! Lastly, a leisurely stroll through Target while Sky napped in his stroller...ahh, just like the good ol' days when we had free time and could mosey.

Here are a few snapshots from our day:

 
 

 

Music, Tea, and Fish

We've been busy lately. Maybe a little too busy since we are all fighting colds? But, it's been busy in a fun way. Within the past week, Josh and I have managed to have TWO whole days off together at the same time. Since this is practically unheard of, we thought we'd pack 'em full!

Last Saturday started out with Caspar Babypants @ Top Pot Doughnuts in Bellevue. We met Sky's aunt Malia and uncle Clint and listened to some sweet jams for about an hour. The place was PACKED with mineature people and their parents; standing room only! Sky was a little out of it but by the end, he was into the groove. This is my favorite song. After the show, we enjoyed some lunch at the Tap House. Sky was in a poopy mood and decided to throw most of his food on the floor, so it was a quick lunch. I REALLY wanted to try Gilberts on Main but when we arrived, there wasn't a free table to be found. Unfortunately, eating standing up isn't an option with a baby. Their food looks REALLY good though, I can't wait to go back! Unfortunately, most of my pictures from the day are out of focus because I hate using my flash {yet another reason I need this, LOL}. But, here is one of my zoney boys:

 
Sunday was a work day for Josh but that was ok, because I had a tea party to attend at 2! My lovely "Donna" - who watched me when I was 6 months through pre-school(?) has the loveliest get togethers and she was hosting at her house. Look at this sweet Valentines Day tea spread:

She even had a play area set up for Sky! We had a nice time catching up on all that has been going on. I just love her {and Sky did too}:

 Fast forward to Tuesday and we have another fun day - my birthday! I was really looking forward to a "family day" with my boys. After opening a few gifts, including my sweet new iPod Touch {sorry, Zune...I gave you a chance}, we ventured out after Sky's marathon 2 hour nap to lunch at Elliott's Oyster House on the pier in Seattle. It was here that I had the best crab cakes I've EVER had. EVER.

 
They were so mouth watering, had SO MUCH crab {and shrimp}, plus a warm rice cake and some really yummy sauce. I gave Sky a bite and he LOVED it. I think he could have eaten a whole one by himself! Josh had a cesar salad and clam chowder, which was equally as delicious. Overall, it was a perfect dining experience. I was so pleased we finally tried it!

After lunch we headed to the Seattle Aquarium! Neither Josh nor I {is that correct grammar?} had been since we were little and we both seemed to remember is a dark depressing place. Well, that's not the case anymore! It's been completely {ok, mostly...} renovated. It's not as big as I remember but we didn't have any regrets since we got an awesome admission discount with my Prime Card through work. Sky really had a wonderful time. He was reaching for the fish, squealing and at one point just kept saying "wow" over and over, haha. He sure had fun! Actually, maybe "amazement" is a better word!

 
 There you have it! The latest and greatest from us! Happy hump day!

 

Friday Favorites

Welcome to Friday Favorites ; what I hope to be a regular "thing" {to force myself to post regularly and keep a pulse on what's going on with all my favorite blogs}! Happy Friday!

1. A good summary of all the Baby Discount Sites out there {via the Modern Mom}

2. I only WISH I could be this DARING!

3. What an AMAZING BOOK WALL!

4. Very adorable {free} Valentines Day printables.

5. Craft Project: Crayon Hearts.

6. DIY Rick Rack Dish Towels, so sweet!

7. DIY Valentine Luminaries {via Creature Comforts}

8. Confetti Garland.

9. One for you, one for me – Photo Books for the babies.

10. Fabric Heaven.

My Husband, the Purse Maker.

I love that Josh knows how to sew. I've always envied people who can create things out of plain old fabric. So much so, that I even did my high school senior project on sewing! I made clothes....and wore them! What's sad is that I don't remember a stitch {haha} of anything I learned. :( Maybe I wasn't paying attention or maybe my brian is just not hard wired to understand?! I don't know. All I do know is that I can't even hem a pair of pants! One of my goals on my "30 before 30" list is to get back to basics and be able to do really simple projects - like learn how to sew a button. I'm also really excited to make these crate covers for Sky's toys! They look easy enough right?! I have to know how to do SOMETHING by the time Sky needs a silly outfit for halloween! What kind of mom can't sew her kiddo a costume?!

We recently invested in a sewing machine. Right now, I just sit in front of it and make weird stitchy zig zag patterns on fabric scraps. Given the extent of my sewing ability, you can bet I was excited when Josh got on the crafty wagon and whipped up this bad boy:

How cute is THAT?! I am so excited to fill it up with all of my purse essentials which usually includes but is not limited to {a phrase I type WAY too much at work}: my fat wallet, big zippy pouch full of glosses, my phone, keys, daily snacks of cliff bars, fiber 1 bars, cheese-it's, and chocolate, my planner, random receipts and post-it notes I take everywhere, mints, gum....and on the weekends, Sky's toys, wipes, a diaper, the camera....it's a lot of purse.

For the record, I have an awesome leather bag that I've been using for 2+ years and will continue to use. It holds EVERYTHING, including my laptop, power cord, and mouse! It was made by my bro-in-law, Clint. Check it OUT! Everyone needs a Clint Luke bag!

Valentine's Day Inspiration

I don't normally decorate for small holiday's like Valentine's Day or even Easter. We don't really have many cute decorations and by the time I get them out, it's time to put them away. I'm sure this will all change once Sky starts coloring me beautiful pictures. However, let's pretend we win the LOTTO and we have a darling house where we can spend free days at home {because we don't have to work} and there is extra cash lying around to change up the house throughout the year. If that were true, here are some things I would add to celebrate this sweet little day. I LOVE! PS - do you like my "mood board"? I did it all by myself!

 
1. Mercury Glass Votive Holders {West Elm}

2. Heart Pillow {Room and Board}

3. Love Pillow {Etsy}

4. Madison Mirror {Restoration Hardware}

5. Work of Art Print {Etsy}

6. Rug {Overstock}

7. Throw Pillow {CB2}

8. Red Lamp {Ballard Designs}

9. Mercury Glass Vases {West Elm}

10. Duo Gray/White Velvet Pillow {CB2}

11. Wool Blanket {Atlantic Blanket Co.}

12. Fainting Sofa {Urban Outfitters}

13 {and a half} months.

Well, it seems this boy is changing by the day so here is a quick "top 10" rundown!

1. mama, da, na na, ga, ba ba ba, ssss, nie nie - yep, that's how we communicate these days.

2. Movin' and shakin'. Whether he's dancing or speed crawling, Sky is always on the move. He likes it when we dance to Elizabeth Mitchell and he also likes to crawl into rooms and shut the door behind himself, locking us out!

3. Smoosh smoosh / bonk bonk - this boy is so snuggly. He will snuggle you {or bonk you} almost anytime you ask. In fact, he also likes to smoosh his blanket, the floor, chairs, lily, and his toys.

4. Tennis balls? YES please! This is his current favorite toy. The other favorites? Rides in his radio-flyer wagon and BATH TIME!!!!!!

5. Free standing but no walking! Is that good or bad? I don't know but I can barely keep up with him as it is so I'm happy to wait a little longer for the running to begin.

6. More sleep! Yes, he is ALMOST successfully night weaned {no more nursing 2x a night for me YAY} which means more solid uninterruped sleep for all of us.

7. Clapping, snapping, palms together swirly hands - he will mimic almost anything we do with our hands. He also mimics facial expressions like a champ...so funny!

8. Foods! So far, Sky has a very diverse diet. Current favorites are craisins with oatmeal, yogurt, and deli ham although this changes day by day. He's also liking his goat milk - he seemed to be having a rough time on the whole milk so we are holding off for now.

9. Weaning. It's bittersweet - it's been the hardest and one of the best things I've ever done. I nurse him in the morning and at bedtime and usually one other time if i'm home with him on the weekend. Otherwise, he gets goat milk or has water. Each session is getting faster and shorter and his interest is elsewhere {like on the lamp next to the chair}. Sigh. 

10. He's a thinker. Spend 5 minutes with Sky and you will see he is thoughful and has an inherent engineering brain. He likes to take things apart and try to put them back together. He likes to think about things before going for it....he's just....thoughful.

 

A New Look!

Welcome to the new look and feel of our blog! Do you like it?! I took the liberty of getting a little more "custom". I started with a default "blank" template in TypePad, added a bunch of custom CSS, and created some graphics in Paint.Net {a free program kind of like Photoshop}. I think it turned out pretty good for a first try!

I've noticed the layout can look different on different browsers/computers so if you see anything weird or the graphics look off, please let me know so I can fix it!

Happy Day, it's finally LIVE!