We Got Jammed

This morning's produce delivery looks delicious - can't wait to start cooking with it!

I had the strawberry lavender jam on toast this morning.  So good.

And Now We Wait...

Soon we'll (hopefully) be enjoying our own home-grown herbs and vegetables.

We've planted yellow tomatoes, basil, rosemary, chives, cucumber...

... peppers, oregano, flat leaf parsley, and boxwood basil.

Any guess on what color shirt I'm wearing today?

Luau

This week is Spring Break at Allie's daycare.  Today was the Bow Wow Luau, complete with beach balls and doggie leis.

Allie was apparently the referee for
deflated beach ball tug-of-war.

Still making sure it's a clean fight.

"Just give us the ball!" times ten.
Also, only the classiest in beach decorations.

Are daycare theme days corny?  Yes.

Does it make me smile to see these pictures when I pick up Allie after a long work day? FOR SURE!

Do I bring home an exhausted puppy who just wants to cuddle for the rest of the evening (and watch Dancing with the Stars with me)?  HECK YES!

And there you have it.  The magic of doggie daycare.

Wuv

Love this sweet pupster!

Goodies

Check out the cute Easter goodies that were at my office today:

Also, a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT...

... I finally got my hair cut!

So now it's officially spring.

You're welcome.

Goober

Our dog is a total goober.

Plant Update

Our planter that found a home on our porch last weekend...

... seems to be very happy...

... which makes me happy!

Spring Bling

This winter made me appreciate spring more than ever.  It's SO NICE to finally have warmer temperatures and sunshine!

I took advantage of the beautiful weather this weekend by attending a spring planting workshop at our local produce center/nursery.  All I had to do was show up with a pair of gardening gloves and everything else was ready for the workshop.  There were 8 others in the workshop and we were in the fenced area of the nursery (picture about 50 chickens, a few geese, bee hives, and a pig hanging out with us).

Each of us started with a planter full of potting soil and we got to choose any plants we wanted from the selection provided.  The instructor gave us a brief explanation of each plant, such as how much it will grow, whether it prefers sun/shade, what temperature it likes, etc.

After choosing our plants and arranging them in our planters we were able to select from several soil toppers including mulch, marbles, rocks, and moss.  I chose to cover the soil with moss and then scatter some clear marbles to add a little spring bling to our front porch.

Here's the finished product!  The plant in the center will grow upwards and the plants around the edges will cascade down the sides (or "be creepers" as J would say).

I also potted one tomato plant over the weekend and plan to add some herbs soon.

Welcome, spring!!!

Ding Dong

We've enjoyed getting periodic produce deliveries from a great local company.  Sadly, we were recently informed that the company's commercial side had expanded and it would no longer offer residential deliveries.  Bummer!

The company recommended another local distributor that offers a similar service so we tried it for the first time this week.  Our old company delivered during the work day so our produce was waiting for us when we got home at the end of the day.  The new company delivers between midnight and 7am.  I like the overnight delivery better - it's so nice to wake up to fresh fruits and veggies on the front porch!

portobello mushrooms, dry garbanzo beans,
butter lettuce, cucumbers, and fuji apples

Just like our old company, the new company doesn't require a weekly commitment and you can customize the items you receive.  We decided not to get kale and brussels sprouts (ick) and instead got extra mushrooms and apples.  (Bonus: our neighborhood produce center just got its first shipment of local honey which is great with the apples!)

The new company also offers a few additional perks such as a recipe for each ingredient included in the delivery, the location where each item was grown, and email confirmations 12 hours prior to your delivery and once your delivery has been completed.

We're happy with our first order and I think we'll give this company a try for a while.  Fresh, local produce without the traffic and crowds of the farmers market - yes, please!

We've Come a Long Way

It was just over a year ago that Allie started her first obedience class (other than puppy kindergarten).

Here were her leash skills at her first class (it wasn't pretty).

And here were her leash skills at her last class (much improved!).

And how about her off-leash skills?

She's not going to win any obedience trophies and sometimes needs reminders about what she's expected to do (and not do), but we've come a long way, baby!