i am curious about this

folks, i love my kids madly, truly, deeply. with a cherry on top.
but, could someone please tell me what is so absolutely divine about chewing on ones toe nails and saving all ones thirsty feelings for the murky bathwater?
just wondering.

also, in much less icky news, my two year old will only be a two year old for five more sleeps.
where does the time go?

it's official

....i've caught that crazy holiday spirit.

and how can i tell you ask?
well, the 1 am craft marathons are a good sign.
i am also prone to bursting out in joyful song at the most random of times.
it also seems i can't get enough sugar in the form of baked goods and fudge.

so my symptoms can only mean one thing.

aren't the holidays fun?

cookies you will want to eat

i am tired but "write a new blog post" is on my to-do list.
one should never argue with the to-do list.
not ever.
so, i am going to use this post wisely and tell you all about the most delicious and sorta kinda healthy vegan sugar cookies that the kids and i made yesterday. making cookies and sharing them was our first advent activity, but we never made it to the sharing part. unless you consider sharing them with ourselves to fulfill the challenge, well then we passed with flying colors.

on to the recipe!

i adapted this recipe and it suited me and my taste buds just fine.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vegan Sugar Cookies That Are Yummy

1 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/4 Cup Coconut Oil

1/4 Cup Canola Oil

1/2 Tbs. Vanilla

1/2 Tbs. Almond Extract

1 Really Smashed Banana

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in a measuring cup (make sure they’re blended well). Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using your hands form the dough into a big ball. (If it sticks together well, then it’s the right consistency. If not, add a bit of water and mix it well.) Pu dough ball in fridge for a few hours. Roll out dough and use cookie cutters for cutting out desired shapes. mixture. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each Bake at 375°F degrees for about 7 minutes. Makes about 18 cookies. Of course, decorate using frosting, candy, and sprinkles very liberally.

list of loves

in need of a good soul scrubbing i am going to bathe myself in gratitude.
taking a cue from a neato blog i love, i too am going to list my top 100 favorite things, in no particular order.
deep breath.
here goes.

1. red painted metal
2. yerba mate
3. curls
4. the beach
5. snow cones
6. brightly colored skirts
7. ballerinas
8. loud drums
9. rust
10. pictures of feet
11. craigslist
12. dancing
13. date nights
14. holiday lights
15. cookbooks
16. lavender
17. co-ops
18. waterfalls
19. airports
20. vintage
21. wooden spoons
22. holding hands
23. vegan chocolate cake
24. thrift stores
25. bamboo knitting needles
26. yoga class
27. massages
28. inside jokes
29. volkswagon vehicles
30. new packs of markers
31. restaurant reviews
32. beads
33. sweater jackets
34. thai food
35. food processors
36. girl power
37. wine
38. drive ins
39. stars
40. hippies
41. the number 5
42. my birthday
43. eyelashes
44. the library
45. public transportation
46. bare feet
47. clothes shopping
48. ballerina flats
49. almonds
50. fig trees
51. holidays
52. book clubs
53. flannel sheets
54. fireplaces
55. dormer windows
56. toys from the 80's
57. modern furniture
58. old houses
59. walking in the city
60. animal adoption fairs
61. hammocks
62. fireworks
63. very large trees
64. russian sage
65. bakeries
66. margaritas
67. outdoor concerts
68. the smell of coffee
69. electric cars
70. birthday parties
71. reading blogs
72. non profit groups
73. photography
74. cooking
75. NPR
76. midwives
77. trade schools
78. zune player
79. soap
80. good lighting
81. irony
82. controlled chaos
83. belly casts
84. oatmeal
85. menus
86. white noise
87. green building
88. pacman
89. wish lists
90. late nights
91. farmers market
92. parks
93. road trips
94. lemonade
95. graffiti
96. whimsy
97. museums
98. my friends
99. my family
100. you

what he said....

lately, i have been steaming over the passing of prop 8 in california and can't fathom why people are so damn mean. this commentary puts into words what i have been thinking this past week.
watch and act accordingly.
keith, i want my name in the book of love!

:: yellow snow ::

xavier: aubrey, is snow a healthy food?

aubrey: well, it's not really a food, it's just frozen water.

xavier: oh, so you mean it's edible.


it cracked me up that my barely five year old used the word edible in the right context within a sentence. chris chalks up some of xavi's wide vocabulary to hanging out with trev who amazes us with his very advanced and varied word usage.

can't stop smiling

peace wins.

kindness rules the day.

love is alive.

As I hold my son on my lap watching President Obama, my heart is full and my eyes are teary. I can now give my children the promise that change and hope are never extinct. I have seen the unbelievable with my own eyes. I have witnessed history. I have seen that when we stand up together and join our voices and our hearts, nothing is out of reach.