The Turtle

My amazingly brilliant two year old was drawing pictures on my phone tonight after dinner. At one point he came running up to us with the phone yelling, "Look! A turtle! A turtle!" Sean and I look down at his drawing and sure enough - it's a turtle.



This kid amazes me more and more every single day.

For 14 Days...

...the Nichols family is going vegan.


Why, you ask? For our health, mainly. But also for lots of other reasons.

Am I excited? I sure am - for many, many reasons.

Will it be easy? Perhaps, only due to the fact that I'm doing lots and LOTS of planning.

Will we continue our vegan diet after 14 days? I hope so.


Stay tuned.

In love

Remember those hand warmers I posted about last week? Sean convinced me to try making them, even though I felt severely inadequate being such a novice knitter. I took it step by step though, learning how to do each stitch the pattern listed. Well, after a few headaches and many, many hours, they are finished!


I really REALLY love these hand warmers. I think they turned out really well considering my skill level (and the fact that I used the wrong size needles). I'm excited for the weather to get cooler so I don't look stupid wearing them in public.

Zoo-tastic!

Yesterday we decided to take Taylor to the zoo for the first time ever. It was super crowded and I was sniffling and sneezing the whole time, but we still had a blast. I think Tay was amazed that all these animals he knows really exist and aren't just in cartoons and movies.

Here are some highlights.

This was the one and only elephant on exhibit. It came right up to the gate to eat some food and Taylor loved watching him.


I just loved this bear. They gave him a huge block of ice with fruit in it and he was going nuts trying to get to the fruit.


The infamous lion drinking fountain! They now have about five of these things throughout the zoo and Taylor LOVED them. It really surprised me because I remember as a kid being absolutely petrified of it. We had to practically drag him away after he got a drink so that other kids could take a turn.


My boys. Tay insisted on Daddy carrying him even though we had a stroller. I think he just likes being able to see over everyone.


The giraffes. They had a super cute baby here too but I couldn't get a picture because there were too many people. Tay loved watching them all eat "yunch."


A picture I shot of my sweet baby while we waited in line for the bird show. Don't you just wanna squeeze him?


Our little family. It was so nice to sit in the shade while we waited for the bird show to start.


The bird show is my very favorite thing at the zoo. I just find it so fascinating that they can train these wild birds and I love watching them fly over the crowds of people. This particular falcon gave the trainers a hard time when he was released from his cage and rather than gliding down to the trainer decided to perch in a nearby tree for a while. This picture reminds me of a painting my dad did years ago.


I am amazed that this picture actually turned out. This is Tay's favorite bird (a HUGE owl) flying over the crowd. Pretty cool, eh?


Daddy and Tay with one of the trainers and Taylor's favorite bird. We asked if he'd rather get a picture with the owl or the American Eagle. He chose the owl.


It was a super fun day and I'm glad we got there early so it wasn't too hot. I hope everyone else had a great Labor Day!

Homemade Playdough

Could anything be more fun?


I remember when I was little my daycare leader would make huge batches of playdough in all different colors, break out the rolling pins and cookie cutters, and we'd be entertained for hours. Making your own dough is simple, quick, and cheap (not to mention completely non-toxic)!

I made a batch for Taylor and he (and my 22-year-old brother) had a blast making monsters, dinosaurs, snakes, and pretend pizzas.


Homemade Playdough Recipe

2 c. flour
1 c. salt
2 c. water
2 Tbsp. cream of tartar
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
Food coloring (optional)

Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan; mix well. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture gathers on stirring spoon and forms dough. Dump onto waxed paper until cool enough to handle and knead into a pliable mass. Store in covered container or plastic bag.


Make a batch or two for your little ones and let their imaginations run wild!

She's Crafty

It's that time of year again - time to break out the knitting needles!

I am determined to learn more this year than just the basic knit and purl stitches so I can make something besides scarves, potholders, and blankets. Thanks to the wonders of the internet I've been able to do just that! So far I've learned the basics of reading knitting patterns, how to make a rib pattern, how to do a basic cable stitch, and how to knit on the round with cable needles.

Here are my recently completed projects:

Simple hand warmers (pattern HERE. Mine is slightly modified.):



Ribbed beanie hat (pattern HERE. Seriously took me 4 tries to get it right. I'm such a newb.):



I'm hoping to learn to make these awesome hand warmers:


In theory I can read almost the entire pattern, but in practice they may turn out looking more like a giant ball of tangled yarn. Practice makes perfect though, right?

The dog days of summer...

...are coming to and end.

It's true, and I couldn't be happier. Fall is our favorite time of year around the Nichols household, and I welcome harvest time with open arms.

Summer is still technically here though (for another 17 days at least), and Tay and I have been enjoying the cooler weather outside. A couple of days ago we headed out to the yard with a soccer ball and camera in tow, and Taylor was especially cheesy for the lens.

Here are a few of my favorites. Man I love this kid!