Cheap is the new Beautiful.

Don’t take this title the wrong way…I’m talking about bargain prices for party decorations! J  My mom and my aunts recently threw me a baby shower (we are having our first baby girl in August…we have a 3 ½ year old boy and a 2 year old boy…this will be a new experience for us!), and the party turned out so beautiful.  We had so many compliments about how nice the decorations looked, and how well everything matched. And we are not ashamed to admit, many of the items that were being complimented came from garage sales or clearance racks!

This is a picture of my fire-place, all decked out in pink!  Although every one of the blankets you see is a gift handmade by my aunt Jeannie (the best blankets in the world! www.justduckieblankies.blogspot.com), basically the rest of the items you see are super bargains.  The clothes hanging on the clothesline (so cute!) are all from a garage sale, purchased by my mom, as well as all of the pretty baskets holding the gifts.  All of the little toys, bottles, etc. are from the Dollar General, my aunt Jeannie’s favorite store (and one of my favorites, too!)

They decorated the rest of the room with some of baby girl’s clothes from her bedroom…all three  of these items are garage-sale finds, and the outfit in the middle even had the tags on it when I found it!  I was so proud!  Can’t wait to see my baby girl in all of these adorable buys!

And last, but certainly not least, the dessert table!  Look how beautiful it turned out…and yet, we didn’t pay a caterer or buy expensive treats (my mom made the cupcakes and the cookies, my aunt made the mints, and I bought that lemon cheesecake ball at the Farmer’s Market…and everything was delicious!).  I think the candy jars make the table complete—and yes, they are all from garage sales!  I’ve been picking up every size and shape of these jars for the past couple years (prices usually ranging from 50 cents to $3), and now I have quite the assortment! They have come in handy for many parties, and when we used them for my cousin’s wedding last year, it was gorgeous.  Our newest find was a big white platter, similar to the one holding the mints in this picture, which we paid $3 for, and we are sure to use it many more times in the future!

I’ll keep this post short and sweet, no pun intended.  Just wanted to remind you all (and myself) that it really is possible to have a beautiful party without breaking the bank.  I had some wonderful helpers for this party, and I’ve had them for parties in the past as well, and every time we have a party, no matter what the theme or reason, we have people telling us we should go into the party-planning business.  Imagine that, showing up to decorate parties with garage-sale items!  Now there’s something to blog about!  In the meantime…if you know anyone who is throwing a party in the near future and wants a planner, you know where to find us! (seriously, we’d like to give it a try!)  Hooray for bargains!

Community Spotlight: Devotay

Devotay at night: Isn't this place adorable??

Just writing the title of this post is making me hungry.  After devoting Wednesdays to looking for the good in food, I can’t believe I’ve made it this long without telling you all about my favorite restaurant (Devotay).  I’d guess it’s probably been a couple years since my friend Laura (or, as you all know her, Chef Laura) started going to Devotay in Iowa City, and she kept telling me how she thought I would like it because they have Spanish food and I had lived in Spain and loved the food.  Well, she was not only right about me liking it---I loved it!  I don’t think it’s even been a year since I first went there, but I have seriously told everyone I know about this place!  Let me explain…

First of all, here is the history of Devotay…and who better to tell it than the owners themselves? So, I just copied and pasted this from their website (www.devotay.net):

Chef Kevin

Devotay began in 1994, as a hobby that paid for itself (well, not really – Chef Kurt borrowed $700 from his mom to start it). Back then, Devotay was making spice blends and infused oils and selling them at the local farmer’s market.

One thing led to another, and soon there was a storefront operation, selling not just those oils and spices, but all sorts of gourmet food items, such as Stonewall Jams and a wide array of hot sauces. There was a refined selection of wines and beers, and many pâtés and fancy foods made on the premises by Chef Kurt Michael Friese.

When customers started requesting catering, Devotay obliged. It did not take much longer for folks to become more interested in the food Chef Kurt was making than they were in the groceries on the shelves. Soon they were requesting take-out sandwiches, then tables, and a restaurant was born from a gourmet shop. The catering went by the wayside, but the restaurant flourished.

12 years later, Chef Kurt was promoted to Chef Emeritus and is concentrating much of his time on his writing career. He serves on the Slow Food USA National Board of Directors and his columns and photos on food, wine and travel have appeared regularly in local, regional and national newspapers and magazines. His latest book, A Cook’s Journey: Slow Food in the Heartland was published in the fall of 2008 by Ice Cube Press. Fear not, though, he and Kim still maintain a firm grip on the reins of the Devotay kitchen.

Today Devotay features a full menu, based on the flavors of the Mediterranean, with occasional influences from other ethnic cuisines. There is a complete wine and beer list, and all of it changes according to the market, the seasons or the whims of Executive Chef Kevin Butler or Chef de Cuisine Daniel Knowles.

Many of the plates, bowls and mugs are made by Kim McWane Friese. Kim is an Iowa City native, and has been a professional potter for 15 years. Kim is a co-owner of Devotay, and she and Chef Kurt have been married for 24 years. They have 2 children, Devon and Taylor (thus the name Devotay). Now that Chef Kurt is pursuing his writing career, Kim is in full command of the restaurant.

Now…why do we LOVE this place so much? For me, I can honestly say that when I’m sitting in there, eating their Spanish-inspired tapas (a small-plate appetizer, usually shared among everyone at the table), if I closed my eyes I would believe that I was sitting in a little bar on a corner in Sevilla, where I lived.  The taste is so authentic, and there are so many dishes to choose from!  As you could guess, I’ll be sharing my favorites with you!

1.       Spanish Tortilla:  This is the most typical tapa in Spain.  Made from eggs, potatoes, and onions, this is basically a super thick omelette, although served cold, and with a creamy aioli on top.  Now, some people are turned off by the idea of cold eggs, but seriously, do not knock it until you have tried it! And especially at Devotay!

The Patatas Bravas..mmmm!

2.       Patatas bravas:  Another typical dish in Spain, this is roasted potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce (don’t be afraid of the word spicy…Spanish food is nothing like hot-sauce filled Mexican food!) and again with aioli on top.  These potatoes are my husband’s favorite item to order…and since he visited me while living in Spain, he can also tell you how authentic the taste is!

3.       Almendras: Spiced almonds.  Need I say more?  This, again, is a very typical dish in Spain, and one that I can not find anywhere else in our area.  Of course, now that I know about Devotay, I won’t be going out for Spanish food anywhere else!

I won’t bore you with the entire menu, but these are some of my favorites, as far as the Spanish food goes.  They also have Spain’s famous dish: paella.  It’s a rice dish, with lots of yellow saffron and filled with vegetables and seafood.  I’m not a seafood-eater, so this isn’t something that I order, but again it’s nice to have a place where you can get the whole Spanish experience!

Aside from the Spanish tapa-inspired dishes, the other items on the menu are just as good.  We have really enjoyed the grilled olives, the marinated grilled crimini mushrooms, and the sourdough bread with garlic oil.  Ohhh…the sourdough bread with garlic oil.  It’s so good that I had to say it twice. And I also order it twice—as in two orders.  If you don’t believe me, ask Laura!  It’s true!

If you live anywhere near the Quad-Cities, you NEED to take a little drive to Iowa City (which also happens to be one of my favorite places) and visit Devotay.  The prices are reasonable, the atmosphere is inviting, and they have a little bit of something for everyone (it’s very vegan/vegetarian friendly, which is important in my family!).  And after you visit, let me know what you think!

Young House Love.

John and Sherry

In honor of “look for the good in your home” Tuesdays, I’d like to share with you another of my favorite blogs to follow:  Young House Love.  You can find it and follow it at www.younghouselove.com .  The blog is written by a young couple, Sherry and John, who have completely re-done not one, but now two houses, almost entirely on their own.  They are the masters at Do-It-Yourself projects!  I love to check their blog every now and then to see the updates—one of the best parts about their page is that they take a ton of pictures, which really helps the reader see not only the progress, but also a step-by-step instruction manual, just in case you feel like doing a similar project in your own home!

Sherry and John's entryway...LOVE this.

As I’ve said before, we were lucky enough to move into a home that had been, as they say, “flipped”.  In other words, we didn’t have to do any work, which was great.  However, there are always miscellaneous projects around everyone’s home that they wish they could be working on, wish they knew how to do, or wish someone would do for them!  Well, that’s the inspiring part about Sherry and John—they don’t just sit around and think about doing it, they do it! (of course, their blog has landed them spots in many home and garden magazines, as well as features on the Today Show of all things, so it has essentially become their job…but still!)

Their dining room and a view into their office...ahh!

So if you are trying to think of ways to spruce up your home, or change one of your rooms, I highly recommend checking out this blog.  Even if you don’t have any projects, or don’t even have a house, it’s still an entertaining blog for pretty much anyone.  They also have a section of the blog dedicated to their outdoor/backyard wedding a few years back…which, yes, they did almost everything themselves!  The decorations, and the pictures, are amazing.  If you have a wedding in your future, you can get some great tips from Sherry and John’s experience!

So, that’s my piece for today.  As a new blogger, I’m realizing the importance of networking and sharing our favorite blogs with each other.  I know that many of you have shared my blog with people, and you will never know how much I appreciate that!  Of course, I think Sherry and John are doing just fine without a little recommendation from me, but hey, it’s always nice to be appreciated! And I really do love so many of the projects they’ve done…maybe someday I will have the time to do some of them in my own home!

My favorite of their rooms:  the living room.

Happy Tuesday to you all!

100 Words or Less: Why I Love Summer

I love to be barefoot.  I love sleeping with the windows open and the fan on.  I love that I am a teacher, and therefore spend the summers with my family, not with my work.  I love walking in our neighborhood, or going to get ice cream and eating outside.  I love the sun, I love how exhausted you feel after being out in it all day.  Summer means birthdays in our house—May, June, two in August, and another this year!  I love the long days, the thunderstorms, the pool, the grass between my toes.  I LOVE summer.

Full of Surprises

Yesterday marked 9 years since we graduated high school.  Nine years.  In a way, it seems like a lifetime ago…after all, in these 9 years since we walked across the stage in our cap and gowns, I have earned two college degrees, lived abroad, gotten married, and given birth to two (soon three) children.  But on some occasions, like this weekend for example, it really does feel like yesterday that we were sitting there listening to our names being read to come and receive our diplomas---to take the next step in the journey of life.

This weekend I watched my cousin’s daughter, now 14 years old, dance her heart out at her yearly dance recital.  I cannot believe that she is fourteen years old…it’s a strange sensation, thinking about the fact that I was fourteen years old when she was born.  I remember holding her, rocking her, playing with her.  It’s funny how junior-high aged girls become attached to babies—I see it all the time.  And boy, was I attached to her!  I used to call her my little “munchkin”, I carried her picture with me everywhere, and I loved it when I got to “baby-sit” her.  And now here she is, getting ready to start high school.  It’s just impossible!

As if that wasn’t enough, tonight we went to celebrate the wedding of a dear, dear friend.  I feel like an old person when I say “dear, dear friend”, but that’s the only way I can think of to describe James.  We went to school together from Kindergarten to that day in June with our caps and gowns.  He was my “boyfriend” in fifth grade, and he was the cutest little thing ever.  At the end of the year, we always had a chorus concert, and as James was always the entertainer, one year he got up in front of all of those people—by himself—and belted out a Barry Manilow song.  I can remember him standing there, he was so tiny, with his hands in the air, singing his heart out.  And tonight as I watched him dance with his beautiful bride, that’s all I could think of.

Life is full of surprises.  When Tristan started dancing at age 3, I never thought that we would be receiving the call that she made the high school dance team.  But she did.  And she deserves it more than anyone I know.  And back in elementary school at the choir concert, my 9 or 10-year old mind could never have pictured the day that little Barry Manilow would be getting married, and that I would be sitting at his reception with two children of my own, and another in my tummy!

Nothing about these “surprises” is very surprising…people grow up, our little ones eventually go to high school, and in the end our friends will all probably get married (although I am doubting it with a few of our friends…ha!).  But still…it’s such a surprising moment to wake up and realize how much has changed, how we all have changed.  People might look at me and say that my life has not changed too much in these nine years since I graduated…I’m still in love with the same guy, I still live in my home town, and I still see a lot of those same friends on a regular basis.  But I have changed, and I hope it’s for the better.  I feel so much more comfortable in my skin, so much more aware of my surroundings, of how short life can truly be.

Don’t let life creep up on you and surprise you.  If there are things you’ve been wanting to do, or words you’ve been wanting to say, do it.  Or say it.  Or feel it.  And always take the time to remember the past…the friends that grew up with you, that sat next to you in fourth grade.  The moment you first met your husband or wife.  The moment that they placed your baby in your arms.  In a day filled with work, emails, homework, family drama, etc., sometimes we just need a break.  So, surprise yourself.  Take that break…even if it’s only for five minutes.  Let your mind wander to a place that makes you smile.  Call that friend you’ve been meaning to call.  Pull out the photo album, the yearbook, the old diary.  It really can turn a bad day into a good, nostalgic moment.

Life is full of surprises---both good and bad.  But remember the message behind this blog, and specifically on Sundays:  “Look for the good in surprises”. 

Batman and Robin

Being a mother of two boys is not easy.  In fact, it’s hard most days.  There is no down time, there are no leisurely afternoon tea-parties or coloring book sessions.  Instead, yesterday morning, I am fast asleep in my bed one minute, and the next, my door BANGS open and in runs my older son, with a red cape on his shoulders and a black plastic disk-gun in his hand, shouting “bang, bang, we got them!”.  I smile a groggy smile and say “Good morning Sam”, to which he replies “I’m not Sam, I’m Robin!”.  Of course, by now, I know how to respond.  “Okay Robin, where is your brother Batman?” I ask, considering twenty seconds ago I was asleep and I assumed my children were, too.  But no…Batman is not in bed.  Robin smiles and says “he’s downstairs getting us a snack”.  Sure enough…ten seconds later, I see my other son climbing the stairs with two Crunch bars, one for him and one for his big brother.  I pick up my phone and dare to look what time it is.  It’s 7:08 AM.

Because they are so adorable, I cave and let them eat the Crunch bars before breakfast (they were only fun size, it’s all good…).  As I go into my bathroom to get ready for the energy-filled day I’m sure to have, I hear my little superheroes running around our upstairs, chasing the “master criminals” and running back to the Batcave.  While I’m brushing my teeth, they come charging into my bathroom.  Cooper says “Mommy?” and Sam answers “No, that’s Bat-Girl.  She’s just brushing her teeth and getting ready to help us fight the bad guys”.

And so I’m Bat-Girl.  Or some days I’m Cat Woman.  No matter the name, I am ready for the game. I am ready to watch my boys live in a world where a piece of red felt that their Aunt Annie gave them turns them into Robin, and where everything in our house can now be referred to with the word “bat” before it (bat-table, bat-cereal, bat-Daddy….).  I am ready to get lost in this world with them…where they don’t have to worry about anything more than who gets to be Batman and who gets to be Robin.  I wish I could promise them a life without any bigger worries, or any real criminals and bad-guys, but I know that I can’t.  So for now, while they are 2 and 3, I will run with them around the house, and their Daddy will scare us all as he transforms into what Sam calls “the Riggler” (also known as “the Riddler”) and chases us until we can’t stand it anymore.

Saturdays on the blog we try to look for the good in people.  Sometimes that’s a hard task to accomplish, but not in this case.  Children are innocent, they are nothing but good.  I hope that I can remember that every day as I watch my boys grow.  Some day they won’t wear the capes anymore, and they won’t come barging into my room as I quietly sleep.  But I hope that day doesn’t come for a long time.

Let your children be Batman.  Or Robin.  Or whoever they want to be.  You won’t regret it for a minute.  And while you're at it, take pictures. Lots of pictures.  These are the moments of a lifetime.

Batman.

Robin.

Community Spotlight: Family Free Funday Mondays!

If you live in the Quad-City Area, you NEED to know about this!  For the rest of the summer (through August 13^th), Family Credit Union is sponsoring “Family Free Funday Mondays” at four local family-friendly spots.  If you are planning to take your kids to any of these places this summer, consider going on a Monday for FREE admission!  Sure, you might have to wait in line a bit longer for certain things…but still!  If you are a family of four (or more!), the cost for enjoying these great spots can get a little too high for some of us!

Here’s the places to check out on Mondays:

The Putnam Museum

Just a few minutes from our house, this is one of my boys’ favorite buildings to drive by…of course because there is a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex outside the front door!  But even beyond the dinosaurs, this museum is great for kids, and keeps them entertained for a whole morning (if not more!). Plus, there’s Fejervary Park right next door…a place to play on the playground and have a picnic lunch, too!

The Family Museum

Located in Bettendorf, this museum could keep your kids entertained for days.  I must admit we have only been there once, but we definitely plan to go back!  There are so many interactive things for the little ones to do there…both inside and out.  Lots of learning, and lots of fun!

Riverside Aquatics Center

This is the only place on the list we haven’t visited yet…located on 4^th Avenue in Moline, this looks like a great  place to spend the day with the little ones!  The pool has a zero-depth area (always good for the tiny ones), as well as two water slides!  We will definitely be checking this place out this summer!

Quad-City Botanical Center

This may not seem like the most kid-friendly place, but I have to tell you—my kids love it!  The last time we went, they spent nearly an hour just chasing each other around the big room full of plants.  Very cheap entertainment! (and in this case, if you go on a Monday, it’s free!)  They also have fish to feed (always fun for the kids), and they even offer some fun activities throughout the year for kids to participate in.  Keep an eye out for the listings!

No matter what you do this summer, remember to “look for the good in your community”.  Find places your kids love, and take them there.  Enjoy the warm sunshine, your children’s laughter, and if possible, enjoy a bargain while you’re at it!  Take advantage of Family Free Funday Mondays…I know we will be! (Mondays are my husband’s day off, so this will be perfect for us.  Maybe we will see some of you around town!)