"Diaper Bag"

I ordered myself a "diaper bag" from Baggu x Shabd on Earth Day and it arrived last night! Of course I have noooo idea if it would actually work as a diaper bag, but I used that excuse to justify the purchase of yet another tote bag. I wondered if I needed to wait for the baby to actually carry it (y'know, since it's a "diaper bag" and all), but I couldn't help myself and took it to work today!


Anyways, the Baggu x Shabd Duck Bag is awesome! And totally way more substantial in real life than it looked on the site. It's got short and long handles, an inside pocket and snaps closed at the top.... I highly recommend! And just because it's Friday, I figured I would subject you to a couple photos of my own taking :)

Happy Friday! Read More.. Read More..

Golden State

I stumbled across the Brixton Spring Lookbook today and it put me in a nostalgic mood for California.

Before moving to Portland, OR I had never lived more than 10 miles from the California coast and I find that this time of year I become a bit homesick for the beautiful ocean towns I have lived in.


Right now the perfect day would be sitting on a blanket at the beach with a good book, a tiny baby (properly shielded from the sun), watching the husband surf in the distance.... And since I'm daydreaming already, why not include an outfit for said day on the California coast.


Madewell Tee ($42) and Bag ($58), Chance Pool Short ($45), Topshop Bikini Top ($16), Brixton Hat ($55), Havaianas ($18). Read More.. Read More..

Ode to Wheat

This is taken in the wheat field by our house, summer 2010

• Farmer's receive about 4 cents of the cost of a loaf of bread sold at retail.

• A single bushel of wheat (about 1 million kernels) will make 73 loaves of bread, 53 boxes of cereal or 72 pounds of tortillas.

• An acre of wheat can produce enough wheat to furnish a family with bread for nearly 10 years.

• It takes a combine nine seconds to harvest enough wheat to make 70 loaves of bread.

• The United States uses over 3 million bushels of wheat each day.

• Wheat was first planted in the United States in 1777 as a hobby crop.

 (Wheat Marketing Center and Idaho Wheat Commission Statistics, as seen in Capitol Press).

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This Year's Sunnies

We had the most beautiful day in Portland on Saturday - 70 and sunny (finally)! I excitedly busted out my sunglasses for the first time in ages! I bought these Marc by Marc Retro sunglasses towards the end of last summer and I am still enjoying them.... but if you haven't figured me out yet, this never stops me from a little window shopping ;)

This year I am loving angular tops with round bottoms in light translucent colors:


Super Lucia ($161), Illesteva ($160). Read More.. Read More..

Bangs Again (And Again)

After FINALLY getting my bangs to grow out long enough to rock the 70's style middle-part, I've resolved to chop them again! I know I am not the only person to constantly go through this vicious cycle... So what is it that makes us want to torture ourselves with this back and forth hair routine? Boredom?

I am taking this photo from the Mulberry Spring 11 runway as inspiration to the salon. Blunt bangs and long wavy hair will be my Spring/Summer look... Plus blunt bags are soooo fantastic with a top knot (my go-to Summer do).

p.s. Speaking of hair, has anyone used the Bumble and Bumble Bb. Texture Hair (Un)Dressing Cream??? Rumored to result in the perfect tousled look... Does it work?
p.p.s. LOVE the red hair, although I will not be going there this time around.... Read More.. Read More..

OMSI and Wild Kratts

 Saturday was a day for OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry).

The kids' favorite show, Wild Kratts, was doing a special presentation and my sister got tickets weeks before.

Ironically, my sister was going to be helping a retreat and already asked me to watch her two boys. Why not throw OMSI and Wild Kratts into the fun too? My parents graciously agreed to travel down from Oly to Portland for this adventure. I also convinced Jeff to accompany us with my flirtatious smile (the rain pouring down helped my cause too).

OMSI had lots of hands-on events and Mandy and Rem enjoyed the preschool room.

Never too many pictures, right? 

I was experimenting with my settings and these photo won't be winning any awards. The lighting was incredibly poor and I used a 1.8f and 100 shutter speed for most of these pictures. Adjusting the light balance from room to room also helped. These particular pictures were in a room with incandescent spot lighting, while the ones in the auditorium were florescent. 

Nano, Ben, and Emma were off with Grandma and Grandpa at this point while Mandy and Rem discovered to her heart's content. 

Now on to Wild Kratts.

We didn't really know what to expect, but the kids were SO excited.

The Wild Kratts show on PBS starts with two brothers explaining an amazing animal in some exotic location and then they jump into cartoon mode and explore the animal's unique attributes.

I'm pretty sure the younger kids expected the brothers to come jumping out in actual cartoon form. To their dismay, they were just regular guys. Or as regular as zoologists can be.

The adults were completely captivated by the presentation.

All in all it was a terrific day. Especially since Jeff could come along with me. For everyone missing naps (including me), there were smiles all around. 

On to the next adventure....

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Three Things

1. CM + Thomsen Dress: Painted by hand in perfect Spring colors (via Scout Holiday)


2. Margaret Powell's Summer collection: Clean, understated, well-tailored (via Inventory)


3. Marais Espadrille Wedges: Hooray, they're back! Hmmm.... what color to get.... (via Marais USA) Read More.. Read More..

Basement [another update]

We are enjoying our "new" basement space so much.

We knew when we tackled the project that it wouldn't be easy.

From dank and moldy,

dark and creepy,

dirty and cluttered,

to...

light and airy,

clean and dry,

Before and after:

 This is the basement view from the bottom of the stairs looking straight ahead and to the right.

The biggest difference [besides the mold scrubbed from the walls] are the new windows. Before they were covered with cardboard because they were broken or missing. Can we say classy?

Jeff put in the new windows and also added moulding. The top, faux crown moulding covers an uneven ledger board. The base moulding makes the room feel very finished and I love how it looks.

Another before:

We used this space for storage, but never used it for playing. Besides being very dark because of no windows and poor lighting, it was cold and damp. We [being Jeff] repaired the major leaks with better outside drainage and Damtite on the inside walls. It still felt damp and objects on the floor drew moisture. I had given up hope for ever turning this into a usable space until one of many internet searches produced a product called Dricore. 

I did a lot of research and the product seemed to be the answer to all our problems. It protected against small leaks, provided insulation, and added a subfloor that accepts carpet and pad. 

This is the Dricore product after installation and before the carpet

The Dricore subfloor is a genius solution and I can't say enough good about it! The temperature in the basement rose about 5 degrees and the floor feels solid and warm.

Before and now:

We use this space all the time! The kids enjoy playing down there. 

Friends and cousins have a place to run and play.

We are basically done, with just a few details to finish. 

Recover the couch, paint the stairs and stairwell walls, and figure out a shelving unit for toys.

This is just lots of fun and I wanted to wait until every last detail was done before the BIG reveal. For now, this is the new functional and fantastic space at our house. Come over and play any time!

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Praising Children

The one who praises a child wins a child's heart.



That is an amazing statement that I wish was my own inspiration. I read it on a blog and it was originally said by Michelle Dugger, a mom of 19 children. I read through the article quickly, but that one phrase kept coming back to me....




The one who praises a child wins a child's heart.



I gave the idea a lot of thought and causally started trying it out on my three children. With Emma, I was dealing with a chronic bad attitude, snotty remarks, and grumpy faces when she faced anything that wasn't her idea. Disciplining it out of her seemed to prolonging the displeasing symptoms. So I thought maybe this praise thing couldn't hurt, even if it didn't work.






I was also curious if more praise would have an impact Mandy who would rather whine and throw a fit than pick up her toys. It was hard to find things to sing praises about.




Oh Remington, I didn't hold out much hope that he would notice more or less praise. He's at a difficult stage with more "no"s than "yes"es in his life.

And I started praising. Complimenting good behavior, seeking to find the nice things to say and keeping criticism to a minimum. My voice sounded sugary sweet to my own ears and I even annoyed myself a little. My kids, on the other hand, ate it up like free candy at a summer parade.




"What a good job obeying! Thank you for helping your sister with the door! You are so thoughtful to remember your brother's hat!" All those exclamation marks at the end of sentences had me sounding like a favorite Sunday School teacher or excited Grandma.




Interesting that the people praising my children are the ones my children adore the most.




The one who praises a child wins a child's heart.




The praise started working immediately with a positive effect. All three had improved behavior and better attitudes. My oldest had a beautiful attitude about helping with chores. Middle daughter started cleaning up her toys without a fight. And even the toddler walked around smiling and handed me my cell phone instead of running to put it in the toilet. I absolutely knew I won their hearts because of this change in how I spoke to them. Stepping back and watching their glowing faces, I was ashamed I never used this approach before.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, 

whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable

--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--

think about such things."

Philippians 4:8

I always heard that verse and thought it referred to the movies I watched or the books I chose to read. Or just the private thoughts running around in my head. But couldn't it apply to what I think of my children? In moments when I am frazzled and annoyed, I can easily pick out faults and mistakes. Philippians says to think on true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy things. In regard to myself.... my children!



I am continuing to praise them more and criticize less. Searching for areas where I can praise my children is very encouraging to me. It is like seeing a glass half full instead of half empty. Catching them in the act of being good is so much more fun than the opposite.

A secular site dedicated to giving child-rearing advice child had an article about this very thing (child-discipline-with-love.com).

"Nothing kills the ambitions as criticism does. Replace criticism with appreciation and praising words of encouragement. When criticism is minimized and praise is emphasized, the good things kids do will be reinforced and the poorer things will eliminate."

For the most part, the quote is true. Unfortunately, poor behavior won't just disappear. There are action and attitudes that are not solved with a compliment. "Billy, I saw you smack your sister with that bucket. Thank you for dumping the rocks out first." Discipline and consequences are still necessary. But praising a child more can have the desired effect of more encouraging actions in the future.





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Love 'Em or Leave 'Em?

Granny sandals.... I just cannot make up my mind: Love 'em or leave 'em?

Between Worishofer and Bass, Urban Outfitters' site is currently packed full of granny sandals. On one hand, they're pretty cute and definitely comfortable... But on the other hand, they're not exactly sexy summer sandals.

So, what do you think? Read More.. Read More..

To Be Reminded [update]

I set my watch to beep on the hour. It's a tiny, tangible sound to remind me to pray my thankfulness to God. I started this new routine last Monday (read about it here on Drops). I'm a frenzied mom with not much down-time. And I also have a terrible case of non-reversal mommy-brain. I forget important things unless reminded. The hourly beep on my watch was my idea to break through my busyness and be reminded about what is most important in my life.



Monday started with a bang. I posted my thoughts on Sunday night and was ready to go when my alarm buzzed on Monday morning before the sun had the nerve to show its face. I started my morning routine before the kids got up, but started to feel very ill.  I was soon in a useless heap on the bathroom floor. I'll spare you the details, just know that this was one of those days I wanted to call in sick.



This was a terrible day to start a prayer routine, so I thought. I heard the beep in the midst of pain and wished I was a swearing woman. Because of Drops and my commitment (why did I have to state my intentions to the world?), I grudgingly grabbed a paper and pen. I forced myself to start writing thankfulness. Oh, I didn't want to! In the midst of my physical misery and spiritual grumpiness, my "thank-you" prayers were far from deep and inspiring.





I named the simple blessings: #1, a writing utensil that had ink and #2, a clean-ish bathroom.  My eyes wandered the room and I found one thing after another to praise God about. #3, a messy, blond-headed girl who expressed her sympathy with a 1/2 measuring cup to use as a "puke bowl." #4, my husband who calmed a crying baby and left for work a little late so he could help me. #5, warm house. #6, weirdly-colored pink robe to cozy up in.




And something amazing happened. My prayers to the Living God acted as an antidote for what ailed me. A pain killer, bad-mood buster, grouchy mama annihilator. I expressed my thankfulness over and over again with a realization that God was bigger than this moment. His goodness transcended all things. Believing took form as I prayed.

Throughout that tough Monday and every day for the last week, I put on my watch and listened for the hourly reminder. In all fairness, the beep is quiet and easily drowned out by louder sounds like the washing machine, a screaming child, or the hustle and bustle of the grocery store. But for the most part I hear, I stop (mentally and/or physically), and I pray whether it is 15 seconds or 15 minutes as time allows.



A few things really surprised me this week. I wanted to share them with you.

• I was surprised how my entire mood was more positive.

• I was surprised at how the hourly reminders showed me how busy I am with busyness. Stopping to pray and reflect helped me enjoy the moments instead of just the duties of being a mom.

• I was surprised at how blessed I felt to pray for others on a continual basis. Throughout the week, I was able to pray for other people's needs as I heard about them. It was encouraging to see God answering prayer and being able to participate in it.

• I was surprised at the overwhelming feeling of gratefulness as I enjoyed simple pleasures like talking to a friend on the phone, daffodils picked by a preschooler with "nice long stems Mommy," and 2 minutes of sunshine amidst a day of rain.

• I was surprised when I felt irritation about prayer. Occasionally, I didn't want to be interrupted at that given moment. This whole experiment revealed some more uglies in my closet.

I'm on to week two and I don't think I can stop even if I wanted to. A new habit has formed and I find myself anticipating the hourly respite with my Father. What a gift I was missing! I packed duties and deadlines into hours that passed without notice. I covered everything with, "of course I'm thankful." I said I was too busy for prayer, too busy to grow, too busy to change. It was true, I was too busy and I needed something concrete to help me find the time. The moments were there all along.... I just needed a reminder.

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; 

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Read More.. Read More..

Billykirk x Opening Ceremony

Kinda digging the new Billykirk x Opening Ceremony collab...



Although the prices seem a bit steep for the product, no?

Thanks to everyone for their kind comments on my big news! You know I can be a little camera shy and for some reason I was a little nervous to share my news here... But I am so glad to have such amazingly kind and supportive readers and friends! So, thanks a bunch!

xo, Roberta Jane Read More.. Read More..

Miracle Grow... child update.

I love these crazy kids so much I can barely catch my breath.

To think God blessed Jeff and I with them to care for is beyond my wildest dreams.

Because of them, I am grasping a glimpse of how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. 

His love is one that surpasses all knowledge (Eph. 3:17b-18).

The rest of this post is an update how the kids are growing and changing. The relatives eat this stuff up, but I don't expect everyone to ooh and ahh over my fantastic kids. Click "read more" if you dare.

Our Rem James is 18 months old today.

Where did the time go? He is such a toddler and seems to shake the remainder of baby-hood off his feet with every quick step.

The boy is growing like crazy lately. He has been more whiny and clingy than ever before in his short, happy life. I blame it on teeth because 10 came since Christmas (how I wish I was joking!). I could also blame it on a major growth spirt. I recorded all the children's heights on January 15th and was bewildered when Rem's pants were a few inches too short and his onesies no longer snapped. So, I measured him again on the growth chart and he grew 2 and 1/2 inches in 2 and 1/2 months. Seeing that gap from shorter to taller there on the wall made me exclaim, "oh, no wonder!"

He didn't gain any weight and is still 23 pounds and wearing 18-24 month clothes and size 7 shoes. Crazy, since his big sis still squeezes into a size 8 or 9 shoe. 

Loves: cars, trucks, tractors, boats and anything he can drive around on the floor. 

Loves: napping. He is such a good sleeper and my socks are knocked off with how blessed we are that he sleeps well. He still occasionally takes a morning nap, but can live without one as long as he gets an afternoon nap. 

Loves: being outside.

Loves: going anywhere with Daddy. Remi cries every morning when Jeff leaves and even runs to get his coat and shoes so he can go too. Jeff takes him sometimes and returns a short time later with a baby boy completely covered in mud. 

Loves: mud.

Loves: cats, dogs, cows.

Loves: exploring.

Loves: laughing and dancing (a happier baby we have never known!).

Loves: being tickled and will walk up to people, lift his shirt and say "tickle, tickle." His sisters are always happy to oblige. 

Our Mandy girl is 3 and a half. She is spirited and loves to explore the world with words. If she isn't making up stories and talking to herself, she asks lots of questions of anyone who will listen. I am frequently amused by her running commentary. Here is an example of a normal conversation with Mandy:

"Can I have a drink of Milk? Please, please. I won't spill it. Sometimes I need a sippy cup because I spill. But not today. I need a yellow one. A yellow one. Not that one. That one. Yellow. Yellow! I need to wear a dress because I am a princess. Did you know that I am a bradgelina? I can dance, see? Oh look, Remington loves me. I am going to drink my milk because I am so firsty."

Mandy has also grown a lot lately and her measurements showed 1 inch in 2 and a half months. She still weighs 30 pounds. She wears size 4T in most clothes and 5T in dresses for the length. It's crazy, because out of the 3 kids, Mandy eats the most frequently. She is constantly wanting a snack even after she just ate a big meal. She also still naps for about 1.5 hours a day. It is a wonderful time for me to have a bit of quiet, but I feel the transition as Mandy doesn't really need the nap (as much as I do). 

Our challenges recently have been ending the whining. Mandy has made great strides, yet I still say, "I can't hear that voice, please talk to me without whining." About 500 times a day. But she can turn it off and on and that is progress. 

3 and a half years old is a precious age and I'm enjoying Mandy so much. She is learning what she loves and really does not love. Teaching her and training her is a a great responsibility. I can see her making connections about consequences and obedience. She is also learning about God and we talk to her often about his love for her. I know we'll see a great change in her as she begins to understand that obedience is done out of a desire to love God. 

Mandy is learning her letters and can count to 6. Well, if you don't care that things are in order, she can count to 19. I'm noticing she learns very quickly because I am doing school with Emma every day. The biggest challenge is keeping Mandy's short attention span occupied while I work with big sister. Beads, coloring pictures, magnets, and puzzles are her favorite things to do.

Oh Emma dear! I so wish I could have caught a glimpse of how amazing this girl would be at age 6 when I was struggling daily with her at age 2 and 3 and 4. She delights me daily with her thoughtful conversations, efforts to obey, and compassion for her siblings. 

She is very helpful and always eager to learn a new task. She really wants to cook and bake (entirely without my help, of course), so she is learning some meals. PB & J is a good one that requires no help from me. Last night she attempted chinese noodles with chicken and egg. The chicken was already cooked and she even was able to turn the stove on. Unfortunately, a plastic wrapper got left on a hot burner and stunk things up a bit. I have to remind myself not to blow up because my attitude about her attempts will greatly determine her desire to try again in the future. She was SO SO SO proud of herself as we sat down to dinner.

Emma is learning well in school with math being a favorite and reading being a chore. Her auditory dyslexia causes frustration for both her and me, so we take it slow and I have about 5 reading curriculums we rotate through. I am not worried one bit about our pace because she will get it when she is ready. Emma's penmanship is very good and I often find notes she copied out of books. Today I found, "Jeff is Canadian birthday" written on a piece of paper.

If you made it through this lengthy post, you'll know I'm completely in love and proud of my children. 

The "pink" pictures were taken yesterday at the Capitol during a morning of sunshine. With 30 days of rain in a row, we embraced the sunshine and enjoyed the cherry blossoms. 

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