Keeping Berries Fresh

This is genius, I had to share!

I love this time of year when berries start going on sale in the store (my strawberries are still green.) So when they are a great deal I snag up some. Yet, how many strawberries can one small family eat in a day before they go bad? And I feel bad giving Grace an overload of Vitamin C 3 times a day, even though she loves them.

The internet has amazing solutions!

To keep your berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.) fresh WAY longer: mix 1 part White Vinegar and 10 parts water. (I did 1/2c Vin and 5c water), put berries in bowl, let sit for 5ish minutes. Strain and lay out to air dry. Then put either covered or uncovered in fridge. (Mine were good uncovered for 4-5 days!!) This doesnt affect the berries taste at all and it kills all the mold spores, etc on the fruit (which really, you should be killing anyway!)



30 Weeks With Little Man and Home Projects

Baby Orion

30 weeks with Orion.

I cant wait to be done! Im not sure I am ready to have two kids under 18 months, but I am sure done with lugging this one around. He is SO much bigger than Grace was. Or at least I carried Grace more in my hips and wider, he is straight out belly. I also carried Grace high and he is obviously lower and therefore, already making me hurt. 10ish weeks to go! Yikes!

My Big Girl!

So...the toddler bed.

In my mom-mind, I wanted to switch her over in July (when she gets a new room) with this huge celebration of a "big girl bed" with fancy big girl sheets. Well I must have kept all this wonderfulness to myself because Papa decided to set it up Memorial Day. After 4 days, it was completely successful, and I am thankful that we didnt wait until July. (I ordered said fancy sheets that night though, just because.) It is wonderful and she is only now 15 months. I put her to bed/nap and she will sometimes get up and read her books for a bit, then crawl in bed on her own and go to sleep. I hear her wake up between 6-630am and then she again, sits and reads her books and doesnt start hollering for me until around 7. I am so thankful for that extra sleep right now! The crib is now ready for Orion to arrive.

Moving on to bigger changes going on....

We are in the process of adding on to our house. More babies = more room. The idea is to then switch the kids into the current master bedroom and our addition is off of Grace's room now. Much bigger room and a bathroom will be added. I am so excited!

The nice dirt hole dug out.

First set of forms built. We are getting cement this week.

And My Garden

One of my favorite things about my husband is how I can tell him some crazy idea in my head and he brings it to life. Here is my new greenhouse. Now, a few weeks in, my tomato, zucchini and pepper plants are loving their warm home!

I also have planted again this year - strawberries, green onion and carrots. My new additions are yellow onion, basil, cilantro, parsley and thyme. And again, my cucumber plant has already died. I am not sure on why all my others are thriving and I cant grow a cucumber. 4th plant in 3 years - I think I will give up on fresh cucumbers and enjoy my others.