Friday Things
1. Gah, this sweet face and those eyes! My very favorite thing might be going into his room when he’s just woken up in the morning or from a nap and he’s in his crib with his feet in the air, grabbing his toes, babbling to himself… when I poke my head over the crib he lights up into the biggest smile and his whole body wiggles. It’s absolutely the best. When I was pregnant, I was really nervous about the fact that I hadn’t ever spent any significant time around babies – there were none in our family and I never babysat infants – so I was going into this mom thing totally blind. I was worried that I wouldn’t know how to take care of him or what to do… as it turns out, it feels like the most natural thing in the world. I absolutely love being a mom.
2. Early last week, I noticed that Einstein’s ears were getting a little too waxy, so I cleaned them up, but they got progressively worse as the week went on. My husband brought him into the vet on Friday afternoon, and the vet said they weren’t infected, as all of the nastiness was confined to the superficial skin on the ear flap. He believed it was due to allergies, gave Einstein a cortisone shot and some ointment for us to put on his ears until they heal. The cortisone shot seemed to give him a shot of life, as he immediately started acting like his old self again, complete with getting up on counters and digging through trash cans. If it is, in fact, allergies, then hopefully we can get him on something for maintenance so he’s feeling better… the vet wanted to give the cortisone shot two weeks to wear off and then see how he is.
3. It’s been a few weeks since we bought our Roomba, so I thought I would give you a little update… we are LOVING it! Yes, sometimes it misses a spot here or there, but it is overwhelmingly, 100% worth it with two dogs that shed and all hard flooring. We run it every night while we’re sleeping and the floors always look clean without us needing to be a slave to a vacuum cleaner. My husband is the resident vacuum-er, so he’s definitely happy with the purchase!
4. So, the house we bought has a RIDICULOUS amount of landscaping. The people that put it in must have REALLY liked flowers, shrubs and mulch because there is enough of it all to keep us busy all summer long. Well, I say “us” but the only thing I’ve done outside so far is weed, my husband has been taking care of everything else. One day we might wake up and just start ripping plants out and throwing down grass seed. It looks pretty, but holy maintenance.
5. I came across an article about how social conversation is shifting away from blog comments and into social media – Facebook and Twitter, primarily. How do you prefer to interact with the sites that you follow? Inquiring minds want to know ;-)
6. My cousin’s boyfriend sent along orchids when my cousin came to our house for the first time. Not only are they beautiful but the tag said “just add ice” – the watering instructions are to add three ice cubes to the pot once a week. That’s my kind of watering plan… I might actually not kill this plant!
7. I saw Jessica mention that she’s been doing her hair into French braid pigtails after she showers at night, and I am so jealous. I wash my hair at night and let it air dry, and this sounds like an awesome option, except… I don’t know how to French braid. Wah! Are there any YouTube tutorials you’d recommend?
8. I haven’t mentioned the NHL playoffs lately because, well, we’ve been out of it since the first round, but I have been watching off and on. Two game sevens this weekend! Who are you rooting for? I’m all-in on Tampa and Anaheim!
9. We tend to only cook steaks on the grill, but I’m loving this video on how to make a great one in a cast iron skillet. I want to try it soon!
10. TGIF! Do these two match our floors or what?!
I like commenting on the blog directly. Social media makes me pretty ADD so I would probably forget what I was about to comment! Joseph is so cute and so handsome. I miss those baby days with my girls. My old Golden has horrible ear troubles and our 8 month old seems to have kept them at bay. We trim his ear hair really short and this seems to help. All the hair inside their ears acts like a heater and keeps the petri dish of an ear moist and warm. Perfect for growing gross stuff. So try trimming Einsteins ears with a blunt nose sissors. It seems to help for our Louis.
I’ve been away from blog reading for a while. I can’t believe how big (and adorable!) he is!
Oh, lord, don’t rip out the plants, grass can be so much more difficult! Seriously, my yard is much better now that my kids are grown–I tended to my children, not my yard, and I don’t regret a minute of it. Time for that later. Love your blog!
Steaks in a cast iron are really good. But warring they make the house really smokey.
i love your blog and the Friday posts are my favorite. I am also silent most of the time and I don’t do social media. I follow too many blogs. I read the comments others make, so I hope that they continue. The pups are the best, good luck with the allergies my spaniels have been on salmon and potato science diet rx only and it really helps. It’s expensive but it’s made a difference just a recommendation the allergy issue is a complex one.
The baby is the sweetest love hearing about him, your a great Mom enjoy him all you can they grow too fast.
French Braid tutorial: search for “Cute Girls Hairstyles” on youtube; it’s a real thing. Their videos are easy to follow, and they come up with such clever ideas
HAWKS all the wayyyyy!!!
Another HAWKS fan here – Game 7 tonight – here we go!! So glad you have decided to keep up the Friday Things part of your blog – love reading it every Friday morning. Such a great place to share and get ideas like Adult Coloring books – who knew but I am addicted now! Then baby and dog photos to go with it all – nothing better.
I am a long-term follower of your blog and definaltly prefer to comment on your website (don’t do social media!) thank you for your continual dedication to your followers posting great recipes every week : )
Joseph is adorable, when I was pregnant I had the same insuercurities, I went from feeling lost to total elation on her arrival (I can still feel the fixed smile on my face the first time I saw her, 10 years later : )
Your blog was the first I started reading over 7 years ago, and it gave me the confidence to start baking then developed into a love for cooking, I’m hooked.
Your two puppies are too cute!!
Of course, Joseph is the top cutie at your place! A real doll!!
Go HAWKS!
We added rubber mulch to our gardens and I haven’t looked back. The stuff isn’t super cheap, but it works great. The rubber is a dark brown color, looks like the real stuff, but isn’t going to lure every termite to munch on your garden and house. I love it for the aesthetics and for the convenience of not needing to weed all the time. It let me give the gardener the summer off… *ahem* that’s me. ;)
I love your blog, and look forward to the ” Friday Things” each week! It’s nice to see the updates on your sweet little boy, and the dogs of course! I prefer to read, and /or comment on my favorite bloggers websites, versus social media. Just my preference.
Good luck with allergy season & Einstein. We have a Lab with allergies, and it is a battle each summer! As for the huge yard, and a lot of plants….sounds familiar!! For eighteen years, I have wished we would have leveled the front yard and just went with grass!! But, it’s just not as pretty as flowers!
Have a great weekend!
Regarding social media: I prefer websites and message articles with comments enabled. There’s just more room to interact. FB is designed to be too personal, far more than I want in my life. Twitter is good but it’s too short and not always sweet. And the links I want go to a website anyway. But I find it’s a good way to drop a quick note to a company “hey this great”. I find Twitter is good for business but not personal interaction. So really, blog posts and news articles I find offer the best to learn and grow. I just really really really dislike articles that only allow you to comment through FB.
Go Hawks!!!
I prefer responding directly to the blog. Joseph gets more adorable by the week if that’s even possible. Flowers in your yard means flowers for every room of your house. If you keep them you will be glad you did. Flowers in the bathroom is just so decadent, sigh. Also bouquets to take as hostess gifts along with that bottle of wine. I love keeping up with the fur babies too.
Michelle, I was the same way about babies – but the second I lay eyes on my oldest, I was hooked! I think that is the way it is supposed to be!
I’ve seen steak done in a cast iron skillet on television – The Heartland Table on Food Network does that. I, too, want to try it! Be sure and let us know how yours turns out!
All your boys, both 2 legged and 4 legged are precious as usual! Have a great weekend!
HAWKS!!!!!
Happy Friday :)
Small things blog has good hair tutorials including french braids and she has a little guy close to your baby’s age.
He is just so cute! Ours is 15 months now and we love dropping into his room to check on him before we go to bed. Watching him sleep is just wonderful!
And yes, Roomba’s are a godsend! Get up to a vacuumed room every day – perfect!
Please don’t stop your blog! Facebook relationships just aren’t the same and nevermind Twitter. Yes, I’m over 50 but I still love your blog. I can’t remember the last time I did a steak on the grill, so much easier on a cast iron skillet. You can still keep it medium rare and have a great crust.
I used to French braid my hair when I had hair. I am going to date myself here, but I probably learned by looking at a tutorial in Glamour magazine or Seventeen. I have fine, thin hair, so my braids never looked as nice as those with thick hair. But, like Charlie says, it’s just a braid, and you start it at your crown with just your front (in front of ears) hair, then pick up right and left strands from the hair that is behind the ears. I would think that side French braids would be easier because you can see what you are doing – in this case a mirror probably will help. Charlie’s right that a mirror doesn’t help with a back braid, you just have to do it by feel. I used to be able to braid my sister’s hair, but I haven’t had much luck with my daughter’s – she has very thick curly hair, and I have a difficult time keeping the strands from tangling.
Quick question about the Roomba… does it move from room to room on its own? I have two toddlers and a golden retriever… I love the idea of a Roomba but I’m hesitant to spend the money. Thanks for doing a review of it!
Hi Stacy, We have a super open floor plan on our 1st floor, and it just goes all around on its own. It does come with things called virtual walls and lighthouses that you can set up to help guide it if you need to – either to keep it in one area, or to move out of one room and into another.
Your baby is absolutely adorable! And motherhood only gets better and better. You have a wonderful blog. Thank you!
I am a huge fan of Lauren Conrad’s YouTube hair tutorials:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/87398048989901570/
Thanks!!
Sorry to be all care troll. My dad is big into orchids.
Please don’t put ice on your orchids! They don’t like the cold!
Put them by a bathroom or kitchen window, somewhere that gets filtered light and humidity. Spritz the green leaves with a spray bottle about twice a week.
It is not dead when it stops blooming.
I prefer commenting on your blog versus doing so on Facebook or Twitter.
Love the pictures of your baby. He is so sweet.
I’m with your followers that would only leave comments on the blog..seems more personal than Facebook. My niece had her first baby mid December so I get a kick out of reading your posts. It’s exciting to see that you are both loving and experiencing the joys of motherhood. I have two Weimaraners so the tales of your dogs bring a smile to my face also. Have a wonderful weekend…by the way our bees need flowers…watch any insecticides and slug killers..they can kill dogs or make them sick..that’s a bold statement but research couldn’t hurt.
First of all, always a fan and love your Friday things and your amazing recipes! Quick note… We have found a vitamin for our dog that is amazing. Our boxer has never looked better. Shinny Coat, skins problems gone and we have one happy dog. NuVet Plus. We order online. Have a great weekend!
Michelle: If you are able to ship plants to Canada, I’ll take some! I’m serious. We moved into a smaller place a few years ago and all there is, is shrubs. I NEED flowers around me. It’s very therapeutic. If you get out there everyday, preferably before baby gets up, there is a few weeds, you get quiet and outdoors, and only takes a littles bit of time.
There are lots of tutorials.. The main thing to remember is. It is like a regular braid, three strands of hair. It is thin to medium strands, start out thicker at first it helps you to feel comfortable and learn. The only difference is that you pick up a bit of hair every time you are going to use a particular strand. It does not have to be perfect! The best place to do it is NOT in front of a mirror… you get too confused that way. Go by feel. As you go along you will naturally get better. Don’t expect to be hairdresser perfect, they have all the props and are not doing it on themselves. I have a girlfriend who is blind, and she could do a perfect herringbone braid on her daughter. Now if she can do it….. so can you!
Good Luck with it.
LOVE that baby !!
Oh. My. Goodness! Thank you for the tip Charlie! I have tried doing a french braid in front of the mirror a zillion times and I get frustrated and give up every time. I just read your comment and attempted to do it while sitting at my desk here at work and it came out great! THANK YOU! Sure, it wasn’t perfect, but a good starting point. I’m excited because I have two girls ages 1 and 3 and I know this will come in handy with them too.
Thank you for the tip! I’m totally going to try it!
I comment on the blog mostly but once in a while on Facebook…I prefer the blog. Little Joseph is so adorable! I don’t know how to french braid my hair either…lol…..I always have to ask my mom to do it or one of my sisters if they are around….lol….it’s embarrassing…
Definitely prefer blogs. Do not use Facebook.
I was with you, on the entire post, until you threw your support behind Anaheim!! Guess we can’t all be perfect :P
I saw the exact same thing on Jessica’s blog about the French braid pigtails and I too don’t know how to French braid!! I’m hoping to see some suggestions in the replies here on how to learn!! Also, I love Duke and Einstein so much (and yes, the baby too haha) and your Friday posts are among my favorite things of the week :-)
I absolutely love opening this blog every Friday to see that beautiful baby!!!!!!!!!!! Although I had been around infants, I felt the same insecurities AND felt absolutely like I’d done it my whole life once he arrived :) I need an orchid–and a ROOMBA!
I actually prefer commenting on blogs rather than twitter/facebook. The only issue is that most blogs require you to sign in somehow (thank you by the way for not requiring this). You either have to create and keep track of a separate account for each blog you follow or sign in using google+ which is a huge turn off for me. It’s annoying and I often don’t want to post all of my comments to my facebook and google+ feeds. I’ll often go to leave a comment and then change my mind out of log in frustration.
Hi Michelle,
Please don’t rip out any of your landscaping!! My husband & I love to have a lot in our yard. We love trying new perennials. Once you get a few weeks into June, the maintenance dies down & then you can just enjoy it. The key for us is, we use a heavy layer of pine bark nuggets on our beds to keep the weeds down. If you decide to take some things out, ask friends if they want anything, don’t throw plants out:)
I’m like Mary….do not care for Facebook or Twitter. I absolutely love your blog and everything you post on it. So many of your recipes are now my family’s favorites and I often find my husband looking over my shoulder at the latest picture of your son!
A baby,two dogs, a house,a garden, and cooking……doesn’t get any better than that.
I’m 65 years,raised two sons.who are now married and your blogging brings back fond memories,plus you have gotten me back into the kitchen.You would have loved the60s.
Hi Lisa, I agree! I have always wished I could have done the Donna Reed thing :) I was definitely made for the 50s/60s!
Having two dogs means that there are never clean floors. There are always muddy paw prints or tracked in grass. I think a Roomba would help with this issue. Thank you for your review. Your baby is so sweet. My cousin has a one-year-old and it’s been so much fun watching her grow and change. :)
One word – MULCH. It will keep the weeds down among the plants. Black fabric underneath it really helps also. Joseph gets cuter every week!
Maybe my blog is weird, but most conversations with my followers happen on the blog itself, rather than social media (then again, I’m still pretty new at this, so I may see a change when I get more followers). However, I DO think people use social media platforms as their primary method of “subscribing” to blogs these days, probably more out of convenience than anything. I’m not sure this is a bad thing, though…it amazes me how fast Twitter alone has increased my readership!
I love your blog commenting directly on it. Seems a little senseless to comment about your blog through another social media outlet?? Just last night I was looking at pictures from my son when he was Joseph’s age, and reading your comments took me instantly back to those days . . .such precious memories! Joseph is adorable! There is nothing like being a mom. From what I understand about Goldens, they are notorious for ear problems. My Ruger began having issues right around the time he turned 2. So far my 7 month old Golden hasn’t had any. Hoping it stays that way! I haven’t seen much of the playoffs since the Pens went out, but if the Rangers make it out alive, I think they may take the Cup. Lundqvist is a beast! But I’d really like to see the ‘Hawks win it all (of course this is only because the Pens aren’t in it.). This weekend’s game are history making . . . both series’ winners being determined by the 7th game. Exciting hockey!!
I am a conscientious objector to Facebook due to privacy concerns, so commenting on your blog is my choice! Regarding your roomba, it’s the type that can do both carpet and hardwood floors and not scratch them?! If so, would you mind recommending the model that you bought? LOVE your blog esp Friday things!
Hi Mary, Yes, it works on our hardwood floors and doesn’t damage them at all; it can also go on carpet. It’s the 880 model: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IO9PBPS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IO9PBPS&linkCode=as2&tag=broeyebak-20&linkId=IIAWTBRBM5RMMPDO (we bought it at Bed Bath & Beyond with a 20% off coupon).
I’m dying to know how to make this French braid pigtail thing work too! Joseph is absolutely precious. Enjoy!!
Babies are very forgiving. They don’t know if you are making a mistake. As long as you are feeding them, changing them and loving them that is all that matters.
I am jealous of your landscaping. I am still working on mine putting in flowerbeds etc. If you have enough mulch down 3-4 inches then you don’t get all the weeds. I use roundup if I get the occasional weed that I can’t pull out. If you ever decide to sell your house, landscaping will help you to sell it. Good luck. Maybe you can find someone that works cheap that will weed and mulch your beds for you so that you don’t have to. There are a lot of people out there that actually enjoy gardening and would love making some extra money.
I enjoy reading your blog and prefer interacting here as well. Re: Orchids- I use the ice cubes as well. My plant is over 2 yrs old and doing great! Steaks in cast iron – awesome method. You get a great crust on the outside. Thanks for the update on the Roomba. We have been considering one but don’t know anyone who has one. It’s nice to hear first hand how they work. Keep up the great work and enjoy this precious time with your little. They seem to grow up so quickly.
Hi! I am a long-time follower, but rarely interact. If I were to interact I would choose Facebook over Twitter just because I am not very skilled at Twitter. Motherhood suits you perfectly and Joseph is so cute, he’s growing up too fast though, I wish we could slow time down a smidgen :) Have a great weekend!
Totally sympathize with both the dog issue and the weeding problem. Our vet bills for the cat were over 1000 bucks just this month! But our cat scrapped through, we feel so bad for the poor guy. And the weeding, it’s been insane this year, we try to work together but you know how that is.
Sounds like you and motherhood were made for each other. :) That baby is just precious. You don’t need experience to love your baby. Glad you’re so comfortable in loving him. :)
Rangers and Hawks for the playoffs! Rangers win in the cup in 7! That’s my prediction. LET’S GO RANGERS!
I love your weekly blog, your dogs are precious, and you are very unusual for your age group, the younger crowd has no interest in home cooking. Your values are from another generation.. Good luck with the yard, I think the grass makes more sense.
Re: 5-I’d rather interact directly with the blog. Seems silly to do it another way but maybe I’m being dumb! The dogs are gorgeous as always and Joseph is growing up way too fast.
I’m one of those silent followers, but just wanted to let you know how much I look forward to your Friday Things posts.