What I've found this week...

So, I read quite a few news articles throughout my week. And blog posts. And health magazines. And...well, you get the picture. I'm always finding things that I like or want to share, collecting the links like a child catching fireflies in mason jars.


Only my mason jars are called Pinterest, Google Reader, and Springpad. 


And while collecting all the articles, tips, pictures, recipes, and interviews is fun, it really doesn't help me know if anyone shares my sense of humor and/or obsessive fascination with crafty mom blogs. So I've decided I will cultivate my "blog crop" throughout the week, then prepare a delicious internet feast for you to dine upon each Monday. (I'm pretty impressed with my extended metaphor. That took some work.) Why Monday? Because we generally don't have a lot to look forward to on Mondays. Or Tuesdays, but I really don't think two days in a row is healthy for either of us. I'm just sayin'.

Also not healthy - chocolate glazed donuts with rainbow sprinkles.

Welcome to.....Monday Miscellany!

(okay yes, I looked up words on Thesaurus.com until I found an "m" word that would match. I like alliteration, okay? Don't judge.)

First up is American Pickers. Have you seen this show? Because if you haven't then you probably have no idea that a box full of old door handles left in your Uncle Elmer's barn for 30 years is worth $100 easy. To who? Um, interior decorators and people on ebay who, you know, collect doorknobs. Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz are the shows stars, driving around the U.S. looking for "dilapidated barns and overgrown yards" where treasures are often hidden. It's soooo much cooler than Antiques Roadshow.

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Next is this awesome trailer renovation at Re-Nest. First off, you need to understand that I love tiny things. Dollhouses? Yes please. Baby carrots? Love them. Petit Fours? Ah-dorable! Teacup poodles? Okay, I have to draw the line somewhere, and I choose the point at which I measure an animal by the dinnerware it can fit inside. Anyway, this woman was given this abandoned trailer by a friend who didn't really want it on her property anymore (Happy birthday! I got you a trailer!!!) She ended up turning it into the cutest, most adorable living space on four wheels. There's a wood-burning stove, an impressively sized bookshelf, a bedroom, and a living room...all for $1200. Yeah. I could totally do an all-American road trip if I were set up like that. 

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Okay, read this slowly to take it all in: in approximately the same amount of time it takes me to wash, dry, and fold a week's worth of laundry - four hours - this woman made FORTY-SIX meals for her family. In four hours. Four. This included (from her site): "Tomato Basil Soup, Sesame Chicken, Balsamic Roasted Chicken Thighs, Parmesan Garlic Chicken, Buttermilk Herb Chicken, Pesto Chicken, Cranberry Chicken, Dijon Pork Roast, Bourbon Brown Sugar Pork Chops, and Hamburgers." I think my favorite quote, however, was this one: "I often will make huge batches of 40 or so waffles and freeze them so the kids can pull them out on a weekday morning." Oh, me too! Wait...no. No I don't. I wish I was this meal-savvy, but I'm often the one standing in front of the pantry trying to figure out what I can make for dinner that doesn't involve the words "microwaveable" or "Whiz." I'm pretty amazed by her drive and determination to make healthy meals for her family, and I dream about the day that I, too, will make 46 meals in four hours. And then I grab a can of soup and call it a day...

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Finally, a 1950s Murder Mystery Engagement Party. Yes, that's also pronounced "the coolest freaking idea in the world. Ever." Everyone dresses up in their favorite 1950s poodle skirts and rolled up jeans (because we all, apparently, have several to choose from. Pick your best....it is an engagement party, after all...), then we gather around a table and eat hamburgers, french fries, vanilla shakes, and banana splits while doting over pictures of Lawrence Welk and Elvis and listening to records of the Beach Boys. How much fun would that be?!?! Someone get engaged, quick!

That's all for this week. Stayed tuned for more awesome finds...