Saturday, September 23, 2006

pearl drinks and a stamp set

My older boy and I recently went to a local pearl-tea shop to have one of our favorite treats. He ordered his usual mango-milk with extra pearls and I ordered a lychee milk-tea. If you haven't had this type of drink before, it's a very unique experience. The drink itself is made up of green or black tea, mixed with milk and any of a variety of flavors. Evan and I usually order mango and lychee, but the place we go to also offers passionfruit, strawberry, honeydew, and taro to name a few. What makes the drink unique are little tapioca "pearls" that you sip with the tea, using an extra-wide straw. It could also be fun to use the straw to shoot the pearls with, similar to a spit-wad (not that I've ever done it myself!). Pearl tea used to be more of a novelty, but now you can find pearl tea shops all over the place where we live.

After ordering our drinks, we stopped at a Japanese stationery shop called Maido, where I picked up this adorable little stamp set:

Friday, September 15, 2006

good cup of coffee


This was delivered yesterday, and I got it for free! (I just filled out a survey) I'm enjoying a cup of good coffee right now...I'm the only one in my house who drinks coffee, so the single-cup maker is just perfect. If you're interested, the promotion is still going until January 2007. Just go to http://www.sharesenseo.com and follow the links and instructions. Complete and submit the survey questions. Based on the answers to the questions you may receive a Senseo Coffee Maker.

Good luck!

Thursday, September 14, 2006

teeny tiny swap deliveries

We participated in our very first swap, hosted by Amanda at zhinkadinkadoo. The boys got their craft packages this week. It was so exciting coming home every day to find something waiting for us. Here are pics of what we received. Thanks so much to everyone for their thoughtful packages! And thanks to Amanda for such a fun swap.

This was from Donna at Knitting While Intoxicated: a book (made by Ivy!) about a mouse named Olivia, supplies to make our own book, little red envelopes, and fun stickers.




This was from Shannon at Sacred Waters Soap: a solar system and crystal growing kit. These will keep the boys busy and entertained for a long time.



These are from Sonia at smileface: yummy snacks (sorry the strawberry pocky sticks and multi-flavored gum balls are missing here! The kids got to the package before I could take a picture), handmade stationary set, a bedtime storybook made by Caleb, and these great 3D puzzles (the parts comes on a flat card where you punch out the pieces and put them together to build something).

Saturday, September 09, 2006

little radio flyer bicycle

Sorry for the fuzzy picture -- it was taken with my camera phone. I didn't have the camera and didn't want to miss the moment. The baby got his very own bike last week! He loves riding his new bicycle. He loves it so much he'll even put the helmet on just so he can ride it (he must know I won't let him get on without the helmet).

Before he got this bike, he was using a little plastic tricycle that our friend gave him. He liked playing with the plastic trike, but it was a little unstable and he kept tipping over on it. He'd scoot it so fast the back wheels would catch his feet. After a particularly bad face plant, Daddy piled us into the car and headed to Toys R Us. We came home with a new bicycle that day. The baby's still too little to reach the pedals (in that 3rd picture he scooted all the way forward on the seat and he still barely touched the pedals with his toes). For now, he's content to have us push him around so he can ride right next to big brother on his own bike. He learned a new word that day :) Now, everytime he passes by the garage he asks for his "bike".


Teeny Tiny packages

Our craft swap recipients should be receiving their packages by now, or at least within another day or two. I have to admit, I'm a little anxious. I know it's the thought that counts, but we don't have any experience with craft swaps -- this was our very first one. I didn't know what to put in there, and when I look at everyone's blogs I just don't feel as crafty and cool. I know, I'm venting a bit. Anyway, I hope they like what we sent! We did have a good time putting it together. I wish I took pictures. I sort of ran out of time...I was wrapping them late Monday night, and they needed to get out by Tuesday.