tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9574231993025280882024-03-14T01:11:35.161-04:00sparrow at homeErin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-76855714161057723462014-03-31T19:07:00.001-04:002014-03-31T19:07:52.208-04:00It's True: Kitchen renovations take over your life...It is the last day of March, the second week of spring (not that today's sleet is telling of the new season) and I haven't blogged at all.
Why?
Because my life has been consumed by the home renovation project that everyone swears at under their breath... The kitchen.
The heart of the home... and our's has been in shambles (or some form of chaos) for the last three weeks.
Sigh.
Though I (Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-40684752811630536502014-02-27T18:58:00.002-05:002014-02-27T18:58:45.838-05:00Ottoman Upcycled...in just 2 naptimes! I am so excited to share my latest naptime project!
If you follow me on Instagram then you know that I scooped up this ottoman at my local thrift store on Monday.
Hello, 80's chevron beauty.
There was a matching overstuffed granny chair to go with it... but I apologetically told the sales person that I wasn't taking that as well...
I knew I could easily recover this ottoman, and I Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-55081570847956643292014-02-22T06:00:00.000-05:002014-02-22T06:00:08.805-05:00Picture Book of the Week: Bee-Bim Bop by Linda Sue ParkHi friends!
One of my weekly outings with Lu has been to our town public library. For several months we were attending baby class, which she loved but has since outgrown. Now we just go and check out 6 or 7 picture books to add some variety to her permanent faves at home. Without fail, each week she gravitates toward just a couple of the books I chose and we read them over andErin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-39232897175450161702014-02-18T06:00:00.000-05:002014-02-18T06:00:11.089-05:00Toddler-Approved Tuesday: Broccoli Cheese SoupOver the past few months I've come to realize what most parents of toddlers already know: toddlers are extremely opinionated.
Lu has an opinion about everything these days.
The food she likes (and will soon dislike).
The snack she wants.
The cup she wants her water in.
The book she wants to read.
Even the clothes she wears. Seriously.
Given her ever-changing list of likes and dislikes, Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-56866689818521797432014-02-13T20:23:00.001-05:002014-02-13T20:23:40.179-05:00Fighting Cabin Fever with an 18-month-oldIn the last two weeks we have been snowed-in twice. I know we aren't alone in feeling like winter has overstayed its welcome...Snow days have a completely different meaning from what they once were as a child-free teacher. Now, a snow day is a day stuck inside without a chance of running the usual morning errand and me grasping at anything to keep Lu's spirits up. Sledding is Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-23966721713435754282014-02-05T06:00:00.000-05:002014-02-05T06:00:04.893-05:00Upcycled BabyGap Jacket... For $4!It is no secret that I love a good bargain, especially with kids clothes. You can imagine how thrilled I was last week when I popped into a local children's consignment shop and saw end-of-season clearance bins for $1. Lu was with me so I only had a few minutes to rifle through the 2T-3T girls stuff. A lot of it was eh.
But I did find a BabyGap denim jacket in Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-40502630229433598762014-02-03T10:12:00.004-05:002014-02-03T10:12:57.448-05:00What to take to a party when the host says don't bring anything...Aside from the obligatory bottle of wine, of course! ;)
We were invited to a neighbor's house for a casual Super Bowl party and told "no need to bring anything." I could never show up empty-handed, but flowers or some other hostess type gift just didn't seem appropriate. Especially considering I'd be taking Lu home to bed after only an hour while the husband stayed Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-37020544641243083982014-01-31T06:00:00.000-05:002014-01-31T06:00:08.164-05:00New Year, New Blog Goal, and a Spot of TeaI had no intention of going blog-radio-silent.
Since my last post I found myself in a life whirlwind of surprise party, vacation, holidays holidays holidays, dead phone, and sick baby.
Nothing like using (and actually having) every excuse in the book, right?
I have also been playing a part in a lot of Cinderella tea parties and it has been just lovely.
In Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-89259746688021879142013-12-03T19:13:00.002-05:002014-01-30T20:48:54.069-05:00Rustic Christmas Mantel (without looking country)Christmas decorating is in full swing (during nap time) around here! I like to take a few days to leisurely take out all of my Christmas decor and think about where to put things. I enjoy the process as much as the end result!
I knew that my Willow Tree Nativity should go on the mantel this year (away from curious fingers) and didn't think my usual glittery ribbon mantel Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-58628632144975320182013-11-26T18:38:00.001-05:002013-11-27T10:58:01.407-05:00Happy Thanksgiving Eve!My Thanksgiving Top 5 is as follows:
1. Relaxing with family
2. Pecan Pie
3. Stuffing
4. Leftover Pecan Pie (the Black Friday breakfast of champions)
5. The Macy's Parade
I mention this because we are responsible for bringing the pecan pie this year and I decided to try a new recipe... It better be good or my holiday will be 2/5 ruined. I went with Paula Dean's Bourbon Pecan Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-46613692067842725312013-11-26T18:21:00.001-05:002014-01-30T20:48:54.037-05:00Black Friday Prep: Wrapping Station!We will be heading to my parents' house for Thanksgiving so my prep for turkey day is limited. Instead, I've been focusing on preparing for Black Friday. All of the fall decorations are put away and I have transformed our dining room into a wrapping station.
More like a wrapping haven.
I love to wrap gifts. Love. There is something about adding a little glittery Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-54979407268355097622013-11-24T19:14:00.001-05:002013-11-24T19:14:26.876-05:00Thankful for a blog breakI didn't mean to take such a long break between posts, but it just happened. Blame it on a combination of having transitioned Lu to one nap, celebrating 5 birthdays (including my old husband), and not feeling overly inspired to create/make/bake. Between these myriad of reasons, I also (consciously) realized that I was thankful for a bit of a blog breather. I think it is so easy Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-63751782501657571332013-11-05T17:22:00.000-05:002014-01-30T20:46:49.040-05:00November Seasonal Ingredient Kickoff... Cranberry Clementine MuffinsNothing says November and Thanksgiving quite like cranberry sauce.... so I had to pick cranberry as this month's seasonal ingredient. :)
First up, Cranberry Clementine Muffins. I used This basic recipe for cranberry muffins and added my own citrus twist.
Ingredients (makes 12 muffins)
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-38870447763232518342013-11-01T12:27:00.003-04:002013-11-01T12:27:53.952-04:00Friday Favorites- Halloween EditionHappy (belated) Halloween!
We had a wonderfully festive week with Halloween parties and Lu's first "trick-or-treating" last night. We dressed her up last year, but she didn't go door-to-door. This year, we made it to 4 houses on our street before she was ready for bed. (Gotta love a kid who thrives on a sleep schedule!)
Favorite #1- All things spooky spider!
WeErin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-66469945697016957332013-10-30T19:02:00.001-04:002014-01-30T20:46:49.043-05:00Halloween Recipes (for the whole family!)Happy Halloween Eve! I hope your week is just as festive and Halloween-fun-filled as ours has been.
I have a few great pumpkin recipes that I rounded up on Pinterest to share with you (the last three recipes for this month's seasonal ingredient!).
For breakfast- Pumpkin Nutella Muffins. They are amazing. Tip: I halved the recipe and it made 12 muffins.
Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-55692661534069595322013-10-25T05:00:00.000-04:002014-01-30T20:48:54.045-05:00Friday Favorites- Free Printables for Late Fall
Happy Friday!
I'll be honest, the Friday Favorites series has been missing for a few weeks because there haven't been any just-can't-live-without-it items that I wanted to share...
But, yesterday I ended up printing out a few cute free printables that I thought I'd share.
In our playroom there is a wall with two large Ikea frames. The frame on the left holds a whimsical floral &Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-82012783851368047272013-10-17T13:52:00.000-04:002013-10-17T13:52:49.301-04:00Dog Surgery Isn't Fun (Round Two)Lu isn't the only baby in the Sparrow family. She was preceeded by one cat and two dogs. Our dog Niles is really our first baby, since we adopted him shortly after getting engaged in 2008. Fun story: we picked him up from the shelter on the day of our engagement party and took him to the party that night (where he stole the show!).
Niles tore his left ACL last year and had to Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-427387251902562822013-10-13T18:36:00.004-04:002014-01-30T20:46:49.031-05:00Pumpkin Pecan BreadHappy Columbus Day!
I'm sharing my interpretation of a classic breakfast bread with this month's seasonal ingredient (pumpkin!). Don't forget to check out my other seasonal ingredient recipes this month for Pumpkin Walnut Butterscotch Cookies and Easy Peasy Pumpkin Pancakes.
I used this recipe as my pumpkin bread base, but changed the seasoning and added a Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-22501900867211187132013-10-09T06:00:00.000-04:002014-01-30T20:46:49.023-05:00Easy Peasy Pumpkin PancakesThis month's seasonal ingredient is pumpkin and today I'm sharing the easiest no-brainer recipe for pumpkin pancakes. So easy that the recipe in fact is two lines:
Add 1/3 can puréed pumpkin to your pancake batter. Cook pancakes as usual and sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice before flipping.
That's it!
Ridiculously easy, but it makes the perfect fall breakfast. &Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-76540759911956151452013-10-07T19:16:00.000-04:002014-01-30T20:44:29.431-05:00Herringbone Love... I've been featured! This little novice blog is swelling with pride because it has been featured...TWICE... in one week!!
I'm kind of a big deal. ;)
Apparently I am not the only one who loves my Herringbone wall Mudroom makeover. I was featured over at Sumo's Sweet Stuff and Dimples and Pigtails in two incredibly inspiring link parties. Thank you, ladies! I am so Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-10795853807774860322013-10-03T20:42:00.000-04:002013-10-03T20:42:26.809-04:00Sassy Scarf SwapLet me start by saying, I love reading another blog getting inspired and thinking, "I should do that!"
This happened a few weeks ago when I read about an annual scarf exchange over at Mix and Match Mama. While reading her post my mind immediately started racing with thoughts of how quickly I could organize this with my own friends... we all love a cute scarf... and it was such Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-62628972599069556612013-10-01T06:00:00.000-04:002014-01-30T20:46:49.036-05:00Seasonal Ingredient Series Kick-Off: Pumpkin Walnut Butterscotch CookiesHappy October!
In my opinion, there is no better way to get into the spirit of the season (any season, really) than fiddling around in the kitchen. Think beautiful summertime salads to Christmas cookies. Can you see where I'm going with this??
To boost the seasonal vibe in your kitchen, I am going to highlight one seasonal ingredient each month. I'll work to give you a Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-84933554608128113422013-09-27T06:00:00.000-04:002014-01-30T20:50:26.329-05:00Friday Favorites- Bathtime EditionHappy Friday!
Lu started requesting a "bah" this week as soon as we finished dinner. Bathtime has always been her favorite time of day, but it was unbelievably cute to hear her verbally request a bath for the first time.
To honor that love of bathtime, I thought this week's favorites should be bath related. Here are our favorite things in the bath right now...
Favorite Baby Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-67396108013802580712013-09-26T06:00:00.000-04:002014-01-30T20:46:49.048-05:00Pear & Blackberry Mini PiesToday I'm sharing another recipe that I used with the homegrown apples& pears from my husband's parents. My father-in-law mentioned his love for pear & blackberry pie, so I ad-libbed this recipe when we had him over for lunch.
Pear & Blackberry Mini Pies (makes four)
Ingredients:
5 pears peeled, cored & quartered
12-15 blackberries (more if they are small)
1/4 Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957423199302528088.post-34259365265496860482013-09-25T08:05:00.000-04:002014-01-30T20:48:54.026-05:00Mud Room Makeover: Small Space, BIG Impact!Sharing with Made to be a Momma, DIY Showoff, My Sister's Suitcase, Suburbs Mama, Rain on a Tin Roof
Here is a true story: We have the world's smallest mud room.
I know that some of you are thinking you'd give your left leg for any mud room space... But our's was mutilated by the previous owner and we were left with a 2.5-square-foot space outside of the garage door Erin Sparrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999688720887045117noreply@blogger.com7