Park City StL

Jason took Friday off from work, which meant, with the holiday on Monday, four days of laid-back family time. We kicked off the weekend on Friday by heading into St. Louis to get a sandwich at Blues City Deli in Benton Park before going for a walk to see the sites in Forest Park.

I had never actually eaten inside of the deli before, but it was a great place to take a baby. Will was mesmerized by all of the colorful artwork on the walls. After Jason and I split his favorite sandwich, we packed back up and headed over to be mesmerized by all the colors in Forest Park. We parked at the Muny, walked past the Boat House, the Grand Pavilion, and the Zoo, up Art Hill, and then back. I'm not sure if we could have picked a better route for seeing all the fall sites.

Also, Will was able to stash away one leaf that we only discovered after we got home. Luckily, this has not happened with merchandise at any stores yet.

A Perfect Way to Start the Week

Rose-Colored Wayfarers.  That's what we are choosing to see the world through at the Tedesco house this fine morning as it is Monday and still the weekend.

I listened to Episode 504 of This American Life while cleaning the house the other day and was reminded of the idea that the way we view the world (and our lives in it) is a choice that can become a part of who we are, how we live, and the affect we have on others. Emir, the man that the second story is about, reminded me of my dad in the way he tells stories and the way he sees the world. 

People often ask me or my mom or my siblings about my dad. "Is he always that happy... all the time"?  And the truthful answer is no, but he is happy most of the time, and he is quite wonderful to be around because happiness, like love, has the quality of growing and spreading exponentially.  

Happy Monday! I hope that even if your week is not short, you choose to view it as rosy.

A Bountiful Pine Cone Harvest

One day a few weeks ago, Maggie revealed that she had been foraging for pine cones on her evening walks with Piper and had amassed an impressive amount. As sisters are wont to do, I immediately demanded that she share her pine cone loot with me, and because she is the good sister (and the better aunt), she immediately acquiesced.  On the day she brought the pine cones over to my house though, she realized something quite marvelous.  Right on the edge of our property is a grove of pine trees, and Maggie assured me that she had checked out these trees ("You have to look at the tops of the trees," she told me.), and if we went, we were sure to find a bounty of pine cones the likes of which she had never seen before on her city walks. So once the babes were up from their naps, we grabbed a bag and took the long trek across the yard to go harvest the pine cones. As Maggie held both Piper and Will, I picked up pine cones as fast as I cold with Maggie shouting and pointing with her foot, "That's a good one!  Ooooh, that's a really good one!"

We then went home to bake the pine cones in pans lined with foil at 275 for about 40 minutes to get rid of any living organisms, after which the sap created a beautiful glaze and my entire house smelled like pine. After sprinkling the pine cones about the house as part of our harvest time decorations and consulting Pinterest, we discovered there is no end to the amount of decorating you can do with free pine cones that you harvested from your/your neighbor's yard, which is why yesterday, Will and I had to go back to gather more pine cones. They were a bit harder to collect because of the thick layer of pine needles that had fallen, but I'm happy to report we came away with another bountiful harvest. Below is what we have done so far with our bounty, and I still want to try cinnamon pine cones and some the pine cone ornaments.

Also, the pine cones scattered about the house have blended nicely with the large collection of mini-gourds I purchased and set about as decoration. If only there were a place to harvest mini-gourds for free...

Four Goals

The ladies at A Beautiful Mess (you might remember them from this post) have issued a challenge to come up with four simple goals to tackle before 2014. They suggest choosing goals that are simple, result-oriented, and personal and then rewarding yourself after achieving each.  I had already kind of started tackling two goals and decided, why the heck not, I'll take on the challenge of two more. I've always been a proponent of writing down goals, and sharing them with the world is a great way to keep a person accountable. So, without further ado, here they are: 

Now, for some further ado...

Goal #1: Watch one TED Talk a day.

This one might sound familiar as I mentioned it Monday. I'm happy to report that I am kicking this goal's butt and enjoying every moment of it. That Mike Rowe talk was amazing! (You've got to stick with it through the opening story, though.) Tuesday, I listened to Malcolm Gladwell and was less impressed. And yesterday, I listened to Candy Chang's talk and laughed and cried and now want to order a kit to start my own public art installation. Today, I think I am going to give Gladwell another chance.

Goal #2: Complete seven minute workout before showers.

A goal list wouldn't be complete without something relating to working out or eating well. Am I right? So I saw the seven minute workout app mentioned on Momfilter, and when I went to go download it onto my phone, I was surprised to see that there were many versions from which to choose. I downloaded a few and will try them out and let you know.  Oh yeah, and the shower thing.  I figured it would prompt me to do it and act as a little sauna session for after my workout. We'll see...

Goal #3: Meal plan on Sundays.

I read Rachel's post recently and thought, hey, a few minutes on Sunday might actually save us a lot of stress and a little money.  I'm excited to achieve this goal, and I think I might actually have a way to improve it.  I'll let you know how it's going after a few weeks.

Goal #4: Learn how to use the DSLR.

I'm not sure how simple this one actually is.  But I have a Nikon D90 and recently invested in a tripod and wireless remote, and I have yet to really learn the ins and outs.  In fact, I still feel like I get better shots on my iPhone. (All the pics on the blog so far have been shot with my iPhone.) But I know that my pictures could be much better quality if I learn to use the DSLR.  I have been working on learning about aperture this week.  I know what it is.  I even understand the physics behind it.  I know how to put the camera in aperture preference mode. I know how to identify what aperture the camera is using, but I just canNOT figure out how to change the aperture on the camera. I'm not giving up, though.  If you know how and would like to come over to my house and show me, I'll make you muffins. Otherwise, I'll just be watching Youtube videos about aperture and taking slightly fuzzy pictures of muffins.

So that's it!  I'm already working on all my goals and can't wait to update you all once they are achieved...or not achieved. I'll post updates either way. 

A Peak into My Back Yard

Although the last two days have been overcast and rainy, I can't help but smile when I look out the windows.  Our house backs up to the woods, and nature has been putting on a show for us.  The leaves seem especially bright this year, so bright that it inspired me to do some research. Apparently, those oranges and yellows are always there, but they are covered up by all the green created by chlorophyll during the long sunny summer days. How's that for a ruby slipper metaphor? They were always there!

Both Will and I have been fighting a cold these last few days, so we haven't gotten out for our usual walk even though it's been right around 60 degrees and dry in the afternoon. Instead, we have just been taking a stroll through our back yard, enjoying the crunch underfoot and the leaves wafting around us before heading back inside for a tissue. 

Last weekend, we drove into Missouri to celebrate a dear friend's baby, and the views of all the trees on the cliffs were breathtaking. It'd be worth it to just go for a drive.

Also, Natalie's post on the amazing colors in Central Park makes me want to head on over to check out Forest Park... maybe tomorrow when the sun comes out.