Things I love this Green Monday

Somehow holidays sneak up on me.  Everything sneaks up on me lately because things have just become so busy and between the kids’ school, the cabin plans, our upcoming Europe trip, the hubby’s work and just trying to survive daily life stuff, it sometimes feels like I just can’t keep up. I didn’t have grand plans for St. Patrick’s Day, but I thought I better do something since we were away for Valentines. I saw Not Martha’s rainbow cake and Lulu the Baker’s Mini Grasshopper cakes and I thought I’d make sort of a combination this weekend for a St. Patrick’s Day/Pi Day experiment.  They looked cute and tasted like the icebox cakes from growing up but I still like them better without food coloring or mint, but they weren’t that tricky, so we might do them again.

Then this morning I just cut the guys pancakes into shamrocks and dolloped them with green whip cream. (In hindsight I should have just blended in some mint and that might have made it more natural, but they were thrilled just the same.)

And then I had a breakfast of crusts.  (Isn’t this how it goes?)

I used today as an excuse to pack the guys green beans in their lunch and their sweet treat was just some fortune cookies I dipped in a little white chocolate and green sprinkles.  (I love how all these ingredients were easy to find in my cupboard.  Colored sprinkles save my life EVERY holiday.)

But that’s where I left it.  I showed great restraint and didn’t buy any new St. Patricks Day decorations, tattoos, window clings or necklaces with fake gold and rainbows.  I told the guys we would celebrate the sunny day by visiting the zoo, the greenest place I know in Seattle. And that’s what we did.

I love our Seattle zoo.  It is such a great place to go to just walk and chat and enjoy life with my kids.

So what about my usual Monday shopping?  I’m leaving that for this weekend.  It’s Uvillage’s Shop and Dine to make a Difference Weekend and for just 30 dollars I’m supporting the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and getting some really good discounts so I’m saving up all my week’s purchase ideas and I’ll buy them on the weekend.
We haven’t eaten at the Din Tai Fung there yet, so I know we’ll stop by.  I also have my eye on some things from Anthropologie like this dress:

and this shirt at Madewell.  It’s pricy, but it’s SOOO soft (and if my shopping supports a good cause…..)

I also think the guys would look adorable in this shirt from Peek and they love all things space right now.

And this one has a great message:

And I know I’ll find a whole lot more.  I absolutely love Uvillage shopping and this is a perfect excuse to get some real-life-in-store-shopping done.

As for today, I’m wearing all the green in my closet, and wishing you a lucky, happy St. Patrick’s Day and a lovely week too!

Terumi

Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys.  She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live.  She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)