approaching one...

our little guy is almost one.

one!

with this milestone, comes...the birthday party.

in the spirit of trying to keep things simple, this is a tough one. i want to celebrate this important milestone, but i want to be true to our values. i don't want to go overboard, i don't want a lot of unnecessary gifts, and i just don't want to create a situation full of waste.

but it's his birthday. his FIRST birthday.

what i DO want to create is a gathering of the important people in our lives. people we love, people who love leo. to celebrate this little boy's arrival that happened a year ago...into our lives. the arrival that has brought the most profound love...a love we could have never imagined.

isn't that something worth celebrating?

we've decided on a picnic. everyone's bringing their own food and blankets, and maybe some outdoor activities. we've put an open invitation out to everyone. we've invited a local kids musician, David Tobocman (who does wonderful, free sing-a-longs almost weekly, that we love!) to play some kids music for a little while. we've asked for people not to bring gifts, but to bring donations for the LA Mission. and that's it.

well, and some cupcakes.

now that the decisions have been made, i am REALLY looking forward to it. i just love the idea of spending the day at the park, with our friends and family, and most importantly, with our little boy.

who, did i mention?...is turning one.

thrifty thursday: ridin' on the bus...

for the past...say, three years?...brian's taken the bus to work. he rides his bike the four or five blocks from home to the bus stop, and then enjoys about a half hour bus ride that drops him off right in front of his building. he also uses his bike to ride to the gym during his lunch break.

not only does him taking the bus save us in gas money (and overall car use) but his company actually pays him to take the bus. he's enrolled in a rideshare program, offered by his company, that covers his bus fare plus fifty cents per ride. and, every month, he gets coupons for the food court at the mall across the street or for the convenience store in the building...all just for taking the bus to work.

aside from all the money it saves (and earns) us...he just loves taking the bus. rather than dealing with LA traffic, he sits back, reads a magazine, checks his email, listens to spanish lessons on his ipod, or just looks out the window. it's a guaranteed 30 minutes of his own time.

the best part of it for me? well, every day, around 6:35, leo and i walk out to the alley behind our building and wait. eventually, we get a glimpse of brian turning the corner on his bike...and i point him out to leo. leo practically shakes with excitement, until brian finally rides right up to leo and the two of them are gleaming.

another step...

i'm realizing that my crafting is now done in steps. very. slow. steps.

but at least it's better than no steps at all.

today, i continued working on the knee pad pants. i've got a bunch of knee pads ready to go...

and here's a custom order a friend of mine asked for...