thought for the day...

Can you guess what one of our favorite things to do when we're bored and stuck inside? Blow up balloons. Minimal investment. No helium required. Tons of fun!

Our favorite game is volleyball. If it's warm enough we go into the garage and draw a "court" on the ground with chalk. If not, we use the sofa as a net. Did you know that one of the best ways for a little one to learn how to catch and hit a ball is with a balloon? Now, that's strictly from my opinion bank but I'm quite certain it's true!

Bored of volleyball? How 'bout tennis? Have a paper plate laying around? A ruler or wooden stick (we use the fairy princess wand dowels)? Tape the stick on to the back of the plate. Ta-da. Racket. We even draw pretty faces on our rackets. Give it a whirl. The lack of speed that the balloon provides makes it nearly impossible for a toddler to miss a shot and they feel so rewarded.

Rainy days are a comin'....

seinfeld, gates, shoe circus & a churro

fast and funny

How funny is this?

good queen fun

How fun were the drag queen costumes from tonight's project runway?

unveiling

Oooh, this could fit nicely in my back pocket.

happy friday

Have an olympic weekend!

slow food nation

First learned about this organization in the September issue of dwell.
We've all heard of fast food but leave it to our Bay Area revolutionaries to develop this beauty. All copy below is in their words and you can read more at Slow Food Nation.

"Slow Food Nation is a subsidiary non-profit of Slow Food USA and part of the international Slow Food movement. It was created to organize the first-ever American collaborative gathering to unite the growing sustainable food movement and introduce thousands of people to food that is good, clean and fair.

The first annual event of Slow Food Nation takes place on Labor Day 2008 in San Francisco with enjoyable, accessible and educational activities for all Americans.

Slow Food Nation is dedicated to creating a framework for deeper environmental connection to our food and aims to inspire and empower Americans to build a food system that is sustainable, healthy and delicious."

"What is Slow Food Nation?
The largest celebration of American food in history, it will bring together tens of thousands of visitors to San Francisco to experience an extraordinary range of activities highlighting the connection between your plate and the planet. Slow Food Nation will feature tastings, chef demonstrations, a major conference on food values, social justice and the environment, an urban farm, a music festival and workshops, forums, films and interactive exhibits.

When and where is Slow Food Nation?
Labor Day Weekend, Friday, August 29 to Monday, September 1, 2008. Most events will be held in Civic Center and Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA

Where can I buy tickets? How much will they cost?
Most of Slow Food Nation will be open to the public. Certain events will be ticketed and prices vary from $10 to $100+ for different events. For tickets, please visit: tickets.slowfoodnation.org."

"olympic climatology"

Have you heard about this? These excerpts were published in article on page 56 of this month's Dwell...

"For the 2008 Games, the Beijing Meteorological Bureau is using repurposed military equipment, including rockets and anti-aircraft guns, together with an IBM supercomputer and dedicated satellite imaging to stop bad weather before it forms"...

"Figures released by the China Meteorological Administration indicate that an incredible 7,113 anti-aircraft guns; 4,991 retrofitted rocket launchers; an no fewer than 32,000 employees have been pressed into service on this atmospheric battlefront."...

"The Olympics thus present us with something of a test case: Faced with overwhelming air pollution, heavy particulates, and possible rainstorms- and with billions of sports fans watching- can the Chinese manage to forcefully clear the skies?"

Sadly, they are not expending time, money and resources to avert the disastrous hurricanes, floods, tornadoes or tsunamis that are plaguing our planet. They simply want to make sure no one gets wet at the Olympics cause that, my friends, would be a tragedy.

You can visit the Chinese Meteorological Administration's website here.

flower chld

Fresh flowers make me happy. Images are from my local fav,
Mill Valley Flowers.