I know I said no more posts for now...

...but I just HAD to write about something that happened today:

There was a fire in our building, the Saxe Apartments; not in our actual apartment but on our floor. I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to the Seattle Fire Department for arriving and putting out the fire quickly. Thanks also to our building manager who made sure were getting out of the building. I'm also grateful for our working smoke detectors. And that no one got hurt and nothing was damaged (as far as I know).

Also I want to say that despite all the times I've been asked to ponder the question of what I would rescue from a fire, I grabbed my daughter and shouted to my husband to get out and that was it.

On second thought....

....This is going to be the one and only post until after the Jewish holiday season (which ends sometime in October) The first holiday starts in a couple of days.

While I'm posting, I'll mention that I just picked up an internship with the Jewish environmental organization Canfei Nesharim. It's unpaid but I'll be working with my friend Evonne Marzouk, the Executive Director, who helped me out a LOT when I ran an Environmental Club in college. :) Actually it was my attendance at a weekend convention they held that inspired me to start the club. And now it looks like I'm on track to work in the field, as I'm also working for a green living magazine. (Yes, I still want to become a health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Have a look at my food blog, Foodiscovery, for examples of the connection between food and the environment.)

Pausing blog until next week...

...Lots going on, good stuff! :)

Rena is a sweetie-pie....

I was wearing a colorful, flowery pajama top when I opened her bedroom door this morning. The first thing she did when she saw me was to touch it and say, "I like that." Later today she touched the colorful, striped skirt I was wearing and said the same thing.

Goodnight....

I'm going to bed early instead of getting distracted for hours and hours! :)

Three yays at the playground! :)

Once again, Rena and I headed to the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center to play at the playground today.

1. We met and chatted with a nice grandma who had her almost-1-year-old granddaughter with her. Said granddaughter lives just a block away from "Rav-Eck." She has us beat, as we live two blocks away.

2. Rena made friends and played with a nice three-year-old girl who likes to "take care of" younger kids.

3. We ran into a mom and her little girl whom we know from storytime at the library but hadn't seen in awhile. I was so happy because I'd been wanting to invite them to Rena's birthday party, which I did.

Three yays for today! :)

I'll write them all in one post because I'm going to bed soon.

1. Rena and I visited the Ida Culver House, a retirement home that's right across the street from our apartment. I love hanging out with the elderly, and they get such a kick out of Rena! I want Rena to learn that the elderly are to be respected.

2. Rena is a serious dancer- She was wearing a dress today, and at one point she hiked it up while dancing and looked at the movement of her legs.

3. Two friends on Facebook told me they find my posts to be very positive. It's nice to be appreciated! :)

I LOVE Hubby's iPhone! :)

I just discovered that I can upload videos straight to YouTube! :)

Here I am giving Rena big hugs and kisses, really the highlight of my day:

Gorgeous weather today....

...I did not want to go inside all afternoon! I sat out on our terrace reading a library book (I'll post about it when I've finished it) while Rena played, and she even brought me a couple of her books for me to read to her outside.

I finished preparing for Shabbat early...

...so we're going to Friday night services at our synagogue, Shaarei Tefilah. So far we've only gone to morning services, so this will be nice! :)

My new job...

...is going well! :) I'm making progress and getting very positive responses re: ad sales for Eco-Logica magazine. Please email me at sbedder@ecologicamagazine.com if you're interested in advertising in the magazine.

Heathy food=lots of energy! :)

Cross posted in Foodiscovery

After taking an unusual route yesterday from Meadowbrook Playfield and having to go out of our way due to lack of sidewalks, Rena and I "somehow just randomly" ended up at Whole Foods just before lunchtime. (Hubby said it was typical Pie.) So I bought us some food that we could take and eat at one of the benches outside. Our healthy fare consisted of a Jamba Juice apple and greens smoothie; organic minestrone soup with veggies, beans, peas, etc.; and herb Mary's Gone Crackers.

Rena not only perked up (she had napped in her stroller on the way there from the playground) but walked herself almost the entire way home without even being very worn out by the end.

Cute compliment from hubby! :)

Cross posted in Foodiscovery

Hubby called me a "hot chocolate." It made me chuckle as I mixed water, organic skim milk, organic vanilla extract, organic and fair trade unsweetened cocoa, and organic maple syrup in a pot to make my healthier version of this favorite drink. ;)

More farm fun

Rena and I went, for the second time in a few weeks, to visit her Grandma and Grandpa (my Seattle in-laws) on the island called Poulsbo. We took the ferry to Bainbridge Island, where we were picked up by Grandpa and driven to the house where they live some weekends. (They mainly live in an apartment in Seattle, as that makes their morning commutes a LOT easier.) We had a great time chasing chickens and picking (and eating!) berries. I'm not cross-posting this to Foodiscovery because I have some wonderful footage to put together in a nice presentation to show our fun visually! :) Also please note that there is no post about the previous visit because I was not posting in any of my blogs at the time.

"Good combination- A boo-boo, and then a treat to make you feel better." -My cashier at Whole Foods tonight, complimenting me on my purchase of a treat along with bandages and hydrogen peroxide. It made me chuckle. :) I told her I liked the way she put it.

Rena is such a big girl! :)

Today, instead of sitting in her stroller, I had her walk the two blocks to play at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center (and back home again). She's so cute, marching along the sidewalk like that with a huge smile on her face! :) I figured it's about time we start weaning her from the stroller. She's a strong girl with a lot of energy; why confine her to the stroller all the time? I'd been worried about her running into the street, but she basically knows better now. The only thing was that, when we got to a street crossing, she tried to cross but we carried her across instead. I'm gradually going to have her walk further distances, until she doesn't need a stroller at all! :)

My New Company Email Address! :)

If you're looking to advertise in Eco-Logica Magazine, please direct inquiries to my company email address, sbedder@ecologicamagazine.com . Yay, now I feel official! :)

I'm so glad I got all my grocery shopping done yesterday! :) So now I can just get started with my Shabbat cooking! :)

Post-Party Excursion

Cross posted in Foodiscovery

When we got home from the party, hubby decided he needed some root beer so I headed to Whole Foods to get a healthier version than diet or regular, Oogave made with agave. I bought that and also picked out a treat for myself: A Theo milk chocolate bar- organic, fair trade, and with a Jane Goodall seal. (Yes, it does have sugar but I rarely eat a treat with sugar in it!)

I headed for a bench outside the store, purchases in hand. After enjoying my chocolate bar, I finished my blog post about the night before. Then I relaxed on Facebook and listened to someone singing and playing ukelele in the background. Ukelele seems to be a popular instrument around here.

When I started to get chilly and the hour was getting late, I headed home to hang out with hubby and give him his promised root beer. :)

Fun "Birthday" Party last night! :)

The Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center held a party for its playground's third "birthday." Rena jumped in the fun right away when we arrived, as there were colorful balloons rolling around and bubble-making supplies set up on the blacktop. A great mix of kids' music played in the background, including some birthday songs. At one point, hubby borrowed a basketball and shot hoops at the outdoor basketball court while I hung out with Rena, and after awhile we switched. Rena also kept saying high to two other men who were shooting hoops and borrowing their basketball. A supply of chalk in various colors was on hand. When I first handed Rena a piece of pink chalk, she must have thought it was food because the first thing she did with it was stick it in her mouth! Well, anyway, after that she practiced drawing while some talented kids wrote big, artistic messages saying "We heart (the heart was drawn) Rav-Eck" and "happy birthday." There were also chalk rollers, and by the end of the party, the blacktop was covered in chalk designs and lines made with the rollers! A balloon man was set up in the grass with a long line of eager youngsters waiting for a balloon animal or funky balloon hat. Rena did not wait to get one herself. She just watched the balloon man at work, and as we left the party, we got her a yellow balloon from the blacktop to take home. Wow, that party was probably the best time she's ever had at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center!