Close-up of a chocolate chip cookie with melted chocolate on the inside on a white plate.
A chocolate chip cookie on a white plate placed on a marble countertop.
A young girl with dark hair in pigtails wearing a white embroidered top, dark jeans, and pink Crocs standing outside on a sidewalk, looking down at her shoes, with greenery and houses in the background.
A woman with blonde hair is sitting on a white cloth spread on a wooden floor, painting a wooden object with green paint using a paintbrush. Several cans of white and green paint are nearby.

Thursday, July 10th

This week has been quieter than the previous ones, lending time to small projects and baking. Mazlyn had her fourth modeling gig, where she had to be a little outdoor explorer. She had the most adorable brown jumpsuit on, paired with cute rainboots and hair done up in pigtails. I never dress her that cute; she is more of a rumble-tumble kid, so it’s fun to see her dressed in something other than leggings and a t-shirt. The shoot went well until a tiny bug landed on her. Nothing brings her to tears faster than an insect. Fruit snacks were given, and all was well with the world again.

I spent some time in the kitchen, baking the softest, gooeyest chocolate chip cookies to get my sweet fix for the week. I plan on challenging myself more by trying some French baked goods in the near future. Until then, a perfect cookie will do. Next week will be much busier, with our city’s festival and a mid-week birthday party. I should manage to find some time to work on more projects and continue to use the free blueish-green paint I scored at our local recycling station. I rarely find anything but neutral paint colors lately, so I was quite happy with the find.

A round cake topped with edible colorful flower petals and white sprinkles, placed on a wooden cake stand, alongside a glass of water with lemon slices.
A young girl with long hair standing on a grassy yard holding a red, white, and blue star-spangled flag, with a playground slide and trees in the background.
Close-up of white chocolate-covered cake pops sprinkled with gold-colored edible glitter, arranged on a decorative plate.

Saturday, July 5th

We were home by 8 pm last night, Mazlyn falling asleep on the couch shortly after with fireworks booming in the distance. I carried her upstairs and placed her in her bed. We don’t watch fireworks on July 4th. Our city puts on a huge fireworks display 2 weeks from now, and we much prefer waiting for that one. That’s not to say that as our daughter ages, that may change. For now, it works best as her little body is exhausted from obstacle courses, hanging out with her cousins, and an afternoon in the pool. She happily swam for hours, showing off her newly learned skills. Even though she has only had four lessons, our daughter believes she is a pro at swimming, pretending she isn’t wearing a splash jammer as she swims from one end of the pool to the other.

I brought Oreo Balls, which quickly disappeared, and enjoyed catching up with my husband’s family. It was nearly 100 degrees out, so I was more than happy to get home and cuddle on the couch with the air conditioning blasting. Even though fireworks were going off well past midnight in our area, I was able to fall asleep fast with a true-crime documentary on in the background.

Waking up this morning, I decided to make an Almond Cake with Edible Flowers. It brings a little brightness to a cloudy day (which seems to be most days.) Tomorrow we will go to a park, but today is just our family enjoying some quiet time….until the fireworks start up again.

Child wearing a bright pink jacket and colorful rain boots, standing on a wet concrete surface and looking down at small puddles and ripples of water, with adult in light-colored rain boots nearby.
A person's hand touching four different mangoes and papayas on a beige fabric surface.
A bowl of green soup garnished with fresh basil leaves and black pepper, next to a plate with a piece of bread on a textured cloth surface.
A fresh baguette bread on a checkered white and black cloth, with green potted plant, a clear glass bottle, and a metal container holding utensils on a dark kitchen countertop.

Tuesday, July 1st

Today is the first day of July, and one of the few days it hasn’t rained here in Minnesota. June was busy with family and house projects. I already have the nagging feeling that the season is quickly passing by, even though the Summer Solstice was a mere 11 days ago. Despite all the rain, our daughter has found many moments of sunshine to splash around in her stock tank pool, which is still a work in progress, and I have managed to leave some open weekends on the calendar for stillness.

I tend to eat lighter in the warmer months. Fresh fruits and veggie-filled salads are staples, as well as light soups. Zucchini and Thai Basil Soup for a rainy evening, accompanied by a crusty baguette. When dusk arrives, my husband and I race our daughter in Mario Kart, letting her win because she insists she’s a pro and we are beginners.

Now, to prepare for a family-filled weekend with red, white, and blue festivities and a very excited 5-year-old.