Friday Round Up–5/3/13

Happy May! It sounds cliché, but I absolutely cannot believe it is May. And, I am so happy it is, because May is when we start to turn the corner on nice weather in Seattle. It won’t be reliably nice for a couple more months, but, starting now we can hope for a bit of sunshine here and there – and we need it!

In the remodel front, I do believe I will have photos for you next week of another finished room. Or, at least I hope I will. I am always worried I will jinx something by promising a finished room, but this time, I’m hoping the cards fall as they should, and we’ll finish our great room this weekend. In Oregon, they call the great room the “Oregon Room.” Perhaps I will call ours the “Washington Room,” which sounds presidential but really isn’t! Ha!

While I am over this remodel already – not an uncommon feeling when one gets into the heart of a renovation – this view in the evening does not get old. Someday soon I hope to sit on our front porch and actually take this in instead of scurrying past it en route to my next chore.

Moving along, here are a few interesting nuggets from the past week.

• New York City elementary school adopts an all-vegetarian menu. This is unheard of, and impressive. Children often lead the way when it comes to progress, and these NYC kids, who preferred a vegetarian menu over a standard school lunch menu, are inspirational.
• Make your own deodorant. Okay, I haven’t tried this yet, but, it’s very simple and uses ingredients you likely have on hand. Worth a shot to save yourself from the aluminum found in most store-bought deodorants.
• Here is a compilation of 24 healthy smoothie recipes from a variety of food blogs. So much good stuff!
• Starbucks has 34 million Facebook followers. This is an interesting story of how a big brand manages its social media presences.
• 6-story rubber duck floats menacingly into Hong Kong harbor. This is just amusing and a nice way to start the weekend! Have a great one!