When the day starts with a breakfast of Caramelized Bananas over French Toast, it is hard to imagine that the day can get any better. Especially when that breakfast is had with two of my favorite boys.

But today did, get better that is. I think it is because of . . .

the blue sky.

And a walk to the park.

A ride on the swings.

Some time spent playing in puddles.

And some early spring blossoms.

A grand day, indeed.

Oh, and if you would like to make the bananas and french toast, to start off your own remarkable day, it’s simple. Here’s how:

Caramelized Bananas

Ingredients
2-3 Bananas
Sugar to Sprinkle
1-2 Tbsp Butter

Slice the bananas and sprinkle them, lightly, with granulated sugar. Melt the butter over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, and hot, add the bananas in a single layer to the skillet. Let them cook on one side until brown, a handful of minutes. Flip and cook the other side, another handful of minutes.

Put the bananas on top of french toast (use your favorite recipe) like we did. I think they would be equally fantastic on ice cream, over oatmeal, in yogurt. Really, they were so delicious, you could just eat them straight. You know you want to.

I was delighted when I went over the weekend to find my copy sitting on the hold shelf, just waiting for me. Delighted!

Just as I did with The Creative Family, I immediately set aside the other books I am reading at the moment (Unconditional Parenting and Teach me to Do it Myself) and gave it my undivided attention. Reading her beautiful words. Looking at her inspiring photographs. And thinking about the projects and the way that I want to fit them into our family life.

The only problem is that I am finding myself wanting it all, all the handmade goodness, right now.

The handmade market sacks, those would liven up a trip to the store.

The patchworky potholders, gorgeous!

Rag rug, a great way to reuse and remember all those bits and bobs.

Handmade slings, can you ever really have too many babywearing options?

Journals, made with recycled papers, perfect for all the lists I make.

A beach blanket. I am already having dreams about spring and summer days filled with trips to our great lake.

A wool scrap garland, this is so up my alley.

A miniature memory quilt, made up of old baby clothes, love it!

And so, despite enjoying the book immensely and feeling tremendously inspired by it, I am also left feeling a little, well, impatient. I want it now. I want my home to be filled with handmade, filled with things that have history, stories, memories. Things filled with soul and love. Things that I remember creating.

I know that I shouldn’t feel impatient, after all the author has had YEARS of being an at home mama to help create this for her family and I haven’t even finished my first year yet. I know that it will come, and I know that our home will be, is, starting to be filled in this way. With handmade creeping in, just as quickly as my little hands can make.

I know this. But, I can’t help it, I still want it now.

It didn’t take long, even though I wasn’t yet a parent myself, to be inspired. Her photography, her positive take on life, her creativity by herself and with her children, it’s all good. When she first mentioned her book project, I was excited knowing that it was something I would want to get my hands on someday. Then, once the book finally was finished, I just couldn’t quite bring myself to buy it.

After all, it was summer of 2007 and Aaron and I had just moved to Japan. We were, it seemed, ages away from having our own creative family. And buying the book seemed, well, a little premature. So, I didn’t buy it, but it never left my mind.

Once our little guy got here I knew it was my chance. Finally, I had a reason, albeit a very small one, to buy the book. Sure, it will be a while before we can actually start doing many of the things in it, but just having it and reading it makes me feel ready, excited, and, most importantly, inspired.

Once my copy arrived, I set aside everything else that I was reading at the moment and read it cover-to-cover in a matter of days. It is chock full of great creative ideas, I especially love the idea of the Family Draw and Art Wire for making children’s, and adults for that matter, art an important part of family life and home.

While not everything in the book made my list of things that I LOVE, a lot of it did. While I won’t be able to implement many of these ideas for quite some time, I feel like I learned a lot from the book and, already, it is impacting the way I am thinking of myself and the way I think about what I want our family life to look like. (And it has heavily influenced a project that I am in the process of working out.) Certainly many of the ideas will influence the way we set up our new home in the States and the choices we make about what we choose to surround ourselves with.

Overally, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and can’t wait to read the next one, although I will be waiting until I get stateside to pick that one up. Already I’m not sure that we can fit everything that we have here in our limited suitcase space and another book certainly wouldn’t help.

One of the things that I most appreciate about this book is the way the deal with the emotional aspects of pregnancy. At the beginning of each month, before they even describe the physical changes occurring in a pregnant woman’s body, they describe the emotions that a woman might experience during that month. This part is so validating to me, and it makes everything that I am feeling seem so normal (sometimes it is easy to feel as though I am being completely irrational and unreasonable). They discuss pregnancy as a process toward becoming a parent, instead of just a random list of uncomfortable ailments. I really like that.

Today I am feeling very happy about the pregnancy. I am feeling calm and settled knowing that MB is developing normally and I feel that I can really enjoy it today. I am content knowing that now the odds are on our side and I feel as though I can relax, finally.

The authors really stress that a pregnant woman must need to create a healthy environment for the baby and this means eating well, avoiding environmental toxins (second-hand smoke and such), but also working on maintaining stress levels and a sense of well-being. After all, if stress hormones are coursing through my body they are also coursing through the babies. And no one wants that!

So, for now, I am going to keep doing what I am doing and try my best to keep my body and mind as healthy as I can. Not only will it be good for MB, but it will be good for me too!