A good place to start… Come on in!

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Ann

Today I am sharing a bunch of my favorite posts strung together with info about me and Doodles and Jots’ trajectory. I think my tag line says it best: Ideas for, diversions from, and celebrations of family life from a creative mom. You can also get to know more about me by checking out my About page, My ABC’s post, and Pregnancy Test Trees and a Pickle Baby (about me becoming a mom). I started this site in October 2011 with the encouragement of my sister who is a long time, successful blogger at Life Learning Today. Her blog is full of great advice on healthy, happy, purposeful living. Definitely check it out!

To read more about why I started this blog and my thoughts on the benefits of blogging, check out Why I ♥ Blogging.

Continue reading →

We have egg-citing news!

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Ann

Proud Parents (mama in front)

Back in March I posted about House Finches and how they were building a nest over our garage… Continue reading →

Dreams of Darwin

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Ann

Lily of the Valley

…from my backyard

My backyard has such a nice sweet smell lately! So many plants, bushes, and trees are flowering. This is the smell of spring that fragrance companies are going for but can never quite achieve.

I’m enjoying it and it seems to be driving the pollinators wild! The bees, butterflies and other buzzy things are very busy back there. I just try and stay out of the way of the bees. Bee stings really hurt!

Continue reading →

Gray Catbird

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Ann

Gray Catbird

Introducing the latest visitor to our backyard: the Gray Catbird. I think they are here to stay, for as while, as there are several of them and they seem to be busying nest building. They are thrashers like the Mocking bird and have brought along lots of interesting songs as well as their own unique cat like sound. As you can see they are mostly a dark-ish gray with a long beak and a black cap. They also have a patch of brown under their tail.

Continue reading →

Butterflies and Books

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Ann

When we were kids, my younger sister would gently pick up butterflies by their wings to take a closer look and then let them go. Insects are fascinating to little kids. We have been seeing lots of new insects in the backyard lately including butterflies, bees, and other buzzy things.

Continue reading →

Squirrel Nutkin

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Ann

Here is the latest visitor to our bird-feeder. A small, noisy squirrel who is not afraid at all! He reminds me of Beatrix Potter’s Squirrel Nutkin with his bright red tail. I suppose the birds can share seeds with this cute little fella, don’t you think?!

Continue reading →

Brand new, must haves for spring!

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Ann

If you love looking sharp and admire fine detailing you’ll love these! Available in chartreuse, their perfect for spring and coordinate with most neutrals.

Continue reading →