POLKA-DOT PEANUT PARADE

We're always on the hunt for high-quality toys, so I wanted to share a lovely company with you today. Polka-Dot Peanut Parade was founded by Vanesa Stutz, a talented artist who learned sewing as a young girl in her parents' upholstery factory. Fast forward twenty years later and Vanesa is advancing her career in the fashion industry. With the birth of her daughter in 2013, she decided to spend time at home, and after making a rag doll for her once, Polka-Dot Peanut Parade was born. All of the dolls are made from sustainable material and hand-crafted in Los Angeles. Here are a few of her beautiful pieces. 

Friends Forever Doll

Pink Tutu Bunny

Flamingo Soft Toy

Lion Soft Toy

BLACKBERRY PICKING AT UNDERWOOD FARMS

In an effort to teach Mila that food doesn't come from the supermarket, we've taken a few trips to local farms. We chose blackberry picking at Underwood Farms Somis for our latest outing. Underwood is well known in Southern California, especially for their Halloween festivities, but their Somis location is a smaller, more low-key destination. In addition to pick-your-own berries, they have a farm market, animal center and a sandlot to play in.

The blackberries are on tall bushes with thorns so they're not as easy/kid-friendly as strawberry picking, but still fun to gather. Next time we'll try blueberries (April - mid-June).

A nice picnic table in the shade to sit and enjoy your harvest.

Local avocados and citrus at the farm market.

Alpacas looking for some food. You can buy carrots for $1 at the farm market to feed them and the other animals.

The pygmy goats getting a snack. 

SANTA MONICA FARMERS' MARKET

We have a very special correspondent today... our mom! And what does Mom love? Organic fruit and veggies! So she's taking us to the Santa Monica Farmers' Market. It's the largest grower-only Certified Farmers Market in Southern California and a favorite for local chefs.

Lets start with the berries. We're certainly lucky to have these fresh, vibrant, local berries.

Papayas grown in California! Have you ever heard of such a thing? Amazing!

Thank God for artichoke season!

You say 'tomato,' I say 'tomato.'

Lots of good greens for dinner.

The Santa Monica Farmers' Market is open every Wednesday from 8.30am - 1.30pm, and is located on Arizona Avenue at 2nd Street.

MOTHER'S DAY FLOWERS

For this month's flower post, we're focusing on Mother's Day (May 10th). Moms always say, just make me something. But we know how much they/we love flowers. So we're showing mom some appreciation with these DIY blooms. 

The flowers cost us just under $50. You can contact your local flower mart or ask your grocery store, like Whole Foods, to order them for you (even Trader Joe's has a floral department that can check flower availability for you). Here's what you'll need:

1 vase (small to medium).

2 stems of amaryllis (peach).

1 bunch of nerine (pink).

1 bunch of dubium (yellow or orange).

1 bunch of bleeding heart (pink).

Take the bleeding heart, trim and fill your vase with it.

Add one stem of amaryllis at the center, and another to the left.

Place three stems of dubium on the right. 

Sprinkle the remainder of the dubium to the left/throughout the arrangement. Take three nerine at a time and place near left, right and center.

Now you have this beauty for mom -- or yourself!