I'm officially late on at least three gifts (sorry loved ones!), there are at least four phone calls I was supposed to return a week ago, I'm behind schedule planning our MOPS Kick-Off Carnival, and several other areas of my Mom world have fallen into disrepair.  And you, too, have been neglected.  Big apologies! Thanks for hanging in there, though, and I think we're officially back to normal. Or as close to normal as it gets around here. 

School is officially underway.  No tears were shed by the Kindergartener, and I wish I could say the same of myself.  I've found that the few morning hours provided by kindergarten actually leave little time for anything productive to happen around the house.  We'll be working on that over the next week or so.  I'm thinking some quiet reading time will be instituted, just to give everyone a chance to think.

I did have a chance to make more bread from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. They're not kidding about this bread. It really is nearly artisan, and it really does take only five minutes (of hands-on time) each day. I read the amazon reviews, and I think some of the comments are funny.  People seemed to quarrel with the "five minute" aspect of the title.  Really?! Obviously that figure doesn't include rising time, but it was pretty true that I mixed up a batch super quickly, kept it in the fridge, and on baking day was able to shape it and have it ready for the oven--usually in less than five minutes.

I heart warm bread. 

I'm so hooked on the book, that my sister-in-law (one of the overdue gifts that is no longer overdue) received a copy of the book for her birthday this week.

I still owe Grandma a birthday gift (can you imagine the guilt?!) and a return phone call. 

Turns out that Grandma is not easy to shop for, not even on Etsy.  What do you buy a practical 85 year old?  Melamine divided plates? 

Who doesn't need a good robe? I like the colors on this one from Disrobe. And the big flower is fun.

When Mr. Plaid and I first met, he liked to mock my habit of giving candles for most occassions.  What can I say, it's an easy, practical gift.

Seriously...what do you give the grandma who has everything?! 

 A set of vintage garden water faucet knobs?