i've been wiping my kitchen counters with white vinegar once in the morning and again after dinner and haven't seen a single ant since. my kitchen is clear. ant problem solved!! hope this might help someone else with little anties scurrying around their house.

ps. thank you for your helpful ideas and links about lunch yesterday!!

in other news, today i'm doing a bunch of little things. bleaching new thrifted dishes, touching up paint spots in our kitchen, tweezing eyebrows, dumping the toaster crumbs, wiping out the microwave, etc. there's so many mini jobs that can get lost in the mix. somedays i like to think up a whole list of them and go to town. what little things do you do from time to time?

in the spirit of sultry summer, i had to have iced tea. no boiling involved this time, thank goodness. there's nothing you can't figure out about iced tea, but this was my first time trying this method and i liked it. so i'll share.

how are you staying cool?

lunch yesterday was just this. sweet corn. yumm! the perfect we-haven't-been-to-the-grocery-store-yet-but-we-did-go-to-the-farmers-market meal.

since then, we have been to two grocery stores, bread has been baked, and the fridge is full once more. thank you, Lord! it is so fun to be able to spend money on good food, especially when you've had a 2 month break from it. lots of other things are also fun when you've been away for 2 months.. the lighting in your bathroom, the depth of your cereal bowls, the speed of your internet.. it's all so wonderful!

these coming home from camp days are truly some of my favorites of the whole year. one, because school hasn't started yet and that means grant is around me all day. and two, because it's the middle of august! that is a magical time. the edge of summer. my mind is overflowing with thoughts of how to make the most of it. especially all the yummy foods. right now there are 12 ways to use tomatoes dancing in my head. i can't wait to make myself at home in my kitchen again. the meal ideas i've stocked up over june and july are burning a hole in my proverbial pocket. for instance, is it bad when baking bread comes before taking a shower?

anyway. the homecoming has been a sweet one, even if i did find ants in my baking cupboard. (don't worry. i'm on it.)

please do stop by.

little wood cartons? yay.

we had a great weekend in the city. i love the feeling of being somewhere else.

while we were there, i got to see the mary tyler moore, had my first trip to trader joe's (yay!), ate chipotle twice, had a stroll in anthropologie, a free ride to Target Field on a cool bike courtesy of Target (i love Target), saw a twins game, walked the nicollet mall, hung out with family, and ran through the crowded city streets during a rainstorm at night. it was so fun. it didn't even feel like my life.. for a day.

tomorrow.. photos from target field and the best farmers market of my life!

i love this picture. i wish i'd been in your class. i'm sure you really were a superstar.

i love that you are playing lord of the rings conquest right now. still such a boy.

i love that you drum on the steering wheel. and blast justin bieber.

i love that you answer the phone for me.

i love that you call me by nicknames. a lot.

i love that you are a natural leader. strong, bold, and reliable.

i love that you write letters instead of buying cards.

i love that you change the words to every song. and you always put my name in.

i love that you love Apple.

i love that you think pistachios and dried mangoes are the best snacks ever.

i love that you always pick the best clothes for me.

i love that when you kill a bug in our house, you try to do it secretly. (so i don't freak.)

i love that you use the verb 'haul' instead of 'carry.'

i love that you make me nachos when i'm under the weather.

i love that you do everything quickly and efficiently.

i love that you are into manly things.. football, hunting, mowing, building things.

i love that you say 'this, that, and whatever' all the time.

i love that you watch the stock market.

i love that you like the sight of livestock on snow.

i love that you have an awesome family.

i love that you keep your bowling ball in our trunk. just in case.

i love that you grocery shop.

i love that you really do go big or go home.

i love that you get excited about fruit with me.

i love that you are silly when you wake up in the morning.

i love that you are always thinking ahead. and looking out for me.

i love that you wear v-necks. you make them look good.

happy 27.

i love you. for every reason.

the oven racks have been scrubbed.

the pantry has been tidied.

the floors are mopped.

the raft is out of the lake.

brygger bedrooms are empty.

the mattresses have been flipped.

the sugar bins have been dumped.

the camp store cash has been counted.

the staff is pretty exhausted.

i'm so happy! today i get to talk about eating seasonally over here. i get really excited about stuff like this.

today's news: this morning we start the official end-of-camp clean-up. tonight is our big staff dinner. and tomorrow is our very last day with everybody. wow. off i go to scrub oven racks!

i always try to make our camp quarters a bit homey. this year i brought along grandma's quilt, the lamps from our nightstands, and the red clock from our kitchen.. but my favorite part was this pretty pedestal that's sitting on my desk. (thanks again, to my little sis for making it in pottery class!) i love it! it's the perfect place for my sunglasses and memory verses. it's been a bright spot in our bedroom all summer.