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Who says you can't mix function and beauty? My @vi Who says you can't mix function and beauty? My @victorinoxnorthamerica Swiss Army Huntsman knife has become my go-to tool for crafting stunning floral arrangements with ease and precision. It's versatile, reliable and always at hand, making it the ultimate gardening and floral companion.

I can’t even count the number of times I use it during my flower truck events — cutting stems, cutting paper, cutting ribbon, screwing loose screws on the 1961 vintage VW frame! The convenience and versatility of this compact knife truly amazes me each time I use it!

With my Swiss Army knife in hand, I'm ready to take on any floral challenge that comes my way. 🌻💐🌷 #myVictorinox #partner 

#SwissArmyKnife #flowertruck #FlowerArrangements #GardeningLife #BloomAndGrow #ToolOfTheTrade #ConvenientTools #FlowerPower #FlowerArrangementsMadeEasy #EfficiencyAtItsFinest
They’re alive 🤩🌷 Should I do more flower t They’re alive 🤩🌷 Should I do more flower timelapses!? Which flowers would you want to see next!?

#timelapse #timelapsephotography #timelapsevideo #timelapseflower #flowertime #tulips #tulipsofinstagram #growflowers #cutflowergarden #gardeninglife #tulipseason #flowersofinstagram #flowertime #floraleducation #flowers #flowerphotography #localflowers #slowflowers #happyflowers #peacefulgarden #flowergarden #gardeningmakesmehappy #aflowerfilledlife #flowerfarm #flowerfarmer #farmerflorist #flowerfarmerflorist #slowfloralstyle #ayearinflowers
Never running out of uses for my @victorinoxnortha Never running out of uses for my @victorinoxnorthamerica Huntsman Swiss Army Knife 🌼🌸🌺 As a lover of all things floral, this Swiss Army Knife is my go-to tool for gardening and creating beautiful arrangements 🌿 Whether I’m tending to my flower farm, fixing up my flower truck or crafting a centerpiece for an event, it always does the job 👌🏼 Not to mention, as a busy mom, its versatility comes in clutch on a daily basis! No matter what I’m doing she’s always within reach 💐 #myVictorinox #partner #SwissArmyKnife #FlowerArranging #GardeningLife #MomLife
‘Lotus Love’ tulips coming back to life 🌷 W ‘Lotus Love’ tulips coming back to life 🌷 We’ve been pulling tulips by the truckload daily at the farm, it’s the midst of tulip mania and very hard for me to slow down but this time lapse was calling my name today!

#timelapse #timelapsephotography #timelapsevideo #timelapseflower #flowertime #tulips #tulipsofinstagram #growflowers #cutflowergarden #gardeninglife #tulipseason #flowersofinstagram #flowertime #floraleducation #flowers #flowerphotography #localflowers #slowflowers #happyflowers #peacefulgarden #flowergarden #gardeningmakesmehappy #aflowerfilledlife #flowerfarm #flowerfarmer #farmerflorist #flowerfarmerflorist #slowfloralstyle #ayearinflowers
My two best garden buddies 🥰🌿 who am I kiddi My two best garden buddies 🥰🌿 who am I kidding they trample my plants, eat the dirt and have watering hose battles 🤣 I wouldn’t have it any other way tho!! Happy Earth Day flower friends, babies & dirt forever ✌️🌎🌷#earthdayeveryday #flowerfriends #gardenkids
Who knew my trusty @victorinoxnorthamerica Swiss A Who knew my trusty @victorinoxnorthamerica Swiss Army Huntsman knife could be my secret weapon in the garden!? From starting seeds, to dividing dahlia tubers, to planting, to flower harvesting and arranging, this baby can do it all — she’s the ultimate every day gardening tool 💐🌻🌿

Between the knife, saw, corkscrew and screwdriver I’ve been using her multiple times a day both at home and in the garden; not to mention she’s equipped with 15 total tools, including a scissor and tweezer, AND she’s compact enough to fit right in my pocket or purse, she comes everywhere with me! #myVictorinox #sponsored
It’s almost dahlia planting season!! Here’s ho It’s almost dahlia planting season!! Here’s how I take cuttings from my most special tubers to increase stock early in the season! Taking cuttings = free plants 🙌

1. About 4-6 weeks before your last frost start “waking up” the tubers you want to take cuttings from by bringing them into a warmer space than what they were being store at. I bring mine in from about 45-50° to 70-75° in order to wake them.

2. Pot up those special tubers vertically leaving the neck and crown part above the soil level. The crown is where the eyes/future stems grow from!

3. Put them under grow lights and keep the room temperature around 70-75°, I don’t water tubers until I see green growth.

4. Wait (and check on them 78726894 times a day if you’re like me) while the eyes turn into stems with leaves and get super excited because it’s time to cut!

5. This should take about 3-4ish weeks under the grow lights, when the stems have 2-3 sets of leaves take a sharp, sterilized knife and cut the stem from the tuber as close as possible to the crown from which its growing from.

6. Remove the bottom set of leaves gently from the stem so you have about two inches bare.

7. Dip in some rooting hormone and pop the stem into a new 4” pot filled with nutrient-rich potting soil. You want to make sure it’s down under the soil surface about 1”. Pat down gently around the base to make sure the cutting is in there securely.

8. Water them in well and put the pots back under the grow lights in a warm area. Check on them daily, once they root they’ll need lots of water!

9. Plant tubers and cuttings outside once all danger of frost has passed. I take about 3-4 cutting per tuber per season and still plant them outside afterwards and STILL get beautiful, lush dahlia plants!

Save and share this video if it was helpful and please tag me in your dahlia journeys this year! 🌿
He would have been 3 today 💛 Shared a few inti He would have been 3 today 💛

Shared a few intimate and pure moments in stories to show what it looks like to parent after loss, he’s not here physically but still very much a part of our family. I will say, the capacity for love and compassion our living kids have (at just 2 and 5 years old) really blows me away 🥹 Parenting after loss is a whole whirlwind of confusing, conflicting emotions. Am I doing enough to honor my baby? Am I doing too much? Am I grieving too much and therefore not paying enough attention to my living kids? Is the random mom rage grief or overstimulation or something else?? I’m so proud of the compassion, love and empathy my kids show and I’m sad they know it at such young ages. It’s confusing. It’s unfair. It’s hard. There are no rules, and there’s definitely no baby loss handbook. The days and anniversaries associated with baby loss can be overwhelming and confusing too. Sometimes I feel like keeping it simple and keeping it completely private, other times I feel like publicly honoring our baby. If there’s one thing I’ve learned on this journey it’s that there truly are no rules in grief. You just do what feels right in that given moment. We miss you always baby Liam 💗
“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head “The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.” 💫
-Alfred Austin

That about sums it up! Why I garden, in a nutshell. Gardening has been a passion of mine for many years and became something that I dove even deeper into after experiencing the  devastating loss of our baby and the grief journey that has followed. I feel calm and at home and wild and free in the garden, yet planned and poised and in control. In short, gardening changed my life, and saved my life – it has given me profound peace and purpose and there’s nowhere I’d rather  be than with my hands in the dirt, head in the sun and heart in nature 🌿
Who says you can't mix function and beauty? My @vi Who says you can't mix function and beauty? My @victorinoxnorthamerica Swiss Army Huntsman knife has become my go-to tool for crafting stunning floral arrangements with ease and precision. It's versatile, reliable and always at hand, making it the ultimate gardening and floral companion.

I can’t even count the number of times I use it during my flower truck events — cutting stems, cutting paper, cutting ribbon, screwing loose screws on the 1961 vintage VW frame! The convenience and versatility of this compact knife truly amazes me each time I use it!

With my Swiss Army knife in hand, I'm ready to take on any floral challenge that comes my way. 🌻💐🌷 #myVictorinox #partner 

#SwissArmyKnife #flowertruck #FlowerArrangements #GardeningLife #BloomAndGrow #ToolOfTheTrade #ConvenientTools #FlowerPower #FlowerArrangementsMadeEasy #EfficiencyAtItsFinest
They’re alive 🤩🌷 Should I do more flower t They’re alive 🤩🌷 Should I do more flower timelapses!? Which flowers would you want to see next!?

#timelapse #timelapsephotography #timelapsevideo #timelapseflower #flowertime #tulips #tulipsofinstagram #growflowers #cutflowergarden #gardeninglife #tulipseason #flowersofinstagram #flowertime #floraleducation #flowers #flowerphotography #localflowers #slowflowers #happyflowers #peacefulgarden #flowergarden #gardeningmakesmehappy #aflowerfilledlife #flowerfarm #flowerfarmer #farmerflorist #flowerfarmerflorist #slowfloralstyle #ayearinflowers
Never running out of uses for my @victorinoxnortha Never running out of uses for my @victorinoxnorthamerica Huntsman Swiss Army Knife 🌼🌸🌺 As a lover of all things floral, this Swiss Army Knife is my go-to tool for gardening and creating beautiful arrangements 🌿 Whether I’m tending to my flower farm, fixing up my flower truck or crafting a centerpiece for an event, it always does the job 👌🏼 Not to mention, as a busy mom, its versatility comes in clutch on a daily basis! No matter what I’m doing she’s always within reach 💐 #myVictorinox #partner #SwissArmyKnife #FlowerArranging #GardeningLife #MomLife
‘Lotus Love’ tulips coming back to life 🌷 W ‘Lotus Love’ tulips coming back to life 🌷 We’ve been pulling tulips by the truckload daily at the farm, it’s the midst of tulip mania and very hard for me to slow down but this time lapse was calling my name today!

#timelapse #timelapsephotography #timelapsevideo #timelapseflower #flowertime #tulips #tulipsofinstagram #growflowers #cutflowergarden #gardeninglife #tulipseason #flowersofinstagram #flowertime #floraleducation #flowers #flowerphotography #localflowers #slowflowers #happyflowers #peacefulgarden #flowergarden #gardeningmakesmehappy #aflowerfilledlife #flowerfarm #flowerfarmer #farmerflorist #flowerfarmerflorist #slowfloralstyle #ayearinflowers
My two best garden buddies 🥰🌿 who am I kiddi My two best garden buddies 🥰🌿 who am I kidding they trample my plants, eat the dirt and have watering hose battles 🤣 I wouldn’t have it any other way tho!! Happy Earth Day flower friends, babies & dirt forever ✌️🌎🌷#earthdayeveryday #flowerfriends #gardenkids
Who knew my trusty @victorinoxnorthamerica Swiss A Who knew my trusty @victorinoxnorthamerica Swiss Army Huntsman knife could be my secret weapon in the garden!? From starting seeds, to dividing dahlia tubers, to planting, to flower harvesting and arranging, this baby can do it all — she’s the ultimate every day gardening tool 💐🌻🌿

Between the knife, saw, corkscrew and screwdriver I’ve been using her multiple times a day both at home and in the garden; not to mention she’s equipped with 15 total tools, including a scissor and tweezer, AND she’s compact enough to fit right in my pocket or purse, she comes everywhere with me! #myVictorinox #sponsored
It’s almost dahlia planting season!! Here’s ho It’s almost dahlia planting season!! Here’s how I take cuttings from my most special tubers to increase stock early in the season! Taking cuttings = free plants 🙌

1. About 4-6 weeks before your last frost start “waking up” the tubers you want to take cuttings from by bringing them into a warmer space than what they were being store at. I bring mine in from about 45-50° to 70-75° in order to wake them.

2. Pot up those special tubers vertically leaving the neck and crown part above the soil level. The crown is where the eyes/future stems grow from!

3. Put them under grow lights and keep the room temperature around 70-75°, I don’t water tubers until I see green growth.

4. Wait (and check on them 78726894 times a day if you’re like me) while the eyes turn into stems with leaves and get super excited because it’s time to cut!

5. This should take about 3-4ish weeks under the grow lights, when the stems have 2-3 sets of leaves take a sharp, sterilized knife and cut the stem from the tuber as close as possible to the crown from which its growing from.

6. Remove the bottom set of leaves gently from the stem so you have about two inches bare.

7. Dip in some rooting hormone and pop the stem into a new 4” pot filled with nutrient-rich potting soil. You want to make sure it’s down under the soil surface about 1”. Pat down gently around the base to make sure the cutting is in there securely.

8. Water them in well and put the pots back under the grow lights in a warm area. Check on them daily, once they root they’ll need lots of water!

9. Plant tubers and cuttings outside once all danger of frost has passed. I take about 3-4 cutting per tuber per season and still plant them outside afterwards and STILL get beautiful, lush dahlia plants!

Save and share this video if it was helpful and please tag me in your dahlia journeys this year! 🌿
He would have been 3 today 💛 Shared a few inti He would have been 3 today 💛

Shared a few intimate and pure moments in stories to show what it looks like to parent after loss, he’s not here physically but still very much a part of our family. I will say, the capacity for love and compassion our living kids have (at just 2 and 5 years old) really blows me away 🥹 Parenting after loss is a whole whirlwind of confusing, conflicting emotions. Am I doing enough to honor my baby? Am I doing too much? Am I grieving too much and therefore not paying enough attention to my living kids? Is the random mom rage grief or overstimulation or something else?? I’m so proud of the compassion, love and empathy my kids show and I’m sad they know it at such young ages. It’s confusing. It’s unfair. It’s hard. There are no rules, and there’s definitely no baby loss handbook. The days and anniversaries associated with baby loss can be overwhelming and confusing too. Sometimes I feel like keeping it simple and keeping it completely private, other times I feel like publicly honoring our baby. If there’s one thing I’ve learned on this journey it’s that there truly are no rules in grief. You just do what feels right in that given moment. We miss you always baby Liam 💗
“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head “The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.” 💫
-Alfred Austin

That about sums it up! Why I garden, in a nutshell. Gardening has been a passion of mine for many years and became something that I dove even deeper into after experiencing the  devastating loss of our baby and the grief journey that has followed. I feel calm and at home and wild and free in the garden, yet planned and poised and in control. In short, gardening changed my life, and saved my life – it has given me profound peace and purpose and there’s nowhere I’d rather  be than with my hands in the dirt, head in the sun and heart in nature 🌿
To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow 💐🌿🌷 One of my all time favorite gardening quotes, to plant a garden truly is to have hope for the future. Even looking forward to the tiniest things like watching a seed sprout or waiting for a bud to bloom. It’s the little things, and gardening does that for me, especially when hope and talking about the future can feel hard. 

So this your sign to grow all the things this year! I have many blog posts on my site that can help and if you’re local to NY I’m teaching a gardening course later this month, more info on my farm page @wildirisflowertruck 🌿
Spring is here, flowers are coming. I’m so ready Spring is here, flowers are coming. I’m so ready. Are you? 😍🌿💐🌱🌷🪴🌻 Follow more of my flower farming and florist journey over at @wildirisflowertruck 💫
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BEST VALENTINE’S DAY BOOKS FOR KIDS & OUR COZY READING NOOK

February 3, 2020 / Home, Mom & Baby

This post may contain affiliate links.

BEST VALENTINE’S DAY BOOKS FOR KIDS & OUR COZY READING NOOK

I was inspired recently to decorate my son’s nursery according to the season or holiday, and to change out our book wall accordingly. Not ok, because I came SO obsessed with every love and Valentine’s Day book out there and bought them all! At least Luca has a big passion for reading like his mama does so at least we are putting them to use!

We’ve been reading so much I decided to make a cozy little nook out of all my pink and white pillows I’ve collected over the years, this entire nook (minus the new books!) was a “shop the home” project! I will link exact or similar items below for you to shop!

For the reading nook description and sources scroll to the bottom of the post, or just CLICK HERE!

February is also Black History Month, and it is a huge passion of ours to shine a light and celebrate achievements of African Americans throughout U.S. History. We want to recognize the central role of African Americans in our history and make it a part of the conversation with raising Luca. So we have collected books for February that both spread love and kindness but also celebrate Black History Month to broaden our family’s cultural awareness.

I hope you too will add books to your collection that represent all races and ethnicities, even at this young an age I feel it’s super important to teach Luca about and expose him to as many different and beautiful cultures of our world as we can, whether that’s through traveling or reading!

Our Favorite Valentine’s Day Books for Kids

So let’s get to the list of books! Most are on the poster above but I also included extras that we purchased!

1// Love the Earth

2// Paris: A Book of Shapes

3// Juno Valentine and the Fantastic Fashion Adventure

4// The Love Letter

5// Love is a Truck

6// Bagel in Love

7// Babies Love Valentines

8// Love is a Tutu

9// Love Monster and the Last Chocolate

10// I Heart You

11// One Love

12// Hug Machine

13// Love Is

14// Part of My Heart

15// Groggle’s Monster Valentine

16// Elmo My Fuzzy Valentine

17// Llama Llama I Love You

18// You’re My Little Cuddle Bug

19// Love, Z

20// LOVE From the Very Hungry Caterpillar

Black History Month Books

Shop the Best Valentine’s Day & Black History Month Books for Kids

 

OUR COZY VALENTINE’S DAY READING NOOK

HOW TO DESIGN A COZY READING NOOK

Like I said above, this project was quick and easy and the only extra money I spent was on the $9 garland from target! You don’t need any special construction to make you’re own reading nook, just some extra pillows and a wall!

If you’re anything like me you have extra pillows lying around or being stored that aren’t in use currently…no, just me? Haha tell me I’m not alone!

So I just collected a few pillows that are not currently decorating the couches or beds and arranged them on top of a small throw rug (pink in this case for valentine’s day!). The rug is actually usually at our front entrance but since it’s pink I swapped it out temporarily so I could use it in this space instead!

TIP: Using different textures and complimenting colors with the pillows can really elevate your space! For me I just make sure they’re all cozy and soft so we have fur, velvet and “fuzzy” here! As for colors I stuck with creams and blush tones.

COZY READING NOOK DECOR SOURCES

The floor pillow is probably my favorite one and definitely necessary for the “cozy” aspect of this nook! It’s definitely not comfy to sit on the bare wood floor so a floor pillow is a must have!

The storage basket with the lid is actually Luca’s hamper but it looked cute and gave the space some height. I threw some books in the matching mini basket for easy access and then just swapped out the books on the shelves to fit our current theme!

Added the garland and voila, our very own cozy reading nook! I encourage you to shop your home for simple projects like this but if you’d like some inspo or sources everything is linked below.

Pillows

Rug + Extra Options

Baskets & Storage

Shelves

The top shelf is 36″ and the bottom is 48″, finish is “seadrift”

Decor

I would love to hear about your cozy reading spaces and favorite love-inspired books, tell me in the comments of this post!

RELATED POSTS:

Valentine’s Day Finds for Her & the Home

Gender Neutral Baby Nursery

Valentine's Giveaway

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  1. Valentine's Day Kids Finds - Christine Covino says:
    January 26, 2022 at 7:34 am

    […] Day. I found a variety of super cute love themed books on Amazon and Target. Check out this post here for allllllll the Valentine’s Day book […]

    Reply

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Who says you can't mix function and beauty? My @vi Who says you can't mix function and beauty? My @victorinoxnorthamerica Swiss Army Huntsman knife has become my go-to tool for crafting stunning floral arrangements with ease and precision. It's versatile, reliable and always at hand, making it the ultimate gardening and floral companion.

I can’t even count the number of times I use it during my flower truck events — cutting stems, cutting paper, cutting ribbon, screwing loose screws on the 1961 vintage VW frame! The convenience and versatility of this compact knife truly amazes me each time I use it!

With my Swiss Army knife in hand, I'm ready to take on any floral challenge that comes my way. 🌻💐🌷 #myVictorinox #partner 

#SwissArmyKnife #flowertruck #FlowerArrangements #GardeningLife #BloomAndGrow #ToolOfTheTrade #ConvenientTools #FlowerPower #FlowerArrangementsMadeEasy #EfficiencyAtItsFinest
They’re alive 🤩🌷 Should I do more flower t They’re alive 🤩🌷 Should I do more flower timelapses!? Which flowers would you want to see next!?

#timelapse #timelapsephotography #timelapsevideo #timelapseflower #flowertime #tulips #tulipsofinstagram #growflowers #cutflowergarden #gardeninglife #tulipseason #flowersofinstagram #flowertime #floraleducation #flowers #flowerphotography #localflowers #slowflowers #happyflowers #peacefulgarden #flowergarden #gardeningmakesmehappy #aflowerfilledlife #flowerfarm #flowerfarmer #farmerflorist #flowerfarmerflorist #slowfloralstyle #ayearinflowers
Never running out of uses for my @victorinoxnortha Never running out of uses for my @victorinoxnorthamerica Huntsman Swiss Army Knife 🌼🌸🌺 As a lover of all things floral, this Swiss Army Knife is my go-to tool for gardening and creating beautiful arrangements 🌿 Whether I’m tending to my flower farm, fixing up my flower truck or crafting a centerpiece for an event, it always does the job 👌🏼 Not to mention, as a busy mom, its versatility comes in clutch on a daily basis! No matter what I’m doing she’s always within reach 💐 #myVictorinox #partner #SwissArmyKnife #FlowerArranging #GardeningLife #MomLife
‘Lotus Love’ tulips coming back to life 🌷 W ‘Lotus Love’ tulips coming back to life 🌷 We’ve been pulling tulips by the truckload daily at the farm, it’s the midst of tulip mania and very hard for me to slow down but this time lapse was calling my name today!

#timelapse #timelapsephotography #timelapsevideo #timelapseflower #flowertime #tulips #tulipsofinstagram #growflowers #cutflowergarden #gardeninglife #tulipseason #flowersofinstagram #flowertime #floraleducation #flowers #flowerphotography #localflowers #slowflowers #happyflowers #peacefulgarden #flowergarden #gardeningmakesmehappy #aflowerfilledlife #flowerfarm #flowerfarmer #farmerflorist #flowerfarmerflorist #slowfloralstyle #ayearinflowers
My two best garden buddies 🥰🌿 who am I kiddi My two best garden buddies 🥰🌿 who am I kidding they trample my plants, eat the dirt and have watering hose battles 🤣 I wouldn’t have it any other way tho!! Happy Earth Day flower friends, babies & dirt forever ✌️🌎🌷#earthdayeveryday #flowerfriends #gardenkids
Who knew my trusty @victorinoxnorthamerica Swiss A Who knew my trusty @victorinoxnorthamerica Swiss Army Huntsman knife could be my secret weapon in the garden!? From starting seeds, to dividing dahlia tubers, to planting, to flower harvesting and arranging, this baby can do it all — she’s the ultimate every day gardening tool 💐🌻🌿

Between the knife, saw, corkscrew and screwdriver I’ve been using her multiple times a day both at home and in the garden; not to mention she’s equipped with 15 total tools, including a scissor and tweezer, AND she’s compact enough to fit right in my pocket or purse, she comes everywhere with me! #myVictorinox #sponsored

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