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Valentine Florals

Roses aren’t the only flower perfect for Valentine’s day. Stray from the typical bouquet of long stemmed roses for one of these fun arrangements you can do yourself. Using this idea from Lia Griffith, you can make mini arrangements to give as gifts or display in your home. Find the link right here . She says, “The flowers I use are often inexpensive grocery store finds. I chose white alstroemeria for the largest vase, a bundle of green kermit flowers, simple mini daisy filler flowers and a small bunch of lemon leaf, technically known as salal. When I owned my flower shop many years ago, salal was my favorite green. It is very hardy, has a smooth matte leaf and adds a nice backdrop to any arrangement. Of course, you can choose any variety of flowers, colors and greens you like. Have fun, get creative, and experiment with other office decorating ideas!” We also can’t wait to try this idea incorporating tulips, which are in season this time of year! They are the cutest little sign of spring which is on its way! Find the tutorial here from Life at Clover Hill. From Momtastic, we found this list of 101 great tips and tricks for flower arranging. The author says, “There are so many amazing arrangements out there for every occasion. With these flower arrangement tips and tutorials, virtually anyone can make these—even me!” For pretty vases, we love this one from West Elm. A beautiful flower arrangement would look gorgeous against the rugged feel of this charcoal toned vase. If you want your arrangement to last, using faux flowers is an option as well. There are a ton of different options and styles and you don’t have to wait until your favorites are in season! What are your favorite styles of arrangements? Where’s your favorite florist in Fife, WA? Let us know! Happy Valentine’s day from us at Port Landing at Fife.

Coming to Netflix

Binge-watching Netflix is the greatest activity known to man. Well, maybe not, but with new releases each month and old classics being added all the time, there is no shortage of great content to watch! A few Netflix originals are being added this month, including these great ones. One Day At a Time (January 6th) — Very little is known so far about the reboot of the Norman Lear classic, but what we do know sounds like a perfect homage to one of the TV writers’ most loved shows. The show will be 13 episodes long and will focus on a Cuban-American family who are struggling to keep it together after the separation of the mother and father. Lear returns as an executive producer of the show and, as you can see from the picture above, Stephen Tobolowsky is confirmed to be in the cast along with Rita Moreno, Justina Machado, and Thomas Barbusca. A Series Of Unfortunate Events (January 13th) — This will likely be Netflix’s biggest release! The TV adaption of the classic book series is scheduled to release all eight episodes on the second Friday of the month. The series has been gathering a lot of anticipation so far with a lot riding on the show to, at the very least, eclipse the movie starring Jim Carrey. All evidence is pointing to the show being in good hands, though, with a trailer that manages to capture the perfect feeling that the books leave you with. A Series of Unfortunate Events stars Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf, and Patrick Warburton, Malina Weissman and Aasif Mandvi. Voltron: Legendary Defender (January 20th) — Netflix put out some excellent Dreamworks shows in 2016, and among the very best was the reboot of Voltron. It’s likely we’ll get a similar amount episodes again and will pick up where season one left off. In case you’re new to the series, the show shares many similarities to Dreamworks’ other big show, Transformers, but instead focuses on four teens who become involved in an intergalactic battle against King Zarkon and his armies. We can’t wait to watch some of these new releases with a yummy snack and a cozy blanket! We think you’ll love them too. Thanks for reading.

A Week of Dinners

Our days are full of questions like, “How much gas is in the car?” or, “Are these jeans clean?” or even, “Where’s my phone charger?” Of all the questions we need to answer during the day, “What’s for dinner?” is certainly one of the most ominous! Dinner comes every night but somehow it gets harder and harder to think of what to eat each night. Well, we’ve got five answers here to help you out! Monday: To start off the week, try this One Pan Crispy Parmesan Garlic Chicken with Vegetables dish from The Recipe Critic. The site says it “will be one of the best one pan meals you ever make. The tender and juicy baked chicken have the best crispy parmesan garlic coating and the veggies are full of amazing flavor!” Tuesday: Next up is this Chicken Spaghetti from the Pioneer Woman. She says, “This really is a fabulous casserole, and the only one in existence that Marlboro Man, our cowboys, and my children will eat. It’s officially called Chicken Spaghetti....There is a lot of ‘stuff’ in this casserole, but the way I ensure widespread acceptance and bliss by those I serve it to is to keep everything diced very small and to season it adequately.” Wednesday: Mid-week you might be craving something a little more exciting. Try this Taco Mac Casserole from Mostly Homemade Mom. The site says, “This casserole is something I've been making since we were first married. It makes a lot, it's filling, and it's cheap. Not to mention that every time I make it, Paul announces it's his favorite meal! I believe one of my relatives/friends gave this recipe to me at my bridal shower. Either way, this one's definitely a keeper for us.” Thursday: For something a little lighter tonight, try this Butternut Buddha Bowl from Earth Powered Family. “Butternut squash has such a lovely sweet flavor, autumn in every way. It’s the base and inspiration for this fall Buddha Bowl. The creamy sauce ties everything together and makes it even more delicious. Such a yummy dish for a cool and busy fall night.” Friday: You’ve made it to the weekend! Tonight, try this cozy dish. This recipe for One Pot Beef Stroganoff comes from Taste and Tell. “Comforting and humble, this One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff is full of beefy flavor. And there is only one pot to clean up after dinner!” Enjoy these dinners this week! Thanks for reading.

January New Releases

Chilly winter evenings can be warmed up by going to the theater! They are a great way to stay cozy and catch a new flick, even outside of your apartment in Fife, WA. A movie paired with a fizzy soda and buttery popcorn? It doesn’t get better! Read on for some movies coming out this month. Hidden Figures (January 6th) — Three brilliant African-American women at NASA -- Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) -- serve as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn (Glen Powell) into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation's confidence, turned around the Space Race and galvanized the world. Underworld: Blood Wars (January 6th) — Vampire death dealer Selene (Kate Beckinsale) must fend off brutal attacks from both the Lycan clan and the Vampire faction that betrayed her. With her only allies, David (Theo James) and his father Thomas (Charles Dance), she must stop the eternal war between Lycans and Vampires, even if it means she has to make the ultimate sacrifice. Sleepless (January 13th) — An undercover Las Vegas police officer (Jamie Foxx) must race against time to save his kidnapped son from a crew of murderous gangsters. Live By Night (January 13th) — It's the Roaring `20s and Prohibition hasn't stopped the flow of booze in an underground network of gangster-run speakeasies. The opportunity to gain power and money is there for any man with enough ambition and nerve, and Joe Coughlin, the son of the Boston Police superintendent, long ago turned his back on his strict upbringing for the spoils of being an outlaw. But even among criminals there are rules, and Joe breaks a big one: crossing a powerful mob boss by stealing his money and his moll. Patriots Day (January 13th) — In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, police Sgt. Tommy Saunders (Mark Wahlberg) joins courageous survivors, first responders and other investigators in a race against the clock to hunt down the suspects. We hope you enjoy one or all of these new releases! Thanks for reading Port Landing blog!

Organize Your Year

365 days is a long time, but how many of us find ourselves wishing for just a few more hours in the day? Take a few moments at the beginning of the year to plan out your year! It might seem frivolous, but when the time comes, youll be happy you planned ahead. Get a cheap calendar from the dollar store and plan out big events, including upcoming weddings, birthdays or vacations. Purchase gift wrap, greeting cards, or other items you might need when those events approach that way you will always have these items on hand for wrapping gifts, and you wont be purchasing them every time a birthday comes up. If you have tropical vacations planned for the year, winter is a great time to find bargains on swimsuits and summer clothes. Look up hotels and flights. Purchasing in advance is a great way to save money. You can even mark a date on the calendar to begin looking up these things. Make budgets for monthly purchases and try to foresee large payments you might need to make. Does your car need tires? An oil change? Are you planning a move? Plan out these events in the calendar as well. If youve been meaning to clean out your closet or start a big project in your home, plan this as well. Looking at your year as 365 separate days is a great way to start to get things done and checked off your list! Mark doctor and dentist appointments on the calendar as well so they dont get forgotten. Mark when school starts or when you have time off work. Keeping track of these days will ensure you dont forget big events and you are always prepared when they approach. We hope these tips help you have a less stressful year. What are your tips for staying ahead of the game? Let us know in the comments!

Reaching Your Goals

We’ve all got resolutions for 2017. Some people might want to be more healthy, drink less soda, take more pictures or try an art class. For those who are resolving to start writing more, whether in a journal or otherwise, these tips can help. Writing everyday can be a helpful way to reflect on your day, things you need to accomplish, and dreams you want to achieve. Journaling doesn’t have to be a life story or autobiography at the end of every day. You can journal your travel experiences, a specific event in your life you want to remember, or a change you’ve gone through. Writing down random stories are a great way to preserve your memories for the future. For those who like to keep it short and sweet, we like the idea of a Bullet Journal. These tips from Pretty Practical by Emory can help you out if you don’t know where to start. She says this about bullet journaling: “The whole system is built on something called rapid logging. The first step is to title and number your pages. The title is a short description of what will be [on] the page. It may even just be a date. And get in the habit of numbering your pages and filling in your index as you go.” We think writing and reading go hand in hand. If you want to be good at one, do more of the other! You’ll learn new words and how to use them. Single Mom’s Income gives some general tips on improving your writing here . She says, “My advice would be that you should just write. Record all of your thoughts. After that go back and edit.” So whether you’re making a grocery list or recording an experience you want to remember, just write and write and write. Write as often as you can. Get your thoughts on paper. You can go back and edit after wards. Happy writing! Let us know about the best bookstore in Fife in the comments.