autumn wind creations

In the Kitchen

2012-01-22T08:37:00.000-05:00

I have this intention to post more than every two weeks! Let's see if I can make this intention a reality this week.

Italian Minestrone, a new family favorite

Menu for 1/22-1/29

Breakfasts:
bran muffins and fresh squeezed OJ
eggs and toast fingers, orange slices
omelets and smoothies
yogurt with granola & frozen berries x 2
oatmeal x 2

Lunches:
soup and rolls x 3
grilled cheese and apple slices
leftovers
snack lunch

Dinners:
dinner with my parents
roasted organic chicken with Yukon gold oven fries, steamed peas
Greek chicken soup and rolls
Italian minestrone soup, bread
Vegetable stir fry with soba noodles in Asian sauce
homemade pesto pizza by JH
having friends over for dinner (menu tbd)

I am reading Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, and loving the concept. Has anyone tried this method? Did you like the results?

No Bake Energy Bites Recipe Review

2012-01-06T20:10:00.000-05:00

I found the recipe for no bake energy bites from Smashed Peas and Carrots I had everything I needed in the pantry so yesterday I decided to make them, with the following mods:

- we didn't use vanilla
- instead of peanut butter I used almond butter
- instead of a 1/2 cup of just ground flax I did 1/8 cup ground flax, 1/8 cup toasted sesame seeds, 1/4 cup wheat germ
- added 1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

The results: all those eating solids in our home loved them, I think this makes a nice occasional treat! We ate all of them in two days, so clearly they are good! It felt good to make something from scratch for my family, and know each and every ingredient that went into them.

Um, Maybe I Should Clean My Floor More Often

2012-01-04T10:41:00.000-05:00

The first thing out of JH's mouth after playing in the snow:

Wow Mommy! You cleaned all the crumbs off the floor, Daddy is going to be SO proud of you!

Word

2012-01-03T10:48:00.000-05:00

I was visiting one of my favorite spots, and found a very good group of posts about having a different word for each year that you practice. I love that idea! I had come up with a list in my journal, but nothing really spoke to me. Then this morning in the shower my word was given to me.

For some reason I get a lot of inspiration during showers. It could be that this time is the only moment of my day (and night) that I am truly alone (except when JH manages to give his dad the slip) when I can just be, I am sure many mamas can relate.

I was fretting about something that I felt was out of my hands, and was coming up with ways I could 'control' the situation. Then a feeling of calm washed over me, and this word appeared in my head:

TRUST

Yes, I think that is just right for me. Do you have a word for 2012? I would love to hear it and how you chose it!

2012 food goals

2012-01-01T12:12:00.001-05:00

I am often amazed when I look back on the dinners that my mom served us on a nightly basis. There was always a main dish, and usually three sides. Of course as a child/teen I took it for granted, and now that I am in this role of family chef I am in awe that she could do this and not run away (kidding, thanks Mom!!).

JH has really enjoyed cooking lately, his favorites to make are his famous veggie pizza (half pesto half tomato sauce) and homemade pasta and sauce

I have found that the more I put into pre-planning each week the easier it is to provide the family with some good eats. My new system is working (for now) is that every Saturday I go look around different food blogs, leaf through my favorite magazine, and come up with a workable list. Saturday or Sunday I will shop and do a couple hour marathon of cooking. I got this idea for a "baking day" from this great blog.

yummy granola in the making

Yesterday I made pizza dough, granola, berry muffins, and applesauce. Today I am making clementine granita, only because we got a bunch for Christmas and they are beginning to look pretty sad. I also want to make yogurt but sometimes it just doesn't happen.

This Weeks Menu:

Breakfasts (we try to have a green smoothie each morning, we freeze leftovers in our new popsicle molds for JH)
oatmeal x 2
eggs and toast
muffins
yogurt and granola 2
pancakes by Pete

Snacks:
veggies and hummus
crackers and cheese
muffins
freezer cinnamon rolls
frozen berries with yogurt and granola
ice pops

Lunch : for the most part this is leftovers, if there are none we will have either a snack tray lunch, soup that I have pre-made and froze or a grilled sandwich. I have a sweet potato as my lunch almost daily and have some leftovers with it.

Dinners (I don't regulate a night for each meal, we kind of just go with what works that night)
:::broccoli and tomato Stromboli, sliced apples, spinach salad
::: roasted organic chicken**, roasted carrots & parsnips, biscuits
::: spinach and cheese quiche, applesauce, bread
::: chicken quesadillas, spinach salad, rice
::: potato latkes, applesauce, steamed cauliflower
::: vegetable pizza, sliced pears, kale chips
:::homemade pasta with homemade tomato sauce, steamed broccoli

new xmas tradition: Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls

Notes:

**In order to save grocery money and to be able to buy organic meat only, we are buying one organic whole chicken each week, and using it wisely as we can. Making chicken stock that we freeze for soups, roasting it for one meal and using the rest for other dishes or sandwiches. We do mix things up occasionally and get organic beef or pork for Italian Minestrone, meatballs (Pete & JH's fav) etc. We have tried going vegetarian a couple times but have never stuck with it.

***We found a CSA for this year (fingers crossed we get a coveted spot) that also has eggs, chicken & pork. We intend to get all our meat, eggs, and produce from them this year. If that doesn't pan out we will do another CSA or grocery shop at the public market.

****We are also going to put a lot of effort into having our own garden and put up food from that effort. Still looking into a local dairy source, and will continue to go to our local grocery store for staples and treats.

What are your 2012 food goals?

Knit wips

2011-12-30T05:00:00.001-05:00

Stitch by stich.....

When JH was born I never thought I would knit again, this time with O I wanted to knit almost right away. The only problem is a general lack of time to sit and knit, so I am juggling several projects at once and getting in a row here and there, this is better than nothing. Since I also need to drink coffee (in moderation), spend time playing with my sweet boys, read and sometime even shower!! Oh yea, and sleep too.

Above is the scarf I am knitting for my mom, the pattern is Big Lace Scarf and you can find it in More Last Minute Knitted Gifts. It will be a belated xmas gift. Luckily my mom has been knitting a blanket for me for a very long time so she understands! Love that book, I have also made the adorable baby bonnet (rav link) as well. You can get a look at my bonnet here.

These are socks for Pete, sadly when I ordered the yarn online it really looked brown and blue, so I was horrified when I realized it was different shades of purple, luckily Pete said he really wasn't concerned about the color. He will wear these under his hiking boots, and hopes they will be done before 2015. The pattern is Thuja, a free pattern on Knitty.

Above is a wash cloth/dishcloth, this is also a free pattern you can find it on the blog Down Cloverlaine. Isn't it cute?

I am also crocheting a bunch of dishcloths out of cotton yarn, the above is organic cotton. Basically I have to just be patient and enjoy each stitch. I am also making these Little Beans (rav link) for JH's favorite boots, but have yet to get a picture. What are you working on?

need sleep...

2011-12-29T09:30:00.001-05:00

In the past few days:

couch family time (this was taken a few weeks back)

::: some of us have come down with a cold
::: some of us proclaimed that we aren't leaving the house till spring (kidding, sort of)
::: one of us made Italian Minestrone to combat said cold
::: one of us cleaned the house, did 7 loads of laundry, cooked all our meals, and did lots of dishes (it wasn't me!)
::: one of us ate chap stick, this one to be exact
::: that same person says their tummy hurts
::: one of us spilled breast milk all over the couch at 2 am and then cried over spilt milk due to lack of sleep and illness
::: one of us went back to work today
::: three of us are REALLY missing that person
::: one of us is scooting across the room on their back(!!)
::: one of us managed to knit 5 rows on my mom's belated Christmas scarf
::: one of us needs a lot of caffeine (espresso with some cream please and thank you) and some positive thinking to get through the day

Hoping everyone is having a great week!

2011-12-23T22:56:00.003-05:00

Happy holidays! My little space is under construction, stop back next week for regular posting!

Breakfasts

triple berry muffins with green smoothies
eggs and toast with roasted applesauce
oatmeal
pumpkin waffles
granola with frozen berries and yogurt
cherry coffee cake (a surprise for everyone Sat morning)

Lunches
pizza
leftovers from dinner

Snacks
apples
veggies and hummus
crackers
muffins
green smoothies

Dinners

black bean enchiladas, steamed broccoli and brown rice
creamy organic tomato soup with garlic bread
roasted organic chicken with root vegetables & spinach salad
stir fry vegetables with Asian noodles
kale & sun dried tomato quiche, spinach salad
homemade pasta with marinara sauce
leftovers

Baking day:
crackers
pizza dough
muffins (see link above for recipe)

Light

2011-12-05T17:40:00.000-05:00

The excitement is building in our home this year, the first year JH really gets the holidays, we spend each day of advent doing a special activity, we made a paper chain on the first, and each morning JH pulls one down and we count how many days are left. It brought me back to the intense feeling I can still remember during the month of December as a child. It is so thrilling to watch my own child experience it.

Having gone to a Catholic elementary school, December 6th was especially fun because we celebrated Saint Nicholas day, mid day we would all put our shoes in the hallway and later we would find treats that Saint Nicholas brought us. We have done this with JH for two years now, it is also a day that we go through our own things to give to those less fortunate than us, JH seems more understanding of helping others this year and while he is a bit apprehensive about giving away some of his toys, he has set aside a few things :)

You can see our advent activity list on my Pinterest boards. How are you spending the month of December, I would love some more fun ideas!

Blissful

2011-12-02T07:41:00.000-05:00

He's here, well he has been here for 9 weeks now.....we are smitten!

This moment

2011-08-19T20:22:00.000-04:00

this moment} - Inspried by Soulemama, A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Catching up

2011-08-17T08:49:00.000-04:00

There is nothing quite like a surprise hospital stay, and a power outtage to keep someone from updating their blog :)

Here is this weeks menu:

Sunday- tuna melts, carrots & hummus, tomato soup

Monday- chicken salad wraps, pasta salad & garden salads, canteloupe (this was at my parents)

Tuesday- pizza bread, veggie pasta (fettucine tossed with diced tomatoes, spinach, garlic and broc in garlic sauce with parmesan)

Wednesday- baked chicken, brown rice, steamed cauliflower

Thursday- pancakes & eggs, fruit

Friday- homemade french bread pizzas (from leftover bread), green smoothies

Saturday- summer pasta salad, blueberry crisp for dessert with ice cream

Breakfasts- made homemade granola so that with yogurt & blueberries most mornings, or eggs/toast, or cold cereal and milk, we are having green smoothies every other morning

Lunches- leftovers for Pete, JH and I have been grazing on raw veggies and dip or fruit smoothies...cheese and crackers, nuts, fruit (easy stuff in a nutshell)

When all else fails....

2011-08-10T12:37:00.000-04:00

Let your child do painting outside, using their feet :) Taking a mental health day, I will post the next part of the frugal journey series Thursday!

D.I.Y. kid stuff: Bath Paints

2011-08-09T19:54:00.000-04:00

This one saved us today, it was an indoor rainy day. Mr. JH had 2 baths today, per his request. I found this recipe in an old binder from my daycare/nanny days, I actually found a treasure trove of fun ideas that I totally forgot about. This is a perfect bad weather indoor activity or even a nice weather bring it outside next to the pool/sprinkler if you would like.

Supplies:

:: shaving cream (the foaming kind)

:: food coloring

:: muffin tin

:: paint brushes

Directions:

Spray shaving cream in each muffin cup
Use one drop of food coloring per cup
Stir to blend color
Prop it on the side of the tub on something slip proof like a towel (says the mom who found out the hard way 2 minutes into this activity)
Give your kids paint brushes and let them go to town. They can paint the walls, themselves, bath toys, and if you are willing their parents :)

Notes:

Use a sensitive/fragrance free variety of shaving cream, definitely don't use menthol as this could hurt little ones eyes.

Each parent knows their child's sensitivity to products. You could also bring this outdoors and let them do this with bathing suits on and then run through the sprinkler to wash it off.

You could use natural dyes if food coloring worries you, while we avoid it in general I thought this was fine for us.

This was another activity that kept my spirited 3 year old focused and busy for a very long time!

We have a tub insert and I had no issues cleaning after the bath, if there is any soap scum present the dye may cling on top of that.

Do you have a sanity saving rainy day activity to share?

This week's menu

2011-08-08T18:21:00.000-04:00

Raspberries we picked this morning, there were so many bees there...which made for interesting berry picking with my spirited 3 year old!

Breakfasts: fruit and yogurt, eggs and toast, pancakes, green smoothies, fruit salad (no set schedule we just go with the mood we are in....

Lunches: mostly leftovers or just picking at summer garden foods that are in abundance right now. Lots of hummus is being consumed :)

Dinners:

Sunday- dinner at in-laws

Monday- kale & cheese quiche, salads

Tuesday- tacos, salad, berry salad for dessert

Wednesday- pasta with homemade marinara sauce & homemade bread sticks

Thursday- pasta salad, fruit salad, cheese

Friday- homemade pizza, salads, smoothies

Saturday- TBD....Pete is cooking and waiting to see what we find at the farm market

In my kitchen this week:

- freezing more blueberries (we already have 4 quarts frozen)

-making raspberry jam and not just any recipe but my paternal grandmothers which is so much better than any other I have tried, and she gave me the recipe before she passed away, what a treasure!

- freezing 4 kind of muffins for my family to enjoy on my babymoon :)

- freezing more easy dinners for above mentioned reason

this moment

2011-08-05T01:08:00.000-04:00

{this moment} - From Soulemama,A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

My Frugal Journey: Small Baby Steps at the Grocery Store

2011-08-04T15:07:00.000-04:00

Make Your Own Snacks: Above is a delicious snack bar from this recipe.

I used to spend about $200 per week on groceries (when I am being totally honest, counting the amounts of mini trips I would take in between), I now have it down between 50-65 a week, and we aren't eating garbage and still eat mostly organic. I also do not spend my life in the kitchen, remember babies and children don't keep! A couple easy tips to save money at the grocery store:

Meal Plan- I am really shocked I didn't always do this. I plan down to the snacks. I will post my full menu starting next Monday which will include 3 meals and 2 snacks.

When you do this, base it on sales flyer's from your preferred grocery store or co-op. So if there is a huge sale on chicken or tofu, that is what you base your weekly meals around.
Stock up when main dish items (meats, tofu, vegetables) hit a really low price and freeze them.
Even better batch/freezer cook family favorites with these sale items for other weeks when sales aren't as good. More on this soon.
Grow your own vegetables or buy them in season and local farm markets (or join a CSA)
You don't need to have an exotic meal every night of the week. Stick to things your family likes, and once per week make something different.
I pick a few vegetable sides per week and make them different ways on different nights.
I buy the whole grain side dishes on sale in bulk (brown rice, pastas, quinoa etc)
Breakfasts consist of: fruit, protein, whole grain
Lunches/Dinners consist of:, vegetable, protein, whole grain (usually leftovers from the night before)
Snacks are vegetable and or fruit and protein.

Stop Buying Prepackaged Snacks*: a huge money vacuum for parents is are all those cute snacks they market to kids. Not sure what I mean? Cheese sticks & shapes, fun shaped crackers, yogurt tubes, fruit snacks, ice pops, mini snack bags,granola bars, etc.

*-there is an exception to this rule, and it is using a combination of coupons and sales where you are getting them for a significant discount. That is the ONLY time I will buy these items.

Snacks don't have to be elaborate! They also don't have to be different each day.

I make double batches of healthy muffins, granola or granola bars and stick them in the freezer
I buy thinks like carrots and apples in bulk and that pair them with yogurt or cheese.
We make smoothies and freeze the leftovers in popsicle molds.
I make popcorn a couple times a week as our snack for fun.
I have vegetables/fruits cleaned and cut as soon as we get back from the farmer's market for easy access.
I also keep crakers/popcorn in a jar on the counter for easy access

Both my husband and I have lost weight as a result of this, a great side effect of making your own snacks and sticking to whole foods.

Try Making Your Own

There are so many great recipes out there to make your own, I will be sharing my favorites in the upcoming weeks:

Breads (sandwich, rolls, pitas, pizza dough etc)
Muffins
Cookies and cereal bars
Yogurt
Salad dressings
Dips
Crackers
Pita chips
Pickles
Jam and nut butters

Overhwhelmed? Just choose one thing, and make the change and see if there is a difference. I will focus in on this list in the upcoming weeks.....
Do you have any great ideas for saving at the grocery store?

Preparing for Baby: The Book List

2011-08-03T13:02:00.000-04:00

I am pretty sure that I've read more birth books than anything else this year. Having had the un-ideal birth experience my first time around I decided early on to really educate myself to avoid the pitfalls I experienced.

My favorite was Ina' May's Guide to Childbirth, I have actually read it three times. Every single one of these gave me confidence in myself which is so important.

DVD:

The Business of Being Born is an excellent documentary to check out, you can watch it on Netflix streaming. This was actually what I watched that really opened my eyes to so much, and started me on the journey of educating myself. I highly recommend this to anyone who is having a baby, or is thinking about it.

Zen Mama has been my go to exercise DVD for both pregnancies. I really love Rainbeau Mars (the instructor) and I look forward to my mama alone time that I get to do this. I find it so relaxing it feels like a pampering treat. I love that I didn't have to leave my home to do this, and that it helps me take time out for myself. I did try to do this with JH present a few times but it always ended with me turning into a jungle gym :P

I would love to hear from you, what are your favorite pregnancy books & dvds?

Big changes: Our money saving journey Part 1

2011-08-03T04:12:00.001-04:00

I have been a SAHM for a little over 3 years now, during that time it was a rocky road to learning how to navigate on one income. What I have learned may seem simple, but we have come a long way. A friend of mine recently encouraged me to blog about this journey in order to help other people, since lately I have been asked for ideas. So the first few posts in this series will be catching up to date.

THE BIGGEST MYTH I USED TO BELIEVE:

Today you can't get by on one income, it just isn't possible.

Pretty much everyone I knew would say this. Here is the reason I know it to be false, it isn't that it isn't possible, it is that most people don't realize how much money they waste every year AND a lot of people (us included struggle with giving up everyday things that we have come to believe we NEED when they are really WANTS.
I want to stop here and say to each their own. This is about our personal journey and choices. I truly respect each persons journey and the choices they make for their family, and I don't need people to agree with me in order to feel good about my choices.

We have been led to believe that we need two cars, two cell phones, cable, 1 or more expensive vacation per year, that we are supposed to get more, bigger, better and now. When you have one person stay at home this usually isn't possible.
In the past 9 months alone we went from 2 cars to one, we cancelled our cell phone plan, cancelled cable, we don't go on exotic vacations. We are also without a doubt happier than we have ever been as a family.

Don't believe me? If you told me that 3 or more years ago I wouldn't have believed you either. When we found out we were expecting, we sat down and went over our finances and both came to the conclusion that we couldn't afford to have me stay home. We saw no way to make it happen.

Then I had my first back to work week, and it wasn't working for anyone. It was Pete that said we would just need to take a leap of faith and go for it. We didn't plan ahead. I worked for two more weeks and then quit.

Were these changes always easy?

No, not always.

Were we totally freaked out and worried?

Oh yea.

Guess what happened since we made all these changes? We found a deeper sense of peace. We spend more time together communicating. We read a lot more. We find joy in simple moments. We make it work, but it doesn't feel like work now. Basically we are a family that spends a lot of time together, and enjoys that time.

I am going to write about this every Wednesday. I hope that anyone that has questions will comment or feel free to send me an email so I can answer them. I really think it is so important to pay it forward to people when you learn a something valuable that can help others, that is why I want to share this.

Frugal Journey: HOMEMADE

2011-08-01T23:57:00.000-04:00

Shots of my latest attempt at homemade laundry soap! My 5 gallon bucket of laundry soap.

I am starting a new money saving series, that shows how we got from our first scary days as a one income family, to thriving as one.

The biggest epiphany I have had so far is that any time I save money it is like making money. The second (harder one) was that I am not saving money if I am spending money, even if it seems like a deal.

The past 2 years I have tried a lot of experiments making things from scratch rather than buying commercial brands, some of them have been permanent, others a disaster either while making them or after crunching the numbers. Every Tuesday I hope to post about one of the trials, with my results.

I got the original recipe from this amazing blog called Down to Earth, I did tweak it a little bit. Here is a link to her recipe.

My mods are that I use Dr. Bronner's Bar Soap, this makes the cost go up but in the end I am getting a detergent that I really feel good about using. Peppermint is by far our favorite, I am always looking out for deals on this, and usually get it for less than retail, I also use it for showering. I also double the amounts of washing soda and baking soda.

It took some time to get used to it, not because it isn't great but because I was used to commercial brands, it does clump (you need to stir or shake it). A friend of mine that also switched (hi Vicky!) chose to add some liquid Oxyclean to each batch, she reported that it got rid of the clumps and had better stain fighting results. I have yet to do this. I do have a container of powder Oxyclean that I add to especially dirty loads.

Bottom line: it is a permanent switch. I presoak and treat stains with a little of the soap with a toothbrush and have had no problems, I also hang my laundry out to dry in the summer months which also helps with stains. The only time I will buy commercial laundry soap is with a sale/coupon combination that makes more sense. This makes about 3 gallons of soap, the breakdown is something like 1 penny per load (or less) so this is a clear winner.

Menu Plan

2011-07-31T19:18:00.001-04:00

Sunday- Summer Pasta (I omitted the ricotta, this was a winner, we will be making this again)
garden salad with homemade dressing

Monday- homemade pizza, garden salad, sliced peaches

Tuesday- Asian lettuce wraps, Karen's Sesame Noodles (noodle recipe from Feeding the Whole Family), sauteed zucchini

Wednesday- egg and cheese omelets, raisin toast, and OJ, blueberry, wheat germ, banana, spinach smoothies

Thursday-gnocchi with red sauce (sauce recipe from Apples for Jam), steamed green beans, banana ice cream

Friday- grilled cheese, Pacific Organic Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper soup, garden salad

Saturday- eating at in-laws, bringing fruit

I am enjoying the bounty of summer right now, between our container garden, my parents garden and the various farmer's markets we feel so blessed to be eating such wonderful summer food. I am freezing everything I can to prepare for the baby & the long winter months, it feels good to know we can enjoy this for months to come. I am amazed this time of year how much money can be saved buying local healthy produce.
What are you eating this week? Are you putting food by for winter?

Fun Summer Activity

2011-07-30T23:44:00.000-04:00

Get messy. Really messy.

A friend mentioned that she was going to take her daughter to the park with paints and a refrigerator box and let her go to town. We are not mess phobic, but I loved the idea of letting JH have a really free artistic experience with no rules or limits. This activity lasted over an hour.

I gave him a few boxes we had from our move, brushes, washable paints, and a jar of water. There were no rules. I painted next to him at the beginning. Once he was into it, I retreated and got some knitting done.
JH continued to paint the boxes, rocks, the grass, some dandelions and a tree.

When he was done (it had started to rain) he was very relaxed and happy and ready for a bath. I was relaxed and happy that I got some knitting time and my child was happy.

What are your favorite summer activities?

Beating the heat tip #1

2011-07-26T08:34:00.002-04:00

Make mud pies. Follow with a dip in the (baby) pool. Instead of making banana bread, freeze banana slices and make soft serve banana ice cream with your food processor. Check out the recipe HERE.

Thoughts on pregnancy during the dog days of summer: I am very grateful for central air, (how did I live 34 years without it? We use it sparingly but 'tis wonderful), lemonade, homemade frosty treats,awesome friends & family that visit us out in the 'country', no-cook meals, soaking my tired feet in above mentioned baby pool :)

How are you beating the heat this summer?

Preparing for Baby

2011-07-21T15:42:00.002-04:00

I have always hoped to have an autumn baby, since autumn is all about the knitting.

Pattern: Picky Pants

Yarn: Plymouth Wool

Above are a pair of felted booties, they felted unevenly but will still look adorable I am sure.

Pattern: Vanilla Soaker (ravelry link here) this is an excellent pattern, very detailed.

Yarn: Lion Brand, Fisherman's Wool in natural

On the needles now: Wyatt Sweater

2011-07-21T08:43:00.001-04:00

I always seem to forget to take a 'good picture' of gifts that I make. This is for my cousin who is due next week, taken at her shower. I am back to the blog, it is official. More posts and lots of pictures soon. Hope everyone (that still comes by here) is well and enjoying their summer!

2011-06-02T09:08:00.000-04:00

Pattern: Photo prop Hat

Yarn: acrylic something or other

Notes: Made for my dear friend for her photography business, had to do them in acrylic because a lot of her clients are anti-wool. The pattern was good, but I find doing small stripes in the round to be very unpleasant indeed.

Week in Review

2011-01-13T10:05:00.001-05:00

Pattern: Baby Bonnet from

More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts

Yarn: Malabrigo Nostalgia

Button: vintage from stash

Thoughts on pattern: LOVE it. This will be my new go to baby gift. Done in a couple hours.

Next I am going to try the baby socks from the same book.

Pattern: Based on a couple free shrug patterns that I saw on Ravelry

For: Sarah

Yarn: Encore in red

Thoughts: It is too tight for Miss Sarah, so I am going to finish the sleeves and save it for someone else.

I was thinking of making her the Jane Austen dress instead and getting some cute Valentine's fabric for the bottom. The pattern is from the book Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines.

We have been enjoying lots of homemade organic applesauce this week, and I just ordered a seed catalog last night and have begun planning our garden.

My goal is to really stock the pantry & freezer this year. Come on Spring!

We all have been enjoying homemade granola (from Feeding the Whole Family) over yogurt with blueberries and maple syrup. I have been making yogurt but this is my favorite store bought Greek yogurt. If you ever check out that cook book you must try the Asian Noodle Salad with Toasted Sesame Dressing, we have it every week with our stir fry...the sauce is SOOOOO good!

Lastly the guys have been enjoying way too many cookies, Pete claims I have perfected the recipe which of course makes me want to make more, even though I am not a huge chocolate chip cookie fan.

So what is going on in your house this week?

Winter Fun

2011-01-09T14:28:00.000-05:00

We are trying our best to not complain at this point about the winter. Trying. Here is how we are keeping our minds off of wanting Spring to already get here.
The boys are playing outside A LOT. Which is good because I could really just hibernate until Spring. While they do that I knit, and knit, and knit. To keep JH busy when he is inside we have been doing a lot of homemade crafts based on his favorite books. Last week we focused on The Rainbow Fish. The above knits are for friends with babies making their appearance soon. More knits to come next week!

I received More Last Minute Knit Gifts for Christmas. I have to say I really like it, much more than the first one. I just finished my first project (pictures Tuesday).

So please share with me! How are you surviving the winter blahs?

The Handmades Part 1

2010-12-29T18:14:00.000-05:00

JH acts as hand model for donut pics

One of the most popular spots in the playroom (the playroom is located in the dining room/family room area) is the wooden kitchen. I have been wanting to make felt food for a while now, and when I saw these donuts I knew JH needed them :)

These are part machine sewn, I hand stitched the frosting and sprinkles on. This was as far as I got with felt, but I still have Christmas cookies and breakfast foods to make.

I purchased kits from Lily Bean Market (link) I found the pattern to be very user friendly. JH and his friends all love these and I can see making more to give as birthday gifts this year.

What did you make this holiday season?

Hope everyone is enjoying this last week of 2010!

2010-12-24T12:11:00.002-05:00

Daybook

2010-12-14T20:17:00.000-05:00

Outside my window...snow, snow, and more snow. The record for snow in our area for the past 100 years was 46 inches for the month of December. We have already reached 40!

I am listening to... Gregorian Chant: Songs of the Spirit, with Pete and JH playing chase in the basement

I am thinking...that I have a lot to do in the next couple of weeks and not feeling as motivated as I should at this point. Wishing I were more organized, and hoping this becomes a reality soon!

I am thankful for.. I am beginning to feel better after being sick for months with mono (hence my lack of blog posts) There is nothing like a sore throat, congestion and exhaustion for over two months to zap your energy!
I am trying to stay in a place of gratitde especially for things I take for granted. I find it is so easy to lose sight of how things like a warm home, hot baths, clothing, health, food to eat, and people to share it with are rich blessings.
I am especially thankful for my family.

From the kitchen... we are spending Advent with the intention of eating soup and bread each night. We have had a few regular meals thrown in there when we eat with others. It has been fun making so many different soups and breads for us to enjoy. We are planning on making this a yearly tradition. I am hoping it will counteract the treats we tend to overindulge in this time of year.

I am creating...handmade gifts for everyone, although I am still waiting on part of a yarn order (which contains a skein for a gift that I am supposed to give on Saturday!). Lots of knitting and some SLOW hand sewing. Two gifts are done, many more are almost done!

I am wearing...black fleece pants, black cotton top, handknit socks and a huge crocheted blanket made by Jill, I am COLD

I am reading... A Change in Altitude (actually starting this tonight!)

Pondering these words...
"Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice."- Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

"There is no such thing as a simple act of compassion or an inconsequential act of service. Everything we do for another person has infinite consequences." - Caroline Myss

A few plans for the rest of the week...baking cookies that we will bring to family gatherings, plus making some to swap with Kristen. Knitting, sewing, and trying to keep my toddler amused when it is too cold to go outdoors. Hoping to start having our friends and family that haven't been to the new house over to check it out.

A picture thought I am sharing...

JH decorating the tree

Have a great week!

2010-11-22T18:37:00.000-05:00

Welcome!

Have a good weekend!

2010-11-05T15:17:00.002-04:00

Sunset (wonky picture but I love it anyways)

I am sorry I haven't been writing much. This time of year does that to me, a need to pull back a bit. Go under blankets and be close to my family and knit, knit, knit. The kettle seems to be on all the time, and tonight we are going to enjoy our fireplace as the forecast calls for snow. Today marks 4 weeks that I have been sick (cold-sinus thing) but I can feel a shift that tells me I am on the road to recovery.

We are good, preparing for Martinmas (our own mini celebration with JH) and of course preparing handmade gifts for the holidays. Hope you are all keeping warm and enjoying the season.

Sleeping is for Sissies

2010-10-29T01:29:00.000-04:00

Having a bout with insomnia lately. Haven't been inspired to blog. Want to keep friend and family up to date, so here is a quick catch up. We are still settling in. Hoping local family/friends will stop by to see the place, have been bad about catching up on emails. I have finally gotten JH back into a daily rhythm/schedule which is helping a lot.

Painting Day

Our Schedule

Our schedule above are really just guidelines to keep us on path. I got the idea from Childhood Magic blog which is no longer up. We sometimes don't do things or move things around a bit, but for the most part this is what our day looks like. Tuesdays and Thursdays are our out and about days where we get together with our friends.

JH is going to be a shark for Halloween, our friends Kristen & Craig and their children are coming here for dinner and then JH gets to trick or treat with his friend SE so that will be fun. The Halloween fairy is coming as well, did you know if you leave most of your candy out on Halloween night she brings you treats?

I have just started Christmas knitting! Most of it cannot be shown here because family reads my blog (I think) and I want everything to be a surprise. (Aunt Susan you can look on Ravelry but your gift isn't there either!) For JH I just finished a hat and mittens (picture on WIP Wednesday next week) and I am now making him felted slippers for the solstice celebration we have planned (we also celebrate Christmas but want to celebrate the seasons as well). I am also making him some felt food for his play kitchen we are also celebrating Saint Nicholas Day this year, I loved this tradition at my elementary school as a child! I am not sure what Saint Nick will put in JH's shoes. More holiday talk next week.

What are your plans and traditions for the holidays? I would love to hear them.

On Food

2010-10-13T07:43:00.001-04:00

Since the move I have gotten back to meal planning, and shopping every two weeks. I would love to hear people's favorite meals/recipes/meal planning tips if you have them. We are back to eating organic meat and poultry but not at every meal.

We have recently found a local company called Organic Home Delivery, they work with local farms and so far we have gotten milk & eggs. We used the milk to make yogurt and kefir which turned out great, and cost us far less than buying organic yogurt and kefir from the store. We also have been making applesauce, this weekend I plan to can a bunch of it once we are all healthy again.

Here is the next two weeks starting with last Monday:

M- lasagna, steamed broccoli (this was given to us by my mom)
T- chicken soup with rotini pasta, WHO bread, applesauce (Pete flipped for the WHO bread, this will become a regular thing in our home I am sure)
W- vegetable rice bake, applesauce
Th- family pizza night (we all design our own pizzas), roasted winter squash
Fri- Pete cooks night (he gets take out from Flaherty's a local restaurant)
Sat- vegetable stir fry with soba noodles in Asian sauce (recipe from Feeding the Whole Family)
Sun- black bean enchiladas, spanish rice, broccoli
Monday- leftover smorgasboard
Tuesday- breakfast for dinner (eggs, toast, spelt blueberry pancakes)
Wednesday-roasted chicken and root vegetables
Thursday- grilled cheese and tomato roasted red pepper soup
Fri- shopping day

Celebrating Autumn

2010-10-12T12:09:00.001-04:00

From the top: visiting a local farm with my parents,our autumn nature table in progress, picking out pumpkins, JH and my Michaelmas dragon paintings, one of the first fires of the season, and our mantel.

How are you celebrating Autumn?

Still Here!

2010-10-10T22:39:00.000-04:00

We have been so busy settling in it has been hard to find the motivation at the end of the day to post, I am aiming at at least 2 posts this week with lots of pictures, so stay tuned :)

Nesting

2010-09-21T18:41:00.000-04:00

Our backyard view

We are moved (mostly) and getting set up and unpacked, but I wanted to pop in really quick and show you a picture (taken from my phone so pretty poor quality) of our new backyard. I will be back to regular posting soon!
I would love to hear everyones ideas for Fall meal planning since I have lost my cooking mojo....so tell me what are you cooking this week?

Kate's Favorite Pizza Dough Tutorial written by guest blogger: The Butterfly Mom

2010-09-13T16:25:00.001-04:00

1.) Add one packet of yeast to 1 c warm water set aside.

2.) Set timer for 10 minutes

3.) Measure 2 c flour in new bowl.

4.) Add 2 TBSP olive oil to flour mixture.

5.) Add 2 TBSP Sugar

6.) Add 1 tsp. salt

7.) Pour in yeast water and mix well. Next roll into ball shape & cover with damp cloth for 30 minutes.

8.) Preheat oven 375. Then, flour surface and roll out dough.

9.) Decorate pizza & cook for 15-20 minutes. Easy Peasy, DELICIOUS!

Pizza Dough Recipe

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (we buy it by the jar since we make bread etc but 2 1/4 tsp equals one packet if you get those)

1 cup warm water

2 cups of flour (sometimes I just use white, mostly I do 1 cup white, 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour)

2 TBS olive oil

1 tsp salt

2 tbs sugar

In small bowl dissolve yeast in water, leave for 10 minutes. In large bowl combine flour, olive oil, salt and sugar. Pour in water/yeast mixture and stir it until it forms a ball . The best part is there is no kneading just make sure it is well combined. Then place the ball of dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover it with a damp kitchen towel. Set the timer for 30 mins.

Preheat oven to 350-375 ( depending on your oven), when the timer goes off. Flour your bread board or counter and roll the dough out. Add toppings of your choice and bake for 15-20 minutes.

This yields enough dough for two small pizzas....or one huge one. You can also use it to make pizza bread or calzones.

I have made a lot of pizza dough and this is the easiest and tasty too. Sometimes I will add 1 tsp or so of Italian seasonings to the 2 tbs of olive oil to have an herb crust. Let me know if you try it....we make way too much pizza lately....but I always load it with veggies....and with the whole wheat pastry flour, veggies and a light sprinkle of cheese I figure it really isn't that bad, right?

Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true,

2010-09-04T22:55:00.001-04:00

A view from the front yard on Friday night. I saw this as I talked with my BFF about our dreams and hopes for the future and seeing a beautiful rainbow was surely a good sign. What is inspiring you outside?

Exhale......and sneak peak

2010-09-03T22:28:00.001-04:00

kitchen: the wallpaper has since been replaced with yellow paint but I am planning to paint it again, we have to replace the stove and dishwasher so any sort of kitchen remodel is going to be down the line...but those wooden posts behind the table are going to have to go right away! I also want to replace the light over the table.

Family room: I am thinking that the fireplace needs some paint, what do you think?? I am not crazy about the color in there (light blue) but we have other rooms that need paint like the purple room JH will be calling his bedroom, and this one doesn't NEED paint so that will be later. I am thinking a cream-off white color for the fireplace.....hmmmmmm...................

We finally got our closing date! Yippee!! I thought I would share a few pics, we close next week. The furniture in these shots obviously isnt't ours. Any decoration advice would be greatly appreciated.

Have a great weekend....more house pics on Monday!

Day 5: Stars and Cookies

2010-09-02T05:29:00.001-04:00

Pete and I are having fun making window stars using kite paper to be used in our new house, and to be given as gifts to friends. Any pointers on taking pictures of windows? I have tried to get a good picture of one of the window stars but it always turns out dark.

When it isn't 90 plus degrees out I have been baking up a storm. Above is the most requested snack from my boys milk and chocolate chip cookies using our BFF Jill's recipe...so good! Still no word on the closing date, and I have (sob) packed up all my sewing supplies and it is too hot to knit...now what?

Day Four: The Knits

2010-09-01T01:49:00.001-04:00

Pattern: Fisherman Pullover

Yarn: Cascade 220

Made for: JH

Pattern: Hunter's Socks

Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Worsted

Made for: Pete

I have big ideas for knitting this fall and winter. Namely clothing my family in hand knits. Pete requested some wool socks for his winter hiking adventures, this is the first time he asked me to knit something for him!

I also have the lofty goal of making ALL of JH's sweaters, thinking that 3 or 4 would be nice, wouldn't it? We shall see how far I get. I am also knitting slippers for each of us. Due to the current heat wave knitting is rather challenging.

What are you knitting?

Day three: Another small change

2010-08-31T06:27:00.000-04:00

Homemade Deodorant

I read about DIY deodorant over at Angry Chicken a long time ago, and I kept telling myself I would try it. I had been using Crystal Deodorant for the past year, and liked it but recently found that it was no longer working for me. Since we switched to homemade laundry soap, and I had so much fun making that I knew it was time to try this.

Then I ordered all the supplies from Mountain Rose Herbs to make the deodorant, and a couple of the other potions. She offers a free version of the recipe, but I actually purchased a pdf she offers with a bunch of recipes. I slightly changed it opting to only use orange essential oil, and subbing coconut oil for the vitamin E oil.

I LOVE THIS STUFF. I will never ever go back to store bought. I also have enough ingredients to make a lot more. Plus it is super fun to make potions, isn't it?

Do you make anything from scratch? Want to share your recipes?

Day Two: Sewing Puzzle Keepers

2010-08-30T06:14:00.000-04:00

Puzzle Keepers

These are for good friends of ours, their daughter loves putting together 100 piece puzzles, and I thought these would be great for when they are traveling and she wants to bring along some of her puzzles and not lug around the boxes..

I also have been wanting to talk forever about the wonderful reusable fabric produce bags that I received from my friend Lindsey's shop, while I don't have a picture of them you can see them in her shop, I can say that I love using them! It takes bringing cloth bags for grocery shopping a step further.

Now that we are moving into our house we are brainstorming ways to live a simpler life and cut down on waste where ever we can, not because we are coming from a place of lack. We want to lesson our carbon footprint because it feels like the right thing to do.

What are you doing to live a simpler life?

Day One: A week in review

2010-08-29T18:10:00.000-04:00

Pick Your Own Minestrone

Since I have been away from the computer this past week I thought I would catch everyone up on our goings on. Starting with this delicious soup. Last weekend it actually got cold, and like a lot of people that experienced the temperature change, we knew we had to make soup. The recipe is from The River Cottage Family Cookbook which I highly recommend! I love reading this book, and the recipes we have tried so far have been wonderful.

We still have yet to move to our new place, so aside from packing I have been doing a little bit of sewing, a lot of knitting, a good amount of cooking, and even some dyeing and paper folding. Each day this week I will share on of these projects, and as soon as we have the walk through I will share house pics!

Hoping you are all having a nice weekend!! What is going on in your house this week?

Finally!

2010-08-21T12:07:00.000-04:00

A yarn shop has opened in my town! It gets better, not only do they have beautiful yarns, the also have a bakery! Local friends, you must go and check it out: Fiber Cafe

In moving news, we are packing, and I can't wait to show you the house pics! Even though things are crazy I am still finding time to create. This week I have committed to creating something every day, even if it is something simple like a watercolor painting. So far I have made: puzzle keepers for my friends daughter, pajamas for JH, a pillowcase for JH, cloth napkins for the new house, and there are some cool knitting/felting patterns that I am writing. Pictures are coming, for some reason blogger isn't letting me upload anything currently.

Hope you are all having a great weekend! What are you creating? Feel free to link to your project in the comments section.

Magical Summer

2010-08-12T13:21:00.001-04:00

Our Sunflower House

A bee visits one of our sunflowers

We knew when we became parents that we wanted to provide our children with a lot of childhood magic. We wanted to let them immerse themselves in nature, daydream, spend hours in the land of make believe, chase fireflies, read good books, be artists, and grow at there own pace. Since pregnancy with JH I have compiled a notebook of art and crafts, books to read together and projects I wanted to share with him.

I hear a lot about our countries need to over stimulate our children with too many extra curricular activities, start academics a bit too early, and all you need to do is stand at a grocery store check out or turn on your television to see the inappropriate media that bombards our little ones .

While we respect each and every opinion and choice in parenting, for us we really want to preserve childhood in our home. There is plenty of time to be a grown up and only a handful of years to enjoy being little.

Even as an adult I gaining a lot from creating this environment, I find myself in a magical state of gratitude for the little things and the need to create something daily, whether it be in the kitchen or in the 'studio'.

I first saw the idea of a sunflower house on Val's blog, and tucked the idea away for JH's 3rd summer. Today we are running strings across the tops to let the morning glories that have climbed up each flower stretch over the top creating a roof. JH loves running around it and hiding inside, we explore the insects that visit and we count how many sunflowers have bloomed (today's number was 15!) In the autumn we will give all the sunflower heads to the birds and squirrels to enjoy.

How do you create magic in your days?

This Moment

2010-08-06T05:37:00.001-04:00

Inspired by Soulemama {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Breakfast of champions: backyard blackberries, pickle, fresh squeezed OJ

Q is for Quilt, T is for Thrift

2010-08-05T20:32:00.000-04:00

Newly thrifted wooden high chair, pyrex dishes, and JH Quilt

The boy and his quilt

How many times have I started quilts in this space? Please don't tell me!
This one ended up way smaller, even smaller than his toddler bed. Having said that I love it anyways, even with the botched binding and squares not lining up. I am excited to say that Jessica has offered to teach me!!! Can you say EXCITED?? I start to iron the fabric for the next quilt attempt tomorrow night during my 'mommy time'.

As I was ripping out my binding a few nights ago, JH burst into my sewing space, saw the quilt, and said "Blanket, please Mama" and grabbed it up, ran to his room and curled up on his bed with it. That moment was such a perfect one, reminding me that it isn't about getting something perfect, or even trying to impress anyone, if the boy likes it that is all the praise I ever need :)

Tonight we went thrifting and I finally found the wooden high chair I was hoping for, perfect for our next babe whenever and however he or she chooses to arrive. Until then JH really likes sitting in it to play with his trucks and drink lemonade or iced water out of his new glass 'big boy' cup. Also found Pyrex! Hoping to find more in my next thrifting adventure as well as some dishes, linens, and my search for the perfect tea mug continues.....

Have you found any great treasures lately? I would love to hear about them!

The Simple Women's Daybook

2010-08-04T16:16:00.000-04:00

FOR TODAY

(I have seen the Daybook posts on a couple of blogs I read, and was inspired to do the same)

Outside my window...the construction continues in our neighborhood, the are replacing part of the road that goes over the creek in our yard, today they are paving.

I am thinking...that I am ready for September, our move, and autumn.

I am thankful for...the abundance in our lives that we have a tendency to take for granted- food, clothing, home, love, health. Especially on hot days like this, when there are people in our community without the luxury of having a place to live.

From the learning rooms...quilting. Just finished JH's quilt, and had a bear of a time with the continuous binding, so I ended up doing my own thing. I am now starting another quilt and I want to 'do it right' this time around and try continuous binding and machine quilting.

From the kitchen...tonight I am doing a huge farmer's market stir fry and soba noodles in our favorite sauce, a recipe in Feeding the Whole family.

I am wearing...lavender yoga pants, black tank top

I am creating...a plan for our days and weeks to give JH more of a sense of rhythm and to help transition him to the new house

I am going...to the library for the second time today, the first time we had to leave earlier than I had hoped due to a potty training mishap :)

I am reading...just finished a guilty pleasure book, and now I am on the prowl for something new, in the mean time I am reading up on some of my parenting and creating with kids books.

I am hoping...for one of my wishes to come true soon.

I am hearing...JH singing about walking in the woods as he plays with puzzles and cars at the same time

Around the house...we are making the best of the horrendous heat- cool bubble baths, tons of patience, lots of cold fruit salad and homemade iced fruit tea

One of my favorite things...my friendships

A few plans for the rest of the week: more packing, shopping for items we will need for the new house, cutting fabric for queen sized quilt (doing the 2+12= Q quilt), blueberry picking and freezing, jam making. Pretty ambitious list if you ask me!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

JH reading to me from On the Banks of Plum Creek

(actually I read it to him at bedtime, he wanted a turn)

Summer Gratitude

2010-07-26T21:25:00.000-04:00

Our Summer Table

My Summer Gratitude List

Despite getting our hopes up about something rather personal only to have it not pan out we have decided to learn something from the disappointment rather than wallow.
Berry picking, berry eating, berry freezing for winter treats.
The time we have spent with my parents, and how much fun we all had.
We have bought a house and are moving in about 5 weeks!
Finding the joy in the super hot and humid moments with pools, ice pops, fans and a good sense of humor.
Being a mother...every moment I am grateful for always.
Farmer's markets and the local bounty they offer
Long distance friends and the fun calls and emails that we share
Local friends and the walks and talks we share.

What are you grateful for this summer?

Summer Love

2010-07-07T16:07:00.000-04:00

What we have been up to........

Family hikes in the woods

Spent time at the lake (Ontario)

Searched for local food (found a ton!)

Picked and ate raspberries

Made watermelon pops

Argh

2010-07-02T14:50:00.000-04:00

I ordered wheat grass juice powder online, I read the first page of reviews and one said it was organic and made in the US. Although it wasn't local I decided to go ahead because I didn't want to grow my own (bad...I know) and I open the package and sure enough stamped on the front is Grown in China. I went back onto the reviews and saw more pages of people saying that the company recently changed their growing to China.

Here is my letter to the company:
Dear Madam or Sir:
I have used and enjoyed your products in the past purchasing them from (online store). I was really disappointed when the wheat grass juice powder came and it said it was made in China. Are all your products being grown there?
We don't support outsourcing US jobs or anything made in China, so sadly we have to stop using your products. We would rather pay more to get a product made here.

Argh. Anyone know of a good website that lists where things are made?

First Time

2010-06-30T22:17:00.000-04:00

Who would be

A mermaid fair,

Singing alone,

Combing her hair

from The Mermaid by Tennyson

You are looking at my first attempt at doll making. Actually that is a lie, when I was young I did make a rag doll trying to copy the one Laura Ingalls Wilder had in Little House in the Big Woods :)

This is a mermaid doll for a friend's little girl. The eyes and mouth are not embroidered on yet those are pins marking where I need to sew, the arms are yet to be sewn on, and I am still working on the hair. She is in need of a top as well. In person you can see the many mistakes, and I hope our friends can overlook them. What I do know is I loved the process of making this doll and learned a lot.

loving local

2010-06-29T22:26:00.000-04:00

Our Saturday farmer's market finds: beans, summer squash, zucchini, peas, and garlic scapes. I am loving summer this year, not pictured are the raspberries, cherries and strawberries we have been picking and eating to quickly to photograph! We are talking a lot about how we can eat locally as much as possible, not only in the summer but throughout the year.

We missed the deadline for CSA this year, but I do want to do some preserving. Until we find our next home I can't do that much freezing, but can do some canning.

We are making our own bread, pita, and pizza crust now. I want to try making pasta. The flour isn't local, and I don't know if anyone local knows if there is a source? We eat a ton of tomato products so I am hoping to can tomato sauce, and maybe salsa? In the autumn I plan to do apple sauce and apple pie filling. Any suggestions?

Below is photographic evidence that it isn't wise to try and give up naps during the day to produce a better sleeper at night, here is JH at dinner time on my parent's couch:

Have a fantastic week!

Butterfly Effect

2010-06-23T19:02:00.000-04:00

One of my new and addictive blog reads in Childhood Magic. The pictures are stunning, I love all the color in her home and the ideas are inspiring! Recently I saw that she had made these watercolor balancing butterflies and JH and I made them. We also made a dragonfly (JH fav) but he has hidden it somewhere.

JH has really grown interested in art, which makes me so happy, even when there is more paint on him than on the paper! We have been doing lots of fun art projects which I hope to share. For his crayon and watercolor projects we have rolls of art paper, and we use both sides. We are saving it to use as gift wrap.

I am knitting an autumn sweater for JH with Debbie Stoller's Hug Me Pullover with of course the boy version of colors. Half finished with the first sleeve.
I just finished the Vanilla soaker even though our goal is to have JH potty trained by the end of summer I figure we can pass it on to the next wee one.

The yarn is Malabrigo (so soft!) in the colorway Nostalgia....I have to admit I was head over heels for it when it was in skein form, but knit up I am having second thoughts. Hmmmm, does this ever happen to any of you knitter/crocheters? Next up is a doll sweater for the mermaid doll I am sewing for my friend Kristen's little girl, S for her second birthday.

What are you creating?

Happy Summer!

Sweet Tangerine

2010-06-17T12:07:00.000-04:00

Pattern: Knit Lace and Leaves for Baby

Yarn: Anne Shirley (do you love that name or what?) in Sweet Tangerine by Yarn Love

Buttons: from stash

For: Hope chest :)

Quote of the month

2010-06-10T23:12:00.000-04:00

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.

-Louisa May Alcott

Me vs. Electronics

2010-06-09T18:36:00.000-04:00

My laptop is dead.
My food processor broke.
My camera broke.
Our other computer is having issues.
My blender broke.
My cell phone broke.(thanks to Rebecca I didn't have to buy a new phone and I am using her old one)

Sigh.

I am reading, writing and knitting...because that is what you do when you can't go on the computer, which is a good thing....we have totally given up watching tv, due to lack of anything interesting on. We do have one guilty pleasure left, and it restarts Sunday :)
Reading:

From left:
Three Little Words (finished last night) : this book kept me up for the entire night from reading and then from not being able to stop thinking about it. Started reading it around 8:00, finished it at 12:30 am. I feel really drawn to the foster care shelf at the library. I found two really great blogs Fosterhood in NYC (take the time to read her archives, she is really funny and doing a lot of good for children in need) and Popp Life, these two women are inspiring Pete and I in new ways.

From the Eye of the Storm just started this during the day while JH played....very good so far.

Radical Forgiveness: for my book club....I am learning a lot from this book, and have watched a close friend transform from reading it.

The other two are on my nightstand and waiting to be read.

What are you reading these days?

One Small Boat

2010-06-05T19:16:00.000-04:00

One Small Boat is an amazing read, in fact I got it from the library at 10 this morning and finished it around 4:00. We went to the Arboretum to play and instead of joining in with Pete and JH I read (which lead to a very pond soaked JH, ahem), I read in the car ride home, and during nap time. I sobbed at the end, and teared up in the middle. It was a really good book. It horrified me, and touched my heart deeply. I want to read Another Place at the Table next. The world of foster care is something I know very little about.

A friend from childhood had foster kids that lived with her family, mostly older teens that wanted nothing to do with us. I found them mysterious and interesting. My knowledge of foster care expanded somewhat when I read White Oleander but it was a work of fiction therefore it didn't touch me like this book did. I recently found some very good blogs about foster parenting which is why I got this book today.

I am often amazed in the bubble we live in, you hear of horrors in the news and you can't fathom it exists but it does and not in some far of place but in our own communities. We complain of growing food and energy costs all while people...children are suffering horrors that we could not imagine in our worst nightmares.

2010 has been a year of eye opening for us and it is good, and it makes me understand the ignorace is bliss phrase much more. The more we educate ourselves the more we realize the need to change in our lives if we ever want to see positive change in our society.

Our nights (once JH is asleep) are filled with deep talks about how we as a small family can help make change. We have come up with boycotting made in China items as much as possible to promote jobs in this country, supporting local farmers, companies and artisans. The way we choose to use our money can make a huge impact.

So my question for anyone that reads my blog, is there anyone? ;) how do you find ways to promote change and to support positivity in our society? We would love more ideas!

June is Owl Month

2010-06-03T10:29:00.000-04:00

JH loves reading and doing coloring pages and easy crafts. I have decided to do a theme (or two per month. While I am camera free for the moment, I thought I would share what we are doing. I will add pictures when I can. We made an owl display on a low table that includes all of JH's owl toys and a bunch of books:

Owl Babies

Little Hoot
The Owl and the Woodpecker
Owl Moon: 20th Anniversary Edition

From my teaching and nanny days I found some great owl projects from some old Mailbox Magazines. They have some great sample pages that you can print here. From the Mailbox we are making an owl mask, doing coloring pages and doing some of the cool craft ideas inside.

We have done owl coloring pages, and tomorrow we are making an Owl Babies textured picture. Today we did the owl poem and game that I printed and laminated from a wonderful site called Homeschool Share. They have great Lap Book Ideas for free. We are making the Owl Babies lap book all of this month doing all the different activities they have, and singing the songs.

For cooking we are going to make owl cookies or cupcakes. I have also cut JH's sandwich and decorated it to look like an owl We are also planning a trip to the zoo to visit with real owls.

Totally Random

2010-06-02T23:19:00.000-04:00

I no longer have a working camera, and my laptop has issues and won't close, so it stays put upstairs which makes me very blog-uninspired. You should see all the knitting I have completed!
What is going on:

A LOT!

Most of which I can't blog about for reasons that range from it is totally private -to- I don't want to jinx it. I leave you with a pic I found on my computer that is making me smile. I will be back as soon as I can get a camera (fingers crossed it won't be that long) enjoy your week!

JH when he was wee.

2010-05-24T14:47:00.000-04:00

The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing which stands in their way. ~William Blake

We are enjoying the outdoors more than usual the few days, creating, reading, and eating under trees while the little one plays. Hope you all have a wonderful week. Locals, enjoy this amazing weather!

Calling all knitters!

2010-05-20T08:45:00.000-04:00

I was extremely moved by Kelly's story. Our family prayed for Kelly and her family every evening, and often my thoughts would go to her. I also found a lump in my breast when JH was 6 weeks old. After much worrying and lots of tests it came back as a cyst. Kelly's story has made me remember to stay in a state of gratitude at all times.

Some wonderful women are putting a blanket together for Kelly's son Ari, and if you knit I urge you to participate. Details are here.

Breakfast of Champions

2010-05-18T12:30:00.000-04:00

Are you sick of the green smoothie posts yet? A while back my super cool cousin Catherine asked via comments about the consistency/taste of them. Sometimes we found ourselves chewing them, which was yuck as JH would say. The solution is bananas! The banana creates a more creamy texture and more of a traditional smoothie texture. Another add in I have tried is Acai packets that I got from the natural foods freezer section. How about everyone else, how are your green smoothies? What are you putting in them these days?

In other news, have you all heard about the link between pesticides and ADHD (CNN article)? My hope for the future is that organic is the only choice!

Greek Night

2010-05-17T05:27:00.020-04:00

From left: JH helping me make hummus, fresh veggies, homemade pita bread, falafel ~~burning~~ cooking. Not pictured: yogurt cucumber dip and tabbouleh salad.

The new thing around here is trying to depend less on pre-made food, and more food from scratch. I am really enjoying it, even though it is a lot more work. I find it so satisfying for instance making pita bread, the whole process was like a meditation. I was forced to be in the moment, and relax. I thought about the people that came before me that had to make everything this way.

I thought of my late maternal grandfather (whom I miss each and every day) stating today people are always on the go/rushing but they never seem to actually accomplish much. He talked about his mother and how she worked hard everyday in their home (and out of it too) and yet each afternoon all the women in the neighborhood met at a house to do mending and enjoy some tea/coffee and catching up before dinner. I love that story, and lately it has meant more to me.

Then watching my family enjoy the meal that I made is also rewarding. Our grocery bill was FIFTY DOLLARS LESS yesterday than past weeks where we have relied more on prepackaged versions of food I am now making from scratch.

I am relying heavily on Feeding the Whole Family. The Asian Noodle recipe has been made twice so far with no leftovers and demands for more. We also made the hummus which is delicious! Stay tuned for more homemade adventures in cooking!

Ideas for the Mamas

2010-05-16T11:15:00.002-04:00

The Flower Fairy Hat Completed

While I knit the hat pictured above for my friend I began to think about what items I received while pregnant for JH. I asked myself, what are the most useful and helpful things you can do for a mama to be and a new mama.

The first thing to think about is the family. What are their lifestyle choices? I think it is so important to respect that, there is no point spending money on a gift that you would like, that the receiving end will not use. I think for everyone it is hard when gift giving to see past what you would like. One of my good friends is the total opposite of me, and wouldn't use or appreciate a lot of the things I would.

I ask myself:

Do they like organic/natural items?
Do they have a gift registry set up so I can be sure to get them something they like.
Are they a fan of handmade items? Which ones?
Did they mention something they need?
Do they cloth diaper? Do they need diapers?
Do they use pacifiers and bottles?
Are they nursing? Could they use some milk storage containers?
Are there other children?
Would bringing them a meal or doing some housework be better than a gift?
If you have a group of people wanting to get them something? Then you can go in on a large need gift like a car seat. Or you could set up a weeks worth of dinner delivery.
If they have older children maybe bringing a craft that you do with them, or taking them outside to play or on an outing would help.
If they have pets, you could help with their care.
If they have a garden can they use some help with the care of it while recovering?
Are there any books that they might find helpful?

For me it was the little things. The friends that brought us a healthy dinners, and a huge platter of fresh fruit for me to snack on. My mom coming over and helping with laundry, cleaning the floors, and watching JH while I showered. The friend/sister who ran errands for me so I didn't have to take my wee newborn to the store. The friend who drove me to my doctor's appointment while my mom stayed with JH.There are more stories, but you get the idea.

I feel it is important to really know what that individual would find helpful. Not everyone has the same needs or likes. Even when your intentions are good if they are not helpful to the person in question it is time/effort/money wasted.

I know a friend that didn't want anyone touching her laundry or cleaning her home. Another didn't want to leave her child's side, so when everyone was offering to let her shower instead of feeling supported she felt pressured and uncomfortable. Another friend (GASP!) hated handmade items, another received over 24 blankets as gifts and only ever used 3 of them. Another was nursing and received spicy meals made by friends that only her husband could eat.

Also, flat out asking what do you want can be totally overwhelming for a new mom.It might help to ask their partner or a close family member for ideas. When I was faced with that I would say nothing, even thought that wasn't the case. I found it embarrassing to tell people what I needed.

Do you have a go to gift for new babies and their families?

The Beautiful Truth Movie

2010-05-11T19:33:00.005-04:00

Rent it, watch it, come back and tell me what you think. It is available on demand on Netflix.

I will be back later, to give my review.

If you have watched this please give me your review!

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food" -Hippocrates

ETA:
I heart this movie. The Netflix Queue has been filled with films like this: The Gerson Miracle, Food Inc., The Business of Being Born, Capitalism: A Love Storyto name a few.

This review contains bits of my story and they are of a personal nature. Anyone that blogs wonders how far to go into their personal lives, so bear with me if I seem vague at times.

I have to start by saying first of all I have spent most of my life being a YES woman. Never questioning the status quo, assuming doctors always know best, that the FDA, AMA and other acronyms were really looking out for my best interest. I actually used to get freaked out when I would run into anyone that questioned authority, wondering why they couldn't just chill out. Yes, if all my friends shaved their heads and jumped off a bridge I would follow.

Then while working as a nanny when I was 20 (gulp 14 years ago!) I worked for a family that was heavily into organic food, yoga, and alternative medicine. The mother had an autoimmune illness that she managed through natural remedies and nutrition. I was instantly drawn to that lifestyle, but also heavily influenced by my peers and society, and the place I grew up, it also seemed weird. When I would tell people about this family I would get weird looks, or advice on how dangerous it was to do alternative medicine, and how they were weird.

Slowly I dabbled more and more. I did acupuncture, went to a holistic practitioner, started reading books on alternative medicine, ate more whole foods and green stuff. Then it became more acceptable, even trendy and everyone suddenly was into it. I am not saying I was a trail blazer or anything, just that it has been a path I have been going down for a while now.

To make a long story long a while back I found out that I have a blood clotting disorder that causes miscarriage in the first trimester, the placenta forms blood clots which ends the pregnancy. So that was intense because that would mean I would need to take blood thinners during and six weeks prior to pregnancy.

Then I had a miscarriage which was devastating. Then I went to a doctor of Chinese medicine and got pregnant with JH (YAY!) after 3 months of acupuncture, nutritional advice she gave me, and some herbs. I also did visualization, guided meditations, and read a ton of Wayne Dyer and listened to Meditations for Manifesting daily. (I love him, I must meet him some day! If you are reading this Wayne...let's do lunch!)

Then there is the story of the cesarean I was told I should have, which I have a lot of unresolved issues over. Then there is the story of how my stay in the hospital still brings me to tears today. Both these things upset me because I feel that I did not do a good job speaking up, and speaking out and I would never let that happen again. Luckily I will be using a doula next time, and I am currently interviewing pro VBAC doctors and midwives.

Also, I manifested a health dis-ease which led me to loose much faith in the medical community after being misdiagnosed over a half dozen times, therefore making the dis-ease worse. I found that my own research, homeopathic medicine, alternative therapies and nutritional changes with help from my friend who did a lot of research for me actually helped more than any trial I was put through by the doctors I saw.

I also credit Louise Hay (again I want to meet you Louise! Let's also do lunch!!You are an absolute inspiration to me), and her movie You Can Heal Your Life is beautiful as well.

(I want to add that there was one doctor that was WONDERFUL but sadly he retired) I do think that it is very good that we have the medical profession because they help lots of people, I am just saying that there are other options out there.

It made me wonder why this wasn't more mainstream. Then I started hearing about how when you read about a study you should research who funded it. Then I heard that the FDA gets half of its funding from Pharmaceutical companies. Then I heard that out of the over 350 prenatal, women's, and children's vitamins tested only 4 had no lead in them (because they are all made with ingredients from China!). I could go on, but you get the idea. PS- if you know of a lead free prenatal let me know! Then I found Mothering magazine, and other sources with alternative views.

I think you have got to make your own choices, be your own advocate, question authority, trust your gut. Do what is right for you, and not worry about what everyone else around you thinks about your choices.This movie is eye opening. I learned some things I had not realized. I think Max Gerson was ahead of his time. For me it is all about balance, I do go to the doctor still, but I also do alternative treatments.

I think eating well, and avoiding toxins as much as possible is common sense. We eat mostly unprocessed organic food with a little junk once in a while. A great blog with information on healthy eating is Kimberly Snyder's Blog.

Excuse this crazy rant, I was really moved by this film! I choose to focus on the positive, and to educate myself in the process. While there is a lot of corruption, greed, and personal interest out there, I know that there is also joy, peace, beauty, positive intentions and goodness out there as well. I think there is a movement in this world that will overshadow all the bad stuff.

Again I would love to hear your thoughts about this movie! Have a wonderful week.

A hat for a flower fairy

2010-05-10T08:48:00.000-04:00

This is a present for an expecting friend, inspired by the book Flower Fairy Alphabet by Cicely Mary Barker, knit with cotton which is perfect for summer babies.

Hope you are having a beautiful Monday!

Weekly Menu

2010-05-08T06:55:00.005-04:00

Saturday- my dad is cooking

Sunday-Poori and Sabzi

Monday- Vegetable and brown rice stir fry, organic grass fed beef for those who eat it
Tuesday- homemade pizza
Wednesday- Tabbouleh salad, hummus, pitas ,cucumber-tomato-onion salad
Thursday- Homemade tortillas with grain and bean filling
Friday- Pasta primavera and homemade bread
Saturday- homemade pizza and salad
Sunday- Garden salads, and vegetable stir fry

Breakfast choices:
homemade pumpkin muffins
french toast with leftover homemade bread
organic eggs with tomatoes and cheese
millet with fruit
oatmeal with fruit butter
jam filled mochi (YUM)

Lunches:
grain and bean tortillas
leftovers
homemade veggie burgers with hummus
pasta with marinara sauce

Happiness Is....

2010-05-07T05:25:00.011-04:00

Admiring the window star my mom made for JH.

I feel so grateful for my mom, and the unconditional love and support she gives us. My mom not only respects the way we are raising JH, but she takes an active roll in participating in our traditions. She loves her children unconditionally and is always there to support us, love us, and share in our joys and sorrows.

I am also grateful for my mother-in-law and the loving influence she has in our lives.

On this Mother's Day we will be in a state of gratitude for our mothers, grandmothers, and the female family members who have served as extra moms (Aunt Susan!). We love all of you!

Rhythm

2010-05-06T22:07:00.001-04:00

As I have written, I am very interested in Waldorf education and parenting. Lately I have been reading a lot of Waldorf books (Pete has too) I never subscribe to anything 100%, but I really love this style of parenting and learning.

They talk a lot on rhythm, periods of breathing out (active times) and breathing in (quiet times), and the importance of routine.

Tonight we made some beeswax candles with JH which was fun. JH really adores the bees, and understand that we get honey and wax from them. He tells the bees thank you for honey when he sees them frolicking in the yard. We choose beeswax for the non-toxic properties and we love how they fill the room with a faint honey scent.

A few hours later he was having a meltdown, admittedly because it was past when he should have been asleep. I carried my tired boy to his room, and he cried and protested. We did our teeth, face & hand washing and diapering. He was still crying. I sat him on his bed, turned off the light and lit the candle.

The instant the match sparked the crying stopped, his breathing changed, and he climbed under his blankets and kept his eyes fixed on the candle. We said our nighttime prayers & sang our bedtime songs. He was asleep in under 10 minutes. I also enjoyed staring at the flame dance around, and felt centered and relaxed after a long and busy day.

The reason Waldorf makes sense to me is because I am a very sensitive person, my environment plays a huge roll in feeling at ease. Large noisy crowds throw me out of orbit. Smells, bright lights, lots of noise...they all impact me deeply. I feel most centered at home in a clean and organized space, that smells pleasant (flowers, baking, aromatherapy, beeswax candles) with some low new age music playing in the background, or the sound of rain or water.

Waldorf focuses on giving a home environment that is peaceful, toys that are open ended and aesthetically pleasing, aromatherapy, nice lighting and music etc. When we add these elements not only does JH respond in a positive matter but so do the adults.

When little ones are surrounded by too many toys, especially loud toys in a messy, over crowded playroom, with a television in the background they almost always are unruly, and 'crazed'. I feel that is their way of letting us know that they need the space around them reorganized and less chaotic. We have experienced it, and once we changed the space, JH changed his mood.

I challenge anyone to make some of these changes to their day and their space and tell me that you don't feel more relaxed and centered. I feel every person, parent or not should take good care of themselves.

How do you feel centered?

Potions

2010-05-06T05:06:00.000-04:00

my potion ingredients and cobalt jars

I love creating homemade versions of thing we buy in the store. Today I made foaming shampoo and body wash for JH. We love the Earth Mama Baby Angel line of care products. We love saving for a house too. ;)
So I did a bunch of research, and had a huge problem finding even one recipe for a baby style foaming wash.

calendula flowers steeping

Here is what I came up with:

1 cup of calendula flower tea, chilled (hot water will actually break the foaming device)
2 TBS Dr. Bronner's Baby Castile Soap
5 drops sweet orange essential oil
3 drops vanilla
a splash of sweet almond oil

I combined it all and filled a soap foamer with my potion. It produced a very nice lather. I find it works similar to the EMBA foaming soap. It isn't tear free, and frankly that is a good thing, considering that It is a work in progress though, the scent isn't as good as I had hoped. We also love California Baby Wash, and I was thinking if this doesn't pan out I could just add a few TBS to a foamer and add water.

Next up, I am making deodorant, vapor rub, wipe solution spray and bug repellent! Recipes from Angry Chicken

As We Celebrate Two Trips Around the Sun

2010-05-05T23:05:00.000-04:00

As we celebrate JH's two trips around the sun, we are so grateful for each misstep we both have made over our lives thus far. It all lead us to JH, including the devastating miscarriage I suffered before being blessed by my sweet wee boy. I know now the lesson is that everything does have a purpose guiding us towards the 'place' we are supposed to be.

Last night we watched videos of a very wee baby, and we were in awe of how swiftly he has grown. He has given me the gift of motherhood, something I had yearned for years before he arrived. He is a wise soul, I have learned more from my son than I ever have from anyone else.

He loves his cake!!

He teaches me to be authentic, even when it would be easier to try and fit in.

He teaches me to follow my heart.

He teaches me to be open.

He teaches me to be strong.

He teaches me that getting super messy is okay, we are all washable.

He teaches me patience.

He teaches me to stop and enjoy.

There is no gift I can give him that could possibly equal the gifts he gives me each day.

JH reminds me the importance of being an eternal student.

Sell your cleverness, and purchase bewilderment. -Rumi

My loves. My heart on the outside of my body.

The Quilt: WIP

2010-05-04T14:06:00.002-04:00

Ahhhh....the quilt, started so many times. This still needs the border sewed on, the quilting done, and the binding sewn as well.

Every fabric reminds me of my boy, I am so in love with the L'il cowpokes fabric. This has more mistakes in it than I wish to discuss, but it has more love in it than any purchased quilt could have.

Back to birthday creating...the crown is done, the cake is baked...next up frosting and a watercolor birthday sign. Waiting on his big gift coming via Fedex at some point today. Just marveling in the miracle of life, and all that we have to be grateful for.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

What are you creating this week?

Monday

2010-05-03T22:54:00.000-04:00

Right now...........

I am:

Reading: Earthways, Magical Child, and Kindness:A Treasury of Buddhist Wisdom for Children and Parents I love Earthways, got it from the library for a test drive and will be adding it to my collection soon. It has so many great ideas.

Making: Last minute birthday gifts for JH! We are celebrating a day early because Pete has mandatory (ugh) overtime Wednesday nights :(

Feeling: Amazed that my wee boy will be 2 this Wednesday, and feeling absolute gratitude that he chose me for his Mama.

Planning: Grocery lists for birthday dinner tomorrow & cake celebration with Pete's family on Saturday. Using the recipe for vanilla cake from Apples for Jam for the Saturday celebration. The menu for tomorrow night is a smorgasboard of JH favorites: couscous salad, hummus, vegetable stir fry, homemade bread, and fruit salad. The cake is inspired by his favorite fruits and this recipe.

Drinking: Iced herbal tea with a splash of Agave syrup

My favorite picture of the moment:

My wee JH, where has the time gone?

Grateful

2010-05-01T15:16:00.000-04:00

Head over to my sweet friend's blog for a great post about gratitude.

I am so grateful to have such a mindful mama as my friend. She always inspires me with the way she lives her life, and how her creativity manifests itself in new and beautiful ways.

Here is what I am most grateful for:

Taken before todays heat wave!

Have a great weekend!

Green Smoothie Update

2010-04-29T04:12:00.002-04:00

The juicer saves the day!

Oh my, the blender bit the dust. So until we pick up a new one, we are using our juicer. It isn't as good, I am wondering if we are getting the same benefits from it. The above smoothie was 'green free' because the kale we had went bad :(
So this morning's juice was: apple, carrot, sweet potato, cantaloupe. YUM.

Some other combinations we love are:

spinach-celery-apple-grape

romaine-cantaloupe-carrot

kale-apple-frozen berries

watercress-apple-carrot

Here's hoping we find a good blender soon!
Have a happy Thursday :)

WIP Wednesday

2010-04-28T05:44:00.003-04:00

creating for the present and the future

Above is the birthday crown I am making JH, featuring two of his favorite creaturs: owls and squirrels. Going to blanket stitch around the edge, and make bias tape out of the squirrel fabric to go along the bottom and around the elastic on the back. I think he will really like it, I am totally loving playing with wool felt!

Next up, some endless I-cord knitting for a super secret project for my wee almost 2 boy:) As we search for the right home, I am keeping focused on creating things for our future space. We go and see one tomorrow night, and our fingers are crossed that it meets a lot of our must haves!

Zip up the back hoodie, details on my Ravelry Page. It is being knit for my proverbial hope chest that I started for our next baby. So there is no pressing need to get this done right away. I am really enjoying creating handmade gifts for our future babe. No, I am not expecting yet, just pre-pre-nesting :)

This is a flower fairy hat for a dear friend of mine whom is expecting a wee girl late this summer. Knit in cottom, and inspired by Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairies this little book is giving me all kinds of fun knitting ideas. I love her art work, so pretty!

Not pictured, but soon to be are some watercolor butterflies JH and I are in process making.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

I would love to hear what is going on in your creative space, I often draw wonderful inspiration from your comments, tell me what are you creating this week?

Birthday Pants

2010-04-27T06:15:00.003-04:00

Since I caved and gave JH his Picky Pants shorts early, I knew he needed some more Mama made birthday gifts. Here is the first one up, a pair of lounge pants. Inspired by the book The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule from the very inspiring blog Soulemama. She has a third book in the works now, and I can't wait to see what it is about.

Next up, some window stars for JH's play area, and a birthday crown also inspired from the above mentioned book. Pete is planning to tie dye some shirts for JH as well. Stay tuned for more birthday creating tomorrow!

Happiness is.....

2010-04-26T05:13:00.007-04:00

Outdoor knitting lessons with friends.

What are you creating this week? I have a flurry of birthday knits & project going at once, plus all the WIPS in my queue. I am also creating menus. You see a while back I tried being a vegetarian, and in all honesty it lasted for a while and then I went back to mostly organic meat a few times a week.

JH really doesn't care for meat, except for the occasional bits of grilled chicken, and he loves fish which is good. Lately we have been eating out a lot, and for some reason I don't think about the fact that none of it is organic when we do.

Well last week I watched Food Inc. and not to sound alarmist but I was changed. Pete was too. He can't bring himself to eat chicken. It really makes you realize that we don't really question where our food comes from.

We are not making any huge decisions, but for now we are going back to vegetarianism. I would love recipes and ideas from people. Especially in regards to kids and iron. Any kid tested recipes out there? JH will eat any vegetable, and like most kids loves all kinds of grains. We will continue to eat organic dairy, and organic eggs. I am not crazy about eating mad amounts of soy, but I am open to small amounts here and there. I have heard that fermented soy is the way to go but haven't tried it.

We have JH's two year check-up coming up so we will be able to discuss it with our wonderful pediatrician (WE LOVE HER) but until then I would love to hear from people about their experiences with vegetarian kids.

What is your favorite vegetarian meal? Vegetarian cookbook, blog or recipe?

Thanks!!

What a toddler looks like when he dresses himself

2010-04-25T20:44:00.000-04:00

My orange loving dirt worshiper :)

I gave Jack his picky pants shorts knit in soft Malabrigo early,

he loves them, and I love that. His bday is a week from Wednesday. I will post

more pics on my Ravelry page as soon as the camera charges.

There is nothing JH likes more than to be out in nature. His favorite toys are sticks, rocks,

shells and dirt. He climbed his first tree this week, and was thrilled about it.

The difference I see in a child that is aloud to run around all day in the great outdoors vs.

an 'indoor child is striking. The outdoor child sleeps better at night, and in general is more

peaceful and happy. I think it is in our DNA that we need to get in touch with nature each

and every day.

Pattern: Picky Pants from Little Turtle Knits

Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted in Glazed Carrot

This pattern is wonderful and very customizable.

I plan to make it again in full sized pants.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway here.

Our part & a giveaway!

2010-04-22T21:46:00.005-04:00

What we are doing to live mindfully: (from top left)

Making bread from scratch-we try to make more foods from scratch cutting down on waste from packaging. So far I have tried bread, jams, applesauce, apple butter, pies, cakes and brownies the 'old fashioned way'. We eat mostly whole foods, so pretty much everything is from scratch, save for some organic convenience foods. I plan to put a lot of food by this Fall to save money and cut the grocery bill.
Cloth diapering (picture of a wee JH in a handmade cloth diaper I received from a handmade swap)- we have just recently committed to cloth diapers for 95% of the time, before that it was less. For our future children they will be 95-100% cloth diapered. We are doing a combination of
gDiapers which are compostable or flushable, and cloth the rest of the time. I am also sewing some bamboo liners for the gDiapers to cut down on the flushable liners. We use Indian Pre-folds with prorap covers or wool soakers, Fuzzibunz and Bumgenius.
Growing our own- the pic above is the garden at our old house, that summer we grew tomatoes, summer and winter squash, peas, beans, raspberries and strawberries, chamomile, thyme, and basil. As we approach this summer we will help my parents garden and share the rewards.
Cutting back on paper products- there are some brave souls out there who don't even use toilet paper, while we aren't going that far, we do try our part. I have sewn cloth napkins for us, and we also use my crocheted and knit washcloths in place of paper towels. We are also investing in an outdoor composter for our next home, we did compost at the old house as well, this cuts down on garbage bag use and waste. We also use cloth grocery bags, and want to make or buy some reusable produce bags like the ones in this shop *A Crunchy Life on Etsy.
Avoiding chemicals-for a while now we have been making our own cleaning products, I make all purpose spray, scouring scrub, air freshener, glass and window cleaner, and floor cleaner. We stopped using fabric softener (want to try the vinegar thing), and have yet to try homemade laundry soap, but we do use a dye/fragrance free soap. We use Seventh Generation dish soap, and Method dishwasher tablets. We have also followed the guidelines on the Skin Deep website and buy safer personal care products.
Pick our own- Last summer we utilized the local pick your own farms, not only was it a way to be outside in nature, but it was extremely frugal (the berries pictured above were $2/quart!) and we were supporting local farms which is important to us. We are also waiting to hear back from a local farm to see about a CSA share. We also frequent our local farmer's markets when they are in season and visit the downtown public market year round.
Sew (and knit!) your own- While these hobbies were well...just hobbies in the past, I am using these skills to cut down on consumerism and save us lots of money. I am moving from pajama pants to more complex clothing right now. It is easy to find nice fabric either on sale or at a thrift store. We are also buying more second hand items. For example, I like Gymboree clothing for it's high quality, stain resistance, and durability, what I don't like (or believe in) is spending $30(!) for a pair of pants for a toddler...are you KIDDING me? I do like finding the same pair of pants for $3.00 at a thrift store or yard sale. My knitting is also handy for cloth diapering items like soakers, and longies, and nothing beats a pair of handmade wool socks, mittens and hats. Making sweaters is not always cost effective, but it is enjoyable and I like knowing it was Mama made in the USA ;) My challenge here is that I want to find a local sheep or alpaca farm which sells fibers. Any ideas, local people?
Saw your own-we have recently gotten into woodworking (using poplar a sustainable wood) making wooden toys for JH, again it is rewarding to produce something with your own hands instead of swiping your debit card at a toy store for a plastic piece of junk with who knows what in the paint that will sit in a landfill for the next 1,000 years or so.
Buy local when possible- we are really focused on this topic, I would to hear your input on this one!
We do go to our local grocery store (Wegmans) over the small co-op because the prices for organics are over the top, I am talking twice the cost at the co-op.
Buy handmade- I LOVE handmade gifts. I love getting them, and giving them. Even if you can't find local, I think it is nice to buy everything from soap, clothing, toys etc. from artisans in the US. Etsy.com is a great place to do that, if not at your local farm markets and brick and mortar shops.
One car- I don't know how long we will do this, with a move on the horizon. Currently Pete works 10 minutes by bike/5 minutes by car from our home, our leased car goes back tomorrow, leaving us with one. We are seeing how long we can do this. Since I am a SAHM we figure on days where he can't ride, he can take the car or I will drive him. Some of the houses we are looking at would make biking out of the question, so who knows about this one.

I would love some inspiration, and to hear what you are doing to do your part.

As a form of gratitude for the handful of gracious readers I have I am giving away a set of three crocheted washcloths (2 large and one small scrubbie) like the ones pictured above. I am also giving away this book:

The English version of the sewing book Patchwork Style, gently used by yours truly.

WAYS TO ENTER: Leave a comment in this post and say hello AND become a follower of my blog. For 3 extra entries post a link on your blog to this giveaway post, and be sure to tell me in your comment that you did this.

You can enter once per day until the giveaway is done.

The comments will be closed on Friday, April 30th at 8:00 PM EST. I will ship everywhere :) I will use a random number generator to pick the winner. Check back on May 1st for the winner :)

Love Your Mother

2010-04-21T08:44:00.003-04:00

Happy Earth Day Eve everyone!! We will be away from the computer all day tomorrow. Spending the day celebrating and planting.
We are vowing to make some changes for the next 365 days till Earth Day 2011. I will tell you all about it Friday!

What are you doing, or changing to take care of our home?

JH loves being outside in nature

Green Smoothie Love

2010-04-17T22:41:00.000-04:00

Yum!

We are hooked. Everyday we have the juicer going, and we make green smoothies in large quantities to last us a few days.

Some great smoothie recipes can be found on Kimberly Snyder's Blog which I highly recommend. We are using some of her green smoothie recipes with great results. She also has a lot of information on healthy living. Have a good weekend!

In the Kitchen

2010-04-14T21:57:00.000-04:00

Making granola for JH, kind of winging it. We are not doing nuts with him yet, so I baked some rolled oats that I combined with some organic applesauce and a tsp pure vanilla, then I sprinkled some cinnamon on top and baked it for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

I tossed in some dried cranberries and raisins. I have to be honest it is missing something, any suggestions?

What are you doing in the kitchen this week?

Longies for the boy

2010-04-14T18:54:00.000-04:00

Felted an old American Eagle sweater and transformed it into a pair of longies for JH. He loves them, and he protested when it was time to take them off.

Start to finish the project took about 20 minutes to cut and sew. There are more of these in our future. There is nothing better than creating for someone who LOVES the finished product.

What I have been up to...

2010-04-11T21:37:00.000-04:00

Have you tried a green smoothie? They are an excellent way to get in lots of nutrients.

I know a lot of people use super fancy machines like the Vitamix, but I just use a run of the mill blender.

What I have found is that if it runs too long your smoothie can get warm. So after I blend it I do run it through a sieve to get out the super big leftover chunks.

Pete, JH and I all love them. It looks pretty yuck, but tastes amazing. I have one each morning and it has really helped me feel energized (I actually forgot to have coffee one morning) and for some reason doing this for myself makes me conscious of making better choices throughout the day.

I am also using my juicer daily as well, using mostly vegetables. I can't believe how much better I have been feeling.

This smoothie has: filtered water, organic apple, frozen berries, and kale.

What do you do to take care of yourself?

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-07T22:12:00.002-04:00

Healthy Child, Health World

2010-04-05T22:23:00.000-04:00

I am head over heels in love with this book. I highly recommend it to anyone who has kids, may have kids, or knows people with kids but doesn't understand why they like: homemade cleaners, organic foods, organic clothing, mattresses, natural personal care products,cloth diapers, etc!

We get a lot of questions about choices we make in our family.

This book has a lot of the answers to those questions.
My neutral response is usually: It feels right for us, and makes sense to us.

Now I can offer them this book!

I haven't blogging as often, due to some boring stuff, but I am back :)

My Copycat Recipe

2010-03-29T23:07:00.000-04:00

I am in love with a certain coffee shop's Shaken Iced Passion Tea Lemonade, but I am not in love with what it costs to go there! So here is my copycat of this recipe.

4 bags Tazo Passion Tea
3 cups of boiling water
3 cups ice
3 cups Newman's Own Organic Lemonade

In a heat proof glass bowl ( I use the Pampered Chef mix and pour bowl) pour the 3 cups boiling water over the 4 tea bags. Let it steep for about 7 minutes. Add ice to large pitcher, and pour tea over it, stir in lemonade. Enjoy over ice!
If you try it let me know what you think. Next I am going to try it with green tea.

Do you have a copy cat recipe? I would love to hear about it!

Spring!

2010-03-22T11:38:00.004-04:00

This week we are:

going outdoors even if we do have to bundle up a bit and wear rain boots

going through/storing/donating outgrown clothing

creating decorations for the patio

planting seeds

taking walks at the park

listening to the birds and feeding them too!
planning fun Spring day trips

How are you enjoying Spring?

WIP Wednesday

2010-03-17T11:40:00.003-04:00

My current reads.

JH's current reads

Wooden eggs to be stained tonight

My latest wooden creation.

Happiness is...

2010-03-10T23:19:00.002-05:00

...breakfast with my sunshine: toast with orange marmalade YUM!

WIPS parts 2, 3, 4

2010-03-08T09:04:00.002-05:00

From left: Offset Wraplan for the future using delicous Anne Shirley yarn, beginning of the quilt-as-you-go Log Cabin block, and Pete and my newfound interest: wood working. These are our first four attempts, we have a long way to go, but we really enjoy this medium.

Do you notice that sun in the pictures? Isn't it beautiful? We are cherishing each sun filled day!

What are your WIPS?

WIPS part one

2010-03-05T12:33:00.002-05:00

From left: Picky Pants for JH, Easter socks for my mom, all this time away from the computer is really doing me some good :)

Posting part 2 of 4 later tonight. Have a wonderful weekend!

Erin Go Bragh!

2010-03-04T11:40:00.012-05:00

Our Saint Patrick's Day Plans

Being Irish makes Saint Patrick’s Day an extra exciting holiday around here. Before JH I would do these activities when I was a teacher’s aide and as a nanny.

Reading:

Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland

Fin M'Coul: The Giant of Knockmany Hill

Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato

Listening:

U218 Singles

Putumayo Kids Presents: Celtic Dreamland

Celtic Woman

Eating:

Breakfast: Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal with golden raisins and dried cranberries and Barry's Irish tea (for the grown ups!)

Lunch: Open faced grilled cheese with green bell pepper shamrocks broccoli soup from Apples for Jam: A Colorful Cookbook

Dinner: Reuben Sandwiches, Coleslaw, green fruit salad (kiwi, honeydew melon, grapes)

Making (over the week of St. Patrick's Day):

Shamrock & rainbow sun catchers (will post tutorial next week)

Coloring pictures of Saint Patrick, rainbows, shamrocks, leprechauns and Celtic knots

Shamrock potato stamps (making gift wrap)

Glitter rainbows and shamrocks

How will you celebrate?

Felted Fun

2010-03-04T08:14:00.002-05:00

Mini crocheted felted bowl
Yarn: Patons SWS
Colorway: natural pink

I learned a valuable lesson while my laptop was waiting for a new power cord, that I spend far too much time on it!
I have spent more time doing, and less time observing (via blogland) so I have lots to show for my time away. More posting later today after a doctor appointment. Have a wonderful day!

I would love to hear what everyone is creating right now!