On to other things

The girl who cut my hair said, "When women say, 'Wow, your hair is so long' it is a friendly way of saying, 'You are way overdue for a haircut- let's go today and do something about that.' " She also said men never suggest it's time for a haircut...the longer the better. :) I considered a shorter bob, but the last time I had a chin-length bob I was 30 lbs. heavier and pregnant with baby #1, and there are just some mental connections there that can't be overcome. Here's my happy medium (no pun intended) and I'm just glad to be free from all that hair.

Before and after (and I must say this all seems pretty self-focused, but even my dad was curious):

Nothing drastic, but as all women know- if you aren't worrying about your hair you are free to worry about other things. :) Just kidding...but you are free to think of something other than yourself, and that is important.

Warning:

I'm having a hair crisis. I have waited a week and a half for my haircut appt. and the pressure is building. I almost cut it all off myself yesterday. My husband praised me for the self-restraint and said, "Isn't your haircut tomorrow?" Tomorrow is not soon enough, and I'm making a mental note to never wait 9 months for a cut again. I'd like to do a drastic chop like Jonesey, but I don't have her cute small features, so I think I'll have to forego donating my locks in favor of a moderate cut. Pictures may follow.

To DC & Back

Back is my preferred place to live. I spent a few months working in DC pre-WH, and I'd take my small town any day. That said, I do hope my husband and I can go back soon without the kids and enjoy the town at a faster pace.

Here are a few highlights from our long weekend- in no particular order since Blogger won't let me move anything around.

...cousin time (You can't help but notice the stunning first-baby stroller compared to the consignment shop double umbrella stroller. My poor kids never had a chance...)

Aunt Jax took our family picture (so nice to have that finished- thanks!)

Hot-dog-stand lunch downtown

Museum-going with preschoolers...at least they didn't understand that it was Celebrate Darwin month.
My sister found this at one of the exhibits:

Surprised they'd own up to the fact that they were just guessing about some of this stuff, she suggested they add (?) to all the captions.

Uncle Shep hosted 8 of us- I don't think he had any idea what he was in for...
Catching up with some of my adult siblings and friends

Fun to go away and even better to come home.

Tomato Staking

I'm often the last to hear about a new resource, but just in case I'm not, here's a great book my mom recommended to me yesterday: Raising Godly Tomatoes. I read quite a bit and left hopeful that this season of intense discipline will be a lot shorter if I am absolutely faithful. I like the way she says it: You have to be consistent 100 times- IN A ROW. Not for the same thing necessarily, but I love the way she (and God's word) simplifies parenting. It is a huge task of training and loving souls and hearts, but it is not some mysterious complex process. (The mystery is not in the how-to, but that God uses such sinful, broken mothers like me.) The greatest appeal for me is her subtitle: Loving parenting with only occasional trips to the woodshed. That's what I long for...I'm off to stick close to my kids and be 100% consistent.

His and Hers

Date nights, that is.

Last week's menu: Deborah Madison's Beet and Kale Risotto with artisan bread and white wine.
This week's menu: Hot wings, homemade french fries, and beer. (After the risotto I needed to make it up to him.)

Both meals took a little more prep and time to make, and both were delicious. (Okay, true confessions: I made myself a chicken breast. I'm not in to spicy foods.) Both also seemed like another side would have completed the meal. We needed a salad with the risotto. When I asked WH what else you eat with hot wings at a restaurant he said, fries and beer. When questioned as to what would round it out better he suggested another kind of beer.

So for those who argue there are not many differences in males and females, here is a case study.

Natural cleaning helps

So about that all-natural soap. Here's my recommendation of the day, and my new natural go-to product for all things cleaning: Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds. I've been perusing health food stores for years so I'm not sure why I've never seen this product, but I really do think this biodegradable product is the perfect all-purpose cleaner. I bought one gallon at $32 from my local natural foods store, and by my rough estimates it should last me 10 months if I use it for my clothes detergent, my dishwasher detergent, and my all-purpose cleaner.

I make my own liquid clothes detergent from it using this recipe. It is quick to make (no grating soap and dissolving) and works well, although I do end up using the full half a cup for large loads and diapers. She said she wasn't pleased with how it cleaned her diapers, but I have used it for about two months and think it works well. The only thing I would add to her directions is to consider making half a "batch." I put my detergent in an empty one gallon vinegar bottle, and the recipe makes one gallon, so there's no room to shake it up (once it gets foamy with bubbles) if you put a full recipe in there. I don't really own any containers that hold more than a gallon, so this was an issue when I tried putting in a glass jar as well.

I used the soap in a spray bottle- highly diluted (1/4 teaspoon for a large bottle)- as an all-purpose cleaner. Great for the kitchen and bathrooms. I use it to spray down the counters and to clean the floors. I still use vinegar and peroxide (in separate bottles) in the sinks and toilet as an antibacterial cleaner. I haven't found anything effective for cleaning soap scum out of the tub, but I still have some soft scrub tucked away in the cabinet. For now, I'm using that up with the hopes of not replacing it. Edited to add: This just in...I sprayed the tub with my all-purpose cleaner and then sprinkled the tub with baking soda. The tub had to be mostly dry (the wetter it got the harder it was to get the soap scum off) but it worked great. Good-bye, Soft Scrub. I had tried just vinegar and soda and I think the tub needs some sort of degreaser; I guess that's why this combo works.

I used this recipe for my dishwasher detergent. The first time I made the recipe I didn't measure the tea tree oil, but the three drops in the recipe really means three drops. It's an oil so I think that may have contributed to the spotty dishes. We used up that full jar of soap (spots and all) and it took about a month. My husband was super patient. At one point he suggested we get a sign for our dishwasher that said "Clean" or "Dirty" because he couldn't tell. Nice. But we stuck with it through the second batch because we knew the dishes were actually clean, just spotty. If I wipe them with a dry towel they look great (which I do before we have company). WH wonders if it took a month to clean out the junk in our dishwasher, because I can honestly say I am really pleased with the soap now. I will usually have an item or two that needs to be hand washed after it's gone through the cycle, but that is almost always due to not getting the chunks of something off (and it's usually silverware).

Here are my observations:

• I've decided that the automatic dishwasher is somewhat of a farce; there is no way to get your dishes "spotless" without heavy-duty chemicals. You'd think hot water and soap would do it, but even the dishwasher repair man says not to load your dishes full of food particles, because they just get ground up and sprayed all over your dishes again. I guess the chemicals break down some of this food, so if you aren't using those you can imagine the mess on your dishes. I should add: I may be in a stage of life at some point where I need the convenience more than I want the chemical-free soap, but for now the latter is my priority.
• Using this soap requires me to rinse my dishes fairly quickly so nothing hardens, or keep a sink full of water to throw the dishes in until I can load them. This is not such a bad habit anyway, so I don't mind.
• My dishwasher foamed (as in, soap spilled onto the floor a little) the first few times I used this natural soap. The author of the blog link above suggested it was the result of my dishwasher getting some residual junk out of the system. Who knows...but it only happened a few times, and on those days my floors were especially clean.
• Coffee, peanut butter, and lipstick residue will not come off without a good pre-scrub. FYI.
  
• The soap is so concentrated and has some sort of pine oil in it. I've noticed that when it gets on my hands (at full strength) it irritates them a little so this has kept me from using the soap as hand-wash dish detergent. Maybe I need to dilute it more.
• I still purchase a big box of Oxyclean (which I'm fairly sure is not natural :) ) for soaking items that are stained.
  

I'm new to all of this, so if you have any other cleaning suggestions, do tell! If you've tried the soap and found it frustrating, I hope this will help. If you haven't tried it yet- but want to- maybe this will save you some annoyance. If you never wanted to try natural cleaners in the first place I'm sure you find all this amusing. To each his own!

Stocking stuffer (or early Christmas present for yourself)

My keys have been without a key chain for several years now. When we lived on the mountain, I had car keys with a keyless entry gadget...those were the two keys on my ring. We kept a house key hidden in a drawer but we never used it and we never locked the door to our house. That isn't saying so much about the safety of our neighborhood (although living in a triplex did mean someone was usually home) as it did our lack of anything worth stealing. Sometimes living there seems like a dream...hard to believe that was our reality. But they were good days and we wouldn't trade them for the world.

Back to my reason for posting: I purchased this beauty for around $5 from a friend on Etsy, and I am in love with it!
I had to look up "Fob" on Wikipedia, not really knowing the true definition. Apparently it's uses are quite diverse. Look it up for yourself. But for the purpose of recommending a great stocking stuffer, we'll call it a Key Fob. If I need to run in someplace I can slip it on my wrist (great when my two hands are holding hands, AND I have a baby in the sling). Looks great on the job. I emailed the seller and told her the colors I wanted, and she made me one to match my diaper bag. I've been shopping year round for clearance stocking stuffers for the kids- I only wish they had keys so I could get them one.

Until the end of October, this Etsy seller is offering free shipping, which is why I'm mentioning the whole Christmas present idea in October. Then again, my motto for Christmas presents is, "It's never too early!" :)

Slow

Already feeling the need to slow down, Ann's application and reminders were just what I needed. I can't believe how much my attitude changed when I laid aside the extras, sat down and enjoyed my children, hot tea, the falling rain (and maybe snow tomorrow!). Even my work, done slowly and with purposeful enjoyment created an atmosphere of peace. The children still argued, needed correction and instruction, the baby still woke up at night. But I was (mostly) grounded, and maybe even more key: rested. I think exhaustion is such a major deterrent to peace and joy in mothers of young children. Many times there's nothing we can do about it. I'm realizing there may be just as many opportunities to rest and slow down and I've just been missing them. I have the good fortune of getting sick almost every time I go a week without enough sleep. If rest is key to my good health and my ability to take care of my family, why do I avoid it so much? I love a full productive day and the visible fruits thereof. If I sit down to read a book, what do I have to show for it? I am learning.

Speaking of reading, I really want to give a little book report on my latest read, and how it is changing the way we eat and live. I just returned from the Farmer's Market (it was 37 degrees this morning when I left the market!) where, inspired by this book, I purchased something from everyone (except the leather jewelry guy). I came home with 3 butternut squash, 2 pints of cherry tomatoes, 4 green peppers, 4 pears, a jar of jam, a handful of banana peppers, cayenne, and jalapenos, and 2 chocolate truffles... for $16. (This guy has no idea what he's talking about when he says only elitist can buy fresh/local/organic.) I returned at 8:30am and Sweet A started popping cherry tomatoes before the waffles were finished (no doubt she's my daughter). WH & Coop watched in amazement, not being big tomato fans.

I'm off to spend the day preparing for a Sabbath feast- cleaning, food prep, and maybe a little baby food-making with all this butternut squash. Hope your weekend is restful!

Brite in real life

If you have visions of my life as a creative fairyland, full of all kinds of arts and food projects, sewing and scrapbooking ventures...well, I've had days like that, but not lately. Why does it always seem like things get out-of-control busy, only so that we can scale WAY back and re-evaluate our load and try again. One wise man used this word picture: you have to know how much water your boat can hold before it sinks. Sometimes you realize your boat is starting to sink, so you frantically start bailing water over the side as a means of preserving life. The size of my boat is not the same as yours, so the extra load we can carry may be different. We are bailing a lot of water right now.

I'm sure the Lord creates scenarios like these in life (frequently) so that I will step back and reconsider my priorities and what I really want to be doing with my days. Time is flying- my baby is almost walking; my two-year old is always wanting to help in the kitchen and talks about the day when she will make dinner; my four year-old old is begging for more "school." I don't want to miss any of this because I'm busying myself with projects of lesser value. So, I step back, put all the fun fabric and paper away for a season, and then slowly add it back as I'm able. I know it's not a flaw in the system, but the ebb and flow of life in an imperfect world.

That said, I did drive an hour away to a huge fabric store a few weeks ago and bought yards of ribbon to make bows in all kinds of fall colors. True to my word (and excessive frugality) I have not purchased any big bows for Sweet A, and have used the SOLE pink bow Moriah gave me as a shower present. How we made it this long with one big pink bow and a handful of smaller bows (which I did purchase) I don't know, but now we own a beautiful array of browns, purples, oranges, and reds, all for less than $1 each.

I do have quite a few things to post, but I'm resolved to get my personal correspondence under control before I post anything else. Here are a few highlights:

• Fall decorations are out
• 

I've tried several brands of nice candles for fall scents- this $4 Pumpkin Spice candle from the store we all love to hate is my all-time favorite:

• Made my first flourless chocolate cake- disastrous in visual appeal but delicious
• Learning all about seasonal veggies in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
  
• Finally satisfied with homemade dishwasher detergent (more on that another time)
• Still eating lots of homemade corn chips and fresh salsa with the last of the tomatoes- not good for the waistline but I'm still nursing so that's how I justify it
• Starting to think about Christmas gifts, cards, projects to start, including making stockings for our family
• Looking for a house to buy (informally, but it's taking up a lot of time)

I'm sure there's more...discipline galore, training the baby, starting to introduce cereal to the baby and finding he is indeed sensitive to foods that thrive on yeast, etc. etc. etc. Hope your week is a delight, and that if you need to bail some water out of your boat you will do it and not feel guilty!

And the winner is...

Erika, who said:
I only wish I had the time to stamp! Still working on keeping up with the laundry. ;)
Love the cards, might need to purchase some if I don't win.

Congratulations- I'll put these in the mail for you today!

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The beauty of these cards comes from vibrant ink and an amazing image vs. lots of embellishments, so they are less expensive to make. I'm thinking stocking stuffer prices! :) Look for them in the shop soon.

Here's a question for you, my friends:
If you purchase cards (or even if you make them), how many do you like in a set? Do you prefer a set of 4, 6, 8, 10? Just curious.

Extensions

Hair extensions are the first thing that come to mind when I hear that word but since I don't know anything about them, that's not my topic today.

Blog giveaway extensions. I've been told that other people's weekends were as busy as mine and blog checking wasn't a priority, and therefore I should extend the giveaway. I'm a small-town blog, with small-town blog politics and government. I guess that means I can change the rules at will. Contest ends at midnight tonight and the winner will be randomly chosen tomorrow morning.

Anyway, as Nicky stated, just remember that your chances here are way better than any contest at the Pioneer Woman blog. Then again, she started out small, too. My brother (Hunter) actually introduced PW to me as a photography blog back in the day. I remember entering her contests when I was only one of hundreds vying for a prize, not thousands. And just think, you are one of 10's vying for these cards...one day it might be MUCH more difficult to win my $12 prize, and you will be able to say you remember the day...

Hope you had a great weekend! Today is House Restoration Day...I'm off to start some laundry.

Busy week= bad friend

And no blog posts. I didn't even have time to call my own mother until today. At least I have my priorities straight. I've been wanting to blog all week because the last few days have been full of creativity. Creativity and doctors appointments. Let's start at the very beginning.

Monday...I don't remember anything about Monday.

Tuesday...I taught a stamping class and had 13 lovely ladies attend and learn some new techniques for creating card sets from limited supplies. I'm a scrap paper queen, so this was especially fun for me. Here are a few samples:



I made an extra set for the shop and I can't get enough of this curry color! It's a result of being born in the 70's.

Wednesday I had an apron order to fill... you can view the finished product here. I also had to clean up from aforementioned class, which took place in my living room. My dear husband is a saint to put up with the paper and mess. It was cleaned up by evening and I was ready to face the next two days of doctor's appointments.

Now that I am typing this all out, I remember that I sorted through kids' clothes on Monday, making a list of everything I still need for the winter. It's been 30+ degrees at night; a signal that it's time to make sure everyone will be warm and cozy this winter. I usually shop a big consignment sale for all the kids' clothes, but our new town doesn't have anything like that, so it was Goodwill hunting for me. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Thursday... All the children were scheduled for well-child doctors visits. I have not typically done this in the past, but we needed to find a new pediatrician so the plan was to get all the kids in to see her before flu season began. The office was accepting new patients, but would not see all the kids in succession, so yesterday I had a 9:45am and a 1pm, and then a 9:45am today. Yesterday we just camped out at my sister-in-laws in between appointments and she watched whoever was not with me at the doctor. Today my mother-in-law came and watched the older two while I took Baby T. I was geared up for the whole thing to be somewhat of an ordeal, but it wasn't. During the time I was not at the doctors I was hunting for winter clothes at thrift shops and Once Upon a Child. It's great to have family close by!

One little note (for the few of you who care): I could not have asked for a better doctor! She has four children and her husband is a full-time organic farmer. She said, "Great!" when I told her I'd birthed my kids at home, agreed that continued nursing for Baby T was a great option, and was all for some of the alternative choices we've made concerning health. What a relief! God is good...and this was a huge weight off my mind.

So, here I am with a cup of coffee and a donut (courtesy of my mother-in-law...why does she tempt me so?), with housework building up and lots still to do after a busy week. We are heading off for the weekend and I hope to visit a discount fabric warehouse and find something for the Spare 'Oom curtains. Hope your weekend is restful!