Crunchy Peas

I have an idea...

Grab some warm blankets,

and throw them into the back of the truck.

You wear these,

 

Source: modernhepburn.tumblr.com via Libby on Pinterest

Source: modernhepburn.tumblr.com via Libby on Pinterest

 

I'll wear this...

Source: northernstarcrossed.tumblr.com via Libby on Pinterest

 

Source: google.com via Libby on Pinterest

 

You should probably leave your razor at home.

Source: modernhepburn.tumblr.com via Libby on Pinterest

 

We can share this (it's coffee plus Bailey's).

Source: nowandthan.tumblr.com via Libby on Pinterest

 

I'll flip the pancakes,

 You fry the bacon.

Source: campingroadtrip.com via Jessie on Pinterest

 

Source: northernstarcrossed.tumblr.com via Libby on Pinterest

 

Let's ignore our schedules, turn off our phones...

Source: classy-in-the-city.tumblr.com via Libby on Pinterest

 

And throw away the map.

Let's get a little lost. Let's go camping.

Coming up for Air

Ian is one month old. Time has both whizzed by, and seemed to stretch on forever.

 

I thought that I would have a better handle on things by now...but sheesh, 4 kids is really kicking my butt! It is all good, really, really, good. Just a lot.  A LOT!

 

I don't have a very high level of tolerance for chaos, so the postpartum period for me is always an exercise in chilling out. I am thankful to that I always bounce back from pregnancy and birth so quickly, however, this makes it hard to sit still. I wish I was better at sitting still. Nursing is a good remedy for that! I have to choose/make myself go easy. The messy bedrooms, dishes piled high, sticky floors, and heaps of laundry-- they just have to wait. I have to be okay with that.

Ian is okay with that too.

Other random thoughts:

*For anyone who is considering cloth diapering a newborn, x-small Fuzzi Bunz is where it's at! I am also using prefolds with this cover and this one too.

*It was a nice thought, but Ian doesn't really like his SpaBaby tub yet.  He prefers the kitchen sink (which is a great motivator for me to keep the dirty dishes out of it).

*The Moby has literally saved my life at least 103 times since Ian has been born. He loves it!

*Scouting out good deals on one of these BOB strollers.  Slightly obsessed with procuring one.

*No more babies for us. Carl had a vasectomy last week-- a completely hilarious process. For me at least. Frozen peas, lots of ibuprofen, and a great BIG baby! Good thing I'm the one who did all the childbearing! He's back to his old self now, thankfully.

*Ian looks identical to his older sister Laurel.  Carl and I have both caught ourselves calling him a "her" or "she". Gotta get that worked out right away!

*The weather has been drizzly, windy, cold and cloudy.  Perfect for snuggling a new babe. The girls have been so great at entertaining themselves inside.  Hooray for fun/educational iphone apps, good books, puzzles, UNO, and quick trips to the library.

*I love this blanket, Ian LOVES this blanket.  You should all love this blanket.  Ian is used to sleeping right next to me in bed at night...so during the day for naps it helps keep him safely snuggled up tight.

Okay, that is all I can think of for now, I'd love to be back soon.  Bare with me!

Oh, hello there.

Yes, I have been away.  Yes, summer has been good to us.  Yes, we are enjoying every last drop.  I am however, missing all of you.  If you are still reading and visiting this lonely little space...well then bless you!  It is my intention to get back to writing in a more regular way- starting today.

The garden is in full bloom and the veggies are rolling in. It hasn't exactly been a bumper crop year in our back yard, but none the less, we are taking what we can get.  We have been fighting a little bit of blossom-end rot, some VERY bitter cucumbers, and those nasty squash bugs.  

Yesterday I caught the neighbor kids plucking cherry tomatoes in secret.  I had to laugh, not only is there more than enough to go around, but let them steal VEGETABLES...and eat them!!!

The sunflowers made their debut last week.  Oooohing and Ahhhhing ensued as we remembered just how magnificent they are.

The above ground boxes have worked well.  Next year, I plan to really try and amend the soil better.  We brought in topsoil for the boxes this year and I have the feeling it just wasn't very nutrient rich.

The other improvement that simply (or not so simply says my husband) must happen next year is: irrigation.  Watering with a hose day and night is a big task and one that doesn't lend itself very well to summer getaways and travel.  Some of my plants have indeed suffered because I haven't been the most consistent water girl.

I love the squash and corn patch. The girls call it "the jungle" and it is a favorite hiding place for Sophie The Cat. 

I never regret all the hard work that goes into our summer gardens.  It always turns out to be more than just a patch of dirt where food grows. 

    

It is a place where we invest ourselves, of sowing and reaping.  I love the way it fosters anticipation and helps us to find joy in simple things. Our garden is a shady little oasis of green that has kept our hands busy and our mouths happy all summer long.

Vegan 'till 6pm

Mary Beth of Salt and Chocolate posted a link to a great podcast that I wanted to pass on.  Mark Bittman talks about his book Food Matters, and how he has Incorporated a vegan way of eating into his normally carnivorous life.  I listened to it and thought he had a refreshingly balanced approached to the subject.  I'm usually turned off a little bit by people with "loud soapboxes" so his personality appealed to me. He talks about eating less meat and other animal products to benefit both health and environment.  Anyways, Mary Beth is inviting others to join her in becoming vegan 'till 6pm.  Guess what?  I'm in!  My husband is a meat eater and as hard as I've tried, I just can't convince him to give it up. That is why this approach would work for us. It is more or less just a way of cutting back- way back- on animal products in our diet.

I'll share more as I get going, but I envision grains for breakfast, salads for lunch and then a normal dinner. Not too hard right? Just more plants! The hardest part for me will be giving up milk, cheese, yogurt and eggs.  I've long suspected that I have an intolerance or sensitivity to dairy but have never attempted to cut it out of my diet. (I take that back. Once I bought some goat's milk but when I tried to drink it, it smelled like a really stinky goat that I saw on my field trip to a farm in grade school.  I poured a $7 quart of it down the drain.)

 

**I also watched this last night.  I know, weird right?  A documentary on Saturday night!  If you enjoy that kind of thing, I thought it was very insightful.

Okay, this whole deal starts tomorrow for me-  Join in if you like!

Garden 2009

  

Planning for this year's garden is in full swing.  This will be the third year that we grow veggies in our back yard and we've got big ideas for that 15ftx 45ft plot of dirt.

 (The New Victory Garden- awesome book!)

 As much as I think that I would love taking on something like this..."Be realistic, be realistic, be realistic" is my mantra this year.  Last season I planted 4 cherry tomato plants!!??? After eating gobs of them ourselves and forcefully offering them to all of our friends and neighbors, we just couldn't consume all of them.  So, this year I am focusing on things that we like eating,in quantities that we enjoy, and that can be easily preserved.

The girls have been especially inspired.  I have been trying to find age appropriate ways of incorporating them into the planning.

After going through our favorite seed catalog (Bountiful Gardens- heirloom/non genetically modified seeds), we picked out our favorite veggies.  Each girl was allowed to pick one or two packets of seed for her very own tending.  For Hannah sunflowers are always a must.  She also wants to try some strawberries.

 

 Emma and I measured our garden space and then worked out how much room we would need to plant what we ordered.  She investigated which plants grow well together and created a little "vegetable friends and enemies" chart.  Then, I gave her some graph paper and asked her to create a map of our intended plans to scale.

 

It proved to be a great little math/science/nature study assignment.  She worked hard on it and enjoyed the detailed and spacial thinking that it required.

In the previous years we have just grown our vegetables in the ground.  However, our soil is very clay based and it has been hard to amend it for better draining.  So this year I have requested above ground beds.  My husband has also promised to a install drip irrigation system.  Last year I relied up on timed sprinklers or manual watering.  I'm finding lots of inspiration out there.

Here is what we hope to grow this year:

corn (I haven't had success in years past with non-gmo corn seeds, I'm going hybrid this year)

potatoes

zucchini

broccoli

cauliflower

cucumbers

snap peas

carrots

leeks

radishes

onions

tomatoes (roma, cherry, and large heirloom)

sweet bell peppers

strawberries

green beans

greens (butterhead lettuce, gourmet mix, chard)

squash (acorn, butternut, yellow crookneck)

The seeds are on their way and we are making room around the sunniest spaces indoors. The last frost date around here is about middle of May.  Planting day is coming soon!

cleaning house

If you are like me, right about now you are tearing down the decorations and scrubbing everything.  I always get that spring cleaning itch right after Christmas. I scrapped my tree yesterday.  A nice clean slate! Clean countertops and clutter free rooms- bliss.

This year, as gifts for my friends, I went a little crunchy. I put together little cleaning kits for my friends.

 

The Dollar Tree was so helpful.  I found the empty spray bottles, scrub brushes, microfiber sponges and cute green baskets there.  I also tucked in an organic cotton dish towel.  The cleaners I made for them: All-Purpose Cleaner, Window Cleaner, and Lavender Scouring Scrub. 

 

Here's how I made them.

All Purpose Cleaner:

In an large glass measuring cup I mixed together 1 tsp Baking Soda, 2 tsp Borax, a few drops of Lliquid Dish Soap. (I used this because it was dye and fragrance free), and 2 cups of very Hot Water.  Stir, stir, stir.  Then I added a splash of Lemon Juice and several drops of Lemon Essential Oil.  Then, use a funnel to pour cleaner into an empty spray bottle. 

Window Cleaner:

Again, in a large glass measuring cup mix together 2 Tbl Vinegar, a few drops of Liquid Dish Soap, and 2 cups Hot Water.  Using a funnel, pour into empty squirt bottle.  This one is so easy! If you are just staring to use natural glass cleaner you may find this to be somewhat smeary as it cleans off all the residue of commercial cleaners.

Lavender Scouring Scrub:

In a large bowl measure 2 cups of Baking Soda.  Add 10-15 drops of Lavender Essential oil into the bowl along with the baking soda.  Then, pour this mixture into a sifter and work all the little clumps out.  I put finished mixture into a wide mouth pint jar.  This smells so good and can also be used in the laundry along with to your soap.

Easy huh?  Happy Scrubbing.

**With all the tidying up around here, I haven't neglected myself. There's been some "cleaning house" going on inside of me too.  I've been doing this program for sometime now and am beginning to see real and lasting changes in my heart and in my weight too.  Just thought I would throw that out there as many of you may be contemplating your New Year's Resolutions.

Tip of the Day

Here is a little tip that I picked up since I have been cloth diapering. (Many of you may already know this.) I never use fabric softener.  It just creates build up on our clothes (especially towels) and some of us have really sensitive skin.  Instead I use vinegar in the rinse cycle.  Because I don't hover over my machine and have the ability to catch the rinse cycle, I have relied upon this little downy ball to do the job for me. (Find it in the laundry soap isle next to the Downy that you are supposed to put in it.)  I just fill it up to the line and drop it in.  Through the magic of symmetrical force, the vinegar is released during the rinse cycle.  It works great, you don't have to mess with those dryer sheets hiding in your clothes, and no- your clean laundry will NOT smell like vinegar.  It it passed the smell test with Carl, I can assure you it doesn't.  Happy washing!

spool snake

I had a lovely Mother's Day that included pancakes, bacon and coffee made by the Mister.  I also stole away to the fabric store for a few hours.  Alone.  The girls gave me sweet cards that they made in school, and Carl and I went out to dinner on Friday night.

As much as I love my girls, the occasional dinner without them is a real treat.  I like eating out like adults.  Wine, appetizers, foods that you cannot pronounce.  Very tasty.  We were also celebrating Carl's birthday. 

(brownies and ice cream, when you get older cake and frosting are not a necessities)

Today he is 34!  I like older men.  Not only do they have more money, but grey hair can be very distinguished.  Besides, you have to marry someone older than you if you want to be in a relationship with someone who's maturity level is equal to that of your own.  He is four years older than me...and those four years help.  In all seriousness, I love you Carl and Happy Birthday!

I made Laurel a little toy yesterday.  My grandma gave me one of her craft books (which would make it vintage) and it had all kinds of simple ideas for homemade toys. All the necessary supplies are ordinary things that you find around your house.  I just love toys that don't have flashing lights, make beeping sounds, or have a screen.

I have been saving all my empty thread spools in a jar hoping that I could, at some point, put them to good use.  This little project was just the thing.  A spool snake.  Just tie a knot at the end of a ribbon and thread them on.  I did tie a knot in between each spool in order to make it lanky enough (is that a word?).  Also, it was a bit plain so I cut some patterned paper and taped it on each spool.  You could glue it on, but I used tape because I am lazy like that.  Then, at the other end of the ribbon I tied a little loop for pulling.  See, here it is in action.

And here the snake is slithering up the stairs.

Two warnings come along with this little snake.  First, if you are going to take your snake for a walk down the stairs, be sure that the little snake doesn't slither under your feet and get tangled up under your pink cowboy boots.  This may result in doing approximately three somersaults down the stairs and ending up with some slight resentment and disfavor to your spool snake.  Also, beware of kitties who love to chase these types of snakes. 

So, there you go.  Don't throw your spools away, make a snake.  A little person or a kitty might thank you.

friends are good

The last few days, I have to admit, I have been feeling a bit bogged down, overwhelmed, frustrated.  Do you ever feel like you are spinning your wheels?  Like you are in a dream where someone horrible is chasing you but you are stuck- can't run?  There is so much that has to be done around here that I can't seem to find enough time to do what it is that I really want to do.  Who wants to be doing dishes or folding heaps of laundry when there is yarn and fabric waiting nearby. And then there are the children.  Since the beginning of the holidays I have been preoccupied.  With all the gift-making and entertaining that we have done, I am afraid my attention towards them has been less. Yesterday, Emma asked me (with her big blue eyes) "Mommy, why don't you ever play with us anymore?"  Ughhh, balance is so hard for me to achieve.

What we needed was a play date.  Some time with friends.  That always seems to do the trick, puts things back into perspective.  So, we were lucky enough to have my sweet friend Saci over this morning.  She moved from Hungary 6 years ago, and I was fortunate enough to have her in my childbirth classes 2 years ago.  Even more fortunate was I to see her beautiful daughter be born.  We've been friends since.

And now, she is expecting baby #2.  Unfortunately we don't get to see them very often.  Silly really, seeing as how we live a mere 30 minutes from each other.  But, you know how it goes....kids, and schedules and such.  Also, she lives up one of the canyons here, and some days the snow makes for difficult travel out.

I tend to get a bit nervous when she comes.  I love cooking for other people, but Saci and her family are Vegan- we are not.  Wanting to respect that, I always have to think a little about what I can make her other than lettuce :).  This book is so wonderful.  All the recipes (with the exception of maybe two or three are vegan). There are so many family friendly, yummy, healthy things to eat inside.  It is definitely one that I recommend.

So, I decided upon the Three Sisters Stew.  The recipe says that Native Americans used to grow corn, squash and beans (the primary ingredients) all together.  The beans would climb up the corn stalks, and the squash grew on the ground in between the corn.  It was so tasty.  Perfect for a cold winter day like today.

I also made some pumpkin muffins with banana/tofu frosting.  I know it sounds unappetizing- but even my kids devoured them.  Seriously, get the book.

I love that Saci is so simple. She sees through all the disgusting materialism we have here in the US.  She reminds me that we over complicate most things. I always feel more focused on what is really important after she leaves. Whenever she comes, she always brings me a gift. (reason enough to invite her more often :)

This time she made me a bag for knitting and crochet.  Oh how I have been wanting something like this!  I like to crochet while I wait for the girls to come out of school or piano, and I never have an organized way to transport all my projects.  She included some knitting needles and some cotton yarn along with a pattern for dishcloths that I have been begging her for. (I barely know how to knit- so she assured me that this would be a great start).  I was so thankful, pretty don't you think?

While we chatted the girls had fun playing, er jumping on the bed.

Why don't grown-ups jump on the bed?  Perhaps it is because we can find no one willing to look silly enough to jump with us. I vow to do it more often- it seems I would have lots of willing participants.

Friends are good, and I was thankful for a visit from one of mine today! Feeling better now.

looking back, looking forward

2007 You were lovely, a platform for many fond memories.  Looking back, my favorite moment was watching my girls put their feet into the pacific ocean for the first time ever.

The image is of pure joy as they felt the salty water around their ankles and the sand wiggling under their feet. Forever it will be seared into my mind... almost as blissful as the moment I first laid eyes on each of them at the moment of birth.  Our time spent at the beach was truly a highlight for me.

Looking forward to 2008 brings several emotions. First -there is disbelief. I cannot believe that we are standing on the brink of another year!?!  I am sure that time is speeding up. Second- there is bittersweetness. Where have all the babies gone?  Three young ladies live here now.  My children are growing so fast.   And thirdly- there is anticipation.  I like fresh starts and new beginnings.  Perhaps that is why I tend to be a morning person.  I like aiming higher.

My New Year's Resolutions could best be divided into three categories (yes, I have really spent that much time thinking about it :)

* TAKING BETTER CARE OF MYSELF (This one is always hard to write, I prefer taking care of others)

+ In terms of nutrition, be a "do as I do" kind of mom.  No more sneaking unhealthy food when the kids aren't looking or after they go to bed. They are starting to figure it out.

+ Find fun ways of sneaking in exercise.  Just because I don't make it to the gym doesn't mean that I can't find some other way of fitting it in (ie. dancing with the kids, or playing tag, building a snowman, etc.)  It doesn't have to be so grueling, so scheduled...just heart rate raising!

+ Floss at least once daily.  I don't know why I have such a hard time making this a regular habit!

*TAKING BETTER CARE OF MY STUFF  (I am blessed with a lot of nice things...I need to take better care of what I have.)

+ One word, laundry. Treating stains, delicate cycles, hanging dry, DOING IT.

+ Be diligent about cleaning, tuning, and regularly scheduling maintenance on all appliances and automobiles.

 

+ If something breaks- Can it be repaired? Can we find another use for it? Stop using the "throw it away and buy a new one" philosophy.

*TAKING BETTER CARE OF OUR EARTH (reduce, reuse, recycle really does describe it best)

+ Cut waaaaaay back or totally eliminate plastic. Already I use fabric shopping bags, and mesh bags for my produce...but I am addicted to zip-loc sandwich bags. A solution?  I ordered this to help me. Yep, I am really going to start washing and re-using them.  Go ahead, laugh now.

+ Use cloth napkins over paper towels. I am in the process of making more. Besides, they are prettier. And, funny enough, our manners seem to improve when we use them.

+ opt out of several catalogs that come my way.  I shop online anyways.

It shouldn't be that hard right?  Pretty simple, now keep me to it! Thank you to all of those who have left little snippets of your thoughts here along with mine.  I love your comments and it means so much to me that you peek your head in here every now and then to say hello. 

Happy New Year to all of you, here's to a great 2008!

Fluff

Ahhhh, nothing like a stack of fresh, clean, fluffy diapers.  I really love them, and if you know me at all--you had to know that this post was coming! 

I think this time around with Laurel, I was confident enough in the basic mothering skills that I wanted to take on a new challenge- cloth diapering.  A lot of my students inquire about it, and I thought that I should have some first hand experience.  I researched and researched until finally when she was 8 weeks old- I bought my first set.

Doesn't she look cute at 2.5 months in her first wool soaker?

It is really not that hard.  I bet it only adds 2 extra loads of laundry per week.  Even my older girls (who did not get cloth) call disposable dipes "scratchy diapers". They have turned into diaper snobs. You wouldn't believe how far cloth diapers have come.  No more folded diapers with plastic pants...times have changed mamas!

They are really quite cute and trim. It is just a simple little thing that I can do to reduce my family's impact on our environment. (Pretty sure that my dad is rolling his eyes right about now.)  I haven't ventured into the land of sewing my own...not sure that I will get their either.  I would imagine that Laurel will begin toilet training next summer. 

Until then, I think hemp, fleece, cotton and wool wrapped buns are pretty cute!

Green Clean

My house is a mess.  I take that back.  My house is dirty.  I am pretty good and picking up and making it appear clean.  When it comes to deep down clean...not so good.  I think that maybe it is a time issue.  I remember the days when I could clean my whole house in one day.  From top to bottom everything would be done.  Then, I could sit back and enjoy the sparklyness (I have 3 girls I am allowed to invent words like that).  Nowadays, I have to clean in bits and pieces.  If the girls are soaking in the tub...I wipe down the sink, mirror and toilet etc. But I usually don't have huge blocks of time to really cover the whole house.  Knowing that I won't get very far prevents me from getting anywhere at all. Lame, I know.

Sometimes the only thing that will inspire me to "deep clean" is making my own cleaner.  "Making" inspires me.  (I love the post that Amanda wrote about her daughter's one word sentence.)  Even my husband remarked that he liked my cleaner better than one of the bottles he bought at the store.  This is saying a lot because my huband is the king of using massively toxic bleach laden "be- sure-and- have adequate- ventilation" cleaners.

I have tried lots of recipes for homemade cleaner.  Here is the one that I like the best for all-purpose cleaning (from sew green)

1tsp baking soda

2 tsp borax (in the laundry soap isle of the grocery store)

1 tsp liquid soap-  I use this (weird writing on the bottle, great soap)

2 cups hot water

10 or so drops of favorite essential oil- I like grapefruit or tea tree oil

Mix together, pour into spray bottle, shake before each use.

I actually double or triple this recipe and fill a spray bottle for the kitchen, and all 3 bathrooms.

For scouring or scrubbing I love using baking soda and lemon juice.  Just sprinkle the baking soda in the tub or sink or whatever.   Then, pour a bit of lemon juice in too.  Your kids will love how it "fizzes".  That is the great thing about using homemade cleaners- they are safe for kids! Great, because I can fill a spray bottle with their name on it!!!!   Happy scrubbing.

Not Plastic

A few weeks ago my Grandparents came for a visit.  Usually they bring gifts for the girls, but this time I was the one on the receiving end. In they walked with this perfect wooden contraption.

They bought it at a garage sale from an older gentleman who lives across the street from them.  His wife had just moved into a nursing home- and this was her sewing basket.

When you open it up there are layers upon layers waiting to be filled with trinkets..

I suppose it should be used for notions or embroidery accessories.  I don't have much of either (maybe an excuse to buy more?).  Not quite big enough for my yarn stash, it still sits empty.  Well, that is not entirely true.

Laurel has made good use of it.  Any other ideas about what I could fill it with?

I just love wooden things, they last so much longer and stay so much nicer. We are not really into electronic, flashing, buzzing, beeping toys here ("gee dear I am not sure where that dollar store cell phone went, it must be lost- sorry").  Plus, being a bit crunchy, there is that whole plastic/toxic thing.

   

It seems like the toys that are wooden require more imagination. I'll admit we have some purging to do. That is a project that will be done more thoroughly when the girls are away at school.  Funny how they don't even seem to miss what has gone missing.  Not plastic (in the words of Martha) "its a good thing."