Late Spring Blooms

It is late spring and we have quite a few flowers blooming around our property. I snapped some pictures of them this morning while the kids were playing. I thoroughly enjoyed breathing in the country air, listening to the birds chirp, and watching my children play. Living so far out in the country gives one many opportunities to think and ponder God's wonderful creation.

I think I have mentioned it before, but we live in the house I grew up in. With the exception of about 3 years of my life I have lived on this property. Many times I can't imagine living anywhere else. Yet, this morning, as I was walking around, God revealed something to me. It doesn't matter where I live because without my family this property would mean nothing.

Enough seriousness. On to the pictures!

Lilies

Peony


Roses


Honeysuckle (I can almost smell the sweet fragrance through the computer.)


Dandelions & Clover

Late Spring Blooms

Cleaning with "Holey" Socks

I am not talking holy socks like you might wear to church, but I am talking about socks with holes in them. :-) We seem to go through a lot of socks in this house. My older two children and I seem to be the best at creating holes in socks.

So, what is a mom to do when she has a pile of socks with holes in them? Well, we could make sock puppets out of them. That might be fun. Maybe we could even use them as stuffing for throw pillows. I am sure if I Googled it I could find even more uses for old socks.

Sometimes I think that I should sit down and sew up the holes in our socks, but there just seems to be too much else to do in a day. So, instead of just chucking them in the trash (or making hundreds of sock puppets) when they get holes in them I use the socks as cleaning rags.

The cool thing about cleaning with old socks is that you can slip your hand inside and use them as sort of a cleaning glove. You can wash them with your towels and washcloths and reuse them, or if they get really gross just toss them. So, next time you need cleaning rags look no further than your sock drawer.

Using our "holey" socks as cleaning rags works for me. See more Works for Me Wednesday tips at We Are That Family.

Cleaning with "Holey" Socks

Mini I-Spy Quilt

A couple of months ago I was in a swap on DSD's. We were each to send 30 identical 6 1/2" squares of fabric and we would get back 30 different squares of fabric (including one of the ones we sent). I think I just made that sound more confusing than it actually was. Anyway, it was fun to get all of those different squares of fabric in the mail.

Well, I kept trying to decide how I was going to use the squares, but hadn't come up with anything until last week. I bounced a few ideas off of Ariel of The Creative Juices of Ariel (Go check out her blog!). I decided to make mini quilts for my two littlest guys for Christmas. (The quilt pictured above will be for my youngest.)

First, I cut those 30 squares of fabric into fourths. I used 2 each on this quilt. It is 2 sided, but the squares are arranged differently on each side. After piecing both sides I quilted them together with some horizontal rows of stitching. It was my first attempt at actual quilting, other than stitching in the ditch. It is by no means perfect, but it was fun. I hope that it will be entertaining for my son to look at all of the interesting objects.



I almost forgot some of the details. The squares were each 3 1/4" prior to sewing. I used a 1/4" seam allowance. The finished size of the mini quilt ended up being 14" x 17". I made a 1/2" binding out of some animal fabric to keep with the I-spy theme. For the batting, I used some fleece fabric instead of batting. It made the quilt very sturdy. I am hopeful to finish my other son's mini quilt this week. I will post pictures when I do.

Mini I-Spy Quilt

Plantain

I recently read an article on Passionate Homemaking called 3 Herbal Healers. The plants discussed were aloe, garlic and plantain. I had never heard of plantain, but was excited to learn that it is the second most common weed in most yards. Upon looking at my yard I realized that we had it everywhere (See picture below which was taken right out my back door.)



Well, I went to several more sites to verify the information about plantain. It appeared that plantain could really be beneficial for ailments ranging from bites to rashes, and even to help stop bleeding. Also, everything I read indicated that the best way to get the healing power is the chew on a plantain leaf for a short time before applying it to the hurt area of skin.

The information about plantain was filed away in my mind thankfully because a few weeks ago I got bit by something. I was in the house, so I am assuming it had to be a spider. The bite was on the inside of my arm near my elbow, and it started to swell. My arm felt tingly all the way down to my fingertips.

So, I ran outside and grabbed a plantain leaf. I rinsed it off with some water and chewed it for a few seconds. Then I applied it to the bite and wrapped some athletic tape around my arm to hold the plantain in place. Within a half an hour the swelling was gone and my arm no longer tingled. I was sold on the benefits of this "weed".

I recommend familiarizing yourself with what the plant looks like so you can be able to find it no matter where you are. The leaf has 5 parallel veins and can have a rounded or pointy tip. If you don't have time to rinse the leaf first you will probably be ok. You could also crush it with something like a mortar and pestle instead of chewing it. Obviously, you wouldn't want to use it if you knew that the yard you found it in had been sprayed with any chemicals.

I also read that you can dry the leaves and use them the same way as if they were fresh. This is something I will definitely be putting on my to-do list, so we can utilize this plant all year long.

Plantain

Acetaminophen Suppositories

Today is Works for Me Wednesday again at We Are THAT Family. Where does the time go?

What I have to share today may seem weird and slightly gross. I had never heard of acetaminophen suppositories until my baby had a febrile seizure back in April. The nurse at our pediatrician's office suggested purchasing some and keeping them in the refrigerator. This way if the baby had another seizure we could give him the fever reducer without having to worry about how to get him to swallow the oral kind.

The only store locally that carries the suppositories is Walgreens. You can also purchase them online. Anyway, we bought a package all the while praying that our baby wouldn't have another seizure to even need them. Thankfully, he hasn't had another seizure, but we have had to use the suppositories.

My 4 year old son is a bear to try to get to take medicine. So, when he recently had a fever that got higher than I like to allow without medication I had to use some of the suppositories. I waited until he was asleep and they worked like a charm. It was so much easier than fighting with him.

Then my 6 year old son has been dealing with a fever and two nights in a row this week woke up vomiting because he had spiked a very high fever. While he only threw up once each night he didn't feel that he could swallow any medication. So, suppositories were what I used for him.

Now, I must say that I don't enjoy using the suppositories on my kids. I would much rather them be healthy at all times. Since that is not always the case I am glad to now know about a product that really does work for me. Maybe, if you had never heard about this either, this may be something that will work for you, too.

Acetaminophen Suppositories

My Parents

We are dealing with another sickness in our family even though I had so hoped we were over all of it. Yet, my 6 year old has had a fever since Sunday afternoon. I pray that he gets better very quickly and that I can keep everyone else healthy. It seems like all I have to say anymore is that we are dealing with some sickness.



Since it is Gratituesday over at Heavenly Homemakers I thought I would post about my parents. I know I am not going to do them justice since it is past midnight and I should be sleeping. Sleep isn't coming yet though because I am still keeping a watchful eye on my son's temperature. However, I will try to convey a little about how special they are.

My parents are the kind of people who I aspire to be. They are both so different yet they have so many similar qualities. They help not only my family, but they help so many others. They volunteer their time and give so much to the community. My father is the pastor of two churches and my mom is right there helping with the ministry while working full-time as a school nurse. Hearing others comment about how much they appreciate my parents warms my heart and inspires me to want to be a better person.

My brother and I always knew that we were an important part of our family. My parents talked to us, included us in discussions, taught us about the Lord, and gave us their time. Even when they were both working I don't ever recall feeling like they weren't there to meet our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

As an adult I have grown to appreciate my parents more. They have been with us through the births of our babies, several physically difficult miscarriages, gone to the ER with us, and too many other things to name. I know that I will never be able to repay them for all they have done, but I imagine they aren't looking for pay backs. They do what they do because of their love for us.

My prayer is that I can be that kind of parent to my children. I want my kids to look back and fondly remember the times we have shared. I never want to have any regrets about the job I have done as a parent. I pray that with God's guidance, and the wonderful mentors my parents are, I can be the kind of parent my children deserve.

My mom and dad on Easter Sunday 2009

My Parents

I've Started Another Blog

As if I don't have enough to do, or have enough irons in the fire, (My husband always says I have too many irons in the fire, but I think the fire just needs to be bigger.) I have started another blog. I am still going to keep this blog just as random as always, but I won't be posting allergy-free recipes or info anymore.

In honor of Food Allergy Awareness Week I am kicking off my new blog with a giveaway. Details are here. My new blog is called Cook Allergy-Free (mostly because Cooking Allergy-Free was taken). I hope you will check it out and let others know about it, especially if they are dealing with food allergies. I am not sure where this will lead, but I hope that it will help someone. Otherwise, all of my crazy cooking trials and errors will only help our family. While that is great, I am a helping kind of person and I like to help others.

I've Started Another Blog

Crocheted Whatchamacallit

I really don't know what you would even call what I crocheted yesterday so I am calling it a whatchamacallit. Here is the story. I was trying to design a crocheted basket because my daughter thinks that we need a basket for gathering all of our eggs (The 2-4 we get each day need a basket I guess.) So, she thought a crocheted basket would be just the thing.



So, armed with some cotton yarn I had been given and a hook I set to work. However, I soon realized it was going to be too flimsy as is. I wasn't sure what I would do with it. I had even crocheted a handle. Then the little guy unravelled some of it, and I had a new idea. I crocheted a few more rounds and then stuck an empty 3 pound butter tub inside and finished it off. I stuck it in my daughter's room, and when she got home from school she thought it was so cool. It reminds me of Neapolitan ice cream, so I suppose that is cool. Anyway, I am going back to the drawing board with regards to crocheted basket designs.

Crocheted Whatchamacallit

Parchment Paper

Today is Works for Me Wednesday at We Are That Family , and I wanted to share with you about parchment paper. While this is not an exciting topic I have to say that it does work for me.

I have mostly only used it to line cookie sheets which really makes baking cookies much more fun because they don't get stuck. I often reuse a sheet many times because I am cheap, I mean frugal, and don't want to waste it. Well, over the weekend I came up with another baking use.

I have been trying to bake our bread from scratch and like to use my glass bread pans. However, no matter how I would grease them the bread would get stuck in some spots. Well, I lined the bread pans with parchment paper and baked them as usual. They came out of the pans so easily and I was so happy with the results. Below is a picture of what I did.



I just went to this site and was able to print out a coupon for Reynold's Parchment Paper. They also have quite a few tips about using parchment paper. It really was pretty informative. Maybe you will find that parchment paper can work for you too.

Parchment Paper

Etsy Shop Update

I have just added 5 new items to my Etsy shop. I had made too many chalkboard rolls for Christmas gifts and have just listed them for sale. Check them out if you are interested. I also have 2 crocheted wool diaper covers still listed. Thanks for allowing my shameless plug!

Below is a picture of one of the chalkboard rolls I have listed. Here is the link to my shop. http://luv2beamom.etsy.com

Etsy Shop Update

Sometimes the most simple things...

...can bring the most enjoyment. My husband brought home a very large box from work on Friday. It was just going to be trashed, so he thought the kids might enjoy it. He cut a door and window, and hours of fun followed. I am so thankful that my children, amidst all of the commercialism of this world, can still find joy in the simplicity of a big box.

Sometimes the most simple things...

Mother's Day Gifts

I haven't been overly crafty lately. Hopefully, I can get back in the swing of things soon. I did have a chance to make something for my mom for Mother's Day.



The bag pictured above was made of two placemats and is my design. I am working on getting a tutorial together and hope to have it up by the end of the week.

The frame is holding a piece of linen that has some cutwork lace. It came from a tablecloth of my grandmothers. I inherited her large dining room set and the tablecloth went with it. However, it was in sad shape in a few spots. It had alternating squares like the one pictured above and ones that were all lace. I cut it apart a couple of years ago thinking I would do something with it, but never had. So, I decided to use one of the squares for a gift for my mom.

I first put a piece of scrapbook paper behind the fabric. Then I placed a small picture of my first Mother's Day which shows 4 generations of mothers (my mom, my grandma, my baby girl and me) which was taken 9 years ago. I placed everything in an 8x10 frame and made a label for the back stating some of what I just told you using fewer words. :-) I think my mom liked it. Now, I just need to come up with some other ways to use the pieces from that tablecloth.

Mother's Day Gifts

Frugal Haircuts

Today is a frugal addition of Works for Me Wednesday over at We Are That Family and I have been trying to decide what I would share since I read that we were to share frugal tips. Then as I looked at my son with his freshly cut hair I knew that was it.

At least 2 years ago, maybe more, I purchased a hair clipper set from a local dollar discount store for $10. I am not someone who is an expert on hair, and quite frankly I am not even an expert on my own hair and I have had it for 30+ years. :-) However, the desire to save money won over any fears I had about cutting my boys' hair.


Conair HC91VCS 15 Piece Haircut kit

The kit I bought looks just like the one pictured above. After the second time I used the kit I was basically cutting my boys' hair for free each time I used it. I say this because most places around here will charge $10 for a child's haircut. When I think of all of the money we have saved by cutting their hair it just makes me smile. My boys don't have the latest hair style, but they look cute to me. :-)

Cutting my boys' hair myself works for me and is a frugal option for our family. I also save money on my daughter's hair because she likes to let it grow long. She hasn't had a haircut in over 1 1/2 years. However, when she did get it cut last we went to a local beauty college and they cut and styled her hair for only $5. That is another option for saving money on haircuts if you don't feel like tackling the job yourself.

Frugal Haircuts

Never Ceasing to Give Thanks

Good afternoon. It is a beautiful day here today. The sun is shining, there is a light breeze, it is about 70 degrees, and it isn't too hot or too cold. I would describe this as my favorite type of weather. It is the kind of day that can improve my mood no matter what else is going on. If I step outside my door and just breathe I feel so much better.

We have dealt with sickness since the middle of March when we passed around a stomach bug. The past month we have been dealing with a virus that just won't leave. I haven't done a Gratituesday post for a few weeks not because I am not grateful for all of God's blessings, but because I really feel redundant most weeks. However, I got to thinking this morning as my son was getting shots because he just doesn't seem to be getting over this sickness (after 3 weeks of it), and he doesn't take medicine orally well at all. Anyway, what I was thinking is that we should never cease from thanking God for his many blessings no matter how redundant it may seem.

So, I am grateful as always for the blessing of my family. Mother's Day is Sunday, so I am especially grateful for the four reasons I get to celebrate that day. They have provided me many challenges over the course of my mothering years, yet I thank God that he has entrusted me with their care. I can't imagine my life any other way, and I will never stop thanking God for His bountiful blessings.

My oldest son and my youngest son caught in a sweet moment.


My middle son performing a skill that I thought was pretty cool, albeit not overly practical. :-)


My daughter dressed up with a dress, gloves, and snow boots on a May afternoon. I love that girl!

Join Heavenly Homemakers each week for Gratituesday.

Never Ceasing to Give Thanks

Assorted Bread Recipes

I have several bread recipes to share with you this morning. First, I want to preface this post by saying that any allergy-free recipes listed on this blog are safe for my son who was diagnosed almost 3 months ago with allergies to wheat, dairy, egg whites and soy.

I try to cook around those allergens and have performed many kitchen experiments. I always used to be a "by the recipe" cook who made very few variations on my own. Now you never know what I might come up with. Some experiments have gone to the dogs, (We literally fed them to our dogs.) and some have worked out well. Which is a great segway for my allergy-free banana bread recipe.

One good thing that has come out of all of this is that I am not just tied to regular white flour. I now know that cooking with multiple whole grains is the way to go for the health of my whole family.

Allergy-Free Banana Bread



1 c. Sugar
1/3 c. Coconut Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Egg Yolks (rinsed)
1/3 c. Water
1 ½ c. Mashed Ripe Bananas (about 3 bananas)
1 c. Rice Flour
1/2 c. Almond Meal
1/2 c. Tapioca Starch
1 Tbsp. Ground Flax
1 ½ tsp. Xanthan Gum
1 tsp. Baking Soda
½ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Baking Powder

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan. Mix sugar, egg yolks, and water in a bowl. Add oil and bananas. In a separate bowl, combine remaining dry ingredients with a whisk. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until moist. Pour into pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, approximately 55-60 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Loosen sides of loaf from pan and remove loaf from pan. Cool completely before slicing.

You can also make mini muffins. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.


100% Whole Wheat Bread

Now I want to share a tip for easily cutting homemade bread that a dear woman from our church, who has since passed away, told me. She said to use an electric knife and you will not have squashed bread or uneven slices. Boy, was she right. Just look at the picture below.



The bread was made using the recipe on the back of a bag of King Arthur 100% whole wheat flour. You can also find the recipe here. One change I made was to replace the powdered milk with ground flax seed (I used my blender to grind the flax.). I think it worked out just fine. The recipe really is quite easy, and I think it will be a healthy change of pace to not buy bread.

Sue Gregg's Blender Batter Waffles and Pancakes




A few weeks ago I filled out this survey and was able to download a free recipe sampler from Sue Gregg. The first recipe I tried was for pancakes and waffles. I have made both and we seem to like the waffles more. My son with the allergies likes my allergy-free pancake recipe better, so I have been making the waffles for the rest of us. I usually use steel cut oats, rice, rice milk with added vinegar, and 2 rinsed egg yolks. She gives several choices to help make the recipe healthful and allergy-free if necessary, so those are the ingredients I have chosen to suit our needs.

Assorted Bread Recipes

Simple Skirt for My Daughter

I purchased some chocolate brown corduroy fabric back in January with the thought of making a skirt for my daughter. It was a remnant of 1 yard and was just a little over one dollar total. I finally got around to sewing the skirt yesterday. It is rather plain, but I guess that makes it more versatile. My daughter loves wearing skirts and immediately put it on. I told her that it is really more for fall and winter, but she didn't care. :-)

Simple Skirt for My Daughter

Quick Bathroom Cleaning Tips

I want to share a few tips with you as to how I keep my bathroom "company ready" in only 5 minutes every morning. Many years ago I would have been embarrassed for company to use my bathroom unless I had been notified they were coming and cleaned it thoroughly beforehand. Now, even with 4 children, you could come use my bathroom and I wouldn't be embarrassed.

Each morning after the kids have brushed their teeth I use my homemade all-purpose cleaning spray and spritz down the counter, sink, door knobs, light switch and toilet. I use a hand towel to wipe everything off (save the toilet for last). I then quickly use the toilet brush to clean the toilet bowl. I purchased a lint-free cloth at Walmart several years ago that is great for mirrors and windows. I simply wet it, wring it out, and clean the mirror. I use the spray cleaner to spritz down the tub and let it air dry. Now my bathroom is clean and it only took me 5 minutes at the most. I set out a fresh hand towel and walk away.

See how easy that was? Because I use my own cleaners I am able to clean frugally and safely as well. Here is a link to my homemade cleaning recipes. I do want to share my recipe for the all-purpose cleaner. Fill half of an empty spray bottle with white vinegar. Fill it the rest of the way with water and add a few drops of an essential oil like tea tree or lemon. Shake it and you are ready to go.

Quick Bathroom Cleaning Tips