Today I write this as my husband sings to our baby in the kitchen while flipping pancakes. He is making up words to Wagner- think "Bugs Bunny Super Star" - Kill The Wabbit - only he is singing "you are a cutie, you are a cutie, you are a baby. (Would we know anything of opera if it weren't for that rabbit?)
This week BBT asks: What book took you the longest to read, and do you feel it was the content or just the length that made it so?
For me it would be "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo." It took me 2 months to finish it. Not because I didn't like it, but lets be honest, until you meet Lisbeth Salander is it really worth the read? It took me forever to get through the first couple of chapters. I would put it down, pick up something more fun to read and then go back to it. But once Lisbeth was introduced, I was hooked.
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1. My cast iron Dutch oven.
I have to be honest. At first I wasn't crazy about this one. I asked for a Dutch oven for Christmas. My husband bought me one. But I had wanted one of those fancy, shiny, enamel ones. Or so I thought. Turns out this regular, classic, Dutch oven and I were made for each other. It is practically indestructible. It can go from stove top to oven to sink. I love it. And it caramelizes onions like a dream.
2. My rice cooker. One time I saw this on a list of kitchen gadgets you don't need. Clearly the writer of that blog is insane.
I love this thing. Seriously. Is cooks rice, quinoa, grits, even orzo. (I am hearing the foodies flexing their little fingers now. "You can't cook orzo in a rice cooker exclamation point, exclamation point, exclamation point!!!" Well I did. Get over it.) I struggle with rice. I always make too much or it sticks to the pot but with this - wow, it's easy. My mother gave it to me. It made me love her even more.
3. Silicone whisk. This cost me $1. It's possibly the best investment I ever made. Things don't stick to it or inside it. I love it. Go thee to Target and purchase one!
4. Bread pan. I am now making my own bread. I made this with it. It comes out crisp and gorgeous. (Bonus, I bought this pan with an Amazon gift card I earned through Swagbucks.)
5. Pyrex glass containers for left overs. I am scared of BPA. Seriously. I lie awake at night and think about it. (Should I consider therapy???) My sister gave me a set of these containers for my birthday. My husband carries his lunch in them. I don't worry about heating up plastic and I don't have to deal with tomato stains.
So, do you have any favorite gadgets?
What are some you don't like?
When I was a little girl we used to sing this song in children's church called "God's Still Working on Me."
There is a line that says "It took him just a week to make the moon and the stars, the sun and the Earth and Jupiter and Mars. Loving and patient he must be, because God's still working on me."
Only I heard, "on vacation he must be, because God's still working on me." I must have, as a seven-year-old, thought I was such a piece of work that I even God needed a break from me. Well guess what? God is still working on me.
I pray for my son everyday. I prayed for him before he was born. I prayed for him before he was conceived. I pray constantly that he will be protected. That he will be safe. And I pray that he will one day have his own relationship with Jesus.
That last prayer has led me back to praying for myself. That I, as his mother, would be a good example. You see, I have a little problem with my mouth.
As my mother used to say, it overloads my rear end. I am quick tempered, quick to anger, quick to judgement and slow to love people I don't know (and a few I do). I am also quick to let words fly out. Words I don't mean and words I shouldn't use. Some of them of the four-lettered nature.
I have been telling him the Easter story. He may only be a few months old, but it is never too early to teach him of God's grace, mercy and forgiveness.
Those are three things I have lacked in my own life. And I am praying that God will clean out that rubble in my spirit, give me compassion and forgiveness.
I have also been praying that Jesus would take control over the words I speak. This is hard for me. Very hard for me. Extremely hard for me.
I have been hurtful. I have used my words as a weapon. Can I teach my son of God's ultimate grace and in the same breath make a snarky comment to my husband? That's a conflicting message, don't you think?
So as we dress for Easter this morning and I thank God for sending His son to die for my sins, I will also be asking him to help me be an example of His grace in my own home.
This week BTT asks: If someone asked you for a book recommendation, what is the FIRST book you’d think to recommend (without extra thought)?
This is so easy for me. "I am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak. It is my favorite book.
It's about a young cab driver in Austrailia who, after stopping a bank robbery, begins to receive playing cards in the mail with riddles. The riddles are actually instructions and he is supposed to use those instructions to help strangers.
It is gritty and compelling and if a book could change your life, I would say this one did mine. I love it. I own multiple copies so that I have extras to give people. I know, I borderline on obsession. But I read this book during a time when I needed it and it stuck with me. That's what good books are supposed to do.
Yes. You read that correctly. I said microwave.
I had two sets of herbs I needed to do something with. Some cilantro I bought at the farmer's market that was going to go bad and some oregano I grew in my garden.
But I live in the place where they invented humidity. So hanging them to dry was NOT an option. So I microwaved them. Serisously. The whole process from start to finish took maybe 10 minutes. It was great. When I was done I still had time left over for a cup of coffee.
What you'll need:
Herbs
Paper Towels
Plate
Microwave
Containers in which to put your herbs. (I reused an old spice container and a yogurt container.)
Let's get started.
First you need to make sure your herbs are clean, clean, clean. Wash them and dry them with a paper towel.
Then strip the leaves from the stems.
Layer a couple paper towels on a plate and lay the herb leaves flat on the paper towel.
Then place the plate with the herbs in the microwave for 30 seconds on the highest setting.
After the first cycle the leaves will be mushy. They obviously aren't done.
You will put them in for 30 seconds more and check them again. You will do this for a total of 2 minutes - 4 cycles. Does that make sense?
After the last cycle the herbs will be totally dry and crumble at your touch. That's how you know you're golden.
Put them in container and label them.
My little boy will be 5 months old soon. Since we are all about the 5's around here I thought I would take this as an opportunity to talk about 5 things I have learned about motherhood so far.
No matter how many books you read, people you talk to, advice you get, practice you've had babysitting nothing and I mean nothing will prepare you for taking a baby home from the hospital.
It will come as a shock to you when they wheal you out to the car and say goodbye. They won't let you take a nurse home with you. So this is what my husband, Beardface UnStoppable, and I have learned.
1. Sleeping
Newborns don't need the quiet to sleep. In fact, they will zonk out anywhere.
At a moments notice. (We did not leave him there.)
As they get older it's a different story.
But when they do sleep through the night the first time. It is like magic befalls your home. You can think clearly, you might get a shower. You can string together a coherent sentence. Magic!
2. Poop, spit up and other bodily fluids.
Babies, while cute and cuddly can often be gross. When the UPS man tells you you have spit up in your hair- gross. When you have to rinse out a onsie because poop came up and out the sides of the diaper- gross. When they poop on a hotel room wall in Greenville, Alabama- gross.
A baby will pass gas in church and it will be so bad the lady in front if you will turn to look. For a good laugh, blame it on your husband.
But hilarious. Even if those first few months teach you nothing else other than to relax and go with the poop, you're still good.
3. Emotions.
Babies have a lot of feelings. They are kind of like drunk college girls. They go from smiling, to crying, to passed out in a matter of seconds. Refer to images below for example.
4. Behold the power of routine.
Babies, even little babies, appreciate a routine. Don't we all. And in my case you dare not throw him off. My baby was a good napper... for 2 weeks. He was taking a 90 minute nap two times a day like clock work. Then went out of town.
That was two months ago. This (photo above) is the face I get 45 minutes into an attempt to nap. Pray for me, won't you?
5. Not matter how tired, exhausted, frustrated, upset, much pain you feel you will be able to take care of your baby.
I am struggling through some pain from a wreck I was in when I was pregnant. (Long story, not talking about it right now.) Last week I was in so much pain I feared I couldn't pick my baby up out of his crib. But I did and we were ok. It hurt, yes. But I "mommed up" and did it.
I had a good example. My Mama is still Momming up.
Bottom line. You can do it. It's great. It's fun. It's draining and exhausting. I get tired and frustrated. But every morning when I get my son up to start the day he smiles at me and I see the face of nearly everyone I have ever loved in that crib. That's the biggest blessing.
This is the first time I have participated in Booking Through Thursday. Why haven't I done this before???
I love reading. It is my favorite past time. I loved books as a kid but lost my spark for reading only to pick it up again after college. It came back to me in a time in my life when I needed control. That is what books give us, control.
We get the chance to escape for a few minutes and when we are done with the adventure, we close the pages, turn off the Kindle or put the iPad to sleep. That's my point, there are so many options for reading now.
My favorite, and most frugal, is the library. How many free things are left in this world? The library remains one of them. My baby and I have been making weekly trips to the library since he was 6 weeks old. It's important to me that he value books as much as I do.
Are there any fictional characters whom you have emulated (or tried to)? Who and why? I have to say no. Not outright anyway. I may quote them or use them for inspiration, but I don't think I have ever tried to emulate a fictional character. But if I was going to borrow some characteristics I would want to be more like Liesel in "The Book Thief." She is so brave and I am not.
What literary character do you feel is most like you personality-wise (explain)? Laurel in "The Girl Who Stopped Swimming." At the beginning her voice is muted by all the other characters. But by the end she has found her strength. I can't really say I have ever been muted, but I have come into my self in the last three years.
What about you? Do you have a character whose character you admire?
Three facts about me:
1. Every year I try to start a vegetable garden. Every year I kill a bunch of vegetables. But this year I am trying once again. I am nothing if not consistent (or stubborn). Isn't that the definition of insanity?
2. I love yogurt.
3. I struggle with guilt.
So how are these all related? You see, when I eat yogurt I am left with a carton made of number 5 or 6 plastic that can't be recycled locally. It goes in the trash and stays there. Guilt!
This year I decided if I am going to kill some plants maybe I could ease my guilt and use some things that would have gone straight to the trash. Yes, eventually they will end up in a landfill, unless someone can tell me a better option, but at least they had a new life first.
Isn't that the point of recycling? Reusing something and giving it a new life? Now there is a trendy word for it - repurposing.
So this is my repurpose driven garden. Everything from yogurt cups to old bottles (that will be recycled) to egg cartons have become containers to start my seeds. And everything is resting nicely inside old diaper boxes. Diaper boxes that will be covered in fabric in an idea made by the brilliant Amy Bell.
So here we have everything from tomatoes to beans, to peppers to herbs and beyond. This year I will keep these plants alive. (Until I don't. Then I won't feel guilty.)
This is this week's purge pile. I say this week's because last week there was another one.
My little family is moving... again. But, but, but you just got here!
I know. But we are looking for another house to fit our needs in the same area.
Bottom line, Mama isn't moving all this stuff again. So I am implementing my love it or lose it policy. If I don't absolutely love something in my closet I am getting rid of it.
If I don't like the way it looks, feels or hangs on me I am getting rid of it. If it is too big, it goes. If it is too small - it goes. If it makes me look like a shlumdinka, it's out of here.
I recently read this post from one of my favorite blogs, Simple Organized Living. She goes in to detail about what should NOT be in your closet. And guess what? I had all of those things in mine. So, I've implemented some of these things in my life. If I bring stuff in to my home, that means I have to get rid of some things.
For me, I have decided that I can't hang on to clothes that no longer fit because I am sentimental. The bonus is, I can also bless someone else with my clothes I no longer wear.
I am a plus size girl. Plus size clothes are costly and if I can give my good outfits, I no longer wear, to someone who can benefit from them and feel fabulous when she slips on a pair of super cute trouse jeans then I am blessed too.
But at the same time I recognize that I hand onto things other people might not, like my 7 black cardigan sweaters. Why do I have so many of them? Because I love them and I wear them. If I didn't wear all of them there would be no point in getting rid of them.
So I challenge you all this week to grab a garbage bag and get to purging. It will make you feel so much better.
As I mentioned before I am trying to use fewer chemicals to clean my house. (**Snickers at the idea that I actually clean my house.)
Okay, okay. On the occasion I get a hankering to clean I don't want to use anything that could hurt my baby.
I have made all kinds of things from safe products like baking soda and dish soap. I have made washing machine soap, all-purpose spray, a tile cleaner and now this, an all-purpose wipe for a quick clean up on a busy day.
What you'll need:
1 tbsp Castile soap
4 tbsp baking soda Baking soda
1 cup Warm water
A roll of paper towels cut in half
An old plastic container- I used one that used to contain disposable wipes.
First I had to cut the paper towel in half using a serrated knife and remove the cardboard roll. This was hilarious.
Next, pour your warm water, castile soap and baking soda into your plastic container and shake to mix. Then drop your paper towels into the container and shake again. Then pull one paper towel through the center of the roll. This will make it easier to grab a wipe in a pinch.
Viola. A super cleaner that lets you put a hutin' on the dirt, not the people you love.
Is there anything more gross than a winter tomato? Well, sure, but let's not get in to all that.
We have been trying to eat fewer things from a tin can, and more things grown closer to home. I hope to grow and can my own produce soon, but until then I have fallen in love with my farmers market. The only problem is... tomaotes. No matter how great your local veggie stand is, winter tomatoes are awful.
However, Roma tomatoes remain their wonderful, glorious self.
Here is a quick Tuesday tip on how to peel tomaotes for making sauce (recipe to follow later this week).
What you'll need:
Tomatoes
Boiling water
Ice water
Set some water to boil. After it has come to a rolling boil, drop in your tomatoes (CAREFUL!). Let them boil about a minute until the skin begins to split like so:
Then place them immediatly in the ice water for another minute. Remove from icewater and peal. The skin will slide right off and you will have a beautiful tomato.
... but if it did it would be like $.75 a $1 max.
I wanted my little boy to have a cute Valentine's outfit for a small party we were invited to. But I wasn't about to shell out $10 or more on an outfit he would wear once. So I hit some sewing supplies I inherited from my grandmother. I sewed them on a onesie I got out of a three pack on sale at the Dollar General. (Yeah, I am that cheap.)
In total the outfit costs me around $.75. For those who don't have buttons just lying around you can get about 200 for around $3 on Amazon.
I grabbed a needle and thread from an old sewing kit and took about 10 minutes to sew the buttons on. I did this with my baby in my lap.
Full disclosure: I wanted to make a heart but I a terrible crafter so I made this button cloud instead. Eitherway Mama's little muffin is going to look super cute.
As a new mom I worry about exposing my little fella to chemicals in cleaning products. So I hit the internet hard in a search for some non-toxic (or less toxic) cleaning products. But I am cheap, so I learned how to make my own.
This is what I have been using to clean my kitchen and bathroom. It is cheap- around $.15 a bottle- and it works.
What you will need:
An empty spray bottle
Dish soap
Distilled vinegar
I measured out 1 1/2 cups vinegar and then I warmed it up in the microwave for about 1 minute. I am not sure why this step is necessary. It just is. Don't complain. You'll only have to do it once.
Then I poured the warm vinegar into a spray bottle with 1 1/2 cups dish soap.
Shake like your life depends on it. Voila! You have a scum busting, grease fighting, power house cleaner that is super cheap.
Last week I used a shower curtain as a sheer. But what did I do with the left over shower curtain rings you ask? (I really hope you, whoever you are, are not sitting around asking yourself this.)
I made a neat storage device out of them!
I love scarves, and I am constantly collecting bags as gifts (when you have a kid, people give you a lot of bags). In an effort to both organize and simplify my life I popped those curtain rings around the rod in my closet and called it a day.
Here are the bags.
Today's tip: Use what you have.
My little family recently relocated and I am in the full throws of decorating a new home. (Or in my case trying to find all of my stuff.)
Our new house was built in the 1960's and is very cute, but has so many windows. I could invest in fancy curtains for each room of the house, but I am sure my husband wouldn't want me to drive us in to bankruptcy to cover the 20 or so windows.
So I must wake up creativity, who has been slumbering away since the birth of my son.
Repurposing is a word that is being used a lot. I love the idea because I think we, and by we I mean I, can be a little wasteful. Not everything is, or should be, disposable.
This is our old shower curtain. It was given to us as a wedding gift. It does not fit with the motif of the bathroom (more on that later). So a new shower curtain was pruchased dirt cheap at the local Dollar General. (Ah, DG, how I love thee.)
So, in about 45 seconds this shower curtain became a cute window sheer for my office.
What is the most creative thing you have repurposed?
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