You can have green onions growing fresh in your kitchen at all times!
Buy a bundle of organic green onions. Place them in a cup of water. Replace the water every couple of days. Snip the tops anytime you need green onions. They will just keep growing!
Never buy green onions again!
Green onion facts:
taken from fullcircle.com
"Green onions are a member of the allium family, and though quite aromatic, they won’t make you cry while cutting them. They can be eaten raw, but are absolutely delicious roasted or sautéed and they have a surprising amount of health benefits! They are rich in anti-oxidants, chromium, and vitamin C. They can lower blood sugar, decrease high cholesterol and blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and they taste great!"
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Avocado Tree
Tonight I bought organic avocados and made quacamole for our bedtime snack. You can take the pit from the avocado and plant it! Here is how:
- Rinse the pit off really well.
-Cut the bottom of the pit of leaving the pointy side as the top.
-Poke 4 evenly spaced toothpicks out of the sides near the bottom.
-Place in a bowl of water. Wait for roots to grow and a sprout to come out the top. Eventually, you will pot it in soil and a tree will grow!
It can take up to 5 years to get avocados, but I am willing to wait! You can put the tree outside if you live in a warm climate, but it needs to be indoors if it gets below 45 degrees F.
There is more infor on the internet for a more complete set of directions. This is the general idea.
My kids are excited to see what happens!
- Rinse the pit off really well.
-Cut the bottom of the pit of leaving the pointy side as the top.
-Poke 4 evenly spaced toothpicks out of the sides near the bottom.
-Place in a bowl of water. Wait for roots to grow and a sprout to come out the top. Eventually, you will pot it in soil and a tree will grow!
It can take up to 5 years to get avocados, but I am willing to wait! You can put the tree outside if you live in a warm climate, but it needs to be indoors if it gets below 45 degrees F.
There is more infor on the internet for a more complete set of directions. This is the general idea.
My kids are excited to see what happens!
Homemade Baby Wipes
I recently stopped using baby wipes. I learned that they are full of toxins. Why would I, or any mother for that matter, want to put harsh chemicals on their baby's bottom?
I bought a bulk package of 100% cotton wash cloths for less than $5 and have been using those in place of wipes. You can also order flannel wipes which are softer and quite nice! You could even buy flannel material and make your own wipes.
Tonight I made wipes for something different and disposable.
What you need:
1 roll of paper towels
container to store wipes in
natural baby soap
olive oil
Take 1 roll of good paper towels (off brand don't work!) and cut it in half with a sharp knife. Find a container that has a lid that is large enough to hold the wipes. In the container mix 2 tablespoons of a baby soap of your choice, (I would suggest to use an all natural baby soap) with 2 cups of water and about a tablespoon of olive oil. Olive oil works as a great moisturizer! Place one half of the paper towel roll(save the other half for next time you make wipes!) in the container with the cut side facing down. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Put the lid on the container and flip it over. Let it sit for another 5 minutes. The wipes are ready! Open the container and pull the cardboard out of the center. Pull the wipes out from the center. If you find your finished product to be too soapy, you can cut back on the soap as desired.
*I use wipes usually within a week. If you think you will have these wipes longer, boil the water first and let it cool. This gives you distilled water and will make the wipes last longer.
Tip: This would be a great gift for a new mom! Include the recipe of course!
I bought a bulk package of 100% cotton wash cloths for less than $5 and have been using those in place of wipes. You can also order flannel wipes which are softer and quite nice! You could even buy flannel material and make your own wipes.
Tonight I made wipes for something different and disposable.
What you need:
1 roll of paper towels
container to store wipes in
natural baby soap
olive oil
Take 1 roll of good paper towels (off brand don't work!) and cut it in half with a sharp knife. Find a container that has a lid that is large enough to hold the wipes. In the container mix 2 tablespoons of a baby soap of your choice, (I would suggest to use an all natural baby soap) with 2 cups of water and about a tablespoon of olive oil. Olive oil works as a great moisturizer! Place one half of the paper towel roll(save the other half for next time you make wipes!) in the container with the cut side facing down. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Put the lid on the container and flip it over. Let it sit for another 5 minutes. The wipes are ready! Open the container and pull the cardboard out of the center. Pull the wipes out from the center. If you find your finished product to be too soapy, you can cut back on the soap as desired.
*I use wipes usually within a week. If you think you will have these wipes longer, boil the water first and let it cool. This gives you distilled water and will make the wipes last longer.
Tip: This would be a great gift for a new mom! Include the recipe of course!
shampoo alternatives
Interested in an all-natural shampoo? Looking to avoid harsh, toxic chemicals? You've come to the right spot! There are numerous ways to cleanse your hair and scalp without using store bought shampoo.
There are many brands devoted to making natural body products such as Burt's Bees, Jason, Dr. Bronner's etc. While this is great, it can be pricy!
Here are a few alternatives I have tried and they work!
Put about 1 tablespoon of baking soda in the palm of your hair and make a paste with water. Rub it through your hair, massaging your scalp. Let sit for a minute and rinse well. Use about 1 tablespoon of apple-cider vinegar in a cup with about 1 cup of water. Pour on head and let it sit for a minute. Rinse well. Your hair will be soft, smooth and clean! Once your hair is dry, the vinegar odor is gone.
Eggs! The other night I took a shower and instead of washing my hair with baking soda I used an egg. Crack 1-2 eggs in a bowl and whip until frothy. Wet your hair and pour eggs over head. Massage into hair and scalp. Let sit for a minute and rinse thouroghly with cool water. Follow with an apple-cider vinegar rinse as described above. Hair will be soft, smooth and clean!
There are many other natural remedies for shampooing and conditioning your hair. Have fun with it and experiment until you have found something that works for you and feel good about ridding yourself of chemicals!
There are many brands devoted to making natural body products such as Burt's Bees, Jason, Dr. Bronner's etc. While this is great, it can be pricy!
Here are a few alternatives I have tried and they work!
Put about 1 tablespoon of baking soda in the palm of your hair and make a paste with water. Rub it through your hair, massaging your scalp. Let sit for a minute and rinse well. Use about 1 tablespoon of apple-cider vinegar in a cup with about 1 cup of water. Pour on head and let it sit for a minute. Rinse well. Your hair will be soft, smooth and clean! Once your hair is dry, the vinegar odor is gone.
Eggs! The other night I took a shower and instead of washing my hair with baking soda I used an egg. Crack 1-2 eggs in a bowl and whip until frothy. Wet your hair and pour eggs over head. Massage into hair and scalp. Let sit for a minute and rinse thouroghly with cool water. Follow with an apple-cider vinegar rinse as described above. Hair will be soft, smooth and clean!
There are many other natural remedies for shampooing and conditioning your hair. Have fun with it and experiment until you have found something that works for you and feel good about ridding yourself of chemicals!
Friday, January 25, 2013
human in training
you fold your socks and under wear a certain way. your child wants to know why. you brush your teeth and gargle with mouthwash. your child wants to know why. you wear slippers at night. your child wants to know why. you boil your macaroni noodles before you bake them for your homemade macaroni recipe. your child wants to know why.
for the first time, after almost 8 years of doing this day in and day out, i am starting to see a return on my investments. financial investments? no, no. something much more valuable! my children.
in these last several years, i have explained things until i am blue in the face. until i am out of breath, until my mouth is dry. until i am annoyed by my own self and every situation as i have to explain everything. "why do you do that mommy?" a question we hear everyday as parents. no big deal. it's how you answer these questions that matters the most.
when a child asks why you fold your socks like that simply saying "just because" is easier. it's easier because you don't have to think. and it gets your child to stop asking questions, right? wrong! i quickly learned that when my children ask me questions, it's because they are looking for the answer. an answer with meaning. so i did what felt right. i took them seriously and over the years i have explained what feels like over a million, zillion questions. even the though ones like why did you call our neighbor nosy? and what does nosy mean?
sometimes when our kids ask us questions, it gets our brain thinking too. eventually, i think you become just as curious as your child and you too, quickly learn that you don't know why you do things but you want an answer. in a sense, being a parent teaches you a lot about yourself. you know when you struggle with who you are and what your purpose is? a child can drive that out of you!
our children are deserving of an honest, thoughtful answer. don't you agree? sometimes, we feel tired, grumpy, sluggish...you know. and that's ok. typically when my kids ask me things, i enjoy answering their question and it usually leads to a good conversation! though there are times when i don't have it in me. when this happens. i give them an honest answer. "sweetie, i am sorry, mommy doesn't feel really talkative right now." "i have a lot i am thinking about in my mind right now, hold onto your question and we can talk about it later." "actually, for some reason, i am grouchy. it's is nothing you did but i think i need a minute by myself."
you may be surprised how easy it is to be honest with your kids! they are very empathetic beings and understand emotion. usually when i let my kids know i don't feel like talking because i am grouchy or whatever, they ask me if i need anything. "you want me to sing to you?" "you want me to scratch your back?" and sometimes i respectfully take a rain check while other times i say "ya know, i think that is exactly what i need."
But in the moments when you are feeling great and can talk to your kids, do it! when they ask why you pour olive oil in your skillet before you make everything, tell them! there are nights we lay in the family bed and the questions are flooding in full force, "where is the moon?" "why do we have to rest?" "how old is grandma?" i answer them all and then suddenly i can't take another question. before i yell at them to go to sleep. i simply tell them how i am feeling. "i am so tired and i have a hard time falling asleep when you are asking me questions." [honesty] "can you save your questions for another day so i can rest?" it works almost every time. they quiet down and let me rest.
but it is here recently when i have seen return on my investment. when a simple task like making toast can be done by my child without them getting hurt, or burning it or something, i know this happened because everything i have invested in them. i know i have told them about toasters until i can't talk about toasters anymore. i feel it is our responsibility to train our children to not need us anymore. so if your 18 year old moves out and doesn't know how to make toast or do laundry, have we done them any service?
when my daughter was in the kitchen this morning and i heard, pots and pans, cupboards, water running etc, i didn't go running to take charge or see what she was up to. i trusted that she had it under control because i have been training her in the kitchen since she has been 4 or 5 and knew she would come and get me when she needed me.
so in my family, it took about 8 years before i saw the return. maybe sooner. but i am really noticing it daily with my oldest daughter as she is able to care for herself and even others just as i have tried to show her. and suddenly, it's all worth it.
think of your child as a new co-worker you are training. we have all done that. train the new guy and you literally explain everything you are doing and why you are doing it that way. that is exactly what i think parents should be doing with their kids!
for the first time, after almost 8 years of doing this day in and day out, i am starting to see a return on my investments. financial investments? no, no. something much more valuable! my children.
in these last several years, i have explained things until i am blue in the face. until i am out of breath, until my mouth is dry. until i am annoyed by my own self and every situation as i have to explain everything. "why do you do that mommy?" a question we hear everyday as parents. no big deal. it's how you answer these questions that matters the most.
when a child asks why you fold your socks like that simply saying "just because" is easier. it's easier because you don't have to think. and it gets your child to stop asking questions, right? wrong! i quickly learned that when my children ask me questions, it's because they are looking for the answer. an answer with meaning. so i did what felt right. i took them seriously and over the years i have explained what feels like over a million, zillion questions. even the though ones like why did you call our neighbor nosy? and what does nosy mean?
sometimes when our kids ask us questions, it gets our brain thinking too. eventually, i think you become just as curious as your child and you too, quickly learn that you don't know why you do things but you want an answer. in a sense, being a parent teaches you a lot about yourself. you know when you struggle with who you are and what your purpose is? a child can drive that out of you!
our children are deserving of an honest, thoughtful answer. don't you agree? sometimes, we feel tired, grumpy, sluggish...you know. and that's ok. typically when my kids ask me things, i enjoy answering their question and it usually leads to a good conversation! though there are times when i don't have it in me. when this happens. i give them an honest answer. "sweetie, i am sorry, mommy doesn't feel really talkative right now." "i have a lot i am thinking about in my mind right now, hold onto your question and we can talk about it later." "actually, for some reason, i am grouchy. it's is nothing you did but i think i need a minute by myself."
you may be surprised how easy it is to be honest with your kids! they are very empathetic beings and understand emotion. usually when i let my kids know i don't feel like talking because i am grouchy or whatever, they ask me if i need anything. "you want me to sing to you?" "you want me to scratch your back?" and sometimes i respectfully take a rain check while other times i say "ya know, i think that is exactly what i need."
But in the moments when you are feeling great and can talk to your kids, do it! when they ask why you pour olive oil in your skillet before you make everything, tell them! there are nights we lay in the family bed and the questions are flooding in full force, "where is the moon?" "why do we have to rest?" "how old is grandma?" i answer them all and then suddenly i can't take another question. before i yell at them to go to sleep. i simply tell them how i am feeling. "i am so tired and i have a hard time falling asleep when you are asking me questions." [honesty] "can you save your questions for another day so i can rest?" it works almost every time. they quiet down and let me rest.
but it is here recently when i have seen return on my investment. when a simple task like making toast can be done by my child without them getting hurt, or burning it or something, i know this happened because everything i have invested in them. i know i have told them about toasters until i can't talk about toasters anymore. i feel it is our responsibility to train our children to not need us anymore. so if your 18 year old moves out and doesn't know how to make toast or do laundry, have we done them any service?
when my daughter was in the kitchen this morning and i heard, pots and pans, cupboards, water running etc, i didn't go running to take charge or see what she was up to. i trusted that she had it under control because i have been training her in the kitchen since she has been 4 or 5 and knew she would come and get me when she needed me.
so in my family, it took about 8 years before i saw the return. maybe sooner. but i am really noticing it daily with my oldest daughter as she is able to care for herself and even others just as i have tried to show her. and suddenly, it's all worth it.
think of your child as a new co-worker you are training. we have all done that. train the new guy and you literally explain everything you are doing and why you are doing it that way. that is exactly what i think parents should be doing with their kids!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
"i don't know, sweetie"
so i can feel it. i feel that unorganized, super laid back, craziness. when i let everything go. we missed bedtime, i didn't do the dishes after our snack (we've been snacking for the last two hours). the kids have been climbing on the cupboards helping themselves to whatever their body craves....and I am not saying a word. because sometimes it feels good to be unorthodox. and truly, in our house, this is when magic happens.
when things are normal and orderly around here, our creativity is dampered and i, we, are uninspired. but it is now, in this moment:
[emma and ella are making frozen, chocolate covered banana pops without any super vision in their nice new outfits they got for christmas because no, we have not even gotten into jammies yet. tonight we are burning the midnight oil, whatever that means. joshua who has been on a "my mom won't let me have pop anymore" kick, just chugged a can of pop.]
and you see my friends, this is why i am my own worst enemy. just when things are seriously near perfect-clean house, nutritious diets, accomplished school days, clean laundry....i fall apart. does this happen to you? the kicker of the whole thing is that it feels right! are we really wired to work so hard and do our best and then let it unravel? maybe this is our entertainment. maybe this is what we live for-perfection, imperfection, perfected again.
anyway, we did binge homeschooling today (which is probably what has led to this unravel). we learned until we couldn't learn anymore. sat in our classroom on and off again from noon-nine tonight. and throughout our day of reading, comprehending, geometry, quizzes, drawing trains, learning about freight, figuring out what soil is made of, organizing our dvd collection and so on, i came to the conclusion that the value of a question in which is produced by our offspring is priceless.
what triggered this thought was the kid's continuous questions about dinosaurs. i have patience with the first few questions that they ask but by the fourth or fifth one i am irritated. today at lunch i realized my frustration doesn't come from them asking questions but rather my lack of knowledge on the topic. and i just want to say that it is 100% ok to not have an answer to your child's questions. in fact i think it's rather important for your kids to see that their parents-the ones who know everything and mean so much to them-don't know sometimes. it is 100% ok to say "I don't know" to your child....under these conditions...
a) when your child asks you if a carasaurus and a truckasaurus are related and you are thinking in your head "christ, what are they talking about-those aren't even dinosaurs...i hate dinosaurs" but instead, the words that cross your lips as you look your child in the eyes are "Wow, that's impressive! I love the way you are thinking, but honestly, I don't know!" with a smile on your face!
our job is not to ridicule our children when they ask senseless questions, it's to build them up! even over the silliest thing-be amazed. because it is amazing. the sense of wonder. precisely one of the greatest qualities of a child is their curiosity. something that the daily grind has driven out of our adult souls. we don't wonder anymore, so just because we don't, doesn't mean youngsters should be shamed for doing so.
it is 100% ok to say "i don't know" to one of your child's questions if
b) you can teach them how to learn. don't learn for them or tell them what they should be learning. just show them how to learn. when a question can't be answered by you, let them know that you care and you want to help them find the answer. tell them what you do when you don't know the answer to something. do you pray about it? do you do a google search? or better yet, do you dig deep into a book for the answer? this seems simple to us, but when your child hears you telling them "when i need help or don't know something this is what i do". take them to the library. teach them that they own the library just as much as the librarian does and you have the right to be given a tour of the library and to be taught how to look something up.
this is when the magic happens. i think it's called humility. "i don't know" is ok, but too often we are afraid to admit it. why are we? the world is constantly changing, there is so much out there. do we really think that people and kids think we have all the answers? if you think you have all the answers, talk to yourself and tell yourself to "cool it". we don't have all the answers. we are all still learning and should be. we are never too old to learn!
so if you hear a child ask a question and see their parent, the one they love and trust, ridicule them because they too don't know the answer, speak up! tell the child they are smart and that is a great question and tell the parent they better get that child to the library!
when things are normal and orderly around here, our creativity is dampered and i, we, are uninspired. but it is now, in this moment:
[emma and ella are making frozen, chocolate covered banana pops without any super vision in their nice new outfits they got for christmas because no, we have not even gotten into jammies yet. tonight we are burning the midnight oil, whatever that means. joshua who has been on a "my mom won't let me have pop anymore" kick, just chugged a can of pop.]
and you see my friends, this is why i am my own worst enemy. just when things are seriously near perfect-clean house, nutritious diets, accomplished school days, clean laundry....i fall apart. does this happen to you? the kicker of the whole thing is that it feels right! are we really wired to work so hard and do our best and then let it unravel? maybe this is our entertainment. maybe this is what we live for-perfection, imperfection, perfected again.
anyway, we did binge homeschooling today (which is probably what has led to this unravel). we learned until we couldn't learn anymore. sat in our classroom on and off again from noon-nine tonight. and throughout our day of reading, comprehending, geometry, quizzes, drawing trains, learning about freight, figuring out what soil is made of, organizing our dvd collection and so on, i came to the conclusion that the value of a question in which is produced by our offspring is priceless.
what triggered this thought was the kid's continuous questions about dinosaurs. i have patience with the first few questions that they ask but by the fourth or fifth one i am irritated. today at lunch i realized my frustration doesn't come from them asking questions but rather my lack of knowledge on the topic. and i just want to say that it is 100% ok to not have an answer to your child's questions. in fact i think it's rather important for your kids to see that their parents-the ones who know everything and mean so much to them-don't know sometimes. it is 100% ok to say "I don't know" to your child....under these conditions...
a) when your child asks you if a carasaurus and a truckasaurus are related and you are thinking in your head "christ, what are they talking about-those aren't even dinosaurs...i hate dinosaurs" but instead, the words that cross your lips as you look your child in the eyes are "Wow, that's impressive! I love the way you are thinking, but honestly, I don't know!" with a smile on your face!
our job is not to ridicule our children when they ask senseless questions, it's to build them up! even over the silliest thing-be amazed. because it is amazing. the sense of wonder. precisely one of the greatest qualities of a child is their curiosity. something that the daily grind has driven out of our adult souls. we don't wonder anymore, so just because we don't, doesn't mean youngsters should be shamed for doing so.
it is 100% ok to say "i don't know" to one of your child's questions if
b) you can teach them how to learn. don't learn for them or tell them what they should be learning. just show them how to learn. when a question can't be answered by you, let them know that you care and you want to help them find the answer. tell them what you do when you don't know the answer to something. do you pray about it? do you do a google search? or better yet, do you dig deep into a book for the answer? this seems simple to us, but when your child hears you telling them "when i need help or don't know something this is what i do". take them to the library. teach them that they own the library just as much as the librarian does and you have the right to be given a tour of the library and to be taught how to look something up.
this is when the magic happens. i think it's called humility. "i don't know" is ok, but too often we are afraid to admit it. why are we? the world is constantly changing, there is so much out there. do we really think that people and kids think we have all the answers? if you think you have all the answers, talk to yourself and tell yourself to "cool it". we don't have all the answers. we are all still learning and should be. we are never too old to learn!
so if you hear a child ask a question and see their parent, the one they love and trust, ridicule them because they too don't know the answer, speak up! tell the child they are smart and that is a great question and tell the parent they better get that child to the library!
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Thought this was so funny! Really put things in perspective for Josh and I. That is essentially what a crib is! A cage! Josh and I bought a cage (lol) when we were just kids ourselves but we are pretty certain not one of our kids ever slept in it. Like ever. Lol. The few times I can remember attempting it, I know I felt like something wasn't right. Then that instinct thing came in. That part where as a mama cub, something didn't seem right. SO i fixed it! I rescued my baby from the foreign thing that was interrupting our bonding time!
If only someone would have told us to save our money! We could have really used that $500.
Best parenting advice I can offer: You don't need to buy anything for your baby to sleep in. Your baby actually, scientifically proven, needs you! You keep baby warm, you keep baby fed and you keep baby sleeping. Mothers are magic! Too bad some mothers don't realize their value!
follow your instincts-they are real!
{current happenings at my home: we are taking a break from school at the moment. i am drinking coffee. i am researching how juice is made in a factory. ella is running around in her underwear pretending to be getting ready to leave for a trip to california. she has bags packed and everything. going around giving hugs to us and telling us goodbye. joshua is playing with a play dog and tools. emma is supervising ella's trip planning}
my brain won't stop. new discoveries everyday with homeschooling, breastfeeding, parenting and overall caring for the family. i always have something on my mind in which i would love to research and eventually, write about. i keep notes so i don't forget but if i don't write while it is fresh on my mind, it looses it's luster and gets tossed into my pile of topics which do not deem to be worthy of research and writing.
one particular story still lies fresh in my brain.
on parenting
we keep late hours at our household. i learned real soon that my bedtime was also my kids bedtime. i am a night owl and don't settle in at 8:00 p.m. the kids stay up with me until i go to bed. we spend every waking moment together. there are times i am envious of my friends who tuck their children in at 8:00 p.m and snuggle on the couch with their hubby and watch tv. but then i realize how much those kids are missing. josh and i are both in agreeing that this is our kids time, not ours. we get a date night here and there and that is what gets us through. but we much rather spend our time with our awesome kids. they are entertaining and so fun to teach. besides that, one of the most effective and memorable parts of our days is the hour and sometimes hours we spend in the family bed at night snuggling, scratching each others backs and asking questions. i think last night at 2:08 a.m. is when i politely asked the kids to "save their questions for another day because we need to rest". they said "ok" and went right to sleep.
some nights don't go as smooth. one night, last week i was preparing our minds for sleep doing our usual calming rituals, read, lay still etc. Ella was having a particularly hard time that night. Being aggressive, whining, refusing to follow what we were all doing. I would hold her and ask her to calm down and lay by me and she would yell and you could tell she was highly irritable. We had a jammed packed day of lessons that day and i had to spend extra time with emma that day. i allowed ella to just sort of wander around that day and play whatever she wanted as emma and i worked on school projects. i think from her lack of focus and maybe one on one quality time with me that day she had grown anxious and it's like her day wasn't complete.
i was so tired and actually, really irritated by ella's mood. i so badly wanted to spank her bottom and send her to sleep in her room alone. i have done that before. it results in them screaming for a long time and eventually crying themselves to sleep. in my 7 1/2 years of parenting, nights like that have only occurred maybe 5 times in my house and every time i woke up the next morning feeling as though i committed a crime. i found my self apologizing and giving extra hugs the next day. that sort of discipline doesn't make me feel accomplished and in control, it makes me feel like a lousy mother who can't accept consequences of my actions. the consequence in this situation was ella acting out and deeply needing my love and it was a result of my actions that day-being not tuned into her needs emotionally and physically.
so when ella was having her moment, instead of spanking and screaming at her, i realized that she needed me. i swooped her up. before i left the bedroom with her i asked emma to sing to joshie and cuddle with him as i needed to talk to ella alone. i took her in the bathroom plopped her on the counter top so she could be at my height. i looked into her tired, wet eyes and told her how i felt. i let her know that i understood she was frustrated and tired. i told her i felt we had a really busy day and that i thought she needed some extra time to think about the day. i told her she was an awesome kid and i am sad when she acts like this. i then told her that i know a trick to help her to calm down. she had grown calm and now curious as she watched me get some things ready. i grabbed a washcloth and some lavender soap. i ran the washcloth under warm water and put soap on it. i told her to be still and let mama take care of her. over the next several minutes, i gently rubbed her precious little face with the warm wash cloth. i kept talking to her about her day and things that i wished had gone differently.
by this time, she was smiling and hugging me tight. i carried her back into the bedroom and lay her on the bed. i asked if she wanted a massage. she was excited and begged please! i massaged her body from her pinkie toe all the way up to her hands and even face and ears. by the end of her "special treatment" as we call it, she was still, calm and quiet and within minutes, after i snuggled her close she was sound asleep.
this whole situation-the talking, the wash cloth, the massage-took less than 15 minutes. she had a peaceful experience, felt safe and accepted and slept like a princess. i woke up the next morning loving her more than ever and felt good about my actions. though i understand whole heartedly that some times this can't be done because we are exhausted, or our other kids need something or the kitchen is a mess and lunches need packed-sometimes our kids just need us so bad. even when we were home with them all day. i felt it in my blood, veins and heart that night. her cry out for my attention was so clear and i knew it needed to be addressed right then and there. when you feel that in your heart, it means something!!!
in a modern society, we need to remember to follow our hearts and instincts in parenting as it is nature's way of pulling us back to what is so important. we need to invest time in our children as if that time would turn into a million bucks. i promise you won't regret spending time with them!!!!
my brain won't stop. new discoveries everyday with homeschooling, breastfeeding, parenting and overall caring for the family. i always have something on my mind in which i would love to research and eventually, write about. i keep notes so i don't forget but if i don't write while it is fresh on my mind, it looses it's luster and gets tossed into my pile of topics which do not deem to be worthy of research and writing.
one particular story still lies fresh in my brain.
on parenting
we keep late hours at our household. i learned real soon that my bedtime was also my kids bedtime. i am a night owl and don't settle in at 8:00 p.m. the kids stay up with me until i go to bed. we spend every waking moment together. there are times i am envious of my friends who tuck their children in at 8:00 p.m and snuggle on the couch with their hubby and watch tv. but then i realize how much those kids are missing. josh and i are both in agreeing that this is our kids time, not ours. we get a date night here and there and that is what gets us through. but we much rather spend our time with our awesome kids. they are entertaining and so fun to teach. besides that, one of the most effective and memorable parts of our days is the hour and sometimes hours we spend in the family bed at night snuggling, scratching each others backs and asking questions. i think last night at 2:08 a.m. is when i politely asked the kids to "save their questions for another day because we need to rest". they said "ok" and went right to sleep.
some nights don't go as smooth. one night, last week i was preparing our minds for sleep doing our usual calming rituals, read, lay still etc. Ella was having a particularly hard time that night. Being aggressive, whining, refusing to follow what we were all doing. I would hold her and ask her to calm down and lay by me and she would yell and you could tell she was highly irritable. We had a jammed packed day of lessons that day and i had to spend extra time with emma that day. i allowed ella to just sort of wander around that day and play whatever she wanted as emma and i worked on school projects. i think from her lack of focus and maybe one on one quality time with me that day she had grown anxious and it's like her day wasn't complete.
i was so tired and actually, really irritated by ella's mood. i so badly wanted to spank her bottom and send her to sleep in her room alone. i have done that before. it results in them screaming for a long time and eventually crying themselves to sleep. in my 7 1/2 years of parenting, nights like that have only occurred maybe 5 times in my house and every time i woke up the next morning feeling as though i committed a crime. i found my self apologizing and giving extra hugs the next day. that sort of discipline doesn't make me feel accomplished and in control, it makes me feel like a lousy mother who can't accept consequences of my actions. the consequence in this situation was ella acting out and deeply needing my love and it was a result of my actions that day-being not tuned into her needs emotionally and physically.
so when ella was having her moment, instead of spanking and screaming at her, i realized that she needed me. i swooped her up. before i left the bedroom with her i asked emma to sing to joshie and cuddle with him as i needed to talk to ella alone. i took her in the bathroom plopped her on the counter top so she could be at my height. i looked into her tired, wet eyes and told her how i felt. i let her know that i understood she was frustrated and tired. i told her i felt we had a really busy day and that i thought she needed some extra time to think about the day. i told her she was an awesome kid and i am sad when she acts like this. i then told her that i know a trick to help her to calm down. she had grown calm and now curious as she watched me get some things ready. i grabbed a washcloth and some lavender soap. i ran the washcloth under warm water and put soap on it. i told her to be still and let mama take care of her. over the next several minutes, i gently rubbed her precious little face with the warm wash cloth. i kept talking to her about her day and things that i wished had gone differently.
by this time, she was smiling and hugging me tight. i carried her back into the bedroom and lay her on the bed. i asked if she wanted a massage. she was excited and begged please! i massaged her body from her pinkie toe all the way up to her hands and even face and ears. by the end of her "special treatment" as we call it, she was still, calm and quiet and within minutes, after i snuggled her close she was sound asleep.
this whole situation-the talking, the wash cloth, the massage-took less than 15 minutes. she had a peaceful experience, felt safe and accepted and slept like a princess. i woke up the next morning loving her more than ever and felt good about my actions. though i understand whole heartedly that some times this can't be done because we are exhausted, or our other kids need something or the kitchen is a mess and lunches need packed-sometimes our kids just need us so bad. even when we were home with them all day. i felt it in my blood, veins and heart that night. her cry out for my attention was so clear and i knew it needed to be addressed right then and there. when you feel that in your heart, it means something!!!
in a modern society, we need to remember to follow our hearts and instincts in parenting as it is nature's way of pulling us back to what is so important. we need to invest time in our children as if that time would turn into a million bucks. i promise you won't regret spending time with them!!!!
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
on homeschooling
One of the many beauties of homeschooling.
My 7 year old gets to read the book of her choice, in her nightgown, with her baby, in a recliner, when she wants to. We call this Language Arts.
Love this girl!
My 7 year old gets to read the book of her choice, in her nightgown, with her baby, in a recliner, when she wants to. We call this Language Arts.
fabric softener
I have been out of fabric softener and dryer sheets for several weeks. Living on one income, trying to raise a family, dryer sheets have now been categorized in the "want" category and not the "need" category. Believe it or not, we are all surviving without dryer sheets.
After having said that, I still want them. I knew I didn't want to buy them from the store as I am trying to get away from products containing chemicals. Like many things, if I don't have it I try to find a way to improvise. Sometimes that means making your own. I already make most of my own household cleaners including homemade laundry soap so I thought, heck I wonder if I can make homemade fabric softener?
Thanks to the wonderful tool called the Internet, after typing in " natural fabric softener alternatives" I found all kinds of things! Most importantly, I came across oodles of research articles stating the dangers of dryer sheets and fabric softeners! One accredited source advised that dryer sheets are one of the most toxic household products on the market today. What?! Wow! Read for yourself! Research it!
The answer to this problem? There are several ways to soften your clothes without using toxic dryer sheets. I will share the article I found.
Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/6-natural-alternatives-to-toxic-fabric-softeners.html#ixzz2HR4LuDiQ
I tried the banking soda with my last load of laundry and it seemed to work! I am sharing this article with you because I love you and I don't want you to be exposed to neurotoxins if you don't have to be!
After having said that, I still want them. I knew I didn't want to buy them from the store as I am trying to get away from products containing chemicals. Like many things, if I don't have it I try to find a way to improvise. Sometimes that means making your own. I already make most of my own household cleaners including homemade laundry soap so I thought, heck I wonder if I can make homemade fabric softener?
Thanks to the wonderful tool called the Internet, after typing in " natural fabric softener alternatives" I found all kinds of things! Most importantly, I came across oodles of research articles stating the dangers of dryer sheets and fabric softeners! One accredited source advised that dryer sheets are one of the most toxic household products on the market today. What?! Wow! Read for yourself! Research it!
The answer to this problem? There are several ways to soften your clothes without using toxic dryer sheets. I will share the article I found.
6 Natural Alternatives to Toxic Fabric Softeners
by: Michelle Schoffro Cook
According to the Allergy and Environmental Health Association, both liquid and dryer sheet fabric softeners are “the most toxic product produced for daily household use.” Most of the popular brands of fabric softeners contain many neurotoxins (substances that are toxic to the brain and nervous system) and other types of toxins. Read my article 8 Toxins Lurking in Your Fabric Softener to learn more.
So, you’re ready to forego commercial fabric softeners but you still want soft clothes. What are your options? Well, here are my 6 suggestions to detox your laundry:
1. Add a 1/2 cup of baking soda to the water in your washing machine and let it dissolve prior to adding your clothes. This is my preferred method since the baking soda acts as a water softener and helps makes clothes super soft.
2. Some people toss tennis balls or other rubber balls into the dryer with clothes. I’m not a huge fan of this method since the heat of the dryer can cause the rubber to off-gas onto your clothing. If you have an allergy to latex, this is definitely not the method for you. Plus, I wouldn’t choose this method if you’re drying delicate clothing items.
3. Adding a cup of vinegar to the wash water can also soften clothes but I don’t find this method as effective as the baking soda technique.
4. To help with static, there’s the aluminum foil ball technique. Tightly scrunch a piece of foil to form a ball. Throw it in with clothes in the dryer. There is some possible concern with increasing your exposure to aluminum (which has been linked to some brain disorders). It can also snag delicate clothes.
5. Try to keep synthetic fabrics out of the dryer since they are the culprits when it comes to static. Natural fibers like cotton, bamboo, hemp, and linen are best dried on their own.
6. And, of course there are natural fabric softeners available in most health food stores. I must admit, though, that I don’t find them necessary. I try to purchase clothing made of natural fibers as much as possible and find my clothes are soft regardless whether they go through the dryer (free of fabric softeners) or are hung to dry.
As you can see, there are plenty of options when you want soft clothes and to be free of toxins.
Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/6-natural-alternatives-to-toxic-fabric-softeners.html#ixzz2HR4LuDiQ
I tried the banking soda with my last load of laundry and it seemed to work! I am sharing this article with you because I love you and I don't want you to be exposed to neurotoxins if you don't have to be!
Thank God for the Sun everyday!
It is a pet peeve of mine when I hear people complain about the Sun (and the rain, and the wind etc). Can you imagine one day without the Sun? One week without the Sun and we'd all be near death!
It's an inside joke but truth between Josh and I-anytime we are driving in the car and the Sun is blinding us or sitting at the dinner table and the evening Sun glares right in your face instead of saying "the damn Sun" we say "Gosh that beautiful Sun is shining in my eyes".
Loving life********************
Arnold Palmer (the drink!)
This Summer our family found a new favorite drink. We mixed iced tea with lemonade and it was good. Josh explained to me that it was a well known drink called Arnold Palmer. Ok, so we like Arnold Palmer:) You can look up the back story of why it is called that-I am too lazy to tell you in my blog! After all, that is what Wikipedia is for!
Anyway, I am continuing my efforts to replace all things that we consume with homemade things. Mostly more "pure" things. I was trying to think of different things we could drink other than bottled juice and pop. These are what I experimented with this week in addition to the orange juice4.
Sliced up strawberries in a pitcher of water. Sure looks pretty and is pretty tasty. Though this flavored water is fun and nutritious, I think we will stick with plain water. You know the saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" - well we are already lovers of water so we shall stick to that. I think the water with fresh fruit of your choice would be pretty and fancy for a luncheon or shower though:)
The other new drink I made this was home made Arnold Palmer. Well, I boiled (now I want a tea pot!) 7 cups of water and added 7 organic green tea bags to that and let it steep. Then Emma, with the help of little brother Joshua fresh squeezed 7 lemons for me in our citrus juicer. I mixed the tea and the lemon juice in a pitcher and tasted it. WOW! A little lemon goes a long way! A bit too lemony! I added a couple more cups of water and tea bags. That helped! While I am enjoying this, next time I make it I will cut the lemon way back! It's good though and green tea is super good for you! Google the benefits of green tea and learn all about it!
Anyway, I am continuing my efforts to replace all things that we consume with homemade things. Mostly more "pure" things. I was trying to think of different things we could drink other than bottled juice and pop. These are what I experimented with this week in addition to the orange juice4.
Sliced up strawberries in a pitcher of water. Sure looks pretty and is pretty tasty. Though this flavored water is fun and nutritious, I think we will stick with plain water. You know the saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" - well we are already lovers of water so we shall stick to that. I think the water with fresh fruit of your choice would be pretty and fancy for a luncheon or shower though:)
The other new drink I made this was home made Arnold Palmer. Well, I boiled (now I want a tea pot!) 7 cups of water and added 7 organic green tea bags to that and let it steep. Then Emma, with the help of little brother Joshua fresh squeezed 7 lemons for me in our citrus juicer. I mixed the tea and the lemon juice in a pitcher and tasted it. WOW! A little lemon goes a long way! A bit too lemony! I added a couple more cups of water and tea bags. That helped! While I am enjoying this, next time I make it I will cut the lemon way back! It's good though and green tea is super good for you! Google the benefits of green tea and learn all about it!
Monday, January 7, 2013
it's all in the orange juice
A few years back I had the urge to get a juicer. You can imagine with 3 kids how one family might go through juice. Juice can be expensive but more importantly can be unhealthy if you are unaware what is in your juice and or you are consuming too much. Anyway, I had talked to my Mom about juicing and being the kitchen gadget guru that she is, within a week I had one. She had ordered and shipped me one. (Thanks, Mom!) Unfortunately, my ambition never was great enough to actually use it, lol! (Sorry, Mom!) The juicer found it's way to the back of our cupboard and rested there.
With our recent move, the juicer resurfaced and when I came across it while unpacking those same thoughts and feelings returned. I thought to myself "I really should make home made juice. That would save so much money. That would be so much cheaper. Imagine what I could do with this juicer." This time I kept my juicer close by and in sight that way I wouldn't forget about it. It was on my mental to-do list. My list is so long!
Well, it was this whole, home-made, all natural kick that brought out my urge to make fresh juice with my juicer. It is a citrus juicer so on my grocery list I added lemons and oranges. We finally made it to the store and I landed a bag of lemons and a bag of oranges. Pumped! The kids are involved at this point and can't wait to get their hands on this fruit! We didn't get home from the store until 9:00 p.m. on Saturday so by the time we put everything away, pigged out on our new junk foods and chilled, it was late. I was hoping the kids had forgotten about the juicing because I had grown tired from the days events. No such luck there, Emma asked me several times so I said OK. So there we were, with the next day approaching, in our kitchen experimenting with oranges. Rinsed each one, cut them in half and set up the juicer. It started off just Emma and I working on it. Then Ella wandered through the kitchen with a "watchya doin'" approach and soon she was juicing right along with us. Joshua hollered out to us, "Hey, can I see da orange juice?" Then Josh joins in the fun too and teases "Mom and her big ideas."
Anyway, my point here is that it was now a family affair! We were all captivated by the orange drops that filled our pitcher. When it was done, we had successfully made about a quart of fresh squeezed orange juice. We were so careful not to spill any, after all we just made this! I poured a small cup and we passed it around and sipped it. It was a unanimous favorite. Wow, homemade juice!
We decided that since it was past midnight, that we would stick it in the fridge and save it for Sunday morning brunch. Yum! Morning rolled around and Josh made a delightful breakfast completed by our homemade orange juice. The kids were smiling as they slurped down their juice. A quart isn't much so split 5 ways we each got just enough to wet our whistle and fill our mouths with pure delight. nobody complained about not getting a whole lot. Nobody complained that there was too much pulp. They drank it all up with enthusiasm, pride and gratitude.
We saw the process first hand. We hand picked our oranges, used our own muscles to press the orange halves into the juicer. We tasted it together. We were totally aware of our juice and where it came from. It was like the kids owned it. Our family worked together to make something that our family needed and wanted.
So with the advancements in technology, we have lost this realism, this ownership, and more importantly this unity in home projects. If asked a child where orange juice comes from, it is likely that they would tell you the super market. It is also likely that children believe when the juice is gone, we buy more. So instead of being so excited about drinking our homemade juice in the morning, people are bored with the orange juice that sits on the breakfast table every morning. They take a couple of sips and let the rest go to waste. We aren't thankful or even aware that someday, there could be no orange juice!
Big picture, it's not the orange juice. It's how we live life. It's the vibrancy we put into. Don't take things for granted but rather rejoice in it! We have so much! I believe if we all had to make our own clothes, kill our own chickens and milk our own cows still that the world would be a much more peaceful and beautiful place to be. I think that the 30 and 40 year olds have a grasp that things aren't free and people work hard and we aren't entitled to a good life but that we earn it. I think anyone younger than that, is so far removed from reality and that we are doomed. Try to instill this in the youth in your life. Teach them about history and how far we have come. If your kids think that their food comes from a grocery store and that there will always be food available to us then take a minute, a week, a year, however long it takes, to teach them how it really all goes down. And ponder this "Do you think the world is better off today than it was 100 years ago?"
With our recent move, the juicer resurfaced and when I came across it while unpacking those same thoughts and feelings returned. I thought to myself "I really should make home made juice. That would save so much money. That would be so much cheaper. Imagine what I could do with this juicer." This time I kept my juicer close by and in sight that way I wouldn't forget about it. It was on my mental to-do list. My list is so long!
Well, it was this whole, home-made, all natural kick that brought out my urge to make fresh juice with my juicer. It is a citrus juicer so on my grocery list I added lemons and oranges. We finally made it to the store and I landed a bag of lemons and a bag of oranges. Pumped! The kids are involved at this point and can't wait to get their hands on this fruit! We didn't get home from the store until 9:00 p.m. on Saturday so by the time we put everything away, pigged out on our new junk foods and chilled, it was late. I was hoping the kids had forgotten about the juicing because I had grown tired from the days events. No such luck there, Emma asked me several times so I said OK. So there we were, with the next day approaching, in our kitchen experimenting with oranges. Rinsed each one, cut them in half and set up the juicer. It started off just Emma and I working on it. Then Ella wandered through the kitchen with a "watchya doin'" approach and soon she was juicing right along with us. Joshua hollered out to us, "Hey, can I see da orange juice?" Then Josh joins in the fun too and teases "Mom and her big ideas."
Anyway, my point here is that it was now a family affair! We were all captivated by the orange drops that filled our pitcher. When it was done, we had successfully made about a quart of fresh squeezed orange juice. We were so careful not to spill any, after all we just made this! I poured a small cup and we passed it around and sipped it. It was a unanimous favorite. Wow, homemade juice!
We decided that since it was past midnight, that we would stick it in the fridge and save it for Sunday morning brunch. Yum! Morning rolled around and Josh made a delightful breakfast completed by our homemade orange juice. The kids were smiling as they slurped down their juice. A quart isn't much so split 5 ways we each got just enough to wet our whistle and fill our mouths with pure delight. nobody complained about not getting a whole lot. Nobody complained that there was too much pulp. They drank it all up with enthusiasm, pride and gratitude.
We saw the process first hand. We hand picked our oranges, used our own muscles to press the orange halves into the juicer. We tasted it together. We were totally aware of our juice and where it came from. It was like the kids owned it. Our family worked together to make something that our family needed and wanted.
So with the advancements in technology, we have lost this realism, this ownership, and more importantly this unity in home projects. If asked a child where orange juice comes from, it is likely that they would tell you the super market. It is also likely that children believe when the juice is gone, we buy more. So instead of being so excited about drinking our homemade juice in the morning, people are bored with the orange juice that sits on the breakfast table every morning. They take a couple of sips and let the rest go to waste. We aren't thankful or even aware that someday, there could be no orange juice!
Big picture, it's not the orange juice. It's how we live life. It's the vibrancy we put into. Don't take things for granted but rather rejoice in it! We have so much! I believe if we all had to make our own clothes, kill our own chickens and milk our own cows still that the world would be a much more peaceful and beautiful place to be. I think that the 30 and 40 year olds have a grasp that things aren't free and people work hard and we aren't entitled to a good life but that we earn it. I think anyone younger than that, is so far removed from reality and that we are doomed. Try to instill this in the youth in your life. Teach them about history and how far we have come. If your kids think that their food comes from a grocery store and that there will always be food available to us then take a minute, a week, a year, however long it takes, to teach them how it really all goes down. And ponder this "Do you think the world is better off today than it was 100 years ago?"
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
home
i have made my way back home and here i sit at my desk. it's been awhile, 2 1/2 weeks we were home with our families! what a special christmas this was! i leave 2012 with a feeling of contentment. i am so thankful we are all still on earth and that the mayans were wrong!
I don't think this christmas could have been any better! despite the busy schedules, we got so many things accomplished! did lots of christmas festivities together, spent time with family and managed to avoid getting sick on christmas! i really wonder how we are so deserving of this greatness? i hope my kids can feel the love and how blessed they are. of course i can tell them to be grateful and appreciative but i hope they feel it too. we are surrounded by great blessings!
i don't know that i am setting resolutions for myself or my family but rather that we live fully this year. i hope for opportunities to be viewed as just that: an opportunity that must be acted on and not just an option. i hope that all my time is spent positively.
my heart is full and i am still reflecting on the miracles that christmas brought this year. i will return when i have been inspired to share a story.
Happy New Year!
I don't think this christmas could have been any better! despite the busy schedules, we got so many things accomplished! did lots of christmas festivities together, spent time with family and managed to avoid getting sick on christmas! i really wonder how we are so deserving of this greatness? i hope my kids can feel the love and how blessed they are. of course i can tell them to be grateful and appreciative but i hope they feel it too. we are surrounded by great blessings!
i don't know that i am setting resolutions for myself or my family but rather that we live fully this year. i hope for opportunities to be viewed as just that: an opportunity that must be acted on and not just an option. i hope that all my time is spent positively.
my heart is full and i am still reflecting on the miracles that christmas brought this year. i will return when i have been inspired to share a story.
Happy New Year!
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