Week # 12

Fall is in the...Kitchen?
Yes. Fall is not only out of doors turning the Tamaracks and birch golden hues, but it is displaying it's colors in my new kitchen towels!
(If you can find them beneath the piles of dirty dishes, that is.)

A few months ago I found a pretty set of dish towels at Costco. I bought them and split the package between my Colorado home and my Idaho home.
I must say they look especially "at home" here in Idaho!
Gramsie sent a box to the children and included a different set of towels that coordinated exactly with the ones I had bought at Costco!
To boot, I found some wash cloths that are the same colors, some of which you see here, though
this isn't all of them,


















I picked up two sets of washcloths at wally world, each set containing 18 cloths.
My plan is to use them as napkins, and in place of paper towels. All-purpose rags, if you will.
I thought 36 would be LOTS, but now I'm second guessing...
I'm actually not using too many at present since I have no convenient way of washing them.
I LOVE PAPER!
DISPOSABLE IS MY FRIEND!
(but it's not really cost effective, or environmentally friendly I concede)

So... the lovely colors are not only going to me to enjoy the smells of wood smoke, and cider scented candles, but will hopefully inspire me to wash (and dry) that mountain of dirty dishes..

If not, at least they'll make a very pretty addition to the kitchen decor!!

Week #11

That's my motto the past couple years.
I first saw the block letter word used as decor in my friend Shannon's house.
Shannon really understands this word, and I have learned a lot from her about how to function in a small home with a large family.

I found my own "SIMPLIFY" the other day, and it fits perfectly over the fireplace in our living room, and it was half off so I bought it.

I used to think that Simplifying meant having less, but recently I have discovered that is not necessarily the case. Living in a large house now, I find that it makes more sense to have multiples of certain things.

One of those is sippy cups.
Historically I've only allowed one cup per child. Each child had a different color, and they took it with them into town, to the dinner table, and to bed at night.
I was proud of this plan which had worked well for so long! I don't know how, but we managed to keep track of those cups for quite a long time, only occasionally losing them between the bed and the wall, or under the couch.

This 5000 square foot house is a different matter!
When the children climbed into bed, they had left their cups upstairs, and when climbing into the car, their cups were (of course) left in their beds and so on. When tucking four or five little ones into bed, I am not excited about cutting one loose to go look for a cup!
I say "climbed" past tense because I found a solution to my frustrating problem.

*I bought four cups for the bedroom - one for each child, each a different color.

*I bought four more for the car - one for each child and the same color as their bedroom cup.
I also bought a little carrying tote for the cups going into and out of the car.

One child is responsible for filling the cups before we leave, and then for rounding them up and getting them back into the tote, and ultimately the house.

Zachary is responsible for filling cups before we leave the house, and then for collecting them before coming back into the house. This tote has four compartments the perfect size for our cups plus room for a couple diapers! - Maybe some sunscreen and bug repellent too.

*Finally I bought four water bottles for the kitchen.
They are to stay in the kitchen, they sit on the edge of the counter and are available for reach at any time (staying in the kitchen), and are easy to take to to table at meal times.

So far, I am very happy with this arrangement. It seems to be working very well.
My favorite brand of Sippy is Playtex, so that's what eight of the new cups are.

The kitchen ones are Wal Mart cheapies - small clear water bottles with pop top lids. The only real chagrin with them is that Daddy wishes they weren't clear - you know... eating at the dinner table together? A two-year-old? Need I explain further?

Week #10

Titled: "PUFFY BEANS?"

I have been industrious.
While Emma has been been holding my computer hostage, I have been diligently sewing away!

"Sewing what?" you ask.

The napkins I already cut out?
No.
The baby quilts I impulsively bought fabric for?
No.
Zachary's quilt that needs quilting yet, or Clayton's quilt that is still in the planning stages?
No.

I have been sewing bloomers.

















Fun, sweet, darling, girlie bloomers which will help preserve a bit of feminine modesty!
I just love little girls in sweet little dresses and skirts, but it just takes the wind out of my sails to see those sweet little girls playing on a playground or sitting on the ground inspecting a hole in their sock exposing themselves to the world's scrutiny.
I prefer overalls to that!

Auntie Hannah mailed me this pattern, and in perfect timing, because I was about to get desperate and modify a pajama pattern.
I was pleased at how easy these were, and how fast they were to sew up (when I remembered to sew right sides together) ;-)

If anyone is interested, I might be able to post a picture of the pattern. I really think that someone like Eldest Daughter could duplicate it and be successful. It is only one piece times two.


















I finished off mine with lace trim, and got creative with my polka dot ones!
I told the girls the trim was called pom-poms, and Susanna said "they're Puffy Beans!"
And here is a picture of the bloomers with Puffy Beans:-)















The girls wore their bloomers to church today, and when we got home they wanted to dress down.
In future, I may make this pattern in a tighter weave fabric so they aren't transparent should the girls want to wear them without a skirt.

One step at a time! (and as long as Emma keeps hogging my computer, I will have plenty of time for steps!)

They really are pretty cute by themselves, aren't they? (the bloomers, not my daughters - that goes without saying!)

Week # 9

Being a good keeper of the home means looking well to the ways of your family's health.

Here is one of our natural remedies that pulled through once again, and recently saved my bacon:

GRAPEFRUIT SEED EXTRACT



















Here's my Testimony

You may remember a couple weeks ago while my husband was out of town, we ended up with half the family in ear infections and a cold-flu?

I (and the other half of my family) took roughly 15-20 drops (which was just a decent squirt) in liquid once to twice daily and didn't get sick.

Honestly I was amazed, and think I can safely say that apart from the gracious healing hand of God, this stuff was what kept us well.
That is also coming from someone who's immune system is pretty low because of nursing a baby through the night!

WARNING
This stuff taste's amazingly terrible - literally, you don't want it to stay on your taste buds!!
Get it to the back of your mouth and swallow quickly.
You can buy GSE in pill form, but I feel that my body can put the liquid to work much faster.

For children: I recommend putting a couple drops into a small spoon-full of applesauce.
encourage them to swallow it quickly and offer another bite of applesauce or
something to wash it down with afterwards.

For Adults: Add liquid GSE to a swallow of grape juice. You probably won't want it mixed in with a whole glass :-)
Save that for after you're done with your swallow.
Water works, but beware of a pucker that lasts at least ten minutes if you do it in water!! :o*

Here's a link that is very informative: http://www.nutriteam.com/index2.html
Read up on GSE and it's amazing qualities yourself and let me know if you might become a convert!

Week #8

A couple weeks ago I let the boys try making a cracker out of our sprouted wheat.

Because we don't currently have access to a blender of food processor, we had to get creative!

First I put roughly a quarter cup sprouted wheat berries in each of tow zip lock bags.
Then I sent the fellow's outside with hammers to crush the wheat inside the bags.



















After the wheat was crushed (it was not at all fine since they were more eager to get to the baking and eating part!) they oiled a cookie sheet and spread the sticky mess, pressing it flat with their hands.














Finally they sprinkled salt on top, and placed it in the oven at 200 degree's, and baked for about an hour and a half.
(please not that this was an experiment, not a recipe to be followed proportionately.)
I was genuinely surprised at how edible the end result!
It was a tasty, whole sprouted wheat cracker! We probably could have baked it a little longer, but it held together without crumbling into a mess.














The boys said they'd be willing to "live off" it - especially with peanut butter:-)
I'm looking forward to trying this in larger quantity, and also baking it in the Dutch Oven.

Week # 6

My husband has a desire to prepare for the future by putting together some supplies that might help our family in the face of a disaster, be it a natural disaster of some sort, economic, or something else.
I hope to be able to elaborate on this in the future, and possibly post our adventures in this journey, but for the sake of keeping this Home-keeper post short, I will tell you what I learned last night when I was looking to order sugar.

What's What?
Now, everyone knows that if you are going to have a survival kit the most important thing you wouldn't want to be without is SUGAR, right?
(Please tell me you read my sarcasm! ;-P)

This post isn't actually about sugars, but rather a little trivia I learned about Sugar cane in particular.
We have been buying SUCANAT in bulk form from Whole Foods market.
I bought it to try on our oatmeal, and it has become a hit in our home for this purpose!
All I knew about SUCANAT, is that the label professes it to be dehydrated cane juice; it is light brown and somewhat clumpy granules, and has a taste similar to brown sugar.
All I've used it for to date is dressing up a boring bowl of cooked oats, but I am interested to find out how it does as a refined sugar substitute.

Last night when I determined to order some Sucanat, I quickly became confused when offered the choice of that or dried CANE JUICE.

Isn't dried cane juice the same thing as dehydrated cane juice? Not only that, but there is also TURBINADO which is also from the juice of the sugar cane!

Here's the trivia I learned in brief summery:

SUCANAT (pronounced soo-ka-not) is the first sugar coming from the sugar cane as soon as the juice is dehydrated - basically cane sugar in it's purest form. Because it hasn't been refined yet, it retains the molasses within, and has a stronger flavor, and higher moisture content.

TURBINADO (or "RAW SUGAR") is cane sugar refined once (I believe). It is lighter in color than Sucanat, a bit more mellow in flavor, and still retains some molasses, but not much.
When I've seen it in the stores, it has a granulated texture that doesn't clump, but is much larger crystals than traditional white sugar.

DRIED CANE JUICE (or cane sugar) is the most refined of these three, and has little or no molasses in it, and is mostly sucrose.
I read that while it's more expensive than traditional refined white sugar, some people prefer the taste.

Last night I decided to buy Sucanat because I am already familiar with the taste, and have one (small, but much loved) use for it.
I was also encouraged by the fact that it is a sugar that's still in it's original state.
I'm not saying whether one sugar is "healthier" than another, I just want to stay away from the refined as much as possible, and I think this choice will serve my purpose well.

The next thing to research and experiment with is Sucanat's substitution for white sugar in recipe's we like to use.
If push comes to shove, we'll use the good ol' fashioned poison, er - stuff!
Sometimes when you want a good cookie, there's no point gaining in health what you lose in taste! ;-P

Here are some sites I found useful:

Natural Sweeteners

Guide to Natural Sweeteners

And of course the informative Wise Geek site.
To use it, just type in "What is ..." and fill in the blank with something like "turbinado".

Week #5

Week before last while Daddy Bug was out of town, THIS is what I accomplished!

I made this sweet little baby quilt for my cousins who are expecting their first-born (her name is Vivian Arlene - isn't that darling?! Arlene is my Grandmother's name, and I myself am partly named after her. I'm also named after my maternal grandmother Bethlene. That's where the "lene" part of my name came from. Aren't I lucky?!)

Sorry about that! Back to my original post.

Okay, anyway, I had lots of colorful scraps which I brought with me to Colorado for this very purpose, and then I found the most cute fleece to back it with. Can you see the little fish on it?

Now I know I wasn't really making MY home when I did this project, but it warmed my heart to be able to bless my cousins.
(Cousins, please don't tell me if it wasn't your thing!) ;-)

Part of keeping home, or being a "keeper of the home" is finding ways to brighten your life and others with the gifts and means that the Lord has given you!

(Now if I can just finish the quilt I started for Zachary a year-and-a-half ago!)

Week #4

This week's post is not going to have any pictures, which I am very sad about because I am very visual and like those colorful images to look at!

You all may not know this, but when my beloved and I moved the family out here to Colorado, he had taken a contract with his work committing to a stay of certain duration.
Because of this, it made sense to move in with his brother (Uncle Wyatt) who lives alone in a 5,000 square foot home.
Since we have always lived in less than 1,000 sq. ft., we are knocking around in all this space! Needless to say Uncle Wyatt is no longer "lonely" (Har - har!)
AJ says we "hardly even notice he's here", and I am quite sure that U.W. cannot say the same for US!
Since we're living in someone else's home, "home-keeping" has a unique twist.
Mostly my skills are taxed by learning how to simplify - especially since we have more space now, and it would be easy to fill it!
Besides simplifying our stuff, my goal has been to make this place homey and beautiful at little expense, and without compromising the "delicate" tastes of a bachelor! ;-)

ALSO... when we came we brought only what we could fit into our van.
So...
the children sleep in sleeping bags,
We don't have our "decor" from home,
our clothing is somewhat limited,
and we have to get a little creative with things like storage of clothes/toys etc.
and how to warmify this large empty house without buying lots of do-dads.

Today I offer my simple gift wrapping tip.
(remember, simplify)

I keep only:
*a roll of brown packing paper
*white tissue paper, and
*1-5 spools of ribbon.

I buy my ribbon at Costco (they carry it usually twice a year), and attempt to have colors that would serve me for wedding gifts, birthdays, and boys/men, as well as all the girlie presents.

Costco sells a 50 yard roll for $8.00! I don't know how you can beat that! (You'd better like the color though, because you may have it around for a while! :-)

(okay, I lied. Here's one little picture)











I only have one roll here in Co. which I bought when we arrived.
I chose blue with a pretty brown edge, figuring that in a pinch, it wouldn't scare a boy too much!

At home I also have white (which is great for Christmas, and Weddings) Purple (which I just plain like) and maybe two other colors which I have bought over the course of six years or more, and have lasted that long.

It's my own personal opinion that a real fabric ribbon adds a little more elegance to a gift, and is plenty of decoration for plain brown paper.
Of course there are millions of other simple ways to dress up such simple packaging, but this is a start which has enabled me to not have a cabinet or drawer overflowing with gift wrapping supplies.

Let me know what you think?

Week #3 (A Lttle Piece)

How do the weeks go by so fast!!! Here we are again, and if I don't get with it, I'll have to post twice for this challenge next week!:-)

My home-keeping has been a life of the relatively mundane (of late). I think it totally qualifies as keeping home when one cooks, cleans, changes diapers, takes said diapers OUT so they don't stink up the house...
Without this kind of keeping, no one would want to live in our home!

That's the kind of stuff I've been doing lately. Not very romantic or exhilarating, but necessary nonetheless.

Today though, I realized that sometimes things are accomplished in pieces.
Today, I actually accomplished some things if you count "pieces"! (And if you read last nights post, you'll see why I'm thrilled!)

So here they are:

I cleaned a little piece of the kitchen after I finally got the Little Bugs settled for the night (9-ish)















THIS, on the other hand is one of the pieces that did NOT get cleaned:
(see, I gave you a very tiny picture so you can't look too closely)
I only include this in case my high standards are called into question:-)

You'll notice that I do not refer to myself as "Super Momma", I leave that title for some other poor woman to live up to!


Okay, now here is a piece of the wall I painted.
In case you are wondering, I've been painting this same room for well over a month. The walls aren't THAT big, it's just that it takes that long when there are fifty million distractions!

(I think it will look really nice when I'm done... some day.)














And here is a piece of the quilt I worked on this evening., while I made sure Little Bugs stayed in their beds after being tucked in.
Gotta keep them within ear-shot and quick reach;-) (Little Bugs, I mean!)














And finally, while I cannot show you a picture of this last one, I was able to enjoy a little piece of quiet - uh, I mean Peace and quiet.

This came while playing on my blog, reading about some of my favorite people: Suzanne's recovery (I'm glad to find out that she didn't bleed to death after all!); my Sister's delightful discovery, and that Super Momma and Picture Sister haven't posted anything new, in like, a year!! (OK, slight exaggeration there, sorry)
Anyway, I have thoroughly enjoyed myself, and shall now call it a night.

(If only I could look forward to more than just a little piece of sleep!)

Week #2

I find that in my busy house-hold it's easier for me to change diapers in the living room close to the action, rather than taking the baby to another room.

This is the set-up that works great for me - in fact, I don't even have a changing station other than this:
At this post:
*The basket holds six or eight each, of two sizes of diaper for each girl.
*Next to the basket is my box of wipes
*On the other side of this basket I also keep a zippered bag of hair fixin's, and a water squirt bottle, since I find it makes sense to fix hair when I change diapers first thing in the morning.

Depending on the time of year, here are some other things I keep handy in this basket or bag:

*a Snurfer (alias: nasal aspirator).
*nail clippers
*some Q tips in a zip lock.
*diaper ointment

I keep this basket in the living room (in my house it sits on the fireplace hearth, which is where I gravitate to change a diaper).
I also keep one in my bedroom downstairs where the babies sleep.

Let me know if this tip will come in handy at your house too!

A New Adventure!

I've decided to take Mama Kenz's Homekeeper 2008 Challenge!
This is a big deal for me; I don't usually get involved in these kinds of things (usually in all my two months of blogging - Ha!), but I really think this fits with what I'm already doing, it's a good motivator for me to reflect on things I am learning in my home-making journey, AND... I can do it on any day of the week I want to!!!

So Thanks Mama Kenz! And here goes...

This is my long overdue "oatmeal" post!
I have struggled for some time with what to serve my children for breakfasts.
I have this overwhelming compunction about making them eat the same thing every day, but I also don't want to turn breakfast into another meal that involves a lot of planning and preparation.

I have worked out many ideas, and this is what I am finally settling into:

Hot cereal is a whole grain in it's natural state without preservatives, refined sugar, or dyes.
I myself have never liked oatmeal (please don't tell my children that!). My Grampa called them "Opie Nuts", and my Grama said "they'll stick to your ribs". I don't know where "Opie Nuts" came from, but it's true that they stick to your ribs!
I will eat them now-a-days, but I can only consume about a quarter cup cooked.
My children, on the other hand, have come to eat oatmeal like there's no tomorrow, and I think that's great!
Among it's other virtues, oatmeal is inexpensive, so it fills many tummy's for little cost, and even less if you buy it bulk.
Here's our favorite ways to fix it:

We like ours a little nutty, and not so soupy.
Bring your water to a boil,
then add enough oats to fill the water - in other words, so they're not floating on top.
After you add the oats, turn off burner, and cover pot.
Oatmeal should be ready to eat in about ten minutes.

W like to top our oatmeal with a little maple syrup, sucanat, or honey, then add any other combination of things:
Nuts
Raisins
Diced Banana
Blueberries
Dates
Shredded Coconut
Currants

Occasionally we peel and dice an apple to add to the boiling water along with some cinnamon.
If you want to get crazy, many other grains (such as bulgar, or millet) are fun to try for some variety!














With Sucanat (dried cane sugar), Pecans, and Raisins















With Pure Maple Syrup, and chopped Dates
















With Coconut, and Currants













With Banana, and Blueberries

(My children thought I'd had it when I began taking pictures of food!!)
We happily fix oatmeal about four times a week (Fridays being eggs, of course:-), and recently I was inspired by a friend who has trained her children to eat (and enjoy) their oatmeal with nothing on it but milk. Hmmm... more food for thought!