Author: veronica

I am a small town gal who loves her family and her farm!
Holidays, Life

ha-ha-holidays

veronica

Sooo… people may think I’m a bit of a grinch but that is absolutely not true.  Here’s the deal : I have a very different take on what Christmas means.  I love the lights and fun, the treats the songs and making merry does my heart good. I am just not a buyer.  Partly because my budget won’t allow it and partly because it makes me irritated and ornery to have the calendar dictate when I give gifts.

Let me clarify on the gifting –  I love to give gifts, just not if they are super costly and have little meaning to the receiver.  I enjoy sending handwritten notes throughout the year for no special reason.  I love sending care packages with homemade items when the mood strikes.  I send a text when I think of someone throughout the day.  That’s my kind of giving.

My kids are used to my eccentric ways and do not really question it.  I let them know before the season if it’s a lean year or a “full” year.  Oddly, they have absolutely no qualms either way.

This year they have purchased gifts for each other and I have one gift a piece squirreled away for them. No single present was more than $10.  Instead of gifting as much I do an “activity advent”.  This has been a fun way to count down the days and truly enjoy each other and the season.  For  each day of December they get to pull a slip of paper (with a pre-written activity on it) out of the envelope and we do what is listed.  Most of these I have made easy to do in a busy day like sing a carol by phone to Grandma.  That way it’s very little prep to squeeze an extra event into our already maxed schedule.  Some are a bit more involved like baking cookies for neighbors.  I gathered ideas from several sites online (don’t remember them all but there are TONS)  This is a fun and low cost way to just BE during the holidays and the gift of beautiful memories will live on forever.

 

DIY

Making Lip Balm! Perfect winter DIY

veronica

IMG_0045Yesterday was a lip balm kinda day.  I gathered ingredients as well as a couple of friends and we cranked out a super easy (and huge) batch of lip balms.

Want to try it?

Of course you do! Well, maybe not everybody loves a good DIY but I sure do and I’m sharing for those of you who might enjoy this project.

Materials:

 

  •  you can just be a lazy one like me and use old jelly jars and a pot with water (the recycled jelly jars can be tossed afterward)
  • or you can be all fancy like that and use a double boiler
  • containers for your lip balm – the recipe makes a full cup so stock up!
  • 1/3 measuring cup
  • chopsticks (to stir with)
  • beeswax pellets
  • coconut oil –  make sure it’s the solid one not the liquid
  • another oil of your choice (sweet almond, olive, grapeseed will work)
  • essential oils of your choice – geranium is supposed to be amazing for skin.  I have used lavender, peppermint and orange (not all in the same batch!)
  • stovetop and oven mitts!
  • a freezer
  • not required but super nice additions…she butter and vitamin E oil capsules

To start with understand that the ratio will always be 1 part beeswax to 2 parts other oils.  That being said, one of your oils should always be a solid coconut oil.  The other can be subbed with what you have on hand. ( avoid peanut, sesame or sunflower oils… they can get funny smells in your product)

Ok! Here we go!

Prep your containers by removing lids and placing on a easy to transport tray that will fit in your fridge or freezer. Measure 1/3 cup beeswax and add to your double boiler or glass jar.  put about 1″ inch of water in your pot or double boiler.  Heat until beeswax is liquid using your chopstick to stir out any solid pieces.  You can add a small tsp scoop of shea butter at this time if you have it.  Continue by adding the remaining oils and stirring over a low heat to fully mix, melt and incorporate.  Lastly, add your chosen essential oils and a vitamin E capsule opened up and squirted in if you like.  🙂

Almost there…

CAREFULLY…VERY carefully…pour your melted oils/wax into your readied containers. Use oven mitts with jars!!! Place in fridge or freezer to set.  It will take about 15 min in freezer maybe a bit longer in fridge.  Remove and put lids on.

Label with the ingredient list if you plan to give these as gifts!

Super fun to make and a lovely gift to give – Happy Turkey Day everyone

 

 

Life

Mr. Cellophane

veronica

It’s an invisible kind of day.  Hello, to anyone who may read this.  I am, in fact, alive and well but often get that Mr. Cellophane kind of feel.  It’s a great song btw and a sort of anthem for wall flowers everywhere.  Well, in honor of all things invisible (people, problems, things we’d rather not say…) I am here to say that as your fellow wall flower I will do my utmost to notice you.  My new goal is to allow everyone that passes into my life the respect and attention they deserve.  I hope it comes back at me too.  In the words of Macy Gray “baby in between notice the blue skies, notice the butterflies, notice me.  Stop and smell the flowers and lose it, in sweet music and dance with me”.  (Only my FAVORITE song “Beauty in the World”) 🙂

Have a great day and notice someone.

Random

pink

veronica

A girl has gotta have a few things that make her feel just a little bit fancy.  This dress is a bit of prettiness that makes me just so happy to be a girl.  Anyway, my dear friend N took me to a wonderful little party for the book release for The Renegade Seamstress.  It required just a touch of fanciness…and we were matching…in pink, of course.

As an introvert, a room full of nearly strangers required a lot of deep breaths but I made it through.  It was packed but the food WAS SO GOOD! Wallflower much? : /

But I got a great picture out of the deal and my friend got a party tag-a-long.  🙂

My friend actually designs these dresses.  You can find her lovlies @ daintyjewells.com/

*Just want to say that the water mark on this photo is incorrect.  This was taken by Sudbrock Portraits 🙂

My hubby also does photos and it was accidentally marked as his but we couldn’t figure out how to take it off

Health

thoughts on hair

veronica

I’ve been working on healthy hair lately.  It’s way more in depth than I had thought! For one thing, you have to have a healthy scalp.  Kind of obvious, I know but really how many people moisturize their scalp like they do their face?  Not many I would guess. I sure didn’t. It seems to be an important step in the process.

Anyway, I’ve been “no poo” for about a month and that is going well.  My hair isn’t as dry or unpredictable.  It actually feels happy!  So that is awesome.  I have taken out all store bought products as well.  I still occasionally use aloe vera gel in place of regular gel but my hair spray is basically scented sugar water in a bottle.  I have super fine hair so a tiny bit of product is all I need.  And….nobody even knows the difference!  Except now you all know.

I did use some lavender oil on my scalp the other day to help it out some.  The jury is still out.  Not sure what that did for it as there is really no way for me to view results.  I think I’ll try it again in a week or so.

The book I’m reading is Every Woman’s Guide to Beautiful Hair at Any Age by Lisa Akibari.  Lots of info!

What has worked for you?

Kids, Life

messes

veronica

One of those days…. did the dishes… it lasted through one meal. Did the laundry… the kids made mud pies. The kind of day where you find smooshed dog poop on the floor and then discover it was none other than yours truly who owned the offending sneaker. Moms everywhere know what I’m talking about.

I conducted a very unscientific experiment to see just how long a basket of clean towels (washed, dried and neatly folded) would sit on the bathroom counter before someone put them away- without my asking. Who would like to know what happened to my experiment? Any educated guesses out there? Three days later I put the towels away.

Hmmmm… time to start delegating again! What are your chore charts like? How do you manage your messes? I work part time at two jobs so I’m a stay-at-home-on-the-run mom.

Normally we reserve one day to hit our chores hard Monday (trash day). As it happens the kids and I are off school and it’s our homework day as well. It usually works out well. Chores, breakfast, homework and then maybe some errands thrown in there before dinner. Trouble is, one day a week is NOT enough. We do a daily quick pick up to put items back but not a “clean sweep”.

So, not wanting to reinvent the wheel I naturally want to see what other mamas have come up with for a fast and furious clean up during busy weekdays.

I’ve tried the 15 minute cleaning frenzy but that usually means that my son does 2 minutes of cleaning and disappears, my middle daughter cleans 30 minutes and holds a grudge, my little girl prances around “trying” to clean and ends up being more of a mess. DOES NOT WORK FOR ME.

Chore charts are great but I’m pooped when I get home and I honestly want 30 minutes to an hour to relax before I jump into dictator mode and git ‘er done.

Best thing I’ve done so far is clear out a bunch of clutter. My house feels cleaner and bigger. I can move around more freely and see what needs to be done with more clarity. Plus,…I can breathe again. There is something wonderful about the spareness of a room. It becomes a relaxing retreat and soothes the tired mind. I’m still working on it and my clutter bug comes out now and then.

What are your cleaning and clutter busting tips for busy mamas?

Love

Talkin’ bout love

veronica

I must confess… I have a struggle. (Insert long sigh) Marriage was stinky hard for me.  The wife thing never really made total sense.  My role…well…just wasn’t clear in my mind.  I knew I had to be a friend, a helper, a giver and forgiver.  Other than that I guess I was lost. So for all you kinda-missed-the-pre-marriage-counseling ladies out there I have a few little things that have helped me along the way.

Dating Divas- good stuff there people! (can do on a cheap budget too!)

5 love languages- again, good stuff

Good examples- find a couple who has been happily married many years

Honor- simply put, honor that guy for the man he is. It just may change how he treats you for the better…win-win!

Speak love- this is a good one for me.  I get a little tense and I need to at the least relax for the moment to focus on my words and say what I MEAN *not* what I FEEL. Counting to five is a good slow it down before you respond mechanism

Kisses- yes, even when you don’t feel like it.  Be affectionate when/how it suits you.  Don’t go super PDA if you are uncomfortable but a little squeeze/touch/smile/wink can go a long way

Happy Lovin’ !

 

Get Happy!, Kids

If you’re happy and you know it, sing along!

veronica

If, for whatever reason, you should feel a bit down… try singing! I’m not kidding!  The freedom you feel when you really belt it out is unbelievable.  Try it, you’ll like it 🙂  I find that even when I’m not in the singing mood my little students are fully expecting me to lead them in our usual numbers.  Just knowing that they are waiting on me and my enthusiasm to set the tone can really make me take singing seriously… and myself not so much!

Some songs to consider:

You are my sunshine (classic mood lifter)

Army cadence (if you can’t sing you can surely march and shout!)

If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands 🙂

The hokey pokey (it’s impossible to feel bad when you shake yourself about!)