Rainy Day Project

Some freezer paper stencil love for the master bedroom...

Pink doe for my side...Green buck for his.

I made these up this morning While the Boys were hard at work 

on an elaborate car chase scenerio...

Our Solstice Celebration.....

Baking Cookies

ArtA Night Time Drive
Hot Cocoa by the Fire

(See their Solstice Jammies there? They chose the fabric themselves.)

Check One More Off The List...

Paper Chain...Check.

Advent Calender...Almost There.

I just need to stitch on the squares...then add the numbers.
Better hurry...tomorrow's the first day.

SO...

I always thought advent calenders had treats.

I never had one, but is seems the ones I coveted as a child involved treats...
or at least the ones that stuck with me did. Things like little chocolates, or a small toy or ornament.

But, Chris tells me that growing up his never involved a treat. Apparently he had little windows...to what he can't recall.

What is your family's advent calender like?

Easy Like...

Sunday Morning...

It's beginning to look a lot like.....

Christmas!

Our holiday decorating always begins on Thanksgiving.

We have this great vintage aluminum tree that we just need to have up for as long as is within the limits of polite society.

It just makes me smile every time I see it.

The kids practically worship the thing.

It really glows at night...and, during the day, when most 'normal' trees are bland and boring, ours acts like a disco ball in the sunlight, throwing little sparkles all over the ceiling.

The wreath will go up next, then my snow-people collection.

I love holiday decorations.

This Pretty Much Sums It Up...

Thanksgiving jig. from savymanda on Vimeo.

The Day After...

It was divine.

The Night Before...

Tomorrow is our 'Friends Thanksgiving' dinner.
The table is set, the toilets are scrubbed, the children are washed, the fancy cheeses are chilling, and I am so excited.

We will all cook together while chatting and sipping wine. The children will be supervised by everyone and no one. We'll all sit down to a proper dinner. Board games will be played. Deserts will abound. The fire will be lit.

The day will fly by.

Some Tea...

We are all in this odd state of wonky-ness.

You know how a family falls in and out of their rhythm from time to time? We have fallen out a bit over here. Veered away from an easy stride and begun to overshoot in every direction.

The kids are behaving erratically. I am overreacting. Stuff is piling up around the perimeters. The giggles just don't seem to come as easy.

I feel that it is somehow my responsibility to get us back in the flow...although I can never remember how I did it the time before. Is it something I can control or is it just a mix of time and a bit of surrender that corrects everything?
Is it my efforts to control things too much that cause the whole wonky thing to begin in the first place? Either way I end up accepting much of the responsibility. Too much.

My plan this time...more surrender, more tea, less fretting.

I guess, on the upside, this means we will once again find a comfortable balance between all that we try to squeeze into and out of our days....and with that will come the easy smile of realizing we've done it yet again.

AKA Dr. Laundry

(These two photo's of Luke were taken about 3 years apart....same kid, same hat, same ridiculous amount of cuteness. FYI...that's a treasure map in Photo #2, lest you think it was just some random piece of paper. Like I did. Duh Mom.)

So...I did it. I washed 3 loads of clothes in Dr. Bronner's soap. I used about 2 to 3 tablespoons per full load on warm water wash/cold rinse. I tested it on one load of lights, one of darks, and one with towels/linens. It worked SO well. It not only worked, It was SO much better than the laundry soap I had been using. There were no 'oil' spots as I had read there may be.

Until now I was using a 'green' brand that's biodegradable and free of perfumes and dyes. My clothes were getting pretty clean, but didn't smell so great and were a bit 'scratchy'.

The clothes and my laundry room now have a great clean smell (I used the peppermint scent...almond or lavender would be nice too). The laundry is also much softer than it was with the detergent I had been using. This was a huge (and unexpected) bonus as I had stopped using fabric softener/dryer sheets quite a while ago when I found out that they contained some of the most dangerous chemicals in my home!

From the EPA:

Principal chemicals found in Fabric Softeners/Dryer Sheets are:

Symptoms of exposure are taken from industry-generated Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

ALPHA-TERPINEOL

Causes CNS (central nervous system) disorders... "highly irritating to mucous membranes" ..."Aspiration into the lungs can produce pneumonitis or even fatal edema." Can also cause "excitement, ataxia (loss of muscular coordination), hypothermia, CNS and respiratory depression, and headache." "Prevent repeated or prolonged skin contact."

BENZYL ACETATE

Carconigenic (linked to pancreatic cancer). "From vapors: irritating to eyes and respiratory passages, exciting cough." "In mice: hyperanemia of the lungs." "Can be absorbed through the skin causing systemic effects." "Do not flush to sewer."

BENZYL ALCOHOL

Causes CNS disorders ..."irritating to the upper respiratory tract" ..."headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drop in blood pressure, CNS depression, and death in severe cases due to respiratory failure."

CAMPHOR

Causes CNS disorders. On EPA's Hazardous Waste list. Symptoms: "local irritant and CNS stimulant" ..."readily absorbed through body tissues" ..."irritation of eyes, nose, and throat" ..."dizziness, confusion, nausea, twitching muscles and convulsions". "Avoid inhalation of vapors."

CHLOROFORM

Neurotoxic. Anesthetic. Carcinogenic. on EPA's Hazardous Waste list. "Avoid contact with eyes, skin, clothing. Do not breathe vapors ...Inhalation of vapors may cause headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, irritation of respiratory tract and loss of consciousness." "Inhalation can be fatal." "Chronic effects of overexposure may include kidney and/or liver damage." "Medical conditions generally aggravated by exposure: kidney disorders, liver disorders, heart disorders, skin disorders." "Conditions to avoid: Heat..." Listed on California's Proposition 65.

ETHYL ACETATE

Narcotic. On EPA's Hazardous Waste list. "...Irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract" ..."may cause headache and narcosis (stupor)" ..."may cause anemia with leukocytosis and damage to liver and kidneys". "Wash thoroughly after handling."

LIMONENE

Carcinogenic. "Prevent its contact with skin or eyes because it is an irritant and sensitizer." "Always wash thoroughly after using this material and before eating, drinking ...applying cosmetics. Do not inhale limonene vapor."

LINALOOL

Narcotic. Causes CNS disorders. ..."respiratory disturbances" ..."Attracts bees." "In animal tests: ataxic gait, reduced spontaneous motor activity and depression ...depressed heart activity ...development of respiratory disturbances leading to death."

PENTANE

"Danger - Harmful if inhaled ...Avoid breathing vapor." "Inhalation of vapors may cause headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, irritation of respiratory tract and loss of consciousness. Repeated inhalation of vapors may cause CNS depression. Contact can cause eye irritation. Prolonged exposure may cause dermatitis (skin rash)."

So, to get a better than expected result from a product that I not only feel safe using, but that I actually feel good about using, made my day!

This is definitely going to help me meet my goal over at the Great Plastic Challenge.

The Good Doctor...

We've been using the fabulous Dr. Bronner's soap for a while now...and it's just occurred to me to try it in yet another capacity. Laundry! So far it's our dish soap, general cleanser for counters and floors, shower and tile cleaner, bathing soap, face soap, and carpet freshener. If vinegar and baking soda won't do , we grab the Dr. B's.

Why not laundry? I read around on the internet and found mainly good reviews of the peppermint soap as a laundry soap...a few folks mentioned oil like stains on their clothes. I am thinking if I dilute it in the laundry water before adding the clothes I may be able to avoid this. I'll report back.

Dr.B's also sells a 'Sal Suds' which is meant more for this use, but I really don't want to have any more cleaning products in my home than Absolutely necessary. The thought of only needing ONE for everything sounds Amazing!

If you've not heard of Dr. Bronner's...It's a counterculture Classic.

It's a castille soap which is vegan, biodegradable, organic, packaged in 100% post consumer recycled plastic bottles, scented with essential oils, and not tested on animals. The crazy labels are printed with organic hemp seed ink.

There is even a documentary about the man himself and the story of how the soap came to be..called Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox. The proprietor, Dr Bronner, apparently created the soap after escaping from a mental institution and seemed to care more about the soap than his own family.

Interesting stuff.

Anyone have an interesting use for Dr Bronner's...or a soap/detergent/chemical alternative for use around the house?

Thrifty Treasures...

A few recent trips to my favorite local thrift store yielded some real treasures.

The 'tablecloth' is actually a sweet strawberry vine bed sheet which may have yet another life as a blouse for me or an adorable tote. The shiny chrome flour and tea canisters are 50's vintage in great condition...and the blue and white vintage Pyrex cuties match a set that my Grams gave me when Chris and I got married. The green boomerang candy bowl is just beautiful...simple as that. I also found an 'American at Martinsville' walnut step table (not pictured) in pretty good shape which had been on my wanted list.

It's been a very rewarding few weeks in thrift land. It always seems to go this way. I'll have a stretch where I find something amazing on every trip and then I'll have a stretch where it all dries up.

Either way I'm an addict...

Home Made...

Last month, for various reasons, I started baking all of our bread rather than purchasing it. Originally I was baking it all from scratch without the aid of a bread machine...then I came to my senses. Breadmaking is a simple yet time consuming process, friends. So, I am now leaving the grunt work to my faithful kitchen helper...My bread maker. I generally don't like kitchen gizmo's and tend to prefer to do things by hand...But, the bread machine is genius.

Step 1: Dump in yummy bread ingredients
Step 2: Come back in 3 hours and 40 minutes for insanely good warm bread
Step 3: Enjoy the fact that your house smells like fresh baked bread for hours

In addition to not being rocket science, it's much less expensive than an equivalent quality bread from a store. I highly recommend!

So with all of my recent bread success I decided to take on Graham Crackers. Yes, those standard toddler treats from a little cardboard box. Well, just as with bread, it is much simpler that I thought it would be and they taste infinitely better than their retail counterparts.

Here's the recipe for the Graham Crackers...

Homemade Graham Crackers

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoon molasses

1/4 cup cold water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a food processor, mix together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the cold butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 30 seconds or so. Add the honey, molasses, water, and vanilla. Mix until the dough starts to come together in a ball, another 30 seconds. Scrape dough out of the mixer. Place it in the fridge for at least an hour, until firm.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Retrieve dough and roll until it's 1/8-inch thick. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut into 2-inch squares, or with cookie cutters for fun shapes.
Arrange the crackers on greased or parchment lined baking sheets.

Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly browned at the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan.

Yield: 48 crackers

Note: If you cut the dough through but leave the squares together, you can break them up after they're baked, just like a store-bought graham!

Local Harvest...

On of our favorite breakfasts, lunches or snacks around here...Plain yoghurt, berries and nutty granola.
We use frozen local berries most of the year as we generally try to eat seasonally. In the summer we get to indulge in all of the fresh produce from our area. Living in Northern California we have so much to choose from.

We will be beginning to receive our local CSA (community supported agriculture) box in a couple weeks, at the begining of the new quarter...and I am so thrilled. We really make an effort to eat seasonally and to support local farmers. Up until now we have purchased most of our produce from the local farmers market or the Co-op (which buys from local growers). But, we have noticed that we really tend to slack off in the winter due to not wanting to brave the weather for produce.

So, this year we will be splitting 2 boxes of produce, grains and bread among 4 families. This will guarantee we eat locally, make sure we get together with some of our closest friends on a weekly basis to divvy up our bounty, and force me to get creative with recipes as we work with what we get. Another advantage to sharing boxes is that we can all share successful recipes since we are receiving the same items.

We will be working with the Good Humus Farm in our area...have you looked into a CSA where you are? If you are concerned about it not being cost effective, how about sharing your box with friends or family?

Clementine Crazy...

We inherited this very prolific seedless citrus tree when we bought our house. I think she's a Clementine but am not absolutely sure. Every year around this time she is absolutely overburdened with fruit, to the point where I am sure the branches will all snap off one by one. I know I should probably be doing something to assist my poor tree through these fruit bearing months, when she is slumped over with offerings, but I've no idea what. Like some sort of thwarted Citrus Midwife.

The fruit from this tree is absolutely amazing...It's sweet and juicy. Perfect. The kids can just walk up and grab a Clementine right off the tree, peel it, and eat it with no worries because there are never any seeds.

And believe me they do.

No matter how many times I go out and sweep up, our lanai will be littered with little bits of orange peel from now until Christmas . Eventually, after Thanksgiving, when it's cold and rainy, I'll begin to care much less about there being orange confetti scattered about. It'll still be there waiting for me in the spring, believe it or not, as a little reminder.

Today we savored the first of hundreds of this season's Clementine's...it did not disappoint.

My new treasure...

You may have picked up from my around the house photo's that I just adore all things mid-century modern. Because of that I spend a lot of time hunting around on craigslist and in thrift stores for treasures. We own a few pieces that we are madly in love with and have a list of others that we are still coveting.

Last night I was able to scratch another piece off of the 'coveting' list. Meet my brand new Saarien style Tulip side table. We have the larger version as our kitchen table and have 3 of the matching white chairs.

Still on my list are a sleek mid century blond wood coffee table, a great rug, a Walnut or Teak starburst clock, and a fabulous sideboard.

Here are a few of my favorite's

Our 60's era koo-koo clock from Germany above a fab. 50's vinyl chair.

Our magazine rack and fab 60's chair

My 50's Necchi sewing machine in it's original cabinet (with original manual and accessories case!) and 1 of our 4 vintage 50's danish modern Chairs.

Our accordian door sterio cabinet.

The 50's, in my opinion, produced the best homes, fashions and furniture of all time...