More natural house cleaning...

Thanks to Hulu Plus, I have a slight obsession with an Aussie show called "Lush House" (you can watch full episodes here).  I swear the host, Shannon Lush, is a flippin' genius.  Who knew you could disinfect with lavender oil?  ...or tea tree oil?  I didn't, so I'm gonna go ahead and assume that you didn't either.  I really want to check out all of Shannon Lush's books now!

I also discovered an amazing resource for family friendly, eco-friendly and budget-friendly cleaning.  Howtocleanthings.com helped me seriously decrease the nastiness of a rust stain in my kitchen sink (which was left by a metal thing that the people who lived here before us used to protect the bottom of the sink)....  I think that, with another treatment or two, it should be completely gone soon!

So, here are a few things that I've tested personally and learned really do work!:

• Lemon oil works wonders.  It not only smells good, it keeps bugs away and can work as a deterrent for cats who like to make nasties on the floor (I'm lookin' at *you*, Fluffy!)
• Clove oil makes my house smell like I just baked Christmas ham and it acts as a mold inhibitor!  Taking Miss Lush's mold spray one step further, I've made an after shower spray for our bathrooms that's easy and non-toxic, so the kids can spray the shower down when they're done!
• Fill a spray bottle halfway with white vinegar, add two or three drops of clove oil and top it off with water.  Give it a shake before you spray it!  Easy peasy.
• Cream of tartar can not only be used for baking delicious goodies, but it can also be used to clean aluminum and rust (as I mentioned earlier)

Do you make any of you own natural cleaners or do you have any "weird" cleaning tricks?

Fingerless mitt pattern (that has been a long time coming)...

These mitts are great on their own for chilly autumn/springtime weather or over a pair of cheap, stretchy gloves for chillier winter temperatures.

O modeling his fancy mitts

(back in October)

You will need:
1 set size 6(7, 8, 9) double-pointed needles
size 9(10, 11, 12) circular needles OR size 9 double-pointed needles
crochet hook (size 6/G;4mm)
worsted/aran (medium weight) yarn (work from the opposite end of the skein for the thumb)

Knitting terms:
k- knit
p- purl
rs; ws- right side; wrong side
sts- stitches
kf&b- knit front and back

Pattern:
Cast on 26 sts.

Divide stitches evenly on needles
work in k1, p1 ribbing for 8 rows.

row 9: (rs) kf&b in first 2 sts. k until 2 sts remain. kf&b in last 2 sts. (30 sts)

row 10 (and all even-numbered rows of body): knit

row 11: k 14 sts, kf&b in next 2 sts, k 14 sts.

row 13: k 14 sts, kf&b in next st, k 2 sts, kf&b in next st, k 14 sts.

row 15: k 14 sts, kf&b in next st, k 4 sts, kf&b in next st, k 14 sts.

row 17: k 14 sts, kf&b in next st, k 6 sts, kf&b in next st, k 14 sts.

row 19: k 14 sts, kf&b in next st, k 8 sts, kf&b in next st, k 14 sts.

Continue increasing in this manner if you want to make the thumb wider- just increase the number of sts between the kf&b sts.

Thumb:
row 21: slip 15 sts onto one needle or crochet hook.
attach the opposite end of your skein of yarn and knit the next 10 sts with another needle.

Knit around the thumb three times (continue knitting to make it longer if you like).  Bind off thumb.

row 21(cont'd): knit off of holding needle to thumb, pick up 1 st before thumb, center st at thumb and 1 st after thumb- knit those 3 sts together.  Knit to end of round.

knit 5 more rows (rows 22-26)

Bind off.  Weave in ends.  If necessary, use loose strings to close small hole at thumb.
Using matching yarn or embroidery floss, stitch buttons onto the outside of the ribbed cuff (opposite the thumb).

Coat strings
Using your crochet hook, chain 9 sts. Hold the ends together to form a loop and check to see if the loop fits snugly over the buttons you stitched on the mitts.  Adjust accordingly- add/remove stitches until the loop fits- and be sure to count your sts so you know how big to make the loop at the other end.  Slst into 1st st.  Continue to crochet until the chain is long enough to stretch from one wrist across the shoulders to the other wrist.  Chain enough sts to make your second loop and slst into the last st of the chain (the st *before* the ones you added for the loop).
Weave in ends.

Button the string onto the mitts and put the mitts on.  Now put on your coat over your mitts and the next tome you take your coat off, take the mitts pdf first so they'll stay in place.  No more lost gloves!
I like to make these strings for all of my kids' gloves, homemade or store bought...  It makes life with kids a lot easier.

This pattern and items made using it are not intended for sale, but please feel free to make as many as you'd like for yourself, your friends, family or for donation to charity...  but please give credit to the author and mention my blog when you give gifts made from my patterns.  Thank you!

*****PLEASE NOTE:  This pattern has NOT been tested (aside from by myself), please let me know if you try it out, I would love and appreciate any feedback you have to share!  Thank you!!!*****

I've been a slacker, I know....

Well, happy (belated) holidays and happy new year and all that jazz....  I'll just put it out there and not make excuses:  around the holidays (and, coincidentally, my girls' birthdays), my family and crafting for said holidays/birthdays take precedence over blogging.  I'm sorry.

(from left to right, top to bottom)  A fabric covered, appliqued notebook

that Moo made for me; a Hello Kitty painting that Moo made for Rye;

A Snoopy painting that Moo made for O; Christmas cookie baking!;

an ornament the Rye made for me; bird ornaments that O made for the girls-

he also made one for me and his dad... check him out with his new ukelele!;

a painting the Rye made for Moo; a painting the Rye made for O; and, last but not least,

CHRISTMAS MUMMIES!  ....I know, my kids are strange ones.

I have big plans for 2013!  I don't normally "do" the whole New Year's resolution thing because, let's face it, most of us suck at it...  This year I have decided to simply be a better me.  While there are a few specific goals that fit within my overall big change, I figure that focusing on changing everything that I'm not happy with about myself/my life will be easier in the end than making one minor change that I may or may not stick with.

This might not make sense to anyone but me, and you know what?  That doesn't matter.  Doing it this way, I have to focus on every aspect of my life.  Its not just about eating healthier or exercising, its about improving myself- inside and out.  My physical health, my mental health, my relationships with my kids and my husband, the cleanliness of my house, getting my creative energies flowing again (which has a lot to do with my mental health), etc.

I feel that I've been making excellent progress overall...  I'm using myfitnesspal.com to count my calories as well as making a point of getting off my butt and cleaning things up around here (which helps to burn calories - bonus!).  I'm currently down 5 lbs since Jan. 1st!  I've been trying to crack down on the kiddos about getting their clothes and back packs ready for school the night before, which has significantly lightened the overall moods in or house in the mornings.  I've also started journaling again which, for me, usually -well, used to- include lots of sketching and doodling....  I plan to get back to that soon, too.

What about you?  Do you have any permanent changes that you're working on at the moment? 

Andes mint/vanilla meringue cookies!!!

Holy crap, you guys. 

Seriously.

Like, FOR REAL...

Andes mint/vanilla meringue cookies

Yields about 3 dozen cookies

4 eggs whites, room temperature
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. peppermint extract
1 c. white granulated sugar
1 10 oz. bag Andes creme de menthe baking pieces

Preheat oven to 200°

Place egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and extracts in mixer, turn mixer on to low and gradually increase the speed to medium as the egg whites begin to bubble and get fluffy.  Continue mixing until soft peaks form.

Begin to add the sugar one tablespoon at a time, while slowly increasing the speed to high.  Once all of the sugar has been incorporated, the mixture should be thick and glossy, forming stiff peaks.

Gently fold in chocolate/mint pieces.

Transfer mixture into a piping bag and pipe small peaks onto a parchment covered baking sheet.  Bake for 1½ hours, turn oven off and allow cookies to cool in the oven.

Enjoy!

Butter/herbed potatoes

Butter/herbed potatoes

6 large thin-skinned potatoes (red or yellow would work well)
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Small handful (about 4 or 5 Tbsp.) fresh chopped herbs of your choice; I used thyme, sage and rosemary
Two good pinches of kosher or fine sea salt
Fresh milled black pepper, to taste


Preheat oven to 350°

Slice potatoes 1/8" thick, place on large baking sheet.

Stir together butter, oil and herbs.  Drizzle butter mixture over potatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Using your hands, toss potatoes to evenly coat and spread evenly on baking sheet.

Cover with foil.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Toss potatoes a bit and bake uncovered for another 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and fork tender.

Enjoy!

We're MARRIED!!!

We finally did it!  After a five-year-long engagement, we finally made it legally binding!  And now, nearly three weeks later, I'm still exhausted.

I married my best friend!

As you might imagine, 99% of our wedding was DIY....  and if I didn't actually do it myself, then a friend or a family member probably did.

My mother-in-law made my dress.

A friend made the cake...

....and her husband officiated.

Some friends provided music...

...for the ceremony...

...and for the reception.

A bunch of people helped to decorate and set up.

And, of course, it wouldn't have been such an amazing day without all of our loved ones!

...and a special thank you to our photographer, Jamie Kelly of StrangeFate Photography for all of the wonderful pictures!!!

(Some tutorials will be up in the future, but no promises as to when, given that Halloween, Thanksgiving, birthdays and Christmas are on their way and I'll be crazy busy!!!)

Crazy-mood-swing-momma is no fun in the morning...

"What is going on with my mood swings today?"  ....I wondered to myself...  But I just checked my "P tracker" app (which proudly displayed a single-digit number) and I know full well what my problem is today (well, that and the fact that I still haven't had any coffee this morning).  I just wish I'd realized what was going on before my girls left for school.

When I woke up and came upstairs, the girls were so well behaved-  dressed for school, willing to help get breakfast ready and even clean up.  I started off the day in a great mood.

Then it happened.........

I became mean Mommy.

It must've happened when I looked at the clock and realized that, if they didn't start moving a little faster, the girls were going to be late for school.  I started rushing them, which eventually turned into yelling, which turned into swearing- not so much *at* them, but more of a general cursing of everything that was going wrong around me.  It want until they left for school that I realized that *I* was what was going wrong.

My urgency to get them out the door on time, but lack of a want to help them get ready.  My wanting for them to get along, yet yelling at them for talking during breakfast because they "didn't have time" (god forbid they not finish their apples). 

......I guess I should see it as a good thing that I realize this is going on, so I can take steps to change it, but now I just feel like a shitty mother.  I don't want to be mean, or scare my kids into behaving.  I don't expect every morning to go by smoothly, but I need to let things happen without flipping out over things that don't necessarily matter.

I love my kids and I want them to remember me as a loving mother, not as some crazy bitch who freaked out every time something went wrong.

So, herein lies the question:  What can I do to change this behavior?

• I can make sure I'm well rested....  I'm no longer in my early twenties, bedtime shouldn't be after midnight anymore.
• I can make sure the kids are prepared ahead of time...  Making sure they have what they need to get ready doesn't mean I'm taking away their independence.
• I can make sure *I'm* prepared ahead of time...  I have sooo many breakfast recipes pinned on Pinterest, I have no excuse to not be at least a little better prepared most days.  Hello, breakfast cookies that I can make a few days ahead of time.

.........I'm sure, no, I *know* that there are so many other things that I can change to improve myself and my attitude, but changes are easier in small doses.