Happy Memorial Day

 

 

 

My friend Tina's husband and son.

Memorial Day. A day for bbqs and family gatherings and parties and the unofficial start to summer season for those of us in the south. Many people on this day are visiting the graves of their loved ones who lost their life protecting the rights and freedoms that we all enjoy every day. Dare I say, rights and freedoms we take for granted every day. I am just as guilty as everyone else in this. I just reunited with one of my best friends. I've known her since I was in middle school. Trust me, it's been over 20 years now. She's the wife of a serviceman. He's been in the military since he graduated. And he's just been deployed for another year in Iraq. Hearing from her and her pain at his going away, stresses to me just HOW much sacrifice goes into my freedom. Not just the sacrifice from the soldiers. But the sacrifice from their families. Children go without their parent for MONTHS even a year or more at a time. Wives and husbands separated by thousands of miles. And the desire to protect your loved ones tested every hour of every day because you can't protect them. They're protecting you and every person you meet on the street. No matter how they feel about the politicians, no matter how they feel about the situation, they go and they put their life on the line to make sure we get to enjoy our quality of life. And sometimes, it costs them theirs. It has to be heart wrenching to see your loved ones and know that it could be for last time. These people are a special breed of person. These people are strong beyond measure. And the least we could do is give our veterans, our serving and all their families a huge and heartfelt Thank You. And unfortunately, that cannot express the feelings that I have. I am not only grateful, I am heartbroken for those who have experienced that final goodbye, but I'm so happy and proud to in the country that I live in, and that there are men and women  and entire families that are as strong as they are.

So on this day, hug your loved ones. Hug them close. And when you enjoy your bbq and your beer and your self-censored tv/movies, know that SOMEONE had to give their life to make sure that you could still enjoy it.

Happy Earth Day and Good Friday and Easter on Sunday

This weekend is a busy weekend in the manner of major days. Today is Good Friday. This is the day that Christians all around the world spend reflecting on the death of Jesus and what it means to all of us today. It is also Earth Day. And Sunday is Easter. And since religion is deeply personal, Good Friday and Easter are not the subject of this post, though I do wish everyone a good Good Friday and a Happy Easter. I hope each and every one of you get to spend the time with family and friends and lots of laughter and love surround each of you.

@ rtlibrary.org

Today is Earth Day. :) Today is a day set aside for those to think on this little planet that we live on and to think of ways we can make it a safer and healthier place for our children to live and their children after them. Some of the things that people can do today is go outside and clean up in your neighborhood. Or to plant some flowers in your garden. Start a garden if you haven't already. Don't drive anywhere today. Open your windows and enjoy the weather and turn off lights in rooms not in use. You can take this day to reflect on the things that you do that affect you and the environment around you. If you feel so inclined, stop using shampoo and conditioner and start using baking soda and apple cider vinegar instead. Integrate more glassware in your storage containers and start weeding out the plastic containers. If you're pregnant, seriously look into cloth diapering instead of disposables. It's VERY cost effective as well as Earth friendly. If you're in the market for a new lawn mower and you have a small yard, seriously consider a reel push mower. We have one and really it isn't that much harder than mowing with a gas motor, but there are less parts that can foul up.

Today it is rainy, so we can't plant outside or clean up in the neighborhood. We're not sitting here doing nothing though. :) We have our windows open, enjoying the cool weather and we have most our lights out. We have a little sunflower seedling that Lil Mr. V started last week that is almost ready to transplant. :) He's been really excited at seeing it grow. So maybe, we'll plant it tomorrow. We'll see how the weather holds up.

So, today have a Good Friday and while you're thinking of the sacrifices that Jesus made for our spiritual future, also consider the sacrifices we need to make for our children's future on this planet we call home. :)

Monday Musings #2 - Food

Food is something no one can live without. Regardless of how much many of us would like to, without it, we die. It's . Just . TOO . Enjoyable.

 

Found @ Masterfile.com

 

 

 

 

This causes many of us (myself included) over-indulge. There are websites dedicated to it. There are even channels....not channel but CHANNELS dedicated to it. So what's a person to do? Should we all follow Paula Deen and use copious amounts of butter? (don't get me wrong, my girl Paula has NEVER done me wrong on a recipe!) Or should we be eating a vegan lifestyle because it's more earth friendly and body friendly? Do we cut out the sugar and refined flours? Do we eat raw? Paleolithic diet? It's endless and it's a horrible cycle because you can't just end it. You HAVE to eat. So I guess we should break down what eating means.

For some, (and I'm betting it is a rare few) eating is strictly for fuel.

found @  http://www.methodsofhealing.com

And for them, that's awesome. That means that they eat exactly what their bodies need when they need it. And they aren't tempted by one of Paula Deen's awesome pies. Soda's and HFCS never passes their lips. I truly wished I was one of these people. Well, kinda. I wished I wasn't SO tempted, and had less pleasure with food. 

Food is also related to too many other aspects of life. It's the one time in the day that MOST families can sit down and spend some time with one another and share their day and their plans.

Found @ www.civileats.com

Many friends and family gather around the table in the evening and they talk about how work went, how school went, there is prayer over food, and there are many times that's the ONLY time these people that live together actually spend more than 5 minutes with one another. This is also not to mention holiday dinners with the whole family. Our holidays revolve around when we're eating where so that grandparents get equal time with the grandkids and the times need to be spaced out just enough so we have room to eat at each and every location. 

Rarely do dates happen when there isn't food involved, or nights out with the girls/guys always involve food. Get togethers involve grilling and or finger fooding. Not to mention sodas/tea/beer/wine. 

So with this food based culture what's a gal to do. There's a thousand and one different diets, all promising to get you thin and to give your body precisely what it needs. Vegans say that eating meat is counter productive. Italians and Greeks swear by the olive. Some people suggest that the act of cooking food is in itself part of the problem with out food society, this takes us back to pre-cave man days before the invention of fire. Speaking of cave man, there's even a diet out about that. And if you're one of those Christians that doesn't believe that the Earth is over 6000 years old, there's a diet for you too. It's a Biblical diet. 

Now, when I go grocery shopping there are magazines telling me to cook this and others saying not to eat that. And really it's a huge muddle. 

I don't think that a body should exempt certain food groups. However, I don't think that we're focusing on the right volumes of all the foods. From everything that I've seen the food pyramid should be something like Vegetables and fruits and leafy foods at the base, followed by true grains, like rice, beans/legumes, barley, etc. On top of that there are fish, poultry, eggs, milk/yogurt, and oils like olive oil and coconut oil. On top of that should be red meat, pork, butter, cheeses. And at the top breads and sugars. 

I don't eat this way, but I ought to. It looks healthy and there's nothing left out. Now for me, breads and sugars have to come at the top because I'm predisposed to diabetes. My Gramma had it, her sisters had it (one from childhood), my Mom has it and I have PCOS.  Now for someone who has issues with their cholesterol they might want to bump breads and sugars down and move red meat, eggs, pork, butter and cheeses up. But I think for everyone the healthy base should be standard. Veggies, fruits, grains, healthy fats, the rest is tweaked according to specific needs. 

So, I'm going to try to have a meatless meal once a week. Start slow.  I'm going to try to get more of the fruits and veggies into my diet and less of the breads and sugars. Anyone else with me? (if anyone made it through such a long post.)

Tehachapi Sock Company-Knitting off the Grid

I follow a lot of blogs. Many are sewing/quilting related. Some are frugal/simple living blogs. Some are crocheting and knitting blogs. There are some blogs out there that speak out to me on multiple levels and the blog that I’m going to showcase today is one of them. I don’t plan on turning this into a regular feature, however, if and when I find other blogs out there that speak to me the way that this one does, I’ll probably showcase them as well. :)

Today’s featured blog is Knitting off the Grid. The blog is about this woman Kathy who loves to knit and has an awesome sock making machine and Cheryl who handles the business. But Kathy doesn’t JUST post about her knitting and her socks. She and her family also live “off grid”. This means that they don’t get their electricity from the utility company. They use a large wind turbine to generate energy, and they use a back up diesel generator when they need to. This blog talks about doing laundry and hanging it out to dry.

Cranking out socks on Doris, and features an “Ask Mack” on Friday. 

Monthly they give away a gift. It has been socks, but this month it is yarn and needles, so the winner can make their own. She’s had several giveaways since I’ve followed her blog. They also have an etsy shop where you can purchase some of these socks that Kathy makes. There are socks, scarves, purses, pillows, coffee warmers (think leg warmers for your Starbucks cups), and several patterns.

Now onto the interview….

How long have you been knitting?

This will shock everyone!  50 years and still going strong!!!!  My
daughter Cheryl is a non-knitter but helps to handle the business end
of everything.

How long has Tehachapi Sock Company been in business?

Cheryl and I started our little sock business 6-7-08.  That's easy to remember!

I know that the decision to go "off grid" is a personal one and it is
more than just your business, but how has going "off grid" affected
your business?

I think living off the grid has helped the business in that people are
very curious what it's like.  It actually goes along with how we make
our socks the old fashioned way without electricity for our machine.

What's your favorite "tools of the trade"?

Naturally I have tons of knitting needles because I hand knit, but our
prize "tool" is our antique circular sock machine that we've named
"Doris."  When we purchased the machine from Canada, I just knew that
she'd be able to hum and sing once we got her up and running.  So, I
named her after Doris Day!  The machine is somewhere between 85 and
100 years old and is a Legare 400.  It's known as the "work horse" and
capable of making thousands of pairs of socks.

One question I'm always asked is: “How long does it take to make a pair
of socks.”  The answer:  approximately 3 hours start to finish.

What would you advise to someone who's never knit before?

Try it and see if you enjoy it.  Many years ago I owned and operated a
small yarn shop and always told new knitters that knitting isn't for
everyone.  And that's ok - that's what makes the world go round.  But,
with the help from a fellow knitter and lots of encouragement, anyone
can learn to knit.

So, go visit Kathy and Cheryl and check out their shop.  I'm sure you'll find something that you enjoy or will want. :) These are two ladies that are not only being very crafty, they're also doing it in a more sustainable way. :)

**Disclaimer** I'm not being compensated in any way by the ladies at Tehachapi Sock Company. I just really appreciate what they are doing for themselves and for the environment, and I think they put out a quality product.

BotM #2

So, I've been a bad girl. I have had this block to work on since Feb. 19th. It's due to be seen on Mar. 19th. It's currently Mar. 16th. And all that had been accomplished before today was cutting out the blocks. I'll be honest, the thought of fussy-cutting the center out was daunting. However, I managed it. This morning, I was locked into the kitchen, waiting for my son to wake up. Unbeknownst to me, he wasn't feeling well and was sleeping off his bug. So, I sewed up two rows of the block. Then after his Dad got home this evening, I sewed up the other row and attached them all together. Now all that is left is the sashing, which I cut out tonight.

 

That's pre-sashing. Actually, you can see part of the sashing in the bottom corner of the picture. 

My little boy has some sort of stomach bug today. :( Poor thing was running a fever and everything. I'm glad on days like these that I'm not a working Mom. I didn't have to worry with finding a sitter because he couldn't go to daycare. I didn't have to worry about how he was doing while I was away working. I didn't have to worry with getting into trouble at work because I couldn't make it in because he was sick. Today, we just learned how to launch a duck and we watched some cartoons and we ate M&Ms and ice cream. 

Barb from Bejeweled Quilts has this awesome barn button on the left side of her blog. It takes you to an accuquilt go! site that will give you a $1000 shopping spree with their store if your design is chosen. Now, I'm not a designing woman. I am just getting started on quilting. I'm not ready for the design aspect. I really need to learn my sewing machine first. However, I do know that I have several friends AND family members who sew and design many things. And who couldn't spend a full THOUSAND dollars in the Accuquilt Go! Store? And Barb is an amazing quilter. You can see some of her stuff here and here and here.

Well, it is getting late and I want to finish my block tomorrow. 

Don't forget about Sew Lux's Pinwheel Stitch Along. :)

My quilty goodness friends....

 

If you have some charms/fat quarters/layer cakes that you don't have a gazillion of and you want something quick and cute to make out of these precuts, head over to Sew Lux  and join in on this stitch along. :) It is designed to work with those pre-cuts that we all love so dearly. :) 

I'm generally a scared-y cat about such things, but I'm jumping in both heels first. So we'll see how this goes. :)

New foods and movie

Mr. V has some weekends off. He works in a factory so there are some weekends (many weekends) he's working pretty much the entire time. He had this weekend off and we enjoyed a new recipe and a movie. Since we have a 2 year old, most of our family movies are animated or family oriented, and last night was no different.

So, we sit down to dinner with Spaghetti and garlic bread (doesn't sound so new, does it?) however this spaghetti has no pasta. I wanted to try out spaghetti squash and make a more healthy version of a popular meal. And we start the movie "Where the Wild Things Are". If you haven't watched the movie and you WANT to watch it, go on and stop reading because this is what I think on it and spoilers. Or skip the paragraph text and move on to the recipe for the spaghetti squash spaghetti.

Anyways, we all know how the book goes. I've always taken Max to be a little boy, 6 at the oldest. In the movie he's around 10, ignored and left ALONE a....LOT.  And when he acts out, instead of looking at herself (the mom) or the older sister (who LEAVES HIM ALONE), he's the one that's punished, (apparently the Mom never thought that he'd act BAD to get ATTENTION.) So he runs off and ends up in the land of the Wild Things. He becomes their king and is put in charge of making everyone happy (impossible task and doomed to fail and he does.) And when his best friend, Carroll, is unhappy with him and goes on a destructive rampage, he leaves to go back home. And Carroll understands his mistakes and makes it just in time to see him sailing off. Max ends up back home and eats supper. The end. The movie is depressing and really doesn't do the book justice. I understand that they have to take some creative liberty because the book isn't long. However, the beginning part irked me because of the obvious neglect, but the overall tone of the movie wasn't one of wonderment like you get from the book. It's just depressing because in this boys imaginary world he STILL couldn't please anyone. Shoot, not only is his reality depressing he can't even imagine a world without disappointment and depression. Ugh, needless to say, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I'm glad that they got the wild things right in the costumes, but the story just is blah.

OK, end of movie review and spoilers. Now onto the dinner.

Since I had never fixed spaghetti squash before, I didn't do much. Which made for a rather bland spaghetti, but that's ok, because I can make it much better next time.

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

2 Medium Squash
1 Jar Spaghetti sauce (store bought or you can make yourself)
1lb Ground beef (chili grind)

Cut the squash in half lengthwise. scoop out seeds and strings and brush with olive oil and garlic salt. Turn flesh side down on cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour at 350°.

While squash cooks, brown ground beef and drain.

Add spaghetti sauce to meat and heat to warm.

Remove squash from oven flip flesh side up and let cool for a moment. After it cools slightly, I used tongs to pull the flesh out and put into sauce. Mix it up and serve with parmesan cheese on top and garlic bread.

Overall it was more bland than I expected, but I didn't use a very strong tasting sauce. I know to use a more robust sauce next time.

Dreaming the dream....

I've been cleaning my house slowly and surely by the Flylady method for a couple of months now. Mostly my problem is clutter. I have a very small living space, three people living in it and all of us have a LOT of stuff. So it's really been a process of trying to de-clutter. So I make frequent trips to the goodwill and salvation army with stuff that we no longer need/want/know about. And slowly it's coming together. I didn't realize just how small my place was until last week. My Mom just moved and her place isn't large by any means, but it is almost TWICE the size of my place. I literally have about 600 square feet. And I'll admit, I'm a wee bit envious. She has smaller bedrooms, but really, she has LOTS of closet space. (I have 3 tiny closets. 1 is half taken up with the hot water heater, and another is filled with the CHA unit.) She has two full bathrooms, a place for her washer and dryer and a bar that separates her kitchen from her living room. Oh to have a bar. I would so own some of these

or these

for the traditional look. Or really any of the adjustable bar stools from CSN for the non-traditional/modern look.

Oh the dreams a gal can dream. :)

Traditional...

or modern?

I will just have to get my Mom a couple for her birthday maybe. :) So I can live vicariously through her. :P

Superbowl goodies.

So I made a few new things for the Superbowl. One of which was these poptarts. They were good, only to me the crust was a little dry. So changes for next time will be to use a phyllo dough instead of pie crust. oh yummy! :D Another thing that I did was make these s'mores muffins for my brother. They were very good. :) I wouldn't change anything about the recipe. The only thing I'd do is use less filling than it called for because my muffins were going EVERYWHERE.

Here's the recipes here for you.

Poptarts

Pie crust rolled out thinner than you would for a pie. Maybe 1/8th inch thick. Cut into rectangles. 3" x 4" inches.

*I used strawberry jam for some and pumpkin butter for others*

1tsp to 1 1/2 tsp filler

Place a second rectangle of crust on top of that and press into bottom. Bake for around 15 minutes on 425 degrees.

Glaze if you want or sugar up if you want.


S'mores Muffins

• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 tablespoons 2% milk
• 1/3 cup milk chocolate chips
• 6 tablespoons marshmallow creme

Directions

• In a small bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Stir in sour cream. Combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.
• Coat six muffin cups with cooking spray; fill one-fourth full with batter. Spoon 1 tablespoon marshmallow creme into each muffin cup. Top with remaining batter.
• Bake at 400° for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted neat the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. Yield: 6 muffins.

Lil man is growing up...

On Monday morning, Lil' Mr. V woke up and asked to go to the potty. Mind you, he turned 2 two days before Christmas. We've not pushed the potty issue, because honestly, when he's ready, he'll be ready. Well, he's been asking to go ever since then. Nothing consistent, but regardless, he's doing it. :) I'm proud of him. He's growing up so quickly. Today, he requested to sit in his high chair to watch a movie in the living room. (VERY strange for him because he'll run back and forth from his room to the living room until he's wheezing) So I took this opportunity to really clean his room. I took down the pool we used for his ball pit. Now it's in storage waiting for summer. I went through all his books and toys, I discarded the broken ones, donated the old/no longer played with ones. I re-arranged his toys in their bins and cleaned out from under his bed. (OMG! Can I say land of lost toys?) It was also the day that I vacuum his room (can't vacuum with him in there because of his allergy to dust mites.) and washed his sheets. He didn't take well to putting his stuffed animals in the freezer. (kills dust mites) But this has been the pattern. He'll utterly destroy his room. I will go in there and clean it. And he'll destroy it, and it's a vicious cycle. He's showing, though, that he's growing up. So tonight before we brushed our teeth and washed our hands for bed, I sat in his floor with him and with my help, HE cleaned up his mess. :) And he did an amazing job too. :)

Man, my flash is really bright! Anyways, this is his clean-up job. :) I think he did wonderfully well! :) Can you tell he's a "Cars" fan?

Here's his book shelf. This is something I'm most proud of, because he's REALLY good at throwing them everywhere or chewing on them. He's starting to sit still for me to read to him. :) I'm so happy about that. Because I do love to read to him.

And here's a picture of the handsome little devil now. He slept through all the photo taking. :) See all his stuffed animals. He has twice that amount in the blue bin in the first picture. Every other day or so, he wants to get in there and exchange out one or two of them. There is just one consistent and that's the black bunny that is next to his face.

Well, that is all for the night. :) I just had to share that I'm a proud Momma this week. :)

Pay It Forward 2011 Blog-style!

I promise to send something handmade to the first 3 people who leave a comment here. To be eligible, you must also post this in your blog, offering the same thing to 3 other people. The rules are that it must be handmade by you and it must be sent to your 3 people in 2011.  If you're game, leave a comment and sometime this year, I will surprise you with something handmade.

I know I'm doing something similar on facebook. So if I'm doing something for you on there, you don't need to respond here. However, for the first three who do respond here, I'll make you something and send it/give it to you sometime this year. :) Don't forget, put this on your blog and continue paying it forward. :)  

Monday Musings...

So I've been mulling over this ever since the shooting in Tucson. You have people on the left saying that Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh and others of their political radicalism (and being too conservative is just as radical as being too liberal) are responsible for the shooter having pulled the trigger because of their rhetoric. The people on the right are saying that they couldn't possibly be responsible for the actions of others because they're speaking figuratively. And while there is truth to both stances, it really boils down to that words can and do hurt. Add those with "innocuous" symbols or actions, and you can really do damage. Look at a child. They are just learning language, and so they take literal meanings. If you tell them that you stole their nose, they'll believe you. Add that to the thumb between the fingers and instinctively they'll bring their hands to their face with gasps. With Lil' Mr. V, I will act like he "has a tickle" that we have to get out. And I'll tickle him from hip to rib "chasing" the tickle. Once I "catch" it, I'll tickle like we're wrestling it, then I'll pull my hand away and flick my hand as though I threw it away. He immediately pulls up his shirt looking for where the tickle was. And he asks where it went bye bye to. Also, if you don't think that words aren't powerful, go into a church. Watch the congregation. As the pastor/priest moves you through the sermon of the day, as he gets worked up the crowd gets worked up. Words have the ability to create relationships and destroy them. Simply by the power that they contain. Tell a man that he's worthless enough times, he will begin to believe it. So though there are many who claim that words have no power and while they are correct in some sterile sense. Words describe our thoughts, our wishes, our feelings. Every one of these things are powerful. Especially to someone who's weak or given to suggestion. Some people can't hear nuance, and only understand literal translation. So speaking violent rhetoric with cross hairs as markers can have a frightening impact on someone. I'm not placing blame on Palin or any of those others for that man's actions. They are his own. However, there is blame to be had on their parts for their use and abuse of language. Because Sticks and Stones DO break bones, but words definitely wound too.

A little something...

Can you guess what it is going to be from this picture?

This is the only picture of it that I'll post. Because I don't want the person who's getting it to see it too soon. So after it's given I'll post the finished picture. :) The whole thing took about a day (after ripping out half of the stitches because it was based on a photo and not a pattern). One thing I will offer up, it's completely geeky.

:)

Oh, and on not so great news. :( I am so nervous about cutting fabric. I'm always so afraid I'll mess up. And I have. I was given fabric for my BotM and I was given enough to get the cuts I needed with extra in case I screw up. Danna is very generous with her kits. Well, I screwed up cutting my sash material. So I was able to get three of the strips and not the fourth. So I'm going to have to go back into her shop and get some more fabric. I hope she has some in a fat eighth or something smaller so I don't have to cut off the bolt. *sigh* I'm such a dunce sometimes....Oh well, she says EVERYONE does it.

Crafty works.......1 complete/2WIP

My niece's Mom is having a baby in a few weeks. And Da Goob wanted to make something special for her sister. Since I needed to go to my LQS, I took her along and we checked out the fabric while we were there. She decided to make her a fleece tie blanket.

This is the front that she chose. She is a fan of rubber duckies. And the back was this pretty cream color. Here's the hand embroidery.

It was a simple project that we were able to finish the same day. She went home to her Mom yesterday. I hope she enjoys it. :) I know Da Goob worked awful hard on it. :) 

As for my WIP, I am still working on that afghan. It's grown considerably. 

Here's a closeup of the colors. 

I joined in a Beginners Block of the Month class at my LQS. I am such a beginner, it's not even funny. The only thing I've ever sewn by my sewing machine has been a test patch just to practice my straight stitches. However, for my first block I think I did ok. I had to keep my seam ripper really close by because I did all of my pieces at least twice because my machine wanted to pull my top layer to the left so it would veer off. But I'm working on that. But for my second time at trying to match my seams I think I did ok. 

And here's for my block minus sashing. 

Not bad for my first ever quilt block sewn by machine. :) 

This is Tuesday and my hands are like fine grain sand paper...

So today it's been around 10 months since I started to use my own laundry soap. This is my post about it. I spent almost 11$ that day on my Borax, Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda and Fels Naptha. Total in that amount of time I've spent around 17& on laundry detergent. That's less than one whole month's worth. Wow. Cassie made a believer out of me! :) The reason I'm writing up this post is because as of today, I'm out of the A&H. I don't just use it for my laundry either. I use it to wash out my washing machine bin and keep it fresh. I use it to scour my bathtub and sinks. I've also found that it will get all the gunky grease off of the stove's overhead hood/fan/filters. What that stuff won't do, I have no idea, but really it is one of the best all around cleaners I've ever used. And I've used almost EVERYTHING that can be bought. It is just simply amazing. Now I need to put it on the grocery list to buy more of. That and vinegar. Oh my goodness, I love vinegar almost as much as the sodium bicarbonate...but that's another post for another day.

Day in the life of a Mom

Today I had to take Lil' Mr. V in for his 2 year well baby (toddler?) visit. And while we were there waiting to be called back, he decided that he wanted to tinker with the water fountain. I say tinker because he didn't really want to play (he did but I wasn't worried because he was too short to do much), and he didn't want a drink. He tried to figure out how you got water to come out of it. And after a little "figurin'" (as my Grandpa would say) he figured if you push in this bar, water came out. So he wanted to put his hand in it. So he'd push the bar, water would come out, he would say "Yeah!", let go of the bar to touch the water and say "Oh no!" because there was no more water. *LOL* I had to cover my mouth because it was so funny. He did this over and over again. By the end, he learned to push it with one hand and try to touch with the other. That's when I stepped in to distract him. :)

A WIP this is one of many

This is one of my Christmas presents that I'll be giving away this year. Since this one will take longer than most of the others, this is the one I'm starting first. That's right folks, I'm getting a jump start on Christmas! I will not be caught unawares again this year! (Like I am EVERY year.)

A giveaway ....

over on We Love Quilting. It's a destashing giveaway. So if you're in need of some scrappy goodness, head on over and sign yourself up! :)

And so starts a new year...

I had mentioned my reso-don'ts in my last post. I think it will be easier to accomplish the don'ts than the do's. Today is Sunday, crazy because it feels like Monday. I think that is because Mr. V was scheduled to work today. Anyone that knows factory work, KNOWS that you do not work on a Sunday. Especially one surrounding a holiday. Well, they had a special list at work on Friday for a certain number of people to work today and his name was on the list. He was none too pleased about it. But what can you do. So that has my day all messed up. Lil Mr. V is still sleeping. He's learning new words every day and being a typical 2 year old. So we're having meltdowns the size of Three Mile Island and Chernobyl combined frequently. However, they are followed up with lots of hugs and kisses and "I oooo YOOO!" But that's par for the course when you are involved with a 2 year old. (Or so my Mom tells me.)

On crafty goodness, I'm still working on that afghan. It seems to be moving faster now for some reason. At least the ball of yarn is getting consistently smaller, though the piece itself doesn't seem to be getting much bigger. But that's alright. I have around a third of a pound left of this skein and I have one more pound to go. I'll have to take pictures of it when I'm finished before Lil Mr. V decides it needs to be his. :)

Anyways, I'm off to drink my tea now.