tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41633366627237482162024-03-05T00:21:03.513-05:00A Mother's EarthIf every parent raises their child to love and respect themselves, others and our Earth, then I believe the future could be a better place. As a stay at home mother of 2 small children, this is a blog of my attempts to follow my own advice.Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-90470043172732077022011-06-29T11:00:00.000-04:002011-06-29T11:00:59.477-04:00Bringing Back The BlogWell, well, well. A year has passed and I am getting the itch to start blogging again. Actually, I never really stopped, I just did mini blog posts as Facebook postings. My name is Tracey and I'm a Facebook addict. :) So... in the year since I have last blogged- the kiddos are older and bigger (of course and no more diapers!!!), I am still a stay at home mom, the hubby is starting a new (and scary) job. Really, nothing much has changed, yet so much has!!!Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-83956998366366499122010-07-30T22:35:00.000-04:002010-07-30T22:33:04.914-04:00Healing Myself<i>This post was originally posted on 7/21/09 as my second ever blog post. Over a year later, being a mindful parent/wife is something I still work hard on practicing every day. I just thought I would re-share :) </i><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">"Stopping, calming, and resting are preconditions for healing. If we cannot stop, the course of our destruction will just continue. The world needs healing. Individuals, communities, and nations need healing"</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">- Thich Nhat Hanh, "The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching"</span><br />
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When my husband and I decided that we could make it work financially if I didn't go back to work after the birth of our second child, I was ecstatic. I had enough with retail management and the hours and customers that came along with it. I would now be spending my days blissfully with the kiddos and getting all the stuff done around the house that I had wanted to do for years. After managing up to 10 employees, how hard could a 2 year old and a baby be? Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking. I learned pretty quickly that I might have a day of bliss (if the kiddos are in the mood), the house projects will not get touched (unless the kiddos decide to nap at the same time, or fall asleep before 10pm) and managing 10 employees is WAY easier then managing a 2 year old and a baby.<br />
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I also learned a lot about myself.<br />
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After 2 months of being a stay at home mom I hit a rut. I was feeling disconnected. My son, who had just turned 2, was bringing out feelings of frustration and helplessness in me with his tantrums. These feelings were so strong they physically drained me. Things between my husband and I were not good either. We couldn't even have a conversation with out arguing. This was also affecting our 2 year old, and looking back now, probably where his tantrums were coming from. I was at my wits end with everything and everyone.<br />
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Then one evening I attended a meditation group introduced to me by a friend. This meeting consisted of Qi Gong, sitting meditation, walking meditation, sitting meditation and a discussion of a chapter of the book "The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching" by Thich Nhat Hanh, which the group was reading. Suddenly everything clicked. To be the mom and wife that I need to be, I first need to heal myself. I need to recognize within myself when these feelings of frustration, helplessness, and defensiveness arise and be mindful how I handle them. My reaction affects everyone else. How can I teach my children how to be patient and how to calm themselves if I can't do it myself?<br />
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Stopping, Calming, Resting, Healing have become my words to live by. It didn't take long for me to realize that 99% of the time the arguments with my hubby were started by me as a result of my frustrations. It didn't take long for me to see that by stopping and being mindful in how to react to my son's tantrums, I could help him better manage his feelings, instead of causing him to react to mine. Everyday is a learning experience.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">"Mindfulness is the energy that allows us to recognize out habit energy and prevent it from dominating us." - Thich Nhat Hanh</span><br />
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Visit Plum Village for more information on Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhism and Meditation. <br />
The link is under "Favorite Links" on the right.Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-18657906927241911642010-07-27T22:38:00.000-04:002010-07-27T22:38:12.998-04:00Wordless Wednesday- Gotcha!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFX6DZyxnatkLAF3HZIph5N3Opiu3PRylyqnaBHlL9DS5TGSHILNp1HtzCXIcVgRGUITnZIji8IxUHoDjsEj6tpf0du9dR0zW7rwtgx6T49fptlUOI0sFa8Ng61dOSaXYmWtvdYBlkcWB/s1600/100_3804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFX6DZyxnatkLAF3HZIph5N3Opiu3PRylyqnaBHlL9DS5TGSHILNp1HtzCXIcVgRGUITnZIji8IxUHoDjsEj6tpf0du9dR0zW7rwtgx6T49fptlUOI0sFa8Ng61dOSaXYmWtvdYBlkcWB/s320/100_3804.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIjpPdNMcVzdzjyJMPoDTIMy8Ihvluuw902prwPFDgcf6CctMxrgnPYdVIwWn99sNXvdtBIEwKLE-9Wko3KLzkI78flwuoIST1hJdHEyCV3ofDRVpXiG8FZFMwPXFMUJviDGgeMPLMud5/s1600/100_3814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIjpPdNMcVzdzjyJMPoDTIMy8Ihvluuw902prwPFDgcf6CctMxrgnPYdVIwWn99sNXvdtBIEwKLE-9Wko3KLzkI78flwuoIST1hJdHEyCV3ofDRVpXiG8FZFMwPXFMUJviDGgeMPLMud5/s320/100_3814.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxpdmc0vDX9iSMwHluimadQMpkbsU2lkaw0WUdQ9ZezFXljsEiLlIi0YTCI-vmWmWlqQ5uLFucKAQzvDqnUQSx_5nXzFVO1sY9e-unAWMrDj89Ek-GfwDjji-vjYlyd20l39cV2L2igeIS/s1600/100_3815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxpdmc0vDX9iSMwHluimadQMpkbsU2lkaw0WUdQ9ZezFXljsEiLlIi0YTCI-vmWmWlqQ5uLFucKAQzvDqnUQSx_5nXzFVO1sY9e-unAWMrDj89Ek-GfwDjji-vjYlyd20l39cV2L2igeIS/s320/100_3815.JPG" /></a></div>Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-72594356209826441122010-07-26T11:21:00.000-04:002010-07-26T11:21:20.612-04:00Dueling Gardens Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioiHKbC_7VA48WQfN-NQztj_w-w1VQC-qGl9HopXOEhDDwML8NM_IqpOiwA0137oOz2V0b_YhJtvTjkBFIvnCxTeC2Sntzsc4003lhL25jvSZc3uqrRnIy6huLoRcYP7VFMJt1wY8YcKWw/s1600/100_3667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioiHKbC_7VA48WQfN-NQztj_w-w1VQC-qGl9HopXOEhDDwML8NM_IqpOiwA0137oOz2V0b_YhJtvTjkBFIvnCxTeC2Sntzsc4003lhL25jvSZc3uqrRnIy6huLoRcYP7VFMJt1wY8YcKWw/s320/100_3667.JPG" /></a></div>The veggies from our gardens are making their appearances slowly, but surely. Yes, I said gardenS. We have more than one, not because of our large plot of land (I wish), but because the hubby and I could not agree on a garden location. He wanted the left side of the yard, where we had it (unsuccessfully) last year because...I don't really remember why. Bad, I know. I swear I was listening to his argument points. I wanted the right side of the yard because it gets more sun, and I wanted to cover an overgrown flower garden . Two stubborn wanna be gardeners = two dueling gardens.<br />
WARNING: If you are an avid weeder, these pictures might be disturbing.<br />
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On one side of the yard is...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBmIfbr0YZ3GQyNnR8s0po17VPFAu3HtTK0biA31-QpF2MkCPMDxuAvupH4Q5nDu92IqYw6iG-xkF_uzEQYJ9TAQm3tmYoS-ozcWWS1U8z50HuEaCrlJX8t88-BeQpdeLYj-VHj89GFHaz/s1600/100_3699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBmIfbr0YZ3GQyNnR8s0po17VPFAu3HtTK0biA31-QpF2MkCPMDxuAvupH4Q5nDu92IqYw6iG-xkF_uzEQYJ9TAQm3tmYoS-ozcWWS1U8z50HuEaCrlJX8t88-BeQpdeLYj-VHj89GFHaz/s320/100_3699.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">THE HUBBY'S GARDEN</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"> The crops he has harvested so far have been green beans (which we have enjoyed for several meals), peas (which the kids have been snacking on, as only about 7 pods total have made their appearance), lettuce (enough for several salads and still going strong), and his pride and joy so far- his potatoes.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__f1Z9aGMkvgVeQ7w0lO9qfazXvUe4ES6qvtyRmmfr8Qq8kW9fpHTrHPbWGwSfIFb_UNvURByUwvNVnUw22YbpDgPHuNrklNlcgECxQJ7hIZkKnnu6Fl7Ydh6jwtvrTnJZrf8UzvRDr2p/s1600/100_3742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__f1Z9aGMkvgVeQ7w0lO9qfazXvUe4ES6qvtyRmmfr8Qq8kW9fpHTrHPbWGwSfIFb_UNvURByUwvNVnUw22YbpDgPHuNrklNlcgECxQJ7hIZkKnnu6Fl7Ydh6jwtvrTnJZrf8UzvRDr2p/s320/100_3742.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Today he dug up about 20 pounds!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1PFQWIt_gyPr-A37GRjku6TxGm8N27e53jLIORcj7jf2hMtwLkk1i5h_RsSMqcMvMwprVH9jDe6rhONHnkKCHwHiNecfMh6lDjTl-LD7TplLZYqgChLl68Ew0VHtV2ySSf7_oQ1TjXyN/s1600/100_3744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1PFQWIt_gyPr-A37GRjku6TxGm8N27e53jLIORcj7jf2hMtwLkk1i5h_RsSMqcMvMwprVH9jDe6rhONHnkKCHwHiNecfMh6lDjTl-LD7TplLZYqgChLl68Ew0VHtV2ySSf7_oQ1TjXyN/s320/100_3744.JPG" /></a></div>Here is Sophie who I found on the table throwing the potatoes.<br />
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There are many crops he is anxiously awaiting.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3tUTQVnsvhFgz4hyyHSPYJZQWuxLQa6bUYoq-pprVHxDCPorf6l58EzJo9oJdDpBQTe3anUIfZ_pj1y_tCc0oxKS7gC54Nm_NpTM7Cr__UgPpIRjSJ7B_crH-BKuj0XXYIwtx8B4cFhL/s1600/100_3748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3tUTQVnsvhFgz4hyyHSPYJZQWuxLQa6bUYoq-pprVHxDCPorf6l58EzJo9oJdDpBQTe3anUIfZ_pj1y_tCc0oxKS7gC54Nm_NpTM7Cr__UgPpIRjSJ7B_crH-BKuj0XXYIwtx8B4cFhL/s320/100_3748.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Like the Jerusalem Artichokes.<br />
We are going to have tons. The Jerusalem Artichoke is not an artichoke at all, but a potato like tuber. I have never tried it (or even seen it before) and from what I have researched (the video on <a href="http://www.answers.com/topic/jerusalem-artichoke"><b>this</b></a> link makes them look so appetizing), it's are an acquired taste. Since these are harvested in the fall I will have plenty of time to look for tasty recipes (if such exist). <br />
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And there's his corn.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdGd6BnzsiyBV216EiNUAJkMHVycX7z3qMu0p0v86hmUU4T8lBq-LJSvbw8Jk65SVAEMQGW48BskC910N5L1Sd7QhjUjM-X5ePyql-J3hICt9YXyyp_ffaWk-eJ9-ncgiq4lobmWy2_Oa/s1600/100_3750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdGd6BnzsiyBV216EiNUAJkMHVycX7z3qMu0p0v86hmUU4T8lBq-LJSvbw8Jk65SVAEMQGW48BskC910N5L1Sd7QhjUjM-X5ePyql-J3hICt9YXyyp_ffaWk-eJ9-ncgiq4lobmWy2_Oa/s320/100_3750.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>He came home from work almost a month ago all excited because someone told him if his corn was doing well, it would be a foot tall and his was!!!! And still is!!! The corn growing on the farms down the road is at least 8 feet tall right now (and probably loaded with GMOs and pesticides). Maybe his will have a growth spurt. Or maybe this is just a short variety. Or maybe this what a corn plant looks like with no added chemicals.<br />
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On the other end of his garden, I don't really know what's going on.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_iiOpUz07HTAsM4ISol8cgkzzd-eT5fwKyFSGA1fvsceZSYxOiEdEf5WxjmY2Mkv3j080H8Cg7B2Fn6ysQRJ3oIaOrs65BHK249rFo4wF34k08wPKtE3ZkbpqUs16NAuTXlufiU1XjPqY/s1600/100_3716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_iiOpUz07HTAsM4ISol8cgkzzd-eT5fwKyFSGA1fvsceZSYxOiEdEf5WxjmY2Mkv3j080H8Cg7B2Fn6ysQRJ3oIaOrs65BHK249rFo4wF34k08wPKtE3ZkbpqUs16NAuTXlufiU1XjPqY/s320/100_3716.JPG" /></a></div>He is a firm believer that as long as the plants are watered, they will grow. He is NOT a weeder. What has been weeded, I have done. I didn't touch this area because I couldn't tell the difference between plants and weeds! In there somewhere is cabbage, cauliflower. broccoli, more potatoes, and pumpkins or gourds. All of these plants are still working on producing their bounty, if there will be any at all. To be fair, we did plant both gardens late in the season, as there was still a lot of frosty nights.<br />
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He wants me to point out his awesome composting container.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeu3LGE_7RmbBJ_T5Ji8ZziG2zcY13gouFxdtbKUy4E4EPyzaPdeFpYTQ7gn4kwKBgCGCbF_5q1URfsj0rJHESe_GMGX9g_HqQwnP2gYbS7Iz-CuIitjGgqNxcWMpQuhsNksFYqC69X1bD/s1600/100_3751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeu3LGE_7RmbBJ_T5Ji8ZziG2zcY13gouFxdtbKUy4E4EPyzaPdeFpYTQ7gn4kwKBgCGCbF_5q1URfsj0rJHESe_GMGX9g_HqQwnP2gYbS7Iz-CuIitjGgqNxcWMpQuhsNksFYqC69X1bD/s320/100_3751.JPG" /></a></div>He found it on ebay for $75 delivered. It works for us. Keeps the animals out and the smells in. :)<br />
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And that is the hubby's garden. Stay tuned to be introduced to mine. :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-1873013633212871272010-07-22T12:49:00.001-04:002016-01-09T17:33:48.631-05:00Fluff Talk Thursday- Cloth Diapering on a TIGHT Budget<center>
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Today I am participating in <a href="http://www.happilydomestic.blogspot.com/">Happily Domestic's</a> Fluff Talk Thursdays. The topic today is "Cloth Diapering on a TIGHT Budget", something I am getting to be very good at. I am on my 2nd kiddo in cloth, and started almost 4 years ago. I have not bought a single new diaper for Sophie, since she was born and we are going on 2 years CDing with her. This is how I do it.<br />
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I knew I wanted to cloth diaper when I was preggers with Logan, my first. I chose to cloth diaper because I new that after Logan was born I would be switching from my well paying full time job, to a lower (umm..extremely lower) paying part time job, and then with the birth of Sophie- no job at all. Money was going to be tight with just the hubby's income. I didn't want to have to worry about the weekly expense. I stocked up on cloth diapers while I still had the money. The investment is well worth it in the long run!!!<br />
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Here are some tips on building your stash the <strike>cheap</strike> frugal way:<br />
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*If you know you want to CD when you are pregnant, and you are going to be having a baby shower thrown for you, find cloth diaper gift regestries. These can be found on most websites and some stores (I had gotten some from Walmart's online store). Many of these stores even have new baby "starter" package deals. My mom and my sister got me my first set as a shower gift. The package came with diapers, a couple of covers, and inserts.<br />
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*Look for gently used diapers. At the time, they were sold on ebay. Today you can look on <a href="http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites">Craigslist</a> or even put a request up on <a href="http://www.freecycle.org/">Freecycle</a>. There are also several networking sites you can join that have cloth diapering communities where mommas are selling or trading pre-loved diapers. Check out <a href="http://www.cafemom.com/">Cafemom ,</a> <a href="http://www.diaperswappers.com/">DiaperSwappers,</a> and the <a href="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/">Mothering.com community forums</a>. Some online diaper shops even sell them. You can also check your local natural mom's maternity/baby store, as there are some that sell pre-loved, or hold Diaper Swaps. <br />
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* Which brings me to Diaper Swaps. These are great! At a Diaper Swap a bunch of mom's get together to sell or trade diapers that their kiddos have out grown. This is also a great way to check out new diaper styles. And as a plus you get to meet some really cool moms.<br />
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*Shop Around. When I started CDing 4 years ago, there were not that many cloth diapering brands out there. I could count on one hand how many brands there were to choose from. Today, there are so many options. There are inexpensive brands out there that work just as well, if not better than the popular ones. Actually, my favorite and best working diaper covers are the old school "rubber pants". These contain night time leakage the best for us. The elastic around the legs and waist work well on the kiddos that moves around a lot in their sleep. You can find them in multipacks for less than $10.<br />
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*Enter blog giveaways. I have added some great diapers to my stash this way! Check out the blogs on my sidebar. Most of them hold cloth diaper giveaways. <br />
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*Make your own diapers, or search on <a href="http://www.etsy.com/">Etsy</a> for someone who does. I started making my own and never had to buy a new diaper! I have used old t-shirts, sweat shirts and pants, flannel nightgowns and old recieving blankest. Flannel material goes on sale at Joanne's all the time and I even found a store near me where all their material is $1.99 a yard! I have bought elastic and velcro in bulk off of ebay. Here are some diapers and inserts I have made :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZ0oqye1UhmYzS4QeVTR2ciM-Dzla6MQqWhmSt7j6SE4JkNU4_VoX43dvDHfO1aHDBO5y1F1frOGYS1knNMc1WZ7OQufrcY3WvstH12396uGr34g2i4F2HbIE6tmLjsnf9Y-hiv1lIRyI/s1600/100_3772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZ0oqye1UhmYzS4QeVTR2ciM-Dzla6MQqWhmSt7j6SE4JkNU4_VoX43dvDHfO1aHDBO5y1F1frOGYS1knNMc1WZ7OQufrcY3WvstH12396uGr34g2i4F2HbIE6tmLjsnf9Y-hiv1lIRyI/s320/100_3772.JPG" /></a></div>
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OK, now that you have a supply of clothdiapers, here is how to keep on budget:<br />
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* Most importantly- CONTROL YOUR IMPULSES!! Those expensive, extremely cute, very soft looking diapers are JUST GOING TO GET POOPED IN!! And unless you live somewhere warm, they will get covered up 99.9% of the time! When ever I feel myself getting the urge to splurge, I chant my mantra- "They're just going to get pooped in, no ones going to see them but me, my kiddo doesn't care" :)<br />
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*Repair worn out diapers and covers. Yes, I am that <strike>cheap</strike> frugal. I have replaced worn velcro on covers. I have even added new elastic to my stretched out Kissaluvs that are almost 4 years old and going strong!!<br />
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So that's how I cloth diaper on a TIGHT budget. Make sure to stop by <a href="http://www.happilydomestic.blogspot.com/">Happily Domestic</a> to check the linky for more of Fluff Talk Thusday!Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-77533682331584746172010-07-21T07:00:00.001-04:002010-07-21T07:00:05.205-04:00Wordless Wednesday- Through the eyes of a 3 year old<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GSuvKmgtzwwd62Vp26r1yrXqeULjhyrOeJfH4ImTZ9tRWJQkmRkNy-dipkqk48Kcx2MX0xjd6G41K-F94Vvwdq8PFhqjtACcHIA0kvELDoWLpBP6ZanuxZ3Thlaqby0a_MUMAFCVt8zj/s1600/100_3670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GSuvKmgtzwwd62Vp26r1yrXqeULjhyrOeJfH4ImTZ9tRWJQkmRkNy-dipkqk48Kcx2MX0xjd6G41K-F94Vvwdq8PFhqjtACcHIA0kvELDoWLpBP6ZanuxZ3Thlaqby0a_MUMAFCVt8zj/s320/100_3670.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCQNyUEb_9ZtkdSYSEKqyi_BmEzaKKCup6fP2AJR-H82GdZfGOrfUU4ea43mDOf2dabkJaf0QlneE0zCEawyL94VuxVEdqaXWbxSQ915I7mtYZjsaGoo5zSYZ-YwdwAe4ef0b7-kWOJwy/s1600/100_3686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCQNyUEb_9ZtkdSYSEKqyi_BmEzaKKCup6fP2AJR-H82GdZfGOrfUU4ea43mDOf2dabkJaf0QlneE0zCEawyL94VuxVEdqaXWbxSQ915I7mtYZjsaGoo5zSYZ-YwdwAe4ef0b7-kWOJwy/s320/100_3686.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5cn44qnbtsLOfTDy6OF8oCoU4X1H15zxE2Z41PnEqyPVJah2LXU5mBnjLJX9xTgFci_ojLRxwoFAt3MBRpC7uC7HBnbzIpS7a_RpUoVh1chmlRY1RSjln0x9zA2Fm-7XmXBheAFXjEAe/s1600/100_3684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5cn44qnbtsLOfTDy6OF8oCoU4X1H15zxE2Z41PnEqyPVJah2LXU5mBnjLJX9xTgFci_ojLRxwoFAt3MBRpC7uC7HBnbzIpS7a_RpUoVh1chmlRY1RSjln0x9zA2Fm-7XmXBheAFXjEAe/s320/100_3684.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbgTxI5YmiYdRMPx5XoLQesfUGxs9k1135__kryvgE2RNRcjnpoJBQGGsvn9ej39qa9Tau6n5RtBcrifx7AjlhvVfGweJ5VEhySBaE0M2dvE9ycD-Xw7KfAOZQ4SnfCwMEekW5uz6TBnj/s1600/100_3691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbgTxI5YmiYdRMPx5XoLQesfUGxs9k1135__kryvgE2RNRcjnpoJBQGGsvn9ej39qa9Tau6n5RtBcrifx7AjlhvVfGweJ5VEhySBaE0M2dvE9ycD-Xw7KfAOZQ4SnfCwMEekW5uz6TBnj/s320/100_3691.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7RidVoll9xHJiVUafEd4VCyqLB8UOf51Yhrz1lalIMx-zJZ2Fxe8UAwFNTqX8a7_RS-smAqamWmGA6Q5xQy_Y5nLAXsYTFCYSHG84iCNXKQ1IOjZs7Nq9v4vlXpr3jSYK3tRh7Arq15E/s1600/100_3671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7RidVoll9xHJiVUafEd4VCyqLB8UOf51Yhrz1lalIMx-zJZ2Fxe8UAwFNTqX8a7_RS-smAqamWmGA6Q5xQy_Y5nLAXsYTFCYSHG84iCNXKQ1IOjZs7Nq9v4vlXpr3jSYK3tRh7Arq15E/s320/100_3671.JPG" /></a></div>All pictures were taken by Logan, my future photographer :)Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-26002356165312604212010-07-20T12:56:00.000-04:002010-07-20T12:56:07.189-04:00THE GIRL WHO SILENCED THE WORLD AT THE UNITED NATION FOR 5 MA friend shared this on Facebook, and I just have to share it here. This is a very powerful speech by Severn Suzuki at a UN Earth Summit in 1992. An important reminder to all parents that we are only borrowing this earth from our children. It brought tears to my eyes.<br />
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<object height="344" style="background-image: url(http://i3.ytimg.com/vi/NZvlQwjVOKw/hqdefault.jpg);" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NZvlQwjVOKw&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NZvlQwjVOKw&hl=en_US&fs=1" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-4611250615689071942010-07-15T12:15:00.000-04:002010-07-15T12:15:10.040-04:00My First Award!!!!! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw750PaNSVBFCfoHVVtAXLygPL26GdUUGh0h7JXZYWZ_WKjrN6dJMrjJzvGUWtPJFdNKOGDSrpbmjshMCs0xygJx9T1EhQhoaD9ZNsc2Qj_CqNh5XMwFV61oVALeZi-wvDYE5iFohrNpPK/s1600/SubstanceAwardOneDay.jpg" title="SubstanceAwardOneDay.jpg"><img alt="SubstanceAwardOneDay.jpg" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw750PaNSVBFCfoHVVtAXLygPL26GdUUGh0h7JXZYWZ_WKjrN6dJMrjJzvGUWtPJFdNKOGDSrpbmjshMCs0xygJx9T1EhQhoaD9ZNsc2Qj_CqNh5XMwFV61oVALeZi-wvDYE5iFohrNpPK/s1600/SubstanceAwardOneDay.jpg" /></a><br />
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I have been awarded!!! A BIG THANK YOU to Sarah at <a href="http://faerie-fangs.blogspot.com/">Fanged. Faerie. Princess </a>for giving me my first ever blog award!!! Woop, Woop!!! :) I accept!!! And now I will spread the love by passing on this "Blog with Substance" award to 10 great blogs I <strike>stalk</strike> read regularly. Check them out!! :)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">*<a href="http://swevenstudio.blogspot.com/">swen studio's blogosophy</a>*<a href="http://www.mommyandsweetpea.com/">Mommy and Sweet Pea Make a Blog</a>*<a href="http://theinquisitivemom.blogspot.com/">The Inquisitive Mom</a>*</div><div style="text-align: center;">*<a href="http://skemommlenskedaddle.blogspot.com/">Skemommle n Skedaddle</a>*<a href="http://fentonslee.blogspot.com/">Paisley and Pretties</a>*<a href="http://green-mom.blogspot.com/">Green Mama on a Budget</a>*<a href="http://katietalksabout.com/">Katie Talks About....</a>*</div><div style="text-align: center;">*<a href="http://www.hippie-mommy.com/">The Hippie Mom With Kaleidoscope Eyes</a>* <a href="http://everythingyourmamamade.com/2010/05/29/the-twins-turned-3/">Everything Your Mama Made and More</a>*</div><div style="text-align: center;">*<a href="http://ourfullnest.blogspot.com/">FULLNEST</a>*<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Congrats Ladies!!! Remember when accepting this award to pass it on to 10 blogs you know have substance!!</div></div>Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-82824855556433956832010-07-15T10:24:00.000-04:002010-07-15T10:24:44.311-04:00A New Twist on an Old Breakfast Favorite<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKC7xD0kjf2c8sxBbilMKk2YN0LZaOILfxrPx5JHBSDvE0_i21ONCtdTeFcVds19CvqvaZcXDBubZR32B2P9ZPOpNLx-xjMenexcWf0XCDc0ofrWoG13hOfCc2kk8PLZ9LxbjEkjWoYnv/s1600/100_3617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKC7xD0kjf2c8sxBbilMKk2YN0LZaOILfxrPx5JHBSDvE0_i21ONCtdTeFcVds19CvqvaZcXDBubZR32B2P9ZPOpNLx-xjMenexcWf0XCDc0ofrWoG13hOfCc2kk8PLZ9LxbjEkjWoYnv/s320/100_3617.JPG" /></a></div>It seems like we are always having the same things for breakfast over here. French Toast is one of my kiddo's favorites that we have at least once a week. This morning I switched things up a bit. I mashed a very ripe banana into the dish first before I added the rest of the "dip" ingredients. YUMMY! I also added a bit of crunch by dipping the moist bread into a crushed cornflake and wheat germ blend before throwing on the griddle. <br />
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<b>Banana French Toast</b><br />
1 ripe banana, mashed<br />
1 egg, beaten<br />
11/2 cups milk (might have to add more or less, depending on the thickness)<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
1 tsp cinnamon<br />
Sliced bread <br />
oil or butter for griddle<br />
Mash banana in a bowl that is suitable for dipping the bread. Add egg and mix. Add milk and mix. Add more milk if too thick. Add vanilla and cinnamon. Dip sliced bread into mixture. Place moist bread on warm, oiled griddle. Cook until both sides are golden, and no liquid comes out when bread is pressed on with spatula.<br />
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To add some crunch-<br />
1 cup of a cornflake, wheat flake type cereal, or a crisp rice type cereal. If using the flake type, crush with the bottom of a glass. Might have to crush the rice cereal just a tiny bit.<br />
1/4 cup wheat germ<br />
Mix crushed cereal and wheat germ together in a bowl suitable for dipping bread. After bread is dipped in wet mixture, dip in cereal mixture. Add to pre-warmed, oiled griddle. Remember to add more oil or butter to griddle before adding next batch or the topping will stick!Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-74411448594815301712010-06-22T06:00:00.002-04:002010-06-22T06:00:02.227-04:00A Midsummer Night's Dream<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Five years ago today, on a Midsummer's Night, I married the man of my destiny.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMVCFqGzNTSkoLhKFGaZz42_IhrVCDLtH3bmaF-54RFizm-DfW6NotiikSLZOTDcHdo5sz4bxxohcXjpT63wMLnAi6AqYnsayH0_i-gEQHfVVkbMxDojizaOxNKbSLz1iuZfEVb7PhFiOr/s1600/wed0034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMVCFqGzNTSkoLhKFGaZz42_IhrVCDLtH3bmaF-54RFizm-DfW6NotiikSLZOTDcHdo5sz4bxxohcXjpT63wMLnAi6AqYnsayH0_i-gEQHfVVkbMxDojizaOxNKbSLz1iuZfEVb7PhFiOr/s320/wed0034.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>And the day was like a dream.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3GIBsul_cMBWTBg5N3r85vPnEzxzcC1-pjUPCqROdnK8_mqh-wpjfcMJMisMj7R7XtVGdIZFD9MmQV8XnKPFFab_mKvDgsjKFqpIA-ZPHIjUFjWZu58hyq02zXU_vTv9ZQ42LSbHsEE6/s1600/DSCF0055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3GIBsul_cMBWTBg5N3r85vPnEzxzcC1-pjUPCqROdnK8_mqh-wpjfcMJMisMj7R7XtVGdIZFD9MmQV8XnKPFFab_mKvDgsjKFqpIA-ZPHIjUFjWZu58hyq02zXU_vTv9ZQ42LSbHsEE6/s320/DSCF0055.JPG" /></a></div><br />
With a horse drawn carriage.....<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhli1JXbEZQovYKLaEDCswrIkvsXWimwdwcfJX7zk-miwVySJoZEb9o38eiayRy-teo1k8wRgsFkdfff2pIa0se5NPCn1t0lv_vmAqtMjih1gLE7Rn6G3MEhMF-wJZ14iRAvItc3e5Gu1cs/s1600/wed0011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhli1JXbEZQovYKLaEDCswrIkvsXWimwdwcfJX7zk-miwVySJoZEb9o38eiayRy-teo1k8wRgsFkdfff2pIa0se5NPCn1t0lv_vmAqtMjih1gLE7Rn6G3MEhMF-wJZ14iRAvItc3e5Gu1cs/s320/wed0011.jpg" /></a></div>....and a fairy as a flower girl.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqX5lp_WCPOrAa3L8qRSyN0-qNFgUgbME6p1v4WdvMJOvWPZIKIQIvRExE3_-Ca95yTx89alrwDUJKcgu_imszVp0EmOFl-MznvrmaFCB0uniKT4z58u0LLx1XLq32lZjtUVY8PV4yXKm/s1600/DSCF0062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqX5lp_WCPOrAa3L8qRSyN0-qNFgUgbME6p1v4WdvMJOvWPZIKIQIvRExE3_-Ca95yTx89alrwDUJKcgu_imszVp0EmOFl-MznvrmaFCB0uniKT4z58u0LLx1XLq32lZjtUVY8PV4yXKm/s320/DSCF0062.JPG" /></a></div> My father walked me through ribbon covered trees.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFZ6DbxUH13pU4bNCO67upcDGnkUXuQf7GnZdWB2MFHy5fMuRenM4OYtEMWwBW3vc2NF64VtQlidrtUqYl7jqbmoA3322z7HTtOajrWV6QUV47mOro1HJrLQc_pIQWm7-RjzcKrfQQwgH/s1600/wed0026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFZ6DbxUH13pU4bNCO67upcDGnkUXuQf7GnZdWB2MFHy5fMuRenM4OYtEMWwBW3vc2NF64VtQlidrtUqYl7jqbmoA3322z7HTtOajrWV6QUV47mOro1HJrLQc_pIQWm7-RjzcKrfQQwgH/s320/wed0026.jpg" /></a></div>The ceremony was magical.<br />
Among the guests were.......<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0cPVygZs6DypiQdsnTyeqY6KeQ4KFi-fZEecTyqiFBJ3kQ1n3CEKqOXCDLwZS42HZWz3Z2BAZUigJce5TeDfKxUfaOAWrvIUIfZX9Ck8Y_3FVFdVjZNKe6x4iBllxGtwOqwuaIu0irDq/s1600/wed0055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0cPVygZs6DypiQdsnTyeqY6KeQ4KFi-fZEecTyqiFBJ3kQ1n3CEKqOXCDLwZS42HZWz3Z2BAZUigJce5TeDfKxUfaOAWrvIUIfZX9Ck8Y_3FVFdVjZNKe6x4iBllxGtwOqwuaIu0irDq/s320/wed0055.jpg" /></a></div><br />
fairies and monks.....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcg5Iboj22jaloNiPxjIiVpKen_eFp-LzcHj4ozsqZr_gbrhPNPu3cGXn2pU4e35zqb87DF06u2-LkOQbr5SOyRAGygNvbIX7gusHaMdgFLziPMzs-i_QHY9FO_DVBYjCmuyxpcIMf-CE0/s1600/wed0054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcg5Iboj22jaloNiPxjIiVpKen_eFp-LzcHj4ozsqZr_gbrhPNPu3cGXn2pU4e35zqb87DF06u2-LkOQbr5SOyRAGygNvbIX7gusHaMdgFLziPMzs-i_QHY9FO_DVBYjCmuyxpcIMf-CE0/s320/wed0054.jpg" /></a></div>......Scotsmen.....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2hR4MRDlWprh-S5-B478cmsUbCKyBsgryoB-UHPxY7LB_KL6cA0vRPm0V5BjN77rWvl1sG4Jg2RIlLDLYCSpQAXF7etMVG8F_TBUPiGuqZZXDhdv_Mji5nFwkFKYCQGgguoiLckq_BNwD/s1600/wed0063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2hR4MRDlWprh-S5-B478cmsUbCKyBsgryoB-UHPxY7LB_KL6cA0vRPm0V5BjN77rWvl1sG4Jg2RIlLDLYCSpQAXF7etMVG8F_TBUPiGuqZZXDhdv_Mji5nFwkFKYCQGgguoiLckq_BNwD/s320/wed0063.jpg" /></a></div>....and pirates.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hWnqwostsGpWNwX1FlC9TQ-pTZkP0sahZR4NJCzIlkCsB-pieEWvTrQsuHyWAIbAsLP_-xtM_YNvrSMAdX7F49zf_Pvuf0LhmzDVTGRR9AHbCwjLpFQr9GjED-IzgcBSwUAQbc2WQga9/s1600/DSCF0104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hWnqwostsGpWNwX1FlC9TQ-pTZkP0sahZR4NJCzIlkCsB-pieEWvTrQsuHyWAIbAsLP_-xtM_YNvrSMAdX7F49zf_Pvuf0LhmzDVTGRR9AHbCwjLpFQr9GjED-IzgcBSwUAQbc2WQga9/s320/DSCF0104.JPG" /></a></div> My dress was handmade (not by me) and dyed with tea leaves. It cost less than $300. My mother made my bouquet with flowers from her garden, as was tradition in Renaissance time.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLjQRVpgXNE2Ew_lQB7iTCL8UXld2h-bhHf1hOQKxNgRo7NkRMdzqV80uJsYQ61Z9mzWThBQbSVcfWklbE9IzBoHYBRkMeKZlO2muVz65VP49ZFAUPEkUhmyL6GK7xIqFTRXSqAlWjCYm/s1600/wed2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLjQRVpgXNE2Ew_lQB7iTCL8UXld2h-bhHf1hOQKxNgRo7NkRMdzqV80uJsYQ61Z9mzWThBQbSVcfWklbE9IzBoHYBRkMeKZlO2muVz65VP49ZFAUPEkUhmyL6GK7xIqFTRXSqAlWjCYm/s320/wed2019.jpg" /></a></div>Our "cake" was also of the tradition of the Renaissance age. Guests were asked to bring a homemade dessert. This was seen as the melding of the families. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUepfOqoF4ms4w1v5PAoGwrMnNbqSMUAGhl_J5lCLN2_61qmC8i2Nht4EFW_9VJRCcUVDBAx6euepm2RfM531E160OQXA5pU556ECojkeDeiOlgdZBcl_isHB7nYjkLwZu69knCbLTaPO0/s1600/DSCN1387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUepfOqoF4ms4w1v5PAoGwrMnNbqSMUAGhl_J5lCLN2_61qmC8i2Nht4EFW_9VJRCcUVDBAx6euepm2RfM531E160OQXA5pU556ECojkeDeiOlgdZBcl_isHB7nYjkLwZu69knCbLTaPO0/s320/DSCN1387.JPG" /></a></div>There was a feasting hall...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIIxkbzYt9_qdte-j2ZziWeJf5O-Xzj4Amq5nfrSbC0tdvvcf3x1qTlrCU8ux8zC1k7dlHEjkuOQrdfCdpNbJY3OxAWVrL8nPCXMYIbH4oN5I9ugh1tXcftwWbD-Ctavvn85wdE1NftN_/s1600/wed2066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIIxkbzYt9_qdte-j2ZziWeJf5O-Xzj4Amq5nfrSbC0tdvvcf3x1qTlrCU8ux8zC1k7dlHEjkuOQrdfCdpNbJY3OxAWVrL8nPCXMYIbH4oN5I9ugh1tXcftwWbD-Ctavvn85wdE1NftN_/s320/wed2066.jpg" /></a></div>....and thrones at the head table.Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-42821191094916755182010-06-02T08:00:00.001-04:002010-06-02T08:00:01.426-04:00Wordless Wednesday - Big girl bed conquered!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMb_cmHfvfVis34HigXkttMgfYcGZvrmTmIq7gRR3UaGuZQKgcy0j0UwHPdCODnrLArO8MsopjchgVa200-RV04p01LOU0VjIUdN8GrINFdBBpB7EKplq2UeN5h9gkDTIB_AKAlb6EDpw/s1600/100_3324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMb_cmHfvfVis34HigXkttMgfYcGZvrmTmIq7gRR3UaGuZQKgcy0j0UwHPdCODnrLArO8MsopjchgVa200-RV04p01LOU0VjIUdN8GrINFdBBpB7EKplq2UeN5h9gkDTIB_AKAlb6EDpw/s320/100_3324.JPG" /></a></div>Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-54021435687106835832010-06-01T21:35:00.001-04:002010-06-01T21:42:29.012-04:00Almost Daily BreadSo I have finally gotten myself back in the habit of making my own bread!! It has been months since I last bought a loaf of bread or a bag of buns. Logan is now bringing a lunch to school, so I have been making a loaf about every other day. I use my bread machine on the "dough" setting and bake my breads in the oven. I try to switch up my recipes and will be sharing my family's favorites. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbngMZqyjDPQcvUIGFhgqPCirwcjwEkhTZT_a2ngzZBLUMBxNhv0kXC0VGtorwgZYL3gdt2hSyt-vqZCKrwigE250_P_B1bFHOhHsoMkdrS9JtaJcS0LAwrSB2YwYfhBgsrkEZ6EMo89S/s1600/100_3330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbngMZqyjDPQcvUIGFhgqPCirwcjwEkhTZT_a2ngzZBLUMBxNhv0kXC0VGtorwgZYL3gdt2hSyt-vqZCKrwigE250_P_B1bFHOhHsoMkdrS9JtaJcS0LAwrSB2YwYfhBgsrkEZ6EMo89S/s320/100_3330.JPG" /></a></div><b>White Bread</b><br />
<br />
3/4 cup warm water<br />
1/4 cup milk<br />
1 egg, beaten<br />
2 tablespoons honey<br />
2 tablespoons melted butter<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons salt<br />
2 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour<br />
1/4 cup of wheat flour<br />
2 teaspoons of yeast<br />
<br />
Place ingredients in bread machine in order suggested by the manufacturer.<br />
Select basic bread setting, normal crust if cooking in machine.<br />
OR Select "dough" setting if oven baking. When "dough" cycle complete, punch down dough and form into loaf, place in greased bread pan. Let rise again for about an hour.<br />
Pre-heat oven to 350 and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Enjoy!Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-33773250624824545772010-04-06T23:17:00.002-04:002010-07-26T10:46:40.703-04:00Herb Garden In ProgressIn my neck of the woods, March brought us record rainfall. It rained and it RAINED!! Now April has brought us record warm temperatures. Tomorrow it is supposed to be in the 80's! Craziness. I packed up the winter hats and snow pants today really hoping that we don't get hit once more with snow. This is New England, it is still April, and it really could still snow.<br />
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According to the Farmers Almanac, it is not safe to plant here until May 9th, the date that the Almanac estimates we will be free of the danger of frost. This date is over a month away and I am itching to start planting NOW!!!!! But, until then, the kiddos and I have been outside every day getting the gardens ready. The first one we tackled was the herb garden. I wish I had pictures of the before. It was in ROUGH shape.<br />
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Now, I have to say, this herb garden has been a long term project. When the hubby and I bought the house almost 5 years ago, the herb garden was a lovely fish pond. A pond that did not hold water and was the biggest pain in my neck. So the fish pond got filled in, and the herb garden was started. At this time I worked full time and gardening and my job in retail did not work well together. The next spring/summer I was preggers with Logan. I made a lot of progress at the beginning of the season, but once I couldn't bend over to weed, the garden went wild. Gardening and being huge with baby did not work well together either. And the spring/summer after that, Logan was a baby, which also did not mesh with the gardening. And the next 2 years, repeat with being preggers and again with having a baby to tend to.<br />
<br />
Now, with no job, no pregnancy, and no baby, this is the year I plan on getting all the gardens in order- the herb garden, the veggie garden, and the various flower gardens. This might be wishfull thinking, but with Logan and Sophie (and the hubby who excels at heavy lifting and digging up monster Hostas) as my eager assistants, I am hoping that we can do it!<br />
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So, with out further ado, here is the herb garden, minus the plants.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndNYYHsNCfypphNByN6ZVGW-svzsxL5jIvj4GuVC2CO7AYFVJwavyohxiOtHe-NpcZxTJRFVqhcfG5pJvlsvCiLXuUaHHccEdalGyeWsMshE5lBbVieygNvTEi7WgFGjlp6TZK72VfnRp/s1600/100_3165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndNYYHsNCfypphNByN6ZVGW-svzsxL5jIvj4GuVC2CO7AYFVJwavyohxiOtHe-NpcZxTJRFVqhcfG5pJvlsvCiLXuUaHHccEdalGyeWsMshE5lBbVieygNvTEi7WgFGjlp6TZK72VfnRp/s320/100_3165.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidvLMRwbirZPcQCxmBGzetUDn4B52yljuY7Exe2jq4uJMn63dMN9jlxOKtjX0otWGO_CVcleL4ts5DIGkn80VLKcVYhI6EhAuyLCXSFDIT14HVsOIqATMEzG6jm4gZRP1dfY9yipFGa18/s1600/100_3170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidvLMRwbirZPcQCxmBGzetUDn4B52yljuY7Exe2jq4uJMn63dMN9jlxOKtjX0otWGO_CVcleL4ts5DIGkn80VLKcVYhI6EhAuyLCXSFDIT14HVsOIqATMEzG6jm4gZRP1dfY9yipFGa18/s320/100_3170.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I removed 9 monster Hostas from around the edge- remnants of the past life as a fish pond.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKUG0myIPqGQjZCNxBNxK9y9j6XMQi8kJqEcMakXuRbHP7L1F6SpZ_rX1DBtGV2C3YTwgOog8bDx_fTs3A35YXfNVhB0eqcaUFbxI55WIDh-Z0bGOHHXFf4IzT7QiCMyWFnL-p_AOq2xtn/s1600/100_3167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKUG0myIPqGQjZCNxBNxK9y9j6XMQi8kJqEcMakXuRbHP7L1F6SpZ_rX1DBtGV2C3YTwgOog8bDx_fTs3A35YXfNVhB0eqcaUFbxI55WIDh-Z0bGOHHXFf4IzT7QiCMyWFnL-p_AOq2xtn/s320/100_3167.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmqlj4rMlsNl-d61KnXHTLaUcD9kHbNAKnySSGyoX5XX8PiG-a9HGrLh6Qw8z2i1MBrFyVroyEGz8Hl78sDFfddthda1z1RY2efHFMLiPGj9luKwiwhsTtmikSwpZ5gp7k9frDbXq3oR1/s1600/100_3168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmqlj4rMlsNl-d61KnXHTLaUcD9kHbNAKnySSGyoX5XX8PiG-a9HGrLh6Qw8z2i1MBrFyVroyEGz8Hl78sDFfddthda1z1RY2efHFMLiPGj9luKwiwhsTtmikSwpZ5gp7k9frDbXq3oR1/s320/100_3168.JPG" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCZRz3RF1Y6w-yZr1Cpxyc34Flb95RcFaM0P-mGTN5sOZDpxd3pnIrob-GHrAVrRaB763UnVaDlqy3S3oGf-wrhDxbU_aXYTfJzarRu4isl1ujWUMWA7uAt2ijkim2_uQV4Y1hfISMDUCX/s1600/100_3166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCZRz3RF1Y6w-yZr1Cpxyc34Flb95RcFaM0P-mGTN5sOZDpxd3pnIrob-GHrAVrRaB763UnVaDlqy3S3oGf-wrhDxbU_aXYTfJzarRu4isl1ujWUMWA7uAt2ijkim2_uQV4Y1hfISMDUCX/s320/100_3166.JPG" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeKpGr0T_TNilChCG942-JXZtmM-9DGgqc1MTZ6wvQguF49_o32mA9YYa6QQZzk1CovAoO_yYjWAi6WkbTD6jSGhIqnhXNK3nrzZ757Aknb6x8TI9hki6GZH5VBHSXHLR1_ckJOVYLKF9/s1600/100_3169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeKpGr0T_TNilChCG942-JXZtmM-9DGgqc1MTZ6wvQguF49_o32mA9YYa6QQZzk1CovAoO_yYjWAi6WkbTD6jSGhIqnhXNK3nrzZ757Aknb6x8TI9hki6GZH5VBHSXHLR1_ckJOVYLKF9/s320/100_3169.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I made 4 "benches" out of rocks, one for each member of the family. I want to make plaster decorative stones to put in front of each bench. I want the kiddos to have their own spot to plant near their bench. I can't wait until May 9th!!!!Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-37382095213322834012010-03-31T21:20:00.000-04:002010-03-31T21:20:59.117-04:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVFip0nfIG-k7QSdhIBL7MO7s31x-cc7nYmSTG_16nrXjgplqb-cosA2wV5QUizTM18Vj5sizLkG1XHwInOiBmm_8KutywpqV7eeu621R0-I1NFnEq4D9Bm2V2agkRkjla-TL1VFp6cPF/s1600/100_3104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVFip0nfIG-k7QSdhIBL7MO7s31x-cc7nYmSTG_16nrXjgplqb-cosA2wV5QUizTM18Vj5sizLkG1XHwInOiBmm_8KutywpqV7eeu621R0-I1NFnEq4D9Bm2V2agkRkjla-TL1VFp6cPF/s1600/100_3104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVFip0nfIG-k7QSdhIBL7MO7s31x-cc7nYmSTG_16nrXjgplqb-cosA2wV5QUizTM18Vj5sizLkG1XHwInOiBmm_8KutywpqV7eeu621R0-I1NFnEq4D9Bm2V2agkRkjla-TL1VFp6cPF/s320/100_3104.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8cEWXpKjLz1moRg3aVeH411oYM3M-jlUhbjCGYvmrGOpNfml6ofaNIrvLriPqen2KIIJTvzhX0ZDo1FkZmD5AY11gJ9Bum80O6c-n3TFUNKG-RgZBR6tmnkDrGPV9hYMl6R2MKKYWr-ZM/s1600/100_3113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8cEWXpKjLz1moRg3aVeH411oYM3M-jlUhbjCGYvmrGOpNfml6ofaNIrvLriPqen2KIIJTvzhX0ZDo1FkZmD5AY11gJ9Bum80O6c-n3TFUNKG-RgZBR6tmnkDrGPV9hYMl6R2MKKYWr-ZM/s320/100_3113.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzcDELK6khxjYPIS49BrqXgE1tzITnWVo7IfGY7ef5He4E2TJCs2eiOtXrFm0fkImu6bOKVQFnrL83zJx4qUI4ulYHG2PVM_d8k9BA7r8QoJe2WYhyphenhyphenDGMceewg3JpicZHUZKO5rStDbjvQ/s1600/100_3116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzcDELK6khxjYPIS49BrqXgE1tzITnWVo7IfGY7ef5He4E2TJCs2eiOtXrFm0fkImu6bOKVQFnrL83zJx4qUI4ulYHG2PVM_d8k9BA7r8QoJe2WYhyphenhyphenDGMceewg3JpicZHUZKO5rStDbjvQ/s320/100_3116.JPG" /></a></div>Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-17610525392180132152010-02-12T20:24:00.002-05:002010-02-12T20:26:14.041-05:00I Am But A ChildLogan came home from school today with this poem in the valentine from his teacher. It is so beautiful and true of every child at the age of 3!<br />
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<b>I Am But a Child</b><br />
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Look at me, I am but a child.<br />
I won't be grown up for awhile.<br />
Let me enjoy my childhood days<br />
Give me opportunities to run and play.<br />
<br />
Let me make discoveries, give me space<br />
That I might develop at a steady pace.<br />
Let me be messy, let me explore<br />
Then as I grow I will learn that much more.<br />
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I am very energetic though still quite small.<br />
I run, climb, spill and that's not all.<br />
I am but a child in my own little world.<br />
Inside me there are struggles and twirls.<br />
<br />
I have not learned to share or sit still,<br />
When I am older perhaps I will.<br />
I am full of life and curiosity<br />
But that is how I learn, you see.<br />
<br />
I need your help in all I do.<br />
I need your love and approval too.<br />
I need your patience day after day<br />
So that I can grow in a positive way.<br />
<br />
Play with me, smile at me, hug me too.<br />
I need to know that I am accepted by you.<br />
With your help and guidance, I'll grow to be<br />
all that you expect from me.<br />
<br />
by Lenora McWhorterTraceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-52082536588995517532010-02-12T13:42:00.000-05:002010-02-12T13:42:06.709-05:00Valentine CrayonsWe are on a cleaning and de-cluttering spree over in this household. While going through our crafting supplies I noticed we had 2 containers full of broken, old crayons. By OLD, I mean some of these crayons are a good 20+ years old, and I'm not joking! They came from MY Nana's house. The crayons I colored with when I was little. Yeah, we don't throw anything away over here!<br />
<br />
I have always wanted to melt down crayons to make big cool looking crayons, so I figured we would give it a try. I found a "recipe" <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_2123177_recycle-old-crayons.html">here</a>, and I actually went out and bought a Valentine themed cookie tin (mutli-functional, and used to make Valentine cookies too). I decided to use all the crayons on hand and buy him a new box of "big boy" crayons now that he has finally stopped breaking and eating them. Here are pictures of our project in action!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11dXC4rCF6T1Yuqz0iw0C25aIKgq-OxMVFpWtKeDKNpZKQJ37mOd4Grd3drsYaHUZ2bvx6KJxmEVdCgQmemiKaOOBHo8s6y_t9jUdHZeHSjpyudLpI4nBGNUiqpBLZH9PROVRXbXYGNZD/s1600-h/100_3009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11dXC4rCF6T1Yuqz0iw0C25aIKgq-OxMVFpWtKeDKNpZKQJ37mOd4Grd3drsYaHUZ2bvx6KJxmEVdCgQmemiKaOOBHo8s6y_t9jUdHZeHSjpyudLpI4nBGNUiqpBLZH9PROVRXbXYGNZD/s320/100_3009.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScwclL6HaQBW-Vx9mrlF6yDUu1xQYBdq4oRnqWUUjEB_uf-j5QPyKphvTjohlxBQepZSc9wUkJ-Ar89owXyMvFkaRKyzqpnw-K4GC1JIZzoDu-Aw70G7YQiZddYTAs68iyQMKu7E_eKxX/s1600-h/100_3011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScwclL6HaQBW-Vx9mrlF6yDUu1xQYBdq4oRnqWUUjEB_uf-j5QPyKphvTjohlxBQepZSc9wUkJ-Ar89owXyMvFkaRKyzqpnw-K4GC1JIZzoDu-Aw70G7YQiZddYTAs68iyQMKu7E_eKxX/s320/100_3011.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieu71ZoFiq8RuTWW_ybgHkVowGotKW3C-d2-JIpMOe__F6HWwytcfQFlWpoxnVJsSzAW1sjwIzgYg199_qjdXy6ocm9bBRWPEInX2K2eErT7daPrmdFw_rSUq_WpCogrgbv076GtDw3XWQ/s1600-h/100_3012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieu71ZoFiq8RuTWW_ybgHkVowGotKW3C-d2-JIpMOe__F6HWwytcfQFlWpoxnVJsSzAW1sjwIzgYg199_qjdXy6ocm9bBRWPEInX2K2eErT7daPrmdFw_rSUq_WpCogrgbv076GtDw3XWQ/s320/100_3012.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLHHJ45LxDSU44VrNEhHHcl6vgWNklwhtB_wWnOFd_dtS-faxfy8w6xENyEb-5qb6po7WGYFNayqYrO9VEto0-DYEZCA37K7Cp5ypGCZKap4jcijvwmKyqUmOOwOF9xJySwsi9IFGuWZm/s1600-h/100_3010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLHHJ45LxDSU44VrNEhHHcl6vgWNklwhtB_wWnOFd_dtS-faxfy8w6xENyEb-5qb6po7WGYFNayqYrO9VEto0-DYEZCA37K7Cp5ypGCZKap4jcijvwmKyqUmOOwOF9xJySwsi9IFGuWZm/s320/100_3010.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Ha, Ha, I just noticed Hubby sleeping on the couch in the last picture! Here are pictures of the finished product:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTUa9Vu8fC4UqysgKiS4n8AuSj-b9Ru30FAbmB1Cpbmu4Eg2cHDQTYDyKjjtTNY2Gjy__3gWeo9_7znRpdf5nyKIxstcIwHSCQtoNkzrKuPr0geUoJr2x4EgHOJu2UXqT0Eo-h894aNTu/s1600-h/100_3061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTUa9Vu8fC4UqysgKiS4n8AuSj-b9Ru30FAbmB1Cpbmu4Eg2cHDQTYDyKjjtTNY2Gjy__3gWeo9_7znRpdf5nyKIxstcIwHSCQtoNkzrKuPr0geUoJr2x4EgHOJu2UXqT0Eo-h894aNTu/s320/100_3061.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQZVrcdHHX5WDCNtilnQuSgFwLNXe0MxNxWjIJs9wfIeuxnkrpfYW07rnKAiCKoeZHOxWgsEpFp4U1VfiqpqbuXlVWgrZ7kDWghWsPRpp5iEnbRZ_vrNgXMH8mnBqXA3hQe4C_M67Qhvb/s1600-h/100_3071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQZVrcdHHX5WDCNtilnQuSgFwLNXe0MxNxWjIJs9wfIeuxnkrpfYW07rnKAiCKoeZHOxWgsEpFp4U1VfiqpqbuXlVWgrZ7kDWghWsPRpp5iEnbRZ_vrNgXMH8mnBqXA3hQe4C_M67Qhvb/s320/100_3071.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is Logan's "Space Ship" color. </div><br />
We had a lot of fun making these. And the house didn't smell like something burning, like the hubby kept saying it was going to. They look nice, but they don't really function that well. I was hoping that we would have created large enough crayons for Sophie to manuever with her little hands, which she can, but they only work when held at a certain angle. It seems that most of the wax floats to the top when melted. Maybe from using cheap crayons? The wax part doesn't make a mark. Oh well, they will be perfect for rubbing creations.Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-71288018193552957282010-01-29T14:50:00.003-05:002010-01-29T21:44:52.847-05:00Homemade Graham Crackers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfde_TtiA5adQfT8AV6xvfaHBw3G7WV5KmFw7opXNFaNF8DihRQGKnyRaiahxcExtst46u8zqWCAf9A0-1usDoBXlQJXvCL0KDoIOwp1ZAFmlpmzqr2WRQ9iiQy0iUaUkEibqoGfZ8EE6/s1600-h/100_2991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfde_TtiA5adQfT8AV6xvfaHBw3G7WV5KmFw7opXNFaNF8DihRQGKnyRaiahxcExtst46u8zqWCAf9A0-1usDoBXlQJXvCL0KDoIOwp1ZAFmlpmzqr2WRQ9iiQy0iUaUkEibqoGfZ8EE6/s200/100_2991.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>The kiddos are huge graham cracker fans. We eat them like they are going out of style. Since I try to cut out on preservatives by making what I can at home, I thought I would give homemade graham crackers a try. Would they notice?<br />
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The first time I made them, Logan helped me. We used the same cookies cutters we used for our Christmas cookies. I think he was expecting the finished product to taste like the cookies, so he wouldn't eat them. The next time I made the graham crackers I cut the dough into rectangles so they looked more like the store bought ones, and he loved them. Kids are weird. <br />
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Graham Crackers<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
<br />
* 1/2 cup butter or shortening (I use butter)<br />
* 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I use light brown sugar, because that's what I have, but dark brown sugar might make them darker)<br />
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (sometimes I use a little more)<br />
* 2 cups whole wheat flour (I use graham flour)<br />
* 1 cup all-purpose flour<br />
* 1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
* 1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
* 1 tablespoon cinnamon (we like cinnamon, can use less or omit)<br />
* 1/2 cup milk<br />
<br />
* cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on top<br />
<br />
Directions<br />
<br />
1. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter (or shortening) and brown sugar. Stir in the vanilla. Combine the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Cover and chill dough until firm. It may seem really hard after chilled, but it softens when rolled.<br />
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into rectangles, or use a cookie cutter for fun shapes. Place 1/2 inch apart onto the greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.<br />
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crisp. Edges will be golden brown. Remove from baking sheet to cool on wire racks.Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-45687109693794665312010-01-24T21:15:00.000-05:002010-01-24T21:15:54.208-05:00Boob VS.... Bottle???<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDmCUaIqGhde8u8chco556VS1Xp1B_MEbZxjHcNxMv8TVrT01ckcj0LRrHWBxDAgrLvYfFCZ7DksojSnJbITmxbo0XnowTdi3bPUL-jjVopeWVAVfV08_X2IwAVUhvxIm5YJj3ly6Ekro/s1600-h/breastfeeding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDmCUaIqGhde8u8chco556VS1Xp1B_MEbZxjHcNxMv8TVrT01ckcj0LRrHWBxDAgrLvYfFCZ7DksojSnJbITmxbo0XnowTdi3bPUL-jjVopeWVAVfV08_X2IwAVUhvxIm5YJj3ly6Ekro/s320/breastfeeding.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>OK, I'll admit it. I subscribe to Parenting magazine. My school age neighbor was selling magazine subscriptions as a Drama Club fundraiser, and I couldn't say no. It was the cheapest of all the "parenting" magazines, and at the time came with a free subscription to Sesame Street Magazine, which is pretty sweet. So, anyway, I am sitting at the bus stop waiting for Logan's bus, flipping through the latest edition of Parenting, and an article catches my eye. Well, not really an article, but one of those 1/2 page FYI type paragraph things, titled "Spotlight on Bottle-Feeding" by Patty Onderko. The first two sentences really got my blood boiling! Here they are:<br />
<br />
"Breastfeeding has become so politically correct that moms who bottle-feed are reporting that they receive very little information on how to do it right, according to the latest review of studies. "Once a woman decides to bottle-feed, she should be supported," emphasizes British researcher Rajalakshmi Lakshman, M.D."<br />
<br />
Where to start, where to start??!!! Well, I guess first off, I don't think the issue is BREASTFEEDING VS BOTTLE FEEDING, as the article sets the sides. I breastfeed. I use bottles, or I would if I worked or had a kid-not-included social life and actually needed to pump. Most women who breastfeed use a breast pump and store breast milk. How else is the child going to get this breast milk, but with a BOTTLE?! This statement gives a false impression to perspective breastfeeders that if you breastfeed, you can't touch a bottle and that a breastfeeding mom must always have her boob ready for feeding time. After all, the first point in this article is how to safely clean a bottle, something ALL moms should know. That's why I believe the issue is Breastfeeding vs FORMULA FEEDING, and it soooo drives me bonkers when formula feeding is called "bottle feeding"!<br />
<br />
And as for calling breastfeeding "politically correct"???? UMMMM, how about calling it "what Pediatricians recommend"?? Calling breastfeeding "politically correct" makes it sound like a fad, and that women who breastfeed are doing it to make some sort of statement, not because it is best for them and their baby. GRRRR.<br />
<br />
Now, I'm not all anti-formula over here. I only breastfed Logan up to 7 months, so he was formula fed for awhile. Did I once think I was doing it "wrong"? Uh, no. I read the container. Unlike boobs, formula containers come with DIRECTIONS!!!! Seriously, the only problem I had was not being able to find the little scoop! But maybe that's just me, because there must be some women out there having problems if there are actual "studies". <br />
<br />
And as for being an "unsupported" bottle feeder?? Hello! Not once when I fed Logan a bottle in public did I get uncomfortable glances from passersby like I do when I breastfeed Sophie in public. Not once did people act surprised when Logan still had a bottle at 11 months, like they did when they heard Sophie was still being breastfed at that age. Women don't give up "bottle feeding" because they have no one to turn to for help. Now really, are we going to be seeing fliers around town for "bottle-feeding" support groups?!<br />
<br />
In defense of Parenting magazine, they also had a blurp on the same page that states that women are breastfeeding longer. And there is also a full page add for a car battery which I thought was pretty impressive.Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-23088535340512030572010-01-20T17:47:00.000-05:002010-01-20T17:47:24.461-05:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNZOdGrVMWodxbIo7DcdvQFHdnoE7uSNz0fKP3RWN8W8q-Pwwr3Q66TESZDnnNCLauAv31GXXydF2fJrJA1stoHXGcd8BLNfQDi_1IXYSRIrNqItlTUPqmB-lmyIR-WhNAtji05zTZPte/s1600-h/100_2840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNZOdGrVMWodxbIo7DcdvQFHdnoE7uSNz0fKP3RWN8W8q-Pwwr3Q66TESZDnnNCLauAv31GXXydF2fJrJA1stoHXGcd8BLNfQDi_1IXYSRIrNqItlTUPqmB-lmyIR-WhNAtji05zTZPte/s320/100_2840.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJoscXiYnGbjQ3J2IY5h65p-TRYz6_GvI70VJUvihlzZQrTYLNnyEairopzbmT3UXtHMqgm_ZLVdrHQtbZdSeSgUQbD41CYSIzpzXWKLsQKSsmloelkWlSJ3whEqPcBdjD4hVHuWFuxKT/s1600-h/100_2844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJoscXiYnGbjQ3J2IY5h65p-TRYz6_GvI70VJUvihlzZQrTYLNnyEairopzbmT3UXtHMqgm_ZLVdrHQtbZdSeSgUQbD41CYSIzpzXWKLsQKSsmloelkWlSJ3whEqPcBdjD4hVHuWFuxKT/s320/100_2844.JPG" /></a><br />
</div>Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-24311840721364853182010-01-07T10:17:00.001-05:002016-01-09T17:29:42.475-05:00Random Thoughts on the Household SickiesFirst post of the year! Happy New Year!! <br />
<br />
The hubby and I have been fighting the cold that we got for Christmas (unfortunately, no returns accepted on that gift). Logan has already missed a day of school do to a case of the vomits, and now Sophie has her first ever cold. Despite the sickies, we are all in good spirits! <br />
<br />
Well, except for Sophie, she is a tad bit miserable. Being her first head cold, she does not know what to do about the stuffed nose. Since she is just over one, she has not yet grasped the concept to "blow", and when she sees me coming at her with the rubber snot sucker, she makes a run for it. <br />
<br />
And a 3 year old with the pukes is a challenge too. Logan keeps getting the vomit bug, which (luckily) only lasts for one day. He missed his 2nd day back to school after vacation with his first case of the year. Now, a 3 year old with the pukes is very messy. He has yet to make it to the bathroom, or in this case- the bucket, in time. I am very thankful for my carpet cleaner since 99% of my house is carpet!! ANY ONE WITH KIDS AND CARPETS MUST INVEST IN A GOOD CARPET CLEANER!!!! <br />
<br />
And the hubby and I have been fighting a lovely head cold since Christmas. It hasn't gotten better, and it hasn't gotten worse. We seem to be in cold limbo. I can deal with the stuffiness, as I have bad seasonal allergies and am ALWAYS stuffy, but the night cough can take a hike. A remedy that the hubby found online a couple of months ago has been working surprisingly well:<br />
<br />
To stop night coughs: Rub Vicks vapor rub on the soles of the feet. <br />
Cover with socks. <br />
<br />
Sounds to good to be true, but it has been working for us. Last night I tried it on Sophie and it worked for her too. I had to make sure that she was in the jammies with feet, so she wouldn't have access to the Vicks and eat it. There is no scientific back up to this remedy, and here is a <a href="http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/medical/a/vicks_for_cough.htm">link </a>for anyone who is interested.<br />
<br />
So it could be worse. We don't have H1N1. Not that I know of any way. I am thinking that if we get all of the sickies now, maybe we will be in the clear for the rest of the year. Yup, wishful thinking, I know. But, I am getting practice with working on some of my many resolutions- having more patience, accepting things I can't control, and focusing more on my family.Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-72101090911730729262009-12-28T23:07:00.002-05:002010-01-07T10:20:47.928-05:00Cloth Diaper Carnival V - The Hubby and Cloth<i>Welcome to another installment of the Cloth Diaper Carnival brought to you by <a href="http://clothdiaperblogging.ning.com/">Cloth Diapering Bloggers</a> and hosted by Kim at Dirty Diaper Laundry. This Months topic is "Hubbies/ SO and Cloth Diapers". Make sure to visit other blogs participating by following the Linky (if I can get it up) or by grabbing the link at <a href="http://dirtydiaperlaundry.com/cloth-diaper-carnival-v-husbands-and-cloth-diapers/">Dirty Diaper Laundry</a> :)</i> <br />
<i></i><br />
Since I decided to use cloth diapers when I was pregnant with my first, I never had to go through "the change" with the hubby. He was not used to disposables, just as much as he was not used to cloth diapers. Now, don't get me wrong, he had changed a couple of diapers in his day using disposables, so he wasn't totally a diaper newbie. Actually, when it came to cloth diapers, we were equals in the changing department- both of us having no experience. Anyway, it didn't phase him one bit when I told him cloth diapering was the way we where going. Until I told him how much money we where going to be saving. Then he bragged to everyone how smart he was to use cloth diapers. Ha Ha Ha.<br />
<br />
It has been three years since we have started our cloth diapering journey, and the hubby has had his share of opinions and suggestions along the way. He doesn't like snaps. They are hard for his big fingers to maneuver, so he goes for the Velcro dipes in our stash. He doesn't like pockets, as he can't fit his hand in the pocket to stuff them. He likes the old school pull over covers better than the Velcro or snap wraps as he sucks at making sure the diaper is fully covered.<br />
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Overall, I just make sure our stash is diverse enough to accommodate him in the rare instances that he changes a diaper. OK, to give him credit, he changed his share of diapers with Logan, our first. However, with Sophie, he changes maybe 5 diapers a WEEK. And if he ever had to WASH them, I don't even want to think about what he would do, or what would happen to my poor diapers!<br />
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Make sure to visit all the blogs participating in this carnival!!!!<br />
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<script src="http://www.mcklinky.com/linky_include_basic.asp?id=13453" type="text/javascript"></script><a href="http://www.mcklinky.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.mcklinky.com/images/MckLinkyLogo119.gif" width="119" height="39" border="0" /></a>Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-47635810372679805922009-12-09T09:15:00.000-05:002009-12-09T09:15:47.784-05:00Wordless Wednesday- My Little Cowgirl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAR_wAIHRwq5to6LTxWA3kTxc0kllzsKDzOK8vzxvD2u334wzVE_eIqR7XzLKsHY9pfka85V-hMC5Rc5KeS0eAmW_0sLNm9xU3mORMCPsDB04u8rQBIMyrOvayImhPZDE6jWP3HvGxRBn/s1600-h/100_2762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAR_wAIHRwq5to6LTxWA3kTxc0kllzsKDzOK8vzxvD2u334wzVE_eIqR7XzLKsHY9pfka85V-hMC5Rc5KeS0eAmW_0sLNm9xU3mORMCPsDB04u8rQBIMyrOvayImhPZDE6jWP3HvGxRBn/s320/100_2762.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMAQZRdAuxpAfkWjqWxJgNEc05slAwSfl2fUBTbcSBlK_5yGC32fzgR2oN7UjilMm1v3kxPgtL0qdmOFT5kwRFtM1WZKfLlcz4wjdFk0FNC75HkBswY1Q_STOFuuUu5MkznYo8jCDC0be/s1600-h/100_2768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMAQZRdAuxpAfkWjqWxJgNEc05slAwSfl2fUBTbcSBlK_5yGC32fzgR2oN7UjilMm1v3kxPgtL0qdmOFT5kwRFtM1WZKfLlcz4wjdFk0FNC75HkBswY1Q_STOFuuUu5MkznYo8jCDC0be/s320/100_2768.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div>Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-11691146901287772212009-12-07T22:05:00.003-05:002010-01-07T10:21:31.016-05:00A Rant On Toys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7cXV5P4MGmCOHwRvP1VCJs94JqORMqfhDwE2UPdbKyMpzYYKchD0OGZV4Ufg8ohCqfXWzJ9rOhz5OoJW5clWZ_vggWJkaMI-hyIKl6RwP8lIIJltXIqpIonQhGCUCTy08mqbBdwHZk_l/s1600-h/100_2540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7cXV5P4MGmCOHwRvP1VCJs94JqORMqfhDwE2UPdbKyMpzYYKchD0OGZV4Ufg8ohCqfXWzJ9rOhz5OoJW5clWZ_vggWJkaMI-hyIKl6RwP8lIIJltXIqpIonQhGCUCTy08mqbBdwHZk_l/s200/100_2540.JPG" /></a><br />
</div>My space has been taken over by toys. There are toys in every room of my house. There are toys in both cars. There are even toys still out in the yard. And really? Do the kiddos play with all these toys? Of course not!!.So I was thinking to myself, "Self, why are there so many freakn' toys in this space o' mine that NO ONE PLAYS WITH?"<br />
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And I suddenly knew it is because of me. <i>I </i>buy the toys- granted, most were sweet deals that I found at yard sales, flea markets, and consignment shops.<i> I </i>pick the can't-pass-by freebies up off the side of the road.<i> I </i>say "YES!" eagerly when people offer me their kiddos' cast offs. Geesh, why am<i> I</i> the toy horde???<br />
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My kiddos are 3 and 1. They don't watch TV with COMMERCIALS (thank you Nick Jr), so they have no clue what is out there. Wait, I take that back. Logan, at 3, is just starting to catch on to advertising. He has found mail order TOY catalogs and Black Friday fliers laying around and has gotten very excited about all the toys in them. But you know what? He seems perfectly happy just LOOKING AT THE PICTURES. I am the one getting all worked up about how many of those toys to get him for Christmas, and how much they are gonna cost. Seriously? He might have asked for one of the toys out of the tons of pictures he looked at. And for real? He could care less if he gets the $15 truck over the $150 dollar truck. Even if I can get that $150 one for $40....OK, OK, see, it's about me again.<br />
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What I have realized is that I need to change MY behavior in order to make sure that my still young kiddos are not going to think that the world revolves around toys. If I can reduce the quantity of useless toys they are surrounded with in their daily lives, than toys won't seem so important. And hopefully they will value the toys they do play with. Logan spent last weekend at his Granny's house and I cleaned out his room. I filled two trash bags with toys and stuffed animals to bring to the thrift store. He hasn't even noticed. <br />
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And another thing? Last week Logan was playing with an old fire truck baby toy that I had pulled out of the toy stash in the basement for Sophie. Of course, Logan recognized it as his old toy and immediately started playing with it. He was in meltdown mode after 5 minutes. Why? Because the batteries didn't work. With out the batteries, there is no siren. With out a siren, the toy is "broken". I told him he could make the "Woooo Wooooo"" siren noise himself. He stared at me blankly like I was talking crazy! With all these battery operated toys, am I raising kids who lack imagination???<br />
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This really scared me! It scared me enough to decide that this Christmas we are going battery free. And on top of that, the hubby and I also decided that this year we are only getting the kiddos gifts that promote imaginative play. So no Vtech and LeapFrog plastic battery operated learning toys for my kiddos this year. They will be learning with their new musical instruments and craft supplies. Logan will work on his imagination with his wooden parking garage and service station, and Sophie with her cloth tea set and wooden sound blocks. And the hubby won't be running to the Mobil station at midnight on Christmas eve to spend a small fortune on batteries...Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-67808448295124968992009-12-02T21:22:00.000-05:002009-12-02T21:22:51.978-05:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV34LXsp0w0TQqfZIivGIcycuj5jqurXRn_Qb50CfBMfKMx23rp2HFuAdq3apuAZ6IxV-DWbQhsdhUgS1TO2yxMg83SrgkCAoRotgUzO3iOfBpO5yWgM9cke34kR4QyF2Tqat5iEBUqOYo/s1600-h/100_2787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV34LXsp0w0TQqfZIivGIcycuj5jqurXRn_Qb50CfBMfKMx23rp2HFuAdq3apuAZ6IxV-DWbQhsdhUgS1TO2yxMg83SrgkCAoRotgUzO3iOfBpO5yWgM9cke34kR4QyF2Tqat5iEBUqOYo/s320/100_2787.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Couldn't resist taking a picture.......<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHTjXbbu12tGllzHuDBJ0DWtZHTM2jJgtw24GRJE7RVibO8mx80Ob_FglF83kVj4hwWf6lFNf1nH_USARI4hSm6gGBN3Y8ixm9lIFJ6cEN5_6LVGODrkOqikqhWv9kN_yRLnPx22drBYs/s1600-h/100_2785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHTjXbbu12tGllzHuDBJ0DWtZHTM2jJgtw24GRJE7RVibO8mx80Ob_FglF83kVj4hwWf6lFNf1nH_USARI4hSm6gGBN3Y8ixm9lIFJ6cEN5_6LVGODrkOqikqhWv9kN_yRLnPx22drBYs/s320/100_2785.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The sound of the camera and the flash scared him a bit.....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nmOvE1fAOQQ5KZoQ3P4xcoaSOPnkl39E0fjh5hP8bbm2mgoW1Nz2e5NPiexOTf68kuQpVMHe0RLsdixY59phejVdZS64hgSRa402sHvCM0F4v5EFcCBL3to7BJOCFc9iD4aFy99gvLL3/s1600-h/100_2786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nmOvE1fAOQQ5KZoQ3P4xcoaSOPnkl39E0fjh5hP8bbm2mgoW1Nz2e5NPiexOTf68kuQpVMHe0RLsdixY59phejVdZS64hgSRa402sHvCM0F4v5EFcCBL3to7BJOCFc9iD4aFy99gvLL3/s320/100_2786.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But he fell right back asleep! <br />
</div>Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163336662723748216.post-87522465101308760842009-11-23T23:10:00.000-05:002009-11-23T23:10:45.815-05:00********CRIB RECALLS*********Stork Craft recalls more than 2.1 million drop side cribs due to baby entrapment. Please go to the Consumer Product Safety Commision's site <a href="http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10046.html">here</a> to learn more.Traceyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01501868803284154498noreply@blogger.com0