There is wisdom in knowing when to take a break. When things feel like too much. When a period of life becomes extra hectic. When a loved one needs some special attention or tending. At that point it’s wise to step back, re-evaluate, and decide whether it might help to cut out some things – even some great things – for a time.… Continue reading
life
Saving a Beloved Object from the Rag Pile: or, Upcycling old socks into doll pillows
My 5-year-old loves cats. His favorite color is purple. And he adores all things with fairies and sparkles.
About a year ago I stumbled upon a pair of purple socks that had cats adorned with fairy wings stitched into them. When my son opened them as a gift, he told me, “Mama, these are the socks of my dreams.”
He loved his new socks. … Continue reading
The Importance of Modeling Learning for your Kids
One of the things I strive to instill in my children is that learning is a lifelong endeavor. We will always have things to learn (no one knows everything!). In fact, I often remind them, the more we learn, the more we realize we don’t know. Learning not only teaches us, it helps to ask more and better questions.
So many people in our culture see admitting that they don’t know something as a sign of weakness. … Continue reading
A Child in Charge of Dinner
There are many things I want my children to know before they grow up and leave our house. I want them to learn to sew. They need to learn to clean up after themselves (see HERE), and how to clean a house (see HERE). They need to learn how to manage their finances (see HERE, HERE, and HERE). … Continue reading
A Gift of Mystery Squash
I love winter squash. When a friend offered me some mystery squash, I gladly took three. She explained that a large harvest of volunteer squash had come up in her garden. She had no idea what kind of cross-pollinated squash they might be.
While she warned me that what type of flesh lay inside was a mystery, I felt inspired by Ma in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s The Long Winter:
“Hurry and get the work done,” said Ma.… Continue reading
Don’t Pass Up your Chance to Vote
Election Day is this Tuesday, November 6. My ballot this year was long, including national, state, and local representatives and issues. So many of these issues, on all three levels of government, are big, important, and will impact our day-to-day lives. My friends in other states tell me their ballots are similar.
Some people think only the presidential elections are important. … Continue reading
The Hazards of Cooking with a Child
The other day I was baking with my 5-year-old. We were making Grain-Free Bread (recipe HERE). He was helping me scrape down the sides of my stand mixer (I have an old model of THIS) when suddenly the spatula he was holding went right through the beaters. Yikes!
Thankfully he let go of the spatula as soon as he felt something was off. … Continue reading
Encouraging Innovation: Building an Apple Harvester
My 9-year-old loves inventing and building things. Sometimes he sees an idea somewhere and decides to build or make something similar of his own. Sometimes he sees an object, figures out a way to improve upon the design, and sets about creating his own improved version. And, sometimes, he sees a need for something and comes up with a way to meet that need through something he imagines and then makes.… Continue reading
How I Store my Essential Oils
It’s no secret that I use a lot of essential oils in my house. (You can read more about that HERE.) I use them for making my own homemade cleaners (see my recipes for Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner and Homemade Scouring Powder) and my own beauty products. (See my recipes for Healing Skin Salve, Amazing Face Serum, All-Natural Homemade Deodorant, Homemade Bath Salts, and Fizzy Bath Bombs.)… Continue reading
Family Game Night: Parcheesi
Our family loves to play games together. And as my 5-year-old’s strategy skills build, we’re able to play more and more complex games as a family. Our family’s current favorite board game is Parcheesi.
In this game, your goal is to move four pawns from your start position into your home. On the way, you can capture your opponents pawns for a significant bonus, or you might be captured and back sent back to the start yourself.… Continue reading