Getting ready for the holidays...

We busted out the Holiday bins last night.  We got a few things put up.  Our Advent Calendar is ready to go for tomorrow.  Here are the two sillies after discovering some goofy light-up antlers:

Finger nail update:  It's barely hanging on and super yucky!  It also appears to be a little painful.  Gah, I wish it would just fall off already!  My poor baby!

We're baaaack!

My Dad is 390 miles from us.  That's a long way for two small children.  Regardless of challenging car travel, we had a very happy Thanksgiving.  We hope you did too.

Here are a few highlights:

Next is my yearly question of to do professional photos or not.  Whatever will our Holiday card look like?  How fast can I get this done?

Garage pictures, another hat, and well wishes

Here's the finished (almost) garage:

Here's my first "request" for a hat.  Guess who it's for?  Oh and it matches his brand new blue coat.

Finally, we head off to Kentucky tomorrow.  We will celebrate all we are thankful for with family.  I hope you are all well and enjoy much love, laughter, and turkey (or tofurky) this Thanksgiving. 

Gobble, gobble, indeed.

Garage is built, Saff smashed her finger and hat crazy

The garage is built!  I will try to take a picture tomorrow.  Today, N installed the door hardware and an outlet on the back of the house.  Then he started moving a few things in.  Mainly things he doesn't want outside any longer (hello, expensive equiptment) and some things that need to be secured before we leave for KY on Wednesday.  Next is electrical and then insulation and sheetrock.

In other news, Saff smashed her middle finger in her brother's drawer on Wednesday.  It turned black, then purple.  I just chalked it up to baby injuries.  The color looked pretty good (all things considering) yesterday, but now it's oozing a bit.  I'm pretty sure the nail is in the process of falling off.  The tip of her finger and around the nail seems to be a bit red and swollen, but not warm.  So I e-mailed the doctor and am treating it by (trying to) keep it clean and with neosporin.  I also dipped it in some peroxide.  Later, I'll look up the natural approach.  Gotta try 'em all, in my world. 

Finally, I've gone hat crazy.  I'm making them for my Etsy shop (see below and left).  You can also visit my Etsy Many Paths, One Mountain.

Here's me wearing my latest wool creation.

Almost finished...

Cholesterol, Garage progress, Etsy, & Snow???

So someone (*ahem* not me) had their cholesterol checked last Friday.  It was bad.  Real bad.  So we are making some dietary changes around here.  We have decided to transition to a plant based diet.  We are phasing out meat and animal products and will be adopting a vegan diet while at home.  We are keeping the kids on full-fat yogurt for added calories.  We will keep some eggs and on the rare occasion some poultry… but the addiction to bacon and sour cream will have to end NOW!

In other news, the garage is coming along.  Here is today’s picture:

Tonight I opened my Etsy shop.  I don’t have anything listed for sale yet, but I hope to do so in the next few days.  Stay tuned!

Finally, it snowed today.  Really?  Why?  Can’t we have just a little more Autumn?  Please? 

Cleansing Grains

So I got Rosemary Gladstar's herbal book because of a recommendation from a few friends of mine. I loved the lotion recipe and decided to try out the "cleansing grains". I thought it was going to just be a scrub, but turns out it's a scrub and a moisturizer that absolutely ROCKS! Seriously, how have I never tried this before and why is it not the hottest thing on the market? So, I mix this powdery stuff with water to form a paste. Then I scrub my face and neck (usually in the shower). I use my regular facial moisturizer when I get out of the shower. 

My skin is, no joke, so freakin' soft and moisturized right now. I LOVE it!

Here's the recipe (if you're lucky, you may get some from me for X-mas):

1 cup finely ground oats
2 cups white clay powder
1/4 cup finely ground almonds
1/8 cup finely ground rose petals*
1/8 cup finely ground lavender flowers

Grind until smooth, but leave a little bit of grit.  I used my magic bullet.

Voila!

* So I didn't have the rose petals.  I substituted a few clover flowers instead.

Indian Summer morning

This morning was beautiful!  Here's the kids playing outside on the concrete slab.  Garage goes up starting tomorrow!

Here's the little hat I whipped up for Saff last night...

Birthday party on "the farm"

My friend's little boy turned three this week. Here are some photo's from the day...

Goodbye sweet Grammy

We had such a nice visit!  It was sad to see her go but her kitty and warm weather need her.
While she was here we did so much...

We spent all Friday in the kitchen.   First let me tell you about making lotion.  We made "perfect cream" adapted a bit from a book by Rosemary Gladstar.  It turned out WONDERFUL.

WATERS
2/3 cup distilled water
1/3 cup aloe vera gel (mine was a bit chunky)
10 drops Tangerine Essential Oil
5 drops Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
5 drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract (preservative)

OILS
3/4 cup Sweet Almond Oil
1/3 cup Shea butter
1 T coconut oil
1/2 - 1 oz grated beeswax

Directions
1. Combine distilled water, aloe vera gel, essential oil in a glass measuring cup. (I used Tap water that I boiled to discourage the growth of bacteria.) Set aside.
2. In a double boiler over low heat, combine remaining ingredients. Heat just enough to melt.
3. Pour oils into a blender and let cool to room temperature. The mixture should become thick, creamy, semisolid and cream coloured. This cooling process can be hastened in the refrigerator, but keep an eye on it so it doesn't get too hard.
4. When cooled, turn blender on the highest speed. In a slow, thin drizzle pour the water mixture into the center vortex.
5. When most of the water mixture has been added to the oils, listen to the blender and watch the cream. When the blender coughs and chokes, and the cream looks thick and white like butter cream frosting, turn off the blender. You can slowly add more water, beating it in by hand with a spoon, but don't over beat! The cream will thicken as it sets.
6. Pour into into cream or lotion jars. Store in a cool place.

Tomorrow we have a "train" birthday party to attend.  I whipped up a little hat for the birthday boy.    The body of the hat is upcycled wool sweater from our thrifting this week.  The train was freehanded by me and cut out of felt.  The buttons are vintage from my collection.  I hope he likes it.

So much going on…

So much going on…

Crafts, the Grammy visit, colds, felting, Halloween, thrifting… 

A baby eating kale:                                

A baby and her Grammy

 Carving the pumpkin on the 30^th:

 A family ¾ in costume:

 Nursing necklaces for the upcoming baby swap: