traditional homemaking: a homemade winter! - Page 9

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That looks great Heather!!!

[artparent]

great work, heather!

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[greenmamapagan]

That look lovely Heather We are renting so I can't do much more than clean. I'd love love love to paint our kitchen.
So nice to hear about all the other shoes-off families. Those padraig slippers are so sweet, I wonder if I could find the time to make something similar before our next winter. We have a few pairs of really cute fair-trade felt slippers DD had that DS might have grown into by then but perhaps I could make a pair for DD.
DD is playing farm girl today lol. We have a broody chicken and she is outside picking her up and carrying her around.
After my mei tai sewing adventure yesterday I've been charged with making new clothes for DD's baby dolls as well. I found a straightforward tutorial on cutting down real baby clothes so that's my job for this afternoon and then roasting a chicken for dinner, yum !

[1jooj]

Love it, Heather!

You know, the thinking about kids and chores got me to ask the kids to help out a little more this morning...I had them pack part of their lunch, clear the table, and make their beds. Dd even grabbed the broom and gave the kitchen floor a sweep. Good reminder that it's part of our job to require their help.

More later...

[AngeliqueW]

Awesome Heather!!! I love the frugal budget, I think it makes you be more creative! That pantry is great: pantry envy!!!
Those padraig slippers are really nice. I like the idea of crocheted tops on leather bottoms. They definitely trigger my "I could make that" reflex. The trick is to turn "could" into "would."

[_ktg_]

Love how that turned out Heather! Such a cheery color and I love that you kept the wood accents under the cabinets.

I have a goals to re-do our cabinets this summer (they were like yours, multicolored and brass hardware, and I just quickly painted them white), but its going to be a long process with sanding, priming and trying to remove several coats of ugly paint.

[accountclosed3]

new to this thread/tribe.

my DH and i have been working on simplicity, and i've been working on certain elements of homemaking.

first, i started with simple cleaning skills--keeping my home clean and fresh without chemicals or appliances as much as possible. i'm also working on learning to make things from scratch in the kitchen. i'm really proud of the small skills i've developed--like baking cookies from a scratch recipe (i can't believe how easy it is--and how my mother and grandmother told me i should never learn do to such things, just go for hte convenient stuff. . .which is full of garbage!).

we are moving to NZ, and i plan to expand my skills there. everything that we do and purchase will be about simplicity. i'm learning to cook beans from dried to soaked to cooked. i know it seems like a little thing, but in my family, everything was processed growing up. it's been a cool learning process for me!

[HeatherAtHome]

Thanks for all the kitchen love!

I'm loving the space and lay out. So easy to work in! I've been cooking lunch for DH all week. I used to do it back in the day but with crazy renos going on I didn't have the time or energy. When I don't make him a lunch he goes out to a fast food joint or orders meals at his shop spending $5-10/day and it's usually not healthy. Just thinking about the waste makes me cringe.

But none of that! I'm scoring 5/5 so far this new year!

[artparent]

welcome zoebird. we moved to london over a year ago and it was great to simplify and really choose what objects we want to have in our home. my kitchen is very simple there, i just have an electric kettle, stove, and gas hob, the rest is just basic hand-tools. the canner is pretty exciting though!

i am worn out but just saw the naturopath, hopefully i can get myself in order and start getting things done without needing HUGE inspiration. luckily there's lots of that around here but you know, needing to sit and have tea for ages after just having a walk with the kids is a bit pathetic and i would love to have my routines happening and lots of homeschooling projects going, and and and.

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[1jooj]

I just got called back to work. In a greatly reduced capacity, and I'm not even setting up a permanent workspace in the office to help ensure that I don't have to spend a lot of time there. I'll go in for creative meetings and from there, decide by project when and where to do the work. Should not be more than 10 hours a week, with entire weeks off in between projects. We'll see how it works out. Everyone knows my first commitments are here. But I am nervous about it.

Dh seems supportive, though, and when workloads at home shift into high gear, I'll need to let them know.

[Softmama]

subbing...

[_ktg_]

Welcome zoebird! Good luck in your move to NZ, I have friends who have visited there often and just love it.

art - I hope you got some helpful news from the naturo, to get you feeling better & soon!

1jooj - I can't tell if you're excited or not to be going back to work in this capacity... are you? It sounds good that you have your boundries and priorities well-defined for them so if it's not working out or pulling you away from home.

Unfortunately my work has kicked into high gear, as over the next year I'm working/co-leading a project to get our institution (I work for a medical college) accredited with our human subject research program. UGH. I've been apart of these projects with my previous employers (twice) and its a huge undertaking, and of course we're already behind. This is the first weekend I took work home

In homemaking news - I'm trying to look for easy recipes for some veggie meals (bean soups, chilis) as I want to cut down on our grocery bill but have something hearty & satisfying so no one -read DH misses the meat.

Oh and I finally uploaded a picture of the rolls I made over xmas - the top looked beautiful, but the underside was all much c'est la vie!
http://http://picasaweb.google.com/violetandransom/43_December_2009?locked=true#5419229589828038962

[artparent]

thanks ktg. sounds like a lot of work!

i made it to my first yoga class in months, and it was serious! i loved it and it is just round the corner wouldn't you know it, as soon as i move away.

we're heading back to london right at the end of the month, so now my time is becoming precious!

i met with our knitting circle for the first time in so long, it was such a delight (missed you fern!!) and so lovely to be surrounded by mothering mamas, and almost all homelearners, too! it is hard to find such a group, i've been spoiled for sure.

on the way there i stopped to buy cheesecloth and linen (for cheese making, cheese wrapping, and linen for lavender sachets to protect my wool, and for making kitchen things..) and they were much bemused at what i was buying it for! AND the shop had bought out another shop's wool, which they don't usually carry, so there was yarn for $1.99 a skein, gorgeous 100% superwash merino in great colours! and loads of pattern books cheap too, i bought a couple of rowan books i may have to go back and look for a children's cardigan pattern.

now i'm working on my mother's socks and helping my tall girl with writing and with sewing. both of my girls are writing a lot and busy all day long. only they haven't been sleeping well

i hope to start some legwarmers for them next. now i have a suitcasefull of yarn i'm sure i will be increasing my planned projects to 7,338.

here's another, i found such a great image of crocheted stars here. i don't know how to read the crochet pattern, anyone want to give me a lesson?

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[MamaFern]

aww! im sad i wasn't there! im so glad i got all of us mamas knitting together. it makes me so happy. even though so many of us live in different towns now (kazia in vernon, me in kaslo, you in london..who else?) we all still have mdc in common. *sigh*

happy yoga! im planning to start a class this month. there is a studio run by a friends just down the street. it is the yoga/dance/tai chi/acupuncture/massage&midwifery office right now
i plan to start doing some acupressure there in the near future.
there may also be a children's kung fu class starting, which my boy is very excited about.

where is this amazing wool/cheesecloth shop? im curious! sounds like a fantastic find!
i wish that i had brought more fun wool home with me from vancouver.



ktg your link doesn't work for me..
your job sounds i intense. wow.

welcome to all of the new folks to the group!


we are having a birthday party for my boy tomorrow (he turned 7 on the 26th of december) im hoping for some snow tonight because right now everything is ice or very hard snow and we were planning to go sledding..which we will still do but we might be going 1ooo miles an hour! i like some fresh snow to slow things down a bit.

i went on a snowshoe adventure today with some friends and their two girls. it was so nice. they had been away for almost a month and i really missed them and after a while their girls both wanted me to hold their hands and when we were back from our walk wanted me to buckle them into their seats in the car and told me they missed me SO much. it made my day

what else..
my sourdough starter smells like glue..
i miss my grain mill which is lent out right now.
and tomorrow i have to wake up and make upside down pudding cakes and sushi. i think ill go to sleep!

[1jooj]

ktg, you at the Catholic school?

I haven't knit a stitch in more than a week, and my hands are so much better. On the bright side, though, the writing is coming along. I am making time daily, which is already a giant step. If I do it for another 30 days, it will be my new habit. artparent, that bargain wool sounds like a wonderful surprise!

I've also been working out daily, and so far have lost a couple of pounds and definitely strengthened my body. I am reducing my use of anti-inflammatory medicine, and have gone sugar-free. Have also all but eliminated most carbs. Still lots of vegetables and fruits, but very few grains. A normal diet, just trying to burn off my own energy stores. And don't ask about coffee.

I am still wary about the working arrangement, though I feel incredibly blessed to be given the chance to try. My employer values my work enough to call me back in, which is huge (esp. in this economy), and trusts me enough to give me the autonomy to try and structure my life in a non-traditional way--which is even more huge.

So now I have to get organized again. I can't do cook-aheads or crock pots, so meal planning is going to be more critical than ever. Also, all our meats are frozen, so advance planning is required. Today, I'll make black bean chili with frozen chard and zucchini, and tomorrow I will cook a pair of turkey drumsticks I have in the freezer with some eggplant and roasted peppers we also have down there. I think it's time for me to consolidate freezer contents, too, which helps me send a "don't waste" message to dh with regard to meat.

My dear sister dropped off a huge bag of hand-me-downs last night, so the kids have dug into the treasure and are picking their new favorites. They have been making art every day, too. Painting, drawing, cutting and gluing (lots of snowflakes), writing. The house looks like it, too.

Our other big challenge is balancing keeping the barn warm with keeping it ventilated enough to prevent pneumonia. Dh seals up every crack, and while this keeps it warm, it also keeps things humid and doesn't allow the ammonia out. I shovel out a little each day during the week, which helps, but those ladies pee a lot. Looking forward to a warmup this week, when we can keep doors open through the night.

[artparent]

wow, big changes ijooj! i wonder if the grain-free will help with inflammation? i really love arnica gel for arthritic type pain (well any bruisey, inflammey pain) but it isn't dealing with the source of course. good luck with all the preparations. i know when i add another project to my responsibilities i can get really overwhelmed if i don't plan a lot!

fern it would have been great to have you there. beaner&tiegs has moved away, and tiffani used to join us too...pealette came into town so she was with us!

it is just dressew! but they bought out a wholesaler, so they have all this gorgeous stuff temporarily. they do have cheesecloth and linen if you dig through the polyester. for some odd reason all the grumpy folk are now pleasant if not friendly! perhaps they caught it from me, standing their glowing with my sack of beautiful yarn

have a great birthday party today!

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[MamaFern]

Originally Posted by artparent

wow, big changes ijooj! i wonder if the grain-free will help with inflammation? i really love arnica gel for arthritic type pain (well any bruisey, inflammey pain) but it isn't dealing with the source of course. good luck with all the preparations. i know when i add another project to my responsibilities i can get really overwhelmed if i don't plan a lot!

fern it would have been great to have you there. beaner&tiegs has moved away, and tiffani used to join us too...pealette came into town so she was with us!

it is just dressew! but they bought out a wholesaler, so they have all this gorgeous stuff temporarily. they do have cheesecloth and linen if you dig through the polyester. for some odd reason all the grumpy folk are now pleasant if not friendly! perhaps they caught it from me, standing their glowing with my sack of beautiful yarn

have a great birthday party today!

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i love dressew! i have meters of this lovely bamboo fabric waiting to be pants and skirts and other yummy things from last time i was in the city.
did anna go?

[artparent]

she couldn't last week - maybe next time! i hope so!

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[1jooj]

OK, so I opted out of chili and instead decided to cook some things that embrace the deep freeze contents. Tell me if you think this sounds or . Ground beef, garlic, onion, lentil, pureed tomatoes, and pureed chard with bay leaf, salt and pepper. I thought I could save spicing for when it's done, because sometimes I'll feel like curry, make a big pot and be done with curry after eating it once.

So, that's simmering, and the fam will have steak and corn on the cob for dinner. Because I am pretty confident I'm eating soup alone.

[earthnut]

That soup sounds good to me!

My parent's dog came over for a visit, and I actually cleaned up after her this time! Swept the hair off the floor, put our dog's bedding in the washer, and washed our dog. Hopefully less fleas this time!

DH was wonderful and cleared the kitchen yesterday, and today I've been keeping up with it - putting dishes in the dishwasher as they're used and wiping the counter down when things are spilled. It feels good, and having surfaces clear feel good!