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Roy and I will be celebrating our anniversary on the 17th of May so we've decided to take a little trip to Maine this week. We'll be camping to try and save some money....not to mention we just love to camp! ;o) We really want to try and do more of the "back to basics" kind of camping. My hubby is looking foward to bringing his flint to try and start the fires, and I'm looking foward to cooking over an open fire! We'll bring a few pieces of our cast iron to cook on, but I don't want to make things too easy..lol...Does anyone have any tried and true camping recipes? If so, please share! :o) While we are up in Maine camping, we are hoping to view a few of the houses we're interested in. Here are 2 of the major competitors..
The second house has more land (which is a major plus) but looks run down and like it would need a ton of work.....but then there's the barn! The first house is cute, looks nice from the outside but has less land...Also this house has a woodstove which is what we are looking to heat with. We don't mind sweat equity, time is something I'll definately have plenty of! :o) But the cost of the renovations is a bit daunting.
I'll keep you all posted! On another topic, my husband and I have long discussed the possibilty of having his vasectomy reversed. Well, he's finally at peace with going through with it. We're hoping to have it reversed after we've found a homestead, and are settled in (hopefully within the year :o) As with our househunt, we are going to leave this at the Lords feet and pray that His will be done.
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Last night I cleaned out our pantry and fridge. Anything that wasn't a whole/healthy food went out the door. (Now we did this a couple of years ago but a few things had managed to sneak there way back in) I have to say how wonderful it felt seeing only healthy foods....in clean spaces! :o) Today, was our errand/shopping day. We started off at our new co-op (we joined over a year ago before it was actually built, it opened last week!) and the prices were pretty good. Boy do I wish I could buy all of our groceries there! But, unfortunately we can't so that leads to the next 3 stores! Which brings me to the next topic...I want to cut our grocery bill in half. Lately, we've been spending around $200 a week on groceries and household items. My goal is to cut that back to $100 a week. All the while sticking with whole, unprocessed foods...it'll be a challenge! I'm going to cut it by 25$ for the next four weeks until I hit $100 (or maybe even less! Here's how I plan on making it work: -Cloth diapers & wipes ( disposables for overnights though) -Cloth mama pads, sea sponges and mooncup (sorry if that's too much info! -3+ meals of legumes a week -Make all things from scratch that I possibly can make (Friday will be the baking day for the week and all baked goods not immediately consumed will be frozen for the week) -I've already started making many of my own cleaners etc. but I'm going to stick with that. -Try to buy bulk or on sale to save money -Get back to my price book. With the grocery prices skyrocketing, almost everything will have to be re-written anyhow! -We rarely go our to dinner, but I'd like to get better about those occassional trips to Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts for coffee. I want to try to make a thermos of coffee or iced tea for our trips.
I have so many other ideas, but these are some of them. If any of you wise folks out there have any other suggestions, I'd love to hear them!
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LOL. Overall, we had a wonderful day, stocked up on some excellent healthy foods, and managed to stay within budget. 
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Here are some updated pages for my Home Management Binder... Mama’s Daily Routine Morning Routine 6:30am-12:30pm -Wake quietly with devotions/Bible time. -Dress, brush teeth, hair and wash face. -Start laundry or diapers if needed. -Prepare breakfast, eat clean-up. -Start morning schoolwork with the children. -Head over to the YMCA 9:00am-11:00am -Back home, shower, dress and make coffee. -Task by task cleaning and project area for the day. -Prepare light lunch, eat and clean-up. Afternoon Routine 12:30pm-4:00pm -Read-Aloud time -Karina and Adam down for naps -Swap laundry around and start another load. -Correct schoolwork from morning session and finish or correct anything needed. -Afternoon school session if needed -Start any dinner preparations. -Free-time. Read, e-mail, blog, work in the gardens etc. Evening Routine 4:00pm-10:00pm -Finish preparing dinner, eat and clean-up. -Make sure kitchen is tidy. -Lay out fresh dish cloths -Fold, put away laundry, and diapers. -Mama time with the kids -Reading books, games, watching movies etc) -Bath/bedtime for the children -Lay out clothes -Personal care -Check calendar for the next day -Read quietly until bedtime. (I don't work well with exact times for each thing though my kiddos thrive on it.The original document has times but for some reason MIcrosoft word didn't transfer it well onto here.)
Wake up, brush teeth and hair, get dressed, make bed and tidy bedrooms Help little ones with the same. NO BOOKS, TOYS, TV!!! Eat breakfast, kitchen clean up. Zone check and work if needed. Be ready, with pencil in hand, to begin school. Morning school session and then help Dad with little ones while Mom’s at the Y. Thorough zone cleaning for the day and then free time until lunch. Lunch, and then clean-up. Read-Aloud time. Followed by nap-time for babies and if any leftover unfinished school work you may chose to work on it now. Free-time Dinner and kitchen clean up fpr the evening. Bath/shower time, get pajamas on, brush teeth and hair. Free time. (If you have any unfinished school work, you must finish it now.) Go to the bathroom and bedtime. Don’t forget to pray!!! Cleaning Schedule (Task by task) v Thursday- Spend time with my wonderful husband. v Friday- Baking day. Spend 15 Minutes on a project. v Saturday- Wash all kitchen surfaces. Take apart and stove, fridge, and all appliances. Spend 15 minutes on a project. v Sunday- Complete vacuuming. Spend 15 minutes on a project. v Monday- Deep-clean bathroom and wash kitchen floor. Spend 15 Minutes on a project v Tuesday- Strip all bedding, wash and remake beds. Clean out fridge. 15 minutes on a project. v Wednesday- ***Remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy!!*** Quiet family day with church services in the evening.
We do not go to traditional church services on Sunday as my husband works a ton 3rd shift and a ton of overtime so we celebrate the Sabbath on Wednesdays.
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I'm really looking foward to getting back into blogging. (Though I need to be careful not to allow it to become a "time stealer" again! What I'll be writing about.... -Praying and planning for our new homestead (finally leaving this city! Hallelujah!) We are in the pre-approval process of the house search. We have a few houses in mind up in Maine and are trying to let the Lord direct our path! -Homemaking...the learning adventure of becoming a godly homemaker. I have 3 books on the way to read..Homemaking: Nurturing Your Family in Today's World / Hidden art of Homemaking. Ideas for Creating Beauty in Everyday Life / Home Comforts : The Art and Science of Keeping House I also want to get back to using and updating my Home Management Binder. -Homeschooling with the Weaver curriculum. Unit Studies are so incredible and I can't express what a blessing Weaver has been to our family! -Getting back to the basics of cooking/baking with whole foods (though frugaly!) I intend to read Nourishing Traditions again in the very near future... -Weightloss...I've lost 74 lbs and more to lose. (and boy does it get harder!) Nutrition, exercise and general fitness are things that intrigue me so I'm sure I'll mention them often!
There are so many more topics near and dear to me right now (like my beautiful nephew that was born yesterday!!!! Cameron James Rice came in at 7lbs 9 oz and 20 inches long! Lots-o-beautiful blond hair and he looks like a perfect mix of his Mommy and Daddy Sorry for the tangent...
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....can you tell I'm a proud Auntie? 
I haven't been able to see him yet as my body is trying to decide if it's getting a cold or not, but the pictures.....he's just beautiful!Posted in Musings of a Mama
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My goodness, I hadn't realized how long it's been since I've been on here! I've spent a lot of time on http://www.thebiggestloserclub.com/forum3/ and can't tell you how incredibly blessed I've been to be a part of it. I've managed to lose 50 lbs and am well on the way to a happier, healthier me! On my last post, I had made an early resolution to try and get more frugal and be better with money....I've made improvements, but like everything else, it definately is a journey! We are about to embark on a new kind of journey....the hunt for a new home. Yay!!! Finally, we are hoping the Lord will bring us out of this city and onto a piece of land with a home of our own. I'm so excited....and a bit scared too! We're trying to stick with the idea of "spend the least and get the most"....instead of "what's the maximum amount we could afford to spend". A while back, I had asked for some recommendations on Weaver-vsKonos....we chose Weaver and will actually be starting it this Saturday (or re-starting, I did the first 2 chapters as a trial run a few months ago so we'll be starting with Vol. 1 Chapter 3). I'm going to try to balance the Volume 1 for our older children with the Interlock for my youngest....though I know that's said to be a hard thing to do! I deleted all of my old posts, dating back to 2006. I kept the how-tos available in case anyone still uses them, but I really wanted to have a new start here. I'm going to try to get back to posting every day and whenever I have time...visiting all of you! Blessings, Kelley |
Posted in Budgeting and Frugality
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Several months ago, my husband and I started a new system with our finances. My husband controls the finances, and he would give me a set amount of money each week to go for household/family expenses. Things like groceries, health and beauty items, cleaners, pet food, clothes for everyone, schoolbooks etc. I know if I budget well, this should be more than enough for everything(I averaged the cost of everything per year and seperated it into weeks) but lately, all of the funds have gone towards groceries. We've been spending 600-800$ per month!! Things need to change! So this is my proposed resolution. I'm going to budget my household funds where every penny is going. I am going to asses each month in advance and set a grocery budget and try my absolute best to stick to it. When the moneys gone, we'll be eating P.B. & J's! I'll also be setting aside a percentage of the funds for clothing, books etc. I'm sure to some of you, this is all the norm and your thinking "She's just now doing this????!!! " So my resolution will be starting with the month of November and our grocery bill. I am setting the allowance for groceries at 500$ for the month (with it being a 5 week month and Thanksgiving to boot) Hopefully in months to come, I'll be able to lower the amount considerably! I'll be using this category of my blog to document the journey and any and all suggestions would be very welcome!! Hugs, Kelley |
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....but I try to have the next years curriculum lined up before the current year has ended. That way I can search for the best prices, really research the curriculum (and make sure it will "fit" our family) and I can start planning and gathering resources that are needed.Posted in Musings of a Mama
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Maine or Massachusetts? That is the million dollar question right now! Okay, so maybe not million dollar but at least 100,000 dollar! Here is the dilema... Last year we moved to the city, thinking it was a temporary move and definately not to a place where we would want to live forever. The plan was that in the winter/spring of '08 (which we're getting close to:O) we would buy a house up in Maine and live happily ever after. Why Maine? Because my husband works for the railroad and there is an engine house he can work at up there for the same salary....but the houses are almost half as much as they are down here (Massachusetts) Our dream home, would have at least 3 acres of land, not a fancy house but big enough house to comfortably snuggle our four children in, and of course a nice garage for their Daddy! In Massachusetts, the only way we could afford our own house (with me staying at home) is to buy a two family and compromise drastically on the land. We'd be lucky to end up with 1/2 an acre! Not to mention the concerns and liability of having tenants! We're so torn! Our family, church, homeschool group, friends etc. are all here in MA. Our children would not be able to see our families like they are now. Not to mention, I would be moving first with the children and my husband would follow as soon as an opening came up for him to bid on.(It could be immediate but could take a year) In the mean time, he would come home on the weekends (6hrs each way) and live back here with his folks. It's hard to imagine having to run our family alone! Especially without any friends or family around..... I guess what it comes down to, is staying in Massachusetts in a 2 family with a small piece of land or head up to Maine, to a single family home with land. I think I already know the mature, adult decision. But as the time draws nearer.........my heart is aching at the thought of leaving our family, church, friends.....This is the farthest we've ever lived from our families and it's only an hour drive to see them! Ultimately it will be the Lords decision and I know when the time comes, He'll make the direction we should move clear. But......what are your opinions? I know some of you haved moved far away from your families...what was it like? Did you ever regret it? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!! :O)
Blessings, Kelley |
A place our children could go outside and run and maybe build a tree house, where we could have a nice big garden and possibly some animals.........a homestead. In Maine, we should have no problem being able to afford that dream. (Not to mention, not be a slave to a high mortgage!) Posted in In the Sewing Basket
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Here's another how-to, this one is on how to make a 2 ring, baby sling carrier. The one that I'll be showing you is one I just made for my sister in law Ashley. She's due next month and I have her shower to go to next Sunday. These slings make a wonderful inexpensive EASY!! present that will be used over and over. I have four little ones and especially with my two babies, having a sling comes in really handy!
Here we go.....
You'll need Fabric (amount=size and that's really up to you) Sling rings Thread to match your fabric Sewing machine (totally optional. I did my first sling completely by hand and it's lasted for years)
You start by buying whatever fabric you'd like to use on the sling. 100% cotton is a really good choice. I chose 100% natural, unbleached cotton for the one I'll be making. You have two choices, chose a narrower fabric or cut it down and hem the sides when you get home. Either would be fine. For Ashley's sling I chose a width of 38" and won't be hemming the sides. The next thing to do is figure out the yardage you need. My sister in law is very chesty and I'm going to make hers with 2 1/2 yrds of fabric. The beauty of a ring sling is that it can be easily adjusted to fit the wearer. To much fabric just creats a longer tail. (Which is awesome for rainy days, to have extra fabric to throw over the baby as you run to the door. Or when you are nursing to have extra fabric to drape over yourself for privacy)
Now for buying the rings that you will be needing. You can check your local hardware store or home improvement store. What you are looking for are 3" steel rings. I've also found them online at Ebay.
You can wash your fabric before or after with this project (but definately before it's used on any baby) Shrinkage isn't really too much of a factor here.
You're going to start by taking one end of your fabric and folding it over 1/2 an inch and pressing it flat. Fold it another 1/2 an inch and iron it flat again. Then sew the hemline closed with your machine. (Make sure your hem is folded into the rough side of the material)
Next, go to the opposite end of the fabric and fold your fabric exactly in half, and iron. Make sure you are folding the rough side of the fabric together. You really only need to do this to the top 1-2 feet) Now open the fabric and lay it flat. Fold each of the sides in, to meet the crease that you made while ironing. And iron smooth.
Now, you're going to fold each of the sides back in to meet the center and once again iron it flat.
Do the exact same thing one more time.
Now you're going to sew a seam straight across the fabric about 5 inches from the end.
Make one more seam 6 inches in (1inch from the first) Now, take the raw end of the fabric and fold it in 1/2inch and press it.
Fold over another 1/2 inch and sew it closed. Now you are going to slide your rings onto the fabric and fold the fabric over the rings to match up the end of your fabric with the the seam you had made 5 inches in. Now sew the seam closed. I go over this seam a couple of times to make sure it could hold even a heavy toddler.
Now I stitch from the edge of the seam I've just made towards the rings to close the gap in front of the rings.
Here's what the finished end looks like.
And here is the finished sling.
I hope that all makes sense!
I hope this how-to was helpful and if anyone has questions, either leave it in the comments or private message me.
Blessings all, Kelley |
Posted in In the Sewing Basket
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As I've been sharing pictures of the wool longies I've made, there have been several requests for me to post a how-to. So here ya go! :O)
What you will need to begin:
Wool sweater (preferably lambswool) Matching thread 1/2 inch elastic Sewing machine Scissors Common Pins (Rotary cutter is nice but not necessary)
Some basic info to start with.
Wool longies are usually used in place of a plastic diaper cover when one uses cloth diapers. When properly felted and lanoized, they work better than regular covers! And they are made from natural fibers that breath..so less diaper rashes! We use longies in place of 'jama bottoms, tights and pants.
Here's some info on lanolizing:
"Lanolin is the natural waterproofing on sheep's wool. This natural lanolin is what makes the wool "waterproof". Wool absorbs about 30% of it's weight without feeling wet, which means "overspill" gets absorbed by the wool and, ta da! No leaks. Just let the wool air dry between uses, and you can go for weeks between washings. Wool doesn't get smelly like synthetics do. The lanolin on the wool cover gets used up by the urine as the cover air dries, so after a while you will need to restore lanolin to the cover to maintain the cover's effectiveness. Getting lanolin back onto the wool is call Lanolizing. Some people do a short water-only soak or rinse prior to lanolizing to rinse out any residue first. Some like to lanolize their covers inside out, butI do not notice any difference in the results either way."
I buy most of the wool I use at thrift shops. We have a few Salvation Army thrift shops in this area that run half-off family days on Wednesdays, this is when I usually buy my wool (as well as any other clothing my family happens to need) I've paid anywhere from .99-4$ a sweater. (One time I paid $8. The sweater was beautiful and brand new...that is the one I made the purple striped skant out of:O) When you figure you get at least one pair of longies and possibly many more items for your family, that's really inexpensive!!
Before going out to the shops, you need to measure your children. You need their waist (measure around their waist) their rise (measure from front to back. Belly button, between the legs and to the top of the diaperline above their bum) and you need the length.(This is the inside part of their leg from the crotch to the ankle) I also get a thigh measurement.
Now you have your measurements and can set off to search for wool. What you are looking for is 100% wool. (Some blends would work but could tend to wick the moisture out from the diaper and then you end up with a soggy child:O) I prefer lambswool as it is the softest and least itchy. Pay close attention to patterns, colors etc.and that it has a tight weave. Make sure it's something that will work for your child. Now you get to measure (or at least eye-ball it as my Dad says) The sweaters arm length needs to be longer than your child, hip to ankle with a bit extra to allow for shrinkage from felting. (Though many times wool sweaters end up at thrift shops due to being shrunk and if thats the case...you're ahead of the game!:O) If it's too long, that's okay. You can shorten them later or just roll the cuff on the longie to allow room for your little one to grow. (This is always my choice)
Once you've brought your wool home, it's time to felt it. Felting is when the wool fibers shrink or tighten .Think back to that beautiful wool, or angora sweater that you accidentally threw in the dryer......that's actually what we are trying for here. Felting happens because the scales on the wool swell, rub against each other and bind together, creating a denser, shrunken fabric. Wash the wool in hot water and dry in a hot dryer(without detergent.) and the wool should felt nicely. This can be repeated if the wool hasn't felted as tightly as you'd like it to be. The tighter the weave, the more waterproof your longies will be,***** though you need to be careful not to overshrink!***** :O) (I'll include a link on wool care and how to lanolize your wool at the end of this how-to.)
Now you're ready to begin! Here's the sweater that I'll be using.
The first step is to remove the arms from the sweater. Lay the sweater flat and cut from the underarm seam straight across to the outside of the arm.
The next step is to split the seam of the arm. Refer back to your babies measurements. Take the rise, divide it in half and then add one inch. That is how far down you want to split the seam. (Example: If your child has a 20 inch rise, divided in half it would be 10 inches, then add 1 inch to allow for the waistband. You'd need to cut 11 inches of the seam in this circumstance)
Then you will do the same to the other arm. This is what you should end up with.
Now turn the both pieces inside out and match up the seams. I'd recommend the first time making the longies that you pin the seams together. Especially if you have a pattern or stripes to match up.
(This is the time you will need to cut down the size of the arms if they are too large for your baby. Though I've never had to do it, measure your baby hip to hip. Now measure the pinned arms from hip to hip. If it's significantly larger, you can cut some of the width from the wool where you've pinned the seams. If you really want to avoid this, just keep an eye on the width of the arms when you are shopping for your sweater. Childrens sweaters work well for little babies, womens for a medium size and men or XL womens for toddlers I've found.)
Now you want to sew the seam from front to back. I use a small straight stitch to keep it as tight as possible. This will keep it from unravelling. You can also go over the crotch area a few times as this is the area with the most strain.
This is what it looks like after the seam has been stitched.
Next you are going to fold the top of the waist band in about an inch. Again, your first time you should pin. Make sure you have room for your elastic to slide through. I start at the back seam and work my way around, leaving a 1 inch gap. (This is where you'll slide your elastic through)
Next you are going to take your elastic and put a safety pin on the end. I use a diaper pin just because they are large and easy to thread through the opening. DO NOT CUT YOUR ELASTIC UNTIL THE END!! I made this mistake my first time and cut it too short :O)
Thread the pin all the way around your waist band and back out the same opening. You can remove the safesty pin and stitch the end of the elastic to the inside of the seam.
Next, pull the elastic to the width you need for your child. (Refer back to your babies waist measurement, just remember elastic stretches!:O)
Zigzag stitch this piece of elastic together.
Now you can cut the excess elastic and stitch the opening in the waistband closed (Some people prefer to leave it open to have access to the elastic. It's very easy to change elastic to accomadate a growing child or the next baby needing the pants.)
Here are my finished pants.
These are a little bigger than I was planning but that's okay as my monsters will quickly grow into them! :O) I hope this how-to was helpful and if anyone has questions, either leave it in the comments or private message me.
Now for the care of the wool...There is a fabulous company called Green Mountain Diapers and they have a video on how to wash and lanolize the longies. I use what they recommend, Eucalan baby wash and Lansinoh lanolin and have had wonderful results every time.
Save your leftover wool pieces. I've been using mine to make regular slip on diaper covers, shorties (the shorts version of the longies using the body of the sweater) hats, mittens, and soon a wool piece quilt! The possibilities are endless. Have fun!
God bless, Kelley
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Posted in In the Sewing Basket
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Here is the second pair of wool longies that I've made. Modeled by our lovely Karina! :O) I got her to smile by telling her I was going to get her belly!
****In case anyone is wondering what longies are...they are used in place of a traditional plastic cover for cloth diapers. They are much better because they "breath" and are naturally absorbant (less diaper rashes) and they can run anywhere from $25-$50 new. The ones I'm making are from lambswool sweaters that I found at a thriftshop for a couple of dollars. These are awesome because they can be worn as pants, pajama bottoms, under a skirt in place of tights etc. Not to mention they are sooo cute! :O) Can you tell I love them!*****
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I'll try to post more as I make them! Posted in In the Sewing Basket
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I actually made these for Karina so they're a little big but Adam didn't mind modeling them for me! :O) |
Posted in In the Sewing Basket
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Today, I made my own baby sling carrier. This is the second I've made and it definately came out better than the first!:O) Other than the hem, I did hand stitching (which I really enjoy the quiet hand work!) My next project is going to be making a wool diaper cover for one of the babies.
My wonderful husband made whole wheat pancakes for breakfast this morning (and even cleaned up after!:O) and they were absolutely delicious! Then we had a chicken on the rotisserie with brown rice and carrotts. I used the bones to make a rich chicken stock tonight and already chopped the veggies and chicken for a soup for dinner tomorrow. I also made a batch of brownies with whole wheat flour and sucanat (definately a huge difference from the ones I used to make!:O) They came out really well and are so rich a small piece is more than enough.
We were able to get some curtains and shades hung this afternoon and then after naptime the munchkins and I went outside to play in the gorgeous sunshine!! What a beautiful day, especially for the first of November! It was somewhere in the high 60's low 70's and clear.
I dream of the day when we can go outside and all we'll see are woods, mountains and fields! I try so hard to be content with what the Lord has given us now, but it's hard being surrounded by apartment buildings and loud music. We are very blessed to have a small fenced in yard, which means the dog (our yellow lab Daisy) can run free and so can the kids:O). But someday........:O)
Our goal is to move to Maine in the spring of '08 (so less than a year and a half!!) and hopefully have our own farm with lots of land.We are hoping to take a trip up to there in Feb.. (My mother is taking our older girls to Florida/Disney at that time and we figured it would be easier and less expensive with only four of us not to mention we didn't want them to get any ideas and end up disappointed! :O)
Sorry for the ramblings!
I hope all are well and are feeling our Fathers blessings!
Kelley
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