Pages by Heather

Baby is here!

2011-11-20T16:21:00.002-06:00

I am thankful to say that our baby has arrived. HE was born on Thursday, November 17th at 11:12 pm. At 9 pounds, 4 ounces and 21.5 inches long it is hard to imagine how he had the room to flip breech at 41 weeks, 1 day, but somehow he did. At 41 weeks, 2 days we had an ultrasound to confirm breech and while it was being done he went from breech to transverse. We had an external version scheduled for the next day, but that night I couldn't get the contractions to go away (I'd been having them for over a week) and decided to go the hospital just to avoid having things move really fast (as they did with Peanut) and potentially putting him in danger because of his position.

When we got the hospital with our midwife and doula I did not appear to be in active labor and they monitored him and did another ultrasound that showed footling breech. The wonderful OB who was going to do the version had also come in (never had met us and wasn't on call that night) and decided that we could either do a version right there and then either induce or go home or if it failed then do a surgical delivery. As we discussed options we decided to check me as I'd had one contraction that really bothered me (and a few other small ones) and if I was in active labor we'd need to do a c-section right away. His mouth fell open as he discovered I was 9+ dilated. Needless to say everything moved fast and I just wanted it to move even faster as I knew he was in great danger. I learned very quickly how to blow through a contraction and not push as if my child's life depended on it, because it did. We had an amazing team and in the end our son was born with Mike and I both being present and awake for the birth.

Our sweet boy did not breath for himself and they bagged him for 5 minutes, but after that he bounced back quickly. He was in the NICU for about 40 (LONG, AGONIZING) hours and not quite to 3 days old he is home in my arms. I will have a most amazing Thanksgiving this year! From walking into triage at the hospital to his birth was just over an hour...and in that time we had monitoring and an ultrasound. When I say they moved quickly it doesn't even being to describe it. We even used an surgical suite that is no longer in use because it was closer and open...every single minute mattered in this situation and they treated it as such.

I'll be posting his birth story after it is written, but needless to say my three kids have given me three totally different ways of experiencing birth. I've had a completely natural, peaceful waterbirth, a vaginal hospital birth that was managed and involved pitocin, an epidural and episiotomy and a true emergency c-section. I am so grateful that all have worked out and cannot wait to write this latest birth story!

Thank you for your prayers!
Heather

Waiting...

2011-11-12T12:39:00.005-06:00

and waiting and waiting. At least that is how it feels.

Baby #3 didn't want to share a birthday with two of our friend's babies who were both born on November 8th. Coincidentally, that was our due date. We are so excited for both families who have healthy babies after long waits...one has been waiting for over a year to adopt, got the call on Friday, baby was born on Tuesday and they were headed home with her on Wednesday! Talk about a whirlwind journey into parenthood after a seemingly endless wait. The second has been on bed rest for 8 weeks and held out to delivery a big 8 pound boy at 36 1/2 weeks. We are so relieved that they were able to make it so far and that Mommy and baby are doing well. Great news that day, but we wanted in to make it a huge triple birthday party! It was too funny to get the calls that day as on Sunday we three Mommies had all talked about the chance that we could have babies on the same day. And then two of them did, within 2 hours of each other!

Then on Friday we had our first ever false alarm. As in had the van packed, had everyone on high alert and then it all faded away... We later realized it was full moon and that if things had gone well we would have had the coolest birthday ever, 11/11/11! But rather than 'having it all' the baby decided to wait for a little longer. We are just doing our best to be patient. I'm trying to rest easy in the knowledge that these contractions are doing a job and making life easier in the long run and that Baby 3 knows best when to join us! And of course, s/he will have her/his OWN birthday now :)

Today is beautiful and tomorrow is going to be warm too. I've said I'd love to have a beautiful day to have this baby, so here's hoping! And in the mean time I'll just keep learning to be patient. And be grateful that our baby is healthy and wiggling and has two big siblings eager to meet him or her!

Heather

Still going!

2011-10-28T13:18:00.003-05:00

Can you believe I haven't posted since May? I realize no one may be reading this at all, but even for my own memories I can't believe I've skipped half a year! We had many things that contributed to it with my Grandfather passing away, Mike being gone basically all summer long, me being pregnant and just the general mayham that seems to have taken over our house with a very mobile 1 year old who thinks she is a 3 year old and the said 3 year old who stays mighty active himself!

So we are now at 38 1/2 weeks. Baby is doing great and I'm doing okay. I've never dealt with carpel tunnel during pregnancy and it is not. fun. at. all. This poor baby isn't getting the daily life journal that the others did, but I'm hoping to do a fairly comprehensive list of things that happened and fun stories at some point. I've also had some hip/pelvic issues that may have something to do with the surgery I had after Peanut's birth. Whatever the cause I'm now seeing a chiropractor and hopeful that things will still be fine with the birth! Based on my emotions and the pressure I'm feeling I'm hopeful that we'll not be as concerned about the looming 42 week induction pressure as we were with Peanut. Of course, in a month this kiddo might have decided to just hang out and we might be pleading for prayers again :)

The thing I most want to get down (before I lose the paper I kept track on) is the canning and freezing I did this summer and fall. It was a big challenge because of my wrists, but I am pretty proud of what did get accomplished considering the two little ones and third on the way. I want to have a record to give me an idea for next year so here goes...

Freezer:
Corn 4 1/2 quarts and 3 bags of on the cob corn
Broccoli 23 quarts and 4 quarts of ends for soup
Cauliflower 20 1/2 quarts
Green Beans 7 1/2 quarts
Snow Peas 2 small bags
Zucchini 2 9-cup bags sliced, multiple small bags of diced
Swiss Chard and Beet greens didn't count, but multiple servings of each

Canning:
Diced Tomatoes 39 quarts and 6 pints
Zucchini relish 13 pints
Dilly Beans 13 pints
Spicy Garlic Pickles 17 pints
Garlic Dill Pickles 5 quarts
Pickled Jalapenos 1 pint and 5 1/2 pints
Tomato Soup 10 quarts
Pears 10 pints
Applesauce 94 quarts and 7 pints (plus over 2 gallons we ate and didn't can!)
Apple Pie Filling 9 quarts
Caramel Apple Butter 7 pints
Sauerkraut 11 quarts and 7 pints
Salsa 48 pints
Green Salsa 6 pints
Chicken Stock 7 quarts
Beef Stock 7 quarts

Storage:
Potatoes 75 pounds of Yukon Gold, 50 pounds of Red potatoes
Squash 3 mixed 1/2 bushels of butternut, buttercup, acorn and delicata, 1 half bushel of small butternut
Pumpkins 3 to process after enjoying this weekend
Cabbages 3 smaller ones for longer term use

So a quick run down! And we've gotten a 1/2 of beef (this months grocery bill is about what we spent for an entire YEAR not long ago) and I've filled our smaller chest freezer with food for after Baby 3 arrives. Here's hoping for a great labor and delivery and recovery this time around! And a big harvest again next year..these kids are growing and eating like crazy!

Happy Halloween,
Heather

So Many Moments!

2011-05-22T15:05:00.003-05:00

We've returned from a visit to Kentucky! While there it rained and rained and was cold and yucky. Turns out it was the same here in Wisconsin while we were gone. This has sure been a different May then last year when it was beautiful weather all the time!

The kiddos have presented us with some very funny and touching moments recently. I can't help but wonder does it just get more and more amazing as they get older?

Peanut is now 11 months old. Yesterday we were all be quiet after her nap (and watching the Preakness) while Little Guy took a (highly unusual at this point) nap. At one point she must have been oh, so bored with her parents and crawled into the kitchen. We heard her standing at our patio door and banging, petting the dogs and just doing things she normal does in the kitchen. When she crawled back out to us she had brought along her pair of Robeez that I've been putting on her when we play in the backyard or sandbox. I was AMAZED. This is the first time I've ever seen her pay any attention to the shoes, she brought both of them to me while crawling and she made it quite clear she wanted to go outside and figured if I put her shoes on then we were heading out. Pretty clever girl, don't you think?

Little Guy (and Peanut) had photos taken while we were in KY. We are fortunate that Peanut's Godmother is a wonderful photographer and squeezed in an hour photo shoot on her 11th month birthday. While Little Guy was getting his taken he wasn't being too cooperative. So we tried to get him talking about what he had done that day. It had been a big day...he went on his first horse ride, went out to mow grass on the big tractor for the first time, Grandpa let him drive that same tractor, he made pancakes with Grandma, and assorted other fun on two different farms. When we asked him to share what he had done that day guess what he said. He told her he read two books. Yup, all the fun stuff packed into one day that he wanted to do and the thing he felt the need to mention? Books. I'm glad my kids both love books, but we read them every. single. day. and he almost never sees his grandparents and these things were big firsts he had talked about doing for WEEKS. Aren't kids crazy? :)

Other comments Little Guy has made recently (that he may or may not have heard from two adults that live in the same house)...

"This is ridiculous!"
"I've solved the problem!"
"I need a break."
"You need to relax Daddy." (Said part way through the 9 hour trip)
"I pray for Thomas and Percy."--big pause-- "And Salty!" (during night time prayers...these are trains.)
"Nice to meet you Mommy." (while shaking my hand)
"Half and a two" His response to the question of his age...rapidly being replaced by the more typical 'two and a half' or 'three on my next birthday'

And so many more that are hard to remember! Too funny, that cutie pie of mine.

Happy Warm, SUNNY day here in Milwaukee. Thank the Lord!
Heather

Security in a Word?

2011-05-11T19:46:00.000-05:00

Lately Little Guy has an interesting new development. He seems to use a word as a security 'blanket.' And the word he chose? His little sister's name! Or sometimes the variation is "I do love Peanut." Isn't that an interesting thing to choose?

I noticed one day that he said her name many, many times, but didn't think too much of it. I did mention it to Mike and we laughed about making sure we pick names we like for our kids since sometimes we might hear them a few hundred times! Then we noticed that it continued. And then it morphed into him saying her name or that he loved her when he was doing something he shouldn't be doing (great way to distract us, I guess) or when he was in trouble or just feeling uncomfortable in a situation.

Neither of my children have security toys or blankets. And I've never heard of a security word before, but I would definitely say that my son has one. It is odd and interesting and wonderful watching how these little people develop, isn't it? When he says that he 'does love her' I always let him know that I do too and that I love him. We are not at all concerned about it and are just glad that he is constantly reinforcing in his mind how much he loves his sister. They really do love each other and we tell them both how much we love them all the time. I hope that the lovefest continues their whole life. And we really hope they love their little sibling as much as they love each other!

Fascinating this world of parenting!
Heather

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T08:15:00.002-05:00

Another holiday wish...

For all the Moms out there, those who hold their babies in their arms, those who have yet to meet their babies, and those who have babies who have left the nest may you have a wonderful day!

Being a Mom is something that I dearly love and yet it challenges me every single day. There is no job on earth that is more demanding, but yet there is no other job that I would rather have. I constantly question if I am doing it right and yet know that there is no absolute perfect way to do it. It is a whirlwind that challenges me in so many ways and I wouldn't change it for the world!

Thank you Little Guy, Peanut and Baby 3 for making me a Momma! I'm honored to be the person that gets to help you navigate this world.

Happy Mother's Day,
Heather

Baby 3 is due in early November. Things are going really well so far and we couldn't be more excited, although also a bit surprised at how quickly things happened. By around our 4th anniversary we'll have had 3 babies...and feel blessed to have been given these gifts!

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T13:41:00.002-05:00

Happy Easter to all those who stop by my little corner of the world. I hope you and your family celebrate today with all the joy and wonder it deserves! And I hope that you got some chocolate in your basket too :)

Things in our house are starting to pull themselves together. Overall we are all healthy (FINALLY!) and we are anxious for better weather. On the occasional day that the sun pops out we get outside to enjoy it! We are trying to see a few friends we've neglected through our winter of sickness and just catch up with life in general. Soon Daddy will be on the road and gone every day and the kids and I will be home holding down the fort. We long for summer and we also know that summer will be crazy. An interesting situation due to Mike's business, but one that we embrace because it is what keeps our family housed, clothed, Mommy home and Daddy doing what he loves!

And wonderful man that he is Mike recently fenced in a big kiddie pool for me to use as a large container garden. According to the local charts it is time to plant the spinach and swiss chard and I am excited! It is wonderful to carve out more and more spaces to grow food for our family in our tiny yard. It takes creativity and a willingness to look past the 'not perfect,' but we are getting there. Sometime I'll share why we aren't doing more permanent things to make our yard one huge garden. We've got a plan and I am excited for where it will take us!

And back to a funny Easter note---at church Little Guy was asked if the Easter Bunny had stopped by our house last night. It turns out he did so she wanted to know what was in Little Guy's basket. When he clammed up she started prompting him, "Was there anything to special to eat in it?" I answered quickly that there wasn't. (We are taking advantage of the fact that he has no idea that there 'should' be candy in a basket yet. Eventually we'll introduce a chocolate bunny and some other treats, but for now he really doesn't need the sugar and we are pretty sure that he'll be getting more than enough at his grandparent's house later today.) A mother with a child somewhat younger than our 2 1/2 year old looked at me in horror. "There WASN'T???" I just kind of smiled and encouraged Little Guy to tell them both what he got. He filled them in, eventually letting them know he got a puzzle, a Thomas train t-shirt, two books, a bath toy and a huge Magic Doodle. Really, it was a very full, very fun basket that he loved. He doesn't miss anything that wasn't in there and I don't have to deal with melt downs because all he can focus on is the candy. How funny that we just expect that a two year old should have a basket full of sugar...and really sad, if you think about it.

Easter blessings from our home to yours!
Heather

No Fooling!

2011-04-01T20:19:00.002-05:00

Happy April Fool's Day from a Mommy that did nothing to celebrate. I'm just not that creative these days, I guess.

Today involved a trip to the doc for me again. The ear is still plugged up and ringing, but the puss and infection is gone. Yippee to being done with antibiotics! Of course, now we are still working on getting all the congestion cleared up so the ear will work properly again. It is amazing how hard it is to function when I cannot understand Little Guy and Mike half the time and do not have my super mommy hearing to help know what the two little ones are doing when they are in a different room than me. I'm just hoping that it gets cleared up soon!

And being on antibiotics without taking acidophiles (what was I thinking forgetting to do that!) seems to have caused a yeast imbalance. So I'm working on getting that back on track. Seriously, two full days of antibiotics when in labor with Little Guy and eight weeks of them after my post labor surgery with Peanut and no problems. Ten days due to an ear infection and BAM! problems. Ugh.

Funniest thing said recently that I can remember. During prayers Little Guy was going through our friends and family and Godparents and everyone we pray for. And to wrap things up he said "God Bless pancakes!" And I giggled. Almost every morning he wakes up asking for breakfast and says "Momma making pancakes?" Most mornings the answer is no, but at least once a week we do have them for breakfast. I guess he'd like to make sure that God continues to bless our family with pancakes! The irony is that two days ago I gave him the last of some blueberry pancakes from the freezer and he immediately lost it. Turns out that he really, really, really wanted toast that one morning. He NEVER wakes up asking for toast, even that particular morning. I guess he just likes to keep me on my toes.

Continuing to pray for spring weather and a healthy household!
Heather

I'm Impressive!

2011-03-21T16:25:00.000-05:00

I just got back from a Dr. visit and found out that I'm impressive. Yup, this time I had to go to the doctor. I fought a really, really bad sinus infection all on my own. The pain was so bad at times that I used labor breathing to get through. And yes, I did take Tylenol, but because of nursing I didn't want to take anything else. I also told Mike that I kind of thought it might hurt less if someone would punch me in the cheek because if the bones were crunched then the pressure would be relieved. Crazy talk, huh? It was not fun.

Then the pressure got better and the pain subsided. That is when I realized that there were other issues brewing as well. My right ear was ringing and really plugged up. I've never had such an odd sensation in my ear. There was pain sometimes, but not much and nothing compared to my sinus issues. I figured it would clear up as the sinus issues cleared up.

But it didn't. It has stayed the same and sometimes feels even worse. And it has been over a week now. Ten days of worrying about my hearing. Ten days of wanting to have the ringing just stop already. Ten days of hoping I'd get up in the morning and would be back to normal. No doing...it has persisted.

So today I went to the Dr. and was told that I was impressive. Turns out it is very rare to see an ear infection in an adult. It is even rarer to see one that is as severe as mine. All in all the doctor declared my case to be impressive. And I'm starting antibiotics shortly. Here's hoping I can go back to being normal soon!

Happy Monday,
Heather

The Wee Hours

2011-03-15T04:53:00.003-05:00

The best part about sinus infections? There is no best part. There is pain, pressure, mucus, and lack of sleep. Today I'm putting that lack of sleep to work checking in on my favorite blogs and decided to put something up here too. But really being awake during the wee hours is not really fun no matter how you spin it. I *think* we are on the down side of this crazy virus, but am knocking on wood as I say it so that I don't jinx things. We are praying for spring to come quickly!

While checking my e-mail this morning I found a forward from one of my aunts. She likes to send on all manners of things and I thought today's was pretty interesting. I'd like to remember some of these ideas (since I tend to 'file' forwards) so I thought I'd post them here. Some of these seemed pretty genius to me!

Better than paper towels and a lot less expensive...COFFEE FILTERS

Who knew! And you can buy 1,000 at the Dollar Tree for $1.00, even the large ones.
1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.
2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.
3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.
4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.
5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.
7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.
9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.
10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.
11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.
12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters..
13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them.. It soaks out all the grease.
14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."
15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.
16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.
17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.
18. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.
19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.
20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies.. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.
21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.
22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.
23. Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a zip-lock plastic bag until they sprout.
24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book..
25. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.

I know I've seen some pretty amazing wreaths made out of coffee filters and I've used them in making gift baskets as well. Anyone have any other ideas for coffee filters? Other than for making coffee, that is...

Happy Early Morning!
Heather

Want to Laugh?

2011-03-05T18:15:00.002-06:00

Tell God (or your blog) your plans!

So why haven't I been around in a while again? Well, Peanut was sick. Then she seemed to be getting better, but nights were rough again. Then we were getting ready for a few events, one being a get together of our Bradley class from when Little Guy was born. One family had to back out at the last minute due to a sick 2 year old and 9 month old. But the other 6 two year olds and 4 other little siblings plus parents were able to make it. It was crowded in our little house, but it is so great to see these kiddos grow up and hear other parent struggles and successes. We had so much fun!

Until about 24 hours later when our Peanut was sick AGAIN. I'm so hoping no one else came down with anything since this has been one heck of a week. Called after hours and got our Ped...wonderful! She was vomiting and 103 degree temp so he gave us some advice and said he'd probably see us in the morning. Grateful things seemed under control and we didn't go in. But on Tuesday we added Little Guy to the mix. Fever, coughing, a couple of clean up in aisle 3 episodes. We just kept on top of fluids, rest, treating fever in Peanut when it got really high and doing our best to keep our patience in tact with two sick kids. Little Guy has never really been sick like this so it has been a learning experience to find out that he gets VERY whiny and emotional and frustrated and demanding. Couple that with lack of sleep and things have been interesting.

So Friday things were just really bad. Peanut was really fussy (not normal at all for her) and I called the nurse. After hearing where we were at after fighting this all week she suggested we come in. And based on how they kept acting we were glad we made that decision. Turns out Little Guy had really, really bad ear infections that were making his eyes water and mat up as well as contribute the river of snot and probably contributed to his vomiting. Peanut is still just in virus stage, her ears and eyes are okay. We are praying that it doesn't change! Little Guy is on antibiotics (normally I'm not a fan, but he has been sooooo miserable that I really hope it makes the difference) and Peanut is just nursing a ton and trying to work through it.

Fun stuff, huh? And a big lesson for this mom. I've had such healthy babies and two winters with nothing significant. I cannot imagine the stress that having a very sick child generates. I've been a wreck more than once because of this goofy virus. And hopefully next year will be better. I've had two nurses and our Ped tell us that this year is crazy bad. And based on how nuts the waiting room was on Friday I have no doubt that is the case! Oh, and to add to the fun Mommy is now having significant symptoms and Daddy thinks he is right behind her. I guess five days of being coughed on, sneezed on and just handling baby virus was just too much for my immune system too.

Just wanted to also let anyone reading this know that there is a great giveaway going on at Maple Valley Farm's blog. This family is pretty fascinating. They left behind a house (that looks like a mansion) to buy a farm that is totally off-grid. And yet they blog! Isn't technology something else? And now they are giving away some Tattler canning lids. I got some for Christmas from my mom and my mother-in-law...it was a big item on my Christmas list. I'm hoping to build up enough that I'll do away with disposable lids altogether, other than for gift purposes. I love things that can be reused! Check out the giveaway here.

Take care and hope everyone out there is healthy!
Heather

Grass Fed Beef Quarter Cost Analysis

2011-02-18T13:14:00.004-06:00

How's that for a dry title? I figured it would be good to share how our experience buying a quarter of grass fed beef worked out. Before we ordered our quarter I had many questions about hanging weight vs. actual take home meat and what the final cost per pound of the finished beef would end up being. Using our farmer's numbers I did a best guess and once I picked up our beef I figured the actual total. The numbers were surprising close. That is what happens when you work with an experienced, honest farmer!

This is going to look a little dry since it was typed up as a document for me to refer to in the future, but hopefully it makes sense.

Quarter hanging weight: 149 pounds, $320 paid to Miller Brothers Farms. We paid $2.15/pound hanging weight. They rounded off as we were told to just send $320. I do see that prices are increasing to $2.40/pound for this next year.

Processing costs paid directly to Cedar Road Meats at pick up. $.44/lb (65.56) + quarter of slaughter charge (9.50) + order charge (3.00) = $78.06

We were walked through cutting instructions once the steer was in, butchered, and we knew which quarter was ours. We simply called Cedar Road and were asked cut by cut what we would like. If I was uncertain she would explain the standard and the options. I asked for things to be left bone in and for all 'other' cuts to be included, 2 steaks/pack, 3/4" cut, 2 pound roasts.

This is what we got when I picked up the order about two weeks later.
Meat type: number of packages, total weight

hamburger: 34, 1 pound each (34)
stew meat: 4, 1 pound each (4)
arm roasts: 2 (4)
chuck blade roasts: 4 (10.5)
sirloin tip roast: 2 (4)
rump roasts: 1 (2)
round steak: 2 (5)
swiss steak: 2 (4)
t-bone steak: 2 (3)
rib steak: 3 (4.5)
sirloin steak: 4 (5.5)
porterhouse: 1 (2)

The next four are things we have never really eaten, but I asked for them and am hoping to be courageous and give them a try. Or to hide them in things if necessary! Since we paid for them I figured we should take them and eat them if at all possible too.

liver: 3 (3)
tongue: 1 (2)
heart: 1 (2.5)
oxtail: 1 (1.5)

Asked for fat to render and large bones to make stock--got about 10 pounds of each (not included in calculations.) Ended up with 7 quarts of beef stock and 7 or so pints of beef tallow.

Asked for soup bones and short ribs, but were not in the order when I got home. Contacted Cedar Road Meats and she checked into it right away after asking me to double check what I had brought home. After comparing my list to theirs they could only guess as to where they went. They were not able to find so replaced with beef they butchered, but wasn't from Miller Farms. They estimate I would have gotten about 3 pounds of each, so am adding those 6 pounds into final numbers. They did give us a bit extra to make up for the trouble and we arranged to pick up at a farmer's market closer to our home as the butcher shop is about an hour away.

Total weight of meat brought home (and estimates of soup/short ribs): 97.5 pounds
Total paid: $398.07

Total paid/pound of meat brought home: $4.08 (Based on Luke's estimates I had figured roughly $4.11/pound would be our final total. I don't think he could have gotten much closer!)

Percent of hanging weight: 65% now in freezer (He had estimated 68%)

So when order a quarter or half of beef it is important to remember that you will not be getting 100% of the hanging weight back for the freezer. I've seen other bloggers suggest that on a whole cow they only lost about 30 pounds of weight total, but that is not accurate. Typically you will lose 40% or (much) more on an average quarter, half or whole cow. Our percentage was 'better' because we asked for bones to be left in and we ordered from a farm that is working to increase the percentage by breeding different genetics. Different breeds of beef cattle have different meat percentages and it makes sense to find one that does a good job of converting grass into meat to maximize your yield. You lose a lot of weight to the large bones. We also would have had a lower percentage if we did not take the 9 pounds of liver, heart, tongue and the oxtail.

Also hanging weight is taken right after butchering. The meat is very wet and weighs more than it will after it ages and drys. Any good butcher will let the meat age or rest for 7-14 (or more) days before butchering. At that point you've lost a fair percentage of weight to evaporation, but it is good because the flavor has improved.

We love the beef we got. Some people talk about grass fed beef as being tough or odd flavored. I can only imagine that they have gotten an inferior product or are not used to the flavor beef should be. Our meat is tender, juicy and really wonderful! Mike doesn't like steak (I know, weird right?) but even he loved the rib steaks I made from our quarter. I recommend working with Miller Brothers if you have the chance. I do not think you will be disappointed.

All in all the price per pound is much more than I used to pay for meat. However we got many cuts I never, ever bought before. We also got the added value of beef tallow and lots of stock. And most importantly we have peace of mind as to how our cow was raised, how it was butchered and feel good about the meat we are eating and local families we are supporting. We will eat off this quarter for at least a year which makes the cost that much more affordable. We have already reserved a quarter for next fall to be prepared for 2012 and our growing family needs!

Happy Eating,
Heather

Just a note since everyone seems to need disclaimers for everything now...Miller Brothers and Cedar Roads have no idea I posted this. I did send my break down to Luke at Miller Brothers after I figured it out so that he would have something to pass onto other questioning potential customers like me. I did not and do not expect to get anything from anyone for posting this :)

Happy (Belated) St. Valentine's Day

2011-02-16T13:55:00.003-06:00

We had a nice Valentine's Day here at home this year. Oh wait, that is what we do every year! I started the morning by making my boys pink heart pancakes. Isn't that what every man and his son want for breakfast? Actually, Little Guy asks for pancakes, waffles and couscous for breakfast every single day. Having me home full time has gotten him out of his oatmeal for breakfast routine a bit more!

So back to the day...we had pancakes that I dyed using a little beet juice. I'm trying to get myself away from artificial coloring more and more and thought I'd give it a whirl. It turned out really pretty, but the pancakes got very golden so they no longer looked pink when baked. The taste was great though! For lunch we had leftovers so nothing special there, but our dinner is a tradition! We had homemade garlic bread, seriously kicked up mac and cheese, roasted broccoli spears, A&W in frosted mugs, and hot fudge cake for dessert. It was a great meal and a nice day all in all.

I topped off the Valentine's Day food the next morning by making eggs in a hole heart style. They turned out really cute and were appreciated most by Mike. I didn't realize that he loves those so much and need to make an effort to make them more often!

Here's hoping you had a wonderful Valentine's Day surrounded by those you love!
Heather

2011-02-08T06:09:00.002-06:00

What an exciting time to live in Wisconsin! The entire state is having a blast celebrating the Packer's big victory and we couldn't be happier. We were invited to a friend's house to watch the Superbowl, but since Peanut wasn't feeling the best and Little Guy is just on the mend we decided not to chance being out late and around new germs.

Turns out it was a good decision. Peanut got sick during half time. Really sick, scared Mommy sick. She had been warm and obviously not feeling good all day, but nothing too bad and pretty much just par for the course with this yucky cold thing. Then she was really, really warm and just not acting or looking right. Took her temp it was 102.5. Not good news. We called the after hours number at our pediatrician's office and when the doctor called back he wasn't overly worried. He just wanted us to bathe her, give her Tylenol and watch her. If it got above 104 go to Children's ER. And he had to go, he was watching the Superbowl, click. Seriously? I was basically hung up on by the doctor because of the game.

In the end her temp came down to about 100 after a scary period where she got kind of listless and I spent most of the night up with her nursing and comforting and checking temps and such. Yesterday the nurse at the office was much more thorough and comforting, but we may have a while to go with this. And if other symptoms get worse we may still be going in. But she reassured me a ton after she heard that we've never dealt with much sickness other than some diaper rash issues with Little Guy. We've been really lucky.

I'm up early with her this morning and she is doing pretty well temperature wise. She's got a cough that isn't fun, but I'm more hopeful that this will pass without major complications. Here's hoping my response system can quiet down now too. I've been a bit strung out on worry and lack of sleep the last few days!

Woohoo Packers!
Heather

Old Man Winter is Roaring!

2011-02-01T19:57:00.000-06:00

It appears that half of the country is either in the middle of or just through a major weather event. We are midway through, but the worst is just arriving according to our weather predictors here in Wisconsin. I believe they are forecasting somewhere between 14-18" of snow by noon tomorrow...how fun.

The kiddos have been fighting pretty bad colds for a while now. And today I can feel it marching up my throat and across my body. And Daddy leaves very early on Thursday morning for 3 days. Wonder why I ran to the library today during nap time and picked up a slew of new books and a few Thomas videos? I have a feeling we'll be laying very, very low until the weather is past and we are all finally past this cold nonsense. We've been so blessed with healthy kids that it really makes it hard to watch them cough and sneeze and not sleep and just not feel good. Here's hoping we all get through this soon!

Stay Warm!
Heather

I'm Hungry

2011-01-28T13:01:00.003-06:00

My little toddler is growing up! For the first time he came into the kitchen and said "Mommy, I'm hungry." I realize that is a pretty simple sentiment, although lately it seems to be one that expresses a feeling he has all. the. time. I can only imagine how much he'll want to eat when he is a teenager!

But why the excitement about the sentence? He really has only started using me and I in the last couple of weeks. He has used his name for a long time now, but everything was referred to as "Little Guy hungry" or "Little Guy trains." Then recently the word I showed up. And then it was "I hungry." But the other evening, totally unprompted he came over and said "I'm hungry."

Recently he has started pointing at himself and saying (in a very excited and exuberant voice) "ME!" which he follows up with his whole name. Of course, he often then points and me and says "ME" followed up by "Mommy, Heather." Yes, we've been working on 'whole names' so he knows his and his sister's which led also trying to work on Mommy and Daddy's as well. There is nothing cuter than a 2 year old saying his first, middle and last name and then his sister's as well. Now, how to teach him that I am not 'me'. At least not to him, only to me. It gets a bit confusing to explain!

I find it so interesting to watch how his language develops. First it was signing, then words and signs, then just words. Recently signs have shown up again as we prepare to start showing Peanut them as well. And when he gets really mad or really wants something he'll totally bust out the 'more' sign! And he has never totally lost the please and thank you signs either.

After words came a few words together, then more complex thoughts in simple sentences. He figured out possession really quickly thereafter. I think "Grandma purse" was the first one and from then on every item had the owner's name attached! Now is the I and me time and putting together really coherent sentences. I find it adorable to watch him say something and then go back and say it again, but more grammatically correct. Language is an amazing thing to watch develop!

Of course, he is still often difficult to understand. He uses 'no' an awful lot of times when I would rather he didn't. He was rather late to that party though, which I am very grateful for! And he still doesn't say "MINE" when his sister grabs his trains. Unfortunately I have no doubt that it is coming. He has a long way to go before he is a great orator, but watching him get there is so fascinating!

Happy Speaking!
Heather

What Isn't Included

2011-01-25T14:00:00.000-06:00

As you might guess there are a few things that might not be included in our grocery budget. And in the interest of full disclosure in case anyone is comparing or competing (which you SHOULD NOT be doing) I thought I'd list those items out. And really because I am keeping records and want to have a good comparison from year to year this will help me in future years.

What is NOT in the grocery budget 2010

*toiletries or paper goods
*canning supplies
*seeds or tomato plants
*Cola soda used for late night trips home from gigs (but any other soda, including root beer is)
*Chocolate stash (but baking chocolate, chips, etc are)
*Gift baskets of food for Great-Grandparents

To explain a few of these...

We visited my grandparents over Christmas this year. I'm so fortunate that I still have all four grandparents and they are all pretty healthy, still living in their own homes! My oldest grandfather just turned 90 and my youngest grandmother is 83. They are hard to buy for as they have what they want and do not like a lot of clutter. I decided to fill a big grocery bag of baking items for them for Christmas. I bought things like chocolate chips, flour, sugar, and spent about $30 total on both families by watching sales and getting good deals. I included that in our gift giving budget, not in our grocery budget. Other food gifts like the truffles I made the neighbors and granola I gave to friends were made with food from our regular groceries.

We have a serious chocolate problem in this house. We love it to much. So after Christmas I stock up big time on 50% or 75% off name brand candy that I won't buy otherwise. I think I spent about $50 or so last year...yikes. But it lasted all yearn, made my husband happy and is not included in our grocery budget.

Once a month Mike plays a gig that lasts late into the night and then he has to drive over an hour to get home. He does this on Friday and then Saturday night on the weekend he plays. In order to stay awake he drinks 1-3 cans of cola on the way home each of the two nights. As we never drink this otherwise I consider it a business cost, not a grocery budget cost. We rarely drink soda other than an occasional root beer but any other soda bought is put into the grocery budget.

And as for the rest...our budget is just for food. If I buy something else at the grocery store it gets subtracted out and put into a different category. Canning supplies and plants/seeds maybe should be counted, but I never have before so for now I'm going to keep going how I've done it. If we get to a point where we are raising a very large percentage of our own food then I'll probably start including them, but not for now!

Happy Budgeting!
Heather

When We Have the Room

2011-01-24T19:41:00.002-06:00

Right now we are in a home that has a tiny city lot. I try and garden as much as possible wherever the trees do not totally obscure the ground below. This means that the room for playing is primarily under the huge tree that is tucked between our home and our garage. So far we've got a turtle sandbox, a couple of free and new to us cars/tractors/things, and a toddler swing in the branches of the tree.

Growing up we had a huge swing set that my dad built for us. It had a big sandbox as the base and two or three swings, a rope swing and room for more things to be added. I think the idea was that there would be a slide, a teeter totter and a few other things, but they just never happened.

My hope is that someday we'll have a great big swing set for our kids to play on. It might come from this store or maybe we can get my dad to come and make one :) Kind of doubt that second one!

I've just peeked around a bit, but www.swingsetsandmore.com is one of the stores that is part of the CSN group of stores. I've ordered from CSN once before and had a good experience. The ice cream maker that I gave the family for Christmas is a big hit! In fact we'll be finishing up a batch of cake batter ice cream that I made in it once Mike gets home from a neighbor's house.

Happy Shopping!
Heather

SUPERBOWL BOUND!

2011-01-24T13:54:00.002-06:00

Yes, we are that excited! We are not the world's biggest fans or anything and we most definitely did NOT spend $9000 per ticket to go to the game, but we were cheering like crazy yesterday as our Packers won the NFC championship. We were really sweating for a long time, but in the end it came out like we had hoped!

And now we only have to beat a team that has won every Superbowl they've been in except for the first time they were there. With a QB that has won two of them and a coach that has won one of them. --yikes--

But we are favored to win? Huh?

We are just hoping and yes, even our priest is praying that the Packers are the next Superbowl CHAMPS!

Heather

Canning Recap

2011-01-21T05:00:00.004-06:00

This is for my own notes than anything else. I need to get my recipes down somewhere so I hope to link back to them. For now it is a list to help me remember what got done this year!

What I canned in 2010

Diced tomatoes
Tomato Salsa
Green Salsa/Enchilada Sauce
Diced Pears
Pearsauce
Applesauce
Peaches
Beets
Carrots
Chicken Stock
Beef Stock
Zucchini Relish
Dill Pickles
Dilly Beans
Sauerkraut
Cherries
Nectarines
Tomato soup
Split Pea soup
Lentil soup

What I froze

Green Beans
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Swiss Chard
Roasted Eggplant
Green Peppers
Zucchini
Pesto
Freecycle Fruit

Storage Vegetables
25 pounds small Yukon Gold Potatoes
50 pounds medium White Russet Potatoes
1 bushel Butternut, Spaghetti, and other squash
19 Acorn Squash
3 Cabbage
10 pounds of Empire Apples

Things to change next year:

More Cabbage for Sauerkraut and for eating fresh
Second bushel of squash (mostly Butternut)
Freeze many more quarts of Green Beans, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Zucchini and Carrots
May need to can jam again (check stores--did in 2009)
May need to freeze corn again (check freezer--did in 2009)
Second 50 bag of potatoes with plan to freeze mashed and hash browns as they sprout
At least 10 cups of pesto in freezer

Happy Preserving!
Heather

Grocery Budget 2010 Wrap Up

2011-01-19T07:08:00.004-06:00

Grocery Budgets...they are the fodder for many a blog post and even entire blogs, aren't they? They cause much angst and competition and are all as different as the families they feed.

I'm not posting ours in order to compete or to compare. I'm posting ours so I have a record and to encourage others who might be transitioning to a more local, seasonal, organic way of eating. We have been and are continuing to do so in baby steps!

In 2008 and 2009 my husband and I spent approximately $1300/year on groceries. I do not have the exact figures (where the heck did they go?) but it was within a few dollars of that each year. I had budgeted $100/month and there always seemed to be one or two months that added on to make it a 13 month year! I realize this number is very low for most families. This only fed 2 adults and I did almost all of our cooking from scratch. I make most of our bread products and use almost no prepackaged snacks or meals. I bought (and still buy) loss leaders at the grocery store and during those years really stocked up on meat when I found an amazing sale or marked down packages. I know I bought chicken for $.29/lb and often bought hamburger for about $.90/lb.

In 2009 we made the decision to change the way we ate. We had always eaten fairly well...lots of veggies and fruit, I grew what I could on our little city lot, I made things from scratch and (other than our chocolate obsession) we didn't eat much that most would consider junk food. However, we did eat conventional meat and didn't make a big deal about which veggies or fruit we were eating. I watched "Food, Inc" and read the book. I read "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and "Eating Animals" and many other books. I got disgusted about the state of food in our nation. And decided things had to change in our house if we wanted things to change in the industry.

So in late 2009 and all of 2010 I made a much more conscious effort to buy local produce and eat it in season. I shopped our farmer's market like crazy and canned and froze as much as I could of what I could get cheaply in season. I threw a whole lot of tomato plants in the ground before Peanut was born (even among the evergreen shrubs in front of the house) and put some potatoes in a garbage can and put lettuce and basil and cilantro seeds in every pot and space I could. I canned many quarts of tomatoes from those plants and the seconds I bought at the farmer's market. We ate a lot of salads from all those tiny lettuce seeds. We are still loving the pesto that I froze from our basil plants. And I'll be planting even more this year since Mike turned out to be a BIG fan of pesto.

We were able to pick apples, pears, and glean a finished garden (including 19 acorn squash) from friends that live about 2 hours away. It was a busy, fun, beautiful fall day of collecting and visiting with good friends. And the week that followed was a busy time of canning and freezing! As the farmer's market wound down I bought a bushel of squash, 75 pounds of potatoes and 4 heads of cabbage to help tide us over the winter with local produce.

I stopped buying meat from the grocery store and started getting a few things from the one meat vendor at the farmer's market. Her prices shot up a lot this summer and while I know it is fair I was blanching even at the much lower prices that I paid back in April. We ate a lot less meat through the spring and summer. We never ate huge amounts, but we ate a lot, lot less. I finally found a chicken product I was okay with in Smart Chicken. I know it is still not pastured and it is not eating everything a chicken should eat. However it is air chilled and that makes me very happy. After I read how poultry is processed in 'water' it made me seriously reaffirm my desire to buy food that I trusted not just what was cheapest. I bought a couple of local, pastured chickens at Outpost when they had their truckload sale and I wish I had bought even more, but we just didn't have the freezer space to spare. I am now paying $2 or more for chicken on average. I only buy whole chickens and I break them down myself or I get legs if they are cheaper. I have found marked down Smart Chicken at Woodman's occasionally and that makes me a very happy girl indeed. The markdowns often come down to $1 a pound or so!

We bought a 1/4 of a grass fed, no added anything cow from Miller Brothers. It was ready in November and we have been loving it! We were never big beef eaters before, but this meat is wonderful and I know the animal was raised right and was treated right until the very end. The farmer makes a living, the small family owned butcher shop makes a living and we got a superior product. Our beef came out to about $4/pound when you figure out the weight of what we actually brought home. They also saved me the fat and I've rendered it out. An interesting new thing that I tried and a fat source for cooking that I feel better about than most conventional products.

We are looking into getting 1/2 pig from Miller Brothers when they have them available. That would be ideal as the pig would be totally pastured, no antibiotics, etc. If it doesn't work out fairly soon then we'll be getting one from a different local farm. We did stock up on bacon at the little processor in my grandparent's hometown in South Dakota. It is Mike's favorite bacon and the meat was local to the processor. I'm guessing it was confinement, but I've seen the farms in the area and know that it wasn't a CAFO for sure.

So what was the grand total after all this? We spent $2212.16 on groceries in 2010.

It was a BIG increase (almost $1000 more) but it was worth it to feed our family of 2 adults, one 2 year old and a baby who is a month into solids. We have almost an entire 1/4 of meat in the freezer, bacon for a year, and still have many, many jars of canned goods. Overall we have a lot more food in this house right now than we did last January. We have eaten almost all the frozen vegetables, but are going to have a second chest freezer for me to fill next summer so I'll have enough for more months. I also will have more room because I will not have the two big boxes of milk that I pumped and saved for Peanut. That milk took precedence as I can buy groceries and I can't buy her my milk!

All in all I feel good about what we are doing and where we are headed. We have a long way to go, but we like the changes we've made! Next step is probably getting a grain mill and starting to grind our own grains. I'm excited, but does anyone have any idea where I can buy non-GMO wheat here in Milwaukee for a good price? And I'd like to make all our eggs free range and our milk local and and and and...it doesn't really end, does it? :)

Happy Eating!
Heather

New Post?!?!

2011-01-19T06:58:00.003-06:00

Does that button even work anymore? Hi there blog, I'm Heather. It is nice to see you here in a whole new year! We've had a great Halloween, Thanksgiving, birthday, Christmas, New Years. Thank goodness I'm stopping back by before it is Valentine's Day!

Okay, really I do plan to start blogging more again. I know I've said that before, but as long as Peanut starts sleeping better again it will be true! We moved her out of the co-sleeper into the crib and it seems to be helping. Instead of being right next to me she is now just outside our bedroom, maybe 10 feet away. The change is good because she was waking up with every movement I made and I was waking up with ever movement she made. It meant we were both awake a lot and if she was awake she wanted to nurse. Or sometimes she didn't really want to nurse, she wanted to sleep, but because she was awake and so was I she'd try and nurse. Then she'd get upset and be awake longer and then I'd be a cranky, tired mom. This has not been fun. Especially since she was a terrific sleeper from such an early age. I'm excited that we are back on track!

We are off to toddler story time at the big library today. We went there a few weeks ago when my mom was in town and Little Guy enjoyed it. We were at the preschool story time and only stayed for one story. I figured he did well and we wanted to excuse ourselves before things turned south! He did get to play with the train table, lego table, climb the light house and just have a blast in the library. Central library has the best children's wing I have ever seen. We love our neighborhood library a whole lot, but it is a fun treat to visit central!

I am looking forward to posting about how our year of grocery change has wrapped up. The budget was much bigger as expected, but still okay. I also want to update my canning inventory for last summer and how it is holding up. I am hoping to record some of my favorite recipes and even start posting pictures again! And (of course) there will be kids stuff because it is what happens around here on a daily basis. Will there be an opportunity to start scrapbooking again? It is amazing what a few more hours of sleep (all in a row) can do to a girl!

Heather

Recent Happenings

2010-10-26T06:13:00.003-05:00

Wow, time flies, doesn't it? Here are a few random thoughts to start the day...

We eat a lot of 'dirt' in this house. Little Guy just doesn't want to say the 's' sound much so our after dinner treat is now destined to be known as dirt! And he loves dirt an awful lot, especially if it involves cupcakes, cake, birthday cake...the boy knows cake.

Peanut is rolling over! She has been thisclose seemingly forever, but finally decided to celebrate 4 months by rolling from tummy to back. Then two days later figured she'd give back to tummy a whirl as well. She is so strong when she wants to be and had been teetering on her side for a long while. Now she decided to do it and she is an old pro. Of course (in both cases) she flipped while I was either stepped out of the room or was sitting right by her, but engaged with her brother. So there was no actual witnessing of either of the firsts. She is such an accommodating baby that after being turned she immediately did it again! Now if only the teeth that have been causing teething symptoms for 2 months would actually appear.

And speaking of teeth... On a recent trip to visit my parents in Kentucky Little Guy decided to give us our first after hours call to the pediatrician. We were all up on the loft playing with some of my old toys. (Did you know that in the mid 70s Fisher Price made their toys in the USA? Fun fact for the morning!) There are 3 steps leading up to the bedrooms on each side and I was sitting on them nursing Peanut. Little Guy climbed up the steps to grab the cash register and was walking down right next to me. Mike was right in front of him at the bottom of the stairs. We were both within arms reach, but yet he took a tumble down 2 steps. No big deal, right? This kid tumbles all the time...

Yeah, the toy hit his mouth as he fell and bent his tooth completely forward! How in the world? There were tears, there was blood, there was waking up my poor mom before she headed to her job at the hospital and then a call to the ER. Unfortunately, the nurse who answered was not one who knew her so we got the 'we don't give out medical advice' talk after 10 minutes on hold. We called the after hours number and talked to the newest doctor in our pediatrician's office and were told to pull it if it was dangling by a thread or to leave it alone if it wasn't. We kept the ice on for a while, but really by the time we heard from the Dr. Little Guy was playing again and didn't seem overly bothered. He went to bed, slept through the night and other than a few "tooth hurt" comments on a few mornings he has been fine.

The tooth isn't in the exact same position, but it seems to be firming up. We've been praying for it like crazy, because if it discolors it may have to come out. I can't imagine having 5-7 years of a gap toothed boy! Of course, in the scheme of things it is no big deal and we are grateful that he wasn't hurt more and that we didn't have any kind of ER visit the last night of our trip five minutes before bed time!

Have a great Tuesday! We are windy like crazy today,
Heather

Cazy Day

2010-10-10T06:52:00.000-05:00

or alternatively, These are the Moments.

We had a day recently that challenged me. Wait, we've had lots and lots of those days recently. As in a two year old who is starting to really get into the whole 'I'm a two year old and entitled to be sassy' thing, a baby who needs to be nursed and loved on, but also has moments occasionally, a Daddy who is working really hard to get recording and editing done on a CD, and a Mommy who is trying to get the canning finished (and laundry and meals...)

I honestly can't remember exactly what happened, but I remember thinking how crazy/insane this one particular moment is. Then the song "I Could Not Ask For More" popped into my head. I really could not ask for more than this time together, than this time with them. I do have all I've waited for, every prayer has been answered, every dream has come true. It may sound a bit hokey or cheesy, but I actually started singing it to my babies in the midst of the crazy. And I meant it.

For years I've wanted to be married, to have a children, to be able to be home with them. And it is finally a reality. It is often challenging, but it is also perfect and wonderful even in the crazy and hard. I hope I always remember that I really could not ask for more!

Love my life,
Heather

Time of Plenty

2010-10-08T06:32:00.004-05:00

This is such a great time of year, isn't it? It seems that everyone is talking about how this is their favorite time of year and I have to agree! I was born in the (late) fall, I met my husband and married him in the fall and I just love the cooler nights, the beautiful colors and the return to more baking. I must admit that I do seem to 'love' each season in its own time and have found that I do even more so since I've made a more conscious effort to eat seasonally, but fall is extra special because I do not want it to end!

I find myself spending more moments than I should paused down in our basement looking at all the jars that are full of food I've canned. I loved the different colors of food, sizes of jars and promised recipes they all store. On a whim I decided to get a rough count of jars and there are approximately 230 jars of tomatoes, pickled items, vegetables, soups, salsas, jams and fruit stored in our basement. I had no idea! No wonder I keep running out of jars. I found 5 more at a very quick rummage sale stop yesterday and will have them full shortly. I've got a big bag of green tomatoes to continue to use and just need a few more jars... I can't tell you how many times I've told my husband that I just need a few more jars, a few more jars. He asked when I'll have enough. When I'm ready to start downsizing canning after the kids leave home was my answer. I (kind of) believe that you add jars until you start subtracting jars. I also figure that more jars I have, the more I fill, the more I can share if the moment strikes, the more we can use any and all produce gifted to us or found inexpensively. And the more we have to get us through winter!

We are also waiting on our 1/4 of grass fed beef. It will be ready in a week or two (is at the processors) and the freezer is waiting! It has been a struggle to get the freezer empty in a time when I want to be filling it. I would have frozen many more vegetables this year, but we only have a smallish chest freezer because our basement door will not fit any other size. And normally that would still have not been a problem. However, I have been pumping milk 'just in case' and have about 1000 ounces of milk stored as well. The milk takes up a lot of room, but it gets priority over the vegetables since it can't be replaced at the grocery store! Here is hoping that I won't find my milk gone at 6 months and that this frozen milk can be used much later or donated to someone.

I find myself more and more content (from staring at all my jars) during this season of plenty. It reminds me of something that Laura said in one of the Little House books. I don't know the exact quote, but basically she was always so happy in the fall when the house was full of things to get them through the winter. I feel the same way! This is definitely a Finer Thing.

Have a great weekend,
Heather

And Now An ELMO Cake!

2010-09-30T21:05:00.001-05:00

EDIT: I'll be adding pictures and such soon. This was written a few weeks ago and I never got them put in. SORRY!

Mike has been gone all week playing for libraries in very northern Minnesota. At one point he could see Canada across the water! Funny thing is that he is often told he sounds like he is from Canada, which he didn't agree with after listening to Canadian radio and TV personalities. Then at one of the libraries (less than 30 minutes from the Canadian border) someone told him he sounded like he was from Canada! Made me laugh since he just can't get away from that accent of his. For the record he is from the Milwaukee area and has no relatives that live anywhere north of Milwaukee.

Because of Daddy's absence we invited a friend over to play one day so I could have an adult conversation and Little Guy could burn off some energy. About 3 hours before they arrived for dinner and playing I realized that the next day was that little boy's 2nd birthday. And I hadn't planned on anything special for him. So off to the races I went and whipped up a cake!

This was a very simple, not that great looking, but did the job and made two little boys happy kind of decorated cake. My Little Guy LOVES Elmo and I have seen many different Elmo cakes around the internet. I've always figured I'd make him one, but never really had a good excuse to add more butter cream and cake to our lives. I figured this was a good reason to do so!

First I whipped up our standard chocolate cake recipe. I just did a single recipe worth and split the batter between two round pans. I don't have any special cake pans (I think they sell an actual Elmo pan) but I think you can make a lot of fun cakes with your basic round and square cake pans! This made for two very thin layers as the recipe would typically make one round layer or an 8x8 pan. I did this so they would cook faster since time was of the essence. Once they were out of the oven I flipped them out of the pans, let them cool a few minutes and then put them in my cake carrier. I put the first layer down, added a thin layer of raspberry jam to adhere them and then popped the second layer on top. Since the cake was still warm I threw it in the refrigerator to cool while I got the frosting going.

I didn't have my butter cream recipe out so I winged it from memory and made it extra stiff so I'd be able to use it for piping. Once I took out some for the nose and mouth I thinned out the rest to make it more spreadable. No time for a crumb layer, but with a bright red color and a thick application it went on fine. Then I threw on the marshmallows and used the flat end of a skewer to apply some food color as eyeballs. I took some of the thick frosting and added orange food color to it. I was able to shape it into a nose pretty quickly and it turned out way better than the eyes. I wish I had kept more frosting white and shaped the eyes since the marshmallows are a little odd looking.

The mouth was a dilemma as I didn't have any black food coloring left. I used brown and it is okay, but I really need to get black if I'm going to do this again. I did the wrong mouth shape at first, but after checking a book with Elmo's picture I tried to fix it. It's definitely not perfect, but again, it worked.

Last, since I had extra red frosting (Why didn't I have extra for the Thomas the Train Cake? That's where I really could have used it!) I put it into a pastry bag and tried to make hair all over. I should probably tell you that I have two REALLY old pastry bags and one has holes all over it. I also have a total of 3 tips. I have no real professional tools (maybe it should go on my Christmas list?) and I just do the best I can. I really wasn't liking the way the monster fur turned out, but didn't have time to try anything else.

Again, this was not my best cake, but it really surprised the birthday boy and my Little Guy LOVED having an Elmo cake in the house. Of course, it was really hard for him to wait until they came, but he enjoyed his piece and the left overs the next day!

And I should mention that we met this little boy and his mom through our Bradley class. I cannot say enough for the wonderful support we've gotten from the families in that class. The seven families have all stayed in touch and we are all celebrating 2nd birthdays this year. There is nothing like having moms to encourage you through the challenging times and cheer with you through the wonderful moments. It is so awesome to have a group of people with similar outlooks on birth and child rearing that are going through the exact same stages as you at the same time. I am so grateful that we took that class and that our group has stayed in touch! This summer we've welcomed 4 more new siblings (Peanut, another little girl and a set of twins, one boy and one girl) and we've got one more on the way fairly shortly. Such fun!

Heather

Fall Is In The Air...I Think

2010-09-25T04:58:00.003-05:00

To quote a friend "What is up with our psycho weather lately?" I couldn't agree more! This week we have literally been on a weather roller coaster with highs going from mid 60s to 87 with none really in the middle. It has been a-- is today a shorts and t-shirts day or should we be layering more than just the long sleeve shirt and full sweatsuit?--kind of week. Every other day has been hot, then cold, then hot, then cold and now today is a second in a row cold one. So, since the weather folks say it is going to stay chilly all weekend I am going to say that fall is officially in the air! That and the 40 mile an hour winds are expected to die down finally so we'll be able to enjoy some calm air.

Last week we spent a day up in the area of state that I grew up in. It was a beautiful, sunny day perfect for getting out of the city. As we drove through farm country we caught a few glimpses of the colors of fall on the early bird trees. The harvest is well underway, trees are heavy with apples and pears, garden produce was set out in yards and roadside stands and we even saw a sign advertising eggs for a dollar. Yes, we stopped in, but sadly (very sadly) no one was home. We saw the chickens running around so no doubt that the eggs were from free ranged chickens and I am still sad that we couldn't fill our cooler with all the eggs they had! I did put some money in the coffee pot and helped myself to some tomatoes, 2 green peppers, and a handful of tiny onions.

Our first destination was to have lunch and pick apples with a family friend. He and his wife were like an aunt and uncle to us growing up and sadly almost exactly a year ago, his wife passed away. Since then I've tried to stay in touch with him with Christmas cards and such, but it was nice to take him a birthday cake in person. We had picked a ton of apples there last year and our applesauce was almost all gone so he invited us up to restock. It was an off year for most of his trees (too much rain and such huge production last year) so we didn't get nearly as many. The apples are also not as nice as last year, but I am not complaining. These are apples that are completely ignored and therefore very organic and I am happy to get them. It was a bit of an adventure this year since the horses are now gone and the pastures are hugely overgrown (weeds taller than me in some areas). Considering a lack of nap and the height of the vegetation Little Guy was a real trooper! He was excited to see the tractor and to "pick apple up" and goodness knows he adores the applesauce that come of these apples! Peanut was in the carrier and napped through some of the picking as well.

A good friend came to join us and then invited us to her mom's farm to clean out the garden and pick pears. Her mom is moving to another state and the farm was set to close in just a few days so we were welcome to whatever we could find. And boy, did we find! We picked a few boxes of pears, another bucket of apples, the rest of the beets (4 pints worth), a few stalks of brussel sprouts (2 dinners worth), a few last tomatoes, Swiss chard, two hands of beans, and then we found squash. There were some huge plants that had volunteered out in the pasture on the compost pile. We picked all that there were. I came home with 4 spaghetti squash (although 2 are not very ripe) and 19 acorn squash! And her daughter kept a box as well, so I do not know the officially count, but it has to be somewhere around 35 squash that were just growing wild.

After a tiring day of harvesting we headed back to our friend's home to meet her husband and have a wonderful dinner. We also got to meet their new chickens (previously lived at her mom's farm) and Little Guy got to help collect 3 eggs that night. A big day of country experiences for him and a dozen fresh eggs for us, wonderful! We also got to here more about their plans to adopt. They (and we) are praying for a baby for them. They have finished all the paperwork, home visits and such and now we are just waiting for the right birth mother to come forward. They are going to be wonderful parents and I can't wait for the right woman to choose them!

One moment I want to remember involved Little Guy and an acorn squash. I had a big box of squash, Mike had a bunch in his hands (and Peanut in the carrier), our friend has a big armful and Little Guy had one to carry. It was a good ways from the pasture to our van and we had to navigate the horse piles and a couple of fences to get the squash to the vehicle. Little Guy had not had a nap, had spent the day (literally) running around in the fresh air and sun and he was beyond exhausted. At one point I looked back and this very filthy, very tired little two year old was just standing there holding his one acorn squash. There was something about the sun hat on his head, the crocs on his feet, the dirt on his legs and the late afternoon sun behind him that made for the most adorable exhausted two year old picture you could ever imagine. For as slow as he was moving he did get that squash all the way to the van!

I'm so grateful for good friends, tons of free organically grown produce and fall weather!

Hope you have a great weekend,
Heather

Homeschooling?

2010-09-13T05:24:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to let you know that there is an amazing opportunity to possibly find curriculum that you need over at Laura's today. Families have generously offered up things they do not need any longer. If you find something that might be helpful just e-mail the person offering it. If you are chosen tomorrow then you will be responsible for the shipping charges.

(Almost) free curriculum is a pretty amazing blessing! Make sure and pass the word on to those who might benefit.

Have a great Monday,
Heather

Don't Blink

2010-09-11T06:17:00.003-05:00

I've been thinking I need to use this blog to record some of the precious things my babies do that I really want to remember. It seems like I often catch myself staring at them trying to take a mental picture of what they are doing or what they look like at just-that-moment. I don't want to forget these moments/activities/words. They are here today and then gone into a whole new phase. Each change is exciting and new and fun, but then I have to miss the one that is gone and I worry that I won't remember some of the mental snapshots-because, let's face it, there are about a thousand of them I already don't remember and what are the chances they'll pop back into my memory at some point?

Hopefully I can stop of few of them in their tracks so I can come back and relish them long after Little Guy and Peanut have passed them by. This morning a few things they do that I love.

"Tank Too" (often with one little splayed hand outstretched)

Tank Too for the drink, for the book, because we told him to say it, or because he realllllly wants this thing to be gone right now. As in 'Tank Too onion' as he hands me the tiniest piece of onion you can imagine distinguishing from the other ingredients in the tomato sauce. He has decided he doesn't want to eat it and he wants me to take it from his finger. His voice gets higher and more desperate until I finally relieve him of his dreadful onion burden.

And sometimes Tank Too gets used because he wants us to take interact with him and his toys. 'Tank Too Mommy train' as he hands me a Thomas. Sit and play with this train, won't you Mommy?

We hear Peas a lot too.

"Done Mommy"

Newer development, but really only used when he is finished taking his nap or is ready to get up in the morning. There will be sweet murmuring and talking and sometimes crying as he wakens from his slumber. But there comes a moment that he is ready to be up and then it is clear and loud, crying or not, "Done Mommy."

Peanut is all about the smiles right now and since birth. That girl was born to light up and make me giggle. We could hardly watch a movie the other night because she wanted to talk to her Daddy. (and really, movie or play with our baby, is that even a fair fight?) She is into direct eye contact and cooing and early belly laughs and big, squish up her face grins. And doing my all time favorite baby move. The same one her brother did (and maybe every baby in history, but I find it to be especially sweet with my two) and made me melt every time I saw it.

The sleepy baby stretch.

The two arms bent at the elbows, fists clenched and up by the ears, neck stretched, back arched, eyes squished shut, lips pushed together, couldn't be more adorable if they tried baby stretch. I currently get a showing every morning around 6. I only get to see it once a day with her, but it sure makes my heart happy. And now that I'm home I get to see it everyday. Pure Joy.

Have a great Saturday, its raining here,
Heather

Incredibly Blessed

2010-09-03T19:12:00.003-05:00

I'm feeling so blessed these days. In that 'can't believe this is really happening and do I dare tell people because what if I jinx it' way.

First off, I think I gave birth to an angel. Okay, all babies have a bit of the angel in them, but she is such a good girl. Our son didn't sleep through the night until about 7 months. And for months he was an up every 2 hours (more or less) kind of baby. I remember often feeling overwhelmed as the sun went down because night was falling and instead of getting to really rest I would be getting up and nursing, napping, and repeating all night long. I loved it, really I did, but now I do not know how I survived! This Peanut has taken to sleeping like it is her job. Even if she is really awake at night if I put her down as we go to bed she settles right in and sleeps. And SLEEPS. She has slept from 10-6 more nights than not for weeks already. She was doing 5 hour stretches from about her 3rd night. Occasionally we have a 3 am feeding, but often those are nights when she clonked out at about 8 and after she eats at 3 she goes back to sleep until 7. or 8. or 9. The girl likes to sleep. Now that we are almost 3 months in I feel confident I won't totally jinx it when I share the news. Here's hoping.

Don't get me wrong...not trying to brag....just really, really grateful that my exclusively nursed baby is actually a sleeper.

And the second thing that is really exciting and is a total answer to a prayer is that as of tomorrow I am officially a stay at home mom. I couldn't be happier! My maternity leave ended on Monday and my manager was nice enough to only schedule me for today and tomorrow. The decision came down to the last week of my leave and I wanted to give him 2 weeks notice. And he really needed my help for these two days, so I'm doing my part to make sure we separate on good terms. Starbucks has been good to me and I know I've been good to them. They allowed me to pretend to be a stay at home mom as Mike built up his business. I could provide my family with health insurance without working the all intensive, crazy schedule that my sales job required at times. However, with two little ones and a very busy husband it was time for me to be home full time. And with Samaritan Ministries it became possible to think about being home without having to worry constantly about health insurance. I am so grateful!

And as an added bonus today Mike spent the morning with both kids. He has suddenly become incredibly appreciative and awestruck at my abilities! :)

I spend a moment whenever I think of it to just whisper a little thanks. These two little ones are growing up so fast and I'm glad I'll be there for all the moments.

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy your blessings,
Heather

My Turn!

2010-08-23T20:39:00.001-05:00

Like many of the bloggers I follow I've been offered the chance to review something from CNS stores. There are a bazillion or so things to choose from so I'm going to have a tough time deciding what we need the most right now. Or want. This is seriously a place where your every want can be fulfilled. Want dishes? How about Corelle? Want cookware? How about Le Crueset at an amazing price? Want a Moby wrap? Want luggage? You can find almost anything in their 200+ stores!

Do you have any favorite, can't live without it, would take it with me to a desert island kitchen gadget or time saver that I should have? If so, let me know! I'm all about the time savers these days. Why does adding a second child make it seem like your time was cut by a factor of 10?

She's so easy going (usually) and sleeps really well (usually) and yet I find myself wanting to get way more done than I can. What would I do if she was a challenging baby? Thank goodness I'm not finding out! :)

Heather

Thomas the Train Cake Without a Cake Mold

2010-08-13T05:56:00.011-05:00

My friends, that was my challenge. How do you create an adorable Thomas the Train without the standard train cake mold? Or without the fancy, shmancy Williams-Sonoma multiple train car mold? And I didn't want to just make a flat cake and stick his trains on it. That just seemed too simple and I wanted something a little fancy for the boy who LOVES trains and was turning two! I wasn't sure what I was going to do until I saw this. Perfect!

We decided to forgo a birthday part for Little Guy this year because a. I'm just now really feeling like I might be getting back to 100% and didn't need to set myself back by stressing out for his second birthday since he really won't remember it anyway, right? and b. Daddy would be gone for the evening of his birthday and pretty much every weekend day as well for most of the summer-can't have a party without Daddy! So it became a family day full of fun birthdayness from the time we woke up until nap time after lunch. And really, it was enough for Little Guy. He was worn out from his birthday when nap time came and I was glad for his sake that we kept the evening more normal. I think at 2 he could only take so much of the presents, cake, calling grandparents, and totally him, him, him focus. He was becoming a bit of a birthday monster, if you know what I mean! And yet, he loved every minute and still asks for his "choo-choo train birthday cake" and "Thomas train birthday cake" all the time. Makes me glad I figured out a way to give him one!

On with it already, huh? Please excuse the not great photos and backgrounds. New baby in the house, enough said.

First step was to bake two round layer cakes. I just used our favorite chocolate cake recipe. Then I whipped up a batch of butter cream frosting. I really should have made a batch and a half or so, but I got by with one. It was down to the end and took some creativity to stretch it, but I'm glad I did. It's not like we needed MORE sugar. There were only two adults and one 2 year old eating it! I used homemade strawberry jam for the filling because it tastes really, really good with this chocolate cake.

To assemble you cut one layer in half and stack them up in this order...full round, filling on just half of the cake, half round (over filling), filling, and then other half on top. So on one side you have a three layer cake and on the other side you have just one layer. It would have been smart to level the layers before I started, but I was doing this as quickly as I could between nursing, laundry, etc and just ran with it. Because of that my 3 layer part looked like it could slide off at any time and I didn't like the idea of that happening! To solve I stuck bamboo skewers through the three layers to anchor them. I cut the skewers off at cake level and you would never have known they were there. I probably used about 8 or so skewers just to be safe and they were no big deal when eating. I was worried they would be a pain when I was cutting and such, but they never were. Mike saw the cake around now and had no idea how this could become a train cake.

That is the beauty of this cake. Once you see it decorated, it makes total sense (at least it did to me, since I only had a picture to go on), but before it just looks odd! To decorate I first did a crumb layer of frosting. This chocolate cake is pretty crumbly and it needed to have a coat to seal. I left this coat white since many different colors would go over it. I also made sure to pop the cake in the fridge as soon as I was done with the crumb layer as the frosting was getting melty in the heat. I also kept the butter cream in the fridge as much as possible once I started dying it and such to keep it firm enough to decorate.

After the crumb layer I did the green grass layer. Once I had that done I tinted the remaining green a bit darker and used a pastry bag to do the leaves, some shrubs, and some other little grass areas as well as a spot for his big '2' candle. I used a toothpick to sketch out the basic outline of the tree trunk and the tunnel opening in order to have something to work around.

Next I tinted the brown and piped the tree trunk. I did the blue after that and because I didn't have much frosting left I made it bright so I could use the white crumb layer to mix in if needed. On the front I kept it thin, but solid and on the back I used less and kind of swirled it on. It actually looked more like an actual sky with color variation and such. At this point the cake needed a cool down so it went into the fridge while I fed the baby.

I took the rest of the brown and a bit more frosting I scraped out of the bowl (I was working with a very limited amount by this time) and made it the black for the tunnel and the train tracks. The tracks are easily made the right distance if you first lightly push the toy down into the frosting then do your best to keep the right width.

After I got that on, using a toothpick to make the edges meet up with the blue and green nicely, I added a few birds, his birth date and such. The top has "Happy 2nd Birthday" on it and is a bit awkward because of the crazy slope of the cake. Again, leveling would have been my friend! And the words on just on the crumb layer as I had no frosting left to make it pretty before adding the message.

Had I made more frosting I would have done the decorating order very differently. I would have done the crumb coat, then the sky (including over tunnel area), the grass and the top. After that I would have added the tunnel over the sky without worrying about edges, the tree, then the leaves and shrubs and birds and writing. I also would have done some edging on the top and around the base of the cake and probably added some bricks (like our train set) or stones around the edges of the tunnel. All in all the decorating took less than an hour of hands on time and it ended up looking pretty good. More time and skill would have made it a lot better, but I'm no professional and I just wanted to make my Little Guy's day with a cake he'd like.

Right before serving I added one of his Thomas train engines and the candle. Of course, you could also make the Thomas out of fondant or cake and really make it great, but I needed to keep it simple and the toy worked like a charm. Oh, and I'm not a professional cake decorator.

We set the cake in the middle of some of his train track with some of his other trains on the track. (It made for a cute centerpiece and would really look great if you had a whole buffet. I'm thinking a table of food with train track running all over it and round the food. Then a circle of tracks in the middle with the cake in the center. Think he'll be into trains next year?) We lit the candle, sang 'Happy Birthday' and Little Guy blew it out on the first try. He was so, so excited about the cake and that is what makes me the happiest!

Hope you have happy birthdays in your house too!
Heather

p.s. Little Guy figured out how to turn the knob AND push to get doors open yesterday. Previously he would only do one of the two actions at a time. We liked the fact that we could shut the door to the bathroom and Daddy's office and he couldn't get in. Now he can. Yikes.

Two plus 1

2010-07-31T06:39:00.005-05:00

Today is the day after Little Guy's second birthday! I cannot believe that two years have past since his birth...or that 6 weeks have past since Peanut's birth. Time takes on a whole new dimension when kids are involved, doesn't it?

I'm hearing him stirring in his crib right now and his first words said on his second day as a two year old? "Birthday Cake!" The kiddo loves cake and cupcakes and isn't afraid to let the world know it!

I can't wait to show you the cake I whipped up for him. Due to the close proximity of his sister's birth and the complications after (including much, much slower recovery than with his) we decided not to do any kind of party. Yesterday was a day just for our family. It was a great day of presents, family time and yes, there was birthday cake. Specifically a Thomas the Train birthday cake. And for doing it the night before I think it turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself!

And since I've been horrible about posting pictures for the last few months I figure I'd change that today in honor of his birthday+1. He has taken to asking to hold his sister and then tells us to get the camera. It is too adorable to watch him hop up on the couch, hold his arms out and then pose for us with her in his arms. Of course, when he is done with it all he just starts pushing her off his lap, saying "tank to" over and over again (thank you)...so we've got to be ready to catch her! And I realize this is the first picture of her that I've posted. All I can say is sorry for the delay, it has been crazy. And yes, she is that big. We got an announcement of another birth and the babies looked so little next to their brother who is the same age as Little Guy. She is a "healthy, solid girl" to quote her pediatrician!

I'm so grateful to have this happy, healthy and too cute little man in my life. He keeps me on my toes and has taught me more about myself than I could ever imagine. Happy Birthday (+1) and thanks for being my boy!

Loving my babies,
Heather

Peanut's Birth Story--Part 4

2010-07-16T19:00:00.001-05:00

And a long finish!

Daddy continued the trek to the center with me having contractions and laboring with my eyes closed. I did grab the phone and made a call to find out where Coral and Debby were since things were not slowing down as expected, but rather getting closer and stronger all the time. Based on our short conversations we would all be arriving at the center at approximately the same time. By this point I just wanted to be out of the van and be at the center. I was really working hard to try and relax, but was struggling to do so in the position I was sitting in. I had one moment of nausea that I was grateful to have pass quickly. There was also a moment where I got really emotional and choked up. I told Daddy that I’d told you it was time and really tried to stay focused on that phrase as I worked through each contraction. At one point we stopped at a red light and I told Daddy that he should feel free to push the boundaries of yellow lights. He promptly informed me that he had done that already!

One of the funniest things that was not funny as it happened was that as we got ready to turn left into the parking area an older man with a walker took one step into the driveway. We had to sit and wait for him to cross (oh, so slowly) and while we were waiting and I was having contractions a long line of cars was coming. Gratefully a very wonderful person let us through the line as soon as the gentleman was clear of the drive. We parked next to Debby who was unpacking her things and I immediately got out of the van and had another contraction against the side (right before 4:30). As soon as it was over I got into the birthing room and headed to the bathroom while Daddy and Debby got things unpacked. In the bathroom I was feeling overwhelmed, but told myself that by the time I felt this way with your brother I was only about 2 hours away from having him. I knew I could get through 2 hours for you too! By the time I got out of the bathroom Coral had arrived. I was having contractions very close together and felt like I was working hard, but trying to stay relaxed. I swayed and blew horse lips and danced with you. Daddy was behind me rubbing my hips and lower back though each and every contraction. Coral told us that after she saw me have two contractions back to back she immediately turned to the birth pool and realized it was too hot for me to get into. She turned the cold water on full blast and was also bustling around. Once Debby had everything ready she told me that I needed to climb on the bed so she could check me and take a heart beat reading from you and a blood pressure reading from me. I was not excited about having to lay down since there was no real break between contractions and I really preferred standing and swaying to manage the discomfort. I also told her I just didn’t want to hear I was a ‘3.’ Immediately Coral and Debby said “you won’t be a 3.” They knew I was a lot further along than that!

I got on the bed and Debby listened to you. As always you sounded great! Then she checked me and her exact words were “Honey, you aren’t going to believe it” and I thought the only thing I won’t believe is if she says I can push! Turns out I was at a 9 and when the next contraction hit your water broke and my body just started pushing. I tried to turn onto my right side and hold up my leg because I was pushing like crazy. Coral grabbed my leg on the next contraction and helped hold it and I just kept pushing and pushing. The only thought I had was that I wanted to be in the water and I started begging for it. Literally I kept saying “Please, please, please just let me get in the pool!” and after Debby was done they helped me get there. It was a wonderful relief to be in the water. Immediately the pain went down a notch and I was able to relax between contractions. It felt like things were very intense during each contraction, but that in between I would have a bit of a break and time to regroup.

In the water I was floating in and out of lots of different positions, but mostly I was on my knees and pushing straight down. Debby was very concerned since she couldn’t catch you if I didn’t lean back against Daddy or get onto my hands and knees. There just wasn’t room for her hands underneath me in the water, besides which she couldn’t see. She was also very concerned because she was having a hard time getting a read on you. Normally she listens to heart tones every 5 minutes, but she only got about 3 readings on you the entire time I was pushing (about 30 minutes). I was never worried about you, but it was obvious that she was concerned since she didn’t know how you were doing. Coral said I was in and out of many different positions and I know I often had my right foot down on the pool (one sided squat) while the left knee was down. I did get both feet under me at one point and I know I kept trying to go forward into hands and knees for Debby’s sake. Daddy just kept rubbing my hips and back wherever I told him/showed him to do so. He never got in the pool because there was never time for him to change!

It felt like pushing went so fast and compared to your brother’s birth, it did. In the end you were born all in one push! Your head and body all came out of me in one swoop at 5:27 pm on Thursday, June 17th. I felt like I went from a 100 (working so hard) to a 2. It just all seemed unreal how quickly it all just stopped and there you were! Debby commented that you torpedoed out of me in one rotation. I was leaning back so Debby had room to catch you and immediately you came up into my arms. My first comment as I saw you coming up out of the water was “It IS a girl!” since so many people had thought that you were. I was so excited to be able to meet my little girl!

You never cried as you came out of the water. In my arms you made a little noise, kind of like you were saying hi to us. Daddy was behind us and we were leaning against the pool. I said that someone needed to get the camera (again had not been out yet because of how fast things happened) and Coral was able to get some quick shots of the three of us. We didn’t think about it at first, but it is kind of neat that we are still connected in a few of them. Daddy got pretty emotional, which I didn’t realize since he was behind me. His first comment was that he’d get to walk you down the aisle someday. I quickly realized that he was awfully touched to be the Daddy of a little girl! Daddy cut your cord and Debby took you over to the bed to check you out and collect some blood for your blood test. You were 9 pounds, 6 ounces, 21 inches long and had a head 37 cm around. All in all you were a big, healthy baby girl! I also got out and headed to the bed to be close to you and to finish up delivering your placenta and get fixed up myself.

That night was wonderful. After we were both taken care of you nursed for over an hour straight. You were so peaceful. It is the word that all of us used for you over and over again. Coral told us that most water babies are quieter since they’ve had a gentler birth. You were wide awake for about 3 hours and we so loved the sweet time with you! After you fell asleep we had dinner that I had made and Coral baked for us. The chicken enchiladas were yummy and were followed up by some of the Birth Day cake I had made. Coral and Debby joined us for that and we all sang Happy Birthday to you! After Debby left Coral went into the other room and we finished calling Grandparents and Aunt Sarah. They were all thrilled that things had gone so well and tickled pink that a girl had entered our lives! We had a good night of sleep since you seemed to like sleep right away and headed for home about 9:45am the next day.

We went to pick up your brother at Grandma and Grandpa S’s house and told them your name. We wanted your brother to hear it from us as he met you so we kept them in suspense overnight! At their house he held you for the first time and he was so good with you. Gentle kisses on your head and kept saying “Baby” over and over again. After Grandma held you and everyone got pictures we headed home to settle in as a family. You have been a wonderful eater and sleeper and continue to be a peaceful baby. We are so thrilled to have you in our family and cannot wait to enjoy watching you grow. You are our sweet girl and we are grateful to be your parents.

Hope you enjoyed a peak into her arrival. I promise pictures soon. Her baptism is on Sunday so we are busy preparing for that...and more guests!
Heather

Peanut's Birth Story--Part 3

2010-07-15T19:00:00.001-05:00

And the saga continues....

After lunch we laid your brother down and Daddy ran out to get some things. I laid down for a while and rested some more. At 2 pm I decided that I was going to go for a walk by myself and see if you and I could get things moving. We headed over to the cemetery and I walked as hard as I could. (Which was not very hard compared to most, but okay for me at 41 + weeks!) I didn’t get too far and a contraction hit. I headed to a tree, leaned against it and just relaxed my way through it. As it passed I started walking again. It was fairly warm in the sun so I just stayed in the shaded areas and learned fairly quickly to stay close to the big trees as they were good buddies during contractions. While I was walking I was talking to you my little one. I just kept chatting about whether you were a boy or a girl, my love for you and my desire to meet you as soon as possible. I ended up using the phrase “its time” over and over again. As in, it is time for you and I to meet and it is time for you to dance your way into this world. And the contractions seemed to be coming closer together and all were fairly strong so it seemed that maybe you agreed! I couldn’t help but wonder what the workers thought as they were landscaping and cutting grass and they kept seeing me swaying while leaning against the big trees. I had to be quite a sight!

I didn’t know how much time had passed, but I knew that things seemed to be moving along and I headed home to Daddy. I decided that we should get things together, drop your brother off and head to the birth center. If things slowed down again (which I figured they would with the changes) then we could walk in the Falls or go out to dinner. Either way we’d be closer to where we needed to be and your brother would be taken care of. I wasn’t anxious and really didn’t think things were moving too quickly, but just felt like we should take the next step. When I got home I realized I’d been gone about 40 minutes and had about 8 contractions while at the cemetery. That meant they were about 5 minutes apart which was closer than I had thought. I told Daddy my idea and he decided to finish up a few things while I packed up the cooler. Shortly after we talked I realized that the contractions were still coming fairly strong and told Daddy that we needed to not waste time and get going. Again, I didn’t feel panicked I just felt like we needed to get moving. The timing worked out well since your brother woke up and we headed out the door by 3 pm. We had called Coral to let her know the plan and she said she’d head over the center to get the birth pool ready and we called Debby who was with her grandsons and she said she’d get moving towards the center soon as well. Our final call on the way out the door was to Grandma and Grandpa F's answering machine to let them know we were headed towards the center.

Once we were in the van I realized that I was going to be having contractions while we were driving. I do not know why this hadn’t clicked with me before, but since I didn’t have any with your brother I had not considered what that would be like with you. Turned out I wasn’t too fond of laboring sitting in a seat with my seat belt on as it made it really hard to relax through the contractions. We were joking around talking about the fact that we’d be able to bill for 2 days at the center since we’d be getting there in the evening and you would probably be born in the wee hours of the morning or sometime the next day. And as we were driving your Daddy started watching the clock to see how far apart the contractions were. We quickly discovered that they were getting closer together! When we were almost to the Marquette Interchange I saw that traffic was backed up on every interstate except the direction we were headed and I was so grateful that we could keep driving. The closer we got to your Grandma and Grandpa S's house the harder the contractions were coming. We had polka music playing and your brother was trying to sing along. Thankfully he thought many of my labor noises were just me singing too!

We were only a few miles from S’s house when I told your Daddy that I thought we needed to just go to the center and have them meet us there. I was feeling overwhelmed with the strength and number of contractions and just didn’t know how long I could keep laboring in the van. Since we were going to be driving right past their house we decided to drop your brother off, but Daddy called them and warned them that this would be a fast stop. We pulled up and they were waiting for us. I got him out of his seat while Daddy unloaded everything. Grandpa grabbed things from Daddy while I put your brother down to have a contraction against the van. He got upset because of all the commotion and having been put down, but Grandma picked him up right away. We pulled away from the house to a crying boy with stuff all over the lawn…it was literally a 3 minute drop off.

More tomorrow! Part 4 here.
Heather

Peanut's Birth Story--Part 2

2010-07-14T19:00:00.001-05:00

The saga continues...read part 1 here

We had an appointment with our midwife on Monday, June 14th and discussed our options. Everything seemed fine and we weren’t worried about your health even though we were starting week 41 on Tuesday. Our biggest concern was that Aunt Sarah and the cousins were planning to come from Arkansas on the weekend and we didn’t know if they should. Also, starting on Sunday Daddy was going to be gone every day for a big part of the day doing festivals and libraries. If we got to week 42 and they started talking about induction we would have a real challenge on our hands. And even if things were going well I would be home with your brother and no vehicle if I went into labor. We had a three day window (Thur-Sat) that were quiet and we really hoped you would be here or come on those days. In the end you did just that!

At our appointment with Debby she gave us some B&B which was an herbal concoction that helps to encourage labor. Starting that day I took a dropper of it 5 hours in a row and pumped for 10 minutes each time to encourage the hormones that would help labor get going. I would feel contractions, but nothing too intense and they wouldn’t roll into anything once the 5 hours were up. We continued to walk a lot and do everything we could to encourage you to come. Daddy had a library to play on Wednesday and we decided that if you had not appeared by then we would strip my membranes that afternoon to see if that would help. Tuesday was the same as Monday and Wednesday was too, so Debby came over on Wednesday afternoon and proceeded with the plan.

When she stripped my membranes I was dilated to a 2 and over 60% effaced so we still had a ways to go. After she left I had a really strong contraction, but the rest of the evening was pretty normal. I baked a Birth Day cake to encourage you to come celebrate a birth day and we enjoyed a piece after dinner. After our walk we all headed to bed and as I laid down at 10 I started to have a few contractions, but by 10:30 they had stopped. I slept until 12:30 and was awakened by a contraction for the first time! The rest of the night I would dose off and wake up to contractions. Sometimes they came fairly often, sometimes I would only get 2 or so in an hour. They were all fairly intense and I would find myself waking up very tense. I just did my best to relax through them and didn’t do anything to wake up your Daddy. I was so hoping that they would continue and that things would move along!

At about 6 your brother woke up and I got up to get us breakfast. I decided to call Debby and let her know what was happening as well as get advice as to how I could encourage things along. She suggested doing the herbs and pumping, going for a walk and then resting as I didn’t get a lot of sleep that night. So, we did just that! We also called Coral (our doula and birth center owner) so she would know that something was happening, but nothing too urgent. As the morning continued I would have a few contractions an hour, all strong, but nothing seemed to be getting into a rhythm or progressing too quickly. We talked to Debby at noon and decided that if nothing had picked up I would take castor oil before 4 pm with the hope that it would kick us up enough to bring you. I was not looking forward to it, but since time was running low we thought we’d give it a shot.

More soon! Part 3 here.
Heather

Peanut's Birth Story

2010-07-13T19:41:00.005-05:00

Or the post that has taken too long to get started! I've had multiple e-mails and even a comment now asking where the heck this has been. So without further ado...let the saga begin! (Seeing that it is 6 pages long, I'm going to break it up a bit.)

When telling your birth story where do I begin? Do I begin with my missing the newborn phase within weeks of your brother’s birth? Does it start when we officially started trying to have you around the time he turned one? Does it start when I took a test and thought it was negative only to realize the test was defective and that I still didn’t know if I was pregnant or not? Or when we finally got the positive that I’d been praying for? Or when the practice contractions started exactly as the third trimester began? Or when your due date came and went without you showing up? Or when I cried and cried as your Grandma and Grandpa F. came and went and you still hadn’t shown up? Or when I started to worry about the 42 week mark and we decided to try a few more methods to encourage you to come? Or when real contractions finally, FINALLY started coming but didn’t really seem to go anywhere? Or when you and I took a walk by ourselves in Mt. Olivet and talked and walked hard and kicked the contractions into a 5 minute pattern? Or when we were in the van and I realized I did not want to labor there and that we needed to be to the center as soon as possible? Or when we got there and time just flew by until you torpedoed out into the water? I’ll do my best to summarize your story my girl. It has been quite a ride!

Your Daddy and I always knew we wanted to have more than one child. I think siblings are a great blessing and your Daddy wanted his kids to have them since he never did. So there was never really a question that we would have another baby after your brother joined us. What surprised me was how quickly I felt myself wanting another child. Within months of his birth I was ready to try for you and by the time he turned one we were both excited about when we’d find out about you. It took a little longer than we thought it would, especially considering how quickly we found out about your brother. In the end your timing couldn’t have been better since it gave me the opportunity to be home with you both while Daddy worked hard playing libraries during the summer.

When we finally took a test one Sunday morning I was incredibly disappointed to find it not showing positive. Quickly we realized the control line didn’t show up either and that the test was probably bad. After we came home from church I thought I saw a little dot on the ‘positive’ line and told your Daddy that the test was mocking me. It took a few days to get another test and when we finally took it I was already pretty sure I was pregnant and I was! We were so excited and had the opposite reactions that we’d had with your brother. I couldn’t stop laughing and smiling and your Daddy was pretty shocked. I think the reality of learning that he’d be the father of two hit him all at once!

Our pregnancy was pretty normal and your journal will fill you in on lots of the day to day details. We knew we wanted to use a midwife and I hoped we’d be able to use Well Rounded Maternity Center. In the end it all worked out wonderfully for both.

We were really hoping you would arrive just before or right around your due date of Tuesday, June 8^th as your Grandma and Grandpa F. would be here. They came up on June 5^th to attend the wedding reception of my cousin and had taken off an entire week to be here. When you had not arrived before the 5^th your Daddy and I decided to invite Grandma to be at your birth if it happened while they were in town. While they were here they did all kinds of projects around our house, we went for lots of walks, Grandma and I went rummaging, she came to an appointment and heard your heartbeat and we all waited and waited. Your brother was born the day before his due date and we really expected that you would come around then too, but you had different plans. Grandma and Grandpa left on Saturday, June 12^th having not yet met you. I was so disappointed and I know they were as well. We had the best time with them and they loved being with your brother, but you were the star of the show and you didn’t make an appearance! You had very different plans.

To be continued soon, I promise! Part 2 here.
Heather

Still Here!

2010-07-02T21:25:00.002-05:00

We are slowly adjusting to life with two little ones here! Things are so different with our schedules now (due to Mike's work) that it is hard to know what makes things more challenging the new baby, the new schedule, or me taking longer to be up and running. All in all things are really going very well and I am so grateful to be feeling better. Our little peanut (who is no peanut, but I can't stop calling her that) is such a joy. She is so easy going, only gets me up twice a night and just goes with the flow for the most part. Unless she's hungry, then do not make her wait. The girl likes to eat....hmmmm, wonder where she gets that from? :)

I plan on posting her birth story soon. I'm writing it as a letter to her, but am going to share it here. I'll also be posting some pictures soon with all her details. I do believe that I'll end up calling her Peanut on the blog as it seems to be my nickname for her!

Hope you all have a wonderful 4th! Mike is playing in a local parade and I really, really want to take the kiddos, but we are expecting 90 degree weather and we'd be in it for a while since Daddy will be in the parade. I'm just not sure that is a smart thing to do with a 2 week old and an almost 2 year old, especially all by myself and not at my strongest yet. We'll see, but I have a feeling I may end up staying home. Then, because I'm crazy, we are picking up produce that night. We had no plans and the opportunity came up. I'm hopeful that it will be easy to freeze stuff that I can put up quickly. If not, I will probably give a lot away or compost it. I do not think I'm up for any big canning sessions yet. And we have lots more freezer space now as our company this last month helped eat up a lot of my freezer cooking.

Take care and enjoy your weekend!
Heather

Whirlwind

2010-06-24T11:00:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note to say I will be posting a birth story and pictures and such fairly soon. We are all doing well, but it took a few days to get here. Turns out my rather unusual birth injury became an issue and I ended up having (very unexpected) surgery after a check up on Wed. We got to come home that night (there was thought that I'd be staying overnight at the hospital) and everyone from the surgeons to the anesthesiologist to the nurses were incredibly supportive of me and our little girl. I nursed her up until they rolled me into the surgical suite (first time nursing mommy in pre-op) and I was able to nurse her again less than an hour out of surgery. I could not have asked for a better team!

I am finally healing and she is a doll. There will be lots of bragging soon...get ready :)

Heather

Good News!

2010-06-18T13:14:00.000-05:00

SHE'S HERE!!!!

We have a little girl...only she's not so little :) She weighs in at 9 pounds, 6 ounces and 21 inches long. She arrived at 5:27 pm last night at our freestanding birth center. She was born in the water and was this labor ever different than our last....

I can't wait to share the entire story, but basically we had a wonderful, completely natural water birth. Contractions kicked in big time about 2 pm and we were only at the center for an hour before she was born. Less than 30 minutes of pushing...last time 2 1/2 hours of pushing and a total of 46 hours of trying to make labor go and being in labor. What a difference for a much bigger baby.

Thank you again for all your support and prayers...more info coming soon!

Heather

Progress?

2010-06-17T05:56:00.002-05:00

Maybe this baby is going to come after all....

Last night lots of contractions waking me up! Right now they've been about 15-20 minutes apart and are fairly short, but intense. They've been as close as 8 or so minutes and were pretty much all night with about a 2 hour break from 10:30-12:30. I finally decided to get up and get going and see what that does for them. I also now realize that (just like during my first labor) I have a hard time waking into a contraction and being relaxed. I wake up tensing against the discomfort and have to work into letting go. Hopefully (like my first labor) I will find that being up and about will help me stay more relaxed and let them do their job even better!

Here's hoping for a baby today :) Thanks for the prayers!

Heather

41 and Counting

2010-06-16T19:37:00.003-05:00

Just a quick update...still pregnant!

We've passed the official 41 weeks mark (on Tuesday) and decided to strip my membranes today. Here's hoping it did something to help move things along. Since we are starting to come up against a major shift in schedule for our family (Daddy will be gone every day for a large part of the day for about a month straight) and potential of induction we've decided to keep encouraging my body with many different things. We are still doing the herbs, the pumping and assorted other activities that encourage labor. You know, like walking :)

Tomorrow I'll be drinking the caster oil unless things change before then. Here's hoping I can avoid it! We'll be doing that in the morning along with the 5 hours (10 minutes each hour) of pumping and a dose of B&B each time. If things do not change after that we'll reevaluate. My midwife does not think a chiropractor is worth the money for me since I do not normally see one. She has only seen decent success when it is part of an ongoing treatment. However, she did say that acupuncture could be helpful if we exhaust everything else. Time will tell how far we'll have to go.

It is interesting to see how my emotions change from day to day right now. I am still very sad that my parents will not meet this baby until the middle of July. I really wish my mom could have been here for the birth. I also believe that babies come when they are ready and wish we were not having to do anything to encourage this baby. I know that it will break my heart a little if we have to do a hospital induction, especially since the chances of Mike missing the birth go up exponentially if the baby does not come by Saturday. I really want to be holding my baby in my arms, looking in his/her eyes, figuring out how to balance the baby and Little Guy and just be able to be a mom now...

Such an interesting journey, isn't it?

Still praying for labor,
Heather

Bye Bye Grandma and Grandpa

2010-06-13T07:34:00.003-05:00

What a week!

This has been one of the most interesting weeks of my life, I dare say. My parents were here for 8 days and we had the BEST time with them. Seriously, my husband and I agree this was the very best vacation/visit we have ever experienced with them. Often there is some type of craziness when family is all together or my parents are distracted by the dog and cat rescue that they run. We've had a few vacations that have left us feeling more than a little frustrated or just ready to be back in our routine at home.

This one was wonderful. Grandma and Grandpa played with Little Guy, were totally plugged in to us, visited with other family here in the state, spent a couple hours a few times during the week working on their volunteering, went with us to the zoo, a Brewer's game, a playground, to rummage sales and just really seemed to be on vacation with us. They also did a bunch of big projects for us around the house which was an added blessing! (I got two little raised gardening beds!!!)

It really was perfect (with one tiny little exception). They were staying for a week in order to meet their newest grandchild. Said child did not cooperate. Baby 2 is still happily squirming around in me. I cannot tell you the emotional upheaval this has caused for me. I wanted them to meet the baby. I want to meet the baby. I had debated and finally decided that I would have my mom with me and Mike during the delivery. We will probably not have this opportunity again since my mom lives 9 hours away, but it seemed to be ready to work out perfectly this time. But it didn't.

The baby reminded me...I'm not in charge here. Baby 2 hasn't found his/her birthday yet. Baby will come when baby is ready. That may mean that things get a bit challenging here as Mike heads into his very busy summer library schedule. I don't know what will happen or how we'll make sure Daddy is there for the delivery (or how I'll get to the birth center without a second vehicle) but we'll have to figure it out if Baby waits another week.

I just wish, wish, wish that Baby 2 would have arrived. I cannot believe how emotional it has made me to have to say good bye to my parents without having had the baby. I've cried a lot in the last 24 hours..A LOT. I keep hoping that means baby will come, but mostly I'm just so disappointed and sad that things were so wonderful and yet weren't.

Does that make any sense?

And since we are only hours away from 41 weeks (and I DREAD having to talk to our midwife about switching to an OB and induction and no birth center) we'd love any additional ideas that anyone has about starting labor. Our midwife gave us a few very common and simple ideas before, but she waits until at least 41 weeks to talk about other options. We'll be having that talk tomorrow at 9am!

Pray for contractions is now my motto...funny, it was the same after my water broke with Little Guy and labor wasn't kicking in hard enough. I guess God really wants me to want to have labor.

Heather

Waiting....

2010-06-03T17:47:00.002-05:00

That's what I'm doing. Not very patiently, but still I'm waiting. And I'm taking phone calls from those who are also not very patiently waiting for Baby 2's arrival.

My parents are driving up on Saturday to attend a cousin's wedding. But really, they are coming to meet their newest grandchild. Unfortunately they have planned the trip (based on the wedding) before we know when baby will get here! Now my mom is in a bit of a panic worrying that Baby 2 will not come before they have to leave to go home. I've told her to think patient thoughts and come prepared to play with Little Guy. They planned a trip (also due to a wedding) for a few days past Little Guys due date and he performed perfectly arriving a few days before they arrived. This baby is due 4 days after they get here and we have no signs that labor is going to start anytime soon.

I'm also slightly worried that having my parents in our home will not be the best thing for me to be relaxed and ready for labor. Anyone have any advice about having house guests and putting yourself into labor?

This waiting and watching is an interesting lesson for me. I'm working on making sure that I continue to have trust that my body will kick into labor all by itself and that Baby 2 will not be a 10 pounder! :) Here's hoping that things happen sooner rather than later and that all goes well!

Heather

Baby Preparation Update

2010-05-28T21:19:00.003-05:00

I'm happy to report that most everything is ready for Baby 2 to make an appearance!

The biggest thing left that I'd like to have done is a hair cut for me (and do one on Mike and Little Guy). I got my hair cut shorter before Little Guy was born and then it started growing and growing and growing. I think I've only had one cut since then and after a certain point I figured I'd let it grow enough for a Locks of Love donation. It is finally long enough and I just want it gone! The challenge is working in a time to get it cut. I told Mike that if it isn't done before labor I may cut it off myself while in labor as it really is getting on my nerves on my best days and I imagine it will be a lot worse when in labor!

The one thing I really thought I did well before Little Guy's birth was to stock our freezer and I've worked hard to do it again. It saves so much effort and money to have things pre-made. Especially when Mike doesn't cook! We got a pretty generous amount of our regular frozen stuff (veggies, meats, cheese, etc) and I pre-made a bunch of meals as well. To give you an idea of what we've got on hand in our chest freezer...

1 Sausage, Onion and Pepper Quiche
4 Calzones
Chicken Enchiladas (1 meal)
3 Large containers of Jambalaya
3 Veggie Lasagnas
2 Southwestern Veggie Bake Casseroles
7 Beef, Cheese and Bean Burritos
1 Recipe of Angel Chicken (just need to make pasta)
1 Large batch of Colorful Chicken and Rice
2 Turkey Pot Pies
1 Large batch of Cheesy Sausage Penne

4 loaves of banana bread
2 loaves of bread
1 bag of bagels
tortillas
6 pizza crusts
biscuits

I'm sure there are more things I'm forgetting, but overall I'm pretty sure that we'll be eating well (and easily) after baby comes. And thanks to the farmer's market we'll be supplementing more and more fresh local stuff too!

Now that the heat is better I'm feeling a little better too. I'm working hard not to be too anxious about getting baby here earlier rather than later! With Little Guy I fully expected to go past 41 weeks (like the average 1st baby) and for some reason I keep thinking this one will come in May (due date is June 8th). Baby 2 will come when s/he is good and ready and I'll do my best to be patient until that day. Although after Sunday we've got a fairly quite week...it would be really convenient :)

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! Take some time to remember all the brave troops. I'm very grateful to my brother-in-law who is currently deployed as well as my numerous cousins, uncles, and grandfather who have all served as well. They are true heros.

Heather

Anyone?

2010-05-23T16:08:00.003-05:00

Another question in the title...am I in the uncertain, wait for labor to start, what should I do next, what is not so important as I think it is, why do I not have a bag packed yet time of pregnancy or what? :)

I'm just wondering if anyone who reads this blog has any experience with a few things that might lead them to think that labor might be coming sooner rather than later. You know, so I can figure out which of my many 'to do' items should get done and which I should just drop.

With Little Guy I didn't really go into labor as much as force myself into labor once my water had broken. We were so focused on getting things rolling that I'm not sure what the lead up was like. With this pregnancy so much as been different and these last few weeks are seeming to be VERY different as well.

To give you an idea, I spent much of this morning crying. Why? Really, no good reason, but I felt overwhelmed, under appreciated, stressed, nauseous, and just really off. I've been feeling nauseous a lot more with the end of this pregnancy than I did before and today it is really, really hot. Heat is not my friend when I am pregnant!

So, anyone out there ever been really nauseous and/or really, really emotional at the end of a pregnancy? Got any advice? It would sure be appreciated!

Heather

Seriously?

2010-05-21T12:43:00.004-05:00

Just a quick note to say that I am still alive and to rant on something that kind of blows my mind.

First off, Baby 2 is moving down and has been given the all clear for delivery anytime! We are at about 37 1/2 weeks, so sometime between now and mid-June we'll be off to the birth center. I definitely feel the preparations my body is making more this time around. And I can feel parts of the baby more than with Little Guy. It is so interesting how different two pregnancies can be! Especially around 9:30-10pm when Baby 2 gets hiccups. I never felt them even once with Little Guy and they are almost a nightly event now. If you don't mind, I would love it if you would keep Baby 2 and me in your prayers. We are Strep B + (again) and will be monitoring things closely as we labor towards a safe, natural delivery!

Second, have you seen this? I saw a blurb about it a few weeks ago and thought it just couldn't be true. Yet, I absolutely knew it was. And now they launched the advertising campaign. I wonder what Jamie Oliver would think of this? If only they had strawberry flavor than it would perfectly set the kids up for school. They would drink plain old breast milk or formula for 12 months (poor kids with no flavoring in their lives!) and then from 12-36 months they would enjoy vanilla or chocolate (maybe strawberry if we lobby hard enough) whatever you consider this beverage to be and then go into Head Start or preschool or K-3 (whatever your area calls it) and start drinking flavored milk! It is perfect....

Ugh. I seriously cannot believe that there will be parents who will feel that their toddlers need this drink. They will feel that since the little one doesn't always want to eat this new product will balance everything out and make sure their kid is healthy. Then when that same child doesn't ever want anything that isn't artificially flavored or processed they will continue to give in to more junk foods "just so they eat something." I feel so sorry for those kids! And I cannot believe that any adult would give in to that. Kids will not starve themselves. Little Guy loves veggies and fruits and yet has meals where he won't touch a pea or a bean (his two favorite veggies). It doesn't mean we break out the chocolate. It means we don't make an issue out of it and at the next meal we offer more veggies. He was totally anti-broccoli for a while and now he has been eating it really well. The answer was not to avoid giving him broccoli for the rest of his life! In fact I always tell him how much he loves carrots or beans or whatever veggie he is turning away at that particular meal. I figure it can't hurt to be reminded! And there is no vegetable that he has avoided continually, which tells me that sometimes he just isn't into what I made or he is just asserting his independence. That's fine, but he'll still eat veggies every day of his life--or at least until I have no say over it anymore!

This kind of thinking is why the most common vegetable eaten by 12 months old kiddos is french fries. Seriously, does anyone (besides those running the school lunch program) think that a french fry is a vegetable?

Sorry for ranting, but seriously does anyone think this is a good idea?

Heather

**I do realize there is an unflavored version, but that is sure not the one being advertised! It is all about the flavors...new flavors...how exciting for you 12 month old! I sure hope anyone who feels the need for this chooses unflavored, but I'm guessing that will be much harder to find and not very popular.**

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T13:38:00.002-05:00

A big hug of love to all the moms out there. Today can be a wonderful celebration of what we've been blessed with and also a sad reminder of what we are missing. I hope that you spend your day (mother or not) remembering all the women who've been important to you in your life! And then give them a call (especially if they aren't your mom) and let them know.

And don't forget to call your mom too...she'll appreciate it! If only I could catch mine at home, that woman is a busy person. We've traded voice mails (hers made me cry) and hopefully we'll talk later. Until then, I'm busy cooking and cleaning for my in-law's visit. Someday I'll be the spoiled one on Mother's Day, but until my husband decides to learn to cook I'm making all the meals :)

And (not to complain too much) I wish more guys understood that gifts are not about the money, they are about the thought. I think all moms would appreciate a break, a massage/foot rub, a simple sweet card, or something meaningful on this day. Becoming a mother isn't about fan fare, it is profound, meaningful and moving. I personally think the day should reflect that...anyone with me?

Happy Mother's Day to all the ladies out there,
Heather

His Voice

2010-05-06T19:05:00.002-05:00

A moment happened today that made me have a thought that I want to remember. So, I figured I'd best write it down before it disappears! Our little Baby 2 seems to be sucking many of my brain cells these days :)

Little Guy has had his voice for quite a while. He isn't afraid to let us know when he really wants something (he signs and says more, more, more), when he really likes something (mmmmmmmm!), or when he really doesn't want something (no, no, no, no with shaking of head and often times his hand or finger as well). I like the fact that he tries hard to let us know what he thinks and the more he learns to communicate the easier it has become to meet his needs and enjoy his antics.

Lately however, he is going beyond the basics in letting us know what he thinks. He is starting to really get upset when he doesn't get his way or when we enforce our expectations. Typically he is a pretty happy kid with a very willing spirit to do what we ask. We really are very fortunate! It is a bit of an adjustment to see him really try and test limits or express such frustration when he is told no. The hands clench, back arches, he makes a stinker face and really lets his voice (scream) be heard.

Today he was 'sharing' one of his frustrations about something I had told him at the table. As he was being upset with me and vocalizing his opinion I had a bit of a revelation. I realized that as challenging as some of the times to come may be and as hard as it is to not get frustrated with him when he gets opinionated I am glad I have a little boy who knows his mind. He has an opinion about things and wants it to be heard and respected. I would rather raise a child who will know his own mind and let it be heard than one who just goes along with the crowd and does whatever his friends think is best. In order to raise him that way, I will have to deal with a toddler who voices his frustrations at me and my opinions. (He gets that strong will from someone, right?) And then a teenager who does the same. Lord help me keep my cool, but in the end he should be a stronger adult for it.

I realize this is probably a bit of a leap, but it sure helped me get a new perspective on his growing independence and how I need to address discipline with him. He has rules to follow and there will be consequences when he doesn't. However, I want to encourage him to have his own opinions, know his own mind, and not be afraid to let others know what he thinks.

And somehow I'll figure out how to do that without going crazy myself, right? Any advice is welcome :)

Heather

Canning again!

2010-04-27T15:15:00.004-05:00

Saturday Mike and I went and did the Freecycle produce pickup. It has been months and months since we've been involved, but they needed help, we had a gift certificate to use for the A&W near the pickup spot and I'm in serious nesting/cooking mode. Made sense to volunteer!

We ended up picking up 5 cases of nectarines, 2 cases of green grapes (most were composted right away), a flat of strawberries, probably 20 or so pounds of large onions, and a decent sized box of tomatoes. The benefit of doing a Saturday pickup is that the amount of total produce is lower, so it is easier to manage going through it and composting what is not in good shape without feeling the need to build six more compost bins. I expected to find the quality to be a lot lower, but it turned out to be in fairly decent shape overall. I was especially grateful for the onions since prices have shot up considerably in the last two weeks and we have completely run out of onions with all my pre-baby cooking.

The oddest part is that today, April 27th, I find myself canning. Nothing is really in season yet here in Wisconsin and I have 5 cases of nectarines to deal with. Some are not good, many are a bit discolored inside, but overall they taste good and can just fine. I've done two cases and have 17 quarts done, but I have to work tomorrow and still have 3 cases to go! I'm not complaining, just trying to figure out how to balance canning, being a mom to a very active and not very helpful around boiling water toddler, work and my NEED for a nap after work. Crazy times!

I'm just grateful that our family has a very full freezer, some shelves of home canned goods and full bellies. And when you can get produce for free it is even easier to be grateful for all we have!

And for anyone interested, I'm okay with using this fruit even thought it isn't organic. We eat a lot of organic/home raised fruit and I figure that some of this sprinkled in is okay. When it is free or basically free (see moral dilemma: carrots) I'm not willing to turn my back on it!

For more grateful people visit Heavenly Homemakers.

Have a great day!
Heather

Moral Dilemmas

2010-04-18T04:37:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had a moral dilemma in a grocery store? A while back I had one and then this week I had another...

We are working hard to eating a more real, healthy, local, organic diet. We are also a family working hard to live and eat frugally. I am caught trying to navigate those two worlds as best I can and sometimes, I've discovered, it leads to moral dilemmas in grocery stores!

I ran into Aldi for some milk and discovered they had marked down a huge pallet of carrots to move them quickly. (Total aside, did you know that our Aldi has hormone free milk? Makes me so happy!) Our local Aldi doesn't mark things down very often, but every once in a while they overbuy on some particular produce and I am able to get a great deal. Mike was thrilled with the $.25 avocados I came home with one time! One this particular day they had two pound bags of carrots marked down to $.35. Seriously great price.

Enter the dilemma. Carrots are on the dirty dozen list at number 11. As a rule I've only been buying organic carrots and I can typically get them for about $1/pound if I buy the five pound bag. However, this price is almost like getting them for free. And I really have an issue with not taking advantage of free or almost free produce! I stood and debated and didn't buy any. Then I went home and stewed about it. The next day we were going to be right by the store and I bought 8 pounds worth. Did I cave on my beliefs?

I decided to go with it and to use them sparingly along with my organic. They've all been blanched and frozen and will be stretched out to avoid eating them all at once. I know we've eaten many a carrot that was not organic in our lives. However, I will stick to buying organic carrots as a rule!

Then I went and did a huge grocery run this week. As in spent the equivalent of 2 months of grocery budget in one day...YIKES! I've never, ever spent $200 in one shot, but we will be well stocked for the baby and beyond. We will still need to buy perishables and milk and such, but most the big stuff is well stocked and the freezer will be chock full of meals before I am done!

At Sam's Club I was checking out their meat department to see if they offered any free-range, anti-biotic free meats. And (of course) the reduced for quick sale stuff caught my eye. There was a big piece of eye of round that was marked a decent price. Normally, I would never buy that cut and I have not bought CAFO meat in about 4 months. However, Mike loves chicken fried steak and I've only made it for him once. The farmer we recently bought beef from does not sell round steak or cube steak so I will not have access to it until our 1/4 is ready in November. I made the decision to buy the beef and cut it into steaks that can be pounded down for his favorite meal. Again, it was a compromise to what I want to be doing, but it is something Mike and I will eat and Little Guy will have a different protein. My husband will be happy and in the scheme of things it will be okay. In reality we'll probably eat it about once a month, if that, and all other meat will be farmer direct.

I've decided not to beat myself up too bad. This is a huge baby step for us and our budget. We are doing great and we will never be total purists. What an interesting position to find myself in, though.

Have you ever been in a moral dilemma in a grocery store?
Heather

Lazy Saturday

2010-04-17T13:09:00.003-05:00

Today is one of those days when I am fairly unmotivated, rather groggy and just feel like doing nothing (for the most part). And today is also one of those very rare days when I do not HAVE to do much of anything!

So, I'm taking advantage of this wonderful intersection and am just letting myself be fairly lazy. I've got a load of clothes in the washer and need to hang them out at some point and I've got a huge stack of dishes that I really want to get washed. Other than that, I've got dinner going in the crock pot and Mike is away for most of the day playing at a library. I'm planning a quick nap here shortly while Little Guy is down for his and then we are going to putz around and try and get those dishes done at some point.

I know my days like this are really pretty numbered as I've got a list of things to do before Baby 2 gets here. I'm going to take advantage of it!

And so I don't make this a habit, here's the list of things to get done before Baby 2 arrives!

Freezer meals, breads, and snacks (got the groceries, just need to get cooking!)
Move co-sleeper and other newborn goodies out of attic space
Wash newborn diapers
Organize new scrapbook area---this could take years!
Get all 2009 tax stuff put away
Get garden area/pots ready and planted if at all possible
Practice, Practice, Practice our relaxation methods!
Finalize plans for Little Guy and pack up stuff for him while we are at birth center
Pack up newborn needs and assorted other suggested items to take to birth center
Get details together in the event we would transfer to hospital (insurance, birth plan)
Call insurance and beg to have midwife covered under gap coverage (here's hoping!)
Continue journal for Baby 2, walk everyday, drink my tea, eat protein and get ready for birth!

We can't wait for Baby 2 and yet I know it will mean less time and energy for other things. I just need to remember to get things done while I can and still enjoy these last weeks before our little one joins us out here!

Have a great weekend,
Heather

Babies on a Budget--Diaper Edition

2010-04-09T20:32:00.000-05:00

Diapering...one of those things you just can't avoid if you are having a baby! Never all that pleasant to deal with, but very, very necessary. Unless you have a child who comes out potty trained. In which case I am incredibly jealous! :)

When we got pregnant with Little Guy I decided fairly quickly that I was at least somewhat interested in using cloth diapers. The more I researched, the more interested I became. It really started out as a way to save a lot of money. Then I learned about the environmental impact of disposables. And that you were supposed to empty the 'contents' of disposables (just like you do with cloth) in order to prevent ground water contamination. Then I started hearing numbers about what disposables cost and I became even more convinced that we should cloth diaper. Seriously, I thought it would probably be cheaper, but as I researched and price checked I found out how very, very much money I could save our family! Average cost of disposables per child $3240 and average cost of cloth $600 for all children in the family.

So basically, the 'eeewww' factor should be the same (dealing with contents and such), the environmental impact would be less and the cost would be substantial less. Why not give cloth a shot? Then I discovered the entire new language I would need to learn to decide which cloth to use! Talk about overwhelming....

So there are pre-folds, Chinese pre-folds, diaper service quality pre-folds, one size, pockets, all in ones, contoured, fitted, covers, wool soakers, snappis, microfiber inserts, hemp inserts, bamboo inserts and then there are all of the same choices, but in organic and then there are the name brands, and those made by at home moms and all the used choices and then there abbreviations that people use, but I didn't understand. I'm sure I've missed about 45 other different terms I kept hearing, but all in all my head pretty much started spinning. I am college educated and actually really like researching things, but I was way overloaded! It may have been because I was pregnant and had mommy brain, but it just seemed more confusing than it needed to be!

I started talking to Mike about options, prices and the whole idea. He was onboard and supportive from the beginning. Mike never baby sat and had never changed a diaper. He figured if he had to learn and he learned with cloth he wouldn't know any different. Have I mentioned that I love my husband? And we knew there would be laundry, but I work part time and Mike is at home when I'm at work so we figured we could probably keep up with it. Really it is one load every couple of days, not too much all in all. Really, really love that man!

I finally figured I should keep it simple and make a decision. I read many good things about Kissaluv 0s for newborns, especially those who are breastfed. These diapers were the kind that needed covers and there were a ton of different recommendations. I read many more good things about using one size diapers since they can take a baby from 8 pounds up to about 35. Basically kids can use them until they are potty trained, so it is truly a one time investment. I kept hearing about bumGenius and Happy Heiny diapers and decided to focus on those. Their one size diapers are pockets, which just means that they have a slit on the inside where you put an insert. The insert is what actually does the absorbing and the diapers come with inserts. Of course, you can always buy more inserts or ones made of different materials (hemp, bamboo, etc) but the basics are there when you get started.

I focused on finding those three brands. The Kissaluvs for when Little Guy was newborn and one size diapers to move into as he got a little bigger. I was open to finding used diapers in order to further lower our cost. I also figured if I bought used and it didn't work out I could resell them and we wouldn't lose any money. I knew we'd take a hit of some sort if I bought new and we decided we didn't like them. I ended up searching on craigslis t, diaperswappers, and even asking at rummage sales when I saw things that indicated a possible cloth diapering family.

In the end we bought 5 used bumGenius 2.0s. They were in perfect shape (seriously doubt they were used more than once or twice) and have held up very well. I think bG are diapers that continue to look really nice inside and out, but we've heard from many friends who bought new 3.0s that they have issues with the velcro. We are glad ours are older even if they only came with one insert (the new ones come with two). We also bought 12 used Happy Heinys. These came with two inserts which is helpful at night as we could double Little Guy up as he became a heavier wetter. These looked rougher when we bought them, but they are our work horses. My husband prefers these and overall we seem to have less leaking when using our HH. We were also gifted 2 of these new and very quickly we could not see any difference between the new and the used. The lining of Happy Heiny diapers just gets more beat up more quickly, but it does its job! The velcro tabs are also much bigger which makes for a more secure fit around the waist. (I should mention that ours are all velcro, but there are versions that use snaps as well. The only snaps on ours are the ones that adjust the rise in the front...making it bigger as he grows.) All of these diapers were bought from craigslist listing here in Milwaukee.

We did decide to also get Kissaluv 0s for the early days. I bought a lot of 20 of these from diaperswappers. The person was patient with me as I was such a newbie! The days these came I was in serious nesting, momma mode and just fell in love with them. They are so tiny and such soft colors and I was totally excited to have my baby and put him in them! I believe we got a cover or two as part of the package, but I knew we'd need a few more. I found a mom through rummage sale asking who sold me another 6 Kissaluvs and a couple of covers. Then she suggested I also buy her 12 prefolds. I wasn't sure about those, but decided the price was low enough that they would be my insurance. If we didn't like them, I'd sell them and we would have them on hand in case laundry became overwhelming during the early days when changes happen so, so often. It turns out we didn't love them, but they did help out a few times. We've kept them, but if we don't use them more with this baby we will be selling them. I figure I'd rather use the money to buy one or two more one size diapers. We used our KL0s for about 2 months and do not think they were absolutely necessary, but I'm glad we had them. They fit during those little days and I'm not positive that the one size would have.

We spent less than $400 for all our diapers and wash cloths that we use for wipes. The diapers were all used. And they are still being used! And they will be used even more shortly! Now we are working to build up our stash for when Baby 2 and Little Guy are both in one size. We've added another 5 Happy Heinys I found on craigslist and we figure we still need to add some more. I'm guessing we'll spend less than an additional $100 on diapers for this baby. And really, we could just use what we have, but like to have enough that we do not wash a load of diapers every day.

There are many ways to save on disposables (coupons, store brands, etc) but the best way to save money on diapers is to use cloth. We figure we paid for our stash by the time Little Guy was about 4 months old. And we've had almost no expense since then. We wash our diapers in Charlie's Soap, in case you are wondering about caring for them. We hang them out on a line or in our basement (during the winter) and only very occasionally dry them in the dryer (again, in the winter.) We love them so much we've been known to hog the conversation around new parents and extol the virtues of cloth diapering if they are at all interested or asking questions. My husband actually talks about it with his friends! And yes, my husband washes diapers! Love him :)

If you have any questions or comments about cloth diapering or the love and care of them I am more than willing to answer questions. Some wonderful moms responded when I was asking questions and were more than happy to answer my questions. I'm more than willing to continue paying it forward! Be warned, some people do become cloth diaper addicts and get very into the different styles, prints, and options which can become very pricey. We may love our diapers, but we've kept it simple and I've worked to keep our budget low!

Happy Diapering!
Heather

Babies on a Budget--Feeding Edition

2010-04-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

Feeding a baby can be very, very expensive or it can be very, very inexpensive. The choice is (hopefully) up to you!

The best choice for any baby is to be breast fed by mommy. I realize this may not always be possible, but in most cases it is. Many women think they cannot breastfeed or think it will be too hard or think it will be inconvenient or think it will cause some kind of harm to them or the baby. Personally, I have a really hard time hearing these excuses as many of them can be overcome with education and persistence.

Breastfeeding is not always easy. In fact, it is often quite tricky and even painful in the beginning. My sister struggled (and I do mean struggled!) with my nephew for 5 months before they developed an easy nursing relationship. I've had friends who've dealt with incredible raw nipples and soreness and bleeding when nursing their babies. I know women who have had big discouragement from their workplace and have had to overcome major issues in order to be able to pump and continue breastfeeding. I've heard a woman explain that her doctor told her that she would increase her own and the babies chances of getting breast cancer if she nursed because she would pass it on through the milk. I've struggled with many challenges of nursing including the early loss of my milk. I've been handed the 'breastfeeding mother's gift pack' that included nothing but a few tips on a card and samples of formula and coupons for more formula. There are about 9,359 reasons that breastfeeding can seem like the harder choice.

However, there is nothing like breast milk for a child. The milk is made perfect for that baby's needs at that moment. Preemies get what they need most in order to survive, toddlers get the nutrients that keep them going during their very active days, and sick babies get perfect antibodies to help them get better or protect them from getting sick in the first place. The milk is always safe to drink, always the right temperature, it is always available as long as mom is there, and it is free!

I can't help but point out that even with buying a very nice breast pump, buying lots of little storage bags and nursing bras the costs associated with nursing are dramatically less than those associated with formula. There is no more frugal way to feed a baby!

Of course, there are cases when formula becomes necessary. We ended up using formula (and some donated breast milk) for about 5 months due to loss of milk. We worked like crazy for over a month trying to build up my milk supply after a very sudden loss, but even with great lactation consultants and using many different herbal remedies there just was no increase. (I was hit by a distracted driver while sitting at a red light. My car was totaled and my very full, biggest producing left breast was injured by my seat belt. The stress of the accident didn't help, but chances are the loss was really was due to trauma to the breast tissue.) Some mother's do not produce enough milk no matter what they do. Some families adopt and cannot nurse their new baby. There are situations when formula is a saving grace.

If you have a baby that requires incredibly specialized formula the costs are going to be significant. You can get samples, but chances are you will need to shell out some serious cash to feed your child. However, if you are able to use traditional formula with your baby there are ways to keep the costs down.

1. Ask for samples. Chances are you got a ton when you delivered, in the mail unexpectedly, from your pediatrician (in the breastfeeding mother's gift) and possibly from other places. We had given ours all away when we found ourselves needing formula. I started asking when I went for well baby checkups. I was always able to get a can or so and every day of free formula was a blessing. You can also request samples from manufacturers and retailers on their websites.

2. Go generic. Formula is regulated and must meet specific nutrition marks. As we tried different brands (generic and different store brands) it quickly became apparent that Target's brand was like one big name and Wal-mart/Sam's club's was like another. And really, how many different plants are really producing the formula? Chances are many are made at the same location, just labeled differently. When you break down the unit cost it becomes obvious that there are huge savings by choosing generics.

3. Do not fall for the 12 months and up formula. Seriously, what a smart way to make you spend more money than you need to! Switch to milk as you child is ready, typically around 12 months. Feel free to buy them the best organic milk you can and still save money over formula!

4. Don't forget freecycle! I posted that I needed formula and was graced with a few sample cans that other families didn't want. I also found a set of sample cans at a rummage sale and was able to buy them for $1. I wouldn't take open formula, unless it was from a friend, but if it is sealed, there are no issues with the can and it is not expired why not save some money?

5. Forgot this, but it almost seems to easy....buy the powdered and mix your own formula. I cannot believe how expensive the pre-mixed, pre-measured formula is. What a crazy amount to pay for a few seconds of convenience!

Again, the most frugal way to feed your baby is with your own body. The relationship is wonderful, even if it can be challenging at first. Get help, get advice, and get educated. The more you learn about the benefits of breast milk to baby and benefits of nursing to mom the more obvious it becomes that breastfeeding is the way to go! And the cost savings are incredibly significant as well. The average costs of basic formula for 12 months is approximately $1,500. Of course, you then have to add in the costs of bottles and other equipment. And personally, I found it to be much more challenging to deal with formula and bottles. The diaper bag was so much lighter and easier to pack when I was nursing and could just run out the door!

As mom's we are all doing the best we can and I am not trying come off as judgmental towards those who use formula, especially in light of the fact that we ended up relying on it too. I just want to point out that the most frugal way to feed your baby is breastfeeding. Families who can, should and as a society we should be supportive of those moms. It would be great to see breastfeeding become the norm for every baby. Can you imagine how different it would be if it was unusual to see formula or bottles? If there were only 2-4 people in a hospital that could really explain how to feed a baby using formula? If it was highly unusual for WIC to ever pay for formula and there was no need to budget for it? If people gave you 'looks' if they saw a can in your diaper bag? Feeding babies would be a very different experience. Oh, so much more than I should be talking about in this post :)

If you have no choice, then do all you can to keep the costs of formula low and snuggle in for every feeding just like if you were nursing. Babies become toddlers very quickly! And (from what I hear) toddlers will soon become teenagers who eat me out of house and home...

Happy Frugalness,
Heather

To read other mom's experiences with breastfeeding check out Modern Alternative Mama's link-up.

Babies on a Budget--Clothing Edition

2010-04-03T19:20:00.002-05:00

I figured this was a great place to start in light of a recent event. Clothing a child can cost a small fortune, it can cost next to nothing or somewhere in between. It all depends on how resourceful and how particular you are! ***Warning--seriously long post!***

I know parents who are VERY particular about the clothes they put on their child. For these parents it isn't about making sure their children have clean, nice looking and presentable clothing. It is about making their children the fashion plate they would like to be or see themselves as. Their children can only wear the newest, most fashionable, perfect clothing. Anything less would not be acceptable. I'm sure some of you think I'm kidding, but I'm not. Personally, I would really have thought only those parents with huge amounts of money or celebrities who felt some kind of pressure to be perfect would put that kind of attention into what their kids wear. However, I was surprised to learn that sometimes everyday, average families feel the need to dress their children in nothing short of the best. Someone I know sent me an e-mail from a mom-to-be talking about her upcoming shower. She specifically wanted people to know not to buy clothes for their baby since she only wanted him to wear certain brands and certain looks and knew that no one else would be able to get it right. She commented on outfits that her husband had bought and had to return because she would never put their child in them. It was an eye opener for me. Obviously families with this philosophy would spend the most when it comes to kids clothing!

Then there are families or groups of friends who have awesome systems down that prevent anyone from having to put out huge sums of money for kids clothes. A group of people I know (who are all related) have totes of clothes for boys and girls in all the different sizes that they rotate as each new baby is born. This system saves any one person from having to buy everything for their child. Of course, the oldest boy and girl have the most to acquire. After this it is an amazing money and time saver for all of them. I think this is an amazing system! This is probably the cheapest way to outfit a child (with the exception of the oldest of each gender).

For the majority of us we are somewhere in the middle. We want our children to be dressed in decent clothes. We want them to wear things we find presentable and are pleasing to our taste in clothing. We do not want to spend a fortune on kids clothing, but we also do not have a constant source for free clothes. So, how do you outfit a child without spending a fortune?

Here are some of the ideas we've used to avoid spending much on outfitting Little Guy:

1. Be organized with what you have and what you want to have. Make a list of some sort so that you know what you are working with. Some people like them to be very detailed, but I just use tallies with a few notes when needed (color of winter coat so I can find snow pants that match, dress clothes specifics, etc.) I try and find clothes for at least the next year so that I can avoid too many in season rushed purchases. Before Little Guy was born I focused on 3-12 months, last summer (when he was wearing 12 month) I focused on 18 months-2T with a few 3T thrown in. I'm now working on filling in 3T and finding 4T items, he is wearing 18/2T. By staying ahead I avoid last minute shopping and save money.

2. Join Freecycle if there is one in your community. This is an easy way to be able to post what you need and to respond to those who offer up clothing that you may be able to use. (Basically on freecycle people post things that they no longer need and do not want to send to a landfill. If you are interested you e-mail them and arrange pick up if they select you.) Many months ago I responded to a woman who had some toddler clothing. She didn't get back to me forever and I had forgotten about it. Then I heard from her and we discussed sizes. Then it took a few more weeks until I heard from her about pick up. We went the next day since I didn't want to drag it out anymore. The sad thing is that Little Guy is pushing the size limits on what she gave us. The amazing thing is that she gave us about 5 big boxes of clothing. Seriously, there were more clothes than he has ever had for any single one size and it may even rival all of what he has for 12 month-24 month put together. So we've gone through it and are keeping some things for him (probably way too much) and we are passing on the others to a little guy who is about 6 months younger. If they can't use it I've got another baby in mind who is even younger and may be able to fit into some of them. Now, they are not all perfect and some are pretty old, but there were still enough really cute, in great shape clothes, some even pricey brands that it totally made it worth my time to wash and sort them. And for FREE! I love that price.

3. Make friends with people who have kids older than yours. One of the girls I used to work with has one son who is almost 3 years older than Little Guy. She has been storing everything from his toddler years and finally decided it was time for a yard sale. Since she knows I love bargains she called me first. She is overwhelmed at the idea of going through everything to sell it and I was able to help her pair down her inventory before she even started pricing. As we went through her totes I was able to help put like things together and I was able to find some things that are often not easy to find at rummage sales. (We won't be buying any socks for a few years!) She has already told me that each time her son outgrows a season she's calling me first. While I pay her a bit more than I would in normal garage saling I figure it is worth it to have first pick, not spend any extra in gas and also have some girl time at the same time. It is a real win-win for both of us.

4. Rummage or Yard or Garage Sale, depending on where you live! I really find these to be a key to our money saving technique. You can read a whole lot about it here if you haven't already. I keep my list up to date by adding to it as soon as I get home from bargain hunting so I don't get too confused. (I am sooooo ready for rummage sale season to start even if I might be a bit later than normal on getting in on it with the little one coming in early June.) Basically I focus on finding sales that have great prices. If a sale is asking $1-$5 per piece I'm out of there, but if a table is marked "everything is $.25" then I'll be there for a while! I am not afraid to spend some time when I find what I like and the price is right. It is amazing how often you can bring home clothes that still have tags on them for just a few cents.

5. Craigslist or eBay. This is a good way to find specific things that you need and do not want to spend too much time looking for. You can find brand names with an easy search and do not have to spend any time at the mall! The benefit to craigslist is that you do not have to pay any shipping, but it is only available in certain areas. eBay has been a good resource for my sister to outfit her twins. She could find lots of clothes in styles she liked, often in 'twin sets' and it saved her the time required for garage saling. Often these options will be more pricey than some of the others above, but they can still be great deals.

6. Clearance racks are your friend. When you want new clothes and have a favorite store or brand clearance racks can be an amazing place. Many department stores have great kids wear now and when you combine end of season sales with already marked down prices you can score some great deals! It is always smart to shop at the end of the season for next year's needs. Even if you miss once or twice on sizes or styles chances are great that you will come out way ahead. If you do end up with one of those new, with tags outfits you can always try and sell it on craigslist or eBay!

8. Second hand and consignment stores. There are a plethora of thrift/consignment/new to you type stores out there. Some are focused on kid's items, others like Goodwill have a huge variety of things. I consider these to be my 'mall' of sorts. When I haven't found what I need through any of my other venues I'll look there. The prices are not as good as many other ways I find clothing, but they are better than full price at Target or A Child's Place! This winter I had not found snow boots for Little Guy. Since he was able to go out and play in the snow he needed boots, but I did not want to spend $25 at Target to get them. I ran through a new Goodwill and found exactly what we needed (matched his coat and snow pants and everything) for $2.99. Most of his shoes I get for $1, but these were the right size, matched and were there when I needed them!

And last, but certainly not least...

8. Get real. Kids grow out of clothes really fast. Babies spit up on pretty much anything they wear. Toddlers like mud. Older kids fall off bikes, skin knees and ruin clothes in the process. Clothes will probably not look all that great within a few wearings. They may stay nice for the entire growth spurt, but even then they may only fit for a few weeks or months. Kids want to explore the world they are learning about and that means they will be dirty. Their clothes shouldn't be more important than their learning. I do not want to stress about keeping my babies clothes perfect, I want to enjoy their childhood with them. When I spend $.50 on a shirt it doesn't matter so much if it gets ruined or even just stained. If I spent $30.00 on that same shirt I would be stressed. Buying nice used clothing is really smart for a family's budget, a mother's sanity, and is good for the environment as well. You will get clothing as gifts, especially for babies. Be grateful, exchange what doesn't work, and for goodness sake do not buy any newborn clothes yourself! We ended up with about 40 newborn-3 month sleepers...no one needs that many. People are generous, especially with first babies.

I think some of the best things that we do to save money on Little Guy's clothing is to realize he doesn't need all that much, he doesn't care if they are used so we shouldn't either, and believe that we can outfit him for a few dollars each year. And for Baby 2 we have not bought a single item. See 40 sleepers comment! If Baby 2 is a girl, I'm sure I'll be enjoying the rummage sale season even more. However, our kids will hand down a lot of clothes, regardless of gender. PJs, jeans, sweatsuits, shorts, etc can all be worn by either girls or boys. And if we have another boy he'll be wearing a lot of his brother's clothes for years to come! They probably weren't new for Little Guy anyway :)

Please add any other ideas you have in the comments! This is not an exhaustive list, just some things that have worked for us and for others we know. I am constantly trying to learn more ways to save money and look forward to hearing your ideas!

Babies on a Budget

2010-04-02T19:50:00.002-05:00

I've actually got a category called Babies on a Budget, but I haven't been doing too much writing about how we are able to have our babies on a tight budget. I find that there are so many ways to keep the costs of raising a child under control, but that our society doesn't tend to focus on them.

In some ways I think a lot of men seem to understand the minimal needs of an infant better than a lot of women. I know this sounds odd to say, but when we went to register for Little Guy's shower my husband was shocked (and appalled) by all the aisles and aisles of baby things in Babies R Us. He looked at the wall of bottles, the rows of safety devices, the racks and racks of clothing, the multitude of strollers and car seats and on and on and on and just about walked back out of the store. I handed him the gun and we did the best we could as quickly as we could. At one of our Bradley birth classes he and a few other dads were discussing how crazy it was. I believe they made more than one comment that boiled down to the fact that there should be one best of everything. Like one great, safe car seat. One stroller that is the best there is. One type of bib, one great type of bottle, etc. They didn't feel the need for the most contemporary, hip print that was coordinated throughout the stroller, car seat, diaper bag, and crib set. They didn't feel the need to add 4,962 new gadgets that promised to make the baby cry less, sleep more and remove laundry stains. I've seen a few soon to be dads and new dads roll their eyes when it came to all the stuff that we think we need to raise a baby here. I kind of think they've got it right.

I'm going to be devoting some writing in the next few weeks to things we've done to keep our stuff and costs in check as we've raised Little Guy and as we are preparing for Baby 2. I welcome any and all ideas that you have as well!

As an aside, we were crazy warm again today. But as they say the winds of change are a blowin! It seems that a storm will be arriving sometime tonight and tomorrow will be about 25-30 degrees cooler than today.

Ah, spring in Wisconsin!
Heather

Lambs Everywhere!

2010-03-31T19:31:00.003-05:00

Alternate Title: Spring is Springing! or Summer Comes Early! or Are We Still in Wisconsin? :)

Here in Wisconsin March started like a lamb and today it is going out like a lamb as well. In between we've had a little bit of lion (like snow on the first day of spring), but really we've had a pretty decent beginning to spring. Today it was over 70 and tomorrow is going to be even nicer. I have daffodils that look like they may open in time for Easter. What a wonderful miracle! It is so rare to have daffodils by Easter in my yard and I am going to treasure seeing them this year. I am so grateful to be able to enjoy this wonderful week of weather.

Taking our evening walks is so nice now that the weather is warmer. We were pretty awful about them this winter, but now I am determined to make up for lost time. The exercise and fresh air are great for Little Guy and our dogs and goodness knows I need to get moving before the big event in June! I cannot believe that we are at 30 weeks already. Time is flying by as the end approaches and I am starting to feel the need to get some of the projects done that I have procrastinated. The scrapbook table and such that got moved upstairs needs to be organized so we have room to bring out some of the baby stuff. We need to get the co-sleeper into our bedroom. I need to wash the Kissaluv 0s and the little blankets. And on and on and on. Gratefully we have what we need for the baby and I have no stress about buying new things. Our kids will use each other's hand-me-downs (especially as babies) and we purposefully registered for a stroller and such that would co-ordinate for a boy or girl.

One the plus side I've already brought up the clothes that Little Guy will use this summer, sorted out his size and up totes/boxes, made my rummage sale list for this year and am starting to make a list of things to cook and freeze in April and May. Our freezer was packed for the arrival of Little Guy and I plan to do it again for this baby. It was a great helper/time saver during those early days. We've got a date for our Bradley refresher course, have a date set for our church's baptismal class for second time parents and I've been busy practicing my relaxation. Preparations are underway! When I get stressed about getting ready I try and focus on what has been accomplished...sometimes easier said than done!

I hope you are enjoying wonderful spring weather this week too. Get outside and enjoy it!
Heather

Food Revolution

2010-03-26T19:20:00.003-05:00

Have you seen the new show on ABC? It is about Jamie Oliver's quest to help a town change the way they eat at home, in their schools and in their restaurants. He wants it to spark a revolution in our country and he's already done a lot of work in his home country of England. Of course, it is a TV show and there is editing and they want to get good ratings, but overall I'm glad to see the discussion happening even on prime time TV.

It really feels like so many things in our society are out of control right now and one of the best things we can do is to take back control of what we eat, how it is grown and where it came from. When you think about it the food we eat is what fuels our bodies, helps us fight disease, heals us when we are sick or hurt and is the basis of how we live our lives. It is hard to believe that any mega-corporation is going to take that responsibility as seriously as we should. However, to make that happen we have to be awake, aware and willing to ask hard questions and make hard choices.

I'm not one to claim perfection or even claim to be in the same ballpark as perfection, seriously not even the same town as the ballpark. We love chocolate, we eat a lot of desserts, we like A&W root beer (OK, Mike loves it!), and our pantry is far from free of all white flour, white rice, or even the occasional processed item. In fact, we are still finished up the conventional meat in our freezer. See, soooo not perfect!

I am a mom who is committed to continuing her baby steps in trying to do better. I am making better nutritional choices overall. I did a lot of canning and am going to do my best to do that again this summer, even with a new baby. I am researching other meat options and we will only be buying meat I feel good about feeding my babies and my husband and myself. I am working on getting better and better, but we'll never be perfect. My husband will always prefer my homemade white bread to my homemade wheat bread. (Or maybe not if I get my own grain mill...they say fresh ground tastes more like white bread! Here's hoping.) We will go out to eat once in a great while and we will probably eat conventional meat there and at other people's homes. I'm not worried about perfection, but I am working to make many, many changes over time. One baby step at a time!

I really hope that more and more families start to demand better of those who grow our food, those who process it, those that prepare it. Hopefully more people will be doing all three themselves at least in part! I think that as we demand more information and hold ourselves and those that help us feed our families to a higher level that we'll see changes. We should be able to know about genetic modification of our food, irradiated items, conditions that animals are kept in, byproducts, hormones and antibiotics fed to them and just be able to make our own choices based on knowledge. It shouldn't be so hard to become educated, it should be on the labeling. The food lobbies shouldn't be more important than the families who eat the food that is produced.

I'm rambling and ranting, but I just feel like we are at a point where more people are waking up to the reality that just because the chicken looks like it did 50 years ago, doesn't mean that it is the same. The carrots raised organically and conventionally may look identical (other than the prices) but there are real chemical differences. We are all doing the best we can and I hope we keep making baby steps that will end up causing changes in a big, big way. To paraphrase Food, Inc. we all vote on this issue three times a day.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Anyone else struggling to balance their love of great deals and low budgets with better, more sound choices? Anyone else feel like change may be in the air?

Happy Weekend!
Heather

Love is Plumbing Issue Fixes

2010-03-24T19:17:00.002-05:00

or at least attempts at fixes.

Today Mike took some time to help me address a few plumbing issues that have popped up in our life recently. I know I just mentioned our teeny, tiny half bath a few days ago. Wouldn't you know it, the toilet started having a tiny bit of water around the base. Not good.

Turns out after some Googling that it is most likely due to a failure of the wax ring under the toilet. Thankfully I once installed a new toilet and am familiar with how the wax ring goes on and how to place the toilet once it is done. Unfortunately I am 29 weeks pregnant and am not able to (nor should I) pull up a toilet, carry it and then later replace it. Just not that flexible and pretty sure the midwife would suggest that I not try it on my own.

Mike is many wonderful things, but a fix-it-up-handy-man type he is not. Or at least not so much. However today he put his faith in me and the link I found and went to work replacing a wax ring. The handy man site we were on said it would take about 45 minutes and we were in pretty good shape about 45 minutes in. It ended up taking a little over an hour and that problem seems to be fixed. Unfortunately we seem to have loosened one of the bolts from the tank to the bowl and now we have a leak there. So more searching will begin and hopefully we can get it fixed. This pregnant momma doesn't want to have to go downstairs three times a night!

Then tonight we put on a shower decholorinater. We've had it for a while and had never put it on. I think Mike was hesitant, but after some muscle to get the shower head unscrewed he was able to do the rest pretty easily. Thankfully I knew we had some teflon tape and knew how to use it so the job was done in an easy 20 minutes or less! We got our shower attachment when we ordered our Royal Berkey and I am excited to see if there is a difference in our skin and hair after we use it for a while.

I am grateful for a husband who is willing to take on challenges that are outside his comfort zone. All his acts of service speak to his love for me in ways that I never knew I'd love!

Have a great Tuesday,
Heather

100 and going....

2010-03-20T20:17:00.002-05:00

strong? Ummm, not so much. Wanting to go strong...yes, please.

I just realized this is my 100th post and I can honestly say I am a bit surprised at my lack of posting for the last few months. I really look forward to spending more time documenting those great moments that happen in our family that I'm afraid I'll forget, the awesome deals that make my adreneline sing, and the kitchen adventures that are always happening around here. However, for the last few months I've been focused on growing a baby, raising a toddler, and being a wife. Beyond that I try and keep the house somewhat liveable, spend more time at my part-time job than I'd like and try and keep in touch with friends and family. These last three things have been pretty sad lately, too.

I know I'll get back into posting more regularly and hope that those that enjoy what I write will stick with me. I know I love reading about others I know in life and on-line...blogs are awesome and I want mine to be that way too! These days I am just doing the best I can and that has to be good enough for now. As the poems all say, the babies don't keep and pretty much everything else does.

The last couple of weeks we've been able to do a few fun things as a family that I should document here at some point. I am all about keeping things frugal as we raise our kids!

We attended the Insider's Weekend at the zoo. We were able to return a Christmas gift that wouldn't work for us and used the money to buy a zoo pass. We got in and parked for free. Most of the tours were beyond Little Guys grasp, but the two we did were very interesting. We saw the animal's winter/night quarters, heard about what they ate, how they are cared for, and got really, really close to a moose's nose and met a creature that was very curious about us. We need to look up what it was, but it looked somewhat like an anteater on steroids without the long tail. It was a bit cold and snowy, but that meant the crowd was minimal and Little Guy could get up close to see the animals that were out and about. (Savings $34.50)

We went to Neighborhood Night at Betty Brinn's Children's Museum. We just learned about this from a birth class buddy. The third Thursday of every month the museum is open from 5-8pm for free. Parking is in a city garage, but you get $2 off with a voucher from the museum making it only $4. We had no idea what to expect as Little Guy can be quite shy in unfamiliar settings lately. We met up with the other mom and her little guy and went into the 3 and under area. What a ball! After a few minutes playing at the sand table with us right behind him Little Guy was comfortable heading out all over the place. There were times we could hardly keep up with where he was! He loved the hose wheel in the potting shed, the mushroom drums by the tree, the two slides, the sand table and pretty much everything the area offered. We walked through the rest of the 'museum' on our way out and discovered some areas that he would really enjoy at this point. Technically they are for older kids, but he is into trains and train tables and also anything musical so those areas work for him even at a younger age. What a great resource this is for the community and I'm so grateful that we will be able to enjoy it often without spending much money. (Savings $20)

Tomorrow we are heading to an event at a local candy factory after church. They are doing tours, handing out there famous whipped creme eggs, and doing pictures and activities with Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny. Since we didn't do anything like this at Christmas we figured we'd give it a whirl. And free chocolate always interests us. They do not normally give tours unless in groups of 10 or more and children under 10 are not admitted. If not for this event, it wouldn't be a family friendly place for us at this point. However, tomorrow it will be! (Savings $10, actually more since we'd need to get a sitter too)

I love spending time as a family doing unusual (for us) things that do not cost a lot of money. The pressure is off and we can have a good time, but if things melt down we do not feel like we have to stay. Wonderful when you have a toddler!

Have a great weekend,
Heather

Sunday Thoughts

2010-03-14T20:52:00.001-05:00

I've noticed that Little Guy seems to be getting more interesting and more funny and I am afraid that I'll forget these moments, so today I'm going to record one of them!

With the time change and due to a late night gig with the band our family decided to go to 11 am mass today instead of our normal earlier one. Little Guy was antsy even before we left so we were pretty sure that mass would be loads of fun! We were right :)

We've gotten into the bad habit of snacks during church and he is taking full advantage of this. Today we sat down and he immediately started saying and signing for crackers. This wouldn't be so bad, but he was saying it louder and louder. We ended up feeding him crackers throughout mass in an effort to distract him. He did okay, but it was not his best day ever.

The funny part happened during the final blessing. The priest held up one hand and was saying many different parts of the blessing. Everyone was saying "Amen" and Little Guy was busy squirming and looking around. When he say the priest was holding up his hand he held his up and yelled "Dah!" Dah happens to be what he says when he gives high 5's to people. We have no idea where it picked it up, but he is very consistent with his use of the word. Of course, his choice of yelling it out came when only the priest was talking and no one understood it but his Daddy and me. We both had to fight back the giggles!

After mass we went to tell the priest what happened and (of course) Little Guy wouldn't do high 5 or anything. Figures. Either way the priest got a chuckle out of it and it made the end of mass pretty cute.

Heather

Catching Up

2010-03-13T20:41:00.002-06:00

Do we ever really get 'caught up?' In my world that would be a big NO. So, now I'm focusing on catching up. Much more attainable. Or at least in the realm of possible!

We've moved our little guy's room downstairs. It is the first time that we have slept with him more than about 3 feet from us. We live in a Cape Cod style house which has an 'area' out side of our bedroom. Some people call this area a 'loft' or 'other room' when trying to sell there homes, but really it is an area. It has a sloped roof on one side, the staircase on the other and basically you just walk through it to get to the bedroom at the end. Oh, and it is not very long so I wouldn't classify it as a hall. When Mike bought the house there was a discussion about turning part of it into a closet, but with the slope and lack of handy man skills he decided against it for the time being. (Why a closet, you ask? Because the only closet in the bedroom was turned into a bathroom. The world's tiniest half bath. Seriously, no man can use the facility as they would have to duck to get in, duck to actually use it and just won't put up with the nonsense that a pregnant female will!)

When Mike decided to leave it as is for a while it became a pass through area. It held my stuff as we moved it over in preparation for our moving in together. It was where all the wedding presents got put until we could open them and find them homes. Basically, it was the only area that could just hold stuff in the little house. Fast forward to a few weeks after our wedding and we find out we are pregnant...where will we put the little one? One bedroom downstairs is Mike's office and the other is our guest room/my computer/scrapbook table/everything else we own room. And I don't think I want to be that far away from our new baby. And we'll use a co-sleeper for a while (about 4 months it turned out) but he will need a spot for a crib, a dresser, and I'd really love a glider for rocking and nursing. That area started looking promising!

Turns out a glider fits in the corner with a little table next to it. That is right up to the crib which happens to fit underneath the slope of the ceiling. A smallish dresser fits on the wall and there is even room for an older, small swing down on the other end of the dresser. Tight? Yes. Unconventional? Yes. Super cozy, lovely way to keep little guy close, make night time nursing easier and calm a new Mommy's fears about her baby boy being all the way downstairs all by himself? YES.

Now we are getting ready for Baby 2 in June. So we are rearranging our little house again. I've given up 'the stuff' room and Mike made room for my computer in his office. We moved the crib, the dresser and almost all the toys into Little Guy's room. We set up an awesome train table we were blessed with from Freecycle. We've moved the scrapbooking table upstairs under the slope for now and I'm charged with dramatically paring down and reorganizing. (UGG!) We are leaving the full sized guest bed in there (for now) and may move Little Guy into it when he decides the crib is something to jump out of, rather than sleep in.

The room isn't finished, but it is full of fun things and I see the potential for a really fun kid's room. He already loves being in there and hasn't had any issues with sleep or adjusting to being downstairs. I found myself reading (with a light on!) in bed before sleep last night. I think this is a step in our family's growth. I really thought it would be harder to make this change, but I'm finding myself really excited about the next 3 months. Mike and I will have our room back to ourselves for a bit as we prepare for this next little one. I'll be able to get things settled for a newborn again and the co-sleeper will be coming out of retirement. With Little Guy downstairs I'll be able to use his nap times (when I'm not napping after work) to get the scrapbooking stuff under control.

We are transitioning in so many ways and it is good. We are adapting our little house to our little family's needs. I just feel like life is good right now and I want to remember this feeling when life is more stressful. We've had a few things come up lately that are crazy, but in truth are just inconveniences, not catastrophes. Life is good. Life is good.

Heather

Where's the Beef?

2010-02-24T19:43:00.003-06:00

Or more correctly...where is our beef going to be coming from?

I've been doing a lot of work trying to figure out the best source for our family's meat. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? We've decided to forgo meat from typical grocery store and are going to start buying farmer direct. And as long as we were taking that plunge we thought we'd give grass-fed, no grain, no hormones or antibiotics beef a whirl. Our thought is that we'll do this first. Buy the very best that we could imagine and see how it stacks up. If it turns out that we have access to a grain finished animal next then we'll evaluate how they compared in the way the animal was treated, the taste, the cost and figure out which is going to work for us. So I've been on-line trying to track down a farmer.

It sounds pretty easy to do and really if we had no budgetary constraints we would be in great shape. There are farmers that have 1/4s ready right now and some that will be coming up. Most grass fed beef does get butchered in the fall in order to have had the maximum time on pasture without the expense of hay all winter for the farmer. In SE Wisconsin you quickly find that grass fed beef is not cheap. As in so not cheap that I could EASILY spend my entire grocery budget for last year just buying a 1/4 or 1/2 from a farmer right now. There are some that charge upwards of $8/lb for their beef. No judgement, but that is so seriously expensive protein!

I'm starting to find farmer's that are more in the $4/lb range and may even have a lead on one in SW Wisconsin that may be closer to $3/lb when all is said and done. This is still a huge new pill for me to swallow, but it is one that I think is important for my family and for my conscious. We'll continue to take baby steps in other areas and I'm hopeful that I'll keep other costs down, but the chances of spending $1300 for groceries for the year are pretty low. (That's been our total the last two years, but now we are splurging on our meat and our family is growing...so's the grocery bill!)

As of now we haven't been big beef eaters. Mostly due to the higher cost of beef at the store. I'd often find great deals on chicken, turkey and pork, but beef deals (other than ground beef) were few and far between. I know my husband will like the new change to our diet and I'm confident that I'll be a good steward with the freezer full of beef. In many ways it will be like eating when I was a child. We always raised a steer when the freezer got low. He would run with the horses and was typically a big pet for a while. Then he'd get really big, get pretty unfriendly and our freezer would get bare. The next step was his first taste of grain as we got him used to coming to the barn. After a few treats there would come a day when he'd come to get a pan of grain and while his head was down there would be one shot to end it all. My friend's dad had a butcher shop and he would take the steer away to process, although we'd go on the day the meat all got packaged and help wrap the meat and tube the ground beef.

I know some would consider it crazy to have kids that involved in their food, but really I think we were lucky. We knew what it meant to have meat on our plate. We knew our steers were treated well (as were the neighbor chickens whose eggs we ate and dairy cows across the road who often provided our milk). We knew their lives ended quickly, humanely, and while they were doing something they enjoyed. I never really realized how unusual it was to have that close of a connection to our food, but as an adult I've never known the animal or even the person who raised the animal. Our family is changing that. We cannot raise our own animals right now (and Mike would prefer we didn't ever raise pigs or steers), but we can know the person who raised it.

Wish me luck as I find a farmer who is doing good work! And help me remember that it is right to pay a fair wage to them for raising the food that feeds my babies, and my husband and me :) Our budget will be okay...right?

Heather

Valentine's Day traditions

2010-02-11T19:17:00.003-06:00

The big, lovey-dovey, Hallmark holiday is coming! How do you celebrate?

I used to like Valentine's day when I was a kid. There were valentines for the class, maybe a treat and some hearts from our teacher. Pretty low key and kind of fun after a month of snow with no break in sight. Then I got to Jr. High and High school. Oh, how things change! There was the drama of wanting to have a Valentine. There were flower sales and candy-grams and balloon deliveries and sometimes even the occasional huge bouquet from the professional florist in town delivered to the office. This brought about the endless longing to be one of the people getting all of these things. Or anyone of these deliveries. Or just some acknowledgement by someone that you were special!

My friends and I tended to send things to each other, but we often spent the day dressed in black to protest all the red. Mature it wasn't, but when you have no boyfriend it is a way to get through it all. College was pretty much the same deal. Unless you had a guy who was into the spoiling you factor Valentine's day became a day to spend with your best girlfriends. We complained, we whined, we protested and we longed...call us crazy.

Now I'm married and I enjoy the thought behind the holiday (really I always have), but I do not want it to be about huge amounts of money or overly showy expressions of feelings that should be expressed everyday. Luckily my hubby and I set things up well when we were dating. Our first Valentine's day was the first time Mike cooked for me. He was going to cook dinner, but I ended up helping him along. Cooking dinner for a girl may not be a big deal to some men, but at the time my husband was living at home. His mom always did all the cooking and Mike had never made anything other than a bowl of cereal. Really, he had never cooked at all. That week he had his mom teach him how to make mac 'n cheese (the kind in a box) for the first time.

So, our valentines day menu consisted of mac 'n cheese, some boxed garlic bread, a salad, root beer, and he brought me a frosted big cookie. Fancy it was not, but sweet and meaningful it was! We've made it our tradition to have almost the same menu every year. Now I do the cooking and it is all homemade. I love the fact that it is pretty simple (although I have made some pretty awesome mac 'n cheese and salad) and that it is frugal and that it is meaningful to us. It is a meal that will be fun to share with our kids every year and they'll probably hate hearing the story over and over again, but that is just too bad! Family stories are what make holidays fun :)

This year I think I'm going to make Pioneer Woman's Fancy Macaroni. Mike LOVES bacon and this dish will probably become a new favorite for him. I still need to get some salad ingredients and make some fresh bread, but the A&W is already in the fridge, the mugs are in the freezer and I've got the ingredients to make a hot fudge cake which he really loves. We don't really do gifts, but I did get a big Hershey's kiss (a red one) after Christmas for 75% off and that will be waiting at his place come breakfast time. I'm thinking that lunch may even be a heart shaped homemade pizza. We love our pizza and lots of places are advertising heart shaped ones...if they can do it so can I!

What are your traditions? Any fun gifts happening this year? Any other great food ideas for me for Sunday? And last, but most importantly, does anyone have Mrs. Field's Original Cookie recipe? It is Mike's favorite bought dessert and they do not make them like they used to...it would blow his mind if I made one of those sometime!

Happy Valentine's Day,
Heather

What's Up?

2010-02-03T21:05:00.003-06:00

I figure it is time to spend a moment with my poor little neglected blog! When even my sister e-mails me to mention that I haven't posted in a long time I know I've been MIA. I still make the time to read many of my favorites every few days, I just haven't made the time to do much writing for myself. I want this blog to be a place where I share ideas and chronicle things in my family's life and I need to remember to spend some time doing that. Of course, I'm also 22 weeks pregnant, have an 18 month old, a husband, a job, a home, and a few meals and loads of laundry that also like my attention. I do not claim to be superwoman and am learning over time that often low expectations are called for in certain circumstances. However, I do want to keep blogging!

So what have I been doing? See above.

Actually, I have also been doing a lot more learning about a subject that is important to me. Over the last couple of years I've really wanted to move towards being more self sustaining. We do not have the land to really grow a lot of our own food (someday!), but I still want to have a more active in roll in knowing where our food comes from, how it was grown/raised, and in having stored food that allows us some control over our diet. I'm really proud of the canning I did last year and cannot wait to do even more this summer. (Did I mention I got a pressure canner for Christmas? I DID! And I can't wait to try canning vegetables that aren't pickles or tomatoes.) The last two years I've been a regular at our farmer's market and we are still eating potatoes and cabbages and squashes that I bought the last Thursday they were open. This last week I've spent a bunch of time learning things that make me realize that my baby steps have been on the correct path. And that it is time to really take things to the next level. We have been pricing beef and pork that is grass fed and those that are corn finished here and from a locker we love in South Dakota. (I consider that locker to be 'local' for us because we visit the tiny town when we see my grandparents. They do not have grass fed beef, but they actually know the name of the farmer who supplies all their animals...shocking in today's market place.) I've vowed not to buy any more meat from the grocery store and we are eating through some of our freezer stash as we decide when and where we will get our meat in the future.

As a VERY frugal person this is probably going to be the biggest jump for us. I've found the farmer's market to be incredibly frugal in providing near organic food for a great price. I buy what is in season, I compare vendors, I buy seconds at times and I'll buy in bulk. For instance I bought 50 pounds of potatoes from a farmer who uses no sprays on her potatoes. She isn't certified organic, that is fine with me. Potatoes are on the 'dirty dozen' list and hers are not showered in pesticides and such. The best price I've seen on organic potatoes in the grocery store was 10 pounds for $3.89. For 50 pounds I paid $11 to a local farmer. Call me crazy, but that is pretty frugal. I've bought a bushel of green peppers for $2, two bushels of squash (acorn, delicata, spaghetti, and butternut) for $10, a peck of sweet onions for $4, and on and on. Basically the farmer's market gets me great, local, near organic produce for prices that equal or beat the price on most conventionally grown items.

However, with meat that will not be the case. I buy meat when it is a loss leader. I've paid $.29/lb for chicken quarters, $.89/lb pork shoulder, $.99/ham, $.79/lb hamburger and such throughout the last two years. It is not always that cheap, but it is often close to those prices due to shopping sales and marked for quick sale items. When buying a 1/2 pig or a 1/4 or 1/2 cow we will be spending much, much more per pound. Grass fed beef in this area often gets $3.59/lb for a quarter (often processing is in addition to that price). We can get a 1/4 for about $2/lb from the little locker, but that cow will not be grass fed. (We do not know yet if the cow is just corn finished or if it is a feed lot cow.) And if we go with the South Dakota locker we would have to wait until we go to South Dakota to get meat. And I'd have to make sure they didn't add MSG to the sausage, which the package I bought in January says is added. ugg.

There are lots of questions to answer and details to work out, but this is what I know. CAFO beef is not okay with me anymore. I do not want to support conventionally grown poultry, swine or beef operations. I want farmer's to be paid a fair wage for the work they do in raising my family's food. I want to opt out of a factory farming system. I know we will not be able to do so 100% of the time. We travel, we eat at other family's homes, we eat at restaurants from time to time. However, the vast majority of our meals are made here in our home. I want them to feature meat that is not laden with antibiotics, growth hormones, non-food chemicals, and such. I want the animals to have had a decent life and a swift death. I want the workers who took care of both aspects to have held their jobs with some respect and not be victims of an over industrialized system themselves. I just want to know what is going on when it comes to the food I give my children.

I'm sure I'll have more to say about this as it is an ongoing process of learning. I'm not saying any of this to make anyone else feel bad about their food choices. Goodness knows we are all doing the best we can. I feel about this kind of how I did about how birth is dealt with in this country. I had no idea what I knew and what I didn't know. I started asking questions and I started learning and the more I learned, the more I asked (and am still asking) and the more I asked the more I was sure that things should be more transparent and that I should be more knowledgeable than I am. Than I thought I was.

I had no idea how lucky I was to know the names of the cows we ate growing up. I want my kids to have at least some of that same experience. If that means a dramatic rise in our grocery budget than so be it. Our health is worth it, our responsibility is worth it.

Wish me luck!
Heather

Cuddle Time

2010-01-04T12:45:00.002-06:00

Is there anything sweeter than cuddling with a little one? Our little guy was never a particularly cuddly kid. As a baby he was, I guess. He didn't really have a choice! As soon as he became more mobile he got focused on his independence. We'd get to hold him often, don't get me wrong, but he was often exploring or playing or just generally hanging out.

He has been walking (running) for over 3 months now. I don't know if he has finally realized that we aren't going to stop him from exploring or what, but lately he has wanted to cuddle. Not in that "I'm cranky and you have to hold me, don't put me down, I'll scream and cry like the devil if you even think about putting me down, hold me, hold me, hold me!" way, but in the "I just want to crawl on your lap and hug you for a while." way. Last night he even came over to me while I was sitting on the couch and put his head on my leg. He just stood there and let me stroke his hair and relaxed next to me. Pure bliss!

He has started giving big hugs now and is even making strides towards kissing. It sounds funny, but for the million or so kisses we've given him he's never been a kisser. He will mimic the sound of us kissing him, but he doesn't give us kisses back. Now he makes the face, puckers his lips and leans in. We have to come the rest of the way, but it is awfully cute to see! We really like our new cuddly boy. There is something so great about having our little one want to be so sweet with us and yet not be demanding or whiny about it. I tell him often that someday there will be a lady who he will love to cuddle with more than his Daddy and me, but for now I am awfully glad that he likes cuddling with us!

Sometimes there is just nothing as great as being a parent,
Heather

And Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T20:17:00.002-06:00

Okay, lately it seems that I am on a 'major holiday--time to post' kick lately. However, as previously mentioned I may be getting every so slightly more energetic and I do plan to pick it up again! I always noticed that posting would get down for a while on some of my favorite blogs (Like Merchant Ships, Tammy's Recipes) and then a while later here came the announcement that there is a little one on the way. I understood then and I understand even better now!

I just wanted to post a Happy New Year to everyone out there. I hope it is a night of reflection, fun and safety! I'm such a mom, but I can't help worrying. Especially when the love of my life is going to be on the road. He's a musician and tonight is a night that you want to be booked. Due to some strange circumstances he isn't playing his normal NYE gig, but he is out there and I am looking forward to having him back home with me. My partying consists of putting the little one to bed, checking blogs, making a few cheese sticks and heading to bed early. Wow, I'm pretty boring! Actually, it is more like I worked today, I work a LONG day tomorrow and then I open on Saturday. I'll be a tired girl come Saturday afternoon! But, what a change from the partying nights of just a few years ago. And I wouldn't change it for the world.

What a wonderful, blessed year we've had in 2009. Our little one has grown like crazy, he is working on talking and mimicking, he's happy, he's healthy and he's the light of our lives. My husband took a leap, gave up his biggest client and is now pursuing his real passion full time. He did so in a not so great economy and is making it work! I'm so proud of what he has accomplished and will have to do a full post (or more) on what he has all done in 2009....TV in 7 states, radio in about the same number, played libraries all over the place! I've been able to do what I do best (being a wife and Mama) not quite full time, but way more than if I still had my 'big girl' career. I'm working, but doing so only enought to provide benefits that protect my family. When I am working I know our little one is having fun with his Dada at home. I've got a huge blessing growing and moving inside of me. We are warm, fed, and love each other. I really couldn't ask for more.

I look forward to seeing what 2010 has to offer our family!

Happy New Year to you,
Heather

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T05:41:00.003-06:00

I'm up early on Christmas morning...why? I have no idea. Seriously, this is one of a handful of Christmas mornings that I could sleep in. In a no time we'll have a little guy that will be up early each year in order to see what Santa brought him and I'll have to be up with him. This year? This year he really has no idea who that Santa guy is and I could have slept for at least a few more hours and here I am awake!

One reason for my early wakefulness is that it has been raining like crazy all night long. Every so often we get some water in our basement if it really rains hard. Therefore my brain has been trying to figure out if things are moved enough that they wouldn't get wet if water came in. Finally I decided I'd go check it out since there was no shutting that switch off. Seriously, why was I stressing at 4:15 am? We'd deal with it either way.

We had beautiful snow when we woke up yesterday morning, but this morning I fear that the ground will be all brown and there will be puddles. The white Christmas may be gone already. Granted, we'll get plenty more white stuff throughout the winter, but I love pretty snow on Christmas. It just feels right!

I really feel like I should apologize to my poor little neglected blog and any of you that may still be reading! I do plan to get back to posting more regularly as it encourages me, gets me taking more pictures of our lives and is a great outlet. However, I've been slow for a good (actually, great) reason so I don't feel too bad. I've had to focus on doing what I can with the energy I've got and that focus has been my little guy, my husband, cooking, working and other fun things like laundry and doing dishes. When I have no energy it really is all I can do to keep meals on the table and the house somewhat livable. Thank goodness for a very understanding husband who picks up the slack!

Have you figured it out yet? We'll be adding another little one to our family in early June of 2010. I'm so excited and am grateful that I seem to be past the worst of the nausea and might even be getting back some energy. I really get drained when pregnant and this time around I can't just sleep the days away when I get home from work. The little guy keeps us hopping and he doesn't seem concerned about his tired Mommy's need for sleep! We will grateful get through this time though, in appreciation for the gift to come. I can't wait to be the Mommy of two!

Any ideas that you have to prepare our little guy for the next one would be much appreciated. He'll be about 22 months when this baby arrives. He now says/signs 'baby' and we've given him a baby doll of his own. He is getting very interested in pictures of babies and calls most kids (some years older than him) babies right now. I tell him about the baby in my belly, but none of it makes sense as far as I can tell. I'd love any tips that you may have!

Have a wonderful Christmas! It really is a blessed holiday and one that I am glad to be spending with my little family.

Heather

We're Back!

2009-12-02T19:51:00.003-06:00

We got back from our long road trip on Sunday night and have been catching up and working ever since! Are we crazy for taking a now 16 month old on a 13 hour (each way) car trip without any electronic entertainment? And we even own a portable DVD player that we were given a few years ago. Everyone I've talked to thinks we are nuts for not using it.

But even so, our movie deprived child and his sleep deprived parents arrived home in one piece. We were thankful to be with family and now we are thankful to be back in our little home sweet home! Even if we did bring a nasty cold back from Arkansas with us. I guess there are only so many days that you can put 10 people who are not used to each other's germs in a house and not get sick. According to our calculations the number of days would 5. The end of the 5th day at least 3 people will come down with something pretty much all at once. We were like our own little science experiment!

I've got the day off tomorrow and am excited to get another load of vaccation laundry done, bake some bread, and jot down some of what has been happening around here.

Hope your holiday was wonderful and that your leftovers are eaten or frozen by now! Food poisoning is not fun for anyone :) And no, we didn't have any of that on our trip, just beautiful weather for biking and picture taking, great food, fun with cousins and wonderful hospitality by a great sister and her patient husband.

Heather

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-20T20:39:00.000-06:00

So, I've mostly been missing, haven't I? Just wanted to pop in quick tonight and wish anyone who is still hanging in there with me an early Happy Thanksgiving!

I love Thanksgiving. I love the turkey, the mashed potatoes, all the sides, all the desserts. I love being with people I love...even when things get crazy. And let's be real, we all know they will at some point! I have always thought of Thanksgiving as MY holiday. Seem selfish? Well, I think I am entitled as I was born on Thanksgiving day. I was actually born at 11:47 AM on Thanksgiving day in order to be present for the turkey dinner. And I haven't missed one since. Except for the one year that we had lasagna since we'd had the tradition turkey dinner the weekend before with extended family. And honestly, I still haven't forgiven my mom for that. I think I was about 10 when that happened. It haunts me.

This year we will be traveling to be with my sister, brother-in-law, the munchkins, my mom and my dad. It will be a LONG trip with the little guy, but I cannot wait to see him with their cousins! And after all the eating on Thursday we'll have to sneak in a little birthday cake on Friday. :)

Wishing you all a wonderful time of family, food, and fellowship. I promise an update about our crazy lives when we get back. It should explain my lack of attentiveness to this poor little blog.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Heather

Two Down, Forty Eight Or So To Go!

2009-11-03T09:34:00.014-06:00

Today Mike and I celebrate two years of marriage. It is hard to believe that it has already been two years and at the same time it is almost impossible to believe that it has only been two years. At this point I really cannot imagine my life without him in it. We've been together just over 4 years total (1 year of dating, 1 of engagement and now two of marriage) and in that time our lives have changed so dramatically.

When we met I was working in school fundraising, living in my little starter house, I had a dog and a cat and I enjoyed the occasional cosmo or other fun martini. Mike was living at home, he had never taken a drink, and he worked for a state organization. Now we live together in a different home, have mine as a rental, have 2 dogs and a cat, I work at Starbucks part time and Mike does polka music full time (with a few website clients on the side), he only likes my family's vodka slush recipe, but otherwise still doesn't drink, I can't remember the last time I had a martini of any type and we are parents!

So I am totally copying Nettacow and posting some things about us and our wedding in honor of our anniversary!

1. Where/How did you meet? We met through e-harmony. Yes, we are like all those couples you see on TV, only none of them feature accordion players. I never would have guessed I'd meet my husband on-line, but it has worked out pretty good! Our first in person meeting was at the Olive Garden.

2. How long have you known each other? Our first date was on November 6th, so that is almost exactly 4 years. We had been e-mailing and chatting for a few months before that.

3. How long after you met did you start dating? We were obviously actively looking for a mate, so it was always pretty serious.

4. How long did you date before you were engaged? Just under 14 months. We had booked the hall already, but he didn't pop the question officially until Jan 1st of 2007.

5. How long was your engagement? Almost exactly 10 months. Jan 1st-Nov 3rd

6. How long have you been married? 2 years

7. What is your anniversary? TODAY! November 3rd.

8. How many people came to your wedding reception? I know I gave the hall the exact number (which they had never had happen before). I believe it was about 187 adults and then some kiddos for our Saturday evening reception. We also had a Sunday afternoon polka reception and I have no idea how many people came. Probably another couple of hundred.

9. What kind of cake did you serve? We had a tiny little cake for cutting that was decorated with a wedding couple that stood on my parent's wedding cake, my Grandparent's 50th anniversary cake and my Great Grandparent's 50th anniversary cake. The 'real' cake was an amazing creation of yellow cake with a cream cheese and fresh strawberry filling. The whole thing was frosted with the whipped cream type frosting. This cake is the specialty of the hall we used and is a big reason we had it there. It is unbelievably yummy. It was just going to be a layer cake and not even seen, but the owner/baker decided to make it special when he saw that we had wedding photos of our parents and grandparents on the cake table. He put a huge tree on it and used their wedding dates...like a family tree of weddings. This cake is still talked about by family members in other states. As in, can you bring that cake with you when you visit?

10. Where was your wedding? At St. Sebastian's church. Very beautiful church with not very great people. We quickly moved parishes after the wedding.

11. What did you serve for your meal? We had a buffet line. There were huge turkeys, roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans with almonds, corn, an awesome pasta salad, veggie tray, bread, and fixings. And the cake.

12. How many people were in your wedding party? We each had 4 attendants, 3 ushers, 2 flower girls and 1 little accordion carrying ring bearer.

13. Are you still friends with them all? YES! We don't see a few of them often enough, but they are great people.

14. Did your spouse cry during the ceremony? Not really. I choked up a bit a few times and boohooed my way down the aisle.

15. Most special moment of your wedding day? How could there be just one? We had such an amazing weekend!

16. Any funny moments? The flower girls (our twin nieces who were 3) kept running up and down the aisle with each couple. They looked like little fairies and brought lots of laughs while the procession was happening. The speech my sister gave turned into a bit of a threat (jokingly) and one of the larger groom's men stood up and said he'd take on my brother-in-law. Got quiet the laughs! There was lots of laughing!

17. Any big disasters? The rehearsal lasted for over 2 hours (seriously, not the best people at this church). The recording we were making of the mass didn't happen and we were SO disappointed! The musician played the wrong instrument during the procession, the only song we were specific about. But really, overall they were not disasters just disappointments.

18. Where did you go on your honeymoon? To the best cabin in the world. It resides in Cherryville, Missouri and everyone should go there. It is beautiful, romantic, and in our case led to our little guy!

19. How long were you gone? A week. Could have stayed forever.

20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change? Would have changed churches and begged to still be married on that day. Probably would have considered a professional videographer.

21. What side of the bed do you sleep on? I'm on his left.

22. What size is your bed? Queen

23. Who pays the bills? I do the budget, he pays some of the bills on-line, he earns most the money.

24. What is your song?/25. What did you dance your first dance to? "Can I have this Dance?" Ann Murray...we did a real waltz to it.

26. Describe your wedding dress: Read about it here.

27. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding? How about a picture? These were mine.

And what my girls carried.

The mom's carried little bouquets of fall colored roses and the boutonnieres were roses like mine and other flowers. I made all the flowers the for the girls the day before and the boutonnieres the morning of the wedding. Everyone thought I was crazy, but I loved doing it and they turned out great!

28. How old were you when you got married? I was just shy of 32 and Mike was 28.

This is so much fun! I'm going to share more stories in the coming days, but more than anything I just want my sweet husband to know how much I love him! He is such a wonderful guy and I am grateful that we found each other. They say the first year of marriage is the hardest and I slept through the first 9 months of it (being pregnant wears me out). We sailed through that one pretty easily! They number two has been filled with parenting our little guy, focusing on Pint Size Polkas and just being a family. All in all it has been pretty smooth sailing too! We always joked that we were in this for 50 years and then we'd reevaluate. (Who knows, I'll be 82 then...maybe I'll be ready for an even younger man?) So, we've got 2 down and 48 to go and I'm looking forward to them! Thanks for choosing me.

Better than Jewels

2009-10-27T19:18:00.005-05:00

For some women this would be laughable, but when I finally got tomatoes this summer I remember thinking they were prettier than jewels! They were so shiny and red and yummy and I was so grateful to have them. Tonight I was grateful all over again.

I didn't realize how late the evening had gotten when I looked up and it was almost 5 pm already. We typically eat at about 5 since that give us time to eat and clean up and spend some time with the little guy before he heads to bed around 7 or earlier depending on the day! Today we'd eaten a late lunch due to my work schedule. Then we headed out to enjoy an actual sunny day. We've had so few this fall that they are a real treat!

This weekend we were able to find an older single child Burley for a really good price. Okay, it was $20 if you must know. Seriously, is that a good deal or what? :) It is dusty, but in good condition. We figured today was a good day to take it for a spin and see if little guy liked it or not. What fun to actually get on my bike again! We used to bike a lot, but last summer I was very, very pregnant and then the little guy was too small for a trailer (and I was healing from his birth and had no desire to get on a bike and check how the healing was going and all). So basically it has been 2 years since I've ridden my bike. That ended today. And with any luck we'll get a few more rides in before the snow flies. The little one really enjoyed the trailer right away. He kept waving at me (Daddy pulls him) and smiling and laughing. We'll be enjoying biking as a family a lot in the future, I have no doubt!

So we got home from riding and then gave our dogs baths while the little one avoided his afternoon nap. Then I checked my e-mail and bam! it was 5 o'clock. YIKES!

I decided to use one of my spaghetti squashes that I bought at the farmer's market on Thursday. Last year we enjoyed some for the first time and I remembered I had done a spicy sausage tomato sauce with it. I cooked up some sausage, dumped in some onion and green pepper, opened 2 cans of tomato sauce I had gotten off of freecycle (a woman gave me 3 cases of 12 cans each and had more for others) and thought that would be it. I decided we needed more chunkiness to the sauce and ran downstairs again.

These tomatoes waited for me in their pint and quart jars. I added a pint of diced tomatoes and some seasonings and we were ready to eat in no time. I love my shelves and crates of canned goods. Seeing them makes me happy and eating them makes me even happier!

Happy fall eating,

Heather

2009-10-21T16:01:00.005-05:00

Thanks to all of you (and the big Guy upstairs!) we had beautiful weather on Monday. Finally. We decided to take advantage of it and head out to a beautiful park along Lake Michigan. I used to frequent the park with my dog fairly often when I was single and Mike and I had our engagement pictures taken there. It is a bit of a drive from our house now, but totally worth it! Especially this time of year when the leaves are looking so beautiful.

Little guy seems to really be fighting afternoon naps and rarely will fall asleep. (We keep hoping and still give him 'rest time' even if he just plays and talks in his crib the whole time.) Of course, on Monday he slept and slept and slept so we didn't get to the park as early as we planned, but it was still great!

There are lots of woods and trails and beautiful Lannon stonework benches and steps. We took advantage of the picturesque area to take some pictures. Makes sense, huh? Others seemed to have the same idea as we saw no fewer than 6 very large cameras coming out of the park as we were heading in....some family pictures, one engagement set, others just getting photos.

Is it just me or do you have lots of pictures of curious toddlers looking like this?

Or when you finally have them looking they decide they need to point at the picture taker?

It is really challenging taking good pictures of active little ones, isn't it? And I'm trying not to get him frustrated with the whole 'sit still and look at me and smile' thing right now. I'm just trying to get something that looks fairly natural and very like him. Extra points if he is smiling. And even more points if it is in focus and somewhat framed. This ones misses on the whole 'in focus' and 'smiling' thing, but it is a pretty great shot of a pretty great kid.

I really love this little guy.

Wishing you sunny days!

Heather

You Guys are Good!

2009-10-18T10:02:00.002-05:00

Seriously, you guys come thorugh!

Today it is SUNNY! And they are saying possible sun tomorrow and maybe even Tuesday. That may be more sun than we've seen all of October. Happy dance here in Milwaukee!

Mike is sanding on the deck as I type and I am headed out to stain as soon as he finishes. We will get this done yet. I have off tomorrow so if the weather can hold I'll be a happy, happy girl. And I work very early Tuesday so maybe we can even get to a park yet.

Thank you for all your help in procurring a few days of decent weather. There is a possibility we may be in the 50s for most of this week. You pulled some great strings and I am thankful!

Hope you have a beautiful Sunday too!
Heather

Can I Get Some Help Here?

2009-10-15T09:26:00.003-05:00

I've been in an odd mood lately. It could have something to do with the fact that we had an unbelievably beautiful September (23 days in a row with sun and gorgeous temps) and then SLAMMED into late fall/early winter. The temps have been in the 40s, it has been dreary and rainy and just all around crummy. I love fall and miss the 'early fall' that is sunny and sweet during the day and cool and crisp at night. This weather makes me just want to hibernate!

I've been taking advantage of this weather to make lots of soups and warm food. There is something wonderful about that, but I wasn't ready to transition so quickly from grilling to stews! I want to be using things from the farmer's market and making salads. I needed the time to transition and we didn't get it.

So we are now trying to get our deck sanded and refinished before there is snow, but we need at least 2 days of sun. We need to get the outside toys picked up and put away. We need to trim a few hedges that grew like crazy after the pruning this summer. We just need a few days of early fall to get those 'wrap up the summer' projects wrapped up. Could someone put in a good word for us here in Milwaukee?

I'm trying to remain hopeful since we got married on November 3rd and it was beautiful. Last year we had 4 days in October get above 80 degrees. In 2007 there were 4 days in October that were above 70 degrees. Is it too much to hope/want/expect at least a day in the 50s or even 60s before the first blizzard?

Can I get some help in requesting just one beautiful weekend? I really want to take the little one to a beautiful park and get some fall pictures with him. I need some sun to do it. Please, I'm begging I need a few days of transition weather!

That concludes my whining about the weather for today,
Heather

Loss

2009-10-13T14:42:00.004-05:00

This weekend my parent's were in Wisconsin again. It was wonderful to see them and the little one had a blast charming his grandparents. However, their visit was not all in fun.

We lost a dear family friend last week and Saturday was her memorial service. She and her husband were like a local aunt and uncle for me and my sister's growing up. Our biological ones were all out of state, but these two were able to fill in. They didn't have children so they spoiled us, treated us like adults and disciplined us like we were their own depending on what we needed at the time. She fought cancer for almost two years after having been told she only had months or maybe weeks to live when she was diagnosed. Her diagnosis came the week of our wedding and now she has passed at only 49.

Three weeks ago my mom came up and we went to see her one last time. She was on heavy medications and we only had a few moments here and there when she was lucid. When she was with us she was so much like herself. She was sharp, funny, and pointed. She talked about things that had happened recently (like her visit to Kentucky in July) and things from my childhood. She was yellow, swollen, and not eating or drinking. For me it was an experience I'll never forget and I'm grateful that we got to spend time with her.

The biggest challenge for me is how to reach out to her husband. He is a outdoorsman who learned how to be an amazing nurse to his wife. He expected to have 30 more years with her and that he would go first (he's 9 years older). He spends his time welding, hunting, and fishing. Suddenly he was having to administer 4 different pain meds, run IVs, and watch his wife as she slipped further and further from him. She died on their couch while he slept a few feet from her. He now has to cope with being alone.

We do not live close and my husband has only met him once. They have almost nothing in common. I've never called this gentleman out of the blue before. However, I can't help but feel a desire to spend time with him now. I want to be there for him if he needs us as my parent's live so far away. He has lots of friends and some family in the area. I know that he has a full life and that many people will be watching over him. I think that my way of coping may be that I want to help him feel cared about. It is something I've been thinking about and will be continuing to figure out. How can I best serve him and be there for him? What will be helpful to him and what would just be for my own benefit?

Loss is so hard. We are grateful for the time she had and that the 'bad' part really only lasted about 3-4 weeks. She was not in pain and didn't suffer. She is now in a place where she can do all those things that she loved again.

I'm grateful that she was in my life and that I got to say goodbye. I'm grateful for the lessons she taught me. Life is short and you never know what the next day, week or month will bring. Stop complaining and just enjoy where you are. Make a difference in other people's lives. Spend time doing things you love with people you love. Collect things you love; collect lots of them if it makes you happy. Speak your mind. Sing like there is no one else in the car. It is okay to be a woman who has a strong opinion and doesn't back down. Not everyone will like you and that is perfectly fine. Sometimes friendships end, but hold onto the friendships that mean something to you. Marry the person who is right for you no matter how different you are. Be yourself until the very end.

Thank you M. for teachin me so much.
Heather

More grateful people over at Heavenly Homemakers.

Frugal Find Friday--Bummer!

2009-10-09T09:21:00.002-05:00

Today my Frugal Finds were spoiled! I was going to share with you some of the ways I frugally feed our family wonderful in season, local foods by showing the bounty of our local famer's market. However, when I got there yesterday they vendors were either gone or were about to pull out!

I haven't been able to go in almost 2 weeks (it is open T, Th, and Sat) and was so looking forward to a visit. However I had to work from 11-5 and by the time I got to the market it was about 5:30. The weather was cold and rainy and I'm guessing they all headed home a little early because of it. I'm kind of thinking that the crowd gets pretty thin by then, but I do not really know as I am typically there in the early afternoon. I'm especially disappointed because I will not be able to go Saturday or Tuesday and Thursday I have the same schedule. And they close in about a month....YIKES!

The West Allis Farmer's market is made up of all local vendors. They must grow what they sell. I love the variety of items offered and find that I can often get some amazing deals. They open at noon and I'm guessing they close between 5-6 depending on the crowd. I really think that finding a local farmer's market is one of the most frugal ways to feed a family (at least during the summer) if you do not have a garden. To give you an idea of some of the best deals I've gotten this summer...

Cabbages (rather huge ones, both red and green) $1
Cantaloupe $1
Smaller Watermelons $1 and 2/$1
Green Beans $1/lb (typically they are about $2/lb there)
Zucchini (a bin of about 8 bigger ones) $1
Beets (a huge basket) $2
Eggplant 3/$1

And the list goes on and on. I do walk the entire market and really do try to find some of the best deals. However, the prices are all very good and the food is even better! There are some all organic vendors, some that sell meat and eggs, a few apple orchards, lots of sweet corn, flowers, herbs and all kinds of other great vegetables and fruits.

I'm already dreading the end of the growing season. And really it is already here as we are expecting flurries on Saturday afternoon and highs in the low 40s on Monday. Looks like winter showed up a bit early this year!

Have a great day,
Heather

Rock the Vote!

2009-10-08T08:09:00.003-05:00

This post is a shameless promotion of my sister and her photographic talents. And an appeal for your vote. I'm Heather and I approved this message.

My sister is into photography. Not your average portrait photography or even the typical digital photography. She has become interested in all kinds of unique photography that I do not even begin to understand. She uses old, unusual cameras. She develops her prints. She plays around with papers and exposures and all kinds of things to make her prints even more unique. She takes 'photos' using only the sun and flowers. Again, I do not fully understand it, but I appreciate that it is really amazing art when she is finished with it.

She is currently involved in a photography contest. Actually it is an alternative photography calendar contest. There are like 85 different submissions and she is one of them. If she is one of the final winners she'll be featured. I'd be really grateful if you'd check out the entries here. Her photo is most of the way down the listing. Her name is Sarah Speakes and the photo is of a not fully opened lilly. It was 'taken' using only the photo paper, the flower and the sun. From what she's told me this is called a Lumen picture. The photo is called Elegance and it is!

And when you are finished and realize how amazing her photo is you can vote for her here. And if that one is full you can vote here. Again, you'll go to Sarah Speakes and check her name. Then submit your vote. They are taking votes until they get to a certain number so time is of the essence.

Thanks so much for your support of my sister! Seriously, shameless I know, but she's my sister and I want her to do well.

She's a mom of 3 kids (my nephew is 6 and neices are 5) and her husband is in the Air Force. He deploys every 5 months or so and is gone for that long. It is hard for them to be apart, and I can't imagine how challenging it is for her to be home alone with the kids. And not near any of her other family because of where they must live for his job. At one point she had two new babies and a little toddler and had to handle it all on her own. Can you imagine grocery shopping with two car seats, an early walker and just two hands? I cannot. My brother-in-law is away for training right now and I'd love for her to win this contest as a great pick me up. So please vote for Sarah Speakes and Elegance! We'd both be really grateful :)

Thanks so much,
Heather

Happy October!

2009-10-05T15:30:00.003-05:00

I cannot believe it is October already! Although Mike's schedule is crazy right now which means it is Oktoberfest season. This weekend he had 7 jobs in less than 3 days. Needless to say we didn't see him much. But he loves what he does and we are grateful for the work.

Little guy has started walking. Amazingly he just started taking a few steps here and there and now seems to pretty much have the hang of it. He doesn't walk everywhere yet, but we know it is just a matter of a little more time. He is getting bigger and more active every day! He never did the stand and balance move that most little ones do. The one where they just stand in place and then squat down and play or pick up something and then stand back up, never moving their feet the entire time. He still doesn't really do that, but has figured out how to balance enough that he can walk from here to there when he feels like it!

He is also signing more and more words. We started with milk forever ago and within the last month or so he seemed to be really into signing milk, more and food (the only ones we'd taught him). So I started doing a few more and now he also does water, mommy, daddy, drink, and even please sometimes! I need to do more research to keep expanding his signing vocabulary. It is so cute to see him do it and I'm glad he is communicating with us even though he doesn't say many words yet. His signing also leads to funny situations. Every morning the first thing I do when he gets up is change his diaper. After that we head to the kitchen and he has breakfast. Well he must be hungry first thing because now he is often in his crib signing 'food' and 'more' as soon as he wakes up. And he keeps signing it the whole time I change him. Breakfast must be his favorite meal!

I've only got 1 quart jar and 1 1/2 pint jar left in my kitchen. I've still got a box and a half of apples. I also have a really, really full freezer. My parents are coming up for a quick trip this weekend and my mom is bringing me more jars. Here's hoping the apples stay good until she gets here! I love looking at all the jars I've canned. It will be great to do more and more things as the years go by. There is nothing like knowing you've got provisisons. And that there is no BPA in them. Fall is really a great time of year and I can't wait to pick up some things at the farmer's market. Spaghetti squash, here I come!

Have a great day,
Heather

How to Remove Burnt Tomato Sauce

2009-09-29T06:28:00.001-05:00

So, I've been doing a lot of canning. And when I can I'm a bit messy at times. Seriously, I think it is impossible to avoid it! When I had a big overflow of tomato juice and sauce I knew that I would be left with a big mess to clean up. There was a huge amount of burned on gunk left on my stovetop when I was able to take the kettle off the burner. Not very fun. I wish I had taken a picture of how bad it was, but I think you'll get the idea.

Thank goodness I remembered that it can be easier to remove than just scrubbing till my arms want to fall off. All it takes is some baking soda and some patience.

First I VERY liberally sprinkled baking soda over the entire mess. I dumped quite a bit over the area since it was a pretty thick mess. I sprinkled a little bit of water on it and just let it sit for a while. I think I did some dishes and kind of forgot about it for at least 10-20 minutes.

The next step was wiping it off. In the picture you can see that part of it has wiped off fairly well. I kept washing out my dish cloth and rewiping it, but not really scrubbing too hard. Some parts just wiped right off, some parts were still a big, black, yucky mess.

I just dumped a bunch more baking soda over the parts that didn't clean up, sprinkled a bit more water and continued on my way with the rest of the dishes.

When I was done with my other clean up I just came back and wiped it down again. Most of it came right off by then. There was a chunk that seemed determined to stay on there, but with a little elbow grease it finally gave up. I didn't worry too much about total perfection (I rarely do) because I knew I'd be canning the next day and probably have a similar mess to deal with!

Luckily, it wasn't so bad the next day. If it had been I would have just reached for the baking soda again! Such an easy way to make quick work of canning messes. For more great Kitchen Tips visit Tammy's Recipes.

Heather

Zucchini Relish

2009-09-28T06:02:00.000-05:00

Which could also be called "The best pickle relish you've ever had that has no cucumbers in it whatsoever!" or "An easy way to use up a lot of big zucchini fast." or "Gift back those zucchini your neighbors hid on your porch without them knowing they are getting zucchini!"

I do not even remember where I first heard mention of making zucchini relish, but it was on a website somewhere this year. "Huh, that's a great idea, if it works" was my first reaction. As everyone who lives in Wisconsin (or most other states) knows zucchini is something that grows really well and really abundantly here. Many people find themselves doing everything they can to just give away the extras. Cucumbers so too, but not with the same prolific zeal that zucchini does. My garden did not feel it right to supply me with EITHER of these items this year, but gratefully the farmer's market does!

We do not typically eat a lot of pickle relish, but after getting a few big zucchini from assorted people and then being able to buy about 6 bigger ones for only $1 at the farmer's market I figured I'd see if I could make some relish myself. (We already had lots of diced and shredded zucchini frozen for winter use.) Since cucumbers are like $2-$3 a pound it made sense to give the zucchini recipe a shot. And the recipe says its delicious and I'll never buy pickle relish in the store again, so it must be worth a shot!

I found the recipe that sounded the simplest with the fewest ingredients here. I liked the fact that I had gotten a bunch of red peppers from our freecycle connection, there were onions in the drawer and cheap zucchini to use. My biggest expense was getting spices (turmeric, celery seed, and dry mustard) but those weren't too bad and really it was just the turmeric that I wouldn't have normally had in my cupboard. The sugar, vinegar, corn starch and black pepper are pantry staples for us as well.

Basically you just grate up the zucchini, onions and red peppers. I used my Kitchen Aid attachment to do the zucchini (seeds, skins and all) and onions. It really wasn't too great with the onions, but I figured it didn't matter how smooshed they were as relish is more about flavor than anything else. I ended up using my little Cuisinart to do the red peppers as they were already in a large dice and I just needed to get them finer. These all get salted and put in the fridge overnight. Or for 2 days as was the case with my first batch!

The vegetable mix gets rinsed, drained, and put in a pot to combine with the other ingredients. This is where the spices, vinegar and sugar all get added.

Mix well and bring to a boil. This cooks for 30 minutes and does get a bit thicker thanks to the cornstarch. When stirring make sure you use a utensil that you do not mind getting stained. I used a wooden one (as I am doing more and more these days) and it is the prettiest yellow color up to the point that the mixture reached! I do not mind at all, but even my enameled cast iron took on a yellow hue for a while. The turmeric is strong stuff so be aware of any drips or where you put your spoon down. You could end up with stains on your counter tops as well.

Doesn't this look like it could be cucumber relish? Smells strong, but good while cooking!

The finished product after boiling and canning. I'm trying to remember, but I think I waterbathed the pints for about 20 minutes. I followed the suggestion that was on another recipe and figured that since this is so similar in texture I should be okay. The linked recipe does not specifically give a time for canning.

I've tried some of this on a sandwich and it was wonderful! I typically only use relish in chicken, egg or potato salad or occasionally on a hot dog. I have a feeling that the 12 pints I've put up will be used up though. The color is great, the flavor is awesome! I actually have a bit of store bought relish in the fridge and when comparing them I found the store bought one to be too uniform in size of chunks, too all one color as it is just pickles with a tiny bit of red something in it, and just too sweet smelling and tasting. This one is just more fun all the way around! And I think it would make a really nice looking gift as the colors and texture make the jar look very festive.

Next year I hope to get lots and lots and lots of zucchini and red pepper to be able to put up a bunch more of this! I originally just did the 6 pints, but when I got a few more zucchinis last week I knew what I'd be doing with those too :) I pulled red pepper out of the freezer and whipped up another batch right away.

Happy Canning!

Heather

How Funny Is This?

2009-09-27T15:33:00.002-05:00

I just thought this eggplant was too cute. Doesn't it look like it is waving? Or like it is a hook to hang a purse on? I didn't see this part until I got home as it was in a basket of 3 eggplants (for $1) and they just dumped the basket into my bag. Too funny!

Anyone have any great eggplant recipes? I didn't grow up eating it, but have made a few things with them the last few summers. We've made Pasta Norma and I've put it into veggie lasagna and even oven roasted it with beets and garlic. Mike isn't a huge fan and I think it is mostly the texture. I know my grandma fries it, but I haven't tried that yet. I'd love any suggestions you might have!

Heather

What Tuesday and Wednesday Looked Like

2009-09-27T10:10:00.005-05:00

Yup, it was crazy trying to can with a very active toddler!

Tuesday Mike was gone all day playing for libraries and schools which left little guy and I on our own. Typically I love days like that, but when you are trying to deal with produce that can't wait and do some canning it makes it a bit tricky. The above picture was taken at about 7:30 am and shows most of the contents of one cabinet now spread out on the floor. It actually got worse than this at times! Thank goodness for nap times :)

So this is what got prepared and canned on Tuesday.

There are 5 batches of strawberry jam in those jars. I've run out of 1/2 pint jars so we will be eating jam by the pint. I don't think my husband will mind having to eat up a bunch at a time! Strawberry jam is his favorite. We have more jam in this house than we could possibly eat in a year, but I'm sure that some will make for great gifts as well this holiday season. It is wonderful treat that I've never really bought, but we like having now that I have access to fruit that is best used for things like jam.

There are also 6 pints of zucchini relish, 2 pints of pear-apple sauce, 4 pints of pineapple, 4 quarts of tomato juice, 3 quarts of diced tomatoes and 4 pints of diced tomatoes. It is amazing how small 39 jars of food can look in a picture! Especially when it took me an entire day to get that all put up. I know I'll get better/faster at this the more years I do it. And I also think that it would be faster to focus on one thing at a time. I got such a variety of things that I had to multi-task in the type of things I was making. And goodness knows that it takes some serious time to make jam when you do it without pectin!

This is Wednesday's work.

Wednesday I started by washing up lots more jars! I think there are 25 more jars of things pictures. There are 6 more quarts of diced tomatoes and tomato juice, 5 pints of diced peaches, 3 pints of peach sauce, 4 pints of pear sauce and 7 pints of apple sauce. The pears I got were really 'organic.' The apples were also picked from trees that are totally ignored, but I've little worry about bad spots or worm holes. The pears have been much harder to deal with though. And after a while I started getting fed up with them. I've got a few more to do (they weren't fully ripe yet) and I'm kind of dreading them. Some of the remaining ones are bigger and I'm hopeful that I'll be able to get some diced pears out of them. We'll be eating an awful lot of sauces this winter!

I've still got lots of apples to deal with and many of those will be come sauce as well. I will be freezing some and may try and do some apple pie filling. My biggest worry is running out jars as it appears that I will be soon.

I realized I never took a picture of Thursday, but it was an all applesauce day. I only canned what I had cooked down or at least cut up the day before. My family needed me to be more focused on them and the apples are more forgiving than the other produce. I believe I did about 14 more jars that day. 4 quarts and 10 pints if I remember correctly, all applesauce!

Hope your food preservation is going well!

Heather

Not For the Faint of Heart

2009-09-23T21:08:00.003-05:00

Canning is going well, but is exhausting work! And I'm not even really doing that much stuff compared to many people out there. I seriously think they should consider canning for the next summer Olympics or something. What other sport makes you stay in a kitchen with boiling pots of water and other assorted things for 10-12 hour stretches at a time? And then stay on your feet while coring, peeling, chopping, measuring, washing, filling and oh, so many other things? I think that the Olympic committee would be impressed by the stamina and endurance of many serious canners.

I'm too tired to get my camera and load pictures, but I've got lots to show. I've done so many different things in the last 2 days and had to call it really early this evening. My husband and son needed my attention and food, so canning got put away until tomorrow.

So far I've done:
5 batches of strawberry jam
diced tomatoes and tomato juice
pinapple
diced peaches and peach sauce
pear sauce
apple sauce
zucchini relish
and canned some pear-apple sauce that I had made on Saturday

Mostly I'm working on apples from this point on. A few pears will be diced up once they ripen. I'm going to be out of jars tomorrow which makes me really sad! I'm also almost out of lids, so I need to stock up on those or be done canning and freeze things from this point onward.

Can't wait to show you pictures!
Heather

When It Rains, It POURS!

2009-09-21T16:52:00.002-05:00

I am living in a state of overextended gratefulness. Somehow I've become a recipient of a HUGE amount of differing types of produce, all in about 36 hours. And most of it needs to be processed IMMEDIATELY, if not sooner. And I worked today and have to go back in tonight. It has been crazy and I can't wait to share all about it.

Yes, I finally got some tomatoes! :) So, so happy!

(and strawberries, pineapples, pears, watermelons, grapes, apples, potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, a few assorted other vegetables.)

Lots of canning in my future and I am very, very, VERY grateful that I have off the next 3 days. I'll be working hard!
Heather

Frugal Find Friday--Cube Shelves

2009-09-18T08:31:00.005-05:00

My mom never takes the time to garage sale when she is at home, but we went when we visted her in Kentucky in July. If you read about it you may remember that she was hard to get home...just one more stop, I never get to do this, etc, etc, etc. Little guy and I were worn out!

Well, they came to visit a few weeks ago and while we were at a wedding my mom discovered a rumamge sale about a block from our house. She picked up some things for herself and drooled over a few she didn't buy as well. That night she informed me that we needed to go back on Sunday. I was not really excited about it as it was a really busy weekend and I had a lot of corn to process as well.

While my dad, Mike and my father-in-law were golfing my mom and I started working on the corn, but she mentioned the rummage sale again. I pointed out that the little one was sleeping and I couldn't leave the house. She kept checking to see if they were still out there...it was actually pretty funny how badly she wanted to go back to the yard sale!

Once he woke up we were out the door. She ended up finding a few other things and I found two items to bring home. Both were great deals, so I wasn't upset that we went! :) the first were these. They are two cube shelves that I'll hang in our living room for pictures or little things to go in. They were never opened and still had the plastic around the box. They were marked $2, but I asked and she took $1 for them. Normally, I do not haggle, but I didn't need these, but like them and figured I'd see if she'd take $1. Why does $1 feel so much easier to spend than $2?

I didn't get a photo of the other item, but you've all seen them. It is a pizza stone. I've got one and we love it. We have homemade pizza every Monday night and the stone has become very dark with use. As our little one eats more and more I realized that we will soon be needing to make 2 pizzas and I didn't have another stone. I didn't have it on the list yet, but knew it would need to be added soon. They only wanted $1 for that as well and I didn't ask them to go any lower! I think my mom was bummed that I saw it first as she has a quite impressive selection of stoneware, but no actually pizza stone. I don't feel too bad about it though as they do not eat pizza weekly like we do. And her homemade pizza recipe goes into her set of rectangle pans prefectly. All in all it was a good little side trip thanks to my mom's persistance.

Any deals in your neck of the woods? Share away!

Heather

Seriously Great Soap!

2009-09-16T19:12:00.003-05:00

I plan to write up my cloth diaper routine at some point. Today I found a giveaway that includes one of my must have items to cloth diaper. It is Charlie's Soap!

We switched to Charlie's Soap about a month before the little guy came along. We wash all our clothes, his clothes and his cloth diapers in the stuff. It is awesome! Cleans really well, has NO scent, causes no skin reactions and does not build up on our cloth diapers. It is seriously great soap!

I'm so excited about the chance to win some more as well as a chance to try their other cleaning products. Wish me luck in the drawing over at Life in a Shoe. And if you want to win too, I don't blame you :)

Oh, and it isn't too bad for price. The little 80 load bags go a LONG way in our HE machine. Two bags lasted us a full year and that includes doing lots and lots of diapers!

Hope things are great where you are! I've been canning again...
Heather

And The Fun Never Stops

2009-09-14T12:52:00.010-05:00

Or at least it hasn't yet! :)

A few more canning adventures to share today. I mentioned the dill that I got from my parents that was picked out of my grandparent's garden in South Dakota...did you get all of that? I put it to good use in the traditional way by canning dill pickles and also canning dilly beans. We used to do big whole pickles when I was growing up as well as bread and butter pickles. I threw caution to the wind and canned dill pickle spears! And I've never had pickled dill beans, but it seems to be a very popular thing and I love dill so I figured I'd give it a try. So, Nettacow you were right that pickles were in the picture! But beans, who would have thought? Tons of canners all over the place, that's who. Now for enough time to pass so I can crack open a pint and give them a taste!

First things first, here is the recipe I used for Canned Dill Pickles. Here is my big bowl of cucumbers all cut up and ready to become pickles.

This gave me enough for 7 pints of pickles and a few left for eating as they were. I really tried my best to squish them in the jar as tight as possible which is why they wouldn't win any blue ribbons at the fair. But even so, aren't the jars cute all ready for their brine?

The beans and pickles required a bit of garlic so I got to work smooshing and then peeling some cloves. Hopefully it doesn't affect the flavor too much, but I find that it is SO much easier to peel garlic when you've smashed it with the knife first.

Then I washed the beans and got them ready for a quick 3 min steam. I did this with the frist pints I canned, but when I came back a few days later to do some more beans I picked up at the farmer's market I skipped this step. I figure they are going in a boiling water bath, so they are getting as cooked as they need to be. Any one have any thoughts on this? Will my other jars be terrible?

The key to good steaming is to stop the cooking process ASAP. So after the 3 minutes was up they headed into an ice water bath.

I bought these at the farmer's market as well. I cleaned out this vendors green beans ($1/lb) and to equal 2 pounds I needed a few yellow ones as well. I did a couple of jars all green and a couple mixed.

A hill of beans!

Okay, so the disappointing thing. I haven't gotten a picture of them afte they came out of the water bath. It was late, the lighting was bad, I was hot and tired. Need more excuses? :) I will get one though. And then I'll show you that a girl can learn and how much prettier my next set of dilly beans were. There is a trick to packing green beans into a jar!

Have a great day,

Heather

Frugal Find Friday--Canning Edition

2009-09-11T07:08:00.000-05:00

Since we are in full on canning mode in most parts of the country, I thought it only right to feature a recent frugal find that has to do with food preservation.

As you may have read yesterday I have recently been blessed with produce from relatives in South Dakota and Wisconsin. I've also been able to find produce through some friendly freecycle folks. (I'm doing another pickup later in September!) I've even been busy supporting our local famer's market. All this wonderful bounty has been being enjoyed and also preserved to make sure we can enjoy it for many months to come.

When canning often the 'other' ingredients and tools are often the most expensive part of the recipe. I was lucky to get some quart jars and two dozen or so pint and 1/2 pint jars from my mom's huge stash. I found another dozen pint jars at a rummage sale for $1. They were still in their original box and had perfect rings on them and they were at least 30 years old! The other great find was completely accidental. My manager at work was getting ready to move from a good sized house to a smaller town home. She had three boxes of jars---was I interested? They were headed to the dump if I didn't take them and as they were originally her grandmother's she'd like to find them a good home. I was VERY interested! I was excited to see that the boxes were almost completely filled with pint jars.

I grew up canning with my mom and 98% of what we canned went into quart jars. I'm finding that I like using pints at this point. We are a smaller family and they just seem less overwhelming than the quarts. Now, if I EVER find tomatos and get to can those they are going in quarts. Hopefully lots and lots and lots of quart jars. For the things I've done so far I really like using the pint jars the best. And nothing is more frugal than dozens and dozens of free pint jars!

I've been fortunate to really stock up on sugar when it was $.99/ 4 lb bag and I found some vinegar for $1.50 a gallon. I've gotten dill from my grandparent's garden. I did have to spend a little money on pickling salt ($2) and pickling spices ($2.12). The lids I've bought at Wally World and they are $1.50 for 12 lids. I have two pots--the big one was a second hand gift from my mom and the little one I bought years ago and just held onto it. I am still looking for a metal ladle, but the jar lifter, rack and funnel were in with the big pot my mom gave me. My canning colanders were wonderful rummage sale finds! I spent $8 for two of them and haven't yet decided if I'm going to sell one or keep them both.

Canning can be as expensive or as frugal as you make it and I am happy to report that ours is staying pretty frugal! Put the word out that you are canning and it is amazing what will come into your life. And don't forget the internet when it comes to finding easy, wonderful recipes to can!

Any frugal finds in your life? Have a great Friday!
Heather

More South Dakota Goodies!

2009-09-10T09:06:00.004-05:00

There weren't just chokecherries in my freezer when I got home from work. My parents had brought lots of harvest goodness from my relatives in South Dakota!

My Aunt Mary had also sent along A TON of sweet corn. They planted about 2 1/2 pounds of seed this year and it did really, really well. From what my parents shared it sounds like they have sweet corn coming out of their ears! :) Bad, bad pun, I know. When the family got together to see my parents they brought an entire car load to share with the sisters. Then when my parents went to their home they filled their car up again to share with me. My mom and I processed a ton of corn while she was here and she took 3 vacuum bags with her as well as a bag to eat fresh. Mike and I ate a bag fresh as well and I ended up with 20 more bags in the freezer. We will have lots of corn chowder, salsa chicken with corn and black beans and sides of corn this winter! If anyone has a good corn recipe to share I think I'll be up for trying them t his year. I think we ended up freezing and eating somewhere around 180 ears of corn in the end.

They also have bees and she sent a gallon of honey for my sister, my mom and me to share. I am THRILLED about that. We love using honey and this is from their farm which makes it even better! This was an awesome surprise and we can't wait to dip into our big beautiful jar.

Not pictured, but also sent along were a big bag of dill from my Dad's parents. Two years ago I was suppossed to take dill from them, but I forgot. This time my parent's remembered! You'll see what I've used it for soon. I've got a few heads left and they may just be left to dry and used later. I just love the smell of dill! It should be sold as aromatherapy in my opinion. I also was happy to get 4 large zucchini, but I do not know whose garden they came out of. They have been chopped, shredded and stuffed. I frozen a bunch and we ate a lot. So good!

In the picture, but not from South Dakota are some really wonderful tomatos. While my parents were here we went to see my only relatives here in Wisconsin. My Dad's sister and her husband live about an hour away so went for a visit. They sent us home with a few big tomatos and lots of great cherry sized tomatos. The bigger red ones were SO sweet and the yellow ones were the cutest! They look like pretty little pears or light bulbs. We loved munching on these as we've only gotten 3 tomatos from our garden as of this morning.

I'm so grateful for family that is willing to share from their harvest. If only we lived closer we could help them with their extras more often! :) I look forward to being able to return the favor when I finally have a big garden that produces. For now, I will be sharing my Starbucks coffee bean when we return to South Dakota!

Have a great day,

Heather

Chokecherries!

2009-09-09T15:31:00.007-05:00

My parents recently visited us on their way home from a trip to South Dakota. They were both raised there and both sets of my grandparents as well as many aunts, uncles and cousins live there now. A few relatives sent along things for me! I am a truly lucky girl.

I had never tasted or even seen a chokecherry until I came home to find about 4 gallons of them in my freezer. Thank goodness for the internet! I looked up a recipe for chokecherry jam and one for chokecherry syrup. I figured we might as well give them both a chance as we had no idea what to expect.

I would say that chokecherrys are a bit winey tasting. The juice, jam and syrup have the dry mouth feel that the tannins in a good red wine will leave with you. The cherries have a large pit relative to their size and are a bit messy to work with. Luckily the juice wiped up easily and the jam jelled pretty easily. The juice is a beauiful purply-magenta color and my pictures do not do it justice!

I put my canning collander to good use! The larger pits made getting all the juice and pulp out a bit tricky, but I got enough to make me feel like it was worth my time.

My stations...from the boiling kettle (with the cherries and a bit of water) to the collander to the pan (for the pits and skins) and the big measuring cup (for the juice and pulp). I ended up doing all of this part on day one and then coming back to make the jam and syrup and do the canning on day two. Too much mess, too little time to do it all at once!

This is the juice and a TON of sugar boiling away to make jam. The first batch of jam got really good and sticky, the second stayed a bit looser. I may have just not let it boil long enough as it was a large pot of juice. The syrup is the right consistency for pancakes and we look forward to trying a batch really soon!

I am excited by how frugal this project was. There was a lot of sugar involved, but recently our store ran a promotion for $.99 bags of sugar (4 lb size). I figured I used about a full bag of sugar to make all the syrup and jam. So even with lids and such I spent about $2 total. Of course, I also used some energy, but in the end it was a lot cheaper than buying syrup or jam! And no added colors or chemicals. I told Mike that the syrup looks like the bright colored stuff at IHOP, but it is the real deal!

Wait until you see whatelse my wonderful Aunt Mary sent for us!

Heather

Can You Identify This?

2009-09-08T15:24:00.003-05:00

This is what has kept me from posting. Do you know what it is? It looks harmless enough...cute little purplish berry type thing.

Then you start cooking it down and it turns into this.

And now you know why I haven't been around much lately. My kitchen floor has not yet been scrubbed and for that I'm very sorry. Many canning adventures to report. And I'm not working tomorrow, so stay tuned for an update!

I hope you had a wonderful Labor Day. I spent a big part of mine laboring...uh, working. After about 45 hours of childbirth I should know better to refer to anything except that as laboring. The weather here was wonderful and I did get to enjoy some of the afternoon.

Have a great day!
Heather

Where does the time go?

2009-09-04T13:57:00.002-05:00

So, its Friday and I do not have a post written! Has it really been a whole week? Somehow I accidentally took a week off of posting. Between the family in town, working too many hours, and life I have not had time to think! I promise to take some time this weekend to get some thought on paper...on-line! I've been doing some canning and some freezing and can't wait to get some pictures and thoughts up.

Harvest time is upon us and there is nothing more frugal than putting up and freezing some of summer's bounty to be enjoyed all year long. I've been canning chokecherry jam and syrup, freezing corn, freezing zucchini, and canning dilly beans and cucumbers. Good times!

Have a great day and I'll be back soon,
Heather

Frugal Find Friday--Entertainment Edition

2009-08-28T06:06:00.000-05:00

This is a quick post for Frugal Find Friday! My family is coming to visit, I have to work and life is going to be hectic for the next 36 hours or so. But I thought these were worth mentioning.

Mike and I have become very good at finding frugal ways to enjoy ourselves. It is great to get out and do fun things without breaking the budget. Or even breaking into the budget! In the last two weeks we've had the chance to do a few things that cost us next to nothing.

First, we got the chance to do an evening cruise through Milwaukee and out into Lake Michigan. It was billed as a martini cruise, but really we just looked at it as a way to have some yummy snacks, see the city from the water and spend some time together. We got this opportunity through our financial planner. He has had a few activities from time to time and we try and make an effort to go if possible. He is a great guy and doesn't use these as a way to pressure people to do more investing. He also always lets us know if we can bring friends, but we've never felt like he was doing this to just get to meet more people. In fact, we've never brought anyone with us and we've enjoyed some nice evenings out thanks to him. This cruise would have probably cost us about $30 each if we had to pay for it, but it was free to us through him. I had a drink, Mike had a soda, the food was awesome and the view was spectacular. We left the little one at home (2nd time ever) and had our first real date in over a year. It was great. And it was free, other than $1.30 we paid to park on the street.

Second, we went on the Sprecher Brewery tour for Mike's birthday. Typically the tour costs $4 for an adult. Not too bad considering you get the tour, an 8oz. etched tasting glass, 4 beer samples, and unlimited soda samples. However we were even able to lower the price of that! When we went to state fair they had a wall of Sprecher coupons and one was for a free tour with the purchase of a tour. So we went to Sprecher for just $4 for the two of us. We both got the glasses. I tried a bit of two beers, Mike drank a lot of their yummy soda, I drank some soda too and we took home two glasses on top of it. A pretty great way to enjoy his birthday and not spend much!

Sometimes great frugal finds are things, sometimes they are experiences. Just keep your eyes open and you never know what you'll come across. Happy Hunting!

Heather

Solly's--Oh How We Love Thee

2009-08-27T19:45:00.005-05:00

And how our hearts do not.

Solly's should make you sign a waiver before you order. Seriously, they offer more fat and calories on a bun than any restuarant I think I've ever been to. But, it is seriously great. I mean in the 'this is real food and it tastes AWFULLY good' seriously good way. It isn't in the 'this is junk and my body is crying inside' way.

Mike discovered Solly's long before we met. And he fell in love. And he always order the Super Cheeseburger Special. Which is 1/3 pound of ground sirloin, cheese, mayo, tomato, lettuce and a serious amount of butter. Typically it also comes with grilled onions, but Mike skipped those. Then we met and on his birthday he introduced me to Solly's. And I ordered the regular cheeseburger. This comes with a 1/6 pound of ground sirloin, cheese, grilled onions and a serious amount of butter.

I had been warned that Solly's was the originator of the butter burger. I figured it was like other butter burger places that put it on the buns or put a patty on the burger as it is cooking. I mean really, how much butter can one burger hold? Solly's pushes the limit and then some. When the burger is done the put the cheese on and cover. When the cheese is melted the cook transfers the burger onto the waiting toasted bun. The onions go on top of the cheese and the butter tops it all off. And they do not use patties. They use a spatula. A rather large spatula that dips into a vat of real Wisconsin butter. The portion of butter follows the size of the spatula. It is large. They serve it right up to you and the butter is oozing and melting all over the place. The test is to see if you can eat the burger fast enough that the butter hasn't all dripped to the bottom of the plate soaking into the bottom bun and making holding your burger super difficult. If you can get your burger done before that happens you are a true Solly's diner. This practice also ensures that their stools open up very quickly for the next set of diners.

This picture gives you an idea of the race. The yellow is butter that has melted in the short distance from the grill to our spot at the counter. Did I mention that this is a big wrap around counter that everyone sits at. The waitresses (all 2 of them) work the two sides. You have view of everything on your side and you sit cozied up to complete strangers who are also testing their bodies ability to handle large quantites of butter. This is Mike's burger this year. He did away with the lettuce, tomato and mayo (special part) because who really needs to pretend there is anything healthy about this burger? Not him, that's who.

I couldn't get a great shot of the butter portioning, but this gives you an idea of how the grill works. There were 4 people working while we were there at the heart of dinner rush hour. There are the two waitresses (ours was AWESOME!) and the cook and one guy in the back doing dishes. They were serving people like crazy and we were loving it. While we were there a girl ordered a burger with light butter. Mike said it was a good thing we don't live in NYC as she would have been boo-ed right out of the place. You don't come to Solly's to order 'light butter' or 'no butter' or 'healthy' anything. You come to Solly's to enjoy the craziness that is a true Wisconsin butter burger!

It might not be frugal, it might not be healthy, but we LOVE Solly's. For our arteries we've decided that a visit every two to three years is about right.

Have a great day,

Heather

My Other Baby Turns 30 Today!

2009-08-26T09:26:00.003-05:00

Not the best picture, but it shows Mike with two of his loves!

When I met Mike one of my concerns was that he was 3 3/4 years younger than me. I didn't know if I was okay with that---odd thing to care about I realize, but it was on my mind.

I turned 30 about 2 months after we met. He turns 30 TODAY. As in, we have met, dated, been engaged, been married, had a baby, baby turned one and NOW he is finally getting around to turning 30. Wild, huh? Can't wait until this happens at 50. Oh, wait, yes I can.

Could you do me a favor? Would you send an e-mail to my accordion playing, amazing dad, great husband, Pint Size Polka pioneering, root beer drinking, dark chocolate loving husband?

His e-mail address is Mike@mikeschneiderband.com and I'm hoping he gets LOTS of e-mails from people he knows and people he doesn't know. He'll be so tickled!

And he already opened his gift and LOVES it. I went out on a limb and splurged a lot for it. I bought him a GPS unit that he can use as he travels to schools and libraries and gigs. He's traveled to many states this summer performing his Pint Size Polka program and I know that the Garmin would have helped. He lit up like a Christmas tree when he opened it! It is fun to spoil him a little from time to time. And I figured a 30th birthday was a great reason to do it.

Now I'm baking his cake and later we're going to Sprecher to do the Brewery tour. Dinner will be at Solly's restaurant. They have burgers that are amazing (and amazingly bad for you, I'm sure) and we only go every couple of years. I'll get some pictures (hopefully) to show you how crazy they are with the butter. It is actually the birth place of the butter burger and they are NOT shy with the butter.

Have a great Wednesday!

Heather

P.S. Please e-mail my hubby :)

Worth every penny!

2009-08-24T10:00:00.001-05:00

Recently I spotted a group of utensils at a rummage sale. There were about 5 things in the group and 3 of them looked useful to me so I inquired as to price. They told me fifty cents and I was happy to take them home for that. I was especially happy because of this...

I have a scoop type ice cream scoop from Pampered Chef. It is great because it has the liquid in the handle that makes scooping really hard ice cream a little easier. And as my wrists seem to be developing issues I am happy with anything that makes using them a bit easier!

However, I have heard about using an ice cream scoop for measuring out batter when making muffins or cupcakes. I have always struggled with the drips of making muffins. And I never seem to be able to get the same amount of batter in each muffin tin. Now I had a shot at making it a bit easier and a bit less messy.

Let me tell you, it works! I have used it for corn bread muffins, chocolate cupcakes and assorted other batters. It doesn't take a full scoop to get the right amount into the tin, probably more like 3/4 of a scoop. I've made these goodies without having burned on batter around the cups on the tin! I've been able to go back and add a bit more without any issues too. This is something that really works for me!

This little puppy was worth every penny. Now I just want to find a smaller one to use for mini muffins and parceling out cookie dough. Calling all rummage sale hosters....sell me your mini scoops! :)

Heather

This is posted at Tammy's Recipes Kitchen Tips and Works for Me Wednesday.

Frugal Find Friday

2009-08-21T10:10:00.003-05:00

This is a fun one to share! It is my first Frugal Find Friday featuring something I found in another state.

When visiting my family and attending a cousin's wedding in Kentucky my mom and I took a few hours to do a little rummaging. My mom is always on the go and never takes time to do this so for her it was a real treat to see what was out there. And she enjoyed it! She bought lots of things for her grandkids and a few things for herself. In the end I had to drag her home. Little guy was so tired and hungry and I was worn out, but she wanted to keep going! You get that lady started and she won't quit. As she pointed out, she never does this and she wanted to get as much in as she could. I was never so excited to stop rummaging as I was that day. We were just tuckered out!

So, the fun and frugal finds. At the best sale there were two ladies with about three tables of things set up. There didn't seem to be much, but you just never know. We were able to park right by the sale so I ran up and mom stayed with the little one. I found a handful of wooden utensils and spoons that she told me were $.10. Not each, for all of them. No problem! Then I found a cute little purse for just $.50! I love purses, but have not let myself buy any for a long time. I had decided about a month ago that if I could find a tote/purse that I could use as a diaper bag when needed that I'd get it. This one is adorable, will work when needed and was the right price! It does need a little stitching on one side, but that shouldn't be too hard. And it is in the same colors as little one's birthday party.

There were 3 pitchers on another table and I asked how much they were. I have quite a few pitchers and I love them lots. They are another item I have not let myself purchase for quite a while, but I just couldn't resist asking. The two were only $.25 each and another lady near the table snatched up the cuter of the two while I was asking. (Note to self: Always hold the item you are interested in as someone may overhear and take item before you can get back to it!) The third one she wanted more for. As she pointed out it is a Longaberger and they are more valuable. Her price was fair, but I just really don't need anymore pitchers!

So I paid for my spoons and purse and went back to the car. I told her about the pitchers and she couldn't believe I didn't buy any of them! Mom headed over to see what she could find and came back with some UK things and other odds and ends. And when she came back to the car she handed me the Longaberger pitcher! She laughed and said Happy Birthday. What a deal for her and what a fun thing for me. Mike just smiled when I showed him. He really doesn't understand the love for the cutie pies! This one is a one quart pitcher and is in a pattern that they don't do anymore.

The next day I told my aunt about this pitcher. She collects lots and lots of Longaberger and knows their value. She was really surprised at what a good deal we got and I almost feel like we should give it to her. But I think it is going to stay at my house!

This find was free for me, but in the interest of full disclosure I should tell you that the nice KY woman charged $2.50 for this. You can buy them at Replacements.com for $21.99 (+ shipping I'm sure) and new they were probably about $30-$40.

The other great find for me was a little 6 drawer all wood dresser for $5. Thank goodness we had the minivan and could haul it home. It is in pretty good shape and I'm debating keeping it as is or painting it. Either way it will be a welcome addition for some storage in this no decent closet house!

What fun Frugal Finds, don't you think? So, what frugal things have y'all found? Anything from KY? Or any state other than your own? Let me hear about them! And for lots more frugal findings please visit Southern Hospitality Blog.

Heather

A Sad Day in the Blog World

2009-08-19T14:50:00.004-05:00

I realize that she announced this on Monday, but I couldn't even write about it until today. My heart has been saddened by her decision, even as I completely appreciate why she would make it.

Meredith from Like Merchant Ships has decided to stop blogging (for the most part). Her post says that she'll back for "the occasional update" and I can only hope that she will. Like Merchant Ships has long been one of my very favorite blogs to visit. I realize I may sound a little like a stalker throughout this post, but I will really miss having Meredith's viewpoint in the blog world.

Why do I love visiting her blog so much? Well, she has an amazing ability to see beauty in simple, thrifty things. She has an amazing eye and picks out deals on the second hand market. I love seeing her little spatulas for $.10 and her platters and furniture and linens. I like knowing how she found them and how she redid them. She has been an inspiration to take the time to really find what I love and to not spend much money while doing it.

The woman can really host a gathering! I've seen her do amazing breakfasts for a bridal parties, picnics for her family, birthday parties, breakfasts for 100 people and many other events. They've all been done in such a way that makes the reciever feel special (or at least I know I would). They've been done on a small budget and with mostly reloved things. She proves over and over (and over again) that you can live a very beautiful life on a budget. The way she shows hospitality is wonderful.

She also sees beauty where others would pass by. She has used found wildflowers and "weeds" to decorate an adorable birthday cake for her daughter. She figures out ways to use a simple basket of ferns that blow me away. She can take an Aldi bouquet of roses and make multiple arrangements that would brighten anyone's day. She takes huge, rather ugly paintings and helps her children turn them into beautiful artwork to grace their home.

Meredith has inspired me from before I was even married. I e-mailed her before we went on our honeymoon (to ask about Menonite stores!) and she was nice enough to answer my questions. Now that I am a wife and mother I love her ideas and look up to her even more! I am constantly impressed by her ability to help her husband, raise creative children and still do it on a budget. So many people in todays world feel that living frugal means doing without or living with less. She has shown me (and many others) how to make it be better than! There isn't a question of what is lacking when you see glimpses of her life. There is 'more' in the small pictures we see than most families I know. More beauty, more creativity, more hospitality, more family focus...more.

I sincerely hope that Meredith will keep her blog active even as she steps back. Her posts are something I often refer to and I would hate to lose them as a resource. I've never met Meredith, but consider her a bit of a mentor. If you've never read her blog please take the time to do so. It is worth going back through her archives. You will not be disappointed! The links I've included are just a tiny smidgen of all that she has written.

Thanks for all your hard work Meredith! You have touched many of us. As you take the time to raise your family please know that you have influenced how many of us raise ours. And I promise, I'm not a stalker! :)

Heather
--now go read Like Merchant Ships!

*Edit*

Thank you Meredith for the "Aw, shucks" on your Tumblr. If you are here via that I encourage you to leave a comment about what LMS has meant to you. I've e-mailed Meredith asking her to come and read these comments as the 7 left so far have been so touching to me. She really has done a lot for so many of us, hasn't she? Let's make sure she knows it!