My Christmas Crafting Gifts

Well Merry after Christmas to you all! Was your Christmas exciting and relaxing and everything you wanted? I had a nice quiet Christmas. Once the girls had unwrapped their presents they basically disappeared for the rest of the day playing nicely with each other. They only surfaced when they were hungry, which, is pretty typical.

This mean I could relax and do my logic puzzle book in relative peace. With my favourite fourth child (aka my dishwasher) we were able to keep on top of the dishes and kept the counters and sink looking as sparse as can be.

This year we tried to keep toys to a minimum, as they all ready have a gazillion, and those gazillion drive me crazy. This mean a bit of crafting on my part. There was one Christmas project I didn't even get started, but I figure, I will save that for their birthdays!

This is one of the crafty presents I made. I got the idea from this blog.

I found these canvas letters at Michael's and then hot glued a layer of white/cream buttons down.

I then decorated them with colourful buttons, usually trying to hide any gaps the white ones might have left. It was fun making them. And I have never been so grateful for a glue gun before in my life. Those things are miracle workers and they rock!

I got the idea for the next gift from this blog and I got the pattern for the bag from this blog.

I meant to put this fort kit together for my own kids, but ran out of time and energy. This is the one that I sent to my brother in-laws family. When I am done with the holidays I will put one together for my own as well.

This fort kit is genius. There are always cushions missing and chairs being taken from the dining room, all in the effort of building the ultimate fort. The kids seem to always be asking me for blankets and moving them all over the house. It can be a little frustrating. While I don't want to burst their creative bubble, I don't always want my dining room chairs and my bedroom comforter used as their forts. In comes the fort kit. It has everything you could want or need in one convenient bag. They have dedicated sheets, ropes etc. to make the best fort ever, and best of all, my comforter stays where it belongs, on my bed!

I didn't bother adding the tabs to the sheets, as suggested in the patterns blog. I think it will work out with out them.

I hope you enjoy this next week of festivities! Have a very Happy New Year! See you in 2015

No, Because I Love You

from Toysrus UK website

Christmas is on Thursday. While I will be enjoying the quiet festivities of the day the lead up to it is not quite as enjoyable. And that is mostly to do with the stuff and me being a bit of a Grinch this year. I don't really want much for Christmas. And anything I do want is ridiculously practical. I would rather have a new faucet then some crazy bauble that I will have to dust. I don't need books as the library is amazingly awesome at satisfying my reading itch. I actually want less stuff than more. So perhaps a great Christmas present could be cleaning out on of the rooms that we haven't done yet (hint hint).

But that is just me. Unfortunately we have kids in the house. And while their lists are not crazy, they are still pretty long and I am like, I don't think so. This year we are trying to keep it simple but it can be hard, even when you are trying to be less consumeristic. It is also sometimes hard to explain to kids that they have sufficient when they see their friends given so much excess. 

This whole dynamic can be summed up in a conversation that took place in our vehicle a few weeks ago. We were driving home, after picking up my husband from work. Miss G. called from the back saying she had something to add to her Christmas list. When asked what it was she said, "A Frozen lunch bag". When you think about it, it's not that crazy of a request. It doesn't cost a fortune and it is useful. But, my response was that she couldn't have one because we love her. Then Miss V. said "I don't think you heard her right, she said she wanted a Frozen lunch bag for Christmas". I told them that I had indeed heard correctly and that the answer was still no, because we love her. Well that kind of confused them. What does it mean that I love Miss G. when I say that she can't have what her heart desires at that point in time?

We as parents and guardians have to say no sometimes. It sucks but it is necessary. We need our kids to know that just because something is beautiful or the current fad, doesn't mean that we need to go out and buy it. Miss G. has a perfectly functional and pretty cool looking lunch bag as it is. Why would we get a Frozen one when she already has one. Teaching our children to make do with what they have and, in a way, treasure what they have is so important. When all around them they see a consumer driven society it means we need to be ever vigilant of our consumer mindset. Does that mean we never buy things? No. But it means it should be a thoughtful purchase instead of in the heat of the moment. (That is something I need to work one. Oh, my magpie tendencies.)

Deciding what type of person we want to be correlates into the type of parent we want to be and the type of people we want to raise. While we love them and want them to have beautiful things in their life, we also need to give them the permission to say no to things, the blessing of saying no to things, the attitude of contentment with themselves. You don't need to say no to everything, but I think it is important that we are a little more selective about when we say yes and what we say yes to. Saying no, can often mean I love you.

Days Nine to Twelve of the 12 Days of Decluttering Challenge

I did it! Today is the last day of the challenge and I did what I set out to do. Though this is only the beginning, what a beginning it was. Hopefully this will help me continue in my decluttering ways. One surface at a time.

Sorry for no before and after pictures. I got so busy and had to squeeze these declutterings in that I didn't even think about it until I was almost done. Sorry. 2015 will be better for pictures. I promise.

Day nine I tidied my sewing desk. It was heaped with mending that needed to be done, material, wool and just general junk. I needed it tidy so I could actually sew. I am making some Christmas presents and prefer not to have to stitch by hand. Now all I need is some drawers for my desk. (Christmas hint Matt)

Day ten I decluttered a book shelf in my living room. This is where I want to store our library books and then other kids favourites that they girls don't want to keep in their room. I also cleared off the end table in the living room which was covered in kids' junk.

Day eleven I cleaned off the top of the fridge. It was full of papers, and wrappers and other stuff that we put out of kids reach and then forgot about it. Out of all the things I decluttered this is the one my husband noticed without me telling him. It must have to do with his height as he would see the top of the fridge and I at my 5'3" would not.

Day twelve I cleaned off the top of my pantry. Like the fridge it was covered in papers and junk. It was nice to get it cleaned off and dusted.

So, what have I learned over the past twelve days?

1. Decluttering is not that bad if you keep it small. When I look around my house at the junk that is here I usually feel overwhelmed and then helpless to do anything about it. When all I had to do was focus on one shelf, or one cupboard it made it easier. It meant that it was okay if I didn't tackle everything in the house in one go. I did a little. That little when done every day will add up to a whole lot.
2. Clutter is really delaying decisions or hurt feelings. A lot of the things that were on my surfaces ended up in the garbage or recycling. There were art projects that one of the kids made that we felt we couldn't get rid of that second. There were bills that we paid but delayed putting in the shredder or file system. Somethings were items we had in our hand and put up when something else caught our attention. This year I really want to delay less. If I am done with something throw it out. If it is of no use to us, put in in the bin for the thrift store. If it is not important to do something with right then, it probably isn't worth holding on to. And, there will always be more art projects, so don't keep the junky ones.
3. My family has too much stuff and I am looking forward to purging it.

If you did the challenge with me I hope that you are feeling as satisfied and quasi motivated as I am. If you haven't done it, do it now. What a great Christmas present it will be to yourself. Now the next goal, keep those surfaces clutter free!

Days Five to Eight of the 12 Days of Decluttering Challenge

Well, the weekend was busy and it was hard to get in everything, but I made it. How about you?

On day five of the challenge I decluttered the mudroom chest of drawers. This is a catchall for crap things that are in your hands when you get in the door and you want to put down somewhere. It drives me insane! Is it too much to ask for a nice welcoming entrance when I get in from wrestling with a Miss P. while I am picking up the other two from school. I just want my house to look pretty! Okay, enough moaning.

before

The end result looks great. Now I just need to maintain it and makes sure the rest of the family doesn't keep using it as their personal dumping ground. I am looking forward to next year when I might actually be able to decorate the top of the chest with some cool kind of Christmasy vignette.

after

On day six, I dusted the tops of the cabinets in the main bathroom. I know this isn't nescessarily decluttering, but man were they ever dusty. I am pretty good at keeping what I see dust free but if it is out of my range of sight, well, the dust just doesn't enter into my consciousness. So, while it was not decluttering of stuff, I was definitely decluttering the air of my house, one dust mite at a time.

On days seven and eight I did something I have been wanting to do for months, and just never did. I finally dealt with the totes full of clothes that the girls have outgrown. Now, I want to be a thrifty person. While we live comfortably and have our needs met, we aren't rolling in the dough. I have been really good about keeping girls old clothes and using hand-me-downs from friends and all that stuff. But I was starting to feel overwhelmed with clothes. With Miss V. being 7 and Miss P still 1 there are a lot of different sizes that are floating around our home. As well, Miss G. doesn't always want to wear what Miss V. did because Miss G. has a very particular aesthetic she goes for, while Miss V. is happy in anything. I could go on and on about the headache that is the hand-me-down story in my house.

I think the biggest thing right now is Miss P. has a very different body type than the other girls. While none of my kids have been what you would call chunky, Miss P. is a rail. She is skinny but lengthy. If pants don't have the adjustable waistbands or aren't the leggings, the waist is either too big or the inseam too short. So, I am having to buy her new stuff anyways, so why keep the old stuff.

So day seven was moving all the totes out of Miss P.'s room (that was where they were stored) clearing the horizontal floor space of her room, and man what a difference. Day eight was all about the going through the clothes. I threw out all the clothes that were so horribly stained that it is a wonder I actually kept them. All the nicer clothes that didn't look super worn I put in a box that I am going to take to the consignment shop tomorrow and the rest I put into bags to go to the thrift store. I did keep some clothes, like the next size up of shirts for Miss P. and a few sleepers and things that we would want to use if we had a baby number four. But, I went from 5 totes down to 1 and I think that it pretty amazing. Man, does it ever feel good to have that done!

If you are doing the challenge we are in the home stretch. If you haven't started, it's not too late. This is something you can do anytime. I might do it in the New Year.

Days Three and Four of the 12 Days of Decluttering Challenge

Well yesterday and today were clean out the cupboard day. I even remembered to take a before picture!

On day three it was the day for organizing the baking cupboard. This is a good thing to do seasonally. It's good to get rid of things that are expired, move around things so the most used items are the easiest to get and to take stock of what you need more of. I need to get more cornmeal.

before

This cupboard was simply a disaster. Things were shuffled around, condiments for toast were infront of my flour container. This made it awful when I had to bake. For months I was saying, "I really need to do something about this cupboard". But, other things always get in the way or seem more of a priority. Thanks goodness for this challenge.

Now things are easy to reach. The things I use most often are easy to access. Some of the other things I use less often I have tucked in behind. But most things, whether I use them often or not, don't have anything in front of them. So that is nice.

after

I also went through the bin.This is where I store my odds and ends with baking stuff, such as, food colouring, cupcake papers, small spice containers, sprinkles and birthday candles. I have gotten rid of all the short candles, cleaned up some leaking food colouring bottles, and in general made it nice.

On day four I cleaned out another cupboard. I didn't take a picture of this one. This is the cupboard that houses all our hot drink mixes, so herbal tea bags, hot chocolate and caf-lib. It also houses our ice cream condiments, vitamins, and then extra milk jugs, ice cube trays and popsicle moulds.

Man it was crazy. It looked so jambled and basically we would just cram the stuff in and close the door as quickly as possible. Now I have things easy to reach for the kids. I have tucked the things we don't  use often in the back and in general made it just look nice.

My husband asked if since my cupboards each have three shelves if that counts as three days worth. For some the answer is yes. For me it was no as I was easily able to get through them in one day. Though, I will count it as me being awesome for doing three times the amount of horizontal surafaces ;-) I can't wait until tomorrow's challenge!

Day One and Two of the 12 Days of Decluttering Challenge

Well here I am with the first two days of the challenge under my belt. And I actually am doing it. Yay!!! The horizontal surfaces I have decluttered are definitely not earth shattering. You might even think they are lame, and that's okay. The whole point of this is to just get us started doing something. Perhaps I will come up with a more meaty task for tomorrow. I forgot to take before pictures. So, you will just have to enjoy the afters.

On day one I decluttered the top of my microwave. It seemed to be a catch all for papers and random bits of kitcheny stuff. What I really want it to be is a place to store my bread knife, so little hands don't get it and where to put our bread, so the bread is not on the counters. This wasn't able to happen before but it is now.

On day two I decluttered the top of my piano. That too was a catch all for mail, things that should be filed, kids toys, coins... You name it and it was probably there. It is just such a convenient place to put things because it is up high so Miss P won't get at things and you can kind of forget about it. Well no more I say! Now I will be able to put a nice Christmas arrangement there without it looking horrible. Yea!!

Have you been doing the challenge? What have you decluttered so far?

12 Days of Decluttering 2014

For the past few years stores in Canada have been taking their cue from the stores in the United States and have been holding Black Friday sales. To me it seems a bit ridiculous, but then that's me. I just don't get why we have to copy things that are done in the U.S. especially since it isn't even a holiday weekend for us in Canada.

Right now, I am trying to limit the things that come into my house, so a sale on things, which is really trying to entice me to spend more and buy more things I don't need, and is merely a good deal, really doesn't thrill me. I guess I could be seen as being the antithesis of Black Friday, and that is o.k. with me.

As I have been thinking of the coming of the Christmas season and all that comes with it I have been thinking of my current junk and my lack of enthusiasm for doing anything with it. With Miss P. still not sleeping through the night I am tired. November is a blah month, where it isn't quite fall but winter hasn't quite set in yet. I find it the month of annoying transition, and I don't feel like doing much. But, Miss V. and Miss G. really want to get the Christmas stuff out and start the whole Christmas season.

Now I like Christmas as much as the next person. I love the music, the decorations, the baking and the lights. What I don't like is when my junk intrudes on the decorations and there is a mix of greenery and junk. It looks so horrible and detracts from the whole spirit of the season.

So with that in mind I have decided to launch the 12 Days of Decluttering and I am hoping you will join me.

What is the 12 Days of Decluttering? Well I'm glad you asked. This is something that shouldn't take a lot of time and add to the stress of the season. It should help you in the celebration of it. Every day for the first 12 days of December you will clean off one shelf, or organize one cupboard, or deal with stuff on one horizontal surface.

I am not asking you do clean out an entire bookshelf or your entire pantry. Just one small shelf. You can do that. This way your pantries will be ready for the baking, your horizontal surfaces will be ready for decorations, and hopefully you will have give away bags to take to your local thrift shop.

I will do my best to document my 12 Days of Decluttering. If you decide to join you can grab the button or leave a comment below. Let me know how you are doing with it. Share pictures of your success. Hopefully this will help all of us get out of this decluttering funk and help us be able to relax more during our Christmas time.

So you have the weekend to come up with your plan and then we start Monday December 1st. Have a great weekend!

Meet My Family

I have been blogging now for a little over a year. It has been a great opportunity to reflect on what is important to me and what ideas I want to put out there in the blogosphere. It is also nerve racking. I would classify myself as somewhat of an introvert. I am a fairly private person. So, to put my personal thoughts out there can be exciting but also terrifying. Who knows what other people might think or say. But so far it has been great and I am loving doing it. Now that my youngest is a bona fide toddler it means time for reflection and actually writing down those musing is hard to come by. That might be why there are a few missed weeks, and also why I have now started posting on Fridays. So please bear with me.

And speaking of my youngest, that brings me to another point and really the point of this blog post. I have always referred to my kids as, my oldest, my middle and my youngest. That can be a bit confusing and weird. So today I will introduce you to my kids and the pseudonyms I am going to use for them from now until they are older.

Pseudonyms you might say. Why yes. I don't want to put their actual names on here. It is not because I want to be deceptive or nontransparent. It is more for their protection. Most people in the world are wonderful and friendly and everything you would want in a human being. Then we have the creepizoids. The people who do ridiculously horrendous things. While I am sure most people who read this blog are of the former category, since this is a public blog the creepizoids could get here too. So that is why I alter the pictures of my kids with sunglasses, and why I am not going to use their real name. I think that the sunglasses add a bit of fun instead of just using the regular black bar rectangle.

The reasons for doing this has hit home today. While I was listening to the news this morning I learned about a girl at a local school was almost abducted by a woman on Wednesday. The woman approached this girl, called her by name and said that the girls mother asked this woman to pick the girl up. Since the girl did not recognize the woman she did not go with her and a crisis was luckily averted.

I am not saying that if you put pictures of your kids up without altering them you are a horrible person or inviting misfortune. We all have to be comfortable with what we put up online and on our social media. For me I am more comfortable doing it this way, protecting my kids privacy, until they are old enough to decide if they want to be known in this way or not. You have to do what feels right to you. Also, it helps me maintain some of my own private world.

The names I have chosen are not the most inventive. Some people come up with clever nicknames that do with the child's interests. This however wouldn't be good for me right now as I would have to call my youngest destructor as she loves to destroy everything in sight. Or possibly the messanator. I am hoping these hobbies will be changing soon and would hate to pigeon hole her into that role forever.

So, here is my family.

This is Miss V. Currently she is seven years old. She loves to help her younger sisters, read stories and be lovely.

This is Miss G. Currently she is five years old. She loves anything to do with fashion, she loves to help in the kitchen, and she loves to play in the snow.

This is Miss P. Currently she is one and a half. She loves being a goof, sneaking into her sisters' room (much to the sisters' dismay) and singing "Let it Go".

This is my husband Matt. I don't bother altering his picture or name. I figure he can take the publicity. He is the master of selfies, the master of goofiness and in general one heck of a nerf-herder.And I love him anyways.

So now you know more about the characters that are at play in my life and in the blog. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and I will see you next week.

A Way to Manage Your To-Do List

So we are finally at the original post I wanted to write about. To-do lists. But, what is funny is that when I was starting to edit my original musings and tried to get this post ready my to-do list exploded! I had a billion things that needed to get done. Hence the delay in posting. Oh, the irony of life. Well, let's get on with it.

Anyone who has any kind of responsibility has one of these. The dreaded, or the liberating, depending on your out look, to-do list. It doesn't matter where your responsibility lies, whether it is in a workplace environment or a home environment, to-do lists are part of life.

As a person, where the workplace is my home, I find the to-do list essential, yet daunting. When you work outside the home, you have a specific task which you are hired to do. At home you are the one who sets your tasks and sets your timetable. While this is liberating as you are able to do what you want when you want, it can be hard to do.

As stated in an earlier post, I really struggle with not having a defined set role. If I was just a cleaning lady, it would be much easier to get on with the cleaning. If I was purely a nurturer, then I would get on with nurturing the children. But because I am both, and more things besides, I feel guilty when I don't get all the cleaning done, or when I am not being the best mother, or when I let other things fall through the cracks.

There are so many things that I could do at home. Some of them are fun, such as, reading, playing games, going for walks, watching youTube and cleaning the bathroom. Some of them not as fun, such as, cleaning out the garage, dusting, scrubbing the tub and finding library books. And then there are other things that fall in between. Housework is never done. The mess is always there. It can be hard to be motivated.

Making a to-do list forces you to prioritize what you would like to do that day. If you need a day of leisure, your to-do list may comprise such things as a bubble bath, reading time and working on a craft. If you need a day to be industrious it may comprise such things as, cleaning the toy room, doing laundry and organizing the pantry. This helps you know what to focus on next and helps you make the best use of your available time.

Now I know that the list is never done there is always something you can do next. But you also don't want to get overloaded and burnt out. You need some guilt free time for you and your interests and goals. So this is how I manage my list.

Make your list the night before, if possible
When the kids are in bed and you have had a few moments to just breathe, you are in a better frame of mind to know what is essential to get done the next day. Things that didn't get done that day may not be as important as something else. You will be able to reflect on the day and figure out what the next day will be like. You also will wake up in the morning with a sense of purpose, instead of wondering what they heck you should do. It is always nice when you have a plan of attack then flying by the seat of your pants.

Only put 5 items on your list
I know you could probably put 100 items on the list, but don't. You can always add more when your list gets cleared. But, for now just think of your top 5. If your list is too long and you only accomplish 3 things, how are you going to feel? My guess, you will feel like a total failure, and that is not good. Seeing too many items on my list, makes it hard for me to stay motivated. It makes me feel guilty if I take a 5 minute break. It makes me stressed, when I do my mom stuff, and don't get the other items on the list done. I know a happy child is more important than a clean floor, but if I have a long list and I am playing with my little one I am not as present as I should be because I am worrying about the list.

So to keep myself to 5 items this is what I do. I do not use paper to write my list. If I get a piece of paper, unless it is really small,  it is big enough to write more things down, and that is a temptation I could fall into. Also, with paper, my little one will walk off with it, or I will write other things on it making it a jumbled mess. Paper is just no good.

My solution, a small chalkboard. At Staples they have the Martha Stewart line of Avery products.  They had a chalkboard sticker that fit on my pantry door perfectly. It is also just the right size for me to write five items down. I think it looks super cute and it is super functional.

When I complete a chore or item on the list I erase it off. If my list is done, or pretty empty and I still have plenty of energy and day left, then I can add on more items. It can act like a revolving door of sorts.

Have a mix of items
An important thing in my life right now is getting in shape. That means I need to have time for my workout. I put exercise on my to-do list everyday. While that may seem redundant and exercise should just be part of my life, I know that if it is not on the list other things will get in the way and I will be putting on my pyjamas and realize I didn't exercise. Having it on my to-do list ensures I will make time for my workout.

To-do lists do not have to be all about work. It is about finding a balance of work and fun. To-do lists for me help me not waste time during the day doing nothing. Believe me, if doing nothing all day was a talent then I would be an all-star. But then, I would feel frustrated because nothing would get done. And, the only one I could truly be frustrated at is myself.

So put on some of the housekeeping items, but also put on things you enjoy to do. This gives you the permission to do those activities without feeling guilty.

Be flexible
Things come up in life that are unexpected. If you had something on your list that you find just isn't going to work out that day, change it. Nothing is set in stone. If you think you can only get three things done, because one of the items will be more time consuming, that's fine. Just have the three things on your list.

It is also okay to have items that are on your list everyday. As stated above I have exercise on there everyday. Others may have sweeping or reading or laundry.

The to-do list is not there to make us feel guilty or stressed. It is supposed to be a tool we can use to help streamline our days and to help us prioritize what is the important focus for the day. I find that the to-do list helps me keep focus, helps me to stay motivated, and helps me feel accomplished. Nothing feels better then when you erase your last item on your list. It is great!

Do you use to-do lists? What helps you use them effectively? If you don't use to-do lists is there another system that helps you stay on track and not wander aimlessly through your day?

What Do We Want from Life?

Life is so full of choice. There are so many lifestyles and options available to us that it is rather overwhelming. With each choice there are consequences or sacrifices with each one. There is no perfect fit for everyone. If we choose to work outside our home, we are loosing family time and time to discover our own talents. If we choose to work in the home we are loosing money making abilities and sometimes it is hard to focus on ourselves. If we send our kids to school we missing seeing the look of discovery on their face and precious moments with them. If we home school our children we as parents miss out on our own down time during the day and may be kept more busy as we are doing the leg work for their learning.

None of the choices above are bad or good, they are just different and with them have different sacrifices. There are benefits to all the above choices as well.

What we need to decide is what is the lifestyle or life choice that we want to live. Some people, and from my own preceptions it is mostly women, seem to want to have it all. We all want to be Martha Stewarts, which is not a bad thing, it's just not that realistic. To think we can have the perfect house and the perfect cookies, and the perfect homemade costumes or gifts, and having the perfect job and the perfect income and with that creating a perfect family, while it is great to try to have the idea of it, ] it makes me exhausted just thinking about it. It is almost impossible to have all those things without having help. Instead we need to figure out what we really want. Not worry about trying to have it all, because some of "it" we don't actually want.

So, what are someways that we can figure out what exactly we want? What will make ourselves and our families the best we can be? For those things are highly individualistic. Here are some of my musings.

pictures from salon.com

1. Have a Family Meeting
Family meetings are a great time to connect and see how everything is going. It's a way for each member of the family to voice their hopes and dreams in a safe environment and when they can come together and brainstorm ways to make dreams come true. It is also a great way to help each other prioritize and possibly even come up with a family mission statement so that everyone knows what they are working for and why they are doing it. Through these meetings the lifestyle of your family can be set to everyone's satisfaction, or at least mostly satisfied. Everyone may need to sacrifice something that may not be as important for the time being and then focus on it later.

This is also a great way for the domestic engineer to voice where she or he needs help and get the family on board for the domestic work that needs doing. While not every domestic engineer is going to have a eager volunteers, every little bit does help. Especially when there are still young children in the home. It is amazing what little work you can do with a toddler around who likes to empty cupboards and drawers. If your family doesn't know that you need help then they won't know what to do. You need to let them know so that hopefully they will help you.

2. Priorities
It is so important to get your priorities in tune with your partner/family. If they are not in sync then it is really hard to feel focused. You will feel tugged in a billion directions as you are trying to make your priorities happen, while also trying to support your spouse in their priorities and then if you have kids, you want their priorities to happen too. That is too much for one person.

To some families having a big birthday bash for everyone's birthday could be super important. If that is the case then perhaps they wouldn't go on so many vacations. Or, maybe vacations aren't as important as focusing on good nutrition. Figuring out your priorities (financial, personal) is really figuring out where you want to direct your energies. So, if, for example, your priority is organizing the house, you need to direct your energy towards going through stuff, making decisions to get rid of things, not bringing in anything that is not vitally important. Now may not be best the time to go on some fad diet or becoming the chair of a volunteer committee. We only have so much time and energy so it is important that we direct to what is most important to us, otherwise frustration will set in.

3. Have Realistic Expectations
So you have your priorities all set, you have had a family meeting you feel you have a focus. Well, you may wake up one morning not feeling like having to do what you have set out to do. Or you may not receive the help that was agreed on. Or perhaps you start coveting the happiness you think others are having around you. Life happens. You have to take one day at a time. Try to stay focused, but if you have an off day, that's okay. The important thing is we have more on days than off. We just need to keep plodding along and not give up on what we know we can achieve. If you are making a major lifestyle overhaul it is going to take time. You and your family will need time to adjust.

My two older children asked for more consistent responsibilities. I was all for that and came up with age appropriate ones such as setting the table, sweeping the floor and making sure the clothes were off their bedroom floor. We discussed it with them and they were all for it. Well, I called Miss G. in and asked her to set the table. Well, she came in and said, "Mom, I'm a kid not a maid. Do I look like a maid to you?" Now I'm not sure where she picked up such phrases. I'm pretty sure I haven't said that, but then I may have. Well, I as calmly as I can (calmness is something I must work at sometimes, especially when I am getting dinner ready) I explained that this was her night for that responsibility and reminded her that she agreed to it and we all had to help. She still wasn't the cheerful helper I was envisioning, but she still did it. Would I have preferred a smiling, less exasperating child? Yep. But, I was happy with what I got, a set table. We aren't going to have everything workout like a movie where everyone is happy and helping, but if we keep it real, our expectations can still be met, just with a huge dose of reality.

These are just someways that we can get focus in our lives, and through that see results and happiness come. Happiness really starts with you, and then as a bi-product helps others be happy too. It is hard, life is not always easy. But, it can be joyful. We just need to get onboard with those around us and have realistic expectations. Next week I will talking about To Do lists, and how they can be a help in our lives.

What are some ways you are able to find focus and thus happiness in your life?

So... what do you do?

Sorry for the hiatus. Last week when I was sitting down to write my post, a simple one about to-do lists, it kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger. I realized I had so much to say, that it was really like two or three blog posts. So, I decided to stop and take a week to figure things out and break it down. Hopefully I have been able to do so, and I won't go off on any crazy tangents. I still feel my thoughts are scattered. Let's see where this post takes us.

There will be times when I have to fill out a form, or when I am talking with another group of adults and inevitably the question will come, "So, what do you do?"

How do you answer that? The term "housewife" seems antiquated and now is used as a word that is almost synonymous with trophy wife. "Homemaker" is another term that doesn't quite fit. Using the term "full-time mom" is a bit closer, but, may make other women who are working outside the home feel that they are not pulling their own weight as mothers, as they have a full-time career outside the home. You don't stop being a mom just because you are not with your kids all the time. You are a mother always. Some people have adopted "domestic engineer". I kind of like that. It makes those who choose to stay at home full-time seem industrious, building something, and for lack of a better word, worthy of respect from those who work mostly in a corporate setting.

I know this might seem like over thinking things, but in today's world, when you stay home to raise your kids, or to make your home more industrious, society either looks at you as if you are too stupid to get a job, or some crazy hippie lady who is trying to make some political statement (no disrespect to actual hippie ladies), or you are trying to cash in on your rich husband. None of those accurately represent the majority of women or men who stay home, and they do not accurately represent me. Though, if my husband did get rich, I wouldn't complain. Society just doesn't get that some people just want to make their home a thriving and loving place to live full-time. That I would rather be the one that raised my kids, then paying others to do it for me. This decision is not an easy one to make and it comes with lots of sacrifice, but then, if we are trying to live more simply without all the stuff that says "you are successful" the sacrifices don't seem as great. It is getting to that point mentally that is tough though. As I have stated before on the blog, I can be a bit of a magpie, I like new and shiny things.

Okay, so now you have labelled yourself as a "domestic engineer". What the heck does that actually mean? What is the actual job description? Well, there isn't one. Or at least, there is no one fits all description. And that is where it becomes difficult for others to know what you do, and for you to know what you do yourself. I decided to make a list of all the different roles I do as a domestic engineer. In the space of about 5 minutes I came up with over thirty different roles. I won't list them all, but here is a random sampling: dietician, spiritual leader, event coordinator, laundress, walking encyclopedia, interior decorator, stylist, and teacher. That's a lot for one person to do with just that list, and then put even more on top of that and okey dokes. That is crazy.

a random sampling of things representing what a domestic engineer does

With all the different hats we wear it can be overwhelming. We want to do everything  and do it flawlessly. When we fall short of that standard, even though we are doing our best, we can feel frustrated and discouraged. Being a domestic engineer is an organic and moving job. This means we need to be flexible and forgiving. Life throws us curve balls, and we need to be able to be adaptable to those. And we have to remember the mantra, times and seasons. Sometimes it can be tough to be that flexible. I would love to have a set schedule, but I have discovered, that kids don't always want to follow that schedule, thus making being adaptable essential. (That was definitely an AHA! moment.)

Another difficult aspect with being a domestic engineer is that it is at times a solitary endeavor. Your spouse is off at work, your have young children at home. You need to be self motivating at times when you just want to through in the towel. You feel outside pressures coming at your because your house isn't perfect, you aren't looking perfect. It can be tough. When you are feeling those pressures get to you, reach out to trusted friends, online groups, or reread your favourite blog posts or inspirational quotes. If you are religious, turn your focus to God and his teachings to help you get the motivation to keep going. Being a self-started can be tough, but you just need to pull up your bootstraps and do it. Once you begin, it is amazing what else you can get done.

So while we are don't necessarily have a working definition of a domestic engineer, we know that it encompasses a lot, and that we are fortunate in our "job" to tailor it to fit our and our families' needs. That is a luxury not every job comes with.

Next week I will discuss ways we can gain focus in our role as domestic engineers and through that focus how happiness in our role can be achieved.

I hope you have a wonderful and happy weekend!

Fall Fun

Well, the weather is getting cooler. The nights are getting darker earlier. I can definitely say that we are for sure in fall.

I love fall. I love seeing the leaves change. I love making big leaf piles. I don't like it when neighbours rake their leaves to the side of the road making it impossible for cars to park on the street. But other than that, I love fall.

I love the orange pumpkins, the red leaves and the brown memories of summer fun. I love the smell of foods being baked or roasted in the oven. I love the sound of the furnace turning on in the morning to heat up the house. So far that is the only time we have needed it on. The house has been able to maintain a decent temperature throughout the day which will be very nice for our gas bill.

This past Sunday we all went out and raked the leaves that were littering our driveway. I am not sure what type of tree is out there. I really must get serious and find out, but I think it might be part of the willow family... but it could really be anything. It has a billion leaves on it. They are slender and longish and when one falls, they all seem to. One morning we left for school and there was a few leaves on the ground. When we were walking back six hours later, you could barely see our driveway it was so covered in leaves. The girls thought that was pretty awesome.

Well as I stated before, on Sunday we all went out and raked leaves. We made a very large pile. All of us girls ganged up on my husband and threw leaves at him, and he got us back. My 19 month old rain along our neighbours front yards... about four houses down and when I was looked to see what she was running to I had to laugh. It was one of those little tykes cars that are yellow on top and red on the bottom. It was sitting out at the end of their driveway with some other junk they were putting out for garbage day. By the time I caught up to her she had already settled herself in and was excited at the prospect of the drive. So, I started to push the car back to our house where it has a new home. There wasn't anything wrong with it, just a bit cobwebby. The girls had a blast pushing their sister around and pushing each other into the leaves.

the oldest and the youngest going for a ride in the car

I think the highlight was when we buried the middle daughter in the leaf pile. She thought it was hilarious. I did too. What a fun afternoon.

she was dressed up like a witch so you can see the tip of her hat and the points of her shoes

That sense of family togetherness, adventure and joy has buoyed me up all week. I am so glad that we have those special moments. Those moments, when there is no squabbling, there are no dishes or other household chores to worry about. We are all working together, laughing together, and having fun together.

Sometimes those moments are organic, like this Sunday seemed to be. Sometimes they need to be a bit more contrived by the parent. And you know what, that's okay. I think the important thing is that we contrive and then let it develop into an organic feeling. The kids don't know or care if some activities are planned or not, what they care about is feeling loved and happy. They want to feel those feelings, and if they feel it through something that you planned out, that is great. And if it happens all on its own, that's great too!

What do you like to do for fall fun?

Happy Thanksgiving for all those in Canada!

Okay Cosmic Forces. I'm listening.

I want to have my house completely de-cluttered. I can't handle all the extra junk we have around. My husband sees everything as treasures. As you can imagine this means we are often at a standstill. I seem to go through spurts where I am really gungho and can get through lots of junk and can keep on top of the regular day to day tidying and cleaning. Then I go into a slump of frustration and tiredness and not caring and then go back to my energetic "let's get rid of this junk" period. Do you go through those cycles too?

Well, I was beginning to get into my energetic period. I had lot of plans for last weekend and this week. I was going to get so many projects done. I was even exercising everyday and feeling great about attaining my personal goals and my household goals. Then it happened. I was trying to get around my 19 month old who was in the middle of the doorway and whack. I totally slammed my foot against the door frame. Now this wasn't just your average hitting of foot against something. My foot was going on full speed velocity, for I was sure I had enough clearance. Man did it hurt. I managed to hobble my kids to school in the morning. When I got back and looked at my toe it was swollen and started to bruise. It looked like the toes of the people in the movie WALL-E. Basically a chubby circle. Usually my toes are very slender. (The only part of me that is.) I was 80% sure it wasn't broken, and anything I read about toe injuries said that you needed to rest it and keep it elevated. So that's what I did.

Well, a week later, a trip to my amazing and talented chiropractor (Dr. Moeller of Vital-Links, as I said during the appointment, you are magic) and no longer having my husband refer to my as hobbilty hobbit (he really loves me, for serious), I have had time to reflect on my injury, my recovery, and what this might mean in the grand cosmic scheme of things.

I need to slow down and let things take its course. That is a very difficult thing to do. When I get in my "at the end of the rope things need to change now" mentality I want to just go, go, go and get everything possible done. I think I need to relax. Take things slow. Break things down into manageable chunks so I don't get burnt out and get into my slumps. I need to not overburden myself so I become resentful when I am not getting the support or glowing praise I think I should receive. I also have to prioritize what is important and not try to constantly please everyone, because when I do that I really don't please anyone.

I also discovered that I need to do a better job of teaching my children and husband that they are working parts of the household. While I may be the domestic COO they play an important role in the success of our family and household. Just because I am out of commission for a few days does not mean that things should get out of control and that I need to do with everything. We definitely need to have some give and take with each other and our roles. And take to heart the saying "first observe then serve". We need to always look out for each other and always think of ways we can help one another to make our burdens light.

Now, it is one thing to come to these conclusions and want to do better and have things change. It is quite another to actual implement the necessary changes. We are creatures of habit. We do not like to have to change our routines or ways. We may know we have to but the hard work involved sometimes makes feel overwhelmed.

So, how do we get over these feelings of overwhelmedness? I'm not sure. If I knew the answer for sure I think my life and relationships would be vastly different and at times less frustrating. But, I should come up with something to help with starting the discussion. So, let's see. Think, think, think.

1. Be completely open and honest about your hopes, dreams and changes that should be made. Unless you can clearly articulate and take the brave step of letting others know, changes and the help necessary to makes these changes happen won't be able to happen.
2. Get everyone on board. If you are trying to make changes that will affect your spouse, kids, or household in general, you need to get everyone on board or at least get their support. This might mean changing or modifying the end result that you have in your mind. This can be a good thing and you might end up with an even better result. It is much better when you can work as a team. Hopefully your family will be more willing to help out when they feel they are participating members in the process instead of being dictated to.
3. If you mess up don't beat yourself up. Just pick yourself up and keep on trucking. One misstep shouldn't derail the entire enterprise.
4. Accept your limits and then work within them. Instead of wishing things were different or wanting things that are just not feasible at this time, (like a new house or renovated kitchen) look at the parameters you have to work with and work within them. You will be amazed what you can accomplish without a lot.
5. Don't wait for others to take the lead. Once your family has come to a consensus don't want for one of them to take the lead. Do what you agreed to do. Even if they haven't done their stuff yet. Hopefully this example will help motivate them and they will do their commitments.

I am sure that there are other steps or better steps, but that is what I came up with. These are probably things I need to do for myself as these seem to be a lot of my foibles.

While having a very major bruised foot was not really my plan, I am thankful that I was able to slow down. That things that were annoying me were able to be discovered and I could figure out what was needed so that my family and I could become better. So while I am grateful, hopefully the next time the cosmos want to teach me something they do so in a less painful way.

Have a happy weekend!

The Importance of Great Partners

Last night, as I was putting my little one to bed, I could hear through the door my husband reading a bedtime story to our older two. In that moment I felt true happiness. It was so nice that I knew as I was taking care and snuggling with our youngest, my oldest were also feeling love and closeness. My husband and I were truly working as a team in that moment in time and that is a great feeling.

As much as we like to be able to do things independently and show off our independence, there are times when it is important that we have a partner. There are times when in just makes sense to ask and to have help and support. It in nowise makes you any less of an independent super hero. Instead it allows you to share your burdens. It helps lighten your load and your partners. It helps us to feel happiness.

Partnerships can take form in many different ways. It can be a spouse, both of you working together to better your lives, run a household and raise a family in shared values and ideals. It can be a neighbour, perhaps helping each other with household tasks, gardening etc. It could even be business partners. People and companies who work together for a common great goal.

No matter what partnerships you are in they can be great. There are times when they can be infuriating. When you are bringing two sets of people together, each with different life experiences and views, there will be differences of opinions, differences in how they do things, and differences in the priorities of what to get done. This, if you let it, can cause anger, frustration, and hurt feelings to enter into things. This will not allow the partnership to work effectively or let trust occur. It is important that when having a discussion from different sides you deal with facts, not personal putdowns. It can be hard not to take things personally when something is important to you. If both sides are trying to work together for the greater good, know it is not personal, it is just trying to get the best possible outcome for what you are working towards.

In our familial partnerships, especially those with a spouse, who would have been raised differently, it important to set aside these differences and come up with a common standard in which you can operate. It means taking the best of your collective experiences and and using that as your platform for how you do things in your home. It is sharing what is important to each of them and making sure those important things are done. For example. I don't care if the bed is made in the morning. My husband does. So we need to come up with what we both can live with. It is about give and take, it is about deciding what at the end of the day is make or break deals. It is about looking out for the other's happiness. If both of you are looking to make the other happy then both of your needs should be met.

Working in partnerships can cause you to put yourself out there, which isn't always easy for you to do but the rewards and benefits are worth it. So rededicate yourself to your partnerships, which ever forms they come in and commit to making new ones, ones that will help better you, your family and your community.

It's Harvest Time

Well, fall is in full swing. While most of the leaves haven't turned colour yet, the temperatures are starting to get cooler. We had to put on our furnace a couple of mornings to help heat up the house. And I think I saw some frost on my neighbour's roof the other day. BRR.

But what I love about fall is that the farmers market is bursting with delicious produce. Last week I bought leeks, beens, squash, apples and carrots. And man, they tasted so yummy. But, as always happens to me, I bought way more produce than what I can possibly use in a week. I get so excited and the prices are so good that before I know it I have carrots coming out of my ear!

This week at my church we had an activity that talked about freezing and dehydrating produce. I always knew you could do that. I even have a dehydrator I have used a few times. But as with anything, family life, kids and other stuff get in the way, and I just don't think about preserving my food using the freezer and dehydrator. I loose the spark. I think that can happen with anything, not just home production. It could happen with sewing, knitting, crocheting, making your own bread. You know how to do it. You have done it in the past. But, the desire to continue to do it or start it up again just isn't there. I think it goes with the whole times and seasons of life thing. You can only do what you can do. And, for the time being that is okay.

Well, for me, going to this activity totally put the spark back in my desire to dehydrate. Yesterday I put on my first batch of carrots on the dehydrator and when I woke up this morning there were little orange bumpily dry carrots waiting for me. How exciting! I have some more carrots that I am going to do today. It will be exciting and the perfect day to do it as my kids are home from school today. I will have two expert peelers.

As I was going to bed last night I was thinking of how my little freezer could be full of local produce that I prepared myself. And I started making a list of all the things I could do. But, I think I need to pull in the reigns a bit. I don't want to take on too much and get overwhelmed and then just quit. Slow and steady, get in a routine and then I'll be in the habit for life.

What type of harvest production do you like to do?

Homemade Hamburger Helper

I have a bit of a confession. I love hamburger helper. Brown the meat. Open the box, add the liquid and there is dinner. I just love it. I think we all have those secret food things that we know we shouldn't eat, that are full of crazy ingredients we can't even pronounce. You know the foods I'm talking about.

Well, a few months ago I decided enough was enough. I needed to find a healthier alternative to hamburger helper. And in stepped the internet, aka google and pinterest. It is amazing the talented people you can find that help you solve your dilemmas.

This recipe is based of the one found at Farmgirl Gourmet. You can find her recipe here. I found the original to be a bit on the spicy side for my family so I modified it slightly. I think that is the great thing about finding and sharing things online. You get a great jumping off point and can tweak things to fit into your family's tastes.

So here is the recipe I use.

Homemade Hamburger Helper
1 lbish of ground beef (I always buy my meat in bulk and divide it when I get home. I am never sure exactly of the weight, but I am happy with the amount.)
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup hot water
2 cups whole wheat pasta (you can probably use whatever kind of pasta you want. This is what I happen to have on hand. I have used macaroni, penne, the rotini. They all seem to work using the same method.)
2 tsp garlic powder
not quite 1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
not quite a full tsp of paprika
1 tsp sugar
2ish cups of grated cheese (I don't actually measure, I just guestimate. If you have an Ikea grater it is about one container full.)

I use a big pot to insure no over bubbling. Brown beef. Add everything but the cheese and stir to mix. Bring to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes. You can stir if you want to. I usually just set the timer for 15 minutes and read for a bit. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Enjoy!

That's all there is to it. Pretty amazing. And the best part. My kids actually eat it! I know that there are some recipe sites out there that claim that their kids eat that meal. But usually, in my experience at least, they lie. I feel duped as my kids turn their noses up at it. But this recipe, they actually eat, without complaining, and usually ask for seconds!! Definitely a winner in my books.


Do you make a healthier/real food version of one of your guilty pleasures? If show please share in the comments. It would be awesome to add to the repertoire.

Crazy Cake

Has this ever happened to you? You go to make a cake and then realize you don't have enough eggs. You don't feel like going to the store to get more and you don't have flax seeds to grind to make an egg alternative. What are you going to do?

Well in steps the crazy cake. I don't know if that is the real name for it. It is just what my mother always called it because she thinks it's crazy that it works. Crazy cake doesn't need eggs. Just some baking soda and vinegar and you end up with a cake that rises and has the perfect density and is super moist. No how sometimes it is really hard to find a great moist chocolate cake. Well you need to look no further. This cake seems to be moist all every single time.

Tonight is meet the teacher night at my girls school and the school council puts on a dessert potluck. So I made this today. I am going to put a chocolate butter cream icing on it but usually I just serve it with a glob of vanilla ice cream. Delicious.

I will give you the recipe for a 9"x13" pan. I made mind in an 8" square pan but just halving the recipe.

Crazy Cake
In a big bowl mix
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Make 3 holes into the mixture.
Hole #1 put in 1 tbsp white vinegar
Hole #2 put in 2 tsp  vanilla
Hole #3 put in 2/3 cup oil (I used canola)

Pour 2 cups of water over top and stir vigorously until it is mixed well.

Pour into greased pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Sometimes I don't bother with the holes and just dump all the liquid in at once. It seems to still work. I don't know why my mom had us make holes. Maybe it was to make it more fun?

Whimsical Last Days of Summer

Well... Today I just don't know what to write about. I feel like I have done so much in the past few weeks, yet I also feel like I have done nothing at all. Most of the things that we have done are family memory building activities. I haven't been canning, though I really should, I haven't been preparing things for the fall, or anything of that nature. I have been relishing in the last few days of summer vacation and loving being able to stay at home with my kids and doing things at a whim.

For example. Tuesday, was one of the hottest days of the summer. It has been a really chilly summer and the heat was nice. Since it was so hot, we decided to go to the beach at Pinehurst (A near by conservation area). It was so nice. My husband took off a few hours off work and came with us, which was a really nice treat. That beach was nice because there was lots of shade that was close to the water. Also really nice change rooms. If we had more time we would have gone for a little hike or something but it was just nice to be out in nature, on a beautiful day, being cooled off at a little lake. We packed a picnic lunch full of yummy snacks and cheeses and tomatoes bought fresh from the Farmer's market that morning. Really it couldn't have been a nicer midday activity.

Today I happen to have the van at home which is bit of a rare thing, quite often my husband has it at work. So, I took the kids to the St. Jacob's Farmers Market. I had the little one on my back in my Boba (best baby carrier ever!!!), and the other two walking along beside me. The girls loved seeing all the different things for sale. What they really wanted to do was bounce in the bouncy castle. So I let them and they even paid for the ride themselves! They were so excited to give the worker their money. They felt so proud. We then had lunch at Conestoga Fries which serves their food from a covered wagon. It was fun. The girls especially liked it because their favourite babysitter works there and served them. After lunch my middle girl bought a dream catcher. She found the most sparkly one there. My oldest bought a package of candy for us all to share and one for my husband. (We then drove to his work which is nearby the market and surprised him!) We walked back through the vegetable/fruit vendors and the girls loved calling out all the different kinds of food they saw. We saw some yummy corn so we are going to have corn on the cob with our dinner tonight. It will be delicious!

It is nice when you have days like this. Not to hot, beautiful sun and clear skies, and nothing on tap to do. It is nice when you have the flexibility to go ahead and do things and not worry about time off etc. 

When you decide to live off of one income your life becomes one of trade offs. You trade off exotic vacations for staycations. You trade off going to fancy resorts, to going to camp grounds and local parks. You trade off big renovations with making do and doing a little at a time. You trade having to work every day 9-5 for the ability to be flexible about where you want to spend your energies and time that day. 

There are times when I wish I could go to an office and someone else could look after my 18 month old because she does drive me crazy! But then there are days like this, when all the kids are sweet, the dishes are done, we have the car, and we are ready for adventure. I like these days the best. It is worth the trade off.

THE JUNK - Cleaning Out the Front Closet

 I hate tidying. I would much rather be reading my book or doing something fun with the kids. Yet, I do want a tidy home and often have feelings of being overwhelmed when I look around my house and see the huge task that is decluttering. The yard sale we had in June helped get my declutter juices flowing, but there is still so much to do.

Well, today I did something totally amazing. I cleaned out the bottom of my front closet. Now, I can hear what you are saying. What's the big deal, it's just the bottom section of a closet. But to me it is like reaching the summit of Mount Everest. It is like breaking the glass ceiling of tidying. Let me explain.

We bought our home a little over two years ago. As organized as I tried to be with the move we still inevitably had boxes that we just plunked down in our garage, or front closet. For two years I kept saying, "man we should really clean out that front closet". We would start, but only get half way through and never finish. Or more things would get added to the junk in the closet when we had to do our "emergency clean ups". My husband is the master of making a room look amazingly tidy, but what I am realizing is that really it is not a talent of dealing with the clutter once and for all. It is more a talent of hiding it. So the closets get full and then the junk ends up flowing back into the room and we are back to square one. Messy room, messy closet. But, when I am in a tidying dilemma and guests are on the way over I use his master hiding of junk skills to the max. His talents never cease to amaze me.

before

So with this closet being the home of tidying ups of the past it was getting ridiculous. This week I was feeling so grouchy and crazy about the whole mess of our house etc. that I decided to take the bull by the horns and get rid of the junk in that closet once and for all. I hope seeing the results of this closet, will help give me the motivation for the rest of the house. There are things I want to do in life and being a curator of junk is not one of them. I want to live for myself not for my junk. Now I just need to convince my husband that this closet is a no junk hiding zone. Maybe I should make a sign.

after (and a lot of things in the give away bag and the garbage bag)

So I've done it. I have broken the junk funk, of the front closet at least. Hmmm. What should my next target be?

Do you have a closet or drawer or room in your house that you keep putting off? Why do you put it off? And if you have actually dealt with it did it help with your motivation to keep going?

Getting Inspired by the Past

This past Monday was a holiday here. We have a pass to the regional museum so we decided to go for the morning. They have a village there that is set for the time of 1914. It was fun to walk around and look at how they did things back then.

The girls liked seeing the old fashioned washing tub and ringer. They also liked playing the different games, like crokinole, horseshoes and the egg toss. They also gave walking on stilts a try. My husband was pretty good.

These pictures are from last year's Canada day. I really need to remember my camera!!

I liked going into the general store to see the different products in tins and how beautiful it looked. I also liked going into the old mennonite house and I was drooling over their cellar. It was beautiful with built in stone shelving for their preserves. I told my husband that it was my dream house, though I would prefer to have electricity, running water and a few other modern conveniences.

I also saw the chicken coop and run of my dreams. Right now the city doesn't allow chicken coops in our back yards but I am hoping that changes soon.

I like going to these "pioneer villages". It gives me inspiration for things I can do now to get back to the basics. It makes me want to make beautiful quilts for my home, get it organized so it can be productive and comfortable, and makes me want to reduce time spent using electronic devices and increase the time of actually living.

It also reminds me that these people did not have giant rooms or their own craft space or what have you and they were still able to be productive in their home. One of the houses in the village was a log cabin that had the kitchen and two smaller rooms on the first floor and then the attic for the children to sleep and play. This woman did have her own dedicated room for her sewing set up or her books or her craft storage. She made do with the room available. I need to do that too. Instead of moping about not having the space or not having the kitchen gadget I really want I need to just get on with it.

Living the simple life does not mean having to live without modern conveniences or like a pioneer. But we should be looking for ways to cut back, to come to grips with what is truly necessary to do in life and what will give us fulfillment and then concentrate on those things.

It has been a year since I started this blog. I am still looking for my voice, I am still trying to change how I do things to have a simple life, and I have had so much fun documenting what we are doing in little old Waterloo. I am excited for this next year of blogging and hopefully something I write will inspire you, help you, or just let you know that you are not alone. Thanks for dropping by this year. Please say hello in the comments, I love hearing from you.

I won't have a blog post next week as we are busy with holiday stuff, but I will be back on the 21st. I hope your August is enjoyable!

I Love to Ride My Bicycle! I Love to Ride My Bike!!

I must say, this summer, temperature wise, has been awesome. There have only been one or two super humid days and even they didn't seem all that bad. Because the temperatures and humidity have been so nice we have been biking a whole lot more and we are loving it.

Where we live in the city we are lucky because there are so many trails nearby. While teaching road safety is always a good thing to do, I don't completely trust my kids to be looking out for dangers or keeping their bike going straight etc. So roads and sidewalks aren't my first choice. That is why I love the trails, they aren't as busy, there aren't as many entry points to watch out for and it is wide and obstruction free.

The closest trail to our house is really awesome as it goes straight to the library! We have been going to the library at least twice a week because it makes for a great bike ride. So it's like super bonus points for awesome parent of the year! (I need all the bonus points I can get.) My kids are getting exercise and expanding their brains at the library (though the last one is debatable), seems good to me!

I wonder what others on the trail or at the playgrounds we pass think of our caravan of bikes. We have the oldest who zooms along, staying just close enough to be in yelling distance, but not so close that she  has to claim she is with us. Then we have the middle one who troops along, peddling her legs so fast that it is crazy. And then there is me pulling the bike trailer with the little one. (I love my bike trailer, it is a Chariot brand and seriously, the best purchase ever! We have had it for 7 years now and have used it in the summer and winter and it still looks and works great!) I hope that whoever sees us is motivated by us. I hope it helps them know that if I can do it with three crazy kids they can too. I hope it helps motivate them to go on their own adventure with their family, and to the pregnant lady that I have seen on the trails twice, I hope she feels assurance that she won't be a shut-in with kids but that there are lots of possibilities of getting out and having fun. Life, and an active life does not end with kids, you just tweak some of the expectations you put on yourself and then blam! You are back in business.

Biking is a great way to exercise and move your body without lots of strain and stress. You can go as fast or as leisurely as you want and you are still moving faster than walking, and thus, you get a more varied scenic look of the city. For this reason, I love to ride my bike!

The Sacrifices We Make Aren't Really Sacrifices at All

I have been reflecting a lot about sacrifice of late. We all make sacrifices, though we might not always call them that. We allow a car to merge ahead of us on the highway, we are sacrificing our spot in the line of traffic to help someone out. We need a new driveway so we might sacrifice some of our savings or a planned holiday to pay for it. A lot of the sacrifices we make are just day to day decisions, conscious effort to sacrifice a life we don't want to live for one that we do.

As a stay-at-home mom of three goofballs people could justifiably say that I sacrifice a lot to be home with them. I sacrifice a second income, which would definitely come in handy as we try to pay off the mortgage and do home repairs. Trips to Home Hardware for supplies sure add up. I sacrifice my clothes, they are never pristine for long. They are a snot rag, a paper towel, and who knows what else. I sacrifice my privacy. The bathroom is no longer a sacred place. Why they need to come in when the door is clearly closed is a mystery that seems to be beyond me. I sacrifice my sanity. Hearing my 16 month old constantly say Momma, over and over and over and over and over again. Gak! Or when the older ones come and start complaining, or whining or asking for things or whatever. I seriously start thinking, perhaps a paying job wouldn't be so bad. And I sacrificed my body to bring them into the world. Stretchmarks from here to there and everywhere. I don't know where the stretch marks came from, as I never get that big ,but geez Louise, my career aspirations of being a bikini model is out, unless there is quite a lot of airbrushing ;) There are other things that we sacrifice, I could probably be here all day.

But, when all is said and done, I wouldn't have it any other way. I get to see the mischief they get into. I get to see them build towers and habitats for their animals. I get to see them have a crazy dance party. I get to hug them when they are sad and be their confidant. There are somethings that when we think of the checklist of the world that we are for sure giving up, but when you think about love and family and things that really matter, the sacrifices don't really matter. We would and still do keep doing the same sacrifices over.

habitat that my oldest made

a dance performance for their dolls

a tall tower for their turtle

By being a one income family, it allows us to prioritize what is important to us, especially where our dollars go, and what family activities we should do. Are our priorities always what they should be? Heck No! We make lots of mistakes, but we are learning along the way and doing our best. It is also showing our kids that we can't always get what we want exactly when we want it. We have to work and save and plan for things. Are we perfect teachers? Nope! But, we are trying. We are trying to teach them the value of a dollar, what are needs and what are wants and that we have to cherish what we have already instead of going out and consuming more.

Sacrifice does not need to be a hardship. If we think about it. Sacrifice is an opportunity to live a life that will make us feel happy and fulfilled. That could be going against the norm and being less driven by consumption, or it could be going the other way and embracing consumerism and instead forgoing the simple pleasures in life. Sacrifice is about choice, about choosing how you want to live and then tailoring yourself and your surroundings to fit that ideal. If you want to get out of debt and stay out of debt, spending and mindless shopping needs to be sacrificed. If you want to have a garden, a nicely manicured part of your lawn will need to be sacrificed. If you want to spend time with your children as they grow up, a career may have to be sacrificed.

There is no one size fits all when it comes to sacrifice. It also doesn't mean you have to choose between a bad and a good thing. It could be choosing between a good and a better or best thing. So, think about what is important to the way you live, whether it be your own morals, ethics, or religious beliefs and say to yourself "what are the best things I should be doing to achieve the ideal?" Then strive to do them. As we do this we will realize that the actions, habits, or ways of life we are shedding is a freeing experience and that the sacrifice really isn't a sacrifice at all. It is bliss.

What are some of the ways that you sacrifice to live how you do? Do you consider them a hardship or do you find them to bring joy?