earth day musings

it is a week past earth day... but i haven't forgotten it. i'll start with a little update on our earth friendly (or unfriendly) habits:

i continue to struggle with my remembering of those dang reusable bags. it's not that i don't have enough! i have a bag filled with bags. i remember them some of time, but not all of the time. it drives me bongos. once upon a time i forced my forgetful self to carry whatever it was that i was buying when i forgot. these days, i take the bags and growl at myself a bit. i tried an incentive for the kiddos- a quarter for every time they reminded me to put them in the car. apparently, quarters are the new penny because they don't seem to be doing the trick either. i'm going to continue to work on this.

cutting down on our use of plastic and paper products has been a success. thanks to my own momma, i now possess more kitchen wash cloths than a girl knows what to do with. i have been using them for hand-wiping instead of the dreaded paper towel. since i have so many, i don't have to worry about running out before i can get a fresh load of laundry in the machine. thanks to my reusable lunch bags, we cut down on a bunch of those being waisted and added to land fills daily. i still keep some in my pantry and use them on occasion, but it's a step in the right direction.

we have issues with those earth friendly light bulbs... i just don't dig the color of light that they produce and am not a fan of the recycling process that they entail. i know everyone is behind them, but they just don't make sense to me. convince me- i want to like them.

i've also spent the better part of the last year freecyling things (http://www.freecyle.org/). i have given away every box that we used to move (twice), baby items that we no longer have use for and that wouldn't sell for more than 20 buckaroos, bed frames, cribs, extra luggage, books... the list is endless. if you don't freecyle, i encourage you to do so. you post the item (no picture) and then wait for peeps who want it. within minutes of posting i usually have a taker. we email to arrange pick-up and then i leave it on my porch with their name on the item. i have also been the recipient of some items- curtain rods, a brass bed frame (for real- it's gorge and in the garage waiting for the next crib jumper), books... that might be it. the items i've taken from others are things i wouldn't buy but have been happy to receive. it keeps a lot of stuff from going to waste.

my newest love is a website called http://www.thredup.com/ in a nutshell, you post boxes of baby gear- typically clothing and sell a $10.95 box (usps flat rate box) for $5. for $15 bucks a person can buy a box full of items. they are typically grouped based on size... for example, "mostly t's 4t". you pay the $15 bucks and you get a box full of sized 4t t-shirts. the "seller" posts a brief description of what the box contains (no pictures needed) and you buy base on your needs. this is genius for my family. d and p have closets full of hand-me-downs from big sister. the trouble is that for some reason, i keep finding that each bin of used goodies is lacking in one area. at age 3 , e had a tendency to spill on her shirts, rendering a lot of tops useless. at age 4, she was into elastic waist pants... d's into dresses. you get the point. this site is a good "fill in the gaps" sort of place. and you can post too. if you are not down with a random box- no worries. just get rid of your own stuff here. instead of giving it away, you get five smackers for each box you sell.

lastly- and this isn't a new thing, i'm in love with the re purposing of objects. i have an old secretary that was one man's junk- this man's treasure. i have a few dressers that we might have smuggled from our previous seller and painted to make them beautiful (the yellow dresser in my guest room is one of these objects). i love messing with the old and making it new.

as i was contemplating my earth day post, my friend dawn sent me a link to this zero waste shop in berkley (of course it's in berkley- ha). she suggested we go together but the trash to treasure girl in me couldn't wait- i hopped in the car the very first chance i had (not so eco friendly)... and i'll go back as soon as she and i can coordinate a time that works.

and so here you have urban ore:

my gps took me to this big 'ole warehouse. it's huge.


they utilize every piece of real estate they have... the outside was filled with...

toilets. yep! you need one? they've got it. seats, bowls, the toppers for the back... every kind! they also had windows a plenty- new, vintage, frames... hundreds of each. i was in shock. you proceed to the interior of this big grey building and you'll find rows upon rows of doors- interior, exterior, modern, victorian... you get the point.

and then you sort of meander through and find a plethora of "trash"... waiting to become one man's treasure.

d was a fan of this pink version of the golden gate bridge.

i stumbled upon this little treasure- a record that made me think of my dad. immediately i pictured him dancing in my kitchen on a saturday morning while i step-mom cooked breakfast. i love those visual stimulants for memory lane. good times.

p was enthralled by some pink doggies hanging high in the vaults. there was a lot of woof woofing and giggling.

back to when we entered the warehouse- d mentioned that it was pretty stinky. yep! the entire place smells like cat urine. it was less than shocking when we stumbled upon this little creature a few rows in. (ick! the smell not the cat herself. she was rather pleasant.)

d tried out for head majorette while i told her stories of her nana who was on the team in high school. it was good times to see.

and throughout the joint there were reminders of why you were there (putting up with the stinky).

we went home with two chairs for the dining room that we have been working on. i will be removing the nasty cushions and reupholstering them before they make a move out of the garage, thank you very much... but a good find none-the-less.

and if you don't live in the east bay? well have no fear! you can help the good 'ole mother earth in a similar fashion in a town near you. my experience is that the kane county flea market is a similar treasure trove. i've also googled flea markets all over the country. there are a ton of them!

and so- to wrap it all up, here's my point... if you can go to a little extra effort to find the stuff you need from a person that no longer needs it... jackpot! if you have stuff you no longer need, find someone who can make use of it! the wee bit of extra effort is way worth it and the character that your home (or the takers home) can gain is awesome. do it. do not delay.

our mother will thank you!

making a comeback

if you've been a blog follower of mine for a while, you may remember this post from the early years. go ahead and check it out. i'll be right here when you get back...

now that you are up to speed...

i would like to report that i baby beth is alive and well. she's been hanging out at the bottom of the baby basket for the past few months.

today, d and p were out front playing while momma was painting some furniture. d asked me if she could go inside to get some babies to push around in her stroller.

sure, muffin. mamma's down with that. oh- and could you grab one for p because she's going to want one if you have one.

a few moments later d emerged with her own favorite baby doll and... wait for it... baby beth, for p. and while i was slightly injured that it wasn't d's first pick, i was excited that she was making an appearance.

p pushed baby beth around for the better part of an hour. i was stoked. after our playtime, i ushered the girls inside for nap. as we headed for the stairs i reminded the girls that the dolls needed to be put away. both girls obediently trucked up the stairs with babies under their arms (p under my arm). when we arrived in p's room, she went about her normal routine of running away to avoid the inevitable pre-nap diaper change. she stood next to her bed and proceeded to toss her blanket, giraffe, and be-po over the crib rails in preparation for bed. as i was about to reach for her and engage in the diaper changing tackle... my little muffin grabbed for baby beth. yep- then she tried to hurl the big 'ol beloved baby over the side of the bed. momma was happy to help with this task. and so today, my sweet p slept with her normal collection and her momma's favorite dolly. (geesh- it's getting crowded in there!)

when i went in to get her from nap, she was laying her head on beth's belly. snuggling, if you will.

and then at bedtime... well, here. you can see for yourself.

baby beth is making a come back! that's right- she has no place in the "must toss" pile that e may have chosen for her a few years back.

watch out- the koosah's next.

a game

a little game: it's called, "Do you know the name of the baby in this picture?".

if you'd like to play along, leave a comment and share with with us. you can even include a caption if you'd like.

two down...

i would like to start out by saying that i used to follow a blog of a really sweet girl. eventually she began to do this segment where she did some mr. linky thing and people basically all linked in and shared their stuff... sometimes it was rooms of their home, sometimes birthday parties, favorite stores... what have you. soon after she began doing this i stopped reading her blog.

from what i can tell, she is a wonderful woman but there was some ick factor for me as i logged in and saw all of these people showing off their "stuff". while her content the rest of the time was pretty basic and palatable the "show us your blah blah blah" was bothersome to me. i imagine her heart was actually fine but none-the-less it gave me the creeps.

what can i say? i'm not much of a fan for the "keeping up with the joneses" mentality and when i logged in all i could think of were all the people who might have felt embarrassed by their party, living room or favorite store. in fact, i imagine that reading it could also be a jumping off stimulator for spending money that they didn't have. imagine it- a momma sitting at home feeling like her living room is junky. she's killing a little time before lunch and checking out her favorite stops on the web. she lands on the show us your living room blog page and looses some time checking out all the linkys to these beautiful living rooms. she puts the kiddos down for nap and it sort of eats at her while the babies rest. sure enough- as soon as the babes wake from their nap momma is off to the store. maybe it's tar-jay, maybe pottery barn... it really doesn't matter. soon, she could be consumed by the spirit of less-than and discontent. and as quick as that happens, a momma might be inclined to start spending money that she doesn't have and making choices that she knows are not in the family budget in an effort to keep up and an effort to fill some sort of void she feels.

if we're honest- i think most of us would admit that this has happened to us at one point or another. a friend shows up with new shoes on and you start thinking about how you NEED a new pair. a neighbor takes a trip to the place you've always longed to go... this can go on and on. we feel bad. we throw personal "woe is me" parties. we put the wheels in motion to do things that we know we shouldn't really be doing.

i know it has happened to me. i fought that demon years ago. i had a friend who was really talented and also had a lot of money and also had similar home decorating taste to mine. every time i went near said friend, i walked away feeling like my house was all poo-p00-patchoo and that i had to "fix" it. i never was able to and i never felt fulfilled after trying.

it wasn't until years later that i realized my taste was different from hers. i also realized that it wasn't her sense of decor i was after. it was an effort to fill a void. now, when i find myself trying to fill that void with "stuff" i tend to break it down and be a little bit more honest with myself. i call it what it is- the satisfaction of the flesh and remind myself that it never works. i also remind myself that honoring my hubs hard earned buckaroos is a much more important value to chase instead of chasing the title of master decorator (which i am not). (and with three kiddos under my belt i have also learned that cool stuff doesn't look all that cool for long- it is a never ending quest of perfection that i will never win. ha! kiddos 1: momma 0).

i say all of that because i am about to show you my stuff. ick.

seriously- if seeing an episode on hgtv makes you grab your keys and run to home depot, please stop reading this post.

if decorating tips and discussions on room design make you feel like you need to go overturn a room in your own home- do not read further.

i say that- not because anything i have is special or worth coveting, but because i've been there. somehow, the ugliest room (quite possibly the one i am about to reveal) can somehow still have the same effect on us as the most beautiful one. that effect is that icky spirit of discontent. yuck.

so then why are you going to show us your stuff, girlfriend? (you may be asking...)

because many of you have asked. because i live very far from my fam and lots of friends who want to see. because as i finish a space i get tickled pink that i get to check off a room from my to-do list. maybe none of those are good reasons and if they aren't- i encourage you to let me know. i am thick skinned and can handle it (smile). i also welcome feedback.

so without further ado- here is my family room in its almost finished glory (it still lacks baseboards but those will come in due time).

here is the room before we moved in:


here it is mid-process:

and here it is in it's current state. done.

nothing fancy- just done. it still needs some special touches on a wall or two, but for the most part it is the culmination of lots of hard work from a husband-wife painting team and is evidence that i've at least unpacked. also- if you've known me for a while you can look around these snaps and see that it is all the stuff i've always had. nothing new. i like that i was able to do that. while i enjoy perusing the newest catalogues and home design books, i am also trying to be diligent in my appreciation for what i have. i've been blessed- sure with stuff, but more importantly with some great peeps to fill up that finished room. more important to me are the kiddos, friends, family that will adorn that couch. the conversations that i may have with a girlfriend while sipping some joe have a far greater value than just about anything else.

and there you have it. care to join me on my sofa for a nice chat? i'd love to see you soon.

time to cook the doughnuts

i haven't been blogging much since "the move". i wish i could say exactly what it was- busy with house projects, 3 girls going in 3 directions, a very distracted momma, a husband that has been working lots of hours... all of those? some of those? other things? i don't really know. but what i do know is that it isn't due to a lack of material. we've had A LOT going on these past few months!

one of those events is near and dear to my heart. a few weeks ago we had the pleasure of craig's company. craig is a college friend of my hubs, but over the years i think it is fair to say that he is my friend too. i adore him. i always have- but in recent years i have added a new reason to my list. it has to do with the kiddos. he visited me on my second day home from the hospital with e. shortly after, he moved. since his move to the big apple, he's been intentional in visiting us each year. that is a power move to this momma. you see, not only does he value his relationship with my hubs but he also places a value on my children.

he visits. he engages. he notices. he connects. he loves (that's right zimm, this momma noticed that too). what that means to this momma is beyond verbal expression. it is a heart matter, more specifically- a melt the heart matter. i adore watching it.

this visit was no different. zimm (as many people refer to him) knew from his last visit that we are the proud owners of a deep fryer. knowing this, he came armed with an old camp doughnut recipe. upon arrival he went over the ingredients list and planned out the things we might need (apparently my expired baking soda and powder weren't going to fit the bill). he got the missing items and planned out a time when the doughnut making extravaganza could commence. that's right- zimm made doughnuts with my three girlies.

now i don't know if you've ever made doughnuts before, but i am here to tell you that it is a pretty labor intensive project.

it starts with the mixing of ingredients.

they were all ears- but this is early in the game. i wasn't surprised that he had their undivided attention for that part.

after some serious mixing, sifting, combining etc. they moved on to the rolling out stage. i was uber impressed with his patience. my girlies might be a tad tentative about getting their hands dirty but somehow he had them all ooey and gooey and doughnut rolling. impressive!

e opted out of the doughnut business after her first roll and cut round. for her, that is impressive. with me she doesn't typically make it past the mixing of the wet with the dry ingredients. d lasted for two rounds. i wasn't super shocked by this as she has a bigger love cooking and higher tolerance for messy hands. not bad.

the one that was shocking was miss p. p was down for a nap when the doughnut extravaganza began but woke up somewhere in the middle of the party. she jumped right in (and zimm didn't miss a beat) and seemed to be in it for the long haul. she made it by his side right down to the final roll and cut.

as the rounds of dough were cut out, fry daddy (aka scott) took them to task in the deep fryer (it is his machine, after all). one by one they were cooked to a golden brown.

upon exiting the hot oil, they were set to cool. i was then put into motion tossing them in sugar and preparing them for their final stage...

you know- down the hatch!

it was quite an afternoon! our bellies were happily filled. and as i look back on these snaps- my heart overflows at a friend who is such a treasure.

a box and a prayer

i told you last year that my garden produced ONE tomato. granted- my garden was a sad container garden that might have longed for a tad bit more water than it was getting, but no matter how you slice it one tomato is a sad state.

the second week into our new home, i began to plot out and come up with a garden design for our new space. after two years of success in chicago, i was not willing to let another one tomato summer occur (holding my breath a little as i type that). i did a lot of internet searches, book reading etc. and came up with a new plan. what i landed on was totally new to me (in spite of the fact that my friend used this same method in munster, in... i swear when she told me about it i had NO IDEA what she was talking about. i just smiled, nodded and coveted her beautiful garden. true story.).

so what did i land on, you ask? it is the square foot garden method. it involves a super special soil mix, a raised square foot planter box, a special square foot grid and some seeds. sounds simple, right?

it is! it is so simple and i am in garden love! i set my hubby to building a while back and he made me a lovely box for my garden. and then it rained. and rained. and rained.

i'm serious. i think it rained for the entire month of february and most of march. somewhere in the middle of march we had a little dry spell and so into the soil went my seeds. i whispered sweet garden dreams into their ears as i planted them because I WILL NOT, i repeat, WILL NOT have another one tomato summer.


and apparently, the seeds listened to my stern plea. just one week later, little sprouts started bursting forth from their darkness into the sunlight.

and now, a few weeks later... voila! my seeds they are a'growin! i have such hope that in just a few short weeks i will be harvesting all sorts of green goodness.

and for good measure, i canceled my veggie box that i have loved so much for the past year. i mean, who needs it? i have such high hopes that i can deliver my own box of goodness right here through my brand new, ever so healthy, square foot garden.

and then there's this...

bepo and other cute things

in the event that you want to catch up with the smallest suburban momma munchkins...

here's a little chat we recently had. i love watching p watch d.