Mothers are amazing!!!

So with it being Mother's day here on Sunday, I've been trying to think what my beautiful mummy would like. 

I have to say, I find this really hard, because my mum is the sort of woman who, if she want's something, she will get it. She is SO hard to buy for!!!!

Then it made me stop and think about how we buy gifts.

I have to admit, I tend to think along the lines of what I like in their genre, so if they like football, then a book, or dvd about it, if it's cooking, then I think what I would like to receive.

THAT IS NOT GOOD GIFT BUYING!!!!

Gift buying is about the person receiving the gift, not the giver. 

My sister is an excellent gift giver. She is thoughtful and innovative, and doesn't have to spend a lot to create a really lovely gift. 

I have to work hard not to feel my gifts are inferior!!

So I want to spend some time this week to really think about my mum, and who she is, and what SHE likes and get her a gift that shows I'm paying attention to HER. 

Just like I would like to be seen for me.

What are you doing for mothers day?

Weekend Links

I have to confess, I haven't been as active as usual this week, so only a few weekend links this week, but they are good ones!!!

30+ ways to use White vinegar  from the Humbled Homemaker is a great read for ideas for non toxic cleaning and personal care 

How to weed out the lie that you are not beautiful From Lisa-Jo Baker is an important one, even if you don't have daughters.

These are the important things from Red and Honey is a timely reminder.

Thank you and goodnight!

Weekly Recipes: Chicken Noodle soup

Bad week, bad week, sorry.

We have a really easy recipe this week, but one that even my pickiest eater wolfed down!!

Chicken Noodle Soup

One large chicken breast, cooked and shredded,
2 tbsp butter
2 Large carrots, chopped
5-6 sprouts sliced
3-4 cups chicken stock
2 sheets of dried noodles

Method

• Saute the carrots and sprouts in the butter.
• Add chicken stock and shredded chicken, and simmer for 15 mins. 
• Add noodles, season with salt and pepper, and cook for the length of time given on the instructions. 
• Serve, and enjoy!

So simple, yet so delicious!!!!

Another has stolen my heart...

I have found a new love.....

It's name is....Pintrest!!!!

I have not thought much of Pintrest for a long time, but recently a friend showed me how to use it properly and explained exactly what it was for, and I am in love!!

I have an organisational board, for all those fab ideas on structure, pretty tidying ideas and the like, a Girly stuff board, with all the beautiful hairstyles, clothes and shoes that I like, and a Disney board, where I have just pinned all of my favourite pics of mostly disney princesses, to be honest!!!! 

It has made me realise and hone in on what I like, what appeals to me, and as I stand back and look at it all, I most definitely see myself more clearly, and that is something that I have always struggled with: what is really me and what has been influenced by others. 

So I find that I love feminine, pretty things, floaty dresses, long, long hair, tea cups and saucers, aprons, Homestead skills, the pioneer life (with a few modern comforts!) and of course, I have a sneaking feeling I am actually a Disney Princess living in the happy ever after section of real life!

Ariel, with 4 children!

I make no apologies anymore for who and what I am. 

I have been made this way by my gracious God and I am slowly learning to love who I am. 

All from a little board site!!

Who says the internet is all bad.....?

Weekend Links

I love browsing other blogs, and these have been the best of this week, for me.

How to Plan A Baking Day from Little House Living 

Stand in Love, Not Judgement on Food issues from Modern Alternative Mama. Some very good points!

5 Things I Said I'd Never Do As A Mom from the Humble Homemaker. :)

How to have an Urban Homestead From The Prairie Homestead. Great Ideas from my new favorite blog.

6 ways You Can Be A Happier Mum By Next Week from Whole New Mama. Need to work on number 4....

Beekeeping 101 from The Elliott Homestead. I would love to try this, but I don't know....

Enjoy!!

Bonus Recipe : Taco Seasoning!!

One thing we use a lot of in our house is Taco Seasoning. We used to buy it in, back when we didn't know any better, but then I found out how easy it is to make, and how much better it tastes!!!!

Ingredients

2 tsp chilli powder

1 ½ tsp paprika

1 ½ tsp cumin

1 tsp onion powder

¾ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt

Method

·       Mix!!!!

It really is that easy!! And super tasty!! Give it a go, you will LOVE it!! 

Weekly Recipes: Mexican Lasagna

I have to admit, I'm not the biggest Lasagna fan usually. It's the moussy white Bechamel sauce that gets me. So we modified our family version to only have 1 layer of plain cheese sauce. However, I still have to really be in the mood. That was until we found this amazing Mexican version!! Now this is my fave!!!

Ingredients

1lb Beef mince
2 tbsp butter
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tins of tomatoes, or 6 fresh tomatoes, skinned and chopped, with seeds
2 carrots, diced
3 tbsp Taco Seasoning
6 lasagna sheets (to fit a large glass dish)
1 pack Organic tortilla chips
Grated cheese to top

Method

• Fry diced onion in the butter until clear and then add Garlic. Saute for 2 mins. 
• Add the mince and cook until browned.
• Add the 2 tins of tomatoes, the seasoning, and the carrots and simmer for 10 mins. 
• Transfer about half of the mixture to a glass baking dish, and layer on the lasagna sheets. Put on the other half of the mixture and layer with Tortilla chips.
• Add the grated cheese and return to oven for 15 mins, until cheese is brown, and pasta is cooked.
• Serve with green salad and optional salsa.

MMmmmmmm my new favourite!!!

Enjoy!

No 'poo update.

So I thought I'd give you a no 'poo update. Just in case you are interested....

So the last time I washed my hair with shampoo was a week last Saturday. No, I'm not dirty, I washed it yesterday, but not with shampoo. I have learnt from my previous mistakes and prepared a little better this time round. 

Last year, I tried to go no 'poo, but after about a month, the waxy build-up on my hair was driving me crazy!!! I had found out, (thanks to Google) that it was because of our hard water, and i tried to make adjustments for it, but it was too late, the wax was there, and nothing but shampoo was getting that baby out!

I was regretful, because I really wanted it to work, but that was that. 

Skip to this year, and I had read Red and Honey's challenge to quit shampoo for a month, and I thought I would give it another go. If it failed again, at least it was only a month of grease that I would have had to have put up with!!

So I gathered my info and my Baking Soda rinse and my Vinegar rinse and my comb and oil (I'll tell you my method in a mo) and headed to the bathroom, last Wednesday. I had already gone for 4 days without washing it at this point, and it was a little greasy, I must say. Like, you could even tell in a ponytail, kind of greasy!

I boiled my water for my BS rinse, as per tips for hard water, and put it to cool on the windowsill. I used white vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar this time, as my hair is very thin, even though there is lots of it, and the apple cider was a little heavy for my hair. I also read a tip that if you comb through your hair while the vinegar rinse is still in it, it helps to move the oils down your hair and to lift the gunk and dirt that is trapped.
I also read that  a TINY drop of Jojoba oil combed through the ends while wet can help to moisturize, so I tried that too. 

And it is working so far!!!!

My roots are soft and shiny, where before they were waxy and I couldn't stand to touch them!!!


And my length is healthy looking and shiny too!

I know it is only been a week and a half, but I am so very pleased so far!!

I also have to say, my investment in a 100% boar Bristle Brush has helped hugely!!! I have also learnt that only a TINY bit of oil is needed, after making the mistake of putting a LITTLE bit of oil on the first time, and when it dried, having to plait my hair for 3 days!! 

My method 
I comb my hair before I get in the shower, to get any knots out. I wet my whole hair, and use my squirty bottle to direct my BS rinse over my scalp. I scrub my scalp with my fingers to lift any dirt, and to achieve the all important "slippery" feeling. (This shows that the BS is working) I leave that to soak in for a few mins, then rinse thoroughly, so I'm not left with any white flakes when dry (majorly attractive look...) and then I douse a little vinegar rinse on the top of my head, but concentrate mainly on my ends with this. I have also mixed some peppermint essential oils into it, because I like the smell. I then use a fine tooth comb to comb through my whole hair. I sometimes see grey gunk coming out on the teeth of the comb, this is good, this is excess sebum coming off my hair. I do this for about 3-4 mins and then rinse. I then pit a TINY bit of oil into my hands and rub together (Like, TINY. I turn the bottle upside down against my palm and turn it right back up.) then I smooth the ends of my hair between my palms. I rinse my hair one last time in warm water, and then, with my hair under the shower, I gradually turn off the hot tap until just the cold is on my hair, to seal it. (I can't stand this for long, so this is just a dip!!!) then I towel dry, comb, and allow to air dry. 

I am very pleased so far, and I don't have the usual dry ends that I had with shampoo, or the crazy itchy scalp, either!!

What, with this and my AMAZING homemade Deodorant, I am very pleased with personal care at the moment! May I not have spoken too soon......

Connect and Respect

Here in England, there was a new show that started last night, called 'Man Up!' 

It has been the cause of quite a few conversations in our house as we have see the promotional run up. (It has been on every ad break while we watch NCIS for about 3 weeks!!!) 

The premise of the show is the stunningly gorgeous presenter takes geeky, nerdy, live at home failures of men, and teaches them to be men. 

That's it.

 They are waxed, redressed, made over, taught how to talk to girls, put through obstacle courses and generally humiliated until she is satisfied they can hack it on their own.

Then they are deemed fit for a modern woman. 

My GOODNESS!!!!!

The first thing she says is "nowadays men are more and more unsure of where they belong-"

The thing that has sparked the conversation is that nowhere is it mentioned that the women are in the wrong. 

Nowhere does it say that women need to encourage their men, to include them more in their lives, to RESPECT them!!

When you look around today, men are ridiculed everywhere. Just look at any kids tv show and the dads are always bumbling idiots who need the mums to pick up the pieces of their failed attempts, which she does with a roll of the eyes and a sigh, as if she expected it all along. (we don't allow our kids to watch programs like that)

Some of the attitudes in the media leave a lot to be desired towards me, and the things that are let go amaze me, because if they were said or shown about women, there would be UPROAR!!!! 
The way men are oggled on TV by women hosts, if that were men making those lewd comments, it would be condemned in an instant as sexist and unacceptable.

Men have the raw end of the deal nowadays, when you look at things like social media. Most of the people I see deify their children and run down their 'useless' partner/husband. 

How about we talk about the good in our husbands, just in case it might inspire them to be better!

Would you want to change if nothing you ever did was good enough? If you were made to feel that you weren't really needed, and everything would go on just fine without you? 

Would it inspire you to go work hard to bring in the finances? would it make you want to help out in the kitchen, or with the kids? 

I don't think so. It would make you give up. And that is just what so many men have done.

Nothing is good enough, so why bother. 

Yet....

If I tell my husband how proud I am of him that he goes to work and earns a living so that we can homeschool our children, that I am proud of him that he gets up at 4 am to go shopping before work, so we have stuff in for breakfast, that I love the way he plays with our children, and prays at the dinner table with us all. If I tell him he is capable, and important to us all, then maybe he will be encouraged to be the man he is, rather than telling him what he's not! 

We all know how well children respond to praise, but are we adults any different? Are our men any different? Respect is a characteristic sadly missing in our time, and if we Christian women can't manage it with our hubbys then who can?

But you don't know what I have to deal with! I hear you cry.

I'm not saying it is always easy, and there are times when we need to address issues, I'm not denying that. But would you want to listen and truly take a good look at yourself if it was another in a long list of faults your loved one thinks you have??? (no matter how true it may be)

When we speak to our men with respect, and encourage them, they are more likely to listen to genuine concerns when they come up, because they know it is not just another nag, to be frank! And as an ex nagger, I have lived this change. I know it works. From experience. 

Are we perfect? Nope! Is it easy to keep my mouth shut sometimes and praise him? Nope! Are there days when I want to tell him he's wrong in front of the kids? YES!! but I won't. Because I want my children to respect their father, and they learn that from me. If I don't respect him, why should they? I have sadly seen this in a family quite close to us, and it is offensive to witness! 

I know this has been a bit of a long post today, but it's been on my mind for weeks. It's also been a great way of connecting to my husband, as we have talked about this, and how it will affect our children, and what we can do to teach them and to demonstrate God's way to them through our marriage.

I chose to marry my husband, and he is a reflection of my choices in life. 

I can now truly say, that I am happy with my choices and will choose to be happy for the rest of my life, with God's grace.

Greener Cleaner

I have realized, talking to my friend on Thursday, that I have been on this real food, greener living journey for about 18 months now!!

That's crazy!!

I also thought it would be nice to share my greener cleaners. I still have some things that I want to change, and I am making it my aim this year to switch over to homemade laundry powder, but this is some of what we use now:

General Houshold cleaner

Ingredients
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
essential oils - tea tree, lemon, or eucalyptus  (optional)

Mix in spray bottle, use instead of anti-bac cleaners.

Variation - Put left over orange peels in a jar, pour your white vinegar over to cover, and store for 3 weeks, then use this in your mix. The oils from the orange peel help the cleaning power, and don't hurt the smell either....

Carpet smell remover

Sprinkle some Bicarbonate of soda on the area, brush into the carpet, leave for 15 mins and vacuum up.

Carpet Stain Remover

Mix Bicarb soda with white vinegar, making a paste, brush into the stain with an old toothbrush and leave to dry. Then vacuum. 

Washing Machine Cleaner

When your clothes start to get a bit smell, and you need to rinse out your washing machine, there is no need to spend money on special cleaners, from Doctor so-and-so, just put 2 cups of white vinegar in your drum, and put on a hot wash. This will clear all the limescale and odors from your system. (And a bottle of white vinegar is abut 50p in the UK!!) 

These are just some of the cleaners we use in our house regularly (we even took them on holiday with us!) 
Frugal, and effective. And far better for us all.
Have a go.

Mixed Blessings

Today has been a day of mixed blessings on the homemaking front.

I have been trying, over the last few days, to soak and dry some mixed seeds I have. 
I soaked them overnight in a salt mixture, and rinsed thoroughly, then set in my oven to dry them.

2 days later, and they are still not dry and they were frankly starting to smell!!

They also had a slimy coating on them!!

Yuck!!!

I hate wasting food, but they had to go.

Ok, move on, I thought. I had soaked some oats to make some oatmeal cookies that would be nourishing, so I made them, put them in the oven, and...... I ended up with a flapjack-looking goo!! It tastes scrummy, but cookies, it ain't! 

At this point, I felt a little deflated, I have to admit!

But....

I have been meaning to give Ghee a try for so long, to cook with, and found a great home tutorial here, so, I sucked in a deep breath and plunged in!!

Success!!!!



My beautiful golden jar!! Ahhhh....

I was beginning to feel a little disheartened, what with the fermenting failure last week, but this little jar of sunshine has lifted my spirits once more. 

It makes me want to try again. 

"Failure is not falling down, it's staying down"- Mary Pickford.

Great quote. 

Now to live it. :)

Weekend Links

Some nice encouraging posts this week, with a lot of honesty going on.

This Post from Red and Honey this week made me smile, in light of the way I have been feeling. Lapses happen, and ANYTHING we can do to improve is good.

How To Homeschool form SimpleHomeschool.net is a lovely central resource, although may have a few changes for English families.

5 Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipes form The Humble Homemaker has great ideas, which it is my aim to try this year....

Homemade Blusher made from dried rasberries looks worth a try from The cleandish

How to Intentionally Choose children's Extracurricular Activities from Keeper of the Home is a nice balanced piece.

Why There's No Such Thing As "Just a mom" from Lisa-Jo Baker is an amazingly inspiring post. Don't say it, mums, just don't say it.

but....

Show your Husband Respect from Modern Alternative Mama is my hands-down favourite post of the week!!! This is something I am always saying to my DH, that men are portrayed so negatively nowadays. (A program is just about to air in the UK called MAN UP!!!! How disrespectful is that!!) This is my mission, to build up DH and my 3 boys to believe that they are strong and powerful, and that that's ok, that is how God made them, and to learn to keep that power under control! They are capable, not failures, they are honourable, not to be pulled down! Are you with me girls!?

Enjoy!

Fermenting flop, Weekly Recipe: Lacto-fermented Carrots and Ginger

So I can't seem to get the hang of this fermenting lark!

My second try had had to go in the bin, again!

My first go was with sauerkraut, but I put too much salt in, and it tasted nasty!!! (although, having never tried any kind of sauerkraut, I'm not sure what it SHOULD taste of...)

I brushed that off and tried the carrot and ginger recipe from my Nourishing Traditions book, but that went mouldy on the top after 5 days!!

Grrrr!!! I keep reading how good it is for you, and I am trying to convince hubby that it's a good idea, but all he sees at the mo, is me wasting food!!!

Anyway, I am not going to be beaten, and I will try again soon, and for those of you who are better at these things than me, here is the recipe I was using!

Lacto-fermented Carrots and ginger
Ingredients
4 cups grated carrots
1 tbs grated ginger
1 tbs salt
4 tbs whey (if not available, use extra tbs salt)

Put all ingredients into a bowl, and use a mallet, or your clean hand to release the juices out of the ingredients.
Place in a wide mouth mason jar, and push ingredients down so the juices cover the carrots. The juices need to be at least an inch above the carrots. 
Cover tightly and leave at room temperature for about 3 days, before transferring to cold storage.

Sounds great, now if i can just get it to work for me......