Technical Difficulties

It seems my computer and/or my internet is having some issues this evening and pictures are taking WAY too long to post. I will hopefully work things out and be back to post pictures of the toilet paper roll bunnies!!

Stay tuned...

Recycle Crafting

I was trying to think of different crafty things that I could do with Miss Z in the theme of Spring/Easter and came up with a really good idea! I noticed that we have quite a few cardboard toilet paper rolls in the recycling box and I am always looking for inexpensive craft supplies, so what better place to find them? I am planning to let Miss Z paint them, add faces and bunny ears to the rolls...Easter bunny toilet paper rolls...Woo hoo!!! Nothing like some good ole crafty recycling :) I hope she likes the idea and it all goes well. I will be sure to post pictures of what she creates.

Anywho, this made me think of what other recycling ideas there may be for these cardboard rolls. I found a few links that I thought would be fun to share, and maybe some of you may be interested to try ;)


Toilet Paper Roll Wreath

TV Pixilator Light Show This is funny, but looks like fun to try out.

A mixture of Ideas!

No Chick Here...No Chick There...

*tear*

Sadly, there will be no chickens in our yard, this year :( I contacted the town bylaw officer today and was informed that were are not "zoned" for them. I am so sad and was really hoping we could get just 4 chickens! I am no where near as disappointed as Miss Z. She cried a little and keeps asking why we can't have chickens. Poor little girl!

Now, we must move on to happier things and be ready to plant tasty foods! I think this will be something good to take Miss Z's and my mind off of the chicken ordeal. Miss Z is very excited about planting things this year. She doesn't seem to care what it is, she just wants to get in there and get growing...LOL!!

YAY garden of food :D

Down On Da Farm!

I thought it would be nice to share a few pictures of our country weekend! Oh, to have a farm of my very own!! One day...One day :)

Here a chick, there a chick, everywhere a chick, chick!

Checking out the Alpacas.

Moooooooooo.

Baaaaaaaa...This little fella had about enough with Miss Z handling him and decided to use his head and shove her around. No need to worry, he wasn't rough but got his point across that he wanted her to shoo!

Silent Sunday

So.Sick

What started as a tickle has now become a horrible hacking cough and a seriously stuffed up head. I am now feeling absolutely drained and I believe that sleep is the best course of action...as long as I can get some!

I shall return with more chitty chatter, another day :)

STILL Cleaning!

I have made some serious progress with the spring cleaning, but there is still much to be done. The rooms are all in order, but now it is time to go through dressers and closets, and rid them of the things we no longer need. Items that will be passed on to new homes or donated to local secondhand shops. I believe there is much we don't really need to keep. There seems to be too much "stuff" in this small space and that is just crazy! I sometimes have a hard time letting little things go, but it is time for a major de-cluttering to happen and time to let things go (no need to store things that others may need)...Here goes :)

Devices, devices, devices!

There are so many new electronic devices in this world, I just can not keep up! I sometimes feel so old for not knowing what is new and what is old in the world of "doodads" and "whichamacallits". As great as some of these things are, do they have to take over our whole lives?

I find it sad to have attended a recent hockey game (Macho Man plays) and noticed 3 people sitting on a bench, in the lobby, and neither one of them could be bothered to see what was going on around them. The reason being, each one of those people were wrapped so deep in their electronic devices! There were two young children and an adult and not once, did I see either of them look up from their devices, until someone came to wrangle them up at the end of the game.

The young ones were playing video games and the little guy kept yelling at his game! What a way to spend a day out...sitting so close to real humans and not once interacting with each other. This is a sad world sometimes :( We never did such things as children. I know, times are a changin', but it gets a bit silly when kids are glued to game systems, cell phones, iPads...Blah, blah, blah!! How do you keep up? What ever happened to going out and playing tag and being silly with friends? When did parents decide to just give up on helping kids to be active? More times than not, I see young people so wrapped up in these things and not enjoying nature and the earth. It really saddens me. I mean, I am not perfect and don't know it all, I don't think I am super Mom/human!! I just think that there are better things to be doing then playing video games and texting ALL.DAY.LONG!!

It doesn't help that we live in a time that has toys that basically leave no reason for a child to use their imagination!! Remember when a blanket could be a super hero cape, or a cardboard box could be a play house or spaceship? These times aren't completely gone, or at least they don't have to be. Let's get back to the basics and break away from devices and battery operated toys that do the work for you. I for one am trying my very best to keep things imaginative, fun and non-electronic for my little one. I am sure the day will come that she will want to use the computer or try a game and that is fine, but it doesn't have to be now and it doesn't have to become her blood line.

So let's wake up and share what fun things we did when we were young and didn't have all these "doodads" and "whichamacallits". Get active! Come on kids, live a little...get out there and be a kid...play...explore....LIVE!!!

Spring Has Sprung...BOING

And I am off and running with the Spring cleaning!! There is so much to be done, so much to be cleaned, so much clutter to rid my life of!! There is just so much to be done!!

I am off :)

Overwhelmed!!!!!

It seems I feel this way, any time I need to pick up groceries. I know you do what you can, but there is so much to consider when buying your food...Organic, non-organic, market, grocery store, dirty dozen, processed, non-processed...Is this a healthy choice? Can I get him to put the chips back?

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!! There is just too much in my brain, for a simple grocery trip :(

This also applies to making better choices for Miss Z. I want to be sure that she not only eats better foods, I want to ensure her brain is healthy and that I am teaching her well, that she has healthy and safe toys to play with. So.Much.Pressure.Head.Exploding.

I think these things are also brought on by my lack of support and understanding. Though Macho man is great and I love him, I often feel completely alone in my plight to live a healthy, crunchy, hippie lifestyle. I am sure there are many that have to also take their partner kicking and screaming, I would just love to hear what you do in these situations! In my area, I have been in contact with virtually no one that shares my views and hopes for a healthy family life. I get looked at very strangely, when I tell the lady at the cash that I am refusing to take home plastic bags, I was once poked fun at for doing my best to be eco-friendlier, I was even giggled and ewwwwed at when I told a person that I cloth diapered Miss Z. I just don't get it!

I know that I have a tendency to take on too much at once and worry, it is just hard when I want to do so much to make this world and life better but feeling like what I do is never enough. I guess I just need to look at things in a different light and as soon as I figure that way out, I will be okay! I think I just need to find a few people that are on the same mission as myself. I know you are out there...Now is the time to share people :)

Okay, that was some strange kind of rant :P

Silent Sunday

Wardrobe Planning

I am still in the planning and hunting for tutorial phase, in making a summer wardrobe for Miss Z. It takes a bit to find just want I want, but once I get looking, it is really hard to stop!

I thought I would do a little round-up of all the tutorials I have bookmarked, in case any of you would like to try them as well. So many sweet things to be made!

Cheaters Guide to a Fancy Dress!
I cannot wait to try this one. I think this may have to be Miss Z's Easter dress this year.

Baby Swing Coat Re-fashion
I am not 100% sure that this will make the final list of things to make, but it was too cute not to share :)

The Shirt Jumper

Party Dress
I made this one for Miss Z already, for Christmas, but it is really worth sharing now. I think I may have to make another one!

Neck Tie Dress Tutorial
What a fantastic idea!! Great way to use old ties...or just buy some secondhand ones.

Vintage Smock Pattern
This one is a PDF. I think it will make a great addition to this years Summer clothing.

Cute Apron Knot Dress
Awwwwwwwwwwwww!!

Stripwork Apron Top
Another good tutorial from Vegbee!

Deoderant Review

WoWZERS!!! This is amazing and I LOVE it...Yes, I LOVE this homemade deodorant!!

Not only was making it fun and simple, it works so well. My armpits feel dry and there is no stink, even after sweating it up today! I think there may be one more test to be done, and that is to work out for an hour at the gym and see how it holds up. I have to say though, I have complete faith that this will do just fine. It is so great to know that I am now using natural deodorant, with nothing scary in it and I made it myself! Woo hoo :P Who knew deodorant could be so exciting...LOL!

For those of you who are thinking of trying this, I urge to do so NOW!!!!!! It is well worth it. This stuff is far healthier than store bought, chemical filled junk. Even if you weren't planning to try it and you just happened to see this post, you really should give it a shot;)

This stuff is so good, I think it deserves yet another link:
"Coconut Oil Killed My Stink" homemade deodorant recipe.

Woo hoo for Homeade Deodorant

There is something very liberating and satisfying about making your own care products. Knowing that you aren't lining the pockets of big company (that doesn't care about it's customers) and that you aren't coating your body with toxins! I really like knowing what the ingredients are and the fact that I can pronounce them.

So, I made myself some lovely deodorant today and I really like how easy it was to make. It took no time at all. I decided to go with the "Coconut Oil Killed My Stink" recipe. Such a funny title :) This was a very easy to follow tutorial and though I used this recipe, I opted to not add any essential oils, this time around. I wanted something plain and basic, to start off. I will admit, it was really hard to convince myself to not drink the melted coconut oil...LOL. It just smells soooooooo good! The tin that I recycled, is a perfect fit!


Anywho, I didn't get any pictures of the process, even though I said I would. I just forgot to get a battery charger, and I was too impatient to wait. I will take a picture or two the next batch. I know there is no need for at least a few months, to make any more but I think having more than one scent to choose from everyday would be nice. I think I will add the tea tree oil and something else, the next time around. Now, if I can just get Macho Man to embrace the homemade godness of this deoderant!

Homemade Show and Tell...Yet Again

This is a dress that I made for Miss Z, for Christmas this year. It was made using an online tutorial/pattern, that I can not currently locate. As soon as I do find the link, I will be sure to post it.

I love the way it turned out, even though it did have it's flaws. Not that it was the fault of the tutorial/pattern. I didn't have ink in my printer, so I was winging the pattern a bit :) That is the usual for me though.

My Pits Shall Stink Another Day

Okay, it isn't that serious, I still have plain old baking soda! I really did want to make some deodorant and try it out, but this day did not go so well and now I am plain lazy. I was looking around a bit though and found a few other blogs/sites that have their version of the homemade deodorant. I was thinking it would be nice to add some essential oils but unsure if it would change the consistency. I was browsing some blogs and found a link for THIS recipe! Right before I found that one, I found THIS link that shows you an easy way to store your deodorant in an empty "store bought" deodorant container. I believe that link may also have a recipe. Now, I think storing it that way would be sweet, but I haven't bought deodorant in almost a year.I figured it was a good one to share though.

I am really hoping to make some deodorant tomorrow and get a battery charger, so that I can share some pictures of the process :)

Silent Sunday

Making Deodorant

I have not bought deodorant in almost a year and my armpits have never been happier! Now, there are times where I wear nothing at all, but some days it is a necessity to put something under these arms...LOL! On these days, I have simply been putting aluminum free baking powder, under my arms. I simply put the baking soda in my fingers, add a bit of water to make it a paste and wipe it on to my under arms. Though this is very effective, it would be nice to have something already made and quicker to apply.

The other day, this was posted on Facebook, by a lady on my list. It seems so simple to make and I already have all I need to make it. I do have another recipe for homemade deodorant, but this one was right in my face and I figured I would give it a try first. I am really hoping it turns out well and it is something I will make again and again...but if not, there are always other recipes :)

I will be sure to post pictures, as soon as I am finished making this and have tried it out. Wish me luck!!

P.S. This also gives me a use for a little tin I got from some hot chocolate, that was given to me as a gift. It is the perfect size and shape.

Read Along - The Apple Pie Tree

This is our contribution to the read along going on over at Helping Little Hands. A great idea and we are privileged to be added to the many participants :)

We recently got The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall, from the library and Miss Z seems to really love it! I mean, who wouldn't love the story of a tree that produces apple pie?!?! Okay, it doesn't produce pie, but it does produce the most important part of apple pie...APPLES! This is a story of an apple tree as it changes with each season. The end result being growth of fruit, which becomes an apple pie.

What other project would go with this book, better than making an apple pie?

Reading, reading, reading.

Making crust.


Whipping up a little appley, delicious filling. We used apples from our freezer, that we picked last summer(local, pesticide free goodness!)

Filling the mini pies! One for Miss Z and one for her Daddy. (Mommy is watching her weight, but I had a taste)

Just before they go in to the oven!

After some serious baking, it is time to enjoy the fruit of our labour ;)

For those who are interested, here is the recipe we used Grandma Ople's Apple Pie. It was more of a base, as we did make a few adjustments...Just the 1/2 cup of brown sugar, less butter and we added cinnamon and nutmeg. YUMMY!

Homemade Show and Tell...Again

I wanted to share another homemade item...or two!


Here are some recycled goodies I made for a crafting raffle that I joined on Craftster. We had to make something, using recycled/re-purposed items only. I came up with a coffee mug cozy made from recycled wool sweaters, and 2 journals made with a Weetabix box, recycled paper bags from a scrapbook store (that no longer gives the handy sized paper bags, but now gives poopy plastic bags) and are also covered in recycled wool sweater pieces!

I really liked the turn out of these crafts and it was very hard to let them go, but I am sure they are loved in their new home :)

Homemade Show and Tell

I figured it as time to share a little crafty goodness with you, as I haven't posted anything crafty in quite some time!




These are a pair of patchwork cord pants that I made for a FB friend. She is a lovely lady that I met through a Mommy group (online), I joined when I first found I was pregnant with Miss Z. She recently had her second child, a boy, and while she was pregnant, I offered to make her a pair of pants for her little guy. Being a hippie as well, I figured these would be perfect! There was a picture posted of her little man in these pants and though they are still a bit to big, they looked really sweet on him :)

Calling All Vegetarians/Vegans

Or those of you that love a good veggie meal, now and again! I am trying to find a few really good Vegetarian/Vegan recipes, that are realistic and cost efficient. Is that a bit too much to expect? LOL!

Macho Man and I have made a personal challenge for ourselves (more for him), to eat all vegetarian meals for one month. I have a few recipes that we already use often but they tend to get played out and we like variety. It seems that all the cookbooks that I have checked out, have a lot more fancy hard to come by sort of recipes and that just won't do!

So, I am really hoping that someone out there will have some recipes to share that you enjoy. Recipes that have been tried out by you would be best, so that I may get your reviews and/or changes, would be great.

Thanks in advance ;)

I am Addicted

Yes, to handmade, natural soap. I LOVE IT!! I am really enjoying the soap that my sister picked up for me, from a lady who makes these fantastic soaps right down the road from my sister. It does smell DELICIOUS! I purchased patchouli and orange, beeswax and honey, and Cocoa butter and oatmeal soap. I was quite pleased when I opened the paper bag they were in and smelled hippies...LOL. A great smell, indeed! I washed my hands with some and it is just lovely. The company name is Northumberland Soap Works. Be sure to check it out!

I also purchased some handmade soap from a little shop, in my town, that is closing. Sad, but I did get a great 50% discount. They carry a brand called Smell The Soap. This stuff is great and smells super awesome...well, at least the stuff I have tried :) I picked up a scent that reminded me so much of a Lush product that I really love, called Snowcake soap. It's called The Promised Land Cold Process soap and is a mixture of milk, honey and oats. It smells so good, that if I thought for one second that it would taste as good as it smells, I would take a big ole bite.

I've Done it...

I have become the crazy lady at the table!

Macho man and I went out for date night, last might and our appetizer arrived at our table, I noticed the sour cream and salsa were served in tiny little plastic containers. Instantly, my mind went to the question, "Do they recycle here?". I am sure I could have asked, but even if they yes, that doesn't actually mean that they will really be recycling these things. I have recently found out that many businesses in my area do NOT recycle! In fact, there are a few places that have gone out of their way to provide lovely recycling receptacles that have different slots, so you can sort your waste and recycling in to the proper slots but they don't actually recycle any of it. They go out of their way to have everything separated, but at the end of the evening, they just throw it ALL in to a garbage bag and off to the landfill it goes :( How does that even make sense?

Okay, a bit of a rant there! Back to the story at hand. So, I wondered about the recycling and decided that I was not going to leave it to chance, and proceeded to wipe the little plastic containers out (once they were empty) and shoved them in to my purse! That's right...IN.MY.PURSE!! I don't care how weird or crazy that I may seem, I can't have perfectly recyclable/reusable items being thrown in to the trash on my account. If I had thought things were going to come in anything plastic, I would have opted out, but there they were! I was thinking about putting them in with my recyclables but thought of something better. I am going to hang on to them and use them to hold paints for Miss Z, when she is crafting! This way, they will have more than one use and when they become broken or we no longer have a use for them, I will recycle them.

This also has me thinking that there is more that I need to be doing and that I need to make more of an "eco-effort". I think that when going out to eat (which we rarely do), we need to come up with things that we can do to avoid extra waist. Here are some ideas that I have come up with, so far:

bring cloth napkins
ask for nothing served in disposable dishes or find out
bring utensil rolls (in case there are disposable utensils)

Anyone have some ideas that they might like to share?

Weekend Plans

We have a few plans I think. We have a date night planned,hockey game to be played (not by me..LOL), bread making to be done and a TON of sewing!! I am really hoping to get a few pieces for Miss Z's Summer wardrobe done this weekend...okay, at least get them started :P I did buy a really nice single flat sheet that looks like it is from the 70's, for a 50 cents and I think it will make a sweet little dress for Miss Z. She really liked the idea, when we bought the sheet!

So, what is everyone up to this weekend? Anything fun and exciting? Share :)

Here's What I'm Up To

Reading...Learning...Preparing...Taking notes...Reading...Learning...

Making it Up!

Some of the best meals I have made, were meals that were simply scrounged together with whatever ingredients I had on hand. Today, I made one of those meals! I made a super tasty lunch, using sad looking mushrooms, a dried out onion and some super wilted swiss chard. I just threw it all in a pan, and sauteed it with some sesame oil, fresh garlic, ginger and a wee bit of low-sodium soy sauce. I had some rice vermicelli in the cupboard and it went quite well with my mix and match sauteed veggies!!

This one that I need to write down, so that I may recreate it...NOM NOM NOM!

Homemade Summer Wardrobe 2.0

Well, I am planning to take yet another stab at a homemade Summer wardrobe, for the little Miss Z! I am also going to make as much homemade for myself, as I can. I am really hoping my Mom will give me a hand, to learn certain techniques and to be sure things actually come together right and not my usual wonky...LOL!

I make things without patterns and that can get tricky sometimes, taking more work than it should but, I just can't be put in to a box and expected to follow someone else's rules :) I am hoping to follow a few patterns/tutorials, this time around. Though, I do work much better with my own ideas and plans, or just by eye. We'll see what I come up with!

Here are a few links, to the items I would love to try out:

Tiered Skirt Tutorial
The Sunshine Dress Tutorial

Re-purposing: Shirt to Dress with Boat Neck/Pockets
Twirly Skirt