Finally!

Yes, we are finally finishing up the painting downstairs in the dining room and entryway. Yes, it's amazing. And next week we'll be finishing the bathroom! Wait, maybe I shouldn't say that.... For awhile we've been searching for the 'perfect' mirror for the bathroom. Meanwhile, a small mirror from Target propped up in the window has been the only mirror. Nice, huh?

And those shutters are also going. A nice idea, but I've hit my head way too many times on them to like them. When folded they take up a lot of room. Yeah, that's a phone on the wall there, too, in reach of the toilet. As if. That is destined for the kids' toybox for sure. Maybe even today.

I'll post pics of the diningroom/entryway later, cause while it won't take long to finish the painting, it's going to take a lot of effort to get all the crap sorted and put away. Yes, I know I wait too long to do things like that.

Here's the bathroom wall, waiting for a mirror and lights, which we do have.

It will be nice to have these two projects crossed off so I can move on to the boys' room next.

Hey, I guess it really is winter!

Yep, there's about 5-6 inches of the white stuff outside, and the kids couldn't be more thrilled. As for the grownups who have to do the disposal....well, we're not so thrilled. I found myself wishing The Cat in the Hat would stop by with his little alphabet friends, especially little cat Z, the Vroom.  Dyno Dad gave me a lesson on the snow blower last night (yeah, nothing like clearing your driveway after dark) so the next time it snows, I can do it.  Yay. Brr.

Homemade Crackers and Sprouts, Too

Today Foo-Foo and I made crackers, putting our own spin on a recipe from Maria's Country Kitchen. The original recipe called for the baking tray to be 'slathered' with olive oil, in addition to the 1/3 cup olive oil in the dough, and so I did as directed, but the result was not the best. I found the crackers to be too oily, and the flavor too strong. So the next batch (so easy to make) I added chia seeds and dill weed for added flavor and sprayed the tray with cooking spray and then a bit of olive oil instead. The resulting crackers were much more palatable and yummy.

 Homemade Crackers

2 Cups flour (a mix of 1 cup white whole wheat flour and 1 cup of all purpose flour)
1 tsp salt
2/3 Cup warm water
1/3 Cup olive oil
1 1/2 Tbl Chia seeds
1 tsp dill weed

1. Heat the oven to 375*
2. Mix all ingredients together until it makes a soft dough.
3. Heavily spray a baking tray with cooking spray

4. Put dough on the tray and smooth it out to cover the whole bottom.
5. Cut the dough into squares with a sharp knife.

6.Sprinkle with salt and bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

Yummy!

I also started some sprouts; they should be ready tomorrow or the next day:

Mung beans on the left (these are the kind you see in the grocery store, but don't buy them; grow your own. Easy and much safer)  The seeds on the left are a spicy mix of alfalfa and other seeds that I can't remember since I threw the bag away a long time ago. (oops)

If you've never sprouted seeds, I highly recommend it. Not only are the sprouts tasty, they're incredibly good for you. Don't try sprouting beans from the grocery store, though. Those have more than likely been treated with chemicals. Obtain beans/seeds specifically for sprouting either from a health food store or online.

Wednesday That Feels Like Monday

What does that mean? Is it all about perception, or is it all about what confines us: clocks, calendars, labels.... what would the world be like if we had no clocks, days of the week, calendars? Would life be more spontaneous or at least more free?

I think it would.  What do you think?

You say goodbye, I say hello

The new year--most people get kinda nutty about starting another year--to them, it's a time of resolutions, a time to reflect on the past year and make goals for the new. I do wonder how many folks actually keep those resolutions--I know I never do. I stopped making those silly lists a long time ago, but for this next year I do have one goal for the year:

Step out of my comfy box and just go for it.

Step completely out of it in all areas of my life and believe in myself.

Yeah. That's it.

Recycle, Upcycle, Don't throw it away

So I have a lot of 'junk' downstairs--stuff I'm saving because I'm sure I can make something with it, whether it's empty chip bags or that cute cardboard box I just know I can turn into a journal, it all has a purpose beyond going into the landfill.

I think most people think of the 3 'Rs' as Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, or possibly even forget about the other two 'Rs'.  Reduce is actually the first 'R' followed by Reuse and then Recycle, so really, we ought to reduce first, then if that isn't possible, reuse the item and finally recycle. It's pretty amazing how much is thrown away that can be turned into something useful. I'm all for recycled crafts, but that will eventually get thrown out, so I think it's better to upcycle an item into something useful.

Christmas is a good time for this, as reusing things like junk mail for gift tags (have you seen the cool patters on the inside of the envelopes your bills come in?) is pretty hot. I don't think this is a fad that's going to die out anytime soon, although it took something like 30 years to catch on in the mainstream!

I have a few projects in the works and will post pictures when they are finished.

What's in your recycle bin that you can give a new life?  Look with a fresh eye and you might be surprised!

The Grabbing Hands Grab All They Can

So Thanksgiving is over, barely noticed by any retailers. It seems the holiday in which you're to give thanks for what God has given you has been eclipsed by the holiday in which you scoop up all that you can at cheap prices, pepper spray in hand.

While I love Christmas and what it stands for, the holiday seen around town, in magazines and on television has little to do with Christ being born. It's all about stuff--stuff for  your kids, your friends, your dog, all grabbed with both hands, and nobody better get in your way.

Kind of ironic, isn't it?

Anyway, we put up the tree this afternoon. While it's still a beautiful 6 ft (7?) fiber optic tree (no strings of lights for us, pls), the decorations are purely Charlie Brown. I don't think I've bought Christmas decorations since we lived in Bakersfield. In 2003. Heh.

So, that is something I need to pick up sometime. I always want to hit the stores after Christmas to pick up decorations on sale. Maybe this time I'll actually get over there.

Nah.