Category Archives: Our Little Home

This and That

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Just to keep the ball rolling with my Christmas posting (it’s kind of been dragging on for a while now, no?), above are the pajama pants that I made the boys.  Kwik Sew pattern 3604.  The fabric for Galen’s pants came off the remnant rack sometime over the summer.  Iain and Elijah’s are made from Moda “Cuddle Cloth” that I got through a co-op.  I never did get around to making the shirts.

And onto the bits about today…

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We’ve been enjoying the sort of sun-shiny day that makes you feel like winter will indeed melt away at some point.  The foodie in me is feeling shocked and appalled at the distinct lack of food posting lately, so here’s a bit about brunch today.

I’ve been doing a “brunch” sort of deal a lot lately.  It’s been inadvertent and yet consistent; I suspect some combination of getting up later and wearier then usual, paired with the cooking kick I’ve been on more or less explains the prevalence of a large late morning meal around here.

Today was onions, carrots, cabbage and fresh ginger, sauteed in bacon fat, all cooked up with some toasted buckwheat and topped with eggs (for those who aren’t allergic) and kimchi (for those who like it) or sauerkraut (for those who like a little less spice).

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I made a great big batch of red raspberry leaf and nettle chai with coconut milk to go with it, also with fresh ginger.  I was in a gingery sort of mood today.

Then I transferred and edited some pictures and they were just so sweet, I had to share.  This is my new solution to some little person bathing issues we’ve been having…DSCN3569-1

We don’t have a bathtub here, but these two littles love to play in the water.  We had been using a galvanized tub, like we used to in the Little House.  But they don’t both fit and the last couple of bath times have been…unpleasant.

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Because I always have then both with me when I’m bathing either one of them, things get tricky.

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The child out of the water of course wants to play in the water, then they get wet and cold. Then whoever is in the water gets pulled out sooner then they would like to accommodate the child out of the water (but trying to climb in).  Messy, frustrating business that.

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But this idea worked out pretty well.  It’s going to be quite a tight fit for Galen all too soon, but for now, it feels just right.

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By
Festivals and Celebrations, Food, Kids, Life, Mothering, Our Little Home, recipes, sewing
11 Replies

Clean, Naturally…

This was one of my favorite Christmas gifts this year (and yes, the combination of birthday and holiday posts is going to take me right on through to February I suspect).  A friend of mine made gift packs of her home made cleaning products, along with a recipe book of sorts for various cleaners and a guide to getting out different sorts of stains.  Her husband works at a book bindery, so it was all done up very nicely.

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I’ve been making my own cleaning products for many years now, though I will admit that the making of my own laundry detergent suddenly became a very low priority after moving into the Little House.  This was enough of a spark to get me back on track.  I think I like her laundry detergent recipe better then the one that I used way back when and now that I have it right at hand, I’m all set.  The ingredients are so much safer then those of any commercially available alternatives, it works just as well and costs a whole lot less.

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I tend to make my cleaners in a haphazard manner.  I keep certain key elements on hand; baking soda, borax, white vinegar, a “natural” dish detergent and castile soap.  I use table salt from time to time and occasionally herbs or essential oils to scent or fortify my blends.  From there I mostly make things on an as needed basis.  If I’m cleaning the stove top I’m likely to dump on some baking soda, maybe add a squirt of soap, sprinkle a bit of water on top and get to scrubbing.  I’m finding that having her soft scrub on hand is a nice change of pace, it’s somehow more official and makes the job just a wee bit more pleasant.  I think I might go back to preparing things in advance as I have in the past.

Do you have a favorite natural cleaning product recipe??  Feel free to share it in the comments!  For me, I always keep on hand a spray bottle of 3 parts water, 1 part vinegar, with a squirt of dish soap and a few drops of tea tree oil.  It’s the perfect disinfecting all-purpose cleaner.  Happy (and healthy) cleaning!

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Books, Housewifery, MCS, Our Little Home, recipes, Uncategorized
6 Replies

You are now…

here: www.littlehomeblessings.com

At least if the redirect is working properly.  A new little spot, set up as an early birthday present from my beloved (who I think is just swell, for this and many other reasons).

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Starting off with a fresh slate, a new look, I gave some consideration to changing the name.  The name Little Home Blessings was originally crafted in homage of THE Little House.  Our Little House.  Which is no longer so little and no longer truly ours.  But it was also a nod to a way of life, to counting our blessings both little and big, and cherishing a life built with reverence.  Also to the joys of home in all it’s quiet domestic beauty.  We may have left the Little House, but we carried all of that with us and we are keeping busy with applying the same ideals to our new home, which is not so very big after all (the couple living here before us, moved because they “needed more space”).  Plus, well, I’ve rather grown accustomed and attached to it.  Somehow the title of Little Home Blessings is now a part of me and who I am.  And so the name stays.

And not much else will change.  I’ll still be here on a regular basis, talking about life, love and yarn, with a hearty dose of nature, nurture and hopefully a bit of humor thrown in.

The one big difference now is that I’m experimenting with a book list, sharing some of our family’s current reads.  I made an attempt at this before, but it was far too time consuming and difficult on our archaic dial-up connection.  The gift of high-speed means that this is now a viable option for me, so I thought I would give it another go.  Look for more books showing up over the coming weeks as I slowly add things in.   I’ll probably do a post or two on specific books, just for fun.

So, grab a hot cup of tea, pull up a cozy chair and take a look around.  And I hope you will continue to join me here, at my new little home on the web.

By
About Us, Life, Our Little Home
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A His and Hers Birthday Celebration

We’re in “morning after” mode here at the moment, meaning a slow moving, tired mama, lots of playing with new presents and cake for breakfast (with plans for leftovers for lunch!).
I think that the party went well for the most part. There were, of course, the usual assortment of mishaps…there was the neighbor who decided to come over and introduce herself an hour before guests were due to arrive (“so nice to meet you, but we’re rather busy at the moment…”, “oh, I’ll just stay and chat for a bit…”), the full blender that I managed to accidentally turn on, sans lid…the frosting that outright refused to thicken, and a certain variety of cupcake; moist and lovely the night before, but glued to the liners by morning (one child actually returned his to me declaring that it “didn’t work”), a pinata that refused to die, in a too small room with a too long stick, and a whole, whole lot of noise (quite a bit more then several of the adults could stomach to be honest). But there was also a lot of sledding and a lot of laughing, and a lot of friends that we haven’t seen in a long time, all together at last. The kids had tons of fun and amazingly few things broke, so I’d say it was a success. One eight year old approached me at the end of the day, looking very earnest indeed, and said in a confiding sort of tone, “I just wanted you to know that this was probably one of the top three parties I’ve ever been to.” So there you have it!

His:


Brownies and double chocolate cake in a woodland night theme.


I looked more into those India Tree natural food colorings and in my irritation at the price ($30 for food coloring? Seriously??), decided to get creative and come up with my own: blueberries, strawberries, bee pollen, and (don’t tell the kids!) spinach.

Hers:


A bunny carrot cake with lots of fruit and cupcakes topped with “rosebuds” (raspberries and mint leaves).


The bunny cake was not my best work. I’ve made much nicer, but it was thrown together at the last minute (see “mishaps” above) and I didn’t have enough frosting to do it right (and the frosting that I did have wasn’t really the right consistency, again, see above.) and I never did find those toothpicks that I was going to use for whiskers…


I’ll be back with another home made Christmas post tomorrow!
By
celebrations and festivals, Food, Kids, Our Little Home
10 Replies

home for the holidays

We’re all here still trying to settle in, trying to settle down. Things are mostly going very well. I’m walking around the edges of a migraine today, which always gets me down, but I know that once the fog clears, life will be good again (I know that it’s good now too, but it’s also rather painful and blurry).



The pajamas are coming along, though sadly, I suspect today is going to be a loss sewing wise. I’m almost done all the pajama pants, I finished a bonnet (ideally I would love to add a bit of embroidery…), and one robe is complete, with the patterns traced for two more.



Maybe today is a day for baking? Maybe it’s just a day for rest. I know that it’s a day to step back, take it easy on everyone and see where we end up.


By
celebrations and festivals, Housewifery, Kids, Our Little Home, Waldorf
16 Replies

A New Chapter


Well, we’ve arrived, more or less safely and soundly, at the threshold of our new life.


Màiri came down with a fever our very first night here. This has all been too much of a strain on her tiny body and soul. She needs to hibernate and do absolutely nothing for a while. It’s been three long nights of sitting up in motherly vigil. She’s sick in the sort of way that leaves me sitting up into the morning, holding her just so, for hours on end, just to let her rest. Every 40 minutes or so, she’ll cry out in pain and I’ll slip her some more aconite and sooth her back to sleep. I miss her sweet smiley self. I’m eager for her to reemerge out of this cloud of illness.


I’m finding the house to be very beautiful. Though it doesn’t completely eliminate it, it does somewhat cushion the blow of loosing our home. I think we have a chance at being very happy here.


In those rare moments when Màiri is resting peacefully, I’m devoting my time to getting to know this place; exploring the nooks and crannies, observing it’s different moods, it’s various quirks and idiosyncrasies, the way the light moves across it throughout the day…


The house is a traditional New England cape, built in the 1790′s, rich in charm and history. It certainly has a lot of character.


I had forgotten how noisy a house with things can be! The water pump, the washed and dryer running, the dishwasher. My ears aren’t used to the sound of modern life. Oh, but I do so welcome the chance to acclimate!


I had thought that once we landed, I would immediately spring into action, preparing for the holidays. So far, all I’ve managed to muster is a bit of knitting around Màiri while she sleeps. As she starts to feel better, I’m sure the rest will come too. I look forward to getting out to explore the land and town here and getting to know our new community. But for now, the quiet home bound pace that this little girl has set for us, is right where we need to be.

By
Kids, Life, Our Little Home
17 Replies