Revelation...

I never knew how much I loved dandelions until I had children...

enjoy your weekend... ;)



photo courtesy Microsoft Office

Happy Earth Day...

I thought I'd take this time to share with you some of the things that our family does to help our community and our planet...

First, and I think, most important, is that my husband and I are teaching our children about waste management. At these ages, 7 and 5, our boys understand the importance of cleaning up and recycling whenever and wherever possible. They are completely appalled when they see that someone has littered and are quick to point it out to us wherever we go.

In our little town, a community group organizes a spring clean-up day. It's something that our family takes part in every year. We call in our troops; my husband and I, our two boys and our two nieces... and although our nieces live 35 minutes away and are 11 and 12, they are still happy to help out... that says a lot about the mind set of some kids today. It shows what a great job some parents are doing to stress the importance of treading lightly on our planet.

Recycle: We try to recycle anything and everything that comes into our home... my goal is to have only one garbage can of trash by the time garbage day rolls around. As we are a small town, our recycling trucks come every other week, meaning less toxic emissions... yay! We generally have three full recycle bins bi-weekly, something that makes me feel both proud of and sad about all at the same time. The fact that I can fill three recycle bins is a testament to how much manufacturers rely on over packaging. How can we change this??? Remember when you were a kid and toys came in a cardboard box with a picture of the toy printed on it??? How can we get back to that???

Donate old clothes. There are many people in need of hand-outs... friends and strangers. There are many local organizations that will accept donations of clothing; women's shelters and group homes to name a couple. The ladies that I get together with for girl's nights quite often bring clothes to exchange. We're doing our part... a small part, but it's something. And ask friends and family, you may be surprised at how many people would be willing to accept the offerings.

We keep old batteries... The Home Depot has a battery recycling bin right inside their front door... use it. Battery acid leeches into our ground water and is havoc on our environment.

Take advantage of your community dumps amnesty days, you can rid your house of a number of things like old paint, motor oil, old computers, batteries... the list goes on, and on, and on....

Reduce: The greatest tip for healthy living, healthy eating... shop the outside aisles of your grocery store... all of the pre-packaged, over processed items are housed in the centre aisles... stick to the fresh stuff. When picking out produce, don't use the plastic bags that are provided in the stores, put items into your cart loose. Use re-usable grocery bags... they are very fashionable!

I walk my children to and from school everyday... Walk whenever you can, it's healthy for you, your loved ones, and the environment... if you have to drive, carpool when you can, and don't idle. Idling creates 50% more toxic emissions than driving... a scary statistic.

Use good-for-the-environment products. Or better yet, there are sooooo many places on the internet where you can find recipes for effective homemade cleaners. I love my vinegar and water with lavender essential oils. My next endeavour is to make my own laundry detergent.

Reuse: Find creative uses for something you may be trashing... with kids around, many items I thought were trash or recyclable have transformed into something that can create hours of entertainment.

Transform old clothes into something new... this is my new favourite craft... I love creating new clothes from old clothes... it's fun and unique. Be happy in knowing you are a one-of-a-kind creature!

I could go on and on, but I won't.

Do your part, you'll be proud of the conscious efforts you make, and at the same time you'll be leaving less of a footprint on this beautiful, and marvellous planet...

Enjoy your Earth Day... ;)

Pay me with love...

I have to say that as rewarding as being a Mom is; it is equally as tough. I am doing what I love to do... I'm at home with my children and I get to see my husband everyday, not just in passing as we're leaving for work and shuttling children here there and everywhere... And that's not to say that I think all Mom's should be at-home-moms... this is just what we've chosen for our family; and believe me, it is not without sacrifice...

I guess today's post is for all Mom's... I understand how difficult it is everyday because as Mom's we seem to think we need to be like Atlas and carry the weight of the world (our world's) on our shoulders. Motherhood is a highly faceted job: it's gratifying, challenging, loving, frustrating, endearing and oftentimes thankless. Our expectations of ourselves are limitless and frequently unattainable; yet we still trudge along day after day because we love what we do. Whether you're an at-home-mommy, a working mommy or a part-time mommy - we're all the same... we try to achieve some shred of success for our families. And I don't mean monetary success - money means nothing if you don't have a solid and loving foundation to build upon. Rather, success in the way of happiness, support, caring, health... all of the things we want for ourselves; we also want for the ones who mean the most to us.

We put everyone before ourselves just so that we can create peace and harmony within the walls of our homes... probably not the brightest thing we do, but it's all we know. We are a self-sacrificing breed so conscious of everyone and everything around us that we are totally oblivious to our own wants and needs. And I have to say, I am totally ok with this. I know I've done my job when my babies all run to me because they know I am the one place in this world that is non-judging, nurturing, safe, loving and above all else unconditional in so many ways.

What it comes down to is this... let's not sweat the small stuff, let's pick our battles... let's be the disciplinarian when needed, our children will thank us in the long run; and more than everything, let's just love them because that's what they deserve.

For as much as we feel unappreciated and invisible; be happy in knowing that our families and homes are built on the foundation that we as Mom's have shaped with our own ability to love. They love us... and show us everyday simply by needing us.

Enjoy your day ;)

Pretty for Hammy...

I hosted my very first girl's night with a great group of ladies/mommies last thursday evening... nothing more than chit-chat, wine, food and general togetherness... Anyway, one lovely cleaned out her closet and brought some clothes to share... I really love this idea. It's a great way to recycle something that may otherwise be discarded, couple that with my LOVE of fabric and I was a happy camper ;)

I don't just see the clothes for what they are, and, I don't know, maybe it's my inability to do something for myself... but I took the opportunity to find some items that I could re-purpose. ALSO... Rebecca. You are a wonderful person, but your clothes, while greatly appreciated, are soooo teeny-tiny that they would only be suited for my Hammy-girl. Rest assured they are being well thought of and will be worn with pride by a little girl who loves anything that her Mommy creates for her... at least I think she likes the things I make, I don't know, how do you ask a 17 month old???

Sooo... anyway... here's the before shot...



And, here's the finished product... a cute little flutter sleeve summer top that looks uber-sweet on my chubby cheeked little Ham-hock...



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Thanks for stopping by... enjoy your day ;)

Beautiful affirmations...

"A mother holds her children's hands for a short time,
but holds their hearts forever"

~unknown~

Postcards...

Dear Inconsiderate Dog Owners... please pick up all of your doggie-do so that my children and I can enjoy our walks to the pond, it's not much fun dodging steaming piles of rancid stinkiness every few metres...

Dear Walmart Workers... stop being so nasty and smile once in a while...

Dear Tetley Tea Company... while I am in love with your decaf earl grey tea, I don't particularly enjoy keeping your business afloat... could you market a larger economy size box... please...

Dear Mother Nature... thank you for the most beautifully brilliant double rainbow I've ever witnessed in my life... I feel so fortunate to have shared it with my three monkeys...

Dear Spring... I'm glad you've finally arrived...

Dear Easter Bunny... thank you so much for saving us til last, we're so happy Daddy was home to celebrate with us...

Dear Chocolate Easter Eggs... you were heavenly ;P

A compromise...

I've sent a letter to the Bunny-Man, requesting that he please leave our house til last... I figure after he's finished all of the homes in the world, he'll arrive at ours sometime after we've gone to bed Sunday night. This way Daddy won't miss out on Easter with all of us.

You see, Daddy has to work this weekend and that has been a bit sad for all of us. We know and understand that Daddy's job doesn't take holidays because; unfortunately, crime doesn't take holidays. It's a small compromise that we've made with the monkeys and although they're a little upset about not having just one more sleep til Easter; they are more than grateful that the Easter Bunny has not left Daddy out.

You do what you can every holiday, birthday, family event... to make sure that everyone is included; the reality is that it doesn't always work out the way you want... Compromise. It's my best advice. Without it, there would be a great number of unhappy homes that house unhappy dwellers.

Happy Easter everyone... I hope your Easter will be as special as I know ours will be ;)