All Things Heather

Lighten the load...

Even in the midst of the "economic stimulus" checks (does anybody else think these are a joke, a welcome joke, but a joke nonetheless,)  the news is still spewing out doom and gloom. Oil prices are at an all time high - I've noticed by my $75.00+ fuel tank fill up and airlines are continuing into crisis mode.  I had enough issues with the $25.00 second bag fee, now American Airlines plans on charging $15.00 for the first one!  For a family of four, that adds up to a pretty substantial cost in addition to the already ever increasing price of tickets.  Luckily we don't have to fly too often, but we are planning a trip back east in the fall to attend my BIL's wedding, fuel prices could make for a very expensive flight!  In the meantime, I'll just sit back and hope it doesn't affect us too much and cut little corners where we can. 

Makenna decided to play her part and lighten the load by getting her long locks cut off.  I managed to persuade her that she really did not want her hair to look like "daddy's" and instead convinced her that a "tinker belle" haircut would be the way to go.  It's not the best cut but it does look truly adorable on her and I'm happy to leave behind the combing hair power struggles that seemed to come at least once a day.

Here she is sporting a brand new sun dress hot off the sewing machine.  I found this fabric in the remnant bin and it only cost me $3.45.  All I did was sew a seam up the back, hem the bottom and attach some bias binding as halter tie and she had a brand new dress.  Less then 4 bucks and 20 minutes isn't too bad!  The best part is that she loves it, and that's enough considering she isn't always easy to please. 

 

I've been busy with other things about that house that are far less the glamorous but I did manage to finally get the front portion of my Ogee Tunic knitted up.  It came out lovely, I changed the shaping a bit, the original pattern was more of an A-Line and that really doesn't fit my body type so a little math led to 2 extra inches in length and some girly shaping.  That should do the trick.  Now I have the back and the sleeves to knit up, but those should go quick in theory since it is mindless stockinette.  I'm thinking of doing 3/4 inch sleeves for a more "casual" feeling, any thoughts on that?   

That's it for now. 

Everyday foods revamped...

I secretly curse my girlfriend's two boys who will pretty much either eat or try anything.  Her 5 year old will pick fish as his favorite food any day of the week.  Mine, a little different, they prefer their meals to be in nugget form.   So it turns into a power struggle but as you remember I've committed to end the struggle and begin anew.  Things are going surprisingly well and I feel confident that they will continue to improve.

But what do you do when your kid's still don't want to eat anything but the nuggets.  I guess let them eat nuggets.  I've taken a cue from Beth, a fellow knitter and mom who does not have a blog, and decided to let them pick out dinner for one night each week.  So o course, as I was explaining this to them, their eyes got as big as pie plates - "We can pick WHATEVER we want."  I was expecting an immediate chorus of nuggets but my youngest surprised me and immediately yelled out "COOKIES - I WANT COOKIES ."  This was followed by a "no dear, you can have cookies after dinner but for dinner."  Then followed by an "awe man..i want nuggets."  My older daughter surprised me with tacos.  If they are going to choose tacos and nuggets every week I might as well try to make them healthy and pack in some extra goodness where I can.  Viola, tacos revamped.

   

The recipe was inspired mainly from this book.  A child's exposure to veggies should by no means be limited to "hiding" them in their food, but a little sneakery here and there is just fine by me.

The taco filling itself was the big change and it was a little different but surprisingly good!  I used 1 1/2 lbs of ground turkey, 1/2 pureed sweet potatoes (lots of vitamins,), a 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes(hello lycopene) and a regular packet of taco seasoning sans the MSG.  The whole ting got wrapped in a yummy organic spinach tortilla from the market - the kids thought it was hilarious that the tortilla was green - and finally garnished with local sharp cheddar as well as organic lettuce and avocado from my CSA and it really was a truly green meal.   

The best part, both my daughters actually ate it with no complaint and Amelia glowed with pride at the fact that she picked it.  I might win this battle yet.  Next up - revamped chicken nuggets - lord help me now!   

Shaving cream fun...

I've been a bit inspired by the Crafty Crow and wanted to share with you our latest creation.   Although this was age appropriate for my young children I've seen some rather sophisticated marbling techniques done by older kids.

The supplies are basic -

• the cheapest white foam shaving cream you can find
• Paints - I used liquid watercolors but any other water based paint like Prang tempera will work well also.
• paper - I prefer a heavier card stock but everyday is fine.
• a straight edge to scrape off the shaving cream - piece of cardboard or flat plastic
• a paintbrush or toothpick for swirling
• lots of paper towels.

Spread about a once inch thick layer of shaving cream onto some sort of mat or tray.  I prefer to "level" off the top but you can leave it bumpy if you wish.   Carefully drop or paint directly onto the shaving cream.  You can use coordinating colors like we did here or just do one at a time.

   

Create your design using a paintbrush, foam brush, or a tooth pick. Make whatever sort of design or shape you wish.  Keep in mind you want the paint to stay on top of the cream so don't smash it in too much.

Place your paper onto the cream and press gently.

Remove paper and admire your work.

 

The colors may look all muddled but use your straight edge to remove the excess cream and Viola!  A work of art!

   

Repeat until your kids get tired of it and decide to paint themselves with the shaving cream.

The prints would look great on the front of home made greeting cards or you could use large rolls of craft paper and create your own wrapping paper!  Embellish with glitter or stamps or just leave plain.  The possiblities are endless.  Happy Crafting!   

I'm amazed...

at the marvels of nature everyday!  Especially those found close to home. Anyone wanna take a guess at what these are? 

I'll give you a hint. They grown on this!

 

The wonders just never cease. 

All about the mom...

I try to do some crafty thing nearly every day.  I'm always working on something, whether it's a knitted sweater or fabric place mats or my latest quilt, but I've found that very few of my creations ever reach these pages.  Did you know that I sew nearly all of my children's clothing?  Don't ask where I find the time, I'm not even sure, I think it just comes in little blurts of harried late nighters crammed between all the other projects that I work on.  But that's not the point, the point is that I share very little of what I actually do.  Many of the projects I do are with my children and most of them are not really photographic wonders.  My hesitancy might come from some sort of subconscious fear of rejection for not being an artistic marvel.  But I think  it's more then that,  I've been hesitant to turn this into a site glorifying my kids and my role as their mother but in reality, my identity has changed and I am all about the mommy moments.  Maybe that is why I have such a hard time keeping things updated, not much happens to me that doesn't involve my kids and I've not wanted to subject my readers to "all things children" or "all things mommy."    But, whatever the reason I guess it's time for me to start getting to it.  My status isn't going to change anytime soon and this site might as well evolve with me.  So be prepared for adventures with the family clan and I'm sorry in advance if I bore you.

In celebration of mothers everywhere - or at least those in Afghanistan - I've been busily working away at this monstrosity of stockinette stitch - 658 rows of 125 stitches.   Talk about knitting doldrums.  After a quick trip to the dye pot - it has been transformed into a beautiful green shawl, the symbolic color of Islam.  The dye job isn't the greatest, a little blotchy here and there but I'm sure that the recipient will just be pleased to have a hand knit offering of love and joy.  If you would like to knit a shawl - you can find the details here.

I know it's not a glamorous piece of work, but it's making a difference one stitch at a time!  Hopefully I'll be able to get one more done before July!   In the meantime - happy day to all you mothers, future mothers, and those who choose not to be a mother out there!   

Whole foods and drunken chicken...

Joining katydidknit's  fitness-a-long has forced me to take a much needed, but a not so appreciated, look at my body and my lifestyle.  Motherhood has really changed me physically and not necessarily in a good way.  Although I'm still a trans fat nazi and I loathe overly processed food, I've begun to notice that my cupboard is predominately filled with typical preschooler fare of goldfish and fruit snacks and I've stopped at McDonald's a couple more times then I would like to admit.  I've begun to cook "speedy" meals for convenience sake but really the kids don't eat them and I'm getting fat so it's not really convenient for anyone.  I'm enjoying my food less but am still packing on the pounds.   So what gives?  We really do live in a processed food environment and no matter how much I stand on my soap box and preach the evils of partially hydrogenated oil and high fructose corn syrup I've allowed these items to creep into my diet due to pure complacency.  So I need to make some changes.   

But change is hard and it takes time.  I really would prefer to have oodles of extra hours every day to knit, sew, study, and bake whole wheat bread all the while keeping my home clean, my dog walked, my kid's butts wiped, and maintain my personal sanity.  Without some sort of compromise I see none of these things happening.  But I digress.

I'm thinking it's time to get back to whole foods.  Good food really doesn't have to be complicated and it doesn't need to come out of a box or from a can to be convenient.  I used to love to cook and I have a bookshelf full of cookbooks to prove it but lack of food gratitude from my children (seriously though, they are 3 and 5, what sane person could expect food gratitude at that age) and my perceived lack of time has really turned meals into a chore.  So I have decided to re-evaluate and cook selfishly, for me.  I'd like to enjoy my food again and since my kids will probably complain whether it's fast food or whole foods I might as well do something right for myself.  So I've been taking a little extra time, planning out meals, getting the kids involved where I can and just trying to enjoy my time.  Cooking should be therapeutic, and with husband home right now doing the dishes, who could ask for anything more.

On the plate last night - country lima beans with beer can chicken.  You basically shove a can of beer up a chickens *ss and stick it on the barbecue.  It was delicious, and none of it came out of a box!   

Phew...

That was a lot of work!  What a tremendous response, we managed to raise over $500.00 to various charities around the community.   I'm hoping this giving spirit will continue, no matter how little you may have, you always have enough to share a little. 

These will be heading to the post office today and tomorrow.   I think it's about $1000.00 worth of yarn give or take a little.  Of course, I didn't think it through on my end and forgot about postage costs!  Yikes..we might have to set up a charity to cover mailing fees, some of these packages are going all the way to the UK!   

 

I have contacted pretty much everyone to let them know they made it to the list. If you have not heard from me, drop me a line.   I have 3 folks that I'm not sure about. The rest of you should be getting your envie in the mail sometime soon!   

give a little...get a little...

Thanks so much everyone. I've run out of yarn, but feel free to donate if you want, I'll add you to a list in case I find some more!

I know times are hard for lot of folks right now.  "Economic recession" isn't just some it word from TV land, it's hitting many Americans in both big and small ways.  Being a single income military family, we have experienced parts of this recession first hand as we watch gas and grocery bills go through the roof and don't even get me started on Southern California utilities, I have a nearly small coronary each month.  Regardless, no one has felt the crunch more then non-profits, people in real need don't just go away during these hard times and many folks are out there just struggling to feed their kids. But that doesn't mean that we all can't use a couple of life's little luxuries - like hand dyed sock yarn! 

So I'm hoping to find a new home for some of my stash and make a little cash for those in need.  This will be much simpler then last years fundraising thing, I'm still pretty sure that a few of you didn't get your yarn! 

I have about 25 skeins of hand dyed sock yarn - most doubles - meaning they are double skeins, 8 oz instead of 4 oz so enough for grande socks or two pairs - that need new homes.  I'm out of room and seriously, I've knit 1 pair of socks in the last 6 months, at this rate it would take me about 25 years to knit through half my stash! 

   

So this is how it's going to work.  You will donate some cash (whatever you feel is fair - I'm talking $5.00 - $10.00  - $15.00 - $20.00 -  I'm not judging) to UNICEF - or a charity of your choice.  E-mail me - athyarns at yahoo dot com - a copy of the receipt and your mailing address and I'll send you a skein of yarn.  I'm going to just slap your name on one of the envelopes - (this is true Montessori style - you get what you get and you don't mind a bit).   

About the yarn, it is from my own personal stash and it has all been been hand dyed by me.  None is tagged but it is all superwash merino or a combo there in and all is appropriate for knitting nifty little socks,scarves, hats, or small shawls.  I realize it's a bit of inconvenience to not know the yardage but I've made sure to only pack up the skeins with ample yardage to knit a normal pair of socks.  And as I said, MANY of the skeins are double skeins so you should have more then enough to share with a friend if you would like.  The gauge, well you guys all to test swatches right?!?  As I stated earlier, you get what you get - if you don't like the color, swap with a friend, knit a hat for a shelter, or use it in a charity blanket - it's for a good cause and you never know, you could strike gold!

So I don't run out of yarn..be sure to post a quick comment that you are participating.  It will "close" at 35 commenters, if it even gets to that, until I reassess my supply. 

P.S. If you are a spinner and would like roving instead of sock yarn let me know.  I think I have a bit I could part with. 

Lose it unless you use it...

As most of you know, I'm returning to school in the fall to get my certification in Montessori.  I'm pretty excited, a little nervous about my ridiculously long summer reading list, but excited none the less.  The thing I didn't talk about was the Master's in Education that could go along with my certification if I choose to pursue it.  Well, I should clarify, if they choose to let me in.  My grades in college pretty  much sucked, I really had other priorities at the time, and now 10 years later I'm paying the price for a little too much fun time.  I e-mailed the admissions board, actually the lady who heads it, and told her very candidly that my grades sucked, is there any way in hell they would let me in especially since it is 10 years later.  I have a chance, not a great chance, but a chance if I take the GRE.  Holy crap! 

So now I'm in GRE hell. I decided to go for it, minus the fact that I would actually get my M.Ed. if I get accepted, I would also qualify for all sorts of financial aid things that I do not by merely getting my certification.  Unfortunately, getting a kick ass score on the GRE, which is highly unlikely, will not guarantee me a spot but it will  help my pathetic odds just a little bit. So I decided to just go balls out and buy all the Kaplan stuff and really study.

I'm amazed about all the stuff I really don't know. I could not answer even one of the math problems and did not even recognize half of them.  And to demonstrate even further how sorry I am at this, I don't even know enough of the basics to be able to learn the advanced stuff I need for the test - how to divide decimals, simplifying radicals, finding percentages of percentages of decimals.   I really don't think I'm a stupid person, I just don't remember any of this crap.  So, I'm feeling a little tense.  The thing that irks me the most though, is after spending literally hundreds of hours to study, they probably still won't let me in but I have to give it my best.

 

On the knitting front - I've begun a sweater if you can believe it.  The Ogee Tunic from Knitting Nature.  I'm not entirely sure why I'm knitting a definitely fall sweater right at the beginning of a sweltering SoCal summer but I've committed to it.  I have at least 10 UFO's in my "knitting trunk" and there is no room for another so this must actually come off the needles in a decent amount of time. I've made a few minor modifications to it but will discuss those as the sweater comes to a finish. In the meantime, it's slow going but I must not lose hope!  Tootles. 

Friends don't let friends drink white wine...

The fundraising auction was Saturday night and in my humble opinion it was a smashing success!  Unfortunately, I got a little smashed as well and I'm payed the price for it the next day.  I managed to suck down 5 glasses of white wine and a token kamikaze - not a pretty sight considering my alcohol tolerance is at nil. Luckily, I'm a gushingly happy drunk so if anything so I just tried to spread good cheer.  I had about 10 people come up to me and tell me how nice I looked, one person even went so far to say that she almost didn't recognize me.  I guess it should be a good thing, but it makes me wonder if I really just look like crap the rest of the time.  It was like they were all shocked I could actually clean up.  But it didn't stop my good cheer and I had a great time. 

The mirror project went for $600.00 in a silent auction.  We all agreed that if it had either gone live or had stayed open longer it would have gone for more. My mother was disappointed, she really wanted it but the price ended up being over her limit.  Instead she focused her energy on a gas grill...yeah for us..we now have a new grill for our patio and she got to win something.  Our last grill basically imploded while we were living in Charleston and we have greatly missed it. I managed to get a little overly generous and paid $200.00 for an overnight babysitter - that's what liquor will do to you!  BUT, at least I know sometime in the next year Tom and I can have a real date night, complete with hotel room and a nice sleep in sans children. 

Pre-event..you would not  BELIEVE what happened to me.  I was in desperate need of a hair cut so I just picked a random salon out of the phone book and went for it.   The auction theme was "Hollywood Glamor" so figured I should at the very least get my big hair blown straight and try to channel some inner glamor.  I get to the salon and am mid styling when a camera crew enters the salon. Get this, apparently they were filming for a new reality show on TLC.   Holy crap.  Of course I was filmed mid blow dry, no make up with a giant mushroom afro - couldn't they at least wait until I was done for a presentable filler shot.  I'm sure the whole thing will make it to the cutting room floor but it was quite an adventure.  For the Mom, who was being taped, she didn't look like she was having a good time, must be challenging to have your every move dictated and filmed.