new blogging home

Dear Blog Readers,

Hey there everyone! I've popped back on here to post one last update! 

I have two bits of news. Firstly, we are excited be expecting our second baby at the end of this summer! Ace is going to be big sister. She is back and forth between happy about it and not so happy about it. Ha! We will all adjust to a new kind of normal, and it will be wonderful to have another little person joining our family.

Second bit of news is that I have been working on a new blog to share with you all. I am ready to commit to a more regular blogging schedule, and have taken on a self hosted blog. It has been a bit overwhelming at times, but I have been learning as I go and enjoying the creative process. I am looking forward to owning my own content and hopefully working towards a more professional level of blogging. 

You can find me now at Dig the Good Life!

I will be sharing the same type of content, family, gardening, home, etc... 

I want to thank those of you who have followed me and read my blog here for the past 3 1/2 years. I have truly enjoyed this little blog and have learned so much!

Please come over to Dig the Good Life and subscribe by email so you don't miss a single post!

The journey continues!

Love, Hope

my most used toddler essentials

Our Ace is coming to the end of her "toddler" years, as she will turn 4 this summer. I have gathered a list of some of our favorite things that helped make the toddler days easier.

Black rubber boots

These rubber boots have been worn like crazy and they hold up beautifully. They are waterproof, have great traction, and are perfect for walks, puddle stomping, gardening and rainy days. They come in all sizes for children, so we just keep buying the next size up as she grows. Affordable and very useful.

 

Kleen Kanteen Stainless Sippy

This is probably my absolute favorite item. If I had to choose one item out of all of this, it would be this bottle. This thing is indestructible, leak proof, and free of any weird plastic nonsense.. It can be dropped, thrown, left in the bed, and left in the hot car. You don't have to worry about it breaking, leaking, or leaching. Oh, and I should mention, this bottle was the ONLY bottle my daughter would drink out of. She was 12 months old and had been only breastfed. I had tried every bottle out there and she wouldn't have it. By the time she was a year old, she would drink out of a regular cup with help, but that wasn't very practical. I then tried every sippy cup but, no. Finally tried this cup and spout combo and she instantly took to it. She drank water out of this for 2 years! It is totally worth the price! We finally left ours at a hotel a few months ago accidentally and I almost cried.

White Gerber Onsies

I want to say it was around the age of 2 that my daughter started removing her diaper after she was put to bed. That leads to all sorts of problems as you can imagine. Ahem. Solution? These classic, snapping onsies by Gerber. They make them in sizes up to 4T!

BabyBjorn Potty

Oh, Bjorn potty, you were such a lifesaver. This little potty made the rounds with us, that's for sure. When we potty trained Ace at 20 months, this is what she used. The big potty just didn't work for her yet, and this was perfect because it could sit in any room at the ready when the inspiration struck! I like how the bowl comes out, so you don't have to pick up and dump the whole potty. It also traveled in the car with us. Easy to clean and comfortable for tiny shiny hinys. Hinies? Hineys? Huh.

Sabadil Children's Allergy

This homeopathic remedy is specifically for children and was very effective for us. It has always helped clear up sniffles from occasional environmental allergies. Plus, they are easy to get her to take. Ace loves the little tiny pastilles that dissolve in the mouth.

Sugar Free Nature's Plus Vitamin

This has been our multivitamin of choice. It is a quality, whole food based supplement. My favorite part is that it doesn't contain any sugar! It is sweetened with xylitol, which is supposed to actually be beneficial to oral health. She loves taking these.

Sweet Dreams Essential Oil

It is hard to choose a favorite oil, as I use quite a few on our daughter. But this one probably tops the list. I keep it pre-diluted in a roller bottle for her feet before bed, and I also love to diffuse this at bedtime. It really does help her fall asleep and stay asleep on those nights when she is extra amped up or jittery. I start the diffuser and let it run until it shuts off by itself, which is 4-5 hours. Sweet Dreams for her and us.

Inflatable Travel Bed

This travel bed is a great thing to have if you take any trips or your child sleep over at the grandparents. It is very affordable, and the thing I love most about it is the raised edge. It keep her from rolling out, keeps all her blankets and lovies with her, and makes for a safe and secure sleeping place just about anywhere! Ace has slept over at a friends tiny house many times on this, in the kitchen, and been perfectly comfortable!

Snack Trap

A snack trap cup is very handy for those snacky toddler years. Particularly for on the go. Grocery shopping, car rides, stroller rides, etc. A snack in this cup can be whipped out when things get a little cranky and you don't have to worry about spillage! The one we had was plastic, but I wish we had had this stainless steel one!

Stainless Steel Thermos

This stainless steel thermos has been used to the extreme. They come in all kinds of designs, Ace's was an owl and flower design, and they are great for hot or cold drinks. We mostly use this for her beloved herbal tea drinks. (Echinacea or peppermint tea with honey and milk.) Here again, I can pour hot water in without worrying about leaching toxins. It is very sturdy, It will leak if you shake it upside down, so better for the older toddler probably. 

Waxelene

Waxelene is one of my favorite skin care products. It is super rich, buttery and moisturizing. It is the jack-of-all-trades of ointments. Chapped cheeks, lips, dry hands, diaper rash treatment and prevention, dry patches/excema type junk, weird, unidentifiable skin flare ups... This stuff has cleared up quite a few skin problems for Ace, and I love it too! Dry heels, cuticles... you name it!

our christmas budget

My husband and I scraped together Christmas for quite a few years. Some years were lean and some years were bountiful, but the common denominator was always lack of planning. As we are learning better ways to handle our money, an area that has been transformed is Christmas spending. 

Have you ever felt like you are flying by the seat of your pants during the holiday season? Hoping and wishing that money would just appear somehow? Well, I have. And I must say, that during one of my favorite times of the year when I wish to focus on family and friends, and share a little extra love, the last thing I want to be is burdened by stress and money worries. 

Something simple that has helped us transform our Christmas spending has been implementing a simple savings plan ALL YEAR.

1. Save a little every month, all year.

We sat down and decided how much money we wanted to spend at Christmas. Then we divided it by 12. That much money gets put into our fund every month, starting in January. You can put cash in a jar or envelope, or you can designate a fund in your bank account. By the time November and December roll around, we have a fully funded holiday! 

I like to start planning in November so that I have lots of time to shop and organize without stressing out. I find it very enjoyable when I give myself plenty of time.

2. Spend with cash envelopes.

We set amounts for each category, using cash and envelopes for each. If you have saved cash, you may have to go to the bank and exchange your bills for the denominations you need to stuff the envelopes. If you have saved in your account, you can just request whatever bills you need when you make your withdrawal. I write the person's name and amount to spend on each envelope. This may seem a bit tedious, and it is a little. But I have learned that putting in some extra planning and effort up front makes life much easier later on. 

Here are a few of my categories:

Charitable giving
Baking/special meals
Fun/outings
Cards and postage
Gift wrapping
Gifts for friends and family
Gifts for husband, daughter and myself

Each person you are buying for gets their own envelope and set amount. My husband, daughter and I even get an envelope! We set an amount to spend on each other and then there are firm boundaries so we don't overspend. 

Also, there is no guilt in spending when you are following a well thought out plan.

No guilt!

Having our Christmas spending under control greatly changed my experience during this time of year. I have much more room for thankfulness, charity, joy and cheerfulness when I don't set myself up for discouragement and bitterness, and make room for guilt. 

I love what Dave Ramsey says, "Adults make a plan and stick to it. Children do what feels good."

elderberry syrup

This time of year is when we all typically start getting sick. At least we seem to be more prone to it. There are things that I do throughout the year, especially in the fall and winter, that I feel have helped our immune systems stay strong and help us avoid picking up bugs. One of those things is taking a daily dose of elderberry syrup. And I like to make my own because it is very easy and so much cheaper than buying the bottled stuff.

Someday I would love to forage or grow my own fresh berries, but for now I order dried berries. This is where I like to get mine.

They have very interesting information on elder and elderberries over on Bulk Herb's site that is worth a read.

Sometimes I use dry, ground ginger. But if I have it, I love chopping up fresh. I just love fresh ginger!

I like to keep a bottle in the fridge and some extra in the freezer. This recipe makes a good sized batch, so I divide it up. I have been using plastic freezing jars. You could even use zippie bags to freeze portions. 

This bottle shown is an old salad dressing bottle that I washed and scrubbed the label off of. If you pay attention, a lot of nice jars and bottles come through the house that can be reused for things like this! A little tip for getting the yucky label stickum off, is to use a metal scouring pad like an S.O.S. A little elbow grease with one of those does the trick!


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Elderberry Syrup

2/3 cup dried elderberries
3 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1 teaspoon ground ginger or 2 Tablespoons fresh, chopped ginger
1/2 to 1 cup raw honey (depending on how sweet you want it)



Simmer all ingredients together in a saucepan except honey for 45 min.

Remove from heat and allow to cool. 

Strain berries and particles from syrup. (I like to use a sieve with a paper towel lining it over a bowl with a pour spout.)

Add honey and mix until dissolved.

Pour into storage container(s) of your choice.

Stores well in fridge for about a month. Extra freezes beautifully.

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I got my wonderful recipe from Kate over at Real Food RN.

a week of meal ideas

I just got back from the grocery store and have put everything away. The fridge looks so fresh and pretty with everything tucked away in there! 

Now I will collapse into a chair and call in a pizza for supper. Just kidding! I have been known to do it on occasion... Look in the kitchen after a shopping trip and say "I don't know what to fix, there's nothing to eat." I bet you've done it too! 

When I have a list and a meal plan, I avoid those moments.

Today I sat in the parking lot for 10 minutes before I went in and gathered my self and jotted down a quick list. If I go in without a list it's mayhem. I spend $400 and have nothing for supper. (In fact, my whole life amounts to that. I function by lists.)

So here's a few meals and recipes I plan on preparing this next week.

Breakfasts will be green juice with apple, cuke, celery, ginger,and parsley, eggs and toast, almond butter on sprouted English muffins, oatmeal with apples and cinnamon, and pancakes and sausage.

Lunches will be leftovers, uncured beef hot dogs, salads, and tuna melts.

Supper plans include baked chicken drumsticks, ranch potatoes like this only using fresh potatoes, healthy ramen, shrimp and grits (YUM!), baked salmon with honey, butter and soy sauce, and chicken thighs in the crock pot with jasmine rice. 

my facial care routine

My skin has it's ups and downs, with spells of acne breakouts, and spotty dryness. There are things that effect my skin that has nothing to do with what I put on it, such as water consumption, sugar intake and hormones. Sugar is a big one for me personally. If I don't eat sweets, I hardly ever break out. My skin gets really clear. 

But another thing that helps my skin be it's best is a consistent care routine with products my skin likes. It has taken me 29 years, but I finally seem to have a winning combo. 


1. Pacifica Sea Foam Face Wash
I love this cleanser. It leaves my skin soft and fresh, not too dry, and smells amazing. I use it in the morning.


2. Jojoba oil blended with Palmarosa essentail oil
I have experimented with about 4,583 different moisturizers. Coconut oil, expensive ones, drug store ones, health food store ones... This is the best I've ever used. Extremely inexpensive, deeply moisturizing while not greasy, and absorbs quickly. Oh yeah, and it doesn't break me out. 
Now for the palmarosa oil, I added about 10-12 drops to a 2 ounce bottle of jojoba oil with a dropper. I use 3 drops of the blend on my face in the morning. The palmarosa oil smells great, and is supposed to have very good balancing and toning properties. I found the dilution has to be pretty weak though, as too much essential oil really irritated my skin.



3. Yes to Cucumbers Facial Wipes
These wipes are ones I can count on to keep my skin balanced, while cleansing my face before bed at the end of the day.


4. Alba Botanica Mini Peel
This is a clear gel mask that has great exfoliating effects. It really gets rid of dead skin dullness and perks things right up. I use this every week to two weeks.



5. DIY Bubbly Mask

I use this homemade concoction all over my face about once a week. Or as a spot treatment when I have a zit. It is really magical stuff. Makes my skin glow I tell you.



Do you have facial products that you swear by? Or are you still on the search for the magic combo?

making liquid watercolors

                                                 

I have a very long art supply wish-list. And it is continually growing as I discover new projects and ideas that we just must do. One of the supplies at the top of the list are liquid watercolors. They look fabulous. And they are expensive. If I was to purchase them, I would buy these.

But for now, I made our own with something that I would have thrown away! Score! 

I got this brilliant idea from Happy Hooligans.

Here are just a few ideas that I'm interested in using them for:

Watercolors and Oil

Salt, Glue, and Watercolor

Soap Foam Printing

Rubber Cement Resist

Painted Salt Sculpture

Gelatin Streaking

Here's the surprise ingredient! Old, dried up markers.
First, I had my little assistant sort the markers into groups of color.

Then we added the markers, bottoms down, into about 2 inches of water in glass mason jars.

And sealed the lids TIGHTLY.

Here they are after sitting in the jar for about a week.
I threw the markers away at this point, and kept the liquid watercolors in the jars to use as we wanted.

They are so wonderfully pigmented!

I can't wait to try these out in many different and colorful ways this winter!

Happy painting!