Self Imposed Challenge of the Day

 My sewing machine has been stored away since before Christmas, but today I'm going to pull it out and attempt to make a cute bag for my turquoise loving sister who turns 22 in a few days.  Her party is tonight, so the pressure is on to produce something quickly.  Let's see if Leif can keep himself happily busy so Mama can do the same!

I enjoy making my patterns up as I go (at least that's what I tell myself - I'm really intimidated by actual patterns) but these are a few bag plans that I would love to take on some day:

Buttercup Bag via Made By Rae

The Weekender Travel Bag by Amy Butler via Sew Mama Sew

T-Shirt Bag via Martha Stewart

As I was searching for inspiration I also stumbled across this free pattern for a bra purse.  Yep, it's made from an actual bra.  I don't think I'll ever be attempting this one, but it was just too good to not share!

Check us out @ Mama Goose!

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review the Ergo baby carrier for our favorite local shop, Mama Goose. You can read my review to see what I think of our Ergo carrier (it's all love), but I'm going to use this space to tell you more about our family's love for the Goose.

Jodi and I first discovered Mama Goose when the Ergo website listed it as a local retailer. We couldn't believe our luck when their cute little shop happened to be a block away from our Obstetricians' office. We would leave appointments and then walk down the street and see what treasures the little consignment shop had to offer that day. I can't tell you how many outfits, toys and books we brought home before Leif was even born. We bought our Ergo baby carrier at Mama Goose and it was even on the suggestion of a Mama Goose staffer that we chose to purchase Mother Ease diapers. As the first of our friends to have a child, I can't imagine how we would have navigated all of those baby prep decisions if we didn't have the support and expertise of Mama Goose to rely on.

We were more than excited to see Mama Goose expand into its new location on State Street in Ithaca, and we still do most of our shopping there. We scored a great wooden train set for Leif's Christmas present this year and have to say that most of his wardrobe has come from Mama Goose as well. We feel good about everything we buy at Mama Goose - whether it's gently used toys, clothes and shoes for Leif or locally made, fair trade or organic gifts for the other babies and kids in our lives. It's feel good shopping at its best and we're so glad we live near enough to get into the store as often as we do!

And, just in case you were wondering, and in the spirit of keeping it real, I have to say that I have no formal relationship with Ergo (or Mama Goose). I'm just a very satisfied customer!

Real and Natural Beauty Solutions

Image via Gomestic.com
I have been experimenting a lot with various natural beauty treatments in an attempt to phase out some of the chemical ridden stuff in my shower and medicine cabinet. I'm not quite ready to tell you what I think of shampoo-less hair washing or my edible facial cleanser and moisturizer - mainly because I haven't made up my own mind about them yet.

I can tell you that I love using coconut oil as a body cream and that olive oil makes a great lip moisturizer. When we spent a couple of weeks picking olives in 2005, we'd squeeze one open any time our hands felt dry and would rub the green goodness all over. If you don't mind a slippery tub, olive oil mixed with sugar and a few drops of essential oil also makes a body scrub that rivals any scrub you'd find for sale.

Italian beauties waiting to become expensive hand pressed olive oil

For more natural beauty tips, I'd love to send you over to Simple Organic where Amy from Progressive Pioneer shares her favorite beauty products that are simple and can be whipped up with little effort in the kitchen.

Snow Big Deal

When we moved north this fall we worried about what living in a "snow belt" might be like. Luckily, it hasn't been crazy at all. We get snow all the time, and the bay we live on has frozen over completely, but we've only had to dig the car out a couple of times. If it's going to be cold (and it has been!), I'd rather have snow than not.

Organic Lollipops

These are the yummiest lollipops I have ever tasted and they are organic!  No artificial colors, real fruit extracts and if that isn't enough to sway you, they're Kosher.  We aren't huge lollipop people, but Leif has become obsessed with them (the mango flavor is his favorite).

www.yummyearth.com

 

I'm not advocating sugary treats like lollipops for every day consumption.  BUT, when you really want something sweet, or your kid FINALLY poops on the potty, they're better than the alternative!

Potato Stamped Valentines

Today we spent some time making potato stamp cards for Valentine's Day. I had never tried it before, but knew enough about the concept to give it a go. I carved hearts into a few small potatoes (this was much easier than anticipated) and made a paint out of cornstarch, water and food coloring.

Leif and I stamped some small home made cards together. He had so much fun and kept saying who each one was for. "This one is for Grandma! This one is for Lani and Brian!" - so sweet. I wasn't sure if he'd be ready for a project like this, but I'm so glad we did it. Now we just have to address and mail them all...

Home Made Tortillas

Remember this bread recipe? Well, we've come up with another great application - flour tortillas! It was a last minute decision when I saw that we were out of our usual store-bought burrito shells.

I whipped up a quick batch of the master recipe (we were due for more) and rolled it out immediately. I went as thin as I could and then quickly cooked them up in a lightly oiled pan on medium heat. They take less than a minute on each side (flip when it starts to bubble and lightly brown) and that's it. I didn't think to stop and take a photo, but they looked just like this:

Photo via Imagelicious

I filled the tortillas with yummy veggie burrito deliciousness and we gobbled them right up. Jodi says it's the best meal he's had in a while (not sure if that's a straight compliment or not). Either way, they held up better than the ones we buy at the store and they were so easy and inexpensive. There's one more product we can cross off the shopping list for good!

Shame on You, Dirty Dozen

Photo via Low Impact Living

If like me, you understand the importance of organic eating, but your wallet doesn't always want to cooperate, then you need this handy printable list of the best and worst conventionally grown fruits and vegetables from the Environmental Working Group. When you consider that we are bombarded by chemicals all day every day (yes, even those of us who do our best to avoid them) then it pays to learn all that you can and prioritize.

Oh, and if you have an iPhone, they have an app for that - of course!

In Time of Silver Rain

by Langston Hughes In time of silver rain

The earth
Puts forth new life again,
Green grasses grow
And flowers lift their heads,
And over all the plain
The wonder spreads
Of life,
of life,
of life!
In time of silver rain
The butterflies
Lift silken wings
To catch a rainbow cry,
And trees put forth
New leaves to sing
In joy beneath the sky
As down the roadway
Passing boys and girls
Go singing, too,
In time of silver rain
When spring
And life
Are new.

This is one of the first poems I ever loved. With February only beginning, reading this poem feels like a breath of fresh air.