Embracing the Season

The Whole Chicken

2012-02-13T19:07:00.001-08:00

I did not expect so many of my friends to be "turned off" by a whole raw chicken. I suppose if I was dealing with it, trying to cut it up, etc....that could get a little yucky.

But a whole chicken is an amazing thing.

You can buy them at a regular grocery store or your healthfood store (whole foods or earthfare type). But soooo much better are the ones raised even in your county! Find these little (or big) jewels at the farmers market.

So I'm going to share with you a chicken story and how many different (and not yucky) ways you can use this uber- versitile animal.

Begin with a huge stock pot. With my frozen chicken (most farmers market birds will be frozen since they keep better), I added 2 and a half gallons of water. Turn the burner on simmer and leave it for at least 12 hours.

Here's my chicken all frozen and docile. Once it cooked for a few hours, it no longer was weighed down by it's frozenness so it appears to be trying to escape. After it cooks further, it settles back down into the pot. Notice that deep rich yellow broth. That is some excellent-tasting, highly versitile, healing stuff.

That's day one of my chicken story.

Love, Carra

America's Got Talent, yes I auditioned...

2012-02-07T13:44:00.000-08:00

So Saturday I tried out for America's Got Talent reality TV show. Mainly as a dare, but for sure to help my sister Abbi get a shot. My dad is the instigator of this whole thing.

I was going to type up (actually started to give you a play by play) my day's experiences. However, I just reread my release agreement so I can't say a whole lot. LOL!

It was fun. Make sure you watch the show this summer on NBC. You might just see me! Watch for the hat!!

Trees

2012-01-12T17:48:00.000-08:00

I just hung brown curtains in a green room. I'll take a photo and show you sometime, But that's just paint and fabric. As far back as I can remember I have loved trees. I climbed them, fell out of them, sat in them and under them. I used to stand at the edge of the pine woods behind our house even in the elementary grades and look up at the trees. I was fascinated and terrified as wind blew them into each other making huge cracking sounds. I used to lay back in the leaves and listen the million "crinkles and crunches" as my body settled into the pile. When I was in middle school I memorized "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer. When we were deciding where to go for a visit, my Gracie asked, "...but does it have trees?" Praise our Father who is so bountiful as to provide us with trees.

Love, Carra

Trees by Joyce Kilmer

I THINK that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,	5
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.	10

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

Scrabbo (uno & scrabble)

2012-01-01T13:20:00.001-08:00

So my family (sister, cousins, dad) invented a new game on Christmas day. We had to leave early so I missed this creative experience. So here it is New Year's Day. My family came up to visit and right now we are playing "Scrabbo."

Highlight:
Horrible racks of all vowels.
Just when you strategize the next word, you have to pass the rack to the person on your left.
Just when you can do nothing at all, you receive a rack of worse letters!

This is a hilarious game. Wanna play? All you need is a Scrabble game and a set of Uno cards.

Begin Scrabble like normal (7 tiles each). After each turn, the individual picks up an uno card to tell how many tiles they get.
* red - 1 tile
* yellow - 2 tiles
* green - 3 tiles
* blue - 4 tiles

Yes, that means that after the first round, everyone has different numbers of tiles. But regardless of number of tile, if a person uses all of their letters on one round they get 50 extra points.

The coolest part are the crazy "other" cards.
Wild- get to place a word anywhere on the board on a subsequent turn.
Wild, draw 4 - pick 4 tiles and place a word anywhere.
Draw Two - give back 2 tiles
Reverse - hand over your entire rack one person clockwise.
When one person runs out of letters, the game is over & scores should be added up. Hilarious!!! You should try it!

Happy New Year!!
Love, Carra

I don't wanna know, wait - yeah I do..

2011-12-27T18:31:00.000-08:00

So I was innocently reading a yummy sounding healthy hamburger cheese dip and read one tiny little line......

Oh dear, so many (most?) crock pots; have lead in the ceramic??? I'm in the process of checking into this and seeing what are the options. Argh. Right this very minute I have a yummy local chicken slow cooking in my crock pot on my counter.

Really? Sometimes I wish I didn't pursue things. But I want to do all I can to provide a safe home for me and my family. So, what about my crock pot? I'll let you know.

Love, Carra

I (heart) green juice 3.0

2011-12-26T09:17:00.001-08:00

So on Wednesday, our little guy will turn ONE! I can hardly believe how fast the time has flown by. For his birthday week, two things are happening...

1. He will be receiving a more masculine/gender-neutral room color. We went ahead and put the girls back together to share a room, and Zade has moved into Faith's old room. The color of her room is called "queen anne's lace." Not a bright pink, a subtle, gentle pink, ...but pink. So Pete can no longer stand it, I'm finding it inhibiting for decorating, and we have a smidgen of space between the encounter winter conference (beginning tues) and the beginning of the spring semester. Colors? Green (leftover from the kitchen) and possibly one cream wall. All his furniture is black (see previous crazy furniture painting post).

2. He got introduced to "green juice." Dr. Ben Kim's Greens, mixed with vitamin C and diatomeceous earth (that's a whole other post). No juice, just gritty thick vitaminy water....and you can see... he loved it!!!

Hope you had a Merry Christmas!
Love, Carra

Looking for some time to relax!

2011-12-18T15:44:00.000-08:00

This should probably subtitled - essential oils are welcome everywhere in our house. I recently read this book called "Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be" by Donna Partow. It's a "normal" book but she surprisingly seems to have some granola leanings. I like it.

One of the assignments (it's a 90 day journey) was to incorporate a cleansing bath at least once a week. I am not a "bather." I like my shower -its quick and doesn't make the bathroom messy. Both my girls get baths (usually together) but those involve soap and scrubbing off the layers of earth built up from their dirt cake endeavors. Zade is kind of bathed on an as needed poopy-directed basis.

But now we are trying to add a weekly cleansing bath for each of us. I call it a "soak bath" for the girls. I don't use soap for them on that one. I add baking soda (cupish) and some lavender and eucalyptus essential oils (3 +/- drops of each). They sit in the bath and play with their cups and washcloths until the water gets cool. I use about the same amounts but add a cup of Epsom salts for me.

If you do this - drink lots of water because this definitely has a detox effect. I'm just ready to go straight to sleep after this bath - lovely!

Love,

Making Baby Food, sort of

2011-12-01T04:32:00.001-08:00

I suppose I have a philosophy of feeding babies. You probably know I am pretty fond of many of the "old ways." I remember my great aunt saying, "well, the old people used to..."

One of the things the "old people" used to do was to wait until a baby began growing teeth before adding solid foods. Not an arbitrary 4 months (wow that seems young), 6 months or whatever.

So Zade grew some teeth about a month ago. His fourth tooth just came through. And he was happily nursing, now he nurses just as much and *loves* food-food.

With the older girls we did arbitrarily wait until 9 months, then added grains in the form of organic cheerio type cereal. Then I read two books in the meantime...

Real Food for Mother and Baby by Plank (sp?)
Nourishing Traditions by Sally --(?)

There is a wealth of info there & will challenge you a lot. My takeaways for feeding the little man??

Basically I am avoiding all breads that have been processed. He only eats soaked sourdough my friend SE makes for me each week. Zade eats meat (roast beef, chicken, turkey and fish). I haven't given him any fruits or pastas.

He loves meat, SE's bread, sweet potatoes, all kinds of vegetables, eggs, oatmeal and brown rice. He eats so much that the idea of cooking something, putting it into ice cube trays etc is useless. I cooked a ton of sweet potatoes, cooked then, packed them into jars & froze them. I just keep a jar in the fridge at all times. It's easy just to scoop some in a bowl.

For traveling, I like the "happy baby" brand food. His favorite is super salmon. It's hard to find in stores - amazon carries it. It's more than I would pay for his everyday meals, but super handy to have on hand for "on the go."

So when you see me and there's a little orange handprint...just ignore it...it's my mommy badge these days.

Love,
Carra

Beyond the desk...

2011-11-10T05:24:00.001-08:00

So Saturday (& all weekend) I started to paint a desk. I kept finding more pieces that needed painting. Here's the room full of oak furniture and the room filled with gray primed furniture.

Things I learned:
1. Painting an entire room (walls) takes half the time of painting a room full of furniture.

2. Cribs should be painted with a sprayer. It's like 18 little rungs just on one side...and painting long, round, thin posts is tedious!

3. Painting objects inside a room should not completely fill the space. One needs room to reach all the parts of the furniture (see #2).

4. Painting is still something I love!

Love,
Carra

Weekend Warrior? Naw, Homemaker

2011-11-04T15:09:00.001-07:00

So here I am dressed for renovation. These pants are not the most fashionista of my collection. However, I think they are perfect. I can look down at my pants and see the green of my kitchen, cream of my hallway, white of my cabinets and black of my funiture. It's a fabric record of my projects.

I really hate to ruin clothes. And it seems like I ruin them a lot. Even though I wear "old clothes" to work, an apron to cook and try to be careful....I always seem to drop something on myself. So I figure that one pair of "painting pants" should give me the freedom to renovate with abandon. Ok I actually have two pairs of painting pants. The others used to be yard pants, but now the two are pretty much interchangable.

So why am I all fancy for a Friday night? Because I have a window of time I can make some messes without bugging Pete. What's on the agenda? This desk (and several more pieces) I discovered at the Salvation Army. I'll send along the afters hopefully by Monday. Have a great weekend!

Love, Carra

Confession #31 - The scariest day of my life

2011-10-31T02:00:00.000-07:00

It was. Terrifying.
I sat quietly in the car. No one could tell.
My heart sank, my mind raced. I was undone. I realized somehow that all the stuff I had been doing to be pleasing to God was failing. I was failing at being good enough. And I knew.

I knew at that point. Just riding in the car. If we wrecked, if I died, I would go to hell.
I know that may sound a little overdramatic. But it was my true experience. I felt the weight of my failures, I knew that though I had convinced everyone else around me, I was dead in my spirit.

So from gripping fear, my emotions went to desperation. I suddenly didn't care whether people thought I was a nice girl or not. All I cared about at that moment was that I needed to be at peace with God. My sin, my choices, my imperfections....all crashed around me and I wanted freedom.

I had lived the "church girl" life, I knew what the Bible said. I realized that I had gone thought the motions but never surrendered my heart. Desperate for relief from the weight of conviction. Desperate for relief from the pretending I was good...it was exhausting to "be good" with my limited human capacity.

So I did what I had heard preachers talk about.
I cried out to Christ. I prayed, "Save me from my sins. Forgive me. Take my fake "good girl" life and make me real."

He did.
The most terrifying day of my life. I feel the feelings even as I share them here with you right now. But with the huge difference.... I feel the peace. I feel the love my Jesus my has for me. I live with the reality of my continued sinfulness - my "junk" if you will. But within the reality of my junk is the reality of my freedom and His forgiveness. If you've stayed with me throughout the month of confessions, you know I am far from perfect. But instead of trying harder or pretending, I now get to live in gratitude that Christ doesn't hold that against me.

I was reading a friend's blog and she referenced this video. It is a little urban so the country may not relate to it as much. But if you can handle it, I think you will find it some good stuff.

Love,
Carra

Confession #30 - Things I want to do by Thanksgiving

2011-10-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

Well this is what Better Homes and Gardens suggests as a Thanksgiving Countdown. I love what a comedian said once. You know Better Homes and Gardens? Yeah, than means better than your home, better than your garden!

Well, in the spirit of admitting things, I do read Southern Living. I asked for a subscription about three years ago for the express purpose of developing myself as a homemaker, hostess and decorator. This is definitely a place I feel a weakness. When Pete and I first married, I was somewhat intimidated by my in-laws. They put tablecloths on tables for weekday lunch, fussed for an hour trying to get the centerpieces just right for a birthday dinner, and added little pieces of parsley to the plates just for the beauty of it.

For a while I just rejected it. I had the attitude - tastes good, good conversation, isn't that enough? Well, the truth is --- I rejected all the "frou-frou" because I was not good at it. I didn't want to try because I feared I would not succeed. But after some honest conversations, honest look at my attitudes, and God teaching me.... I am slowly learning how to do some of this stuff ...and that it has value.

So armed with about 50 sheets torn out of three years of Southern Living magazines, a binder of ideas, notes, budgets, etc. I am getting ready (thank you CB for your Christmas notebook idea that I adjusted for Thanksgiving/Christmas!).

So what do I (the confessing natural mommy) plan for Thanksgiving? Here are some of my countdown items:

Cook a local, grass-fed turkey that I put a deposit on at my local farmer's market.
Paint our den with the Mythic non-toxic paint so it is a brighter place to spend time.
Cook and freeze sweet potato pies, yeast rolls, muffins and waffles for breakfasts (using natural sugars and organic flour - some of it I will be milling myself)
Make a batch of homemade turkey sausage based loosely on Heavenly Homemakers recipe (less hot stuff, more sage in mine)
Scrub the bathtubs with Shaklee Scour Off. This stuff is awesome, but trust me - the stains are long-standing and will take some serious time and elbow grease.
Switch all the kid's bedrooms around. I know that sounds nuts, but it will be a better fit for us long term and a good thing to have in place before we have guests.
Make a decorative wall of family photographs...on the cheap.
Decorate the whole house. Seriously. bathrooms, dining room, kitchen, living room, front porch. Not going to do bedrooms per se, but I know my crafty kids and there will definitely be decor in the bedrooms.

I'm thinking of doing a short series on my Thanksgiving list progress. I only have 24 days. Tomorrow I'll be sharing about the scariest day of my life! Boo!

Love, Carra

Confession # 29 - Blog about nothing

2011-10-29T17:03:00.000-07:00

I set a goal. To blog everyday for the entire month of October. I've already made it 28 days. Today has been strange. So this blog is just about a little random nothingness. This week has been tough. Last night Pete and I talked a while before bed. We talked about our week and about doing something fun as a family.

Then, we went upstairs. It was cold. The hvac for the upper floor (we live in a split level) was not working. We pulled out space heaters for the kids and added extra blankets for us. I woke up this morning with a cold nose LOL!

Pete spent the day trying to check connections, reading the stuck-together-due-to-moisture-becasue-it-was-left-in-the-crawl-space... manual. The heat/cooling units are like 20 years old. We can't get parts because appliance stores are only open weekdays. So Monday - heat the other half of the house- we hope and pray. At this point, we're still hoping Pete can fix it.

But yay! - the downstairs is warm. So, tonight the girls will be camping out in the den. Zade and Pete and I will use our two space heaters.

So I confess, I have nothing much to say. Pete worked all day on the heat. I tried to clean and get things moved around so he could work. Right now, I have strawberry muffins in the oven and spaghetti on the stove. I am so grateful that God provided a house with two heating units. I'm looking forward to some chill and rest (maybe even an episode of Amazing Race online. I hope your (and my) tomorrow is a wonderful restful Sunday.

Love, Carra

Confession #28 - Marital Conflict, Part 2

2011-10-28T17:51:00.000-07:00

I appreciate your feedback on the "thing" in my dining room. I do believe that I received more advice about my marriage than about the "thing." However I did get some good ideas about it (and marriage).

It's funny - I did just get my dream kitchen pretty much 100% as a result of the efforts of my husband. So yes, I should be fine releasing this "thing" - and in a manner of speaking I am. not really because of the kitchen, but because of my role as Pete's wife. Years and years ago I was privileged to me mentored by an awesome godly mom of three (two girls and a boy, imagine that! - but her's was girl, boy, girl). CL took precious time to spend with me and give me guidance on the nuances of being a wife.

Many pieces of her wisdom have stuck with me over the years but one in particular stands out... She reminded me that the purpose of the homemaker was to make the home a place of peace. When her husband came home from a long day of giving of himself in ministry, she did her best to have the house fairly tidy and some sort of food in progress. It was all for the goal of providing a place (and being a person) that is at peace. A peaceful home is a beautiful gift.

I strive to create a peaceful home. So many of you reminding me to not allow a two foot tall metal object to create a division between us... you guys were spot on. As I thought about it...Pete doesn't think it's beautiful. It doesn't add to his peace. So I'm removing it.

The cool news is...his idea (inspired by hearing all of your ideas) is to keep it for my craft items...in the room our friends and family stay in when they visit...where I keep my special chair...where Pete rarely goes. Yay, solved! Thanks for your help!

Love, Carra

Confession #27 - Trying to Learn a Weird Song

2011-10-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

Just this year, we added to our home school life - Classical Conversations. Actually it is misnamed, it should be Classical Silly Songs that Teach You Ridiculous Quantities of Information. I guess that's a little long, though. So we're learning some Latin, some English grammar rules, skip counting, science, music, art, history, etc. Notice I said "we." I am having to really apply myself to learn as much as I can to help the kiddos review and "get" this stuff. It is not easy! But fun.

I am totally grateful for the program. I think doing it independently would not be *impossible* but just keeping up with the program that has already been put together it challenging. One thing I am really trying to get a handle on is the memorization of the entire of history (Biblical and secular mixed together) from Creation to Modern America.

I found some songs on youtube that we started using. Then my friend SC found this one. Great 80's/90's vibe. So if you hear me humming "We Didn't Start the Fire," I'm probably singing about about the unification of upper and lower Egypt under Pharaoh Menes. Love, Carra

Confession #26 - Politics, Religion, & Scouts

2011-10-26T02:30:00.000-07:00

I don't know why ...but a certain friend seems to think that working for a library and being a Girl Scout is not the coolest resume of young adulthood. What do I say to that? .....yuh huh!!!

I was a Girl Scout from first grade through graduation. I received just about every award offered including the Gold Award which is the highest award offered to Girl Scouts. I then became a leader for a troop at my former elementary school, for my sister's troop and then sporadically volunteered off and on for years. I loved being a Girl Scout. I wouldn't trade those experiences, the friendships I made (and still have) for anything.

But... looking ahead for my little girls...after some research... decided that we really didn't want to stay with the Girl Scouts anymore. ...for two primary reasons:

God has been really put to the side. I was asked not to be outward about my beliefs way back when I was in high school working at a camp. This sweet little brownie asked why people go to church. I wanted to share but I didn't. At that time, I didn't really know how to explain faith and I was concerned I would get in trouble with the leadership. I pray for that little girl (now adult woman) that someone less intimidated than I - explained to her how to know God.
The larger organization is a little too cozy with the pro-choice movement. I don't want to get political (and I don't want my girls character building organization to get political either). If you know me, you know I place a high value on babies. I love what my friend CA tells her young sons, "God made you bigger and stronger so you can protect the weaker." (Girl, I am so using that!) You know I have lost two babies to miscarriage and feel extremely grateful for the children God has given us. And we chose our means of birth control based on our pro-life beliefs.

An aside: I've read several sources, but here is one that emphasizes my prime issues. It is a Catholic site and you probably know I'm protestant. But I find I often align well with the Catholic pro-life stand.

So we opted for the newer organization called American Heritage Girls. I love AHG. It is a publicly Christian club for girls age 5 and up. The girls are not required to be Christian, but all the leaders are must sign a statement of faith and pass a background check. I can unabashedly express my faith and touring planned parenthood is not listed an acceptable field trip for elementary school girls. Here's a comparison of the two organizations.

So, this is my American Heritage Girl. We're doing weaving, beading, learning the flag ceremony, going Christmas caroling at a nursing home, going camping, singing ridiculous songs and all the great stuff that was really fun when I was a young girl.

I wish the Girl Scouts were the same as I remember them almost 30 years ago when I got my Brownie pin. But gratefully there are alternatives like AHG. And I confess, I am having a blast doing the "Strut Miss Lucy" again!

Love, Carra

Confession #25 - More preppy-ness

2011-10-25T05:30:00.000-07:00

I have confessed my love of the natural makeup. Now I need to share my toes with you. My friend SC is creeped out by feet. I kinda like feet. Not the super smelly kind, but a standard clean foot is fine by me. If you don't want to read about my feet, you may want to read elsewhere today.

You should know by now that I am picky about random things. I am super picky about my bed. It has to be made daily. If it have a wrinkle in the sheets when I lay down, I will get up in the middle of the night to straighten it out. Yes, I know... poor Pete.

Well I also need to keep my toenails neat and my feet smooth. I use a pumice stone in the shower, lotion afterward and regularly file down and paint my toenails. If I feel a "rough spot"on my toenail in the night, I will get up and file it to smooth. Yes, I know...poor Pete.

Did you catch that I paint my toenails? I just don't feel pretty (even if no one sees them) if my toenails are not painted. But there are chemicals in those polishes (not to mention the smell)!

I'm so excited - for about five years I've been using Honeybee Gardens natural nail polish. These are a water-based polish. I love them for the fact that I can paint my toenails indoors (Pete used to ask me to go outside when I used mainstream polishes). I have enjoyed being able to "girly-fy" my little ladies even when they were really young.

Quality: I have tried several colors over the years. Some do better than others. My favorite is "Desire" which is a nice deep, pure red. Mocha latte is a cool color but doesn't last very long. Fairy dust is almost clear, so we've switched to Valentine (very pink). Hippie Chick is a great bright lavender/purple - a true win for the 3 to 7 year olds (or the 36 year old on a bold day). I've bought them from various places. Sales vary so pick your colors and then just Google search your favorite online stores.

About my natural makeup...And I discovered that Buff Natural Nail Salon has no link to their makeup line on their website. They really sell it! If you're in the Triad, NC - it's definitely worth a look. They will do a "try it out" makeover thing for free but definitely call for an appointment!

Love, Carra

Confession #24 - Not looking for the fountain of youth

2011-10-24T02:00:00.000-07:00

My grandmother has cancer. Doctors gave her a life expectancy of 6 months to live. That was getting close to two years ago. Hospice was brought in for over a year, but has now stepped out. Because she has Alzheimer's, the docs cannot do a followup scan (couldn't get her to understand that she would need to be still) and we certainly do not want to put her under (what little function she has could be lost).

So this unknown cancer, two bouts with breast cancer (result: double mastectomy) and this is my grandmother. Heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and a host of other ills run through my family in addition to cancer.

The more I read and research, the more convinced I am that our eating, our environment, our use of chemical drugs are a big part of our illnesses. There are many days I would just rather take Motrin for my headache. But the causes are probably poor diet, dehydration, exhaustion and hormones. I can "fix" a lot of that but there is the 15 minute "fix" that is so tempting.

So why do I pursue this natural stuff?
I don't want to live forever. I look forward to the day of my Savior's return. I am grateful that Christ has rescued me from all my failures and being with Him is the prize now and at the end of my life.

But what am I here for? I want to have the energy and strength to do all the things He has called me to. I want to be strong and feel well. I want to have energy for my kiddos. I want to give my children a good health basis for life. I want to grow old. I want to grow old with strength and clarity.

I think medical research has given us a wonderful array of options. But don't discount the wonderful array of options offered by natural medicine. Prevention, not cure is the best approach. There is a lot out there that's way off and weird and sells you products instead of educating you about issues. But there's really good information out there too.

Two places I'll recommend:
1. Dr. Mercola. He does sell products on his site (and we have bought a couple of them) but he does an excellent job of responding to current studies and brings well documented research to bear. He has a free newsletter that I receive couple of times a week. I don't always read them (don't have the time). But when I see a topic that interests me, I go ahead and check into it.

2. Grassroots Health. Here's an excerpt about prevention of breast cancer (you can imagine why this one caught my eye):

Breast Cancer Prevention Month Initiated by GrassrootsHealth

GrassrootsHealth is changing the current Breast Cancer Awareness Month to Breast Cancer Prevention Month with a focus on taking action to prevent breast cancer with vitamin D testing and education.

"It's time to take action, women are already fully aware of breast cancer and its consequences," says Carole Baggerly, director of GrassrootsHealth. "When you can project that fully 75 percent of breast cancer could be prevented with higher vitamin D serum levels, there is no justification for waiting to take preventive measures such as getting one's vitamin D level up to the recommended range of 40-60 ng/ml (100-150 nmol/L)."

According to Dr. Cedric F. Garland of the Moores Cancer Center and the UCSD School of Medicine:

"This will potentially be the most important action ever conducted toward prevention of breast cancer. The more women who participate in this study, the greater the chance that we will defeat breast cancer within our lifetimes."

Women across the world are invited to enroll in a 5-year Breast Cancer Prevention Study initiated by GrassrootsHealth. To be eligible to enroll, you must be at least 60 years of age and have no current cancer. A free vitamin D home test kit will be provided for the first 1,000 women to enroll. The study aims to fully demonstrate health outcomes of vitamin D serum levels in the range of 40-60 ng/ml (100-150 nmol/L) and will examine the occurrence of breast cancer among a population of women 60 and over who achieve and maintain a targeted vitamin D serum level in the bloodstream. In addition to breast cancer prevention, short-term effects of vitamin D such as hypertension, falls, colds and flu will also be tracked. More information can be found at www.grassrootshealth.net.

I take vitamin D regularly. It helps with kicking colds now, hopefully cancer later.
Love, Carra

Confession #23 - Naturally Sleepy

2011-10-23T02:00:00.000-07:00

So you probably realize by now that I have three children. I home school. I teach them lots of things. The first number they learn is the number eight.

I like to have a quiet house before 8:00 a.m. On Saturdays (and some Thursdays) I like to sleep until 8:00 a.m. Most mornings I have my time with the Lord between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. If the house is "awake" it's a challenge for me to read the Bible and prayer journal.

The first number my children learned was the 8 as displayed on a digital clock. I told Faith when she was around 3 years old that she could get up at 8:00 in the morning.

At 2:38 a.m. I heard a little voice declaring that it was eighty clock and she was getting up.

So I found some masking tape.... and here you go....

Now I will need to do a little reconditioning as we're learning to tell time. Good thing I home school!

Love, Carra

Confession #22 - Trying not to Stink

2011-10-22T03:00:00.000-07:00

Since puberty, I've had this reoccurring issue. It's called sweat.

Research has shown a correlation between aluminum and Alzheimer's. So deodorant / antiperspirant with aluminum is not an option for me. (Alzheimer's has occurrences on both sides of my family - no extra risks!)

So what's a girl to do to arm herself against stinky-ness? (pun intended)

I was doing some random research and googled, "Have you ever used toothpaste as deodorant?" Some yahoo answers guy replied, "No, but I've used deodorant as toothpaste!"

I was talking with my sister one day and told her about the funny yahoo answers guy. She laughed, then stopped and said, "you're serious?"

Yep, I've never used deodorant as toothpaste, but I have used toothpaste as deodorant.

Dentarome has been the most effective (albeit somewhat pricy). You can only get this from Young Living Essential Oils. However it only takes a tiny bit. It also leaves you nice and minty fresh. LOL!

I have bought some basic salt toothpaste made by Welda which is about half the cost. I alternate between the two but Dentarome is what I make sure I have on for important occasions. I have tried homemade kinds. I used to use some made by some Amish friends. But there is some component of it that gets on my clothes and stains. So unless I'm just working around the house in clothes I don't really care about... My choice is toothpaste.

In fact, I'm wearing some right now...

Love, Carra

Confession #21 - I'm a Diva (periodically)

2011-10-21T04:59:00.000-07:00

If you are a guy and have found your way to my post today, may I invite you to surf elsewhere? I mean, if you are totally fascinated by the cyclical nature of women and the products they use... be my guest. But don't say I didn't warn you!

So you know I've shared about our natural birth control, natural makeup, etc. Continuing along the vein of natural "personal life" -- I want to tell you about the most amazingly cool invention for women!! - the Diva cup!

A while back I was happily using always, kotex and their cousins every month for a week. My friend CB said she had started using all natural tampons and said they were great. That was a good reminder to pay attention to that area downstairs. I already used 7th Generation diapers on the bottoms of my babies because of the bleach, etc. I hadn't really thought about what I was using with all those chemicals. So I bought some and switched.

Happily I was using my natural tampons during the day and wore and 7th gen overnight pad for the night. I just didn't feel comfortable with wearing a tampon through the night because you could get TSS and die. I've been trained well to avoid that.

So last year my friend DC emails me and mentions, "you probably already use this but..." and referenced the "Diva." I had read about it a bit but never knew anyone who actually used one. So I was skeptical. Well DC is as hardcore Diva as I am about essential oils so her enthusiasm rubbed off on me. I researched it, selected the appropriate size, ordered one and waited. It took a while since I was still nursing Zade.

Well, I'm on my fifth cycle since his birth. I know exactly how many cycles, how long, etc. because of using FAM. The first one was a little weird. You mean, I can leave this thing in like 8 hours??? Yes you can! It's not like a tampon so it's not holding the "stuff" next to your "areas." It's actually letting everything flow out, just catching it right before the "exit."

You only have to empty it twice a day (but I do three times just because I'm curious). And you can sleep in it! And it is as easy as a tampon. And it cost $20! And you don't need anything else!!! I wear a liner when I work out or I know I'll be moving around a lot. Other than that - I really don't leak. I used to spend $20 every couple of months for the various pads and tampons. What a huge cost savings!!! So ladies, are you ready to try the Diva Cup? I am. Really, I am right now. Now that's a confession!

Love, Carra

Confession #20 - I rested on a Thursday

2011-10-20T14:59:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I realize I am desperately tired. Sometimes Pete notices that I am desperately tired. I remember Sundays as a child. We got up, went to church, came home and ate a big lunch with one of my sets of grandparents. I don't remember doing much else. Maybe driving over to visit some older friend of the family. Played outside, read books, played with Barbies.

It has changed so much. Sundays have just gotten so....busy. There have been weeks on end where I just "had to" work. The house was a mess and needed help, hopelessly behind on laundry, programs to get the kids to, snacks to prepare, ministry stuff to do. Well it has been a while since I've had any semblance of a "day of rest." I usually think, well, this Sunday I'll really try to get everything done on Saturday so I can really have a day of rest. If it doesn't happen, well better luck next week.

Well today I got up feeling like I was walking through mud. I cleaned out the van yesterday because I was horrified by the idea of someone seeing the mess to find the spare. I had a flat tire yesterday at UNCG but gratefully parking services was able to inflate it to I could get home. Whew, near miss.

So when I got home, I started cleaning out the van. The contents of the van are in my kitchen. The contents of the leftovers to put back in storage from the Fall Retreat are in my hallway. The contents of outreach materials for the next round of campus events are in my den.

So Pete said this morning, let's take thsi day of rest. We had already canceled our regular staff meeting because we all worked the whole weekend with Fall Retreat.

Rest? on a Thursday? with the house looking like this? Somehow God gave me a peace about it (and the heart to submit to my husband). It has been lovely. I made brownies. I fell asleep on the couch. We all read together as a family. We canceled homeschool for the day. Scandalous... and desperately needed.

Now maybe I have the energy to tackle the mess of clutter of items entering and exiting my home...but not until...tomorrow.

Love, Carra

Confession #19 - Effects of Working at the Library

2011-10-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

I picked the 19th on purpose to save for this post since I began working at the library when I was only 19. Wow. Those were some crazy times and some awesome times. I wish I could easily put my hands on the photos (not digital). Alas... Here are just a few of the effects of nearly a decade of working for a public library...

1. I discovered I enjoy eating broccoli, tomatoes and apples (although not at the same time). Each of this foods were introduced to me while I was extremely hungry and felt I had no choice bit eat or die of starvation. (remember I was a late teenager when I began working there so drama still hung around a bit LOL). Each was offered from a friend (and co-worker) at the library. Who knew, healthy eating?

2. My vocabulary widened a ton. Some highlights? Wunderbar! (who knew I would be later marrying into a predominately German family?, mishugina (Jewish term for crazy, was a nickname for a co-worker...fairly accurate). I also incorporated snafu for a while until I learned what it stood for. ....oops!

3. I learned how to put together a costume. I got to dress like Captain Hook, a unicorn from Harry Potter and Austin Powers for various Halloween and book events. Now I know, ...you are beginning to wonder about your friend....

4. Learned how to write a grant, how much coffee to make for 180 people, how to care for, transport, set up and teach from a mobile laptop lab. I learned I had some good ideas and I learned that there were people who encouraged me to try. BTW, we did get that grant!

5. Learned you could have some of the best buddies and work yourself so extremely hard and for not the ideal paycheck (it was a government job in the 90's/00's after all) and be totally jazzed about work the next day. I love my life now. Wouldn't trade it! *And* loved my library life!

Love, Carra
P.S. - I already knew how to properly pronounce the word "library" not "lie-berry."

Confession #18 - Fresh Produce?

2011-10-18T19:16:00.001-07:00

Maybe it's third kid syndrome.
Maybe it's a lazy mama.
Or maybe...
Here's little man hanging out with me while I peel some potatoes I just got in my CSA from Faucette Farms. I know they are organic. But I wouldn't let him gnaw on even just any organic veggie. That's what I love about knowing where my food comes from (literally, I've seen their fields). If you haven't pursued a CSA or other local (organic or no sprays) farm, I highly recommend it.
It may seen like summer (and fresh produce) is behind us, but if you live in the south, you really will have fresh produce year-round. In fact, one of my favorite powerhouse foods is grown even in the dead of winter here. I'll share how my sister-in-law taught me to make kale chips once that delightful green starts showing up in my bag.
And if you are really going natural, follow Zade's example and just grab a raw potato and have at it! I prefer mine cooked with sea salt and real butter.
Love, Carra

Confession #17 - When I blog...

2011-10-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

Email can be guilt. I don't feel like I have time. But when I see three crock pots on the stove, I get inspired. Before you know it, I grab my phone, snap a photo, attach it to an email, text a bit, and boom - blog post. I blog a lot when I'm waiting for something. It's as easy as texting. So I begin typing random thoughts into my phone and later...they just might become a blog post! :-)

Example:
I just washed my face, sprayed colloidal silver on it (my face) and thought about my friend Casey. She had just told me about this idea. I'm going to spray silver on my face with the hopes of controlling hormone-induced breakouts. I just tried it for the first time so I'll have to get back with y'all in a few months about my experience with effectiveness.

So that's the deep and detailed version of my process of blogging. Random idea + random photo (if possible) + random musings. Hope you're enjoying the ride!

Love, Carra

Confession #16 - When in doubt, I rub it with oil!

2011-10-17T06:25:00.000-07:00

OOOOPPPPSS!- I did this post yesterday but realized this morning that I pressed "save" instead of "post" so here's yesterday's post and I'll post today's a little later.

I have a crazy cabinet full of supplements, remedies and medical assessment equipment of various sorts. However for most things I usually put some sort of oil on it. Essential oils are amazing. Coconut oil is amazing. So I don't always check the books of what is recommended. If it hurts, burns, itches, puffs up, prickles, tickles or tingles....I put oil on it and almost always tea tree or eucalyptus. If there is any openness in the wound I dollop it with coconut oil.

It usually works. If at first it doesn't succeed, I'll go read the directions.

Love, Carra
P.S. - I purposefully waited to post today with the hopes that you would comment on my weird piece of art that I blogged about yesterday. I really would love to know what you think of this thing!

Confession #15 - Marital Conflict

2011-10-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, things are not always rosy in our marriage. One thing that I tell our students who are headed toward nuptials, that you will have conflict (fights, issues, disagreements). One thing our Sunday school teachers in our newlywed class told us 10 years ago has certainly held true... You only fight about three things or so. The same three things will continue to resurface in different ways.

One of our issues is about sentimental items. Pete has sentimental things that fit into boxes under our bed or on the shelf in his office. I have sentimental furniture. I have a chair - a pretty big chair that was my grandparents. It doesn't quite match anything. I've tried recovering it but it was one of my first projects and complicated and didn't turn out so well. But we have it. I want to keep it. Conflict settled but it will be back later.

Another item is this one in the picture. It's the four tiered cast iron thing sitting on the table. By the way, the cream urn thing is a water dispenser so that the girls can get filtered water easily. It belonged to my grandparents on my mom's side. The sad thing is - it's not really sentimental. I just like it. But Pete doesn't like it. We have agreed to accept input on the thing from you guys - our blog family of sorts.

Is is cool or just old?
Would you paint it?
What would you use it for?
Is it an indoor or outdoor object?
Do you think it is in the right place?

Love,
Carra

Confession #14 - Too much!

2011-10-14T13:21:00.001-07:00

I just don't have time to blog today! Between coming off a stomach bug, Fall Retreat and the ***Father-Daughter Dance*** I just don't have time to blog a confession.
Here is one "daughter" getting her curls on. I made them the old-timey way. Take a 1.5 inch by 6-8 inch cotton rag. These are made of an old sheet. Take a small clump of hair and wrap the hair to the ends, then roll downward toward the scalp. Tie a single overhand "knot" and there you go... rag rollers! I'll try to post a follow up after tomorrow.
I did think of a great take on an old phrase,
"Oh what a tangled web we weave, when we overcommit and try to achieve"
See what I mean when I said I just didn't have time to blog today?
Love,
Carra

Confession #13 - Slow cookin' - life's little joys

2011-10-13T08:29:00.001-07:00

I'm crock pot obsessed. Do you see in photo that I have not one, not two...but three crock pots running simultaneously?

I'm not picky about my rice, so one has brown rice. The next has a roast bought from my local farmers' market. The third (on the stove) has black beans.
Black bean soup is awesome! My children eat it plain, with cheese, with tortilla chips and sometimes rice. It has got to be one of my favorite super easy, super cheap go-to lunches (and it has starred as dinner too!).

Black Bean Soup
(this is a take off from a recipe of a lady I worked with back in my days at the library - yep I worked for a library system for almost 10 years. Next week you'll hear more about what happens in the stacks). Here's my version:

Half a pound of dried black beans
Fist full of leeks (onions if you must LOL)
Two cans of tomatoes (or if you are blessed with family that cans or you can your own veggies, put in one quart jar of home canned, home grown tomatoes)
1/2 tsp of basil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne (more if you're daring)
Cover in a big crock pot and cook on low overnight. Your house will smell yum in the morning! Add some salt to your taste preference.

My favorite? Scooped into a bowl with a dollop of sour cream and a scandalous amount of diced local vine-ripe tomatoes and a few tortilla chips crushed over the top. My daughters like to have it with cheese on top and scoop it up with blue corn torilla chips. Many days (like the last few I've had a stomach bug) my hubby is just excited I made food!

Love, Carra

Confession #12 - Frugal and picky

2011-10-11T20:48:00.001-07:00

So if I were just frugal, I would use the whole loaf of bread (even the heels) for toast and sandwiches.
But I'm also picky. I don't like heels for toast and sandwiches. But I don't want to be wasteful.

So what can I do? Make breadcrumbs! As we use up loaves, I pop the leftovers into the freezer. Once I run out of room in our freezer door, I take out all the bread pieces and lay them out to "dry."

Once there's not the concern of condensation, I pull out the food processor. Blending this "day old bread per se provides nutritional boost to my meatballs (it is soaked whole wheat sourdough sold by a lady at my local farmers' market after all). And these bread crumbs make my fish crunchy and delicious.

I store my breadcrumbs in the freezer so they're fresh long term. Still promising by the end of this week...natural product for you "punctuation" as Heavenly Homemakers puts it.
Love,
Carra

Confession #11 - Birth Control, part two

2011-10-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I shared my story of discovering that birth control pills could be an abortafacient. If you don't have strong pro-life positions, that may not be a problem to you. For me, it was definitely something I didn't want to have to wonder about.

Since I've been pregnant, healing from miscarriage, pregnant, healing from miscarriage, pregnant, healing from birth and nursing....I haven't had to consider my options for "not getting pregnant" for quite some time. But on one of our last visits, I asked my midwife what would be a good option. She suggested Fertility Awareness Method.

FAM IS NOT natural family planning (NFP), but it has some similarities (another post with more details here). I bought the book ($20 which is a lot for my book budget) and printed out some blank tracking sheets. Let me just say, I have been having periods for over twenty-five years, birthed three children and lost two others. But in the two weeks it took me to read this book, I learned more about my fertility and cycles than all the rest of my life and experiences!

The program is not hard. You take your temperature and you pay attention to what your body is doing. It's just a habit. The first two months were not habits and it was really annoying trying to remember to take my temperature before getting up. But once I got the hang of it - no problem!

And since I learned that I'm only truly fertile a few days a month, we can make choices that don't involve fear or worry about the consequences. Now no birth control is 100% but if you take the time to learn it, pay attention and track it, it is a fabulous alternative to the standard birth control pill. FAM has also been a huge benefit to those trying to conceive a baby. Since you "tune in" to your fertile time you can tell when (or even if) you ovulate.

I have recommended it to single non sexually active friends and family (female only of course) to begin tracking just to clue into the curious workings of the woman's cycle. To know your body well enough to predict your period, etc.-- that's a pretty powerful tool. Speaking of cycles, later this week...oh yeah, natural ...ahem...y'know... :-)

Love, Carra

Confession #10 - Birth Control, part one

2011-10-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

My Pill Testimony:

I took birth control pills for several months early in our marriage (10 plus years ago). I gained some weight and felt bloated most of the time. But we didn’t want kids (at the time) and so I did it.

Pete had just started a new job and became friend with a guy named Rick. Rick (who boldly brings up personal topics) brought up the subject of us using birth control. He challenged Pete to research the pill and pray about finding the truth about the dangers of the pill. We first dismissed it.

But after a while we finally checked into it. I found and read the actual clinical summary published by the pharmaceutical company that produced my “pill.” Way down the article was one small line that changed everything about my perspective toward birth control pills.

It was a tiny phrase that (sorry I can’t remember the actual wording). It said sthat the function of the pill did all these things to suppress ovulation, thin mucus, etc. But it also said that in the event of fertilization, it would prevent implantation. That’s what got me….If we were to accidentally create a life (fertilization), this pill would prevent implantation (in essence, aborting it). A cold chill went down my spine as I thought about what might have happened in my body. I never took another pill.

The next time I went to my OB practice I asked about the pill. One of the gynecologist confirmed that they were a pro-life practice. I somewhat challenged him with my questions about the actual mechanics of it. He finally said, “…it only matters if you’re a purist.” ...and I decided that I am.

We decided to use condoms for the time we are most likely fertile. Yes they cost money, but my hormones were mine again and we only had to use them when were “together” rather taking something all the time. --- And it gave us peace of mind.

Just recently I have found the Fertility Awareness Method and I’m sooo excited. That means for a good chunk of my life I can freely experience being married w/o fear or guilt. In love, I ask you to consider it.

www.tcoyf.com.

Tomorrow more birth control confessions and how the Fertility Awareness Method is awesome!

Love, Carra

Confession #9 - Labeling Lunacy

2011-10-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love a good label. Here are a couple of examples of the extreme home labeling (I could have a reality show).

So this photo is our "medicine cabinet." We have a small quantity of herbs, homeopathic meds, colloidal silvers, supplements and diagnostic equipment. No, it's not neat, but it is moderately organized and certainly labeled!

The top shelf is extra floradix (found on sale - that vitamin is expensive!) and raspberry, mint and various other tea leaves (bought in bulk because it's cheaper).

Here are my spices. Did you know you can buy organic spices from Earthfare in bulk? You can purchase spices in small glass jars (avg $6 each) or from the prepackaged baggies (avg $3 to $4 each). But you can save significantly by scooping your own (avg. $2 each). Tip: at least at Earthfare, those are in the kept on supplements aisle.

I bought two flats (12 each) of these one cup jars and lids for about $12. (and yes, these little jars are in alphabetical order). So you can use organic spices in all your cooking, consider buying in bulk (alphabetization optional :-)

Love, Carra

Confession #8 - Fungus in the fridge

2011-10-08T06:00:00.001-07:00

So this is how our fridge looks most of the time. I cleaned up the WHOLE kitchen to take photos of the completed renovation.

However we are now in confession time and this is our reality. It used to be worse, but I've moved most of our magnets to the deep freezer in the laundry room. Some friends have a lot of stuff on their refrigerators but somehow it looks whimsically full. I think ours (at least in this photo) looks a mess.

But I digress... The fungus.

We bought this fridge for $50, maybe $100 - I don't remember at the time. It was during one of my recent pregnancies. Anyway... it was an amazing deal left over from an insurance claim. It has fire damage. Just a tiny bit and we really don't care about a little discoloration. You see the front of it, shouldn't that point be obvious? LOL!

So the fridge was a deal but it had to sit in a warehouse for while during the whole insurance claim part. When we received it, we cleaned it really well inside and out. And of course we replaced the water filter. We have a more substantial water filter for the water we drink daily, but for guests and ice - wanted to provide fresh water.

After a friend clued us into the strange taste, we started periodically tasting the water to see if it was improving. No. The water was getting worse and worse. My dad likes ice in his beverage (Diet Dr. Pepper) but he actually put the ice into a sealed ziplock bag inside his glass so the "whang" from the fridge ice wouldn't damage his drink.

So he (my dad) and Pete (my husband :-) took out various tubes and cleaned them, they removed this part at the back of the fridge...nasty water prevailed. ...until last spring...our deep freezer died. We called an appliance repair person to come and take a look. They declared it more expensive to repair than the purchase of a new one. As long as we had to pay the fee for coming out, we asked about the yucky fridge water. He took a look inside the fridge and asked if we had replaced the reservoir tank.

Nope, didn't know it existed. He said we could probably order it online and replace it ourselves., Generous guy. Anything else outside of family appliance repair ability, we're calling him :-) I'd tell you his name, but he might in trouble with his company. So Pete researched online, found this thing the size of a child's shoebox, replaced it and yee haw... you can drink the water!

It's a little gross and embarrassing to know the fungus flavored water existed in our home for so long. When your children run over the any guests and say, "no, don't get that ice! that water is yucky!" for over a year.

But.... new filter, new reservoir, I left my children put the ice directly into their hot soup....it's ok...if I offer you a beverage....it should taste fine :-)

Love, Carra

Confession #7 - I can't spell or type

2011-10-07T05:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am trying to be a "real" as possible and let you see the truth of my communication skills. I am a really porr typicst. I told myself that i would not use the back key or spell checj. Alas, here is the truth. i am a really poor speller too, I am so depemdent on my children. Now some of hte ther these mishtakes are jst that i am a poor typist but if i tried to spell som e of my challenfing words like nauseous or wow - i did it! or perpendsicti, not even gonna try.... LOL!

Anyway - if there wa were no computersor internet,m i'm not sure what kind ogf horrible communicator or holeschooler i would nbe. i remember being a kid and sasking my mom... how does a camera work? she knew! gracie asks me how a camera works, i find a video using google.

i think i did used to know how to spell better. when i write a letter using a pen and parchment LOL - I often sit at my computer adn look up words to make sure i'm spoelling them properly.

well there it is....embarassing...LOL as i see the red scquill - squiggly lines everywhere!!!

may this bring a laugh to your day!

Love, Carra (at least I can still spell my nme!)

Confession #6 - My House Stinks

2011-10-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Really stinks? well... yeah sometimes it does.

One time we had a student come over and say, "Wow your house smells like Earthfare!"
I'm not sure if that's good or bad. She said it was a good smell. I guess so.

We gave up using scented "stuff." No scented candles, no scented garbage bags, and definitely no air freshener. I could buy some natural air freshener from Earthfare, but I don't really like my choices (remember my confessions of pickyness?)

So to make my house more "odorly" inviting, I try to clean with Shaklee cleaners. They are all natural, lasts forever (well a long time) and have a pleasant smell.

Also I spray tea tree oil in our trash cans to keep them smelling better.

If I want a real pleasant smell, I cook something with cinnamon. Since I make our granola lightly cinnamon-ed, that helps most weekdays.

So if you want to make your own "scent" for your house, try this:

"Make my House Smell Nice - Naturally"
Inexpensive Spray bottle
Essential oils you find pleasant
My favorite one is 5 drops of peppermint, 5 drops of Bergamot (citrus)
About 1.5 cups of water.

The beauty of this recipe is that you can vary it as much as you like. I'm also really fond of vanilla but it's not a good house-scent because it makes me want to eat cake.

Is that like a double confession?? Probably!

Love, Carra

Confession #5 - Preppy Granola

2011-10-05T05:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is big....this is me with no makeup. I know the makeup / no makeupis not terribly dramatic. But it sure is to me. I wish I didn't care as much, butI really do. Alas....I am a preppy granola chick.

So the first picture was taken at 7 am when I got back from spin class. After a shower and makeup (I didn't have time to dry my hair so it's just pulled back), I snapped the second picture.

I do love my natural, local makeup! It comes from a natural (and high end) nail salon inGreensboro called "buff." I had great coupon for a basic manicure or I would have never gone in there.

The makeup is called staus. It's a mineral makeup, natural and madelocally!! You can go in to do a try-on which is nice, fun& girly. They do sell online and they will do exchanges if you get an offcolor. The prices are cheaper than most. $20 for foundation. Blush& eye shadow are $15 or $17 and last forever. I've had to buy morefoundation but it lasts and lasts.

So unless you are in my spin class at 6am or drop by the house right beforeI go to bed --- you will find me with at least eyeliner. I confess....

Love, Carra

Confession #4 - Boy Body Parts

2011-10-04T04:21:00.000-07:00

I know you must be wondering....

We had a boy... Zadok (Zay-dock)...at home

It's a boy...Hebrew name...but you guys are ...all "natural"

So did you circumcise or not?

We are........leaving the boy intact.

Pardon if I don't add a picture LOL!

Love, Carra

Confession #3 - Cure for Mastitis

2011-10-03T05:30:00.000-07:00

Sugar drops immunity. I love sugar. Mastitis is a breast infection. Confession: So I eat a bunch of sugar and boom - mastitis! I've probably had mastitis about 10 times with the birth of Zade. I got it the first time when I was pregnant with Faith and thought I was going to fold and start on some serious pain killers. But gratefully God gave me the stamina and my midwife gave me the solution for healing.

So if you get mastitis (I hope you never do) or are pregnant or nursing and just eat really poorly, etc. you can also do this as a preventative. I've "felt the tinge" and took supplements before bed and felt completely well by morning.

Lecithin - One gel tab (big purple one)
Vitamin D - 2000 iu
Grapefruit Seed Extract - Two capsules
Garlic - One capsule

And lay off of sugar completely for three days! That's the hardest part for me.

Love, Carra

Confession #2 - Laundry

2011-10-02T05:30:00.000-07:00

I would choose to do just about any other household chore other than laundry. I realize that food is also just "passing through" but there's something particularly futile about laundry.

I do know what to do. If I go right away and put away the one load out of the dryer, I would have no laundry backup. I do that sometimes, but mostly....I keep doing whatever I was already up to. I do have the girls put their own clothes away. Gracie does 100%, Faith puts the clothes that I fold into her drawers and hangs the clothes (that I put on hangers) into her closet. Pete will jump in there when I'm just overwhelmed.

Speaking of laundry.....At least I don't have to worry about running out of laundry detergent. I bought a five gallon bucket of Charlie's Soap over a year ago. Here it is under the counter in the laundry room. It is still over half-way full. If you're looking for a natural laundry detergent on the cheap - this is your stuff! You can also use it as dishwasher powder. However, if you have soft water, it will foam too much. I learned this when I created a flowing stream of suds out of the dishwasher while on vacation. The maintenance guy said, please use the powder we provide. ....ok

I choose many other things to do before the laundry. Right now, there are three baskets that are sitting in my bedroom. ....and I'm blogging about it LOL!

Love, Carra

Confession #1 - Not as natural as you may think

2011-10-01T06:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, I just wanna get this out there. I'm a bipolar granola mommy. Ilove sugar. I particularly love chocolate.
Natural side: I make my own chocolate syrup that I regularly enjoy with ouryummy raw milk. How? Well, I'll tell you...

Chocolate Syrup

Half a cup of cocoa
Half cup water
Half cup of sweetener (honey,rapadura sugar or a combination)
One tablespoon of sorghum molasses
Pinch of salt.

1. Combine in a medium pot (fancy recipe people would say saucepan...I call it a pot).
2. Use a whisk to mix everything together.
3. Cook over mediumheat. Stir pretty constantly or you'll burn the yummyness.
4. Once it comes to arolling boil (gently puffing up as it boils, stir really well for about onemore minute. Take if off the burner and let it cool off.
5. After it cools, pourit into a jar and keep refrigerated.

Add to whatever you like some chocolate on. Note: if youuse 100% honey to sweeten, it will have a honey taste. The molasses helpsthrough.It makes a fabulous chocolate milk!

Confessions of my NOT so natural side: so there are some serious weaknesses in myresolve...a bakery called Delicious near us - wow amazing - they make a classicyellow cake with a fudge icing...yum. Some of my otherweaknesses include the milkshakes from Chick-fil-A, iced lattes from Java K's Coffee house, and giradelli semisweetchocolate chips right out of the package.

So there you have my first confession. I make my own cereal, eat veggiesfrom a CSA, grind my own wheat.......and.......eat every crumb of that piece of cake.

Love, Carra

My New Kitchen!!!

2011-09-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

It's finally here! So I love to watch the makeover shows like on HGTV. One thing they don't show you is how long it takes to do the last pieces and CLEAN UP! Crazy! I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned to make sure all the renovations could shine. Well, I have to say now that I have taken the photos, I can get back to way we "really" live LOL!

Just a quick rundown of the kitchen makeover. The before pictures show a number of older appliances. The only appliance we bought brand new was the dishwasher. The stove was a used one, the fridge was used and there's a confession coming up about that!

Summary of changes (almost all was done by Pete):

Moved refrigerator over to the opposite wall (plumbing: moving the water over for ice maker)
Moved tall cabinet from the wall where the fridge would be placed to the opposite wall. (switch-a-roo) This was tough because the cabinets were installed with nails, not screws. big nails. Big nails that we had to use a chisel to get to each nail head to pry it out with a crow bar (there were 18 nails in that cabinet!).
Built open shelves where the fridge used to be.
Added random miss-matched cabinets (some from my mom's work, some from Habitat restore, some re-purposed from other areas)
Pete built the largest cabinet (the peninsula one at the end from scratch)
Widened the doorway to the pantry for more access and light
Added cabinet above fridge which was actually a combination of two shorter cabinets that Pete connected and added trim to make look like one single cabinet.
Built doors for the cabinets that didn't have them or that didn't match the rest of the kitchen. I think he built maybe 8 new doors?
Chipped off the grayish tile backsplash.
Pete built this crazy-cool machine that creates a vortex cone to trap particles (like dust from sanding) and uses a shop vac to power it.
Sanded cabinets, sanded walls, sanded floor, sanded trim
Added an additional two receptacles to keep the house to code
Repaired, re-puttyed and sanded the walls.
Built new counter tops from plywood and added supports to a 12 inch overhang so we could still have a small eat-in bar type area.
Made backsplash boards for all the counters.
Covered or recovered all the counter tops with new laminate.
Everyone in our family spend time painting (I was painting cabinet doors while going into labor, and while I was in my resting time after birth, my mom, sister, dad, mother-in-law and who know who all else were painting second coats of paint.
Installed new doors on the pantry.
Pete and my dad installed a new garbage disposal because the old one suddenly began leaking straight out the side of it.
Pete installed a new sink spigot and handles. He wasn't able to do the garbage disposal at the same time because it didn't begin leaking until just a few weeks ago.
Attempted to level the floor from underneath the house using floor jacks. It was a lot of work but unfortunately didn't work and left a few extra cracks in the ceiling.
Pete sealed up a portion of the kitchen, wore a tyvex suit and scraped up a section of old floor tiles that were probably asbestos. It was a bout a 6 x 10 area. He sweated off several pound (not kidding)
Installed the new CORK FLOORS! Yay!
Installed new locks on the doors.
Installed a new range hood. Tried painting the old one, but it just looked awful.
I painted everything again LOL! Not really but I went back over the edges, painted the ceiling and painted the additional trim that Pete added.
I disassembled the ceiling fans and painted the brass parts a silver brushed satin.
I took off the door knobs of the two half doors that go into the kitchen and replaced them with smaller metal pulls. I also painted the pulls black (they were re-purposed from the doors that used to be in the living room that we took down.
Repaired the refrigerator.
There was probably not a surface that was not painted, sanded or scraped. We emptied the massive refrigerator multiple times (for repair, to fix the floor, install the cork, etc). My dining room was a "holding place" off and on for the whole 20 months we've been working on this.
I still need to make curtains and recover the seats on the bar stools.

See all the counter space???...and now?

the counter was only 17" wide to the right of the stove before we added four additional cabinets

Thanks for stopping by!
Love, Carra

Don't forget, tomorrow starts my 31 Day Fall Fun!

Montage of Kitchen Progress to the REVEAL!

2011-09-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

First four pictures are of how the kitchen was when we bought the house. The rest...memorable moments from the last (almost) two years of renovations.

Next...the REVEAL!

Love, Carra

31 Confessions of a Natural Mommy

2011-09-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the my first 31 day blog thing! So I've been really AWOL with blogging so I thought this would give me some serious boost to my blogging. Starting October 1, 2011 I will be (as God wills) blogging everyday for the entire month! I was inspired by Melissa at the inspired room and Well, she invited her reader's join her in writing 31 days of something - anything. Thirty-One days...one topic...everyday in October.

As I thought of what might be interesting as a topic for 31 days, I thought of all the random things that I just thought I would get "out there." Confession is good for the soul. So check back beginning Oct 1 to read and see (oh yes, I will show photos of our crazy life!) some of the things you may not know about our process of living naturally.

Interested in the topics coming? I plan to share about how this natural girl loves wearing makeup (and what kind I use), what I use for deodorant, my "time of the month," as well as some funny and curious things we do in our family.

Next Friday is the kick off. Hopefully by Monday I will have the "full deal" of our remodeled kitchen - at last!!! I have paint in my hair as I have painstakingly fixed about every edge in this who kitchen. And there are a lot of edges!

Hope you have a great weekend.

Confession - less than one (because 1 has to start Oct. 1) Well I just can't help myself. I'm sitting here sharing this blog post wearing a Turby wrap towel thing. It was a Christmas gift and I love it. I just tried to take a picture, but chickened out. I just had a shower so I'm helping my hair dry with my groovy wrap. Saves time and electricity because it takes less time with the hairdryer.

Love, Carra

Natural renovations... a reflection of life

2011-09-02T17:18:00.001-07:00

I know it's a little 80's... but don't ya see the potential? Pete's not so sure either. Right now campus stuff is just intense and very mentally & physically time-consuming. I think my desire the have a completion point draws me back to the bucket of paint.
What I am so excited about what God has allowed us to do with our lives is invest in college students. It is a priviledge (and a rush) to see lives transformed by the true Christ.
Most of my energy is spent handling behind-the scenes things & with Pete in a much expanded leadership role..."behind the scenes" is for a much bigger stage.
So what is it about random ugly pieces of furniture that draws me in?
1. I love watching something beautiful come about.
2. Unlike ministry, there is an end-point. Spiritual growth is unpredictable. But black paint will create black furniture. This provides balance in my life LOL!
3. It reminds me that perfection isn't everything. Each piece I redo has some "uniqueness." So far, I haven't found knobs I like and the thing no longer wants to shut all the way. I'll mess with it more later & see if I can remedy that.
Hope you enjoy a wonderful Labor Day!
Love Carra

Chair Renovation

2011-08-19T14:23:00.001-07:00

So while Pete has been upstairs making the kitchen look lovely, I've been working on a project that will hopefully improve our dark den.
Here is one of two IKEA chairs that I bought off craiglist for $20 total. They were in pretty bad shape (as you can see in the blue chair picture). They are only about $79 each new but I would rather save the $160, select the fabric I want and see how I would do in redoing a chair.
So the fabric I found on fabric.com (and got 15% off and 2% cash back from ebates) for about $25. I have enough for both chairs (I've only sewn one chair cover so far) and two throw pillows.
I spend a lot of time in our den (which is also homeschool room, student training room, staff meeting room, workout space, computer lab and game room (well, a shelf full of board games and a foosball table) - as well as a bedroom when my family visits and ironing room for the extremely rare occassions I actually iron something. So I want to have a functional space, but I have longed for a pretty space too. These chairs are another step in that direction.
Next step, a coat of all natural paint for these walls! But that's a post for another day ;)
Love, Carra

My Cork Floors!!!

2011-08-18T21:17:00.001-07:00

Right now even as I type this, my awesome husband is installing our new cork (yes, I said cork!) floors in the kitchen. We pretty much returned from Colorado, took a weekend trip 6 hrs away to Gatlinburg to celebrate a family birthday, hosted a three day staff planning time, took 22 students from UNC Greensboro to train them how to share about Christ and lead Bible studies --- all in two weeks!!!
So amid and amidst all that, pete scraped up the older flooring & began laying the new flooring.I currently have a refrigerator but no stove yet back in place. Can't wait to share the "after" pictures!
Love, Carrra

Confessions and resolutions

2011-07-31T18:34:00.001-07:00

So we are back from Colorado. Some thoughts as I return to a full sized house after living for six plus weeks in a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment.
1. We have too much stuff. Granted there were a number of things we missed (cooking equipment, certain toys, etc). However, we do not need nearly the quantities. So this week will be "pay it forward Salvation Army." We can fit more students with less clutter. It says in the Bible that if we're faithful with little, He will give us more. I just don't think that is a hoarding application.
2. We can keep to a solid schedule. Usually my schedule explodes on a weekly basis (that's why we only plan school four days a week). But we had three different places to be & managed to make it. It was good to expeience that and see the wisdom of "your day begins the night before." (flylady reference).
3. We consume too much sugar. I can hardly believe I'm the one (with Pete) that went sugar-free for two years. Now I'm just nutritionally bi-polar. I make my own soaked granola (I should post on that soon), drink filtered water, buy my veggies from our CSA....AND...I love milkshakes from chick-fil-a, mom's traditonal cake from Delicious, iced vanilla coffees, brownies, chocolate milk, etc. What is my deal?
So you sense my frustration as I look into the mirror of reality. This blog is about my natural journey. Well, my journey to the land weirdo natural people took a detour through candyland.
So I'm coming out with my truth. I'm not where I want to be householdwise, schedulewise and foodwise. But gratefully I can't do it alone. I've been talking to God about this. Tonight at dinner, Gracie reminded me that "all things are possible with Christ who strengthens me."
Love, Carra

2011-07-11T12:39:00.001-07:00

Interesting truth...my kid's traits that are most frustrating are the very ones I see in myself. So who should I try to "fix" 1st?

Natural and Frugal Traveling

2011-06-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

So we are in Colorado for six weeks. That's too short of a time to bring the whole world. That's too long of a time to live out of suitcases and eat off of disposables.

So my many years of diligent practice in thrift stores are paying off. The entire table set here has been purchased from Goodwill (no Salvation Army Family Store in Fort Collins) and yard sales. The tablecloth is actually a fabric shower curtain! I did purchase the food at a real grocery store LOL! My top five favorite finds have been:
5. The cool green napkins I found at Goodwill (I plan to take these home)
4. A tiny lamp that works as a nightlight that has a little brown elephant on it (also coming home with us)
3. Several long sleeved t-shirts that I just found a t Walmart for $2 each for the girls (organic cotton no less)
2. A VCR at a yard sale for $4 and a TV at Goodwill (27 inch behemoth) for $7 (cable is included no extra charge)
1. An "under the bed" plastic bin *filled* with clothes hangers (enough for all our clothes) for $1!

I miss blogging! I would say I was committing to blogging more frequently again, but I don't want to make promises I can't keep. I do have huge intentions of sharing lots of stuff. I still need to share about my natural make up, immune boosters, and what we are learning about lately. Thanks for visiting your sporadic blog poster!

Love, Carra

Ready to Drink Deeply

2011-05-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

We are getting ready to spend several weeks out in Colorado at the National Staff Conference. I realize spend a lot of my life thinking about feeding... feeding our family, feeding our staff, feeding our students (organic muffins, regular muffins and boxed brownies respectively LOL). I enjoy planning events and programs, mentoring young women and much of the other various activities of ministry. One think I don't spend much time doing is reflecting. I spend time reading my Bible and prayer journaling, but not a significant time examining and reflecting.

One thing I love about the conference (every other year) is the opportunity of be fed myself. To drink deeply of Christ and challenged to think deeply about Him.

One of the speakers coming is Francis Chan. I knew the name but never read any of his books or heard his talks. I just watched this video and it just reminded me of what I'm headed for.

It's a curious phenomenon.. to be really challenged and yet refreshed. But that is exactly what it is.

I'm thirsty. Bring it on.

Love, Carra

Dangerously Yummy Concoction

2011-05-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

I have been known to enjoy a good drink now and then... a coffee drink. I have a friend who drinks coffee black. Personally I prefer a little coffee in my cream and sugar. I remember even as a young girl (pre-age 11 but I can't remember any closer than that), I liked the taste of coffee.

Hardly a connoisseur, I would mix the decaf instant coffee with hot water, then add ridiculous amounts of sugar and milk. In my "library life" where I worked for almost 10 years, coffee became a part of my (every) week. There was this awesome, cooler than you coffee shop called Coffee Underground. It was literally under the street level under an Italian restaurant. They had a delicious ham and brie sandwich that was truly unparalleled. But I digress. CU introduced me to the dangerous concept of the flavored iced latte.

So years later, at least the "ham" part of ham and brie sandwiches are behind me. And the milk from the grocery store - well that's behind me as well. But a girl needs some yumminess in her life :-) That's where this concoction comes in.

A wonderful side benefit from raw milk is the cream. Cream so thick and rich that it pours like syrup. ...ahhhh yum. Well if you take some decaf coffee (brewed, not instant anymore LOL) and you add real cream (about one part coffee to two parts cream) you get a "raw milk latte." But the beautiful taste of the iced flavored lattes of Coffee Underground is the flavored part. My favorite flavor is vanilla. But I just can't do the pre-made syrups like they put in at coffee shops - corn syrup at the vary least are in those. So what's a latte-loving (yet granola-natural) girl to do? Make my own!

Natural Vanilla Syrup

Sweetener (one cup of honey or natural sugar)
Water (about 1/2 a cup)
Pure vanilla extract (tablespoon or so)
Vanilla bean specks (see below)

I'm currently soaking some vanilla beans to make extract. This will be my second time around so I happen to have vanilla beans around the house soaking in vodka tucked in the back of the pantry (needs to be dark). So I took a bean and opened it up and gently scraped out the vanilla specks from it into my syrup. It is so cool to look into your coffee and see the specks of real vanilla.

Anyway, bring the first three ingredients to a very low boil for about two minutes. Watch it carefully. Once it's all smooth, add the specks and vanilla extract.. Add to your latte and enjoy! I introduced my drink concoction to my staff team last week. Seems to be a hit. Bet you'll like it too!

Love, Carra

Taking things apart...naturally

2011-04-04T19:20:00.000-07:00

I know this may not seem very "natural" in terms of soaking grains, cloth diapering or wrapping mattresses. However, I want to make a case of the granola-ness of taking things apart.

Personal example: We have two vacuum cleaners. One we recently bought with a hepa filter for all the lead dust we are likely putting into the air as we remodel our 1962 house. The other we have had for 10 years (wedding gift from my parents).

The other week I was using the 10 year old vacuum when this horrible noise came out. I admit, it startled me and I screamed. When Pete came home I described the horrible noise to him. He went to investigate, turning the vaccum back on. I know I should have been prepared, but it scared me again (yes, I screamed again). Thought you might appreciate that :-)

Well, the vacuum seemed quite dead.... But then Pete took it apart. Though the vacuum is old after a bit of investigating, Pete was able to locate the broken part, ordered it, put it back together....all for under $20. See the cool chunk missing from the wheel of suction? I don't know the technical term, but wheel of suction just sounded cool.

I love what can be learned from taking things apart. Not everything can be fixed of course, but there's all kinds of options for repairing things that save us money, let us learn something and keep our landfills a little less "full."

And when things cannot be repaired (such as a broken cassette tape), we give them to Grace with a set of precision screwdrivers. She is diligent to take every bit apart and not let any of it go to waste...for example, here's what Zade would look like as a brunette.

Love, Carra

I'd Like to Introduce You to Someone...

2011-03-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

My friend and colleague Michelle shared a review of the book Imaginary Jesus (here). She shared on her blog about her own "imaginary Jesus" (here). I was inspired and wanted to share with you my own.

My imaginary Jesus was "Fix It Right Away Jesus"
I lived most of my life being very familiar with the Gospel, Jesus and christianisty. One aspect of God's character that I "missed" most of my life was the gift of suffering. If I was in pain (emotional, physical or just uncomfotable) - I would pray. This pain was most likely an accident that it had come into my life. Fix it Right Away Jesus would say "oops didn't mean to let that discomfort happen to you."

About 10 years ago my "Fix it Right Away Jesus" was confronted with the Real Jesus. A friend shared his testimony to a Bible study I was in - a tragic story of loss - I could barely handle hearing it. But he challenged us, "Here's wishing you hard times." Fix it Right Away Jesus knew the gig was up. Real Jesus was in control of everything that happened to me - even the hard things.

Real Jesus showed how He would be with me through the tough times, not flying in to relieve me of my every discomfort. I have had more pain in my life in the last couple of years (see here, here and here) than ever before. I'm so glad I met the Real Jesus. Instead of the imaginary Fix it Right Away Jesus who said, "get away from this pain" -- the Real Jesus held me close and challenged me to lean into the pain. Real Jesus has led me to know Him better because of the pain. Real Jesus allowed the pain into my life and is sovereign over both good and bad.

Even now, "Fix it Right Away Jesus" sometimes shows up in my fears of the unknown and suggests I manipulate my situation to escape. But Real Jesus challenges me to trust Him more, He gives the pain meaning and through Him I experience real peace. Thanks Michelle for challenging us to consider the imaginary Jesus in our lives. Who is your "imaginary Jesus?"

Love, Carra

Like Herding Cats...the perfect photo

2011-03-23T21:38:00.000-07:00

Love,

Carra

Creative Camera Work

2011-03-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

So we bought a new camera....The old one had some issues.....Pete fixed the issues (by knocking it off the desk - yes, on purpose). It now works better.

Gracie wanted to take some pictures. We decided to let her use our old camera. Most of the videos and pictures - we were completely unaware she was taking. Nothing like being caught on film to make you accountable LOL! Here's a creative song she made up and filmed one day when we were occupied doing other things. I'm impressed. What do you think?

Love,

Carra

Normal...what's that?

2011-02-22T12:12:00.000-08:00

There are few things more awesome than having a baby. And there are fewer things that rock your life more than having a baby. Pete and I are now outnumbered by our children. It is a hilarious, delightful, chaotic place to be. Let me explain the chaotic part...

Showering happens when it is most possible (not when its convenient, just even possible)
Bathing the girls - happens when it is possible (Gracie is a more independent shower-er, therefore overall a cleaner kid)
Dishes - I am trying with great effort to stay on top of this. Pete has made the kitchen look so awesome and I long to share another update if I can keep it clean enough for me to run grab the camera from beside Zade's bed (you never know when there will be a cuteness moment to capture).
Laundry - I've never enjoyed laundry (my mother-in-law loves it). I feel capable but not fulfilled by completion of the laundry. There is no completion of the laundry anyway so its a good thing that it does not give fulfillment.
Reading - ha ,ha, ha
Researching - okay it is reading but for a definite purpose. I read Healthy Sleep Habits and the book on Fertility Awareness while I nurse Zade (unless I fall asleep nursing Zade trying to read how to help him sleep...is that ironic to you, too?)
Time with the Lord - I miss being able to write my prayers. I prefer to prayer journal because it keeps my mind from going on rabbit trails. Here's how it happens when I am not writing down my prayers:

"Father I am so grateful for all you give us, thank you for blessing us with good food from farmers who are our friends. I need to call and get an extra gallon of milk this week {trying to get back on track}...Thank you for our friends who are providing us with good milk, bless them as they are expecting a baby. Bless my dear friend who is also pregnant. I need to make her baby gifts...{see what I mean?}

This is my life right now. One day last week I knew I had 45 minutes. I could teach Gracie or take a shower. I thought for a few seconds, handed her two worksheets and said, "Do the best you can and I'll help you if you get stuck...when I get out of the shower." :-) I feel it was the right decision.

Just know that I probably am stinking right now just to blog for you. But you're worth it. (and Gracie did get some actual school today too. :-)

Love, Carra

Keeping it real...

2011-01-19T12:39:00.000-08:00

I love order.
I love organization, organizing and labels.
This has not been a part of my life for the last three weeks.

It has now come to the end of the "bed" days. But there is still a lot of rest ahead of me. My body is still getting back in place until he's six weeks old. We also use the Healthy Sleep Habits book so we don't introduce sleep training until he's six weeks old.

So I'm accepting help, hiring help and happily receiving meals. Before I had shared the preparation of the birthroom. Once you live in a room for three weeks, everyone hangs out with you, eats with you, etc. there is a level of messy clutter that grows. So to keep it real, here are some photos of the "real world" I've been living in. Just look past the people to the laundry stacks, dishes and bins of randomness.

It is a sacrifice for me to "leave it." But I know these are fleeting times (even though they seem to last a while at 3:00 a.m.). I trust that this resting time is an investment for our family's future so that I can be fully "mommy" soon. In the meantime - it's a good time to practice dying to self.

Love, Carra

Birth Stories, Part Three

2011-01-10T19:22:00.000-08:00

I was soooo ready to have this baby...
When I started having contractions on Pete's birthday (Dec 12), I was thinking - yay! This kid is early! The contractions on Pete's birthday came every 2 minutes and lasted 30 seconds. This went on for three hours first thing in the morning. I called my midwife, D. D said that I should try walking, sleeping or taking a shower and let her know if they increased in intensity. I took a shower...they quit.

When I started having contractions about a week later, I thought - okay I need to wait until my water breaks before I get too excited. The contractions kept coming - 2 minutes apart for 30 seconds in duration. A few days later the contractions were longer and harder intensity but sporadic (some 2 minutes apart, some 5 or 10 minutes apart) - so I tried to ignore them.

Family and friends called regularly to "check the pot" but nothing seemed to make these contractions follow through being the "real deal." Christmas approached, Christmas passed. Lots of contractions. The calls to check were fewer and fewer. Just as well - I walked and walked and worked and worked and nested and nested.

On Dec. 27, I decided that I really wanted to try that crazy idea of eating eggplant Parmesan, Honestly I didn't expect it to "work." I really like Macaroni Grill and who knows - maybe there is an untapped labor induction in the unity of cheese, eggplant and lots of oregano. I was tired of being pregnant, tired of eating what I had cooked (we had been stuck in the house since the big snowstorm of Christmas Day). While I waited in the van for Pete to grab the food, I tweeted, "pray for an effective dinner!"

So that night we all enjoyed a yummy dinner and the girls headed off to bed. I felt pretty good so I asked Pete if I should keep painting the kitchen. He said, "Sure if you're up to it." I was having contractions but I had pretty much given up at this point. (I did not say I was completely rational). So I painted. I love to paint. I was detailing the edges between the cabinets and the walls. The contractions were getting harder. Pete said, "please start timing these things." I reluctantly did. The usual - 2 to 3 minutes apart, 30 to 60 seconds long. But these hurt more. I would paint a line, take a deep breath and lean up against the wall until it passed. I wanted to believe this was "it" but I couldn't. Around 2:00 a.m. I was at a good stopping place and really, really uncomfortable. So I cleaned up my paint mess and headed upstairs. Pete was constructing the cabinet for over the fridge. I figured the contractions would stop if I took a shower - so I did. Pete stayed in the kitchen to finish the cabinet.

After my shower I laid down. By now it was 3:00 a.m. Pete came to bed and we slept for approximately half an hour. At 3:30 a.m. the contractions were very, very uncomfortable and I woke up Pete with my "sounds." (and I don't mean the usual snoring). We were talking about whether this was "it." He said, Please call D." I said "My water hasn't broke." But since I was not able to talk during the contraction, I figured that yes - this could indeed be the time and I quit protesting. So I called D. Moments into the conversation I tossed the phone over to Pete to concentrate on handling the contraction. D (being a great midwife) easily recognized that as a major sign that labor had intensified and none of us would be sleeping any more this night.

She suggested getting the tub ready and begin filling it. I came downstairs to the "birthroom." Contractions were intense and I spent most of the time kneeling by the bed leaning over the bed clutching a pillow and making "sounds." through each one. Gratefully they were still about 2 minutes apart lasting about a minute. Between contractions I texted my friends, posted my Facebook profile and tweeted, "I'm in labor." It took several contractions to complete the list, but what else did I have to do? LOL!

D arrived around 5:00 a.m. and her apprentice/assistant R soon after. They set up their equipment and did some checking - the baby's heart rate was good. I labored in the tub for a while but then decided to get out. A few hours later I got back in the tub. My back was really hurting and I asked Pete to give me some counter-pressure. He was like, "oh no, not another Gracie birth!" (he only pressed on my back for 12 hours for that one). He put on his swim trunks but really did not want to get in the tub. So I kneeled in the tub and he pressed on my back, and time went on. The girls woke up around 8:00 a.m. Pete went upstairs and got some cereal for them and turned on the TV.

I'm not sure when I really began to push, but it felt like a long time. All in all I only pushed for 45 minutes. I felt like the baby was stuck. But I remember I thought that with Faith. But this time, I was right. This baby was a compound presentation. The left hand was across the face so instead of just a head, there was a hand and arm coming down at the same time. Yes, ouch is a good word here. But D saw the situation and I kept pushing. She didn't tell me about the hand at the time but she was actively making sure this baby came out safely.

We had decided to give both girls the option of seeing their sibling born. We had read some books, looked at photos and watched somel birth videos. After I had began pushing as little while, we called the girls back downstairs. Faith came and seemed pretty disinterested. So she went back up to watch TV. Gracie was very interested. As I pushed, she watched. I heard her say "There's the head! It has ears!" She was totally fascinated, not freaked out and not even bothered by my "sounds." We had prepared her for the fact that I would be noisy while the muscles were opening up the space for the baby to come out. She knew I wasn't being truly injured so she just apparently tuned me out and focused on the baby - chatting with R and Pete.

Finally (not nearly the easy "pop" that Faith was) the baby came out. A few gurgles but no solid cries initially. D looked at him (yes a him!) and began trying to get him to clear and cry. After just a short while, she asked if she could give him some resuscitation breaths. He was breathing but not well. I am grateful for those sputters because otherwise I would have been pretty terrified. After five resuscitation breaths with this awesome "made for baby" oxygen thing (sorry I just don't know what it's called). Then we heard some good solid cries - Praise God!

After that it took over an hour to pass the placenta. I was sooooo exhausted with only 30 minutes of sleep with a 10 to 11 hour labor. The little guy was pretty bruised from his birth. D called the birth traumatic. I agree. He had a big bruise on his chin, some on his nose and between his eyes. Both eyes have some capillaries that have left blood spots around his pupils. He looks wonderful but not so great at the same time. When I was checked, it was amazing that I was not damaged from the birth (no tearing whatsoever). That was truly a miracle.

At 9:31 a.m. December 28, we welcomed Zadok Anthony Carl into the world. It was a tough birth, but he was a healthy baby boy weighing 8 lbs, 4 ounces and was 21 inches long. For more about his name, see our ministry blog.

Love, Carra

Guest Post From Aunt Abbi

2011-01-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

Salutations, blog readers! This is an extra-special post because it is written by Carra's one and only kid sister. I'm sure you have been eagerly awaiting birth news, so without further ado I am pleased to announce - it's a boy! His name is Zadok, after a keeper of the ark of the covenant during King David's rule (check out 2 Samuel 15 if you're still curious). As you may have noticed from earlier posts, Zad took his own sweet time in getting here, and my sis decided to resort to the stuff of legend - Eggplant Parmesan. Supposedly, every woman who is great with child has given birth within twelve hours of eating the dish.

Here Carra is, holding her Eggplant Parmesan at 9:25pm on December 27th. Zadok was born at 9:31am on December 28th. So for all you expectant moms out there, depending on your state of readiness, either watch out or eat up! :)

I arrived with the rest of my family to welcome Zadok into the world later that day. Both mommy and baby were looking pretty sharp.

We are enjoying the newest addition to our clan, and I have certainly enjoyed this opportunity to share him with you. Rather than ending my post with a standard emoticon, I'll let Zadok show you how I feel:

Happy New Year!

Like a Watched Pot Belly (and Kitchen Update)

2010-12-23T08:03:00.000-08:00

Guess what! I'm not in labor. I've been "practicing" a lot. I'm not sure who to blame - me or the baby - but there was a lot of practice contractions all night long. I promised a kitchen update earlier, but decided to use the time to have a little more fun with my girls before my "lying in" time.

Since I was not in labor on Monday, I did a ton of house-cleaning & had/helped girls clean the playroom. That night I was up at 1:00 a.m. scrubbing the bathroom floor.
Since I was not in labor on Tuesday, I decided to bake Christmas cookies. That night we took some to our neighbors & sang a few carols (well one carol - Jingle Bells - several times)
Since I was not in labor on Wednesday, I decided to make a meal plan and go grocery shopping. That night I completed an embroidery project for the baby's quilt.
Since I'm not in labor today, we are headed to the zoo and museum.

But before I leave, I wanted to show several pictures of the kitchen renovation.

When we bought the house, there was approximately 17 inches of counter space to the right of the stove. Most of this whole kitchen renovation has been to expand counter and storage while still having a small eat-in area.

Orientation: The stove is still in the same place. The refrigerator was moved to the opposite wall.

New counter tops. By the way, we didn't purchase laminate counter tops, Pete purchased the thin board and then cut and glued and routed, leveled and basically created counter tops. I'm pretty impressed.

This photo was taken this past weekend. Oh and you might want to check back with the oldest photos to get the full feel of the transformation of the kitchen.
Last Christmas it looked like this.

Because of the age of the house, there is a huge likelihood of lead paint. In addition to completing the counter tops, Pete chiseled the old "what color is this?" ceramic tile off the back splash so I could paint. Then he smoothed the uneven places and damaged spots with putty, then sanded it down evenly. To protect me, the girls and the baby, he rigged up some major plastic sheeting. I reminds me of a scene from ET.

I was allowed to come take a peek at the progress...with the proper safety equipment of course. :-)

Ta-da! We'll be changing out the hardware and freshing the white on the cabinets. And not to forget - the cork floor - yay!

Still quite a project - Pete is building a new cabinet for over the fridge and there are some floor evenness issues that have to be resolved before the cork can go in. And the old cabinets that are seen here on the bottom right - Pete will be making new door faces so that all of them will match the original kitchen.

Hope to have some baby news soon!

Love, Carra

The Tub and the Timetable

2010-12-19T19:29:00.000-08:00

As promised here is a picture of the birth tub. Yes, that's a Foosball table behind it. Actually that's a good indicator of the the size of the birth tub. The Foosball table was a surprise early birthday gift for Pete (He just doesn't get excited about slipper socks like I do.). I was out at 3:00 in the morning on Black Friday and that table was among my top five items to get. See I took a picture of my prego self by the clock to show the fun insanity of shopping at that hour :-)

Yesterday really, really seemed like it was "the day." Contractions were two minutes apart. (yes I said TWO). But they were only lasting 30 seconds long and never intensified. I had a few that took my breath a bit, but nothing like the sustained "real deal." I called my midwife who suggested I eat, drink water, sleep if I could and see if anything changed...nope.

After a sleep (a few hours later) they contractions waned. The rest of the day they would start up again, I'd get sleepy, fall asleep and they would quit. So that is my story so far.

I do think the birth is close because I am losing my mind. I was so tired yesterday but Pete put the stove back in place and the last coat of paint was on the walls of the kitchen. I cleaned the items off the dining room table that belonged in the kitchen, loaded the dishwasher and then cleaned the bathrooms. Yes, I was on my hands and knees wiping the bathroom floor at 1:30 a.m. So I had every reason to believe that today would be the day. But apparently not :-)

I do have a funny prediction - doubt it will come true. I sure I'll laugh if it does... Both Gracie and Faith started their journey down the birth canal on each on a Monday morning. If you've read Gracie's birth story, you know she did not complete her journey until the next day! However Faith was in a better position and she was willing to make the exit about 11 hours after she began. Both Monday mornings my water broke in the area of 5:00 or 6:00 a.m.. I'm due Wednesday and tomorrow is Monday. I'm going to bed early just in case.

If you are looking for baby news (labor, birth, etc.), pay attention to my Twitter feed (on the left side bar). This will be the most updated because I can text a tweet from my phone. As you know I won't be involving my computer to produce an entire blog post during my resting time. I'll see if Pete will post a picture as least - otherwise, check facebook profiles, etc. So I hope there won't be any new posts from me for a little while. But in case this baby is shy like Faith, I plan to post some kitchen pictures tomorrow.

Love, Carra

Belly & Birthroom

2010-12-14T04:34:00.000-08:00

As requested, here is my rather large belly (although I am smaller with this pregnancy than either Gracie or Faith). I'm totally excited about the birth. Right after I had Faith, I said - any future babies - if God allows, I will definitely have them at home in a birth tub! I am at 39 weeks and after these last year(s) of being pregnant, losing the two babies and now at the end of this pregnancy - I am soooo ready to be holding this baby in my arms!

So getting ready for a home birth is definitely more involved than just packing a bag for the hospital. It's interesting that I'm preparing for the birth, the rest time and the actual care of the baby all at the same time!

I have been gathering items for a couple of months. Some are things that are specific to my midwife, others are things that I noticed I'd like to have from Faith's birth (like books and a TV in the laying in room). I won't bore you with the details, but I found a list on a random midwife website that has quite a list - peruse it - you'll get the general gist of what I'm talking about.

And here is a snapshot of the room I'll be birthing in and sharing with this little one for it's first three weeks outside my womb. The birth tub is fairly large (I'll snag a shot of it once we set it up) so we won't bring any more items into the room until after baby is born and the tub is taken down. I have a co-sleeper that we really love. Pete will bring it down and set it up soon after birth. The baby and I will be sleeping in the bed together for the most part, but I love having a place I can reach him or her and still have the bed to myself on occasion.

One more comment on the bed. This is a mainstream futon mattress so the first thing in preparing the room was wrapping the mattress. After that, lots of soft cotton bedding, and then a painters drop cloth. On top of the drop cloth some older (but clean of course) bedding for immediately after the birth. It is a water birth so I'm pretty likely to be wet and there are some other elements that might soil the bedding LOL. So after I get dry and situated, Debbie or Pete will take off the top layer of bedding and the drop cloth and the baby and I will be all snugly down in the fresh, clean bed for a good long rest!

Love, Carra

2010-12-01T15:29:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to share my top books for raising little people. As I ponder the life change that is coming sometime in the next three weeks,I pulled my "baby sleeping book" off the shelf to re-read in my "spare time" LOL. But I will because the info in it is sooo good. Not only that, it has helps and guides for grade schoolers and even a chapter on teen sleep needs.

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child By Marc Weissbluth
Trust me, Gracie and Faith have been sleeping through the night since they were a few months old and still sleep 12 hours every night! This book is my friend!

While I'm at it, here are my two favorite child rearing / discipline books.

Shepherding a Child’s Heart
by Tedd Tripp
This is tough teaching. It challenges you to focus more on the ultimate outcome (your child’s standing before God and her rebelliousness) than simply behavior modification. I find this hard to live out daily, but I am always blessed when I take the time to deal with confession, repentance, consequence and restoration. I'm reading a second book by Tripp called "Instructing a Child's Heart." It is really convicting and fantastic, but I need to finish reading it before fully commenting on it. But I'm about 99% sure it will end up on my "essential" list.

Don’t Make Me Count to Three
by Ginger Plowman
This is the practical side of Shepherding a Child’s Heart. It has great structure to living out the “big picture” offered in Tripp’s book. She challenges you that how you allow your children to respond to you is ultimately how they will respond to God. Do we want them to obey God the first time or delay until the last possible minute before consequences? (i.e. counting to three instead of requiring immediate obedience). Our girls know the phrase well: “God wants us to obey right away, all the way and with the right attitude.”

And yes, I am three weeks away from the "big day" and I promise a "belly picture" soon. I will be setting up the birth room with all the "stuff" right after our last student gathering (this Sunday). I'll post a tour with a nice round belly-ed tour guide. ;-)

Love, Carra

My Rest-imony

2010-11-16T11:23:00.000-08:00

I'm tired. I need more naps, more sleep at night and just general rest. There's something in me that cries out, "that's not a good use of time - inefficient! Think of all you could accomplish in those hours." I war with myself about rest. I have too much to do to rest. But I'm so tired and so slow because I'm tired so not efficient anyway.

So since I have pregnancy and childbirth on the brain, I thought I would share with you my experience and my plans for this birth regarding rest.

When my second baby was born, we had her in a birthing tub in our house. It was awesome. I said afterward that if God gave us more children and allowed - I would have all my babies in water! Since I had a traditional birth with Gracie (my first) I was expecting to rest a day or two, then get back into the swing of things. When she was three days old, I was at Old Navy looking for a pair of stretchy pants that would fit. I knew lots of moms and everybody was back at church or out and about within a few days. So I was just like my friends. ......tired.

I felt tired for months with Gracie - she was my first baby. She was a good sleeper and nurser but I was so tired and the weight just hung on. When she was a year old, I was still three sizes bigger than I was before I had gotten pregnant.

Since I had never had a homebirth before, there were a number of surprises that came along with Faith's birth. One of the biggest was my assignment from my midwife after Faith was born. I was instructed to spend 10 days in the bed, 10 days on the bed and 10 days near the bed. what??? That's a month of rest - how could that possibly work?

But I am a rule-keeper so I had to do it. Gratefully my mom, dad, sister, mother-in-law, father-in-law and sister-in-laws all were on board. For the next month basically my mom and Pete's mom took turns staying a few days at a time - cooking, cleaning and taking care of me, Pete, Gracie and newborn Faith.

It was hard. I was bored (no TV in the room, no books set up, no computer). But Pete set up the laptop so I could watch videos online and books were brought up to me (as well as all my meals). Faith had some trouble getting the latch down for nursing but I pulled up websites that helped tremendously. After 30 days of rest, I was finally able to get back to "life."

I felt great. I was truly rested. My body dropped the weight so fast. I could hardly believe it - you would have thought my muscles would have atrophied, but I was able to go right back to the gym and my stamina was amazingly high. I cannot speak highly enough of a good solid rest after childbirth. I didn't need to go find new pants - I was in my nightgown a good bit of the time. I was blessed to have the help I needed to take the rest I was assigned. I am so grateful.

So what's on schedule for this birth? Debbie requires 7-7-7 so about three weeks (instead of four) I'll be in, on or near the bed. This time I know what's coming so I have books already prepared, we're birthing in a room with a TV (hello more HGTV and Food Network overload) and a futon that folds into a bed. My mom and Pete's mom are already making plans for tag-teaming the function of the house.

Since I'm already so tired - I'm actually looking forward to my after birth rest. Seriously - I'm yawning right now.

Love,

Still on the fence...

2010-11-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

Vaccinations - this is a tough one. Some of the diseases that vaccinations "protect" us from are pretty horrible. But... is the cure worse than the result (statistically, at least).

According the the LA Times (this month) whooping cough is seeing a comeback. "State officials said the current rate of infection is 10.3 cases per 100,000 people, the highest incidence since 1962 when the state reported a rate of 10.9 cases per 100,000."

But polio (wild polio at least) has not been reported in the US in 20 years. Each disease carries a certain level of risk. There are several vaccines that we're sure we're not going to do (chicken pox, hpv). As far as having them vaccinated for some of the other ones.... well we have these things to take into account:

One out of 100 non-vaccinated people may develop cancer later in life, while one out of 3 vaccinated will develop cancer later in life.
One out of 100 non-vaccinated people may develop arthritis later in life, while one out of 5 vaccinated will develop arthritis later in life.
One out of 15.000 non-vaccinated kids may develop autism, while one out of 130 vaccinated will develop autism. (references)

So far, we have not had either kid vaccinated for anything. I keep returning to this question: "Which would I regret more if something happened?" Pete reminds me that God is sovereign so the "what if" game can be futile. But at some point we do need to make a decision. We will definitely not have this baby vaccinated until he or she is at least two years old. We said that with Gracie and she's six now. Obviously we're not on a time table with this one.

I'm trusting that God is protecting my kids and that if he leads us to vaccinate, we will. Until then, going to the doctor for my girls is pretty much a zero pain experience. I do like that.

Love,

Dwelling on the past...Fried Okra

2010-10-27T12:19:00.000-07:00

As I have said before, I have discovered (through pain) that gall bladders should be taken better care of especially during pregnancy. Gratefully, diet has been a primary relief. At least once in our marriage, Pete requested that we have a vegetable that is *not* fried. With the new gallbladder friendly diet, this is no longer an issue between us.

I grew up in South Carolina. The best tasting things are those with a little breading and fried up crisp. In honor of my roots and fondly remembering when I could enjoy fried foods with abandon, I submit to you what I call "REAL" Fried Okra.

Aside: If you are a true southerner, you pronounce the last word as /oak - ree/. I have somewhat lessened my intensity of the pronunciation after nearly ten years of teasing by my more grammatically-correct Canadian husband.

If you have only had okra from Cracker Barrel (or equivalent), you have not truly experienced okra in all it's deliciousness. Notice that you can actually see the vegetable. This is a food that is not "battered and deep fried," it rather has a light flour coating and is pan fried (or baked in the oven).

Real Fried Okra

Gather a mess of fresh okra (picked small, fresh as possible)
Wash well (your fingers may itch just a little if you grab one too tight near the top)
With a nice sharp knife, cut into disks (maybe 1/3 inch or so) into a clean bowl (that has a tight-fitting lid)
After you have a nice bowl full of (yes, somewhat slimy-feeling) sliced okra, you add the "breading"
Scoop a small amount (1/2 cup or so) of flour (whole wheat of course)
Shake some salt and pepper (to your taste, but more salt than pepper and use sea salt of course)
Cover the bowl and shake it well so that all the sticky okra gets a light coating of the flour.
Dump the bowl of okra into a hot frying pan (cast iron is a great choice) with some coconut oil in the bottom (not a ton, but enough to cover the bottom well).You can also "bake/fry" this in the oven. Use a jellyroll pan and lightly coat the bottom with coconut oil. You'd cook it about 375 for half an hour but stir it a couple of times for even cooking.
Stir or continue to scrap with a spatula. If it begins to stick, add a little more coconut oil. You may do this several times while it cooks.
Cook the okra until it is tender, crispy on the outside and literally melts in your mouth.

Love,

Pregnancy update and belly picture

2010-10-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday after church I was preparing lunch. Of course I had definitely thrown off the shoes. So there I was...all dressed up but barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen. Pete thought that was an opportunity not to be missed. I posed and he snapped the photo. This is the belly at the end of the second trimester.

I saw my midwife this week. Everything is looking great with the pregnancy - even my iron levels! The main thing I have to do is to walk. I'm trying to walk for 30 minutes everyday. I have been really slack on walking. It feels like I've has so many things going haywire that consistency has been tough. I'd appreciate prayers for me to focus on getting this walk in. Two different midwives have told me that apart from any other exercise- the absolute best indicator of an easy labor and delivery is walking. Two miles / 30 minutes a day minimum.

Three weeks ago I developed some gall bladder pain. I certainly recommend being kind to your gall bladder - that pain was tough! I had to employ my "labor mindset" once again to help get through them. Gratefully with more diet changes I had been able to more or less live pain-free (except for two bad days in the middle where I was a little too bold in my food choices). Once the baby is born and life re-balances, I plan to try a natural cleanse. Since that's several months out - I haven't decided which one to go for. Anyone tried a cleanse for gall bladder issues?

Love,

Toothpaste Follow Up

2010-09-28T13:22:00.000-07:00

Check out my previous post: "Opening a can of...toothpaste"

We just saw a pediatric dentist who saw both girls at the same time. I stayed in the closet about our stance with flouride and just observed what they did. The girls did really great! Kept mouth open, didn't fidget - pretty amazing actually.

At the end of the visit, I was given a overview of their teeth condition. Faith had a tiny bit of tarter and he expressed concern about her overbite (She is a passionate thumb-sucker). I asked about Gracie's overbite because she sucked her thumb until she was almost five. The dentist said that Gracie's teeth were fine and he didn't see any overbite. Hmmmmm...... So Gracie stopped sucking her thumb before her permanent teeth came in, and after a little over a year, her teeth are in perfect alignment.

I love the fact that my girls sucked their thumbs - they never lose it (like a pacifier) and can comfort themselves at night without the mommy (that's me - in my bed sleeping :-) ). But I was concerned about eventual braces. Wouldn't it be cool if God designed us that way? That the thumb is a gift to the tired mommy and if kids give up the habit earlier enough, their teeth naturally go back to their proper position?

I mentioned this (at least a paraphrase) to the dentist. He was certain that teeth didn't go back on their own. Well, Gracie hadn't been to "this" dentist before, but she had been to others.....all which warned me about her overbite. Yup, the overbite that no longer exists. Maybe a unique occurrence....but certainly something that God did.

The hygienists encouraged us to definitely use fluoride toothpaste on Faith and begin adding a fluoride rinse for Gracie. They've never had more than a teaspoon of fluoride toothpaste in their whole lives... and no cavities. I think we're going to stick with what we've been doing :-) ...maybe floss a little more often...

Love,

Homeschool Musings

2010-09-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

We're beginning our homeschool journey. Honestly, it is harder to figure out than I expected, but when it goes well - I'm soooo excited. Gracie is somewhere between Kindergarten and First Grade. So I say she's in "Fir-indergarten." It's amazing that we can cover 6 subjects in less than two hours a day! We're only a few weeks in, but I'm hooked.

One of my favorite things is the variety of subjects. I love that she can spend time learning different things from us. Pete shows her all kinds of animals and insects (she is comfortable touching many random creatures including snakes!). He also taught her how to work a tape measure and throw a frisbee. I say that's biology, woodworking and phy ed!

You can see my influence here. Yes, she is operating a hand sander solo. I'm not sure what to call the subject ...environmental science? ...economics? (since she's learning the value of natural renovation and improving older furniture to save money).

Well, it's time for culinary arts (she'll help me make dinner).

Love,

PG-13 Breastfeeding Advice

2010-09-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

Not everyone who reads this blog is a pregnant lady. Some of you are, hoping to be, hoping never to be LOL. I originally rote this for my cousin who just had her first baby. Regardless of your state (or unstate) of motherhood, you may find some of my thoughts interesting. If not, see you later!

1. You have to train your baby to breastfeed. You will be training that kid to do stuff his whole life and it starts at birth. Babies have a natural inclination to suck, but they need your help to get it right. This website is awesome (and graphic!). Dr. Jack Newman has videos of proper latch technique, how to correct a poor practices and lots of choices of position for your comfort. I was really, really helped by this site after Faith was born – she was a tough kid to get latched correctly.

2. DON’T WORRY! Your body was created for this. The milk is great even from day one. People say the baby might not be getting enough milk because the milk hasn’t “come in” yet. Phooey! If diapers are getting wet, then liquid is going in. Listen for regular swallowing – that’s a good indication. If you use the epidural, then the baby will get that medication. So she may need to “come off” the meds before she’s vigorous enough to get into nursing.

3. Speaking of Breasts…

After each time your baby nurses, rub lightly some of your own breast milk onto your nipples. Then let them “air out” until they’re dry. Never underestimate the healing power of light and air on these sensitive areas.
When you shower (even now) don’t allow soap to get on your nipples. It dries them and messes us the oil glands (those little bumps on the areola).
Wear loose clothing (even no bra – even though you’ll drip- just use a burp cloth to catch it) and of natural fibers (100% cotton, etc)
Avoid “pulling” her off the breast. Be really gentle when breaking the suction. (One little finger pressing into the breast should ease her off.)
After your milk comes in (usually six days or less), if you are suffering from painful fullness (and the baby’s not taking enough to relieve you), you can put cabbage leaves in your bra. This was a huge help.

Hope these tips and experiences are of benefit to you (sooner, later or never). So if you see me a few weeks after my baby is born, you may wonder... "Do I smell cabbage?"

Love,

Like a kid in an organic candy store!

2010-08-26T11:57:00.001-07:00

Last week, we drove to Durham to Common Ground Green Building Supply to buy some truly non-toxic paint (see previous post on my disappointment about our "zero-VOC" paint).

I had a blast! Everything in the store is non-toxic, non-off gassing, natural and green. I could walk on cork floors (and they are every bit as awesome as I was hoping), see all the fun colors of the marmoleum flooring (alternative to linoleum floor tiles) and browse paint samples to my heart's delight. (They even had a few mistints, but I didn't succumb).

Not only did we buy paint, but we found some really great (pretty cost-effective) options for the continued kitchen renovation. I won't tell you all right now, but cork floors might really be in my future :-) See we love them already!

Love,

Wrapping Mattress (DIY)

2010-08-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

Please see my previous posts on preventing SIDS

One aside before the DIY:
Don't be mislead! My SIDS soapbox is not about "cheap" mattresses that off-gas. The mattresses (even those with special covers and toppers) are treated with flame retardant chemicals. So even though someone says - "Oh I got a good mattress - no worries," it does not matter. The only safe options (unwrapped) are going to be natural latex (like from savvy rest) or an organic cotton mattress. Even if the mattress you buy says "Eco, Soy, Plant Derived or Bio" it is often still a polyurethane foam (mixed with some healthy stuff). Just watch closely for PVC vinyl wrapped mattresses. Bad and often not disclosed. ----------------------------------------
As promised, here are pictures and instructions for wrapping your mattresses. We just graduated Faith up to a "big girl" bed. Since we aren't in a position to purchase the natural latex mattresses for the girls, we made sure their beds are wrapped.

1. You can purchase the wraps already cut to size or purchase a roll of 6 mil clear plastic sheeting (not PVC or Polyurethane) and cut enough to completely cover the mattress with overlap.

2. You want to wrap the mattress like a gift so that all of the seams are on the bottom (whichever you determine is the bottom). Clear tape is the ideal. This is semi-clear packing tape I'm using.

3. Ironically, you now need to cut a few vent holes in the plastic on the underside of the mattress. We want to stop the off-gassing the mattress, but it still needs a minimum amount of ventilation. The jagged holes prove I'm not a perfectionist (LOL)! It's going to be on bottom anyway.

4. Now you make the bed! Make sure vent holes are down and all seams are thoroughly taped shut. I have a wool blanket and an all cotton mattress cover then the fitted sheet. It makes the bed a little softer. It also cuts down on the "crinkly" sound that is an unavoidable result of the wrapped mattress.

Happy Wrapping!

Love,

Hands Free baby

2010-08-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

I'm so grateful that God has brought this pregnancy to the halfway point! Since we aren't planning to have another ultrasound (we had one at 7 weeks to verify viability of the pregnancy before we told family), we will be finding out the gender of this baby...at birth ;-)

Yesterday I had a lovely time in the afternoon with my mom & sister sorting out baby clothes I've gathered and packed over the years. We sorted clothes and picked out a couple of blankets and three outfits each.

Sorting though all these memories (I mean, clothes) reminded me of when I first became a "mamma" over 6 years ago.

Even though Gracie was my first, I was grateful for the baby sling and the option of multitasking motherhood LOL. Now as I contemplate what life will be like with three kids, I'm even more excited about having my sling.

My mom made this one from a pattern we bought online. Since then, I have added several others just for the love of pretty fabric :-) If you are mom (or planning to be) I highly suggest you get a sling. It takes a little time to get used to it, but so worth it!

Love,

I'm spending more money, I feel like junk and you say I'm getting better?

2010-08-11T11:20:00.001-07:00

Ever been addicted to caffeine? It's delicious, isn't it? I was soooooo in love with Dr. Pepper that I had a t-shirt. I loved iced coffees from my favorite local spot - Coffee Underground. Ahhh, the days.

When we began walking down the path of natural living I expected to feel better, be less sick and lose weight. I did..... eventually.

One thing that is curious about natural stuff is: You feel worse, before you feel better. It's true, if you stop drinking sodas, you will get a headache. As you stop putting in the refined processes stuff and eating real food, you will probably feel yucky.

This weekend we took a mini-vacation and stayed a night at Great Wolf Lodge. We tried to make fairly good choices but after a weekend of visiting family, wedding food and a night at Great Wolf with random available restaurant food - I felt interestingly okay......til I got home.

Less than 24 hours after coming home to homemade cereal, fresh raw milk and organic veggies - I was a digestive wreck. My body was been "releasing toxins" all night.

So if you are on the first steps to less processed, real food -- be prepared. If you feel yucky for a bit - congratulations - it's working!

Love,

Oh for the want of a healthy home...

2010-08-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

My sweet husband made a discovery this week. He just finished this AWESOME computer desk for me and the girls. I'll share a picture very soon (I'm re-working the whole den and I just drug a futon in front of it. So it is not picture-ready yet. :-)

So back to the discovery - I have been loving the ability to redo furniture with zero-VOC paint I can get at Lowes (Olympic). So Pete is researching a safe stain for the top of this table. The wood grain is so lovely, neither of us have the heart to paint over it. So in his research, he finds a site that is pretty critical of zero-VOC paints. [Here it is.]

Not to be swayed by one site (and a site that sells paint), we pressed on. Pete contacted Olympic directly and asked for their MSDS sheets (a government required detail of the ingredients of products). Indeed, the chemicals were present. He even spoke to a representative who was very nice, but stated, "We cannot guarantee that these chemicals are not present in the paint - it is a part of the processing the product." Honesty - that was cool.

Unfortunately that left me feeling a little "creatively inhibited." As you see in the photo, I have projects waiting for some colorful expression. I mean, I'm pregnant after all and this nesting thing is very, very real.

But again Pete brings me back. He reminded me of our choices. We choose to spend more money on milk so we can drink it raw. We spend less money on movies (aside: we went to see Toy Story 3 yesterday, but I had two free tickets. Before TS3, I think it has been maybe 2 years since we saw one?).

But life is about choices. Pete reminded me that we can choose to spend money on more expensive (truly non-toxic) paint so I can continue to nest and create. We'll just adjust other areas. I appreciate that ;-) So what kind of paint are we headed for? Don't know quite yet. We're still researching the best alternative.

Also - We'll be doing some mattress wrapping in the next week. I'm excited to share the pictures and how it all went. If you missed my last post, definitely read it and share it with your pregnant friends ;-)

Love,

Eight Babies die every night of SIDS - just in the U.S.

2010-07-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

It hurts to know that on average, eight babies die every night from SIDS.

I am on a mission to make as many people as possible aware of the danger. SIDS is largely preventable! I have so much compassion for families that has lost babies to this shocking "unexplainable" death. It is for that reason that I share that SIDS is largely explainable AND preventable!

I have read pages and pages of research on this. Those experts that refute the studies have very little to stand on compared the avalanche of science that show a link to SIDS deaths and the chemical composition of our mattresses.

Simply summed up, the fire retardant chemicals create a chemical reaction to normally harmless fungi that puts a layer of heavy gas that "sits" on the top of the mattress. Physiologically adults are not susceptible. However, SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants over one month old.

We buy life insurance, we put up baby gates, we get immunizations (well, some of us LOL), we try to minimize any risk of hurt or death. We choose to spend money with hope - the hope that our efforts will see fruit. Wrapping a crib mattress is about $25. Is that a good investment?

In New Zealand, where all this "stuff" was nationally promoted, mattress wrapping was publicized as much as "Back to Sleep" here in the U.S. Results? Since 1994, tens of thousands of babies in New Zealand have slept on properly wrapped mattresses. Of those properly wrapped, there have been ZERO deaths to SIDS. Not everyone wraps in NZ, but of those that do, that is 100% effective. My baby gate doesn't promise that. My immunization documentation certainly doesn't promise that. Is it worth $25? It certainly is to us.

Love,

What next?
Why aren't you hearing this from your doctor, etc.?
Where you can buy a wrap for baby mattress...
Where you can buy a wrap for an adult mattress...
How to wrap your own mattress (instructions - scroll halfway down)
Heavy research - Cause of SIDS
What we have done in our home (an inventory of all our beds :-)

Midwife Visit

2010-07-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

I want to invite you to one of my first visits with my midwife (Debbie). She also helped me through the two miscarriages earlier this year - so this wasn't the first visit, but the first visit of this pregnancy.

Debbie is great for many reasons - one of which is that she has grown children. Many midwives are also mothers of young children, so for prenatal care, you go to their house. Debbie has said she feels like as a service and blessing to the home birthing mommy, she comes to my house. (Here we are in our living room.)

Prenatal care for home birth is very similar to mainstream OB care. Debbie will see me once a month for the first several months, then every three weeks in third trimester, every other week, then every week as we count down to the last few weeks.

She brings fetal scopes, Doppler, tests my blood for sugar, iron and tests my urine for about 8 different things. [aside: I hate getting my finger pricked - in the doctors office or at home - I'm somewhat of a baby when it comes to that.] She also checks my blood pressure and asks questions about how I'm feeling.

The video below shows me laying on my couch in the living room right after Debbie found the heartbeat. After the two miscarriages this year - it is one of the most beautiful sounds!

The whole visit lasts about an hour and a half (that's all interaction, not reading "Parents" magazine in the waiting room LOL). It never feels rushed. It is prenatal care but its also a "visit" from a very knowledgeable friend.

Love,

Kitchen Update

2010-07-15T20:02:00.000-07:00

Wanna see the kitchen? It's not done, but its closer!!!

Here are a few pictures of the kitchen at the moment. I know we began this project in November but a lot has happened in our family since then AND we (meaning Pete) is doing this pretty much solo. The great thing is that it is quite functional. If I didn't have a sink or not enough space to put my gear or food - that would definitely be a problem. Even though I doubt the "plywood counter top" trend will catch on, I am already super pleased with the footprint of the room. This has essentially doubled my counter space and provided for "hidden" trashcan & recycle bin. Right now, Pete is building a cabinet! That is a pretty major project. I'll post pics once he gets a further along. This is a "weekend warrior" project but a major kitchen renovation never happens in a weekend. We're still committed to doing this both economically (see previous posts on the costs) and naturally. We're now considering bamboo flooring. We were considering ceramic tile for its non-toxic properties and cost. But visiting the beach with Pete's family last week ruled that one out. It is very hard & tiring to stand on for any length of time. We also ruled out cork because we would have to put a lot of sealant on it to make it last in the kitchen. And we aren't willing to compromise on the off-gasing chemicals. So our choices are becoming narrower and narrower LOL. We'll see what we end up with! Thanks for stopping by!

Love,

Happy in my Skin

2010-06-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

One of the steps that we have taken off the edge of normal is skin care. I posted a few weeks ago about the dangers of sun screen. Unfortunately there are lots of products that are filled with toxins. I just read a very interesting Mercola article and thought I'd share the points that really hit me.

Your skin is 1/10 of an inch thick (that is crazy-thin) and it is highly permeable.

I've shared that we have filters on our showers (for that very reason). But we do expose ourselves to chlorine sometimes. We go to a public pool a couple times a week and I know it is filled with chlorine.

This is where I have to balance my goals. I want my girls to know how to swim and we do not own or have access to a pool that is naturally maintained (like with baking soda), so we make the choice to absorb some chlorine so we can have swimmers. But we definitely shower when we get home!

Don't put anything on your skin you are not willing to eat.

Isn't that a great rule of thumb? But i suggest you do not take this literally.

The other night I was in bed (and it was dark). I 99.9% of the time keep a spray bottle of throat spray by my bed. I snore (yes, I admit it) and my throat gets dry and uncomfortable sometimes. Well, I woke up and reached beside my clock where the throat spray ALWAYS is, grabbed it and sprayed.............

Ack, oh dear, yikes, and bleh!!! I had left my tea tree oil - oh yeah, the full strength one beside my throat spray. I grabbed the wrong bottle!

I swished water, I drank water, I washed my mouth. I couldn't get the smell off of me. And you now know I'm pregnant and nauseousness is an ever present part of my life. Needless to say this was an "event."

So consider carefully what you are putting on your skin - from makeup to sun screen to lotion to whatever. Google "toxins in skin care" sometime and see what you find. Use natural products in your home and on your body. But don't eat the tea tree oil.

Love,

Out of Hiding...

2010-06-23T11:01:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been over a month since I last posted. Sorry I have left you un-blogged for so long. To catch you us on my life right now, let me share a few pieces of my world and what's been going on...

1. I'm pregnant again - that would be the number one reason I haven't blogged. I typically have challenging pregnancies (lots of nausea) and then my iron levels drop and I have headaches and lethargy.

2. The pregnancy is at 14 weeks today. My first miscarriage was one year ago this month and I also had a miscarriage in January. I have struggled to hold my baby in an open hand. And though I have heard the heartbeat and past the milestone 12 weeks - I know that there are no guarantees. In some ways I have held my breath waiting for the confirmations. I think I kept this pregnancy so private is that if we did miscarry... I just didn't want to have to say that again. We even kept the news from our families until was saw a heartbeat on sonogram.

3. This is a very rare summer that we are not traveling. Every summer we are assigned to either take seminary classes (we have a total of 11 required as a part of our work with Campus Crusade for Christ) or to help lead a student summer mission project. Since we were due July 31, Pete was assigned to be here at home and coach new staff interns and those going on one year mission trips. Since there's more flexibility in our summer schedule, our goal is to complete the kitchen renovation.

So I'm feeling better (albeit tired) and my grand intention is to blog more regularly (at least as regularly as I used to LOL). Upcoming topics:

Preparing for a Home Birth (I'm going to let you in on my midwife appointments, health issues and preparations)
Kitchen Renovation (and some other renovations I'm working on) - we're trying to go as healthy green as possible in this reno so I'll share as we go along
Catch you up on some more wild things I'm learning about in Nourishing Traditions and otherwise.

I look forward to spending more time sharing with you my friends. And in the meantime, does anyone have any good beef liver recipes with do not involve onions?

Love,

It's about marriage...

2010-05-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

This morning I was looking over my favorite blogs from the blog roll and read the awesome post by Heavenly Homemakers. She shared a song that really touched me. It is more geared to men than women, but if you pull back - you can really apply it to anyone who has an impact on others lives (which I think would be everybody).

Speaking of marriage, my cousin is getting married in about two months. His wife to be is a sweetheart and I'm really excited for both of them. I'm gathering some things that I think they may find helpful as they begin their lives together. One thing that we find essential is a household notebook. We keep frequently called phone numbers, how to use the TV remote (for our parents who visit), directions to coffee shops and stores that sell donuts, schedules for the girls, locations of commonly used items (like band aids, extra toothbrushes, etc).

Once our students discovered our notebook and had a tremendously good time poking fun at it. But I know how useful that thing can be. My first page is frequently called numbers. Even if the info is in your cell phone, is it charged? do you have bars? is it in the vehicle your husband is driving? is your friend watching the house or kids and needs report a power outage?

So gather up those numbers and make sure you have them easily at hand. To make it easy, I'm sharing the printable "Frequently Called Numbers" we use in our house. I'm giving one to my cousin for their notebook - shhhh - it's a surprise ;-)

Love,

"Real Simple" ...real dangerous

2010-05-16T17:54:00.000-07:00

Pardon me, don't let me accidentally drop this on your foot. But my soapbox is getting a little dusty and I'm just compelled to bring it out to comment...

So I got a deal last fall for a subscription to Real Simple (RS) magazine for $5. I'm glad it was such a deal. RS is a thick, visually appealing magazine with articles that sound interesting. A ton of friends read it and just love it. I'm...well... read on...

It is mainstream... I know that Covergirl, Revlon and Loreal are major advertisers - of course they're not going to talk about the dangers of most makeups.

BUT - this got me riled up. Title of the article: "Sunblock, solutions for every excuse not to wear sunscreen." The excuse they were battling was "I want to get enough Vitamin D."
RS's retort: "Some research links vitamin D deficiency to cancer, heart attack and diabetes. But why risk wrinkles and cancer when you can get vitamin D from food and supplements?" (page 108, June 2010 issue)

Seriously?

Watch your toe again... God made the sun. God made the sun to literally create vitamin D inside our bodies. We were not made to worship the sun (or the tan it offers). But there is sooooo much research to show that we are doing far more harm than good by running from the sun.

I used to use sunscreen all summer long, but not anymore. Here are a few interesting pieces from a recent Mercola article (you have to register your email to read the rest, but access to this level of research is so worth a few more items in your inbox - and it's free)

While excessive sun exposure can increase certain types of cancer, there is a good deal of research that shows that exposure without sunburn actually decreases the likelihood of melanoma.
Your body produces the most active form of vitamin D in existence -- calciferol. Also known as vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is actually the precise form your body needs for the proper functioning of your organs and cells.
The main chemical used in sunscreens to filter out ultraviolet B light is octyl methoxycinnamate. OMC for short. OMC was found to kill mouse cells even at low doses. Plus, it was also shown to be particularly toxic when exposed to sunshine. And guess what? OMC is present in 90% of sunscreen brands!

Well, I try not to wear sunscreen except when I will be out prolonged times that I simply cannot control to I'm in intense sun my body is not used to (like the beach). There are lots of ideas for safely enjoying the sun without a chemical bath. So join Mercola and read up on the best ways to enjoy the sun. Enjoy your Real Simple magazine for the cute decorating ideas, organizing tips and photos, but find your health advice elsewhere.

Love,

Fascinating!

2010-05-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

Check out this video from OK GO - those cool guys who sing and walk on treadmills. It was totally viral several years ago.

This is a new song I heard about on the Colbert Report the other day. The girls and I watched with fascination the cool Rube Goldberg device. I have never seen one quite so cool.

Mommy note: I looked up the words - one mild four letter. I can't say I understand what the meaning of the song is (feel free to enlighten me) but I am loving the effects. Just watched it again and saw more stuff than I did before. Enjoy!

Love,

Opening up a can of.......toothpaste

2010-04-27T08:11:00.001-07:00

My little offhand comment about fluoride has sparked quite a bit of interest....

Aside: I couldn't think of a photo that made sense with fluoride dangers and I've already posted our toothpaste. So I decided to add a random bathroom photo. Here's how I justify it: We filter our drinking water, shower heads and avoid fluoride in toothpaste, making our bathroom a safe place to play. :-)

Fluoride: I've linked some articles at the end of this post but here are my personal reasons (most convincing for me) why we avoid it.

It is a waste product of industrialization. The form that is added to our water is not the same that exists in nature. When we introduce things that our bodies do not recognize it typically produces toxins.

It you read your mainstream toothpaste, it basically has a poison warning label. Not for children under 2 - call poison control if ingested etc., etc. I remember being warned at the dentist - do not swallow the fluoride wash! BUT.... the mouth is one of the most absorbent areas of the body. Soaking my mouth in poison seems like a bad idea.

If you really want the data, check out these links:

Coming soon... More water oriented blogging - taking a cleansing bath. Still trying to figure out those pictures!

Love,

I (heart) Green Juice (and so do our kids!)

2010-04-25T10:35:00.001-07:00

So we had some friends come visit to learn more about the work we do with college students here in NC. Because they stayed in our house, they quickly noticed that we are a "little bit different." I love telling our story of the process we are taking with natural eating, natural medicine and making our home clean (safely!)

Our morning routine has had some changes over the last few months. But one thing has been consistent for over three years - Ben Kim's Greens! Our friends were laughing with surprise at both girls running eagerly chanting "green juice, green juice!"

Every morning we mix a teaspoon of the green powder, teaspoon of food grade diatomaceous earth, and half a teaspoon of acerola cherry for a vitamin C boost (especially helpful during allergy seasons) with water and some orange or apple juice. Mix it all up and drink! Yum.

Aside: My two midwives were very encouraging of the use of the Greens. When I gave birth to Faith as well as following the two miscarriages this year - I boosted my body with Ben Kim's Greens about four times a day.

Love,

Teeth, Teething and Toothpaste

2010-04-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

One of my sweet friends (and new mom) from TN emailed me yesterday. She wanted to know how we handled teething. So I began to reflect on our natural oral care.

It's interesting how long teeth issues are well, "issues." Gracie is almost six and has not lost a baby tooth yet. Faith is almost three and is currently cutting some molars.

When Gracie was three months old Pete and I began seeing a chiropractor. Gracie went along to the appointments and Dr. Bourg offered to adjust her as well (for free - yay!). He recommended giving Gracie silica tablets to strengthen her teeth.

We picked up a bottle and began giving her four tablets, twice a day. We have run out a few times, but for must of her life we've been giving silica tablets at bedtime and nap. Faith started on silica when she was about three months old as well.

The tablets dissolve quickly and have very little taste. However the girls think they are like candy. When they were tiny, we'd press one tablet at a time into their mouth. if I could get it under their tongue, I would. Once the teeth began popping out - that became dangerous. Baby teeth are sharp! But they always liked taking their silica. And that's the only thing we've done with aid to teething.

Last minute aside - And while we're taking about oral health - let me share our toothpaste. We used to use Nature's gate but now we use Xyliwhite toothpaste. May I encourage you to consider a fluoride-free product for your mouth.

Love,

Inexpensive Zero VOC Paint

2010-04-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

May I introduce myself. I'm Carra and I love "the old ways" as long as they are natural. I'm practicing homeschooling (getting ready for fall), planning a garden for the first time (we've been renting until just last November) and always trying to learn about new ways to care for my family using natural medicine, green cleaners and anything I can discover to promote health and improve the quality of life for my family. I love God extremely much. If you're on a natural journey like me, let me know!

----------------------------

Did you know that Lowe's Home Improvement is my favorite place for paint? Their store brand Olympic was low VOC before "low VOC" was cool.

My favorite area of the store? That shelf.... Tucked away near the paint counter in a "not too noticeable place." What can you find? Mistints! Even the zero VOC Olympic paint gets placed there. My favorite day to visit is Mondays. They seem to have a good selection then.

Completed Zero VOC "Green" Paint Projects:

Painted the trim on the window and one entire wall in the loft playroom. - $5.00
Painted walls in the loft playroom from aqua to a calm tattered sail - free (leftover paint)
Painted all bathrooms a nice neutral light gray (I like to change out bathroom decor frequently so I don't like to make commitments to wall color - free (more leftover paint)
Painted the lovely moss/sage/clover (hope to be baby room again) whole room - $5.00
Splurged on full price paint for the Irish Lace in the girl's room - $25

Plans:

Paint exterior doors (not zero VOC, b/c strong paint needed) - dark taupe - $5.00 (have it)
Paint hallway in basement (bought two similar cream colors - plan to pour both in a bucket, mix them up and have one uniform color for the space). - $5.00
Paint dresser that I purchased from Salvation Army Thrift Store (my favorite!) dark pink - $2.50

Wow, what a list. We moved October 31st and we have several family difficulties and losses. But on the whole, I feel pretty good about the accomplishments.

Here's the den door before I went all "mistint:"

And here is the after photo. I enjoy what a little paint can do! May all your "before and afters" be naturally healthy ones!

Love,

Risky Reno Reveal (& blog party)

2010-04-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

I'm going to the party! I've never participated in a blog party before but this one sounds really fun! I might even put on some swanky shoes LOL.

Okay, to paint my 120 +/- years old dresser was risky. But I have to say, I am really pleased with how it has come out. Once again, here is the before:

This is a "nearly natural" project. I used Olympic black flat paint which is zero VOC, but because of the type of use- it needed a protective coat.

I read the labels of every kind of polyurethane and just could not justify bringing that into our home. What I found was a compromise product. I used "Polycrylic" made by Minwax. It still has some chemicals but substantially less than the true polyurethane.

I love the result! What do you think? BTW - just in case you had any delusions about me being "together," the reflection in the mirror is a stack of laundry to fold and two bins of tights & frilly socks to sort. At least the room is now painted.

Love,

New Blog Design & A Risky Project

2010-04-02T13:27:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited! Pete gave me a new blog design to be all "fancy." I think it is so "me." I did the best I could with the resources I had, but I just couldn't make the blog look like I wanted. Here's the old design (in case you are new or have a few foggy days like me :-)

AND... I have a new natural project to tease you with. My great grandmother's name was "Emma" and as part of being in the family, I received her dresser when we became homeowners. It is precious to me to have things that belonged to family. I never knew her but I feel connected to that side of the family every time I use it.

So, it is old. I have pondered and pondered whether to leave it in original (peeling paint) condition or give it a makeover. I knew I would love it more if it were more visually appealing. I know I can hear the avid watchers of "Antique Roadshow" screaming - "No, don't paint the 120+/- year old dresser!! You'll ruin the value!"

I know the monetary value will probably take a hit, but this is not an investment. It is a connection to my past. And if it is a more beautiful connection - I believe I will love it all the more. So, the riskiest project yet...the "Emma dresser" before with a zoom in on the wearing paint. Check back tomorrow (hopefully) to see the results.

Love,

What's playing in your minivan?

2010-03-31T09:35:00.001-07:00

I got a text from a friend the other day asking about kid music I play in the van. I just don't. I hope to add music for learning stuff once we get more into the homeschool groove. But I honestly find most kid music irritating. So my girls just learn to enjoy what I enjoy. We play a little old-timey twangy stuff like "I'll Fly Away" (think "O Brother Where Art Thou") and I play Axel F (crazy frog version) from my teen/childhood years but mostly contemporary Christian like KLove and locally WBFJ. They can sing along to "Hosanna" and "I am Free."

But just this morning I was exploring a blogroll found this! It is so hilarious and so true!
Go Fish - Maybe I will start playing kid music in the van. ;-)

Love,

Been pondering...

2010-03-30T13:45:00.000-07:00

I have been pondering lately....

I shared a few weeks ago about my Mawmaw who has a very aggressive cancer. The cancer is essentially stealing her body. But she also has Alzheimer's which is stealing her mind. I was taking a walk this morning and pondering the harshness of that. I think about what life "should be" like - no miscarriages, no cancer and certainly no Alzheimer's disease. This is no Eden.

And I ponder the "way a man is with a maid" and the look of my children playing in joyous exuberance of a muddy ditch and the closeness I feel of God's presence when I sit still on a chilly, sunny day. This is a little taste of Eden.

This is my Mawmaw with me. She doesn't know who I am and sometimes she thinks my daughters are sons. She longs for home where her mama is. She's a great-grandmother and truly the Proverbs 31 matriarch of the family. But inside she's still a girl that misses her husband and her little children and her mama and daddy.

Since she is no longer cooking or cleaning, my mom and her siblings are beginning to try to clear out some of the accumulated household articles. There are a boatload of grand kids but only a few of us really gravitate toward the "old" stuff. I'm grateful that this big blue porcelain coated pot was among the items available. Every time I use this pot, I think of Mawmaw. That day I was heating up my jars to can some chicken and broth. ...reminding me to pursue excellence in my calling to be a Proverbs 31 woman.

Love,

Stuffy Noses and Bonked Heads - I heart essential oils!

2010-03-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I shared the homemade hand sanitizer with Tea Tree oil. Did you know that tea tree is both antiviral, anti-fungal? It is one of the most powerful antiseptics and has no known allergic reaction. It is a true favorite.

So I am a big fan of the essential oils in a bottle. My favorite or at least most frequent use of any oil is eucalyptus and water. I call it the "Stuffy Nose, But Not Full-Tilt Cold Nighttime Spray" (SNBNFTCNS for short)

SNBNFTN Spray Recipe
20 drops of eucalyptus into a 8 ounce bottle of water

Spray all around the room where your stuffy-headed sweetheart is sleeping. Be careful because the spray will drop down and can irritate the eyes. Spray away from faces, especially yours. :)

How do you like the shiner on Faith? Another common reason we use oils is for pain killer. Faith decided to hurry out a door that was partially closed. It popped out right away and I dashed upstairs with her to grab an oil. Lavender is my first pick for the "Hit My Head" need but it was in the van. So the most available one? Tea tree. :-) I dropped two drops on my finger and lightly applied it to her head. She stopped crying immediately - I'm absolutely serious. These oils are mega-super-ultra amazing for immediate pain relief.

If she had fell and hit her leg, I would have dropped it directly on the leg. But since oils are so strong, I use extra precautions when using around the face. The vapors (as mentioned above) can get into their eyes. They usually dislike that.

So if you are a newbie to the essential oils deal - grab a bottle of eucalyptus, lavender and tea tree. If you buy at Earthfare or Whole Foods probably cost around $30 for all three. If you buy online (my fav is Lucky Vitamin) - you can get them for about $16 plus shipping. Plan to be amazed!

Love,

Blog Award and News

2010-03-13T13:57:00.000-08:00

Did you know I have exciting news? Okay - it probably doesn't matter to you at all -but I'm getting remodeled!! As a gift, my sweet husband has given me a blog remodel from Designer Blogs. It should be up by the end of the month and I am super-excited. I really enjoy pretty things and there are ways that I have wanted my blog to look and just couldn't "get them" to look that way. Anyway - just wait. I'm in the queue so even I'm not sure when it will all be done.

----------------------------------------

So I just received my very own blog award and I am so honored to be given by my friend April. She is quite the thrifty fashion girl, a new bride and a big DIY-er. I read several of the same blogs that she reads so just hop on over and check out her list.

So here are my blog nominees:
Joel and Kitty Hurdle - they are co-workers and really fun. They're just really real blogging all of life - ministry, what God is teaching them and renovation stories.
Larissa - She is a sweet girl who does amazingly well as pretty much anything she puts her mind to. She is pursuing new experiences and blogs about them with photos. She's also an incredible cake maker/decorator.
Sarahbeth is a friend from back home (SC). She blogs about her life, little girls (I can relate) and what God is teaching her. I enjoy the realness of her journeys.
Lisa is another friend from back home who shares about her life (really regularly for a mommy LOL) what God is doing in her life, her natural living journey and her sweet children.

----------------------------------------

Finally, here are seven random interesting things about me: If you want more, check out the facebook list a did about a year ago.

1. My parents and sister are simultaneously proud and confused by my natural living stuff - especially the medical (anti-mainstream) orientation.
2. My only sister is almost 14 years younger than me - same parents (but my understanding is that we were both surprises).
3.My hair is very, very thick. Until about two years ago everyone who ever cut my hair fussed at me for having such thick hair (33 years). Isn't that sad? That's why I am ultra-loyal to Bob @ Top of the Morn because he says my thick hair is great and I should keep it long.
4. One of my favorite books is a business book called Good to Great.
5. I was homeschooled and I did not wear gauchos (& still don't).
6. My husband is my best friend - literally my very best friend.
7. I think strategic planning is one of the most enjoyable ways to spend my time.

Love,

Homemade Hand Sanitizer

2010-03-12T11:07:00.000-08:00

So last night I heard Faith (my two year old) crying. That's not too unusual - she typically quiets down fairly quickly and goes back to sleep. I had already been asleep two hours so I was at the "let me go back to sleep" groggy place. But I felt like I better check. So into the room I go. First I think -oh no a poopy diaper has leaked all over, but alas - it was vomit. Argh.

There has been a nasty stomach bug going around all over but I thought I had successfully avoided contact. Apparently not. Both my girls sleep in the same room, so keeping Gracie well while Faith tossed her cookies - that could be a challenge. Especially because it happened again at 5:30 a.m.

I cleaned up everything (I'll spare you the details, but I'm still running laundry this afternoon) and wanted to do something to clean the germs. If you are a regular reader to ETS , you may recall a post I did on natural cleaners. Well, last night I had an inspiration to create some sanitizer. I grabbed a bottle left over from some throat spray (I keep thing like that). I grabbed the tea tree oil and measured approximately 25 drops into the 4 ounce bottle and added water to fill it. I sprayed it all around the room.

I also sprayed both girls hands and mine. Then I was like - this is a great non-toxic hand sanitizer! So I thought I would share. In the picture, you can see that I have not gone to great lengths to make a groovy label. hey - it was the middle of the night and I didn't want to get to confused with something else. I suggest making some in advance - it doesn't get any easier in the middle of the night!

Love,

I dream of a china cabinet... (part two)

2010-02-15T13:42:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry that I made you wait soooo long to see the results of our transformation (part one). This is my favorite kind of project.

Thrifty: We bought the cabinet for $75 off craiglist
Green and Natural: Paint is Zero VOC Olympic paint from Lowes (called Heavy Cream)
Collaborative: My husband and mother-in-law participated in the sanding and painting

This was my first foray into "real" furniture. I admit that I was intimidated to go after such a big project. And compared to a new cabinet - $75 is waaay cheap. But if really mess this up - $75 is a significant loss to my "furnishings" envelopes. But I'm really happy with how it turned out. Thanks for stopping by!

Love,

I dream of a china cabinet... (part one)

2010-02-09T07:07:00.000-08:00

Just so you know, I've been sad recently. Y'all know that I lost a baby almost one month ago. This week we learned that my grandmother "mawmaw" (you need to be from the south to pronounce this correctly) has a very aggressive cancer. She is not expected to live but about six months. I'm flipping between not doing anything and working like a maniac. Since I am periodically working like that - there should be several things to share soon ;-)

One project that is in its final stages is a redo of a china cabiinet. I feel like such a grown up with a china cabinet. I've had really pretty china and Christmas china and just used my top kitchen cabinets. I am so excited. Here's the "before" and Pete and I disassembling it.

Love,

Birth Stories, Part Four - a second loss

2010-01-21T19:50:00.001-08:00

Since I had experienced a miscarriage only six months before, I was very aware of what was happening this time. I didn't have contractions early on, so I tried an aggressive regime of cramp root, bed rest and vitamin E.

This pregnancy was totally different from the one this past spring. I was sick - big time. It felt just like the first trimester of Gracie and Faith. I would go about life & work, vomit, fall asleep, get up and eat some protein and do it all over again. I thanked God every time I threw up. I felt that it was a "sign" that the pregnancy was holding fast. I believed that the first one was an anomaly. I learned and grew in my trust in God's goodness through that experience. But deep in my heart, I never really expected that it would happen again. I hoped in nausea, I hoped in my "one-time" loss. I hoped (and prayed) God would bless us with a healthy baby. But my spirit was not surrendered. Like the old hymn, I needed to surrender all.

On Wednesday, January 13 - I began spotting. The moment I discovered the first spots, I was terrified. Gratefully Pete was near. I clung to him and said, "I don't want to do this anymore." He knew "this" meant the whole thing- I didn't want to lose this baby, I didn't want to try again, I didn't want my heart to break this time or ever again.

By Thursday the miscarriage was really setting in. The cramps were difficult but I spent a lot more time on my feet. I think the movement and gravity helped it progress easier. I would just slip up to the bathroom for a little while - take care of things and go back to light housework.

While I was praying/journaling, I wrote "because God is sovereign, I don't have to fear." I trust God's sovereignty. I am not the creator or sustainer of life. I want more children - I feel called to have more children. Does that mean I am guaranteed to have more children? No. May I live with an ache for a desire that may never be fulfilled? Maybe. I open my hand. I may become pregnant again. I may miscarry again. Praise be the name of the Lord.

My husband wrote an email to our friends. Here's a portion:

This miscarriage has already opened several doors to some very unexpected opportunities to share God’s love and help other wounded hearts. We know and are confident in God’s ability to work redemptively in and through this situation. The path leading through the shadow of death is not easy or, more ideally, avoided because of our faith; instead, we are able to take each step without the fear of evil… I know many others could write or speak about this more eloquently. So I’ll leave it there and let the Lord use this to encourage you that He loves you, we love you and even though life is painful sometimes, God is always good. One day we will see the fullness of the glory that this unborn child will bring the Lord! Until then, we walk by faith and trust and we praise God for friends and family like you that can share in our sorrow and joy.

We named this baby as well. We call her Peace. Within minutes of the onset of my spotting, I had about 10 people praying for me. More began praying as we shared the situation throughout the day. I knew I was losing my baby, but after the first moments of fear, I was completely covered by a sense of peace. It was physically and emotionally hard, but I did experience the peace that passes all understanding. Surrender = peace. My hope is in Christ.

----
A sweet friend told me of a song by Watermark called Glory Baby. The lyrics and a link to a youtube video can be found here. It is biblically solid and painfully articulate in a good, cleansing kind of way.

Love,

Anniversary Apple Pie

2010-01-21T09:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was our ninth wedding anniversary. It was somewhat somber because the miscarriage began exactly one week ago. We had dinner with the girls here at home and caught up with "24 " (after the girls were in bed!) and talked. We reminisced about our wedding day and the things we have experienced since and about our future - imaging what God has in store for us. It was a very low key anniversary but a good one. It's not the "how" but the "who." I am so blessed with an awesome, godly husband. I haven't been anywhere so I didn't buy him a card. But I showed him love in a way that has been consistent throughout our marriage.... I cooked :-)

Apple (or Pear) Pie (either works - I've done both)
Homemade Pie Crust for 9" pan (I'll share my recipe soon I hope)
5 cups of pears or apples pealed and sliced thin
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 tbsp plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp softened butter
Roll out your crust and lay into a 9" pie pan. Combine the rest of the ingredients and spread over bottom crust. Roll out the top crust and pinch the bottom & top crusts together. Poke a generous amount of vent holes across the top of the pie. Bake @ 450 degrees for 10 minutes, reduce temperature to 350 and bake another 35 to 40 minutes.

I highly recommend serving this hot with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. We had Breyers. I know - it has sugar! Honestly, we've really fallen off the "no sugar" wagon in recent months. Tasty food can be a welcome distraction when you're sad, tired or stressed. It seems like we've been in constant rotation of those feelings for about 8 months. I'm praying for strength and wisdom as we try to get our family back on a healthy groove. Thanks for stopping by!

Love,

Life is hard, God is good

2010-01-14T08:55:00.001-08:00

Update: Miscarriage is complete - I feel very at peace. I appreciate your prayers greatly - they have sustained me throughout this.
-------------

I'm having a tough day. I'm losing my baby today. It started yesterday - we tried several things to slow things down with the hope of saving the baby. But most likely my body began to release this little one at least a week ago. My body is now doing the work to complete the miscarriage.

I was praying/journaling last night and I wrote "because God is sovereign, I don't have to fear." This passed through His hand and I trust that He will give me strength. I'm sad but at peace. I would appreciate your prayers for my strength and healing.