Cute and Handy Clothespin Holder

I love to hang my clothes out on the line to dry.  Most days are still, but on the days when I deal with a lot of wind, clothespins are a must.  

Yesterday I whipped up this handy clothespin holder using a pattern I found on youcanmakethis.com.

Very easy design!  I had it cut out and sewn in under a couple of hours.  I used a decorator weight cotton for the main part of the bag, and then made my own bias tape from a quilter's cotton.  I figured it needed some fancying up, so I added the ruffle.  Anything to make wash day more fun, huh?

It should hold about 100 clothespins.  I may need two bags...

Using All-Natural, Environmentally Safe Cleaners

I gave up on harsh chemical cleaners several years ago.

One day, after my ritualistic cleaning in which I worshiped bleach and drank in the aroma of pine cleaner, I realized that the smell of both infused my lungs and each time I inhaled, all I smelled was bleach.  My lungs burned, I rushed outside into the open air, breathed deeply, but I still only smelled the cleaning products.  It took at least an hour to feel like I could breathe pure air again.  What may have been a "duh" moment for some, sent me into a deep research of the harmful side effects of chemical cleaners.  I dumped everything and began my journey of all-natural cleaners.

What's on my cleaning shelf?

Baking Soda

Vinegar

Thieves Essential Oil

Lemon Essential Oil

Terry Cloths

Spray Bottles

Baking Soda
I use baking soda to scrub toilets, bathtubs, sinks, and counters.
I just sprinkle a little on my work surface, and scrub with a damp terry towel, or scrub brush.  Baking soda is a bit gritty, so it helps with the deep scrubbing.  I haven't had a problem with scratching, but if you have a very sensitive surface, you might consider diluting your baking soda, or using a vinegar rinse instead.

Vinegar
Vinegar is effective against most mold, bacteria, germs, and smells.  On stubborn surfaces, I use white distilled vinegar full strength, however, when washing windows spot cleaning, or cleaning most surfaces, I dilute it with water 50/50 and pour into a spray bottle.

I use vinegar for cleaning sinks, toilets, door knobs, counters, light fixtures, windows, carpets, floors, basically anything I would have used a chemically induced glass cleaner for.

It also helps get rid of urine smells.

Essential Oils
The effects of essential oils not only adds the benefit of antioxidants at work, but also leaves a cleaning area smelling a little better than the vinegariness of vinegar.

I have a spray bottle filled with a mixture of water and Thieves oil.  This blend is used for quick cleanups, and used on surfaces that aren't "germy" just in need of a good cleaning.  AND it smells so refreshing!  I also use Thieves in my mop water.  The mop bucket gets filled with pure water, and then I add about 6 or 7 drops of Thieves.

Lemon oil is perfect for a toilet freshener.  You can drop a couple of drops in your toilet water or water reservoir, and it helps keep your toilet from gathering grime, mold, or stink, in between cleanings.  I use lemon oil for dusting my wood furniture as well.  Add two or three drops of oil to a terry or dust cloth, and wipe down your wood surface.  Smells great and leaves a pretty shine!

Pretty simple, huh?  Not too complicated or expensive!

Naturally Frugal

As a large family, we are always trying to find ways to keep our lives simple, frugal, and remain all-natural.  In our wasteful society, here are some changes we've made to transition from a "throw away" mentality, to a reusable one.

We don't use paper towels.

My husband bought several terry towels from Sam's, and this is what we use for all of our cleaning.  They are very absorbent, and are larger than a washcloth, but smaller than a hand towel.  So, they're not cumbersome while performing our cleaning task.

We use them for cleaning the toilets, sinks, spills, messes, spots on the floor, windows, tubs.........pretty much everything.  Then we just throw them in with the wash and we're done.

I still keep paper towels around for emergencies.  Like vomit.  Not a fan of the vomit.  Puke on the floor is not my favorite.  I'm pretty sure I'd much prefer to clean it up and toss it.  

We use cloth napkins.

We have both store bought napkins (thanks to a Target deal my hubby ran across), and handmade napkins.  The store bought napkins aren't very absorbent, so we started making our own.  The girls raided my fabric scrap box and pulled out any large scraps they could find.  They cut them to 15 "x 15" squares, sewed a 1/2" straight stitch all the way around the border, and left the hem raw so the edges would have a frayed look.  They don't all match and some have some crazy designs, but they're perfect, and the cotton will soak up any water or milk spill. 

And the cute basket came from a half-off Hobby Lobby sale.  I couldn't believe how perfect the size was for holding all of our napkins.  Truly a blessing to have them neatly folded in a "holder", as opposed to tossing them in a laundry basket and snatching up a wad of napkins to set the table with.

No More Bounce

About three years ago, I switched from dryer sheets, to wool dryer balls.  I have had the same 4 dryer balls this whole time and they are still in great shape.  You can find handmade dryer balls on Etsy, in many colors, and I love that I can drip a few drops of essential oils on them to fragrance my dryer.  No harsh chemicals, no synthetic perfumes, just natural wool and essential oils at work.

The dryer balls help control static electricity, and depending on how many you place in your dryer cycle (I use 2 - 4 at a time), the balls knock the clothes around aiding the drying process.  Your clothing isn't all in one lump rolling round and round in the dryer, instead it is constantly being separated by the dryer balls allowing more air to circulated through and speed up drying.

I will be posting more on all-natural, non-wasteful items we use around the house.  What are some of the ways you have made a change in reusable products?  I would love to hear your ideas!

All-Natural Raw Diet

After I completed my juice fast, I moved into an all-raw diet.  I have very little meat and dairy, and I rely on a raw fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds fare.

Of course, I allow myself a treat from time to time.  It was hard to resist my daughter's lemon coconut birthday cake last weekend!

What exactly do I eat?  Well, I posted a couple of dishes that I have fallen in love with.  Yes, each of these dishes is a meal for me, and yes, I am quite full afterwards.

Grilled Avocado

Take one half an avocado, sprinkle with a little sea salt and drizzle with olive oil, and then place it face down on a grill or skillet.

Grill the avocado for 3 - 5 minutes.

In the meantime, chop up a half a tomato, about a tablespoon of chopped red onion, and cilantro, mix together.

Take the avocado off the grill, stuff the cavity with the mixture of tomato, onion, and cilantro, and then squeeze a little lime juice over the top.

Spinach Mango Salad

I don't measure anything, so you might have to wing it.  It's not hard to do, obviously.  ;)

Wash, dry, chop up your spinach leaves.

Add chopped mango

Add crumbled feta cheese

And a bit of chopped red onion

Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil over the top of the salad.

Mix it up and enjoy!

This is the most refreshing, filling salad!

In addition to my raw meals, I add a snack between each meal, and after dinner.  Sometimes I'll eat the other half of my lunch meal avocado for an afternoon snack, raw nuts or dried fruit, and my husband makes the best stove top popcorn.

I can honestly say, I didn't think I would ever find myself eating a mostly raw diet with a little meat on the side.  It's usually the other way around.  I am usually such a carnivore.  But I have never felt better in my life!

Time for a Change

Findley Follies has now become...

Homestead Journey!

After much prayer and careful consideration, my husband and I decided to change the design and name of our blog to something more fitting to our focus.  I was raised by an "older" generation.  One captivated by black and white movies and musicals.  So, when I first chose the name "Findley Follies", I had thought it would be understood that "follies" meant fun stories, and goofy family posts.  Unfortunately, I think some may view it as its other meaning, "foolish or lack of good sense".  Since that isn't the idea I'm trying to convey (although sometimes I still do), I figured it was about time for a change.

Homestead Journey is just that, a look into our life as a large family, homeschooling, homemaking, and of course, beginning our homestead.

I want to be an encouragement in all these areas, and as I am still learning much, hopefully my readers will benefit through my mistakes as well as my triumphs.

Let Go and Let God

I follow many blogs.  Most are about homeschooling, homemaking, large families, or natural living.  It's easy to get caught up in what advice is the perfect formula for raising children, organizing your homeschool room, meal planning, or preparedness living.  So many ideas, so much advice, all wonderful and spot on, but at the same time, overwhelming.

Sometimes I find myself wishing I had all the answers.  Then I'd organize them into yet another black binder...

If I follow this person's advice, I'll have a great relationship with my husband.  If I follow this other person's advice, I'll have a best friend of my daughters.  If I follow another person's advice, I'll incorporate the perfect curriculum.  If I follow yet another person's advice, I'll be able to survive the apocalypse.  Maybe not so much on the latter, but you get the idea. 

It's very easy for us to find people we admire, take all of their advice, store it in our brain, and then get overwhelmed, hoping we get it right, do it right, say it right, so that the formula will come out right in the end.  We can't handle all of the information, much less put it to use!  Does X + Y really = Z?!  I need the right answers!

This morning was a processing day for me, apparently.  Feeling overwhelmed and like a failure, I made my way out to the garden, the only place to be alone and quiet, and cried out to the Lord.  I want to be a good wife, mother, friend to my children, and at the same time take care of all that you've blessed me with!  I can't do it all!  I can't guarantee that all of my efforts will be worth it!  I have no other option but to give it to you, Lord, all of it, every bit of it!  I cannot do it on my own, without Your guidance and wisdom, I am sunk.

Then came peace.  Give it to the Lord.  Do all I can, with what little knowledge, talent, and wisdom I have, and let God do the rest. 

I can't create the perfect family or perfect life, mostly because I am an imperfect mother, raising imperfect children, and married to an imperfect man.  It will never work.  However, I can do my best to raise my children up in "the nurture and admonition of the Lord."  (Eph 6:4), to be a godly wife, and to keep up with the home and land the Lord has entrusted me with.

And leave the rest to God.

"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect."  2 Samuel 22:31 & 33

On Proverbs 31

I have an "observation" about the Proverbs 31 woman...

She had servants.  Of course she's amazing, she had servants!   I could be equally amazing if *I* had servants...

And then it happened.  My washing machine broke.  Determined to not buy another one, because surely I could Proverbs 31 my way into capably washing all of my clothes (and cloth diapers) by hand, I stubbornly refused investing in a new machine. 

The kids and I hand washed, with the help of my awesome washer plunger, all of our laundry.  It was fine for the first few days, and then I found myself getting behind.  The hardest part of it all was wringing out the laundry.  It seemed like no amount of twisting and wringing by hand got the clothes any drier.  We would spend an hour or two a day, just doing laundry, and all of this while it was really rainy outside.

 Um, that lasted all of 3.5 weeks.

It was then that I realized, I DO have servants.  No, not my children, smart-aleck, BUT, I have a dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, water heater, vacuum cleaner, wheat grinder, blender, indoor plumbing, etc.  Even if I were living more primitively, I'd have a washboard, hand wringer, wood stove, hand blender, hand grinder, work horses and such. 

Let me tell you, I for sure felt like a Proverbs 31 woman for those 3.5 weeks, but I was so appreciative when my sweet husband went out and bought me a new washing machine last weekend.  Talk about a relief and a blessing.  I have been thanking the Lord for my "servants" all week.  And thank you Proverbs 31 lady, for making the perfect woman seem a little more attainable.

I'm still trying to figure out how I can get out of verse 26.  Oops, did I say that out loud....?

Another Book Review

This time......cookbooks!

Hearth and Home by Karey Swan is a wonderful resource if you are cooking with fresh, wholesome grains.  I love her scientific approach to every recipe, she explains how the ingredients work together, and WHY they work together.  I think I will have my children take science lessons from her cookbook!

Rejuvenate Your Life by Serene Allison is perfect for anyone looking for a vegetarian diet.  You know I love meat, but I have used several recipes in this book for an alternative.  She is very nutritionally informative regarding all of the vegetables, fruits, oils, and grains you will find in her recipes.  I especially love her explanation on how to open a coconut!

Up-With-Wholesome, Down-With-Store-Bought Book has been around a long time.  I think this book may be as old as I am!  I love it how basic it is.  This book is choc full of common sense recipes ranging from meals to household cleaning.  A must have, if you can find one!

Around here, we love the West Ladies.  This cookbook has quickly become one of our favorites.  Filled with personal stories, helpful tips, and great recipes.  Our particular book was signed by the West Ladies themselves, they are such a sweet, godly example of the Lord's goodness and the good things He gives us through His creation.

The Better Homes and Garden Cookbook has to be one of my all-time favorites.  It's the one I go to the most.  I was given mine as a wedding gift, so it's now 17 years old and still holding together!  There are recipes for just about everything you can imagine, from basic to fancy and everything in between.  If you use fresh-ground ingredients, you may have to make adjustments, but if you are a seasoned cook (no pun intended) you should haven any problems with the substitutions. 

Happy cooking!

Tea Time

Each afternoon (OK, almost each afternoon) around 3, my older girls and I meet up in the kitchen for a tea time.  Over tea, and whatever delicious treat the girls have cooked up that day, we usually spend about half an hour reading and discussing our current "devotional" Beautiful Girlhood by Mabel Hale and Karen Andreola.  Our mother/daughter time together has been such a blessing for me, and I pray that it's time well spent.  I truly enjoy getting to know my daughter's hearts, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to be instrumental in training them to be godly young ladies.  

Oh yes, and here is our usual tea time centerpiece...

Learning to Quilt

It's fall.  For now, anyway.  Cooler temperatures and crisp breezes make me want to quilt.  This past weekend, I pulled out a simple quilt I started about two years ago and didn't get anywhere near finishing.  Shameful, I know!  However, it was a perfect quilt to let the girls practice on.  It's funny to see how each girl is different in her learning style, talent, and design.  The one that I thought would hate it, loved it and was very good at it!  The one who I thought would have the neatest stitches was the one constantly pulling them out.  And the one I thought would sit and quilt for hours was the one who was always distracted.  Who woulda thought?

The simplicity of this quilt makes it easy to stitch inside the squares and allows for "easy to fix" mistakes.  My inner perfectionist is screaming at the jagged lines and uneven stitching, but outwardly I've managed to pull of the "it's OK, you're learning, honey" voice.  They'll get better.  Right?  At any rate, this quilt has been named The Park Quilt.  Meaning Peanut and Bubba Chubs will have a soft blankie to sit on at the park or camping.

I'm sure the twins will thank them for it, one day.



Dry Mixes

You know how much I love Mason Jars....

Since canning season is over for me right now, I seriously needed to fill my half gallon jars.  To see them sit empty, with no hope of canning until next summer, well, it just breaks my heart.  Even Mason jars need to feel useful.

Soooooo, I got the idea to fill them with some of our favorite recipes in a "dry mix" form.  Pancakes, fruit cobbler, corn bread and biscuits!  (I'm avoiding the cookies and cakes)  All we have to do is measure out the dry mix, add the wet ingredients, and we're good to go.  I'm thinking this will come in handy for those last minute guests and surprise visits!  Oh yeah, and it will make the idea of pancakes every morning, so much more tempting...

Mason Jars

I love Mason jars.  For real.  Maybe it's what you can put in them, take out of them, or the versatile allure and means of decor.  I have a couple of antique ones, and various sizes to compliment my many canning ventures.  That being said, I cannot describe the pure joy of finally finding a half gallon sized Mason jar.

Excited?  Over-joyed?  Ecstatic?  Pure rapture?

There are no words....

Call me crazy.  Fine.  You know you love Mason jars.  Admit it.

Sweet Petticoat Slip Dress | Featured Products | YouCanMakeThis.com

Sweet Petticoat Slip Dress YouCanMakeThis.com

This pattern has to be one of my favorites! I love how simple it is, yet so girly and feminine. I have made the twins a couple of dresses, and  a nightgown for each. Quite a versatile pattern and it is SUPER easy to make!  The only thing I changed on it was the ruffle.  In the instructions, you are supposed to fold the ruffle in half, long ways, and then sew to the bottom of the dress.  I didn't fold it in half, but left it wider, which gave the dress a long ruffle and lengthened it all around.  OK, back to sewing......!

Great Article

A friend of mine posted this on Facebook today.  I couldn't help but share it.  I find it interesting that in our society, we neglect to teach our girls how to be good wives, mothers, and homemakers, and instead push the notion that to make anything of themselves, they must go to college and get a degree.  Never mind the fact that while in college, one finds her husband, but must finish her degree to be counted worthy of living in current society, gets married, starts a family, and never uses said degree.  What a waste of time and money.  Isn't it more worthwhile to teach our daughters to be good managers of their homes and then everything else should be secondary.  I, for one, am thankful for my mother who taught me all the important homemaking skills to prepare me for the highest calling any woman can have......motherhood.

http://raisinghomemakers.com/2010/youre-missing-out/