Do you miss me?

LOL
If you are friends with me on facebook, probably not.  :-)

Just had to share a find for my natural family living friends.  You all probably already knew about it, but I just found it and am loving it.  It is Rhythm of the Home online magazine.  Beautiful!  It really speaks to me.  I'm putting a link in the sidebar for my own reference if you forget and need help finding it again too.
Anyway, I'll try to share more pictures in the near future

Puffed Oven Pancakes for Shady Lady

Oooh, she got her own title and everything ;-D

Preheat your oven to 425 degF.  In a 10" skillet or pie pan, place 4 Tbsp butter.  Put it in the warming oven while you mix the pancake.
Wisk 3 large eggs together until kinda creamy.  Just well blended--it doesn't need to take forever.  Add 1/2 C flour.  This can be wheat flour or a GF blend.  We like using 1/4C teff flour and 1/4 C tapioca starch..  Wisk that together until smooth.  Then add 1/2 C milk and a dash of salt.  Pour it into your nice hot pan and return it to the oven for 20 minutes.  It will be huge and puffy but will collapse most of the way when you take  it out.
Yummmyyyyy!
Serve with anything that floats your boat.  Syrup, jam, fruit, cheese sauce, meats, whipped cream.....

Growing things

Yay!  Garden pictures!
First, an overview.  I just love seeing all that green spilling everywhere.  Especially green that I planted and want to be growing there!

The other fast growing things :-)  Baby M is very aware of what to do with a sword.  Thanks to the diligent tutelage of her brothers.

The giant pumpkin!  It is very neglected, so it isn't exactly as giant as the boys were maybe hoping for, but they are sure enjoying watching it grow.  G is especially proud since he planted it.  That kid is a good gardener.  He has some magic touch!  Nearly every seed he plants sprouts and turns into a very productive plant.  I told him he could use the greenhouse this spring to start plants to sell.  I imagine his older brother will want in on that one.  Should be a fun business for them.

Just too cute a picture to pass up taking.  I had put puffed oven pancakes in the oven and the kids asked me to turn on the light.  They love watching them puff and it fills the 20 minutes waiting for them to be done nicely.  And then they are so cute lined up in front of the oven it makes me happy.

Projects

First, it isn't a project of mine, and you have to turn your head.  Sorry, I'll try to get that fixed.  Anyway, while shopping at Buffalo Exchange in Portland, dh spotted this dress.  I am in LOVE.  It is all silk and I think it is handmade.  Very well handmade, but it certainly isn't production.  The seams are straight stithced and then serged--not all in one pass.  The sheer seams are true french seams.  It is just gorgeous.  And it fits me.  Lot good that does.  Where am I gonna wear it?  It's is rather sheer, sleeveless, and impossible to nurse in.  Oh well.  I can love it anyway, right?

Next we have my new skirt. I had been looking for a pattern I liked for my linen I had purchased on sale awhile ago.  This fit the bill.  Although I still dislike some aspects.  It has a bias waistline that ties. I do like the way the panels came together.  It was Simplicity 2366 in view B.  It went together very fast, except I used my sewing knowledge, or rather applied my sewing knowledge to make the hem turn out nicely.  Haha, amazing how taking a little time gives some rewards.

Finally, we have the pajama set I just finished for G's friend.  He wants to be a farmer when he grows up, so I thought some farm themed pajamas would be perfect.  I used John Deere flannel and some green mottled flannel for the pants.  The t-shirt is purchased and I added a tractor detail.  You can see the edge of my stencil.  I use freezer paper for my stencils. So much fun and it gives really great results.  Let me find a tutorial if your'e interested.... Found one

I seem to have lost my pictures of the garden.  I'll go take some more I guess.

Hello August

With such a weird summer, weather-wise, it does seem kinda sudden to have August here with heat and sun and sprinklers and all.  We did have clouds the last couple of days, but it's a nice break, really.  My garden is loving all the sunshine.  I really need to take some pictures!  The squash are taking over the backyard, as they are wont to do.  There is one giant pumpkin living up to its seed packet promises.  G keeps daily tabs (at least) on it's growth.  We are still awaiting the first red tomatoes, but the lateness with which we got them in, it's no wonder.
Oddly enough, with all this gorgeous (hot) weather, I am getting bit by the craft bug again.  I always like to create things, but once in a while it sinks it's teeth in and won't let go.  I am desperately crafty!  The large majority of my waking thoughts pertain to making things.  Just within the last few weeks, I have made a new skirt for me, 10 AIO diapers for baby M, a dress for baby M, seamed together the blackout fabric for C's studio and started a pj set for G's friend and rest pads for my friend's daycare.
I just bought Cal Patch's book, Design it Yourself Clothes and am soooo excited to make myself some new clothes.  I did find a skirt pattern from Simplicity that I like okay, but it's not great.  I have been dragging my feet on designing my own patterns because it just seemed like so much work.  But this book goes through the steps without a full sloper.  The only problems I'm going to run into are budget for the amount of fabric I want and the time it will take to design, draft and sew the amount I want LOL  I'll just have to reign in my imagination a tad.
I'll try to get a few more photos taken, but here's one of the diapers

Next week, as in tomorrow, G starts his last summer camp, then it will be on to soccer.  He is so dang excited about soccer!  After next week, M leaves to go to my parents' house for 2 weeks.  He loves that time to be spoiled by both Grandma and Grandpa.  Who wouldn't?
Then, all the boys start school in the fall.  M will be full-day 5th grade this year.  G absolutely insisted on going to kindergarten, so he'll do that.  Then I knew with the other 2 boys in school, E would feel left out.  So he is going to 2-day preschool at the same place G went to.  My friend does such an amazing job.  And she is doing this class just for 3 year olds, so it will be super fun for E.  And all my brain can think of is that with the lighter kid-load, I might actually get some more crafting time this fall!  It's a nice thought anyway.  :-)

Camping pictures!!

These photos are in their un-edited state.  And there's a lot. You  cand thank PapaCoyote for pushing me along on this project.  I'll add some captions later, so check back in a few days if you want to read about the pictures.  I have a van to pack up. :-)

Preparing for the road trip

This year we are travelling to Idaho to be with family for the 4th.  This entails a road trip of approximately 7.5 hours driving time.  With kids in tow with regular potty and wiggle breaks, this usually figures to somewhere around 8 to 9 hours.  Really it only hits 9 hours when we have a small baby who is still only breastfeeding.  But still, it's a long trip and I have been honing my preparation skills for many years now.
In thinking about what to take in the car this year, I combined a few previous successes and came up with (I hope) a good plan.  I decided to share in case anyone else is looking for ideas for road trip survival.

My kids like kits.  My kids like presents.  My kids get bored.  I think these are all pretty normal.  So I hit upon small kits, wrapped up in individual bags, and a varied selection of activities.  I just bought a package of plain brown lunch sacks.  Cheap and easy.  Here's a list of what's inside.  Oh, and I put together a bag for each boy and rubberbanded them together in groups.  So everyone gets the same(ish) thing at the same time.

1) a stack of mini post it notes in multi-colors.  There is a note on the bag that says, "decorate your window!"
2)Stickers with facial features, dot stickers and crayons with an extra bag.  The note says to make puppets and put on a puppet show for each other.
3)Aerials.  Each bag has something different in the this one, so they have to work together.  Yeah, I know, we'll see how it goes.  They have string, paperclips, paper, rubber bands, and scissors.  The idea is to run the string through the hooks next to lights at each seat and hang creations from it.  Maybe they can send stuff back and forth.  We'll see what they come up with.
4) more facial feature stickers and paper and pencils.  The note says to make up some people and tell mom and dad about them.  They have prompts like, "who is this, where are they going, what are they doing."  Basic stuff like that.

Then there is food!  One set of bags will have crackers, lunch meat and cheese. Another will be cookies, frosting and sprinkles.  Another will be fruit cups.  And snack bars and juice boxes.

The bags are mostly packed.  But I still need to pack up the food packets.  Oh, and hit the grocery store for said food.
And pack the rest of the stuff.  Like clothes.  At least packing to go to grandma and grandpa's house is pretty straightforward.  They really only need clothes.  Grandma spoils them with anything else they could possibly need.