Bolerama!

We did it!  After talking about it and looking for the past 2 years, we bought our Boler.  The first step to our dream of driving across the country and relocating to Nova Scotia is a reality.

Although I love the look of the original 13' Bolers, realistically it just doesn't work for a family of 5 plus 2 dogs.  We were looking for a 17' model, which seem to be harder to come by.  Finally we found one, and the same owner had it and took great care of it for the past 15 years.

I love that it is still in its original state - a blank slate for me to redecorate!!  I've already started assembling paint colors and fabrics.  I want it to be a fun, colorful space that includes handmade quilts and pillows.  Here is what I'm thinking so far:

1) I'm thinking of a light green for the cabinets, I want something light and bright, but not white.

Source

2)  Love the colors in these fabrics - Flutter by The Quilted Fish.  I want to ask each of the grandmothers to make a quilt, and then I'll make one for the top bunk.  I think it would be so neat to have 3 quilts of similar palette, made by 3 different people, each with their own touch and style.

Source

3) Then for the extras - lights, chalkboard paint on the fridge, maybe some cork board on a door or cabinet to post notes, pictures, etc, a fabric bunting, the ideas are endless.  I can't wait to get started.

Source - includes a tutorial on how to make.

Source - I love the feel of this camper

 Let the fun begin!  We've already sat out in it to eat supper and snacks a few times, I can't wait for the first camping trip, hopefully we can fit in 1 or 2 before the big road trip!

Why GAPS Diet

I started this post thinking it would be a general post on the GAPS Diet including links to my favorite (so far) recipes and websites and a general overview.  However as I started writing I realized that I needed to break this up into a few posts.  So I'm starting at the beginning, as it should be...

Ever since having children I have struggled to keep my psoriasis under control.  Before children I just had very mild spots on my elbows - after children I have been increasingly covered on my arms, legs, chest, and patches on my face.

Elbows on Day 39

In addition to not feeling confident wearing short sleeves, shorts, skirts, etc it is really itchy and uncomfortable.  In the past I have tried topical creams, phototherapy, and anything else my dermatologist recommended - short of drugs.  The problem was none of them cleared it up completely, and I wasn't really comfortable with the options, both for myself and also my babies since I have also been breastfeeding during this period.

Legs on Day 39

Although Western Medicine doesn't readily recognize that many illnesses can be healed through diet, I have always believed that diet has to have a huge influence on one's overall health (you are what you eat after all), and that many of us have a problem digesting the foods in a typical North American diet (namely sugar and wheat).

So on that note, on April 17th I went to visit my Naturopath at Sage Clinic who I had seen when I was pregnant with William.  I anticipated what she was going to say, so I had been mentally preparing myself for a radical diet change.  And, not to disappoint, she recommended that I go on the GAPS Diet.

GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome, and is essentially a sugar-free, grain-free, limited dairy diet that is related to Specific Carbohydrate Diet, helping to heal various gut disorders, among other ailments.  A number of individuals have also had success with it healing eczema and psoriasis.

Coincidentially (or maybe not as is often the case), I had been following Rachel Wolf's blog Clean for a while, and had read a number of her posts about being on the GAPS Diet.  So I left the naturopath's office and went home that night to begin researching, and then jumped in and started it 3 days later (I don't recommend that... planning truly is key to this... live and learn).

I meant to take before pictures, and here I am 40 days in and just getting around to it. 

In the next couple of GAPS related posts I will talk about how the first 40 days has gone, and include info on my diet/meal planning and some links to my favorite resources.

Music to her ears...

I was at Canadian Tire getting a few things on Saturday with all 3 littles.  Davin says "Mom, listen to that music!"  I didn't hear anything aside from the typical low music played in stores.  A few minutes later:

Davin: "Do you hear that?"

Me: "Hear what?"

Davin: "The way the cart bumps over the lines on the floor, it sounds like a drumbeat.  And do you hear your shoes?"

Me: "Oh, I didn't realize I was scuffing my feet.  I should stop that."

Davin: "No mommy, your shoes sound like cymbals.  Here the drums and cymbals together? It sounds like music!"

I dearly hope she can always hear the music in the mundane.

(I) May Catch Up!

We finally have Spring in Vancouver!


Not related to post, but so stinkin' cute!
Taken over Easter in his outfit from Nana

 How has it been almost 2 months since I last posted?!? I have had lots of things to post about, but sadly can't get my act together enough to take any pictures.  There were:

- Easter packages to nieces and nephews which included little felt chicks and beeswax candles along with a homemade card.

- Board books for birthday gifts to Charlie and Anya

- a lunch bag and cosmetic case for a sister's birthday

- another Milo vest (this one for Davin - hopefully I will actually get a picture of this one!)

We've had a busy Spring with LOTS going on including:

- planting our first vegetable garden. We've started small, just going with tomatoes, peas, carrots, sunflowers, adn a few herbs. I'm so excited to see how it goes.

- I started on the GAPS diet, which truly deserves a post of its own. So much to learn, so much time in the kitchen trying to get organized, so much more meal planning until we get into a bit of a groove.

- William is 8 months old (what?1? how did that happen?). He is a happy easygoing little guy who we all adore. Cutting some teeth and trying really hard to talk and walk when he is not eating everything under the sun - look out world!

- The other night Davin staged an impromtu photo shoot and then wanted to send the pictures to grandparents and friends wishing them a Happy Mother's Day, which we did:

The girls are stuck to each other like glue these days, playing together all day, for the most part pretty peacefully.  I hope their close relationship continues as they get older, it is so sweet to see.

Hopefully now that I've actually posted something it will spur me on to become somewhat consistent again... no promises!

At Play

The girls spend a lot time playing with little people acting out different stories these days, which I love listening to. Over the course of the day we will find various groupings of toys, like this...

and this...

and this...

They have so much fun playing together, and it is so neat to see their imaginations and creative play come out.  Recently our broom was stuck upsidedown between couch cushions and made into the sail of a ship and the short dividing wall between our porch and living room was Davin's horse.

The Eiffel Tower

Davin's best friend (or her twin as she likes to refer to her) turned 5 last week and had a french themed birthday.  She loves Paris and the Eiffel Tower.  In coming up with a gift idea we decided to go with it and made her a shirt with an Eiffel Tower applique. 

I just bought a plain shirt at H&M, and then got an image of the Eiffel Tower online, using scraps to attach.  If I had more time I would have hand stitched it on, but time was at a premium, so I used the machine.

It turned out pretty cute, and the birthday girl seemed impressed that she had an Eiffel Tower shirt.

Mmmmm... bagels

After seeing these on Feather + Anchor a couple of months ago I had to give them a try, a recipe for homemade bagels, and it was really easy and yum, yum.  The recipe only made 8, and they were slightly on the small side, so the 2nd time around I doubled the recipe but only made 12 bagels, so they are nice and substantial. 

Miren was really into helping me mix and knead, and then Davin helped to shape them and take them off the baking sheet when they were done.

The only other modification was to the flour, I used about 60% whole wheat bread flour and 40% unbleached white flour.  Here is my version:

INGREDIENTS

3 cups lukewarm water

2 packets active dry yeast (not quick-rising)

7 tablespoons sugar

3 teaspoons salt

7 to 7 1/2 cups flour

(I used 4 cups of whole wheat bread flour &

3 cups of unbleached white flour)

1. Pour 1/2 cup of the water into a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast over it. Stir with a fork, then let the mixture sit for 5 minutes so that the yeast can thoroughly dissolve.
2. Combine the remaining 2 1/2 cups of water and the dissolved yeast in a large mixing bowl. Stir in 6 tablespoons of the sugar, then stir in the salt. Add 4 cups of the flour and stir by hand for 100 strokes to blend well.
3. Stir in enough of the remaining flour, about 1/4 cup at a time, to make a dough that’s firm enough to knead.
4. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it with floured hands for about 10 minutes, using as much of the remaining flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. When fully kneaded, the dough will be firm but supple and should hold the imprint of your hand.
5. Transfer the dough to an oiled glass or ceramic bowl, turning it a few times to coat the entire surface. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place it in a warm, draft-free spot until the dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
6. When the dough is ready, punch it down. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead it for 1 minute. Divide the dough in half, then divide each half into 6 equal pieces.
7. Shape the 12 pieces into balls, placing them on a floured work counter and dusting the tops with flour. Let them rest for 2 to 3 minutes, then flatten them slightly with your fingers.
8. Fill a large soup pot about two thirds with water. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar and begin heating the water to bring it to a boil.
9. Working with 1 ball of dough at a time, press your floured thumb down through the center to make a hole. Stretch the dough slightly so the hole is about 1 inch in diameter. It will look like a doughnut. Set the bagels aside on a floured surface, covering them loosely with plastic wrap or waxed paper.
10. Let the bagels rest for 10 minutes while the water comes to a full boil. Meanwhile, grease a large baking sheet and set it aside. Heat the oven to 400°.
11. Working with the first bagels you shaped, gently drop 2 into the boiling water. They should float, but don’t worry if they sink initially – they’ll quickly rise to the surface. Boil the bagels for 30 seconds on one side, then carefully turn them with a long-handled, slotted spoon and boil them for another 30 seconds on the other side.
12. Using your slotted spoon, transfer the bagels to a clean tea towel to drain. Wait a few seconds, then transfer them to the baking sheet, leaving space between them. Repeat with the remaining bagels.
13. Bake the bagels on the center oven rack until they are deep golden brown, about 22 to 25 minutes. Then transfer the bagels to a wire rack to cool. Makes 12 large bagels or 16 small bagels.

Enjoy!!  I certainly did, with lots of peanut butter dripping onto my plate... mmmmmm....

Fit for a princess...

Davin and Miren were given handmade dolls for Christmas by their Aunt Carrie, and Davin has really taken to hers, coming up with her usual grand plans.  She came wearing a dress, but Davin has requested pants, shoes, gloves, and a crown.  So far we have only managed to make the crown, but I had to take a picture because although not exactly how I would have done it, reminded me again that I many times need to step back and let the girls exercise their artistic abilities.

The first thing I did was ask Davin to draw a picture of what she wanted it to look like.  Then I took her drawing and enlarged it to accomodate the doll's head.  It had to be "golden" of course, and then I just let her choose various ribbon and felt and cut out shapes as she saw fit.  I put the heat n' bond on the back, and then she placed them where she wanted and I ironed them on.

It was actually a quick project, and aside from Davin's first (but certainly not last) burn on the iron, I think it turned out great.

Booties are up next!

Body butter

Suffering from ezcema and psoriasis, winter tends to be pretty tough on my skin, and it is very hard to stay moisturized and reduce the itching.  Over the years I have tried pretty much everything, and recently have been interested in trying my hand at some homemade solutions.

After seeing various recipes on the Internet I decided to jump in and give it a try.  I had most of the supplies on hand, and being impatient I picked up what I needed at Cranberry Lane, just a few minutes from our home.

I started with this recipe, but then wanted to try and give my psoriasis a little extra TLC, and have seen where people have some success with Evening Primrose Oil, so I change the recipe slightly to incorporate that as one of my oils.  So here it is:

Body Butter

• 1 cup shea butter
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup evening primrose oil (original recipe called for almond oil)

1. Melt shea butter and coconut oil in the top of a double boiler. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.

2. Stir in almond oil and essential oils of your choosing (I used lavender and sweet orange, what I had on hand).

3. Wait until oils start to partially solidify then whip until a butter-like consistency is achieved. This should only take a few minutes, although make sure it is long enough to get it a bit fluffy.

4. Place in clean, glass jar and enjoy! A little goes a long way.

So far I am finding it very soothing and moisturizing, and my psoriasis looks and feels significantly better than it had been.

Next up - Lemon Lime Sugar Scrub!

Chair... recovered...

This is one I really should have taken a before picture of.  We bought this chair when Davin was about a year old, and although she enjoyed it, I think she used it more for doing tumbles off of than actually sitting in.  Miren, on the other hand, sits in it every single day while she watches her show.  The original light green gingham was looking a little brown, and overall it was just looking like a sad little chair.  Enter some Anna Maria Horner fabric and a new cover and it looks good as new!

I have never recovered a chair before, so I thought the easiest thing to do would be to deconstruct the existing cover and then use those pieces as my templates.  It was a bit time consuming, but I think it was worth it. 

I had a stack of Little Folks flannels that I was planning to make into a blanket, but given the fact that Dame and I already have an ongoing battle about exactly just how many blankets one family needs (I say you can never have too many, he argues they are just something else to fold and tidy up!), I thought we might be better served by using it for the chair cover, and I'm really glad I did, it adds such a great pop of vibrant colour to the room.

It took a few nights, although I think that was mostly in deciding which fabrics to put together, and then piecing it together.

I love how it looks, and Miren is pretty happy about it as well!

Lip Balm for Davin

This time of year Davin's lips always tend to get really dry and chapped. She isn't a fan of mint, an ingredient any many lip balms, so I said I would make her some... "my very own golden lipstick mama?"  Why yes!

I looked at the many recipes on line and started to get my usual bout of information paralysis, and then decided to just pick one that I had the ingredients on hand and go for it.

I ended up doing something close to this one, but decided to add a little lanolin as well.  Some I had seen also included honey, but I was out, so omitted.  Here is my version:

Davin's Lip Balm

1.5 Tbsp beeswax pellets
3 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp lanolin
6 Vitamin E oil pills (I pierced and squeezed out, but I think there was more on me that in the container...)
5 drops essential oil (sweet orange oil)

I just melted the first 4 ingredients in a double boiler (one that I use strictly for beeswax), and then added the essential oil at the end.

I then used an eye dropper to put into the plastic lipbalm tube containers.  It filled 6 tubes, plus I poured the remaining in a metal tin which I will use.

I've used it a bunch of times now, and I really love how it feels on my lips, although I will probably experiment with diffent essential oils next time, just to see the difference.

Overall definitely a hit and worth doing!

38 Years Old...

What?  How did that happen?  How am I 38 years old already?  I feel about 31!  My birthday was yesterday, and I had a great day getting spoiled by Dame and my little ones.

Davin was very adamant that I needed a pretty dress in blue for my birthday, so that is what they got me, along with a bit of running gear (yay!), better than Dame's 20 year old thermal underwear that I have been wearing out on colder days!

You can see a bit of the top of the dress in this one...

There was also a cupcake cake in the shape of a flower, and risotto, one of my favorite dishes Dame makes.

Yummo!



Of course I had lots of help to blow out the candles!

It was a lovely day capped off with a bit of knitting in the evening, these days I'm working on a Milo Vest for William.  So far it is a great easy knit and I plan to do one for Davin and Miren when I'm finished.

And I'll finish with this one just because... :)

Enjoy Every Moment...

I read this great piece from Momastery the other day, talking about the "Enjoy every moment - they grow up so fast" advice we are regularly bombarded with, and it made me feel such relief, and a little sadness at the same time.  Relief that it wasn't just me who felt this pressure to enjoy every day with my babes, and guilt for the days where it was tough to find that enjoyment.  Raising babies is hard, and some days are long, end of story.  Sadness that it is clear that so many of us feel this way, and feel as though we're alone with that.

Source

And now, after reading this, I'm trying to just be.  Know that some days will be crap, but some days will be great, and in between, I will look for my Kairos time.  Remember that looking forward to bedtime doesn't make me a bad mom, but maybe tomorrow night it might mean saying ok to that "one more book".

The days are long, but the years are short.  It just is.  So I'll make the most of the days that I can, and not beat myself up for those where I just can't.  It's ok.

Your mama

Most of what I write in the journals for our children or in this blog and elsewhere is things about them, so we can remember it together when they are older.  I thought it would also be helpful to once in a while capture my thoughts and feelings at this stage so they can hopefully better understand me.  So Davin, Miren and William, here are some things about me...

1) I obsess about what you eat, and would love to make everything from scratch, but struggle with that a bit between working and balancing with Dame's preferences.

2) I am not the most patient mother, and am working on not yelling and getting upset when you don't listen, as an almost 3 & 5 year old are apt to do.

3) Your dad and I have spent enless hours talking about your education and what we want it to be. It is a big motivator for trying to move back east and have you all go to the Waldorf school there.  Hopefully it all works out.

4) I love singing very loudly in the car when no one else is there, to all types of music, including dance and country.

5) I'm trying to get motivated and get back running now that William is settling into a bit of a schedule.

6) I love to read, and hope to instill a love of reading into each of you. It is such a source of joy for me, and many times a much needed escape.

7) I love snacking on potato chips (especially while reading, see above), and am always trying to cut back!

8) I love making things - sewing, knitting, felting, whatever. It provides such a sense of accomplishment for me, and I love learning new skills and trying new things.  The pleasure when they turn out as I had hoped makes me a little giddy. (Example - I installed my first zipper for some Christmas gifts this year, and couldn't stop showing it to your dad.  We're both geeks at heart, just with a slightly different focus!)

9) Although I'm not much for cooking, I do love baking, but am now always thinking about ways to modify some old favorites to keep them yummy while better for us.

10) I am back to work 3 days a week now that William is 4 months old, and more than a little heartsick about it. I would much prefer to be with you all the time, while still pursuing some of my goals and interests when I can.

11) Our best friends right now are Catherine and Richard, and their daughter Veronica is Davin's best bud (or her "twin" as she prefers to call her). It is tough to find couples where everyone likes one another, but we all really get along and have a lot of fun together.

12) My favorite colour is robin egg blue, your dad's is orange.

13) We would love to travel with you all more, but not sure it is in the budget in the short term.

14) We are really struggling with the level of consumerism and the focus of buy, buy, buy that seems to be so prevalent in society these days, and are trying to look inward at ways to simplify and reduce our spending and consumption.

15) We all love our jammies and spend many days in them not bothering to get dressed. If we do go out somewhere you guys start stripping as soon as we get home and get right back in your comfy jammies.

16) Overall we're home bodies, preferring just hanging out together as a family and going for quiet walks together over being out with crowds of people.

17) Without really realizing it initially, we're considered somewhat unconventional when it comes to some of the choices we are making for you guys, from the all natural healthcare and cleaning products, to many of the toys we buy, to the foods we eat, to the movies and tv we watch (or more often, don't watch), to our thoughts on schooling. We are making these choices because we think they are the best ones for us and you, and hope that as you get older you feel that way too!

My Word – 2012!

I’ve been seeing a few posts in blogland these days about a word for the New Year, which reminded me I hadn’t chosen a word yet for what I wanted 2012 to be.  Then yesterday Hip Mountain Mama posted on Facebook yesterday asking “what is your word for 2012?”, and I immediately knew it was ADVENTURE.  After 2011 being a year of Nurture - slowing down, sticking close to home, waiting for baby, and then enjoying our new little one, 2012 is the year for adventure I think.  Hopefully it will involve:

·         Spending fun times with friends

·         Some camping, hopefully in a new to us trailer (my dream is to get a Boler and fix it up, but we’ll see)

·         Going at least one place we haven’t been before

·         More adventures in cooking and eating well

·         Doing some renovations to our home
·         D starting her first year of school (eek!)

·         Continuing to simplify and organize our home – an adventure to be sure!

·         A trip back to Newfoundland for my 20 year (!) high school reunion

·         Keep working on making our dream a reality


Vintage Boler - Source

Here's to an exciting year filled to the brim with adventure!

 

Advent Calendar

This year I decided to finally make an Advent Calendar like the one I had when I was growing up.  It is a little different than most you find online, the idea is that you just hang an ornament each day as a count down to Christmas.  There are no gifts included like many others, I just feel that they get enough this time of year.  I found a few pictures online for inspiration, and they made up my own measurements and templates.  I need to add a back to it to give it more structure, but otherwise I'm pleased with how it turned out.

Here is a closer view of the ornaments:

Davin enjoyed it quite a bit, and I hope it is another tradition that will continue for many years.

Christmas Cases

For Christmas this year we decided to get the girls each a vintage train case and then fill it with some goodies.  We found the cases on Etsy from Babcock's Store, a great shop for vintage items.  The owner was great to deal with and worked with me to find the best shipping options.  Once they arrived we were busy making them special for each of the girls.

For Davin we decided to fill with her own craft supplies, including a pair of "sharp" scissors which were a huge hit.

We thought Miren was still a little young for that, so in thinking about the things she likes to do most, we filled it will little people, and surrounded it with a farm set for her to play with. 

They were a huge hit, and have had a lot of play over the past couple of weeks.  I hope the train cases will be well loved and something that will grow with them and be filled with different treasures as they get older.