Sensory Box Fun?

This is from a super-craftsy mom's blog that I keep in my reader for ideas.  This post is on sensory boxes, which sound to me like imagination vitamins!  Most of you know that I am not one to be frilly or go out of the way to do something if it doesn't serve a purpose (even if that purpose is to "be asthetically pleasing" or "to provide a learning activity"), but I'm leaning more towards doing some cooler things with Eowyn now that she's older.  Up to this point, my MO has been to give her simple toys (or natural items) and let her play.  She gets "water play" in her weekly bath, or at the splash park, or in basins in the back yard while I garden.  She has a well-stocked play kitchen and plenty of play baby dolls & accessories.  We take walks and she is encouraged to pick up leaves and grass and rocks and get as dirty as she wants-- we can always wash hands later, right?  All of those were simple, imagination-fostering... and no effort for me. :)

But ...after seeing just how fascinated she was with the water table and sand table at the Brooklyn Children's Museum yesterday, I'm considering going a little out of my way and creating a SIMPLE sensory box she can play with at home... something I could pull out during dinner-prep and let her enjoy in the kitchen (where any spills are easily swept up), perhaps?  Hmmm...

Have any of you done any sort of tactile/sensory boxes?

Montessori Toddler Treasure Bag

A few months ago, a blog I like to read (Frugal Granola) linked up to a site detailing how to put together a "Treasure Basket" for your baby/toddler.  Around the same time, I retrieved a box full of childhood memorabilia from my parents' attic.  What in the world was I going to do with little momentoes from around the world-- stuff I'd bought on family trips or received from a voyaging family member?  Much of it was way too cool to throw away:  the leather dragon I'd bought at a European castle, bright cloth bags from Guatemala, a leather coin purse from Canada, a metal horse from my horse collection, little Easter eggs on strings, a geode, a wooden kaleidescope...  After reading the article on a Toddler Treasure Basket, the two came together.  I think Montessori as an education philosophy has serious flaws, but I do love their emphasis on discovery and "sensorial exploration."  So I culled through my knickknacks and selected those made of natural materials (wood, leather, stone, metal, cloth, ceramic, yarn) and/or with interesting textures and/or designs.  I tried to include lots of container-type toys-- boxes, bags-- so she could practice putting things in and out.  You can see many of the objects above.  I put them in a giant zip-up bag from 31, and voila!  Cheapest toy I've ever made. 

I put this together some time in March, and it is now September ...so that's 7 months of play it's given (and still is giving) us.  I add to the bag from time to time, and don't leave it out as a constantly-available toy, which I'm sure has extended its appeal.  So far the bag has proved invaluable on car trips, in restaurants, and anytime we have to wait in one place for an extended period of time.  At first I usually gave her only one object at a time (especially in a restaurant), but now that she is older I often give her the whole bag and she loves taking objects out and making them interact together.  She often comments on whether the toys are cold or hot, soft or rough, etc., and she LOVES making the horses "gallop."  Definitely my daughter.

So go on-- those random things you didn't know what to do with?  They just might be a great part of your child's Treasure Bag. :)

Second "Frontier" Fave: Raw Milk Yogurt

As a follow-up to yesterday's post on Just-Fruit "Frontier" Jam, here is the technique I regularly use to make our yogurt.  Thank you to my friend Randi for the know-how on this one!  I also referred to Nourishing Traditions, Gut and Psychology Syndrome, Internal Bliss and these tutorials (1, 2 & 3).

Step 1:  Get out a half-gallon of fresh, raw, creamy milk from a source you trust-- grass fed and organic are not optional here. 

Step 2:  Gently heat the milk to between 101 and 118 degrees F.  You don't want to go above 118 or else you will start killing the enzymes in the milk (thence kind of defeating the purpose of starting with raw milk, though of course it's still going to be better than most milk).  The first time I did this I borrowed a friend's meat thermometer and stopped at precisely 110 degrees, noting how hot it felt on my pinky.  Since then I guesstimate.  It's about the right temp when you stick your finger in and it feels hot-- too hot to keep in for long but not so hot you scald yourself.  The milk should not be boiling or frothing.   I use a wooden spoon to stir it every so often.  The milk heats up rather quickly.

Meanwhile, have your yogurt starter waiting in the bottom of the jars you'll use.  Most sources recommend about 2 T of yogurt as a starter for a half gallon.  I now guesstimate; a bit more or less doesn't seem to really make that much difference.  You do want enough to jump start the fermentation, but not so much that it all turns to whey.

Step 3:  As soon as the milk reaches 110, pour a little into the jar(s) with the starter in them, and stir.  This warms the starter up a bit so it isn't shocked by the hot milk.  Then pour in the rest of the milk.  Stir gently a few times.  Quickly put the jars into a cooler stuffed with towels for insulation.  Leave to incubate over night.  I usually put it in the fridge in the morning so it doesn't get too tangy.

Optional Step 4- Thickening the Yogurt: I usually do this with half of the yogurt if it's too runny-- strain it through a coffee filter in a strainer over a glass bowl for a few hours.  Keep the liquid (whey) and use it in smoothies, soaking grains, baking or as a probiotic supplement (it's tangy and not bad tasting).  The yogurt remaining will be as thick and creamy as you want it to be.  If you let it keep dripping then you'll end up with raw cream cheese (yum!!).  I don't bother dripping the yogurt we use for smoothies since it gets slushed up anyway! :)

My favorite ways to enjoy yogurt are with just-fruit jam in it and a dusting of cinnamon, or with fresh or frozen berries, cinnamon, ginger and raw honey or Grade B maple syrup drizzled on it.  Eowyn is quite a fan as well!

First "Frontier" (i.e. Low-Tech) Fave: Jam

As many of you know, I long for the days of the homesteader, and dream of one day having our own little farm on a few acres of land, growing enough to feed a sizeable brood of people-chicks as well as a cow, a few goats, chickens, a dog or two and a passel of cats.  In the meantime, we have one child, no pets, and a small city lot.  I make up for the lack of mouths to feed by taking in as many guests as possible-- we have several adopted "family" members regularly around our table, and, like my mama taught me, I find great joy in making sure nobody goes home hungry or lonesome.  I also try to do as much "low-tech," DIY as possible.  (I'm even venturing into the realm of furniture and jobs involving... hacksaws, gulp).  If Ma Ingalls couldn't buy it, I don't like using it.  Usually.  The occasional frappucino is an exception.

Slowly I'm adding more and more kitchen jobs to my own bag of tricks (though it's nice to know I can grab them from a store shelf in a pinch).  It started with buying dry beans instead of canned, moved on to getting a little coffee grinder to grind my own grains, trying my hand at fermentation of water kefir, soaking, seasoning & drying my own nuts, and most recently expanded to making my own nut butters, nut milk & nut pulp (and nut milk lattes, yum!).   Two new successes and now-Szrama staples are raw milk yogurt and fresh fruit preserves.  They are SO simple and low-tech that they make me happy, and I thought I'd share them with others since I had difficulty in tracking down precise instructions online.


In the spirit of eating seasonally, Eowyn & I recently picked a bumper crop of local strawberries-- juicy, sweet, and red.  Along with pies, strawberry ice cream and plenty of strawberries & cream, I sliced & froze a gallon for smoothies, then tried my hand at jam-making.  The following technique is a result of a plea for help on FB, and I am indebted to my friend Megan for the knowledge.

Just Fruit Jam

Step One: wash your berries. Aim for a mix of very-ripe (sweet!) berries, moderately ripe berries, and a good many underripe (still have green tips) berries.  The less ripe, the more natural pectin they contain.

Step 2: Cut the berries in half and bring to a boil.  I left mine on the heat about 30 minutes, stirring almost constantly.  In the mean time wash and sanitize your glass jars.

Step 3:  Boil your lids & rings.  Keep them boiling until you slap them on the jars.  (I used a few standard metal lids for giving away, but mostly used reusable plastic Tattler lids.)

Step 4:  Prepare your hot water bath.  You need to have enough water boiling to cover 1" over the tops of your jars, and there needs to be something keeping the jars off the bottom of the pot.  I used my pasta insert and it barely fit in 6 jars & their water.

Step 5:  Pour the cooked fruit into the jars, leaving about 1" headroom and wiping down the rims.  Put a lid on top and a ring screwed on securely but not as tight as it will go.  Immerse the fruit into the hot water bath and boil for 10-15 minutes.

Step 6:  Pull jars out and allow to cool over a 12-hr period.  Their lids should all sink in, indicating an airtight seal.  If one doesn't, refrigerate it and let it be the first one you eat!

Step 7: Admire! Ta-Da!! I did a second batch with mulberries and a few crisp apples cooked with the strawberries.  My thought was that the mulberries add sweetness and the apples add pectin, so we'll see how the texture between the pure strawberries & mul-straw-apple berries compares.

EDIT:  It's been a few months, and we've popped open and enjoyed two VERY YUMMY jars of this jam!  THe mul-stra-apple jam is very "normal" in texture, quite sweet, and very yummy.  I loved finding chunks of fruit in it, but some folks may want a more uniform texture-- I'd suggest using a potato masher (boiled to sanitize) right before putting the fruit into jars.  Still haven't tried the just-strawberries yet.  Will update when I do!

5 Things to do with a Flannel ex-Baby Blanket

I don't know about other moms, but the number of blankets I received for my baby far outnumbered the actual amount I could use without putting my daughter at a serious risk for overheating.  I guess there's something irresistible about the soft fabric, and the multitude of adorable prints; we just can't resist buying them for friends!  My baby is past the need for "receiving" blankets, and I've picked my favorites and stored them for "next time."  Barring an addition of triplets to our home, I won't need that remaining stack.  I've given many away, but some have holes or stains, and then there are 3 of those ugly green and pink striped hospital-issued ones... not going to pass those on.  So, what to do with them?  Ahhh... I have so enjoyed trying to take a step back and looking at them through a blanket-less lense.  What could they become?  Here are my top-5 easy answers.  I'd LOVE to hear more of your ideas!!

1. Cut it up, double zig-zag stitch the edges, and use as cloth wipes.  We do cloth diapers, so I keep a stack of cloth wipes in a little basket on Eowyn's dresser, and wet them as needed from a squeeze bottle (gotten in the hospital at E's birth). Super simple!  Even if you use disposable diapers, these would be wonderfully soft wipees for hands, faces, noses, and high chairs!  I've started using only cloths on Eowyn's (and my) nose and have seen and felt a drastic difference... no more red chapped noses around here!

2. Use as the wonderful soft, warm, flannel fabric that it is.  You can do so many things with it if you think of it as fabric:  it can be the underside of a quilt or other blanket, squares in a soft-and-silky "taggy" (or just "silky") blanket, flannel jammies, bibs, or burp cloths.  (For burp cloths, cut one blanket in half, then fold the halves in half.  Sew wrong sides together on 3 sides, turn inside out, sew the final sides together, add ribbons, rick rack, whatever... you will have some of the most absorbent burp cloths EVER!! We were given a stack of some by a craftsy friend, and they became my favorites!)

3. Make them into cloth "mama pads."  Flannel, being soft and very absorbent, is the perfect material for this.  I know, this might be too gross for you... but it is something you can do with flannel blankets! :)

4. Have fun making toys- The simplest is as follows:  cut one blanket in half, turn down the edge and hem it.  Voila!  A perfectly sized doll blanket; easy for little hands to wrap a baby, without risking tripping over a trailing end.  Other ideas are a bit more involved:  blocks, balls, even a bunny!

5. Make a reading companion-- a bookmark that doubles as a glasses or pen holder.  I think this is a great idea and will probably be making some for some dearly beloved older relatives who are always misplacing their reading glasses...

Ok, now that your neurons are firing, tell me... What uses have you found for receiving blankets?

Gardeners-in-Training

Today we planted a garden. Nothing much; two raised beds criss-crossed with twine, layered with peat moss, leaves, vermiculite, compost & manure... Ryan did all the heavy work- as I've been sick in bed for most of the past 3 days, he barely let me lift a shovel to spread the peatmoss. But I sketched out what each square foot is to hold, read up on how to build the beds and layer the soil, did some light mixing & spreading, and then carefully pressed seeds, tubers, seed potatoes and rhizomes into their freshly-made beds. (We're doing a combination of Lasagna Gardening and Square-foot Gardening this year-- both quite new to us!)

It was an enjoyable experience all around; an afternoon I'll probably always look back on as a precious photograph of our life at this stage. The weather was gentle and pleasant. Ryan and I worked together- sometimes talking, regularly conferring, helping each other, and often lapsing into companionable silence. Eowyn woke from her nap about half-way through the process, and the real fun began. I can still taste the sweetness of watching her watch me, and trying to do just what I did. No matter that Mommy had a spade and she had only hands-- she can take that brown stuff out of the sack and put it in the wooden box, too! Oh for the heart of a child, to be so content with the simple gifts our Father daily gives; the cool crumbliness of dirt; the thrill of alternately creating chaos and order with sticks and bucket; the music of seeds in paper packets; the confidence that a tiny voice pleading a tiny word- "Up!" will be answered by a Father; and, most precious to me today, the delight found in imitating those whose love we treasure and whom we deem "Great."

We laughed as she repeated the last word of each of Daddy's phone-conversation phrases "cool!" "okay." "ba-bye" We smiled as she wanted a turn to hold the tools we used. Our hearts warmed as they usually do when she wanted to be near us, to be with us, to be as near our hearts as possible (in our arms). It also made me catch my breath She's watching you-- all the time! Be careful what you say and do-- or even when you sigh or frown. Woah.  As I think about it now, though, the realization is pressing me a different way: My daughter loves to be near me. With me. More-- she wants to be like me. If watching her try to be like me is such a delight... how much does the Lord long for His children to be like Him?

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [...] Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.  Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Eph. 4:30-5:2, NIV)

This passage came to my mind, and as I read it I realized just how many nuances there are to it... The Spirit of our Father can be grieved by our conduct; when we don't imitate the elder Brother (Jesus) who loved us, gave Himself up for us, and bought our ultimate, never-ending, pure-joy forgiveness from God our Father.  We're supposed to imitate Him.  Why? How?  Because we're dearly loved children; it seems like that's the answer to both questions:  we should imitate as beloved sons & daughters do, and we should imitate because we are God's children, and so should have the family trait of dying-to-self-love.  Doing this is "fragrant" -pleasing, pleasant- to our Daddy, just as our elder Brother's sacrificial death was to God.


I guess I'm spiritually gardening in both directions, trying both to model and to imitate.   I'm trying to plant seeds in my daughter's life by providing an GOOD example to follow.  At the same time, I'm trying to cultivate imitation in my own heart-- imitation of my Father & my Brother.  Both are done only in the Power of the Helper, the Promised Holy Spirit, because both will be nothing short of miraculous.

Not by might, not by power, but by Thy Spirit!  (Zechariah 4:6)

(Note the dirt on her face: she was quite filthy, as every healthy child should be on a lovely day, I think!... =D)

Free DaySpring Photo Cards

Wow, I am so excited to do this!  My first give-away!  

For anyone who read my post on our family Christmas cards this year, photo cards from Studio Dayspring, and was wishing they could do some... this is for you!

I have the opportunity to give one reader 50 free photo cards from Dayspring!  To enter, all you need to do is to leave a comment below saying you'd like to win. (I'm looking forward to seeing who reads this stuff!)

For an extra entry, go to Studio Dayspring's site, look around, then leave a comment below saying which style of card you liked best.  A winner will be randomly selected on Wednesday, December 15th.  This will leave you plenty of time to design and receive your cards for Christmas!  Even if you don't end up winning, Dayspring is offering 25% off your total order if you order by December 22nd.   Use the coupon code CHRISTMAS25.

That's it!  Happy Hunting, friends! :)

Dayspring Christmas Cards

Most years, I'm scrambling to get gifts wrapped, our yearly newsletter done, and our cards in the mail.  That last part especially sneaks up on me!  This year I feel pretty on my game for once (maybe not working full-time helps?)-- gifts are for the most part purchased, wrapped and already mailed or delivered to our far-away family; and for the first time EVER, our family Christmas cards are done and sitting beside me!!

I've used various photo Christmas card websites before, and most often have designed my own (using PowerPoint or Picasa), saved them as a jpg, and then ordered photo prints through whomever offers the lowest price I can find.  It's frugal, and more versatile than those in-store kiosks with the 7 backgrounds to choose from.  My method ensured I liked what I got (or at least knew what I was getting), but it is rather more time consuming than those afore-mentioned kiosks, not to mention the necessity of purchasing envelopes in appropriate sizes.  I pondered ordering photo cards through the photography studio that did our family portraits this year, just for ease and so they could be off-the-list, out-of-mind.  But the price tag of 30 for $20 kind of deterred me.

I had an opportunity to review some photo cards for DaySpring, and I was very pleased.  Here are five reasons you should check out Dayspring's Studio:

1. ease of access:  no lines, no fuming when the kiosk deletes your pictures.  Log in from your own desk chair
2. ease of use:  the user interface was simple and straight forward.  (The only thing that was kind of weird was getting your pictures put how you want them in your card, but after dragging the pic around I figured it out.  One thing I wish they had was a way to view all the cards with room for ___ number of pictures.  I knew I wanted to put in three particular photos, so would have benefited from that.  Just don't waste time looking for this option.)
3. variety of design:  whatever your taste, you'll find a card that acurately represents YOUR family.  They really have SO many more options than most sites, too; you can do large numbers of photos on the back or the front of your cards.
4. SCRIPTURE!! It's what all those other sites are lacking.  I loved seeing verses not usually quoted at Christmas applied very nicely to different card designs (not hard to do, considering the whole Bible hinges on the events of that First Christmas) 
5. quality of service:  this area has impressed me about DaySpring overall. Our cards arrived promptly, and look nicer than I'd even imagined.  I opted for flat cards, and I love that, while the front has a beautiful matte photo finish, the back is good card stock so I can actually use them as cards!

Disclosure: I received 50 free Studio DaySpring Cards for free in exchange for sharing about it here. The above photos and opinions are my own. 

Don't Toss It, Re-Toy It!

I mean, repurpose it into a toy!  Or into anything, for that matter

In an effort to be ever-more thrifty and green (and as stewards of God's creation, yes, that does matter), I've taken my recycling to a new level.  I still keep the paper bag by the back door for all those paper scraps (including junk mail), I continue to flatten boxes, and ruthlessly separate out any and all recyclable plastics.  But now I'm trying to find new uses for some of that stuff.  Like all kids, Eowyn is soooo entertained by unconventional toys-- like they're more "grown-up" or something, so here's some things I've done.  I can't wait to hear your ideas!

- large cylindrical coffee canisters w/ plastic lids -->as blocks & small toy containers; the advantage is that they roll,  making very interesting noises when containing blocks, and they double as little stools.  (For Eowyn, pretty much everything doubles as a stool)
- lids off juice & similar bottles --> colorful sorting objects (stored in rinsed-out baking powder containers with plastic lids).  Rinsed off, these are a great cheap way to start learning color, to practice pulling in & out, and to just stack.  Eowyn chooses this "toy" over all her others!  (The lids are non-toxic, and are often non-recyclable anyway)
- empty spools of thread -->  blocks (perfect for turrets on mini-castles).  Eowyn also puts them in with her caps and loves cleaning them up & dumping them out... over and over again...
- mis-matched socks--> sock puppets!  All it takes is drawn-on eyes, or 2 over-sized buttons VERY securely sewn on.
- paper still blank on one side--> great for all those daily "drawing projects"

Not toys, but more useful:
- holy socks--> either stitched up & turned into puppets, or cut off evenly and used as wrist or leg-warmers.
- glass jars w/ lids (salsa & the like)--> washed and used for food storage (who needs tupperware? =D), as glass won't absorb smells, and doesn't leak anything into food like plastic can. Dry-erase markers write on them and come right off!
- glass jars with lids--> great for beverages on-the-go for adults, like milk or water or kefir.
- plastic jars (peanut butter, etc.) --> used for a myriad of containing purposes.  Most recently I've taken two in my shower for my homemade shampoo alternatives (baking soda & apple-cider vinegar suspensions).  This way they won't shatter if they fall.  Others are at Sunday School holding markers, crayons & pencils. Others have gone to friends in "mercy meals" containing sauces, dressings and soups.

The key to re-using anything is making sure it's easy to keep clean, with no sharp edges.  Don't re-purpose anything that has held anything toxic (duh, I know).  Also bear in mind whether or not it will be in situations where it could be dropped.

Please pass on any tips you have!

More on Wool Diaper Covers

Several of my friends & readers have been asking me further questions on wool diaper covers. Kind of along the lines of "what's so special about wool?" I asked the same question! I also used to wonder what people used to use to diaper babies in Medieval Europe, when letting babies run around naked in winter wasn't exactly an option (like it is was/is in warmer climates). Now I know: they used wool diaper covers, naturally water-repellent, flame-resistant, breathable, and anti-bacterial. Did I mention both water-resistant AND absorbent? Yes, I know those two don't sound like they should go together, but they do.  It doesn't HAVE to be a choice between something breathable for baby's skin, and something waterproof for everyone else's sake (leakage-prevention).  Here is a link on wool, especially as it relates to cloth diapering.

A note on diaper covers-- they work best (easiest) with fitted diapers, which I never had much use for before.  I split a lot of ecobaby organic sherpa grow-with-me diapers (they have snaps to enable them to fit babies 5 lbs-35 lbs, and are super-soft, super absorbent, and just adorable) off craigslist (they retail for $15-18 without shipping, and I got them for $6 each!!) and have been so impressed.  If I had known how easy wool covers were to make, I might have gone a wholly different cloth diaper route, of snapped one-size fitted diapers with homemade wool diaper covers (also called "soakers")!!  The nice thing about fully snapped diapers is that they wear out less quickly than the velcro fastened kind, so it actually might last through the whole diapering of several children.  As it is, I'm planning on making 4ish small wool covers to use with the ecobaby dipes, in preparation for "next time." (and no, there is no "next time" on the horizon as of yet =D)

You may have already seen my link to making a pull-on "baby bum sweater" (I've made 3 so far), and the super-easy legging/diaper cover "longies" combo (I've made 2 of these).  I just found these links teaching you how to make a wrap-style wool diaper cover-- this would be useful if you don't plan on buying any fitted diapers and have good prefolds.  I don't know how to follow knitting patterns, but if you do (are you reading this, Nicole??) here is a free wool soaker pattern.  Hmmm...maybe for my Christmas present you can teach me to read knitting patterns, sis?

Well, I need to go re-lanolize my longies, shorties & soakers.  I'm using these instructions and trying my hand at making my own wool wash... gotta do something with all that lanolin (Lasinoh) I received and never used!  Hmmm... I just may order some eucalyptus essential oil to go in there... we have a lavender bush-- I wonder if I can learn to make my own essential oil of lavender... ok...how 'bout just one project at a time, lol...

PS-- awesome cloth diaper link:  Boise Cloth Diapers.

Ta-Da! (Longies, Shorties, and Baby-Bum-Sweaters)

 Here's the sweet lil model, sporting her baby-bum sweater, which with this heavy felted grey wool looks more like a pair of "shorties."  The 2 other sweaters I've made with lighter wool look more like diaper covers.  As you can see, they tighten with a drawstring and have cuffs around the legs.

And here is one of her new "longies!"  Amazingly less bulky than standard cloth diaper fare when she's only wearing a prefold (or fitted) diaper, and these!

Recycled Hair-bands

Here's a quick little recycled-clothing tip I discovered just the other day. 

Because of all the things I make with t-shirts (quilts, baby clothes...), I have a lot of spare t-shirt sleeves lying around.  I got the idea to cut these into 2" wide vertical strips.  Pull on them so the cut ends curl, and TA-DA!  You've got a perfect headband!  I love these because they keep hair out of my face, dress up a plain braid or pony-tail, but don't put pressure on my head or pull my hair like elastic ones do. 

So far I've made these sleeve-bands in hot pink, black, white, and red, and have worn one just about every day! :)  Eowyn always smiles at them in my hair, and wants one on her head, too.

Pic to come.

Water Kefir

One of the main "missing ingredients" in the American diet these days is fermented foods.  With the advent of canning and refrigeration, there isn't a "need" to preserve food in the old-fashioned low-tech ways like pickling or fermenting.  Both of these take advantage of little friendly bacteria in the air (Lactobacillus) which are happy to start digesting your food for you, releasing a ton of extra nutrients in the process, as well as making your food last longer.  If you think about it, every culture has its own fermented foods:  French with raw-milk cheeses and wines, Latin American with salsas of many kinds, Koreans with kimchi, Africans with sour gruel (ogi), Turks with kefir, early Americans with pickled veggies and sourdough breads, Germans with saurkraut, etc.  These all provide organisms which we desperately need to digest our food and defend our bodies.  If we don't have enough good bugs in us, the bad bugs take over, basically. Personal example:   I used to have a chronic yeast imbalance all over my entire body-- seen in skin problems, fatigue, and so many other ways.  The drugs I took for that, though, wiped my body clean of ALL yeast... and then I got a bacterial infection... antibiotics wiped my sistem of ALL bacteria, and I got an even worse yeast imbalance... you get the picture.  It wasn't until I used probiotics like those in kefir, kimchi, and yoghurt (both fermented milk products) to build my "good bugs" up, in conjunction with natural anti-fungals like cinnamon and garlic, that I finally found relief (and have kept in balence for 4 years now!).

Anyway, I am trying to add fermented foods into our diet and consume some every day if not at every meal.  My hope is that my daughter will grow up with a healthy internal "gut flora" from day 1.  Right now the easiest way to add fermented "foods" to our diet has actually been through drinks!  Sure, we enjoy sour cream, yogurt, and home-made cream cheese, but the main way Eowyn and I stay fortified is in our cups.  You may have heard of kefir, basically a drinkable yogurt.  Well, there is a such thing as water kefir, which provides the same benefits without having to mess with the milk aspect. My friend and neighbor Ruth has had great success brewing this for her family, and she offered to supply me with some starter grains in a muslin bag.  With much trepidation, I set out.  Here are photographs of the first few steps:

1. Purifying the water-- any extra chlorine in the water will kill the kefir grains, and carbon-based filters mess it up, too, so you can either boil tap water (letting it cool to room temp), let it set out overnight (the chlorine will evaporate), or aerate it with a blender (to make the chlorine vaporize faster).  As you can see, I chose the blender option:

2. Feeding the starter.  Kefir grains are formed of living organisms so they must be fed.  Here I dissolve 1/4 c organic sugar into 1 c boiling water.  Notice that everything I use is glass or plastic.  Metal utensils can damage kefir grains. Yes, they are kinda finicky.

3. Adding the kefir grains-- after adding enough cool water to the water-and-sugar mix to fill a quart-sized mason jar (with about 1" head room), I let it cool to room temperature.  Temperature is crucial; apparently too hot will kill them... too cold puts them to sleep (which is great when you want to take a break). The kefir grains are in a muslin bag to protect them.  I rinsed them off really well before adding them.  Cover it loosely with a cloth (keep out flies), and let it sit at room temp for 24-48 hrs (longer means more of the sugar is eaten= less sweet taste).

4. not shown:  flavoring the kefir.  After it's fermented to your liking (I did only 24 hrs to minimize alcohol content), you remove the kefir grains (rince & add them to a new batch),  and add flavors.  Let ferment- it gets nice and fizzy at this point!- another day, then remove fruit pieces and add any vanilla.  I tried several recipies; our favorite being ginger-lemon (2-4 T freshly grated ginger, 1/4 c lemon juice, with a splash of vanilla added the next day.  I tried a plain vanilla as well as an apple-juice one.  Ruth's kids love grape-juice-flavored kefir.  Once you've done all this, the kefir needs to be stored in the fridge or somewhere else cool.

If you want to try it, read a great tutorial here.  Ruth got her kefir grains from cultures for health... and if you live in the area, I'd be happy to share some of my very-healthy and growing grains with you!  Just ask!

I drink the kefir straight, starting with just 1/4 glass per day to get my body used to it.  Now I can drink pretty much as much as I want.  For Eowyn, I give her only about 1/4 cup per day, diluted in 8 oz or more of water.  She LOVES the stuff, crying if I tell her it's all gone.  I've gotten to the point where I crave the fizzy, slightly sour taste.  It is a great thirst-quencher, and helps digest meals. 

One other fermented drink that is super-easy to make, and very kid-friendly, is ginger "beer."  Our friend Blythe shared some with us, and Eowyn had a total melt-down when I finished my cup of it and she got no more sips.  I remember reading in the Little House on the Prairie books that Ma sent ginger-beer out to the workers on hot days because it wouldn't hurt their stomachs like water would.  Now I know what she meant!!  Here's an article with quite a few fermented drink recipes.

Lately, we've been enjoying a friend's home-brewed kombucha (a fermented tea).  Eowyn does like that (super-diluted, sometimes mixed with diluted juice), too, but she makes a really funny face after every sip, before going back for more... kinda like she does with pickles or lemons.

I'm so glad she's getting a taste for GOOD foods early on instead of empty calories like soda, candy, or straight fruit juice!

Taggy Blankets

These have been my latest project.  I usually cut out enough squares for 4-6 blankets at a time, then sew them all up in the course of 2 days (working mostly at naptimes). These have become my "standard" baby gift, and I let Eowyn judge each one before washing & drying it. (She usually responds with glee, immediately putting them to her cheek or burying her face in them.) I've experimented with 2 sizes and with or without buttons in the middle (always very large to eliminate choking risk).  Each blankie is unique, but the consistent elements are one silky-smooth fabric, one fleecy-soft fabric, and one cotton patterned fabric, with tags of various textures. 

Family Heritage Idea

Eowyn got some really cool Christmas gifts this year, such as the Bitty Baby doll that looks like her, from her Great-Grandparents Presley! Heheh it was really funny to see her stare that "other baby" down! But the coolest gift that she got is much cooler; so cool that I wanted to share it with you all,because you might want to try and make your own!

For Grandpa's birthday last year, Ryan & I got a blank scrapbook, and wrote one or two questions on each page-- things like "What do you remember about your mother?," "What kinds of chores did you have as a boy?," "How did you come to know the Lord?," "What honors have you received throughout your life?," "What famous people have you met?" and "What is your favorite book?" You get the idea. We basically asked Ryan's grandpa all sorts of questions about himself, his tastes, his courtship of Grandma, his childhood, his schooling, his travels, and his spiritual journey. Grandpa is a pretty quiet guy, especially in large-group settings, so it's not every day that we get to hear these sorts of things from him. Well, he worked really hard, and had it finished in time for Christmas! He'd not only answered every question and filled in most of the family tree we'd put in there, but he even found relevant family photos to include! Ryan & I read the anecdotes with amazement and delight! Despite us learning that Grandpa's least favorite subject in school was English, he is an excellent writer, and some of the stories in there are just plain hilarious! We cannot wait to tell Eowyn all about her great-grandfather in his own words, and give her more of a taste of life during his lifetime. It's been such a success that we'd like to repeat it with Eowyn's other grandparents and great-grandparents. How much family history is lost just because we never think to ask? We're so busy in our own day and age that it's easy to forget about past days and ages, times that are past and gone, but not very far away at all.

So Grandpa, thank you SO MUCH for your hard work... Eowyn will LOVE IT!!! :)

Advent Day 16

Here are some really fun & practical ideas for home-made gifts for any kids in your life!

How about offering your children fun and creative play gift ideas this Christmas? By creative play I am referring to supplying items that will help spur on and encourage their imagination, giving them freedom to explore and develop their minds. Here is a list of items that you can make at home inexpensively that will entertain your children for hours. We all love those frugal gift ideas, and the special touch of handmade items is an extra bonus.

P.S. I think I just found a new favorite site... a TON of craftsy projects, mostly geared at kids' stuff!!

Fun While It's Cold

It was our first really cold day here in Louisville. While Eowyn & I did go out & about in it-- to the Clothes Closet, giving friends a ride, going for a well-baby checkup-- we spent the bulk of the afternoon staying warm up in our bedroom. She played and slept, and I cleaned & sewed.

I made a little Christmas present for Abby (7 mos. old) -- a blanket made specifically to be chewed upon, since that's currently her MO for life in general. Eowyn received a store-made one as a baby gift, and I thought I'd do a variation on that theme for Abby. I am quite pleased with how it turned out, and will probably be making more! I used different textures (and colors) for the "tags" around the edges-- nice & slidy (like the tags babies love to chew), soft flannel, crisp ribbon, and thick cotton. The front is 1/2 soft flannel, 1/2 smooth cotton, and the back is a smooth material that was used to make one of my formal dresses.

An exciting event today is that I think Eowyn tried to get my attention! I was nursing her lying down in bed this morning, and my eyes were closed. All of a sudden I heard a "guh!" and opened my eyes to find her staring straight at me. As soon as my eyes opened she grinned! It seemed like she wanted me to look at her and was trying out her voice as a means to do that! =D

Weight: 11 lbs 11 oz (75th %tile)
Height: 23" (50th %tile)

Doctor Corba says she's looking great and everything seems to be on schedule! We'll see him again in early February for her 4-month visit!