Earth Connection

Don't turn your back...

Even for a moment.

Super easy homemade White Board

Old not into art anymore picture with frame

Take out picture, replace with white paper. Purchase funky scrapbook paper(1.00$ Micheal's) and cut to size for border.

And voila!

Use Dry-erase crayons for those who have issues keeping lids on(not that I do).

Seriously can't believe I've paid for white boards in the past!

Upcycling Occasional Chair

3.99 for the chair and 5$ for the table...potential for love.

Ripped off all fabric-pulled out staples.
Naked chair.

Finished chair and table(with quick coat of Benjamen Moore Cloud White eggshell).

Outdoor fabric from Fabricland, using 3/8" staples
Yes, love it is right there in my livingroom...and for a very small price.

Hot Cold Salad

I've read that a diet with 50 % raw food a day is healthy and good for the digestive system but that can be really tricky when produce has yet to start growing for the season. This is a good way to get the salad down when everyone is really craving summer. 

Hot/cold salad

Some kind of lettuce mix, whatever you have or prefer,whatever raw veggies you have in fridge(chopped cucumbers, mini tomatoes, sliced peppers) throw all this in a large wide bowl. Chop up some bacon, slice some red onions(or whatever onions you have) and fry slowly on low-med heat until cooked. Also you could chop up last night's chicken and throw into fry pan after onions have caramelizeda bit(that means gets brownish and soft and oh so yummy) . If you do not have bacon on the gosplash in some olive oil to get everything juicy. Right before you take it out salt and pepper and abig splash red wine vinegar(balsamic works as well just produces a slightly different flavour).Now mix everything together. If more dressing is needed mix 4 tbsp Extra-virgin Olive Oil, 1 tbspRed wine vinegar, S & P, 1 tsp maple syrup, 1 tsp grainy mustard.

OMG perfect dinner. Add crusty bread and vino. Deliciousiousis(that's our word for perfect meal!).

Upcycling lamp shades

Ugly light...

 

Pretty fabric cut out to size of lamp

 

Hot Glue gun and a steady hand

Ahhh, beautiful light, good book, and the perfect snack-hot chocolate and choc chip cookies. Makes the long rainy days blissful.

Wow-it finally worked!! Yogurt in the Crockpot

Yup, finally after three fails with the making yogurt in a crockpot I made a good batch.  I used this method Yogurt in a slow-cooker and it worked great. I did not need to drip whey to make it thick, just using whole milk and watching the temperature produced a thick yogurt.

I started in the afternoon so it could sit over night.

In the morning we blended a bag of thawed raspberries.

We mixed it into the thick warm yogurt.

 Yogurt for the week!

12$ of organic whole milk made 5 litres of yogurt.

1 litre of organic yogurt approximately 4.50 in store.

Savings - $10.50, 42.00$ a month. Also with the added benefit of flavoured yogurt and no

added sugar. Check your store bought yogurt and see how much sugar they add(even the organic).

Eat in peace!

 

Suka

Our Home

Our Home.

After years of rumbling around like tumbleweed, my lover and I finally bought a house.

But a house it remained, even after packing (very slowly with snacks and rests for long lost books) all our  belongings and unpacking them into the new place.

And after saying good bye to our Suka in the living room one night, shortly after move-in date but long after the cancer had spread.

Every corner we turn we expect to see her, always there, warm, sloppery friendship.  The house felt cold for days.

We grundgingly cleaned the old place. Found the sun, stayed in it awhile.

We stared out at the sky from our new place, the sun trying to stay up at late as possible.

But still it was just the new place.

Then this week my lover and I went on a date, excited kids showed off their new rooms to our babysitter. And instead of packing/unpacking/painting/cleaning the next day we went skating.

Some of us stayed on our blades; others (the younger two) swam around on the ice…

We had a fight.  We made up.

The kids and I made Easter crafts in our new craft/sewing room.

We played Lady Gaga loud and early last Sunday morning, (letting our neighbours know that we do not sleep late) we  made pancakes, spilt batter down the side of our still clean oven, and I chased Axl to the potty(7 years and we are now a diaper free family!).

Now that I look out over the great yard with all our incredible trees I realize that we’ve always been home…but here it’s just a little sweeter than the rest.

See you soon.

The Magic of December

 

 

I am not usually someone lost for words but when I look back at this past month all I can think of is one: Thank-you.

Love you guys. From my crazies to yours, Merry Christmas.

 

Stress relief

Let's be honest, there are some songs that are so good, so catchy-singable-want-to-dance-all-night-to that it just doesn't matter what the actual words are. This one always makes me fell like a performer with Lord of the Dance (I am terribly embarrassing if I hear this in public). I find the words insanely funny, but I'm strange that way...

Just a warning, he says a couple naughty words but we're all adults here, right? In age anyhow...

I dare you to listen to it and not dance. Oh I saw that little finger of yours bouncing up and down.

 Home for a Rest  from Spirit of the West

Stress Relief!