How to say goodbye to toys that take space?

Nicolette is going through a growth spurt, and running out of space with her belongings. During her six years we have accumulated a lot. I meant to say with toys.Some are impulse buys. I know part of it is my fault. Usually I try to have a control over this but not so much after scanning her room. 

She needs space to create
a place to play
a place to hang out with her friends
a place to write
a place to read
and finally a place to unwind
That is a quite a list. Her room can use a fresh coat of paint this spring. We are going to stick to the same color white but introduce few pieces with a punch of color! 
I am thinking of a table and a chair, a rug, lamp shade, and new curtains!

Now that sounds a lot. We need to start the overhaul by clearing her space with donating some of her favorite toys. It was not easy because simply there is so much memories we can just get part with. I decide to handle this by posing a picture with your toys for donating! I know this sounds very tacky but I had to be creative in order to make space. She was in for the idea of donating after reading few about children who could not have toys! 

We had our first load drop off this weekend feels a bit lighter. More to come on how to organize? To be functional!

Headbands...

 

 

I remember growing up I did not have much options with headbands, although do remember having long hair when I was in elementary school. My mother use to braid it and tie my hair with ribbon and it supposed to be black for school purposes. I did not like it very much specially the braid would make my hair look funny. Then my mother took me to a hair dresser and chopped it off but very very short. I almost looked like a boy and then I hated my hair. I remember going to hair dresser as a very bad experience because it usually gets chopped off short.

Because of my past experinces with hair dressers I am extra careful when it comes to Nicolette’s hair. Because to begin she has super fine hair definitely not from me. For the longest time she did not had hair on her head when she was a baby. 

I know she wanted to grow her hair and I always make sure to make few hair accessories at home. Whenever I go to the fabric store I always roam through the ribbon section to see new beautiful prints and there are ton of ideas on Pinterest. I bought these few inches of these beautiful embroidery flowers and a ribbon which was embroidered with flowers few weeks back. It was sitting on my sewing table for a long time. It was the perfect snowstorm to take on unfinished tasks. 

She was not feeling well with her tooth coming out and was ready to model the finished headbands. I might make few as gifts to friends. I cannot remember the cost but I had the elastics at home from another project so it was very inexpensive to make these. 

Hairbands

 

You cannot have these enough, but an easy project to do with your six year old. Just in time for Valentines.

The project ended…

Yes, the beautiful paper whites which adorn our home has finished it non stoping blooming. When they wither and fade we know it is time to dismantle this lovely project. However, this year I had so much help in taking this apart. Oldest was very helpful to take them to the compost, and of course we chooses a warm day to complete this task. 

When I was scrubbing the glass hurricane my daughter comes over to watch and I asked her if she would like to help me to scrum the stones  so we can let them dry and put them away. She was happy to be around and definitely to play with the rocks.

These wonderful rocks bring back so many memories, because we have collected them from our trips to beaches and and other fun places. Surprisingly I have few from when my oldest collected them when he was wee little. Yes, and the best part is I could remember them. There is something with rocks that gravitate the smoothness, the color, the locations we collect, the experience that is entangled with bring so much.

To my wonderment while scrubbing each one Nicolette was so happy to categorize them according to the size and color, this kid is so much into organizing and I love watching her.


When everything was scrubbed and cleaned I had to snap few pictures so I can remember this moment. 

Making yogurt @ home

Making yogurt at home has become an extremely a fun project to do. Plain yogurt satisfying our less sugar craving desires, while adding benefits to our health. But it was hard to get, little one to eat, because she has tasted the store kind. 

She would say, but, “I like the kind with the fruit on the bottom.” Yes, I agree if I am six too. In order to satisfy her I would try to mix in a small amount of jam into the plain yogurt but she would insists she likes the fruit on the “Bottom.”

In order to get her to eat without complaining, I decided to make few with our tiny weck jars it was an adorable and successful attempt! 

Why not add a bit of honey, says a voice in my head, so it was honey. I love it and my older guy gulp it down. Hmm… I don't know how I am going to keep up with him. 

Making yogurt was a really good thing that had happened to us. 

Trouble.

Craft a day, I don't think it a good way to start my day as I feel like I have to make something everyday. I do recall reading an interview of a photographer who gave up her job to create. I can see my self easily doing doing something like that. I am excited begin 2015 and kind scared of the uncertainties it will bring to us.

The Gleaners

Last summer, I bought this painting from a thrift store, it was framed by someone and was in an old frame. This caught my eye, because I was able to identify the picture. I had this in our attic and I finally decided to take it apart, in order to reframe it. 

I took it apart and then it was sitting in our craft room for a while, and I bought a frame from IKEA, yes, and I did the framing. This was re printed in a limited number in Boston, MA, while ago. 

I like the gleaners, because it portraits the working class (rural) and was viewed very poorly by the French upper and middle class during that time. However, I feel like the artist has done a wonderful job in creating colors and placing them. I totally love it. Jean-François Millet, was a French artist who depicted realism during his era. I love his work personally. 

I cannot wait to get this piece up on the wall, in our craft room!

simple hot chocolate station

 

Little one seems to enjoy hot chocolate a lot more this winter. I decided to add a little station this year to our new kitchen counter. She is loving it and it is very convenient for everyone. The most disappearing items seem to be marshmallows and peppermint sticks. 

Our paperwhites are in bloom at least one. The other one has recently send its bloom stalk up. Any time it will bloom too. We cannot take its strong fragrance up stairs in Nicolettes room; so we decided to bring it to the kitchen. 

I love this idea making a small space for hot chocolate, what do you keep at your finger tips during holidays. 

It is the season for cranberries...

Recently I had the opportunity to work with a “co-worker” who had great knowledge about cranberries. I love craisins and cranberry comport that’s about it. However, my canning ability and the abundance of cranberries mixed together made me to do some research. 

Result was apple cranberry jelly, and we all got in to work. Panduka was helpful to skin and cut apples. Nicolette was eager to skin apples using a potato peeler. Nigel’s energy created the perfect canning. Every one had a job from rinsing jars to wiping mouths, and sealing jars.

It was a delightful way to begin to prepare the Thanksgiving meal on Wednesday night. This jelly was so simple to make and tastes lovely. I cannot wait to try it with toast!

fresh flowers, decor, and moods

As growing up I always enjoyed having fresh flowers around the house. I also grew up having beautiful plants around the house. Now, that I pay more attention to detail, I am kid who enjoyed the wonders of nature in our house. I still do, ironically I get very excited to bring flowers home. I use to tell my friends, that it was my therapy. Fresh flowers cost less, than my co- pay to the therapist depending on the bouquet give or take...

I have planned this year to bring more flowers, because little Nicolette loves creating beautiful spaces just like her Amma. 

Do you bring flowers indoors, How do you add color to the winter dull? Do you buy flowers or do you think it is a waste of money?

Green tomato - chutney

 

This is last harvest of green tomatoes. I am run out of ideas but decided to make a chutney. I found this recipe from here. It was sweet and tangy, as Nicolette says smells good.

 I did not had golden raisins and decided to add dried cranberries. I would like to try this next time with golden raisins, because I love golden raisins. 

Hopefully, no more tomato canning for us since we have used all this year.

This could be used with many dishes or simply with a cheese and bread. 

The Remnant Rack...

I am a big fan of the remnant rack at the fabric store. I have bought  rwmnants for .75 cents. I have found that the best way to score is find remnant which is already on sale, because the price get slashed down at the register again.

Recently, I am testing waters, ways to sew with knit fabric. I also bought few prints from fleece to make scarfs. I did made few last year, and planning to make few this year for Nicolette I am sure she will enjoy one or two new scarfs. 

These will be added as christmas gifts to friends and family. I am planning to make a teenage cowl, if you have any ideas please post them and are welcome. I will probably use solid and print, and something to represent cross country.  

Canning Gifts...

Gifts are already taking shape this year. Green tomato salsa verde was star on our dining table before it made it way to a co- worker's home, and she told me it was great. We are going to keep our gift giving simple this year. 

Teachers and all care givers to our family will be appreciated including friends. I will be giving away some of the preserves we have made during summer and fall. 

I love to create gifts with canning goods at home, but like to add a bit fair to it. I have run into few sites, that shows preserves could be given away with a loaf of french bread, cheese, cutting board, tea towel, herb plant, and tie with ribbon or twine. 

If you know the person you can personalize it a bit more. How is your gift giving taking place this year. I know sometimes this could be very stressful during holiday season. 

home made bath salts...

Summer brings a lot, working in the yard could make ones body a bit painful at the end of the day but, in an unusual way. A bit of a satisfied pain and lately I have been going through it bit more often due to weeding and cleaning. No matter what, I believe a good long soak in the tub can magically cure all aches. 

I like investing on bath salts a bit, recently I decided to make my own bath salt. With my little helper, I made couple of batches. The first batch of course for me. 

Gathering all the materials took a while but the process was fairly easy. After the initial attempt we decided to make few batches for gift giving. 

I bought culinary lavender from from amazon shop, and bought epson salt. I had lavender essential oil from a previous project. I used two cups of salt to 1/4 cup lavender seeds and then few drops of essential oil. Mix them well and stored in a jar!

I did used mason jars to store the rest of the batch for gifts! Neat gifts to teachers, friends, and baby sitters! 

I personally loved it. I feel like totally renewed after a bath! 

DIY Self Fire Pit for Less ...

 

I have been bit busy working in my yard with my son. We inherited couple of old trees with our home. We had to take few off with much reluctant. However,the ones we have will drop few dead branches in our yard. We have been collecting them in few piles behind the pantry and mainly behind the garage. I decided to make a fire pit mainly to burn the few branches we collect, could add a little bit of ash to raise bed to improve/condition soil, same goes to the compost to improve conditions, for us to hang out by the fire, and mostly to toast marshmallows in FALL! Bit of camping in our own backyard.

Of course safety first! Nicolette is young we have gone through many rules when we have fire at camp sites. Same rules works at home when the fire is lit we sit around and no running in the yard. 

The Total cost for the project not including labor was $ 88.81 this does not include the gravel and the edging because we had those items at home from another project. Few trips to Home Depot was all it took. I cannot wait till Fall! Extra bonus yard getting clean up from debris! Which will lead to few more projects, later on those.