laborofwonder

Where Whine Meets Wine

DumbA of the Week Award


Want to feel like mother of the year? Well, let me tell you some things you should maybe not do then…

  • Do not forget to change baby IMMEDIATELY. Unless you want to be covered in pee.
  • Do not forget to take Littlest potty (first!) before letting him take off naked. Unless you want the floor to also be covered in pee.
  • Do not forget to read the labels of all foods. Even if it’s something you think they’ve had before. Especially if it’s a different brand. Unless you want you Celiac-ridden child to be sick to her stomach, unwilling to do anything but lay around like a wet noodle.
  • Forget to feed you oldest breakfast, unless you want to be asked why you’re trying to starve your children. And that you don’t really love him anymore.
  • Don’t decide not to pick up milk the night before so that you ca just take a walk to the store. Unless you want you a guarantee your day won’t go as planned. And you’ll still have no milk.
  • Don’t give the baby a bottle of water (when he’s requested milk). Unless you want said bottle thrown at your head. And then to be asked if you’re not feeding Littlest because you want him to shrink and starve too (said Biggest).
  • Don’t wear your favorite, new, or anything else you’d like to wear again when you have a kid with an upset stomach. Unless you want a visualization of what’s making said tummy upset.
I feel I should also mention that last night I locked my keys in the car. We were meeting my dad to pick up biggest’s car seat that had been left in their vehicle. The whole trip was spent with MissE going on and on about how unsafe it was to ride without a car seat. Only to have her have to ride home without one. And then get so caught up talking that the fact that you’re heading to Dad’s house, and not where the truck is, goes by unnoticed…

I could go on, but I won’t, for my own sanity’s sake. Let’s just say, today is not going as planned. And my reactions to it, well, they’re not winning me any mother of the year awards. So I’m going to make some of MissE’s favorite soup (broccoli and cheddar) and do some cuddling. And hope that’s enough to win back some of their mother love. And maybe some of my own.

I wonder if I can use my wine slushie mix with Vodka? Seems like a good day to investigate.

13 Comments »

Cream Cheese Delight


Hubbyman was home early today, and since I stayed up late and got caught up on household things…today I could do what I want. Relatively. We played games, we cuddled, we read books. And then they requested “girl cheese” (grilled cheese) and toast with cinnamon.  It’s been months since I’ve made bread and so I decided today was the day for it! I used a recipe I found on Our Best Bites last August. (I blogged about it, but it went largely unnoticed.) They’re still rising, but I can tell you they’re going to be equally as fabulous this time!

I turned the rolls into bread…and it was fabulous!

Last time I made the frosting pink for Miss E since lots of times she gets left when it comes to deserts. This time I couldn’t bear to let the “filling” go to waste (since I’d forgotten to halve it, due to not making a full batch), but I still wanted it to be kind of glazed (versus frosted) so I added a good amount of milk, and then a little powdered sugar. Which also helped it to be not quite so rich since it already had the rich filling.) Perfect. Delicious. Even better than the first time around!

If you want to try them, go here for the full recipe! Or go to my link for my version of them (their recipe makes them rolls- I turned them into bread and used the extra dough to make a few of the cream cheese delights. Just enough to enjoy without them going bad as lots of desserts do in our home.) Oh, and the recipes are easy and other than the time for letting them rise, they take hardly any time!

I know, I normally (ie. when I remember) do recipes on Thursdays, but I decided these were too yummy to wait! That and my *&$#% keyboard has yet to be replaced.)

6 Comments »

I SHOULD Be Napping


I was hoping to do a post on maple syruping today… but I left my CD with all the pictures I took during the season in the truck… that is currently being driven by hubbyman. And can I just reiterate how annoying it is to have letters that don’t work on your keyboard! I had no idea how often I used those letters! Ugh. So I may still do the post later today, as he should be coming home for lunch. But the day has yet to unfold so we will see how it turns out! But you will see a post on it eventually, because I love the photos, I love the season, I love the syrup, and my syruping family!

I stayed up waaaay too late trying to catch up o the ever mountainous piles of laundry. It was pretty successful, but I am completely exhausted. I am hoping that it means we can just enjoy our day today. So far we’ve had movie snuggles, breakfast, and we’re currently doing some school work. Littlest is coloring Elmo. (Or Melmo as he calls him) MissE is requesting she get new letters in her name so she can try writing something else. I told her that she could just write other letters, but apparently she can only write letters that are in her name. And biggest is practicing his number writing skills. I am so thankful they enjoy learning and sitting and doing their lessons. Even if it’s just for now.

Aaannndddd since it took forever to write this with the on-screen keyboard… here are some things I’m really thinking.

(credit: designismine.blogspot.com)

(credit: www.someecards.com)

This is why I live in Minnesota!

(credit: pinterest.com)

(credit: someecards.com)

(credit: someecards.com)

And lastly….

(credit: someecards.com)

3 Comments »

My Words…Kinda


My B button and my N button (on my keyboard) are not working. And so I’m having to use my on-screen keyboard. While I am thankful for this handy-dandy feature, it is not conducive for blog posts. So today I am attempting to tell you how I feel, or things I’d like to say, in other words… All found on pinterest. I tried my best to find their original links. Or as close as I could get (I tried!)!

(photo credit: Urban Walls on Etsy)

(photo credit: chphotographics’ photostream)

(photo credit: i.imgur.com)

(photo credit: Pinterest/Deb McFadden)

(photo credit: BabyRabies.com)

Hope you find some reasons (and strength!) to forgive, edure, love, play, energize, and giggle your way through your Moday!

Leave a comment »

Choose Joy


It sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? To just choose joy. But it’s not. But I’m trying. The truth is, when we first became parents, hubbyman had a bit of a short fuse. But his patience has grown with every year, and every child. And the sweet, sweet man that he is prays for patience and a softening of his heart, every night. Heartmelting, right?

My story is not so heartwarming. I’m pretty sure I was much more even-keeled, cool, calm, collected, and patient when I was a brand new mommy. But the brand new, wide-eyed mommy soon became the mommy of three. Three of the age where we’ve had 2 times of 2 in diapers (Biggest & Miss, and then Miss and Littlest. I guess by the time of littlest she was down to just nighttime, but still.). Which means that they are still ages where they often wake up at night. Ok, so the bigger ones don’t get up nightly and sometimes they’ll both stay sound asleep for weeks. (Ok, they don’t sleep for weeks, but they stay asleep, in their own little beds every night for weeks.) But Littlest normally still wakes at least once. Usually twice. And I’m with them all. day. every. day. EVERY. DAY.  I guess what I’m trying to say is that they have worn me down. My sweet little children that look like they could do no evil have (on more than once occasion) left me hiding and crying in the bathroom. My ego and my pride feeling bruised and beaten at the fact that I’ve been outdone by three children under five.

Part of the problem is my own fault. I am not good about fulfilling my own needs. Allowing myself a break now and then, instead of the every few months that it usually ends up being. Hubbyman gives himself breaks in the form of projects in the garage, working in the yard, or planning things on the internet, or drowning himself in the latest political debacle. What does that mean for me? Well, it means that after having a baby on my hip, a girl hanging on my leg, and a big boy who follows behind me closely… it means that I am also the caretaker for the evening. Suffice it to say by the time the kids go to bed, I have to stay up for another hour, just to regain some sense of self before going to sleep and doing it all over again! But when I take a breath, a very deep breath, I can remember all the things I really love about them and staying home with them. And I can refocus on the truth: that there’s really no place I’d rather be, no job I’d rather be doing, than staying home with them. And that’s the truth. And today I am choosing joy. I am choosing to end this post, turn off the computer, turn off the cartoons, and really listen to their sweet words, to really play trains, even if he won’t let me choose my own words to say. To brush a million different dollies’ hair, and to take Littlest to the bathroom for the bazillion time, just because he likes to sit on the potty and sing songs to me. And that’s a whole lot to be thankful for.

7 Comments »

Simply Organized


Ok, so this isn’t a foodie post (sorry!) and I do promise to do more of those. Especially as summer comes around! But today was grey and rainy. Which left me with kids jumping off furniture and onto each other.  So we sat down with puzzles. If you have kids, they have puzzles. Ours have 14 of them.

Maybe that doesn’t sound like a huge number, but when you think of it in terms of how many individual puzzle pieces you’re left with- it’s a lot. And when they all get dumped out all over the place, it can be downright overwhelming.

I once blogged about it, but there were no pictures, and not a lot of description, and since we’ve spent the afternoon doing puzzles, I decided to share with you my puzzling system!

Take a puzzle: the board and the pieces.

Turn them all over and write a coordinating number (or letter) on the back!

Boxes get destroyed quickly, so I put them in zip-locks, marked with the corresponding number!

This is awesome on many fronts! First of all, it’s no longer a huge headache to figure out which puzzle goes with what board, or puzzle pieces. And hello, number recognition!? My kids can (5, 3, and 20 months) can look at the back of the puzzle piece and find the bag with the corresponding marking. Teaching, cleaning, organization all in one? You know I love that!

4 Comments »

Meadow Gardens


Ok, ladies and gentlemen… today I have another review. I thought about spacing them farther apart, but decided against that. Thankfully, these are products that I want to share with you, so that was all the extra incentive I needed!

The lady of Meadow Muffin Gardens, is an awfully busy one. Her shop is full of amazing products! Seriously, I can’t look at it, without wanting to throw her whole etsy store in my cart and ordering it all! I’m hoping to look through it with hubbyman, because I think he’d appreciate some of it as well. (Plus, he’ll keep me in check! ha!)

If you’re interested in any time of personal care products, her website and etsy stores are the place(s) to go. She’s got it all! I mean really, from facial moisturizers for wrinkles, to insect deterrent, to shampoo, blemish treatments… I mean the list goes on! Thinking about how you could just buy all of those things from the drug store? Well, you could… but if you’re wanting something that is kind to the earth as well as our bodies in that they are free from chemical, synthetic components.* (It’s an excerpt taking from her profile about why she does the awesome things she does!)

And now, let’s talk about the Serenity Moisturizing Cream!

Here is what her site has to say about this product:

Ideal for all skin types, a soothing facial moisturizer utilizing only natural wholesome ingredients. Ideal for sensitive allergy prone skin. Essential oils lavender and sandalwood both offer antiseptic and anti-inflammatory benefits. It can be said that lavender essential oil is a combination first aid and beauty kit. Its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties make it beneficial for blemishes, sunburn, bug bites and skin regeneration. The aroma can be stimulating as well as relaxing. Exotic sandalwood essential oil offers an earthy, sensual scent with subtle lingering power. Besides its wonderful hydrating effects for dry skin, sandalwood is a balm for the mind and spirit as well.  Rich in nutritional value almond and hazelnut oils absorb quickly into the skin without leaving an oily residue. They are light and odorless which are a plus in body care products. Both oils are unrefined and cold-expeller pressed which means there are no chemical solvents used to extract the oils. Coconut oil is added for its cool, creamy texture as well as its help to stiffen the cream. Its unique molecular structure allows it to easily absorb into your skin while not leaving behind a greasy film. The natural antioxidants found in coconut oil fight against free-radicals which damage connective tissue and cause the skin to lose elasticity and wrinkles. 

Did you hear that? fights against free-radicals, which cause the skin to lose elasticity and wrinkles?! Um, sign me up!

Does it get any better than that? No, it really doesn’t. When the package arrived, I opened it up, and hubbyman happened to be right there, so he took a look. He was impressed! He thought it looked and smelled like something I would have gotten at a store. (I’m assuming like a natural foods/products store. Because it doesn’t smell processed to me. And yes, I can smell processed.)

Now you should know, I’m usually hesitent to try out new facial moisturizers. My face is equal parts dry and oily. And I’m always afraid that I’m going to choose a product that will make it go either extremely oily or extremely dry. I am happy to say that didn’t happen. And actually, it helped heal my skin. Yeah, you heard me right. Under one of my eyes I’ve had this weird dry spot. And I have a couple of the store bought, facial moisturizers. I even have an expensive line of skin care products (that I hardly ever use)… and none of them had any effect on it at all. After using it once at night, it was gone. I’m not kidding. Fantastic! And my skin doesn’t feel all sticky and greasy the way that some moisturizers can leave you feeling. As far as the scent goes, it’s really pretty light. I think the lavender and sandalwood mix really well together. Plus, it’s pretty awesome knowing exactly what is in the thing I’m slathering on my face. (I’ve even been using it on my blistered, did-too-much-raking-without-gloves hands! And it feels really soothing.)

I’d definitely give this product 4.8 out of 5 stars. The .2 are pretty much me… and the fact that I just hate the fact that I’m getting to the age (ok, fine, so I’m to the age) where I really do need a moisturizer routine for my face. You know, to continue fighting those free radicals!

Wondering why you should take the necessary measures to clean out your medicine cabinet, dump all the bought-at-a-drug-store/pharmacy/department store products? When pregnant, women are encouraged to forgo lots of products. Especially ones that go on the skin. Cleansers, moisturizers, and the whole gamut of facial products. Why? Because the chemicals and preservatives that they’re made up seep into your skin, and can have adverse affects on the development of your baby. Ok, hold up… if something can cause really awful things to happen to my baby in my belly, what kind of things is it doing to my body? Or yours? See… that’s what got me to this point. So, when you reach that point, I’m here to help. Along with the Meadow Muffin Gardens. They have graciously given a coupon code for anyone who orders!

So…first, go to facebook and “Like” Meadow Muffin Gardens, follow them on twitter, then go to Etsy and favorite Meadow Muffin Gardens, then you can go check out their lovely blog, and then their website. When you get to the buying products part, add in the code: JUSTFORU for 15% off (at checkout -on her etsy site!!-) whatever you buy from her  etsy store! It’s a fantastic deal and a great way to get you started on your way to healthy insides and out!

And don’t forget to keep entering yesterday’s giveaway! “Like” the post (on facebook and wordpress), comment here on the blog post, follow the blog by email, follow by twitter… are all things you can do for extra entries! So make sure you do!

Disclosure: I received the products mentioned above in exchange for this review; a big thanks to Stacy at Meadow Muffin Gardens! No monetary compensation was received by me. This post is entirely my own opinion and you may find it differs from yours.

2 Comments »

Spring Has Sprung (In My Washing Machine)


At the encouragement of a friend and fellow blogger, I reached out to some etsy dealers. Why you ask? Well, I’ll tell you. In our efforts to go chemical free, homemade, environmentally friends, and you know- cheap… I’ve been making my own cleaning products for a while, along with dishwasher detergent. And we’ve made toothpaste (we finally have one that I looove!), made some lotion (it needs some tweaking), and continue to test out new and new-to-us ideas for personal care products. There is one thing I’m a little afraid of. Laundry detergent. I know it’s really not difficult. I even made some once. I didn’t love it. I didn’t love making it and I didn’t love using it. So when trying to decide what kind of products I wanted to do reviews on- it was a no brainer. Personal care products and more importantly- laundry detergent. A family of 5 goes through a lot of laundry. I’ve always got one of two types of laundry mountains going on- needing to be cleaned or needing to be put away. Worst case scenario is when you have both! Yikes. The first two lovely ladies to reach (back) out to me were for two different products. One is laundry detergent! And the other is a moisturizer! Today I’m going to give you my review of the laundry detergent (I’m hoping that gives me extra incentive to get my laundry done… and then maybe put away. Maybe.).

Her name is Kari and she has a lovely little (virtual) shop on etsy- Karbipbaby. Go and check it out. Sweet, right? And when she sent me the laundry soaps to test out- she included a thoughtful, handwritten note. I can already tell she’s my kinda gal! She started making them as gifts and then began using them herself. Now they use it exclusively. And the best part (well, one of the things I love about her and her products) she gets quality time in with her daughter under the guise of something to do while they watch tv. I love it! I can totally picture a tween version of my MissE, sitting on the couch, chatting about whatever happens to come out of her mouth while we work on some project or other. Actually, that doesn’t sound so different than now, only I’m working on a project and she’s generally undoing my project while chatting. (Biggest has taken to calling her ‘Yakkity Yak’ after seeing a very chatty Yak given that nickname on a cartoon.)

Back to the soap, if you’ve been looking for a more cost effective, eco-friendly, vegan, or “green” laundry soap, then this is it! Her handmade soaps have three ingredients! As a mom of kids with allergies (and thereby prone to Eczema), I was pleased to read that it’s a great product for people with sensitive skin,  babies, and yes, even people with Eczema (she has two kids with it as well and cites that using natural cleaners in her home really makes a difference!).

photo credit: Karbipbaby Etsy Store

Upon receiving my package of four different kinds of laundry detergent (Lavendar,  Clean and Clear, Original, and their newest scent- Spring Has Sprung), I left it on my counter. I kept walking into my kitchen thinking what the heck is that smell? (It didn’t smell bad, just a little out of place in the kitchen!) Now that I’ve moved them onto my washer, I am loving that smell! Seriously! As a cloth diapering mom… sometimes a little scent is a good thing.

Now I’ve always had sensitive skin when it came to laundry detergents. Chemically induced fragrances have always been a big no-no. So I will admit to being a little hesitant about the fragranced detergents. But guess what? I totally love them. I always thought I wasn’t a big fan of lavender scented things (my mama loooves her some lavender!), but I think that was my favorite of all the detergents she sent me! No rash. No itchy, scratchy skin. Just clean (and clean smelling) clothes! Oh and did I mention it cleans the clothes? Because it does. Toddler dinner mess? No problem. Big kids playing in the dirt all day? No signs of that here. Hubbyman’s shirts that smell like him even after being washed?  They smell much better. Not having to worry about all the chemicals and preservatives that are in the bottle? No worries here. That’s pretty priceless. I am totally sold! I haven’t used all of the Spring Has Sprung yet… I’m thinking of saving some just to keep near the diaper pail because it smells so good! Haha! (It’s funny, because I mean it.)

I should also note two things about the scents. 1) The lavender is a lighter fragrance than the Spring Has Sprung. 2) Neither of the scents are incredibly strong after being through the wash. The lavender is very light, and the Spring Has Sprung, while  your clothes will smell like Spring has Sprung, it won’t be overpowering. Because I’d never used fragranced detergents, I had no idea how the clothes would come out smelling. To me it was perfect, it makes the wash smell wonderful (and therefore my laundry room smells good!) and my clothes come out clean and smelling good without smelling like I’ve got a really potent perfume on. Got it? Good.

photo credit: Karbipbaby etsy store

Our of 5 stars… I’d give this laundry detergent mama all five of those stars! 

Want to know something almost as fantastic as the laundry detergent? She has been gracious enough to offer THREE of you a Multi-Pack of her laundry detergent! The multi pack contains a sample of each of the scents. Enough to do 10 loads of laundry! How do you enter? Well, I’m so glad you asked! Just click right HERE which will bring you to my facebook page, under the lefthand column, click on Giveaways and follow the instructions to enter! The contest ends Friday at midnight, so be sure to get all the points you can between now and then! And be sure to stay tuned for tomorrow’s review!!

Disclosure: I received the products mentioned above in exchange for this review; a big thanks to Kari at Karbipbaby! No monetary compensation was received by me. This post is entirely my own opinion and you may find it differs from yours.

5 Comments »

Siblings


I planned to write earlier this morning, but well… life. Actually, I planned to write this yesterday, but the fact that it was the last day of winter and  over 80 degrees, well, it begged to be appreciated. And with a yard full of oak trees (which means half fall in the autumn and the rest fall in the spring), the grass was also begging to be appreciated. So the kids played chalk, dinosaurs, and spent time on the swing set while I raked, and raked, and raked some more. The only things not appreciative of this day are my hands and their numerous blisters. (Note to self: Next time wear gloves. Or better yet, use the leaf blower.)

As I raked, I listened to my children playing together. Biggest is into the classic (or vintage) Spiderman, so they spent some time pretending that one was Spiderman, one was Iceman, and Miss was Firestar. Biggest would generously ask his siblings every half hour or so if they were thirsty, and then run in and get them glasses of water. It was very sweet. Until Littlest put 3 things of chalk inside his water glass, and then continued to drink it. His shirt is now a little bit tie-dyed. I’m choosing to continue viewing those moments through my-children-are-so-sweet-to-each-other glasses.

Growing up,  my brothers and I certainly had our share of disagreements, as all children do. But the majority of the time we just were playmates and friends. The same is true today. My brothers and I are very close. They are my best friends and the greatest babysitters. One of my brothers and I would get into trouble together, another only ever got in trouble when covering for the other one and I. When I’m hurt and crying, my brother is who I call. When I am excited and have news, my brother is who  I call. When I am lonely and need a friend, my brother is who I call. When my brother (who restores and refinishes vintage furniture) comes across an exciting find, he calls me. When my brother is sitting in an airport waiting for a flight (he is a missionary who travels out of the country frequently), he calls me. When my brothers are in need of assistance, they call me. When they are in need of nephews or a niece, they call me.

I can only hope that my children will continue to grow to be friends, supporters, encouragers, playmates, secret-sharers, and secret keepers for each other. That as they grow they will find the love and support of family along with the  fun and laughter of friends in their siblings.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

11 Comments »

My Daughter Is The Color Pink


My daughter just came upstairs in a pair of my shoes (heels). She wanted to tell me that she thinks my shoes are very beautiful. She heads back downstairs, but pauses at the base of the stairs to yell up to me, Mommy, all your shoes are very beautiful. But don’t tell daddy I said that. And don’t tell him I was wearing your shoes. He freaks out when I talk about beautiful shoes.

(photo courtesy of:parent24.com)

Now I like shoes and hangbags as much as the next girl. But if you ask me to choose between shopping and a day spent on the four wheeler in the mud… I’m gonna be covered in mud. Growing up, I attended classic car shows and had car posters on my wall. I ditched my barbies long before I ditched my Ferrari barbie car. And while I appreciate the art of makeup, I only practice it in theory. You know, in theory I would like to be perfectly made up and coiffed. But in reality my daughter ooohs and awwws when I wear my hair down because all she knows is mommy in a pony tail. And I never know where my makeup is when I want to use it, because I use it maybe bi-monthly. And I usually forget it in the car, since it’s normally done while hubbyman drives us to wherever we’re going. I’ve just never been the girl who gets up an hour earlier than necessary to curl (or straighten) my hair and get my makeup on. And at this point, I think it’s safe to say that I’m probably not going to evolve into that either. I’m ok with that.

I have all brothers- three of them. And since mom was a nurse and dad a teacher, most time at home (at least in the summers) were spent with dad, and said brothers. Suffice it say, we didn’t spend time doing a lot of girly things. Scratch that. We didn’t spend any time doing girly things. I’m not complaining. I didn’t really think about it. I enjoyed cars. It served me well while working at a Dodge dealership. I even enjoy helping hubbyman do work on the truck. Seriously. I don’t mind. I love football. (Like loooove.) And not just my team, football in general. I like sports. You won’t find me complaining over a date night spent at any sporting arena. I have spent many a sunny afternoon splashing in the mud, either in boots, or on the 4wheeler. I love to go fishing. My grandpa has a cabin in Canada that’s so remote that the last little bit has to be traveled by plane, the kind that lands on water. And I’ve caught the biggest fish of the trip before. Time well spent. Memories forever remembered. That’s the kind of girl I am.

I didn’t grow up wishing for sisters. I loved my brothers. (I still do.) They are still my best friends. (I do love my sisters-in-law!) So when it came to babies, I really didn’t have any feelings of longing for a daughter. My only longings were for a baby in general. I understood boys, I figured they would come easy as far as parenting. And the birth of Biggest E just reaffirmed that. I mean, I can puddle-stomp with the best of them. So when we found out we had a Miss on the way, I was a little uneasy. As month by month went by after she was born, I found myself enjoying my little girl more and more. And I have to tell you, I am so thankful I have a daughter.

That said, I am also incredibly confused. She is one of the girliest girls you will ever come across. Pink and purple are her favorite colors. She is a strawberry blonde-haired child and she loves that she has “pink” hair. She’s not really fond of anything that’s not pink or purple. And rarely willing to use anything that’s not one of those colors. She loves dolls, having her hair done, and her nails painted. Can you guess what colors?

Upon looking through all her photos, there’s lots of dirt-clad, mud-covered pretty pink dresses and sparkly shoes. I guess she might be like me after all, just a pinker version.

8 Comments »