Wild Abandon

May 7, 2013May 6, 2013 / makingofahome / 2 Comments

Why is it that so often we as adults feel swept up by our to-do lists, errands and the like? Recently, it has seemed that my life is whizzing by in one quick to-do-list blink.

But it was when I observed my two little ones over the weekend, that I yearned for the wild abandon they seem to live their lives by. It awakened in me something that had been held down by all those things I thought I had to do. But, in all reality, do I really need to get all those items crossed of my list? Do I really need to get all the laundry done? (I mean let’s face it…It is never really done is it?)

So, with that, I have decided to try my best to live a little bit more like my girls. With at least a hint of that wild abandon they embody on a daily basis, and a bit more mindfulness, I venture into the rest of this week.

I hope all of you can find some carefree freedom as you move throughout this week.

Kicking Things Off

May 6, 2013 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

It’s official. The school garden at The Cathedral of St. Peter School is fully under way! Sunday afternoon, we hosted a School Garden Kick-Off Festival where students and their families were able to peruse the garden space, take a look at our fabulous garden sign (hand-crafted by my father-in-law and decorated by the students of St. Peters), and visit with some very special guests.

We were so very fortunate to be joined on Sunday by Father Beekman, who blessed the garden space; Andrea Hazzard of Hazzard Free Farm spoke with families about growing and cooking with grains; Dick Zander of Zander Nursery met with students and their parents to discuss how to grow the best tomatoes in town; and Chef Paul Sletten of Abreo and Social visited with guests to discuss cooking with fresh produce. It was truly a wonderful afternoon. The weather could not have been more beautiful, and we were so thankful for all of the families who came out to help ring in this exciting new program for our school.

The entire day left me feeling a great sense of gratitude for all the Earth provides, and how her beauty and bounty can truly bring people together for the greater good. I cannot wait to see what wonderful adventures await the students of St. Peters as we venture forth with this new endeavor.

Bathroom Redo

May 1, 2013April 29, 2013 / makingofahome / 4 Comments

{Before}

{After}

I recently completed a decoration redo of our main bathroom, and I must say, although it took me awhile to complete, I am quite happy with the results. The decor is definitely inspired by the natural elements, specifically a beautiful piece of wood from my father-in-law.

The photograph project was pretty easy, it just took some time to allow for drying between layers.

1. I first spread a very thin layer of Modge Podge on the back side of a black and white photograph. I carefully smoothed out the picture, mounting it in the center of the piece of wood.

2. Then using a sponge applicator, I applied two very thin layers of Modge Podge to the top of photograph (also covering the entire piece of wood). I allowed 30 minutes of drying time between coats.

3. I then took a very fine grit sand paper and roughed up the edges of the photograph.

4. Next I repeated Steps 2 and 3 four more times.

5. I finished off the project by applying 5 thin coats of Modge Podge to the entire piece of wood. (Allowing 30 minutes of drying time in between each coat.)

Breaking Ground

April 30, 2013April 29, 2013 / makingofahome / 3 Comments

After much anticipation, last week we began work on our school garden! Today I am thrilled to take you on a quick tour of our progress thus far. So strap on your garden boots, here we go…

We have a bit of structural work to complete this week because we are hosting a “School Garden Kick-Off Festival” on Sunday, where there will be garden tours, local farmers and a chef…oh my! We then hope to get the kids planting next week. I cannot wait!

Join Me

April 10, 2013April 8, 2013 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

If you are looking for something to do this evening, join me at the Rockford Holistic Moms Network Meeting tonight at Just Goods in Rockford at 7 PM. I will be presenting at tonight’s meeting, and I would love to see some of you there! At tonight’s meeting, I will be discussing the ways in which my family has tried to create a “Suburban Homestead” of sorts, and how we try to create a means of food security for our family. It is sure to be a wonderful night. For more detailed information, visit our chapter Facebook page.

Holistic Moms Network is “a non-profit organization connecting parents who are interested in holistic health and green living. We encourage moms to trust their instincts, parent from the heart, use their innate sense of what is best for their children, live in balance with the Earth, and learn about the pros and cons of all healthcare and parenting options.

No matter where you are on your parenting or holistic living journey, you are welcome at HMN! We are a diverse and open-minded community, a place where your choices are respected and where you can learn and become informed! “

I hope to see you there!

A Bit More

March 28, 2013March 25, 2013 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

We had so much fun dyeing Easter eggs over the weekend, I decided to hop on the natural dye agent train and go for a real ride. I had one skein of wool left after I finished making the woolens in this post, and a few left over beets from dyeing eggs. I decided I would try to dye the wool yarn. Here’s what I did…

Put the following ingredients in a large stainless steel pot:

4 large beets, peeled and chopped

16 cups water

4 cups white vinegar

Bring the ingredients to a boil. Let it slow boil for about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the yarn. (I tied off the skein a bit more too. I didn’t want it to get tangled while it “cooked.”)

Then remove the pot from the heat, cover and let it rest overnight. (Yes, just leave those beets in there…It’s fine.) Rinse the yarn 2-3 times in luke warm water.

Allow to dry completely on a drying rack.

Al Naturale

March 26, 2013September 2, 2015 / makingofahome / 4 Comments

Another of my favorite days is right around the corner. Sure, it is snowing outside as I write this, and the temperature last night dipped well below freezing, but no matter. Easter is just a few short days away.

Our house is always abustle with baking and crafts at this time of year, but our most favorite of all activities we find ourselves immersed in is dyeing those lovely little Easter eggs. For the second year now, we have opted to use natural dyeing agents to dye our eggs, and let me tell you…If you have never dyed eggs this way, you must try it! The entire process leads to a day full of fun, and this year we were even glad to find ourselves in our toasty kitchen from all that steam the pots were kicking off. I mean it was twenty-five degrees outside. Oh my.

There are many resources out there with a bunch of great ideas for natural dyeing agents. The book we used this year was Keeping Chickens: All You Need to Know to Care for a Happy, Healthy Flock by Ashley English.

One recommendation I would give is to try to find organic white eggs to use with these natural dyeing agents. These are sometimes difficult to find, as it took me driving to three different stores before I could find some, but it is well worth it. Last year we dyed organic brown eggs and the colors did not pop as much as they did this year.

Just to give you a frame of reference, starting with the yellow egg and moving clockwise…yellow (turmeric), violet (cranberries), brown (coffee grounds), pink (beets), bluish violet (blueberries and blackberries).

Please Pass the Butter

March 21, 2013March 20, 2013 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

Butter. Who doesn’t love its creamy sweetness, with the hint of salt, as it melts over a hot roll or freshly baked muffin?

During my substitute teaching stitch, my oldest daughter and I had to leave the house quite early, and our normal routine of homemade granola or pancakes for breakfast was not really a feasible option. We needed something fast, easy and delish.

So on Sunday afternoon, I whipped up a batch of muffins (I used this recipe). Then I froze the muffins so that I could pull out two the night before, allow them to defrost overnight, and then we had yummy muffins to eat in the car on our way to school. But what is a good muffin without butter?

This is quite possibly the easiest way to make homemade butter. Think elementary school when we all took turns shaking a baby food jar filled with cream until the butter formed. Same idea.

Simply pour some whipping cream in a glass bowl, and then mix it on high with an elective mixer.

You need to beat it past the point of whipped cream phase. You will start to notice a separation in the mixture.

Once there is a clear separation between the butter solids and watery substance, place the butter in a fine mesh strainer or in butter muslin until all of the moisture has been drained.

I like to then mix in a bit of salt. And you are set to go!

Be sure to keep your homemade butter in a sealed glass container in your fridge. It will stay good for about 5 days.

Spring?

March 20, 2013 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

As I poured my cup of coffee this morning and opened my shades to look out on the garden, these were the Spring greetings set before my eyes…

While these may not be the most “Springy” of sights, as I looked a bit closer to the goings on here in the Fagan abode, I noticed a bit of Spring showing her face. There is more sunlight spilling in our windows…

…and sunflowers reaching toward the sun’s rays.

Spring is here, we may just need to look a little closer and dig a little deeper to find it’s beauty this year. Happy Spring all!

So Fresh and So Clean

March 19, 2013September 2, 2015 / makingofahome / 4 Comments

Amid the hustle and hustle of the past few weeks, I ran to the linen closet to grab a bar of soap and some lotion and found the shelves that normally house these items to be completely bare. So, we spent much of our St. Patrick’s Day afternoon making some new soap, lotion and deodorant.

I used my favorite lotion recipe from this amazing book, but instead using olive oil as I normally do, I used a cold-pressed organic grape seed oil. It ended up making a much lighter lotion, which I really like.

A friend of mine steered me towards this great homemade deodorant recipe, and after wearing it in a multitude of situations, I have found it to work wonderfully! In fact, I would even venture to say it works better than my organic store-bought deodorant.

And last but not least on our to-do list: soap. I created this recipe after researching those essential oils known for their anti-bacterial properties. I hope you enjoy this soap as much as we do!

Making of a Home’s Anti-Bacterial Soap

2 pounds Melt and Pour Soap Base (I use this Goat’s Milk Soap Base.)

1/2 cup palm oil

4 eye droppers of Vitamin E oil

20 drops clove essential oil

20 drops lemon essential oil

10 drops rosemary essential oil

8 drops eucalyptus essential oil

5 drops cinnamon essential oil

5 drops tea tree essential oil

a shallow pot or saucepan

a glass bowl

wooden spoon

soap molds (You can purchase these at your local craft store or here.)

Fill the pot or saucepan half full with water. Bring to a simmer. Place the glass bowl in the pot of water to create a double boiler of sorts. Place the melt and pour soap base, palm oil and the vitamin E oil in the glass bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until it melts. Remove the bowl from the heat and add the essential oils and stir. Allow the mixture to cool slightly (enough to thicken the mixture just a bit). Pour into your molds. Allow to rest until completely cool. Remove the soap from the molds. Allow the soaps to cure for about two weeks before you use them.

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