April projects

I haven't been around in awhile because of this:

We got our house painted this month and had some siding replaced. We are installing a shower in the master bathroom so we covered the big picture window that was previously there.

We also finally got a swing set (this had been on the to-do list for awhile). I got one on Craigslist and the seller delivered and set it up (for a small fee). It was cheaper than new plus we didn't have to do any of the labor ourselves. The Big Girl loves it.

We are almost done with our guest room. The floor turned out to be a nightmare. After removing tons of ancient tile, we found several dips and cracks in the concrete that we are having to patch before we can lay floor.

I got my recipes organized and my last shopping trips have been simple. I have averaged about $100/week but I haven't blogged about them because they have been unusual weeks with some travel in there.

Tomorrow I'll figure out what my plans are for May.

We have met the enemy and (s)he is cupcakes

I remember a time not so long ago when cupcakes were simple. You bought a box of cake mix, added oil and eggs, and baked them.

In fact, thanks to my sister, I have a picture of myself from this birthday party pictured above eating my very last cupcake. Ever. I'm trying to stand downwind (so as not to eat my hair) and eat quickly so I can get back to hostessing duties. These two combined make me look almost guilty and furtive as I gobble that cupcake. Ironic, much?

I remember the exact moment the light bulb came on and my life changed forever. It was May 16th, 2011. Thanks to Facebook for helping me remember. My memory is good but not that good.

A few days before I talked to someone on the phone who had just learned she was intolerant and she was telling me about her special diet. I remember thinking what a pain that must be but it didn't click yet. After all, the symptoms she had weren't like mine at all.

That very night (or shortly thereafter, the dates are a little hazy) I had a friend and her family over for dinner and cooked my first ever gluten free meal (baked potatoes, salad, watermelon, and the now famous flourless chocolate cake). I was so proud. Little did I know that I was soon to become very adept at that very skill.

At the dinner we talked a little about gluten and how we both knew many people who had recently discovered sensitivities. It was an interesting conversation but I think I was in denial that any of it was relevant to me.

A couple of days later (the aforementioned May 16th), my friend sent me two articles on celiac disease/gluten intolerance and their impact. I remember printing them out and walking into the bedroom to show my husband.

"Look," I said. He did. Then we both just looked at each other and everything made sense.

There were all my unexplained symptoms, some of which I had been struggling with for almost eight years:

Anemia--check
Weight loss--check
Fatigue--check
Thyroid issues--check
Miscarriage and infertility--check
Circulation problems--check

And we hadn't even gotten to the "upset stomach" part yet.

Instead of being upset and mourning the loss of pasta, I remember feeling incredibly relieved. All I had to do was fix one thing and I wouldn't be sickly anymore. Finally!

Of course, the one thing was kind of a big deal, and it remains a big deal. I don't define myself by a condition, but there's no denying its impact on everyday life. Potlucks are minefields and going out to eat often requires advance planning. But the payoff is enormous. I feel alive again. I wouldn't trade that for any cupcake, ever.

Book reviews

I'm finished with my "(self) required reading" for the month and wanted to share my thoughts on the two books I read.

First off, for non-fiction I read Parenting, Inc. by Pamela Paul.

I got my copy from the library but here is a link to the book on half.com

I enjoyed this book and found it insightful but I also caught myself at times justifying my actions and purchases to the book. While the author does not advocate a bare bones approach to child raising (i.e. "here's a string and a stick, and those are your only toys for the year") she does come down strongly on what she deems unnecessary childhood gear and classes.

I took it in the manner in which it was intended. Yes, I agree that sometimes we can get out of hand, especially when it comes to what we are told is best for our children. On the other hand, I got that Sleep Sheep as a gift and I really like it, so that's really all that matters.



I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows for my fiction book. I read a couple of positive reviews online for this book about a year ago and attempted to read this book when I was pregnant and never could get into it. (The pregnancy had no relevance to my liking or disliking the book, it just happens to be a good reference point). When I saw it on my library's featured book shelf, I took it as a sign I should try again. I enjoyed it but I wouldn't necessarily re-read it. The fact that the book is written entirely in correspondence was a little off-putting to me. I didn't really feel like I could visualize the characters with such a limited narrative style and the attempts to do it via such lines as "you asked what I look like so here's a description of me..." weren't quite enough for me to really get into the story.

That being said, I did enjoy the book's subject matter (a writer meets a book club circa 1946 in the middle of post-war reconstruction) and there were several humorous parts to balance out the potential for this book to be bleak and depressing.

In other news, I went grocery shopping today and spent $123. However, I think this will last us a week and a half with maybe a $25-$50 grocery run next Friday.

Week of 4/5-4/11 and rambling about siding and shutters

$35.51 Meijer
$8.87 Kroger
$3.98 CVS (milk)
$58.52 Aldi
     =
_______
$106.88

Menu includes:
Mini pizzas (already ate these)
Red beans and rice (already ate this)
Pizza pasta with salad
Fish tacos with some veggie (broccoli maybe?)
Garlic lime chicken (never guess where I got this recipe...Saving Dinner of course)
Mustard pork chops (Saving Dinner basics)
Regular tacos (for small group which I believe it's my turn to cook for)

**Sorry, Grammar Police, for ending a sentence (actually a fragment) with a preposition. I promise not to haphazardly split my infinitives next. Except I just did.**

I don't really know what's wrong with me, whether it's the warm weather or what, but I have just not been that into cooking lately, especially when it involves turning on an oven. Plus, I'm a little discouraged by the fact that I had to go to four stores this week. Several nights this week, I have just wanted to have a peanut butter sandwich and call it good.

At least our house is starting to look good on the exterior. The bathroom window has been taken out and siding put up where it once was. The master bath didn't have any kind of device for bathing oneself, so we are putting in a shower now that there is a wall instead of a gigantic window there.

I'm trying to decide what color I want the shutters. Our siding will be a biscuit color so probably something fairly neutral like brown.

There's a house I saw and love that's all white siding (ranch style) with green shutters and a long porch. I wish we could have green shutters but that wouldn't really go with red brick. So brown it is.

My daughters' inheritance

The concept of legacy has been on my mind a lot lately as I have been going through a parenting class at church in preparation for Baby Dedication.

As a minimalist, I use what I need and get rid of the rest (sometimes to my regret later when I realize I sure could have used that doohickey that I gave to Goodwill last week...) As a result, I don't have a lot of "stuff" that anyone will want when I'm gone. And honestly, that's not what I want to be remembered for. I especially don't want to be the cause of fighting and arguing.

My daughters will each get my real jewelry: Big Girl the engagement ring because it's her birthstone, and Little Girl the cross necklace because it has her birthstone.

I have already given them many inheritances, not all of them positive. Big Girl, I strongly suspect, has inherited her very own gluten intolerance, as well as the need for justice to prevail. I pray for her down the road because I know how hard graciousness is to come by when you are strong minded and come up against a situation that's "just not fair!"

She has also inherited a desire to make things with her hands. I think instead of a knitter, she will be an artist like her dad. I have a second chance at that knitter, although all she does right now is chew on the yarn and chase it like a cat.

As a Christian, I obviously want to leave them with the knowledge that their parents love them and God loves them even more. I hope that they will have a personal relationship with Jesus when they grow up, and even now, when Little Girl is still sitting with her legs dangling in a plastic bucket chair listening to an adult sing "Jesus Loves Me."

I want them to have a passion for learning and to make a difference in their world. I want them to be kind and compassionate to the needy. I want them to be hard workers and to be wise, yet generous, with their money and talents.

So thank you to all my families: my biological family, my "married in" family, and my church family, for giving my daughters an inheritance that matters. Who they are and what they will become is thanks to all of you and the gifts of love and time that you have given them.

Garage sale confession

Okay, garage sales. I know we've always been best friends, but I have a confession to make: lately I've been hanging out with Goodwill behind your back. Not to dismiss our longstanding friendship lightly but when is the last time you gave me a vintage bike for $6.99? Or four chairs for my kitchen for $15? Or the radio/record/phonograph for $40 (half of  which was on a gift card so I only paid $18 and tax out of pocket)?

What's that? Never?

My newest Goodwill find. If my research is accurate, this is circa 1965. Or a really good reproduction. Either way, I 'm happy.

You're right, though, I have to admit you did provide the bike for my daughter for $5. And the wallpaper that sells online for $45 a roll that I got for $5 a roll. My parents thank you daily as they enjoy the marbled effect of the paper on their not-pink-anymore counters. Let's not forget the handmade cloth diaper, complete with snaps, for a quarter. And both my daughters' wardrobes rely heavily on you.

So I admit I haven't been entirely fair to you. The cold weather made me lose my head. I promise this spring we'll get together and be as good friends as ever. If you can ever forgive me, that is.

Small things...

...that I have been working on during the long winter:

The coat rack for our front entry which is hopefully done just in time to not need it until next year.

Free drawer pulls from Menards+a leftover piece of lumber+a quarter's worth of mistint paint=custom coat rack

A wreath from a 50's 3rd grade math book. I used this tutorial that I found through Pinterest. This is for the Little Girl's new decor.

Cooking lessons

Decorating in the kitchen (since I'm not ready to tackle new cabinets and new floors, hanging pictures is a good interim project).

In actual renovation news, I'm super excited that our new siding will be put up and our house will be painted soon. Not by us, thankfully.

In which I search for nursery fabric and find a new dress

It's getting close to Little Girl's first birthday and time to start thinking about redoing her room in a more "grownup" theme. Big Girl got yellow walls and bright flowers. Later, we incorporated all the old decor into her second big girl room at the new house.

During painting. This is pre-new windows and new bed.

Little Girl's room is a sage green and we are staying with that color (this paint story deserves its own post!) I want to do some vintage Dick and Jane type accents. While browsing for fabric I came across this dress pattern.

Love it. I wish I had the courage to dress like this every day. (What do you think complements it best, pillbox hat or victory roll?)

I did not, however, find fabric, but at least I have a new dress project when I finish my works in progress and therefore lift my self-imposed new material ban.*

I can't wait.

*I did make an honest effort to search my stash for the vintage fabric first. I promise!

All or nothing

Lately I've had this feeling that I have to be all or nothing and it leads to moments of intense guilt, especially when I compare myself to others who seem to have it all together and never falter.

I didn't compost that orange peel because there was 20 feet of snow outside (okay, maybe it was only 6 inches but it might as well have been 20 feet). There goes my status as "crunchy mom."

I paid $5 more for my groceries this week because I couldn't face going to three grocery stores with two kids in aforementioned 20 feet of snow. There goes my "frugal mom" medal.

I bought regular instead of organic (fill-in-the-blank). Uh oh, not "healthy mom" anymore.

I remember reading years ago in the Tightwad Gazette that Amy Dacyzyn, who some might call the epitome of frugality, takes long showers. I don't remember much else about the helpful hints from the books but that fact has stuck with me for the past 15 years (try not to judge me too much, but yes, I was reading the Tightwad Gazette as a teenager. I was super cool). 

Lightning bolt moment: no one person can be 100% anything, and especially not 100% everything. I'm only seeing a small part of everyone else's life and I'm living mine constantly.

So I put the orange peel down the garbage disposal and take a long shower. There will be many other successes and many more "failures" down the road, but I will continue on, a patchwork instead of a "type", doing what we all do: the best we can in the ways we can.