Weekend.

 

Messes that draw a smile.

 Good homemade/homegrown food.

 

Littles.

 The man I love.

 All that's needed for a good weekend. Happy weekend, friends!

Popping up. Published.

I'm popping up here and there lately.  I have posted on facebook, but I know not all of you follow facebook. So, here's a re-cap.

1) Country Lovin' Kids Fun.

It's our annual event for charity. I host a big party, with a few snacks and a bunch of simple games. This year, my son wants to raise money to help people who want chickens get chickens. That's the plan. It's this coming Monday at 4:30 at our house, if you're local. All are invited. It was a big event last year, looks like it might be bigger this year.

Find it here: https://www.facebook.com/events/358174017664549/

2) I was featured on the Live at Cobble Hill Farm

A fantastic blog that I follow regularly. Lots of good advice, great pictures, food for thought, literally and figuratively.
Find that info here: http://www.lifeatcobblehillfarm.com/2014/08/sponsor-spotlight-meet-jackie-from-born.html

3) I was featured at The Mommy Stories

A local blogger, featuring an eclectic mix of info, interesting stories and some good hints.  Do check her out!

Find the link here: http://themommystories-friends.blogspot.com/2014/07/a-creative-mama-and-her-farm.html

4) Do you know I have oodles of free patterns that I have created my self?

 

You can find many of there here: http://www.sewset.com/designer/447

5) The hennies from my etsy store have taken off.

Using upycled materials helps me keep the prices low.  Do check it out, especially if you have birthday parties coming up. I guarantee these little playsets are gifts that not everyone has.

Check it out here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/bornimaginative

6) And the biggest, by far, is that I'm published in the Aug/Sept issue of "From Scratch" Modern Homesteading.  A six page spread is an exciting thing.


Here's the pages where I was featured: pgs 154-159

Find the magazine here: http://www.fromscratchmag.com/magazine/


I'm humbled and excited at where this blogging journey is taking me.  Three years blogging and still going strong.  It's not work to me, it's fun. And I'm thankful for all the pals I've made along the way.

Gardening 2014: Take five.

Gardening 2014
Take One here.  

Take two.

Take three.

 

Take four.

Garden, oh garden, you bring about such range of emotions for me.

 

I go out there and want to feel success. But instead, all I feel is inadequate. All I see is weeds, weeds and more weeds. In hindsight, I think we should have bought the smaller rototiller so I could handle it. I wish I dragged my husband out there to rototill.  I wish I made more time for weeding. I wish I spaced this better. I wish I tended this better.  I wish I started this earlier. I wish I planted more of that. I wish I kept better tabs of little feet in the garden. I wish these weeds were gone. I wish I had a show garden.

The fact is, I don't have a show garden. Not even close to it.  It is not pretty, well maintained or impressive.  It's far from what I wanted.  I want to do well at that which I set out to do, it's so easy for me to feel defeated in that garden space. 

 

I don't know why I concentrate on the negative when I enter that space, for there's far more positive.

I bought a scale this year, thus far, we have harvested, consumed or preserved 111 pounds of our own produce.  Each meal now, 3x a day, has something from the garden.  Home grown, fresh picked=beyond delicious. 

 

And my kids know where their food comes from.

 

 They can identify the plants. They know when to pick and how to pick. They carry the produce in. 

 

They get out their little kid safe knives and chop. 

They know these foods are good for their body and they actually eat it. 

 

The other day, I had a salad with kale, collard greens, green onion, peas, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers....and my kids ate the whole thing.  I'm bringing in food regularly and we have enough to eat and we've even had a little extra to share.

 

 

I've been avoiding a gardening post for a whole month now, as it's not really something I want to share in the state it's in. But, I'm glad I did, for the last paragraph reminds me that even though the journey getting this produce hasn't resulted in anything show worthy in an aesthetic manner, but it has produced something award worthy in the form of the knowledge in my kids' little noggins.

 

And flowers, how can I forget those?  So many perennials and my first go around with dahlias and gladiolas.  Always a fresh bouquet around this place. I guess there's more to celebrate right there.

 

Bottom line, message to self-You're doing fine. Just fine.  Yes, your garden might not be perfect, but you read 12 books to your kids yesterday, played 7 rounds of 'going on a bear hunt', dressed baby dolls and hitched tractors to their wagons.  There's plenty of time for a show garden, but just right now to be the best mama to a 2 and 3 year old.  Keep on keeping on.  You can't give up now. The elderberries will be ripening anyday now.

 

 

 

Thrifted.

Thrifted.

I must warn you, I got mighty excited when I saw this. A wooden play sewing machine! Squeal!  I am not a fan of the fancy flowers, but I was going to ask my dad to make one.  Don't have to now! And play scarves/skills. Perfect for baby wearing, to 'dry off' tractors, for picnic blankets and for 'sewing'...the options are endless.  A zebra, a big pink one with a bird (Audra fell in love) and one that has stripes and Holstein print (guess who picked that out?). And two wooden rulers, perfect for measuring.  Grand total?  $5.00.

 I figured out I've been using cloth napkins exclusively for 10 years now. No wonder some of them are falling apart. 12 new napkins. Two placemats. A three tier wooden tic tac toe game (popped in the attic for when they are older).  $5.00. 

Back to the sewing. They were so eager to 'get to work'.

 I about melted in delight when I saw how he set things up. He KNOWS how to sew!!!  Look at his fingers guiding the fabric along! He's trying to stitch the edges.  Just like mama, huh?!

And she knew she was supposed to bunch it through.

Seriously, I could watch them all day, with the same goofy smile etched into my face.

With their little wooden rulers, they'd stop and measure.

And during all this, they both had the sounds going.....brrrrrrrr.

 A simple wooden toy, a few silks and a whole world of imagination.

 It wasn't just this day either, it's been a frequently used piece of equipment.  I tell you, I'll be most delighted if this isn't 'just a phase' for either of them.  I'll happily sew along with you, little ones.