Keeping at it (HK #12)

This week's challenge was not just another sewing project, although you could view it that way. I have a tendency to try my hand at something and then never pick it up again. And so, when I lugged my sewing machine upstairs to sew my skirt, I decided I would get something else sewn at the same time.

When I bought the material for the skirt, they had the same pattern in brown, which I also picked up. Not wanting to make another identical skirt, I decided to put my hand to making an apron. After ruining several shirts and pants with sauce and oil splatter, it's time I made good use of this time-honoured piece of clothing.

I browsed online but couldn't find anything like what I was envisioning. And so, I drew up the pattern myself. My rough sketch was on a little notepad, and the only measurements were the numbers I scribbled beside each line. It took a little over a day (in the life of a mom, which means a few minutes here, a few minutes there to work on it!) and I was so pleased with the final product!

Now, to be honest, it's a little big in the top, and my thread kept bunching up, but these small imperfections are things only I would notice.

(The brown ribbon is what ties around my waist. The patchwork squares are inspired by the baby blanket I made a while back)

The many faces of Terri-Ann (HK#11)

In an odd moment of contemplation this week, I realized just how varied my interests and hobbies are. I was working on two very different projects last week, and here are two photos to represent:



The first is me and my very first power tool I bought. It is a reciprocating saw to help in cutting the wood for my fence. (You can get a glimpse of the pine pickets behind me there! Still working away on it - it's a long process working by myself on it, and only being able to work on it when both kids are sleeping!) you should have seen me in the Home Depot - like a kid in a candy store. I think the sales rep was impressed I knew what I was looking for. (I also picked up 72 fence rail brackets and 1 1/2" galvanized 4D nails - and yes, I asked for them by name!)

On second is a photo of my very first real sewing project! That's right - building a fence, no problem. Sewing from a pattern terrified me! But I had this material from a few years back, and really wanted to make a skirt. So I hopped over to Fabricland for a massive clearance sale, and picked up this super-easy, first-time-sewer pattern, that happened to be just what I'd been looking for. (My favourite skirt I ever bought is this exact pattern!) And guess what? I finished it in a day, zipper and clasp and everything! I had to run back to the store for some facing, and a little pattern interpretation from the expert there (who couldn't believe this was the first thing I'd ever sewn!). But in the end, a total success. It fits like a dream and looks fantastic. And the sewing fairies were watching over me, because my striped pattern "just happened" to line up EXACTLY at the seam lines. Total fluke, but much appreciated!

And so, those are the two vastly different faces of Terri-Ann.

Homekeeper Challenge #10 - Blanket

This is a baby blanket that I made last week. The material is all flanelette, the front is the squares and the green portion is the back. A friend of mind showed me how to sew this together, and for those of you who know me, this is a huge accomplishment. You see, I am not, and have never been, a sewer. I own a sewing machine - a massive 50 pound 50-year old workhorse that my grandmother gave me. Actually, it's probably the best machine for me, since I think it could hold up to nuclear war. And so there is probably very little I could do to it to damage the thing.

I saw this blanket my friend had made and it inspired me to lug the old machine out and actually try my hand at this art. The result, I think, was a great success. Best of all, it only took about six hours of actual work time (and with my kids, time is a precious commodity, and a rare one also).

Inspired by my success, I now have a skirt pattern upstairs along with some great summer material. I'm hoping to sew myself two skirts over the summer. And this morning I actually hemmed an old pair of pants into shorts! Believe me, for me - this is big!

Homekeeper Challenge #9 (gardening)

You may think I have been neglecting the challenge, but quite the contrary. As I consider my fence part of keeping my home beautiful (and safe), this is an extended project that is taking more than a week to complete (obviously). Thanks to my fantastic father, I am now half done the picket panels I need to build. I am well on track to being where I need to be for July 9th when the posts go in. It looks amazing, if I do say so myself. I won't give you any sneak peaks until I'm done, though.

Today, however, I do have a second project to tell you about. Yes, I do keep myself busy with many things going on simultaneously. In fact, my neighbour jokingly asked yesterday "Do you ever take a rest!" This was gratifying to hear, because I often feel like nothing is ever getting done.

My second project is the gardening around here. My long term plan (for next year) is to turn my current backyard jungle of a garden into a vegetable garden. This year is really more about getting everything under control. I have finally learned what are the weeds and what are the plants. I have also learned how to prune back my crazy bushes, and how to move my lovely ferns (which are the only thing worth saving where my veggies will go - pretty much everything else is coming out!) I have also learned the true meaning of "grow like a weed". I will never use this expression again.

So mostly I have been dig, dig, digging. Hard work. I have also discovered a blue recycling box is a poor substitute for a wheel barrow. Dirt is heavy! My muscles are growing and aching, aching and growing.

But this picture below represents my biggest accomplishment in the garden so far. We had this terribly ugly thing posing as a bush, right in front of our mailbox and front steps. It was really the only thing you could see coming up to the house. It was flat and evergreen and infested with spiders. And it had to go. Not an easy feat. I took my hand saw to it, tearing away branch after branch. That was day one. Day two I dug and dug and dug at the roots. And dug some more. Then covered in sweat and dirt, left it for day three. Day three. I dug more, then started taking the saw to the roots too deep to get to. Then I started rocking the stump back and forth, jumping on it to try and wiggle it free. Then it started to rain, which I completely ignored.
This stump was too close to leave now! In front of neighbours watching to see who would win the battle (I hope their money was on me!) and with cars slowing as they passed to witness the crazy lady jumping and shaking a bush stump (we live on a surprisingly busy street!) I finally tore the thing from the ground! Here I am with my prize:




Okay - this picture doesn't do my opponent justice. I am the conqueror! There are now some lovely beautiful green ferns in its place. This gardening stuff is hard work, but I am learning how gratifying it truly is to "till your own land."

"I've got a little list"

I once heard somewhere that when you plan for nothing, don't be surprised when you get it accomplished. Last week I realized that after seven months of complaining that I can't seem to get anything done between my two boys, I realized that I also hadn't planned to get anything done.

So Friday I dug out and dusted off a daily calender and proceeded to jot down goals for that day and the next two as well. I wrote down everything from Sunday School lesson prep, gardening, prepping for dinner, and how many fence panels to build. I jotted down the chores I wanted to get to and the commitments I had made to people outside the home.

And by golly, guess what? I got nearly everything done! Not everything, for I am living in reality, in which naps are erratic, kids need attention, and stomach viruses have no regard for schedules, but after four days I made some attempt to organize ahead of time, I am starting to remember why I loved and lived by my organizer during my school days.

Go ahead. Make a list. Any kind of list. Canadians are the biggest list makers in the world...I wonder if it's working? If my success is any indicator, we must be the most organized people in the world!

Homekeeper Challenge #8

"A few years ago my neice Krystal went off to college for her freshman year. She was staying in an apartment with five other girls, and they would all be cooking for themselves. Her mother recounted to me an interesting conversation. All the moms were hanging around in the kitchen chatting. Three of the moms said, "Boy, I sure hope my daughter will not starve to death. She doesn't have the slightest idea how to cook." Then the moms began to discuss the things their daughters didn't know how to do and chuckled to think of them having to learn it all. My sister was horrified, as was I. Who did they expect would teach their children how to cook - and when?"

This is an excerpt from the BEST parenting book I've come across so far. It's called "The Parenting Breakthrough" by Merrilee Browne Boyack. First let me share with you how I came to own this book.

This past weekend I attended a women's conference, at which there were many books of all kinds for sale. One table was filled with parenting, relationship, and family type books. Seeing the long lines and knowing the next address was about to begin, I felt compelled to pick up this book and buy it. I didn't get to read any more than the title and subtitle ("A real-life plan to teach your kids to work, save money, and be truly independent.") but bought it anyway.

That afternoon, I was captivated by an amazing mother giving an address on service. She has 4 teenage boys and told stories of how service in an integral and natural part of their lives. I was amazed at how selfless these teenage boys seemed and drank in every word she uttered, hoping I could somehow derive her secret to raising sons of such quality. She was down to earth, hilarious and obviously held no grand notions of what a "perfect" wife and mother should be. She was probably the most realistic example of a mother I know.

As I crawled into bed that night, I finally picked up this parenting book and cracked open its pages. As I started to read, the opening description of the author's family was strangely familiar...yes, I flipped to the cover and realized the book was in fact written by the same woman I had admired earlier that day! And here she was sharing her parenting techniques with me - I couldn't have asked for more!

Her words have been truly eye opening. She sat down with her husband to write up a plan for how they would raise their children. She rightly notes that we make lists and plans for all sorts of things in life: diets, careers, even shopping. And yet few people actually sit down and create a plan for the most important thing they'll do in life - raising their children!

Her philosophy is that by the time her sons leave home around the age of 18 years, they should already be prepared with all the important things they will need to know to live an independent life. She felt that THIS was her and her husbands job as parents. So simple, so true, and yet so unfulfilled by most parents.

So she sat down and wrote a list of everything she felt it would be important for her kids to know before they moved out, and then decided at what age it would be appropriate for them to learn that skill. And most importantly, if the child was capable of doing something for him or herself, there was no reason she should be doing it for them.

The list is four pages long, and each age from 3-16 includes about 10 things to be mastered during that year. Things like:

Age 3: Clean glass tables, say prayers, pick up toys
Age 9: Bake cakes, fill car with gas, sew on buttons, write letters
Age 13: Pay household bills, understand prescriptions, type without looking
Age 16: Understand advertising, file insurance claim, plan landscaping

And so this week I am starting to figure out what my plan is, and to WRITE IT DOWN! Not only that, but I realized there are several things that I've managed to get by without knowing, and I realize now that I don't want to HAVE to rely on paying an expert to do these things - I should have some basic understanding also (gardening, auto maintenance, to name a couple!)

This is my new parenting manual. I'm only halfway through (she also goes into depth in areas like money management and emotional and spiritual development) and already I feel as though I've found a fantastic role model in Merrilee. I bet there are girls lining up a mile long for her boys, who can cook, clean, garden, fix the car, have good money sense...they of course are not perfect children, but they are a good deal closer than boys who spend most days watching TV or playing video games!

Homekeeper Challenge #7

Ever come across motivational talks that knock your socks off? Ones that are filled with kernels of truth in every sentence? Ones that you know if you could only apply to your life things might go a little more smoothly? Our church has what we term a "General Conference" twice a year, which involves motivational talks given by different leaders. There is also a yearly women's conference, in which the talks are geared specifically to women. This week I decided to find five or six of the ones that spoke to me most, burn them to a CD, and then listen to the CD while I do things around the house like cooking or cleaning, or the few times I'm actually in the car.

You've all read numerous times about how pitiful my memory is, so I 'm hoping that through repetition some of their words of wisdom might start to stick!

Here are the ones that I chose (transcripts and mp3s are available online):

"Mothers Who Know" Julie B. Beck
"My Soul Delighteth in the Things of the Lord" Susan W. Tanner
"Daughters of God" M. Russell Ballard
"What Latter-day Saint Women Do Best: Stand Strong and Immovable" Julie B. Beck
"Strengthen Home and Family" Mary N. Cook
"Three Goals to Guide You" Thomas S. Monson
"A Mother Heart" Julie B. Beck

Homekeeper Challenge #6

This week I started on a project that will take a little while to finish, but one that I will be super-proud of when I finally get there! I am building a fence.

The only thing we didn't get from our "wish list" for our house was a fenced in backyard. There is lots of space for the boys to run around...but nothing to keep them in. So I knew that one of our first projects this Spring had to be getting a fence in.

Our first instinct was to spend our tax refund on just getting a fence company to do the entire thing for us. But when the quote came back at nearly $10,000 and the job would also necessitate taking out the trees that line the back of our property. And so we were stuck. We love those trees, and didn't really want to spend that much on a fence. We weren't building an 8-foot monster - just a little picket to keep the boys out of the neighbours' gardens.

I then took it upon myself to investigate our options. I like to think inherited my some of my Dad's skill when it comes to fixing and building. And my Dad (wonderful father that he is) is often willing to come out and help me with a project here and there.

I shopped around to see what kinds of fences we could put in and how much each cost. I drew up my plans, measured up and figured out the materials I would need. I ended up with three options which I presented to James. All three cost about the same, so in the end it's just a personal decision on what we'd like to look at in the yard.

I took James down to the hardware store to see the materials in person, so that he could have a better idea what I was planning. (Funny anecdote - I had a few last questions at the store, and each time I posed one, the employee turned and explained his answer to James, turning his back to me. Clearly he figured that James must be the one piloting the project! I just laughed to myself about it, taking mental notes and formulating the next question. Little did he know I'm much more likely to be found with the toolbox in hand!)

That's about where we are now. Of the three options, one involves building a picket fence picket by picket, one involves building just the frame, and the last is simply screwing the pieces together. The adventurous side of me really wants to build it from scratch, picket by picket, but a wood picket fence would need serious maintenance after about 10 years, and so isn't necessarily the practical choice. But I do think we've decided to go with the middle option, so I will have a chance to get out the saw, hammer and nails and go to work on it! I'll be sure to keep you updated with photos along the way. This is by far my most exciting challenge!

Homekeeper Challenge #5

(Week 5 - I wonder if I'm actually more motivated, or rather am just recording things I manage to get done around here!)

This week might nearly have been a disaster in the house. I became utterly frustrated with some kitchen shelves and the annoying task of having to unshelve nearly everything from its precarious balance to access items I use daily. So one afternoon I was about to grab a garbage bag and randomly toss in anything that was in my way.

Of course, this was not a practical way of tidying. Many of the casualties would have been things I would sorely miss after a day or two.

And so I decided a better option would be to actually go through the offending shelves and try to organize them in a more useful fashion.

The results were quite positive. My "baking" shelf, previously crammed with no less than 20 items, now holds only four canisters: flour, sugar, oatmeal and salt. The rest of the baking ingredients found a new home on the top shelf of my pantry. They replaced an assortment of canned foods and miscellaneous cooking ingredients, all of which I realized don't need to be at my fingertips, and which made their way downstairs to our food storage.

There. Nice and tidy, convenient and clean. And an unbelievable amount of less stress. Funny how a little organization can go a long way.

Homekeeper Challenge #4

This week I challenged myself in the area of cooking. I have done fairly well up to this point in reproducing recipes from a cookbook. I'm not the type to necessarily measure everything exactly, and sometimes vary it up a little. But I have decided that I'm ready to venture out a little further.

So, en route to creating my own recipes, this week I decided to see if I could replicate something I had in a restaurant. It was a fantastic dish called Balsamic Chicken Penne that I had at Kelsey's. I loved it so much I packaged the leftovers up and brought it home for a chef's dissection.

The result was, I can humbly admit, a delicious success. And so, as a record of my challenge this week, and for all you food epicures out there, here is the recipe:

Creamy Balsamic Chicken Penne
Serves 4

-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
-2 red peppers, cut into 1 1/2" strips
-2 cups spinach
-1/2 red onion, cut into 1" strips
-Basil
-Penne
-Balsamic cream sauce (recipe at end)
-Shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Place chicken and 1 tbsp of basil in a pan of water. Bring to a boil, boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat, cover and let sit for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook 4 servings of penne or other large pasta (ie: rigatoni).
3. Make the Balsamic cream sauce (recipe at end)
4. When chicken is ready, cut it into 3" strips. Sautee the chicken, red pepper, onion and basil to taste, for 2-3 minutes or until pepper and onion are softened.
5. Boil the spinach for 2 minutes.
6. Top noodles with mixture, spinach, desired amount of sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese.

Balsamic Cream Sauce:
-1 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing (or make your own with: 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 clove garlic and 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil)
-1/2 cup mayonnaise
-3 tbsp parmesan cheese
-4 tsp basil
-1/4 tsp pepper

Whisk dressing and mayonnaise. Stir in cheese, basil and pepper.

Homekeeper Challenge #3

This week was inspired by this beautiful flower. It was hiding around the side of our house, a wonderful splash of sunny yellow to welcome spring. And so I have decided (not lightly) to begin gardening.

It is important to note here that I know less than nothing about gardening. Until today, I thought those beautiful bunches of blue were flowers...but nope, they're weeds. And upon finding that out, I had no idea what I was supposed to do about them.

So today the boys and I hiked over to Home Depot and picked up one of those weed-pullers (I don't even know what the proper name is!) and I spent the better part of the afternoon attacking the backyard. We are somewhat cheating for our lawn care - we discovered that the price of buying all the fertilizer etc. is nearly the cost of having someone come in and do it for us! With James being so busy and the boys keeping my attention, we just figured it would be easier all around. (However, I did go over to Home Depot, got a quick rundown on lawn care, and bought all the soil and fertilizer. Now I have to take it all back!)

At any rate, I kept at it while Colin ran around with his shovel, trying to help scoop up the weeds, and after two hours it looked as though I had aerated the lawn! And yet there are still huge patches of those little blue flowers.

You know, they really are kind of pretty. Between my aching back and sunburn, I'm contemplating leaving them and calling them my "random garden".

This will be an ongoing project, as I really would love to at least have the gardens left to me by the previous house owners in presentable shape. I'm also hoping to grow a little vegetable garden in the back. Before today if you'd asked me if I'd ever garden, the answer would have been a big fat no. But I truly enjoyed my time in the yard today. I guess everything changes once you've got your very own piece of land to cultivate and care for.

By the way...anyone reading this who has a better grasp on gardening than I, if you're interested and willing to come over and give me a few pointers and tutorials to get me started, I would be beyond grateful. So grateful I will trade a good lunch, free babysitting or other offering in return!

Homekeeper Challenge #2

I have long been frightened by the chemical list on the back of my cleaning supplies. Over the past four and a half years that I have been making my home, I have been trying to find cleaner, greener, safer ways to clean my house. Long ago we switched to using vinegar and water to clean the floors, and baking soda as a mild abrasive for the stove and countertops and pots. A few months ago I hunted for all purpose cleaners and bathroom cleaners that claimed (on the bottle, anyway) to be better for us and the environment. But I wanted to do more.

So this week I started doing some research. My goal was to rid my home of all those chemical based cleaners and to try and use homemade products instead.

I started with a little internet research. It was astonishing. My eyes were opened to the vast uses of: vinegar, baking soda, and lemon. Here's a smattering of what I learned:

Vinegar: use as a disinfectant and deodorizer. Mix one part vinegar with one part water, add to a spray bottle and use as an all-purpose cleaner! Can also be used as a fabric softener.

Baking Soda: use as a deodorizer, cleaner and mild abrasive. Because it maintains the pH balance, it neutralizes both acids and bases to eliminate all odours. Will also cause grease, dirt and grime to dissolve in water. Sprinkle in garbage/diaper pails, or on the carpet before vacuuming. Microwave a few tbsp in some water for a few minutes and it will loosen caked on food bits. Can also be used as a cleaner/deodorizer, or to unclog drains (I have the formulas if you want them).

Lemon: use as a deodorizer (fresh lemon smell) or as an antibacterial and antiseptic cleaner (thanks to its acidity level). Also dissolves soap scum and hard water deposits, will clean and shine brass and copper, mix with olive oil to use as a furniture polish, mix equal parts lemon juice and water in a spray bottle and use as an air freshener.

These are just a few of the uses I found, and I am so excited to start implementing them! I'll have to provide an update as to what I find effective and what ideas don't work as well. I was especially glad to find the air freshener idea, because I've heard those spray bottle we get from the store are absolutely awful for you.

Lastly, I also found a few books that provide more ideas. I'm still waiting for them to come in at the library - I'd like to peruse a few before I invest in one or two for myself. From what I can tell, these books literally have hundreds of ideas, and will definitely be useful to have around the house.

Well, I hope this is a little help to you also. Please feel free to leave a comment on any other ideas you use around the house, or natural/homemade cleaners you've been using!

Homekeeper Challenge #1

Okay - week one. I did it. Actually, this whole challenge has been quite motivating. That and the spring weather that has finally arrived. I have discovered why "spring cleaning" exists - who would want to tackle such a chore in the dreary months of winter?

Project one - the bathroom cabinet. Perhaps I started with this because of its size (24" x 30" and only two shelves) but really it's because I was fed up with opening the doors and having everything fall out onto me, the toilet and the floor. In it you would find hair products, shaving razors, combs and brushes, cleaning supplies. And a hundred other little odds and ends that seem to find their way into the cabinet.

But no more! I pulled out everything we don't use regularly and tucked them away in my linen closet (which I also tackled this week!) Things may have been "organized" before, but the sheer volume of things in their meant they were so precariously balanced they couldn't help but fall out.

I'm really trying to make do with less. There are so many things I hold onto for the once or twice in a blue moon I might use it. I also hate to throw things away - it feels like such a waste. Not only that, the environmentalist in me doesn't like filling up landfills with all my junk. However, I have accumulated much over the years. The only remedy I see is to do a purge, and then work hard not to accumulate more. It can be done! I know it can!

I thought I'd also share one of my best housekeeping tips with you - my "upstairs/downstairs basket". This is a good-sized basket I keep on the landing of my staircase. As I tidy during the day, this is the place I toss things that need to go upstairs. I acknowledged to myself that I can't keep running things up and down stairs, and the demands of my children mean I don't always have time to put things away as I go. This basket is the perfect place to collect things that need to make their way upstairs. Then when I get a chance, I take the whole basket upstairs and put everything away. This is by far the best housekeeping idea that has worked for me.

What about you? What has been your "lifesaving" housekeeping trick? (I'm thinking if I compile a whole bunch of tricks, I can have the cleanest house on the block!)

Homekeeper Challenge 2008

In this wild, wonderful world wide web, a whole new community has been created. I have found that has a new mom, I have turned inwards, focusing my time, talents and efforts inside my home rather than out. But an interesting thing has happened...I have been able to meet new people, share insights and ideas and get to know old friends a lot better through the blogging community. Spending even just a few minutes a day allows my mind to escape from these four walls and get a glimpse into the lives of other moms.

Through a long, convoluted path (which I won't go into in detail), I came across a blog entry called "The Homekeeper Challenge 2008". A fellow wife and mom is challenging her peers "to fully dive into your God given role" as a homekeeper. She gives some of her ideas of what a homekeeper is, but more importantly, challenges readers to find out what it means to you personally. The rest of the challenge simply entails working at being the best homekeeper you can be, and to write about your progress each week.

What, then, is my own definition of a homekeeper? I'm not sure yet. I know it would include teaching of my children, supporting my husband, creating an atmosphere of peace, growing personally (in physical, mental and spiritual areas), and keeping my own house a house of order.

In fact, our church scripture has an interesting verse that comes to mind as a perfect definition of what I want my house to be. It is in reference to a temple, which is the House of God. I can't think of a better goal to which I can aspire as a homekeeper:

"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God."

And so I will take up this challenge, and see what it does for me. You're welcome to come along on this journey with me, or perhaps even be inspired to take up the challenge yourself! Either way, sisters unite! Let us rejoice in fulfilling the call we have received as mothers, wives, and homekeepers.