Growing

"My Ex-spearmint"

At the beginning of summer I purchased a variety of seeds with the intent of having an herb garden - only maybe not all herbs - more of a 'whatever' garden ('Because if anything grows, it will be a miracle garden', I said to myself very very deep down inside my soul).

I wasn't selective about these so-called seeds, mostly because I had (and still have) no idea what I'm doing. Neither thumb remotely resembles any shade of green whatsoever.  I even recycled some old dirt from a former (live) plant - aka a dead plant. Always a good sign.

When I started to plant the spearmint seeds on one side of the rectangular pot, they all came flying out of the package because they were so tiny. I let them be and started planting some basil (I think) and some spinach. I KNOW, right? I'm creative that way - don't be jealous.

Can we talk about those teeny tiny little wee spearmint seeds? That 2 foot tall thing in the photo above is what has become of them. What frightens me about this is that when I look up spearmint plants online, they don't look like this. But before you say it's a weed, just humor this greenless thumbed girl for a sec! Too soon?

Let's rewind to when I planted these tiny guys: I buried them in dirt, and then I watered them and prayed that something would grow. I didn't stop there - I kept watering, don't worry, but I seriously gave up on the spearmint. Then it happened! Well, actually I thought there was a hair or something sticking out of the dirt. I almost yanked it before I realized it was a living, growing, sprouting, teeny tiny plant! I was pretty excited that something had actually grown because of my help. Yes, I have kids, but they seemed a little less fragile. And now that they are growing up and out I'm all about trying to grow something with less of an ego.

Did I mention that it's over 2 feet tall? It's very bossy next to my basil and spinach. Just sayin'.

These seeds reminded me of the story Jesus told about faith and a mustard seed. Mustard seeds are rather small, but apparently they pack a pretty big punch once they are grown. He said we only need teeny tiny little wee faith (the size of a mustard seed) and something very big can be done with that faith. (This is my very own paraphrase... You're welcome).

Just the fact that my plant (whether spearmint or a weed) brought this truth to mind causes this girl to want to keep growing - both in my faith and maybe a few more herbs or weeds or vegetables. Whatever. I'm pretty relaxed that way. 

Pancake Stir Fry

Does this resonate with anyone? Anyone?  Bueller?

Okay, maybe not...

In the words of Richard Nixon, "I am not a cook."  You may be thinking, "Nixon didn't say that!" Whatever, close enough.

I'm the only person living in this house who tries to eat (wait for it) gluten free, sugar free and dairy free.  What is that called, actually?  Has it been given a name?  Please comment if it has, because otherwise I'm trademarking it.  I mean, I'm not a vegetarian, vegan or paleo (I don't think). So, here goes:  GFSFDF®  Get it?  It's good being the creative one in the family.

Anywho, tonight I made coconut flour pancakes. Do they at least taste good? (Cuz they look so bad). Nope, they don't. I think I added too much salt. Will I eat them? Oh heck yes I will!

**Hang on, something's burning**

Okay, I'm back.

What I have accomplished is the satisfaction of a sweet-ish tooth and a bread craving - all without white refined sugar or white refined flour (a.k.a. satan).  

So, after eating about 3/4 of the pancakes (yes, I'm sure it's meant to feed a family of 4...don't judge), I no longer feel like choking someone or eating an entire box of donuts.

Two birds, one stone.

Stir Fry Pancakes® What the heck, I'm trademarking that, too.

You're welcome.

Holy pancake coma...

Yellow Frog

Meet Yellow Frog...

Isn't she pretty?  Well, okay, maybe not to you, but hear me out.  Yellow Frog belonged to my sweet Grandma ("Gramma-Jo") who passed away in March.  Gramma-Jo collected frogs. Actually, Gramma-Jo collected a LOT of things over her 99 years, but towards the end of her life on this earth, frogs became special to her.

Why frogs? Someone told Gramma that FROG stands for Fully Rely On God.  That was it...on to the collecting.  Want to know where my thrifting gene comes from? That's right - Gramma-Jo.  Back in the day, we could scour a Goodwill shop for hours. And guess who found some type of frog (be it ceramic, or a shirt or even pajamas) 100% of the time? I don't think I have to answer that...

Anywho, I have decided that it's necessary to keep Yellow Frog around for many reasons:

1. Yellow is my favorite color.  Yes - it's Gramma's favorite, too.  That used to excite me so much when I was a little girl! We liked so many of the same things and it gave me such a special bond to that sweetheart.

2. I want to be reminded to Fully Rely On God - like, always - and like, fully fully.  You see, this frog represents a spiritual icon to me.  Gramma had such a joy and a love for God, and I am certain that her love and prayers are the reason for my own joy in my faith today.  She was just cool like that.

And finally...

3. She's stinkin' adorable - just like Gramma!

So, yeah, she's a keeper.

What do you have that reminds you of someone special?

Walking The Dog

So this happened today: 

And this:

There was even some of this!

I guess you could say I took some time to actually enjoy my surroundings. 

This is where I live. Well, not RIGHT here. But this is part of the small town in which I reside. Pretty nice. Very nice. 

So today I thanked the dog for having a mind of his own. I don't typically take the time to enjoy my surroundings this much. But the dog wanted to take the path less travelled. 

I wonder who's guiding his steps? I imagine it's the same One trying to get me to stop, look & listen. 

Nice. So nice. 

Good dog...

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

I'm finally reporting back on my money-slaving experiments!

First, home made shampoo is not my friend. As much as I want it to be, we just don't get along. I'm really not sure if it's just my fine, wavy, color-treated hair or simply my preference. In any event, I tried it and I didn't like it.  We will call that money-slaver an epic fail and move on to homemade makeup remover wipes.

Now, have you ever tried to cut a roll of paper towels in half? My photo above shows my personal challenge and the outcome. This is after using a high quality bread knife (not so sure of it's quality after this experiment). Please don't tell my husband, he's kind of a cooking knife freak, for lack of a better term.  Any-who, I completed that portion of the challenge and realized I couldn't turn back now. I placed one of the halves of paper towel in a rectangular container and added 4 cups of warm water mixed with some coconut oil, tea tree oil (to prevent mold), a small amount of facial cleanser, and a couple drops of essential oils that I had on hand.  My only complaint right now is that 4 cups of water is too much for the roll I'm using. Other than that, my face feels GREAT after I use them!

Finally, since my shampoo idea didn't work out for me, I decided to make my own toothpaste.  You can search 'home made toothpaste recipes' and find the one you like the most. I used baking powder, coconut oil, peppermint oil, and some vegetable glycerin.  Honestly, I love the way my teeth feel after using this stuff, so I will continue to make it.  I just store it in a tiny plastic container (shown in photo).

If you knew me, you would know that this was quite the effort on my part :)  Meaning, I'm kinda proud of myself LOL!

Have you ever tried any home made money slaving ideas?  I'd love to hear about it!

Money Slaver

In an effort to make money my slave (or stick to a budget) I've been looking for ways to simplify some everyday routines at home. For instance, I love the convenience of using makeup remover wipes to wash my face before bed, however the cost does not justify the convenience. Enter One Good Thing. This is a wonderful blog where I found a homemade recipe for makeup removing wipes. I plan to make these tonight and report back with the results.
Next question: Does my hair really need all of those products and that shampoo with so many ingredients that I can't pronounce? According to The Paleo Mom I just may need a little baking soda and some lemon juice instead of shampoo & conditioner. Will I try it? Why not? Talk about items that I can use elsewhere if I'm not happy with my locks. Not only that, The Paleo Mom says that she uses just plain water on most days to 'wash' her hair and that this routine isn't recommended for anyone who uses gels or mousse or other products. Cha-ching! That's even more money saved.
So, since it is Spring Break this week (meaning I probably won't run into very many people that I know - suddenly I can hear the song "Your So Vain" playing in the background) I'm going to give this healthy shampoo a try. Again, with the intent to report the results right here.
Will you join me?

Comfort Food

Comfort food. Sounds strange coming from someone who hates to cook and can barely decide what to eat half the time. But I think of the term as more of a way of life. When we struggle to make ends meet and try to work harder to accomplish the task; or when it always feels like we are striving to 'do better' or to be like that person who always seems happy with their life.  Well, that's not comfort food. That's more like 'discomfort food' or at the very least it's just 'hard to swallow food'.
There's something about being at peace while in your circumstances. We may not always like what we're going through, but the struggling to make it go away can magnify the problem.
So, how do we stop striving and struggling and juggling? Very carefully! It seems that peace comes from rest. It also seems that the more chaos there is, the greater the need to just STOP. Some people give up when all they really needed was a break, a breather, a time-out.
I find that reading, crocheting, going on a date with my hubby, or even going to church is a great way for me to take a break from everything around me. It gives me focus in a sometimes blurry world. I like books that are edifying so that I can learn more about myself and hopefully grow stronger; I like seeing something that I've created to remind me that I really do have a creative side (I can't tell you how many times I have said "I'm not very creative"); I love it when my hubby and I can just get caught up with each other and not have to think about getting caught up with work or laundry or (fill in the blank); and church is my chance to grow my spirit as I am reminded of just who God made me to be.
How about you? Do you need a break? How do you unwind?