Quick and Easy Fire Starters or Boosters

We have lived with wood heat through 1½ winters, and I must say, I prefer it. As with anything, there are pros and cons. The pros for us definitely outweigh the cons though. There's nothing quite so comforting as the sound of the logs popping and the clicking of the cast iron as it heats up. And if you've never smelled walnut burning, you're missing out. It smells like Fruit Loops!
The first winter we lived here, in our cabin, we hadn't found a small enough stove, so we tried to get by with space heaters. The worst part was, we still had cold pockets all over the house. We lived in thermal undies and lots of blankets. Over $1000 combined heating bills later, we vowed that we'd have a stove by the next winter.
Last year was our first winter with wood heat and while my husband grew up with a wood stove, I'd never had one. He told me all summer how hot it would get and how we'd be cracking windows even in the dead of winter. He was right! I love how cozy the whole cabin is.
Our cabin is a rectangle and the stove is in the center on one wall. We played with a couple of box fans and learned that placing a fan at each end of the house, facing toward the center, seemed to pull the heat down from the lofts and kept both rooms (our bedroom and the bathroom) almost the same temperature as the living room. It's pretty awesome.
We are fortunate to live where we can find trees already fallen and seasoned, so with a family wood haul every other week, we are usually well stocked on firewood. It's a bit of work, but it beats buying firewood. All things considered, minus the cost of the gas for the chainsaw, we're heating for free.
So there's a bit of back story. As I mentioned, I'm a novice at this starting and feeding a wood stove. My husband is an excellent teacher, but we birth have our own unique ways of handling things. As I've tried (and erred), I've learned some tricks that help get and keep a hot fire going.
I tried using dryer lint in toilet paper tubes, but it seemed to me that they burned too fast and not hot enough. I have burned cardboard boxes, paper bags, all kinds of things to try to start a fire. Finally, I think I've got it!
One side effect of having firewood piled on the floor is the presence of wood chips, bark, etc. I am always sweeping up. Late one night, when I looked forlornly at the bits of wood in front of the stove, I decided to throw it into the fire. Woosh! It lit up like tiny little fireflies and breathed life into the dying coals. So naturally I wrapped it in newspaper and tied it with twine!
Now, rather than transporting the dusty wood bits to another surface, I just plop down on the floor with newspaper or phone book pages, scissors, twine and make a bunch at a time.
Just put 2 or 3 little bundles of potential under your sticks or kindling and light. Or, if you need to bring the fire back to life, put a bundle in with another log.

Granted, this may seem too simple to explain. However, I'm an experimental pioneer, so I thought I'd share in case anyone else could benefit from my limited experience.

I hope at least one reader has an "a-ha" moment. ☺

Save the Sparkle Boots!

My youngest is recently potty trained, very picky about her shoes and in between shoe sizes. She is a toddler with moderately pudgy feet, so finding shoes that aren't too tight across the top is a challenge. Also, she prefers they all have pink, purple, glitter and/or any combination of the three. Last shopping day I bought her some black, glittery Ugg wannabes. It had gotten cold outside and she'd decided the week before that her casual shoes were too tight, leaving her with only her dressy "slippers" (because princesses wear slippers, not shoes).

Princesses wear slippers.

So, as you can see from the picture, the black glitter boots were perfect for her highness.

Fuzzy on the inside, sparkly on the outside. Perfection!

Fast forward two days. We'd been running errands and just came home. I honestly forgot how long it'd been since our last potty break. I was rushing around to get dinner started and the kids were standing around the table munching on a snack, when it happened! Ella exclaimed, "I'm peein'!" 

Now, that is the call to arms for all of us, because usually, when she says that, it really means she needs to pee, but we have time to race her to the ladybug potty chair. This time, not so much. She was standing up, wearing her new boots. The boots don't claim to be water proof, but they held an astonishing amount of liquid. We cleaned up the little princess and the floor. Then, I went to the bathtub, where we had haphazardly dumped the boots, to assess the damage. These are toddler size 6. I could barely fit my hands into the shaft of the boots, so scrubbing them clean was a challenge. I grabbed a bottle of baby powder and a box of baking soda. I used both to fill the boots up to the top, and then I sprinkled more of the same all over the outside of the boots. They were basically encased in powder. I set them inside a Walmart bag and placed them up on a shelf where they could air out.
I forgot them for a few days. Refusing to buy another part of boots, I grabbed a cheap pair of pink tennis shoes and that's what Ella wore to Thanksgiving.
After the boots sat for two days, I dumped out as much of the clumped baking soda and baby powder as I could, then put the boots inside a net lingerie bag and into the washing machine. I figured I had nothing to lose. I washed them once with some towels. I washed them a second time all alone. After the second washing, one boot still smelled bad, so I once again coated them in baking soda and let them sit in the bathroom window to air out.
I'm happy to report, after a week of washing and patience, that today, they are as fresh as a daisy! They have dried and smell great! I had to work at getting a few small clumps of baking soda out, but that was worth it to save the magic, sparkly, fuzzy boots.
So there you have it! With baking soda and a little determination, all things are possible.

Dear Red Journal

My dad takes care of an apartment complex and he often brings us found items. Over the years, we've gotten everything from a kitchen table to bunk beds, but more often it's clothing, books, canned goods or household cleaners. A few months ago, he brought a load that included a couple of unused journals, like you might find in stationary at Barnes n Noble. Edyn grabbed a brightly colored one with some floral motif, if memory serves. The remaining journal was plain, with a bright red, vinyl cover. I set it in my filing cabinet and left it for a month or so. I finally picked it up one day when I was rather emotional and decided to try writing. It had been one of those days (read more about it here) and I needed to blow off steam like a volcano, bubbling just beneath the surface. A week later, I didn't like what I'd written. Here is my second attempt:
Dear red journal,
Last week I wrote four pages and was then interrupted. At the time, I had been very upset. The day hadn't gone well and I vented... a lot! Of course, that is part of the purpose of a journal, I suppose, but I can't truly enjoy that. What if I never came back to finish my entry? And what if, heaven forbid, I were in a tragic accident and later, my family would find that my only journal entry had been a four page rant? No. That won't do.
Now, in that light, I really should fill the pages with deep, meaningful observations, humorous anecdotes and witticisms. That way, in my absence, I could be remembered as thoughtful, loving and funny.
Ugh! So much pressure! This is what I do with everything, over think, over analyze, over stress! I can't even enjoy a private conversation with MYSELF without making it too stressful!
I tore up and threw away the four page rant. Can't have that laying around.
So, how can I utilize this red book of empty pages in a way that is healthy?
I haven't written in it since. I'm starting to think that journaling isn't for me. As long as no great apocalypse takes out the electricity, I have a digital journal, of sorts. It's just in short, sweet, Facebook posts and random, rambling blog posts. Besides, I only want to put out what I'd like to get in return, and only what will show that I love my life and my family. I put the red book back in the filing cabinet.

The red book and my favorite coffee cup.
I was hoping for inspiration.

Feminism, Taylor Swift and Christmas Lists

I'm am a true feminist. I believe that women should be celebrating femininity. I think we should be EXACTLY who God created us to be. We're creative, emotional, nurturing, multi-faceted, unpredictable, soft, strong and beautiful. We look at things differently than men and that is the way it's supposed to be. I'm not arguing that we can't do the same job as men. I'm saying we bring different skills and perspectives to the job. I don't agree with the ugly turn that modern feminism has taken, trying to be more masculine or worse, treating sex like it doesn't matter. It seems like, instead of protecting our virtue and our hearts, women view sex as a normal and necessary part of modern dating. These things weigh heavily on my heart, especially as a mother of daughters.
I have two daughters, an eleven going on sixteen year old and an almost three year old little princess. My oldest daughter is a die hard Taylor Swift fan. Since Edyn was about 5 years old, she has followed her career and every Christmas there's always some T. Swift music/gear/fragrance etc. on her list. One year, Daddy sent just her and me to Tulsa to see Taylor in concert. It was pretty epic for our then 8 year old mega fan.
Now, we as parents have done little to discourage this infatuation. Most of the song lyrics were cute and quirky. The sad love songs were still relatable for my daughter because she has felt heart ache in her life, not in romantic ways, obviously, but her pain was still real. We have been vigilant in screening movies and books and music to make sure that they never glorified themes or ideas that could be unhealthy. We have had a few oopses. There have been times when we realized in hindsight that something was less than ideal. We have grown more cautious over the years. That bit of back story is just a little set up for what I'm about to say next. 

Taylor, then and now. She's all grown up!

I just heard the latest single from the new Taylor Swift album. She has made a clear break from her country roots and is definitely integrating more adult (if you consider early twenties adult) themes. The new song is called "Blank Space." You can see the video here. The song itself is catchy and very poppy. I can imagine the chorus will be playing on repeat in many young fans' heads. And that is what gives me pause. I think the song is a bit tongue-in-cheek and is Taylor's answer to the critics of her love life. The running joke is that all her ex boyfriends end up in a song and this is an anthem for girls who may have been perceived as "crazy in love," but not in a good way. While I can't fault her for the idea and, she's adorable, as always, the video and lyrics are darker in tone than her usual fare. Here are some of the lyrics, for reference, to "Blank Space" (or read them all here):

So it's gonna be forever
Or it's gonna go down in flames
You can tell me when it's over
If the high was worth the pain
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane
'Cause you know I love the players
And you love the game

'Cause we're young and we're reckless
We'll take this way too far
It'll leave you breathless
Or with a nasty scar
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane
But I've got a blank space, baby
And I'll write your name

Boys only want love if it's torture
Don't say I didn't say, I didn't warn ya
Boys only want love if it's torture
Don't say I didn't say, I didn't warn ya

I viewed the video and immediately cringed at the image of my kids bebopping around our house singing, "boys only want love if it's torture, don't say I didn't warn ya" or "got a long list of ex-lovers, they'll tell you I'm insane." We are trying to teach them to only allow good things into their eyes, ears and mouth. We want them to meditate on things that are beneficial to them in the long run.
Does that mean I no longer like Taylor Swift? No. I absolutely get the "method to her madness" so to speak. I understand her venting and I can relate to what she's saying, but I still don't want my daughter meditating on it. So, then I had to have a rather uncomfortable conversation with my daughter. She knew there was a new album out and was already voicing her hopes to get it for Christmas. I told her that I was concerned about this song in particular, that the lyrics weren't something I felt would be good for her heart. I said I'd be happy to screen the other songs on the album and because of digital music, we could buy whichever songs we wanted. To her credit, she handled it better than I had expected. She was disappointed, though.
We don't restrict our children to Christian music all the time, especially since Mr. Jones and I both love a wide variety of music. It's difficult to find the balance between shielding their sponge-like minds and giving them space to make smart choices. I know at this point, the desire to own every album and memorize every song would most likely win. How could it not? So it's our job, as her parents, to help her take a step back and see the bigger picture. I'll leave you with one of my favorite songs that reminds us to take care, when guarding our eyes, ears, etc. is by Casting Crowns:

"Slow Fade"

Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray 
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray 
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see.

You can watch the video here.

To-do Lists and Loving Reminders

I think sometimes there is this erroneous assumption that being a full time homemaker means having loads of free time. I suppose if all my children were in school and not homeschooled, I might have a few extra hours to devote to other things. As it stands, though, I find that I'm busy cooking, doing laundry, preparing lessons, teaching, monitoring the potty for my newly potty trained tot, finding ways to entertain my tot while teaching, trying to keep my 5 year old on task when he would rather play with my 2 year old tot, making dinner for my husband before he leaves for work, getting kits to soccer/girl scouts/church, coming home to make late dinner and trying desperately to get kids cleaned up and into bed... There are seasons that aren't so busy with the extra curricular, but sometimes it's truly a family circus. In the past, I've gotten frustrated, which motivated me to manage my time better. I carried real notebook calendars, downloaded apps, but still never really put them into practice effectively. I'd either forget my notebook, or I'd find the task applications not user friendly or customizable enough for my needs. I finally found one that works with my Google calendar and gmail. If I'm diligent with putting everything into either my calendar or task app, I manage to keep most things in mind. It's only when I fail to put it in that I forget.
What I'm more excited about is using this list to keep God's word ever before my eyes. It allows me to create reminders and set the time they pop up. I've been using this app for several months, but I've only recently started putting Bible verses on the list. A few weeks ago, I was having a rather taxing day, and I was really finding it difficult to stay positive. I decided to put a few verses in my schedule that might help me to walk in love. Since the first day, I've added several more. At first I was saying verses for myself and my attitude. Then, I added one for my children, and one for my husband. It pops up, and I read it out loud and check it off. I have just read it to myself a few times, but I started forcing myself to read it at least loud enough for me to hear. God's word never returns void and I think reading it, saying it and hearing it are helping to build up my spirit. It's a bonus that the kids can hear me at times. It's building up their spirits, as well. 

I wrote the verses in first person, like a
prayer or confession. 

So, my efforts to walk in love, or to show Jesus' love to my family, are just that. Efforts. It's a process, but I think things are improving, little by little. I'm probably going to add a few more verses. Who knows? I might end up praying all day. Isn't that what we should do anyway?

Shopping Insanity and Grace Pretzels

Today was shopping day. It started out like most shopping days. I made us some oatmeal, in an effort to stave off the cries of hunger that usually arise from the moment we enter our first store. This time, I needed to buy dress shoes for both my girls. Shoe shopping can drag on and I don't like to do it with groceries in the car, so we started at Walmart. I usually hit Walmart last, so that alone threw off our rhythm. We found the perfect shoes for both girls and rather quickly. Who knew that the girls would be better and quicker at shoe shopping than the boys? When my boys are looking for shoes, it adds an hour to our in-store time! 

We were able to wrap the Walmart trip up quickly, but I managed to forget a few items. I'm not sure why, but two things mess up my pro-shopper chi: not pushing the cart and shopping out of order. If I'm not steering the cart, I have trouble focusing, and if we start at the last store, the one closest to home, I inevitably forget things. I've tried shopping apps and even handwritten lists, but it still happens. My OCD tendencies competing with my mother-of-four-ADD.

Because Walmart is closest to home, I opted to drive back to the house and unload before driving into the next state where our other two stores are located. This, again, was not normal. By the time we drove away from home for the second time today, we were all hungry. I caved and went through a fast food drive through. I cringe at the thought but sometimes you do what it takes to survive! At this point, the kids were happy and fed, so I was optimistic about the next store. 

A palate cleanser: Pretty people looking and acting normal.

We went to Aldi next. We buy the bulk of our pantry items there and it's usually a breeze. Either everyone discovered our secret savings spot or we're usually out the door before the rush. It was sooo busy! Declyn loves to check eggs for cracks and hand them to Cayde so they can go in the cart. I asked them for 5 dozen. It was starting to get funny how long it took them. I had been loading our cart down with several gallons of milk and didn't realize that they were giving away every dozen they checked! There were so many people waiting that every time Cayde turned to bring eggs to the cart, he instead handed them off! I laughed and congratulated the boys for being good helpers, although Declyn was thoroughly offended that Cayde kept giving away his carefully inspected eggs. It wasn't so bad, just busy. However, somewhere between canned goods and frozen, the boys started getting antsy. By the time we were checked out and bagging, Declyn and Ella had decided to sing different songs, simultaneously and at a volume with which I was uncomfortable. I finally thrust the car keys at Edyn, instructing her in my best whisper yell, "Take them to the car!" Cayde stayed behind to help and we headed on to Sam's.

This was our last stop and we didn't need much. I had the finish line in my sites but the boys kept bothering each other. They play fight a lot and it's all hilarious until I give a stern look and then they point accusing fingers at each other, offended by my disdain. We were probably only in the store for a half hour, but it seemed like an eternity. At one point I threatened to take Declyn's afternoon snack if he kept up the shenanigans. I was scanning our items in the self checkout when I finally said, "It's very difficult for me to think when you guys are being so loud." (I've been trying not to yell.) Declyn said he was hungry again. He mumbled something about already losing his snack for the day. My first thought was, Tough break, Buddy. Then, as I was halfway to the door, I stopped. I asked the kids if they'd like a pretzel. They all lit up. While we waited for the pretzels to bake, I reminded them about grace. We discussed how grace was unearned and often undeserved favor. I said that we were having "grace pretzels" for snack. While they certainly didn't earn a reward for their behavior, these were an example of grace. Plus, I just really love those pretzels! 

Lately, I've been trying to model Christ's love for my kids. It's not every moment or even every day. I fail, a lot! My love is still human and imperfect. However, I'm trying to be more aware of how I handle their missteps. Of course, I always love them, but do I always love them the way God loves me? It's weighed heavily on my heart for several months. So, occasionally, while I don't want to make a habit of rewarding bad behavior, I try to turn a rough afternoon into a teachable moment. When we got into the car and started eating our pretzels, each of the kids thanked me for the "grace pretzels."

Sometimes a warm, soft grace pretzel is
soothing to the nerves and hearts.

My Baby is Almost Three!

She is amazing! She's bright and funny and loving. It's hard to believe how dramatic her beginnings were:

That moment when you know the cake is done, before the timer goes off...
That's what we're waiting for. Those of you who bake by instinct, like me, understand exactly what I mean. I last wrote to you from my couch, where I'd been ordered to stay until further notice. Since then, a lot has happened very quickly. I was a good girl for three weeks, laying down most of the time while everyone in my family tried to fill in for me. I must say that I'm so overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and the unhesitating manner in which my family rose to the challenge. When I asked my younger brother if he could come help and play Uncle Mom, he never once complained or acted as if he had anything else he's rather be doing. My Mom worked all day and then came straight over to help in the evenings while my husband was working, and backing up my brother.
So, that went on for almost a month, which is hard to believe in hindsight, as it went by so quickly. Then, my husband brought me in for an ultrasound and to update my doctor on how the bed rest was working to bring my blood pressure down. We sat in the dimly lit ultrasound room, chatting pleasantly with the technician doing the exam. She seemed to get more focused and quiet, then she said that the Radiologist would be in as soon as he looked at the pictures. I had a feeling...Then our wonderful radiologist came in to complete the exam, as usual. He is always so warm and funny, more like a good friend than a doctor. He's cared for us at every opportunity since my first pregnancy. He wasn't his usual, perky self. He started to explain the concerns and risks of my hypertension and that things didn't look like we wanted them to at this point. Ella is only a little over 3lbs, which is in 12th percentile for 32 weeks. He also said it looked as though the umbilical cord and placenta seemed compromised. I am paraphrasing, but basically, my whole body, including the part directly linked to Ellowyn's care and development, is over stressed. The immediate question became...
(Read the rest here)