Today’s post comes from Jenn Mostek, a sweet mama and fellow doula. She’s graciously decided to share some crafty tips with me. Stop by her blog and say hello and be sure to check out her beautiful creations on her Etsy page.
It’s not easy to make time for yourself when you have little ones. By the time you finish cleaning, doing laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, playing with your babies and reading Dr. Seuss, whew! You are pooped and forgot to include sometime for yourself which is very important for your well being and sanity:)
I love being able to stay at home with my son, but I also make sure to find the time to release through my creative outlet (jewelry making, crocheting, knitting, sewing). Want to be a crafty mama but not quite sure how?
Here are some tip’s:
Crafting doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby. There are ton’s of DIY tutorials on the internet! Up-cycle and create handmade item’s of your own. For example, use old sweaters and cut the sleeves to make leg warmers or arm warmers, then use the body to make a skirt ( some light sewing involved but simple).
Teach yourself to crochet or knit (youtube is a great starting place). Print out a 50% coupon from Joanns website and purchase a skein of yarn and a crochet hook for under $4. Once again there are lot’s of free patterns on the internet (Crochet pattern central or Knitting pattern central are good sites). Make beanies for your little one’s or for yourself. Beanies make great gift’s and are uniquely made by you!
Decorate mason jars with twine or burlap, roll some rosette flower’s, hot glue them to a mason jar, and place an LED candle in the jar. Perfect for adding a bit of ambience to your home.
Bath salt’s, lotion’s, sugar scrubs are great to make for yourself or for gifts! With so many chemical’s in our everyday bath products it’s nice to make something out of 5 ingredients. Tipnut has some great recipes for inexpensive handmade bath products. One great recipe for a bath soak is to ground up 2 cup’s of non instant oatmeal, add 1 cup of dead sea salt (craft store) and a few drop’s of essential oil. Store in an airtight container (mason jar) and use whenever you want to enjoy a great soak!
If you’re tired of looking at alphabet magnet’s on your fridge. Get creative! Use your 50% coupon and purchase cute scrapbooking embellishment’s and magnet’s. Then hot glue the embellishment to the magnet. Super easy and fun! Here is a link to a few owl magnet’s I have made: http://madebyjenn.blogspot.com/2010/12/tutorial-on-how-to-make-cute-owl.html
Find time during your day whether that be during nap time, after kiddos go to bed, or ask hubby for some you time to create:)
Crafting started out as a hobby for me and now is a part-time job. I sell jewelry for a local boutique that supports solely handmade items, and I love every minute of it.
If you decide that you are passionate about your handmade items and want to start selling them, look into Etsy(this is where I started).
Tip for selling on Etsy: take photos in good natural light, and make sure your description is detailed, since your customers cannot touch the product they want. Don’t forget to check out local businesses and see if they might be interested in supporting local handmade items.
I know life can be busy and we as mamas have enormous responsibilities, but instead of doing the dishes during nap time put your feet up and chain 4, slip stitch, and relax.
Jenn Mostek is a wife, mama and doula living in beautiful central Oregon. She enjoys sewing, knitting, crocheting, photography,reading, being inspired, baby einstein, birth, sweet little baby feet, running, hiking, good food, music, friends, good movies, making jewelry, cooking…..! She writes at Made by Jenn. Her Etsy store of the same name, can be found here.
If creativity is a habit you’d like to develop, join the newsletter for the free download, Sustainable Change, to clean less, create more and live fully.
I love Christmas. The anticipation, the togetherness, the delicious food. Then Christmas day comes and it’s a wonderful day of celebration.
But when it’s over, frankly, I feel a little deflated. Because I want it to keep going.
Well, it can. Yep. This year, I discovered A Natural Noel, by Michele Augur. It’s a book that helps make the 12 days of Christmas more meaningful by being intentional as a family.
But wait? Aren’t the 12 days of Christmas before December 25th? Nope.
The 12 days of Christmas begin on Christmas Day and lead up to January 6th, the day of Epiphany, when the wise men visited the baby Jesus.
(I cannot hear the words “baby Jesus” without an image of Darryl Hannah holding a wreath full of baby Jesus’ popping into my head).
This fun little ebook offers suggestions for families to remember this time and keep the celebration going. There are short verses, simple craft ideas and learning opportunities. I love that everything is super simple, which Michele did on purpose because she wanted to keep it relaxed and fun.
Here’s an example of the first day (definitely in my own words):
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree…
The partridge refers to the baby Jesus (there it goes again!) and God’s gift to us. Learn more about birds and do some fun bird-related crafts together, like make a pine cone bird feeder. We did this last summer and the kids had a blast. Ok, so did I. While you’re looking for pine cones, keep an eye out for different birds.
I have to confess, crafts kind of intimidate me. Truly. I want to do them and then I get really overwhelmed with how involved they are and all of the supplies you need to gather. Really, I just get lazy. (And that, ladies, is the true reason why I stopped using Isaac’s kindergarten curriculum).
I like that this doesn’t require a lot of planning to pull off.
I also really love the going outside as a family aspect, which is something I always say I want to do. But then it gets shoved to the back burner until I’m putting the kids to bed and realize that I didn’t do it … again.
Another confession – I just don’t know what to do! I’m really not the best at spontaneous play (I’m trying to grow here!). But “go outside and look at birds,” I can do that!
If you want to be more mindful of spending time together as a family and keep the Christmas-goodness going just a little bit longer, purchase a copy of A Natural Noel (affiliate link). It’s only $6.95 and you’ll get instant access to the download. You’ll love how pretty and simple the layout is and, hopefully, create some new traditions for your family.
I also invite you to get a copy of Sustainable Change, my action guide that helps you create (healthy) habits that stick. It’s totally free and you also get a complementary e-course that takes you through each step to make those changes. Please sign up here.
Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about living a more simple, natural lifestyle. I’ve really embraced the use of herbs and other natural remedies in my home. But. That’s not to say that I did everything perfectly the first time. Nor have I been free from any interesting side effects. Here are a few mistakes to avoid (and laugh at).
1. Cinnamon after-shave is good everywhere … but your bikini line. Ouch.
2. Citric acid is easily mistaken for salt, especially when purchased from the same company. Our green beans tasted really interesting that night. I can’t believe I ate them anyway.
3. Vinegar hair rinse feels really special on fresh cuts.
4. When they say to drink/gargle apple cider vinegar, they mean dilute it first. Unless you like hacking and spitting vinegar all over your sink, window and counter.
5. If you overcook your herbs, your ointment will smell like an ash tray.
6. Yarrow tea is great for infection, but you must add lots of honey if you ever want to get past that first drink. Holy yuck.
7. Taking tons of garlic for an infection will make you and all of your excretions smell like an angry, vampire-hunting mob.
8. Fenugreek, taken to increase milk supply, will leave you smelling like maple syrup and your husband with a never-ending craving for pancakes. It’s fun to see how many people start sniffing with a puzzled look on their faces.
9. Yarrow and cayenne are both excellent herbs that stop bleeding. Guess which one doesn’t sting like the dickens.
10. I don’t care what anyone says, garlic should only be taken by mouth to treat a yeast infection. Yeah, I went there.
If only I knew then what I know now. Now I’m armed with an awesome community and resources and I’ll never make a mistake again (ha!).
One resource I do want to point you to, though, is DIY Natural. They have tons of recipes, for everything from home made vanilla extract to laundry detergent. And sometimes, they even let me write a post or two.
Right now they have some great ideas for low-cost, thoughtful Christmas ideas in case you’re wracking your brain. I spent an hour there tonight reading there suggestions (The kids and I had no idea what to do for the 8 nieces and nephews whose names my kids drew).
And I will be spending hours this weekend making play-doh, finger paints, lip balm, laundry detergent and some pretty scarves with the kids and some friends. I can’t wait!
Have your home remedy ventures ever left you with some interesting results?
After nine years of marriage and a ton of bumps in the road, I can honestly say that marriage can be fun, exciting and deeply fulfilling. And it happens by simple, intentional actions. Here are some of my favorite ideas for having more fun in your relationship.
Go sledding. Just the two of you. Or invite another couple for some great fun.
Sock wrestle. Who can get the other person’s socks off first? A huge thanks to our friends Megan and Justin for this fun game. Warning: you will laugh A LOT.
Hide and seek. The kids found this pretty purple rock and were convinced that I should love it. Ian decided to use it for a game. He hides it in my pocket when I’m completely distracted, and waits until I find it. He can usually tell by the huge grin on my face when I find it. Then I try to hide it in his pocket. Simple. Fun. Reminds me that I’m blessed.
Write love notes. And hide them in easy-to-find locations.
Read to each other. A good story or a devotional. This is quickly becoming a daily habit that I really enjoy.
Have mid-afternoon coffee dates. This is the time when the kids get to play on PBS kids for thirty minutes. Brew some goodness and enjoy some good conversation.
Dream together. What do you want to do together? Where do you see yourself in a year? Three? Get on the same page and work toward those dreams together.
Count the stars. Lie on a blanket outside together and wonder at the vastness and beauty of the night sky.
Volunteer. Give your time together for a cause that you both believe in. Include the kiddos, too.
Wash each other’s feet. We love giving each other foot baths. Fill a big bowl/wash basin with warm water and add essential oils if you like. Then massage your honey’s feet with some oil or lotion.
Take turns planning special dates. Do this every other month or every other week. Plan something fun that you’ll both enjoy. And don’t forget to arrange for a sitter.
Encourage girl/guys night out. Friends are good to have and it’s fun to just hang with the guys every once in a while. We each do this twice a month and are both very grateful that the other encourages it.
Do a treasure hunt. Give your beloved love note clues that send him looking for a special prize. Whether that prize is you dressed in sexy lingerie or a bedroom all set up for a relaxing massage, he’s sure to enjoy the anticipation as well as the reward.
Treat him like a king. Like when you were dating. Act intentionally to make him feel like he’s still the love of your life.
Give massages. Perhaps the coolest thing about Ian being home so much now, is his willingness to rub my neck, feet or super-tight hamstrings. He knows that my love language is touch. And I know that he loves a shoulder or back rub as well. Set aside 30 minutes this week to give your honey some TLC.
Explore your community. Get to know the place where you live. Visit local shops. Enjoy the scenery. Hike in the wilderness. Take in your habitat together.
Embrace frugal. Can’t afford date night? It doesn’t have to be expensive? Want to take the kids on an adventure, but don’t have money? See what free events are in the area. Make it a game to see what fun free/cheap things you can find to do together.
Be hospitable. Do life with people you love. Invite your friends over for a potluck meal and enjoy the fellowship.
Smooch. A lot.
Have 7 days of sex. Because physical intimacy is an awesome gift.
Pray together. I can’t stress enough how good this is. Since we’ve started consistently doing this together, we’ve felt closer than ever. Make the time to make it a priority.
Many thanks to Justin Lukasavige at Need a Topic (affiliate link) for this fun idea. Head on over for a free 7-day trial and get weekly topics, tips and techniques for your blog.
I have been hard at work for the last week putting together a local class. I’m talking about herbal remedies and using natural ways to take care of your family. All from a minimalist point of view.
I’m excited. And really nervous.
Herbs have been on my mind non-stop for the last week. With that, I thought it would be fitting to give you a little information on one of my favorite herbs, comfrey.
Photo credit: amberdc
Comfrey stands out from the rest because of all its goodness. This herb is a staple in my house and I use it for many reasons.
I include it in all of my skin healing balms because of its ability to heal sores, abrasions and bruises quickly. Comfrey’s mucilagenous property makes it soothing to irritated skin. Think diaper rash, scrapes and new tattoos.
Several stories I’ve read reported that broken bones heal faster when a comfrey salve is applied. Another story pointed to comfrey tincture as a foot bath additive for stubbed toes or feet that have had something heavy dropped on them. Like a ridiculously heavy old Mac book, perhaps.
Comfrey promotes fast healing and much-needed pain relief.
Added to an ointment it also does very well for treating hemmorhoids. Yet another joy of giving birth.
Comfrey infuses well into massage oil and does a great job at easing those tender spots. My dad created his own muscle rub using comfrey, arnica and devil’s claw that brings amazing relief to arthritis and other sore areas. My sister-in-law asks for a massage with it every time we see each other.
Used internally, it has many benefits, including healing stomach ulcers and hemmorhoids, as well as treating pernicious anemia with its high vitamin B12 content.
HOWEVER, young comfrey leaves contain poisons called pyrrolizidine alkaloids that are carcinogenic, so consuming comfrey is highly cautioned against. Thankfully, these alkaloids are NOT absorbed through the skin.
Phew, right? There’s no way I’m giving this herb up.
For the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of heading up Advent projects at our church. It all started when my pastor told me about Advent Conspiracy, a group whose mission is to encourage others to give more, spend less, love all and worship fully in the Christmas season.
Our family has adopted this mission. In fact, I believe it helped me to begin approaching life more intentionally. If I can do this for four weeks, I can do it the rest of the time, right?
Our gifts have shifted to ones that we know will bless the receiver, rather than the thing we bought just because it was on sale. We began doing more together as a family that would build the anticipation for Christmas, rather than placing all of our excitement on the ten-minute present-opening frenzy that always left us feeling deflated afterward.
We decided that we wanted to make the Advent season a memorable time for our family. We wanted it to be special and meaningful for those we loved as well.
With that decision, we created a vision of what we wanted this season to be like:
Serving others in need, be it through shoveling snow or sharing a meal.
Sharing stories and devotions with our children about Jesus and Christmas.
Intentionally involving our children in activities like baking or making gifts or other crafts.
Spending time together outside sledding or taking walks.
Building and strengthening relationships with friends and family.
Wait. We want to do that all year long. But this season is a good time to start. The atmosphere is right, people are encouraging it, so why not start now?
Decide to give your presence this Christmas. Bless your children with the gift of your undivided attention and love. Create family traditions that aren’t based on shopping and spending money. Remember the Why behind the season.
Be intentional about what you do.
Our vision didn’t magically come to fruition that first Christmas. It’s been a gradual process, and every year, we have to remember that goal and work toward it. The rewards are worth the effort.
Make a decision. Develop a vision. Do the work. Enjoy the joy and abundance of a life lived on purpose.
A couple months ago, my friends at the Nonconformist Family hired a financial coach. His first instructions? Keep a spending log for 30 days.
What they found was shocking. They knew that they were budgeting well and paying all of the bills, but what they didn’t realize was that they were spending almost $400 a month on coffee alone.
Holy. Crap.
This exercise affirmed the good choices they were already making, but pointed out some habits that needed to be addressed before they got even more excessive.
This is the idea behind a food journal and why I’m starting one today. In the last year, I’ve made some major changes to my food habits and have had some awesome results from it – I’ve lost weight and feel much healthier.
But when I start feeling better, I allow myself little treats, like a bite of bread or a handful of tortilla chips. When I feel fine after eating those, I’ll eat more on another day and then feel terrible afterwards. Physically ill.
I want to break that cycle. I like having energy and feeling healthy. I like not having a gluten- or corn-induced rash. I like not having a jiggly muffin top that makes people ask me when the baby is due.
A few days ago, I was talking to Ivan Bickett, and he was telling me about some changes he’s making to improve his health. I suggested a food journal, which he thought was a good idea and suggested I blog about it. That’s when the light bulb went off. Why don’t I blog about it and take my own advice?
So I am.
I’m not using this as a way to feel bad about what I eat. I want to see where I need to improve. I have the sneaking suspicion that while I’m eating stuff I know will make me feel bad, I’m also not eating stuff that I know will make me feel great. Like more healthy fats.
Want to do this too? Get a little notepad to keep nearby and write down what you eat when you eat it. Simple. And when you’re tempted to skip a meal or a snack, just remember that this is to help you:
Affirm good habits
Say, for instance, you really want to incorporate more fresh veggies into your diet but you’re just not sure you are. (Come on, I know I’m not the only one who can’t remember what she ate for breakfast). Writing down your food intake for a week or two will give you a really good idea of what is going into your mouth. Then you can see that what you’ve intentionally set out to do is working.
Isolate unhealthy habits
I’ve been feeling really crummy lately. I was sick for almost a week which is not normal for me. I knew that it had to do with food, but kept telling myself that one bite here and another bite there wasn’t enough to cause it. But that’s not true with food sensitivities. A food journal will make it glaringly obvious that what you thought was a few bites was really a few full servings.
Help you improve
This information will help you move forward knowing what you’re doing great at and what needs to change. It’s motivation to help you say no to the “one small bite” of ice cream that will turn into a bowl and have you doubled over in pain later (I so wish I didn’t know this from experience). It’s far better to know for sure what needs to change than guess at it.
Have you ever kept a food journal? Did it help change your habits?
If you’re like me, then you’ve been reading this blog for a while now.
If you’re like me, you’ve seen time and time again that your own sense of wellness is dramatically improved by intentional living. If you’re like me, I want to tell you a story.
Approximately 11 months ago, my wife Sarah and I took a stay-cation. Over the January 3 and 4th weekend, we shipped the kiddo to her grandparents and prepared to stay home for 3 days.
Oh man, we BASKED in the sweet anticipation of 3 glorious days of eating out (read: no prep, no mess, no clean up), staying up late, sleeping in, and long, leisurely evenings with popcorn and old movies. And lots of canoodling.The focus of those 3 days, besides excess canoodling?
To build the most ambitious ‘to-do’ list of our lives. To organize the year 2011. To decide what we were going to quit, commit to, and achieve. We titled it “The Weekend of Coolness and Skulduggery”(no, we didn’t know what skulduggery was either; we had to Google it). In short, we committed to answering one question:
Next January, when we’re looking back on 2011, what will we wish we had done with our life?
And wowsers – over the next 3 days, Sarah and I hammered away, shaping the next year of our life. We wrote it all down on big sheets of paper, plastering ‘em all over our kitchen wall (you can see pictures here). We had BIG plans; we wanted to do so many things with 2011.
We wanted to travel. We wanted to experiment with minimalism. We wanted to get healthier. We wanted to spend more time outdoors. We wanted to hang out as a family a LOT more. We wanted to be more intentional about specific relationships. We wanted to pick up some new skills. We wanted to make a habit out of creativity. We wanted to live more artistic lives. Big plans, like I said.
That 3 day weekend was galvanizing. It drew Sar and I together – tightly united us behind a set of common goals. That weekend forced us to intentionally examine our lives, and launched Sar and I on a quest to re-organize our lives around values of OUR choosing, not the crap culture had force-fed us for so long. Since that fateful weekend…
We started a family website. Originally designed to allow family and friends to watch as we carried out our plans for 2011, the NonConformistFamily.com quickly mushroomed into a tight community bent on equipping other families to live their best lives.
I quit my job to start a business… a HUGE adventure.
We made 15 family trips.
I lost 40 lbs. Sarah lost 15 (we look hot, trust me)
We stopped hanging out with people we don’t like, and have discovered so many exciting friendships that inspire and awaken us.
We reduced our family possessions by 40% (approx).
We upped our family happiness and excitement by like… 4000% (again, approx.)
We shaved almost $700 off our monthly budget - to $2300.
Basically, that Weekend of Coolness and Skulduggery… well, it’s ruined us. Absolutely, unequivocally, without question. We’re destroyed. We can’t go back to what life used to be. We can’t ‘undo’ it. We can’t go back to just living life by the out of the box. We can’t go back to the way things used to be.
And we don’t want to.
If you’re interested in more specifics on HOW we pulled off the W of CS, then click here. If you want to go all ‘nonconformist’ on me and rig up your own, here are a couple questions to get you started:
1.What are we doing now that we DON’T want to be doing next year at this time?
2.What new activity DO we want to be doing next year at this time?
Today’s post is an excerpt from my free ebook, Sustainable Change. It’s been revised and given a new title and I thought I’d share a section of it with you.
“The Glory of God is man fully alive.” Saint Irenaeus
When I began really seeking out my purpose, I discovered that it was much simpler than I had made it out to be. (Remember though, simple doesn’t necessarily equal easy).
I found that the questions I was trying to answer were ones I already had. They were hidden in memories, tucked away in events or compliments that I tried to shake off. I found them in the talents I had taken for granted and traits that I had learned to disdain.
My desires were also a big part of it. There’s an awesome quote that says, “What you most want to do is what you ought to do.” And I believe it.
I have always had the desire to take care of others and have always found myself saying, “There has to be a better way.” And I just can’t stop myself from telling people what I learn, or taking that knowledge and creating something new and useful with it.
The thing about your calling is that it can manifest itself in many, many ways. It’s discovering who you are, not what job you should have or business you should build. When you have an idea of who you are and what you love to do in every situation, you can apply that to any role you choose.
For instance, after much introspection and prayer, I realized that there is an overall theme in my life. I was trying to pinpoint that one thing that I should be doing and saw that there wasn’t just one thing.
I’m passionate about many things, and they all converge on the common themes of wellness and going deeper to the root of the problem. And when I approach those things, what I do naturally is nurture, improve, invent and teach.
I want to live out my calling through my writing, because it’s something I love to do. As I pursue it, with the intention of using it to nurture, improve, invent and teach, opportunities are presenting themselves to make it profitable.
Someday, I see myself doing these things as a midwife as well, a desire that’s been on my heart since I was a little girl. These things make me come alive and that is what this world really needs.
Action Steps:
First, write down the desires of your heart. What do you love to do? Even if it’s something that you think is small and insignificant. What have you always wanted to do? What do you always find yourself doing? Do you see a common thread in the things that bring you joy?
Next, take some time alone to pray and think through these. Overnight is best. And it’s a good idea to do it on more than one occasion. Intentional introspection and questioning are essential in this process. Seek. Ask. Knock. Repeat.
Get It’s Your Call by Gary Barkalow, the master of helping people discover their calling. His book is available online or could be in your local or church library. I went through his Calling course in the Free Agent Academy (affiliate link), and it was the best investment I have ever made. Gary has been blessed with awesome insight into helping people discover what makes them tick.
This part of the process takes a lot of introspection. Intentionally looking into yourself is a big deal and I invite you to take your time doing it. Don’t brush over this step lightly, but don’t get hung up on it either. You can move forward while continually looking inward.
If you’d like the rest of the ebook, join the newsletter for instant access to the download. Thanks for stopping by.
Hello! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving (if it was Thanksgiving for you yesterday). We had a great time hanging out at our house, eating an amazing dinner with family and then playing games afterward. Ian and I are so blessed.
I wanted to take a break from all of the digesting I’m doing and tell you about a couple of Black Friday sales I was notified of, which I love because they are not focused on commercializing Christmas, but helping your family live more intentionally. As you may know, I’m kind of a huge fan of that.
There would be a pic of our gathering, but our camera broke.
I’ve read almost all of the books these ladies offer, and find them to be highly valuable resources. If you’ve been on the fence about purchasing any of these books, I hope these special discounts will allow you to do so.
They are all affiliate links, but you can just type in the address in your address bar if you’re not down with that.
30OFFBOOKS for 30% off any book through the end of 11/25.
4-book bundle: normal price $24.95; first 40 sets or through noon 11/25 are $12.49 with code EBOOKBUNDLE.
$5OFF to get the 4-book bundle for the 3-book price through the end of 11/25.
20OFFBOOKS for 20% off any book through 11/27.
Kate’s books are a tremendous resource to anyone wishing to eat more whole, nourishing foods. She has a lot of grain-free stuff, as well as sugar- and dairy-free recipes.
SWEETSNACKS for 25% off Smart Sweets OR Healthy Snacks to Go (or both).
BFCAMP for 70% off The Family Camping Handbook
I’ve read both the Healthy Snacks and Family Camping Handbook, and really liked them. Snacks are a serious pain for me, but she has several easy, healthy ideas that my kids (and I) enjoy. We’re eating beans a lot more now, so I think I’ll be taking advantage of her Bean Book coupon code.
Special note: Smart Sweets will be 50% off next week for her newsletter subscribers, so while you’re there checking out the books, sign up for the newsletter.
The codes are good on either or both of her books, Herbal Nurturing, and A Natural Noel. I’ll be doing a review of A Natural Noel in the next few weeks, but I highly recommend checking it out before then.
I sometimes use affiliate links on my blog. This means that I get a small commission from purchases made. I only affiliate with company/people that I believe in. If you're uncomfortable with that, simply enter their information into the address bar to check out their site. I totally understand.
Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about living a more simple, natural lifestyle. I’ve really embraced the use of herbs and other natural remedies in my home. But. That’s not to say that I did everything perfectly the first time. Nor have I been free from any interesting side effects. Here are a few mistakes to avoid (and laugh at).
