Berry Picking in the Sunshine.

This was a good day.

It didn't start out that way. 

It started out as many of the most frustrating days do. I had a giant list of things that "needed" to be done, and an overtired toddler who refused any sort of nap time.

I always feel so robbed at this point. Anger rises in me as I realize I will not have the productive day that I had planned, and instead I will spend the day dealing with meltdowns. Mine, or my toddlers. Could go either way.

There is a point on these days where I will still try to get everything done out of habit. Doomed from the start, but somehow I just think " today we will make it work". 

I just can't stop myself, and it ends up pretty catastrophically, at least for me. 

This day, I realized early on, the plans in my head were just not going to happen. My little guy was so grumpy.

 So we went for a drive. That calms us all down sometimes.

We ended up at a Blueberry Farm I had not known about before.

Two of my dudes favorite things. Being outside, and blueberries.

I pulled in.

Instead of fighting it, we changed plans. We chose to make the day a sweet, happy memory instead of a struggle.

 We mostly ran around exploring the acres and acres of blueberry bush aisles, stopping to pick a bit. Seeking shade. Taking photos. A little boy may have been, um,  "sampling" some blueberries out of his bucket.

We only picked about a pint. They had to live in my daughter's bucket to stay safe.

At the checkout the guy just slid the pint back across the counter and said "You can just have it, I think the birds and deer eat more than that in an hour". Yes, free blueberries & a fantastic day in the sunshine. 

Thankful that every day is a fresh new start, and that being open to a change of plans often leads to a better situation.

I also noticed my sweet little girl stepping in where she could help. Without being asked. She is getting so much more aware of the needs of others and I am so thankful I get to be her mom.

Though our blueberries were free this day, I would highly recommend finding a place to pick your own berries. They were only $1.75 per pound + kids LOVE this sort of activity. Win/ win.

Freeze what you won't use within 3 days to prevent waste. Frozen blueberries in greek yogurt is just like dessert!

Don't Grow Up. It's a Trap!

<3

This is a little bit different than what I usually post. It almost feels like what I would write in my Livejournal way back when. It may even be deleted at some point, as it is quite personal. It is about a realization that I had, that adult lifestyle changes and expenses can block our joy and connection.

 I felt compelled to write this up, after this conversation. I hope someone else can relate.

"Remember when we were teenagers?

When we would just hang out?

Remember when we would scrape together just enough cash to get some really cheap food to share by the lake?Or the campground by the river?"

During a recent conversation with an old friend it struck me that I just do not do any of these things with my current friends. Don't get me wrong. I love my current friends.

There has to be a point to a get together now. A birthday, a shopping trip for an occasion, a baby shower.

On most occasions there is wine now. I wish I liked wine. I like stouts and porters. And rum. 

And the food. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Whoever thought, when we were scarfing down oatmeal creme pies as teenagers that we would ever judge and be judged by how organic, locally sourced, free range, fair trade, gluten & gmo free the appetizers were.

It has become all too elaborate.

 When we make plans to get together with friends, it is to do something. Structured. Something entertaining. Something that will distract us from each other. Something that usually involves a gaggle of kids and all the patience we can manage so that we can attempt an adult conversation whilst being interrupted at least once per sentence.

Even at the playground it often feels like we are lifeguards at a very busy pool. Trying to keep everyone alive. Eyes catching every flail of a little limb, every sputter, every argument,  every possible slip and fall.

It is exhausting, and it is the reality of being the parent of active toddlers.

Relationships fade away, while new ones grow. Often the more accepting people in our lives, the ones who understand the struggles of this position in our life cycle, they are the only ones we call when we are in need.

 Many times it is too exhausting  to pretend you aren't exhausted in another person's company, so you pass it up altogether.

The last time I just hung out with a friend was when my daughter was a toddler. Our husbands were away at war, and we needed each other. We didn't want to be alone,  so we were alone together.

This person became so, so close to my family. Our children were inseparable. We were inseparable.

We were both on a enlistee's military budget, and I was going to school too. Money was tight.

So we would just hang out. I would go over there. She would bring her kiddos over here. We would do nothing. Just talking usually. Not the idle chatter at a moms meetup (I am so not good at those). Real talking.

The talking you do when you were a teenager. Only we were way older, and less melodramatic. It was brilliant.

I still miss my friend. Our circumstances changed, and we changed with them. Our husbands returned from war, and when that happens you try  to resume life from the place you were when they left. Only you can't actually do that because the time has passed very differently for each person. Sometimes it feels like a parallel universe situation.

Our focus returned to our husbands. My attention was also spent trying to find a job after I finished school so my husband could leave the military and go to school himself.

Once I started working full time, of course I could not come over and hang out at 2. I was working.

My friend and I grew apart. Angry words were said. We both felt abandoned I think.
We have not spoken in five years.

I have not felt a connection that strong since.

I can't explain why.

During the recent discussion I mentioned at the beginning of this post, my old friend said she felt so trapped by her budget, saying she could never have fun anymore because it cost too much. She is paying down student loans.  She is struggling. 

We had nothing as teenagers. Only nature, and spare change, and each other.

I wish I was there with her (she is in CA). We would go to the lake at dusk, invite whoever out, start a bonfire, and hang out. 

This was my recommendation to her. I hope she gets to it.

As soon as the weather is not freezing and rainy, I will be doing the same. Now I will do it with more kids, and maybe some (organic, non-GMO, gluten free...) s'mores ingredients.

I don't care how old or 'sophisticated' I get. Hanging out at bonfires will always be fun, and usually free.

So where are you at in your life cycle? Still hanging out? Living the toddler mom life?

More importantly, how do you feel about bonfires?

6/ #48Walks : Yay, Sun!

For the 6th of my 48 Walks we were blessed with a gorgeous sunny day. We drove down south to the Millersylvania State Park. I love this park because it is so close by and child friendly. 

You will need a Discover Pass to visit this park.

I also love that there are many different options on what to do once you get to the park. There are trails, camping, swimming, fishing, and during the warmer months there are boat/kayak/paddle boat rentals.

This walk was actually taken the last day of February.

I still don't have a word, or a phrase for what I am figuratively walking towards. Maybe it should be clarity? 

I'm not really worried about it. It will come in good time.

Right now I am just so enjoying the last of our Winter woods, and anticipating Springtime. 

Now on to the magic.

Banana Pancakes

Happy Friday!

It is suppose to be 57° and sunny here today! That's practically a Summer day!

To make it even better, my husband has the day off. We will be heading out to one of our favorite Springtime hiking spots as soon as my eldest gets out of school this afternoon. 

I rose especially early this morning, for no particular reason at all. It is a strange phenomenon that I have so much more energy if I rise before the sun, even with inadequate sleep.

So I found myself with a quiet house, unable to go back to sleep. I did some yoga, and wrote a bit. Then I made these banana pancakes from scratch before I woke my girl for school.

Banana Pancakes:

1 1/2 Cup All purpose flour

3 1/2 Tsp baking powder

1 Tsp salt

1Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 Tsp cinammon

1 1/4 Cup whole organic milk

3 Tbsp egg whites or 1 egg

3 Tbsp melted butter

1-2 over ripe bananas

Pre-heat griddle or pan. Mix all dry ingredients together. Make a well in the center and add in milk, egg, bananas, and butter. Mix until just blended. Lumps are ok.

Lightly spray griddle with oil, spoon batter onto hot griddle. Cook until done in the center, flipping halfway through. (I just wait until the bubbles are almost done on one side then flip).

And,  I don't make banana pancakes without singing this song at least once.

Have a happy, relaxing weekend!!!

All For Today

source?

and it's free!

Super Simple: Jello Playdough or Why I Will Not Be Buying Playdoh Again

Oh Man, you guys. This is so easy. I have to share. I wish I had known about this sooner.

If you have little kids, you probably have some playdoh in the house, (maybe in the carpet?). It is great for their little motor skills, and the dexterity of their little hands + their creativity and sense of accomplishment.

My son loves playdoh. It is the most frequent activity he requests. In fact I can't remember a day without playdoh in it somewhere. He loves it that much.

One day we sat down to play with his playdoh, and it was so dried out it was unusable. Gross, crumbly and no longer pliable. So I started researching online. I found a few Jello Playdough recipes and decided I had to try it.

Bulleted benefits of Jello Playdough:

• Jello Playdough is so easy to put together. It comes together in about 10 minutes. Less than the time it takes to go to the store to get more playdoh.
• One batch of Jello Playdough is approximately 3 1/2 cans of storebought playdoh.
• It doesn't dry out as quickly as it's commercial counterpart. (planned obsolescence?)
• It smells amazing. Whatever flavor your Jello is will be the scent of the Jello Playdough!
• It is a fun activity for your kids to help make. They like to measure and pour.
• It feels like a science experiment when the dough forms a ball during the cooking process.
• Jello Playdoh is more pliable. It just feels "softer and smoother:"
• Its way cheaper. 1 Jello packet costs about .69 and makes 3x what a .79- $1.50 can does. The rest of the items are already pantry staples. I could calculate what they all cost as well, but that is a waste of time since I will come to the same conclusion. 
• Warm Jello Playdough feels amazing. 
• Super bright colors

By now I know you are pumped, right? I tried a few different recipes, and adjusted them. Many Jello Playdough recipes call for cream of tartar, but I have no idea what it does. I made it both ways and saw no difference.

Here is the recipe we have been making the past 2 weeks:

1 Cup Flour

1 Cup Water

1/4 Cup Salt

2 TBSP  coconut oil

1 Jello packet

Mix ingredients together and cook over medium heat. Stir constantly until dough forms a ball. Turn out on a floured surface and let it cool. Knead a bit, then play.

the dough ball

It really is that easy. 

My little guy cut out a bunch of hearts for me. 

RELAX!!! 25 Ways to Reduce Stress for Free!

I say "Relax" about a billion times a day.

Usually it is said this way :

"Just relax! Its fine."

This works all the time for my kids.

 No matter what "it" actually is. (for the record- It is usually a toy issue, I wouldn't say this if they were on fire or bleeding.)

I say it in my head too when I am getting frustrated, or overwhelmed.

It usually works... sometimes.

But I thought I would compile an actual list of free stress busting activities. Because as this year starts and we often feel the need to put a whole new load of demands in our already demanding lives. I figure, we should all just RELAX a little.

While spa days, yoga retreats, and beach vacations are nice and relaxing- we happen to be saving for something even more life changing and spectacular, and you might be too. So for now- try these.

Bonus points for combining several of these in one day!

1. Sing.

2. Dance. Check Youtube. Hulu. Or Netflix

3.Take a walk. Walking boosts endorphins in as little as 10 minutes.

My little guy walking

4. Bonus points if you take a walk with a friend.

5. Do yoga. 

6. Find a quiet place and just be.

7. Meditate.

8. Play a game. 

9. Call a friend or family member. Bonus points for skyping.

10. Play with your kids. Then hug them, a lot.

11. Take a bath.

12. Drink something hot. Even if it is just water with a lemon.

13. Write something.

14. Draw something.

15. Help someone else out.

16. Go play outside. Nature is the original stress reducer.

17. Find a source of water. Rivers, lakes, creeks, ponds, or ocean. Doesn't matter, just find some and do what you want in or near it.

18. Breathe deeply.


19. Visit the library, read in a quiet corner.

20. Stretch your body.

21. Say something nice to yourself, and mean it.


22. Take a nap!


23. Do toe-ga. (Warning: if feet kinda skeeve you out- skip this one)


24. Take a hike.

25. Go for a run.




I could really keep going on and on. You don't need money to beat stress. You just need to prioritize your time!

What are some of your thrifty stress busters?

Quotes and Motivation

 

 

Just go for it! Even if the outcome isn't exactly as you planned it, it will probably be way better than if you do nothing.