She's Baaaaack

Forgive me!! 

I seem to have fallen off the edge of the earth

just before Christmastime. 

Well, I won't claim to have returned,

but I'm going to try. 

I'm working on clearing out my home.

Specifically:

knick knacks, collections,

"useless" nostalgia,

had-to-have-its, things, stuff, and the like. 

We're switching two of the kids' rooms around,

painting them as well.

How's that going?

Just note that I have no photos.

My house is a mess,

with a capital "M".

A sty.

And, because I didn't have enough on

my plate, I started a business!

Oh, yes!

I'm selling all my glorious treasures

on my Etsy shop -

full time now,

although the pay is certainly not so.

Perhaps it's the getting-started breaks.

That's what I'm telling myself.

I've changed the name of my little shop, too.

From "Restless Fingers" to

(insert drum roll here...)

"Compass Jannock".

No.  It doesn't have je ne sais quoi,

but it's quirky

and has meaning.

Jannock is an old, old word

that means

pleasant; outspoken; honest; genuine; straightforward; generous.

I like that.

I want to be that, to emulate that.

So I also choose Compass.

My talent is clearly not with naming businesses,

This isn't likely to prove memorable.

My first choice was Knackatory,

but that was taken.

C'est la vie.

Well, I suppose these piles won't organize themselves...

National Clean Your Room Day

I remember reading this book to my kids.

Their rooms get so messy!

Honestly, so does ours.

I'm simply too busy to waist time cleaning my room.

(What a silly thing on which to spend your valuable afternoon.)

Until . . .

you find yourself walking along a winding pathway, lined up with delicately balanced boxes of hobbies and piles of books threatening to topple, baskets full of important papers that now spead dust at an alarming rate, little collections of holiday decorations from Christmas to Easter, and snippets of notes that you so dilligently took here and there for who-knows-what.

Ugh, stuff.

I used to be more like Mama Bear.

Then I had more children. 

Now I congratulate myself for getting to appointments on time

and completing my "Things-To-Do" list in a week's time, instead of a day.

Being satisfied with my children's ideas of clean dishes and washed floors is not a choice, it's a compromise for sanity.

The reality is that it's up to us to teach them.

If they can't keep a relitively tidy place when they leave us, it's our own fault.  At the very least we should be able to say, "You know how to do that!"

Personally, I don't think either of these are a healthy picture of Mom.

It's my choice to be a glad servant to my beloved family,

they don't demand it of me, nor do they expect it,

ahem, generally speaking.

Still, I don't find cleaning fun.

It's not fun.

It's a job.

It simply needs to get done.

This lady's nuts.

Then again, maybe she's on something.

I won't judge.

She must be on something.

In this vintage ad, you will read in the fine print that the mother has told her children that there are miniscule sweets and candies in the crevices, nooks, and cranies of their home. 

My own boring, yet tireless attempts at domestic child labor include the age-old chore chart.

I've added a twist, however.

This learned from the Family Fun magazine, which I often tout.

It's the "Marble Jar."

Each child has a jar to fill,

you can see that there are different sizes,

this is according to their age. 

At the bottom of each jar, neatly folded,

lies a five-dollar bill for our older children,

and a one-dollar bill for our youngest.

In our family, expected chores are not rewarded,

just as in real life.

They may do extra jobs to earn marbles.

Different jobs are worth different marbles.

Mom and Dad decide, and if they pout or fuss,

no marble.

We would rather approach these issues here at home than watch them head off into the real world and be shocked that everyone doesn't give them what they desire.

The marble jar in the middle, the kids' jars with the red lids.

Avoid, too, grumbles, pouts, fussing, whining (if at all possible), growls, . . .

Always remember to keep your eyes on the prize!

They WILL learn.

I know, it does seem like it's taking forever.

(I'm still "there" and writing this partly for myself.)

And eat your cake.  :)

Organizing Computer & Electronics Cords

Does this jumbled mess look familiar? 

And with the little heat and air currents creating an electrostatic field, there will be prolific dust bunny reproductive activity developing beneath the desk.

It's terrible trying to clean it.

I decided to arm myself.

While there's nothing I can do to prevent the static, I can make it easier to clean, and to cipher which cord belongs to which device.

With these simple household items I was able to simplify!

Glory be!

Scissiors, toilet paper tube, tape, paper hole punch, Sharpie, twistie ties.

Not surprisingly, there were a few stray cords.

(From where do they spring?)

I extract them and promptly relegate them to the quintessential "Honey Do" list.

Goodness knows, I don't know what they're for!

The goal here is to

1. Keep like with like

2. Eliminate excess cord length

3. Label clearly

Still ugly, but I can live with this.

More importantly, I can clean it!

Fabric Framed Cork Board

Natalie, over at her "Johnny in a Dress" blog, posts a wonderful demonstration

 for this darling cork board. 

I've just got to try this and share it with you!

And I know just the spot. 

Upstairs in my 5-yr-old's room I had the brilliant idea

 to tack up a package of these cork sheets. 

You've seen them, they come with their own two-sided foam stickers

 to help you complete the project.

Great idea for fun photos, various projects, and all the wonderful creations

 that we can't bear to throw away.

One problem...

The foam tape sticks very well to the wall, but not so well to the cork.

Enter Natalie's even better idea! 

I knew just the frame to use. 

I picked out some fun fabrics and starched the living daylights outta them. 

I want to discourage sags and wrinkles.

I'm using the same cork sheets that I removed from the wall. 

Measure them to fit.  Double the thickness

(It bugs me when there isn't enough room for the pins). 

Be sure to keep them a tiny bit smaller than the frame backing. 

Take my word here, I had to re trim mine because it was too big and wouldn't fit. 

With the trim it fit nice and snug.

Whatever you use to tack your fabric down, bring the corners in first. 

I used our old stand-by so that I could more easily change the fabric in a few years when the polka dots are "stupid."  (This is my fifth child, I'm trying to be prepared.)

Tuck your fold in to prevent wrinkles and help keep things pulled taught.

At the last minute I decided to add a pocket. 

After starching this, too, I folded it in half

and wrapped it around along with the other fabric.

Well, we won't be seeing the back.

Coincidentally, we chose St. Patrick's Day to work on our boy's green wall. 

It's not your monitor, we're really all green.

We had some difficulty removing all that terrible sticky tape. 

Honestly, what ended up working best was scraping with pocket knives,

then rubbing with nail polish remover

(there goes my daughter's perfect green manicure.)

Naturally, the paint rubbed off a bit, too. 

But the awful tape was gone!  Hallelujah! 

All that was left was a little wash, sand, and another wash. 

Then with one coat of paint

 you'd never know there was such a chaos on this poor little wall.

And with a huge "Thank You" to my children

 for helping me with this longer-than-expected project,

 our youngest member of the family still has a place for his creations.

  Nice and tidy.

Perhaps he'll be needing another.

Saving with the Season

We don't all have a farm, orchard, or even a garden patch.  But with a little planning ahead, we can take advantage of peak season produce.

Feeling the pinch of rising food costs inspires us to think creatively.  This is a good thing.  Let's thank the Lord for our times of plenty, and for His blessings and providence in leaner times.

There are so many resources for us out there, and so easily attained.  More than keeping a sharp eye on the grocer's seasonal produce prices, there are many months when we can stroll the farmers' markets.

These are wonderful places to visit and shop.  Meet the growers, chat with the farmers and their families.  Discover of which foods your family is most interested.

Many growers open their farms to the public.  You can find out by connecting with them.  They may offer bulk deals at their farm, however at the market you will pay retail price.

Check Local Harvest for a searchable database, you can find a farmers' market near you.  You'd be surprised!

Don't forget about "You-Pick" farms.  Check the local ads and look for road signs.  Ask the vendors at the farmers' market.  This is a great way to get a great price, after all, you're supplying the labor and transport.

Don't forget about craigslist.  They have a "Farm and Garden" category and you may find local deals on produce, markets, and "You-Pick" farms.

You can still find the occasional non-commercial roadside stand, look for the ones next to a field or operating out of a truck.  Talk to the seller, they should know about their product and from where it came.

Learn about what's in season for the best taste and price.  Real Simple and Wisebread offer a list for general in-season produce.  Epicurious offers a US map on which you can click your state to find your seasonal crop.

Finally, be sure to have safe and reputable recipes for preserving.  These will be your yearly go-to standards, the ones you rely on finding in your pantry.  Ball, the ones who now make Kerr canning jars, offer a website for canning recipes.  Also check your extension office for safe canning recipes.

National Center for Home Food Preservation

Minnesota Extension/Canning

Nebraska Extension/Canning Recipes

Oregon Extension/Food Preservation

North Dakota Extension/Canning

Washington Extension/FAQs

Thrifty Letters "N and O" with Vicki Lansky

Nail Polish, Clear

1  Spread over special decals that you wish to make permanent.

2  Use to keep ends of ribbon or shoe laces from fraying.

3  Cover areas on new shoes that are prone to scuffs, preventing the problem ahead of time.

4  Fill small holes in windows or windshields.

5  Stop runs in nylons.

6  Seals some of the holes in an over zealous salt shaker.
7  Prevent rust on the screws of your toilet seat.

8  Cover the bottom of the can of shaving cream to prevent rust spots in your shower.

9  Make wobbly drawer knobs more snug when you dip the screw tip in polish.

Nail Polish, Color
1  Will brightly mark the ounces on Baby’s bottle.
2  Red dot on the hot water faucet for the learning toddler.
3  Mark poisons in the home with a red “X.”

4  Mark the “9” and the “1” on your telephone.

5  Fill in the color of your faded old jewelry.

6  Mark your golf, tennis, racket balls.

7  Mark hard-to-find arrows on your medicine dosage cups.

8  Mark measuring cups with lost marks.

9  Dip the end of thread for easier threading.

Nail Polish Remover

1  Remove burns on wood furniture; dip cotton swab & rub carefully, scrape gently with dull knife. Fill in with clear polish.

2  Remove scuff marks on floors.

3  Remove bumper stickers.

4  Remove paint on windows.

5  Remove superglue from fingers.

6  Cleans scissors.

Newspaper

1  Usefor patterns to preserve the original.

2  Use as garden mulch (clean up at the end of the season).
3  Use as litter.
4  Use for packing.
5  Wrap green tomatoes at frost time - they’ll ripen beautifully.
6  Dry newly-washed windows.
7  Gives traction on the ice.
8  Helps to remove odors from plastic containers.
9  Removes cleaner residue.

Nylons

1  Old nylons great for “breathable” insect jar covers.
2  Thread wire coat hanger through old nylon to make a pool skimmer.

3  Use to collect seashells when beachcombing.

4  Makes a good bungee.
5  Use the top as a large binder: think trash can or newspapers.
6  Layer as twice thickness and fill with dried fragrant herbs, use in the dryer for freshness. Better for your sensitive skin.
7  Cover your vacuum nozzle when you’ve lost something valuable that’s hard to find.
8  Center a bar of soap and knot on each end, use for a back scrubber.

9  Store your plant bulbs.

10  Make good tomato ties.

Old Bottle Nipple

Use baby’s worn bottle nipple for piggy bank that’s lost it’s plug.

Old Safety Gate

Works well as a drying surface for your sweaters.

Old Drawer Shelves

I found this idea on the Funky Junk Interiors blog site.  This photo is from their post "Old Drawers."  They're using this old drawer as a tray for popcorn night. 

It got me thinking, "This could be cute and practical." 

For some of us, practicality isn't just a wise option.  It's a necessity.  Be it space, budget, curious tiny fingers, or what have you, many of us admire decorating from afar. 

But we don't have to.  We just need to be clever.  Obviously, as adorable as this old drawer tray is, it isn't practical.  Where are we going to store it?  How often would we use it?  I live in a small house and must consider these things.

So my wheels have been turning.  These posts are such wonderful inspiration!  And this is why we blog (that, and nobody chides us for starting a sentence with "and", or "but").

I had some old sewing machine drawers that I've used for organizing various things from desk essentials to kids' watercolors.  I thought they would be a good size for shelves instead.

It turns out that they're a nice depth as well.  These are made with a very hard wood so they're quite sturdy.  You just want to be sure that your hooks are secure enough to hold everything you'll be placing onto your shelf.

As per my usual "decorating" habits, I have the pretty mixed together with the practical.  I have a handy spot for my papers, pens, lip balm, scissors, even a candle.  But I can also display my treasured elephants (Lego pachyderm opus masterfully crafted by two of my sons working together).

If you happen to stumble across some old drawers that have, unfortunately, outlasted their frame, this makes a handsome application.  If they're sturdy but lack luster, go ahead a give them an "up-do." 

Most of all, make it your own and enjoy!

How Much Are My Donations Worth?

It's a little late in the tax season, but we haven't hit the big April 15th yet.  I want to share with you some valuation guides for your donations throughout the year. 

These are extremely helpful with your tax deductions, be sure to familiarize yourself with this process if you're not already.

The Salvation Army, who takes all sorts of donations from accross the country offers a handy website.

Goodwill does, too.  Both these companies will give you a tax deduction form, you may need to remember to ask.

There are so many local thrifts that are happy to accept your clean, gently used items.  Ask for a donation slip and use an updated valuation guide.  You'll find things moving along smooth as butter when your tax appointment comes up.

Thrifty Letters "K, L and M" with Vicki Lansky

Key Ring

Attach to child’s zipper tab to ease zipping.

Kitty Litter
1  Fill old nylons and use as odor-eaters in basements, closets and sneakers.
2  Layer a couple inches at the bottom of the trash pail.
3  An economic absorbent for vehicle leaks: apply heavy layer, let stand for a day, sweep, clean with strong detergent, rinse.

4  Gives traction to stuck tires in snow.
5  Helps keep pet cages odor-free when lining the bottom.

Laundry Basket
Use for beach toys.

Lemon Juice
1  Whitens and freshens chopping boards.
2  Whitens ivory handles.
3  Get more juice from your citrus when warming it for 30 seconds.
4  Helps remove fruit and berry stains.
5  For a sour cream or buttermilk substitute, mix 1 Tbsp into 1 c. milk.
6  Add to your wash to remove rust from your cottons.
7  Removes ink spots on cloth.
8  Whiten your sock in a pan of boiling water with a slice or two of lemon.
9  Cleans brass and copper, just salt ½ lemon and scrub.
10  Eliminates odors in your humidifier, use ¾ capful.
11  Whitens nails: soak 5-10 min. brush with equal parts vinegar & water, rinse.

Life Savers Candy
Use for candle holders on birthday cake.

Magnets
1  Tack your recipe card to a handy spot while you cook.
2  Affix to the inside of your bathroom cabinet for safety pins, hair pins, and other small objects.

Mayonnaise
1  Helps remove white rings from wood furniture: let stand 1 hr. before removal. For stubborn spots, rub gently with fine wood ash added.

2  Apply to dry, brittle hair 1x week as a conditioner. Leave on for 30 min., shampoo out.
3  Good for removing tar.

Mister Bottles
Dampen microwave; heat 5 seconds, wipe down - easy cleanup.


Muffin Pans
1  Stabilize baking potatoes, peppers, and apples in oven.
2  Pour Jell-O into foil cups.

3  Freeze broth cubes into handy sizes.

4  Let the kids serve drinks in a muffin tin “tray.”

Thrifty Letters "G, H, and I" with Vicki Lansky

Garden Hose
1  Punch several holes into it and use it as a garden soaker, losing less water in evaporation.
2  Cover metal tool handles during winter use.
3  Protect young tree trunks.
4  Store over saw blades.
5  Protect extension cords from traffic and weather.

Hair Dryer
1  Removes old contact paper, use dryer set on “warm.”
2  Remove crayon marks from wallpaper using the “hot” setting, wipes off with a damp cloth and a bit of oil soap.
3  Clear up baby’s painful diaper rash at changing time, set on “warm” and hold at least 6” away.
4  Remove that annoying bumper sticker, just warm up a few minutes.
5  Blow baby powder into an itchy cast for relief.
6  Loosen a screw.
7  Warm frozen winter car locks and carburetors.
8  Clean screens with the “cool” setting.
9  Dry your salt shaker with the “cool” setting before refilling.
10  For gently releasing photos from magnetic album pages, use the “warm” setting.

 Hairspray
1  Removes ink spot stains
2  Removes lipstick stains
3  Rids African Violets of plant lice; place your infected plant into a plastic bag, spray into the bag (but not the plant) then tie shut for a day.
4  Helps preserve dried flowers.
5  Use as a fixative on chalk drawings.
6  Preserve precious handwritten recipe cards.
7  Helps to thread your needle.
8  Immobilizes the wings of pesky wasps and hornets.
 

Hanger, Wire
1  Bend into a large circle to make extra-large bubbles.
2  Twist to hold your paint can up onto your ladder.
3  Use as plant stakes.
4  Stick into a dried corncob for feeding the birds.

Ice Cubes
1  Remove candle wax by hardening with ice cube, then scraping with table knife.
2  Remove carpet indentations from heavy furniture, let an ice cube melt into the pocket and the fibers will plump with moisture.
3  Press an ice cube into undesired gum mishap until it becomes brittle.
4  Numb the skin prior to splinter removal or eyebrow-plucking.
5  Place into a soft, clean sock for soothing teething baby‘s gums.
 

Ice Cube Trays
1  Freeze baby food in ice cube trays.
2  Freeze black coffee for your iced coffee drinks.