A Money Saving Craft Project!

Like countless other families we are struggling with debt issues...we live paycheque to paycheque and there is no room in our lives for when things go wrong, (and when they do...like the time our car just refused to start...we panic).  I've decided that I need to get a good solid handle on our finances.  I am starting to tackle our debt one debt at a time.   Part of this plan of mine means that I need to set limits on our spending...it means that I need to set an amount that we can afford to spend on gas, groceries and fun money.  The problem with using your debit card is that unless you keep meticulous records, you have no idea how much money you're spending.  I need to get control...so I came up with a craft that can help me!

These are my new money wallets.  I made one for "groceries" one for "gas" and one for "spending"...the "spending" one is basically whatever we want that doesn't fall beneath the other 2 catagories...magazines, movies, books, yarn, etc...  As soon as we get paid I'm going to fill these with what we've decided we can afford...and when the moneys gone...well, so be it!  Livin' on cash baby!!!!

Now...I'm going to give a brief tutorial on how I made these, but I am not the worlds best sewer...I am not the ideal person to teach you how to install a zipper!  There are other wonderful sewers out there who have tutorials on how to do such things...if you need  the extra help, google can be your best friend!  You could also run out to the dollar store and buy some plain pencil cases and embellish to your hearts delight, (but since we're trying to save money here, and you probably already have fabric, zippers, thread, etc...here's the DIY)!

First I got some lovely prints out of my stash...I wanted each wallet to have a different print.  Then using a business envelope, I traced a rectangle onto the fabric.  Taking an iron I pressed down a 1/2 inch seam at the top.  Then I pinned on the zipper...like so.  You will need to use a zipper foot on your sewing machine to sew on the zipper.  Good luck!!!

Next I got out some plain white ribbon from my stash as well as my alphabet stamps.  I stamped onto the ribbon the words, "groceries", "gas" and "spending".  Of course you can stamp on whatever works for your family.

Then I blanket stitched each one onto the wallet.

Sew up the side seams and bottom, I'm sure you can do it straighter than me!

And your fancy new "wallets" are ready to use!  I plan on keeping mine in my purse, as I'm the main shopper in the house.  I plan on giving Keith my debit card too, so there will be no impulse buying going on, (oh, and the credit cards will be chillin' on ice)!  I would love to start a discussion on how to curb personal debt...I know I'm not alone in this! 

Spending in moderation

xo maureen

Clearing Clutter In Sisterhood Swap Style!

I recently picked up the book The Happiness Project (thanks to Maureen for the great suggestion) and became inspired to face the habit of clutter in my life . Time to begin the great PURGE!

Whew!

As daunting as the task may be I decided to start right at the heart of my clutter addiction... my closet!

Time to bid farewell to clothes that no longer fit, clothes past their prime, clothes I have nothing to wear with, clothes I hang onto for someday and clothes that are merely there for sentimental reasons.
Time to be ruthless!

Before (Yikes!)

This big of a purge had the potential to have me second guessing my ability to let go of clothes I still liked... so I decided to pour myself a glass of wine, call my soul sister out west for a chat and go for it. It worked! While talking  I was distracted enough that each piece I picked up it was just a gut feeling I had to follow... yay or nay? Soon I had full garbage bags, a lighter feeling and a cleansed closet!

After (*sigh* of relief)

Then I decided to invite all my wonderful and wild girlfriends for one of our annual clothing swaps. Usually once per season, one of the women in our community hosts a clothing swap. A gathering where we all bring bags of our no longer needed clothes ~ we dump them in a huge pile in the center of the room and we DIVE IN! 

It is always a blast ~ full of laughter, throwing off clothes to try on new ones, stories of the journeys our clothes being shared have taken, a potluck feast and most of all a real sense of community. The women leave blessed with new pieces for their wardrobe, a full heart and a reminder of the womanly love that surrounds them.

Swaps are a great way to recycle your clothes, freshen up your wardrobe or just plain have an excuse to have a gathering with your girlfriends!

Here's to less is really more and the sweet sisterhood of swapping.

~ Shanti ~

Morning Mantras...

"Please God get me through this morning...please God get me through this morning..."

This was taken this morning...in between the tantrums!

I'm sure we can all agree...these morning are universal.  Not all the time, some mornings I can't believe how smoothly it all goes...everyone is happy, fed, clean, and I manage to get out of my pyjamas before lunchtime.  This morning however everyone woke up too early, and on the wrong side of the bed to boot!  I thought after a bottle full of yummy rice milk, (for the babe) AND the episode of Yo Gabba Gabba the kids would be happy.  Oh...I was SO wrong.

So...I started on my mantra...I thought about all the other moms who are feeling this way on this morning.  There is comfort in that fact that we're not alone as mothers...even though we are all in our separate houses in different parts of the world, these mornings ARE universal and we are united in the insanity, chaos, happiness and wonder that is mothering.  Today give yourself a pat on the back...we all got through the morning together! 

xo maureen

Nature Inspired Fairy Party!

Creating a Fairy Party That Embraces  Simplicity and Beauty ( and doesn't bite a hole in your wallet!)

Birthday parties are wonderful fun yet they can easily spill over into too much ~ too much work, too much junk, too much pressure. So my goal in creating this party was to use what we had on hand and embrace a simple way to celebrate in style! 

For my Luna's eighth birthday she decided she wanted a flower fairy party.  I knew between working full time and wanting to really enjoy the day of the party, I needed to find easy, nature inspired ways to bring this party to life!

So we made a plan...

First she made her party list of a few friends and her cousins...

She  created some simple birch bark invitations to offer out ~ giving them all the needed information ...like please wear wings if you have them (if not we have extra) and potluck fairy food snacks (shared food is the way to go in keeping things simple!)

This was all mainly her project and she was happy to have it that way ~ she loved collecting, cutting and creating these invites...

She crafted away ~ creating  a little pine cone fairy and a maple key dragonfly to give to each of her friends  and placed them in these satin flower bags...

We then decided every fairy needs to be crowned!

So we collected our supplies ~ raffia and paper flowers...

We braided the raffia (a great way for girls to practice their braiding) and then took the paper flowers (that had wire attached) and wrapped the wire  flowers into each braided band. I also collected a big bouquet of  flowers on the day of with the intention that each girl could fill her wreath with some fresh flowers too!

Where would a fairy be without a wand to sparkle her magic all around?! 

We created our fairy wands with these lovely"wands" I found made of dyed seedpods.

Feeling they needed a personal touch we added sage and curly grass from our back yard and tied it all on with ribbons of raffia.

When the celebration day came ~  we crowned each these beautiful fairies and offered them their magical fairy wands...

Our plan was to spend to whole day at Luna's favorite spot, crooked slide park. A hidden gem in our valley that has beautiful falls, rocks to climb and hop, paths to adventure on and a natural water slide! Needless to say not long after this photo ~ after the girls had jumped into their swim suits and were frolicking and I was getting ready to pull out all the food ~ IT DOWN POURED!!!

Lucky for me, my sister who was there with her girls, lives only a bit away and welcomed us to crash her home. So we packed up in a wet flash and relocated the party.

One more lesson in going with the flow and letting go!

Luna's flower fairy cake ~ cupcakes with whipped cream topped with an edible flower.

We resumed the festivities... not letting a silly thing like the rain drown our joy!

It was a lovely celebration ~  offering lessons on this journey of motherhood  ... learning to embrace simplicity  and learning to let go and allow the unexpected with a peaceful heart.

***
Peace

~ Shanti ~

Embracing The Let's Get Real!

Since I was a young I have avoided the camera...insecurity, wanting to stay hidden, a desire to be documenting not on display...

So when my co-blogger Maureen posted her Let's Get Real Post ~ (inspired by Shakti Mama) , I recognized it as an opportunity to allow myself to be... the raw and real me.

Recently my Luna had her eighth birthday and my husband grabbed this shot when I had just awoken  (unaware of him) and was reading my beautiful card from her.

When I flipped through her birthday photos and found this one, my first thought was erase.

I immediately didn't like what I saw... that voice said too tired...to bare...not enough...

Then I stopped and caught a glimpse of Luna looking over me with her eager face and realized it was time to tell myself a new story...a story that embraces the truth and beauty of self love and commits to modeling self acceptance.

To quiet that voice of disapproval and embrace those parts of self that long to hide... I take the challenge.

Here is my let's get real photo...

 the sweet words I was ingesting... (written all over my face)

to mommy

The resin I want to write this

is bekas how it rele hurts to

have a baby and I am so thancful

that you went throo all of this

hard wrk to let me into this world.

I want to tell you  all Ive

oways wanted for my birthday

is love from you and to show you

how much to love you.

love Luna

I love you

~ These words stopped me to pause and appreciate the simplicity of love ~

 on goes the challenge...

I see a  girl that has that list of comparisons ready to be burned, a girl who aches to be enough... a girl who is ready to join into the sisterhood of radical self acceptance ~ not sure how ~ just piece by piece being gentle with herself...being gentle with others.

In the spirit of unconditional love

~ Shanti ~

The Comparison Challenge!!

“Jealousy is a tiger that tears not only its prey but also its own raging heart”

Nyah Nyah...I'm stronger than you are!!

Recently I came across a post at a friends blog.  It's called "Death by Comparison" and it really struck home for me.  The challenge my friend gave was to try to stop comparing ourselves to others, and start honoring the unique things that we alone are good at.   I see the comparison game being played out many times a day.  In my own life and in the lives of the people I admire.  There have been a few occasions when I see someone in our community who reads our blog, and they express their inadequacy because they aren't "crafty", and we look like we craft all day long here at Twig and Toadstool.  I always tell them, sometimes that one single craft project is about the only productive thing we do all day.  The funny thing is though, that I play the comparison game too...I'm not a good enough gardener, cook, homeschooler, employee, sewer, knitter, photographer, crafter...mother.   I compare myself to the people I know in my community, and the mamas I've met in the blog world.

I was over visiting one of my favourite blogs the other day and admiring this womans home...everything is neutral colours and pure wood...I thought for a moment, "I need to do that...I need to be more like her".  Then I looked around my house, at all the "pops" of colour all over the place, the crazy dressers I've painted, my red, white and turquoise kitchen, and I thought..."hey, this is me!"  I decided in that moment that instead of envying this mamas home, I would admire it instead...but, I don't have to have that home to create a peaceful and loving space.  There is peace in between the bursts of colour at my house!

My wish for my mama and women friends is that we start celebrating each other and the talents we have that are unique to us.  Let's STOP beating ourselves up all the things we don't do, and start enjoying the things we accomplish daily.  You know...on some days, just getting out of bed is an accomplishment!   Comparing ourselves to others comes from that deep insecure place that resides within us all...we can't be it all and do it all, (I know I'm too damn tired at the end of the day to "do it all"!).  Write down the things that you're jealous of in others...write down the things you "wish" you were better at...and then BURN YOUR LIST!!!!  Let that frail and insecure part of you go and honor the fact that you have a clean house, or that you're super organized, or that you're a mean accordian player!

My list going up in flames!  SO healing!

So I'm taking on the challenge...here's my thing I'm good at and I celebrate in myself.  I'm a crafty mom! 

My garden is a mess, my house is well, disasterous, the laundry rarely gets done, but the glue gun is always on at my house!

What are you good at?  What are you willing to celebrate in yourself??

blessings!!

Maureen xo

It's Celebrating The Garden Week... Rockin' Recipes For Cucumbers, Kale and Carrots!

The Harvest Has Begun...

This year we acquired our seeds from Terra Edibles ~  a Canadian seed company that sells organic, heirloom seeds. We have been very amazed by the beautiful, vibrant food we have been able to grow and enjoy!

Our Red Russian Kale ~ love the velvety tender leaves!

Wow! Shanti, you can make a ton of kale chips with all that Red Russian Kale! Thank you, magical beings, for having me here again to share some Feel Good Guru recipes! I love playing with food, I love eating, and I love sharing my kitchen chemistry! Shanti asked me to post some recipes for Kale, cucumbers and carrots, so featuring those crunchy, cleansing beauties from the earth, a few of my absolute fave summer fixin's:

Kale gets a bum rap. It’s an under-appreciated cruciferous that needs our help to elevate its status to the clean green lean superfood that it is. I think the reason people don’t like kale is because they’re trying to eat the rough leaves right off the stalk, raw, and that can be a little, er, too healthy-tasting. But there are easy ways to prepare kale to make it delish.
Kale is one of those superfoods available year round, and one that should not be ignored by health-minded peeps. It’s incredibly versatile, extremely nutrient-rich and low in calories. Yes! Yes! Yes! Kale contains cancer-fighting phyto-nutrients, tons of vitamins A and C, calcium and iron, and compounds that actually signal our body to produce more detoxification enzymes. So why not use kale at every opportunity we can? Yes?

I try and get my kale on regularly, in soups, salads, on its own marinated in a little olive oil and apple cider vinegar, “hidden” in bean and rice dishes, or…as kale chips! Crunchy and full of flavor, kale chips can take the place of your packaged dead potato chips. It’s a superfood that’s super simple to prepare:

Kale Chips the Feel Good Guru way

1 large bunch of leafy red kale
drizzle olive oil
sprinkle sea salt
sprinkle Nanami Togarashi (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Wash and completely dry kale.

Pull the woody stems from the leaves and break up into bite-sized pieces into a bowl.

Drizzle with a little olive oil. (Just a drizzle! Maybe only a tablespoon.) Sprinkle with a little sprinkle of fine sea salt. Sprinkle with a dash of Nanami Togarashi - (this is my favorite "secret" ingredient - it's a delicious, exotic blend of chilis, orange peel, black sesame and seaweed, and can be found at Japanese markets.) Massage ingredients into the kale leaves with your hands.

Place just one layer on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. Pay attention because it happens fast. You’ll hear it sizzling away in the oven. Take them out when they’re nice and crunchy and slide easily from the cookie sheet.

You can sprinkle on a little nutritional yeast or a pinch of garlic powder, or use your own favorite spice combo for a tasty, crunchy bowlful of superfood nutrition everyone will love!

Thanks Moi for that great recipe...I must share that my girls devour a tray of kale chips in the blink of an eye. They are a huge hit in our home!

Our Purple Dragon Carrots ~ the girls love eating these sweet, almost spicy veggies!

 Shanti, you asked for a soup recipe here, but those Purple Dragons would make the most beautiful Raw Carrot~Walnut Pate! Here's how for a large batch that'll last a week in the fridge:

FGG's Raw Carrot~Walnut Pate

4 large garden carrots, grated (approx 4 cups, packed)
4 handfuls organic walnuts (approx 2 cups)
1 small red pepper, diced
2 Tbsp miso
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
fresh ground pepper to taste
2 sprigs fresh garden rosemary (or any other fresh-picked herbs)

Blend everything in a cuisinart until smooth. Form into a block on a plate and refrigerate for an hour before serving. You'll have extra, so just scoop into a bowl and reserve for another day. This goes great with endives as an elegant appetizer, makes a wonderful veggie dip, and spreads beautifully on crackers or bread.

Our Lemon Cucumbers ~  love their bright, crisp tenderness!

Mmm! Lemon cucumbers go so well in a tabouli! Here's my recipe for Lively Tabouli from Feel Good Fast:

Lively Tabouli
For 4:
2 bunches fresh organic parsley, chopped finely (about 2 cups chopped)
1 cup organic quinoa
1 cup cooked chickpeas (or 1 can, drained)
2 small cucumbers, diced
4 small organic tomatoes, diced
3 lemons, juiced
olive oil
sea salt to taste

Wash, rinse and soak chickpeas overnight (about half
a cup dried will yield one cup cooked). Cook chickpeas and set aside to cool.

Wash, rinse and cook quinoa. Set aside to cool.

Chop parsley and put it in a large mixing bowl.

Add diced cukes, diced tomato, chick peas, quinoa, lemon juice, a nice slather of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.

Taste and adjust to your liking. Serve with Raw Carrot~Walnut Pate and kale chips for a summer fresh, super-light, cleansing, feel good tastebud extravaganza!

***

 Bountiful Gratitude to the Fabulous Feel Good Guru! Thank you Moira  for joining us this week and offering your inspiration and gorgeous recipes.

How delicious the harvest is...
What are some of your favorite ways to enjoy the garden's bounty?

In gratitude
~ Shanti ~

Edible Flower Feast!

As the garden bursts forth in all of her gloriful bounty, my truest joy are the edible flowers. I love going out  to the garden in the morning, admiring the dew sparkling on their petals and taking in a deep breath of the dark, damp earth.  I love the buzz and the hum of the bees dipping and diving to sip on their nectar and the explosion of of eye candy color greeting me.

Here is a tribute to one of my morning walks and the enjoyment that ensued...  

 One of my favorite edibles, the calendula flower

The borage  inviting me to get up close and savor its exquisiteness

The hollyhocks towing above me in all their regal splendor

 Being in the presence of such beauty, I felt their beckoning to be touched tasted and experienced...so I decided to indulge myself!

A garden flower mandala!

After playing with the flowers we gathered them all up for our edible flower feast.

For the flower feast we we whipped up some of our favorite healthy icing (coconut milk ~ only the top half that stays hardish ~ with maple syrup), put it in the icing piper and squeezed a spiral of coconut goodness into each flower.

hollyhocks and borage

The girls and I enjoyed licking drips of coconut nectar and nibbling a variety of flower petal flavors.

nausturtiums with bee balm petals

calendula with a borage star garnish

squash blossom with bee balm petals

Here is a wonderful list of edible flowers you can grow!

• Calendula/pot marigold (Calendula officinalis) comes in yellow, gold, or orange flowers with a tangy, peppery taste.
• Garland chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum coronarium) produces mild-favored, flowers in shades of yellow to white.
• African marigold (Tagetes erecta) has white, gold, yellow, or red flowers with a strongly pungent flavor.
• Signet marigold (Tagetes tenuifolia) features white, gold, yellow, or red flowers with a citrus flavor.
• Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) has flowers in shades of white to red, with a watercress and peppery flavor.
• Pansy/viola (Viola spp.) has violet, white, pink, yellow, or multi-colored flowers with a sweet flavor.
• Petunia (Petunia hybrida) has a wide range of colors and a mild flavor.
• Garden salvia (Salvia officinalis) features blue, purple, white, or pink flowers with a slightly musky flavor.
• Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) has scarlet flowers with a sage flavor with pineapple undertones.
• Radish (Raphanus sativus) has yellow, spicy-hot flowers.
• Snapdragon (Antirrhinum spp.) has a wide range of colors with a bland to bitter flavor.
• Scented geranium (Pelargonium spp.) has white, red, pink, or purple flowers with flavors such as apple or lemon, depending on the variety.
• Scarlet runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) has bright orange to scarlet flowers with a mild, raw bean flavor.
• Squash (Cucurbita spp.) has yellow to orange flowers with a mild, raw squash flavor.
• Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) features white, yellow, orange, or burgundy flowers. Unopened buds taste like a mild artichoke. Flower petals are bittersweet.
• Tuberous begonias (Begonia x tuberhybrida) have white, pink, yellow, red, orange or multi-colored flowers with a citrus flavor.

Edible Perennial Flowers

Flowers of these perennials and herbs offer a broad range of flavors.

• Baby's breath (Gypsophila sp.) has white or pink flowers with a mild, slightly sweet flavor.
• Bee balm (Monarda didyma) features red, pink, white, or lavender flowers with a tea-like flavor that's stronger than the leaves.
• Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) have white, lavender, or purple flowers with a strong onion flavor.
• Dianthus/Pinks (Dianthus) have pink, white, and red flowers with a spicy, clove-like flavor.
• Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.) comes in a wide range of flower colors with a slight asparagus or summer squash-like taste.
• Borage (Borago officinalis) has blue, purple, and lavender flowers with a cucumber-like flavor.
• Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) have yellow, slightly bitter flowers.
• Red clover (Trifolium pretense) has sweet-tasting, pink or red flowers.
• Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) come in a wide range of colors with a bland to slightly bitter flavor.
• Tulips (Tulipa spp.) come in a wide range of colors and have a mild, slightly sweet flavor.
• Violets (Viola odorata) have violet, pink, and white flowers with a sweet to slightly sour flavor.

Thank you to edible landscaping for this list.

How fast the summer has seemed to fly by. As August is coming to a close I hope to spend more time in the garden, filling myself to the brim, before the garden goes to bed until the next growing season.  Feeling the need to * just be * in the garden,  so that during the long winter months I have a reserve of sunshine and flowers hiding within.
May you enjoy to the fullest these last weeks of glorious summer!

In the spirit of bare feet in the dewy grass

~ Shanti  ~

Locks of Love

  

My girls recently decided they wanted to cut their hair short ~ my immediate reaction was...are you sure?! ... your hair is so long and lovely! (and in my head saying nooooo!!!!). I approached my older sister with this dilemma and she gently reminded me that motherhood is a continual letting go and perhaps this was one more opportunity to practice surrender. I know it is silly, but I had become attached to their long locks. They had only ever had it trimmed since they were born. I loved braiding it. I loved the remnants of  their baby curls. I loved how it framed their faces.

As much as I resisted the idea though, I knew she was right...I needed to learn to let go a little more.  I also realized that we could use this beautiful hair for locks of love ~ an organization that provides hair pieces for children who have lost their hair due to cancer.  We had spent time in the hospital this past year, saying our goodbyes to a dear friend with cancer...so this hit close to home for us.  I discussed this all with the girls and they were very willing to offer their hair to such a wonderful place.

A farewell to the locks...

The big snip (and sniff sniff for me)

Tracey at C.O. Creative Hair Concepts did a wonderful job making the girls (and me) feel at ease. She is a wonderful stylist and worked magic on their hair.

Twelve inches to offer!!!

Suddenly my Luna looked so grown up...

Ta Da  ~ pony tails ready to offer...

My sister (who gave the great advice) also brought two of her girls for locks of love hair cuts. The cousins  had so much fun watching each other become transformed...lots of giggling, fluffing and flinging of the new hair and giddy excitement!

Now I look at my girls with their new grown up looks and still see the same faces I absolutely adore looking back at me ~ realizing  letting go isn't always as hard as it seems.

This small taste of allowing and supporting what my children wanted, in the face of my own resistance, has me recognizing the ever changing journey we are on as a mothers.

Feeling connected to all you mama's out there ~ as bit by bit ~ we allow our children to teach us the art of letting go. 

 ~ Shanti~