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| Well, I finally put together some activities to keep little Emma Leigh happy while I learn with the other kids! It was fun, simple, and overall very cheap- my kind of combination. Here are some of the toddler time activities she has been enjoying: |
Homemade Playdough.
Rice and Pasta Table.
These activities appeal to more than toddlers!
Egg cartons and wooden clothes pins create hours of fun.
Sticker book (or "sticky book" as Emma calls it).
Strainer and pipe cleaners make a cool spider!
Just plain water and cups!
And all my little projects worked! It allowed me to keep her happy so that I could do OTHER projects with the older kids. Like make volcanoes:
And go to 4-H classes! Benjamin signed up for Arts & Crafts which he graciously allowed Brad to attend with him. He is also participating in a Photography class and his pictures will be entered in the County Fair next summer. Savanna is participating in a cake decorating class and will also be raising a pig to earn some money for college.
Other projects: I can't believe I did not document this with any photos but we just completed our second 6 Month House Purge! More bags and bags went to the dump and to charity. Every cupboard, closet, room, and drawer was cleaned out, organized, and put back together. I'd like to say I am sitting in a clean, organized, wonderful space right now as I type but let's face it, I have 4 kids! Our house stayed clean for about 3 days. It was a WONDERFUL 3 days!! However it hasn't been completely destroyed, and now as things pile up the kids are more inclined to take care of it.
To help with this we have started new "stewardships" where they rotate responsibilities for the kitchen, bathrooms, and floors. It's nice as the kids get older to have more hands to help out and to teach them the importance of taking care of their home. It's also nice to have a place for everything and to get rid of the clutter, and make room mentally and physically for our actual needs. I am collecting home decor ideas on Pinterest. I am so grateful to have a home. It is cozy and warm and safe. And it houses 5 of my favorite people! It will be fun as we continue down our journey to invest some money into this place and beautify and spruce it up properly. For now I will be content to keep it as cleaned and organized as possible!
Another huge project that was part of our purge was to clean out all of our cupboards and medicine cabinets, and get rid of all our toxic cleaners and toxic personal products. I experimented with homemade cleaners several years back. It was fun and actually quite simple. With the arrival of Emma I stopped doing a lot of things I used to do out of necessity. I replaced a lot of my homemade cleaners and personal products with natural store bought versions but it has been getting very pricey. Plus, a few toxic ones snuck back in because they are much cheaper and more convenient to find. SO, out went the Comet and bleach wipes and any other product with parabens, phthalates, sulfates, chlorine, dyes, or petroleum. I have found that I can make everything myself from dish soap to toothpaste with about 15 ingredients (many of which I have in the house at all times any way). Some of my natural concoctions I like better than others. Some I think I just need to get used to...they don't always have the same consistency and texture as store-bought.
Savanna and I are researching make-up and hair care products that don't contain carcinogens and have ordered some samples. I threw out what I knew I could immediately make or replace, but there are a few lingering items that will need to be replaced over time as the research and funds are available. It feels liberating to know I can keep my family safe and clean without relying on companies that don't have our best interests in mind. It's kind of a joke that we have been told that we need 47 different cleaners when Castile soap, white vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and some essential oils can pretty much clean everything in my home! I have created a recipe book that I am hoping to share with everyone once I have tried and perfected the products to my liking.
To help with this we have started new "stewardships" where they rotate responsibilities for the kitchen, bathrooms, and floors. It's nice as the kids get older to have more hands to help out and to teach them the importance of taking care of their home. It's also nice to have a place for everything and to get rid of the clutter, and make room mentally and physically for our actual needs. I am collecting home decor ideas on Pinterest. I am so grateful to have a home. It is cozy and warm and safe. And it houses 5 of my favorite people! It will be fun as we continue down our journey to invest some money into this place and beautify and spruce it up properly. For now I will be content to keep it as cleaned and organized as possible!
Savanna and I are researching make-up and hair care products that don't contain carcinogens and have ordered some samples. I threw out what I knew I could immediately make or replace, but there are a few lingering items that will need to be replaced over time as the research and funds are available. It feels liberating to know I can keep my family safe and clean without relying on companies that don't have our best interests in mind. It's kind of a joke that we have been told that we need 47 different cleaners when Castile soap, white vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and some essential oils can pretty much clean everything in my home! I have created a recipe book that I am hoping to share with everyone once I have tried and perfected the products to my liking.
Sept/Oct 2012
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