Didja Miss Us???

I bet most of our readers thought we had given up...
It's been so long since the last post, I almost don't know where to begin. I guess I'll catch everybody up to speed. 


I am over my disgusting strep infection. We are happily settling into our new house, and loving every minute. We've unpacked about 70% of our stuff in the week and a half we've lived here. All that's left of our refinishing projects is the master bedroom dresser and painting the storm troopers onto my boys' dresser. We've already hosted a party here, and have plans for our housewarming shindig soon. Tyler is just about over his gross sinus infection (Thank GOD!!!). My photography company, Lola Mae Images, is almost fully booked for summer weddings. I have one slot left in July and one for August (hint, hint), and the summer of 2013 is booking nicely, too. But, most exciting...Ty and I have no kids this coming weekend!!! We can hardly wait to enjoy 3 whole days just the two of us. (Hopefully, it doesn't lead to baby #6!)


We did get a little off track with the project during my illness and the move. I will admit I got myself McDonald's chicken nuggets after my second trip to the doctor. I wanted them in the worst way (they are my sickness comfort food), and Ty said unless I was really dying he wouldn't let me have any. I did what any other woman would do, I got them myself. I never told him, though- so he'll find out reading this, just like y'all. ;) I'm not gonna lie, they tasted so damn good, too..I think the guilt and shame of breaking the rules made them tastier! As a family we have been HORRIBLE about remembering to take our canvas bags out shopping with us. It's embarrassing, really. Thankfully we do use the plastic bags for cleaning out the cat box and Madison now accepts them in the recycling bins. Still there are no excuses for that one, we have at least 20 of the canvas bags...we just have to be better about remembering them when we leave the house. We ended up having to buy boxes for the move from U-Haul. That was really tough on us; it was like waving a HUGE flag of defeat. Sadly, Tyler's company just wasn't providing enough to get our house packed up, Craigslist was having a dry spell on boxes, and we were running outta time. We did agree we were going to keep them in storage after our move, which we have. That is, after we cleaned the storage nook out & got rid of the old crusty socks and used condoms from the previous owners. (yes, you read that right...no, I don't know why they had those items in there. Let's just say someone removed it all for the promise of 3 measly Cheetos, and leave it at that. Ugh!) And, we also gave a bunch of our boxes to our moving helper, for his mom to use in her move. Last confession, we bought some new products from Menard's. Yes, I'm hanging my head in shame. Although, in our own defense, we bought a 5 minute shower timer device and a low flow shower head to conserve water. 


Are you wondering what we've done right???? I bet you are! :)
Well, no chemical cleaners or products have entered this house since it has been ours. I left all the old stuff at our condo for the new tenants to enjoy. This house has only had my homemade products used to clean. It smells so nice, and everyone has had much less trouble with allergies. We have figured out how to use our programable thermostat, to help conserve energy. During the hours we are all awake and home, the house is set at 67; when we are gone or asleep, it's set at 60. So far, so good. We have turned our water heater down to the lowest possible safe setting, so as not to waste natural gas or get legionnaire's disease. All our dishes are hand washed, using dish detergent I made. They are rinsed by filling up the other side of the sink with cold water and adding a cup of vinegar. We only wash our clothes in cold water, using the energy saving modes on the washer and dryer. And of course, the detergent and softener I make. (plus a cup of peroxide in the white load to keep it bright) Once the nice weather arrives, we will use a clothes line out back to dry most things. We installed that low flow shower head we bought at Menard's, and only take 5 minute showers. (Unless I am shaving, then I get 10 minutes.) Plus, we recycle like crazy these days. 


With Spring right around the corner, we are beginning to make plans for our garden to supply some of our own veggies and herbs. We'll be hitting up the Willy Street plant sale on April 18th for our plants. Tyler is also getting ready to build our worm composting bin to fertilize the garden, as well as a rain barrel to water it. We also have a date to attend the meeting at the Terrace on March 18th, to sign for locally grown produce and farm products to be delivered to us during the growing season. 


Whew...I got it all out. Now time to go pick up my lil' ones from school. New posts and pictures of the house coming soon. 

Death's Door...

It's been far too long since the last posting. We haven't abandoned the project or anything. Life has just gone into hyper-drive lately. We move next week, and I have spent all of this week battling an antibiotic resistant form of strep throat. It's from years of getting it chronically as a kid. Sadly, no doctor has ever agreed to take my damn tonsils out. So, I promise to get back to more regular posting as soon as I feel semi- human again. I've got some great fabric softener and laundry detergent recipes to share!

Estate Sale Addict...

I think we have created a monster...our youngest boy has become absolutely addicted to estate sales. The first time we took the 3 lil' kids to one they were completely freaked to be looking through a dead person's stuff {much like me}. It took CP all of five minutes of being at one to decide he LOVES them, though. He has a good eye for bargains, too. We hit 2 sales yesterday, and he was crushed there weren't anymore. There were even tears over it. The promise of more sales in the future and a trip to the new house pacified him quickly.

We acquired some great finds at yesterday's sales. We purchased some photo lighting for our friend Kelly. Tyler found a rubber mallet to repair the dents in our metal sleds and some tool for car tires. I got 10 full place settings of fine Japanese china for $50. {I'd post pictures, but it's all at the other house}. We also purchased a fabulous vintage 50's hutch for our kitchen and a dresser.

{The original owner's pic of our new hutch. LOVE it!}

Obviously the lack of posting on our part shows how busy we have been with all this moving. It's such an exhausting process! Friday we spent the day cleaning the new house...using all our eco-safe homemade cleansers, of course. The kids had a blast playing in the backyard, while we scrubbed. We had to drag them away kicking and screaming. Same thing yesterday. I assume today will be a repeat story. 

If you have hard water or get lyme build-up on your faucets, I cannot say enough how amazingly hot vinegar works to remove it! Just pour the vinegar into a plastic bag (reused/recycled, of course), rubber band it around your faucet and let it soak for 15 minutes. 

Here are my other cleaning recipes: {I mix them in glass bowls and funnel the mixes into spray/squirt bottles.}

De-Greaser:                                                     All-Purpose Cleaner:                       

2c. hot water                                                     3 tbsp. white vinegar

1/4c. lavender castille soap                               1/2 tsp. washing soda

1/4 tsp. lavender essential oil                            1/2 tsp. castille soap

                                                                         1/4 tsp. essential oil scent of choice

                                                                         2c. hot water

Bath, Tub, Tile Cleanser:                             Toilet Bowl Cleaner:

2/3c. baking soda                                             1/2c. baking soda

1/2c. lavender castille soap                              1/2c. borax

2tbsp. white vinegar                                        1/2c. castille soap

1/2c. water                                                       1/2c. water

a few drops tea tree oil                                     10 drops tea tree oil

**these two I put into squirt bottles, as they are thick and it works better for cleaning**

That's all I've got for now. I'm getting the evil eye from Tyler to get my butt back to packing...

Birthday Girl...

Today is one of the hardest days of the year for me. I approach it with both sadness & heartache and hope & joy. Only another woman who has been in my shoes could understand why...

 I am a proud birth mother to a gorgeous little girl I love beyond measure, as does the rest of our family.  Lola Magdelana (named for my great-grandma's). Today is her birthday, and she is 9. There has not been a day that goes by that I don't think about her, or miss her. The ache isn't as sharp and raw as it once was, but it will never truly dissipate until I hold her again. It has been almost 9 years since I have seen her, but it doesn't stop me from searching every crowd I am in for her face. She still lives here in Wisconsin; somewhere close to where I grew up. Tyler has grown accustomed to my crowd scanning over the years, whenever we take the kids to the zoo, the museum, Summerfest, State Fair, etc. I know the chances of catching a glimpse of my baby girl are slim- to-none, but I'm her mother and I can't help myself. I know she is safe and loved and well-cared for, but I just want to see it with my own eyes.

Make no mistake about it, I do not regret my decision to place her for adoption. And no, I didn't place her because I didn't want her (I hate when people make that judgement). Nothing could be further from the truth; for myself or any other birth mother I know. Placing my Lola for adoption was the hardest, most agonizing choice I have ever been forced to make. It took more courage, strength, and blind faith than I ever knew I possessed. I wanted to be selfish and keep my baby; I wanted Lola with me so very badly. But her safety and welfare, and that of my young sons at the time, had to come first. That's a mother's job...to put her children's needs and well-being above her own. To sacrifice everything for them, to ensure they have what is in their best interests. Even if it shatters a mother's heart into tiny little pieces, because it is so crushingly painful to accept she isn't it at that moment.

I did absolutely the best thing given the circumstances! I have never doubted that the parents I chose for Lola love her every bit as much as I do. They had been waiting, wishing, and hoping for my Lola for so very long. Oddly enough, their names are Matt & Kelly...(but not the same Matt & Kelly we blog about). Those two will always be her mom and dad, just like I will always be her mother. I am so grateful to them for raising my baby girl and loving her so much. Lola grew in my body, and shares half my DNA. She is one of only 4 people to ever hear the sound of my heart beating from the inside. Those connections with me can never be broken. Neither can the connections Lola shares with Matt & Kelly. They have held her and comforted her through illness, injury, and fear; watched her grow from newborn to pre-teen. They've taught Lola how to walk, talk, and ride her bike. They have had the privilege of watching Lola's first steps, hearing her first word, and watching her go off to school for the first time. We are all so blessed to have that beautiful girl in our lives!

I got to be with my Lola after the final adoption hearing in March of 2003 to say "see you later"; never goodbye. I held her for what seemed too short a time, and told that tiny baby everything I could about life, love, and our family in those few minutes. My mom presented Lola's mom with my baptismal gown, baby bracelet, and baby rings. The last thing I did for my daughter was bundle her up in the snowsuit her big brother wore as a baby, put my angel necklace around her neck, and place her in her mother's arms. It was a tender and heart wrenching moment. Then I watched as Lola left me. It was important to me that Lola know I never left her- I let her leave me because it was what was best for her.

{My last time with Lola}

As my mom pointed out to me this morning, we're halfway through. She's 9 today. Only 9 more years to go until she can come back to us. And she will come back to her home here- I know it with every fiber of my being!

<3 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOLA MAE! WE LOVE YOU FOREVER AND ALWAYS!!! <3

{One of the last photos I received of her}

Slippery Slope...

Yesterday was an eventful day. We signed everything for the house and got the keys. We spent some time there checking things out, shoveling & salting, measuring rooms & windows, taking note of things we need to get before moving in...all the fun things one does with a new house.

We also hit a few estate sales in the area. I have to admit, I do find it sorta creepy to be going through a dead person's house trying to get the best bargain possible on their lifetime accumulation of household stuff. Death terrifies me, and I don't deal with it well at all. That being said, we got the find of a lifetime at one yesterday. TWO metal antique saucer sleds for $10. You know the sleds I'm talking about- Clark Griswold takes a wild ride on one in Christmas Vacation. Ever since the 3 lil' kids saw that scene, they have been begging for metal sleds. Now we have some. Tyler is currently at "Suicide Hill" in Elver Park with the kids taking a test run. They're trying to determine if the sleds need any "greasing"; like the Griswold's did to theirs.

{This one is not ours. It's an image I found on Google, since ours are at the sledding hill right now.}

Yesterday's estate sale haul also included an awesome {the kids say creepy} marble bust of a boy for $3 and a set of vintage TV trays for $10. Tyler purchased a fantastic birthday gift for Matt. Even I think it's awesome, although I'm not 100% sure his wife will agree. Sorry, Kel. Ty also got himself 2 gorgeous 1940's era Chinese silk ties for $3/each. 

In my continual search for green cleaning techniques, I came across a great drain cleaner recipe. If your house is anything like ours, there is always a clogged drain. This recipe actually works pretty well, too!

Drain Cleaner:

Pour 1c. baking soda down the clogged drain. Follow it with 1c. plain vinegar. Cover the drain with a drain plug, plate, etc. and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Flush well with hot water for 2-3 minutes. If your drain is really bad, you may need to do this 2x. 

Also, if you have hard water and get that annoying/gross lime build-up on your faucets or shower head, fill a plastic bag halfway with plain vinegar. Rubber band the bag around the faucet or shower head and let sit for 30 minutes. It will clean all that gunk right off. Easy fix, eh?

Dancing on the Ceiling...

Literally. That's only because my floor happens to be the ceiling for someone who lives below us. For now, that is. Next month that will no longer be true. Why, you wonder??? Because we are moving!

We got a house. A whole house. That is all ours. In a nice family neighborhood. With a garage. A fenced in yard. And space for our kids to run and play and be loud. Everything I never thought I wanted until Tyler sold me on his dream of a house. We are bursting will excitement over this house. It is completely remodeled and energy efficient. We don't even have to paint, although I will probably paint the kids' rooms. Maybe the bathroom, too.

We can grow a garden in our backyard. We can get a worm composting bin for said garden. Tyler can do all that yard work he loves so much. (Yeah- I agree that's isn't normal. No one likes yard work. Except him.) I can finally have a fixed studio and office for my photography business that doesn't double as our family dining room. No more lugging my lights, backdrops, and billions of props around.

{Our New Home}

This week has been very eventful thus far. Not only is there all the house excitement, but we are also in the midst of planning our summer family trip. We are finally going to take the kids on the epic South Dakota vacation we have been talking about for years. We're gonna road trip it. Camp in the state parks. Eat food we cooked on the camp fire. Let the kids see the beauty and history of the Great Plains. It is the family vacation I most fondly remember from my childhood, and Tyler, too. I'm so excited to take our kiddos to Deadwood, the Badlands, and the Black Hills. To share my maternal grandma's family history in the lil' town of Menno. Watch the fireworks over Mount Rushmore. See buffalo and prairie dogs up close in their natural habitats. Go spelunking. Pan for gold. And have our free glasses of ice water at Wall Drug. 

Who knew taking a step back from consumerism to old fashioned simplicity during 2012 would be so sweet so fast?! I'm sure the rest of this year will not continually be the sunshine and roses this week has been...but it sure gives this girl a lot of hope that it could be!

Organic Eco Friendly Wine is Wreaking Havoc...

I blame our friend Kelly for the whole problem, too. During our visit with them on Saturday she poured me two lovely glasses of red wine. I don't even know what brand or type. I just know I got to have an adult beverage and interesting adult conversation together in one sitting. Obviously, if I just kept red wine in the house all the time I could repeat the experience anytime I wanted. That seems logical, right?!?!

When left unchaperoned to run a few errands yesterday I came across an AMAZING sale on a case of wine. (I also bought my husband an XL lady's cardigan, but I won't embarrass either of us any further with more details. I'm just going to quietly return it to the Goodwill) The wine was organic and came in Eco-friendly glass bottles that are lighter and leave less of a carbon footprint. I was even allowed to mix and match Cabernet, Merlot, and Chardonnay per the fine print on the end cap. Really, the sign had my money at SALE...all the rest was just a bonus. (I'd tell you the brand name, but after Kelly's story about her Tisdale fauxpas I don't want anyone to tell me I'm drinking cooking wine. It would just ruin my happy, glazed over state.)

So, last night I cracked open my first bottle of earth friendly wine. I went with the Cabernet. Poured a nice glass and curled up on the couch with the hubs, eager for the sparkling conversation to begin. All I got was him grumping about the poor Packer performance and a bad case of heartburn. Talk about disappointment. Now I have 11 bottles left sitting in a 100% post-consumer recycled box in my dining room, and my only hope is Kelly and Matt will come visit us soon.

And now onto my review of homemade shampoo...
Surprisingly, I actually love it! Even weirder, so does Tyler. I also made a batch for my mommy for her birthday. (No, that wasn't all we gave her.) The mixture lathers fantastically and smells really nice. However, do not under any circumstances use the plain vinegar/water conditioning rinse!
Shampoo Recipe:
1/2 c. Dr. Bonner's Unscented Baby-Mild Castille Soap
1/4c Distilled Water (Don't let your husband get this! He'll just grab a jug of purified drinking water. It's not the same thing.)
2 tsp. Jojoba  or Almond Oil (I went with jojoba)
1 tsp. Glycerin
1/2 tsp. Tea Tree Oil
1/4 tsp. Peppermint Oil

Mix it all up in a glass mixing bowl, not aluminum, and funnel into a glass jar, old shampoo bottle, used dish soap jug, etc. You only need to use about a quarter sized drop, but be careful this shampoo is runnier than what you're used to. Don't worry- it really is enough to lather medium length hair with suds 'o' plenty. Oh, and when you rinse it out, it will feel really strange. It will feel "greasy and gross- like you washed with a dirty hippie", as Tyler put it. It isn't; I swear! Also, don't leave your hair up in the towel turban for more than a minute. Without all the chemicals like in standard shampoo, your hair dries super fast. I haven't used any conditioner, gel, mousse, or shine serum in 3 days, and my hair has been more manageable and shinier than in years. (Shhhh- don't let my neighbor/hairstylist in on this secret. She won't like that she can't up sell products to me anymore.)

I know you're wondering why I said not to use the 1 part vinegar/1 part water conditioning rinse. It really does work. But if you use a blow dryer or a straight iron, like I do, there is an unsettling side effect. Your hair will smell like barf. Yes, barf. Honestly, I thought one of our cats barfed somewhere in the bathroom the morning I used this. It took a few moments before I realized, in utter horror, my hair was the actual source of the awful smell. Heat and vinegar don't mix- you'd think cleaning the coffee pot would've taught me that already. Matt, Kelly, and Tyler also confirmed my hair had a "barfy aroma", just in case I thought I was wrong or that the smell would fade during the course of the day.