Farm Fashions for Spring

I never thought I'd ever be shopping for clothes at Tractor Supply.  

Paul was there a few weeks ago picking up supplies for the lambs and let me know there was a huge rack of Women's clothing on clearance.  He sifted through the racks with me on the other end at home and  my first response was "don't waste money on something I won't wear, I don't wear clothes from feed stores".  He kept insisting and since the shirts were only $7 he said he was bringing one home anyway.

Carhartts were on sale too, he knew I'd love the lined purple vest for only $14 but wasn't sure the size - I told him definitely a large.  He brought the goods home (in the same bag as the tail docking supplies) and I actually loved the fit of the button down, I liked the vest too but it was too big.  So what did I do - I sent him immediately back to pick up 3 more shirts and the vest in a smaller size.  Which brings me to confess not only did I shop for clothes at the Tractor Supply, but I sent my husband there as my personal shopper, I love that he also grabbed a pink Carhartt hoodie without even having to ask my opinion.

The rest of my look for spring was completed with the online purchase of some Rosie workwear overalls.  These are an essential part of my milking uniform (I'm still working on aim) and will be great for the garden.   The Bogs I picked up last summer on clearance at DSW a few days after securing a contract on our farm and the garden clogs were my moms that she found in an old box during her last visit to MI.

Now the last of the accessories that make this all work is the stack of folded baby wraps, only a few of will be reserved for farm and garden work because they are sure to get soiled.  

And here it is all is together on my way out for morning milking - farm wear has taken my wardrobe well beyond the usual mom wear.   It is surprisingly fun and essentially functional.  

How I wrap my baby on my back

With so many sisters and friends with babies, toddlers and babies on the way I thought I'd post a video on how and why I wrap my baby on my back.  I highly recommend it for so many reasons.  

For now you can enjoy my low budget filming on photo booth.  Something funny happened with the film speed and audio but that makes it even more entertaining - I like the way the kids are speeding around me because that's how it feels sometimes.  

Enjoy for now and if there is interest I'll figure out a way to make a better "how to" video with my flip camera.  

Big Kids in Baby Wraps

I have found another use for my multiple baby wraps - kid hammocks!  One of the ladies at The Little Seedling suggested I try it, she promised it would help us get through winter.  Oh how grateful I am for her suggestion.  It is a perfect spot for quiet time.  I usually have at least 2 set up at any given time but have capacity to get 5 going at once (that is if we happen to clear the kitchen table).

Here they are in action - baby wraps are my favorite mothering tool!

Here's what we had for dinner

I am posting food again because it was requested by a few individuals.  This is soaked and cooked quinoa topped with stir fried veggies and a bit of beef.  It was delicious but not everyone loved it so there was enough for both lunch and dinner. 

For those who do not love what is cooked, I only request they take two bites.  That was suggested by my pediatrician and we have seen gradual success in pickiness decline.

Back to the meal.  This started with a few beef bones - these are local, grass fed, organic from an excellent supplier,  Garry Kuneman at Natural Local Foods Express.  I buy most of my meat there and highly recommend it.  

Here are the beef bones. After searing them, I placed them in a crock pot with an onion, some garlic, peppercorns, baby leaf and covered it all with filtered water.  After 12 hours on low the meat was falling off the bone and I was left with several cups of rich broth.

I strained the broth, reserved the beef (even knocked out the bone marrow because it is good for you) then let it cool overnight in the fridge so the fat could be easily skimmed.

Just like the millet and most grains, quinoa (which technically is a seed) should be soaked overnight.  The reason for this is to help break down the phytic acid which can block the absorption of vital nutrients.  I read about this in Nourishing Traditions but also just found this report.  So if replicating this recipe go ahead and rinse 2 cups (or half if it is only for a few people) of quinoa then soak covered overnight in filtered water with a splash of buttermilk, whey or lemon juice.

The rest of the cooking was done just before dinner.  Here I am in action chopping piles of veggies:

First start cooking the quinoa the same way I cooked the millet, sauteing in garlic and onions and adding broth.  For two cups quinoa use 4 cups broth.  Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered stirring as needed.  

For the stir fry, again start with chopped onion and minced garlic - I like garlic so most likely used at least 5.  If I'm pressed for time I'll use my garlic press but I like the flavor better minced (probably because the garlic press is more like a juicer).  Toss this around in a hot wok with a bit of oil (I use olive or grape seed) but when if it starts to stick add a few spoonfuls of broth.  

For variety I like to add leeks and green onions - go ahead and toss them in.  Now a bit of fresh ginger, don't over do it because it can be strong - mince it, don't juice it.  Toss it all together and when the yummy smell starts to fill your kitchen add diced carrots and zucchini.  At this point you may want to spoon a bit more broth to help the carrots cook faster (they should be very small and uniformly chopped).  

When the carrots begin to soften toss in some chopped mushrooms then finely chopped collards, kale or spinach.  As they start to wilt add in the reserved minced beef (and marrow) from the broth bones, sprinkle with a little  sea salt or Braggs and top onto the finished quinoa.

Here it is again steaming off the plate.  You may even see Peter in the far background with forehead to fist in dread, so if you're not interested no hard feelings.  But this is definitely my kind of food - it is what I crave and if we didn't have a sesame allergy would have toasted some for the top.  

In the end Peter did eat it, but not until he sprinkled it with a little dried kelp.  I don't think it tasted good that way but happy he ate his share.  

Late Night Dying

I have to confess why I had I so little patience for yesterday's craft activity, the night previous I stayed up way too late tub dying the above pieces.  It's not that it takes so long but the only good time for mixing dyes is when all the kids are sleeping and I wanted to be sure to have it all cleaned up before they woke up.

I want to document them here to remember what I mixed and see how different fabrics in the same dye lot each take to it differently.  I'm happy with the neutral color but admit all together they look drab - kind of like the color of Mao's suit. But there is a enough variation to the style lines to keep them alive.

Here's what I mixed, enough for 1 1/2 lbs of fabric:  2 TBS dharma's procion pewter, 1 TBS better black and 1/2 TBS Wedgwood blue.

The first piece is an airplane embroidered barefoot dreams baby top that had suffered from too much spit up.  It's got a whole new look now and I especially love the way the original stitching pops out.  George wore it today with some chocolate brown footed knit pants for a cool baby color combo for fall.  I would have taken a picture but he spit up on it before I got around to it.

The second is my wear your baby poncho.  I finally got the guts to dye and I'm happy I did.

I can't believe it is getting cool enough to actually wear this again!  It is made from a super cozy organic cotton berber fleece so that alone will get me throwing it on at will.  Here I am  just heading out to retrieve the morning paper.  And here is a close up of the neck.  I think I'd like to make another one with just one neck hole opening because I actually do sometimes go out without that cute baby attached to me.

The last two pieces were just thrown in last minute because I couldn't bare to let any dye go to waste.  One of them was my favorite white T that got pitted out from frequent summer wear and the other was a stained top of the girls.

This was a quick satisfying project!  I just don't recommend it when the kids are up.   

Baby Wearing Revolution

I both blame and thank Caryn for exposing me to a huge community of baby wearers at thebabywearer.com .   I had plans to sew up a few more slings but after reviewing the gallery there my interest switched to wraps and I am now permanently hooked!

A wrap is pretty much a specially woven piece of fabric.  I first tried it with 5 yards of discount silk but that proved to be way too uncomfortable.  So I bought a didymos from a kind lady off craigs list.  Even used they are pricey but after trying one on I discovered it to be so great that I needed more than just one.

The tying is not as hard as it looks - it just took a few youtube videos and practice in front of a mirror to get it right.  When I get good I'll post my own video here.  There are so many ways to wrap and wear it but for me the back feels the most comfortable.

What more can I say than I wish I had this with my first baby!  This is by far my favorite baby carrying device.  I can cook (even stir fry), bend and do laundry, work in the garden, wash dishes, and sew all with a very content baby (and sometimes toddler) on my back.

Not only that, these wraps fulfill more than one of my intentions.......to be nurturing and practical all with a bit of style.

Spring Sling

After borrowing my sister Mary's Hot sling I decided I needed one for myself.

The design was simple enough to replicate so I sewed one up and George likes it.

It seems I have added a new wear your baby contraption with each new baby and if I didn't already have so many I'd be tempted to make a few more of these slings in several different colors and prints.

What I like about it is that it is made of a woven cotton Lycra giving it a little bit more snugness with out feeling too tight.  I also like the padded band in front for the baby to rest his head on or let his feet hang out without discomfort.

Here is the list of other carriers I like and use.  They all have pro's and con's but one thing's for sure I love to cuddle my babies and have free hands too.

Baby Bjorn (actually I don't love this one but Paul does)
New Native
Maya wrap
Moby wrap
Kelty
Baby Becco

Wear your Baby in the cold!

Life had presented another excuse for emergency sewing. 

In just one day the weather changed from Winter to Spring and I could contain the kids inside no more.  

Where just last week there was an igloo, now lays a huge mud puddle.  This was irresistible to our almost 2 year old Henry and I made the mistake of thinking it would be okay to watch the kids from the front window with James in charge. 

Within five minutes Henry was crying and James was screaming for help.  Both of them were covered in mud.  Henry didn't want the fun to end and James was playing a sort of tug of war with Henry - the mud won. On my way to the rescue I discovered Clara dancing on the curb and Maryanna riding her bike in the middle of the street. So ends the unsupervised afternoons in the yard.

This poncho was constructed as a multitask tool - now I can wear baby George while I watch the kids outside.  I suppose I should probably dye it brown considering the mud matches I'm sure to have with Henry. 

I ordered the 18 oz natural Sherpa fabric from near sea naturals and used this guide to help (I couldn't help but change the shape and neckline).

Still tempted to dye it though - any color suggestions? 

 

Wordful Wednesday: This is Me

This is me….

Wishing Paul was with me
In the pool to help hold some kids
Finding an excuse to call
Even just his voice makes me happy

Mother of six
Off on adventure
Trying to do it all
Happy
Even though I
Rarely have a minute of my own

Don’t know how my mom did it
All 17 of her children wonder
Understand now why you did
Greatest lessons I learned right in our
Home
To love and to give to
Everyone around
Receiving more in return

So much to share
I still feel I’m 16
So much to learn
Too much too say
Energy boosts and
Rambling thoughts

May I live to become
Even more than I am

More Wordful Wednesday here- join the fun!

p.s. this was a self timer picture - that was me on my own last week in St. George

Someone had to hold the babies

Becca took this picture of me when she returned from wake boarding and tubing with the kids. I'm not a huge water sports gal so I gladly volunteered to stay on the beach with the infants and toddlers. It was no problem with the help of the moby wrap. I also got to finnish Becca's book while she was off.

Babies wearing babies

Well I guess she technically is not a baby anymore but it is still kind of funny to watch her play and complete all her kid tasks with her baby secured to her. This mini hot sling was whipped up the night before Maryanna's birthday and presented with her new bike. I knew she would need two hands to ride it just like I do for laundry. Now Peter wants me to make him a camo or sports fabric sling for carrying his favorite stuffies.

This is the way we do the Laundry

Monday is a big laundry day for us and the only way to get through it all is to wear the baby. Suz gave me (actually it was a trade for my miracle swaddling blanket) this new Moby wrap and I'm really liking it! I'm just getting the itch to hand dye it though. I like all of the several "wear your baby" contraptions but I tend to switch them around depending upon my activity or task as they each have their own pro's and con's.

Moby Pro's:
-It is very comfortable - probably the most comfortable of all
-You can wear the baby in several different positions
-It looks great - almost like an interesting fashion accessory

Moby Con's:
-It is too bulky to fit in your purse
-Bit complicated to figure out (it came with a booklet that I followed and had to practice it a few times before I felt comfortable)
-It is not as quick to put on and off

I didn't get into wearing my baby until had my second baby. With my first, I just held him and there was little need for multi-tasking. Since then however, there have been many instances where the baby was strapped securly to me and I have had to scoop up a toddler and carry them at the sametime. It doesn't sound that impressive but I am not the strongest creature so the baby gear definately helps. During one of these intances a neighbor stopped by to deliever a meal. After seeing how I handled two at once she shared a story about one of her pioneer ancestors who had several children close in age. It was recorded that she would use her apron as a sort of sling and would be able to complete her homemaking tasks with two babies somehow wrapped about her. I was thinking - Wow! and apron sling combination - how inventive, I may have to work on that in all my spare time......For now though I've got enough contraptions to get me through my day.

I like wearing my babies for more than just productivity of it. Here is why else:
-I like the smell of my babies heads
-It conceals the troubling post partum mid-section
-Keeps the babies happy (I suppose they feel secure)
-Gives the baby a good view of the world
-Keeps strangers from trying to touch your baby
-Adds resistance and burns more calories
-With all the choices of colors and styles it is just plain fun

I also think it is kind of cute when Daddy wears the babies.

Coping

This past week we were hit with all sorts of bugs and viruses. I've been sleeping as much as possible and doing a ton of laundry (due to the little kids' stomach flu). One good thing is no one has much of an appetite so I haven't had to cook much. The other fun thing was laying around together watching hours of Planet Earth.

Clara has perfected her first phrase "Momma hol jou" as she follows me around the house crying and whinning. Thank goodness for the Beco carrier - just what I needed to free up my hands and catch up on housework. And thank goodness for baby Einstein shows - the only other thing that would keep her happy today.

One more plug for the Maya Wrap

I could not have made my trip without it! For some reason the Paris airport prohibits strollers. Luckily I had the wrap stowed away in my carry on when the stroller was checked with the other baggage. Three people stopped me in the airport asking about it... at least that's what I think they were asking about (bit of a language barrier there).

It was also perfect for exploring Mallorca and casually wandering art museums. I do not recommend it for shoe shopping however. You know that feeling of trying to put shoes on when you are really pregnant- this was worse. I also don't recommed wearing the wrap If you are also carrying a heavey camera and you are trying to keep up with your husband on his former missionary streets. Other than that I now wear my wrap at least once a day and it has been officially broken in with spit up, drool, side walk chalk, and pasta sauce. It is also quite useful at church when I need my hands free - I just need to wash it before next sunday.

So, thanks again Alexis! I may not be an "Alpha Mom" as of yet but I will gladly share my recommendations for this product with any mom who feels they need a free hand once in a while.