Play at the Park

Today was a perfect fall day. A little windy, but nothing a nice sweatshirt couldn't handle. We added almost 2 hours to my 500 hour pledge bringing us up to 4 1/2 hours. The weekend looks gorgeous so hopefully we can keep it up.

I went for my morning walk/run, 40 minutes outside for me, while my girls get about 30 for recess ( I count the 30). We picked some carrots, composted some stuff and played outdoors a bit. We also went to the park for a while after school. I went to a different park today to meet a friend and am glad I did. My town's park, which is beautiful and new, is almost always empty. While sometimes I enjoy this so I can play and run around with my girls, other times I want to sit and relax and they want playmates. Its so sad to rarely see another kid at this park. I don't understand what does everyone do? My town doesn't have many neighborhoods so either the kids are on playdates, playing in their yards with siblings or alone, or doing after school activities. A neighboring town, which is really that, a nice little town, with houses close and a real neighborhood feel, is the park we went to today. There I saw children. A group of older boys playing football. Girls climbing on the monkey bars, kids swinging, running and having fun. An older girl pushed my youngest on the swings a bit while I chat with other moms. And no I don't feel one bit guilty about it. I love this town, to bad the taxes are outrageous. But it is the rare place I see kids playing, with no structure, no adults controlling the play. Just time to be a kid, like its the 70s. To not watch tv, no phones or ipads. Just actually free play. I love watching my daughter learn to navigate the kids and find her place playing. And how she keenly observes them to see how well they climb or jump. After some watching she tries to do it to. She's always been a watcher. Today she tried the monkey bars. She fell, poor kid has my upper body strength, or lack of. But practicing on those bars will get her there. And after seeing the other kids she was very determined to get right back up and try again. If we were alone at our town's park she wouldn't have tried. Thinking that's something big kids do, or not something she can do. Seeing her friends she knew she could. And she was right. I love watching her grow in her own right. Free to play, learn and grow

Day 1 500 Hour Outside Challenge

Well day one is here and with the sun setting it is almost gone. Today was,hmmm, trying to say the least. My 3 year old got my last nerve today. She was very trying all day and not listening. I lost my patience too much too. Not my best parenting day, but not my worst either. I got 1/2 hour during the day outside. Cleaning out the car, playing at the farm stand. My goal was another hour at the park which was cut to a short 1/2 hour (I'm counting the 1/2 hour or after today I will feel defeated before I even get going) due to my 3 year old refusing to wear shoes or a jacket in 50 degree weather. So we left the park. I was frustrated with repeating myself multiple times and wasn't going to let her run around in a t-shirt, capris and no shoes. With winter coming soon I need to set a precedent of weather appropriate clothes for outside. So total on day 1, 1 hour. Not great and with a few days of rain this total might not go up much. Looks like we will be making up for it this weekend. I hope. Side note I'm also wearing a pedometer to meet a daily goal of 10,000 steps. I am right at 9,000 and know I will rack up 1,000 more with after bedtime cleaning. So one goal met.

500 Hours

500 hours outside, in the sun, rain, or snow. 500 hours, which is a little over an hour a day. It doesn't sound hard, but I know with my modern

indoor life it might be a little challenging, which is why I'm challenging myself and my family to it. I recently read a blog about a mom who pledged to get outside 1000 hours for the year. This is amazing, but she is a homeschooling mom, I am not. I don't think it would be possible to get out that much in a year. Maybe it is, I don't know, if I do well this year maybe I will up it for ourselves next year. I love being outside, but in my "old age" of in my mid 30s now I've become somewhat of a, hmm how should I put this nicely, another word for a cat. I dislike the cold and hot sun. I gripe about putting on layers for me, my 2 girls. I feel like in bad weather I spend more time putting on clothes then we spend outside.

Well no more. Fresh air solves so much, my vitamin D deficiency. It can help with cabin fever, get my in my garden more, help me move more to lose those last few pounds. Get my girls more active. Help us feel more connected to nature, less connected to the tv, facebook or online world. I'm very excited to give this a try, well not a try. I will do. I will log from tomorrow Oct 20 to the following Oct our outside time. I will only count my daughter outside 1/2 recess if I get out on my own and spend that time outside too. The log will be heavier somedays, light to nothing others, and that's okay. As long as come next October I will be outside for 500 hours. Children spend less than an average of 1/2 hour a day outdoors during the week and about 2 hours a day on weekends. This is about 208 hours outside on weekends and about 130 for the week. Well under my 500 goal. And this is from an older study from 2009, with the huge increase since then of smartphones and gadgets I would think those numbers are even lower today. There is a huge increase in ADHD, obesity, mental illness, social problems all since we have become a society who closes the door and stays inside. Study and study shows spending more time exercising and outdoors in nature, helps so many of our modern problems, especially with children. For myself I see this. Since I've graduated college and am not forced to walk a mile to and from classes in all weather I have noticed I get Seasonal affective disorder at times through out winter. Which with knowing I have low vitamin D this doesn't surprise me. I want to curl up in bed, watch tv all day or read. Okay so reading isn't bad. But getting outside is the number one suggestion for SADS and I just can't do it. Well no more. I will get us outside. I will turn off the tv. I will use our bodies and not let them become one with the couch. I will spend 500 hours outside.

Martinmas

Cold weather lantern walks, stories about St. Martin helping beggars and the poor. Lovely first celebration of St. Martin. A lovely tradition hopefully next fall we can do some more.

Fall is in Full Swing

The leaves are red, yellow and falling down on our heads every time we are outside, walking, playing or just enjoying the sights. The sound of crunching leaves, the smell of the autumn air, burning wood and the morning frosty dew. I just love fall. So far we've baked pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pancakes (best thing ever!), pumpkin bread and pumpkin muffins. We collected leaves, glued them in our nature book and identified what trees they came from. We drew each leaves and colored them. We painted trees with falling leaves, painted and carved pumpkins. Gone on a few gnome walks and walks in our own yard. We made a leave pile and jumped in it. We climbed trees. We played in the park and on the playground as much as possible before it gets too cold. We danced in the rain, splashed in puddles and felt the rain drops on our hands. We trick or treated. We collected pine cones and made bird feeders. We collected nuts and acorns. The weather this fall has been a well deserved blessing and I'm so glad I've taken the time to enjoy as much time out and about in it. And I hope to continue til we need winter coats and gloves, but then I still hope I can make it out to enjoy the seasons and outdoors.

Indian Summer

With the horrible, rainy, cool summer we have its such a blessing to have this extended summer going well into Fall. This week it is going to reach in the 80s and I have no complaints. We have been enjoying as much time as possible outside in the warm sun. The leaves have slowly started to fall and some are changing, but it is still mostly green here. The best part about this warm sunny weather is its giving my peppers a chance to grow. I finally have a few green ones ready to harvest. But I'm holding out a bit til they turn red. I also have some yellow ones almost ready to be harvested. They should be ready at the end of the week. This excites me even more since its an old variety an elderly man gave to my dad. He brought the peppers all the way from Hungary. I will do my best to try to save the seeds and pass on Nick's Peppers for more seasons to come.

Back to School

Liv is back in school, 3 days a week of pre-k. While part of me still dreams of homeschooling I just don't know if it will ever work out for us. One huge part is I know myself and know I crack with out a break. I need some time with out fighting, yelling, biting (well that's Eve not Liv)whining and just time for me. So far everyday Liv's been in school I've hit our local trail for a run/walk. (I can not run even half of it, but hey I'm trying) I'm not alone, Eve is in tow. But its much more peaceful of a walk since she has no ones hair to pull or no one to poke out when she gets bored half way through. Today I just walked with 2 other moms, and boy was it nice. We walked, talked and enjoyed the fall breeze in the air. Talking to two other adults while the toddlers enjoyed the leaves falling and Eve some coloring and snacks too. I'm hoping to stick to this work out schedule, since it feels so good and maybe, just maybe I'll get back in those skinny jeans. 3 hours with one child, yes that is a huge break and relation for me. Funny to think of one child being a break, but any parent of more than one will tell you it really is. Is also nice to get to spend some one on one time. And Eve actually really enjoys playing alone, something she rarely gets to do since Liv wants to always play with her. I get so much done not having to play referee. I give so much credit to those homeschooling moms and dream of maybe a part-time way for me. If I could afford it I would maybe pay for some classes during the day. They actually offer so much around here. Dance, art, natures, music. But for me to afford all of that I need to work. But those classes would give me the break I need. And hopefully some socialization they love. People around here are very "modern" full time pre-k, preschool at 2, dance lessons, swim lessons and soccer. All of that doesn't leave too many friends around for playdates. That is a huge reason I put her in school and even if I had the money a big reason why I still might hesitate homeschooling. The homeschoolers here are far and few inbetween. Right now I feel like I'm living my homeschool dream. She's out a little bit, but still home enough so I can enjoy time with her. On non school days I homeschool pre-k stuff with her. Right now we are working on phonics. Next week we'll be starting "Teach your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons." Pinterest is also an amazing homeschooling tool. I have so many cute crafts planned. Liv being home more also helps me do religious studies with her. Its important to me that she understands her religion and is raised with good Christian values. Part of that for me is having her home enough to show and teach her that. As their mom I feel I am best to teach them, as I feel most other moms are their own children's best teachers. So for now I'm enjoying the part-time school part-time homeschool life and dreaming of lotto winnings, a move to a cheaper state or a big fat inheritance to make that dream come true.

Harvest Party

This week I am hosting a little harvest party at our home for Liv and her friends. I thought it would be a nice simple way to enjoy some time outdoors, which soon will be limited. We are painting pumpkins and doing apple star prints. For the star prints you simple cut the apple in half, horizontal, and in the middle is a little star. Simply dip them in paint and make the prints on paper. We are also doing bird feeder with peanut butter and seeds on a pine cone. All of this will be done in the backyard with plenty of time to run around and enjoy the fall weather. I'm also hoping to make a leaf pile for the kids to jump in.

We are serving homemade pumpkin bread and apple cider. I'm hoping to make this a little autumn tradition in our home. How do you celebrate the fall season?

Thanksgiving Bake-A-Thon

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This year I am doing most of the desserts for my family for Thanksgiving. Now that I am a SAHM I really have no excuse to not help my mom out more for ou Thanksgiving feast.
This year I am making Pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pie and a side spinach dish. As you can see we love pumpkin, and I personally love to eat with the seasons and what is more seasonal for autumn then pumpkin.
Liv loves our baking days. She loves to mix things. Just last week at a La Leche toddler group I go to she went over to a child's kitchen set, picked up a bowl and a spoon and started to "mix." I couldn't believe it, guess I need to get her a kitchen set sooner then later.
As a child my mom loved to bake and cook, but did not have the patients to teach me along with her cooking. I remember the smells and taste of her dishes, but I also remember getting shoed out of the kitchen when I even went in for something to drink.
Because of this I was never taught to cook or bake, but I have made a huge effort to teach myself. I can not remember who said "anyone who can read can cook" but this is a huge part of my learning since I love to check out cooking books from the library.

I still love the classic cookbook by better homes and gardens. This book is one of the few I own and I often use it as a resource to make up my own dishes from their's with simple modifications or to just read and cook right from the pages.
I also think working in restaurants has helped greatly. I always asked the cooks how they made things, and was very lucky to work with great cooks who loved to show me and tell me how they cooked.
This is a skill that it not often passed down anymore. Too many people have no idea how to cook and get most of their meals from a take-out menu.
Our weekly baking days is a great tradition for Liv and me. And its wonderful to start Liv to understand how to cook and where her food comes from.
Tommorow my kitchen will be covered with flour and sugar and so will my clothes (I need to get myself and apron) but it will also be filled with wonderful scents, laughter and great memories and spending time with my daughter.

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Homemade Bread

King Arthur Flour - Premium 100% Whole Wheat Flour - 5 Lbs. (Pack of 3)

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I've have been a little scared to make bread from scratch. I love to bake, but with a toddler at home I have been too worried to devote as much time as is needed to make fresh bread.
Well last week I ran out of bread and didn't feel like going to the store. I looked on the back of my whole wheat flour bag and saw this recipe. This no knead reciped seemed easy to make and didn't require too much time so I gave it a whirl.
The bread came out pretty good for my first try. My DH even ate it with some honey spread on it. He hates wheat breads.
There was something just so satistying about making you own bread.
It was lovely for my whole house to smell like fresh baked bread.
I am now feeling a bit more adventurous and might try a knead bread soon.

Homemade Always Seems to Taste Better

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Last week we went apple picking at a local orchard. After almost a week of apples and apple crisp I was getting a little board of apples, but I had a bunch left, a mix of green and red ones. They were now in the fridge since its been a while since they were picked and were not as yummy and juicy as then once were so I knew if I didn't do something with them they would go bad and be a waste. And being the green momma and moneysaver I am I could not let them go to waste. So I knew I was going to make porkchops one night so I decided to make homemade applesauce with it. I modified a simple recipe I found.
I can not believe how good my applesauce was. It tasted nothing like the suff you get out of a jar. I don't think I could ever eat jarred applesauce again. And the best part was that it was so easy. Growing up in these times were are just so accustomed to getting everything off the shelf in jars and cans. I am slowly changing my mind set to more DIY and my palate thanks me.
Its also just feels good to make things from scratch. It amazes me that people stopped making certain that are really easy. I never knew that applesauce was so easy to make, I have only ever had Motts out of a jar as a kid.
I really enjoy the fact that even though Liv is so young I am creating memories and teaching her skills that will last a life time.
If you have some left over apples enjoy this recipe. It tastes great warm and makes an healthy dessert.

Homemade Apple Sauce
3lbs apples, peeled and cut in slices. Use a mix of sweet apples and baking apples, mostly baking, about 2/3 baking so you don't need so much sugar.
1/3-2/3 cup sugar, with the mix of apples you only need 1/3 tops. You can even do less or do all sweet apples and no sugar.
About 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, more or less to taste (I like more)
Put all the ingredients in a pot on the stove, bring to a boil.
When boiling cover, reduce the heat and simmer 8-10 min till apples are tender. Adding more water if needed. (if you end up adding too much you can drain a little at the end, but you should leave some in the mix when you go to blend it)
Place the mix in a blender and blend till smooth. You use a potato masher to make lumpy applesauce.
And Enjoy! Great warm or cold.

This is a great snack for toddlers too. Liv will dip a breadstick in the mix or just eat some with a spoon.

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Keeping my Fall Promise

Image by MissMessie via Flickr

Last week I kept with my Autumn promise of filling my home with natural scents of the season by making homemade apple crisp.
We went apple picking at a local orchard and picked tons of apples. We enjoyed the best tasting apples all week and after dinner we enjoyed some yummy hot warm apple crisp.
I am so glad to be keeping my promise of filling my home with natural scents and creating seasonal memories for my daughter.

Apple Crisp
5 cups of baking apples sliced and peeled
1 tablespoon sugar
cinnamon to taste
1/2 c oatmeal
1/4 c flour
1/4 c butter
1/2 Cup brown sugar
Mix apples white sugar and cinnamon in a square baking dish
Mix oatmeal, flour and brown sugar, cut in the butter till the mix is crumbly.
Spread over apples.
Bake 30min at 375 degrees.
Serve warm, can serve with vanilla ice cream

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Filling my Home with Scents of the Season...pumpkin bread

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In an earlier post I pledged to fill my home with natural scents of the season, not with fake candle smells.
Well on this cold, rainy day I fill my house with warmth from the oven and the lovely smell of fresh baked pumpkin cranberry bread.
MMM. I use this recipe. It says you can use "craisins" or sweetened cranberries. I use fresh cranberries and let them sit in some sugar to sweeten them a little, but I like the contrast of the tart cranberries and the sweet bread, which that contrast would be lost with craisins.
This recipe is great since it makes 2 loafs, one for me and then one for a friend. It is one of my fall favorites.
I am glad to be keeping my pledge and fill my home with scents of the season.

Seasonal Dinner..mmmm

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Over the weekend I made Liv and myself a nice pasta with a light cream sauce, peas and butternut squash. Mmmmm, good. Liv ate the peas and squash right up. Those were def her favs! She barely touched the pasta, which she usually loves pasta. I love finding different veggies that Liv will eat and different ways she will eat them. It is just so nice to eat fresh, seasonal produce. I love fall!

My Fall Promise

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I vow to fill my home with natural scents of the season.

I love the smell of apples and spice, pumpkin and hot tea, but this year I will not fill my home with the scents from candles. I will not allow the air in my home to be polluted with the toxins many candles give off.
I will bake, cook and bring fresh flowers into my home.
I will help my home feel like the fall season and make beautiful memories for my child, that envoke all of her senses.

Fall is Here

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I love the Waldorf philosophy of rhythm with the seasons. My father owned a flower shop growing up and I lived across the street from a farm so I was always very aware of the changing seasons. Different flowers, crops, scents, tastes I still can recall so many of them. So much of this is now missed for many children. You can get apples all year round, pumpkin pie in June, and a Yankee candle smelling like Autumn leaves.
I really feel its important to go with the natural rhythm of the seasons. I feel it is better for us in many ways, its green to eat seasonally, it helps with our own natural rhythm and not work against it and it also can create many great memories for your child. There are many great books out there that have some good ideas on how to create rhythm and create your own family traditions.
I am so excited to start new traditions with Liv. On of the first is to go apple picking. I am luck to live in an area with lots of farms. I can't wait to pick the apples, then bake many apple dishes to enjoy, smell the pies cooking through out the house and to warm up my home with the lots of baking.
Fall isn't offically here, but in Jersey is summer ends after Labor Day and we have had some nice cool Fall weather already. We are enjoying walking in the cool weather and playing in the falling leaves. I am also reading Fall poems to Liv.
I am excited to start some great fall traditions for Liv and keep a nice family rhythm.

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