i don't even know where to start!

what a crazy couple of days!  we had a major snow storm last week - and another one yesterday....so we are a bit nuts trying to dig out and stay sane around here.

don't get me wrong - the snow looks beautiful when you are looking at it through a picture window

but its not so pretty when your plow gets stuck, the tractor can't make it up the hill, and a neighbor's tree falls onto your property and blocks your driveway - further hindering the snow cleaning.

but with the help of a cousin and my mom (who at 62 really shouldn't have to help!!) - we shoveled the driveway enough for the tractor to make it up to our house.  unfortunately the truck is still stuck.......... 

with the driveway cleared and the sun shining brightly - we finally had a chance to enjoy the snow.

we made a snowman

and created some snow art w/food coloring filled bottles (what i didn't take a picture of was the butt and penis my youngest son painted on our snowman LOL)

we even took a mini-hike down the driveway to see the stream completely filled in with snow - and gather some much needed twigs for our fireplace

if you notice - most of my outdoor pics are of my youngest son - that is b/c out of my 2 boys - he is the one who likes to hang with me outside and actually DO things...the oldest - not so much.  he bailed within 30 minutes...

but sadly - what got completely overshadowed by the blizzard

was my hubby's birthday

there was no birthday cake (he desperately wanted to eat it the nite before - so we did)

no singing happy birthday

no decorations, or cards or presents......

no favorite dinner

and he didn't complain about that at all

but that is going to change today. 

he was able to pick up some hours of work so he'll be gone all day and most of the evening.  so while he's gone we will decorate

and make some cards

and make a present of some sort........

and find some type of cake to make that only requires one stick of butter.......b/c that is all i have......

then tomorrow we'll make his favorite dinner

and sing happy birthday

b/c he is great husband, dad, uncle, brother-in-law, brother, son and cousin to many

and he deserves a special day

stained glass heart banner

i needed a quick craft to do to add some valentine cheer to our home.  this one was easy and fun to do.

grab some crayons and sharpen them over wax paper

cover with another sheet of wax paper.  carefully place them between larger pieces of paper to catch the wax in case it oozes out the edges.

carefully iron the paper.  if you run the iron along the paper you will smear the colors together.  if you lightly press up and down you'll melt the colors but they will stay mostly individualized.

cut out heart shapes once the wax paper has cooled.

punch a hole in the tops and string them on some yarn.  we hung our largest one in the middle - then on either side we strung our hearts from largest to smallest.

easy peasy and beautiful!

homemade cleaning products......................laundry detergent

having a green household is important to me. i've managed to either completely eliminate some cleaning products (like bleach and fabric softener) or replace others with natural alternatives.  now my goal is to take it one step further and make all (or at least as many as i realistically can) of my own products.  i do use baking soda and vinegar, dr bronners and microfiber clothes for most of my cleaning - but there are 2 specific products i always buy that i am wanting to try and make....dishwasher tablets and laundry detergent. 

yesterday i made my first batch of laundry detergent and it was super easy.  this time around it cost me next to nothing b/c i already had the soap and washing soda.

ingredients:
1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup washing soda
1 bar soap (i used fels naptha. but you can use any pure soap like ivory)

    first grate the bar of soap

next add the borax and washing soda

finally mix well!

and that's it. i use just about 1/4 cup per load.  i'm thinking about adding some essential oils for some fragrance.  this was a powdered detergent and i want to try an make a liquid detergent too.  not sure why though - b/c this worked perfectly (i tried it with whites too!).  maybe i just want to try it simply to try? 

so my advice is give it a try.  it took me 10 minutes tops and works just fine!

did my pre-nor'easter prep help?

we actually did get the predicted snowfall.  (this photo was taken while it was still snowing pretty heavily so i am sure we got a few inches more) this has been a very weird winter for us.  the areas south of us - the ones that rarely get snow - have gotten huge amounts of snow.  the area north of us usually gets large amounts of snow - and they have been pretty much spared.  my area is usually hit or miss.  this winter its been hit.  but then it is winter afterall - and we should get snow - but after years of not really getting much...when it comes it is almost an annoyance! (well once you get past the initial beauty of it!!)    so when we woke up this morning - there was a lot of snow around.

as for my prep last nite?  well, i guess my intentions were good

the firewood was covered with snow

(and this was under a covered porch!)

the birds did have plenty of food

they just had to wait until it stopped snowing to find it!

luckily the sleds weren't completely covered with the snow

so after a quick brushing off - they got plenty of usage

even our tiniest family member ventured out

that is after we cleaned the walkway for him

i will admit - i didn't bother putting my snowpants on

so i just hung around and watched

and took lots of pictures

then it was back inside for hot showers and hot chocolate

its all good.......

how to prepare for a nor'easter

we are supposed to get hit with a blizzard tonite.  as is the case in my part of PA - everyone runs to the supermarket to stock up on milk, bread and eggs.  this always strikes me as completely silly b/c quite frankly the roads are prepped for the snow and they are usable literally the second it stops snowing!  but whatever - it is funny to see people panic like that.

we have a different way of preparing for a blizzard.

gather the sleds onto the front porch......

make sure there is plenty of firewood..........

fill the birdfeeders........

then simply hunker down with a couple craft projects - a good book and some brie.....

bring on the snow!

the untraditional journal

i love journals. 

i keep a written one.  i have my blog.  i keep notebooks in my bags at all time. 

simply - i just like to jot down things.

one of my favorite journals is one people take for granted

they are discarded at years end and replaced without a thought

with today's technology many people don't even have one

its my day planner.

i found that every year i just couldn't throw it away and i didn't really know why.

so one day i had my collection all ready to toss into the recycle bin

then i started flipping through the pages....

and there it was

my year in review - a biography of my life

birthdays, anniversaries, doctor's appointments

mission trips, volunteering at school, afterschool activities

meetings with the midwife

dates of my c-sections

mno, pedicures, date nites

anniversary trip to mexico, family weeks down the shore,

camping with friends

a chronicle of friendships - one year they were so important you wrote down their birthday

other years they didn't make the cut

when i go through periods of thinking how boring my life seems - i take down my datebooks and just skim through some of them.

a life full of births, deaths, one full of activities and learning, vacations, family outings, holiday gatherings

is hardly boring 

(edited to add:  does anyone with blogspot know why i suddenly have underlined words that highlight ads??????????  i didn't add that feature and i don't like it!)

monday's memory

i remember...

warmth

this week is going to be very cold with maybe some snow on friday.

its the first day of february - still plenty of cold days ahead 

i remember it wasn't cold here

and i didn't wear boots all week

and there was no room in this glass for marshmallows