The Full Circle Mother

Kickin' off the Holiday Season

2010-11-26T06:55:00.000-08:00

The week of Thanksgiving always kicks off the season of holidays in our house. The Christmas tree lighting takes place early in our downtown, with Santa riding in on a fire truck. The downtown twinkles with white sparkly lights - such a beautiful site. There is something comforting in the annual traditions. Jeff kicked off his hunting season the same night, so the children and I had a pizza party with friends, then headed downtown for the lighting.

We also celebrated a certain birthday girls' 4th birthday!

I think we've found another tradition to incorporate into our family. Abbey took her balloons outside and I asked her if she wanted to let them blow away and watch them go up, up, up. At first she said no, then she asked where they would go if she let them go. We told her they would fly up to heaven. She thought about this for oh, about a nano-second and said "I want to let them go so everyone in heaven will know it's my birthday - like Pa-Pa". We lost my Dad (Pa-Pa) last year around this time so it was so sweet of her to remember him. I bet he caught those balloons from his little Abbey and celebrated in heaven. Don't you just love how children think? I think we'll need some more balloons to fly away on the next birthday.

So many things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, but most of all our family and friends. I have the family I've always wanted and I will always be so very thankful for them each and every day. I get to kiss on soft, sweet baby cheeks every day (many times a day!), share in smiles, hang out with a teenager late at night, and just share life with them every day.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

~Lisa

Pretty Girls

2010-09-17T05:52:00.001-07:00

My pretty twins turned 11 this past week and look at how cute they are! I can't believe how fast they are growing up. I know it is cliche to say things like that, but really, when did this happen? I've been here every step of the way and still they grow up right under our noses. I remember so well their birth, Jess at 6 lbs 14 oz and Grace at just 5lb 5 oz....just a little peanut really.

They wanted some pampering for their birthday this year so part of their birthday gift was a trip to my salon (where they usually don't go since it's a little bit pricey for a children's cut). When their hair cuts and styling was over, we headed up to Claires for their next birthday gift. Ear piercing! As exciting as that sounds to a young lady, this was their second time to do this. Two years ago we tried to get their ears pierced, but it just didn't take and both of their ears became infected badly to the point we just had to let them close up. We're trying a little different approach this time and used stainless steel earrings in hopes that it takes this time and heals easily so they can have pierced ears.

Look at how worried they both look! You'd think they had never done this before. Rest assured, they both had smiles on their faces once it was over. Jessica looked giddy afterwards, while Grace looked a little pale but happy.

I couldn't post without a picture of Brett. He's also making his Mama wonder why children must grow up so quickly. Look at him drool over the girls birthday cake (which happened to be a marble cake with chocolate cream cheese icing - soooo good!). Four months old and already eyeing our food and sitting up. He didn't get a bite of the cake this time (just in case you were wondering) - we'll save that first bite for his first birthday.

A room for baby

2010-08-31T20:15:00.000-07:00

I have so enjoyed having a space just for baby this time around. Having a boy after five girls really made me think about how we use our home and whether to create a space for baby. Since I breastfeed, co-sleep and stay close to my babies, we haven't had a need to create a space for them since they are just usually in our room. But having a boy, gave me inspiration to make a space for some boy things and I just love going in there to change his diaper, nurse him and play with him in a nice clean space! I wanted the room to be at Brett's level and very Montessori like. The wall decals are from Wee Gallery - the woodland collection. The quilt is Mama made from the Anna Maria Horner "Voile" collection. Almost silky soft and very light weight for our Texas weather. As Brett grows and starts to roll over more, he will start to nap here in his little floor bed.

A space for baby to explore with a mirror and mobile. The wall mobile is from the Michael Olaf catalog and has turned out to be one of Brett's favorite things. He loves looking at his mobile and gets lots of tummy time near the mirror - what a cute baby he has to look at! We hung the mobile from a ceiling hook and used fishing line to attach it.

I fell in love with this print from Sarah Jane's etsy shop. The little boys planning a rocket launch filled me with vision of how my little boy might be playing some day with his buddies. My girls all have one of her prints with their birthday month hanging in their rooms so it was only fitting that Brett have one in his room too.

The rocking chair is from another etsy shop and finished in a nice natural wood. Brett's big sister (the littlest sister) Abbey loves to sit next to Mama as I nurse or rock the baby.

A special chair that was a gift from my Mom's house and recovered by a local shop. I found the Anna Maria Horner home dec fabric at fabric.com for super cheap (7 yards for just $35!). It's the perfect size rocking chair for a new mom and baby. My favorite corner of the room.

Here is our diaper changing area - on top of a dresser that stores cloth diapers in the top drawer, clothes in the middle drawer and the bottom drawer has blankets (these are my hands down favorites!) and baby carriers (Maya Wrap sling, Moby Wrap, Baby Hawk and Beco). Baby carriers are like shoes - sometimes you need your sneakers and sometimes something dressier! :)

Finally, a special picture of the men in Brett's family. There's Daddy with his Dad, Grandad, and Papa - who passed away while I was pregnant with his first Grandson. Miss you Daddy. Brett will always know the strong men who came before him as he grows into a kind, strong man himself.

What's in a name?

2010-08-10T15:22:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I worked on baby boy names as soon as we found out we were having a boy during a routine ultrasound at 20 weeks. However, it didn't seem like we could agree on just one name. He liked Rowdy and Barrett - I liked Everett and Henry. It felt weird not having a name for our new baby. I would go to bed each night and pray that the Lord would send me my baby's name in my sleep. As his birthday grew closer, I knew our baby would name himself in his own way once he was born.

After his birth at home, we had to transfer to the hospital for continuing care. We were blessed with an amazing group of EMTs, one who I saw kneeling in our hallway with one of my daughter's hands in his. This man was a tall, strong EMT, but was also so very kind and compassionate. In the ambulance, he came to my side to tell me that my girls were upset, but that he felt he had calmed them and told me everything would be alright.

My baby didn't have name yet, so as I layed on the stretcher in the ambulance, I asked the five EMTs around me to tell me their names. Immediately, I hear "Brett" and see that this is the same man who had spoken to me about my girls. Another says, "Brent" and some give me their children's names - which I can't remember now.

In the hospital, Jeff and I are still going back and forth about a name. I like Everett, he likes Barrett. Jeff went home to check on the girls the next morning and I ask him to bring back my list of baby names. When he walked back into the hospital room, he says, "what do you think about Brett Henry?". I look at him for a moment and exclaim - "I like it! Let's do it!".

It was perfect - a perfect combination of his Barrett and my Everett, with the Henry name I loved so much. While thinking about the baby's birth, the EMT "Brett" came as his inspiration. A name we both loved finally - a strong, kind name - both qualities I want for my son to have.

Bringing you here - Part III

2010-08-10T14:48:00.000-07:00

Before I finish our story, I want you to know a little bit about how I view pregnancy and birth. Being pregnant is an amazing, miraculous event and something I will cherish the rest of my life. I view birth as a normal process, not an illness and thus I have chosen to have midwives as part of my birthing team and to have my baby at home. There is nothing more wonderful than being at home during labor and being tucked into my own bed after birth with my new baby. The whole family gets to be a part of the process and to bond with the baby shortly after birth.

My big, beautiful baby boy, you were finally born! You were purple and blue and took a little long to take that first breath. But when you did, I felt my body relax completely.

Unfortunately, it didn't end there with a beautiful birth. You still didn't even have a name yet. As you waited to take that first breath, I started to hemmorage. I felt the gushes come one right after the other as Amber had me push the placenta out quickly as they clamped the cord. I could feel the blood gushing from my body in spurts and felt my midwife jump into action. I could hear the urgency in her voice as they shot me with pitocin several times - 7 times I think - and something else (methrogen?) a few times, plus the continual massage of my uterus (which was so painful! - it should be called torture instead of a massage). We did what was neccessary.

The bleeding was under control finally, but we decided to call the EMTs to come start an IV to get fluids back into me quickly. It was probably a good thing that I was flat on my back during the birth because I would have passed out from the blood loss if I had to be moved (like I did with Abbey's birth). They estimated I lost about 6 pints of blood - oh why, did this keep happening to me?

We eventually declined the hospital transport from the EMTs as I had stablized and the bleeding was under control. I was able to nurse you, our new baby boy and hold you while I ate some food. But I was pretty weak and worn out and it was hard to position you. Then the midwives took you to look you over and get your measurements. Such a big boy - all of 10 lbs, 10 oz and 22 3/4 inches long! What a big boy! The biggest baby yet our midwives have delivered (it used to be Abbey - but you beat her...we didn't need to break a record you know?!) Your sisters all got to look at you and hold you after that while I tried to rest.

Our midwives finally were able to leave around 5pm and we snuggled in bed with our sweet new baby. You had the cutest little fuzzy newborn ears but you were also quite bruised from the birth. What a day for the both of us!

It wasn't over yet..... by 8pm, I could tell my bleeding was starting to pick back up some, not bad, but definitely increasing so we called the midwife, Amber, to come back. I was getting nervous about making it through the night and I also had to go pee, but just couldn't seem to do it in my bed on a pad or in a bed pan which they would have preferred I do. Talk about a mental thing! When she arrived, Amber and your Dad decided to carry me to the bathroom so I could go. I was scared to get up, but I had to go bad and it was starting to hurt! Luckily, I was able to go easily once on the potty, but then I started to feel really bad and I told Amber so. The next thing I knew, I was in bed again waking up. I had passed out again and I just started crying. I promised Jeff I would do everything not to have this happen again...and then it did. I just wanted to get up and take care of my baby, but I couldn't.

The EMTs were called back as I was waking up and I could hear your Dad with them on the phone. I could see the panic in his face and hear it in his voice as well as Amber's. I had passed a huge clot when they picked me up too...it may have been leftover placenta. The EMTs arrived again as did my Mom. It was time to go to the hospital so the nurses could take care of me the rest of the night. The girls were crying and scared for their Mom and I was crying too.
We were blessed with strong and kind EMTs who treated us with the best care. As they took me out, I could see one of them kneeling in the hallway with my girls. He came out later to the ambulance to tell me that the girls were upset, but he thought he was able to calm them down. He said, everything would be okay.

As I layed in the ambulance surrounded by about 5 big EMTs, I told them they needed to tell me their names since my baby didn't have a name yet. The one who had talked to the girls, shouted out "Brett!". A couple of others told me their names too and some of their sons names.
Once at the hospital, we were finally settled into our room by 3am. Our emergency room visit was scary and long, filled with a dr who didn't want to listen to us about the care I needed. I felt very violated by him and sad that we had to be there. So much for the rest we had hoped for. The nurses kept coming in and out all night long. I just wanted to go home by the morning so I could sleep at this point. Your Dad stayed with me so that you could stay as well.

Things had calmed down by the morning and we had a better doctor seeing us but they wanted to keep us there another night. The IV of pitocin was still going, the methrogen pills, the pain pills, the vitamins, the stool softener...I was so tired of it. My bleeding was all but over and still they kept the drugs flowing and the catheter inserted even though I could walk down the hall. I had to prove myself before they would do anything. So walked I did - even in the middle of the night the nurse came to get me to take a walk down the hall to see if I could do it without passing out. I would do anything to go home, so I walked.

Another night of being woken up by different nurses, one to give me meds, one to take my stats, one to take my blood (like I hadn't lost enough!). I had to educate them on co-sleeping and explain myself over and over (like a mother of 6 didn't know what to do with a new baby). I was in tears the next morning from exhaustion. All I wanted to do was nurse my new baby and that is all you wanted to do. I could hear your swallowing and knew that you would be a nursing champ.

After two nights, we were finally released and went home as fast as we could. They tried to shower us with sample bags of formula and we left them right there in the room. I walked out with my baby and we headed for home where our beautiful girls were waiting for us. My cousin had come down from Dallas to help with the girls and so she and my Mom were also there. They all greeted us with welcome home signs and a delicious meal - I was so hungry - the hospital food was just awful. We were finally tucked into our own bed at home again and I layed you on my chest as we snuggled in together.

Each birth is different and a treasure, so it happened the way it was supposed to happen and in the end we had you, our sweet baby boy. We were so happy that you were finally here!

Bringing you here - Part II

2010-08-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

Just as I anticipated, contractions started coming regularly about an hour after my water broke. It felt just like your sister Allison's birth, with one really strong wave followed by one not so strong (her water was broken for me and labor started within an hour). Your Dad stayed with me the whole time, rubbing my back, talking to me - wanting me to treasure this last labor and birth. His presence meant so much to me this time. Everytime he left the room, my contractions would lighten up and when he was holding my hand they felt like we were making good progress. The birth ball was the most comfortable place to be, although I knew I wanted to try for another water birth. So after a few hours of bouncing on the ball and relaxing through the contractions with my hypnobirthing, we called the midwives to say I was starting to get uncomfortable and wanted to get into the tub. Your Dad ran the tub for me, but then I just wanted to stay on the birthing ball. Amber (one of our midwives) arrived quickly (she's been present for my last three births) and checked on your heartbeat. It was much lower than our last appointment and I could tell that you were moving much lower. Hurray - we were making progress!

I finally decided to try the water and it felt so good to get in the tub. I moved around, trying to get in a good position to help you move down. The hypnobirthing cd played in the background and I giggled every time it said " you are a beautiful woman"..because your Dad was right by my side listening with me. The midwives left us to labor on our own, only coming in to check periodically on your heart beat - which stayed strong throughout labor. I'm not sure how much time had passed at this point, but it finally felt really good to bear down a little with each contraction so I knew it was close or I was almost dilated fully. Amber checked me per my request and I was at a 9 with a lip...this is where I always get before asking her to check! She tried to hold the lip back so I could push through it, but my contractions were too far apart to hold down to keep you from slipping back upwards. You would just rise back up between them. So Joani (my other wonderful midwife), gave me some herbs to pick up the pace. It worked, but I just couldn't position myself right in the tub and so I wanted to get out thinking if I was more vertical, then gravity might help me.

As soon as I got out of the tub, the herbs kicked in and I could hardly move through the contractions. I lost all my focus from the hypnobirthing and couldn't get it back as hard as I tried. With every contraction I just fell to my knees in pain and I couldn't get back on top of them. The hypnobirthing was out the window at this point. I made it to the side of my bed and just leaned over the mattress with each contraction, pushing with each one as my body took over. My mind said, no more, make it stop...and please just call the hospital to arrange for a c-section..and I'm too old for this!

But it didn't stop and my encouraging team of Amber, Joani and your Dad said I could do it....I didn't believe them at the time. The fact that you were probably very big, likely bigger than your sister Abbey (10.3lbs) was holding me back and I just couldn't seem to let go. Joani pushed on the side of my hips with each contraction and that seemed to help me make progress a little. Finally, Amber suggested that I lay down on the bed, flat on my back...I thought she must be out of her mind to suggest that, but I was willing to try anything to make the hurting stop. Sure enough, with the help of everyone (literally), your Dad on one leg, Joani on the other and Amber coaxing from within, your head was visible. Your Dad said you had lots of hair! I pushed with all my might and finally felt the ring of fire...yay! We were almost there. They asked me to stop pushing so I could stretch and it was so hard not to push. They said, your head would slide out by itself if I just stopped pushing so I did and it did. The shoulders were a little tricky, but nothing like how Abbey was stuck.

Baby Boy, you entered the world at 2:26pm and were put on my chest. All blue and gray, you took a while to take your first breath as I rubbed your back and talked to you - welcoming you into the world and our family. Finally, that precious moment arrived and you breathed in life, let out the tiniest of a cry and started to pink up. What a happy moment and I was so relieved that it was finally over - or so I hoped.

Bringing you here - Part I

2010-08-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

As I write this you are now three months old and sleeping soundly on my chest - my sweet baby boy - Brett Henry. It has taken me this long to put into words the day of your birth, but if I wait much longer I am afraid the memory of the day you were born will fade and I don't want to lose a single minute of it even though much of the day was spent in a laboring haze. It was quite a day and we went through it together, you and me, with your Daddy by our side.

The anticipation of your birthday was almost too much for this mama to take. The physical discomforts from my body and the migraine headaches, the waiting, the noticing of every little thing leading up to a body about to give birth, the tenseness of having five other children who needed me...made me a little stressed those last few weeks and days. On the advice of your Daddy, who declared me too tense to give birth and told me to relax, I set out to relax the week before your due date.

Your sisters and I started out the week by putting school work aside and meeting friends for coffee. Just hanging out, relaxing on a beautiful spring day. We walked (of course to help get labor going), window shopped and took pictures of the girls and myself - big and pregnant with you. The day before, I lost my mucous plug so I knew if I could only relax, then maybe labor would get going and stay. I had days where contractions would come ALL DAY LONG, only to go away when I went to bed. Very, very frustrating....I just wanted to hold you in my arms and kiss your sweet cheeks.

The next day, Melissa and I went to a movie and ate huge cookies that were so yummy. The movie made me laugh and cry and that was actually a really good emotional release. Every day we tried to make it a relaxing day and I tried to enjoy the last days of being pregnant with you - although the day we planned to spend at the park, it rained - so instead we went for cupcakes! I was super good about not eating sweets all through my pregnancy hoping for a smaller baby this time around. I hardly had a mouthful the whole time and most of the time when I did try something sweet, it tasted terrible and I couldn't finish it. So to have a few sweets at the end, was really a treat and they finally tasted good!

The relaxing must have done the trick, as I woke up to my water breaking in bed on Friday, April 23rd, just 3 days before your due date. It was about 8am and I could hear the girls in the kitchen stirring around so I yelled for one of them to come help me as my pj bottoms were wet, but I hadn't felt a gush. I didn't want to get up and get my bed all wet if it did. Melissa heard me and came running in (there must have been some urgency in my voice!) - she grabbed me a pad and I was able to get up and save the bed. I called your Dad right after I got myself changed and told him he had to come home that my water had broke - he said he was on his way. I was so nervous and excited to finally be in labor although I wasn't having any contractions yet. I called my midwife, my friends Angie and Lynn, then I got settled on the birth ball in my room as the contractions started coming. My water has never broken on its own before so I knew you were a very strong baby!

Anticipation

2010-04-22T07:20:00.000-07:00

This Spring is full of anticipation for our family as we wait (and wait some more) for our new baby boy to be born. Such a hard time for an expectant mother these last few days.... How is it that time flys once they are here, but the time leading up to the moment of their birth seems to go by minute by minute. My mind is consummed with every change my body makes and wondering if today when I woke up will be my last day pregnant. Will today end with my holding my new baby in my arms?

This week has been named the "relaxing week" by myself and my girls as we look for anything and everything to do to relax before the baby comes. In doing so, you know I'm secretely hoping that the relaxing will bring about labor and end in a new baby in my arms. Yesterday, we met friends for coffee and smoothies, a little shopping (for the girls), a walk (of course!) and some picture taking in a quaint town near by. Thus the new blog header! My Melissa took the picture of my baby belly. We ended our morning outing at the newest bakery in town - the Cupcakery! Mmmmmmm....really, really good cupcakes. I have been so good about my sugar intake this pregnancy but with just a few days to go here, I think a cupcake splurge is perfectly okay.

As I fill my days with relaxing, I'm reminded in this space how much I like to write down what is happening in our lives. So I'm hoping to be back again this week, writing and waiting. Baby Boy's room is all done...want a sneek peak? Maybe another idea on how to spend a relaxing Spring day waiting for baby?

Happy Earth Day too! Let's all get outside to enjoy Mother Earth and her beauty today.

~Lisa

Donut making Sunday

2010-02-28T09:51:00.000-08:00

We made these today....I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Mmmmmm... glazed.

Shake, shake the bag filled with cinnamon sugar and donuts - a perfect job for a child.

Abbey says, "Want one?". She ate her weight in donut holes. That used to be my favorite part too. Mmmmmm....

Sunday cooking is so much fun!

~Lisa

Time to sew?

2010-02-02T18:01:00.000-08:00

I sold my business, Full Circle Baby, today and its bittersweet. So good on many levels and exciting for the new owners yet somehow I want to eat ice cream and chocolate. Oh, and I want to sew. I had no idea when I started my natural baby product business how far it would go and grow and now here we are entering a new stage and letting it go.

Could it be I'm trading one "baby" for another "baby"? One more precious, cute and cuddly? I do hope so and that freeing myself up a little bit leads to some sewing time around here. So many ideas and always so little time - but maybe now there will be time to sew.

Stay tuned.

~Lisa

A New Year - New Schedule

2010-01-04T13:44:00.000-08:00

It's time to get back into the swing of things around our homeschool now that the holidays are over. Our "daily schedule" needed some revamping - by "schedule" I really do mean a loosely followed schedule, but we try to make sure we get to everything each day (Mon - Thurs). Fridays are fun, stay in our pjs, watch a movie day for now, unless we get behind, then we'll have to step it up!

Here's a glimpse at my homeschooling mornings: (Mel - 8th grade, Grace and Jessica - 4th grade, and Allie is just starting more Kindergarten work).

7-8am - older girls up, dressed, beds made, brush teeth, morning chores, eat breakfast (most of the time they skip breakfast and wait until later to eat something)

8-9am - Mel (GUM/Vocab/Composition - they alternate days), Grace & Jess (Spelling/Vocab)
By this time, we're trying to get my sleeping beauty, Allie, up for the day. She's always famished and eats breakfast with Abigail at this time.

9-9:15am - Mel, Grace and Jess (Handwriting/Copy Work)

9:30-10:30 - Math for all older girls (each gets time with Mom)

10:00 - Allie does her handwriting practice for 10 min.

10:15-10:30 - SNACKS (very important!)

10:30-10:45 - Mel or I work with Allie (Read Alouds or Phonics)

10:30-11:00 - Grace and Jess (GUM)

11:00 - noon - Mel (History), Grace and Jess (Literature), Allie (Math - 15 min)

Noon - LUNCH

12:30-1:30pm - Mel (Science), Grace and Jess (Science or History) and Allie/Abbey (Quiet Play)

Melissa finishes up Literature at night when she prefers to do her nightly reading.

See! I really could be done with school work by 1:30 each day...... Like I said, it is a loosely followed schedule - some days we do finish on time, other days - well, life gets in the way and I need to have the flexibility to let things go, give a hug or kiss a boo-boo, or enjoy some fresh Texas air. It's all a learning experience anyway - for all of us.

Pizza for dinner!

~Lisa

A Year in Words

2009-12-30T10:32:00.000-08:00

I took the blog over to typepad this year - http://www.fullcirclemother.typepad.com, but I'm coming back over to this space. I just don't see a reason to pay for a blogging space right now. I love this space to write out my ideas, inspirations and to keep track of the places I enjoy visiting as well.

Taking some time at this year end to clear out the cobwebs, start fresh and keep the happiness flowing in our lives. So much happened to wear me down this past Fall and I miss my Dad dearly. I wouldn't have traded the time I spent at his bedside for anything. I'm ready now for the new year to ring in and I can't wait until we welcome our new baby this Spring. I'm closing my store up for now as well to try and keep myself focused on my family. After five years, it's my baby as well and I can't bear to sell it to someone else, so closing is the answer. Who knows what the future holds for Full Circle Baby, but I'll always be a full circle mother - because of my children and what I have learned being their mother.

See you soon - next year! :)

~Lisa

Movie Night

2009-06-08T21:04:00.000-07:00

As a little girl, we would come home from church on Sunday and watch "old" movies. You know the ones - classic movies. I loved these movies while most of them starred Shirley Temple and seeing a little girl dance and sing like that was amazing to me. Besides, she was so cute!

I've recently revived my interest in classic movies and we are having such fun watching them The girls are either entertained by the "old" times or bored and walk away. What they like to watch most though are episodes of "Gilligan's Island" and "The Brady Bunch"! Netflix is keeping us in continuous supply of these fun (sometimes corny) episodes. I do like how the girls are getting a glipse of the past by watching these shows. They think some of it is really funny - "really, they used to say "groovy" Mom?" or "look at their clothes!"

Here's a few "classic movies" I've enjoyed watching recently:

Pygmalion - Professor Huggins and flower girl turned duchess, Eiza Doolittle. He really loves her doesn't he?

Pillow Talk - Stars Doris Day and Rock Hudson. She falls in love with him but doesn't know he's the one who is really driving her bonkers. Catchy tune - loved it!

Houseboat - Ah- Cary Grant and Sophia Loren. She ends up as his nanny and they fall in love. Hey mister. Who me? Yes, you mister. (you've got to watch it to understand - I could watch this one over and over)

People Will Talk - Another Cary Grant movie. Very interesting. Unwed mother, doctor ethics, love, suicide, even talk of how grocery stores are starting to smell like a drug store. All from a movie that came out in 1951.

Young at Heart - Ol' blue eyes - Frank Sinatra and Doris Day. Who will she end up with? Great beach scenes, sisterly love & jealousy, true love.

We always need a snack to go with our movies and one of our favorites is popcorn. Not just any popcorn. We learned this from a friend and it has become an easy go to snack for movie watching. We pop some popcorn in coconut oil (old fashioned way - on the stove), then toss it with some melted butter and salt. Yummy! You could also mix some coconut oil and butter together to put on microwave popcorn.

Happy watching!

~Lisa

So long gone

2009-06-05T20:49:00.000-07:00

Poor, poor neglected blog. Life has taken me away from you for so long.

We've been busy finishing up our school work and having fun playing too! The girls and I are ready for a break from the day to day school work but we had lots to finish up before moving forward. Boxes from K12 are arriving daily loaded with our new school materials for next year already! I'm not ready! Well, I'm a little ready or they wouldn't have been ordered and here right? So the planning part is done, but the implementing part won't start until the Fall. Until then, I think the boxes can just gather a little dust in my closet. My oldest daughter was so excited for her new box to arrive that she already has it unpacked and put away. I remember those days...

Otherwise, we've just been busy living here and traveling some too. It's really hot already and Summer doesn't officially arrive until later this month. Swimming is essential now and we are finding ways to stay cool.

I've been busy sewing too since my new best friend arrived - we'll just call her Elna. The Weekend Sewing book by Heather Ross has so many fun projects and I'm working my way through them. This is the smocked sundress from the book that I made for my four year old.

She loves it and wears it almost every day - except for when I steal it away from her to wash it. I think I know what else I'm making her for her birthday next month...hum.

Happy weekend!

~Lisa

Kuchen with Aunt Elizabeth

2009-05-03T20:28:00.001-07:00

For as long as I can remember, I have been searching for a recipe for Kuchen (pronounced "cookin" or "cuca" in my family). Not only was it the most delicious pastry from my childhood, but it came from the sweetest lady, my Great-Great Aunt Elizabeth, who I also called Memom. This wonderful lady could cook up anything without a recipe, donuts, noodle soup and various German dishes - comfort food at it's best. Memom was like a Grandma to me and I will always remember her kind, easy personality and gentle soul. She smiled with her eyes, loved with all her heart and taught with the patience of a saint.

Memom would often visit us and come into the kitchen, cook up a cherry kuchen and fill the house with her warmth. She passed away when I was 12 years old and was the first person I was close to that died. Her spirit lives on though through the cross stitch pictures she left behind that grace my home, the impressions she made on me as a young girl and her name lives on in one of my daughters. I can still feel her spirit when I cook something she would have cooked while in the kitchen. That is probably why I have always wanted to find the recipe she used to make kuchen.

Here's Memom playfully holding me as a baby.

I was delighted to find a couple recipes for kuchen in the new bread book I bought recently. One used a yeast dough and the other did not - I went with the non-yeast recipe first. Here is my attempt at kuchen this weekend. I used the fruit I had on hand, peaches and cherries and I have to say there were many similarities, but this still was not the recipe my Memom used. This recipe had a crust to it, which hers did not, making me wonder if she used the yeast dough. Don't worry - I'll try that one next! But this one did have a custard top and her recipe definitely had that. While it was cooking. a very similar aroma, filled the house and it smelled so good! I knew I was on the right track! Memom used lots more cherries in her kuchen so next time I will have to make sure we have at least a couple cans of cherries on hand (I use the ones canned in fruit juice). This one was very yummy though and Jeff thought the crust was his favorite part.

Lots of sewing going on here as well - a few things for mama (yay! I rarely sew for me) and some for others (Mother's Day gifts) as well!

~Lisa

Splish, Splash

2009-04-28T20:10:00.000-07:00

Nightly bath-time is my favorite time of the day. Just a few reasons why -

Warm water, winding down, washing away the day's ups or downs.

Giggling girls, splishes and splashes, cuddling in a terry cloth towel.

Let's read a story, snuggle in bed, kisses good night, nursing to sleep.

Angels watch over you as you dream until those tip toes bring you to my bedside later on.

Kitchen Monday

2009-04-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

I found the cutest plate with all the colors of my kitchen and soon designated it the "honey plate" so it is out all the time for me to see. Is it corny to get happy looking at a plate? Probably. It's probably strange just to use the word "corny".

We love fresh honey and use it for cooking (replacing sugar in many recipes), in tea or on toast. Yum!

Around here we have a nice routine of cooking big on Mondays which helps tame the dinner time madness which ensues each weeknight. Many Mondays I cook a chicken for stock then use the meat and stock during the week for soups and casseroles. Frugal living at it's best I tell you! So good for us and tasty too. Store bought stock just doesn't have the same taste. When you make it yourself, the flavor and nutrition are robust.

Yep - I'm making that bread again too. This is the same bread recipe that won Grace the prize ribbon at the fair last year and has become my go to recipe for quick fresh bread. I make the dough up on Sunday night, then cook a couple of loaves on Monday then maybe one later in the week to go with dinner. It always disappears quickly!

I love this apron - it is hands down my favorite and you'll find me wearing it every Monday. The little pocket is a keeper.... a keeper of something I never thought I'd like to use. But now I love my ipod! Plug it in, turn it up and get cooking!

Happy Monday!

~Lisa

Earth Day Weekend

2009-04-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

Our local Earth Day Celebration was held this weekend in Landa Park - one of the nicest city parks located right on the spring fed Comal River. This is our third year participating in the event with a Full Circle Baby booth and each year the event grows bigger & bigger! I find so much inspiration from gardening to how our community grows greener every year.

Perfect weather (alright - it was windy!) brought out lots of families and local businesses like Sarah's Soaps (she is about so much more than soap though! Check out those plants.) and Two Rivers Yoga (awesome yoga studio and another Sara!).

Our Full Circle Baby booth was buzzing with activity! We talked to lots and lots of parents about cloth diapering, wearing their baby comfortably, using natural baby products with herbal ingredients and these diaper bags we found made from Re-Run fabric (recycled water bottles!). Klean Kanteens are always a hit - as long as you can keep your car from eating them. I know my own car is feeding on them - it couldn't be the kids leaving them under their seats, right?? Seriously, we love our Klean Kanteens and take them everywhere with us. The last time I purchased water bottles from the store was almost 2 years ago! note to self - reorder KKs for the store this week - in colors pink, orange, stainless and maybe black with the new chug-a-lug sports caps that came out this month.

Jeff brought the girls over to see us (Lissy stayed with me after she helped set up the booth - homeschooling girl learning business!) and they walked around learning about frogs, worm composting, recycling, gardening. They picked up lots of information and goodies!

We enjoyed seeing our friends at Earth Day and hope to be back next year!

~Lisa

What will my garden grow?

2009-04-18T21:37:00.000-07:00

I have actually learned A LOT of things about gardening in general over the past year, but most importantly, I've learned when to start planning a garden here in South Texas. Right after Christmas!! We waited too long once again this year. It is so hard to think about planting a garden when my mind is stuck in winter mode. That comes from living in Virginia for so long. Since we've lived here in South Texas for the past 6 years, one would think that said person would finally be used to how things work here.

We have a tiny backyard that really isn't good for much besides being home to our big, crazy lab. This guy is Marley (from Marley and Me) - but he is chocolate colored and 10 times crazier. He steals strawberries from the garden and helps himself to broccoli straight off the plant. I guess he needs his veggies too....

Our backyard project has turned into one that Manly Man and I enjoy together - gardening. The first year in our very first house, we tried to till up the land and plant our garden blind. I'm pretty sure nothing grew that year worthwhile. We've learned a few things along the way and now we have a cute backyard garden that will hopefully supplement our food this summer. Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes! We went with raised gardens since our soil here is extremely rocky. Manly Man made the planter boxes to surround our patio last year and added two more bigger boxes around the yard this year. We filled the boxes with organic garden compost mix from our local organic gardening store (Gardenville).

Miss Allie knows what makes the garden grow!

Here's one of the new planter boxes waiting for the tomatoes, peppers, watermelon and crenshaw melons to be planted. Manly Man made that great little green house/gardening table for me - isn't it fantastic!? I love it. It made planting all those little seeds much easier and the little ones love to stand on the bottom rails to peek at what is growing inside. We don't need to use the cover anymore to protect the little plants from frost. It's been a crazy Spring here though and just a week or so ago we actually had freeze warnings. Way past the usual freeze date.
Here's our babies! It's so exciting to see a new plant sprout and grow. The girls help by watering them each morning and have transplanted the ones that grew more than one seed. We bought all heirloom seeds from Baker Seed company this year to avoid planting any genetically modified seeds. These are almost ready to transplant into the new garden area. I've saved the older planters around our patio for herbs and hot peppers - the things we use in the kitchen most often while cooking each day. I have basil (two kinds), dill, chives, parsley, mint, orange mint, sage and cilantro.

One of our new favorite things to do is to make homemade ranch dressing. It's really easy! I mix up a garlic clove with some salt (to make a paste). Add to that some mayo (about 1 cup), some sour cream (I like Daisy brand as it's only ingredient is cream - about 1/2 cup), buttermilk to make the dressing thinner to whatever consistency you like, herbs (dill and chives - but you could anything you like) and salt. Give it a stir and voila! I store it in an covered glass container in the fridge and use it up within two weeks - but it usually doesn't last that long. The kids love it as a dip for carrots or celery for a snack. It's great over a slices of tomato and avocado too. So yummy! Avocados are a plenty here in South Texas and I have grown to love them as do my girls.

Happy Weekend!

~Lisa

The Napping House

2009-04-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

rain. thunder. finally.

The garden swallows and sings while inside, we nap.

The backyard garden (literally - my backyard is a garden), is coming along nicely. I'll post pics this weekend! In the meantime, if you haven't read this - it's amazing.

~Lisa

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

Alleluia! He is Risen!

Wishing everyone a very blessed Easter as you enjoy Springtime with family and friends.

~Lisa

Taking care of Mama - week 2

2009-04-08T11:53:00.000-07:00

Hard as I try, I will never be a daily blogger and thus, my menu for my week of detox will just be a short one - but hopefully the basics will be covered. So this is the second week now of "Taking care of Mama" and this is what I'm trying to accomplish.

1 - Rest as much as possible. I'm in bed by 10 (which means no tv for me) and up around 7am. During the day, I try to lay down for a quick nap or rest when the littlest one naps. The technique I learned last week is something else I am trying to do each day. It's hard! Being mindful of it though helps and I have managed to sneek in a few down times.

2- Eat as healthy as possible (no sugars) and try some new supplements. For my detox, it probably isn't a real detox, but it kind of is too. I've added two new supplements to my diet - Floradix for iron and Evening Primrose Oil /Omega 3 combo. This is what I am doing for food during the next few days:

- Start the day with a glass of lemon water (just water with a half or whole fresh lemon juice) upon waking.
- After an hour, drink some herbal tea. One of my favorites is Peach Detox.
- After another hour, it's smoothie time! Here's my recipe - I fill a blender almost half way full of frozen blueberries. Then I add a little flax seed and hemp seed. Finally, I add enough Almond milk to make it milkshake consistency. This makes a full blender for us and I have a tall glass, then share the rest with the girls. They love it! You could do this with any type of fruit and substitute rice milk or regular milk as well.
- Lunch time - salad with lots of leafy greens, broccoli, spinach, carrots, etc. I do add just a little salad dressing, usually a vinagrette.
- Afternoon muchies - I grab a little bowl full of nuts - almonds, pecans and sunflower seeds. This really helps me make it to dinner time.
- Dinner time - Some type of soup usually. Last night I made a broccoli and arugula soup. I cooked a little onion with some garlic in olive oil on medium heat until tender. Then added a head of broccoli and cooked it until the broccoli was bright green (maybe 2-4 min). Added 1 1/2 cups of water and let that cook for about 8 min. I took a handful of arugula and tossed it into my blender then added the hot broccoli soup to it and blended. Be careful if you do this - it is HOT! The rest of the family had a heartier stew and bread with homemade jam. I was weak - I ate some bread with jam but other than that I did really good to avoid breads and sweets.
- Drink LOTS of water throughout the day.
- Exercise - I'll start that again next week. This week, I'm taking it easy and doing light stretches.

So that's it! I feel better already, my home is coming back together now that I am more rested and have energy to tackle the projects that seemed daunting to me just a week ago. I should add sunshine to my list as well. We are trying to get in some sunshine every day - so many times I find myself holed up inside the house and then I get stuck and just don't want to do anything. Our garden is coming along and the sunshine I get each morning by just watering the plants and inhaling the fresh morning air is helping my attitude.

Rest + Eat Healthy Foods + Light Exercise + Daily Breaks + Sunshine = Mama Feels Better

~Lisa

Berrypickers

2009-04-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

Let's interrupt this week of "Taking care of Mama" to bring some sweet strawberries home. One very good way to tell Spring has arrived is by the appearance of strawberry season. The girls and I headed out to a pick your own strawberry patch with some friends. This unique strawberry patch grew their strawberries hydroponically - no bending or getting dirty!

Yummy! These look like they should be eaten fresh out of the basket but a sweet Strawberry Shortcake is what they are destined to be.

Mama - I can't wait!

This picture has nothing to do with strawberry picking but it does have cute cherries on it! The fabric is from Sandi Henderson's Farmer's Market line and the smock pattern was found in Amy Karol's book, Bend the Rules Sewing. Miss Abigail is so fast, I had to catch her picture while we waited for sister's soccer practice to be over. We have already had a few very warm (read 90's!) days here this Spring.

Happy, Happy Spring!

~Lisa

Taking care of Mama Week

2009-04-04T20:04:00.000-07:00

Thought I would post an update to see where we are now on "Taking care of Mama" - week one. I find it quite difficult to get to this space on a daily basis, but that's all part of it isn't it? As mothers we drive ourselves to do more and more - some of us just can't be still for very long before thoughts of what we should be doing or could be doing pop back into our heads. I think this part of my personality is what is leading me to overload and I'm trying to catch it before it turns into burnout. So let me see where I am after this week -

* Chiro appointment with unexpected, but very welcome massage therapy. CHECK!

*Two mornings of getting up before the littlest one woke to relax and meditate in a nice hot bath. CHECK! ( I have to admit, this wasn't on my list to create wellness, but out of necessity - I'll explain more)

*Visit to Family Physician - outcome is everything is a go for the detox next week. She wants me to up my Omega 3 supplements - which I hear is good for every woman. I found some at Whole Foods that are for specifially for women with added Evening Primrose. I'll add those to my daily supplements of Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omegas. CHECK!

*Indulged in a mini spa retreat - loved it! However, my back was so sore after the Neck and Shoulder Relief massage. Thus the need to get up the next day and relax in the bathtub! It felt so good to have some morning time to myself, I did it again the next day. I also loved the eye pillow they used at the spa and I want to make one now - but I will hold off until I'm caught up on everything else. CHECK!

*Drinking more water - I'm working on this still but have done better this week. CHECK!

*Cutting back on sugary foods. This is hard for me. If it is in the house, then I will eat it. I just can't have it in the house and so my children will have to cut back as well. This should be good for them too. SEMI- CHECK!

*Stress reduction. I checked into hiring a housekeeper and hope to give it a try soon. She will come twice a month to clean the kitchen floors, bathrooms and living area. One of the gals who I contacted is expecting a baby soon though - can I relax enough to let a pregnant woman clean my house??? I know I'm going to have to leave the house while she cleans if I hire her, because I am going to want her to put her feet up! I've also made some time to deal with the mounds of paperwork that have been making me feel like I'm drowning. I managed to make a dent in that yesterday and I can actually see the light (and my desk! yay!). SEMI-CHECK!

*Lastly - getting enough rest. I have done really well on this and have found I fall asleep easier when I go to bed at a decent hour. Apparently, I need about 9 hours of sleep and a 30 min quiet time each day to feel really rested. I only cheated last night to watch a movie with my oldest daughter.

So next week I'll start the detox and I'm really looking forward to it. We stocked up on some wonderful veggies at the Farmer's Market yesterday so my refrig is looking healthy and yummy!

~Lisa

Taking care of Mama - day 1

2009-04-01T05:49:00.000-07:00

On day one of Taking Care of Mama, made sure to get a full night's rest and went straight to bed after the last little one was asleep. So I slept from 10pm to 7pm and woke up well rested. Why oh why do I let myself stay up late and not get adequate rest??? Is watching some mindless show on tv really needed at night - I don't think so. I never sit down to watch tv during the day, so after the kiddos are asleep, that is my time. But I'm wasting it on the couch when I could be resting in my bed. So, no more tv for me.

I went to the chiropractor and had an adjustment with a wonderful bonus. They did a full therapy session on my upper back and neck which included an ultrasound massage and an intense (but good) massage by their massage therapist. I always thought massage would be relaxing, and while I left there feeling so much better, the massage really hurt. I'm tense.... but working on it! The therapist gave me some really good tips and so I wanted to share those.

First, our head weighs about 10 lbs and our shoulders/neck muscles need to rest occassionally. Think about this - if you ever lifted weights - you know how you will do several reps of lifting one weight then put it down when your muscles just can't take anymore? Then you can pick it back up again in a few minutes right? Our head is that weight and our neck/shoulders need to rest so that it can continue to carry our big ol' heads around all day long. As women, we sit behind computers or drive children around town and while we wish our strength was in our upper body, it's really in the hip area. So she suggested this - take several 3-4 min breaks throughout the day and lay down on the floor with your knees bent. Put a rolled up towel under your neck for support. If you can, also put a few ice cubes on the towel so that they target your neck muscles. Why ice instead of heat? She said that when muscles swell (think sprained ankle here), we ice them. It's the same for when your neck starts to ache. I'm going to try this today!

When I entered the chiro office, my body felt like it was spinning without direction like a person lost in the woods without a compass. As I left, I felt lighter and more grounded like I had found my direction. Now to just keep it on track.

Eating today was better too. I am trying to eliminate white sugars/sweets and eat more fiber and protein. Drinking lots of water is so important and something I never do enough of. So I have designated a 18 oz Klean Kanteen as my water bottle each day and I fill it up at least 4 times a day. Yesterday I accomplished this - check!

Stress - I need to eliminated as much stress as possible. Yes, my plate is very full and I have recently let a wonderful volunteer position go to lighten my load. It wasn't enough though and I am looking for ways this week to help reduce stress in my life. One idea is to hire a housekeeper to help me keep up with the bigger cleaning - kichen floor, bathrooms, etc. When these do not get cleaned it adds to my stress. I have gotten better at "letting things go", but sometimes I feel buried the housework and paperwork that surrounds me. I have no idea where to start on the housekeeper idea or how much it costs. I do know that I need help and while my girls are great at helping with general cleaning, I think we need more. I hope to have more accomplished on the stress reduction very soon!

~Lisa

This will be the week

2009-03-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

I have been feeling very fatigued, jittery and generally unwell the past few months so it is now time to do something about it! The plan is to take it easy for the next two weeks and rest as much as possible ( wish me luck on this please - or even better, pray for me). Scheduled this week is an appointment to see my family doctor to discuss a detox, an appointment with the chiropractor and an overindulgent appointment for a neck & shoulder relief massage. I'm really only looking forward to that last one... The knot in my neck has got-to-go! So I will be laying low for the next two weeks and sleeping as much as possible. This means no more late night movies or wasteful time on the computer. Momma needs to take care of herself! To bed I shall go when the last little one starts sawing logs. This post is just my reminder to myself really, that I need to do this for my well being and I need to stick to it.

After the first week of rest, I plan a week long fasting/detox (as long as it's okay with my dr). I have no reason to believe it won't be, in fact, I think my body is craving it. I'll post my list of foodies here each day so anyone can follow along and I can keep tabs on myself.

After the two week rest and week of detox, then I will start to exercise regularly once again. Gentle yoga is okay for the detox week though and something that I will look forward to. So this is the week to get started. It's kind of like my own New Year's - just a little late!

~Lisa

Dreaming

2009-03-22T10:58:00.001-07:00

I had a dream once for a family that was all my own - my own flesh and blood. Relatives who knew me, loved me and never left me. Giving thanks today for the family that is all mine and to my wonderful husband who made all my dreams come true.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKfDwChOoHI

I'm loving this song - go listen.

As a little one runs into my lap singing "My Mama!" I'll leave this space for today. Lots going on here and very little time to write about it. I hope to get caught up soon and will share pictures of our strawberry picking outing (see new Spring banner!). Don't you just love Springtime?

~Lisa

Big Birthday Weekend and a Giveaway!

2009-02-20T22:02:00.000-08:00

A sweet baby girl was born 13 years ago and made me a Mom for the first time. As we held her, (and studied her ten tiny toes) we tried to imagine our lives together as she grew into a young lady. She's exceeding all our expectations and dreams. A beautiful young lady now graces our home with a kind, giving heart, is an eager helper, has a determined mind and is a sister to be looked up to. We often tell her how she hangs the moon for the younger ones. Happy 13th Birthday Melissa!! We love you!!!

On another note, be sure to check out the blog, Sew Liberated, by the fabulous Meg this weekend. We'll be giving away a Moby Wrap from our Full Circle Baby store to one lucky reader!

Happy Weekend!

~Lisa

Perfectly ready

2009-02-05T21:35:00.000-08:00

Having five children in tow with me almost constantly, I am often approached by others wondering if we will have more children. Many ask if we will try for a boy (being we have all girls). My typical, polite response is that "I don't know - maybe" to the first question. About the boy question, "I don't think so...we only make girls it seems".

I realized lately that my typical responses are just apathetic and robot responses. I haven't tried to delve into the whys or hows or ifs as I've just been too busy living and enjoying the children we have been blessed with. I haven't tried to analyze and soul search if I truly was open to having more children. I knew that I would be fine with adding another child to our family, but did I really want more was a question that I have not wanted to answer until now. Waffling on the issue is an understatement. Indecisive - yes, absolutely true.

With the talk in the media about the woman who just had octuplets (making her total 14 children), there has been speculation about her irresponsibility. Not being one to judge her, I am not going to go there but instead I brought it to my own self to ask if it is irresponsible for us to have more children. I read this lovely post today and she put into words all the thoughts I've had on the Octomom and having a large family of our own.

I forced myself to answer that question of "do I want more children?" and I found the answer to be - yes. Before now, my indecision left me feeling uneasy and hollow. Answering that question for myself and not for others who ask me in passing, now leaves me feeling happy and certain.

Will we have more children? There's One who knows for sure, but I do know that I will happily welcome and want any child that may come to us. I love little babies and they bring true joy to my life. Pure joy! Adding to our family in the form of little people couldn't be more wonderful. They are only with us for a little time to nurture into bigger people after all and then the most wonderful thing happens as our family loves and cares for each other. So instead of having babies, maybe we should think of it as having family instead. Could there be anything more wonderful than having a family of your own to love and care for?

I also found through my soul searching that I am more ready now than ever before in my life to welcome a new baby into my life. I am more confident as a mother, wiser and at ease with the care a new baby brings. I have found my way to being the mother I want to be and I truly love motherhood. It's not always easy and at times I lose my patience, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I am perfectly ready. I am ready for whatever the future holds for us and it's a great place to be.

Peace and love,

~Lisa

Want to know a secret?

2009-02-05T20:25:00.000-08:00

I get asked every so often how I manage everything - from homeschooling, having five children to keeping my house clean. Let's get one thing straight first, I don't do it all. I have five little helpers and one big one. But, the one thing that I do every single morning is to clean the kitchen sink. If I don't do it, then I'm in big trouble. My day will be a disaster and nothing will run right. So to keep things real, here's the before picture of my kitchen. This was probably after a weekend of cooking (my guy likes to cook which I am so very thankful for, but I'm his designated cleaner upper). On weekday nights, I like to have the kitchen all cleaned up before I head to bed, but sometimes I let it slide too.

What a mess!!! Almost every square inch of this counter is covered in dirty dishes. I love my dishwasher, it's pretty new and so very quiet. BUT, I need two....seriously.

Here's the after picture. I had it all cleaned up in about 10 minutes - really! When I get to work, it doesn't take long at all.

I thought I'd share a few of my favorite cleaning aids. First is this fantastic scrubber - Bon Ami. This stuff has been around for ages and I can remember as a child seeing my Grandmother use it to clean her kitchen. The great thing about Bon Ami is that it is safe and doesn't contain bleach. Plus, it makes my kitchen sink and stove shine! Did I mention it's cheap too???

This is my second favorite kitchen cleaner. Mrs. Meyers cleaners smell so good! Especially this one I got right after Christmas when they were all on sale. It's peppermint scented and every time I spray it, a cooling sensation comes over me. Ahh.....

See how shiny my sink is now?!

So, that's my secret for making my household run smoothly - start with the kitchen sink. Once it's clean, the whole day runs smoothly.

~Lisa

My house is quiet

2009-01-24T12:55:00.000-08:00

Truly, my house is quiet and the only sound I can hear is the tippy-tapping of my fingers on the keyboard as I write this post. Even the dog is quiet outside - and that is saying something. So before it ends, and oh, will it end, I want to squeeze in one more thing...a nap. A quiet, Saturday afternoon nap. Sounds lovely doesn't it?

Before I head off to my just out of the dryer clean sheets, I want to pop in here to mention our January Sale at Full Circle Baby! There is just one more week left of a HUGE Baby Wearing Event and Get Yourself Organized SALE. That's what you get when the Owner can't decide which type of sale to have - one really long sale title. I've put all the baby carriers we stock on sale - Becos, Mobys, Maya Wraps and Zolowear. Plus, all those great organizational items like cute little wet bags and the eco-friendly diaper bags by Fleurville (these are made out of recycled water bottles - so cool!) are on sale too. So get yourself on over to Full Circle Baby while the gettin' is good and before the sale ends too!

Happy Weekend!

~Lisa

Some little things

2009-01-19T20:11:00.000-08:00

little things that made my day -

a morning phone call from the guy i love just to say hello, i'm thinking about you.

a girl who finished all her school work before most of us were dressed for the day.

a girl who swept the kitchen floor without being asked to do so.

puckered up kisses from a sweet two year old.

a friend who made me dinner so i could stay out of the kitchen.

watching girls take their time to do a good job with their history record book daily page.

expectant parents who were grateful i took time to explain cloth diapering and baby wearing to them.

seeing my girls cozy up in pjs i made for them.

Thirty-something!

2009-01-19T08:11:00.000-08:00

I had fun reading this list of things accomplished in life on some different blogs, so today as I turn 38, I thought I'd answer them too. It's a fun way to find out something you may not know about someone ...so if you feel like it, do it too and let me know!! The items in the list in bold are some of the exciting and not-so-exciting things I have done.

1. Started your own blog - um, that's obvious isn't it!
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world - - my Grandparents used to live really close to DW!
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (it was in a Kindergarten play!)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child - no, but I was adopted as a baby.
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort (I lived in Ohio as a young child...lots of snow!)
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community (Amish cheese is the best!)
36. Taught yourself a new language (Hola! Es mi feliz cumplianos
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing (I got sea sick though....)
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling - does in a pool count?
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie - not me but I was there! My twins were in "Iron Jawed Angels".
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business - Full Circle Baby.
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies - more than I want to remember!
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle- I'm not sure it was "speeding" though.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (this is what Manly Man calls "kill it and grill it" - but I don't do the killing)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life - Miss Abbey's more times than I want to recount. She used to put every tiny thing in her mouth.
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one (missing my Memom, Gokey, Grandma N. and Grandpa H.)
94. Had a baby - a few time over, lol!
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

xo~Lisa

The Ranch - The Camp (Part 2)

2009-01-18T22:10:00.000-08:00

After a nap and a snack, we are ready for a walk around the Camp where the Camp House sits on the Ranch. Everyone said the Ranch is a perfect place to nap and they were right!

A couple of doe have wandered close to the Camp to take a peek at us. Hello deer!

The desert shows signs of color and life even in the winter time.

See - Abbey found some flowers!

At the Ranch Camp, our camper looks lonely all by itself. The sounds of the desert can be alarming (and a little freaky) at first and especially at night. I was convinced there was a six foot long snake laying outside our camper the first night. As I watched it lay there in the moonlight I couldn't figure out why it wasn't moving. Was it moonlight bathing? Please just move on I prayed. I clutched my pillow tighter as Manly Man made his way toward the camper and stepped on the "snake". Turns out it was a water line....

Allie looks worried while Grace makes coyote calls and they answer back. Please stop Grace!

This is why every guy and girl needs boots at the Ranch. ouch...

The sun ends the day with a beautiful sunset over the Ranch House. So pretty.....

The fire ring at camp glows and warms us while the air turns chilly. The hunters return from the afternoon hunt for dinner. The Ranch cook serves up homestyle fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy and corn.

Manly Man enjoys a Shiner as Jessica stays warm by the fire and close to Dad (just in case the coyotes come back!).

A full moon shines over the ranch camp as Family Weekend comes to a close. Everyone heads to bed to snuggle under warm blankets.

The Ranch - The Tour (Part One)

2009-01-12T09:27:00.000-08:00

Our weekend wanderings put us just miles from the US border to Mexico on The Ranch. This was only the Girls and my second trip there and we wanted the full tour this time out. So we loaded everyone in the 'Burban and Manly Man (my new name for Jeff after this weekend because at the Ranch he's definitely rough and rugged - it's rather appealing) set out on the Ranch roads. Mind you, these are not typical roads. Most are just paths through cactus and brush - yes, you can get thorns in your tires (don't ask how I know this). Some of the roads are dirt or caliche (which is like a mineral cement). When caliche is dry it is hard as cement, but when it is wet - it's not pretty let's put it that way.

I love this picture of the cactus and brush along the fence that borders the Ranch.

Almost everything on the Ranch is parched, dry and brittle - especially in the winter.
Here's Manly Man driving us, giving the full Ranch tour. He's getting the music just right for our tour.

Once "Is Anyone Going to San Antone" was playing we set off along one of the main Ranch roads. It was very overcast that day due to a cold front. The wind blew so unbelievably hard that morning and ripped our awning right off the camper - along with the jalapeno lights (a little bit of the redneck riveria).

We arrive at a blind where Jeff took the girls hunting earlier that morning. I stayed snuggled up in the warm camper with my little side-kick and heater, Abbey. They all get up at 4:30am for the morning hunts to pick their blind assignments. That's not my idea of fun, but the girls enjoyed spending time with their Dad. Melissa shot a gun for the first time - she missed her target but that's okay. They enjoyed the wildlife viewing the most (lots of deer, pigs and a few rabbits).

The girls that didn't get to go hunting that morning had fun climbing the ladder to take a peek inside the blind. The guys keep themselves quite comfortable actually.

Back on the "road" again.

This side of the Ranch has a new fence. See the bend in the fence near the pole? That's where the folks from Mexico have gone over it as they enter our country. I can't even fathom what they must go through and what life must be like to want something so bad as to walk through the cactus and brush all that way to a new life.

There is more of the Ranch to come!

~Lisa

Weekend Wandering

2009-01-09T05:34:00.000-08:00

We'll wander around through the desert cactus and brush this weekend. Where the thorns and all things prickly become like magnets attracted to humans. There will be camper sleeping and snuggles under warm blankets. Cocoa for breakfast and other times too.

Happy Weekend! We'll share pics when we get back.

~Lisa

What's in a day

2009-01-07T08:08:00.000-08:00

We've homeschooled for two years now and finally I can say we have found our groove. I didn't believe it when others told me it would take this long and to just give it time. They said the girls would need time to decompress from their public school education and experience . While I can still see hints of it in them as they do their daily school work, they way they work in a phrase or two of "in public school I would have to raise my hand" or "in public school I would have to wait for the teacher to explain this to everyone". There are also bad habits we corrected, like how to write properly and to make the letters correctly. Handwriting is something they don't spend much time on in public school...and why? Because they aren't tested on it!

Handwriting is my focus each and every morning because if someone can't read what my girls have written then what is the point? Communication skills, girls, communication skills...I sounds like a teacher...

The school days fly by and just this week Allie (4) started her own handwriting practice and she loves her school work. I waited until she showed interest in what we were doing before offering her own books to her. I am so glad I did, because it is a joy to watch her learn instead of a chore to make her do it.

Isn't Miss Abbey cute as she joins us with her water colors?

I have an idea each day of what we will accomplish, but not a fixed schedule. I am not a schedule person and I like flexibility. This doesn't work for all homeschoolers, but it works for us. I see learning happening in everything my girls do each day. From making their own breakfast (measuring, adding, learning to be domestic), to tackling math problems on paper. It took awhile before I saw growth in their knowledge, but I know now that it was always there.

A typical homeschooling day for us includes handwriting practice, math, language arts/literature and history. Once we finish a year of history we will then switch to science. Extra activities we do as we are able to - like ballet, gymnastics, soccer and soon art classes. Amid it all there is still laundry and dishes and laundry and more dishes.... It's a good thing the girls are learning to be domestic, right?.

~Lisa

Happy New Year!

2009-01-06T07:17:00.000-08:00

Welcome 2009! We had a quiet Christmas at home with our girls this year. Santa was very good to them! Some of their favorite gifts were: a wooden kitchen complete with baking set, felt cookies (an etsy find!) and a kitchen timer - for Abigail(2), the Barbie from Diamond Castle with a dress to match and a wooden castle - for Allie (4), and Waldorf dolls - for all three older girls. Abbey loves setting her timer, then when it goes off she comes running singing "It's ready! It's ready!". Very sweet. Allie is all about princesses and Barbies. She dresses up daily and is incorporating Abbey now in her dress up play. They play together well flitting and twirling around the house.

Santa came early for myself and Jeff bearing a new Nikon camera which I love. He also found us a new to us Suburban - which is so sweet! I love all the room we have now and it's so funny when we all ride together in the Durango. We seem so squished! It's kind of like a watching a clown car unload when the girls keep piling out of it.

The girls hand made each other sister gifts this year and the only thing we bought for those was a hair brush. Allie gave Jessica a gift set that included homemade hair detangler spray and a new brush. We made the hair detangler by mixing together in a recycled squirt bottle 1 cup of distilled water, several drops of lemon and tangerine essential oil (sunshine scented!), a tsp of aloe vera gel and a capsule of vitamin E. We decorated the bottle and called it "Beautiful Hair Detangler". It really works - Jessica's hair is super shiny and best of all, not tangled.

Other sister gifts included a Go Fish -fishing pole set to Abbey from Jessica, hair bows and a beaded braclet set to Grace from Melissa, and a felt i-pod holder for Melissa from Grace. I enjoyed the one-on-one time with each girl as they created their gifts this year. Having our sewing/craft table permanently set up makes it so easy to craft with them.

I gave Jeff (my Good Hearted Man) a new blog! He's still learning but I know there will plenty there once he gets going. http://www.newbraunfelseats.blogspot.com/. This guy can cook! I can say I knew him when .......when he could only make grilled cheese sandwiches that is.

Cheers to 2009!

~Lisa

Allie Speaks

2008-12-14T08:04:00.001-08:00

Allie speaks - "Mom, you smell like a banana split!"

(this is after I ate a banana and drank some peach detox tea)

I guess it's better to smell sweet than sour!

Texas Riviera

2008-11-30T19:54:00.000-08:00

Blogging took a back seat last month as we tackled much school work and geared up for the Holidays and a special little one's second birthday. So this weekend we took a much needed rest at the Gulf Coast. The camper's inaugural outing went perfect! As tent campers up until now, I have to say that my back much prefers the camper's bed. The quaint quarters made for a big slumber party. The outdoor cooking, marshmallows, chocolate bars, graham crackers made for - m'mm good smores. We ended each fun filled day staring into the campfire as the girls entertained us with stories in the round - mostly about a princess and a mighty evil dragon turned good - very funny stuff with giggling girls all around.

One of the things I love most about camping is the chance to get out in nature. The girls get dirt in their finger nails, find joy in picking up oyster shells on a hiking trail and build sand castles at the beach. If you were looking for them, chances are they were up in a tree. Following a trail

and not knowing where it might end or go - that same adventurous spirit that propelled families westward so many, many years ago.

The live oak trees here in Texas have a beauty all their own. Each one is different, twisting this way or that. Evergreens very unlike the piney trees I grew up with in the East. Our campsite had a perfect live oak tree for the girls to climb. I couldn't help but capture a few more on our hike. The spanish moss from the limbs and the vines that are usually full of greenery are now almost bare.

It wouldn't be a vacation without some car knitting now would it?! Travel to and from our Texas Riviera vacation filled my hands with a little of this and that.

I have some finished projects to share soon - like the birthday girl's new dress. Hope your weekend was relaxing as well!

~Lisa

Salute to the Sausage

2008-11-07T14:51:00.000-08:00

Is that the most ridiculous title or what?! In fact, it is happening here right this very minute and continues year, after year in our hometown. The annual Wurstfest is upon us - one bite of sausage after another. We ventured out to Wurstfest the first year we moved here to see what all the fuss was about and we haven't been back - I think we all had culture shock! This is how you would sum up the event in very few words; Germans, sausage, and beer. Oh, maybe I should include polka music too! Have you ever done the "chicken dance"? Well then you have not experienced Wurstfest!

Have a great weekend! Na na na na na na na - clap clap clap clap!

~Lisa

You are my November

2008-11-03T18:31:00.000-08:00

As I look around to see the leaves finally changing colors here in South Texas, I wake up to chilly mornings where I'm on the edge of turning on the heat, but not quite ready. I wonder where another year has gone - it's November. This month is always nostalgic for me as I look back at the years. It's a celebration of the month we officially moved into our new home here in Texas, it's a celebration of life as we get ready for a birthday and it's the start of the best season ever.

The girls finished up October with trick-or-treats Halloween night.

Miss Abbey kept me company handing out goodies to the neighborhood children

and was also my partner in crime as we munch our fair share of candy straight out of the hand out basket. Honestly, how do you tell an almost two year old she can't have any more candy without the creation of magnificent tears? Pumpkin carving was loads of fun, but Abbey decided that pumkin guts were "ewe-ewe-ewe". She stood on the front porch the whole time trying to steer clear of any flying pumpkin parts.

I finished up my Fall "Mama Bag" as I call it. Nothing is allowed to enter into it you see, unless it belongs to me and only me. No diapers, no dolls, no sippy cups, no snacks (unless they are mine), no "Mom will you hold on to this for me?" items..nada. I used Portabello Pixie's new Market Bag pattern and yes, I'm totally uncreative in picking out my fabrics for this bag. I loved the ones she used so much that I just went straight to those and I'm so happy with it. The ol' sewing machine didn't quite like sewing through five layers of fabric, but I'm pleased with how it turned out. If I win this, then the ol'sewing machine won't be hollering at me any more.

The next sewing project was going to be Miss Abbey's birthday dress, but I think we'll make a few baby hats first. Check over on Mama to Mama (Soule Mamas new website) for details of this very worthwhile project. Tis the season to give back and who could be more deserving than another mother. We're all connected by this wonder called motherhood. Living here, where we are planted, it sometimes seems surreal that somewhere else there is great pain, heartache and even violence towards mothers. As part of our living mindfully of others, I hope that my girls will help me with this project and maybe we'll even try another one in the process.

Oh - if you haven't already voted, then GO VOTE!

x0~Lisa

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

2008-10-24T06:25:00.000-07:00

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Wow - that's about all there is to say. Such a talented lady and generous offer. My girls would swoon over such a dress if it were to arrive at our house. Can't you just hear the little "oohing" and "aahhing" - don't forget the little screams of delight too!

Speaking of Halloween costumes, I'm about to sew up a cheerleader outfit for my little Allie (4). She'll look very sweet in piggie tails and pom poms. That's of course unless we win the Marie-Therese gown! :)

~Lisa

The Wind

2008-10-18T07:18:00.001-07:00

A cold front blew through this week bringing lovely weather, perfect park days and cool nights. This is the conversation I had with my sweet 4 yr old daughter:

Little A: Mom, is God the wind?

Me: Well, God makes and brings us the wind.

Little A: God IS the wind!

Me: You are right, God is the wind.

Have a wonderful weekend!

~Lisa

12 weeks to Christmas?!

2008-10-15T14:27:00.001-07:00

So I've been informed that there are now 12 weeks until Christmas. It's probably less than that already. Time to start those lists! What are you giving this holiday season? I know, I know - it seems way to early to start thinking about it. Starting early saves a ton of money and planning later on though. I tend to be a type A personality but I try so hard to use my left brain! I'm a left brain wannabe.

October is the month to find great deals. I often check the clearance section at the end of the aisles in Target. As they put out their "Christmas" toys, many others are marked down. In an effort to give more handmade items this year, we'll be visiting the fabric store often. My oldest daughter said they have 12 fat quarters for $10. - she's making skirts for American Girl dolls to give as gifts. We adapted the quick skirt pattern to fit dolls and it looks very cute! The crafting/sewing table we refinished (found it for gratis!) is certainly to be a focal point of our holiday gift making.

Wellness baskets are on my list to make - I wonder who the lucky receiver might be? Filled with "take care of YOU" items like a rice heat therapy bag, boo-boo bag, eye pack for headaches, and some yummy herbal items like Kerry's Herbal Miracle Salve (this stuff rocks!). Maybe I'll throw in some Baby's Bottom Butter too - we had a craze this Spring/Summer when news hit the US that this cream was used as a woman's facial cream. I couldn't keep the Moondance Soaps version of the cream on our shelves. It was pretty funny watching how much people were buying actually - not in a ha-ha sort of way, but a good way!

So what are you making as gifts? I need ideas!

Off to a La Leche League meeting this morning. I've been a LLL Leader for many years now and it is still something I enjoy. Seeing all the mamas and new babies, answering their questions, and watching the mother-to-mother support is something I never get tired of. The hard part is getting everyone out the door, school work packed up for the older girls to school on the go and keeping the "mama I'm hungry" at bay during the meeting - that means snacks!

~Lisa

Goodbye - Hello!

2008-10-10T11:02:00.000-07:00

You can find me over on my new blog - The Full Circle Mother.

Why the new blog? I wanted something personal to record the happenings of our family, but I still wanted to keep the blog for my business as well. So I created The Cloth Diaper Blog and The Baby Wearing Blog to help educate and inform on those topics. Links to both are over on the Full Circle Mother now. See you there!

xo~Lisa

aka - the Full Circle Mother

The Shack

2008-10-08T14:16:00.001-07:00

Finished reading "The Shack" this week and wow - what a powerful book. I highly recommend it, especially for anyone struggling with fear or sadness in their life. While I didn't feel that way going into the book, it surely made me realize many things even though the book itself is fiction. Plus, don't we all know someone who is struggling with sadness in some form or another. The great part about this book, is that you can turn the sad situation in the book into anything else - like a cancer diagnosis, loss of a job, fear of dying even.

One thing I am taking away from the book is "love" - or more like "loving". I want to put verbs into my living (see how I made that a verb instead of the noun "life") and by pouring more love into everything I do I will see it in others lives, especially my children. Most mothers probably wonder how they could ever love their children more than they do at this very moment. I feel the exact same way. I love them unconditionally, with all my heart. By changing love from a noun to a verb, we will be loving them in ways we haven't before. By doing, instead of having, we will reap the rewards of wonderful children and our lives will always be blessed by them.

xo~Lisa

Weekend Sewing

2008-10-06T06:16:00.000-07:00

My favorite season is finally arriving here (although slowly) in South Texas. While we have to endure some really hot days in the summer, it all comes full circle in the Fall and Winter when we have the most wonderful weather. I just love the cool mornings and beautiful days! I used to bundle my girls up in jackets, turtle necks and warm pants when we lived in Virginia, but here they can just go out in almost the same clothes year long. Our one week of winter doesn't last long enough here.

This weekend the girls and I hit the outlets to get a few pieces of Fall clothes for them. I made a pledge to not buy any "new" clothes for the two little ones (4yrs and 22months) this Fall season so the only new outfits they will have will come from being hand-made. The two little ones have bins full of hand-me-downs from sisters and cousins. The only thing that I will need to buy is some shoes probably.

I sewed Baby A her first new handmade set this weekend using the Oliver + S free skirt pattern for the skirt and hand appliqued the t-shirt (from Old Navy). If the day is colder, this set has a matching long sleeve shirt with fabric covered buttons and a cute set of baby legs! Baby Legs are great for our weather. The Fall/Winter days always start out chilly, so Baby A can wear her baby legs to keep her legs warm and as the day grows warmer, we can just pull them off.

I hit the jackpot at the local fabric store this weekend too! My local Quilt Haus has the cutest fabric so I always end up wandering around the store thinking up more projects in my head while I'm there. Anyway, I stuck to my list (some flannel for jammies) and was rewarded at the check out with a $20 off coupon for my next visit! Woohoo! That's a good coupon in my book! Can't wait to go back and use it.

Hope you had a great weekend too!

xo~Lisa

Old Grandma

2008-10-02T05:48:00.000-07:00

Old Grandma visited this weekend - she's my Grandma but we now call her "Old" Grandma so the girls can differentiate from all the "Grandmas" in their lives. How lucky are they to have three Grandmas!? At first, Old Grandma was having a hard time adjusting from her trip and kept falling. So we took a day and spent it with her at my mom's house to try and bring some peace and stability to the situation. She doesn't get around much at all anymore but at 84 she's still sharp as a tack.

I cooked this fabulous Chicken and Orzo recipe for the Family (12 of us) on Friday night and I caught Old Grandma helping Baby A with her food. If I only have that moment to remember my Grandma by, I will treasure it forever. The oldest member of our family, helping the youngest keep food on her spoon and into her mouth, touched my heart. Old Grandma gets her share of the care taking these days, so seeing her give care reminded me how much she used to give to everyone else.

Watching my Grandma sew, made me want to sew. As a child, she patiently helped me thread needle after needle, sat and did crafts with me, made paper flowers... She also gave of herself through cooking and gifts. I would sit at her counter while she made me jelly rolls for breakfast - letting me eat my fill of them too! I remember her never being rushed and always having time to play a game of Uncle Wiggly. Remember that game? She never, ever yelled. I still sleep under the afgan she made me many years ago - especially when I'm feeling sick. It like a hug from Grandma. My girls still play with the doll clothes she made and there are flannel jammies waiting for them to grow into one day.

I made the girls jelly rolls yesterday for breakfast and let them eat their fill. Today we are making more skirts for their Fall closets. This little Lazy Days skirt pattern is quick to make and I love the ribbon trim!

Jelly Rolls Recipe:

1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup flour
2 eggs
2 T oil (veg oil, coconut oil or butter melted)

Mix all ingredients together. Lightly grease a small skillet and set heat to medium. Add 2 T of batter and swirl batter around in the pan until very thin. Cook about 2 min (you don't have to flip but you can if you want to cook the other side a little). Remove crepe to a paper towel lined plate. Fill center with your favorite jelly or jam (strawberry, mixed berry - they are all good!).
Eat while warm! Be ready to make many more!

Fair Days

2008-09-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

This week marked the 115th Comal County Fair so the girls and I dove in to make things to submit to the Fair. My oldest girl made yummy cinnamon rolls, Twin One made some candy cookies and Twin Two baked a loaf of bread from my favorite bread book. They had to do it all themselves from scratch and they really did! I ended up cleaning the kitchen most of the time they were cooking, but it was fun to see them in the kitchen. Twin Two's loaf of Boule Artisan Bread won the tri-color ribbon (Grand Prize!) for her age group. We're very proud of her! The others won a 2nd and 3rd place ribbons!

Little A is still a little young to cook something completely by herself, so she wanted to make a sunflower picture. We set out all the art supplies for her to pick and choose from and we showed her how to paint with glue to make her materials stick to the paper. Then she went to work! She was so excited and kept saying "I bet I'll win a ribbon" over and over again. She did win a ribbon - 2nd place! All the girls are winners in our eyes of course, it is such a nice way to boost their self esteem by seeing them proclaimed winners in the Fair. They worked really hard!

Our favorite spot at the Fair is the baby chicks. It something we do every year and I have pictures of them each year there. Fun to see how much they've grown from year to year.

We saw many of our friends at the Fair and in the Midway rides. Merry Go Round, Glider, Fun Slides, Catepillar Coaster and Tea Cups are some of the girls favorites. My oldest likes the faster, spin you around like crazy rides more each year while Baby A hung on for dear life on the Merry Go Round.

My Rock has his turn at the Fair tomorrow as he works the Swim Team food booth in the morning. He'll feel right at home with the sausages and corn on the cob! Thank goodness he loves to cook and doesn't mind volunteering his time.

Hope whatever your weekend brings makes it fantastic!

xo-Lisa

Welcome!

2008-09-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

Hey! Welcome to my blog, my little space in the world, my journal of motherhood. I figure it's best to post an introduction as my first post here even though I suspect mostly friends or family to read this blog but here it goes.

I'm Lisa - it's the name my parents gave me when they adopted me as a baby. Being an adopted child will explain a lot of things about me down the road. Or at least I think it explains a lot about me. Being a wife and mother brings meaning to my life and my rock is my husband. I couldn't do half I do without him. So we have five children, all girls. Yes, all girls - we seem to only make the female species. So a house full of beauties is what my husband was meant to be surrounded by. Having a family of my own is all I ever wanted growing up - see there's that adopted child thing again. I have a tendency to go overboard or maybe it's just determination to do something right. Thus the five children! Once I figured out how I wanted to mother my girls, I just wanted to keep having babies. No, I am not currently pregnant nor do I have plans to be so. There's still time for that later - maybe. Our "baby" is going to be two years old in November and our oldest is 12 years old. Then there's my identical twin daughters whom just turned 9 years old and the child I never thought I'd have is now 4 years old.

We homeschool and run Full Circle Baby - a natural baby and mom boutique. Life is always busy, hopefully not passing us by, but living fully. Sometimes I can't remember what happened yesterday, but popping Ginko Biloba might help that if I didn't despise taking pills so much. So now I'm rambling, I'll stop. The girls anxiously await ......wait was that a crash I just heard? I'd better go investigate.

xo~Lisa

Going Batty

2008-08-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

Austin is just the coolest city - really. Lucky for me, it's only a short 40 minute drive. This weekend we packed up the girls one evening and headed that way to view something we've never seen before. See these people hanging around the Congress Street bridge?

As dusk approaches that same bridge starts to look more like this-

And below the bridge looks alot like this -

There's one of my twins watching..... and here's two more of my girls watching....

Finally, around 8:30pm or so what everyone has been watching and waiting for finally happens! The largest Urban Bat population takes flight out from under the Congress Street bridge! First, one little bat flys out, then a couple more, then over 1.5 million bats follow....amazing. We sat and listened to them squeak "talk" to each other for almost an hour before they took flight into the night sky. Such a neat summer evening. The exodus apparently can last about 45 minutes. We watched for awhile and the girls thought it was very neat.

This is what my camera was able to capture of them flying over our head.

Obviously, I need a much better camera to capture the millions of bats leaving their home!

If you look carefully, you can see a few of them here -

Amy's Ice Cream was the perfect ending to our summer night out in Austin. If you ever go, I recommend the Mexican Vanilla milkshake. It's rub your tummy good!

~Lisa

Sum-Sum-Summer Time

2008-07-23T12:14:00.000-07:00

Those lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer are upon us. It is H-O-T! Hurricane Dolly is heading toward us today and I do hope she brings lots of rain with her. Our grass is dying from the heat and the garden has whilted.

However, the garden experiment took off with flying colors and encouraged us to try again with more plantings next year. We hope to bring in many more fresh veggies that have been home grown in the future. The book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" inspired me greatly and opened my eyes to many things I didn't know about our food sources. My oldest reads food labels more than I do now and won't let anything with "high fructose corn syrup" enter the house! Homemade ice cream has become a staple now instead of purchased and we are getting really good at it. This recipe was a favorite and one that needs repeating! You just can't beat ice cream made with raw milk and cream.....it is so yummy and healthy.

We just returned from a trip to Dallas to visit family, attend the LLL of TX conference and (most important to the girls) go to the American Girl Store. Fun for all! As I unpacked the past few days and caught up the store, I realized how much the store needed to be updated. That was done today along with plenty of reordering of products.

BumGenius 3.0 is our best selling diaper and obviously a favorite among many families. I have a hard time keeping it in stock and if I forget to reorder one week, then it unfortunately becomes a back ordered item. So, I've bumped up the inventory on this again and hope to reach really good stock levels to keep this from happening in the future. We'll be rolling in the diapers once more very soon! Boxes of cotton prefolds arrived this week and are waiting to be unpacked. These are really big boxes and heavy. There is something about the smell of new prefolds being unpacked though - very earthy.

Some other shop updates - I've put a few items in the Clearance section to make room in my storage area. So there are some really good deals there if you haven't looked lately! Also, Zolowear Slings are on sale this month and Baby Legs. There are some fun summer prints for Baby Legs and it's a good time to stock up for the Fall when they are on sale - right? :)

I'll try to not be so invisible the rest of the summer. I'm actually thinking of starting another blog that would be more personal and keep this one for the shop updates - still just thinking on that though. Off to paint the spare bedroom - what better things to do in the summer than to paint inside!

~Lisa

Baby UP!

2008-05-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

The Japanese Tea Gardens have reopened in San Antonio - just 30-40 min from our town of New Braunfels. The girls and I took Grandma there this Spring to view the wonderful flowers and waterfall. It's a little scary with a 1 1/2 yr old trying to navigate the many steps but the key was to just keep her up in the Beco!

Most of those who know me, know I'm a huge baby wearing fan and will wear my daughter most anywhere. I prefer having her on me than in the shopping cart or stroller. She's getting quite heavy though (she did enter the world at 10.3 lbs!) and at 17 months I'm sure she is closing in on the 30 lbs mark. I need to weigh her soon.... The Beco has been the best investment I've made. It's a soft structured baby carrier and oh so pretty! Dear Jeff even wore Miss Abbey on his back while hiking up (or was it down) the Enchanted Rock in Frederickburg, TX. I think I was the lucky one who wore her going up!!! Talk about a work out... It makes me sweat just thinking about doing that again. The Beco uses both shoulders and a nice padded waist strap to support the weight of the child. When you aren't using it or your child wants down, it folds up nicely around your waist and is secured with a strap (looks like a fanny pack at this point) so you don't end up carrying it around all day. Of course, I like the pretty prints it comes in too. We are working on adding this to our store since I'm such a huge fan of the product. The Beco company is small, but growing so hopefully we'll be an approved retailer soon. In the meantime, I know another wonderful company that carries them - Cotton Babies. As a retailer for their BumGenius! One Size Diapers, I can vouch for their supreme customer service and they usually have a nice selection of products to choose from.

Where will you wear your baby today? Leave me a comment and let me know the most unusual place you've worn your baby and what kind of carrier you use most!

xo Lisa

This just in....

2008-05-08T08:35:00.000-07:00

Something fun! We're participating in the Baby Legs "Sew Golden" event which will run June 1st - July 15th. Every pair of Baby Legs is sewn with a golden overlock stitch to prevent raveling and enhance durability. During the event period, all packages of Baby Legs will be stuffed with prizes!!! Prizes include Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupons, coupons for free products from various children's companies and the grand prize of a trip to Seattle! Who coupldn't use a trip to the "Sleepless" city??? There are some super cute new prints out as well and they will be in our store soon. Names like Popsicle, Sweet Pea (that's in the pic above), Sherbet and more are on their way to us.

Watch our homepage at http://www.fullcirclebaby.com/ for the start of the Baby Legs event! Maybe one of my customers will win the grand prize! How exciting..... but you'll take me with you to Seattle won't you??? ;)

~Lisa

Permission to breathe

2008-03-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

Days are passing into months and months into years. Is it too cliche to say "time flys"? I've thrown myself head, foot and tail into homeschooling my three oldest girls and we have been busy. Good busy though. Thus, my lack of posting on such important topics (see below)!

One day this week (I believe it was Monday), I gave us a permission to breathe day. There was filing to do, bills to pay, laundry to wash & fold (yes, put away too), and just general "stuff" that has been piling up. Feeling a bit swamped, I decided to take a day to take care of it all. What a blessing that was too. With it all out of the way, we were free again to plunge into schooling and life (thus creating more piles - but that's okay).

Is this not the cutest, most inventive thing you've seen in a long time?? Allie's been testing it out for us to see if it's something we should add to the store. She's given it her thumbs up so keep watch out for a listing in the store soon!
The weather is turning very warm here in South Texas (I think it's actually 95 today). Time to head to the wading pool..... the ducks are calling (at least my 3 year old thinks they are!). Quack!

~Lisa

On the horizon...

2008-01-26T11:26:00.000-08:00

Many things to get to today, but I have a to-do list for this blog as well! Coming soon I want to write about the "greenest" way to cloth diaper. This came about after viewing this segment on Good Morning America by Dr. Greene himself.

Also on the list, a want to try and get a video up on how to wash wool. I get this question over and over again. I know it seems intimidating to wash wool for the first time, but it's really easy.
I've never attempted video online though so please bear with me on this one! I'd love to get up a video of one of our cloth diapering consultations as well. But let me start small first!

I just installed (okay - Jeff did it) Photoshop Elements 6 on the computer in attempts to start keeping my pics organized and hopefully make some cute digital scrapbooking pages. There's no way I have time to pull out supplies and pictures to scrapbook by hand, so this digital scrapbooking might actually be something I can do. Plus, it will be so cool to edit pictures for our website. The book says it can even edit out wrinkles....very cool.

What else? Maybe some peeks at homeschooling, new books I'm trying to read and some crafts we've finished. We're trying to plan a vacation for this Spring too. I'm torn between visiting family and an educational trip (D.C. and Williamsburg, VA) vs. a trip to the coast in a beach house for week. Okay - so maybe I'm really not that torn.... ;).

Happy Weekend!
~xo, Lisa

Dying Wool

2008-01-16T15:21:00.000-08:00

So what was cooking in that pot in the previous post? Wool of course! "What?", you say? Yes, we were dying wool on the stove. Wool is an animal fiber and takes dye nicely. Kool aid dying is a favorite method to change the color of wool and very easy to do.

First, pick your colors. There are many websites/blogs that will give you good visuals on the colors that each "flavor" of kool aid produce. You will need several packets - depending on the amount of wool you will be dying in each batch. If you want a lighter color, then use less - use more for darker colors. If you want a tie dye effect - use less and see what fun project turns up!

Gather your materials: wool (fabric or yarn), kool aid packets, big pot, and spoon.

Wet the wool in the sink in lukewarm water while you dissolve the kool aid in the pot. Put a few cups of lukewarm water in the pot to mix with your kool aid packets. When the kool aid is dissolved, add more water (you will want enough to cover the wool once it is in the pot). Add the wet wool to the kool aid mixture in the pot. Set the pot on the stove and turn on high (like you were going to boil it). As the mixture heats, be sure to stir often and turn the wool around. You will notice the wool taking color and the water in the pot will turn clear. When the water is completely clear (this usually happens before the water actually boils), turn off the stove and remove the pot from the heat. Let cool. Do not remove the wool from the pot until the water is cool - room temperature cool. Once cool, take the wool from the pot and rinse it under luke warm water. You can wash the wool at this point with some wool wash too. We like to use Sudzndudz liquid wool wash. Squeeze the excess water from the wool and lay flat to dry on a towel or rack.

Viola! You've just dyed wool with kool aid! Perk - your kitchen gets to smell like pink lemonade or maybe kiwi strawberry! :) Oh, what fun project will you create with your new wool? Diaper covers? Wool pants for a little one?

Here's a stack of wool we dyed:

(top pink lemonade, middle grape, bottom was a mixture of black cherry, strawberry and pink lemonade)

Some yoga baby pants I made for our Sweetness - perfect for winter diapering and bedtimes:

I like this pattern but next time I might size it down as the pants came out a little larger than the size chart suggested.

I should be catching up on my bookkeeping, but this was so much fun I wanted to share it with you!

~Lisa

Yummy!

2007-12-31T08:37:00.000-08:00

Guess what I got for Christmas from my sweet hubby?! Chocolate Lollipop fabric! Anna Maria Horner's fabric is soooo beautiful and I've been eyeing this fabric for some time now but it wasn't available through my local quilt shop. Truly, I'm a novice seamstress but throughly enjoy knitting and sewing and it helps put a little bit of calmness into my world. And sometimes just a little bit is all I need! HA!

So I found this sweet german dress pattern (Farbenmix pattern):

There's an American store you can buy the pattern from - http://www.banberryplace.com/. Not expensive at all and they shipped it really fast.

So this is what part of my Christmas present turned into:

Front and back views:

This dress is really easy - trust me - if I can do it any beginner could too! The directions (which there isn't much of) took me a while to understand but once they clicked it was simple.

So for something to put under the dress I'm cooking it up now -

Happy, Happy New Year! Cheers!

~xo Lisa

Surrounded by love

2007-12-30T09:19:00.000-08:00

Did you ever wonder how it feels to be surrounded by love? How about five girls who love you and you them more than life itself? My little blessings & me....

Merry Christmas

2007-12-21T11:20:00.000-08:00

Wow! Another year is coming to a close. What a year it has been too! Time to look back, reflect and be thankful for an amazing life and year. Looking forward to a wonderful year ahead in 2008!

We have a new baby coming.... not my own (got you there didn't I!) but my closest friend is due in June. I can't wait and I'm so excited for her and her family! We'll surely be getting lots of new baby snuggles and spoiling the new little one with soft goodies.

I'm thinking (& praying!) about bringing my twins home to school with us this coming year as well. Sometimes just the thought of them all in the house together overwhelms me, but I'm feeling led to do this with them. Changing their hearts and bringing them back home to learn will surely be a good thing. Busy...but good.

It's time to add the finishing touches to our Christmas. There are peanut butter chocolates to be made (an annual tradition here) and presents to wrap for all the children. Hoping for a few colds days to cuddle by the fire place in some strong arms too.

We'll see you again in 2008! Merry Christmas!

xo Lisa

Firsts

2007-11-26T14:44:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Ours was wonderful - relaxing and eating....what could be better?! I spent time reflecting on last year as well. You see I was hugely pregnant last Thanksgiving, past my due date and waiting for labor to begin. Lucky for my Mom (who is always in charge of Thanksgiving dinner), our baby waited through dinner but decided to come early the next morning. How nice to let Mom get all nourished before the labor marathon, right?

I'm sure all women look back at their births and when that first birthday rolls around it makes it all so nostalgic. The first time you notice a contraction, the first time you tell your husband "it's time", first time you hold that precious miracle in your arms and the first time you gaze into each other's eyes. Then all the "firsts" of that first year! I love watching my girls grow and the first year is filled with wonderment as a baby looks at the world for the first time. The first year has flown by for us this time but it never fails to be a wonderful time even though it is not our "first" time around.

So Happy Birthday to our little Sweetness! We can't wait to see what the world has in store for her and we feel so blessed to be her parents.

Family - ahhh....

2007-11-02T12:29:00.000-07:00

Normally when I take all my girls to the grocery store with me we get all sorts of comments from strangers. Most of them, well....they just aren't very nice. We get a lot of "Are they all yours?". Of course they are, but I have yet to come up with a snazzy come back to that one besides the "Oh no, I just picked up a few on my way here!". We've even had a few "OMG! - They can't be all yours?!" - well then who's are they then?! lol

Today we decided to snag Grace and Jessica from school on our way to lunch, we've just been missing them now that Mel is homeschooled full time. We needed to stop by the grocery store. I sort of keep up a guard and am ready for the comments now. So in the produce section are several older ladies doing their shopping. I try by best to keep my broad under control and out of the way - sometimes it's easier than others. One of these ladies catches my eye and I can see it coming - but she is smiling so that was a good sign! She asks "Is this your family?". "Yes, it is.", I say. "What a beautiful family you have", she says. Ah....that was so nice. My family. Yes, they are all mine and my beautiful family. That was so refreshing and helped to put my mind and heart where it needed to be today.

Halloween is over but the candy remains. Need I say more??? Allie has a huge sweet tooth - she's in heaven! The girls had a blast trick or treating this year and some surprise friends showed up to go around with us. Allie was too cute racing door to door in her princess costume. She calls herself "Princess" these days.

From the top - Grecian Princess (M), Fairy (J), Witch (G), Lil' pumkin (A), Princess (A).

With sprinkles on top

2007-09-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Grace and Jessica! We started out the day with a sprinkly treat to let them know we knew it was their special day. You only turn 8 years old once. I can't believe it's been 8 years since my twin girls were born. What an incredible day that was! We celebrated this weekend by taking them camping which turned out to be quite the trip.

It's such fun watching the girls explore and create adventures in nature. We just never get that opportunity living in suburbia. It doesn't come without it's bumps and bruises though. The girls first decided to pick some prickly pears off a cactus - ouch! Each and every one of them got a hand full of prickly thorns. Doubt they will do that again....but you never know! That was some hike though. Tested my patience, but it was a beautiful view and we saw a whole bunch of deer. Thankfully, no snakes! After the hike, we all were ready to go swimming in the lake but not before my oldest decided to take a tumble off a see saw (remember those?). Yep, she broke her wrist in two places. Lucky Dad got to take her to the emergency room (he's getting a tour of the Hill Country ERs). Fortunately, it's not a bad break and after a few weeks she'll be good as new. Unforunately, it's her right arm - the one she does everything with (write, eat, wipe herself, etc. etc.!).

Grace and Jessica loved the fun, little ballet bags I made them. They needed something to carry their ballet shoes to and from class. We filled them with goodies of course!

Now the laundry is done (not folded though - that's tomorrow's work). You would not believe the laundry that is created by a weekend camping with a family of 7. Someone might think I've buried a child in the pile that sits on top of the bed. Alas, they are all safe and sound, all tucked in their little beds, snoozing and dreaming like little girls should.

'Til next time,
Lisa

Giving it your all

2007-09-06T07:50:00.000-07:00

There are times when I feel I fall short of my expectations for myself and wonder what I could have done better. Other times I settle for less for the overall betterment of the whole. Being perfect is not the question, but giving it your all to feel good about what you have accomplished is. Everyday I strive to give it my all and most of the time it is for others. This isn't something I want patted on the back for at all and I guess the only reason I'm writing about it is that this is also something I'm trying to instill in my children. It certainly is a balancing act trying to run a business and household. We've always prided ourselves on customer service - making it our top priority and sometimes I feel like my hands get tied if I'm relying on someone else - like a manufacturer who just can not get products out in a timely manner. So then I just do the best I can - meaning wait and then I feel terrible. What to do?

So I'm taking some things into our own hands to try and balance this out. We've started producing our own Simply Medium Prefolds so that they are always in stock. We've listened to the tales of overly bulky diapers and how parents didn't like it or thought their baby would grow up bow legged! Since so many babies stay in the medium size for a very long time (many through potty learning) having prefolds that fit makes sense. Of course, you can always trim your own prefolds too! I'm always looking for ways to save money, so I don't hesitate to pass that along to my customers. It's tough being a parent on a budget.

Speaking of budget - I think it needs a new name. Something like "money forecast" might be a better term. "Budget" brings up all sorts of feelings resembling being strapped or tied down. When really we are trying to forecast where our money is going. I might have to bring this up to Dave Ramsey!

Melissa is surely giving it her all right now. She's making me so proud! She's taking up sewing little things and I often find her cooking things up in the kitchen these days. Her school work is also coming along nicely and she just aced her first literature assessment. Way to go Mel!
She and I are working on a little something to give to the twins for their birthday. I'll have to post pics of them when they are done. My house has just been a blur of creativity these past few weeks. The old sewing machine has knocked out a few really pretty diapers for Abbey too in Freshcut fabric. Sewing diapers has got to be the funnest thing I've done in a long time. Such satisfaction comes from creating something yourself. And making it pretty helps! Seriously - when something gets changed as frequently as a diaper, isn't it nice to look at something pretty while you do it??

~Lisa

Baby Legs

2007-08-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

Do you have the cutest little baby legs? You know the type - the kind that you just want to squeeze! Miss Abbey has them and she's so excited to get into our newest Baby Legs shipment!

Baby Legs make for quick diaper changes and are so nice for the cool Fall weather (whenever it actually gets here in South Texas - but that's another story!). Abbey's holding the "Rye" print - but they come in the classic solid colors (red, black, ivory, brown, etc) and many more cute prints!

The new Batik Handpainted Moby Wrap - finally!

2007-08-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

I've promised a pic of this for a long time now and finally got one today! yay! Don't you love it when you finally finish something that was left hanging? I can close another part of my brain now - which is a good thing because I need all the room I can find to remember everything I need to remember these days.

So the new Moby - here it is! I just love it and so does Miss Abbey! It's the same nice stretchy t shirt fabric as the solid colors, but handpainted with pretty flowers and vines. Plus, it was tie dyed which adds a nice element to the wrap itself. Definitely a "treat yourself" baby carrier for those of us who carry our babies everywhere! Way to go Moby Wrap! These are now available in our store - Full Circle Baby.

The End of Summer

2007-08-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

Summer is over now that school is officially here. Sigh.... I'll miss those lazy days of being able to sleep in (right!) - now seriously as a Mom of 5 sleeping in just never happens. But 7:30 am was the norm in the summer and now it's 6:30am once again. My twins had their first day of second grade today and while I was teary eyed driving away from school this morning, they never looked back. They just jumped out of the car with a kiss and "Love you Mom" and walked arm and arm into school together. Apparently, second graders don't need their Mom to walk them to class on the first day of school. Today began my second attempt at home schooling as well. Yes, we have both in our home - homeschoolers and public schoolers. Our oldest daughter entered 6th grade today via K12 homeschool. She did great! It took us awhile to get into everything this morning but we finished what we started today and she is excited about learning once again. Success! Our 3 year old also is "home schooling" with us. She wanted so much to be part of "school" so we've created her preschool here for her. She started with a letter (A), number (1) and color (brown by her choosing!) of the week. Allie strung cheerios on yarn for a "snack necklace" this morning and then ate it! lol Little Sweetness (our baby) loved being able to nap today without being on the go. She snuggled in her Moby Wrap (the new Handpainted Batik one) while we got started this morning. I love how close she feels when I put her in the Moby and she just rests so sweetly.

The last week of Summer was filled with days of swimming, parks and friends! Such fun! Here are the girls in all their glory last week.

Ah - to be young and carefree!

Knitting and Crocheting

2007-08-22T12:01:00.000-07:00

I've finally finished my first knit wool soaker. It's for baby of course! Knitting has become one of my favorite pastimes - it's so relaxing. It can be done in the car or late at night when I just need to unwind. Time is something I'm always laking in however so when I do finish a project I'm so happy!

For this wool soaker I used the Tiny Birds free soaker pattern.

She does a great job outlining the pattern as it is worked which is great for us beginners who need a visual. ;) The one thing I did want to add was the ruffled edge but I really wanted something a little simplier than what the pattern called for in case we use it under clothing. I'm a novice at crochet too, but I found another visual online to help with adding a crochet edging to the knit soaker.

I chose some lions brand wool for this soaker since it was my first attempt. Didn't want to use something really nice until I got it down but even my knitting guru and "teacher" says she's very impressed! This same friend said this project was very ambitious of me. lol Guess I'm the ambitious type - I go overboard a lot!! Doesn't the soaker look cute with the funky Sweet Mama Small Sugar top I got her?

I'm working on some embellished diapers with Heather Bailey's Fresh Cut fabric. I love prefolds - soft Indian ones are my favorites. Cotton is cool and natural, lasts forever and is fun to dress up. Fresh Cut fabric is just beautiful and reminds me of summer fun. Baby will sure to love being dressed up in some of my recent creations.

Amazing trip!

2007-07-25T04:57:00.000-07:00

Wow! The LLLI conference was amazing. The Founders of LLL are amazing women whom I will forever be grateful. The conference speakers were amazing. I heard Dr. and Martha Sears, Dr. Robert Sears, Dr. Thomas Hale, Chele Marmet, Dr. James McKenna, Nils Bergman, Ina May Gaskins....amazing! I even had my picture taken with Billy Dean! lol He sang "Let Them Be Little" at the Gala Dinner Monday night.

The exhibit hall was filled with many wonderful vendors. LLLI has a new line of "intimates" which I was very impressed with. Who knew we could wear strapless dresses or spaghetti strap shirts and still nurse a baby?? You can with their strapless nursing bra!

I had the opportunity to meet some of the owners of the products we carry at Full Circle Baby as well. Moby Wrap and Swaddlebees were at the conference. I also got a sneek peak at some new products! Keep watching for those! Moby Wrap has a new knit nursing wrap that is amazing. So soft and perfect for those chilly nights or air conditioned rooms. They also have a gorgeous new Moby Wrap coming out. It's hand painted and my favorite color - blue! Yes, I'll probably "have" to have one! Simone and Celeste of Moby Wrap are so nice and I'm glad we got to meet them in person.

It's good to be home, though I have a day filled with laundry, unpacking, catching up on emails, packing orders, etc. The girls and Jeff were a sight for sore eyes at the airport and almost tackled Abbey and I as we arrived home! They loved the American Girl Place gifts we brought back and Jeff hid his Ghiradelli dark chocolate right way! lol Chicago is a nice city and I wouldn't mind going back anytime!

Chicago here I come!

2007-07-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

I've been looking forward to this trip for a couple of months now. The La Leche League International Conference is being held in Chicago and I've always wanted to go. These conferences are only held every other year and this is the big 50th anniversary celebration! All the founders are still alive and will be there too. Amazing.. A once in a lifetime opportunity.

So my husband will stay home with the 4 older girls and the baby and myself head off for a well deserved (if I do say so myself) vacation. I've been running Full Circle Baby for over 3 years now and we were just saying last night how amazing it's been. I get to meet so many wonderful parents and cute kids! Just thinking about all the little cloth diapered bums we've helped cover makes it all worthwhile. Three years may not seem long to many, but in the internet "cloth diapering" world, I'm almost a veteran now. lol So many businesses come and go, but we started this business and plan to stay for a long time. We've grown a lot in this short time too. From our first cloth diapers, Fuzzi Bunz, we've added so many more - but only our personal favorites.

I do use and try out everything first before I decide whether to add it to the store. There have been many that haven't made it - believe me. I'm quite picky! One thing that always gets to me is where a product is manufactured. USA or North American made is very important to me as well as supporting other work at home moms (WAHMs). Staying home with my children is a top priority in our family. I've had to make some compromises along the way and no matter how hard I try to get away from products made in China - I just can't do it completely. But I do try.

You may find this blog to be ramblings of a Mom with 5 children. You may find some insightful information about products we offer in our store. We do love what we do here at Full Circle Baby and think our customers are also our friends - so we'll treat you right!

Okay - so I'm off for a week and I'll return soon from my vacation - from work, from the children, from my house, from cooking dinner, from laundry (okay - so I am taking cloth diapers with me!)...you get the picture!

Wow- I have a blog!

2007-07-11T06:15:00.000-07:00

Like I really have time to blog right? Well at least I got it set up. I'll have to write later as the baby is now awake. And she's so precious! ~Lisa - Mother, Owner, Full Circle Baby