i love making gifts!

I would like to start this post off by thanking everyone for their positive feedback to my last debbie downer post.  It really means a lot to me that you took the time to let me know that you support us on our journey. Thank you!
One of the guidelines to our challenge, is that instead of buying, we are going to give handmade gifts to friends and family.  I LOVE THIS!  I just love losing myself in making a gift for someone... especially when it involves using supplies I already have in my craft hoard.
This last month I have made 3 gifts (although I only have pics of 2...of course).

Gift one::

pic from www.thriftyandthriving.com

A mini marshmallow shooter for my nephew Isaiah.  I whipped up a little tote bag to carry all of the pieces in as well.  I have to say that it was super easy to make, cost a total of $8.00, and was a huge hit with the adult uncles.

Gift two::

A surprise room makeover for Ava.  I wish I had taken a before shot.... I have really been slacking on picture taking this month!  We painted her room April Blush, which she was dead set on.  We were able to find the shelving unit from Kijiji for $50 which included the baskets and magazine holders... super score!  I pieced the duvet cover together from my stash of fabic.... I think it looks adorable and it was really easy to whip up.  My grandmother generously donated an amazing light fixture (one i remember looking up at as a child) which makes an amazing bubble-like shadow on the wall.  Lastly, I hung a Sari I had over the window and Ava calls it a canopy.  It is not the Sears catalogue canopy bed of my childhood dreams but hey, the room is not mine!  Ava loves this room and keeps it super clean.  This was a gift well worth the effort and sweat... it was painted during the dreadful heat wave.

Gift three::

A Nancy Drew detective kit that Ava and I worked on for an 8 year old friend of ours.  We had so much fun putting this together.  We freezer paper stencilled the tote bag, collected detective essentials and made up a few fun envelopes and charts.  I know our friend loved receiving this and since the party, Ava is demanding one of her own.  She is running around the house creating and solving mysteries.  Knocking things over and then accusing random people of doing it.  Would you believe that she discovered that Ruby (our dog) was the culprit using up all of our Band-aids?  Thank goodness we have her around! 

on my needles, or possibly yours

When I posted this picture a couple of weeks ago, I didn't even think that people would be interested in what I was knitting.  I was wrong! I have actually had quite a few people wanting to know. So here are the deets.    The simple answer is... the King Charles Brocade baby blanket (link also has free pattern).  The not-so simple answer is... the bane of my existence for the last 6 months.

No doubt that if you have spent more than 10 minutes sitting down with me I would have pulled this beauty out of my knitting bag and started working on it.  While I am loving the colour and the pattern, I am not loving how slow this knits up.  It is knit in a 23 row repeat, which I am totally unable to find any rhyme or reason to.  This makes it necessary to constantly consult the pattern and keep very good track of which row I am on.  I am not good at either of those things.  I have promised myself that I will not start a new knitting project until this is finished but I am having to push myself to even pick it up anymore.  I was looking through my stash of yarn to try and get motivated but I found that sunk me further into knitting despair.  Everything seemed so blah and boring.  

I found myself wanting something new and fresh.  

Insert a trip to my new local yarn shop, the Handknit Yarn Studio.

I walked around, touched everything, oohed and ahhed over everything else and reminded myself over and over of our challenge.  

I introduced myself to one of the delightful owners, Kate, and let her know that I while I was unable to purchase anything at the moment I would definitely be interested in knitting up some samples for them if they needed it.  Yay! two birds with one stone.  I would get to knit with some of the most beautiful yarn I have seen and put the product back out into the world....oh and NOT SPEND A CENT!  

This plan has encouraged me to complete this baby blanket.  I would like empty knitting needles should I be asked to knit some samples.  I feel like I am waiting to be called off the bench...I want to be ready for the game!

On the other hand, if someone out there would like this work in progress....IT IS YOURS.  Let me know (just leave a comment) and I will gladly send it your way.  You will just need to supply your own 4mm needles (I use circulars just for ease of transport).  

If you are in Hamilton or anywhere remotely close, visiting the Handknit Yarn Studio is a must.  You will not regret it.  You will feel inspired and ready to create the moment you step through the door.  

the loop hole

As a family, I think we have handled the challenge of not buying/bringing anything new into the house wonderfully.  We have the odd bump in the road but for the most part it has been a smooth ride for the last month.
Where we struggle is the food portion of our challenge.  When we laid out the "rules" for our up coming year we specified NO EATING OUT or buying food treats unless absolutely necessary.  We knew that this was going to be a hard one for us.  We typically ate one dinner out during the week (usually a Tuesday night at Fishers) and one meal on the weekend.  We all loved these meals because it was exciting and it gave me a break from the kitchen....which was a bonus for all involved!  The first week was a tough one and THEN we found a loop hole....of course we did!
Consumables were allowed!!! Groceries became our new friend.  Treats were added to the grocery list. Items we had never bought before were being put in the cart.  I have tried to gently discuss this with my partner in crime but he isn't really listening (do you blame him?).  I have three changes that I am going to make to try and solve this little problem.
1.  I am going to make a very specific grocery list.... instead of just writing "lunch treats" I am going to name them
2.   If I have time I am going to do the groceries myself.... that is half the battle!
3.  EXCITING NEWS! As a family, we are going to participate in a workshare at A New Leaf Farm.  We will receive organic produce in exchange for some labour around the farm one day a week.  We are all very excited about this and hopefully it will keep us a step further from the grocery store!  YAY!

Here are some pics that Anthony took of the farm today...our first visit!

spoiled rotten

Dandelion root if you just weed by pulling the head off...like I do!

felt ball and pom pom flowers made by the kids and I for my Mom

Ava creating one of MANY snack plates

the dinner fort

not a happy dinner fort diner.... he requested bed shortly after this pic

many many games of old maid were played

We had an amazing weekend.  Re-sod the backyard (a project planned before our challenge started), visited with family and friends and enjoyed a cold rainy mother's day.

I would like nothing more than to write a sentimental and meaningful post about motherhood and how much it means to me, but to be honest, I don't think I could do the topic justice.  

What I do know is that I love this little family of mine so much, and today, they showered with me with love and handmade projects to show me how much I mean to them.  The kids scurried around me all day, fetching things and giving me cuddles and whispering.  I love the whispers of outrageous plans and details I'm not meant to hear.  

With the exception of picking up some "very important" food supplies from the grocery store, Sri and the kids made me gifts from what we had around the house. A collage using magazine pictures, a really catchy song they recorded on the computer...im trying to figure out how to make it my ringtone..., they made a blanket fort to eat a snack plate dinner of all of my favourite foods.... sushi, swedish berries and guacamole.... a unique combination to say the least.  I went to bed very happy but with a bit of a stomach ache.  

I am so lucky.  I hit the lottery with this family and now I just need to remember that at 8:15am when I'm already on my last nerve, someone spills their milk, I step on a Lego piece and the dog pukes on the floor (or something like that).

We did it!

We did it!!! Aside from necessary weekly groceries, Ava's yoga class and a church donation we did not spend a cent this weekend. I am very very proud of us!  

This weekend we...

                             :: harvested a delicious bunch of chives growing in our backyard

 :: foraged for onion tops growing through our neighbours fence...oooh very adventurous

 :: babysat my niece Layla and measured everything in sight.  Anthony measured everything"4-8-9" and insisted that I write it down...EVERY TIME!

:: made our mark at the Green Cottage...one of the many stops on our Doors Open Hamilton 2013 tour

                                     :: received TWO FREE strawberry plants for our garden

 :: watched a salsa class taking place at the Worker's Arts and Heritage Centre.   It sounds like they have a ton of interesting classes there.  Steel drums here I come!

::  a local photographer taking some pics of the kids at Doors Open.  Having kids pose for pictures always has such random and awkward results.  

:: we spent a lot of time staring at this!  

                                            :: started top-secret mother's day projects

 :: ate a lot of parmesan popcorn. I'm not sure the daily recommended dose of such a treat but we far exceeded it Friday, Saturday and Sunday!

While there were some moments that I could have benefited from some major retail therapy or a portuguese custard tart this weekend on the whole I loved not buying anything.

I found that it made being out and about with the kids much less stressful.  I didn't have to argue about whether they could buy something or not.  The answer was always no and I found that they caught on very quickly.   We also enjoyed taking our time with each thing we did because we were not rushing to see what we were going to "get" next.  The pressure was OFF!

This week coming up is a busy one for us, one where I would usually need a take out meal to help me keep up.  I'm excited to start planning so we can get through it unscathed.

a whole new ballgame

kids acting scared and excited at once... the way Sri and I are feeling right now!

"I want this... I NEED that.... can I have, can I have, can I have.... PLEEEEASE!!"  That is how we sound in this family a lot of the time...adults included.  I am so sad that we are not happy and grateful for what we actually do have and are always looking for the next best thing.  I have done so many "major clean-outs" that I could have established my own thrift store...no joke.  We are over-consumers.  We don't just buy one t-shirt, we buy 5 because "hey, they are cheap right!"  We have bookshelves, closets, craft rooms and stomachs to show for it.   

One afternoon in my frustration and of course procrastination I was researching organizing tips (wasting time on Pinterest) and I came across The Compact.  This is a group of people who have decided to challenge themselves for a year and not buy anything new...with some exceptions.  I dismissed this idea right away.   BUT ,(I think you know what's coming here) the other day I took the kids shopping to buy them a few things that they NEEDED and you know what.... those "needs" were left in a bag at the front door for days, totally forgotten about.

WE ARE TAKING THIS CHALLENGE!

May 1st 2013 -May 1st 2014 

we will buy nothing new (with some exceptions like underwear and groceries)

we will assess purchases by wants v.s needs

we will barter and buy used if the item is necessary

we will always prioritize experiences before stuff

we will eat AT HOME at all times (even when I don't feel like cooking.... PB&J will be our default)

we will use what we have and MAKE IT WORK!

I would like to make it clear that we are not "playing poor" or "anti-consumerism" we are just looking to become more conscience consumers and teach our children and ourselves that we don't need all of the things that we think we do to make us happy.  I would love my kids to be super excited when they receive a gift not just like...okay where's the next one?  That is my goal!

Wish us luck and please check in often to follow our journey.