Goodbye to 2009

Hard to believe it is the last day of 2009 already. My baby boy turned 6 years old yesterday and my newborn is going to start crawling any minute. Its always a little startling to me when I reflect on how fast the year passes by.

I'm not one to really set "New Years Resolutions", but I figure I could outline where I see myself at the end of 2010...

1. Out of debt
- this means all the credit cards and the doctor bills, not the house or vehicles

2. Chickens
- those who read this blog regularly know that this is one of my biggest goals this summer

3. SUCCESSFUL garden
- I see my gardening endeavors as somewhat of a failure up to this point, with a few exceptions... I want to grow an edible cabbage dammit!


These 3 things are top of my list... wonder what I'll be saying this time next year!

Early Christmas Gifts

My wonderful husband gave me my gift early this year... my very first sewing machine! I have been having fun learning how to use it. So far I have made lounge pants for Rob and Stephen, and a bag for a young lady I know. Here are a few pictures... not bad for my first try!

Note to self...

Never try to start a diet when the house and freezer are full of yummy comfort foods and its the middle of Christmas baking season!

Making Your Own Laundry Soap

I just finished making my second batch of laundry soap. I have been working on that same gallon I started with this whole time, which says something about how far this stuff stretches. It cleans well enough to clean my husbands clothes, (he is an auto mechanic) and is gentle enough for my baby's things as well. This time I added 15 drops of lavender essential oil and the smell is lovely! Once I get started on my homemade soaps, I will use that instead of the commercial Fels Naptha soap, for an even gentler, natural product. I'll post the recipe if anyone is interested, or I can email it to you if you want me to!