Flour Bag Follies

Yesterday we had a family day out. We took our recycling to a bottle depot about an hour away so that I could try to use a gift certificate that I've had for a few years. Knowing how tired the kids would be on the drive home, I grabbed my few groceries in that town so we wouldn't have to stop at our local supermarket on our way home. I have a lot of baking to do today (an excited boy has his fifth birthday party tomorrow), so all purpose flour was on my list. 

Generally I buy Robinhood flour when it is on sale, or yellow no name because it is cheaper. I've been making all of our own bread for months and really burn through a bag of flour nowadays. At the small discount grocer we went to yesterday, Robinhood flour was about $13 for a 10 lb bag. I try to buy it for under $10, so I bought the Safeway brand for $9.99/10 lb. I double-checked the bag for holes because it's becoming a real pet peeve to get home with food that has been slashed open by stock boys and their box cutters. The bag had no holes when we left the store. This is how it looked when we got it home:

No, we didn't drop it or drag it. A simple truck ride on the floor had several holes in the bag. As I attempted to pour the flour into my bin it tore down the side and I lost more flour all over my kitchen floor. 

In all, there were 5 or 6 holes in the flour bag and it split open trying to pour it. I was very annoyed that the company has sacrificed a usable package in order to make more money. The actual product does not cost less than other brands (it was cheaper than brand name in that store but right on par with most flour in this area). Putting their flour in a flimsy bag didn't save the consumer any money, it only taught me not to buy that brand of flour again. 

Have you had any annoying packaging to deal with lately?

Let There Be Peace on Earth (and let it begin with me)

Yesterday we passed a church billboard that read "Lord, let there be peace on earth. And let it begin with me". It resonated to the tips of my toes. 

In the year ahead I want to remember that each person I meet may be facing incredible hardship. They may be missing someone, losing someone or may never have had someone to begin with. I want to take a step back from my own worries and see that we are all in this together. I want to be more understanding, more empathetic, gentler. If we could all do that, if everyone everywhere could do that, what a world it would be. 

I hope you have peace in your heart. Merry Christmas. 

The Road to Home

A beautiful day of hoar-frost here in Saskatchewan. 

The kids and I made a quick but thorough dash through the grocery store this morning. We are mostly ready for Christmas, at least as ready as we will ever be. I'm nowhere near as organized as most years but I'm not going to let it bother me. I have provisions in, one gift yet to buy, and if I get the rugs vacuumed I will call it good. 

We have run into some bumps with our son's health. Nothing I'm ready to blog about, although I've tried. Suffice it to say we are realizing the gravity of Childhood Nephrotic Syndrome. We are hanging in there, though, and learning and growing as a family. My challenge as a mother is to do as well at this important job as I have always tried to do at any job. Luckily our boy is a trooper--uncomplaining and oblivious. 

That brings me to Christmas. A hard time for so many, remembering and missing lost loved ones or, worse, realizing a last Christmas together. It is hard, this year, to become entangled in the nonsense of consumer-driven fads and commercial pressure. We haven't got all the outdoor lights put up and we likely won't get it done. But the colourful strands of bulbs outside the door are wonderful and inspire our awe every night as my boys race to the tub for their evening bath. 

I've done most of my baking and now will only do more to fill our afternoons waiting for the big day. I look forward most to a Christmas Eve spent sleigh riding with family before a potluck feast of appetizers and drinks, then home to hang stockings and read 'Twas The Night Before Christmas. 

I don't know what the new year will bring. I think now only of today, of this moment that we have together. I am appreciating small moments more. This Christmas, I hope that you do too. 

Heating With Wood

When we planned out our new house we knew we wanted a wood stove in our basement to supplement our natural gas furnace. Husband and I both grew up with it and we enjoy the cozy warmth wood heat provides. The one drawback, in my mind, is the mess hauling wood in and the ash and dust that inevitably gets around the house. Cutting, hauling and chopping wood might also seem a drawback for some, but we enjoy the physical outdoor activity and want to include our kids in the task. 

Our basement wasn't ready for the stove last year, so this is our first year burning wood. I'm finding that, besides the cozy heat and beautiful fire to watch, hauling in wood has added a nice rhythm to our day's chores. The kids play outside or ride their bikes in the garage while I carry from the woodpile in the trees to the stack in the garage. We keep about 5 days worth of wood in the garage and 2 days worth in the basement. While I do try to replenish both piles every second day, I have enough that I don't have to haul incase of the kids being sick, it being unpleasantly cold or windy, or just being too busy with other things. 

We are very happy with the quality of the stove we purchased. It burns well and is a beautiful feature in our basement. There were many power outages where we used to live and we always discussed feeling more comfortable with an alternative source of heat. Do you enjoy a wood fire? Have you got an alternative source of heat incase of emergency?

The Bat Tunnnel

Last year around this time we finally got stairs built into our basement. There is a space below those stairs with a light, an outlet, and a door. Even before it had walls, my kids called it the tunnel. I promised them that we would paint them a play area in the tunnel as soon as we could. Well, we finally have that project almost completed. 

Before. 

After. 4 year old said "awesome mommy but I'd like it better if Lightning was in the lead!"

With the help of a few different Pinterest images, I also did a Batman-inspired city skyline. It's hard to photograph, as you can imagine. 

I wanted this space to be a fun cozy spot to play and contain the overflow of toys in the basement. Now that I'm finding time to complete some indoor projects, our house is feeling more comfortable and personal. 

When we painted the basement, 4 year old (I'm going to start calling him "J". What happens when he's 5 or when the 2 year old becomes 4? It will all be so confusing. "J" is 4. "O" is 2.) anyways, "J" busily painted his tunnel under the stairs. He used markers. He used acrylics. There are gobs of satin paint and primer in one all over the floor. He was quite concerned that I would paint over his work. So we compromised. The boys kept a wall to paint and decorate over the years. 

I plan to do stars on the remaining wals with glow in the dark paint. Perhaps the solar system, or a reasonable facsimile thereof. For now, though, it's done. I was at least 8 hours painting in the tunnel. I sure hope they don't outgrow Lightning McQueen or lose interest in Batman any time soon. 

Crafting for Christmas

My friend and I are making a few items to sell at the local Christmas Craft Sale. It is held at a country hall where two highways intersect. I remember going to the New Year's Ball there as a kid--it seemed so glamorous although it was only the local farmers dressed in their Sunday best. I guess calling it a "Ball" made it more exciting. 

Felt owl inspiration via Pinterest: joyzz.com

My friend and I do not have our hopes up that we will make a lot of money. I tried to sell some crocheting and sewn crafts when my eldest was a year old. I didn't cover the cost of renting the table and, worse, they wouldn't let me leave until the end. They don't like empty tables at their craft sales. I was so homesick for my baby I was having a near-panic attack by the time I got back to my mom's to pick him up. All that for about $12.  SIGH. 

But, this year, it's not about making money. Sure, some cash for our own Christmas would be nice. But I'm more interested in keeping busy and making this an exciting time of year for my kids. How their eyes lit up when I brought out the jar of buttons for them to sort!

I already have the materials to make some felt decorations, and I'm trying not to spend much so that I don't lose money on the venture. If the kids and I spend a bit of time everyday (or almost every day) and I work a bit in the evenings, I should be able to make enough stuff to fill my half of the table. I'm also hoping to finish up some forgotten projects to add to our inventory. A deadline really helps my work ethic in that regard :)

We had our first snowfall yesterday (it melted, thank goodness!) so that motivated me to get started. Have your thoughts turned to Christmas? 

Random thoughts and photos

The longer I am away from this space, the harder it seems to return. I've decided to post some images in hopes that words will soon follow. 

Yes, four bear wandered into our yard one morning--a sow and her 3 cubs. Thankfully the kids and I were just coming downstairs to go outside when I saw them out the window. 

I was definitely rattled by the bear-sighting, because so often the kids go out to play while I tidy up inside. We have read and talked about what to do if we see bears again, and the kids happily make ALOT of noise while we are outside. We stick together and we are never far from the house nowadays. I always knew they were there, but nearly meeting them in the driveway was quite an awakening. 

We had a lovely summer and we are so grateful that we moved closer to my family. The garden is finished for the year, but for some brussels sprouts outside and the last of the tomatoes ripening in the basement. Every few days a new batch of salsa or slow roasted tomato sauce tops our to-do list. I will be glad when the tomatoes have all been dealt with and I only have to worry about eating them :)

A grainy photo taken out my dining room window this morning. Below, the tomato process continues. 

Wherever you are this week, I hope that you are enjoying good health and good food with those you love xx