Pinterest projects: February, March, and April

I realized recently that the only Pinterest project post I did was back in February, when I told what things I'd tried in January!  So it's way past time for another one.  I actually try quite a few things from Pinterest, recipes and such, and I won't share all of those here.  Don't want to bore anyone too much. :) Any particularly rave-worthy recipes will be shared in separate posts.  But here are a few things I've done over the past 3 months.

Necklaces:

I actually made several different kinds of necklaces, but I'm just showing one here.  Jim had gotten me a metal stamping set for Christmas, and we finally got around to trying it out!  I'd been wanting to make washer necklaces and used this tutorial as my inspiration.  I made one for Julia and two for friends--I like how they turned out, but I think I will re-make hers with narrower ribbon sometime.  If you can't quite read the word on it, it says "Dream."

 

Sweater alterations and scarf:

I altered two sweaters between March and April.  This one was purchased at a local consignment store a few years ago.  I loved the color, but it was a size XL, which wasn't too bad until I lost weight.  The more weight I lost, the less I liked the way it hung on me--all boxy and kind of tent-like. :)  So I decided  to try taking it in to be a bit more fitted, using ideas from this post.  Let me tell you, it was a bit scary making those first cuts.  I was worried that I would ruin it and never be able to wear it again!  At least it was just a thrift store bargain . . . :)  I took in both the side seams and the sleeves, and I actually was really happy with how it turned out.  Yay!  

I also made the brown scarf out of a thrift store t-shirt, inspired by this post (which led me to this video with info on making other scarves from tees, as well!).

I also got this pink cardigan for Easter at a thrift store.  (Sorry the picture isn't great--I never thought to get a good close-up of it!)   It too was a bit big and boxy, so I took it in on the sides and shortened the sleeves to 3/4 length.  I used the same post as I linked to above, along with this other one, to help figure out how to do this.  I was happy with my results on this one too, and it's been neat to discover that altering sweaters really isn't that hard!  I have my eye on one or two more of my old ones . . . :)

Toothpaste:

Another homemade thing I did back in February was making my own toothpaste using bentonite clay and some spices.  After my surgery, I had fun watching some of Shoshanna Easling's Bulk Herb Store videos on YouTube, and I came across this one for making toothpaste.
I had seen recipes for homemade toothpaste using coconut oil as a base before, but this was the first one I'd seen using bentonite clay.  Since we happened to have some on hand, I decided to try it.  Now, I did mess this recipe up a bit.  I made a half batch, and accidentally simmered the spices too long, and ended up with hardly any liquid, so I had to add a bunch of water to get the right consistency.  Consequently, our toothpaste has hardly any cinnamon flavor and mostly tastes like salt.  With that said, I've been happy with how the toothpaste works, although it does take a while to get used to the "mud-like" flavor.  But next time hopefully I won't mess it up and it'll taste more spicy. :)  The texture is a lot like regular toothpaste, although of course it doesn't foam.  I'd make this again--I feel like it does a good job cleaning teeth and I think it has helped whiten them a bit, though they're still not as white as I'd like. :)

Ties: 

 Oh yes, one other Pinterest project I just remembered!  I made the boys' Easter ties using this tutorial.  I actually used scraps of fabric that I had on hand, so they were a little trickier and I had to make Josiah's narrower than the original pattern, but I was really pleased with how they turned out!  I also made the flower hair clip that Julia is wearing in the picture, using a fake flower, an alligator clip, and some ribbon.  (I love this picture of the kids--they're so silly! :))

Speaking of Pinterest, I have finally added a "follow" button to my sidebar, for anyone who'd like to follow my boards. :)  It's just below Josiah's picture!

Whew!  I know this was a long post, but it feels good to finally have it done.  It's been on my mind for a while, so here's one more thing I can cross off the to-do list. :)  Hope you enjoyed hearing about the crafty things I've been up to!

Maple sugaring

This spring, we decided to try something we've been talking about doing for a few years--maple sugaring at home!  We borrowed a dozen or so buckets from my Grampa's stash in the old playhouse, and tapped 5 trees.  We tapped two weekends ago, and we only had a few good days of sugaring weather before it got cold again.  But during that first weekend we ended up with somewhere close to 20 gallons of sap.  We boiled it last Saturday--an all day process!--and ended up with a little over a quart of syrup.  The process was time consuming, but hey, we got some free syrup! :)  And it was really rewarding to make our own "home-grown" syrup right from our backyard trees.  Here is a little pictorial journal of our sugaring!

Tapping the trees

Checking buckets the next day

Beautiful spring day (in the 50s!--then it got cold again)

Happy helper

More checking buckets

Crossing the brook to check more trees

Emptying sap into one of the carrying buckets

Boiling!

It seemed like a good time for some fun sibling photos too. :)

Awww . . . love these guys!!

Finishing the syrup inside--late at night, thus the PJs :)

We had two thermometers in the pot, trying to make sure we had an accurate temperature . . . 

The finished product!!

The next day we had to make a big brunch with scrambled eggs, hash browns, and waffles--to try out our yummy, fresh maple syrup!!   Mmmmmm.  Definitely a worthwhile experiment! :)

A Homemade Life: A Natural Remedy for Earaches/Ear Infections

This morning Julia awoke complaining that her ear hurt. She's had a cold, so I immediately figured an ear infection might be developing (seems to be fairly normal--with my kids, anyway). I quickly headed to the kitchen to make some garlic oil. This is my favorite natural remedy for earaches and ear infections, which I learned about on WellTellMe. I like to avoid antibiotics whenever possible, and this treatment works like a charm most of the time! Garlic is one of those amazing foods that has wonderful healing properties. It is a natural antibiotic, and I love being able to use what I have on hand to treat an ear problem rather than having to make a trip to the doctor. (Although I do still recommend going to the dr. for a persistent earache or infection! :))

Here is how I make it:

Warm 2-3 T. of olive oil. Mince or press a clove of garlic into the oil and let stand for 5-10 minutes. Strain out the garlic. Use a medicine dropper to put a few drops into the affected ear. (Have the child tip their head for a little bit so the oil doesn't run back out.) I also find it helpful to have a tissue handy to soak up any oil that does escape. :)

I hope this remedy might be helpful for some of you, too! Do you have a favorite natural remedy (for anything) you'd like to share?

Photo credit: sxc.hu

Natural cold/cough remedies

For Linda and anyone else who may be interested . . . here are the remedies we've tried with Sam. Jim found this one on this site; it is pretty potent stuff, but seems to work! Sam slept all night again last night, for 10 1/2 hours. Keep in mind that you would not want to give this to a baby under 1 year old because of the honey. Also, I might add less cayenne next time just because it is really spicy. The woman who wrote the article didn't recommend giving it to children because of the taste, and also because "a child with a cough should be seen by a pediatrician" (her words). Well, this is just one of those annoying coughs and I don't think a dr. visit is needed unless it gets a ton worse . . . and thanks to this remedy, it seems to be getting better day by day.

Home Remedy for Cough

* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1 Tablespoon honey
* 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
* 2 Tablespoons water
Mix and take by the teaspoon. (We have just been giving it to Sam in a medicine dropper, probably only about 1/2 teaspoon or so at a time.

This recipe originally came from Herbally Yours by Penny C. Royal, 3rd Edition, June 1982.

Here's another immunity-boosting recipe we are using, which sounds weird but really doesn't taste too bad. Sam doesn't like it too much, but we mix it with some juice and then he guzzles it right down. :)

Garlic Lemonade

3 medium-sized garlic cloves, chopped
Juice of one lemon
Maple syrup or honey, to taste

Place the garlic in a 1-quart jar and fill the jar with boiling water. Let the garlic steep for 20 minutes and then strain it out. Add the lemon juice and sweeten with the maple syrup or honey.

Give 1/2 to 2 cups daily, the lower dose to prevent illness and for younger children and the greater quantity for kids who feel like they are coming down with a cold.

Don't give the lemonade every day; just use it periodically as needed.


This recipe is from Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parent's Guide by Aviva Jill Romm, Healing Arts Press, 2001. This is a book I would highly recommend on the subject of vaccines, by the way. It's very well-researched and provides a ton of helpful information.