Bella's Room For Imagination

Stories are for imagination.  Whether a tea party in Paris or a wonder through Wonderland this room is for making believe.  Bedtime stories are our goodnight tradition but they don’t end there.  A room filled with reading fosters the curiosity thereof.  A vintage map of Paris makes the imaginary a dream.  Old family books are passed down, threading a story through generations.  Wooden dolls a simple eclectic collectible.   

Stuff Not Even a Mother Could Love.

Kids are often peculiar, coming pre-programmed with a variety of quirks to give us good reason to wonder. Sometimes about what's wrong with them. Which is mostly just that they're kids and kids are weird.
A a parent I find the majority of these traits comical and even endearing.
Some however I don't

My 3-year old for instance has a habit of saving up his saliva and then swishing it around his mouth and through his teeth like it's some kind of magical mouthwash. Maybe he just likes the sound it makes on the other side of his ears.

Usually I ignore it until it drives me mad and then I simply shout out his name providing zero context.

I'm sure he understands.

Wondering what tactics your kids use to make your skin crawl? Or maybe it's just me.

How To Stop An Ant Invasion

This past week we had the privilege of observing one of nature's strongest and most strategic creations unleash its fury upon our jar filled pantry. Here's what we discovered;

1. You can't just wipe them up and expect the assault to end.

2. Moving your honey to the middle of a tub of water is merely child's play for the ant.

3. Leaving the bodies of the dead on the trail doesn't deter them.

4. Ants eat the poison out of cheap traps and laugh.

5. Ants are as committed as kamikazes waging holy war.

What worked?

1. Patience. Discover the source. It may take some time as the ant will attempt to throw you off the trail utilizing decoys.

2. Boiling water. Once I discovered their main pipeline (outside the house) I proceeded to pour boiling water along their passage and into the general area of earth where I supposed the underground layer was positioned.

3. Max Attack. Ant traps from Lowe's placed at points I recognized as encampments inside the house. Usually along the baseboard and in corners.

It's important to remember to keep calm and stay focused. For the ant it's not just about the food but your sanity. Once you freak out it's too late. The ant has already won.

Facing Your Goals In Black & White.

We've all made choices to live better. Whether that's how we eat, exercise, pray or love...the fact is there's a great distance between "going to" and "doing so". In our household we've found that making our decisions visible can be quite helpful in getting from here to there.

A weekly plan removes the daily question of, "What's for dinner?"

Keeping your decisions in front of you hold you accountable.

We bought a thin piece of board, chalkboard painted it and screwed it to our pantry door.

A Fresh Stir Fry

Culture begins at home and is often shared over meals. Manners, faith, conversation, lifestyle...all cultivated around the table. We share our table most often with 3 kids and it isn't always pretty. But we do try to remember that as we share our table we're teaching culture through what we present.
So we try and present something good.
Farm fresh is a great place to start and is tastier and easier then you may think.

Big, bold leafy greens and roots are people food.

Chopping into smaller pieces makes them friendly.

Who needs the Panda?

Ingredients: greens, carrots, beets, onion, garlic, brown rice, coconut oil, red pepper, soy sauce, salt & pepper

Prep: chop chop & cook rice

Prepare: coat bottom of a wok in coconut oil and heat. saute garlic, onion, carrots and beets. stir in greens and cook until they begin to wilt. remove from heat. stir in a little soy sauce and salt/pepper to taste.

Serve: put some rice in a bowl, add your stir fry and mix it up.

Enjoy: gather around the table, say grace and eat.

Public Storage.

Storage doesn't have to be dark and dusty. Try taking back an area of your home that you frequent but would never want anyone to see, i.e. a closet or "that" drawer, and make it something you'd take public. Seek clean, open solutions rather than hide and hope for the best. You'll feel better and may just inspire some change elsewhere.

See more clearly.

Try wall space.

Leave it out.

You can find glass jars housing many of your everyday food products including jams, sauces and salsas. Wash and re-use. You can also try your local .99 Store or The Jar Store online.

ASKER Magnetic Knife Block from Ikea. $14.99

Stacking mugs from World Market. $9.99