Rodney the Recycled Robot

Once upon a time  there was a mommy and a little girl who needed a project while the daddy was away on a business trip.  Not just any project but a project that involved getting messy, painting, & finding a second use for common things that usually end up as trash.  Like tissue boxes, empty tp rolls, aluminum foil, caps and little odds and ends.

We had a lot of fun and it really wasn’t that messy.  It was the first time I did paper- mâché with Katie and I was surprised she didn’t really want to touch my homemade paste!  Can you imagine?

Rodney pre assembly stage

We went through the recycling and dug in the junk drawer to find things that looked interesting.

Goopy Rodney

We taped his body parts together first and then to make him a little more sturdy, and to add a little more fun to the project, we decided to make our own paste out of flour and water.  Kate loves to measure, pour, and stir so she loved that part.  She also tore all the strips of paper up.  Since she wasn’t too keen on touching the paste I just let her tell me where to put the pieces on him after she gave it a try.

Rodney chills out on top of the microwave for the evening and dries.

The next morning I tried to get Kate to just let me cover Rodney completely in foil but she REALLY wanted to paint him so… we did.  I was surprised that she was so patient with letting him dry overnight.  Not so patient the next morning about wanting to paint him as the next photo shows.  Still in her pj’s and her hair hadn’t even been combed yet.  Since it was just us girls having a slumber party we kind of chilled out a bit and didn’t get dressed until later in the afternoon.  Slumber parties are suppose to break all the rules right?

Rodney getting his first coat.

Kate chose a beautiful shade of blue.  It took a couple of coats to really cover him well.  He actually probably could of used a third coat but we were ready to start decorating him.

Rodney ready to save the planet from the evil garbage dumpster

Rodney powered up and ready to take on the wasteful!

Rodney is a work in progress.  Katie and I are collecting things that look like they would be useful tools for him and of course we’re still looking for the perfect shoes.  For now Rodney is watching over our kitchen to make sure we’re not throwing away anything he or we could use for a second time around… and on occasion many other times.

Designer Frederik Roijé's "Breed Retreat"

Frederik Roijé should definitely get some type of award, if he hasn’t already for designing one of the coolest chicken coops I’ve ever seen!  I’m not an expert of raising chickens and I’m not sure it’s function is as good as it’s design but I just have to say how impressed I am by his ingenuity and design aesthetics.   Now if only our community hadn’t passed a no backyard chicken ordinance.

A couple of weekends ago we were fortunate to have our friends two daughters stay with us overnight.   They have attended a Waldorf School since Preschool and are two quite remarkable young ladies.  Polite, kind, wonderful with Katie and a couple of the brightest kids I have ever met.  Both of their parents are intelligent as well, but I really think that they are a shining example of what a Waldorf education can be for somebody.

Sophie age 12 spent some time with us describing her experience of Waldorf.  One of the things that she said was that they memorize the stories about the topics they are learning about.  She mentioned multiple subjects, physics, Greek Mythology, Creation stories from various religions, etc. etc.  It really made me think about my public education and how little I can remember and why that is.  I think it stems from the memorization of things, testing, and then not building upon them.  Nothing flowed together so once you proved that you memorized it, then it could be forgotten and onto the next topic.  My understanding of Waldorf is that as they are learning and memorizing the stories they flow together and are interconnected.  It is also all done at along with the developmental age of the child wherever they may be not just their age.

I was surprised that as we wound down for the evening and the girls were coloring with Katie that Emma, age 10 was reading a book that I recently had read, “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen.  A 350 page novel.  Any concerns about Waldorf kids not learning to read soon enough just got blown out of my radar as an issue at all.

Some of the other things they are learning to do or have learned are handcrafts.  They’ve carved their own spoons out of wooden blocks, which must of taught them a great deal of patience but also could be a great metaphor for how your decisions shape your life.  They know how to knit, crochet, embroidery, draw, and they are learning to play the violin and the piano.  They both learned to speak Spanish in the 3rd Grade.

I just can’t help to think, “Wow how lucky is any child to be able to attend a Waldorf School?  I really hope that we get to have the experience of Katie attending.  I think she would just flourish going there.  I know I would have.

Go take a look over at the SimpleMom website.  They are having an awesome giveaway.  Below is their description of the site:

“Simple Mom is a productivity blog for home managers. It’s like Zen Habits wearing an apron. If we want to get things done and be fully present for all the things that are most important to us, we have to keep things simple.

This blog is a catalog of the resources, tips, and lessons to make that happen. When we find solutions for cutting everyday life clutter, we’re taking care of our family, our home, and ourselves. I believe that when Mom (Dad, too) is doing well, the whole family thrives.”

I’m really looking forward to learning ANYTHING that will make life a little less hurried.

Simple Bites is now offering a fantastic gift basket giveaway in celebration of their new site. It’s focus is all about bringing families together for meals and cooking simple healthy food. Go take a look and then come back and tell me what you think. I’m really excited to read what they come up with.

Recently I rented a Masterpiece Classic mini series “Cranford” from Netflix and absolutely loved it.  Based on Victorian novelist, Elizabeth Gaskell’s “Wives and Daughters” about life in a small English village sometime in the 1840′s.  But even more so it is a story of true friendship between a group of amazing women.  Judi Dench is fantastic as Ms. Matty Jenkyns a spinster with a heart of gold and beloved by the entire town.  I’ve alway enjoyed her acting but I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in a role more perfect for her.  She makes you wish you could be or have a friend just like her.  I couldn’t recommend this mini series highly enough.  To sweeten things even more there are two more episodes airing right now on PBS.

“Return to Cranford”  You can also watch the full episodes on the PBS website.  If you’re a sap like myself and love tales of friendship, overcoming life’s challenges, love, humor, and fantastic costumes, I’m sure you will love this series as well.   If you’ve seen the series or happen to enjoy them as much as I have please leave a comment.  It’s so fun to talk with other people who enjoy Masterpiece Classics on PBS as much as I do.

Julia

My latest obsession is watching Lily the black bear.  I believe she is the first black bear in the wild to have her own web cam this winter positioned nicely in her little den.  She is a 3 year old black research bear from the North American Bear Center (NABC) The NABC is dedicated to educating the public about bears and preserving the beautiful natural habitat of bears around the world. Through a generous donation to the NABC of a $4000 web cam, we are lucky enough to be able to experience firsthand a wild bear in their winter den.  What’s even more amazing is that she is most likely going to have cubs ANY day now!

It’s unbelievable how many people just like myself have totally fallen for this little lady.  She has over 20,000 fans on Facebook todate!  Every little movement she makes we all cheer her on in the chat room .  There are two places to watch the web cam one is through bear.com and the other is at Wild Earth TV You can also follow along on Facebook “Lily the Black Bear”  which is a fun way to interact with other fans.

Beware if you do start watching her you might not be able to stop!  I’ve read some teachers are even letting their classrooms follow along.  I’ve notice that around 9 am PST she seems to be really active.  The Facebook page actually has more info about Lily specifically than the website.  I was able to get a couple of screenshots of Lily.  One is of her empty den as she had gotten out to do what we’re not sure.  But it sounded like digging or branches kind of breaking.

Then she got back into the den and pulled a lot of debris in front of the camera!  To which everybody in the chatroom groaned “NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Lily!”  LoL  The last I looked it seemed as though she somehow managed to move a little of it so hurray for her we can still see.  My assumption is that when those cubs are born it’s going to need to be blocked a little more because they are born tiny and naked. There is a LOT of snow in MN right now too.  Brrrr  Luckily their mama has a very warm fur coat.

If you are, or become a Lily fan please leave a comment.   I’d love to hear from fellow Lily lovers.  :D

Julia

Mountain Train Tunnel made by Katie

Most people who know our family know how much my little GIRL loves to play with trains, trucks, and backhoes.  She has a flowery fairy garden bedroom(pretty much the only girlie thing she has besides a few dresses). She loves her books that are now EVERYWHERE, but recently her biggest interest are her trains.  Our family recently has started to make a shift to owning less stuff and really looking at what we purchase and how it affects the planet.  Then I ran into a small issue.  Well not that small actually.  More like a 36 lb, 3 ft 3.5 in., blonde, blue-eyed, three year old variety that was determined to get us, her Grammy and Pop, or Santa to buy her a GIGANTIC train set at Costco that was just calling to her.  It really isn’t about the money because it wasn’t that expensive but… we are starting to consider the impact of too many toys and did I mention it’s HUGE!?  Our house is already home to an indoor slide/playhouse, a bouncy horse, a life size sheepdog, a play kitchen… oh yeah and ALL of those BOOKS!  So enough of the big stuff already.  Enough STUFF in general.  BTW  the next person who gives her a stuffed animal has to take 10 home with them… consider yourself warned.

So what’s a mom to do when the whining ensues about Thomas the Train REALLY NEEDING a tunnel and a mini tantrum is in the making?  She asks her 3 year old.  (Thanks Love and Logic parenting)  :D  ”What a bummer!  You really want a tunnel, but we don’t have one.  Hmmm How can we have a tunnel that doesn’t cost anything and we can get rid of when we’re done with it?”  ”We can make one Mommy.”  Ah HA!  I have a genius for a child.

But then… I start thinking,  ”Holy moly what in the world am I going to make a tunnel out of at 4 p.m. in the afternoon while I’m cooking dinner at the same time?”  This is what we came up with:

Our Homemade Mountaintop Train Tunnel

1 paper grocery bag turned inside out

All purpose craft glue, Elmers, whatever is gooey and you have on hand

A bag of cotton balls

Crayons, markers, paints etc.

A pair of scissors for mom

Turn the grocery bag inside out.  Lay the bag flat so you can cut both sides of the tunnel entrance & exit at the same time. Next draw trees, rocks, whatever you would see on a mountain, all over the bag.  You can be as fancy as painting the whole thing… yada yada yada but I really wanted this to be her project and her vision.  Next open the bag back up and crinkle it a bit to give it a rounded top but this doesn’t have to be perfect at all.  Tear apart cotton balls and glue to the top of the mountain.    That’s it!  A free tunnel that is fun to play with for a couple of days then it’s completely recyclable.

This was a very fun project that kept Kate entertained while I was cooking dinner, took a minimal amount of items to make, but most importantly showed our daughter that you don’t have to BUY something to get what you want.  Using a little creativity you can make something that doesn’t have a negative impact on the planet AND is actually more fun than playing with a piece of plastic for a couple of days.  The very best part was how excited she was about making it herself.  You really can’t put a price tag on the thrill of accomplishment can you?

The thrill of accomplishment!

Kate checking out her tunnel

What an amazing Fall day today!  I just love living in Northern California.  It’s another beautiful sunny day.  The sky in all it’s blue perfection.  One would think that our Fall color palette would pale in comparison to the east coast but take a look at a sampling of the colors around our neighborhood today.  Kate and I took a wonderful walk and managed to stop and appreciate all the colors.  I hope you’re able to do the same today.  Happy Fall!

Fall in Fair Oaks

Fall in Fair Oaks

Fall in Fair Oaks

Fall in Fair Oaks

Monet? No... Mother Nature

Showing their true colors

Fall in Fair Oaks

Fall in Fair Oaks

Fall in Fair Oaks

Fall in Fair Oaks

Fall in Fair Oaks

Bean and Pasta Soup

One of my favorite soup recipes for the winter is this easy Bean and Pasta Soup.  I got the recipe from a friend many years ago and have modified it throughout the years.  End results… Yum Yum Yum.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Bean and Pasta Soup

8   cups of free range organic chicken stock (substitute veggie broth or low sodium stock)

2   15 oz cans Cannellini beans (white kidney beans) drained

2   carrots cubed

2   stalks of celery cubed

1   small onion diced

2   large whole bay leaves

1   cup of uncooked Barrilla Plus Farfalle or bowtie pasta

4   Tbls extra virgin olive oil

4   cloves of garlic minced

1   tsp of red pepper flakes

1/2 cup either sundried tomatoes or Just Tomatoes (dried tomato product) roughly chopped

1/2 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley

Shredded Parmesan cheese to taste

In a large pot heat olive oil on med-high and add carrots, celery, onion, red pepper flakes and garlic.  Cook stirring until onions are almost translucent.  Add bay leaves, reduce heat to low and cover until carrots and celery are tender. About 5 to 10 minutes.   Add broth, & beans then bring to a boil.  Next add sundried tomatoes or “Just Tomatoes” product and bowtie pasta.  Cook until pasta is al dente.  Approximately 10 minutes.  Add  chopped parsley to pot, stir and ladle into serving bowls.   Garnish with Parmesan cheese to taste.  Approximately 6 dinner size servings for the hungry.  Enjoy!

Soup before parsley being added

The Finale

*Notes:

I like to use the Barilla Plus Farfalle pasta because it is a multi-grain pasta with protein and ALA omega-3 fatty acids.  However, you can substitute any bowtie pasta for this soup.

I think originally this recipe called for a 1/2 cup of olive oil.  Way too much.  So throughout the years we’ve been gradually reducing it and for us 4 tablespoons seems to be the right amount.

We also really try to add organic ingredients to as many foods that we eat as we can.  So if you can find it why not?  Healthier, and less impact on the planet seems like a good idea to me.  So far I’ve not been able to find organic cannellini beans anywhere so if you know of a source I’d love to learn about it.

I like to use the curly variety of parsley and not the flat leaf.  However, I’ve never tried the flat leaf with it so maybe it’s just as good?  Maybe next time I’ll give that a try.

Bay leaves are far less expensive if you buy them in the Mexican seasonings isle.  Look for “Laurel Entero”.

Our local Raleys supermarket carries mirepoix in the prepared veggie section of the produce isle.  We’ve tried using that in a crunch one time but for some reason it didn’t taste quite as good as when you dice them fresh.  Darn it.

I hope you give this easy soup a try.  It truly is one of the best soups I’ve ever had and it is just perfect for a cold winter evening dinner.  If you do try it let me know what you think.