Wild Sunshine and Lemonade

Fall Break Roadtrip

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You say fall break started the first week of October? Hmm, so it goes with our crazy life, but I want to make sure I write down the details of this fall break roadtrip before I forget them. This was the first road trip we’ve taken with four kids. Years ago when Pippa was three and Sawyer was an infant we dared to drive to Deep Creek Lake in western Maryland to stay in a lakehouse with my inlaws for a week, and then we took the mountain roads down to the NC mountains for a vacation with my family. At the time we didn’t realize the reason Pippa screamed in the car since she was a baby was because she was getting carsick. BUT… all it took was ten hours on winding roads and several stops to clean up puke to realize why that girl hated car rides. Man, that was a BAD road trip.

Maryland

Cunningham Falls park

We have since taken much shorter vacations (to the beach, anyone?) but finally decided to make a longer trek this fall. Remember that we are in year round school, so our fall break is three weeks long. It makes for amazing travel opportunities when the rest of the world is in school! First we headed north to Maryland to stay with my inlaws for six days. We took the kids hiking at Cunningham Falls state park — a place John and I both went to a lot growing up (we’re both MD born and raised).

Then we did something I never thought I’d get to do: visit John’s grandparents house one last time. We went down there to pick up a box of his dad’s things. I have such great memories of his grandparents, because they became my grandparents at a time when all my grandparents were already gone. I lost my last one when I was in college. So all those beautiful moments when we were engaged and we would sit on the couch for hours listening to stories about the war, and how they lived in military housing in Europe, and how they worked in the factories outside of DC. Grandparents have the best stories and I wish my own had been alive when I was just a bit older.

I never thought I’d get to see that house again. And then, we were there. The place was completely unchanged! The walls were still mint green, the original kitchen appliances from the 1940s still in place. I admired how small it was compared to today’s homes and how three kids grew up there, and I felt a little silly for thinking I need a bigger kitchen.

I think of all the places I would love to visit just one last time.

We took the kids to the Enchanted Forest (another place from my childhood – ha!) although it’s been relocated to a farm. The kids rode ponies, played with goats, got foam swords. We went to the local farm – Larriland – to do an awesome hayride and pick out apples. Man do I wish we had stayed just a bit longer to pick pumpkins and apples from the fields. Sometimes being a slave to nap times makes me a grouch.

Pippa and Sawyer spent countless hours riding skateboard scooters down my inlaws’ driveway, and honestly I’m surprised it didn’t end with a trip to the ER with how fast those wild things went! Wish I had a video of that.

Luray Caverns

Luray Caverns…pre screaming toddler

We left Maryland and drove the mountain road through Shenandoah, and guess who didn’t get sick! Three cheers for a car trip without puke!!!! We stopped in Luray at the cutest deli for lunch, then took the kids on a tour of the caves. When you have four kids, you worry that the oldest will miss out on fun things if you always wait for the youngest to be age appropriate for something. So the heck with it, we thought. Pippa and Sawyer will love to see a cave! So we signed up for the tour. And then there we were… stuck with a group of 60 year olds on a one hour tour where we couldn’t leave the group behind for fear we’d get left in the dark in a cave. Larkin was laughing hysterically. So much so that we couldn’t hear the tour guide. We faded to the back of the group when Bodhi started fussing, because EVERYTHING ECHOES. It was bad. Then they went to play this underground organ that echoes over three miles of caves, and THAT is when Larkin decides to scream and run away down a side cave. It was super embarrassing, but we were stuck. Those poor people. We won’t be touring anymore caves for a few years!

Watauga Lake, TN

After Luray, we drove south and stopped approximately every 20 minutes so that Larkin could use the bathroom. PS: don’t take a long road trip with a potty training toddler. YOu’d think we’d have learned that by kid #3! At dinner time we decided to stop and grocery shop, because the cabin we rented was in the middle of nowhere. We grabbed a rotisserie chicken, chips, and veg tray and headed to a park for a picnic. Then after two more hours in the car (and a total of 12.5 hours from Maryland where we started our trip) we arrived at this super cute cabin.

The cordwood cabin in TN

The owners lived down the lane, and their four sons had built this cordwood cabin from scratch. How cool is that? It was beautiful and rustic and the kids loved climbing up to the loft and playing in all the secret nooks. We were there while Hurricane Michael was coming up the east coast, and of the four days we spent here it rained three of them. We lost power the first day and those sweet owners invited us down to their home to play with toys. They had chickens, peacocks, miniature horses (which we spent the better part of three days feeding), and a dog named Lollipop (which Larkin talked about non-stop for the rest of our trip). We cooked dinner on the charcoal grill in the rain until the power came back on.

Pippa loved those mini ponies!

Larkin and Lollipop

Roan Mountain views

Watauga Lake after the storm

Trying not to blow away

Day two we drove to Johnson City to a children’s museum. Finally the rain stopped enough for us to have a campfire, so the rest of the nights we ate s’mores for dessert looking up at the mountain. The kids played nonstop in the mud puddles and we took lots of baths! The last day here we were supposed to go to Tweetsie Railroad, but the weather was going to be super cold and windy! So instead we drove to Roan Mountain and hiked up to the grassy bald. It was one of the most beautiful hikes I’ve been on in the Smokies, but it was about 35 degrees with constant wind. It was so gusty that Larkin kept getting blown over. We didn’t have winter coats with us so we were bundled in 3 pairs of pants and blankets to make the half mile hike up there. The kids were such good sports! And afterwards they agreed that it was a really cool hike. We hit up the state park playground after and warmed up.

Carowinds

Then, because we are crazy, we decided to make up our trip to Tweetsie (that the kids had been bummed to miss) by stopping at Carowinds amusement park on our way home… which really was 2.5 hours out of our way. The day was beautiful, but it was so dang crowded! I think everyone was there for the fall festival stuff they had going on. And watching three kids (wearing Bodhi in a carrier) was super stressful. We waited about 40 minutes per ride, which we thought was long and torturous. Is Disney this bad? Hmm….

The highlight of the day for the big kids was definitely riding on the wooden “kiddie” roller coaster. I had fun on it, so it wasn’t so little 🙂 We didn’t realize how early the park closed for their scary nighttime event, so this mama was bummed to not get to hop on just one big roller coaster. Next time, right? Ha! We drove 2.5 hours home and got home well after bedtime, which brings me to the worst greeting ever upon returning from a road trip….

Mold in our House

Yep. We had lost power for 48 hours because of the Hurricane, and before that I had set our AC to come on at a higher temp THAT OUR HOUSE NEVER REACHED. Then we got all the rain and no power for two days. Anyway, everything felt damp. We went right to bed, and the next morning as I was sitting on the couch nursing Bodhi I noticed that everything was GREEN. Mold was everywhere. We spent a crazy two days cleaning everything in sight and renting the upholstery cleaner… the whole nine yards. It was terrible. As if gobs of laundry isn’t enough to handle after two weeks away!

Wow, that was a long post. I’m trying to be better about documenting things like this, because it is so fun to look back on all the details. Thanks for joining the journey!

Drowning in a Sea of Toddlerhood

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Yes, you read that right. Drowning. Can we just be honest for a minute about kids? I believe there may be no other tried and true path to losing one’s mind. If you, like me, have several young children, you know what I’m talking about. I have four kids age six and under, including a 12 month old and a 2.5 year old. It’s killing me.

Can we just commiserate for a moment? You’re a parent, surely you can relate. And even if you can’t, I feel like I need to record this snippet of my life. It won’t be like this forever. They will grow up and I will scarcely be able to imagine that it was actually so hard when they were little. Hopefully I can read this post years from now and laugh… perhaps cynically… at how somehow I managed to escape parenting young kids with my sanity.

I do want to mention that I am forever grateful for my babies. I have friends who struggled with infertility. Several who won’t have kids. I had a miscarriage before my first and know that pain well, although it surely pales in comparison to what others face. Gratefulness aside, my reality right now is that of a stay at home mom of four kids.

I’m ragged.

I’m exhausted.

I wake up in the morning to smiling faces that I love dearly. They beam smiles full of sunshine, give me giant hugs, and are filled with a joy that makes me happy to be alive and even happier to call them mine. Then about 10 minutes after breakfast, they start in on the “I’m hungry, I need a snack” brigade. It lasts until lunch. I do nothing with my morning except prepare snacks (does dumping pirate booty out of the bag count? It should…), assist the toddler in pulling down her pants, getting on the potty, and if I’m lucky I get to wipe her bottom before she scoots off the toilet leaving poop marks everywhere. Because she’s the child who will be the next CEO of a large business. That kid knows exactly what she wants, she’s persistent, and doesn’t accept anything less than perfection. If we venture out of the house, I can guarantee we stop at every bathroom along the way and I then have to do the potty routine while also holding a wiggly 12 month old.

I hate public bathrooms.

By the time lunch rolls around, I’m done. I’m trying not to cry tears of frustration because I have gotten nothing accomplished. Not even a single thought to myself. Although I have usually succeeded in hiding in the pantry (thank God it’s a walk in) and I may or may not have eaten an entire bar of dark chocolate while hiding from the incessant screams of the CEO toddler. Another day will pass with no workout, although I had fully intended to go running when I woke up in the morning with so much hope for the day. If I’m lucky, I can find a few minutes at nap time to make a cup of coffee (decaf- caffeine and I don’t get along) with collagen and cocoa powder and fresh cream, because it makes me feel human.

The hardest part of the day is yet to come… the two hours between when all kids wake up around 3:30 and when we eat at 5:30. Somehow I’m supposed to make dinner with two children crying and hanging on my legs, a first grader who I need to assist with reading, and a preschooler who is good as gold and gets nothing for it because I have nothing left of myself after dealing with the demands of the CEO toddler. It breaks my heart. Yet somehow we eat dinner every night, together as a family. At least eating is a requirement for our survival, otherwise I’m not sure we would accomplish dinner.

Mama needs a beer. Cold and dark and of the stout variety, please.

We recently got back from vacation (need to write about those adventures in a separate post) and the lady who owned our VRBO rental was a saint. She had raised nine (9!!!!) children and invited us into her home when our cabin lost power, let our kids snack and play with their grandkids toys and visit with their farm animals. She texted me later that I was a supermom and doing a great job taking my kids to do these things, and to never let anyone tell me otherwise.

I cried. Because as parents we are not told nearly enough that we are doing a great job. We all feel like failures. There is just so much we are told we should do and should not do that the standards for being good are simply unattainable. I cried at the kindness of a stranger, because I need those words in my life waaaaaaay more often.

Particularly more often than the crucifying “enjoy them while they’re little, they grow up so fast.” Don’t say that to me. It makes me want to punch you. Kidding (sort of…) C’mon. We all forget the bad and remember the good. You’re forgiven. But you know your kids drove you nuts when they were little. Keep the reminiscing to yourself and show me some compassion, because if you dig deep down, you will remember these trying times and not just the snuggles and smiles.

So the next time you see a parent with young children, look them in the eye and tell them they are amazing. They are doing a great job. That they will (I hope?) gain their sanity back someday and that their children will turn out wonderfully even if they eat pizza for dinner sometimes. Maybe offer to watch their kids so they can be alone in their own house for an hour. Gosh how I would love that. Offer some adult conversation over coffee. It’s a lonely world when you’re drowning amid toddlers.

You’re doing a great job!

 

Five Herb and Berry “Swamp Water” Recipes from the Garden

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I’m not exactly sure where the name Swamp Water came from. Perhaps because it sounds like something we dredged up, which I suppose is correct in a way. It is certainly a concoction of random greenery from the garden, but unlike the name implies, this refreshing summer treat is beautiful.

Swamp water is a summer tradition in our home. It’s cold. It’s refreshing. It’s hydrating. It has zero calories or sugars, and yet is a simple garden fresh treat. My husband is one of those people who, in his own words, “just has to have something cold to sip on” in the evenings. Often it’s a beer or wine, but he’s made an effort lately to grab a glass of swamp water.

Sawyer eating the goodies

And our kids? Those rascals love this stuff. Bonus – they love to gather goodies from the garden to create their own recipe. And anytime I can convince at least two of them to scamper into the backyard, baskets in hand, to gather food, it fills my heart. There is nothing like seeing kids romping through the grass and mud, barefoot and giggling, to see what treasures await them in the summer garden. That is a pure joy of summertime for a kid I tell you!

Perhaps one of the best qualities of Swamp Water is that you can make it with pretty much anything. In case you’re itching to try your own, here are five Swamp Water recipes we’re loving to get you started:

Five Herb and Berry Swamp Water Recipes from the Summer Garden:

Lemon + Basil + Mint

1. Lemon slices/basil/mint – Is there anything better than lemon and mint? PS: if you’re looking for an amazing homemade ice cream flavor, this is it.

2.Tomatillo/parsley/cucumber – 2018 was the first year we grew tomatillos, and we were surprised by how well they did in the garden. Just two plants made waaaaay more than we use for guacamole, so this is a good way to use some extras. If you’ve never tried a tomatillo, they are in the tomato family but are green with a slightly citrus-y flavor.

3. Rosemary/cucumber/basil- Again, by mid summer the basil and cucumbers are abundant!

Raspberry Mint

4. Raspberry/mint – our garden is usually overflowing with raspberries come late May, so this is a perfect early summer sipper.

5. Raspberry/Blackberry/mint – Yum!

Homemade Grass Fed Yogurt

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I am a firm believer that almost anything can thrive with LOVE & SUNSHINE. You see, I’m having one of those days when I may as well be drowning in toddlerhood. The little one wants to potty train herself, yet wants to scream bloody murder when poop comes out.

(Is this even an appropriate convo to start a post on yogurt?). Probably not…

Oops.

Sorry friends. It’s all poop and potty talk in this house today. And I’m trying my hardest to get rolling on this blog again. We’ve been soaking in these days of summer – as much pool time as we can squeeze in, mixed with a beautiful hike in the woods yesterday and bike riding and tree climbing. I love when Pippa asks me to spend “Mommy-Pippa time” with her up high in the branches of the Magnolia tree. That is the best spot EVER to spy on neighbors as they stroll by our home! Ha!

And then those glorious weekend days fade back into the school week, and here I am with the fussy toddler trying to tread water. And potty train. And meal plan. And sort of clean up the house. And pay bills. And get back to this blog, dang it, because I enjoy writing about life.

Just as the gardens (and weeds!) are thriving with love and sunshine, so do we all. We soak it in and become happier people. On days like this I must remind myself that even my babies just need more time in the sun and grass between their toes. More eating raspberries off the bush. More hugs. More snuggles. For it’s the only way to keep from drowning sometimes.

Do you know what else thrives on love and sunshine? Food. The cows thrive on sun-fattened grasses and give luxurious milk. I make it into yogurt and nourish my family (and save money!). Win-win. Nothing but love and sunshine.

Grassfed Yogurt – How to Save Money while Making the Best

Back when I first quit my job to stay home with my then 1-year old (with #2 on the way) we were cutting corners wherever possible to save money. As we grew to a family of four and both kids and I ate yogurt every day for lunch, it was getting expensive. We would go through 2-3 quarts of yogurt a week! This equated to anywhere from $10-$15/week of our total grocery budget for yogurt (I think we were budgeting $70 at the time, yikes!) So I did some research and started making our own homemade yogurt using whole grass fed milk, and discovered that even by using the best quality dairy available we were saving money!

When we eat dairy we try to always eat it in fermented form: cheese or yogurt. This cuts down on sugar consumption from the naturally occurring Galactose in plain milk. Not only do we try to get a significant amount of calcium from yogurt, but we only eat whole milk products, and when it’s in the budget we aim to purchase grass-fed dairy such as Grass Milk for our yogurt making. Have you checked the price of grass-fed dairy lately? Around us it clocks in at around $5.99 per half gallon. Not cheap, but definitely the best choice (unless you’re in the raw milk camp, which we are not).

For that price I can make a gallon (4 quarts) of yogurt for $12. If we go with just organic whole milk, the total cost is about $7. Grass fed whole milk yogurt in the grocery store is notoriously hard to come by (unless you frequent a Whole Foods), and the typical Dannon or Chiobani whole milk yogurt with probiotics runs on average $4-$5 a quart.

Why spend $16-$20 per gallon on store bought yogurt when I can make it for half that price?

It’s surprisingly easy to make if you dedicate about 3 hours to being at home (most of that is just wait time) every two weeks. Here’s our fail-proof recipe:

Homemade Grass Fed Yogurt Recipe

*I’ve included links to ingredients I use and love. When you purchase something via one of these affiliate links, I receive a small commission but the price is the same for you*

Makes: 4 quarts of yogurt       Time required: 3 hours total (about 15 minutes hands on)

Materials Needed:

  • 4 glass Mason jars with lids and rings
  • A large stock pot that will fit all jars and is at least as tall as the jars
  • One washcloth (to set on the bottom of the pot and keep the jars from rattling as the water boils).
  • Yogurt. *If this is your first batch, purchase a small container of store bought yogurt that has the strains of probiotics you want. I use Dannon for mine, but be sure to check the label. After your first batch you can use starter cultures from your existing yogurt.
  • 1 gallon of milk. I use organic whole milk, grass fed when possible.

Instructions:

  1. Place a small washcloth on the bottom of a tall pot. I use our 10 gallon stock pot. Set 4 quart sized mason jars in the pot.
  2. Fill the mason jars to about 1 inch below the top with the milk of your choice. We use whole milk, grass fed when possible.
  3. Fill the pot to about 1.5 inches below the top of the yogurt containers with HOT water. I’ve found that if I fill it with cold and heat the pot too quickly, I’ll occasionally get a broken jar from the temperature difference.
  4. Place on the stove over medium heat with a thermometer (I use a candy thermometer so it can hook on the edge of the glass). If it begins to boil, turn down the heat so that the water doesn’t “jump” into your yogurt.
  5. Heat for about 30 minutes, or until the milk reaches 185 degrees F.
  6. CAREFULLY with an oven mitt lift the jars out of the water bath. Occasionally one will have broken during the heating, so I always do this part slowly and let it drip over the pot for a few seconds. Better to have it break over the pot than your stove (trust me!). Place jars on a heat proof surface (or stovetop) to cool. Place a lid on top to keep dust out and set a timer for roughly 2 hours. If this is your first batch, you’ll want to check the temperature sooner so that it does not cool too quickly.
  7. When the milk has cooled to between 100-110 degrees, take a spoon and skim off the layer that has formed on top of each jar.
  8. Scoop 2 Tbsp of your starter yogurt (either store bought with probiotics or from your last batch of homemade yogurt) into each jar. Stir gently, being careful not to overstep. Place the lid and ring back on each jar.
  9. Place jars into a cooler. I always heat up a rice sock in the oven (200 degrees for 10 minutes) to help the yogurt maintain a slightly above room temp for a bit during fermentation. Leave it for 20-24 hours and then refrigerate. It will be set at this point, but you will get a much nicer consistency once it has had a chance to sit in the refrigerator for an hour or so.

 

Plain yogurt is amazing with some unsweetened applesauce mixed in (I’m personally in love with Trader Joe’s version), or with Homemade Paleo Granola on top.

How about you, what are your favorite yogurt toppings?

 

Love and sunshine, my friends. Love and sunshine.

Nine things that summarize this season of life – 2018

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I came across a great idea in the blog 71 Toes. Every year the author creates a post on a summary of life for that year, what her kids are up to, etc. She’s done it for awhile, so I can imagine how cool it is to look back and see what their life was like ten years ago. Sometimes I look back on photos from one year ago and I am just amazed at how different our life looks! And how different my kids look. It is miraculous to see them grow into such amazing little humans, yet I’d be lying if I didn’t also mention how sad it makes me that those sweet days of last year will never be here again. My babies will never be that little again!

summary of life popsicles

Oh, time! The one thing that we often try to wish away when the days are tough, yet it marches on through the good as well. The only thing we cannot gain more of. I am going to try my darnedest to remember to write a similar post every spring when the world is fresh and new, so that I, too, can look back at this family of ours in ten years and reminisce on what has changed (and try not to forget the important little details along the way!)

Nine Moments that Summarize our Life in 2018

  1. Pippa is in Kindergarten and loves her teacher, Ms. LaRue. She can’t wait for first grade and is reading everything. That girl wants to start a business selling things every time I turn around. First it was painted rocks. Lemonade. Seashells. Most recently its been plants she dug up from our yard and re-potted. Anything to make money! But then she turns around and wants to buy approximately 1,000,000 stuffed animals with it, which is super frustrating for us. I created online kids savings accounts for the two big kids where half of their allowance now goes (all 25 cents a week, lol) so they can see what happens when they save it. Pippa has lost 4 bottom teeth and her top two front teeth and I finally snapped a photo of that toothless girl! She also loves soccer swimming and I think her favorite part of school recently was making the little clay bowl in art class that she talked about for a month straight!
  2. Sawyer is in preschool one day a week. He colors in the lines better than many kindergartners I’ve seen and truly loves to draw – it is beautiful to watch! He wants to play soccer with me every afternoon after the littles are down for their naps, in the cool shade of our little backyard. And darn it – he is getting really good! I can no longer beat him while holding a baby, ha! He can walk to his best friend Jay’s house by himself and is really good at crossing the road. He antagonizes Larkin constantly and also loves guns, dinosaurs, and blowing things up. He hates getting his face wet, but swim team starts next week and he promised me he would put his head in if I signed him up.

    Easter 2018

  3. Larkin is still difficult. Remember back HERE when I lamented how difficult this girl was as an infant? She’s changing… ever so S-L-O-W-L-Y. She will squawk all day long with such intensity it nearly drives me mad. I just keep telling myself she won’t be this way forever! She does love books, and would rather have Napping House and Little Nutbrown Hair in her bed than a stuffed animal. Lately she’s been “reading” Fancy Nancy, which just cracks me up. She loves to swing and out of all our kiddos is just the most obsessed with water!
  4. Bodhi is my little blessing. I was scared to death to have 4 kids, and he is the happiest little thing! Just giggles and smiles constantly. He is 7 months old, sits by himself and is getting ready to crawl. He loves bananas and carrots but won’t touch egg yolk yet (we feed our babies a whole foods diet, no cereal or rice) 
  5. The moment I’ve been dreading with four kids happened – the STOMACH  BUG. In mid-April, Pippa woke up puking and it continued for 10 hours. Three days later Larkin had diarrhea all over the floor. As soon as John got her scrubbed in the tub, she started projectile vomiting (exorcist style) and running scared all over the dining room. Did I mention we have WHITE CARPET in our dining room from the previous owners? She’s running after John, who is running away from her yelling “you’re contagious!!!”  and I am chasing her with a towel trying to contain the vomit. He of course came to his senses and grabbed her, but it was the most disgusting/comical scene looking back on it. Sawyer and John and I eventually got it, but not before our TV broke and the van battery died and upon replacing the battery, the stereo wouldn’t work because we were never given our magic anti-theft passcode. Riding in a car with kids and no music is awful. I don’t know how people used to do it. It’s been a month I tell you!
  6. I’m trying so hard to start this little art business of mine on Etsy (well, re-start but in all honesty I’m creating and selling watercolor prints and cards, which is completely different from the surfboards I used to make). I spend my evenings after 8pm painting and nap times sketching and sort of got burned out last week. I haven’t sold a thing and it’s been discouraging (but I promised myself I would stick it out. It may take awhile to get a sale, and that’s ok). Finding balance between my creative side and being a good mom is a big challenge for me.
  7. I have an ongoing mental battle with technology. On one hand, it’s integral in this time if I want to sell anything artistic. And it’s not enough just to occasionally post something to Instagram. I have to commit to several posts a week to promote myself and my art. On the other hand, I hate phones. We don’t own a tablet and out kids’ access to screens is very limited. Yet they see me on my phone posting things “for my business” and I struggle with what example I’m setting. Lots of thinking to be had on this one, and it probably deserves a post of it’s own.
  8. Vacation dreaming, folks. Right now the idea of a road trip with a baby and 2 year old sounds like a night mare. But my heart can’t wait to show these kids more of the world and I think the older two are ready. (flying is too expensive for us, so car trips it is!). Maybe next year will be the year we venture outside the NC/VA/MD area we’ve stuck to for the past 6 years? I daydream often of Texas and the northeast and even Florida.
  9. Farm days are the best! We head out to our 13.5 acres (more on our crazy farm purchase HERE) about every other weekend to plant raspberries and blackberries and hunt for tadpoles. John sprayed a ton of poison ivy. Last weekend we went, we took a push mower and tiller and dug up a tiny bit of a garden inside one of the pastures. Hoping to get some bigger vines (watermelon, cantaloupe, pumpkin) to grow in the abundant sunshine. Also daydreaming a lot about if and when we should build a home out there, and how that would affect our lives. Love this photo with the dark clouds over the trees – wind blowing their hair!

    Windy Farm Day in March

That’s it, my friends! Can’t wait to see what’s changed when I revisit this post in 2019!

That time I was Seven Months Pregnant and We Bought a Farm

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I think we might look back on 2017 as “the crazy year in my mid-30s that we said to hell with doing it by the book.”

Go big or go home, right? Sure we had a FOURTH baby on the way (umm… still not entirely used to that one!) but last summer we took the plunge for something we’ve been saving towards for years. Years my friends!  WE BOUGHT A FARM. And we didn’t buy just a little bit of countryside (although it is undoubtedly small compared to a true farm!), but 13.5 ACRES.

At the moment I can’t manage my .5 acres of suburbia. The weeds overtake the veggies every summer in the only garden that gets full sun. It’s about 7×17 feet. How on earth do I plan to take care of 4 kids and farm/homestead/manage 13.5 acres? I haven’t the slightest idea. My mom once bought me a drink coaster that said “jump and the net will appear” and told me that was me in a nutshell. Funny, right? Because it’s true. And here I am waiting for my net … the one that can save my sanity from four kids age six and under … the one that can magically reveal a method for managing this dream farm.

When we bought the land last summer it was unimproved. It has a 1.5 acre pond and .5 acres of woods down by the road, but the rest is pasture. And I mean ZERO trees or big shrubs except for the big Cedar tree that marks the corner of the property, and that Cedar tree is pretty stoic out there between our fields and our neighbor’s tobacco. In November we planted three Maple trees on top of the hill, and last weekend we loaded up the kids and planted about 20 raspberry canes and the six blackberries that made it through winter. We’ve been out to the farm several times since Bodhi arrived for picnics and camping and because running through an open field is so amazing! Someday we will probably build a home there, but for now we are going to try and plan the property’s future and tend it when we can. That said…

I have big dreams!

We’ve tossed so many ideas around for years and years, based on “what if” we ever buy some land. There’s wine grapes and a small winery since we’ve been making wine here at home for about six years. I’ve always wanted some farm animals, but then again I love to travel and want my kids to see the world and don’t want to be tied down to the demands of livestock. We do eat 5 dozen eggs a week, so chickens are probably a definite. Maybe some sheep? Because hot dang, that is a large amount of pasture to keep mowed without large livestock. Lately I’ve been falling for the idea of pick your own berries. There are two PYO blueberry farms a mile up the road. Blackberries? Raspberries? A permaculture orchard? Or maybe lavender. For cutting/selling and for photography, because who can resist taking photos of their kids in a field of lavender.

Do you want to take a tour? Of course you do! Here are some photos from right here in the beginning. Follow along as we decide what on earth to do next!

PS: Below is a Mimosa tree in one of two fenced pastures. We were SO excited they had something to climb on!

A two month old Bodhi. The only thing between us and the distant road.

 

 

Mediterranean Manchego Olive Salad

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My love affair with Manchego cheese began at a friend’s Kentucky Derby party several years ago. It’s nutty, semi-dry, and delicious! Even better, they have it at Costco so I can buy a huge chunk for about $12. My kids also love it, which is a plus because while we don’t drink milk we do try to consume our fair share of fermented dairy (homemade yogurt and cheese, especially Gouda -also available in massive chunks at Costco).

 

 

As with many things in my life, I began writing this post during my blissful summertime afternoons when all kids were upstairs napping… before #4 arrived and sent me back into the newborn phase when naps are utterly unpredictable and I squeeze in “me” time at all ridiculous hours. So here we are in March, when cucumbers are certainly not abundant in my backyard. But when I wrote this we were overflowing with them. And tomatoes. Lots of goodness that needed to be used up and they were perfect for this snack. I do still make this in the winter with store bought produce.

 

This is a recipe that I have long loved from Lemons for Lulu and I added a few more ingredients to create more of a salad than an appetizer.

Ingredients

2 cloves Garlic, about 1 tbsp minced (we buy the gigantic container of minced garlic from Costco. We use it a lot, and this saves time)

1 tsp Rosemary, fresh
1 – 8 oz jar Kalamata black olives (again, Costco is a great source if your family eats tons of these). I halve them since we have toddlers.
3 tbsp Olive oil
2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
6 oz Manchego cheese (I also buy this at Costco) cut into cubes
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes1 can Great Northern Beans (optional)
Toss all ingredients together and let sit for a few minutes so the flavors blend together. Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Recipe

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chocolate peanut butter cup ice creamIn our family we have a tradition of making my husband homemade chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream on father’s day. The way to that man’s heart is through any combination of peanut butter and chocolate, something I’m fairly certain my kids have inherited. Usually we stick with regular chocolate when we make ice cream since it’s something we only do a handful of times per year. But a few years ago (when Harris Teeter discontinued making John’s favorite kind of chocolate PB ice cream, ha!) we opted to do it up, and it was AMAZING. We whipped up some plain chocolate ice cream, swirled in some peanut butter, and added peanut butter cups. It was TO DIE FOR.

When I was little we had an ice cream maker. You had to dump gobs of ice cubes around the edges along with about a cup of salt to keep the inner compartment cold enough to freeze the ice cream. It worked just fine, but this is SO MUCH BETTER. This Cuisinart ice cream maker could not be easier to use. You simply freeze the container the ice cream goes in, and once you’re ready to churn you pop in a plastic blade and a cover and turn it on. Easy peasy, and best of all no ice and salt needed! It makes about 4.5 cups of ice cream (5 cups when finished with the peanut buttery additions), but keep in mind the size because you may need to adjust it accordingly.

FUN FACT: Did you know there is a difference between Cocoa and Cacao powder, with Cacao being the less processed option? I’ve included a link below to purchase some good Cacao from Amazon, but we also use Trader Joe’s Cocoa powder (with no added ingredients) and it’s also delicious.

*I’ve included links to ingredients I use and love. When you purchase something via one of these affiliate links, I receive a small commission but the price is the same for you*

Ingredients

Whisking the ingredients for amazing ice cream

  • 1/2 cup cacao powder
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup natural peanut butter (we use creamy)
  • 15 reeses miniature peanut butter cups

Instructions

1. Whisk all ingredients except the peanut butter and PB cups in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours. (NOTE: I like my chocolate ice cream on the darker side and not too sweet. If you prefer yours sweeter, up the brown sugar to 1/3 cup).

chocolate peanut butter ice cream

2. Place mixture into an ice cream maker and churn away until finished.

3. Once ice cream is done, place in a tupperware/gladware container and add about 1/3 cup peanut butter. I use all natural, but feel free to adjust the type and amount to your preference. Some days just necessitate more peanut butter than others 😉 Swirl the peanut butter with a knife (don’t mix it in all the way).

4. Chop about 15 Reeses miniatures into quarters. Gently stir these in and get that bad boy in the freezer for at least 2 hours to set.

Top 5 Baby Names for Fourth Baby

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If you missed the news, we are about to embrace a full house over here in late September with the addition of baby #4 – a boy! Like most moms, I have a love/hate relationship with selecting a name for my kids. One one hand, there is something so fun about researching name meanings and history and saying it aloud along with a middle and last name and imagining what this baby will look like. What he’ll love. Whether his hair will be curly or straight. But dang, choosing something the kid will grow into and will identify him for the rest of his life is a lot of pressure! Top five baby names for a fourth child

Growing up there were two Allison Fords in my class (one was always known as “Allison  Ford with two L’s). I don’t want my kids to be the equivalent, so we always opt for a more unique first name to go with Clark. Right now we have two girls (Pippa and Larkin) and one boy (Sawyer). We struggled mightily with both girls’ names (you can read about our top choices for baby #3 HERE), but had Sawyer picked out from the beginning. All of our kids have middle names from family, so we will do the same with this little guy. Right now we only have two options for middles that we like, but without further ado here our top 5 baby boy names:

First Name Baby Name Options

Griffin: One of my favorite sites for baby names is Appellatian Mountain. She highlights Griffin as “red,” “prince,” and of course mythical beast. I also love that it has the nickname Finn (one of my favorites).

Bodhi: This unique name translates from Sanskrit as awakening. It’s the name of the tree under which the Budda supposedly found enlightenment. I love that it ends with an “i” as it goes really well with our last name (I don’t want anything with a hard ending). On the downside, this name ranks in the 300s in popularity in the US and at 30-something on Nameberry, which I’m not super keen about. Bodhi (also spelled Bode and Bodie) is known as a surfer name and has been used for babies of the famous in the past few years, which is probably responsible for it’s boost in popularity.

Kingston: This gem means “King’s Town” and what I love is that it evokes a laid back sense of place. Ever heard that song Jamaican Farewell? That’s what I hear of, and it makes me think of tropical breezes. Yet this is also a strong name AND it has the alliteration (Kingston Clark)! Don’t love that it was number 130-something on the popularity list in 2016.

Apollo: Again I like that this ends in a vowel that is different from my other children’s names. Probably best known (recently) for Apolo Ohno, the Olympic speed skater, this name Apollo hails from mythology, God of the Sun in Latin and God of Medicine in Greek myths. There is also an Apollo of Arthurian legend, adding to the adventurous history. Bonus for this name: it hasn’t yet risen up the charts the way Bodhi and Kingston have, falling at around #500.

Canyon: I also love the alliteration with this – he would be Canyon Clark. It’s outdoorsy, and feels like and adventure (sort of like his big brother Sawyer). It’s not very popular, another bonus! Nameberry has it down around #2300 in popularity, so there likely won’t be another in his class.

 

Middle Baby Name Options

We are down to two! Both middle names honor family members in some respect, as this is what we did with all of our current children.

Arthur: After my maternal grandfather’s middle name. This name appears to be coming back into vogue, and I love that it has that King Arthur legend quality about it. Arthur means bear and is Celtic in origin according to Nameberry.

Monroe: After my dad (his middle name). Did you know this name actually translates roughly to “red marsh?” Neither did I. If this last baby of ours were a girl, I would definitely be vying to use Monroe as her middle name. Yet I think that it fits equally well on a boy or girl, especially in our case as it’s a family name.

 

Ten short weeks to go! Any name combo suggestions?

DIY Kitchen Makeover

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Frugal Kitchen renovation: 1970s floral to cottage cute

Wallpaper and turquoise counters to neutral and beautiful

Working full time, starting a family, and renovating a complete fixer upper is not for the faint of heart, so when you just can’t justify a major overhaul for your budget or time or sanity, have no fear! Here’s how we kept our sanity and did a DIY kitchen makeover to bring our small kitchen out of the 1970s without breaking the bank.

When we purchased our home in 2008, we had no children. We bought a cute little cape cod on a half acre because it had ample space for our 85 lb boxer to run, and room to clear out and garden and make our own little piece of paradise. BUT… it was definitely a fixer upper. This cute little cape cod has now been painted top to bottom, plus remodels to 2 bathrooms and the kitchen

The kitchen remodel was actually the last thing we did to really get this baby out of the ’80s. When we bought the house we had all kinds of visions for the kitchen. We were going to tear out the wall between the kitchen and the dining room and make one big farmhouse kitchen. We were going to get rid of those upper cabinets that separate the kitchen from the eat-in part (so 1980s!!). But after 7 years of living with this gorgeous (ha!) wallpaper, the kitchen decided it was time for an overhaul whether or not we were ready.

Do you see that wallpaper? Those turquoise counters and backsplash? Those bisque colored appliances? Y’all. 1978 was all kinds of cozy.

It all began on our anniversary circa 2011, when the only new appliance – the stove – burst into flames during our first ever attempt to cook an expensive pan full of fresh scallops. Doggone it! (yeah, definitely not my actual words…). So we replaced the stove/oven. Then the week before Thanksgiving 2014 the refrigerator stopped working AND the dishwasher went. So we took advantage of Black Friday sales and finished off our appliance set. It became clear that with 2 kids, no walls were being torn down in the room where I spend most of my waking hours. We said to heck with it! Lets just make it a space we enjoy!

 

Frugal DIY Kitchen Renovation

Kitchen Renovation: the breakfast nook

Wallpaper Removal

The entire kitchen was covered in burgundy and green florals. We dutifully used a scoring roller to puncture the paper and DIF spray to loosen the glue before peeling all that paper off. Be sure to wash thoroughly with warm water! Cost: $10 (we had some leftover DIF)

 

Cabinets

We opted to keep the cabinets and purchase new, unfinished doors and paint everything ourselves. I love simple and bright. The doors were Shaker style, ordered from Barker Door (www.barkerdoor.com) and had to be measured to within 1/16 inch of the correct size. Y’all. Painting cabinets is no small task! I spent the entire summer of 2015 painting during nap time in my backyard. The paint is an alkyd-acrylic from Benjamin Moore, which is basically easy to wipe clean like an oil paint but still acrylic. Color is Simply White.

To prep unfinished cabinet fronts, first go over everything with a fine grain sandpaper and wipe off any dust. Then take some of your paint and mix it about 50/50 with water in a plastic cup. Paint a thin coat of this over your cabinets and let dry (I let mine dry overnight). This draws up the grains of the wood, which you then want to sand down with a fine grit sandpaper and again wipe clean. Now you’re ready to paint! I did two thin coats on each cabinet piece (front and back). When painting cabinets, thin coats are best! If you have access to a sprayer (they are available for rent) this will make painting a lot easier. Because I was painting about 2 doors a day during a 45 minutes nap time, this wasn’t in the cards for us.

We purchased contractor packs of Oil Rubbed Bronze knobs and pulls and attached them ourselves using this handy little tool: a hardware installation kit. It’s a tiny little ruler with holes so that you align it with the edge of your drawer front or cabinet and make a dot in the correct holes so that everything matches.

On the back of the peninsula I dressed it up with these easy molding squares from Lowes. Just nail them on and use paintable caulk around the edges to cover any gaps, then paint.

Cabinets: $758  Paint: $90

 

Lighting

Because ours is an eat-in kitchen, we also had the breakfast nook to renovate. In our home we’ve gone with oil rubbed bronze fixtures and hardware, and I wanted something soft yet industrial to go with our hand-me-down farmhouse table. I love this light fixture! It casts little light sparkles around the room at night. Grab one here at Overstock.

Cost (including over sink pendant and other ceiling light): $300

Wall Paint

This involved wallpaper removal followed by two coats of paint (Olympic Faint flicker in satin). Cost: $50 (2 gallons)

Converting a Soffit into Gorgeous Trim

These lovely 1970s cabinets came with a lovely 1970s soffit, wallpaper included. I hated it. But since we were trying to do this with minimal demo/mess and had no idea if anything of importance like a duct/electrical/vent was hidden behind there, we chose instead to trim out the soffit to look like a mighty piece of trim above the cabinets.

We actually painted over the wallpaper on the soffits with several coats of Kilz (there is another, supposedly better, but way stinky option to use for this if you are serious about sealing in the paper. We chose not to suffocate on fumes and so far it’s held up for over 5 years!). Then we cut a basic crown molding and nailed it against the soffit/ceiling corner followed by a 1/2″ piece of rounded wood trim that we cut and nailed into place halfway up the soffit.

The last step was to wood putty the nail holes, seams, and any gaps in the trim followed by light sanding. The soffit is painted the same color as the cabinets-

Cost for trim: $150

 

Counters

Kitchen countertop install

Kitchen countertop install

New counters and sink

New counters and sink

 

We wanted something classy and durable (because I spend about 10 hours a day in this kitchen, lol) that was also neutral and would last through changing styles. There is a great stone shop 45 minutes from us (Apex Marble and Granite for anyone in central NC, definitely worth checking out!). I lucked out and found a Groupon that was good for any of about four of the most inexpensive granite options. We chose Venetian Gold, and the cost of the groupon included a sink, install, old counter removal for $1600. Can’t beat that!

 

PS: We chose a deep single bowl sink and it was the best decision! I hated never being able to fit a big pot into one side of a small double sink. Now we can do everything in that sink – even bathe our kids!

Cost: $1600

BacksplashDIY Kitchen Makeover for less than $3500

The backsplash was the last thing we did in the DIY kitchen Makeover. We actually waited until I was about 38 weeks pregnant, and spend an entire weekend (well, maybe about 8 hours total) cutting and setting tile. It’s a glass tile from Lowes that comes in 12×12 sheets. We have a tile saw (you could rent one) and after a whole lotta measuring and cutting around outlets, laid that baby up with mastic and grouted it the following weekend. There is no motivation like a baby on the way and the knowledge that your productivity will grind to a halt for no less than the next six months!

Cost of tile, mortar, and grout: $250

DIY Kitchen Makeover. www.wildsunshineandlemonade.com

Peninsula Trim

Frugal peninsula: DIY molding squares

Frugal peninsula: DIY molding squares

The backside of the peninsula was a plain white slab of wood. Lowes hardware sells these amazingly easy to use moulding squares for less than $20 each. We measured the back of the peninsula, purchased three sizes that would center well, nailed them into place with finishing nails (making sure to level and center each one). Then the seams were sealed with paintable caulk to cover any gaps and nail holes and painted. For less than $100 we have custom looking trim that dresses up the space!

Cost: $60

Total DIY Kitchen Makeover Cost = $3,268

 

We’ve been holding out on flooring for our home while the kids destroy the old laminate. Hopefully soon we’ll get some updated hardwoods in here! Thanks for reading!