Saturday, April 24, 2010

Do You Know Where Your Food Comes From?

We like to think we're pretty healthy - we eat lots of veggies, fruits, brown rice, chicken, etc. We try to stay away from processed foods but it's definitely hard to do (I say this as we're having packaged pudding for a snack!). We try to buy organic when possible. I also try to cook and bake a lot of our foods from scratch. So you'd think we knew a thing or two about healthy eating and how our foods are made. Boy, were we wrong!

We watched "Food, Inc." this past Wednesday on the PBS channel and learned more than we ever bargained for. It should be mandatory for every individual to watch this documentary. For those of you that have never heard of it, this movie shows where our food comes from, how farms are operated, how a huge portion of our food is "manufactured" in factories, and how politics plays a huge role in what's available in our supermarkets. I was appalled to find out what's put in 70% of the hamburgers for sale in our supermarkets!

I really believe that it is easy to put masks over our eyes and ignore it all when we don't have to see the pictures and view the processes. But let me tell you, once you've seen it, it will significantly change the way you view your food.

I cannot recommend this documentary enough. In honor of Earth Day, PBS is offering viewing of this movie here through April 29th. Take a peek when you get a moment.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Scooter Fabric

For those of you that love the red and yellow scooter print that has been for sale in my shop, you might just fall in love with it in the black tone colorway too (I know I have)!
I've just ordered several yards and can't wait to make a Colorblocked bag and Stacked tote with it. It's just so fun and cute!

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Where Have I Been?

I've been here, just consumed with our garage sale this past week. Whew, it's now done and I am so glad to have gotten rid of lots of stuff! I can't believe how much we had laying around the house that we just didn't need or use - hiding in linen closets, stacked in our storage closets, and right in plain sight in our kitchen. Clutter drives me crazy (even though you can't always tell this if you step in my house at any given time)!

We also finally decided to get rid of our baby stuff - swing, changing table, even the little itty-bitty sleepers. It was hard for me but I knew that if we didn't do it soon it would eventually be very outdated. It's amazing how quickly they change models and upgrade baby stuff - just within 4-6 years our stuff already looked dated.

The kids even participated and went through their rooms in search of items to sell. They did pretty well (I helped a little too while they were each at school!).

So as you can see I've been preoccupied with many other things the past two weeks - my dad's surgery (which went extremely well and all of his cancer was removed), garage sale, one kid down and out with the stomach flu, Easter, and spring break. I'm glad things are starting to settle down and I can now put my full attention on restocking my Etsy shop. Thanks for being so patient and understanding.

I'm off to sew right now!

Monday, April 12, 2010

Shop Update

I just posted a Colorblocked bag featuring a scooter print from Echino (famous Japanese designer for those that aren't infatuated with fabric like me). Check it out!
I've also designed a new bag - it should be making its debut later this month! But I'll share a little bit with you for now - it's a smaller hip bag, zipper closure with front zipper pocket, adjustable strap and super cute. Lightweight and great for Summer!
I've been carrying one around for the past several weeks to test it out. I always do this with a new design to make sure the bag functions as I intended and holds up to lots of wear and tear. Plus, it's lots of fun for me! I guess that's one of the perks of designing handbags. :)

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Milestones

Well, we've got an "Official Bike Rider Over Here" now! This is a favorite expression we use in our house often. Like when I first started making homemade bread and we were sitting at the table eating, Camille pointed at me and belted out "Official Bread Maker Over Here". You get the point.

So Camille has mastered bike riding! I have to admit, I was getting worried that she might be in college and still not know this skill. She just wasn't interested and was petrified of falling. We started her off on a really small toddler bike so she would be closer to the ground and could easily put her feet down. We also took her to a parking lot that had a ton of space and a decline to it (thanks to the advice from a friend!), and it worked! Once she started going, we couldn't stop her. It's all she wants to do now and it's great to see her self-confidence get a lift.

I guess the next milestone will be shoe tying. Maybe that will be a job for Dad to teach. :)

Monday, April 5, 2010

Latest Book

As some of you know, I challenged myself to read a minimum of two books per month for 2010. It's my way of feeding my brain, challenging myself and enjoying one of my favorite hobbies. I'm a true bookworm at heart.

I wanted to share a great book I read during March - "The Great Eight: How to be Happy" by Scott Hamilton. You might recognize the name since Scott is a famous Olympic ice skater with tons of medals and honors.

This was one of the most inspirational books I have read. It amazed me that someone who has had such a tumultuous, difficult journey at times could be so full of joy and gratefulness. He has chosen life and happiness over fear and bitterness. We have all experienced or will experience trials and valleys since life is not perfect, and it can be extremely hard to walk through those seasons of life trying to find the good and positive. My dad was recently diagnosed with cancer and is having surgery this week. I know how hard it is to put these words into practice and write them on your heart. I discovered this book at just the right time, definitely not a coincidence.

If you are looking for a book that could lift your spirit and help you appreciate your gift of life, this is definitely a must read. I realize how easy it is to fall in our own traps - traps of pity parties, jealousy, placing importance on non-important things (speaking from my own life). I've discovered that it's not good for me to dwell on why or how come, but instead how will this change me for the better and how can I give to others?

I never want to push a book or my beliefs on anyone, only share what works for me in hopes it might work for someone else too. Happy reading!

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Our Waffle Maker Bit the Dust

Happy Easter Everyone!

Hope you are rejoicing in this special day with friends and family.

Our Easter morning started early at 6:30am (yawn). The kids had a blast finding all of the hidden eggs and tearing their Easter baskets apart. Then came time for our family's favorite breakfast ~ homemade waffles and sooce. I know you're probably wondering what the heck sooce is. It's a sauce we put over the waffles, a simple syrup you make on the stovetop. My mom's family is from Belgium and this recipe has been passed down from the generations above. A tried and true tradition that holds lots of memories from my own childhood. Enough said about sooce!

Upon turning on our waffle maker this morning, we heard a couple of crackles and then a foul smoke started pouring out from the bottom. When the sparks starting flying, we knew it was time to unplug the thing. It was very sad as this waffle maker has been a huge part of our family breakfasts for the past ten years. We received it as a wedding present and it's been a staple in our home.

How ironic that the thing blew up one month before we celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary. But it just reinforces that "things" don't last forever and they don't make the memories. We make the memories.

So we ended up having paffles (our attempt at turning this into a positive fun experience!). Doug used the waffle mix and made them into pancakes on the stove. The kids still loved them and gobbled them up.

I guess our search for a new waffle maker will start soon!