In my last post I chatted about some awesome DIY hostess gifts. Let’s be honest here though – many of us are busy mamas who may not always have time to whip out a cute little DIY. Sometimes, after dressing the kids up in cute outfits, running around like crazy making sure no one gets dirty in the time it takes you to get dressed and get out the door, and remembering whatever it was that you were supposed to remember, time is running a bit short. Sometimes grabbing some organic fair-trade dark chocolate from Target (which is coming to Canada too, woohoo!) is all you can manage on the way to a party.

My friends: welcome to my life. And also? Let’s just be ok with this. Like, really ok. It may be way lame and cliche, but I’m gonna go ahead and say it anyway – it’s the thought that counts, right?

That’s where this post comes in.

Today, I am partnering with Apartment Guide to give one of my lucky readers a $50 gift card to Target! So exciting, right? Who wouldn’t want to win a gift card to Target, really? All ya have to do is clickety-click a few things down in the form below, and you are officially entered for your chance to win!

Maybe it’ll be you?

This little duo with Apartment Guide has been so fun. I’m loving the New Year’s Eve Playlist that was posted recently, and this one on Keeping Your Clothes Looking New (with some sweet tips at the end that I’d never heard of before).

I hope you get a chance to pop over to their blog and show some love. This opportunity to make someone’s day with this gift card right before Christmas is pure awesomeness!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure Statement:
Apartment Guide and owner Consumer Source, Inc. partner with bloggers such as me to participate in blogger programs.  As part of that program, I received compensation.  They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about any products and believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

Beth

Beth is the creator and editor here at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee.

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It’s been a while since I’ve shared some links with you (Don’t I always say that?). I’m thinking I might make this a monthly thing, but we’ll see if I can stick with it. I tend to major in Grand-Ideas and minor in Follow-Through.

Captain Drooly-Pants (pictured above, also known as Canaan Maverick) is five months old now. Wow is right. How is that even possible, you ask. My friends – I hear your sentiments and to them I say a hearty Amen. The passage of time is a funny thing indeed. It feels like just weeks ago that I was labouring in a candle-lit basement in a birth tub with his stubborn little noggin slightly turned inside of me, giving me a heck of a time about vacating L’hotel Utero.

(It makes me giggle when I read that last sentence back in my head with a country western twang accent. Try it, you’ll see.)

Right now I’m in the thick of Christmas shopping. Only 8 days left before my cut-off date! Meanwhile, all of my friends in America are celebrating thankfulness today, so I thought I’d share a few of my favourite things from my gratitude list as of late:

The “I’m-Not-American-But-Here’s-What-I’m-Grateful-For-Today” List:

1. Coffee.

It’s magical, and I’m mad at the entire world for not telling me sooner how blessedly bearable it makes those super-early wake-up calls from those Tiny Canadians*.

*that was for you, Annie.

2. The Weather.

Oh how cliche, right? Lalalalala I don’t care *humming loudly*. When you go from a low of -45 (Alberta winters) to a November with sunny skies and no-jacket-necessary weather in Toronto… you’re dang right it has earned a place on my gratitude list.

3. Can I say coffee again? No? OK, then I’ll go with Laundry Machines.

When Honey and I were in Tanzania for three months in 2007, we lived with a Tanzanian family. The house we lived in had no running water, and of course, no washing machines, so we did all of our laundry by hand. Thankfully we had Tanzanian friends that showed us how to do it properly (man, are they ever good at it…), but it takes a heck of a lot of time and effort. Now, with 3 small kids who go through multiple outfits a day (especially Captain Drooly-Pants and his altar ego Spit-Up-Man), I am uber-grateful for a washer and dryer!

And Now For the Link-Love:

Speak Louder Than Nutella :: Annie Downs @ Incourage (Honest, poignant, and relatable. One to read over and over again.)

The Christmas Conundrum :: Jen Hatmaker @ her own blog (I’m just standing here applauding. I don’t know what else to tell you. Just read it.)

Homemade Chest Rub Salve :: Courtney @ Keeper of the Home (I definitely need to try this ASAP. I’m hoping to avoid all traditional medicines this winter, but the key is being prepared with alternatives ahead of time. I need to find beeswax!)

Homemade Toothpaste Using Eggshells :: Marissa @ Becoming Kindred (I love this idea! Too bad I don’t have a good source of eggs right now. When I find one I am totally trying this.)

And a Few Fabulous Deals:

Truth in the Tinsel – the fabulous little advent resource that I’ve discovered this year is having a great Black Friday sale! Amanda is offering FREE printable ornaments on Black Friday with purchase of the ebook*. The printable ornaments are $3.99 and the book is $7.99. Getting the ornaments for free is almost like getting the book for half price!

*Note that you do not have to add the ornaments to your cart – or else you will end up paying for them, and there will be no refunds. The free download instructions will come after you check out.

Plan to Eat – an online meal planner that I recently started using and LOVING. Seriously – I’ve been a total meal-planning-slacker for YEARS now because I just could not find a system I loved. This one… is perfection. You can import recipes that you find online with the click of a button, you can plan your meals with them, and it makes your grocery list for you! It’s ridiculously cool. I got a 3-month subscription for free when I bought my Healthy Living eBook bundle, and plan to extend my subscription with this amazing Black Friday sale.

Crock On! A Semi-While Foods Slow Cooker Cookbook is a brand-new e-Cookbook that just released on Monday. I reviewed one of the recipes for Stacy’s book, and OH.My.GOSH. it was so amazing. I made it last weekend, and I’m making it again tomorrow because I haven’t stopped craving it! These recipes are made with real, wholesome ingredients that can easily be adapted for the hard-core among us, like the Paleo crowd, etc. For the average real-foodie, like me (who can’t always afford to do the Paleo thing), these recipes are perfect. I’m excited about trying them all!

Blurb has been my hands-down favourite for years now. When my oldest child was born we started making photo books every year. We did a couple of years at a different online company, but we weren’t happy with it. I found Blurb, and the rest is happy history. I am already working on my book for this year, and am totally going to do an Instagram book too!

Right now, you can use the code MERRY at checkout before December 3, 2012 and save:

15% on all orders under $50
20% on orders between $50-$99
25% on orders of $100 or more

***

I know there are tons of Black Friday deals out there in internet-land. There’s no end to what you can spend if you get sucked in. The point of Christmas is not shopping and buying junk you don’t need… but with that disclaimer aside… these are honestly all things that I use anyway. I enjoy them, and I think you would too. Some of these are affiliate links (and I’m honoured to support these companies!), so if you make a purchase through them I get a tiny kickback to help support this blog. If you’re willing to do that may I just say: thanks in advance!

I hope you had a beautiful and relaxing day of giving thanks, whether you were celebrating the official holiday, or just having a regular ol’ Canadian day.

Each day is grace. Thanks for being a part of mine today.

Beth

Beth is the creator and editor here at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee.

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If you follow any of the same blogs as I do you’ve likely already heard about the Healthy Living eBook Bundle.

This is the first time that such an amazing bundle of incredible resources has been put together, and it is an incredible value!

There are 34 eBooks included, as well as bonuses that are worth more than the entire price of the whole bundle! You will also be entered to win an Excalibur dehydrator, an Omega juicer, or a Berkey water filter! 

I have quite a few of these ebooks already, but I’m going to purchase the bundle so that I can get the free bonuses (listed below) and be entered to win the grand prizes! Having read many of these books already, and knowing most of the authors listed, I feel confident in recommending this package to everyone. There is such a diverse array of topics covered and I know that there will be something for everyone.

If you are interested in natural living, real food, natural skincare, homemade/DIY’s, and natural pregnancy & birthing… or if you just simply want to broaden your healthy recipe repertoire – this is the best value for your money by far!

Now, I’m not normally a very good salesperson… but this deal is honestly the best for its kind that I’ve ever seen. I really think that so many of you will love it! I am so thankful to be an affiliate of this sale and will make a small commission on each bundle that is sold through my link here. I’d be so grateful if you’d consider purchasing this bundle here! The price is the same, but if you buy it through my link I’ll get a bit of the sale. Thanks friends!

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW

******

Need more convincing? Check out the gigantic list of what all is included! 

Real Food Meals for the Whole Family

Have Your Fruits… and Veggies, Too! by Laura Coppinger @ Heavenly Homemakers ($5.95)

Real {Fast} Food by Trina Holden @ Trina Holden ($6)

20 Minute Meals by Leigh Ann Dutton @ Intentional by Grace ($4.99)

Real Food… Real Easy by various bloggers @ The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)

Baking, Snacks and Desserts

Smart Sweets by Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship ($8.95)

Healthy Snacks To Go by Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship ($8.95)

Sourdough A to Z by Wardee Harmon @ GNOWFGLINS ($20)

Homemade “Everything” (Condiments, Pantry Basics, etc.)

Restocking the Pantry by Kresha Faber @ Nourishing Joy ($7.99)

Easy. Homemade. by Mandi Ehman @ Life Your Way ($3.99)

Grain Free and Paleo/Primal Eating

Grain Free Meal Plan Cookbook by Cara Faus @ Health, Home & Happiness ($18)

Toadally Primal Smoothies by Todd @ Primal Toad ($9.95)

Simple Food {for spring} by Shannon @ Nourishing Days ($10)

Simple Food {for winter} by Shannon @ Nourishing Days ($10)

Well Fed by Melissa Joulwan @ The Clothes Make The Girl ($14.95)

Saving Money on Real Food

Real Food on a Real Budget by Stephanie Langford @ Keeper of the Home($18.99)

Plan It, Don’t Panic by Stephanie Langford @ Keeper of the Home ($4.99)

Don’t Compost It, Cook It by April Patel @ An Apple a Day Wisdom ($2.99)

Skincare and Beauty

My Buttered Life (Baby edition) by Renee Harris @ Hard Lotion ($5)

My Buttered Life (Gift edition) by Renee Harris @ Hard Lotion ($5)

My Buttered Life (Summer edition) by Renee Harris @ Hard Lotion ($5)

Simple Scrubs to Make and Give by Stacy Karen @ A Delightful Home ($3.99)

Food on Your Face for Acne and Oily Skin by Leslie @ Crunchy Betty ($7.99)

Holistic Mama’s Guide to Homemade Skincare by Roxanne King @ The Holistic Mama ($19)

Homesteading, Gardening and Preserving

Your Custom Homestead by Jill Winger @ The Prairie Homestead ($4.99)

Guide to Gardening and Preserving by Laura Coppinger @ Heavenly Homemakers($7.95)

Apartment Gardening by Jami Leigh @ Young Wife’s Guide ($2.99)

Healthy Lifestyle

Simple Living by Lorilee Lippincott @ Loving Simple Living ($2.99)

Herbal Nurturing by Michele Augur @ Frugal Granola ($8.95)

Simple Natural Health by Nina Nelson @ Shalom Mama ($17)

Healthy Homemaking by Stephanie Langford @ Keeper of the Home ($12.95)

Music: An Essential Ingredient for Life by Resound School of Music ($6.99)

Pregnancy and Babies

Breast to Bib by Kate Tietje @ Modern Alternative Pregnancy ($8.95)

Healthy Pregnancy Super Foods by Kate Tietje @ Modern Alternative Pregnancy($8.95)

Unbound Birth by Jenny Yarborough @ The Southern Institute ($4.99)

PLUS, You will receive FREE Bonuses from these awesome Healthy Living companies…

* The sale has been extended through the weekend!

Happy Reading!

Beth

Beth is the creator and editor here at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee.

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Canaan is almost 4 months old and dangit, “they” were right (aren’t they always?) – the time does fly away with or without my permission.

We had a dear sweet friend take some photos for us when Canaan was still just days old, and I forgot to share them here! I was cleaning out my inbox tonight and found the link, and if for nothing else I decided to post it here so that my Nana and Grandpa can see them (I don’t want to get in trouble).

Birthing three kiddos in less than four years is obviously a good idea when they’re this cute… I figure it’s pretty well our obligation to the world.

You’re welcome, world.

More photos HERE. 

PS: really, REALLY glad I cut my hair. Oy vey. The damaged frizz was just not kind. Not at all. As if being a red-head wasn’t traumatic enough (really people, stop staring!), I had frizz. It was like those scalloped carrots you get in the frozen veggie mix. Not pretty. Cut hair = a service to humanity. Again, you’re welcome.

PSS: the bottom line is my family is the bomb (are the kids still saying that?) and I treasure these photos no matter what my frizzy hair looks like, because they don’t care.

Beth

Beth is the creator and editor here at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee.

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Just popping in here quick to say that it’s the end of a very long day, and I’m not going to do a post today. Part of balancing my home and family well and making them a priority is to know when to call it.

Today was our moving day (one of several lately!) as we moved over to our new (temporary for 6 months) home, after staying with my parents for the last 6 weeks… after moving across the country. My brain is spinning, my kids are having a rough time adjusting, and I don’t know where my clean underwear is currently located.

It will be a long few days, but I hope to be sharing some more on balancing blogging with real life by tomorrow.

In other news: it’s Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada, and I am thankful for you, my readers. Old and new, you are all just so awesome. I am blessed to write here, and honoured that you would listen.

Happy weekend!

Beth

Beth is the creator and editor here at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee.

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10:40pm. Slightly better than yesterday. Perhaps I should get up early to write? <cue maniacal laughter from the most non-morning-person you’ve ever met>. Never mind.

***

Writer’s block. Perfectionism. Fear. Laziness. 

Whatever the root issue, procrastination is like the rude and annoying slightly drunk guest at a wedding reception. You get your best intentions and your creative juices and your cursor blinking, and yet somehow procrastination manages to gate-crash, threatening to ruin everything as you fall pell-mell into a black hole of never-ending-links and top-ten lists and recipes-that-you’ll-probably-never-make.

It doesn’t really make sense. It’s not logical (you need to get it done so why not just do it?), but there it is.

You might be wondering what led to talking about procrastination in the middle of a series on Un-Blogging…

As I wrote in my opening post, “this is 31 Days of Un-Blogging, and I am spending this next month trying to make sure my in-the-skin life is healthy and vibrant before I pour any of my energy into tutorials and recipes and researched posts on natural living and parenting and all the other bits and pieces that you normally see around here.”

The thing is, I have three kids. A baby, a toddler, and a preschooler. If you are thinking I might be a tad busy, you are correct. The problem is that time management and self-motivation do not come easily to me.

I’d rather treat every day like family vacation until the laundry pile threatens to take over, then force us all to go naked for a few days while I catch up. Unfortunately that’s neither practical nor socially acceptable. Harrrumph.

So, if I want to be a mama of three, a wifey of one, a blogger, and all the other titles I possess, I’d better spend my days wisely. I can’t spend hours a day flaking out on the interwebz (not that I’ve ever done that…). I can’t procrastinate on blog-post-writing with a marathon pinterest session. I mean, ok, I can, but it’s only gonna come back to bite me later.

We all need down-time, but relaxing at the expense of your own goals is not ultimately very relaxing.

How do highly productive people do it? How do people stay focused and on track with the task at hand? There is a never-ending supply of ideas out there for beating procrastination, and I’ve been doing some homework. I want to share with you some of my personal favourite articles and strategies for beating procrastination, but first I want to hear from you.

Do you struggle with procrastination, or have you mastered the art of self-discipline? What are your best tips to avoid procrastination?

(I plan to compile the best answers into my next post (I’ll link to your blog if I use your tip!)…)

And GO!

Beth

Beth is the creator and editor here at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee.

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it's a good thing little miss "i'm not tie-uhd, mama" is cute. she who was awake 2 hours past bedtime..

So, again, at the end of a very long day, I am exhausted. Life is just kicking my butt lately, with all of the changes and living out of suitcases and whatnot. I am doing a lot of deep soul sighs and gift-counting to see the joy in it all.

To be perfectly honest, this Un-Blogging stuff is kind of hard work, it’s emotionally draining, and I am already sucked a bit dry. I feel like I am detoxing a bit from all the rushing and high expectations and intensity of the usual blogging grind.

So, today instead of speaking, I want to remember that it is also important to sit quietly and listen. I don’t always have an answer or a bright idea or brilliant advice. Sometimes, I just need to step back and listen, and so that is exactly what I will do. And, here is what I will be “listening to” this month…

I want to just share a few of the blogs from Nester’s 31 Days link-up that caught my eye. Perhaps you might enjoy them too?

31 Days of Watercolor :: Cakey and Bubs

31 Days of Playlists :: All Manner of Inspiration

31 Days of Busy Bags and Quiet Time Activities :: All Our Days

31 Days of Jokes :: Annie Blogs

31 Days of Intention With a Measure of Grace :: Always, Amanda

31 Days of Activities Based on Children’s Books :: Creating Our Home

31 Days of Small-Space-Living :: December Skye

31 Days of Slow-Cooker Recipes :: Hello Little House

31 Days to Unleashing Your Creativity :: Lovely Messes

31 Day to Why Church :: Narrow Paths to Higher Places

What are you reading lately online? Any 31 Dayers? Share some links below, and feel free to share a post you wrote as well!

Beth

Beth is the creator and editor here at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee.

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…have I ever chopped my hair this short. I’m still getting used to it. I feel like a boy.

The above pic was the before shot of my hair (Yesterday we took the kids to a farm with all kinds of kid activities. This is us on a wagon ride. On real hay. It was fun).

And this… is the now…

Good grief. I feel like I’m looking at a picture of someone else.

Have you ever chopped your hair way short and took a while to get used to it? Will I love it in the morning?

(PS… posts that aren’t about my hair shall return soon… I promise.)

Beth

Beth is the creator and editor here at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee.

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37,000 feet above the Canadian Prairies

Well, I’m here. Not there. Where is home, anyway?

Gosh, change is exhausting. It’s midnight and I haven’t found a spare moment to write in days and days and my brain is growing cluttered and tiresome from all the thoughts and snippets of blog posts tumbling around in it.

I really should go to bed but I’m getting just a little cocky from my amazing 8-week-old super-sleeper, and I’m sure it will bite me in the butt sometime soon, maybe tonight. I sit in the lazy-boy recliner here in my parents’ living room, surrounded by stuff that’s not mine, and routine that’s unfamiliar. My feet don’t quite touch the floor like they do in our rocker, and I feel short. We sold our rocker, and I feel lost.

The Honey is somewhere in the Canadian Prairies surrounded by flat fields and straight roads. He should see a tree again by Friday, maybe. The kiddos are adorable (especially because they are currently all sleeping) and I still can’t believe they’re all mine. Three extra people in the world thanks to me and Honey, can you believe it? I still marvel at the craziness of it all, especially since I usually still feel like a teenager. They’re having a bit of a rough time with all the changes, but nothing we can’t walk through together. Lots of connecting, gentle parenting on my part, and attention from extended family is helping.

It’s a very disconcerting feeling to be homeless (we have a roof over our heads, but it’s not our own), unemployed, and in a new place (this particular neighbourhood of the Big City is somewhat new to us, since this wasn’t where we lived before). It’s like a wave that we need to ride out, with patience and perseverance.

(Oh, and PS – I heart West Jet. When I got home from the airport I realized we’d forgotten to get the playpen (amidst our 7 pieces of checked bags, 3 car seats, 5 carry ons, and 1 cat), so the next day West Jet called me and offered to deliver it (30 minutes away!). When I asked if there was a charge, the guy said “nah, don’t worry about it”. LOVE it.)

So. While I’m processing and adjusting and unpacking (there are still suitcases in the front hallway, which makes finding us all clothes to wear in the mornings kind of a circus), I thought I’d share what I’ve been perusing lately on the ol’ interweb.

A random assortment. Enjoy!

***

Alternatives to Punishment @ The Natural Parent :: “Many parents recognize the harmful effects of physical and verbal punishment. They know that yelling, slapping, hitting, and spanking teach violence, destroy self-esteem, create anger, interfere with learning, and damage the relationship between parent and child. But knowing what not to do is only the first step; parents wonder what they should do instead.”

I have a feeling this one may ruffle some feathers among my non-AP-friends… feel free to share your thoughts! 

iPods in the Classroom @ Love Two Teach :: This post has a bunch of great apps for small kids. A few months ago I got an iPod touch thanks to some sacrificial generosity, and hubby recently sold his laptop and bought an iPad instead. While we were at the Apple store buying the iPad, the kids were playing around with some iPads (that are sitting there in the “kids’ corner” – how brilliant is that?) and found a puzzle app. It was pretty simple – just drag and drop pieces. Both my 4 and 2 year-olds got the hang of it pretty quick, so hubby downloaded it. Then on our recent trip to Banff, the kids took turns playing puzzles, and absolutely loved it.

As an aside, my dear friends… my nosy controversy-loving mind wants to know: do you use technology as an educational aid for your kids? Do you think it’s just more “screen time” and therefore not great, or do you think it’s a positive tool used in moderation?

Surrender: When God’s Plan Doesn’t Line Up With Your Own  @ The Adventures of Mr. Magoo :: “He had interview after interview….we thought it was a done deal, and it fell through…..and God quietly nagged the entire time…..and I knew. Oh how I knew what He wanted…..where He had been leading us the entire time.”

Love this story from my good friend, Serena, who incidentally was the one who first set up Chris and I waaaaay back in high school… I still remember that day, outside the music classroom. Oh young love, how naive and beautiful you were.

5 Simple Snacks and Beverages for Hot Days @ The Nourishing Gourmet :: Of the five, the one I shall be trying first? Simple Chocolate Banana Ice Cream… mmm, looks so yummy!

***

Annnnnd… 12:31am. Good night!

Beth

Beth is the creator and editor here at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee.

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Lake Louise, Banff (the one photo I desperately wanted before leaving Alberta - and this was our third time trying! the other times it was rainy)

These days are chaotic.

(So we did the responsible thing and went to Banff for two days).

her morning coffee (ok, technically it was orange juice) while gazing at the mountain view from the window of our chalet.

playing in sparking waters in the midst of the Rocky Mountains? oh yes... pure bliss!

We (me + the 3 kids, and my mother-in-law) fly out on Monday. I actually have to say good-bye to Tiny Town. I think I’m somewhat in denial.

Honey (and his Dad) will begin driving on Wednesday, after loading the trailer and cleaning and emptying the house.

It should take about 5 days to drive, and about a day after he arrives in The City, we hit the road again, driving to the East Coast for my cousin’s wedding (I’m a bridesmaid).

therapeutic cuteness amidst the crazy (also? this photo is begging for a great caption based on the expression on Canaan's face)

On the agenda for the next 4 days?

- get a tune-up for the van, fix the breaks, fix the steering wheel shimmy

- get a hitch and engine cooler installed (must be done in the city)

- cancel town fees

- visit insurance office here in town

- have a birthday party tomorrow morning for my soon-to-be-four boy

- have a yard sale on Saturday

- say good-bye to friends

- chris flies the citabria for the first time as an instructor

- chris packs up his desk at work and says good-bye

- finish selling stuff on swap-n-buy

- sort through and pack the rest of the house (lots left)

- pack for me and the kids for a week while Daddy is driving across the country with our stuff

- plan snacks and activities for the airplane ride

- last dinner at the tea house on sunday

- the daily needs of a newborn, 2-year-old, and 4-year-old, and the usual household stuff!

- remember to breathe. remember to breathe. eat something. and remember to breathe…

- helping the older two through a ton of transition (Isaac wanting to fall asleep in Mommy & Daddy’s bed, beside Canaan… Aliza using a soother like Canaan, even though she just chews on it because she hasn’t had one since she was 3 months old)

can you spy the little one beside the big brother?

canaan's soother...

So, uh… as you may have noticed (or maybe not, I do realize that your world *probably* doesn’t revolve around my blog), I’ve been a little scarce around here lately.

Our tiny one is now 7 weeks old (holy moly!), so there’s that. And then the whole cross-country move and all. And yeah. I’m stretched about as thin as I possibly could be right now, and just can’t seem to find any moments for blogging. It sucks, because this is my outlet. My stress-relief. My leisure. My work. But alas, it’ll just have to wait. Family comes first, right?

Give me a few weeks while the dust settles, and I shall be back. I have tons of ideas of stuff to write about that I think you’ll love, so I’d love it if you’d stick around.

Thanks for understanding, friends!

xo,

Beth

Beth

Beth is the creator and editor here at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee.

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Dear Reader Friend,

Notice anything?

If you’re reading via a reader or by email you’ll have to click through to the site… Red & Honey finally got a makeover! Freckled Nest Design and I have been working together since last summer to create a new and beautiful space here, and I am blown away by the end result. I love it. It’s simple yet beautiful and unique, designed just for me, and I am honoured!

I will be updating a few things over the next while (some new tabs up top, new category labels on the side, and a bit of refocusing my purpose). I will continue blogging as per usual though, and I hope that you will continue to join me.

You will notice that I have a new tagline, “the art of valiant homemaking”, which is where my heart really beats strongly and passionately. I love talking about the practical side of homemaking and mothering, but always with the aim of encouraging other mamas to not only fulfill that role of homemaker, but to do it well and with passion and a counter-cultural joy. It can be so easy to see these years as ones to trudge through and survive, but to truly thrive? Well, that requires valiance and is truly an art-form. Hence, our purpose.

On the practical side of things, I will now be beginning to look into opening up some space for sponsored ads. My rates will be very low to start, and I will be posting more info on that soon. Feel free to contact me if you are interested.

I’ve got a great giveaway and a few posts up my sleeve for the next few days, but first I’d like to hear from you…

What are your favourite kinds of posts around here?

A) Recipes / Nutrition

B) Parenting

C) Practical Homemaking Tips

D) Pregnancy/Birth/Breastfeeding

E) Spirituality

F) Natural Living/Crunchy Stuff

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Welcome to the new Red & Honey, and as always, THANK-YOU for being here.

Love always,

Beth

Beth

Beth is the creator and editor here at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee.

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32 weeks

So sorry about not announcing the Flourishing Spring give-away winner sooner! As chosen by random.org, the winner is Stephanie, commenter #12! Steph, Michele from Frugal Granola will be in touch shortly.

Here are a few links for you all to enjoy while I figure out what to write about next

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The Myth of the Uninvolved Unschooler @ Simple Homeschool :: “But what exactly do unschoolers do all day? That varies as much as individual families vary–in other words, a lot! But as I’ve come to know more unschoolers, it seems to me that we often have in common the following six focuses…”

While I Nurse You to Sleep @ The Mule :: “While I nurse you to sleep… I...rest.  For the first time today, I am still. I am not lifting, carrying, holding, bending, reaching, stretching, scrubbing, wiping, hauling, or lugging. Here in this dark room I lie beside you and allow my body and mind to come to stillness after the chaos of our day.”

I Wonder What Would Happen If… @ Parenting. Illustrated with Crappy Pictures :: a little bit of women/mom humour…

10 Easy Natural Household Switches @ Keeper of the Home :: “These are common and frequently-used household items that you can simply switch for a purchased or homemade alternative, depending on where you are in your journey or how brave you’re feeling.”

Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Muffins @ Comfy Belly :: I came across this recipe on Pinterest and immediately wanted to try it because I had all the ingredients and didn’t need to substitute anything – a rarity for me with Pinterest recipes! These muffins are absolutely amazing and I love that they are so healthy (except the chocolate chips, which you can really minimize).

Beth

Beth is the creator and editor here at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee.

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There’s nothing quite like a lazy family weekend and a fancy breakfast by candlelight for no other reason than to enjoy each others’ company. We enjoyed cheesy egg loaf with homemade hash browns, fruit salad, and gluten-free almond flour muffins, and of course tea in fancy tea cups (china cups for the grown-ups and slightly-less-fancy-but-still-special-cups for the kiddos. They had vanilla rooibos and we enjoyed good ol’ black tea. I found it quite amusing that the one and only unhealthy thing on the entire table (the store-bought jam which contains sugar – a pregnancy craving that I already regret) was rejected by the 3.5-year-old. He made us scrape it off of his muffin before he’d eat it. That’s my boy!

In other random news: I’m 29 weeks pregnant! One more week until I’m 30, and I feel like that is a really big milestone. The second trimester FLEW by and I am getting excited to meet this little stranger that’s currently making my belly roll like the wave at a hockey game. I can see it out the corner of my eye, and it makes me laugh. I’m starting to feel rather large and waddle-ish with some minor pelvic muscle pain, but nothing too bad so far.

Also – Isaac is learning his letters. I mean, he’s learning them… somehow… I’m not teaching them – he’s picking them up like a little sponge from the world around and now he recognizes almost all of them and can write quite a few of them. Crazy. He’ll say random things (after we’ve told him to come to the table for supper) like “Table! T-t-table. Table starts with T!” (We look at each other – “I didn’t tell him that, did you tell him that? no, I didn’t…” – ohmygoshourkidisbrilliant! Haha).

We are considering putting Isaac and Aliza into the same bedroom. Are we crazy? Are they too young for it? Will they sleep even less than they do now? (That would be very, very bad).

And that concludes the grandparents’ update portion of this post! On to the linkage!

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From Toddlers and Tiaras to Sext Up Kids: A Dangerous Path @ PhD in Parenting :: “What is the media teaching girls about their role in society? Several things perhaps, but one of the more disturbing elements is the messages being sent on body image and sexualization.”

Fun and Engaging Activities for Toddlers :: I came across this blog on Pinterest, and thought I’d share it here too. I’m still exploring it, but there are a ton of great ideas on it that seems simple, creative, and low-key. 

25 Clever Ideas to Make Life Easier :: Love this link! I especially love the apple idea and the gutter garden!

The Long-Term Effects of Spanking @ Time Magazine :: “The odds of a child being more aggressive at age 5 increased by 50% if he had been spanked more than twice in the month before the study began…”

Cardiologist: Low-Fat Diet “Scientifically and Morally Indefensible”@ The Healthy Home Economist :: “Dr. Dwight Lundell MD is a cardiologist who beat the drum of lowfat diet and cholesterol lowering drugs to prevent heart disease for over 25 years. He has performed over 5,000 open heart surgeries and trained with prominent “opinion maker” physicians who considered any deviation from the recommended therapy of severely limited fat intake and cholesterol lowering meds to reduce heart disease risk complete heresy that could possibly result in a malpractice lawsuit. Dr. Lundell now admits that this long held notion is wrong.”

***

Well, I included a couple of controversial links there… to balance out the two fluffier ones. Any thoughts? I’d love to hear them, as always!

Beth

Beth is the creator and editor here at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee.

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I couldn’t think of anything non-lame to call this post. Most posts like this that I’ve seen are called “housekeeping” or some such thing, but I just wasn’t feeling it. And, I wanted you to read it, hence the rainbows, etc.

:: Thus, I Give You … Stuff-That-Actually-Has-Nothing-To-Do-With-Unicorns-But-Might-Be-Mildly-Interesting-Anyway ::

1.    Broken links, etc. My dear sweet cousin (who just got engaged! woohoo!) pointed out that my categories button thingies aren’t working. I sorta somewhat knew that already… and was kinda just counting on no one actually clicking on them. In retrospect, that was a bad assumption. So, please accept my humblest apologies. This leads me to number two on my list..

2.    I’ve been keeping this a sorta-secret for almost a year now. I started to save my pennies last year for something big, and I decided in the summer that I was going to save for a professional blog designer to give this site a makeover. I finally saved enough money and contacted the awesomest design company in existence last August, and got things rolling. There have been some major “glitches” and setbacks along the way, and my project has been significantly delayed. I am currently being matched with a new designer (same company) and look forward to launching the new design in a few weeks (I hope!).

3.    When my new design launches, I will be interested in taking on some sponsored ads on my sidebar. Since I’m pretty small still (a couple hundred subscribers and growing, in case you’re interested) I will be charging the bare minimum fee of $5/month to start.

4.    Lastly, I am going to start a weekly link carnival here at Red & Honey every Monday, called “Make It Happen Mondays”. Each Monday I will be posting about something that I’ve been meaning to get around to doing, and commit to working on it for no less than 30 minutes that day. If you’re anything like me you have a mental list (or on paper/computer if you’re more organized than me) a mile long of things you keep meaning to do but just procrastinate on. Big things, small things, whatever. Off the top of my head, I have the following: 1) write a letter to our sponsored child 2) work on my current crochet project 3) make homemade crackers 4) clean out my inbox 5) try out the prenatal exercise video that a friend loaned me 6) organize my bedroom closet 7) take some photos of the things I want to sell in the local swap ‘n buy group. So yeah, I could use some accountability and motivation to get ‘er done. I’m hoping that you will join in by doing a post of your own and linking up here each Monday. I’ll make a pretty button that you can add to your posts once I have a better idea of my design. It could be anything, really. Anything that you do on a Monday that is productive… so no excuses… got it? (If no one joins in then I’ll know that you are all way more spectacularly organized than me and never procrastinate on anything. Then, I’ll cry, and eat chocolate to feel better. It’s actually kind of a win-win either way. Yay!)

5.    NEW! Amazon Shop! You may have noticed sometime in the last month or so that I’ve added a neat little widget thing on the sidebar that lists a bunch of books that I recommend. (Those are actually recommendations from me of books I love). More importantly though, it is a magical portal to the land of books at awesome prices. You can help me earn a few pennies (and I really do mean a few pennies) by simply clicking through from there any time you want to make a purchase on amazon. You don’t have to buy what I have listed – you can buy anything on the entire site, and as long as you get there by clicking on my widget then I earn a very small commission. So, the next time you are planning to make a purchase on amazon, I’d love it if you clicked through from here on my site. Thanks!

That is all. Thanks for tuning in!

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming (up next: my recipe for No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Macaroons). 

Beth

Beth is the creator and editor here at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee.

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Yesterday I lost my voice.

Literally. I was hoarse and scratchy sounding most of the day, and if I tried to raise my voice just a little (ahem, not that *I* ever do that, ahem), it just came out in a raspy, powerless squeak. We still eat healthier than the average family, I’d say, but lately we’ve slipped into some bad habits. Like the tub of ice cream and bottle of chocolate sauce that I had hubby bring home last week after a VERY bad day. It wasn’t even that good, and it made me lethargic, achy, and gave me a canker sore on my tongue. Oh, it’s terribly shameful to admit it, especially because we know better, and we preach the “eat-right” gospel to all we can. So, today we are starting a one-week sugar fast. It’s harder than it sounds… it doesn’t just preclude ice cream, it also precludes things like ketchup, and a teaspoon of sugar in my tea. So here I sit, drinking decaf tea with stevia, discovering that I kind of hate the stevia aftertaste, and indulging in some self-pity.

It seems that losing my voice was perfectly fitting with the silence here on this blog as of late. I don’t know if anyone noticed, but the last couple posts have been more on the impersonal side, and I’ve posted a bit less frequently. I’ve struggled to find words that would be authentic and real, and yet not whiny and too personal. I’ve felt like a can of pop that has gone flat – I’ve somehow lost my fizz, and I’m not sure if it’s due to pregnancy tiredness, relational exhaustion, or what. I’ve wondered why I blog. I’ve vacillated between thinking I can take this thing somewhere great, and thinking how ridiculous to think that anyone would want to read my silly little words. I don’t want to garner anyone’s sympathy or pity, and I certainly don’t want to be asked in *that* tone if I’m “ok”. I am fine (although “fine” is not good enough in my books…)

We’ve been having some big conversations around our house lately. Things that we feel afraid to talk about with anyone else. Changing life goals, nurturing relationships, God’s calling in our lives, and all such confusing and intricate subjects. Deep sigh. Sometimes it’s all just a little heavy. Trying to figure it all out. Not knowing anything for sure. Wondering, discussing, talking in circles. What-if’s and when’s and how’s plague my thoughts in between each mundane task, silly dance party, and family meal around our table.

So, that’s where I am at these days. A little unsure, lacking in the confidence that others seem to possess, and just trying to muster up the courage to jump off this speeding self-pity train that I foolishly boarded.

I have a list of nearly fifty post ideas, so something a little more uplifting and useful shall be coming this way soon. As soon as I find that darn fizz. 

(I can feel it already, having unloaded some of my heaviness here. Thank-you, if you’ve read all the way to the end!)

Beth

Beth is the creator and editor here at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee.

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Well, I missed last week’s scavenger hunt in the fog of solo parenting for 10 days while hubby was away in sunny Southern California hanging upside in an airplane. Two weeks ago was my first time joining in, and I had every intention of joining again, especially after such encouraging comments!

This week, I am back, and in usual Beth style, I took all of these photos this morning. I rightfully retain my crown as the queen of procrastination. (Check out Ramblings and Photos for tons more links to awesome participants. Some of those people are AMAZING photographers. Very inspiring!)

{The Prompts}

1. Love
2. Duplicate
3. Trending
4. Paper
5. Plastic

{The Photos}

{Love} Our sponsored child, Hawa, from Tanzania (where we spent several months).

{Duplicated} My kids' toothbrushes.

{Trending} With the big day of love being this past week, I'm sure buying flowers for your wife was a hot trend. While I'm normally opposed to participating in trends, this time I had no objection!

{Paper} The sweet card my honey brought me for love day. The message was lovey-dovey but not too cheesy. It was perfect.

{Plastic} Since I was my great-grandmother's only namesake, I inherited this fridge magnet when she passed away, when I was 13.

I hope to join in again next week, with these prompts:

1. Crossed
2. A Glimpse
3. Handwritten
4. Bliss
5. Gray

I like these ones. Should be fun!

Happy Sunday everyone!

Beth

Beth is the creator and editor here at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee.

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I am a big fan of introspecting. I suppose it’s my INFP-ishness coming through. (“They are idealists and perfectionists, who drive themselves hard in their quest for achieving the goals they have identified for themselves”). I am constantly thinking of ways that I could be a better person, and critiquing myself when I fail to do so. (“INFPs have very high standards and are perfectionists. Consequently, they are usually hard on themselves, and don’t give themselves enough credit… The INFP needs to work on balancing their high ideals with the requirements of every day living”).

(Seriously – this INFP thing is just so me, it’s ridiculous…)

All of the sweet women in my Wednesday Mom’s Group are familiar with my declaring that I am such a terrible housekeeper. I secretly suspect that I’m actually fairly average among my peers, but compared to PERFECT, well, I’m pretty bad! I have a tough time keeping perspective in these things, and balancing my high ideals with the nitty-gritty realities of life with pregnancy/toddler/preschooler etc.

One thing that I think would be helpful is to perhaps write down a list of “self-improvement” goals. Things like being more patient with the kids, keeping on top of laundry a bit better, and quitting using certain phrases and words (I’m not talking about curse words – since that’s not really my issue – but rather things like “hurry up!!” or “I’m tired/busy/just a sec/etc). I want to pray more for my kids and hubby, I want to be disciplined a bit more in my spiritual practices. I want to be more consistently healthy in my eating habits, not to mention more frugal.

Then, I was thinking that most of these things just kinda float there on the back burner, never really getting done and receiving a fair effort, since they seem so ridiculously impossible to achieve. But what if I just started with a day? Or even just an hour, if that’s more realistic?

For just one day, I could make a concerted effort to be more patient. Whenever the kids do something that starts my blood boiling, I take a breath, I talk myself out of it, and I employ whatever strategy I’ve prepared. Just one day. Seems do-able.

Then when it’s done, and I’ve succeeded (or seem some improvement), I know it’s possible. It kind of sounds silly, but I really think this could be revolutionary. To know that your goals have a starting point, and that they can start now, today, in the midst of your messy life and many imperfections. To experience the rush of reaching a goal, even if it was as simple as avoiding sugar for one single day.

The first day is always the hardest. But really, I can do anything. For just one day.

Just for one day I will be a more patient mom – not yelling/raising my voice/getting unrighteously angry/annoyed/etc. My strategies to achieve this goal will be to get a good night’s sleep the night before, to give the kids lots of attention when they ask (verbally or otherwise) for it, and to make sure I spend a bit of time reading my Bible. And, of course, heaps and heaps of deep breaths and biting my tongue!

(Please know that I don’t expect to become a perfect mother who is always patient and never gets angry. I do hope that my little experiment will cause me to be much more conscientious about it. I hope for it to be a catalyst towards personal growth in this area).

So, what one thing would you choose to change in your life, for just one day? Do you think this kind of experiment would resonate with you?

Beth

Beth is the creator and editor here at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee.

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Pilot Man has been away for a full week now, and still three more days to go (he comes home late Tuesday evening). Today he’s flying one of these, and he’s totally excited about it because it’s apparently a big deal. My goal while he was away was to not just survive, but to really thrive and have a good time with my kiddos. I didn’t want each day to drag and be horrible and stressful. So, we employed a few strategies to make it happen. I was extra-patient and attentive to the kiddos, who ask every day if Daddy’s coming home yet. I planned lots of extra fun stuff in our schedule (I signed them up for swimming lessons on a bit of a whim, and the first one was on Thursday!), and I allowed a few treats that wouldn’t otherwise have happened.

Yesterday, though was “special”. Aliza was up at 4:50am for the day, and I had not gone to bed early enough to deal with that. So, it was a zombie-like-survival day, and while I may not have been very patient, I definitely think we made it through ok, all things considered. I took a few photos to document the passing of the day, and since my brain is still fairly mush-like, I think a photo post is a grand idea.

early (EARLY) morning green smoothie

illegal (I usually avoid caffeine in pregnancy) caffeinated tea + organic dark chocolate...

how could i possibly have had a bad day with this face looking at me all day?

and this silly one, too...

sometimes it's all about just letting go and embracing the chaos...

a (short) library visit passed the time this morning (aliza was not impressed that I wouldn't give her a rice cake while in the library, so we got approximately 1.5 stories read, and took the rest home)

yum. easy snack time.

23 weeks. yup. my babies like their in utero accommodations to be spacious, and I feel I have no choice in the matter.

my hair was getting ridiculously long. i mean, I liked how it looked... but it was a bit of a pain - always getting pulled by the kids, takes forever in the shower to wash, and generally feeling heavy and blah. plus? hello, split ends! so... the hair cutting scissors in our bathroom and I had a little rendezvous...

I think I like it. this isn't my best photo by a long shot (do you know how hard it is to take a picture of your own hair? dude. it's hard). however, i think i'm going to take a few more inches off later today. i'm feeling adventurous, and i do have a habit of making drastic hair changes while pregnant (I've chopped at least 8-10 inches each time, although this is the first time I've done it myself!)... and never regretted it. hurray for refreshing change! (it grows back anyway, what's the big deal?!)

just as i was finishing my hair escapades, there was a knock at the door with a lovely delivery.

dang, he's good

a little bit of a guilty pleasure with American Idol. I haven't seen every season, and right now I'm just catching up on auditions, but so far so good. They're not really showing the nuts much - just a lot of really talented people.

the beauty of the setting sun reminded me of two things - 1) the beauty in each day if we have eyes to see it 2) the hope of a hard day coming to a close and a new one to come.

um yes, I did feed my children french fries and hotdogs for supper. what?! the hogs were nitrate-free, the ketchup was organic, and there were green beans, too! #motheroftheyearawardrighthere

i snuck bites from this little beauty all day long, and finished it before breakfast this morning. it was massive, and usually I share it with my honey, so this was quite the feat. i think i'm done with sweets for a while (give me 24 hours, at least, haha)

So, now it’s Sunday, we’re headed off to church, and we have just two more sleeps ’til we see Daddy (three for the kids because he’ll get in after they’re in bed). Onward and upward!

***

{from the rising of the sun
to the going down of the same
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
praise ye, the Lord,
praise ye, the Lord,
from rising of the sun
to the going down of the same
the name of the Lord is to be praised.}

Beth

Beth is the creator and editor here at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee.

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confused? read on to find out why the heck i put a photo of a red convertible for this post!

It’s been quite a while since my last link love post. Many of my awesome inter web finds these days go straight to pinterest, so if you’re on there be sure to follow me. So much delicious eye candy over there, it’s ridiculous. I only go on once a week or so, because it’s a total and utter indulgence (which is nice once in a while), but it’s a time-suck like none other.

Right now the Honey is in sunny Southern California for 10 days. Yeah, I’m still in the frigid Canadian prairies, wearing slippers and rejoicing when it goes above freezing. He’s taking an aerobatics training course, which means he is scrambling his brains all this week whilst upside down and sideways in an airplane for many hours a day until he returns home to me (theoretically in one piece) on Valentine’s Day. When I called our credit card company to let them know there would be some large purchases out-of-country, she asked the dates he was away. When I told her he was returning on the 14th, she offered the helpful opinion that he’d better bring me something darn good for Valentine’s Day. I tend to agree.

Oh, and did I mention that his rental car (the cheapest deal he could get, which was something ridiculous like $11/day) is a red MUSTANG freaking CONVERTIBLE?!! Oh yes. There he is, cruising down the highways under sunny blue skies, surrounded by citrus orchards at their peak, with fresh produce being picked down the road! And did I mention that he is staying in an old historic inn with character and personality, a fantastic bed, and free breakfast? Oh yes, he’s living it up. He says he misses me, but I wouldn’t miss me if I were him. Or, if I were me, no, him… missing him if I… um, never mind.

I have a point, I swear.

Since my brain power is being sucked out by the knee-high-crowd at double-time with no other adult to share the load, I’m kind of short on brilliance and wisdom at the moment.

I just want to share a few things in my internet travels that have caught my eye as of late. Generally these are the tabs that I’ve kept open on my computer for days (or even weeks) because I just *have* to share them with someone before saying farewell.

***

Coconut Oil Touted as Alzheimer’s Remedy :: A fascinating piece on how coconut oil has been used to reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease. (What makes me most angry is that there’s no funding because there’s no profit for drug companies if they have no one to sell drugs to anymore). Along the coconut oil theme is also this link that a friend passed on called A Millionish Uncommon (and Not So Uncommon) Uses for Coconut Oil. I knew most of these already, but it’s good to read over and remember them all!

Books Should Be Free :: This is amazing. Dozens (hundreds?) of children’s classics as audiobooks, all free to download. We’re starting with Beatrix Potter and The Velveteen Rabbit. There are other genres other than children’s books, as well.

How Other Cultures Prevent Postpartum Depression :: “As citizens of an industrialized nation, we often act as if we have nothing to learn from the Third World.  Yet many of these cultures are doing something extraordinarily right especially in how they care for new mothers.  In their classic paper, Stern and Kruckman (1983) present an anthropological critique of the literature.  They found that in the cultures they studied, postpartum disorders, including the “baby blues,” were virtually non-existent.  In contrast, 50% to 85% of new mothers in industrialized nations experience the “baby blues,” and 10% to 20% experience postpartum depression.  What makes the difference?  Stern and Kruckman noted that cultures who had low incidence of postpartum mental illness all had rituals that provided support and care for new mothers.  These cultures, although quite different from each other, all shared five protective social structures.“

Westboro Baptist Church Family Disowns Daughter :: And this is why people hate religion. I don’t just mean religiosity and the pharisees-kind-of-religion. I mean, this is exactly why people hate God, every church in existence, and every mention of religion. I don’t have anything nice to say, so I’ll stop there.

What have you been reading lately? Any great links to pass on?

Beth

Beth is the creator and editor here at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee.

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