Green 'n clean carpet follow-up

I meant to spend some time with a few rugs this past weekend, testing out the Earth Friendly Products Carpet Shampoo. Between Fox officially crawling (and trying to crawl up the stairs) and prepping for a 30 day detox I didn't get to all of the rugs, but I did try out the goods.

The EFP shampoo is more concentrated than the Bissell (uses 1.5 oz to Bissell's recommended 2.5 oz). It also uses essential oils for fragrance rather than artificial fragrance, which meant I didn't end up with a migraine post-use. In fact, the EFP fragrance was pretty much undetectable after the rug dried, the Bissell lingered for the next 24 hours or so.

Did it clean as well? Absolutely. I cleaned this small rug from C's and my bedroom, one that sees the most traffic in that room. Though it's relatively new, it needed some attention. For several weeks M had a nighttime cough that I approached with Hyland's Cough Syrup (disappointingly, I realized it has Sodium Benzoate, so out it goes) and raw, local honey. There were spots of gunk across the carpet thanks to the combination of those 2 sticky substances plus nighttime doses.

A quick steam and the dirty water that cycled back into the tank was a murky medium brown. I still had some clean water and shampoo in the tank, so I used it up on an area of the main rug in the den...that very same rug we'd cleaned 2 weeks ago. The 3'x5' area of that rug cycled black water back into the tank. Total yuck to the nth degree.

The visible results: The sticky mess from the bedroom rug is gone. A few of the stains on the larger carpet are significantly less visible than they were after the Bissell round. 

The short of it: I'm glad I researched and decided to try this particular carpet cleaner! While I'm pretty sure nothing can return our carpet to it's new glory, I can definitely breathe easier having little hands and feet playing on it all the time.

Remembering Molly Hen

A couple weeks ago (Was it last week? Now I can't remember) I found one of our favorite hens huddled up next to the water bucket. The feathers on the top of her head were gone, her crown was bleeding a bit, and she couldn't walk. I took her inside, cleaned her up, and gave her some plain yogurt, fresh water, and apple cider vinegar.

The first 2 days she seemed to be improving but still wouldn't walk. We kept her inside, hand fed her, and changed poopy chicken towels daily. She'd stand for a minute at a time, but that was about it for leg use. The next day it was worse, and the following day she seemed to have had a stroke and the entire left side of her body was paralyzed.

She was a chicken that only had use of 1/4 of her body.


We were faced with a choice of taking her to the vet to be put down or putting her down ourselves. We were also faced with a 3 year old who has taken ownership of the chickens and is far more attached to them than even we, the ones who spent days hand feeding the sweet Rhodie Molly, were.

The next morning Mabel wanted to know why her hen was no longer in the cage in the kitchen. We talked about it and I briefly tried to cover it up by saying she went somewhere nicer and wasn't coming back. M had far too many questions for me to keep up the guise. Instead I decided maybe coloring was the answer. I drew a red hen, Mabel and I colored and talked. We thought about Molly and reflected on what a sweet pet she was. I'm still not sure how to explain that sort of loss to a pre-schooler, but Mabel took it fairly well and we have a sweet way to honor and remember our favorite red hen. 

A few more garden critters

We're finding a lot of critters in the few minutes we spend outside each week. It's so hot I have a hard time motivating Mabel to play out there and should admit that I'm pretty happy to sink into the couch for a while each afternoon, too.

We found another batch of swallowtail caterpillars, both of which are now chrysalis. Saturday night I made a sorrel tart. The sorrel, straight from the garden to the kitchen, had lots and lots of little snails which I collected in a jar. I told M we weren't going to keep them, but they're still in the jar on her work table (aka the den coffee table). I'm thinking we could become Matthews, NC's first escargot farmers.  

The Play Room

After reading Simplicity Parenting (a few thoughts on it here) I went through M's play room (she calls it her downstairs living room) and purged about half her toys. It still looked cluttered, but I reorganized the layout and found a place for everything.  I've tried to teach her how to clean up her toys but those who know me know I have no business teaching anyone anything about cleaning.

Simply getting everything in its place took so long we both ended up frustrated and irritable. Throughout the process M would find a toy she hadn't played with in a while and understandably want to play with it. The first few times I gently asked her to get back on task, then I finally resorted to the ol' standby threat, "Mabel, if you can't take care of your toys we're going to give them to someone who can." I had a box in my hand to really drive the point home.

With that motivation she picked everything up, threw it all in the box threat and asked me who would get the toys and where we were going to take them. She didn't see it as a threat so much as an opportunity to share. Lesson learned.

Since then we've been tidying a little bit every day but the room generally looks like the toy monster vomited a rainbow of plastic all over the floor.

Yesterday I gave it a thorough once-over...it took a solid 8 hours.  Since it's clean, I took a few quick camera phone pics. I'm not one to miss the rare opportunity to brag about a clean room.

My system? I applied what I know about how Mabel plays:

• she's more likely to play with her toys when she can see them; 
• she won't dig through a giant toy box to get out one toy, she likes to peruse the buffet before deciding what looks fun;
• she simply won't make a choice (i.e. she'll ask to watch TV) if given too many options;
• she's much more imaginative if she has a place to park her rump and/or move around without obstacles; 
• given a task she can do herself (e.g. hanging a jacket, putting away shoes) she rises to the challenge; it's a simple way to build her self-confidence and she loves knowing she can do something "by mine own self".

Going through the room, I made a small pile of toys to get rid of. Then I whittled the selection of books, puzzles, and art supplies to about half. Those went into a closet to use as back stock. I bought a few more baskets to organize the cubbies.  I like the clean look of those bins made fit these kinds of shelves and hide the clutter, but picked low-walled baskets so M can easily see what's inside. in loose themes like "things with wheels". At some point in the near future I'll add pictogram labels to each. I  moved a table in from another room, making a corner for crafting. Above the table are some cute little clips for an easily changeable display of her artwork. Just inside the doorway to the room are lots of hooks at her height for hats, necklaces and jackets. Below the hooks to the left is a sizable basket for shoes and slippers. Below the hooks to the right is a picnic basket sturdy enough she can stand on it and play with her nature shelf.

What's nature shelf? They're common to both Montessori and Waldorf philosophies. Generally it's an area dedicated to all the fascinating finds from the great outdoors. I took a wooden box some flash cards came in and made one (errr...asked Charlie to make one) for M. She loves collecting natural objects, examining them, and showing them off when other kids come over. This little area provides the perfect spot for that.

It's back to being a play room meant for play. At least for now.

A Serious Point

If you haven't heard, Wolfie & the Sneak have partnered up with the Mine Creations for a poster giveaway! Leave a comment on Julia's beautiful blog for a chance to win a Four Seasons poster!

Charlie is finishing up his newest boat, a little canoe. He did a little test yesterday in our friends' pool to make sure it's seaworthy (well, technically Intracoastal Waterway-worthy). There are still some cosmetic pieces to add, but all in all it's pretty sharp lookin', don't you think? I mean, that nose*...that's a serious point!

*For clarification: the boat's nose, not Charlie's. His nose isn't really what I'd call pointy.

Sick Days

Don't forget to enter the contest to win a copy of Sarah B. Hood's We Sure Can!

Contest closes July 20, 2011, 11:59 PM, and limited to North American readers {to keep postage down}.

As happens with kids {spoken like I have a lot of kid experience} Mabel had pinkeye this past weekend. Ever have it? Swollen eyelids, pink and itchy eyes, oozy tear ducts. Really strange {and probably a bit scary when you can't open your eyes in the morning} for a toddler to experience.

We spent the days being lazy {and yes, the TV was turned on} snacking on fresh summer fruit. Cherries are giant hit! If you don't believe me, just check out that juice stain.

Since the little one wasn't feeling her best, she took a few long deep naps. That meant I had good amount of time to work on some of my own projects. This one is a logo, did you know W&tS does custom logo work? There are a few prints in the works. I'm just hoping I won't have to wait for another sick day to get around to them...I'm not planning on another sick day {for me or M} for a long, long time.

No one wants to be that parent with the screaming kid.

This weekend I had my eyes opened for me and realized the experience of food doesn't begin or end with the ingredients. We do a lot of our shopping at the farmers' market, but there are things that we can't get there, so we make supermarket runs.

Yesterday I had my first Trader Joe's experience.

Yep, I've been resisting for a while and we needed to go grocery shopping, so off we went on a family trip. C fearlessly navigated the parking lot, secured M in a buggy and went on in; the music was blasting 80s new wave/industrial and M was dancing in her seat. Things were looking good.

Starting counter-clockwise and working our way through the store, we got as far as the cheese cooler (2nd stop past the checkouts then the beer selection) and the dancing turned into a toddler's desire to explore the saturated colors lining the shelves, temptation solidly and frustratingly within reach. Pulsating fluorescent lighting lent its oddly colored hand to the total sensory overload experience.  M was strapped into the buggy seat, unable to grab the colorful packaging; temptation turned into tantrum.

I called the shopping trip finished, asked C to check out and took M outside to run around and decompress. Outside we walked down the sidewalk of the strip mall, 2 doors down and she was back to her giggly, curious, actively engaged self.

Yes, I understand toddler fits are a natural part of growing up. I understand they happen out of frustration, emotion, and limited communication skills. Some parents think discipline is the way to stop a fit, but I don't see every tantrum as the same. I try to look at the situation (much easier to do with another adult around to give feedback) and assess: is the tantrum simply to get their way? Are they being tempted beyond their still-developing rationale?

Sometimes a temper-tantrum toddler is too much, and stepping back to look at the situation is an exercise in futility. No one wants to be that parent with the screaming kid.

What did I learn at Trader Joe's? There will be flying pigs in a frozen hell before I take Mabel to Traitor Joe's. The odds of me taking her by myself? Let's just say they're are even slimmer--the environment bred a need for 2 adults present: one to entertain while the other shopped.

That experience is exactly why I love the farmer's market--I walk there (no parking fiascoes for me!), shop at my leisure, have no buggies to battle, and generally no stopping mid-aisle to read labels, because you look at the food and know what is in it. Amazing concept, I know.

We made it out of TJ's and home again, home again. M and I sat in the shade and watched C build a boat. We ate cantaloupe, egg salad, and stacked blocks (aka architectural Corian samples I rescued from the trash at work). We enjoyed the air and the freedom to run around. Yep, even made it through a few of those toddler fits, but I have to say, in the fresh air they're much more manageable.

Anyone else out there with a similar experience? How do you handle shopping trips with an active little one?


I'm sorry for not getting around to posting on Friday here, but I did post on Modish.

Plans for no plans?

Who turned this Friday into a Monday??  We started the day trying to wrap our brains around how we could both get to work with a flat tire on one car.

So on a cheerier note, I'd like to ease into the weekend with some favorites around the internet:
Grosgrain Fabulous and Free Pattern Month! (And check out the Grosgrain Sewing flickr pool). Fair warning, read Grosgrain Fabulous and you'll end up clicking on a billion links and not look up from your computer screen for a couple hours. Plus your head will be ready to explode from all the inspiration.

Then there's a little something Charlie has planned for the weekend. It means the earth oven and new pond plans will be postponed a bit, but I don't mind. Nope, not at all.

Oh, and if I look melancholy in this picture, it's because Miss M just barely fits under my chin anymore, otherwise I'm blissing out on cuddle time. I plan on doing a lot of that this weekend.

Do you have plans for the weekend? How 'bout plans for no plans? 

Wooden Love

Thought I'd take a little break from the heaviness of copyright issues and talk about life around WatS-ville. The Mr. and I just celebrated our 5 anniversary. . . well, "celebrate" is kind of an exaggeration. We went to dinner then watched Feed the Fish on netflix at home. We don't really do much for anniversaries or Valentine's Day, we just kind of spend the whole month being extra mushy.

Had we exchanged gifts, this year's traditional theme would've been really fun to find. Wood. I mean, how easy is that? I'm swooning over Off Cut Studio's vintage styled wooden clock and bike fenders (via Decor8).

A few other wooden cuties that caught my eye: Wooden Pulley from Romp; Singgih Kartono Toys for the Soul from Fawn and Forest; Roofline Blocks and Love Tokens from Twine are cute little gifts to show the love.


Do you exchange gifts for anniversaries? Do you follow the anniversary gift themes?

Monotony

On Monday, the day after C got home, I got up, took a shower, did some hair removal, painted my nails, put on a dress and heels, a couple swipes of mascara, styled my hair and put on a dab of the fancy perfume he gave me for Christmas.

Nothin'. Nada. I said, "Do you like my new shoes" and got an, "Oh, I didn't realize they were new. They're cute."

How do you get your Mr to notice you when you're in the thick of acclimating to a little one or in the middle of monogamy monotony?

Credit where credit is due: OPI "It's a girl" nail polish, Easy Spirit sandals (so cute in person, I don't think this picture does them justice, and they don't feel like heels. at. all.), Ruche dress, currently out of stock, but I bet he would've noticed me in that gorgeous green!

Zip zoom zowee

At some point in recent history I must've made the transportation gods smile upon me. First the roller skates (we went twice last week!) and now a scooter! I don't know what I did (or what he did?) but Charlie is spoiling me rotten!

I've also realized that using the folding tables I originally got for taking to arts and crafts shows are not doing a very good job doubling as work tables because everything inevitably ends up on the floor and in a big pile of mess. So another purchase before a long overdue spending freeze: 2 end tables and a dresser from eBay. They were described as "good, used" condition, but are really in more "used" than "good" shape, they will, however, work well in the studio for storage. Don't you just love those extra little drawers down the middle of the dresser?

NOW the official spending freeze (for me) begins. The mister has a job out in LA this week, so I'm thinking he'll need to spend a little money before his freeze begins. I'm so proud of my jet-settin' photographer!

What a man, what a man. . .

Here's to completing our first "legal" year together. What a mighty fine man.

Long stretch in keeping with the bedroom theme

Yesterday I went home from work, messed around the house a little and fell asleep in the bed at 6 o'clock. Hi-C woke me for dinner, after which I promptly fell asleep again. Not so good, considering I was supposed to meet my friend Christy for drinks at 8. I woke up at 7 and called her, left a message, fell back asleep and woke up again at 8:30. At that point I was in a strange, sleep-induced, drunk-like stupor and had no idea how to function. I called Christy and left her another message that sounded, I'm sure, like an out of breath patient post-lobotomy. Then, I fell asleep again.

I think it's because I haven't been eating right lately, a sharp contrast to the summer's fresh vegetable-laden meals. (This is where I point you to my post on The Dirt today. Though not literally, I'm dreaming of veggies. I don't know what I dreamt about yesterday into last night into this morning. With the way I felt, I'd guess maybe tequila.)

This story had nothing to do with the family portrait I've posted today. Me and my 5 boys, the loves of my life. Maybe that's why I was so tired? Keeping up with those crazy guys?

This is way too funny. This is equally funny.
I am reading them to laugh a little bit and quit worrying about my little Wolfie. He got out of the fence yesterday, because the latch has some newly acquired latching issues, and was already "trembling" when I got home. I just thought he was too cold to be outside and didn't think more about it. But he seemed to have gotten into either cat food or dog food while out and about in the neighborhood judging by some vomit. The shakey little legs have subsided a bit, but not completely.
I am at work and powerless right now, so I'm trying to laugh a little.