Tea For Today 2/27/09

Today:Friday, February 27, 2009
Outside My Window: Partly cloudy, a little windy, but warmer than yesterday I think.
Today's Goal: Exercise and drink more water; pray the Rosary
Today's Plan: School; Take anything out of the Master bedroom that does not belong there; Stations of the Cross tonight.
Today's Tea: Nut Crunch Rooibos tea: this is one of my favorites. Nutty aroma and taste - hazelnuts! and no caffeine.
Today's Tidbits: First Friday in Lent. I am going to redo my daily schedule so that I can actually follow it. My old one got too cluttered, so I stopped following it.

Tea For Today 2/26/09

Today: Thursday, February 26, 2009
Outside My Window: Sunny
Today's Goal: Exercise and drink more water; pray the Rosary
Today's Plan: School; Clean kitchen
Today's Tea: Peach Apricot Black tea, hot with a little sugar.
Today's Tidbits: Major decluttering needed. I will actually put it on the calendar so I remember to do it little by little. Maybe it's time to start doing Flylady.net again.

Tea for Today

I thought I would do a little daily (or as often as I can) post about the teas I enjoy drinking and selling. I want to share with you what teas I like best and why, along with little interesting tidbits about what is going on here at Windyside (that is what I have named our house, since there is an almost constant wind blowing day and night).

Today: Ash Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Outside My Window: Cold and windy
Today's Goal: Exercise and drink more water, pray the Rosary, start Lent off right
Today's Plan: School week 23; Mass tonight
Today's Tea: Spiced Pear Black tea. I am sipping it hot and plain, but I also like it with a little sugar or cream, and it is really good iced with sugar, too. This is a nice, warming tea since it has ginger in it.
Today's Tidbits: I am wondering how to block the wind so that we can grow a wider variety of vegetables and flowers in our garden this year.

I plan on posting my monthly Tea Newsletter too, so watch for that.

The Simple Woman's Daybook~February 23rd Edition

The Simple Woman's Daybook~February 23rd Edition

For Today...

Outside my window... bright sunshine!

I am thinking... how much I really want to plant some flowering shrubs right now!!

From the learning rooms...starting week 23! Only 13 weeks left!

I am thankful for... the beauty of the changing seasons

From the kitchen... we have frozen meat and dry rice and beans: PLENTY ...thank you Lord!

I am wearing... Jeans and my comfy gray shirt. Not much variety in my "post-pregnancy" wardrobe.

I am reading... the latest issue of Victoria magazine (lots of pretty spring decorating ideas) and the American Heritage Girls handbook.

I am hoping... we get some rain

I am creating... extra shelf space for my record-keeping notebooks for AHG, family budget and garden plans

I am hearing... kids in various activities from commenting on a math problem to setting the table to singing "If I were a Rich Man" from Fiddler on the Roof.

Around the house... a bit of laundry, dinner, and then some handsewing

One of my favorite things... is sunshine streaming through clean windows onto dust-free furniture. Someday it'll be a reality! For now, I am enjoying the sunshine.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Ash Wednesday Mass, maybe a play date and/or Bible study on Friday, and the kids' birthday party on Sunday.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
Andrew holding his new baby brother Thomas

The Simple Woman's Daybook~February 9th Edition

Monday, February 9, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook~February 9th Edition

For Today...

Outside my window...windy and cold

I am thinking... how sad it is that we have yet to have a nice snow...sigh

From the learning rooms... gearing up for a new week of school

I am thankful for... Ian's patience with me as I break one more thing on the van.

From the kitchen... thinking of a special dinner for my Sweetie for St. Valentine's Day.

I am wearing... khaki pants and red turtleneck

I am reading... the calendar of Cub Scouts meetings and events for the rest of the semester.

I am hoping... for good weather on Saturday for Thomas's baptism!

I am creating... Valentines for my loved ones

I am hearing... the kids "cleaning up" before bed.

Around the house... lots of boxes and trash in the mudroom waiting to go out - we've been cleaning out the "back room"

One of my favorite things... my newborn baby boy sleeping in my arms, cooing softly

A few plans for the rest of the week... exercise for 10 minutes every day this week - I need to get serious about this!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Visit the Simple Woman's Daybook at http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

DIY: Herbal Insect Repellant

I found this article in a Babyfit's Natural Mother e-newsletter. I haven't tried it, but it looks pretty easy.

Besides driving your cat crazy, catnip has another more practical (but less entertaining) use. It also drives away the mosquitoes. According to a study at Iowa State University Department of Entomology, an essential oil found in catnip is 10 times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than potent chemicals such as DEET. If you grow catnip in your yard, you'll get moderate protection from the pests, but for greater benefit, you can try making your own skin potion from your fall harvest. Here's how to make your own herbal insect repellant:

What you'll need:
2 cups catnip, stemmed
1 cup dried peppermint
1 cup rosemary, cut into 6-inch sprigs
2 cups grape seed oil or almond oil

Directions:
Place herbs on a cutting board or counter, and lightly crush them with a rolling pin. Place them into a clean glass jar with a screw-on lid. Pour in the oil, seal the jar and place in a cool, dark cupboard for two weeks. Lightly shake the jar once a day for two weeks. Strain into a clean jar, seal and refrigerate (it will keep for up to 8 months). To use, rub on exposed skin.

QUICK TIP :
Check your local nursery for catnip plants, or simply order seeds online.

Just a Spoonful of Sugar... home remedies

WEIRD HEALTH TIPS THAT WORK!

These tips were found in a Woman's World Magazine, Dec.
22, 2008. I especially like the one to quiet coughs!

*Quiet coughs with chocolate. The main ingredient in chocolate –
theobromine – is more effective at stopping a cough than prescription
medicine. Dark chocolate is especially effective. Dissolve a piece of
Dove dark chocolate or 2 dark Hershey kisses in your mouth and
coughing will stop for up to 4 hours. This is 33% more effective than
cough medicine containing codeine. It works by suppressing the vagus
nerve, which is responsible for causing you to cough. So the next time
you or someone you love gets a persistent cough, offer them a
chocolate bar instead of cough syrup. (consider carrying Dove dark chocolate
squares in my purse all the time, just in case, for medicinal purposes.)

*Cure hiccups with sugar. Next time you can't get rid of hiccups, put
a teaspoon of white granulated sugar on your tongue and let it
dissolve. "The granules irritate the phrenic nerve, which is
responsible for the hiccupping reflex, and cause the diaphragm to
immediately stop spasming," says Joe Graeden, M.S.

*Ease a sore throat with pineapple. Instead of reaching for a sore
throat drop, have a piece of FRESH pineapple instead. It's loaded with
bromelain, which has powerful anti-inflammatory properties that reduce
pain and swelling. It also has lots of Vitamin C, which speeds
healing. Bromelain is deactivated by heat, so use only fresh
pineapple. Keep nibbling until you feel better.

*Burn yourself in the kitchen or on a hot glue gun? Cover the burn
with honey. Honey is more effective at healing burns than gauzes,
dressings and other treatments doctors use. It has antibiotic
properties that kill germs, and enzymes that help remove dead tissue,
making it easier for healthy tissues to grow. Of course, having an
aloe vera plant close by also works. Just remove a piece and squeeze
the juice on your burn.

Disclaimer: People have tried these and they work. However, as with all
medical advice, consult your doctor and follow his recommendations for
serious illnesses.

Simple Woman's Daybook - Feb. 2, 2009

FOR TODAY Monday, February 2, 2009...

Outside my window... Cold, bright sunshine. We put a bag of ice outside the front door to make room in the freezer a few days ago, and it has not melted!

I am thinking... that generosity is truly from God.

I am thankful for... all of our friends who have gone out of their way to make meals and give us gifts for our new little one!

From the learning rooms... medical school 101: how to run a home amidst childbirth, other children with fevers and coughs, and aches and pains.

From the kitchen... Wonderful meals from friends! Baked Potato Soup from Jennifer, Beef Stroganoff from Juli, REAL Black Forest Cake from Susi, Breakfast casserole from Karen,salads, pastas and pot roasts from everyone else, and all kinds of breads and desserts. We are truly blessed!

I am wearing... jeans and a red sweater, my hair pushed back with a head band, white socks and slippers, and my baby boy in a Snugglewrap.

I am creating... Thank you notes for all the great meals and gifts.

I am going... nowhere today - hopefully it won't be too cold to take the baby to church on Sunday.

I am reading... Semi-Homemade Magazine's premier issue. It looks like it will be a fun magazine!

I am hoping... the temps rise a little so we can go out!!

I am hearing... kids playing in the boys' room, the dryer humming.

Around the house... Eldest daughter in bed with a fever, next daughter with a possible ear infection, the rest having fun with Lego and little cars.

One of my favorite things... The feel of soft, newborn baby skin.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Midwife appointment, redo budget AGAIN to accommodate rising gas and electric costs.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...
The kids made paper dolls of themselves and posed them on the couch. This was a day or two before Thomas was born.

Visit the Simple Woman's Daybook blog here to join in the fun: http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/