Post-Holiday doldrums (Bridget)

In some ways I really love the time of winter after the major holidays are over. It can be a very relaxing time of unwinding after a whirlwind of preparation and festivities. I usually get inspired to do crafty things or clean out closets. Of course this year, I'm very pregnant right now and it's exhausting just getting through my regular chores. I have managed to do some small things that I've enjoyed though. Before the holidays I made homemade vanilla by soaking vanilla beans in vodka. I haven't tried any yet but it smells heavenly! The kids and I treated the poor frigid birdies to pinecone feeders covered with bacon grease and birdseed. I made an all-purpose cleaner by soaking orange peels in white vinegar. It smells better than plain vinegar and seems to work well. I plan on phasing out all my toxic cleaners and replacing them with natural ones. They're so much cheaper and they really do work. I used plain old baking soda on Lonny's shower and it really removed that soap scum from the glass door! I've also switched from Downy fabric softener to white vinegar, which I just put in the Downy Ball and add to my laundry. I have noticed no difference in softness after switching and there's no vinegar smell either. I dry each load in the dryer for 15 minutes and then hang them on racks to dry. It does take more time and effort and sometimes I end up just drying the clothes all the way in the dryer, especially the whites because of all the dang socks! I guess every little bit helps. We also made fire starters using dryer lint, cardboard egg cartons and old candles melted down. They work really well. I found a knitting pattern for the cutest kids' winter hat. We already bought Ethan a fleece one in the same style but I was excited to find a hand-knit version and it was a free download from http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/. Anyway, it's called a pigtail hat or an ear hat. It's kind of squared off on top with tassles on the corners so it does look like pigtails. It's still very cute on a little boy though. I decided to try it out, so I made the smallest size and it fits Ethan so he wears that one too. I'll get a picture sometime and post it. I can't wait to make some more. I think it'll be my new go-to baby hat pattern for gifts because it's so easy and cute. I bought fabric (75% off - yay me!) for window valances for the living and dining rooms and I'm excited to make those as well as paint the boring white walls. I figure I'd better get it done before the baby comes or it won't get done for another 3 years! As you can tell, my spirit is ready and willing. Now, if only my body would cooperate!

Just call us the Griswolds...(Bridget)

Well...we actually did it. We bought an RV. Lonny is in AZ right now picking it up from the dealer and storing it with friends until he can drive it up here in the spring. Buying an RV was the furthest thing from my mind when Lonny first started looking at them online. I thought he was just trying to make me think he had given up on his truck obsession. Maybe if he had made me think he was now moving on to RV obsession, it would make his truck obsession seem more palatable and I'd actually let him get one! The more I thought about having an RV, the more I got used to the idea and though it seems like such an extravagence, it makes a lot of sense for a family of (almost) 8. We haven't traveled anywhere as a family, unless you count road trips to Anchorage, since we moved here 3 years ago. It's just too expensive and too much of a hassle. With an RV, we can hit the road and not have to worry about imposing on friends (who really wants a family of 8 invading their space?) or about hotel and meal expenses. And this 35' behemoth even cost less than our used Tahoe! Of course we'll be paying through the nose for gas but it's still cheaper than hotels and restaurants, or airfare. We're all really excited to cruise around our great state this summer and most likely venture down the west coast next summer since we already had a big back-east trip planned for this summer. Who says you have to wait until you're old and grey to creep along scenic highways with a long line of irate drivers behind you? :)

Christmas Morning