Eclipse

Yesterday's annular eclipse was pretty spectacular. I'd been geeking out about it for weeks. The last solar eclipse I vaguley remember was way back in in elementary school. I don't remember much. I recall the eerie half twlight, a box viewer over my head, and the lemonade my then teacher (Hi Mrs. Bassett!) provided us. Since annular eclipses are rare, I wanted to be sure my children had some sort of muddled memory of their mother peering into a cheerio box while they rode their bikes in the orangy glow of the eclipse.

I started by explaining the mechanics of a solar eclipse, artfully illustrated with the help of an apple, an orange and a ping pong ball. I gave a stern warning about looking directly at the eclipse....maybe too stern. My daughter cried for twenty minutes and refused to go outside because she was afraid she would go blind. Ooops.

After calming her down, we upcycled a cheerio box and a bit of almunium foil to make a pinhole viewer. It worked beautifully and both children were able to see the moon cross in front of the sun.
We were located a little far south to see the famed "ring of fire" but the moon did cover about three quarters of the sun.

My cousin Jacki, who is located in New Mexico, had a better view of the eclipse. I just had to share these awesome photos she took!

Just amazing....absolutely amazing!

Round 'Em Up

This weekend, we drove to the family ranch and helped tag and brand the new spring calves. This was my children's first time helping with branding and they were the best little cowpokes I could ask for.  At the end of the day we were sunburned, tired and filthy but happy and immensely satisfied. Family, friends, food and horses....simple and perfect.

When it comes to grassfed beef, we practice what we preach!

From between the ears of my horse

My husband M and little J after a few hours of gathering

K was in charge of the "nut bucket"

M flanking a calf

Granddad and Uncle B cutting the herd

K waiting patiently on Kid

Get to Know Your Steak

In an effort to maintain my "girlish" figure, I have embarked on a diet of sorts. Less of a diet, more of a lifestyle change. I've always been a regular exerciser but in the past year and a half I have been losing the battle of the bulge. Getting my ass kicked actually. Drastic times call for drastic measures folks. For going on three weeks I have been sugar, caffeine, dairy, and grain free. It's been hard. The first five days or so were hell. And just an hour an ago, I narrowly escaped the clutches of buttery, salted soft pretzel. But every day, it gets a little easier and I can already tell a difference in how I feel and how my pants fit.

So what do I eat? Vegetables. Lots of them. Fruit. Lots of those too. Nuts. Just a few. And meat. Lots of lean, pastured meat. Since upping my intake of animal proteins, I have been extra conscious about the kinds of meat I'm eating. Amidst all the "pink slime" controversy and now "tuna scrape," I want to know more about my meat's pre-plate life than ever before.

I've written here before about the advantages of  knowing your food, and my family's connection to the grass fed beef in my freezer. The advantages of grass fed beef and and other pastured animals are numerous but people usually associate grass fed with budget busting. This can be avoided by purchasing a whole animal but the thought of a whole cow(or even a quarter!) in your freezer can be intimidating. Well, be intimidated no more! Here's a neato infographic, courtesy of Frugal Dad, to help you be a more educated beef buyer. The more you know about your food, the better!



Source: FrugalDad

Out Damn Spot!

Boy (noun): Noise with dirt on it.

I can't think of a more accurate description for my son. My little J is a rough and tumble

B-O-Y. He's loud, rambunctious,and always, and I mean always, dirty. Whether mud, food or some other unidentifiable substance, his hands, face and clothing are usually marred within minutes of waking. And though hands and faces are easily washed, J's wardrobe suffers from the constant onslaught of muck and mire.

Shirt in question, before treating and washing

There is always something that needs pre-treating before I wash it. When I greened up my laundry routine, I never gave a second thought to my beloved Shout stick. But when I went to attack the newest mystery stain on J's favorite polo, I discovered I was out of Shout and decided to mix up a batch of homemade stain remover I'd been wanting to try. In a clean spray bottle,  I mixed:

1/4 cup liquid dish detergent ( I used 7th Generation)

1/4 cup glycerin

1 1/2 cups water

I sprayed the mixture generously on each spot and let it sit for just a couple of minutes before I threw it in the washer. The verdict?

Love that cheesy half smile :)

IT"S CLEAN!! Not a trace.  I think there was ketchup, chocolate and mud this time around and the spots weren't exactly "fresh" either. This mix is a great, chemical free alternative to conventional stain removers and is much, much cheaper. I had all the ingredients on hand so for me, it was free! That's much better than the $4 I paid for each Shout stick.



Mom: 1

Dirt: 0

I WIN!

And The Winner Is...

Congratulations to comment number seven

Nicole Spring @ Frontier Dreams!

You have won a copy of Rhonda Hetzel's new book Down to Earth! I'll be in touch shortly.

Thanks for reading friends!

Twenty Nine

Today, I am twenty nine. I thought this birthday would be hard on me. After all, it is the last year of my twenties. But I woke up this morning feeling happy, grateful, and very much at peace with where I am in this life. I am healthy. I am loved.

I need nothing else.

To kick off my 29th year, here is a list of ten things that are making me happy...right now.

• Cauliflower. The head we ate last night. The head I cut from the the garden this morning. And the eight heads in the garden still growing.

• Children's consignment shops. I bought six pairs of shorts, three shirts and dress for $25. Cheap and eco-friendly!

• Facebook. I can't believe how many people have left me a birthday message. I feel so loved!

• Books. A real, bound, paper book. I love my Kindle but I miss the weight of a novel in my hands. Kudos to my husband for giving me a paperback novel for my birthday!

• A Best Friend. She knows all my secrets and remembers that I like dark chocolate with sea salt. She is irreplaceable!

• Pop Rocks. The Easter Bunny put a packet of these vintage candies in my children's Easter basket and  I love watching them giggle while they fizz and pop on their tongues.

• Coronado Island. I booked our hotel rooms this morning for our summer vacation. I'm counting the minutes until I can see the ocean again. I should have been a mermaid!

• Thomas the Train. My son gave me his beloved wooden train as a birthday present. I almost cried. 

• Burt's Bees Lip Balm. A fresh tube. So tingly!

• Cat Vomit. Okay. Cat vomit doesn't make me happy. Twitch hacked up something nasty while I was writing this. But he chose to vomit on the tile which infinitely easier to clean than if he would have done it on the carpet. Happy Birthday to me!

What's making you happy today?

Don't forget to enter my giveaway! Win a copy of Down to Earth by Rhonda Hetzel!

Happy Easter!

Wishing you all a very blessed Easter!



Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a chance to win Rhonda Hetzel's new book

 Down To Earth. Contest ends April 18th!