Weekend Roundup
This week’s posts from In God’s Economy:
Speed Your Garden With Common Household Items
Favorites from around the interwebz:
The Best Way to Network: Serve People
Why You Should Tell the Ugly Parts of Your Story
Walking as a Retreat for the Busy Mom
The Best: DIY Coffee Frother
I am a coffee snob. I won’t drink just any coffee, only the best will do. In fact, until about six years ago, I didn’t even like coffee. I was a tea afficianado. But then I was introduced to good coffee, and ever since I’ve spent a fortune feeding my ‘good’ coffee habit! I love it foamed up and flavored…but the price at a coffee shop is astronomical. As a once in a while treat…sure. Everyday? No way! But I also have never had any luck with the steam frothers that come on the special espresso coffee makers.They were always so finicky and required a lot of cleaning to keep them working just right.
So I resigned myself to having only ‘good’ coffee at home. I have my Keurig, which I love. It makes good coffee, and I’d add my favorite flavored creamers. Good. But not great.
Enter the Aerolatte, a little device my mother stumbled upon. A tiny little battery powered whisk, you insert it into milk or creamer and it magically froths and foams up the creamer. Just like in an expensive coffee shop! Two or three tablespoons of milk or creamer quickly become half a cup of foamy goodness. It is so simple to use I use it every morning, and have perfectly frothed coffee in less than 90 seconds. Right now my favorite combo is a cup of Kenyan medium roast coffee from the Keurig with the Vanilla Spiced Rum flavored creamer from International Delight. Sometimes I use the Peppermint Mocha creamer instead–just depends on my mood! I love that I can have great coffeehouse coffee right here at home!
Cleanup is a breeze too–simply run the whisk under some water and then turn on for a second–it is clean and dry! The Aerolatte is so easy to use that my even seven year old can use it–she made me a cup of perfect coffee for Mother’s Day breakfast, throwing out the plain cup of coffee my husband had made me and showing him how to “do it right, the way Mommy does it.” (I do love that girl!)
You can pick up the Aerolatte for under $20 on Amazon. IKEA makes a frother as well, for just under $10. I haven’t used it, but I’m sure it works well too. I couldn’t resist showing you just how easy the Aerolatte is to use! Check out this vlog from my very own kitchen (warning: I recorded this back at Christmastime) to see why this is easily one of my favorite things!
Thriving in Middle School
We are in the midst of the last week of school here in the KnowitAll household. This means lots of fun activity days, (do I get a pj day too?) the cleaning out of desks and lockers, and the wrapping up of big projects. While we are in the midst of all of this, I want to stop and say thank you to my son’s school for an amazing year–Camp Ernst Middle School.
Many of you know that JD has Asperger’s, along with Sensory issues, ADHD and Central Auditory Processing Disorder. Mix in a good bit of ODD–Oppositional Defiant Disorder–and you have a good picture of my son. He did not do well with the last two years of elementary school. In fact he did so poorly that at one point in the middle of fifth grade that we seriously considered pulling him out and homeschooling him–a last resort for us. JD is the ultimate challenge–he has a lot of social and processing issues, but he is also gifted, with a high IQ. He is a challenge for any teacher.
So we were very nervous about middle school. We fretted and considered homeschooling again. We worried about the type of teachers he would get. How would a child that hated transitions survive the changing of classes every hour? JD is horrible at staying on task–how would that be worked out in middle school? His organizational skills are even worse than mine–how would we ever survive a year of constant changes and being responsible for six different teachers? And then the social skills…oh, how we were nervous about that! Middle school opened up a whole can of worms about bullying and social situations. To say we were nervous is an understatement. We were downright terrified.
We prayed and we prayed and we met with teachers and hoped for the best. God promised us he had him, and that we were going to love this year. Looking back now, you know what I see? The best school year JD has ever had. Seriously. We started out with a kid who couldn’t remember to turn in homework, couldn’t remember where he’d put things, and was constantly battling with the teachers. At Halloween he had almost all F’s in his classes. He was doing homework at home–a huge battle every night–and then not turning it in the next day. The teachers loved him, and were doing all they could to help. At Halloween we met and began a new discipline and rewards system, and what came out of it is nothing short of miraculous.
JD now is one point away from the Honor Roll, a first in his life. In January the teachers called us and said that he didn’t need to bring books home anymore for homework–he was getting his homework done in class. Every day. His grades shot up. He was organized, because he could do the homework and turn it in right away. He began to gain confidence, and along with that confidence came rewards of responsibility. The more responsibility he showed, the more freedoms he gained. Eventually he realized that if he just did the work in the beginning, he could be in control the rest of the day. (LOL, my little control freak!) His grades soared, he began engaging in class, and began making friends. He started to serve as a Teacher’s Aide one period of the day. Since December he has had zero homework. Zero. He’s getting it all done in school–there’s no need to bring it home. The teachers couldn’t believe what they were seeing. This kid they’d been trying to reach since day one, who had battled with them and refused to do anything that wasn’t on his own terms (he really is my little Sheldon), is now their most improved student. He is excelling, thriving, growing and learning. I give 100% of the credit to the teachers he had this year. From day one it has been clear to me that his team of teachers not only know about Aspergers, but that they “get” it as well. They don’t see these kids as a problem to be handled in the classroom–they see children who should be loved, who can be reached, who can be encouraged and brought out of their shell, with the goal of reaching their full potential. As a parent who has fought with well-meaning but not always well trained teachers for five years, let me tell you what a blessing it is. The culture at Camp Ernst is different. Every child succeeds–that is their goal. Every Child. Not just those who are good at sports. Not just those brainiacs who can recite odd facts at a moment’s notice. No, they mean EVERY child. Every child is important. Every child is integrated. Every child matters. That, my friends, is priceless. JD wanted to succeed, not only for himself, but as an act of loyalty and respect to the teachers who had respected him. That makes my heart swell with thanks and pride!
Here are a few photos lately that left me in tears of joy:
Most Improved Student 2012--A Very Proud JD!
Showing off his Culture Fair Project
Aspie moms, you know why this photo brings tears to my eyes--a friend. An honest-to-goodness friend at school!
Showing off one of his favorite classrooms--the technology room. Can't imagine where he got that gene from...
So to Mrs Estenfelder, Mrs Crow-Carney, Mr Floyd, Mrs Aguinaldo, Ms Bishop, Ms Howard, Mr Rabe, Ms Meyer, Ms Walborn, Ms Grayson and Mr Coburn–thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are miracle workers!
Speed Your Garden with These Common Household Objects!
While the traditional Mother’s Day planting date has come and gone, we are still having some cool nights. While the cool evenings won’t harm most of your plants, they can slow down growth, especially on tender young seedlings. Using a cold frame or bell jar is a tried-and-true method to speed up your garden’s growth! Here’s some simple (and cheap!) DIY cold frames I found around the web that you can use to protect your plants on cold nights.
Use sticks or stakes and plastic
Creative Plant Markers for Your Garden
As I plant my garden this year I find I’m being very finicky about buying anything new–I prefer to reuse things I have from around the house if at all possible. I found a ton of great ideas on Pinterest for DIY plant markers using normal household items. Some of these are lovely!
wine corks
old utensils
Small Joys Means So Much!
I had the best Mother’s Day ever yesterday! My kids (aided by my husband) surprised me with breakfast in bed, followed by some cool gifts–a collection of her art from LittleMissSunshine, while JD gave me a very cool bracelet. After church they let me pick what to do with the day (Yay!) so we headed over to the Cincinnati Art Museum to see the Picasso and Monet exhibits. They are two of my favorite artists, and there was nothing like sharing their art with my kids. I could sit and stare at Monet all day long. Picasso has held a special place in my heart ever since I visited his museum in Barcelona when I was only 16 years old. JD and I had some really cool conversations about Picasso and why he moved into the abstract, and what it looked like to him. Experiencing great works of art is a real treat for me, so to be able to share that with my family made the day extra-special. Even when they acted like monkeys. 
Picasso imagines what having a drink with Rembrandt might be like
A self-portrait by Picasso, with his artist’s tools. A precursor to the common photographer self-portrait with the camera in front of their face, perhaps?
Coastal scenes by Renoir and Monet. Simply beautiful!
Picasso still life of a lemon and a glass of water. We couldn’t find either, but still enjoyed the painting. LittleMissSunshine has been learning about still lifes at school, so she was quite intrigued by this one.
I love Miro in any form, but especially his wall sized paintings. I love his colors and his dream-like depictions.
JD, fascinated by a piece of word-art.
And to cap off this great day, I was treated to Karlo’s Bistro and my favorite Chicken Piccata. I enjoyed a lovely adult beverage while LittleMissSunshine was thrilled to make her own pizza.
Did you do anything fun for Mother’s Day?
Saying Goodbye
JD with Sherlock in March
We lost one of our guinea pigs last night. Sherlock died of something called vestibular disease. Before we could get him to a vet, he was gone. It happened late at night, so I wrapped him up and moved him so we could tell the kids quietly today.
It is interesting to watch how two siblings handle grief in totally different ways. JD was very attached to Sherlock. We weren’t sure in the beginning how that would work, with him having Aspergers, but he really loved that little piggie. He showed a high level of ownership and responsibility when it came to caring for Sherlock. So the news has been extra rough on him. Today we’ve had anger–when he thought we hadn’t done enough to save him. We’ve had tears–as he saw him and realized he really was gone. And now we have total avoidance–he wants no mention of the situation anywhere around him, because he is afraid of having an anxiety attack. Any mention of the guinea pigs brings such pain to his eyes, that he shuts down and avoids the topic altogether.
On the other hand, LittleMissSunshine has been very open and talkative about the situation. The guinea pigs live in her room, so she knew when she got up this morning that something wasn’t right. She has been sad, with a few small tears. But the majority of her day has been spent trying to compose a proper eulogy for Sherlock, so that everyone at the funeral (and she has invited half the neighborhood) knows just how special Sherlock was. There’s a dash of preaching about heaven in her eulogy too. (I guess she was paying attention at both of her great-grandmothers’ funerals last month!)
While my son has dealt with his grief by avoiding it, my daughter has dealt with it by talking about it, and trying to teach others through it. It really does show how each of us are built differently, and that even within the same family everyone handles grief in different ways. I am a verbal processor like my daughter–I need to talk things through. (blogging, anyone?) Even more, I need to share what I know and have loved with others. It is clear that my daughter received that little bit of genetic code. And to some degree, I think my son did too, as he loves to teach and share what he loves. But when it comes to grief, he processes internally, the way my husband does. This has been a challenge for me as a Mom–I want to hold him, and help him let it all out. But that isn’t what he needs, and so I do my best to back off and let him have his space.
It really is amazing how much an animal can become a part of your family, even in such a short time. We’ve only had Sherlock and Watson since mid-January, and yet they are a vital part of the family. Even more, it has been wonderful to watch how Sherlock unlocked bits of my son that were hidden inside because of the Asperger’s. He has had such empathy for these animals, and we’ve seen that being extended out to others around him. We’ve also noticed that he has really been proactive in caring for Sherlock, often doing what needs to be done to care for him well before we ask. The best part has been his setting aside what he really wants and doing instead what Sherlock wants or needs. Even if it is just stopping playing video games for a few minutes so that Sherlock gets what he needs–that is a huge step forward for my son in day-to-day life responsibilities. Sherlock was a very gentle guinea pig, very sweet and friendly. He wasn’t loud or noisy, and he wasn’t very active most of the time, but he loved to be held and snuggled, and JD really responded to that. Sherlock was well loved, and will be missed.
Homemade Marinara
Darned squirrels! First they try to live in the attic, and now I find them pilfering my garden. Went out today to check on my tomatoes and strawberries and found several half-eaten tomatoes lying on the deck–most of them green tomatoes. I’ve been working hard on this garden, so I am NOT pleased. Thankfully I’d picked a couple of ripe tomatoes the other day, so I had a few in my fridge already for my first attempt at making marinara sauce from scratch. I’ve made marinara before, but always with canned tomatoes. It is light years better than jar sauce, but I’ve heard so many times that when made from fresh tomatoes it is even better, so I decided to test that out. I bought several tomatoes still on the vine, along with a handful of roma tomatoes, my favorite for all of their deep flavor. Having never made fresh sauce before, I assumed I had to peel the tomatoes, and started researching the best method. A couple of weeks ago I did just that–I peeled and boiled and made sauce without the peel on the tomato. It was delicious! It was time to make more, but Lo and behold I discover I don’t have to peel the tomatoes to make great sauce! Because I use an immersion hand blender to make the sauce smooth, I can leave the peels on and the blender will blend them right up with all the other parts of the tomato. There was no reason to spend all that time peeling and prepping. This greatly reduced the amount of time it took to prep the sauce! We went from an hour of prep and actual work, to maybe 15 minutes! The simmer time is the same, but the actual work part was greatly reduced, increasing the chances I will make this again. In fact, it even tasted better than the first time.
Marinara sauce is super easy to make. When you leave out the sugar and all of the other nasty ingredients in most jarred sauces, you’ll also find it tastes way better! I add wine for depth to my sauce, and a touch of crushed red pepper flakes to add a unique pep to the sauce. Here’s what you’ll need:
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 3-4 hours
Makes: 2 jars of sauce
- 12 large ripe tomatoes
- 4-5 ripe roma tomatoes
- 1/2 bottle dry red wine (I prefer Merlot, but Cabernet will work)
- 4 cloves of garlic, smashed
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- handful of fresh basil and oregano
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Cut the tomatoes into quarters and place in the pot. Remove any stems, green bits, or dark spots. Heat on stove for 30 minutes at medium heat. The tomatoes will release a lot of water. As the tomatoes begin to cook, stir occasionally and smash lightly with the spoon.
- After about 30 minutes on the stove, the tomatoes should be soft and watery. Using a stick blender, puree the entire pot. It is okay to leave it a bit chunky, this is just the first blend. Do not worry about the seeds–as you cook, the seeds will soften and blend in.
- Allow to cook another hour over low heat, uncovered, as the water will begin to evaporate out of the sauce.
- Add wine, salt and spices to the sauce.
- Allow to cook another hour over low heat, partially uncovered. (This allows steam and moisture to escape but keeps splatters to a minimum.)
- Remove from heat and blend again using the stick blender. Be thorough this time–this will help to crush up any remaining seeds, skins and blend in the spices fully into the sauce.
- Depending on how thick you like your sauce, you can remove it now or let it simmer another hour to allow more moisture to evaporate.
- Let cool, then spoon into jars for storage!
It is truly one of the best sauces I’ve ever had! (Seriously, I wanted to eat the sauce all by itself!) The wine and salt seem like a lot, but they cook down and give the sauce a real depth of flavor. The crushed red pepper flakes add a touch of spice, but not enough to be labeled “spicy.” Trust me, I’m a wimp when it comes to spicy foods. This just adds a bit of bite to it, making it a different sauce. You can add whatever extras you’d like from here to make it your family’s own sauce. Add mushrooms, meat, etc. Whatever you’d like! I know the 3-4 hours to cook may look intimidating, but really, since you aren’t standing at the pot most of that time, it is very simple. I would get up and check on the sauce every 45 minutes or so.
Have you ever made sauce from scratch before? What tips can you share?
Pinterest Roundup: Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is this weekend, so right now Pinterest is full of great craft ideas to show your Mom just how much you love her. Today’s roundup is a collection of crafts for kids (and dads) to make for their Moms!
This hand towel is a really cute! And what mom doesn’t love her kids’ handprints? So cute!
These windchimes are super-simple, and super cute! No special tools needed–just paint, yarn and pots.
This tutorial over at Sugar Bee Crafts shows you how to make a custom necklace for your mom–with so many options that are limited only by your creativity!
Martha Stewart shows how to turn old teacups (which you can pick up at a thrift store) into lovely candle gifts!
Using your imagination and a few flowerpots, you can make a very colorful birdbath for your mom! Even small kids can do this with a little help.
Using a bleach pen and a little creativity, you can make mom a one-of-a-kind piece of clothing.
The source of this one is unknown, but it is really sweet, and very easy to do!
Naturally Frugal: Honey Mask
Seven months ago I stumbled upon a natural face wash that revolutionized my skin care regiment. I thought it was very cruel that at age 40 I was suffering from both mild acne breakouts and wrinkles! I stumbled upon several discussions of how honey is a miracle cure for both acne and wrinkles, and I was intrigued. I decided to give it a try–after all, I had honey sitting in my cabinet and thought nothing ventured, nothing gained. I expected it to be really sticky and messy, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find that if your hands and face are damp, the honey isn’t sticky at all. It has been a true miracle in skincare for me!
Why Honey?
As I’ve read up on why so many people use either plain honey or honey mixed with a couple of other ingredients, I’ve learned a lot about the health properties of honey.
Honey is rich in glycolic acids. These are the natural acids used in expensive face creams and treatments to remove past sun damage and scarring. overlooked pantry staple has a whole lot going on under the hood. Honey has been a beauty trick of some of the most beautiful women in history, including Cleopatra.
Here’s what honey does for the skin:
- Honey is naturally antibacterial, making it an excellent treatment for those who are acne-prone.
- Honey is a natural humectant, meaning it attracts and retains moisture on the face.
- Honey is gentle, so it is good even for those with sensitive skin. (Like me!)
- Honey tightens pores in the skin.
- Honey brightens up skin, giving it a youthful appearance.
How is it Used?
There are three main methods to using honey as a face wash, and I’ve tested all of them.
- The simplest method is the one I use most often–simply slather a tablespoon or two of raw, organic honey onto your face. Let it sit for 60 seconds or so, then wipe off gently with a warm wet cloth. It isn’t nearly as sticky as it sounds. Surprisingly enough with hands that are only slightly damp, the honey slathers easily and feels like a thick cream, not like the sticky, gooey mess that I’d expected it to be.
- For a gentle exfoliation, use this mixture: mix 1 tsp baking soda with 2 tablespoons of honey. Spread on your face and rub gently, then wipe off gently with a warm, wet cloth. I’ve found that if you let the baking soda and honey mixture sit for a few minutes in a bowl before you use it that it will foam up ever so slightly and feels really nice on your face. I use this method once a week to exfoliate. As winter approaches, make sure to get your lips too–get that dead skin off!
- For heavier acne or more damaged skin, try this mask: wash your face as usual to make sure it is clean. Then take a warm wet cloth and lay it over your face for a few seconds to open up your pores. Then spread a few tablespoons of honey onto your face in a thin layer. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with a warm wet cloth. Your skin will feel smooth, look brighter and your pores should appear smaller. The honey will also work on any acne or scars, working to cause them to fade quicker.
So far I’ve had amazing results. Really, I can’t believe I used to pay so much for cleansing rituals (and I still had breakouts and blotchy skin) when this inexpensive miracle cleanser has been sitting in my kitchen pantry! After two weeks of the daily face wash my age spots were almost invisible. I have to really look hard to see them–and they were pretty dark to begin with. Those little laugh lines around my eyes are getting harder and harder to spot. I’ve had NO breakouts since starting this, something I was used to getting periodically. My skin isn’t blotchy anymore, with enough of a change that I don’t mind going out without makeup from time to time. And my skin is smooth–and soft. Oh so smooth and soft!!
I do use organic honey, but it was what I had on hand. I’m told that it works best but that the regular honey you buy in the store will work as well–just not quite as well. I spent $6 on my bottle of organic honey, and I expect it to last me several months.
Have you ever tried honey for your face? What have your results been?
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About Me
While professionally I blog about coupons and saving money as LittleMissKnowitAll, I'm much more than just a savings expert. Mom, wife, pastor and lover of God...there is so much more to me than just coupons. I am a Kingdom person, seeking to bring God's fantastic, fabulous and overwhelming Kingdom into every person I meet and every place I go. God has his own economy that is a very different way of living life than the one our world tells us to live. My lifelong goal is to be used by God any way he wants--to live as a coin in God's pocket. I am on a yearlong journey to simplify our life and tame the chaos monster so that we will have more of ourselves to give back out in his service. Join me as I share the experiences of my life--and hopefully some of the lessons along the way. 
