the good. the bad. the ugly.

I MOVED!! You can come too!

2009-05-14T23:45:00.000-07:00

Moving day has come!

I have now officially moved over to dreadlockgirl.com
You can go to:
reads for my new book review blog.
lives for my new everything-else blog

Why did I move? I felt it was time to step out and do something I have wanted to do but hadn't yet. I have wanted to have my blogs in one spot, to have them combine and work together. Anyway, so both my reads and lives blogs combine onto my main blog which is dreadlockgirl.com from which you can head back and forth between my different interest blogs.

Do you have questions? Keep them coming, and also let me know how I can improve!!

Caution: pirate playdough

2009-05-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

There is nothing left in our house that hasn't been taken over by pirates. We enjoy every second of it, well maybe not the battling with swords at all times, but they certainly are having fun.

Ahoy, Thar! Ye lily livered land lubbers!

What is your household obsessed with?

palaces, castles and mansions of wood

2009-05-06T22:47:00.000-07:00

One of the favourite things in this house is to make castles, barns, zoos, and garages all out of wooden blocks. The boys work together and come up with such fun stories about who lives there and what each room is for. Then, sooner than the other brother would like, the youngest always manages to knock it all down. This time I took some pictures before the devastation transpired.

golden

2009-05-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

Easter is not about golden chocolate bunnies, or sweets of any sort, still it is okay to enjoy the treat. Before and after ponder the real reason for Easter's sweetness.

sushi in portland, or.

2009-05-04T16:29:00.000-07:00

yum. I love California rolls, nothing surprising in them. What is your favourite sushi?

rain and tea sipping

2009-05-03T09:01:00.001-07:00

oliver with tea by,dreadlockgirl.

The rain has come back. We are into tea drinking right now. No high teas or low teas thoguh, just whenever we feel like taking a sip of the warm liquid. I love many kinds of loose leaf teas, but the boys only know one kind: licorice root tea.

Do you share tea with your kiddos?

Winners of my homemade lunchbags:

2009-05-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

Here are my two winners for the homemade lunch bags, each of you will get one lunch bag:

Shelly B from Write for a Reader
Kim from Page after Page

Congrats girls!!!! I hope you love your lunch bags :) I am a little late in announcing, sorry.
click on the contact me button and email me your addresses ladies!!!

There is still time if you'd like a chance to win on copy of the 2 the book Linen, Wool, Cotton books enter here.

recuerdos de infancia: Oliver y Benji

2009-04-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

When we were little there was some tv that we had to watch, this series "Campeones" starring Oliver and Benji (in Japanese: Captain Tsubasa) was a huge hit in Spain, we loved it. I wish I could get it for the boys....

Heart Z Ranch, Crawfordsville Oregon.

2009-04-24T15:50:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to Crawfordsville, there is so much to see on the way! I was happy to not be driving so I could hang my camera out the window for some shots off of Peoria Road. It is so pretty.

Lazy M Ranch is Brad's Grandparents ranch. His uncle John does most of the ranch stuff now though. It is really fun to go out there with the boys.

Why does food always taste better in the country? Well I think it is because you work for it!

After a good lunch we went to 'help' Uncle John load some cattle at Heart Z Ranch. He bought some little Holsteins for a friend. They are about 6 months old here.

I learned some things when we went to the ranch. Holsteins are not the kind of cows a rancher wants to buy, they are cheap and dairy cows...but are only good for hamburger meat. I didn't know that, maybe you did. Brad's uncle bought them for the lady who is on the fence in the pictures. She wants them to train stock dogs, which are dogs who herd cattle.

Info bit number two is that not all bulls have horns, and some cows have horns!Yea, Mr. Heart Z Rancher thought I was joking when I was astounded that that "black cow" in with the babes was a bull."Well, hey! I grew up in Spain, man where no bull would be caught dead without horns!" I told him, he laughed and said that many Mexican cattle have horns too, but that most American ranchers opt to breed it out, or dehorn babies- since horns can be pretty dangerous to people and to the other cattle. Every time I go I learn more, I love the whole thing.

Thanks Uncle John, it is always fun to 'hang out' and learn from you! Oh, and he gave us some Tenderloin Steaks- yes, we are vegetarians but, only fair weather veggies as we are always willing to make exceptions. Especially for tenderloin from Knee Deep Cattle Company it is Free Range Beef, Born and raised on Oregon's lush green pastures. No added Antibiotics or Hormones. (a company based out of Eugene, Oregon!) He also gave us jerky from Knee Deep Cattle Company- the owner of the company is in the pictures above in the blue hat on the fence. She warned us, " make sure you refrigerate the jerky after opening it, as we don't use any preservatives!" I just had to laugh. " You know this will be gone before we get home, right?" I asked. "Well good!" she answered smiling.

We all worked hard, and the boys were certainly ready for some good rest at the end of the busy day.

I would love to live in the country. And I love jerky. I love Oregon.

No-knead Sourdough Bread Recipe

2009-04-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

I am in love with a website I have found recently, Breadtopia: For the love of bread.
I have made several of Eric Rusch's recipes, and since I am a sourdough fanatic (not really the sourdough taste but I love the idea of having it live and not buy active yeast!!)

I don't want to snag the whole recipe, so for this delicious bread you need to go to
Breadtopia: Sourdough No Knead Method
I add in 2-3 teaspoons of Baking soda to get rid of some of the acidity and sourdough taste. I know some people love the strong taste, but for me it is a little too sour.

Tonight I am making Breadtopia's Sourdough Pizza recipe. I'll let you know how it goes!

In the middle of the read-a-thon!!

2009-04-18T11:13:00.001-07:00

Would you like to see the torture and fun of the read-a-thon??
I am in the middle in it right now! It started at 5am PST.
Updates will not come on this blog though, go to B&b ex libris to keep track (if you are interested). I will be doing updates every 3 hours or so!! Comment if you'd like...I'd love to hear how crazy you think this is. It really is nuts I have no doubts about that. HA!

Susan Boyle: I dreamed a dream.

2009-04-16T07:46:00.000-07:00

Susan Boyle- the little gem of Blackburn, Scotland has made me cry every time I watch her. It is her voice, her song, the critics skepticism and her heart. I don't jump on bandwagons that easily but this is a bandwagon I ran too, not able to stop myself. You have to check it out, check out her performance, they mock her, and Simon rolls his eyes at her, asks her her age and they scoff - then they watch her sing and their mouths drop, not even Simon in all his grouchiness can stop grinning- she is outstanding!!

Britain's Got Talent Susan Boyle performance (you MUST see it!):

EMBED-Susan Boyle Stuns Crowd with Epic Singing - Watch more free videos

These are two interviews with CBS after:

Watch CBS Videos Online

For me her song has really struck a chord, I don't really know how or why other than she definitely has emotion behind her words. Personally I don't care about the show, I don't care about the winner- I stopped watching American Idol a while ago, they only want teen idols who fit the mold. This gal, Susan Boyle breaks the mold in every which way. I am rooting for you Susan! :)

Linen, Wool, Cotton (& handmade giveaway!)

2009-04-14T08:06:00.000-07:00

Linen, Wool, Cotton
25 simple projects to sew with natural fabrics
by Akiko Mano
112 pages
Craft, Sewing, Simple style
Trumpeter Books
14, April 2009

Akiko Mano's soft and subdued style is simple yet outstanding in quality, approach and design. Linen, Wool, Cotton is a dream for the practical person who enjoys crafts that people will actually use. The simplicity of her patterns is so pretty and speaks though its calmness. Akiko Mano's designs will allow even the insure crafter to create things that many will enjoy. The projects range from wool slippers, aprons, a muffler, lightweight fruit bags, a lingerie case, hot water bottle cover, duvet cover and beyond. Linen, Wool, Cotton is sectioned off into chapters by material choice, beginning with Linen, followed by Wool and finally Cotton. Akiko's patterns are easy to follow and minimalist in their approach, and that is a bonus, since that makes them quick to complete as well, having only an average of 4 steps per pattern.

Linen, Wool, Cotton by Akiko Mano is part of the Japanese Crafts Style books also known as Make Good: Crafts + Life, a group of books believing in the goal to simplify life. This approach makes it its goal to take pleasure in the beautiful things that are so perfect in their minimalistic appeal.

So how did I like this book? I loved it. I enjoy being crafty, but I want the things I make to be used and not just dusted. This is a book for a person like me, and I am thrilled that there are so many patterns in Linen, Wool, Cotton that are calling my name (quite loudly I might add). I have already dived in, and created the lunch bags, they were just too cool to not make. I was worried at first because usually patterns seem to have way too many impractical steps and I have a hard time wanting to follow along. I had no problem with listening to Akiko at all. The lunch bag pattern (p. 96) was just perfect and simple and had fluff, just the real stuff. I know for sure that I am going to make several other patterns, the Sweets Mat (p. 90) looks like the next one I'll try. And the Fruit Bags (p. 37) made out of cheesecloth would be perfect for veggies at the Saturday Farmer's Market as they don't way anything and are completely reusable! Yeah, so anyway I am hooked. I recommend Linen, Wool, Cotton by Akiko Mano with no reservations at all.

The Handmade Giveaway:
I spent part of the day making two Lunch Bags (p. 96) from this book for you! I really hope that my work pays off, and that you are as excited as I am about this! I can't wait!

Description:
Tired of bringing your lunch with you in a paper sack or plastic bag? Oh, well when you see these you will be! And remember really cool lunch bags are not just for kids. "The handles are an extension of the main part of this bag, which you can use to easily tie the bag closed. The bag is also reversible" (Linen, Wool, Cotton, p.96) The solid coloured material is a canvas type thick cotton, and the stripped and polka-dotted fabrics are a thin softer cotton. And yes, both bags are completely reversible!

Here are the two lunch bags I made, you can click on each photo to see the bigger picture.

Details:
This giveaway is being hosted on my on my book review blog as well!! I am giving two bags away between the two blogs. To come visit my review blog click here: B&b ex libris

Details:
I will select 2 winners at midnight (PST) on 30th of April!!
I will most certainly ship internationally!!

To enter each of the following will give you an entry:
*Post a comment on this post
*Tweet about my giveaway with a link to this post
*Post about this on your blog with a link to this post

Each time you do one of the above make sure to let me know in the comments in this post so that I can add you again. If you don't let me know in the comments I won't know or be able to count your entry, so make sure and come back and let me know.

PS. I do not notify winners, so make sure you check back on May 1st to see if you won. Each winner has 4 days to get their shipping info to me after that if I don't hear from you I will select a new winner.

our cats

2009-04-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

yoko

spider

max

truth spoken

2009-04-12T06:05:00.000-07:00

Poetry by Amena Brown - In the Beginning

ain't it so true.

2009-04-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

feel the love

2009-04-10T09:15:00.000-07:00

ps. thank you grandma and grandpa jackson for the new supa-cool shirts! The boys love them, and so do I!

Read-A-Thon: Reading for Clean Water II

2009-04-10T08:47:00.000-07:00

I am again, like a gnat attracted to light heading right smack into the next read-a-thon which is next Saturday (the 18th of April)! And since I have tried it while reading for a charity and while not, I know that what is even better than reading is reading with a purpose. My purpose during this read-a-thon is going to be again, reading for clean water internationally. I searched other charities and this still is the one that seems to ring the loudest in my heart.

The other ones are all good and necessary, but I want to bring clean drinking water to more and more people around the world. I can't imagine knowing that I am drinking water infested with cholera and having family members die and still drinking that same water! I can't imagine not having any other source other than sludge to drink from! Just because I cannot imagine it I know I am hugely blessed, and that is why I want to pour out clean water on others worldwide through this read-a-thon.

The charity is called Living Water International and I promise I have done my homework and I have worked with them before as well. I have nothing but amazing reports. Also if you want to donate, you are welcome to do so. I will get a widget up on the sidebar there and have it there as a convenience in case you want to help support bringing clean water worldwide. In no way do you need to feel that I expect anything of you, I don't but if you want to give than I will do a somersault just for you! Thanks to my readers and family during the last read-a-thon we raised $210.16 last time.

I also said at the beginning of the year that I am personally going to donate $1 per book I read this year, so I will be sure to honour that as well and pay up during the read-a-thon. I already owe $35!!

Think about how you would like to support Living Water International, you could do a set amount, a price per book (last read-a-thon I did $5 per book and many of you joined me on that, even busting out up to $20 per book!!) or you could donate per page. I think this time I myself am going to donate per page, since some books are longer and some shorter I think per page is a little more accurate of a count.

To give you an idea last time I read 933 pages. I was dying to crack 1000 but didn't quite make it :( this time I am shooting for 1000. I read 4 books last time and made it most of the way through my 5th, but didn't quite get there. You see, reading for 24 hours straight sounds like a lot of fun (oh, and it really is!!) but when you have been reading for so long your eyes dry out and you start to drift.

What do you think? Do you want to do the read-a-thon? Consider supporting Living Water International too! Or do you want to support the cause? You can either comment below, click on the firstgiving widget (directly below) or send me an email and make a pledge.

More information:

I did a third party search of this charity, and it gets amazing results on Charity Navigator.
If you want more info on why this charity is important: Reading for Clean Water I
Want to sign up for the read-a-thon too???

All during this event on Saturday the 18th I will have fun updates on what I am reading. You will have to go to my B&b ex libris to check out my progress.

ps. I did not take any of these pictures, it is probably obvious, but just in case, know that I am not taking credit for them :)

fruity baby hat

2009-04-07T19:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend I got to go to a sweet little gathering in honour of Becky, in expectation of her little baby girl. I love making things for showers and such (if I am feeling crafty). I used the same pattern that I used for the hat for Baby G (my niece) and loved it the second time around just as much as the first! I made this hat a little bigger I think, I was guessing it would not be so good for spring. So I made it in the 6-12 mo size.

I got this pattern off of Ravelry, here is the link directly to it:
fruit hat pattern

view from the top bunk

2009-04-04T22:48:00.000-07:00

I am guessing most of us haven't been up on a bunk bed for a while. I got up in Jackson's bed and took some shots of what the room looks like from there. It is pretty cool up on the top bunk! I always begged for the top bunk when I went places. Which was your favourite, are you a bottom bunk person or a top bunk? Do you remember the triple deckers at camp, or was that just my camp!?

Curried Egg Salad Delight

2009-04-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

Oh, this was delicious it got two thumbs up from us all. I am trying to work on using up more and more eggs and this recipe was perfect for using up tons, while at the same time being extremely scrumptious.

I tend to just dump stuff into my recipes and it is hard for me to remember that if I want to put it up here I need to measure things out. Yes, I am the "handful of this" and "this much of that" type.

For this recipe I followed two recipes I searched for: how to make perfect hardboiled eggs and Curried Egg Salad. However I never follow a recipe right, and I made some amendments.

Curried Egg Salad Delight (for egg salad sandwiches)

15 hardboiled eggs
1 Tablespoon curry powder (add more to taste)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 cup plain organic yogurt (more if it seems dry)
small jar of bread and butter pickles (I used some of our homemade ones)
one red onion chopped
handful of minced chives

So for the updo, you boil the eggs (with this recipe) and then peel when they are done. Dump all of the ingredients in together as you stir be sure to get the eggs all good and chunked. Don't get them too mushy- a good egg salad needs that texture.

When I made this I used well over 20 eggs. I mean we have tons of them anyway so why not? Now they are all cooked up into something that we can just eat quick and it is very good too. I am not huge mayo lover, and with all the eggs it seems like over- kill. I wondered if the yogurt would give it a strange flavor but I can't taste it at all.

Be sure and let me know how yours turns out!

¡gallinas!

2009-03-30T11:19:00.000-07:00

a boy, a beautiful boy.

2009-03-28T14:32:00.000-07:00

the wild west pajama wearing cowboys

2009-03-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

SEE ME READ!!!

2009-03-24T16:36:00.000-07:00

My little Jackson dude, is getting older! We started last year because he said he wanted to learn to read, but it really was stressful and he was soooo bored (and I was about to strangle something). I was having a hard time not being patient and so reluctantly (for me NOT for him) we put it on hold for, well about 4 months I guess. Now he is blazing through it easily. It was so worth it for the sanity of both of us to wait.

Since we are going to homeschool I had just decided that I would wait for a while to bust out the reading book again later on- that it didn't matter if he was 5 or 6, but just that he learned to read while enjoying it. Today he asked me to teach him to read again, and I decided to give it another try. It was a piece of cake! I debated between starting over in the book and picking up just where we left off, I ended up just starting where we left off knowing that at any point if it was too hard, or he didn't remember I'd just go back. There was no need. He remembered.

I want to recommend this book if you are going to homeschool, or would rather teach your kiddo to read than have a school do it. It is called Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons, it was highly recommended by several families (team Sabo with 12 kids included). It not only covers learning to read phonetically, but also learning to write at the same time. We are pretty lax on the writing, since jackson has always loved to "draw" his letters, that is what is good about all this....we do it when the individual child is ready! No worries though, I promise that if a love of math never develops...it is just something that we must all do our time with! :)

I have to say there were several moments of tears filling my eyes. First, when he remembered so much from before, and second when he read all by himself: "See. Me. Read.(pause) SEE ME READ!!!!" and then he just beamed. I loved being able to be there for that!

What are some must haves that you use for homeschooling? Make sure you let me know, I'd love to check them out.