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I had several people ask me to do a makeup tutorial so I shot this video this morning putting on my makeup.  Be prepared....I am on video without a stitch of makeup and with dark circles....Hey, I AM a mom of 6 kids.... I have earned those dark circles. 

With summer creeping to an end and families scrambling to fit in those last minute road trips I thought I would share with you how we organize our "bus".  While we aren't prepared for EVERYTHING, I do think we have most of our bases covered with what we have included in our van.  Before we dive into what and where of the stuff in our 12 passenger GMC Savana, I will give you a few of our van rules/systems.

• I normally clean our van out one or two times a month, depending on how much we are running around in it.  It doesn't take long but goes a long way in keeping the van in tip top shape.  The cleaning consists of vacuuming and removing any/all trash and having the kids take inside all the random toys that have been abandoned in the van.
• The kids are usually able to take 1-2 small toys in the van any given trip to "town" (our nearest real town is about 20 minutes north of us), and a couple more if we taking a longer trip.
• The kids are responsible for removing their toys and any trash they may have accumulated during the trip when they return home.  (Obviously, they sometimes forget - hence the need to clean out the abandoned ones!)

Now for the "what and where" of van contents.

Front Seat

We don't officially have a console in the middle of the two bucket seats in the front row, but we do have a big space.  I used a cheap basket to contain my "all the time" stuff.  Inside the big (lime green) basket is a smaller one (white) and a small bathroom trash can.

1. Trash can - just your normal everyday cheap bathroom sized trash can that fits those Walmart bags nicely
2. Cups - one for each of the kids and a sippy for Georgia.  I use them for passing out snacks.  The sippy is for water for Georgia since she has not yet mastered using the water bottles without spilling it all over herself. 
   
3. Juice box holder - Again, for Georgia.  For juice boxes when we pack our lunches so she doesn't squeeze it all over herself and her car seat. 
   
4. Hand sanitizer.  We use this a lot in the van; before eating snacks, after playing at the indoor playground, after grocery shopping....etc.  Around the neck of the sanitizer I have several hair ties.  Four females in the car, need I say more?
   
5. Glass mason jar with lid - This is were I keep a small amount of "emergency snacks".  It is usually filled with some kind of small snack cracker like goldfish (something all the kids will eat and doesn't take up much room). I keep these on hand for when we are out later than expected and I didn't plan and pack a snack.
6. Kleenex - do I even need to explain this one?
7. Hair brush - again, with the three girls and myself we are in need of a hair bush frequently. 
   
8. Clip boards - I keep clip boards in the van for various reasons; jotting things down, lists for stores/errands and also one of the "punishments" that the older kids receive for some misdemeanors is having to write out things like "I will keep my hands to myself in the car" 25 times and these are perfect for dishing those out!  

This is one of the clip boards.  It has a "pen pal" ( I am IN LOVE with these things!) attached to it so that I can keep a writing utensil with the paper and is loaded with wide ruled paper.  These also come in handy when the kids get bored......my kids love to write notes and draw.

Again, a pen pal so that I have a pen handy when I need one.

Passenger side door pockets: One bin is stuffed with grocery bags to refill the trash can when it gets full and also for things like dirty diapers, wet clothes, etc.  The other bin has some candy (for good behavior!) and an umbrella.  Honestly, I don't know WHY the heck I carry an umbrella.  I have literally NEVER used it.  Even when it is raining I usually don't have a spare hand to hold an umbrella with and there is no way I am getting 5 kids and myself under one umbrella anyway! (Maybe I ought to just take it out???)

Driver side door pockets: In one bin I have reusable water bottles that get used ALL. THE. TIME!  I swear, my kids are addicted to water (especially in the car)!  In the other pocket is a big canister of wet wipes - another item that we use all the time.  I keep one "in stock" in the utility closet at home so I always have one to replace an empty one with. 

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS!!  I take an empty milk jug and fill it about 1/3 full and lay it on it's side and then freeze it.  When we leave for an outing we remove it from the freezer and fill the remaining jug with water.  It gives us a gallon of ice cold water that stays cold all day long, even in the car.  This is what I use to fill up the water bottles that I keep in the door pockets.

Bench Seats:

Under the first row bench is our "diaper bag".  It is just a regular back pack that contains extra diapers, a wet bag (a waterproof bag for keeping dirty/wet cloth diapers), wipes, an Ergo baby carrier, extra snappis, hand sanitizer and Butt Paste. The diaper bag stays in the car unless we are going to be away from the van for an extended amount of time (like a museum, zoo or the like) Also under this seat is a first aid kit.

I keep a small, cheap umbrella stroller under the seat of the middle bench.  I can grab it quickly as I am unloading the kids without having to open the back of the van up. This is the stroller I use for quick trips and  errands when I don't need the cup holders and basket on our bigger stroller.

This is the back (behind the last bench).  I keep this pretty much empty because this is where groceries and anything else we pick up while out and about goes.  I keep the larger stroller wedged in a little spot that is recessed so that it doesn't fall over when I open the back doors.  I also keep a picnic blanket under this seat.  It is nice for when we pack a lunch.  It gives us a nice place to sit down if the grass is wet....or in the case this year - if the grass is dry, dead and scratchy!

How do you organize your car?

What do you keep in yours?

I have been meaning to purchase a business card holder for months now…okay more like years now, but I am SO PICKY!  I wanted something that would be “crafty and artsy”, ‘cause you know… I have a craft business!? Well, I decided the other day (after once again I was asked for a card and had to sheepishly admit I didn’t have any on me!...EKKKK!) I would make one.  What better than a crocheted one?  Since, of course, most of my handmade items are of the crochet variety.  

Lately I am a little obsessed with the chevron pattern and thought that on a small scale the crochet pattern above looked a little “chevronish”.  So this is what I have come up with:

TADA!!! I love it!  I added a little flower embellishment (used in place of a button) and a binder clip so that I could attach it to the outside of my purse and it was complete! 

What a great and crafty way to display and carry my business cards (or you could use them for mommy-cards, calling cards, credit cards, lipsticks or anything else!  If you crochet, these are pretty easy!  If not, I can whip one up for you for about $8. Check my etsy shop for them!

I am so excited to share an original FREE (Yeah, FREE!!) pattern with all of you!  Make them, use them, give them away, sell them – do whatever you want with it…..it’s my gift to you! The only thing I ask that you do NOT do is to sell the pattern or redistribute it as your own!

“Chevron-sh” Business Card Holder Pattern:

Skill Level : Beginner/Intermediate

Skills Needed:

•    Crocheting in the round

•    Slip stitch, chain, single crochet, double crochet

Material Needed:

•    Small amount of worsted weight yarn

•    Size G hook

•    Button (I used 1-3/8 diameter one found at walmart) or other closure/applique

•    Binder clip if you would like to attach it to something (like a keychain/purse)

Round 1: Ch 20, sc in second ch from hook and next 17, 3 sc in last ch, turn and work the backside of ch, sc in next 17, 2 sc in last ch, slst to join. (remember to NEVER count the sl st as a stitch at the end of the rounds!),  40 st

Round 2: ch 1, sc in same st as joining,  ch 1, *skip next sc, sc in next, ch1* 19 times, slst to first sc, (20 sc/ch1 groups)

Round 3: skipping joining sc and using next color slst in first ch-1 sp (insert hook into ch-1sp yo with new color, pull through loop on hook), leave previous color at back of work to pick up later. Ch1, *sc into ch-1 sp, ch 1, skip next sc* 20 times, slst to first sc of round.

Round 4: Slst into first ch-1sp, ch 1, sc into same ch-1 sp, ch 1, skip next sc, *sc into next ch-1 sp, ch 1, skip next sc* 19 times. Slst to first sc,

Rounds 5-10 repeat rounds 3 and 4 alternating colors every 2 rounds.

Round 11: Ch 1 with next color, sc in same as joining, dc in ch-1 sp, *sc in next sc, dc in next ch-1 sp* 19 times

Slst into first sc with next color and each dc and sc all the way around, ch  16 and slst in first slst of round to join, tie off and weave in ends.

Finishing: attach large button, broach, crocheted appliqué or other item to act as a closure to front center (NOTE: IF YOUR BUTTON OR APPLIQUE IS BIGGER THAN STATED BUTTON (1-3/8') YOU WILL NEED MORE CHAIN STITCHES IN THE END OF ROUND 11 TO ACCOMMODATE IT.

This post needs to start with an admission: I ONLY WASH MY HAIR EVERY FIVE DAYS!!! Ekkkk…..are you grossed out yet?  Well, you shouldn’t be!  Washing your hair everyday damages and dries it!  How in the world did I end up being one of those hippies who doesn’t wash her hair….?  It all started when I heard and jumped on the “no-poo” wagon.  Yeah, I know, the name sounds gross!  There is TONS of information on the web and there are many people that have done a fine job of explaining the process thoroughly, so I will leave it to you to research it further if you wish.  The basic idea is that you wean off shampoo/detergent and use a baking soda scrub on your scalp (in place of your shampoo) and rinse with apple cider vinegar (in place of a conditioner).  I ended up doing no-poo for about 3 months.  My hair looked beautiful but there were a few things that drove me back to my regular hair care products (e.i. shampoo and conditioner). 

• One was the lack of lather. I liked the feeling of the soapy lather when I washed.  
• The second was the smell of the vinegar.  Granted, it completely went away when your hair dried (no hint at all leftover), but while you are showering you have to put up with the vinegar smell, which to me smells like dirty feet!  Not so refreshing.  
• The third thing (and one thing that sent me back to my shampoo) was the fragrance factor.  Yeah, I know, fragrance is BAD, BAD, BAD and super unnatural most of the time, but I really liked that smelly-good for my hair.  When I cooked bacon or sat around a bon fire or fried up pork chops the baking soda scrub didn’t entirely get the greasy and/or smoky scent out.  While I am all for a “woodsy” undertone I didn’t want to smell like I lived at a campground and ate fried food all the time! LOL!  This factor alone broke me to go back to my shampoo and conditioner routine. 
  

When I switched back though I noticed that my hair actually looked better the longer I went between washes!  Over the course of my no-poo months my scalp had adjusted to not being so dry from using a harsh detergent on it daily and responded by making less oil (that it usually made so that it could compensate for the oil that the shampoo stripped out daily).  I started out washing every 2 days, then my hair seemed to be able to go longer (and still look better) so I started going 3, then 4 and now I usually go between 4-6 days between washings. My hair usually looks best on days 3 and 4.  This, my friends, has saved me CONSITERABLE time getting ready for the day which is such a blessing!  Who has an extra 30-60 minutes to spend washing/conditioning/drying/straightening and fixing their hair? I sure don’t, nor do I wish to devote waste my time doing so daily!  I have better things to do, for sure.  

Now, even after hearing this I know that seeing is believing.  You’re in luck!  I decided to document my hair care routine in photos to share with you so that you all can see that not washing your hair won’t instantly turn you into a greasy-mess.  

Side note: I get my hair cut 2 times a year and I am over due now for one.  My ends are a bit ragged, but I could still get a month or two out of it if I choose (I need to call my salon!)

 

Day One: This was the morning after I washed and blow dried it.  Most of the time this is the day it looks the worst – dry and a bit frizzy. DAILY CARE: I usually shower in the morning with it in a high-pony-bun and then straighten any areas around my face where my colic gets a bit out of control. TOTAL TIME: 5 minutes. (Side note: I usually either wash my hair in the evening and either sleep on it wet {it ends up wavy} or blow dry it straight depending on how much time I have.)

{OPPS, FORGOT TO TAKE A PHOTO!}

Day Two: Totally bombed on taking a photo…. It really looked exactly like it did on day one minus the frizzy/dry ends. DAILY CARE: Passed a straightener once through 2 small sections of hair at my temples to tame my cowlick. TOTAL TIME: Maybe 2 minutes, probably more like 1.  I have an “instant heat” straighener and it took longer for it to heat up (while applying my make up) than it took to do my hair.

Day Three: Same as day two for everything.

 

Day Four: Slept in “sock curls”. These are an amazing way to get all day curl with no damage and absolutely no time.  Read my blog post on them if you have any questions.  DAILY CARE: Applied a little leave in conditioner to JUST THE ENDS and combed through with my fingers.  TOTAL TIME: 3 minutes the evening before and 1 minute in the morning

Day Five: Leftover waves from sock curl day.  DAILY CARE: Brushed the curls out and applied a little leave in conditioner or frizz serum to the bottom half.  TOTAL TIME: 2 minutes.  

And that is it.  I normally will wash and condition my hair that night or the next morning so that it is fresh the next day and start all over.  

In my next blog I will answer FAQ’s about this process and give some tips that I have learned on my own. Comment and let me know if you have any questions!

So this is a funny thing to post on a blog such as this, but I have actually had a number of emails about my hair!  And after explaining my “hair madness” to a close friend of mine I decided I would just do a post about it.  First and foremost, I will have to admit that I was blessed in the hair arena.  I inherited my mother’s dark, wavy, THICK hair that grows fast.   BUT, my natural hair attributes have only been enhanced by my decision to do “less” with my hair.  

I plan on posting three separate blogs so not to overwhelm you! The first (this one) will be on my sock curls.  I have done these numerous times now and LOVE the results.  I am posting this blog first because they are mentioned in the second and I don’t want to confuse anyone.

The second blog will be my daily dairy of hair progression for 5 days (the normal time I go between washings) so that you can see how my hair responds to being washed so infrequently.

The third will be FAQ’s……SOOOOO….if you have anymore questions before I get to posting that blog be sure to ask them in the comments section on this post or the next and I will try to answer them in the final post.  

On with the show…

SOCK CURLS!!!

They are soooooo fabulous for people who want those big, luscious curls and don’t want to spend 3 hours sectioning, spraying, curling and fussing with their hair everyday.  This technique literally takes me under 5 minutes and the results look like they took at least an hour AND they last all day (which if I used a heat curling iron would NOT happen!).  It works well on my hair (thick, wavy, LONG) and also on my daughter's hair (thin, medium length and wavy) so I am assuming it would work well on most hair types.

Start by watching the attached video.  This is the one that I used when I did them.  Basically I do the same thing other than I don't leave bangs out.  I don’t really have “bangs”, only long layers so I just throw the front back with the top section.  So in the end I have a top, and two sides, totaling 3 sections. My top section I usually loosen the hair going back so that I don’t have a “flat” front in the morning.  Just pull on the front part after putting it up so that it lays looser and not so tight back (so it sags a bit in the front – not the most appealing imagery, I know, but the best way I can describe it!).  

 

 

 

 

This is my hair after sock curling on three different occasions.  It lasts all day and usually gives me beachy waves on the second day

Here is the day after…still holding some of the definition.

This is my daughter's hair right after taking them out. (Her hair is much thinner than mine)

And this is late afternoon and after her playing hard (outside).  Still going strong.

Tips

• Make sure you twist the hair as you wrap it around the sock.  This is what gives it a spiral appearance.  
• Instead of wetting your hair use some leave in conditioner and then VERY lightly spray it.  The leave in conditioner controls the frizz while giving some hold.  I use a thick ball about the diameter of a nickel for my hair.  Only use it at the ends and up to the nape….never on/near the scalp.  
• Brush and brush and brush your hair and smooth it nicely before wrapping in the sock.  The smoother the hair the sleeker (less frizzy) the curl will end up.
• Make sure your ends are neatly and smoothly tucked in before tying the sock.
• When removing using a very small amount of leave in conditioner or frizz serum and rub between your palms and then run your hands over the bottom (nape of hair and underneath) half of your hair.  
• Use only your fingers to separate curls…DON’T BRUSH – you’ll end up looking like a giant poodle!
• The curls will tame a bit (relax and become a little less voluptuous) in about 30-60 minutes so don’t freak out if they are a bit “bold” to begin with.  

If you have any questions PLEASE remember to post them in the comments field.  I will try to answer them the best I can in the final post (FAQ hair care) in a couple of days!

Mike and I FINALLY got the garage mess under control a couple of weeks ago!  Since last year when we started our home based lawn business our garage has taken a turn for the worst.  Ever heard the expression “cramming 10 lbs. of stuff into a 1 lb. bag”? Yep, we were doing it! Our garage was bursting at the seams!  We bit the bullet and finally accepted defeat.  No way of arranging could untangle the mess of bikes, mowers, aerators, tillers and everything else that was now parked in our garage.  And don't even get me started on the van we now own that could quite literally eat and spit out an average sized minivan.  In another post I will show you the beautiful shed, concrete work and landscaping that we put in.  But this post is dedicated to my thrifty little ditty of a bike rack made for a cost of…..wait for it……$35!!!  This is my not-so-original design (that is a larger version of this one) for a bike rack that holds 8 bikes!

Or you can buy one for $350!!!

You will need - 

• 6 – 10’ foot sticks of ¾” schedule 40 PVC pipe
• 6 – bags of contractors pack (10 in each bag – so 60 total), ¾” PVC tees
• 6 – single ¾” PVC elbows
• Glue if you want (I didn’t glue ours – that way I can take it apart and add to it if I need to!)
• Hacksaw or PVC pipe cutters
• Rubber mallet to tighten joints.
  

You can cut all the lengths first or cut as you go.  I cut as I went so I could try out a section or two before I assembled the whole thing!  Now just assemble it according to the photo above. Obviously, use elbows on the ends and not tees.  I would say that if all the bikes are the same size I would make the sections (6” ones) separating the bikes a bit longer.  Staggering the handle bar height makes 6” work, but with two of the same size bikes the handles bars get a bit tangled.  Also, if you have any bikes with oversized (wide) tire you will need to add a little length to the 2" piece (2-1/2" to 3").

I even color coded so everyone knew their "assigned parking spot"!

We are in the middle of a study about weather this semester at “Farmhouse Elementary”.  Currently we are discovering the power of static electricity and lightning.  I found a really neat experiment online and just had to try it.  The kids were jumping with excitement when they figured out that the spark of static electricity they were generating would cause a small fluorescent light bulb to light up.  In the video I used a small watt bulb from a camping lantern (so it would be brighter), but it worked with a low watt compact fluorescent as well, although the bulb didn’t flash quite as bright.  

I do describe briefly how I put together this simple experiment, but there are several resources online (search for “static electricity generator”) if you want more detailed instructions on doing this at your house.  

Here is the cradle carry for the moby - I use this in church when I want Georgia to sleep.  She is getting a little bit big for this hold, but she still fits so I am still using it! You tie it the same as you would for the front carry.

If you don’t like oatmeal because of it’s sticky, goey texure, you will LOVE this. Baked oatmeal has a more cake-like, drier, crumblier texture and it is AMAZING!  This makes a big 9x13 batch.  If you have a small family you could cut this recipe in half and make it in a 8x8 pan instead.

Baked Oatmeal

• 4-1/2 cups quick oats
• 3/4 cups brown sugar
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1 T. cinnamon
• 1 t. salt
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 T. vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups milk

First mix together your dry ingredients: oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and brown sugar.  

Then mix together your wet: melted butter, vanilla, eggs and milk.  

Mix wet and dry together and pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 30 minutes at 375.  

Now top anyway you please! I like mine with a little milk and raisins.  Andrews favorite it maple syrup and a few chocolate chips.  Michael likes a little drizzle of honey on his.  The girls like just about anything on theirs.  It is up to you, make it your way!

To make this a “quick fix” in the morning I usually mix together my dry ingredients in a large bowl the night before and set it aside.  Then I mix together the wet ingredients (except the butter) and place in the fridge.  Then in the morning I just melt the butter and add everything in the bowl with the dry ingredients.

Here is a little trick to use up stale bread or bread heels (if you family doesn’t eat them).  The heel is the last thing to be eaten on the bread so, naturally the last heel tends to be the driest part of the bread once the loaf is consumed.  I bake all of our bread here at the farmhouse and homemade bread only lasts a day or two before it goes stale.  An easy way to utilize the stale bread is to make toast for breakfast.  But if you aren’t in the mood for toast, this is another thrifty thing you can do with it:

Homemade Seasoned Bread Crumbs:

You can use this just like those packaged dry bread crumbs at the store.  You can bread chicken to bake it in (like shake and bake), or use in meatloaves or meatballs as well.

First tear or cut the bread into small pieces. Then toast them for 10-25 minutes at 350, until they are nice and toasty all the way through.

Throw them into a food processor on high until they resembles, well….bread crumbs.

Toss in some favorite season.  I used Garlic and Herb premix from Sams (super cheap!) or you can mix your own concoction.  Lemon pepper.  Italian.  Anything you can think of.  I also add a little bit of salt if theseasoning I am using is salt free.

Then just bag and tag it and throw it in the freezer for later.  It should keep for a while, at least 6 months or so.  

Make sure you label it so you know what you are eating.