SortaCrunchy

7 Quick Takes: Mommy's Little Helpers Edition

Haven't done one of these in a while, but there are a couple of things making life a little easier for me these days.  I don't know about y'all, but I am in perpetual need of help.  Especially lately, it seems.

1. Black Cohosh.  It is a miracle find for me.  In the past year, I've noticed hormonal mood swings becoming more intense.  Very, very not pretty.  I came across a recommendation to try Black Cohosh (in either tea or pill form - I chose pills) and I have to say the difference is remarkable.  I don't take it every day or every week.  In fact, I went several months without taking any at all.  I kind of just take it as needed.

It's actually supposed to be taken by peri-menopausal women.  There is a history of early-onset menopause in my family, so I don't know if that explains the increase in intense mood swings or not, I just know that this has been helping me.  (Of course I am not a medical professional of any kind at all.  If you decide to take Black Cohosh, make sure to do your research.)

2. Gentle Discipline Support.  This summer has afforded me so many opportunities to learn more about gentle discipline.  I have failed many a day.  The community at Gentle Christian Mothers and the forum specifically on gentle discipline has helped me so much.  Reading the wise words of others ahead of me and discovering new solutions to issues as they arise . . . it's priceless.  That gentle discipline forum is public which means you can read even if you aren't a member. 

3. Tex-Mex Galore.  I have so been enjoying the plethora of Tex Mex goodness at Homesick Texan.  Favorites so far include migas, refried beans, flour tortillas, and puffy tacos.  

4. Pandora.  How can you not love Pandora?  I've set up my Quick Mix to play selections from these stations: Dixie Chicks, George Straight, Pat Green, Kimya Dawson, Barenaked Ladies, and Glee Cast. It is pretty darn near perfection for summer groovin'.

5. Runway!  Oh, Season 8 started off brilliantly last night, didn't it?  I was thrilled with the challenge winner and perplexed by the auf'ing.  A side-effect of my Project Runway addiction is consumption of Runway blogs.  How fun to see Laura Bennett is blogging for Lifetime this season!  Can't wait to read more of what she has to say.

(And don't forget that even if you don't have cable, Lifetime is mucho generous with their Runway episodes.) 

6. Swing Skirts.  When Old Navy came out with these this summer, I was thrilled!  I love long skirts, and I really love long flowy skirts.  They are so hard to find!  I bought two and I have absolutely lived in them this summer.  Paired with a t-shirt on top (my arms are not suitable for tank top wearage) they are the essential summer easy outfit.  (I'm not an ON affiliate or anything.  Just love the skirts!)

7. Styling?  I wonder what a real fashion stylist would say about my swing skirts?  Here's one way to find out: the Hollywood Housewife has arranged for one lucky reader to get a consultation with LA-based stylist La Stylist Mom.  How FUN would that be?  That would be an incredible Mommy's Helper. 

(And have you been reading Laura's stories of her move to LA from our hometown in southern Oklahoma?  Y'all.  It is just as engaging as another famous love story.  Start here and then keep reading from here and I think you'll be hooked!)

You know you can always find the rest of the 7 Quick Takes gang over at Conversion Diary!

So, tell me - what is helping you these days?  Pandora channel suggestions for me?  Favorite reads of the summer?  Recipes?  TV shows?  Movies?  Magazines?  Clothing?  Crafts/projects?  Bloggy favorites?  I wanna hear all about what is bringing comfort to your life as July marches in August . . .

Cynthia Rowley has got nothing on cute (at least where diapers are concerned)

Hip. Trendy. Stylish.

These are three words I can promise you that would never be used to describe me.  I subscribe to three magazines : Time, Mothering, and Hobby Farm Home.  If you wanna discuss planting fall squash, natural cures for colic, or the latest Joel Stein column, I can probably hold my own.  If you wanna talk about the latest trends and newest styles, I will probably respond with a polite smiles and head nods that clearly signal my utter ignorance on the topic.

(I seriously didn't know who/what Paul Frank was until that whole Twitter thing happened.)

Thankfully, I can count on friends to keep me sorta in the loop.  For example, this week Gretchen at Lifenut mentioned that Cynthia Rowley will be designing diapers for Pampers.  I suppose that this is their attempt to one-up Huggies and their denim diaper release.  Gretchen noted that she isn't going to shell out more money for "paper madras," and I can't say that I blame her.  They might be cute, but they are destined to become landfill filler.  Cute landfill filler, but it's trash all the same.

Four Fun Ways to Practice Playful Parenting

 

I don’t know if this is how the waning weeks of summer looks for your family, but to be very honest, we have been struggling lately. I have had to reach deep into my parenting toolbox to come up with effective, practical, and positive ways to maintain a somewhat peaceful home.

Read the rest of my column over at Simple Mom today!

photo by Ctd2005

Homemade Fun Giveaway Winner!

The winner of Rae Grant's Homemade Fun: 101 Crafts and Activities to Do with Kids is commenter #2 - Melissa R. - who said:

Love it!! My favorite homemade craft was, and is, making candles. When I was a kid, we used broken crayons to make Dixie cup candles and pine cone fire-starters. :)

Thank you for all who entered the giveaway!  I really, really hope that you will add Homemade Fun to your home library.  So many memory-making opportunities are waiting for you in those pages!

(Psssst.  Speaking of giveaways - all week long, my dear friend Laura aka Hollywood Housewife is celebrating the nine year mark of her life in LA.  She's a great storyteller and I am loving the staccato installments of this adventure, and she is also giving away some pretty cool stuff, starting with this GORGEOUS Rachel Leonard necklace today!  Check it out.)

(Post pssssst.  The Homemade Fun link is my Amazon Affiliate link.  Thank you for supporting SortaCrunchy when you shop Amazon!!!)

this is us: preserving summer mornings

 

I cannot even tell you with words known to mankind how much I love summer.

Yeah, yeah.  It's hot.  And if I didn't live in the luxury of an air-conditioned house and an air-conditioned car that shuttles me back and forth from one air-conditioned shelter to another, I am sure I would sing a different song.

But because I do live in the luxury of protection from the hot, I am free to indulge in all of the coat-free, sock-free, shiver-free, icy-wind-that-takes-your-breath-away-free goodness that is summer. 

O Pioneers!

The next town over had a little Pioneer Days event today.

We
admired handwork

 

  and animal pelts

The Road to Real Food: Pastured Eggs and Raw Milk

 

Trite but true.  Watching Food, Inc. did me in.

I told you a few months ago about our approaches to food  . . . How we tried to focus on whole foods and cooking from scratch and buying organic when we could.

And then I watched Food Inc., and read Michael Pollan and really started to get the real food movement.  It occurred to me as I was watching Food Inc., that here I sit, in the middle of Oklahoma - Oklahoma, y'all! - surrounded by farming and agriculture and a collective tendency to honor all things local.  The horrifying images of and the brutal life lived in CAFOs stood out in stark contrast to the pastoral scenes of cattle grazing grass that I pass by when I drive one mile past our city limits.  I realized how absurd it was for me to be a willing participant in the broken food system in our country when I am literally surrounded by other choices.

Fun, fun, fun! Rae Grant's Homemade Fun (giveaway!)

 
I was fortunate enough to receive a review copy of Rae Grant's newest release Homemade Fun: 101 Crafts and Activities to Do with Kids a few months ago, and I am so excited to share it with you!

I first got to know Rae back in my days at Simple Kids when I got to both review her first two books as well as interview her.  I can testify to the fact that she is every bit as delightful as you would imagine that the creator of such brilliant, creative, and inspiring books would be!

Homemade Fun continues in the same aesthetic as Rae's first two books.  Charming vintage illustrations abound and the hand-drawn instructions gently guide the reader.  Homemade Fun praises the handmade, homemade life.  It invites us all to go back to a time when "families celebrated the seasons and holidays, as well as the cycle of everyday life, in a homemade way."

What is Kefir? Cara Explains . . .

 

We began buying raw milk a few months ago, and it has inspired me to learn more about kefir.

What is it?  How do you make it?  Why would you want to?

SortaCrunchy contributor Cara has a great explanation (and a giveaway!) up at Health, Home, and Happiness.  Join me over there to find out more about kefir!

How to Defend (or Not!) Your Choice to Reject Ezzo's Teachings

  Photo by bardgabbard

July 12-17 is Ezzo Week, hosted annually by Tulip Girl.

Thank you so much for your participation in this year's Ezzo Week conversations.  Last week also happened to be Vacation Bible School week at our church, so much of my time has gone into teaching and recovering from that week.  I haven't been able to respond to comments as adequately as I would like to, but I have read and been inspired by all of the feedback you have shared.

In fact, it is your feedback that offers direction for this post.