..."love the home you have" she says...

good morning all. It is a dreary one here in the Quiet Corner. It is exceptionally quiet which is odd for this time of day. I guess we can blame daylight savings for that one. One child slept late and the other went down for an early nap. So this mama has a few minutes to spare. I am about to enjoy my second glass of iced loveliness this morning and that will help keep me on track:)

So, I have started a new book (among three others I am in the middle of lol) Perhaps you have heard of it? 

what a perfect time for me to come across such a great book! I am often pretty negative about the home we live in. It is not OUR house...we actually rent it from my inlaws. It belonged to my husbands grandfather forever...and circumstances happened about 5 years ago that lead us out of our last house and into this one. (family issues etc long story) anyways, thankfully the grandfather offered up this house to us b/c we had no where else to move. It was all a very last minute thing. We were planning a wedding when we found out that my husbands cousin was going to be moving into our "then" house and we had to move out. We had 6 months. We literally got back from our honeymoon and moved. It was a super stressful situation. The house we were in was also owned by the grandfather. Years ago before any of us were around, these houses were tied into the dairy farm the family owns. They are all on the same street. My hubs cousin works/owns the farm with his dad now and it was easier for them and their growing family to be right next door. So, they moved in and we moved out. 

here she is...awkward roof, chipping paint, and empty flower garden

now, I must say first that we were and are incredibly grateful to have had this as an option. We are lucky to have a roof over our heads, and we do not forget that. We did not have the time nor the funds to find somewhere else to go. We moved into the little "yellow dollhouse" as I refer to it. It was built a long, LONG time ago. It has had some updates to it, but not too much. I am super thankful for the bigger kitchen space. It is nice to be able to actually have a table in there to eat at. We have a decent size yard that allows us room for chickens, gardens, mens and kids toys lol and our pets. However, it is not where we want to stay. It was not really a choice to move here...we just had no other. It is a small house, square in shape. Four rooms downstairs and four rooms up. There is wall paper still in some rooms that we have not gotten to. Our bathroom is the size of my pinky...it is just not where we see ourselves.

this house has a lot of potential...but we cant afford to do all the upgrades, and since we have decided that we want to own our own property we are not going to put any significant funds into updating. 

so I go back and forth with hating this house and then sometimes loving it...when it was just me and the hubs it wasn't bad space wise, but now with two littles on the move, it really shows us how much it is lacking in the size department.  

bathroom...imagine being 9 months pregnant and trying to bathe your toddler! UGH!

after reading the first few chapters of Melissa Michaels book, I have had time to think...I really need to look at this space in a different way, because chances are for at least the next two years we will probably still be here. And I don't want to focus on all the things I dislike. Melissa says in her book that we need to love the HOME we have...not necessarily the house. What a great way of looking at it. They are two separate things! The house is what we reside in, but the home is what we make. I need to learn to love my home. My husband and my kids are my home. 

perfect little reminder

instead of focusing on the negative, we should focus on the positives and what we can do to make our space a home for as long as we live in the house. There are actually many little things we can do to cozy our nest up and be happy here for the time being. I had my husband do one the other day! Simple, cheap and something I have wanted for a while.

It is a dark photo (horrible lighting) BUT I wanted plants in the window in my kitchen. Hubs found a piece of plywood, I painted it and he bought the shelf holders at Aubuchons for like 3$ each. On sunny days it looks so nice in the window!! 

we also added a small TV in the kitchen (hubs request, not mine) so he added this little shelf and installed the tv. So now at least when Disney Jr is taking over the living room, we can put on some adult noise in the kitchen. You know, like "The Golden Girls" or " That 70s Show" haha. I LOVE the coffee stations I see on pinterest all the time. This is the only spot in my kitchen I can have one. Not exactly how I want it, but works for now. My plan for here is to find some type of vintagey looking fabric and to hang it from the shelf and cover where the radiator is. I've seen it done, its adorable. 

I actually did this last year, I painted the cabinets white (they were a hideous dark shade of brown) and removed the doors to a few of them. I love the idea of open cabinets, and when we have our own home they will look 10x better. But I do like this, and for living in an old farmhouse we really have to just take what we can get. You cant see in this picture, but I painted the knobs a coral color. I love pops of color and I try to do it where ever I can. 

these are just a few areas of my house and I could go on forever talking about the rest of it. But the point of this post was to say that thanks to this book, it is really opening my eyes to other ways of looking at where I live. I may not love the house, but I should do what I can to make it a home. A place that while we are here, we can enjoy together and while raising a family. 

one quote from her book says, "living within your means brings more contentment that struggling to get what you don't have." This is so true for me. When you have only one income, you cant typically afford lavish and brandy new pieces to add to your space. I do a lot of Target trips and Amazon shopping. Sometimes I look at other families homes and I get a little bitter b/c they have new counter tops or have busted down walls and redone their bathroom and we can't do these things right now. But it is what it is. We chose for me to be home with our kids and we knew that losing my income (while not nearly what my hubs brings in) would make things tight. Our choice and I would never change it, but stings sometimes when you see what others can do while you cant. 

i'm going to end this by mentioning the 31 day Home Challenge that is inside this book. It is something that I am going to try. I really and truly want to love my home and right now I do not. Sometimes we need to be forced to look at things in a different way and I really think picking up this book was a great idea...I believe it will help me to do so. 

if you are interested in the book and/or the challenge...click the link below and have a peek. I am really looking forward to appreciating this little place more than I do...(I'm sorry Little Yellow!)

http://theinspiredroom.net/lovethehomeyouhave/

xo

DIY Laundry Detergent Experiment!

good afternoon all! I have been wanting to make my own laundry detergent for some time now, especially since getting into essential oils. As you know I am all about living life chemical free, or as free of chemicals as I can...let's face it...they're in flipping everything. I am not sure why it has taken me so long to do it...but I did it this morning and it was so easy. The first batch of clothing is in the wash and today just so happens to he a great day for line drying!! 

When searching for a recipe, simplicity was key for me. I don't have much time to shave soap, or to mix this and to heat that, with kids running around my house the less work the better. I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest and I decided I'd give it a whirl. As you can see in the photo above there's only three ingredients. Boom.

What you need for this is as follows:

* 1cup Dr Bronners Castile Soap

* 1 cup Baking Soda

* About 30 drops of your favorite EO (for fragrance purposes. If you don't want fragrance...don't add anything!)

* Empty detergent jug or large glass jar

* First thing to do is remove the spout from the jug so you can add ingredients and mix easily. 

* Next, add in your castile soap

* Add in the baking soda

* Now add your essential oils if you chose to. I was not sure which I wanted b/c I love the smell of both those oils...but I chose Lemon. (Seems like more of a laundry fit) 

* once these things are all together, fill the container most the way with warm water. ( Helps with the dissolving)

* give the jug a good shake to mix it all together and voila!

* for an average load of laundry measure 1/4 cup detergent. 

There are SO many different recipes when it comes to DIY...some are more in depth than others. As I mentioned above, I need something simple. Now, if you have a piece of clothing that looks like it was thrown in a mud pile and then stepped on, you MAAAAAY want to pre treat/soak prior to using this detergent. ;)

I'll post an update once I have dried the washed clothes!! 

Xo

*UPDATE*!! Check out my instagram account @the_caffeinated_mama to see a before and after of one of the items I used this on yesterday! Not bad if I do say so!

EO Diffuser Jewelry Special!!

Hey everyone! If you follow my instagram profile (either @essentiallydani or @the_caffeinated_mama) then you have seen me show off my Essential Oil diffuser necklace a time or two! Well, I wanted to share here for those of you that may be interested! 

I got my first diffuser necklace from the lovelies at Drops of Joy Jewelry. There are so many pretty styles, each with leather diffusing dots included. You just add a couple drops of your favorite oil and wear it throughout the day! My favorite at the moment is Young Livings Stress Away oil. It is amazing. I wear it in my necklace and enjoy one of my favorite smells all day long. 

Need a burst of energy? Add peppermint oil to it and take a whiff when  you need a pick me up! They don't just have necklaces either, they make key chains and bracelets as well, and in many different styles. For kids and adults! 

Interested? Click below to save 20% off your first purchase at Drops of Joy!! 

Click Here to Save!!

 

xo!

...thoughts on a tuesday

is it just me or is social media extra crazy lately? I understand that it is election year and so we are to be bombarded with slander and hate from the left and the right, but it is out of control! I turn on the news when I get a moment away from Mickey Mouse Club House and after five minutes of campaign drama or some new Kardashian scandal, it's clear that Mickey Mouse is the smarter program!! 

I used to enjoy watching the news in the morning with my cup of coffee in my bathrobe...but I don't anymore. It is always something negative. Over the years I have tried to distance myself from that kind of stuff. It doesn't do anything but keep you down. I like to be happy...I know the world is not a perfect place, but I just cant stand to hear about all the bad every single morning. It is not how I want to start my days. Both my husband and myself are just disgusted lately and we hardly ever turn on the TV anymore. If we do it is some random sitcom at like 7 pm when we finally get a chance to sit down. Comical relief. 

It is hard to not be sucked into the hole that is the media and its rantings shoved in your face every day...but we need to find ways around it. Facebook has become horrible. I loved it when I was younger and it had only been out a short time. It was simple! No pages to like, no news, it was for college students to connect with teachers and classmates etc... Of course it grew and it still was ok, there were fun things we could do on it like quizzes or games, we could even decorate a bit. It had not yet gotten so big. But of course when it comes to $$$ things will change. Advertisements started, then PAGES, and now FB chooses what you will and wont see in your OWN news feed! It's become absurd. Even now my favorite app Instagram is starting to suck. There are sponsored posts now, and ads. I just have had enough. Even typing this post is starting to cause me anxiety. 

 So, I wanted to take a page from a fellow blogger and post 10 things I like to do to keep my glass half full! ( or all the way full!! ) Things that create a positive frame of mind. With so much negativity going on, I think focusing on things that make us happy can help us to not be consumed.

                                                        

1.  reading a book!

2. drawing or writing (get creative!)

3. going for a walk or a jog

4. going for a drive...anywhere. Maybe somewhere youve never been! Lots of back roads where I live:)

5. working in the garden (digging in the dirt forces you to focus on the task at hand)

6. coffee dates w/friends

7. coffee at home

8. sharing my love of Essential Oils!!

9. spending time with my hubs (alone or with our kids:)

10. visiting family

*BONUS 11! Cooking!!!! 

There are so many more things I can think of but for the sake of not making this a novel, let's keep it short. We obviously cant forget that there IS a world happening around us, but we do not need to be caught up in it every single day. It is not good for the body, the soul or the mind. Over the last few years I have really gotten to understand just how important it is to remember that. I thoroughly believe that our mental and spiritual health is JUST as important as our physical health. (Especially if you are like me and have little cute/crazy kids in your face every day lol) 

I hope that anyone who reads this takes the time to put down the cell phone, step away from the TV and re connect with themselves and what they truly love. I guarantee that when you really think about it, "Angry Birds" is not a number on your list of 10 :)

Have a great and beautiful day!!

xo

...sixteen days!

until Spring! This Winter has been so bizarre with the weather patterns that I just cant help getting excited when we have one of those random 60 degree days!! So let's talk about one of my FAVORITE things about that wonderful time of year!

Before I met my husband, I was pretty clueless when it came to all things Organic and "Growing your own." He was raised by a mother who taught him about appreciating Mother Nature, taking care of your soul and your body, and living Organically/Naturally. She is the epitome of "granola" haha. Over the last nine years I have done so much research and have been pretty disappointed to see all the junk that is hidden in foods we eat. Unfortunately we do not have the land yet to where we could raise some animals (b/c we would LOVE to have meat birds, and a cow...maybe even goats!) So for now we do get our own fresh eggs from the four chickens we have, and we grow our own vegetables every Spring/Summer. Honestly, there is NOTHING better than having a salad at dinner and knowing that everything in it came from your yard and your hard work. Some years are better than others and sometimes the plants don't last as long, but I just enjoy the process. My husbands father owns an Apple Orchard here in town so he also had the luxury of learning how to plant and grow vegetables when he was younger. So he knows a lot of tips and tricks and I'm super thankful for that. 

One of the best things you can do for a garden is compost!! Many think composting can only consist of certain food scraps, but there is so much more you can get rid of this way! It is great because after time and turning it breaks down into the soil and makes for excellent planting!! We add our chickens poop to it too! (yea sounds gross but its great fertilizer!) We have had our compost here for about 5 years. It is in the same spot and we turn it often. When it is time for planting, we dig up the soil and bring it to where the garden is. We actually moved our garden this year b/c the trees where it was prior have grown so much in the last few years the sun is now blocked most the day over there. 

Here is a photo of our pile at present: 

We keep a stainless steel bowl on the counter near the sink and fill it with anything that is compostable. We empty it every day...super easy! (Don't mind the random glove...that's what happens when your toddler tries to help lol)
























Here is a great infographic on composting!

We recycle as much as we can in our house and composting is a great way to do so. Saves room in the trash too! We noticed a few years ago that the cardboard holders that the organic vegetables come in are compostable too! So instead of throwing them out, we just add them to the pile:) 

Over the last few years we have tried and failed with some plants. In the beginning we planted WAY too much. I think at one point my husband planted like 6 Habenero pepper plants (he swore they were Jalapenos...they weren't, and we never ate them!) 

I have planted Broccoli twice and each time we get the worms:( I should mention that we do not use pesticides or anything so we risk the bugs. The worms have ruined our Broccoli each time so sadly I don't plant it anymore.  

I am going to attempt some natural pesticides this year with my essential oils. There are certain ones that bugs do not like. I will mix up a batch and add it to my EO tab for others to try!

Slowly we have gone down to JUST what we eat in salads and a few vegetables we like to grill in the summer. I think for anyone starting out, less is definitely more...here is what we planted last year and what we will plant again:

*Various lettuce
*Spinach
*Cucumbers (2 types)
*Tomatoes ( few types)
*Banana Peppers
*Brussel Sprouts (though my chickens ruined those last year)
*Red Bell Peppers
*Summer Squash
*Potatos (came from our own supply)

I may add in some zucchini this year and some onions. I cant wait! I am also excited because my son is almost 3 and old enough now that I can get him out there to see what we do and to have him help us. We want to teach our children to appreciate the food they eat, and the work that goes into it. We want them to have a respect for nature and what it gives back to us when we give to it. 
















Every year I continue to learn more. When we buy our first home, we will make a larger and prettier garden!  I think I am turning into a wannabe homesteader haha. 

This is our garden last year, probably a month after planting...doesnt look like much lol...but it was just a baby! I think this year I want to experiment with raised beds...My husband tilled this part of the yard and mixed in our compost...the soil was amaaaazing!

Here are some cukes, lettuce and tomatoes!

Summer squash in there!

First picking once they were ready! Ugh gets me so excited!!!!

So, 16 days and counting. Probably in a week or so I will begin my seeds indoors. I want to start that with my toddler. I think he will get a kick out of seeing something grow from something he planted himself. 

FYI I am no professional...and I probably still do things wrong, but like I said I am still learning and thank god for my awesome hubs who knows a lot more than I do...and handles the weeding!! 

I hope anyone who can, gets to take some time this Spring and practice growing their own goodness!! Its seriously wonderful.

xo!

...one pot ONEderful!

afternoon all! It has been a busy week here in CT. My mother in law was down for a few days which meant ALL techy things must be limited! (not that she would say anything, but she is super granola and does not even have television...I know she hates when my son watches too much Mickey lol) So the hubs and I made sure to not be goofing off online as much as possible. You know, just to avoid the conversation on the way to the airport where she hints to us that internet, cell phones and tv are ruining people. She's right for the most part! We just don't need to hear it lol.

Anyways, I wanted to share a recipe that I made the other night for dinner that was pretty freaking awesome. I mean, I am Italian so pretty much anything with pasta I'm loving...but even if it's not in your genes...this was damn delicious and OH so easy to make!! I haven't shared a recipe in a while, so I thought this was perfect!! When you have littles at home and time is limited, these types of recipes are perfect. It will look gourmet on the plate but you know it literally cooked for minutes before you served it. Since making it, I have pinned a bazillion one pots on my pinterest page.

ONE POT SAUSAGE PASTA

Ingredients:

*1 lb spaghetti
*1 (12oz) pkge smoked andouille sausage (thinly sliced)
*1 large onion, thinly sliced
*3 cups halved grape tomatoes
*2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
 *4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
*kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
* 1 cup grated Parmesan









The easy part!!

Once everything is sliced and ready toss all
BUT the Parmesan into a large pot



Add 4.5 cups of water to the pot and
season with salt and pepper

Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until the
spaghetti is fully cooked and the liquid has reduced.

About 8-10 minutes.

Stir in Parm

Serve and chow immediately!!!

The photo does not do it justice...I was freaking starving and wanted to eat right away:)

For this recipe I chose chicken sausage over the pork for a little healthier meal. I mean the spaghetti and cheese still make it quite the comfort food lol but like I said...Italians just don't care! At least this one doesn't.

I highly recommend trying these one pot creations. Great for SAHM who have children tuggin on their clothes 24/7, or great for working moms who have to rush to get dinner ready when they get home. I'm all about quicker cooking these days lol.

Enjoy!!

xo

...adult coloring? ok!

 good Wednesday morning!

my current work of art lol

"adult" coloring seems to be the in thing these days. It makes me laugh because I remember being younger and seeing books filled with geometric fancy coloring pages. They looked more like the inside of a kaleidoscope but the idea was the same...use a bunch of fun colors to create a neat looking picture. So really, this is not NEW...just an old fad that someone turned fancier and labeled "adult" so that we feel like it's a little more substantial than just coloring in a coloring book...(it's not though). And of course it's a new way to get us to spend more money.

Don't get me wrong! I have always loved to color. In fact, I have my own "mama stash" of permanent markers, crayola markers, MR SKETCH markers (yea I got him too), colored pencils and crayons, that NO ONE in this house is allowed to touch except for me. I laughed the other day b/c my hubs asked my permission to use one of my permanent markers to write something on the calendar lol. HE KNOWS. 

As a stress reducer, coloring is amazing for me. Why? Because I totally get lost in it. It is one thing that when I am focused on it I am paying no attention to anything else. I'm busy making sure to stay in the lines & picking the right colors to make sure they compliment each other. I don't really have too much time to indulge, but when I do I do it at night when the babes are asleep. I make a cup of tea, roll on my "stress away" roller bottle and sit down with my supplies. It is the best. There are so many books out now with all sorts of themes. It is hard to pick one, but I know for me, it will take me months (maybe the year) to even finish one book. I don't want to get overwhelmed haha. Just to finish one PAGE takes me forever. 

Some of these pictures are so pretty, that if you have a good eye for color you could even frame them and hang them on a wall in your office or somewhere you want a burst of color. 

I found my book at Target for pretty cheap. I also found a TON at Michaels too. Really you can find them anywhere, (but I'm a frequent at Target.)

I wanted to share a couple links to some pretty printable pages for anyone that might want play around:) 

Pages 1 

Pages 2  (coffee pages!!!)

Pages 3

**Also check out my EO recipes tab....added a new Roller Bottle Recipe for anyone who experiances head tension!!! 

xo