Happy New Year - End of a Blog

This is my last post on this blog. It's been a couple months since I posted here, and may not have much in the way or readers anymore. The simple conclusion is I've chosen to simplify my life. I started a separate "food blog" over at Frugal Family Feasts a while ago. I keep this as a personal blog, and that as a "professional" blog. I've decided to merge the two, because food is part of my life and my life is part of shaping the foods we eat.

So I'll still be blogging, just find me over at Frugal Family Feasts from here on out. See you over there...

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It's a quiet celebration in a ND blizzard for us. It would have been regardless of a blizzard. My husband had to work, so it's just me and my boys tonight. We are snuggled up on the couch with blankets, by our New Years Tree (see below), watching movies, and eating chocolate covered marshmallows & pretzels. We've played 2010 bingo featuring fun/memorable things we've done over the past year. To end the night, we're having a "sleepover" as my boys call it - which is just camping out in the fort that we made in their room earlier today.

Our Christmas tree has given way to a New Years tree.

I don't do the typical New Years Resolution thing. However this year, I'm looking forward to implementing something my dear friends Chuck and Teresa talk about - about living in manual instead of automatic. The idea is intentionality and purposefulness in life. About evaluating life and living it rather that letting life happen to you. The idea of taking every thought captive is a difficult one - but valuable. So I resolve nothing, but ask God for His strength in this endeavor.

On the food front this year, I'm back in the kitchen creating and it feels good. After months of struggling through my son's food allergies and learning how to cook with all different ingredients, I'm starting to find a grove. Also, now that we've got him into the swing of things, the rest of the family takes a more liberties in eating foods that he can't. He's done remarkably well with that... so far.

I'm looking forward to a new year, to see what may come. Our 2010 was a year of change and emotional struggles. It wasn't always pretty, but we are better on this side of the year. God has done great things, even when it didn't seem like it. My prayer for you and your family is that you can same the same thing on the other side of 2011.

Happy New Year friends.

Food Love Languages

Many of our loving gestures to others include food. I'm doing a series over at FRUGAL FAMILY FEASTS about speaking the food love language of friends and family with food allergies by learning a few simple tips on how to cook/bake safe foods for those with an allergy or intolerance.

You are loving on someone when you take the time and care to include them in every part of life, and that includes meal time.

I've been asked a lot of questions about "What can we make that is safe for you guys to eat?" I've offered a few of our standard options. Take a peak and pick up a few ideas.

Etsy Success

Celebrating selling my first apron on Etsy (thanks to a blog friend) and selling Halloween trick-or-treat bags to friends. I've had some custom orders too which is great. It's nice to see hard work paying off. Talked with a new eco-friendly shop about possibly selling some of my designs in their new store. We'll see how it goes.

For now, a little happy dance and off to finishing those custom orders. This is fun.

swagbucks

Okay, so I was skeptical about Swagbucks. I've heard about them for a long time, but it seemed like a scam, and a waste of time. However, I knew a few people who were having success, so I gave in to the dark side and tried it out.

I've been a swaggernaut for a couple of months now and have been pleasantly surprised. I'm steadily earning points that I'll be cashing in for Amazon gift cards to help pay for Christmas.

So I'm just putting it out there if you want to know more. Use it like a standard search engine, answer a daily poll, get others to sign up, answer a few surveys, and you earn points.

NOTE: if you aren't interested, move on with your life and I'm completely good with that.

If you are interested, check out more...

Ironic Lunch

I had an ironic lunch today with the boys... organic apple slices & organic carrot sticks to dip in Trader Joe's sunbutter with a few organic corn chips - oh and candy corn (loaded with all sorts of artificial everything) for dessert.

Oh well, right. It's one of the few commercially produced candies Ryan can eat due to the allergies, so it's an easy splurge.

Etsy

Today is a better day and I'm a little less emotional. I am also very excited because I just launched a store on Etsy.com (similar to ebay but they host sellers of handmade and vintage items). So far I just have aprons up there, but hope to be adding collections of baby items, blankets, quilts, holiday decor, linens, etc.
I called it Domestic Artistry because I love the idea that my home and family are a canvas. The art that I create (cooking/baking, sewing, scrapbooking, kid ideas, etc) is meant for making life more beautiful and memorable - and hopefully enjoyable.

Check it out on Etsy under DOMESTIC ARTISTRY

Learning Contentment

I'm struggling tonight to be content. I came to grips with a reality tonight and I'm really struggling to be content with the conclusion of the matter. It's not that big of a deal, just disappointment.

Part of me wants to sit and wallow in the disappointment while the rest of me wants to push it aside and pretend it doesn't exist until having to deal with it. Neither one changes reality. It is what it is.

One of those grown up nights were hopes and reality don't line up.