I've tried homemade cleaners before.  Some work just fine and others don't work so well.  I 've found myself saying there's a reason why cleaners, deoderants, shampoos, and soaps have been commercially produced (and with harsh chemicals).... because they work!

However, I'm willing to try, again, a very basic recipe for an all purpose cleaner I can use to spray my kitchen countertops and bathroom counters, too.  This one I found today is a little bit different than most of the others as it has a teaspoon of borax in it.

I found it on this website and have just mixed it up.  I also made sure to write out the recipe on an adhesive address label and have stuck that to the spray bottle so that I know what is in there for easy reference.

Here is the recipe:
Homemade All Purpose Cleaner Recipe
Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon borax
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 30 drops essential oil blend (see below)

Directions

1. Boil the water. Pour it into a large glass measuring cup or pitcher with a spout.
   
   
2. Add the borax and stir until dissolved.
   
3. Add the vinegar.
   
4. Let cool, then pour the mixture into a spray bottle.
   
5. Drop in the essential oils.

Handy Hint: Add the essential oils AFTER you pour the cleaner into the bottle because the essential oil's scent can "stick" to your measuring cup or pitcher.

Finding a natural rhythm to education

Now that I'm a good 8 weeks into my third year of homeschooling, I'm delighted to find myself mellowing out, being more sure of myself, and trusting that children will actually learn even if they don't follow a drill sergeant's lesson plans.  I'm happy to be shedding the old, traditional, and conventional ideas I had about education and child-raising.  Yes, the two things are connected.  I have learned so much about education and child-rearing in these last 2+ yrs homeschooling because, you know what, the two things are intertwined. You raise your child and you teach him so much. Of course you need to teach him more than just life skills, and that is where algebra and chemistry come in, but in the big picture, real life is a lot more like homeschool than like middle school!



enjoying a lacing book

Thanks to my youngest child who is almost 4 yrs old, I witnessed how a little one could become a toddler, then a preschooler and still stay in their home environment and still learn all the stuff they could be learning in a "school".  Yes!  Colors, shapes, numbers, letters!  Songs, games, skills, and compassion.  It's rewarding to see the leaps and bounds they make in simple things like how to hold a pencil (or crayon or marker), how to coordinate their hands with their body, and how to recognize letters.  Their ability to memorize is freakishly strong.  Fill their heads with words and verses that you want to hear them repeating. 

I know there are so, so many different family dynamics and needs all around the world.  Culture, work, relationships, and other factors all affect the decision that goes into how little ones are cared for.  There is no one right way.   Thankfully I am able to use many resources I've been blessed to have at my disposal.

I'm hoping this 'natural feeling' to our method will help our children feel like they are living their life rather than stressing over the next grade level.  Do you remember being told in 4th grade to just wait and see the work you'll have to do in 5th grade?  Or being prepared by your guidance counselor for Junior High?  And then in junior high being in awe of the high schoolers while being in stress of the tales of academics?  It continues until you're at the end of college typing up a resume wondering what to do next.  I (possibly naively) think that a different grooming up through those years could possibly have a better end result.  That by living life and having a natural childhood (yes, protected from issues that are not age-appropriate) a young person might be more well adjusted and ready to join the real world which, as I said earlier, looks a lot more like homeschool than middle school.

Some Saturday Homework

I've been making bread using the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day for well over a year now, and I'm very happy with the simplicity, versatility, and ease of the whole system.  I absolutely love the taste of homemade bread.  It is so earthy and good, not airy and sticky like store bought breads.  For a long time I wasn't buying bread from the store at all, but I do now since it's easier to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on that type of bread.  This week I've made two batches of the honey whole wheat sandwich bread which comes out to four loaves.  I love it as toast and is soft enough to be used for sandwiches for anyone eating at home since it can be messy!  I saw this dough hook on amazon and think I could really use it to help get the dough mixed up with more ease!

For the end of the day I've pulled out my crockpot and filled it with ground beef that I browned with an onion to which I added a few cans of diced tomatoes, pinto beans, golden hominy, taco seasoning, and a packet of Ranch dressing.  And a cup of water.  This is now filling up the house with a yummy smell and I can continue running errands this afternoon like I did all morning!

I've recruited my kids into the new laundry system and had them begin by washing their sheets this morning.  It went over well!  I also printed out a guide of sorts that I will post in the laundry room.  Instead of messing with laminating them (which I don't have the right tools for) I will slip the sheets into page protectors and keep them posted on my bulletin board in the laundry room.
The details of the list are on this blog page.

 

Laundry Day

I'm crawling out of hibernation (although real hibernation is just now setting in for us here in Seattle) with a renewed spirit for blogging. It sure ebbs and flows, so hopefully I can churn out some useful posts before I decide this just a bunch of hooey.

I'm in the process of giving my laundry system a small tweaking.  Now that we're settled in a new house, and our routines are getting established, I think I can make the entire system more efficient.

A couple of years ago my son, who was 9 years old at the time, was interested in washing his own clothes.  I was pleased with his eagerness and showed him the ropes.  One down. Three to go!

The only flaw with that method is that the loads are too small and too far between.  I'd rather combine similar colors and types of clothes into large loads and have everyone pitch in with the laundry.   A lot of variables will affect how your laundry system works; number of little ones, types of activities, your own schedule, and how things flow in your home.  My laundry room is not anywhere close to the bedroom area and we don't have a laundry chute or anything fancy like that!  Thankfully, for now, I don't have any baby clothes or tiny socks to wash and dry.  Also, everyone who wears clothes knows how to put them away, and most of them take an active part in the process.  This is where this overhaul comes in... time to tailor it to work for me instead of me working for it!!

First thing I'm doing is going back to assigning bed sheet/towel day.  It used to be Mondays, but that was before I was homeschooling and Mondays were for major housecleaning.  Boy do Mondays look different these days.  I figured now that my 3 older children can handle it, they should all strip their beds on Saturday mornings and get one extra large load going in the morning.  The sheets can be dried and back in their rooms by lunch.  I will do my bedding on Sundays along with bath towels.

Second course of action I plan on using is something I've been doing for over 2 years now.  This habit formed *after* I began homeschooling thanks to the advice of other homeschooling moms.  I make sure to put a load in the washer first thing in the morning.  This means the basket comes downstairs with me when I go to fetch my first cup of coffee.  That load can be switched to the dryer (by a child) and then folded during our lunch time or just after we're done for the day.  If there is a lot of laundry for some reason, then I can squeeze in 2 or 3 loads by 4:00 if I need to.  This is where I'm trying to figure out how to get the kids more involved.  I might just bring the basket down and have them load the machine and switch them.  Or they can be in charge of certain loads that are already presorted thanks to the laundry baskets I have that have hanging bags to separate loads.

Today I gave the two middle children a little lesson on how to use the machines including how to sort loads, how much soap to use, and how to select the water temperature.  We went through appropriate dryer temperatures and times.  I will reinforce this by typing up (with pictures) a little "Laundry Protocol" chart to put up in the laundry room with information about each type of load and its settings.  (have I lost anyone yet?)  I got the idea for this laundry protocol list from a book called Large Family Logistics which I've been skimming for two days and am really enjoying.  Even if you don't have a "large family", I think the general advice for managing a home is fantastic.

Here's what I have so far for my list:

1.  Clothing gets sorted according to colors:

 Whites (hot water),

Reds/Pinks (warm water),

 Blacks/Dark Blues (cold water),

 Light Colors (warm water),

Multi Colors - stripes, patterns, mixture of bold and light colored clothing (warm water)

2.  Towels get washed by themselves

3.  Rags get washed with kitchen towels in hot water

4.  Look for stains, treat with stain remover, set a timer for 15 minutes, then start the washer

5.  Loosely fill the basket.

6.  If you use bleach in a load, the next load washed should be towels, whites or light colors so possible residue doesn’t ruin the next load’s clothes

7.  Hijabs, abayas, and silky dresses go in cold and delicate cycle. No dryer!

Line dry the following:

* Hijabs and abayas

 * Certain undergarments

 * Exercise clothing with spandex/stretch

 * Thin delicate tops of any kind

 * Jackets/coats/ski pants

 * Snow gloves, hats, scarves

 * Sweaters (ask mom, some of them can go in the dryer on delicate)

* Sports uniforms and cycling clothes

(I got inspiration for this list from this blog)

And finally, on this subject, I am in the process of fairly distributing chores.  I might have a laundry helper for one week and switch the next week.  This would cut down on confusion on whose turn it is or if someone got assigned a light day versus a busy laundry day.  The other person could have floor duty which would be my sweeper in the kitchen, breakfast area, and family room.  Yes, I think that sounds just right. 

Just like any task we undertake in life, it will yield a better result if it is well planned and if the right tools are used.  Looking at household work as 'systems' and setting up their structure in a well thought out way will hopefully make the task get done efficiently and well.

Ramadan is half over

Before Ramadan starts it is easy to feel apprehensive about it. 
"How hard will this be?"
"I don't want to give my morning coffee"
"Argh, taking care of 4 children while fasting will be a disaster"
"Iftar is so late, how can we have just one meal a day?"

Then Ramadan begins.  As soon as it is announced that the moon is sighted I get a little chill run through my body. I'm a little excited.  A special time is here.  Will I be present enough to get some benefits from it?  I sure hope so!  And even if I can't do all the 'extra' worshipping that many people do I know that taking care of my children and my husband is worship in and of itself.  One day I'll have more free time to stay up in prayer or to sit and read during the day, but for now I'm going to take it as it comes, one day at a time.

Since last weekend I've taken a little break from cooking.  My husband was out of town, so that took some pressure off :)  There was also a day-long seminar (I guess you could call it that) at a friend's house and at the mosque that included great sisterhood, lectures, and shared meals.  I ate at her house Wednesday night and Thursday night and got some of that encouragement I blogged about not too long ago.  It was refreshing to hear words of faith from a lady who has studied Islam and shared the beauty and hope of it.  It was also fulfulling to be around a couple of dozen other women, some I knew, some I didn't, who were there for similar reasons as I.  We visited, laughed, shared, and ate together.  It was a much needed couple of days with friends.

Now on to the food ... you knew that was coming...
Monday night was frozen pizzas and leftovers.
Tuesday night was dinner at a local pizza place the kids love.
Wed and Thursday were at the friend's house. For the potluck on Wednesday I took Chicken Paprika, Rice, and some Taco Soup.  Thursday Iftar was catered by Kabab Palace.

And that brings us to this weekend.
Friday, today, I'm making a carrot soup, zucchini quiche, salad, and if I find a bag in the freezer I'll heat up spaghetti sauce and make spaghetti (mostly this is for my husband).

Saturday we'll have our first guests over for this month of Ramadan.  At the first of Ramadan, Iftar started out at 9pm, but tomorrow it will be around 8:40.  That's easier for us with our little ones needing to sleep, so we're excited to have company over tomorrow!  I'll be making a leg of lamb which I season, sear, and put in the crock pot for a few hours.  Sides dishes will be roasted veggies, salad, soup, rice, and maybe a potato casserole. 

May the rest of Ramadan be filled with blessings!

Meal notes

I've missed doing my menu plans here, but don't you think I haven't been cooking!
I'm going to back track and note what we had this first week of Ramadan.
When you haven't eaten since before the crack of dawn, a proper meal is in order come sunset.  Thankfully my husband isn't too set in any traditional foods, so there's no pressure to create 'feasts' each night like many homes do.  We've been sticking with a main dish and either a salad or a veggie side dish.  I made a soup one day but no one ate from it.  Desserts aren't a problem, either, now that I have an eager 9yr old chef in the house!

Last Friday: Shakrieh (beef cubes in cooked yogurt with rice on side)

Saturday: Seasoned chicken and veggies in an oven bag.

Sunday:  Salad, I can't remember the main dish

Monday:  Spaghetti and Sauce

Tuesday:  Hamburgers

Wednesday:  Leftover spaghetti, macaroni with behamel, leftovers

Thursday:  Musa'ka

Friday:  More Musa'aka, rice, and a salad.

Ramadan is here

Ramadan started a week ago today.  What a great month it is; great meaning it is full of blessings, forgiveness, renewal, prayer, control, and bonding.  When we think it is so hard to fast from dawn to sunset, we remember those less fortunate.  Families of my friends are in Syria right now sleeping in their hallways because snipers are shooting randomly into homes.  Sick soldiers are going home by home terrorizing the men, women, and little ones, slaughtering them after torturing them for no good reason.  Muslims there are fasting, their food supplies running low and their cash supply dwindling every day.

Fasting is like a big brother taking you by your shoulders and shaking you telling you to snap out of it (whatever 'it' might be for you).  You don't realize what you've got until that basic need (food and drink) is taken away from you for a few hours for you to realize what you have to be thankful for.  I made a funny comparison the other day.  Sometimes my kids gets caught up in a certain computer game or XBox game, and I find them sneaking a few extra minutes here and there when they think I'm not paying attention.  Or they forget all about our rules and play without eating breakfast, getting dressed, and doing the stuff I like them to do in the morning.  When they've reached that point in the past, they've been grounded from the game for a while to get it out of their system and out of their routine.  During their grounded time they come up with stuff to do!  They make up new games, draw, talk to each other.  They see other things they can fill their time with.  That's how I feel fasting is for us during the day.  Like we've been grounded from the thing we are fixated with (filling our bellies, feeling good about it, etc..).  And that gives me the opportunity to reflect on so much more out there that will hopefully lead me to a better spiritual self.

"O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)” (Al-Baqarah 2:183)

Encouragement

I'm not so good at organizing my thoughts into words.  I often have so many things I want to blog about, but when I sit down to type it out the words just don't come together like I am thinking them.

I realized after looking at some old blog entries of mine that this blog does actually serve at least one purpose; it give me glimpses of days gone by.  And I remember those moments and smile because I'm happy to have lived them (and lived through them!).  And in a way, those old blog posts are little encouragements for me to keep on. 

As humans, we are weak.  Allah, our creator, reminds us of this in the Quran, but He follows it up with a way to get out of being in a state of loss.  It's by having patience and by doing good deeds.  Doing good deeds might not be so hard because it is an outward act, but having patience is harder because it involves one's will and inner self.

I realized that I crave more enouragement and look for it from others.  I need to hear over and over what a blessing the children are, how our efforts with them are for a purpose, and most of all how other Muslim moms and dads find comfort in practicing Islam in our day to day.  Sadly, it's not a commonly voiced sentiment in our circles.  We praise God every other word, practically, by saying such praises such as "Masha'Allah", "SubhanAllah", and "Alhamdulilaah", and I do believe those are sincere.  What is lacking to me is that spark of joy that glints in the eye and that tone in the voice that sounds like a song.  I shouldn't compare my life to what is shown on TV or what the Duggar family represents on their show or blog... those are all edited, tweaked, and prepared ahead of time.  But it is so nice to read from their blog (or watch a show) and see that joy and positive attitude from the family.  That is encouraging to me, and that's what lead me to this blog post today.  I can try to be that positive influence to others, and in the meantime I pray that someone can be that for me.

pizza for dinner

Sometimes the kids ask to make their own pizza's for dinner.  I'm not a big fan. It's kind of messy and takes a lot of time with setting it up, prepping the dough, and then baking it.  But I did give them the go-ahead last week, and since I have my homemade dough available in the fridge (thanks to http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/) I figured it would take as long. 

Here's how my artist fixed up her pie:

little art project~ what a hoot!

Last week my three girls stayed over at their grandpa's house while I ran an errand with my son, and my dad' wife set up such a neat art project for them to work on while I was gone.  She had found a magazine full of great looking projects and put it in my hand the week before.  I flipped through it, and all I could think of was how I knew there was no way on God's earth I would ever get all the materials, time, or patience to do ANY of those projects.  And they looked so unique and polished; not messy and headed for the trash.  I suggested maybe they could do these when the girls ever came over to their house, and wouldn't you know, the opportunity came up just days later. 

I can't wait to see future projects.  These are things I might put in frames or hang in our school room.  Here are a couple of pictures of the finished products.  I don't have any links or instructions because they came from this magazine she has. 

below, the whole gang gathered on the desk for a photo shoot



close up of a couple of owls and butterflies



this one has a little feather thing going on... so stylish

 also, they hot-glued sticks to them so that they could put them in vases or something