Rainy Day Marshmallows

It started to pour at about noon today.  We'd already been outside for part of the day so we were ready to be inside but not ready to stop our adventures...so I got to try out my new rocket stove. (You can see it built up in my fireplace with bricks.  It keeps the fire contained and functional.)

We used skewers for marshmallow sticks.  The littles barely warmed their marshmallows before they ate them up.  After eating about a half dozen each I cut them off and we let the fire burn out.

 

I will admit my fire building skills need some work, we mostly burned strips of cardboard that I rolled up next to a piece of wood that eventually burned up.  I loved that the rocket stove limited the amount I could stick in and kept the fire so small and contained.  The design is for cooking as the fire is contained so you can put a pot on and cook.  I look forward to many more adventures cooking this way.

Weeds

Our yard is full of dandelions, like most lawns.  They like to come in and take over.  I spent an hour out in my yard pulling dandelions yesterday.  I had decided if I can't get rid of them I can at least slow them down by picking the flowers before they go to seed.  I must admit it was unforgiving work and I'm not sure I made a dent, although I did get this happy feeling when I looked out my kitchen and noticed the absence of the yellow flowers when I look out my kitchen window.  The bad news is that I started with the side of the yard that wasn't as thick with them.

 

All this time I spent pulling me out got me thinking.  As I looked at the seeds I thought how amazing it is that I was looking at the tiny seeds and how much potential there is in that one seed to make a big dandelion plant which will, in turn create more seeds until my yard is full of them. So, it there is that much potential in a little seed how much potential is in a person?  How much effect does a kind word or an act of service have?  Random acts of kindness are like those dandelions, they lead to more.  So the next time you have the opportunity to do something good, something small that will make a difference, don't hesitate.  You never know how much good you do.

Back To Basics

I was cleaning my kitchen today and there was a smell, you know the one, that musty, yucky seemingly untraceable smell that begs the question “what happened here?”  Being a bit of a neat freak I really don’t like my kitchen to ever have one of those mystery smells.  I proceeded to do dishes, clean out the sink, wash counters and wipe everything down.  It was toward the end of my cleaning that I found a bag sitting on my counter full of food garbage to put out in the compost bin.  It was stinky and a simple fix to my smelly problem.  It would seem natural when faced with a smelly kitchen to first take out the garbage, start with the obvious and go from there.

Life often gives us difficulties and just like with my kitchen smell we often seek a complicated solution to our problems instead of going back to the basics.  A couple months ago I was feeling depressed (which is not uncommon for me during the gray time of year) and I got all kinds of advice about what to do.  In the end, getting back to the basics helped more than anything.  I found that when I start my day with prayer and scripture study it sets a better tone for my day and improves my mood.  I also found that going to bed at a consistent time and NEVER skipping meals makes a huge difference.  Drinking water also improves my mood and energy level very quickly. 

Exercise also makes a huge difference.  I’m a huge advocate of yoga, yes it looks ridiculous, yes you will feel silly until you get the hang of it but you can do it in your pajamas, you don’t even have to put shoes on and hulu.com has several programs that are FREE. Maybe I’ll get brave and post a picture of myself doing yoga someday…because I want the world to see me in my pajamas…never mind, that’s NEVER going to happen. 

So the next time you have a problem or are feeling a little down get back to the basics.  Prayer, scripture reading, sleep, food and exercise.  You’ll be surprised how much difference it makes in your life.  Oh, and while I’m on my soap box teach your children the basics too.  I have met so many people whose households are in total chaos and my first question is always “Is everyone getting enough sleep.”  Watch Super Nanny if you need some ideas but teach your kids to go to bed and get some good sleep.  If your kids are hard find more resources to help you.  Also, teach your kids to eat a variety of foods.  So many parents give up when their kids spit something out the first time, their tastes change everyday and most of the time my kids have to try something three times before they start to like it.  They will be healthier and happier if they will learn to eat a variety of foods and it will make feeding them so much easier.  Okay, I’m putting my soap box away.

Get back to basics, find joy in everyday and live a happy life.  Yes there will be challenges but when you take care of the basics first you can handle the crazy… and yes, there will be crazy. :)