This Bunny Says "Cheap"

I'm not sure when Easter turned into the second coming of Christmas, but it is ridiculous how extravagant the store displays have gotten. Although any secular gluttony seems a bit weird to me since our standard Easter goodies were typically a bookmark that said "He Is Risen" and a package of yellow Peeps. If I haven't mentioned it before, my mom is fairly religious (Episcopalian) and we didn't "do" stuff like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. We gifted and celebrated and had egg hunts, but always with the "reason for the season" in mind. I never felt jipped and although I am not nearly as dedicated to matters of faith as my mother, I try to remind my kids how these holidays came to be and that they are not merely an excuse to get stuff.

So when I am putting together Easter baskets, I am truly wearing my EcoCheapo hat and trying to assemble them using a little "new" as possible because even better than something that was made in an environmentally responsible way is something that was not "made" for this occasion at all. In the immortal words of Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally, "It's already out there".

Wicked Cool Wednesday - The grass can be greener

I'm from New Hampsha so "wicked" is a way of life and since my photography skills are actually wicked bad, I don't feel bold enough to declare this post "Wordless".

Meatless Monday - Youth Gone Wild

As a child with a myriad of food allergies and a poncho wearing, draft counseling mother, I grew up eating some pretty funky stuff compared to my peers. I was completely fructose and lactose intolerant well into elementary school. I was the kid bringing sugar free jello to birthday parties having no clue why the b-day boy or girl didn't want to forgo the cake for the jiggling delight I had brought for them. The ice cream truck was never my friend and even once my stomach grew todigest the dairy and treats that the universe had to offer, I never became a sweet lovah.

I have, however, held onto many of the favorites that my mother made part of my diet including...(drum roll please)...Chick Peas!

For the Recycling Birds

If there is one thing I am truly afraid of it's birds. I know, this from a chicken farmer, but chickens are OK because they can't really fly high enough to dive bomb my face. That is what I am actually afraid of. Not that I have some traumatic childhood memory a la Hitchcock or anything. I was, however, pooped on by a seagull when I was in middle school which was particularly cruel. It may have been because I was wearing a hideous polka dotted balloon pants number and the offending avian thought it was the Drop Zone. That outfit probably deserved it.
So mortal fear aside, I do like to watch birds from the safety of my own kitchen window and so does the rest of the fam. Especially in winter, we like to fill our bird feeders and wait for the show to begin. I am no bird watching expert, but I do like chickadees in particular.

Winter Marketing

Since using the last of my garden carrots to make Noah's birthday cake last week, my fresh produce cravings have kicked into overdrive. I have been making a strong effort to buy as little, non-local fruit and veg as possible since the end of the regular Farmers Market season and, needless to say, the well has begun to run dry.
In October, I did bid my local market a fond farewell knowing that I would hit some of the Winter Markets that are held monthly during the off season. With a surprisingly wide variety of products to choose from, I have been awaiting their arrival with a mix of excitement and desperation. I had to work all day during the November market, but that was alright because we were still enjoying the vegetables of our own labor.
Now, with winter whipping me in the face every time I step outside and a crust of ice and snow covering my

Big Boy Budget Birthday

Hey now, Simple Butta Blog! You thought I forgot about you, right? In addition to new businessy ventures, it is also the holiday season (as if you hadn't figured that out from the incessant barrage of waste and attempts at financial ruin). That has made things extra crazy and, round these parts, December gets even hairier as two of my three progeny made their way into the world in the 12th month. Not good planning on our part, but the one kid we weren't trying for was born in June so go figure. I'm just sayin' it - December can be a crappy month for celebrating birthdays. Most people think of the financial burden, but to me it's strictly scheduling. It has taken me weeks to figure out when to hold their parties, yet it took minutes to get their gifts together. My store of choice lies in my basement where I stash all the treasures I have picked up during yard sale season and on my weekly (OK, sometimes daily) trips to the thrift store. Yes, I give my children second hand gifts and they LOVE them! They don't even notice the lack of packaging.

An open letter to my blog.

Dear Blog,

I am so sorry that I have been a bad blog mommy of late. It seems that every time I think "Well, once *blank* is over I'll have more time" a new *blank* arises and sends each day into some jumbled twist of the space time continuum. I wish I were Hiro Nakamura. Not only would I be irresistibly daffy, but I could freeze everyone else while I ran around and got X, Y, Z and Z's cousin done.
I had thought that once the Festival de Making Costumes was over we'd be good to go until at least Turkey Day, but I have taken on a new venture and all sorts of silliness has ensued. I had been thinking about getting a little J-O-B a while back, but could never think of something that could fit into our lives without disrupting the flow too much. Flow is very important. Never underestimate it. Just as your Java and Html need to be in order for you to function, our laundry, lunches and bedtimes also need this kind of attention and Big Momma is the one who gets this done.
But then...a series of conversations led to the development of a plan and I have now found myself as the purveyor of my own business venture and I am uncharacteristically optimistic about it.  One cornerstone of this new deal is the discovery of Barefoot Books. Yes Blog, the written word has worked its magic again and I am thrilled to be an Ambassador for this publisher of Wonder-Full children's books. The best part is that they have a supa dupa commitment to the earth and its inhabitants so the fit with me is like a Size 10, pre-kids.
So now the brain cells that I used to use to daydream about posts on whole grains and used shoes have been reassigned and are on Creative Duty of a different sort. But I promise you this, you are never far from my thoughts and I am keenly aware that you need some one-on-one time, too.
I am busier than usual at the moment, but once I get my show on the road I think things will run a little smoother. Wait, didn't I just shoot that theory to hell at the top of this post? Well, look at it this way, part of my new gig will be to read inspirational tales, gaze at stunning art, and spend extra time with the kiddos test driving the goods. There have to be some good post ideas in there somewhere, right?
There are other pieces to the new puzzle, but that's enough for now. I don't want to overwhelm you. You are a good little blog and I want you to know that I love you very much. Yes, I do. I am working very hard to incorporate many eco-ideas into da biz and I have you to thank for sparking the creative flame that had gone dim for a while there. I promise to be back soon and I know that in the words of one of my greatest heroes, Mr. Rogers, "you'll have things you'll want to talk about. I. Will. Too."

Love - Me

A Free Play Makeover

No, it's not for me, although I could use a serious overhaul. I keep waiting for those "What Not To Wear" people (most likely contacted by my very fashionable sister) to pop out from behind some aisle in a store or ambush me at preschool pickup. I would have to kill them if they tried to throw my clothes away, though. Not because I am particularly attached to them, but I spent good dollars at the thrift store one those and I can not condone such waste. The thrift store is certainly my favorite place to acquire new duds, but it is also my go to destination for just about all my other non-food needs, as well. So when I decided that I had finally had it with the mess the kids make of a playroom that I am chronically organizing, it only took a quick trip to Chez Cheap and I was off.

Here is a "Before" of the room in question. If I don't keep on them all day it ends up looking like this...

...or this

...and this.

                                                  

I was trying to think of a way to cut down on the amount of stuff and provide some new and stimulating ways to engage the kids (mainly the girls) in more productive play. I was checking up on one of my favorite blogs when I saw this on Our Yellow House. My Noah attended a Montessori preschool and kindergarten and I suddenly started thinking that all those Practical Life activities would delight the girls. So I did a little online research for inspiration and decided to go with a Montessori-ish theme. I moved all of the dolls, ponies, etc. onto higher shelves where the girls need to ask for them and filled the reachable areas with new activities that I put together for practically nothing.

A week and a half later and we are well on our way to a new way of playing and taking care of what we play with. Here are the shelves now. The top three shelves on the right and one of the ones on the top left are Noah's things and those still need to get pared down. The lowest shelf is all activities that need to be done on the floor. For these, the girls need to get one of the small rugs that is folded on the bottom left and their things must stay on that space. When they are finished, they must pick everything up and return it to the shelf before choosing something else. The next two rows up are all "works" that they will do on their table.

This used to be an end table that David had refinished, but we don't have room in our current living room configuration for it. The two little chairs were given to us for free when we stopped by our neighbors yard sale last summer.

The TV used to be here, but I moved it to the other side of the room because I hated it being the first thing I saw when I walked in. Since that move, the television has died and I couldn't be happier. We are not planning to replace it anytime soon. So now we have David's amazing dollhouse that he built for me last Christmas to greet us. The room also needed some additional lighting so I picked up this lamp at the thrift store for $5. It had a hideous black shade, but I found this funky one there for 50 cents. The rolling rack I got at another yard sale for $5 and it is awesome. The bins all slide out and I put some additional activities and books in it. Samson the itty bitty black kitty also wanted to get in on the action.

This is the new and improved Art Wall. Each child has a "clothesline" where we hang some of their recent work. There are also some projects created by the two oldest.

I moved this little corner table that I got from a free pile last year and made it part of our theme area. Right now I have out a little basket with figures from "Nightmare Before Christmas", some wooden apples and the Fall-ish books. All this was stuff we already had.

                                     

Here are the girls demonstrating one of the floor activities - stacking blocks. This can be a two person work and must stay on the rug to prevent them from getting thrown around the room.

This is an activity that helps build muscle strength and fine motor skills. Caroline uses tongs to transfer the little dinosaurs from one bowl to the other and back again. The whole thing stays on the tray and makes it easy to keep everything together and carry it to and from the table. I spent a total of 50 cents on this one.

This sorting activity can be done with any small objects, but Josie needed something a bit more challenging so here she is sorting a bowl of dried beans into a dish with three sections that I picked up for 50 cents.

The rice bin is a huge hit, but stays on a higher shelf and must be requested. It can get a little out of hand without supervision. I filled a large tub with rice and the girls dig for small plastic animals that are buried. This is a good one for them to work cooperatively on. They also like to use funnels and scoops to play with the rice. Some does get spilled, but it hasn't been too bad and after they are done I have them sweep up and they LIKE it!

Water play is always a hit, but I limit that to the kitchen. Each child has a tray, a dish of warm water and sponges cut into various sizes. They work on building muscles important to fine motor skills, like writing, by squeezing the sponges into the bowl. They also experimented with floating ad sinking. Had all the materials and just dried the sponges and put them away till the next time.

Pouring! I could write an entire post about how much kids love pouring. Here, Caroline is using a large plastic measuring cup with spout to pour into the funnel and fill a small glass vase. I put a drop of green food coloring into the water so she could see it better. This is all on a tray and a plastic place mat. Cost was 75 cents for a few things we didn't have a spare of.

Every day I think of more things to add and the beauty is that it all comes from right around me. The few things we didn't have I got second hand so there is not a single "new" item in the mix. The kids are loving it and I can't wait to incorporate some big kid activities for Noah. They are learning to work more peacefully and cooperatively. As I write this, they are ALL at the table behind me doing a puzzle together. And no one is SCREAMING. Miracles do happen. So take a look around, ask Barbie to scoot over and see what your kid can get their hands into.

This Weeks Thrift Store Haul

Sometimes I am on a mission when I go to the thrift store only to come up completely dry. I love deals, but I won't just buy anything. It has to be the right thing. Sometimes I go and just peruse and maybe pick up a gift to tuck away or a great pair of shoes. This week though, I went armed with a mental list that included:

• a few backup pairs of mittens or gloves for the girls
• a new hat for Caroline who is blessed/cursed with my hair which is ridiculously thick and makes hat wearing a challenge
• something to organize the barrettes and ponytail holders that are taking over
• materials to undertake a complete Montessori-ish playroom makeover

After spending $19.50 I walked out with the following:

• 2 cute hats
• 3 pairs of gloves
• 2 metal lap traps with the folding legs in great shape and with identical girly design
• a small three drawer organizer (for the accessory explosion)
• 1 laundry basket
• 3 medium storage totes
• 2 plastic stackable storage drawers
• 1 very nice plain wooden truck in perfect condition
• 1 wooden tray
• 2 basket trays
• 3 sectioned plastic trays
• 2 plastic sink size bins
• small plastic storage box
• small wooden handled brush, never used
• a brand new dust pan
• a huge vinyl placemat, brand new
• brand new set of measuring cups and spoons
• 2 small ladles
• 1 pair of tongs
• 1 small spreading knife
• and my best find of the day, a totally cool three wheel scooter which Josie has been asking for as a birthday or Christmas gift, in great shape and only $1

Everything except the outwear, the hair nightmare holder, the lap trays (Christmas gifts for the ladies) and the scooter will be combined with things I already have to organize the playroom and create works and activities for the kids. I am only loosely using some of the ideas that I witnessed when Noah attended Montessori preschool and kindergarten. I want the girls to begin to keep their materials in a confined space, to finish what they start, to put away something before they take out another activity and to just up the ante a bit in terms of their home education. I am chronically feeling guilty because I spent so much time working with Noah on anything and everything and the girls have never gotten that type of attention. There will be a few new things out for Noah as well, but he is generally pretty neat about his things and has a high level of natural curiosity that leads him to explore in his own way.
So that is my room redo plus extras for less than 20 bucks. I will post some before and afters once it is completed and, in the meantime, I am preparing to arrive before the doors open at a super mega Rummage Sale on Friday. I hope to walk out with my Christmas and birthday shopping for the coming year done. I may get buck wild so I'm bringing $40.00.

Lowish Guilt Movie Run

It seems that three is the age when all of my children have been interested in going to a movie in the theater and also the age when I thought they would be ready to sit through one without being one of those kids. So today it is our youngest Carolines' turn and so the first time that I will be taking all three to catch a flick. What occurred to me last night is that this also ups the cost on such an outing. Of course, the movie that was acceptable to all parties is Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs in IMAX 3D so it is an even pricier venture. I almost toyed with the idea of saying "Bag it. We can watch a movie for free here." But going to any movie is a pretty rare treat around here and a First Movie is a milestone.


Since I can't renegotiate the ticket price and matinee discounts of any significance seem to have gone the way of the Drive In, I am definitely smuggling in snacks and drinks. Sometimes I have neglected this step and been sorry when we got there and paid more for food than admission. And let's all just admit it now - movie popcorn sucks nowadays. The only thing worth anything is Non-Pareils. Even the soda tastes nasty to me. Maybe it's that bitter rip-off flavor.

To have an acceptably fun snack substitution I busted out the air popper and filled four, lunch size, brown bags. I know what you are thinking. Those paper bags are now going to be trash since they will be all popcorny on the inside and, therefore, unrecyclable. Is that even a word? Hold on. Let me check... It is! It even has its' own symbol. Who knew?

I am OK with this waste since paper bags are ultimately biodegradable and I have been working out of the same package for well over five years now. I also figure we offset this minimal trashiness because we only buy popcorn kernels and never microwaveable. I decided to add some butter flavored sprinkles this time after some grumbling about how our popcorn doesn't taste like the stuff at the theater. OK success, but I think I might just stick with salt. Butter in spray or powder form skeeves me out. I also packed a small baggies of M & M's for everyone. I buy the 4 lb. bags of those little chocolate pills for purposes of child treats and bribery. I will wash all those baggies later. I am a hardcore baggy washer and you will get a brain full of it soon. Stay tuned for that one. It's one of my specialties. Throw in a few water bottles and my oversize purse and we are ready for stealth snacking.

So I think I've got the cost down as much as possible. Now if I can just stay awake through the move I'll really get my monies worth. Ooh, this just in...the boy wonder has scored Red Sox tickets via Dad and will be making the pilgrimage to Boston with Grammy the Psycho Sox Fan. This outing is getting cheaper by the minute.

Shnack Day

Whether you dread it, tolerate it or live for it, Snack Day is a preschool rite of passage. At least around here anyway where we pay more than good money for this privilage. I have now discovered from friends who live elsewhere that some places have public preK. What??? NH is the last state in the country to get public kindergarten so by the time an idea as novel as free preschool takes hold it will probably be my grandkids who reap the benefits. So for now, we have two of our three kids in preschool which means that the Blessed Festival of Trying to Find Food Other People's Kids Will Eat comes twice as often. Sweet!
I am so not bragging, people seem to think it's some kind of miracle, but my kids will eat almost anything. And tons of it. I don't know if I am just lucky or what, but once when I was on a kindergarten field trip with Noah the hiking guide opened a can of sardines and offered them (I think for a laugh) to the kids and who is the one little guy who steps up and eats one? Mine. And he loved it. The other parents didn't know whether to applaud or puke. But I digress.
Back to the snackipoos. It so happened that this week, both girls came home with the snack basket and we had SD back to back. My goal with snack day is to come up with something cheap, nutritious and with zero waste. I do NOT do squeezy yogurt or fruit snacks or juice boxes. I really don't buy anything individually wrapped. I do, however, bake. So I often do minimuffins with whatever needs using up, like bananas. My all time favorite snack day treat though, is Homemade Chewy Granola Bars. They are like little sticks of heaven. What I really love is that most people have never seen a granola bar that didn't come wrapped in its' own little piece of garbage.
So here is the recipe and I do hope you'll try it.

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

4 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup honey or agave
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 packed brown sugar
1 cup add ins (raisins, dried fruit, choc. chips, etc.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all ingredients except add ins. I usually end up mixing it by hand. A little messy but does the best job. Then mix in the add ins of your choice. Press the mixture very firmly into a greased 9 x 13 pan. I do sometimes use a small piece of wax paper to press the mixture in and that is trash, but I have also had good success with a small greased roller or even my hands. Bake 20-25 min. Let cool completely then cut into bars. This makes about 16 good sized bars. Remove them carefully from the pan and store in an airtight container.

So the next time you are attacked by snack, give it a try. Let me know how it turns out. Once you have this snack, you'll never go back.