Life After Three Kids

 Hello Fellow Netizens,

Life has been very busy, to say the least, after three kids. I feel so lost some days. I feel like I'm running in an eternal marathon. I'm not always prepared for it. But that is what you call life. Some may say, "it is what it is." But is it really?

The baby has upended our life schedule and my two oldest children are affected by that the most. I am worried for their education and how I'm not able to invest my time. I feel so stuck in my situation and I am also having a hard time taking care of my self. It seems like your family life can consume you to the point of non-existent self. I wake up early and I sleep late. Naps? 😳 What does that even mean? It is important now more than ever to not give up and keep trying. 

This time though is about finding a balance for my health, especially my mental health and physical health. I grew up being selfless and taking care of my younger siblings as I'm the oldest and I continued that on as I had my own children. There comes a point in your life when you realize all of sudden that in a bid to help others achieve their goals or take care of them, you end up neglecting your self. This is the time to pick up the pieces of yourself and gather them lovingly because if you don't take care of yourself then there will be nothing left to give. "To give is to get" is not always the best motto in life, especially when it comes to family. It can be misconstrued in many ways. I'm not saying no to charity or to helping others because I do that a lot. You have to be selfish sometimes and invest in yourself so that you can give your best to others who need it. 

Here's to hoping that things smooth out as we venture out on this journey called "life."

Annie

Cost-friendly Detergent

Energetic, active little kids = heaps of dirty laundry. 

That means more detergent use in the laundry department, but not necessarily. A while back, I discovered a laundry secret that would do two jobs effectively: fight stubborn stains and save $$$. The secret ingredient? 

Are you ready? 

Drum-roll please?!?

The secret ingredient that I dry mix thoroughly with my detergent is Arm & Hammer's Washing Soda. I like using the washing soda as it washes our clothes thoroughly while removing stains really well with just a little quantity of the detergent mix. 

Saving Tip: Upon purchasing your detergent and washing soda, mix up the two together to save time and make your laundry routine efficient.

Picture Source: http://armandhammerlaundry.ca/products/super-washing-soda-detergent-booster

Thanks for reading,

Annie

English Toffee

Hi y'all,

I hope that everyone had an awesome start to 2015. Recently, my husband got me addicted to English Toffee or otherwise known as "Butter Melts".

This candy was out of this world but came with a hefty price tag if it's purchased from a specialty/gourmet candy store. Now, you can indulge in this treat once in a while, but it can sure add up in the financial department. So anyway, I went off on a research stampede to make my own butter candy to have fun and save some $$ in the long run. After thorough research, I discovered a recipe that tastes A-Maazing and doesn't require much ingredients or any special equipment (Source: Connections with Christy).

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup of good quality butter (room temperature; cut in cubes for easy melting)
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 Tbsp. water
• 1 tsp. vanilla essence
• 1/4 cup of chocolate chips (Our family prefers milk chocolate chip but dark chocolate chips also taste great)
• Nuts or dried fruits of choice (slivered or chopped)
• Thick pan/pot for cooking the candy 
• A wooden spoon
• A baking pan lined with aluminum foil 

Prep/Directions:  

• Prepare the ingredients by adding the sugar, butter, and water in a pan/pot. Have all the ingredients ready and close to you as the cooking process is very tricky and your candy can burn easily if you step away from the stove.

• Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and you can either have the chopped/slivered nuts on the bottom of the candy or you can sprinkle them on top once the hot candy is in the pan, as a second layer.

• Now, turn up the heat of the pan to medium high and CONSTANTLY stir the mixture for about 10 - 15 minutes (depending on your stove and heat temperatures). Please stir with a wooden spatula/spoon. 

• You will notice that your butter/sugar mixture is starting to turn the color of caramel. This will tell you that your candy is almost ready. Now, keep stirring and you will notice bubbles in the mixture that will give off small puffs' of smoke. You can use a candy thermometer and measure the temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit to know that your candy is ready to pour in the aluminum-lined pan. Do this all quickly, as your candy can darken really fast (sugar burns very fast). 

• Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla essence.

• Don't wait too long to pour the candy into the baking dish as it will start to harden in the pan. Very carefully pour the candy into the pan to avoid any spillage, as the mixture is very hot and can burn your skin.

• Sprinkle the chopped/slivered nuts on top of the hot candy. 

• Next, sprinkle the 1/4 cup chocolate chips evenly on top of the candy and let is sit for a few minutes (1-2 minutes). Now, take the wooden spatula and carefully spread the chocolate on top of the candy. The chocolate is easy to spread as it is has melted due to the hot candy in the bottom.

 

• You can eat the candy once it's set, but I found that it was really delicious the next day after the chocolate and the candy had time to properly set. 

• You can store your candy at room temperature (preferably away from heat sources) for a month in an air-tight container.

• Now, all you have to do is hide the candy because it will be hard for the family to stop themselves from eating all of it in one-go! :)

Here's to wishing everybody an year full of happiness, love, good health and success.

Sincerely,
Annie

Fall-inspired DIY Runner Rugs

We have been looking for a runner for our kitchen that fits perfectly in the space and blends in with the decor at the same time. So, during a shopping episode one fine morning, I came across some mats on an end-of-season sale that looked the perfect candidate for a chabby-chic runner rug. The only problem was they were too small to make a runner but very beautiful/unique (they are hand-made). So, I decided to buy them (can't beat the price of 5$ for each handmade mat) and sew them together to make a long runner rug.

What you will need:

• Table runner (however many required to fit a space; the best way to test the space is by placing the mats in place and figuring out how much mats are needed or you can measure the space =)

Single Mat © Everything Family Guide

• An upholstery needle with a large groove
• Thick string, wool, or twine; the same color as the mats. I used a roll of normal knitting yarn.

What you need to do:

• First, place the mats side-by-side and upside down (we will be sewing on the bottom side of the mat that will be facing the ground) and then start by threading the string together. 

• In the beginning, the first stitch has to be secured with a thick knot and a criss-cross stitch. In order for the stitch to not show at the top of the mat, it is important to sew on the inside seams of the rug and not let the needle go through on the other side.

• The criss-cross stitch continues all the way along and is the best way to put the mats together and keep them together for a long time. Below is an example of a criss-cross stitch in a color that blends in with the mat. 

Criss-Cross Stitch © Everything Family Guide

• This project is a little time-consuming (possibly 10-15 minutes per mat), but all the hard work goes a long way. You can stitch a runner or a large carpet sized mat. 

Inspiration: I got the idea of stitching the mats together from Apartment Therapy where they had sewn round rugs together to make a stylish rug. 

4 Mats sewn together © Everything Family Guide

Viola! Beautiful D-I-Y Runner Rugs. The total cost of my mats $25 (including the mats, yarn, and upholstery needle). We loved them so much that I ended up doing one for the kitchen and the hallway. 

Thanks for reading,
Annie

Gardening Project at Home

We have been super busy this spring and summer (which is soon to end...SIGH...). This year we tried our hand at vegetable gardening. After doing some research, we have learned that for a crop-producing garden it is best to start planting our seeds and bulbs in early spring. We had a late winter this year, and so we started our vegetable patch in mid-May. In warmer places, it is suitable to start in April.

Here is what we did:

• We chose the sunniest spot in our garden because we were only planting for the summer and you need around 8-10 hours of sunlight for the healthy growth of your plants (this process of converting light to reusable energy for the plant is called photosynthesis). We started off by digging an area of the garden that was about 2 feet tall and 7 feet wide. We dug up the earth and loosened the dirt to add in our organic soil. We used two whole, large bags of good quality organic soil and mixed it up with the loosened dirt. Tip: it's best to get rid of any weed, grass, rocks and pebbles from the garden patch, as they can interfere with the growth of the crop and its roots.
• Then, we purchased organic seeds and vegetables from our local garden. My friends advised me to use fresh root vegetables (like green onions, onions, potatoes with suds, garlic, ginger, etc.), with their dried roots still visible. Using fresh vegetables for herbs that have roots usually yields good growth results.
• We made little holes with our spade to drop in our seeds and vegetables. Then we planted the vegetables and seeds in a row with a 3 to 5 inch gap between each vegetable (on the side, and in the back and front). After dropping in our seeds and vegetables, we closed the gap by covering it with dirt around the hole. Tip: don't be tempted to put in too much seeds or vegetables in a hole, as this can result in tiny or no growth.
• Next, came the CARE. We watered the plants everyday in taking care to use a watering spray, instead of a direct watering hose or can. Too much water pressure can make the plants stems slanted, weak or get damaged in the process. Thus, it is important to use a watering spray with low water pressure from the hose. Occasionally, I would visit the patch to pull out any weed or grass growth in or around the garden patch.

So towards the end of the summer and during beginning of fall, we decided to harvest our vegetables. Here is what we found (our hard earned results):

• Turnips - We used seeds to plant turnips. They grew the largest in our garden, with a fresh/crisp scent and vibrant colors. We knew they were ready because once they grow, they start to come up from the ground to the point that you can see turnip heads attached to the leafy part of the plant. Once they were cut, we found some kind of an infestations inside the vegetable and had to throw it out. Just a note to add, the turnip leaves are very leafy and wide/large.
• Radishes - We planted the radish using seeds. Although, the plant grew large leaves, the radishes were hard and raw tasting on the inside. Maybe, they needed more time in the ground, as some were kind of green on the inside.
• Potatoes - We used our pantry potatoes that grown white heads or sprouts. Potatoes need a lot of water and the leaves and stems should be trimmed often. The leaves are big and grow in clumps. Also, due to a lack of water or high heat/long sun hours, the leaves can burn or turn yellow. Two months into the growth, if the potato roots don't have room to grow or won't grow anymore, then you may begin to see little white flowers bloom from the potatoes stems/leaves bush. This is an indicator that there is no more growth of the potato root. The potatoes we harvested were tiny, but tasted and looked great!
• Carrots - We planted carrots seeds and the carrot leaves sprouted from the ground later than the other vegetables. The leaves looked very delicate and fine. The carrots we harvested were very tiny, but crunchy and sweet.
• Ginger - We used fresh ginger root and were not successful with growing anything during this season. The ginger root did grow some tiny roots on its head (this is an indicator that maybe we needed to plant them for a longer time). We planted the ginger root with a little bit of it peeking out for better growth.
• Green Onions - We planted fresh green onions with the onion root in the ground. They took a while, but once they strengthened they grew really tall and strong. After harvesting, we found the green onion bulbs and stems to be very large, yet crunchy and fresh in our salad.
• Onions - We also planted fresh, organic onions with the root side in the ground. They also grew thin, green sprouts similar to green onions. When we harvested them, we found them to be very tiny, yet fresh. 

I was aiming at doing everything organic (sans the fertilizers and pesticides). I think that when people do gardening at a grand scale (for business or education then they may need to use fertilizers to up their crop production and keep bugs/pests at bay). For me and my kids, this was just a learning experience and we did learn many things; some things we did right, while others needed improvement. On another note, I want to add that we harvested a little early because we sometimes get early cold weather here in our city during August, with Fall right around the corner. 

Overall, gardening is a committed job, but the yields make everyone feel so excited and proud of their accomplishments (after all the TLC). Next year, we will try some of the same vegetables but in a new way as we all learn from our mistakes. Below is our garden in pictures:

First growth © Everything Family Guide

First growth © Everything Family Guide

First growth © Everything Family Guide

First growth © Everything Family Guide

Growth in the mid-season © Everything Family Guide

Growth in the mid-season © Everything Family Guide

Growth towards the end of the season © Everything Family Guide

The yields from our gardening project  © Everything Family Guide

Thanks for joining us and reading about our gardening ventures.

Sincerely Yours,

Annie