This Little Light

Nature Studies

So, our first home school lesson was a success!  We didn't actually do the lesson "at home."  We traveled to a nearby state park.  We learned about cypress trees and why they hold water in their trunks, titanic acid from the leaves and why the water is the color of tea, mills and how they work, cotton gins, and then we went on a nature hike.  We collected pine cones to make Thanksgiving turkeys.   The beauty was, the kids didn't really know we were having a lesson.  I got a little overzealous a couple of times trying to "teach" too much.  I figure we will find our rhythm as we go.  I keep telling myself that there will be peaks and valleys.  It is a journey, and I'll constantly be learning what works and what doesn't. 

Georgia has such a wide range of natural resources.  I had never really thought about this until someone mentioned it the other day.  From the Blue Ridge Mountains that begin in North Georgia to a string of islands and beautiful beaches in Savannah and down the coats....And this is in between.  This is a lake filled with cypress trees.

The old mill

 

Scene from the mill window

 

Learning about maps before our hike

Holiday Soap Tutorial

I had prepared this soap tutorial for the holiday edition of Living Crafts magazine.  Due to space issues, the soap tutorial will be moved to the Spring issue.  That's okay; I completely understood.....The holiday edition will have articles on ornament exchanges, angel mobiles, and holiday crowns for children (I can't wait).  Soap isn't really "seasonal."  You use it all year round (let's hope so anyway!).  So, I'm going to change my tutorial a bit for the Spring issue.  I'll probably use fresh herbs, lavender, items indicative of the season.  I'm posting the holiday soap tutorial that was going to be in the current issue here.  I hope you enjoy!

Tutorial (or download holiday soap instructions):

There is something so special and pure about handmade soap.  The lather, the moisturizing qualities, the use of herbs and essential oils make for such a special treat.  What better holiday gift to give than a bar of handmade soap that smells of fresh pine or yummy holiday delights from the kitchen?  Those that use handmade soap know that once you start using it, you rarely go back to commercial soaps that often contain harsh chemicals. 

These directions are for a method of making soap called “cold process.”   Basically, the lye cures out of the soap instead of heat being applied to achieve the same result.  This allows for smooth, creamy soap that is, quite frankly, addictive!  Many people cringe when they hear that “lye” is in their soap, but all soap is actually made with lye.  Lye is a natural agent that triggers saponification.  When used with the correct calculations, you’ll make moisturizing soap that is wonderful for your skin! 

I like to use the following essential oil blends in the kitchen during the holiday season. 

Christmas Tree Blend:   ½ oz. Spruce essential oil, ¼ oz. Fir Needle essential oil, ¼ oz. Pine essential oil and 1/8 oz. Cedarwood essential oil.   Use powdered peppermint to achieve speckled green color. 

Holiday Baking Blend:  ½ oz. Cinnamon essential oil, ¼ oz. Clove Bud essential oil, ¼ oz. Pine essential oil, 1/8 oz. Nutmeg and 1/8 oz. Ginger essential oil.  Use paprika for a speckled red/orange color. 

Materials Needed:  Most of the ingredients can be found at the grocery store or health food stores, with lye being the exception.  The best place to buy lye is from soapmaking supply websites. 

 4 Pound Batch

Water 13.25 oz.
Lye (sodium hydroxide) 5.75 oz.
Coconut Oil 10 oz.
Olive Oil 20 oz.
Palm Oil 12 oz.
Plastic Pitchers
Stainless Steel Pot (must be stainless steel, aluminum will corrode)
Wooden Soap Mold (or buy one--Etsy has them too)
Kitchen Scale
Gloves
Stick Blender
Safety Goggles
Safety Mask
Kitchen Thermometer
Grater
Freezer paper
Plastic Wrap
Essential Oil Blend
2 TB Paprika (for Holiday Baking blend) and/or ½ TB poppy seeds (optional)
2 TB Peppermint (powdered) (for Christmas Tree Blend)  

STEPS:

1. While wearing safety goggles, mask and gloves, measure your lye in a pitcher on the kitchen scale.  Measure your water in a separate pitcher on the scale.  Combine lye/water mixture in the plastic pitcher, stir well with spoon. Always add your lye to the liquid. If the liquid were poured into the lye, splashing could occur and lye is very hot! Set aside and allow to cool to 100° F.
   
   
2. Measure your oils.

3. Melt the oils over low on the stove and  allow the temperature to drop to 90° F.

4. While everything is cooling, line your mold with freezer paper (instructions here).

5. Combine lye solution and all melted oils. Be careful not to splash while combining the mixtures.
   
   
6. Stir with stick blender until the mixture traces.  Tracing looks like thin pudding. It will support a drop, or your stir marks, for several seconds.
   
   
7. Once tracing occurs, add the essential oil blend and herbs.  Mix a few more seconds.
   
   
8. Pour raw soap into your wooden mold.
   
   
9. Cover with plastic wrap (this prevents a soda ash from forming on the top of your soap), and a blanket.  After 24 hours the soap can be cut and turned out of the mold.
   
   
10. Cut soap into bars and set the bars out to cure and dry for four weeks.
    
    
11. Once cured, you may want to use a kitchen grater to clean up rough edges.
    
    
12. Wrap your soap!  Here is your chance to get creative.  Use vintage fabric, raffia, muslin bags, kraft paper, stamps, etc.  One of my favorite ways to give a gift is to knit or crochet a wash cloth (thanks to my friend Katy for the ones in the picture) and tie the soap and cloth up with pretty ribbon.

Home school?

I have had something on my mind the past couple of weeks that I am obsessing about a bit.  School.  Education.  So.....big news....drum roll.....we're home schooling!  Gasp!  Yes, we are HOME SCHOOLING.  I never thought it would be an option with our work schedules.  How we crave hands on learning, art activities (and I mean more than a coloring sheet), and a child that is actually happy when she gets home....what I wouldn't give for a Waldorf or Montessori school close by.  I've always supplemented at home with activities, crafts, field trips, art, etc.  I love that kind of thing.  But making the leap from that to being a home school family is a bit scary to me...but also full of possibility. I've always yearned for this, but honestly, I didn't think I could pull it off.  I worried about being structured enough.  I worried about socialization.  I've come to realize that socialization does not mean 20 kids sitting at desks.  There are so many opportunities out there...if you just seek them out.  Our life has twisted and turned and it is so profound how you think you have no options, and then....you do.  How sometimes, you get what you need...when you need it.  That if you just wait, and be patient, sometimes those things that seemed unattainable aren't anymore.  I've learned that it takes a village...it truly takes a village. I've suddenly started looking at everyday, simple things as teachable moments.  I see my eldest opening up, hungry for learning (that works for her).  Children are not all the same.  The cookie cutter approach does not work.  I'll be going about my day and all of a sudden, I'll stop and think "my goodness, we're home schoolers...."

I'll keep you posted with some of our "lessons."

Oatmeal Soap Giveaway

 
I'm giving away a bar of our delicious oatmeal soap.  This one smells good enough to eat!  Made with olive, rice bran, coconut and palm oils, this soap is moisturizing and soothing...especially now that the weather is turning a bit colder!  Anyone who has itchy skin, this one is for you!

Leave a comment, and I'll post the winner next Tuesday by noon.  Good luck!

P.S.  Sorry for skipping Vintage Friday...lots going on...I'll fill you in next week!

Comments closed...and the winner is....

Julia--I have two little girls that could REALLY use this I'm sure :) I've watched your site for a while (my sister who lives in Georgia found it!), and I definitely want to invest in your soap :) This would be a great start!!

I'll eat you up, I love you so.

But the wild things cried, “Oh please don’t go-
We’ll eat you up-we love you so!” And Max said, “No!”

I can't wait.  We love the book "Where the Wild Things Are."  The book is genius.  Pure genius, I tell you.  So simple, and yet it speaks volumes.  My sister and I are taking the kids to see the movie tomorrow.  I hope it is as good as the book.

 

We never go to the movies.  I really have to WANT to see something badly to pay for overpriced popcorn!  Most of the time, I just wait until it comes out on DVD. 

I hope Sawyer isn't scared.  The "wild things" seem like they are lovable creatures, but you just never know what is going to spook him.  Lately, he has had an aversion to his beloved dinosaurs.

My wild things....

With shirt pulled over head....

I ain't smiling for no stinking camera.....

Projects in the wings....

I have too many projects I want to do.  It is overwhelming me.  And my kitchen floor is sticky.  But it can wait.  Because I need to make something....

Here are a few ideas:

Chalkboard Tablecloth

Dream Pillows

Little Hands in the Kitchen

Flour Sack Skirt Tutorial

Meal Calendar

Nut Wreath

Homemade Lanterns

My Quilt

Henry's Cardigan 

Am I setting myself up?  I think I might be.  Too little time and too much in my head.  I think I'm going to start an inspiration journal so I don't get so overwhelmed with ideas.  Swatches of fabric, pictures out of magazines, blogs with ideas I love, projects for me and the kiddos, etc.  Wait a minute...that's another project!  Will it ever stop?

Gratitude

What are you thankful for?

What do you *heart*?  (Campbell is thankful for art.)

Each night as we sit down to the dinner table for our family meal, we say a blessing.  It may be a prayer like "God is Great, God is Good" or it may be a verse from a poem, or it might be song lyrics.  Whatever it is, we try to have a grateful heart.  Some days we have so many to name.  Some days, we struggle to find the light in a hectic day.  It just depends.  A family tradition of ours is to go around the table after the blessing and say what we are thankful for.  It might be macaroni and cheese, a new word from Henry, a friend, the garden, whatever....It is one of my favorite family rituals.

In that spirit, I'm trying to be more grateful all day long, and not just at dinnertime.  When  I look at the glass half full instead of half empty, it seems to lighten the load.  Sometimes it is so very hard to do, but I'm trying to approach each day with grace, strength, a gentle spirit and a kind heart.

Today, I am thankful for:

1)  My Mother, my Father, and my Sisters.

2)  A hot bowl of soup (with grilled cheese) to comfort my weary mind.  I suddenly realize I sound very gloomy today.  I'm not really, just readjusting after a tough week.

3)  Having options when you thought there weren't any.

4)  The sweetness of a friend who really cares.

5)  Books.

6)  Understanding my knitting pattern.

7)  Baby noises.

8)  Realizing I'm not in control.  And that it is okay.

9)  A mother's instinct.

10)  That my sweet girl wants to eat lunch with me everyday.

11)  Anne of Green Gables.

12)  The library.

13)  Helpful people.

14) Toasted pumpkin seeds.

15)  Red wine.  I might be a little too thankful for this...

Vintage Friday #4

I am worn out from Halloween festivities (and a virus that has hit every person in my household).  So, instead of posting a picture today of a vintage find, I'm going to link you to one of my dear friends (Elizabeth) who owns a vintage store called Pomegranate Antique and Artisan Market.  

Elizabeth also has a blog that covers her life--"living and breathing creativity in a southeast Georgia farmhouse."

Greenhill Handmade

Check her out!  Elizabeth makes children's toys out of re-purposed sweaters, designs her own gift tags and cards, and pretty much blows my socks off with her vintage style and creativity.  Her eye for vintage flair is amazing ...and she's a pretty darn good listener too!

Elizabeth, thanks for being such a good friend and supporter.  I thank God that I found a friend like you!  Rock on, crafty mama!

She Said Yes

At our recent trip to the music festival, some of our best friends got engaged!  We were all sitting under the moss covered trees listening to a great band, and it went down something like this....

"Can I borrow your camera?" said Glen.

"Sure, it's in the stroller," said Tracey (me).

"Will you take a picture for me?" said Glen.

And then I see him reaching inside his pocket.  And his hands are shaking.  And I realize what he is about to do.  And I start screaming like a banshee. 

"Wait, the lens cap is still on!" I scream.

At this point, tons of people turn around and watch this man, who loves this woman, get down on one knee.  And thank goodness, neither one of them remember me screaming like a banshee. 

All of our friends are gathered around, (I know, it made me cry too) and he pops the question and slips a beautiful antique diamond on her finger. 

It was such an amazing moment to witness.  Paige's surprise, Glen's tears, our friends (and other festival patrons we didn't even know) started clapping....

I sure am glad I always have my camera. 

P.S. Notice the little girl in awe in the background!

Congrats Glen and Paige!  We love you!

Felted Fall

I love these acorns.  I found them on Etsy.  They are made by a wonderful little needle felting business called Tru Luxe.  We just added them to our autumn nature table.  I keep going and checking because we keep losing one or two.  Little fingers!  There is a black hole in my house.  One day I will find all the lost things.  And I will celebrate.  But I doubt it will happen any time soon.  So for now, I'll just look at this picture when I had all seven acorns.