Happy Candlemas!

The sun shined for half the day, which complicates the traditional Candlemas Rhyme:

If Candlemas Day be fair and bright

Winter will have another fight.

If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain,

Winter will not come again.

According to Exploring Nature with Children, a curriculum that my kids and I love:

“Candlemas… falls midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox and takes its name from the blessing of candles for use in church throughout the coming year. Candlemas marks the presentation of the Holy Child in Temple, where Simeon held Jesus and called him a ‘Light to the World’. In pre-Christian times, February 1st was an important festival to celebrate the returning light.”

What could you possibly do on Candlemas but… make candles.

For us, it was out of old and broken crayons.

We spent a good part of the day removing the crayon wrappings and listening to some of our favorite songs.

We separated the crayons by color.

And then we took turns melting each color down in a non-stick pan on the stove.

We learned quickly that crayons are made with more than just wax, and that this activity should be done in a well ventilated area!

We used up-cycled glass from old candles to hold our wax, and tried different methods to layer, swirl, and sprinkle.

Also, we learned that clothes pins are great to hold the wick upright while the wax solidifies!

Last week, we also celebrated another birthday in the family.

Aurelia created this delicious smelling diffuser blend to celebrate:

Lastly, with this wonderful weather, I’ve begun my Spring Cleaning.

This week, I cleaned under my sink.

Yuck, right?!

It’s always amazing to find the things that have sneaked their way into this well trafficked area!

Before

After

I’m happy to be able to cut down on cleaners!

Thieves cleaner by Young Living literally cleans everything and has no toxins, chemicals, or fragrance.

Whats your favorite cleaning product?

Sunday Inspiration

My husband’s birthday was Monday.

He works as a fire fighter and was between his day and night shifts, so I had very little time with him.

So the kids and I made vegan cupcakes. For lunch we had BBQ jack fruit sliders on homemade buns with fresh sweet potato fries.

This is the roll recipe I used:

From a cookbook that made baking, especially baking with my kids, accessible.

We studied Monet in our Classical Conversations co-op this week, and the tutors were able to take flowers home.

I get to see these in my kitchen:

I read a poem by Mary Oliver, and this portion spoke to me:

From “In Blackwater Woods” in New and Selected Poems by Mary Oliver

Franny and Zooey are loving their adventures in our stream:

Honestly, Henry (our border collie) is struggling more than anyone with our new additions.

If you’re local, and love dogs, pop in this week and give him some love!

Lastly, Happy Lunar New Year!

Have a wonderful week.

The Love of a Duck

Earlier this week, I inherited two pre-pubescent ducks.

I’m not quite sure how accurate that label is, as I’m not aware of what the cycle of puberty is in the duck community.

My neighbor has developed a love for the creatures, going as far as to raise one in her home and diaper it so it can be one of the family.

Her most recent duck can be found snuggling with the dogs, cozied in a blanket, or waddling around the house.

The duck can also be found in Bex’s art studio, both admiring and being admired. It’s a truly beautiful relationship.

Knowing how lovely Bex’s duck is, and having a love for animals of most shapes and sizes, I jumped at the chance to be a duck mom.

Here are the things I’ve learned in the first few days of duck parenting:

1. I’m allergic to ducks. Lets be honest. Ducks aren’t exactly the most pristine creatures. And while I’ve never had issues with down, something about two live, jumpy ducks in an enclosed space literally gets dander moving in ways my sinuses just can’t handle.
2. I’m a better duck mom from afar. My sweet ducky angels, Franny and Zooey, now have deluxe living quarters on our porch.

3. Our border collie, Henry, loves to watch the ducks. Since meeting them, he has eagerly observed them. He was the only member of the household disappointed when they were relocated to the porch.

This might be a good moment to stop and tell our ducky saga.

A few months ago, I was approached with the opportunity to raise two sweet hatch-lings.

Bex had enough experience interacting with and observing ducks to believe that they wouldn’t make it though the cold snap we were experiencing.

I reluctantly declined, knowing that ducklings needed more care than I was able to offer.

Someone did take them in, and the ducks lived and grew happily.

Until things changed, and Franny and Zooey were suddenly at risk of homelessness once again.

My resistance was futile.

In the end, a tote full of the tenacious brother and sister duo found its way into our living room.

Chaos ensued.

But chaos is an excellent teacher.

I learned that…

4. Ducks have talons that dig deep into your flesh.

5. You can, quite literally, scare the shit out of a duck.

6. Molting. It’s a thing.

Yesterday, I attempted to reintroduce the ducks to their mother. I learned…

7. Reunions aren’t always positive experiences.

8. I also learned that chickens, at least ours, have no love for ducks.

Our chickens hid in their coops until the ducks left them alone.

But I’ve also seen the bond between the two ducks. Who peep their heads off if they are separated.

They steal their sibling’s food, but clean each other with love and care.

These ducks take quickly to their natural habitat, and love to waddle through the back yard and into the stream.

My goal is to help them through the cold season.

I’d like to “release” them into the “wild” of my town.

Is this even possible?

Will they ever acclimate to the other “locals?”

I am a student to this, and would love any constructive criticism or advice in making the most of the experience.

Ducks may be small minded, but they are fun and trusting, and I’m excited to see how the experience unfolds.

Kitchen Organization

I thought that, in my quest to help you organize your life, I’d start in a room we all use…

The kitchen!

Kitchen organization is a necessary evil.

It would be lovely to have all or our ingredients shoved into one cupboard.

Or maybe you’re more of an ingredients on display kind of organizer?

Either way, I thought I’d show you a few ways I keep a good handle on what stock I have in my kitchen.

Our kitchen has a medium amount of storage.

I often find it necessary to rearrange in order to best know what I have.

When it comes to dinner options: oils, mixes, dry goods, I like to keep it sparse.

This picture still makes me cringe a bit, but, in reality, with three kids, our pantry is always going to be a bit fuller than some.

I’ve obtained a few glass jars for pasta from IKEA.

This way, I don’t have to use half a package (more likely one and a half packages) and have one lying around in the pantry.

I also try to never have duplicates of anything, although I have a husband who loves to buy any and all oils.

(We have nearly an entire shelf dedicated to them!)

Kitchen storage is a great place to use plastic bins.

And I love using fun Washi tape to label what is in each container.

I like to divide mine in to kid friendly snacks, oatmeal toppings, and nuts.

Labeling with tape means that, when you inevitably need to re-purpose a container, you’re quickly able to change it out.

The pantry isn’t the only space in my kitchen that I’ve used plastic bins.

I find that there is never enough storage in the fridge and things end up being pushed to the back, lost and rotting.

But with bins, you can easily store cheese, meats, and veggies in a way that is easily accessible.

And it doesn’t have to be expensive!

Bins can be purchased from The Dollar Tree for $1 or Target for $3.

Notice anything out of place in this photo?

Someone sneaked a Paw Patrol car into my storage!

Beyond that, though, this is where I keep everything I need for baking.

This cabinet is located in the middle of my kitchen, which makes it the most accessible cabinet in our island.

But having ingredients very close to my main work space helps with flow.

Flow is important in a kitchen, and it often takes years of re-arranging to get the perfect set up.

So don’t give up. And don’t listen to the naysayers (i.e. your partner and kids) as you work toward your perfect set up.

Dry goods, you’ll see, offers more of the same resources I’ve used throughout my storage. I’m really a one trick pony, I guess.

My secret? Bins, bins, bins.

These hold flours, mixes, and miscellaneous measuring spoons and cups.

(A few other things have made their way into the bin.. an egg cracker, for instance!)

Such is life with small children!

I also invested in a glass container for my flour. (I also have one for oatmeal, which is normally in the pantry next to the oatmeal toppings.)

The containers are easy to store, and re-fill.

The main things to take away from my kitchen storage:

1. It’s always changing.
2. Sometimes, I just need to change things to make them work better.
3. Bins, Bins, Bins.

And inside the bins? Chaos. But that’s how you know you’re living, and eating, well.

What are your kitchen organization questions?

Is there something in my kitchen that I missed that you’re interested in seeing?

Whats your organization style?

What part of your kitchen are you most proud of?

Leave a comment and I’ll make sure to get to it ASAP!

Happy Monday!

Weekly Inspiration

My kids and I concocted this during the last snow, and enjoyed diffusing it for a clean, dreamy scent.

Print by Alice Skinner. Purchase here.

I finished The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Thatcher yesterday.

Definitely want a tattoo of this quote!

This is my favorite tortilla recipe.

Try it to take your next taco night to the next level.

Happy Sunday!

Think of Me

I’ve never given much thought to my legacy.

So much of life is focusing on the present, especially as a mother of young children.

I have followed the good housewife’s rules, doing my best to keep up on the first year calendars for each of my children. (Honestly, my best was wanting)

But it wasn’t until I learned of the impending move into a new decade that I finally awoke to ask the question about my life:

How will my children remember me?

I can’t blame my sudden crisis on the new decade, alone.

Three years ago, we moved next door to my aging grandparents.

And as time has progressed and their health has declined, it has become abundantly clear that the piles of things they are clinging to will remain on earth when they leave it.

It has been a truly humbling thing to witness.

It’s transformed a part of my mind, made me cling less tightly to the things I’ve collected.

At the start of the year, I began systematically purging things that were no longer of use to me.

I’ve gone bin by bin in my attic, drawer by drawer in each room.

I don’t want to be so deep in the waters of my things that I fail to see the beauty of the life surrounding me.

There are, however, a few things that I have left relatively untouched.

In The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo calls these things komono.

These are the small things in life that hold sentimental value.

Essentially, they can encompass any knick knack. For more information about komono, check out this amazing blog.

These items are often the most difficult to purge.

And rightfully so. They often hold the most sentimental value.

Photos, journals, day planners… these are my komono kryptonite.

Also, baby clothes. Easter dresses. Miniature cardigans.

(Aurelia’s First Easter Dress)

Because, upon seeing these things, our brain takes us back to the memories we experienced inside of those moments.

So, in almost every case, I’m keeping it.

My stack of journals and dayplanners.

Because, not only will I be able to page through and remember things, but my children, and maybe even their children, will get to do the same!

They will know my thoughts, and my struggles.

They will know what a ticket stub looked like in 1995, in 2005, in 2015…

They will get a snapshot into what life was like in the decades that we lived.

Even when we’re gone.

These little things will be what they remember us through.

These journals will tell them which books I read in 2019, and the passages within them that most moved me.

They will know what groceries I purchased, what meals I was making.

The will see the steps I took in my battle with Lyme’s disease.

And, I know, these things seem small.

But as I sift through my grandparents things, its the tiny glimpses into their lives that are the most magical.

Here are a few of my favorite photos:

My Great-Grandma Garnetta.

This is our house! The building next door has since burnt down, but the tree is still alive and well!

My great-grandfather, Millard, helping to build the turnpike.

My grandfather, who lived his dream, becoming a coach, as well as a teacher of history and special education.

So how do we best order our treasures to preserve them, and make them accessible to our kids?

As the year progresses, I’d like to show you easy ways to organize your knick knacks, your clothes, your thoughts, and ultimately your time.

Are you interested? What area of life would a little organization make the most difference?

Make sure to comment so I can know what to focus on!

“The Power” Review

I love to read.

In one of my favorite young adult fiction books, “Inkheart,” Cornelia Funke says that:

Last year I read 50 books.

I’ll be honest, I’m pretty proud to share that.

Being a home-schooling mother of three offers little time to take on any hobbies, but reading is something I try to make time for.

Good stories find a way into your heart and change you. A good story teaches you, and never leaves.

That is why I’ve decided to share a few of my favorite books of last year in a series of posts, with the hope that you, too, will find yourself snuggled in with a good story.

I’ll be honest, this is a difficult review to start with.

Because this book is breathtakingly good.

But there is so much to chew on and discuss, so many principles that leave you questioning your reality.

The Power forces the reader to take a step back and consider the ramifications of women obtaining power to overtake men.

It also brings to light the current state of our culture.

Let’s start by looking at some statistics.

According to the numbers found on rainn.org, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization:

1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime (14.8% completed, 2.8% attempted). (National Institute of Justice & Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences of Violence Against Women Survey (1998))

About 3% of American men—or 1 in 33—have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.

rainn.org/statics/scope-problem

I, by no means, want to diminish the 1 in 33.

But 1 in 6!?

I’ll just come out and say it: men are, very often, physically stronger than women. This is not always true, but I’m talking about the general overview.

What made The Power so thought provoking was that, suddenly, men weren’t physically superior.

This book takes a look into a world where women are always able to protect themselves.

And it isn’t all good.

I, personally, grew to love the main characters, who Naomi painted fully with both flaws and strengths.

When I set the book down, I wasn’t sure if Naomi had done the situation complete justice.

But the longer it has marinated, the longer I have to read new stories and consider all of the sides of the issue, the more I love it.

These are a few of the questions I’ve been left considering after reading the book:

• Is killing justified if a person is defending themselves from repeat sexual violence?
• Is there a way to regulate, not just power, but strength?
• What would happen if angry women were given a power that was able to subdue those who have oppressed them?

I think I’ve given you just enough that, maybe, you’ll head to your library tomorrow to borrow a copy.

Let me know in the comments what you think.

I’d also love more recommendations of books to read and review!

***Note: There are graphic scenes of sexual violence in this story that may trigger a reader.

Girl’s Room

For almost three years, my husband and I have been renovating my grandparent’s old house in the mountains.

My lack of technological skills, and my failure to document all of our work through photography has kept me from sharing it with the world.

But not today! Today, I have collaborated with Jon to bring you as many before and after shots as possible!

These photos are not where we started from, but they are the point in which I actually began to document.

My grandparents had added closets to two of the rooms, and this one had one with shelves and one that spanned the entire length of the room. (That is what you see framed out here.)

Instead of ripping it out, we decided to end the room where the closet began. This would allow our master to have a walk-in closet.

Unlike the other rooms that we renovated, we didn’t gut this one to the studs. We just added a wall, installed new flooring, and painted.

I had hoped to find a paint more on the magenta spectrum. Something like this:

(Duracoat Magenta)

Aurelia had something different in mind. So, much to my chagrin, we ended up with First Kiss by Valspar.

In all the rooms, I had hoped to preserve the original hardwood floors, but with paint, holes, and other damage, we quickly found that we were going to have to look at other options.

We ended up using water proof flooring, knowing that the kids would be hard on it.

The color ended up looking great with both the curtains we decided to use, the bedding, and the art for the room.

The blue dresser, which I found on Craigslist, and mid-century chair (also a Craigslist find,) add a nice contrast and break up the brightness of the pink walls.

This is our border collie, Henry’s, favorite spot in the house.

Aurelia wanted to have a mermaid themed room, and I found this fantastic Sabrina Soto Riley Duvet on Poshmark for a very good price!

The floating shelves are from West Elm. You can buy similar shelves on amazon.com.

I took some damask curtains I had purchased a few years ago, along with a bit of shark bite piping, and made a whimsical canopy for over the bed. Note: It’s not always crooked. The girls were playing in it.

(Changes have been made since this photo was taken: the nightstand was changed and the shelves and baskets are now under her dollhouse.)

We snagged some fun drawers from a built in that we reconstructed at our old house. I painted them and added new hardware, and now they work as great under the bed storage! It just cost the price of some wheels that we bought at the dollar store!

I added my own touch so the girls know where to find their toys and clothes.

I snagged this midcentury end table at a thrift store and added some bronze and blue paint. Because of the texture, I ended up spray painting it.

Aurelia added the other decor.

Her art is on display from her classes with my favorite local painter, Rebecca Reck.

We still plan on closing in her small closet with a bi-fold door, and doing more trim, but I want to share some of our progress with my friends and family!

Please note that these rooms are very lived in, so I will rarely be posting photos of immaculate spaces.

A Blank Page

goodhousekeeping.com

Here’s to a new year!

To a new book.

But let us remember, that as we enter this new book, this new decade, that there are many books that have preceded this one.

Every year, we have filled our pages with life:

love, hurt, joy, pain, work, and rest.

This book may be blank, but it does not stand alone.

It is just one in a long series of books about you. About me. About us.

My last few years have had many, many full pages.

But also some empty ones.

Some with a letter or two.

Because grief is difficult to write.

To be honest, I find it difficult to weave love and grief together.

Even as one causes another, it always feels like a betrayal to link the two.

But as the years progress, I have learned that it is impossible to have one without the other.

Life without love, without grief, is not life.

And so we must learn, first to suffer, and then to heal.

There are no shortcuts.

Some days, the pain will crush us. But we must persevere.

Because slowly, the grief will leave us.

As it slides away with time, we will be refined.

And a remarkable thing will happen:

We will be able to love ourselves and those around us more fully.

A beautiful, wise friend posted this yesterday, and I felt its truth deeply:

View this post on Instagram

I wrote this down early in 2019, but I just came across it this week. Seems as good a New Years intention as any. Here’s to holding the door open for deeper connection with others, greater self-awareness, fearlessness in love and creative pursuit. Thank you, as always, @tarabrach , for giving us words to move through feeling.

A post shared by Kate Howell (@katehowellyoga) on Dec 30, 2019 at 6:44pm PST

“The boundary to who we include in our heart is the boundary to our freedom.”
“If we wall out a whole lot of people… we’re in an imprisoned, walled in heart.”
-Tara Brach

Our ego makes it incredibly easy to put up walls of protection.

Trust me, I could win an award for finding ways to avoid loving myself and others.

But there is a whole world to love!

A whole world to experience.

Let this be the year I stop getting in my own way!

View this post on Instagram

True story: yesterday I was walking down the street in North Portland and a man named John came out of a coffee shop & yelled after me. “Lisa!” he shouted until he caught up with me. “I follow you on Instagram. I know you are going through some hard things, and I wanted to give you a hug.” It was one of those simple, beautiful moments. I dissolved into tears after we hugged and he walked away. And I realized 2019 was the year I began allowing myself to absorb kindness and love from strangers (even those who approach me in the street), something that was never easy for me before. 2019 was also the year I turned from 50 to 51; it was the year I grew my first grey hairs; and the year I toiled over and finished three new books (including two children’s books!); it was the year I released my eighth book into the world (which you have so lovingly received); and the year I traveled to over 20 different cities (some for work, some for pleasure) and flew on more airplanes than I’ve ever been on in my entire life; it was the year I overcame my fear of airplane turbulence!; the year I stood in front of thousands of people and told the most vulnerable parts of my story, not once or twice but six times between February and May (and lived to tell about it); it was the year I launched a brand new e-commerce website; the year I started making ceramics; the year I read more books than I have in one year since I was in my thirties (thanks, in part, to all those airplane rides); it was the year my beloved cat Margaret died after 17 years; and the year I was diagnosed with breast cancer and my life became filled with doctor visits, pamphlets, and the swirling cacophony of information overload; it was the year I celebrated eleven years with my wife; the year I hugged more people than I’ve ever hugged before; the year I said no more than ever before; and the year I felt more connected to the work & relationships I did say yes to; it was also a year of unexpected connection and kinship; a year of preparing for change, paving the way for new experiences, and of deep gratitude. Life is an amazing, bonkers ride. Thank you for being so kind to me, friends. Happy New Year!✨

A post shared by Lisa Congdon (@lisacongdon) on Dec 31, 2019 at 10:31am PST

Lisa Congdon is an artist and all around beautiful soul based out of Portland, Oregon.
Mary Oliver was one of God’s most beautiful gifts to the world.

This year, I will continue to walk down the path of self love knowing that, at any moment, I might be asked to give that love away.

But I will do so knowing that, in all of its absurdity, I will find life.

In the words of my beautiful friend, Kate, ” Here’s to holding the door open for deeper connection with others, greater self-awareness, fearlessness in love and creative pursuit.”

Happy New Year!

In Defense of Motherhood

I wrote this when I first started toying with the idea of beginning a blog. As I read through it, I realized taht some of what I deal with on a daily basis has evolved, but there is still truth in everything. So I’m publishing it…

I’m terrible at introductions.

The awkward silences always have me blurting out things that human ears shouldn’t hear. I know you’re dying for an example, but some things are better left unrepeated.

I think there is some not too subtle part of me that wants to dive into each new relationship WAY TOO FAST. Its a quirk of mine that I’m not ready to let go of.

So, knowing this about my self, the next step I should take is obviously to create a blog. I can throw all of my awkward statements, complaints, and ideas onto a page to be judged and scrutinized or left completely unread. Something about that has to make sense, right?

I figure if I start now, I’ll be successfully embarrassing myself and my children in front of a small internet audience by the time they’re in middle school. Sounds fun, huh?

Its the least I can do with the ‘crazy’ each one of my children offers up to me on a daily basis. Like telling my obgyn where babies come from. (The pagina, obviously. And that was actually a proud moment for me…) Or asking me to wipe the slime out of my favorite rug.

My days are filled with settling arguments about which Shopkin belongs to who, who’s light saber is more powerful, who gets to choose the movie for quiet time.. Between the arguments and the questions, I think I could write a small novel. Like how Asher keeps asking me if he’ll have to follow the rules when I’m dead. Or if he should ask Santa for a body suit next year so he can fly.

As I sit here composing this, Aurelia is asking me to push up the Play-doh ears on her bunny. And not just once. I have yet to complete the task, and her voice sounds very much like a broken record. “Mom, get the bunny. Squeeze it. Mom. Mom.” And then Asher brings in a police motorcycle that he just dismantled and asks me to put the pieces together..

Here’s the thing. I love my kids. I think they’re the most tenacious and quirky children on earth. But I spend EVERY SINGLE DAY feeding them, caring for them, wiping their butts, changing their clothes, carrying them, taking them on errands… you name it, they’re there! I challenge anyone to say that they love their job enough to do it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For free.

Parenting is hard. And I love the life I’ve chosen, but the reality is that, with every child, I have made the choice to care for another human with the energy I used to have for only myself. I wake up knowing that I will be serving others for almost every minute of the entire day. And I do my best to pray that I serve in love, that I do it well, and that I ask for little in return.

But the fact is, my heart still craves the same amount of love and attention it always has. I want to feel loved. I know that I am inextricably needed by three little people, but the deepest desire of my heart is to be WANTED.

And despite my countless efforts to find a place to belong, I am constantly finding people with agendas or belief systems that don’t accommodate my view points. I’m too loud, too opinionated, too stubborn.. So this is my attempt to join the ranks of the other mommy misfits.

I want you to see my cracks and shortcomings. It’ll come at a price, but I want you to know that the perfect cupcakes and the spotless houses don’t belong to people who feel loved and full. We’re all struggling to find our fit, and I know that I have fallen for the lie that I can only fit the mold if I cook dinner for my family every night and never raise my voice.

Sometimes you need to yell.

So stop reading about how to make life seem more put together, and start embracing the imperfections that make you a good mom. And if you’re not a mom: embrace the imperfections that make you a good human. And maybe help a mom the next time you see her struggling at the grocery store. She won’t fight you. (Side note here: she might. But you’re offer will make her feel loved. )

(I apologize ahead of time for any Grinch you encounter who pretends like she can do it all on her own. I’ve been there. She’s hurting.)