Monkey Butt Junction

I had an absolutely terrifying experience tonight.

We have a little koi pond in our backyard.  It came with the house, and we maintained it nicely the first year we lived here, halfheartedly the second year, and last year we decided it did a better job of breeding mosquitoes than we’d like, and we planned to take it out this spring.  Right now, it sits filled with rainwater, leaves, and debris.

Tonight Jack was playing in the yard while we were cooking on the grill.  He was alternating between digging in the garden and playing with his trains, and as he walked by the pond for the millionth time, he tripped on a rock and fell in, head first.  I saw him start to fall and was just a few feet away so I scrambled over to him, grabbed him by the waist and pulled him out.  He was in the water less than two seconds, and when I pulled him out he was scared but breathing and okay.  Wet leaves were stuck to his head and his clothes.  His fleece shirt and Elmo hat were soaking wet.  I ran him into the house to dry him and warm him up. dripping muddy water all the way in.   He cried for a few moments and welcomed the extra snuggles before telling me “baby no swim.”

No swim, indeed.

The real upset for him began when he realized that he dropped the trains that he had been carrying into the pond.  Thankfully my husband managed to dredge them all up.  Even the battery powered talking train is in good shape.

So, bottom line:  Jack is fine.  I’m more shaken up than he was.  But that was quite a reminder:  it only takes a second for something awful to happen.

We’ve had a lot of great luck thrifting and combing Craigslist over the years.  Our first trip to our hometown of Waukesha included finding an original, very collectible plaster Nipper, the RCA dog.  He cost us just $6.99, and he sits next to an antique Victrola that we scored from Craigslist for a fraction of its value.  My personal favorite Craigslist score is our Leinenkugel’s Canoe – just a few hundred dollars, and it is in immaculate condition.  We have found tons of Thomas the Train cars at the local thrift stores, I have acquired a bunch of my beloved Autumn Leaf dishware, and my husband is always scoring antique tools.   It is fun, frugal, and you never know what you’ll find.

This week, I feel like we scored big time on books.  First, we found this at St. Vincent de Paul:

The book covers everything from gardening basics to collecting items in nature, to pressing flowers, to nature walks, and all kinds of activities in between.  This is the kind of book that we are going to spend hours enjoying over the coming years.

Awesome find number two:

This incredible book is the authoritative guide on foraging for food.  The writing is beautiful – you feel like you are listening to your world-wise grandfather tell you a story – and the contents are absolutely top notch.  Gibbons loves the natural world, and his love is reflected in his writing.  My mom was a bit of a forager – we collected hickory nuts, picked wild raspberries, ate dandelion green salads, and mom was always on the hunt for morel mushrooms – so this book feels right at home.  I was so inspired by this book that we added some fresh dandelion greens to our salads tonight.

I think it is fair to say that we scored big time.

Are any of my readers thrifters?  What are some of your favorite thrift finds?

It’s that time again! You might remember the great post in December 2011 that highlighted the Natural Parents Network Volunteer’s most popular or favorite posts from the year. Well, we are back and this time we are bringing you a collection of posts that focus on Do It Yourself projects, How To’s, Tutorials, Recipes, and anything related to a step by step guide or informational how-to.

There are a lot of really wonderful posts here and I hope that this serves as an excellence resource that you can pass on to your friends! Enjoy!

Jorje of Momma Jorje.com shares her Family Cloth Tutorial in pictures. She includes step by step photos with some tips for making very neat family cloth. You can find Momma Jorje on Facebook, too!

Lani at Boobie Time Blog shares “How to Help a New Breastfeeding Mom.” This post provides some tips on helping a new mom while she is learning to Breastfeed. You can also find Boobie Time Blog on Facebook and Twitter.

Amanda at Let’s Take the Metro shares “How I Make Cloth Wipes.” This post details how Amanda made all of her cloth wipes. You can also find Let’s Take the Metro on Facebook.

Jennifer at True Confessions of a Real Mommy shares “Lessons in a Picture Book.” A Lesson plan for pancakes and how to make your own butter! You can also find True Confessions of a Real Mommy on Facebook and Twitter.

Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction shares “Tips for Road Tripping with a Toddler.” A long car trip with a young child can be a great way to make some wonderful memories if you are prepared to meet the challenges. You can also find Monkey Butt Junction on Facebook and Twitter. 

Abbie at Farmer’s Daughter shares “Maple Cinnamon Swirl Bread.” This recipe tutorial shows you how to make a sweet whole wheat bread with beautiful cinnamon swirls in each slice. You can also find Farmer’s Daughter on Facebook and Twitter.

Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama shares “How To Consume Coconut Oil Plus Coconut Oil Candy Recipes.” This post provides some tips on how to get your daily dose of coconut oil down the hatch. It also provides some very tasty recipes for coconut oil candy! You can also find Hybrid Rasta Mama on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google +.

Alicia at Lactation Narration gives some ideas for how to accomplish Partial Weaning for moms who would like to cut down on nursing without completely weaning. You can also find Lactation Narration on Facebook and Twitter.

Cynthia at The Hippie Housewife shares “A Learning-Rich Environment.” This post provides a number of suggestions for creating a learning-rich environment and incorporating learning into everyday life, with a particular focus on the preschool age. You can also find The Hippie Housewife on Facebook, Pinterest, and Google +.

Kelly at Becoming Crunchy shares “Kale Chips = Awesome!“ This post shares a super easy recipe for making a super easy (and surprisingly tasty) snack from one of the most healthful greens around. You can also find Becoming Crunchy on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Shannon at Pineapples & Artichokes shares “How to Move to California.” A silly how-to she wrote while she and her then fiance were driving to their new home. You can also find Shannon on Pinterest, Flickr, and Google +.

Gretchen at That Mama Gretchen shares a recipe for “Homemade Fruit Leather.” It’s easier than you ever thought and the perfect snack for you and your family. You can also find That Mama Gretchen on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. 

Julia at A Little Bit of All of It shares “How I Cloth Diaper (Part 1).” This post details the way Julia has cloth diapered her daughter along with the products she uses. You can also find A Little Bit of All of It on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google +.

Melissa at Vibrant Wanderings offers several ideas for “Keeping a Toddler Happily Busy on a Long Flight.” The list includes handmade felt activities, among many other things. You can also find Melissa on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google +.

Shannon at The Artful Mama shares “Preparing Toddlers for Birth.” This post features MamAmor dolls and shows some alternative ways to talk to toddlers about pregnancy and birth. You can also find The Artful Mama on Facebook and Twitter.

Kym at Our Crazy Corner of the World shares her “Family Binder DIY.” This post shows how to put together a family binder, to help organize cleaning, meal planning, shopping and budgeting all in one convenient location!

Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama shares “5 Green Living, Spring Cleaning Tips.” This post provides easy ways to keep the toxins out of your home and to freshen up your home for spring. You can also find I Thought I Knew Mama on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google +.

Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings shares “Daily Bread: My Favorite Whole Grain Bread Machine Recipe.” This recipe is easy, highly adaptable, and a great starting point for creating your own daily (or almost daily!) homemade bread. You can also find Intrepid Murmurings on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest.

Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children shares “10 Tips for Toddler Carseat Woes.” Check out these ideas of dealing with toddler carseat issues without resorting to punishments. You can also find Living Peacefully with Children on Facebook.

Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment shares “DIY Mom’s Night In.” A somewhat humorous and extravagant solution, this post provides exhausted Mamas the recipe for the perfect way to recharge!

Stacy at Sweet Sky shares “Ways to Bring More Mindfulness Into Your Days.” This post provides tips and tricks to bring yourself back to the present moment, so you can be the parent you want to be. You can also find Stacy on Facebook.

Amy at Anktangle shows us how to make your own popsicle stick puzzles, a fun and simple “busy bag” activity for toddlers and preschool aged children. You can also find Amy on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google +.

Lauren at Hobo Mama shares “How to sew a mei tai baby carrier.” The mei tai is Lauren and Sam’s favorite carrier for baby Alrik: as comfortable and simple as it is beautiful. You can also find Hobo Mama on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google +.

Christine at African Babies Don’t Cry shares “How to Make Rainbow Coloured Rice (Without Alcohol) for a Toddler Sensory Bin.” This post provides a step by step tutorial for making vibrantly coloured rainbow rice for sensory play, includes a printable PDF. You can also find African Babies Don’t Cry on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google +.

Luschka of Diary of a First Child shares “How To Send A Hug In An Envelope.” This post is a creative way to send more than just the standard card to love ones. It literally is a hug in an envelope! You can also find Diary of a First Child on Facebook, and Twitter.