Square Foot Gardening

I've been wanting to do a Square Foot Garden for a long time. Today I finally did it!

First, I measured and weeded a sunny part of the yard -- a spot I have tried growing things in before, but have never been very successful. Thus my interest in square foot gardening.

Second, I went to a Relief Society meeting about square foot gardening, and I borrowed my friend's book that explains the whole concept and what to do (this friend also gave me a bag of peat moss... thanks Katy!).

Third, I braved Home Depot today with the two little ones. It took two transactions, the first one being a cart completely full of bags of compost and vermiculite, and the second one being chicken wire and three 2x6x8 pieces of wood (they cut one in half for me).

Fourth, this afternoon I screwed the wood together (it is a 4x8 plot) and mixed the bags of stuff.

The boys jumped in without me even asking and helped me mix and smooth it out. Aren't they sweet? Unfortunately for them, that is the first and last time they are allowed in the garden. Heh heh.

Fifth, I installed chicken wire. Sorry kids! As helpful as the boys were, they were also getting into it and throwing their toys in there. No more! Any toys that end up in the garden are mine. Also, this will keep Justin from picking the tomatoes (I had a few last year and he picked them ALL before they were even ripe). The chicken wire is also handy for keeping out our cat.

Now I am exhausted. I think I'll wait until tomorrow to plant.

We actually have room for one more 4x8 plot... if I am daring I'll add that in a week or two.... or next year.

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Sydney's Room - Framed

Sydney is 16 months now, so we figure it's time she had her own room. I guess that means we're keeping her. :)

Her room will be the soon to be 3rd room in our house, a little room in the basement off the laundry room.

Actually, we've been wanting to finish this room for quite a while, but a great many things have taken priority. Like college, having babies, working, playing, and trying to update other parts of the house first.

Besides, this little box of a room in the basement has served me well as a junk room. Not sure where to put something? Throw it in the junk room! Can't find something? Check the junk room! Where is the cat? Probably locked in the junk room!

Well, as you can imagine, the room got full. So two weeks ago I had a yard sale and got rid of almost ALL of it. It was wonderful. I sold about $50-worth of items and put the rest on the lawn with a "free" sign. Within hours most everything was gone. Yahoo! It's so nice to get rid of junk.

Anyway, back to the now de-junked room. It already has four walls and a door, so the size was already set. Two walls are foundation, one wall is cinder block, and the other had weird wall board that we took off -- to expose some old framing, the other side of which is the boys' room we build a few years ago. 

Also the ceiling had some weird really thin drywall. So Jon and my dad removed the weird wall board and also the drywall on the ceiling.

 

So here is our starting point. The white wall on the left is foundation. The weird white board in the middle of that wall is covering up the cement stairs that go up to the yard. Outside is an old trap door/cellar door. 

  Here you can see the cinder bock wall and the door on the right.

We hired a handy man (thanks tax return!), who framed the whole room, including a closet (right) and also a basement window. I can't believe how much light it lets in! It feels so much less basement-y in there.

  

As you can see, the room is just off the laundry/food storage area in the basement. Dallin is no doubt getting into the Christmas decorations.

Outside view. The handyman also poured a concrete wall about halfway down the stairs (I'll post a pic of that later). This is because since there is no gravel below, like most window wells, if it rains water will go into the house. So we have a window well cover, which is sort of like plexi-glass. It only comes in a certain size, or window well size. So he poured a concrete wall so we can install the treated wood frame, and then the window well cover.

It'll all make sense once we actually get that part done. For now we just have the trap door closed.

Next step -- hire someone to drywall and mud and tape the room. 'Cause we really don't wanna.

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Gluten Free Bakery

I've known there was a gluten free bakery in the Yakima area for a quite a while -- but I didn't go because it was pretty far, and well, I just didn't feel like spending the money. Mostly Justin hasn't complained about not being able to eat certain things, and I try to cook in such a way that he can eat most everything I set out for dinner. So I figured I could avoid getting him gluten free items, such as gluten free bread.


But on two occasions in the past two weeks, he's been really upset about not being able to eat certain things. I felt so awful. The poor kid is only 3 and a half! I explained that there are a lot of things he CAN eat. And then I promised we would go to the special bread store with bread just for him.

I did have one loaf of gluten free bread from Fred Meyer. It tasted ok, but the consistency was a little different. I figured having fresher bread was probably a better option. So I went online to check out the local gluten free bakery's website.

I was happy to find out that the local bakery moved... right around the corner!!! She must have known I needed her closer. :)

It's called Jenny Mae's and we went in today. Justin was so excited to go to his "special bread store." It smelled divine. We bought a loaf of bread and some small rolls. It was spendy, but I'll be freezing about 2/3 of it to use slowly over time. Justin had a peanut butter sandwich for lunch, and he LOVED it. I snuck a bite, and I must say, I thought the bread tasted great.

Someday I'll actually be brave enough to make my own gluten free bread at home. For now, this has been a huge blessing.

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Louth, Lincolnshire, England

My ancestors, Richard and Mary Kennington, along with their children, lived in Louth, Lincolnshire, England, before coming to the United States in the 1850s.

Can anyone tell me anything about Louth?

According to Wikipedia, Louth has a population of 15,000. "Much of the town centre is lined with brick buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries and the town's skyline is dominated by St. James' Church," it says. "Louth museum has a Panorama Gallery which features two back-lit replicas of William Brown’s Panorama of Louth viewed from the top of St James’s spire in 1844."

Here is a website about St. James Church: http://www.stjameschurchlouth.com.

Famous Louth resident: Alfred Lord Tennyson was born in Somersby, between Louth and Horncastle, and was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School.

Above is a photo of St. James Church in Louth Lincolnshire, seen across the sports fields of the King Edward V1 school (formerly King Edward V1 Boys Grammar School). This photo was found on Flickr here.

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Will Trade Editing For Produce

I have a little arrangement with my friend's dad. I edit his newsletters -- he gives me produce.

Best payment ever!

He brought me a box of Granny Smith apples the other day. Last night I stayed up until 2am canning apple pie filling.

My boys may or may not have had some of the extra for breakfast this morning.

Just look at the sweet beauty in those jars. My husband is very happy.

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How Can I Work From Home?

When someone finds out I work from home, I usually get this comment, followed by this question:


That must be nice!
How can I work from home?

It is true--it is nice. I feel so blessed. I believe strongly that I should be at home, raising my children. They are so cute and sweet, and I love and adore them. Just today we played ring around the rosy. Those are moments I don't want to miss. But we also need an income from me. So I must work. Thankfully writing and editing lend themselves well to working from home. Aside from being able to see my kids all the time, we save on day care costs, gas, car upkeep, my wardrobe, eating out, and other expenses.

I have two at home jobs-- one is for a book publishing company (I manage several departments) and the other is for a local business newspaper (I write news stories and take photos).

While working from home is ideal for some, it's definitely not easy. There are days where I am frustrated and overwhelmed. There are always deadlines or issues that need my attention right away. Sometimes I have to ask my kids to be quiet while I make a phone call, or go play in their room while I finish editing something. But then there are days where I can take most of the day off, and we can go to the library, play at the park, visit grandma, or whatever we want to do. I really enjoy the flexibility of working from home in that regard.

That said, in a typical day I.... exercise, make breakfast, go take some photos for the newspaper, get my oldest out the door for school, put in a load of laundry, play with my other two kids, wash a load of dishes, answer my phone, check my work email, edit a manuscript, put my baby down for a nap, help my 3 year old clean up a mess, check more work emails, get something in the mail, water the garden, make lunch, play with the kids, put the two youngest down for a nap, clean up toys, change the laundry, make the beds, organize/update my work spreadsheet, interview someone via the phone, write up a news story, get the kids in the stroller and pick up my son from school, dig in the garden while my kids play outside, get my oldest on task with his homework, make dinner, give the kids a bath, read books, get them ready for bed, tuck them in... then finish any undone work, talk to my husband, maybe watch one TV show with my husband while folding laundry, then collapse in bed. Phew!

Despite the hectic days, I love it. I am the type of person who loves to work and get things done, so working at home "works" for me. I am always motivated to work. In fact, I tend to overwork. It can be challenging finding the right balance between work and play. One of the most important things I do is stick to a schedule. I have worked both of my jobs at home for about four years, so I know how long most tasks take. So I have scheduled chunks of time (usually when the kids are asleep) and devote that time to work. But I also schedule down time. I try to make sure my family is my priority as much as possible, and I also schedule time everyday for myself, like baths, sewing, exercise, scripture reading, etc.

How did I get my jobs? I worked in the newspaper office part-time for two years. We developed a relationship and I earned their trust while I learned how they operated. Once I had our second baby, I told them I wanted to stay home. They offered to have me work from home. That was four years ago and it has been great. I can do as many stories as I feel I have time for. I have a specific goal each month--if we need extra money then I plan for more. In February I did enough stories to pay to have our daughter's room framed. In March I took a bit of a break and only did a few. We want to drywall our daughter's room, so I will be taking on more work.

For the book publishing company, I was hired as an editor in 2005. I edited one book basically for free. It was fun! It took several months and lots of editing time, but I gained experience and the company saw that I was serious about the work and them, and we developed a relationship. A few years later, a staff position opened up. I applied and had the experience and skills they wanted, so they hired me. That was four years ago. It has been a huge opportunity for me professionally, as I get to do what I love (editing), and I have also realized that I have a knack for management. My boss has been very supportive, she is open to my ideas, and she has a passion for the business that is infectious. Some days are not easy, but most of the time it doesn't feel like work at all. I get paid the same every month, and it basically pays the mortgage.

That is my story. Now, what tips do I have for those of you who want to work from home? Here are some questions to think about:

1. How much money are you looking at making each month? Have a clear goal in mind.


2. What skills and work experience could help you land an at-home job? Writing, real estate, software development, and a number of other skills lend themselves to working from home. There are many others.

3. Are there any companies you already have a relationship with that you could work for from home? Or could you develop a relationship with a particular company? Trust is a big factor in order for a company to have you work from home. They have to know that you will do the job despite lots of possible distractions. You may need to put in a year of work at their office in order to prove yourself. Or you could talk to your current employer and explain the benefits and cost-savings of you working from home.

4. Do you have a strong work ethic? Would the temptation to be lazy/distracted override your need to work? Really think about this. On a given day, would you get up and be excited to work, or would you put it off for another day? Would you spend more time surfing the Internet than getting actual work done?

5. Can you manage your time fairly well? Working from home requires that you live, work, eat, clean, and do it all in the same space. You need to be able to complete tasks and return to work again in a timely fashion.

Working at home is not for everyone. It requires a lot of discipline and long days. But it can be a really positive, ideal situation for you and your family.

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