Cloth Diaper Baby

I have started using cloth diapers on Matthew part time. At some point I would like to transition to using them full time. I just so dislike all the trash using disposables creates. I am amazed at how easy to use the new styles are and how well they work. I am still researching and learning about it all, there is so much to learn. There are so many styles and brands and price ranges, knowing which ones to buy is challenging. Then there are wetbags, cloth wipes and washing routines to learn about. So far it is going well. Maybe someday when I have learned all about it I will post what I have learned on the blog.

Honey Cough Syrup

Cold and cough season is fully upon us now, the days have become chillier and everyone at our house has caught a bit of a cold. Time to make some healthy, natural cough syrup. It is so easy to make, too! I made two different kinds; one is elderberry and the other is lemon ginger. I use honey as the base for both, it is naturally antibacterial and also feels soothing on the throat. Elderberries are great for your immune system and are excellent for coughs and colds. Ginger is also good for your throat and lemon has antibacterial properties as well. I also added a dash of cayenne to the lemon ginger syrup. Cayenne is good for you immune system and improves circulation. So here are the simple recipes.


Lemon-Ginger Cough Syrup

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup water
juice and zest of one lemon
1 inch piece of fresh ginger grated
dash or two of cayenne

Elderberry Cough Syrup

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup elderberries(mine were frozen, we have elderberries growing wild abundantly around here, so I harvested some this past summer and froze them)


To make your syrup combine all ingredients from your chosen recipe in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer gently for about 5 minutes. Strain through a wire strainer into jars. Store in the refrigerator for several weeks, it should last for quite a long time. To use simply take a teaspoon at a time. Your kids will love it! Warning: do not give this to babies under 1 year old, the honey can contain botulism spores.

Simmer gently for about five minutes

Strain into a small jar

Cute!

Out for a Walk

David, Matthew and I enjoyed taking a lovely autumn walk one day. We went into the trees at the back of the property and enjoyed all the beautiful golden leaves and fall colors.

Matthew was happy in his Moby wrap.

David had a great time exploring for awhile, but after climbing through too much brush he was ready to go back to the house.

David Learns to Plant Garlic

As the season ends and winter approaches there is always a mad rush to get everything done before snow comes. One of the big projects to get done is planting the garlic. This year David was so interested in helping with the whole process. He helped us break the cloves apart in preparation for planting. Then Andrew gave him a lesson on how to plant garlic out in the garden. He explained to him which end of the clove goes down and which end goes up, he showed him how to find the marks in the soil from the bed marker, and how to plant each clove where the lines cross. David caught on really fast and enjoyed planting garlic so much. Every time we were ready to plant another bed he was ready to help.

Andrew cleans the garlic.

Garlic for planting.

Separated cloves, ready to plant.

Garlic cloves waiting to be pushed into the ground.

A clove in the ground.

David carrying the box of seed garlic up the bed.

Last of the Harvest

 Andrew bringing in the last of the cabbages.

 Some of the last leeks.

Andrew harvesting the last beets.

David in the Leaves

We had some gorgeous fall days in October during some of the last Farmers Markets. The Chewelah park was lovely with all the leaves floating down and carpeting the ground. All the market children were exuberantly playing in the leaves; tossing them an rolling in them. David had such a great time joining in. It was so cute that I couldn't resist snapping some pictures.

Apple Picking

My Little Boys

Baby Bathtime