“I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.” John Cage

Reading, writing, growing, running, learning, teaching, making...
This summer is turning out to be pretty stellar. 
I've casually referred to it as 
"the summer of productivity"
and "the summer of trying new things."
Exploring newness and getting stuff done are pretty much filling up my days,
and I am loving every minute of it.
Here's a peak into some of the things I have been creating as of late.


This lovely trio was made by a few college friends and I during a spontaneous summer trip. All of the designs were inspired by artwork found on Pinterest (which I have recently cut myself off from due to its addictive qualities). I gave them as a set to my friend Erin as a high school graduation gift, though I secretly long for them on my own wall. 

 For a while now, I've been wanting to experiment with making my own household cleaning products. So, since it is the summer of trying new things and all, I gave it a go. I actually acquired this recipe from my grandmother. She was so excited I was trying it out! Here's the recipe:

 Laundry Detergent 
1 cup -- Borax
1/2 cup – Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1 bar fels naptha
Large bucket -- hold 3 gallons of water easily
Water
Essential Oil or Fragrance Oil (optional)
Grate bar of soap. Put in saucepan with 5 cups boiling water. Boil until melted. While your soap is melting, add 3 gallons of hot water to your bucket. To the hot water, add 1 cup of Borax and 1/2 cup of Washing Soda. Stir with long handled spoon until dissolved. Add the melted soap water to the bucket and stir well. If you want to add any fragrance, add it now. Stir stir stir. Cover the bucket and set aside for 24 hours. Use ½ cup per load. 
This recipe has worked amazingly for me! My laundry gets clean and it's super easy and cheap. Once you do it once, you'll never go back.

If you're worried about your clothes being soft, here's a fabric softener recipe I made. 

Fabric Softener

6 cups water
3 cups white vinegar
2 cups hair conditioner
Mix all ingredients together. Stir, do not shake. Shaking will cause foaming. Use ¼ cup per load or spray on a washcloth and add to dry cycle.


This fabric softener is where it's at. My mom says her laundry is softer than when we were using brand-name softener. So, that's pretty legit. 
I look forward to using these recipes when I return to college in the fall. I'm all about saving money and cutting out the unknown chemicals. 


Summer = bugs. And I don't care for them at all. I also don't care for deet at all. Sooo....here is my homemade bug spray recipe. I've been using this for a few weeks, and it really works! It also smells lovely. Hooray for all natural replacements. 

Bug Spray
4oz distilled water
Essential Oils: 
20 drops eucalyptus oil
10 drops peppermint oil
15 drops tea tree oil
10 drops lemongrass oil
10 drops clove oil
Put water in a 4oz spray bottle. Add oil, shake well before each use. May use a variety of other essential oils. 

After trying a variety of different concoctions, I decided that it was either go big or go home when it comes to garden pest control. So, here is my very pungent pesticide recipe.

Vegetable Garden Pesticide

2-3 garlic bulbs 
6 large or 12 smaller hot chilli peppers (any variety will do, or if unavailable try 1-2 tablespoon hot chilli powder)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 squirts of liquid detergent (I use castile soap)
7 cups water. (Use about 2-3 cups in the blender, and top up with the rest after blending)
Put the whole lot into a blender and liquify, then strain through muslin, a coffee filter or similar. Pour what you need into a spray bottle for use and keep the rest in jars with lids on in a cupboard or on a shelf somewhere, well labeled.

Here are a few cleaners I have found to work really well. I'll have my own bathroom next year in my dorm, which means I will be cleaning my own bathroom. So, here's what I've got. 


Disinfectant/All Purpose spray    
use to clean countertops, toilets, tile floors, end tables, sinks, and bathtubs.
2 Tablespoons Borax 
4 Tablespoons White distilled vinegar
1 Tablespoon Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap
3 Cups HOT Water
Add essential oil for scent (optional)
Funnel the Borax into an empty spray bottle. Add the vinegar. The action of this and the vinegar activates the solution. Add the Castile Soap. Add HOT Water


Mirror Cleaner/Air Freshener
1 1/2 cups of vinegar
1/2 cup water
8 drops of essential oil 
Mix in a spray bottle.


And, last but not least is my most recent project. This is an air freshener/deodorizer. Perfect for dorm-sized rooms and bathrooms!
It's super easy. 
Put 1/2 cup of baking soda in a small mason jar
Add 10-15 drops essential oil
I made two -- one with peppermint and eucalyptus oil
and one with lemongrass and clove oil.
Take out the center part of the lid and cut a piece of
craft paper the same size. 
Fasten the jar with the craft paper in the lid
and poke holes in the paper with a needle.
I had my doubts about this idea when I saw it.
But, it actually works! 
I put one in our bathroom and one in my bedroom
just a few days ago, and they both make the rooms
smell really good. 
I'm planning to get some lavender oil before I move 
into my dorm. 


 “Truly creative people care a little about what they have done, and a lot about what they are doing. Their driving focus is the life force that surges in them now.” — Alan Cohen

"Gardening is Cheaper than Therapy and You Get Tomatoes."

That just about sums it up.

My garden is thriving,

as is my soul.

There's something that just feels so right

about planting a seed in the ground

and watering it

and watching it grow into something

that can sustain you.

It's almost as if...

that's the way God planned it all to be.

It's almost like we were meant to eat the food

that comes straight out of the ground.

It just makes sense.

That God

...He was a smart fellow. 

Here's a little update on how my garden is growing: 

My tomatoes are beasting it out. They're pretty much killing it out there. It took me a bit to figure out just how much water they liked, but once I got to know them pretty well, they started producing beautiful little fruit for me. I have twelve tomato plants, which will make for some awesome salsa-making! My family is getting pretty anxious for these babies to ripen.

 My lettuce failed to grow in the garden. I determined it was from too much sun. My garden gets direct sunlight all day, and that sun has been HOT this summer. I've read that lettuce is sometimes a little picky about its sun. So, I replanted about two weeks ago in window boxes. I give them morning and early afternoon sunlight, and evening shade. They seem to be doing just peachy! It's all a learning experience.

I spent a good four hours the other day ridding my precious garden of killer weeds. It was a lot of work. Probably my least favorite part of the process so far. But, I would say it's worth it. Plus, it is so good to work with my hands. Productivity is delightful, and brings glory to God.


I harvested my first batch of spinach last week, and another batch today for my lovely grandmother. This is the first fruit of my labor that I have been able to consume! It's quite delicious, I'd say. Fresh fresh fresh. So much more flavor than store-bought leafy greens. It's like I had never tasted real spinach until now. I've been enjoying some brightly colored salads this week.

Zucchini and cucumbers are growing rapidly. They seem healthy. We're just waiting ever-so-patiently for some produce from those guys. My mom convinced me to plant some more peppers, so I have five now, all growing at different rates. They don't care for the heat of the sun much, as they wilt most afternoons. But they always perk back up, so I'm trusting in their health. Dill and cilantro are doing well, while parsley and basil seem to be pretty sparse. Oh well. I can't have it all my first year!
We've been throwing all of our fruit peels, cores, etc. in the garden instead of the trash lately. And, since we've all been healthifying our bodies this summer, we eat lots of fresh fruit! It feels resourceful, and gives my plants some yummy nutrients.
Something has been eating my green beans. I mixed up an all natural pesticide and it seems to have helped some. I will post the recipe for that soon.
All other plants not mentioned = thriving! Praise God for growing food!

 "As a gardener, I'm among those who believe that much of the evidence of God's existence has been planted."

~Robert Brault

Sweet Deal!

Oh boy, have I got a deal for you!

My brother told me about this super skeptical sounding deal a while back.

A free pair of glasses.

So, being the sucker I am, I jumped on it!

And turns out it worked. No loopholes, no fine print.

Just a straight up pair of free glasses.

And how could I benefit from this sweet deal without sharing it with you, 

my faithful reader?

So here's how it works:

Go to your eye doctor and in your sweetest, most innocent voice

request a copy of your prescription numbers.

(Sometimes they don't love doing this, since it implies you are taking your

 business elsewhere. But they should give it to you.)

Then, take said prescription numbers and go to

www.coastal.com.

Here, you will see a large advertisement reading

"First Pair Free!"

Click on this and browse through hundreds

of pairs of attractive glasses

for your lovely face.

Enter your prescription numbers, 

give 'em your shipping address,

and there you have it!

I received my glasses today and I love them!

Note: I did end up paying a total of $12.00 for shipping.

But I thought it was totally worth it. 

I mean...free glasses, just pay a little shipping? 

I'm in. 

 "If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run." --John Bingham

That's right. I'm a runner. I run.
In the midst of implementing a healthier-me lifestyle this summer, I decided to take a leap of faith and start a running routine.

A little pre-run stretch. Here you will see me sporting some
unfortunate spandex shorts and a sweat-resistant tank.
Bring it on.

For those of you who know me, you'll understand why this is such a big deal. I'm never been what I'd call a ...supporter...of running. It is something I would normally try to avoid at all costs. I recall playing with a bunch of children at a vacation bible school a few years ago and trying to convince them that I simply didn't know how to run. My mother never taught me, I told them.
While that was obviously not true, it is true that running has never been my cup of tea, especially after I broke my foot last semester. With that, I pretty much retired from all possible running.

Went all out and bought myself a pair of Nike
running shoes. They are serving me quite well.

But, alas, summer has come, and my mindset has been renewed. It's time to do something I never thought I could do. So I got online and did some research on how to start running when you've never ran a significant distance in your life. I spent my birthday money on some snazzy running gear, to convince myself that I'm in it to win it. And, I made myself an 8-week running schedule, which gradually increases my running time. No turning back now.

Today begins week two of my program. At the end of my eight weeks (beginning of August), I plant to participate in a 5k race! While I seems like I have a lot of work to do to get to that point, I've already decided that I CAN do it, and I'm pretty stoked about this experience. In the mean time, I'm working on convincing my friend Brooke to join me in this adventure and 5k it up with me!

iPod armband = hands-free running

I run three days a week -- Monday, Wednesday, Friday. On Tuesdays and Thursday I do cross-training, which is anything but running -- yoga, weights, core, etc. And I almost always throw in a couple of bike rides with my sister, Megan. We've been building our biking endurance, topping it off at 7 miles so far...and the summer has only just begun! I'm so glad I have her as a partner in this. We're able to push each other and encourage each other.
 

What in the world have I gotten myself into?

I've lost eleven pounds so far this summer, which I'm pretty enthused about, seeing that my summer goal was fifteen pounds. But more than losing weight, I'm really just focusing these three months on getting my body healthy. College does something awful to the human body, and I'm ready to correct what I did to myself last year.
My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. This temporary shell I've been given was created by God, and I want to glorify Him with it in every way. If I was doing all of this sweating, stretching, and pushing myself only for the sake of me, I wouldn't have made it past day one! To God be the glory for all that I am able to do -- which is not from my own strength.

 Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men. –Col 3:23

Exciting News!

Oh, what exciting news I have to share with you!

I've been waiting ever-so-patiently by the mail box these last few weeks. Today, I finally received a letter from Blessing the Children International, congratulating me on my acceptance to a six week missions trip next summer in Ethiopia!

Praise God!

If you have followed me at all this past year, I'm sure you have been aware of my longing to return to my lovely family in Ethiopia. The relations I built there last summer were incredible. I have been able to stay connected with social workers and friends via letter-writing. I also decided to begin sponsoring one of the children I met there, Nati. As I have corresponded with him this year, I have desired to be with him so much -- especially through his serious health issues. Fekerite -- a deaf child in the orphanage, has been learning sign language since I left, and I can't wait to visit her and see her new communication skills! I am praising God for this opportunity to return to Ethiopia and be reunited with my friends, family, and children there. It is truly an answer to prayer. 

I don't know a lot of details yet about my trip, but here is what I do know:

I will be leaving in May of 2013 for Debre Zeit, Ethiopia. This is the exact same place Lindsey and I went last summer for two weeks. 

I will be living in a guesthouse and (hopefully) joining a team of other missionaries there. 

One of my main focuses during the trip will be working side-by-side with Ethiopian social workers -- going on home visits, planning church activity days, and working at the orphanage.

I will be enrolled in an Amharic class -- the language of Ethiopia, to sharpen my communication skills during my month-and-a-half stay. 

Ethiopia 2011

I will have the opportunity to teach Sunday school lessons, plan games and crafts, pray with broken families, and discover and serve even more in this country that I fell in love with.

My estimated fundraising goal for this trip is $4,500. While I may have shaken my head at that number a year ago, I now take it with ease, knowing God will provide. He always does. Last summer my sister and I raised over $7,000 for our trip, and God never let us down. 

I look forward to spending this next year planning for my trip to Ethiopia.

Please prayerfully consider supporting me on this mission God has called me to. 

I will post more about donation information soon. 

Also, start going through your kid's closets! If you are doing some cleaning and need somewhere to take your old clothes, shoes, etc., I will be collecting and packing as many donations as I can possibly squeeze into my suitcases!

And more than anything, pray.
Pray pray pray. 

Pray for God's will to be done in this entire adventure. 

"The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful." James 5:16

I look forward to sharing this experience with you over the next year as I prepare for six weeks in Africa. Stay tuned for any new bit of information I get.