Busy Me




Since the last time I posted here in 2017, my kids have grown up quite a bit. I have kept busy with arts, crafts, new business ventures, part time jobs, homeschooling, shuffling kids around, travel, growing old, aches and pains, self care, new friends, old friends, and so forth.

O bla di o bla da - life goes on. It's so true my friends. I don't know what's going to unfold next in my life, but it just keeps getting better and sometimes the same, but never worse - thankfully.

Since 2019, I started crocheting amigurumi and I have kept up with that. In 2020 I started selling my amigurumi at the Modern Farm and Artisan Co-op - even that place has gone through some changes. It started out a nonprofit but now it's a regular for profit business but still largely supports small businesses and makers like myself. I used to go in there twice a month to work my shift but now I don't have to anymore. They take a 25% cut from my sales and that pays the employees that work there instead.

It's a great way for me to stay creative and get a little something back for my time.

Also in 2019 I started the St George Gingerbread Parade. I guess after that summer hanging out with Chavah Le La Cheur, it was eye opening that I,too - could start a small business - event and keep it going. Chavah was instrumental in my personal growth. Seeing her organize the women's march and Little Homesteaders Society was just what I needed in my life to get out there and get connected with my community - give back and be involved.

Last August though, after making sure all the kids would be enrolled in public schools full time, I got a part time job baking sweets at Great Harvest. It's been a good thing for me to get out and work, earn some money to help pay for Christmastime, and to help pay for our future Summer travel plans. It's been nice to work with customers, help the small business grow in new ways and make new friends.

My goals for 2023:

big ones. I want to write and self publish a children's book.

I want to host several free children's programs once a month at the Downtown Farmers Market - painted kindness rocks, literacy and writing challenges, easy arts and crafts, and so forth.

That's all I can think of for now. :-)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The cook book for your toddler - Het kookboek voor je peuter

Image
So, I've been going through this little cook book I got from the baby clinic - the book is made by Kinderen - it's a monthly magazine for mothers and expecting mothers - and it's a great little book. see bol.com Here are just a few of the recipes I've tried: Pippi's pannenkoekentaart That was good - I gave it a 4 star **** - easy to make and everyone enjoyed it. Dessert for dinner is good anytime :) I put sliced apples in almost every pancake - which is why it leans so much. It was very filling - and very yummy. Up next: Een echt indiaantje Good 4 stars **** - another easy meal, presented in such a way that the kids got excited... Kailea, my 5 year old, is normally very picky about green food - she ate it up :) We served it with simple gravy. Ella - liked the patty, but tossed the sugar snaps aside - oh well, can't please everyone - but I try. Kailea poses for me. Dad's angry man... even big kids play with their food ! And..
Read more

Double Dipped Stroopwafels (Syrup Waffles)

Image
  I couldn't think of a better way to use an old egg carton then to have it hold yummy delicious double dipped stroopwafels. The idea is not really so new. Just a few months ago I saw Kristan from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen do the same thing with graham crackers for a quick holiday treat. The stroopwafel is not really equavalent to a graham cracker though... it is so much better. It's really one of the best cookies to come out of the Netherlands. You can find them everywhere here. Every grocery store carries them in many different price ranges. And there is a difference. That "E" brand that is really cheap - really sucks . The brand from the Lidl is a great price and one of the best tasting ones I've found. They have them made with real butter or with glucose-syrup. I personally like the real butter caramel flavored ones. Yum-yum. A stroopwafel is simply translated as syrup waffle. It's a thin waffle like cookie with syrup in the middle... much be
Read more

Belgian Day - Speculoos Hagel and Stoemp!

Image
You know what? Normally when I think of Belgium - I think of those cute little sea shell chocolates - those are so dang good. I always bring a few boxes of those when I go home to America. Everyone likes those a lot! You are instantly popular and everyone's best friend if you are carrying a box of those. But Belgium is also known for other things - like waffles and Brussels sprouts. And if they aren't known for Speculaas - they should be. Speculaas is a small spice cookie. It's very yummy and often served with coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Lotus is all over it; it's a name brand and they got it made with the Speculaas. Not only do they know how to make a great little cookie. They've turned it into a creamy sandwich spread... and now into a crunchy sandwich sprinkle. I love it. It's brilliant. And you know what - it would work great as any cake or cupcake topper. Forget those disco sprinkles - Lotus Speculoos Hagel is it!   Luckily for living here, I don
Read more