I don't even really know how to explain this post, what it is really and totally about, what I really mean by it all, or where I am going with it...so please, bear with me while I navigate and figure this entirely new direction.

See...if you know me, or anything about me, you would know I am stuck living in a state I despise (except maybe only for the lack of major government interference...that is a whole other post though), and that I am stuck in a county and city I merely tolerate because I have to. My ideal would be to move way north into the mountains and woods and live out there, totally off grid (or as much as realistically possible for a single mom of four who works from home).

The big kids started a killer class: Modern Day Pioneering in the City

Seriously! We started with the purchase of a simple book The Modern-Day Pioneer...it grew from there. Growing some of our own food, composting, going as close to zero waste as possible, and even cutting back on meat where we can in an attempt to positively impact the environment.

Step 1: Grow a few basic items, just to get the feel for it. Bear threw some left over lettuce in a container and it regrew, she is growing basil that we got for free, and is trying so hard to grow and avocado tree, God bless her. Did you know that plants get sad and droopy, but can perk right back up when you move them to where they want to be? Yeah...it is a thing. Crazy, right?

At around three weeks per chapter, give or take a week here and there, this should pan out really well. There are ten chapters in all...so thirty weeks, then add in a two weeks each for three big projects, and we have a full curriculum (which hopefully I can write and add to the blog this year).

This simple class spurred a whole movement in the house. We decided to see just how not eco-friendly our eco-friendly home really is ( and we aren't...at all). We implemented some amazing changes and are really pushing ourselves to the limit here.

*We each got Lush shampoo bars (and tins)
*We bought glass containers and are buying bulk everything from flour to protein powder with no waste
*We switched to all glass and metal cups and straws
*Apartment composting will be happening soon (with a counter top composter as well)
*We are learning to make zero waste products where we are able
*Canning bulk sale items for use later and making larger batches to can for later use
*Dehydrating bulk wild rice to make minute rice on our own
*Eating cleaner and healthier overall

I am very excited to see where this takes us long term...stay tuned for the full adventure...

I never pictured myself as that mom; you know the one, the stay-at-home-mom. The mom who volunteers, who bakes, who loves to do that crap with her kids/for her kids. I was just never going to be that mom.

Fast forward 15 years...

I am not only that mom, but I am a single mom, work from home, and homeschool. Yeah. That went according to plan...HA. Well, let me be the first to tell you, it sucks. So. Much. However, in all the chaos is a little bit of notsocrazy. My children are closer than ever. The genuinely love one another and like to be around one another. I give all respect to God for making that happen. While he made that happen, he allowed me to work from home in order to ensure that his plan came to fruition.

When I first started to work from home as a single mom, I was in shock. It is competitive out there. I had no real desire to get out there and get a minimum wage job. It made no sense, I would lose money. I came up with a plan...

I would keep working from home and not pay childcare costs. Done. But how? I had been doing it for a very long time, but was getting back into it after a rather long hiatus. I sat down and wrote out a list of work I could do for others, with very little or no overhead at all.

1. Direct Sales/MLM I know what you're thinking, but you would be wrong here. This is a great way to make some extra chase, and maybe even a full-time income! Dave Ramsey even stands behind this business model.

2. Babysitting/Nanny/Daycare This one should seem pretty obvious, right? All my sitters were stay-at-home-moms who needed cash. One sitter was a single mom who was trying to get back on her feet, I loved her and I referred friends. She ended up getting licensed and opening an in-home childcare and working from home! She even homeschooled some kids so parents could work outside the home.

3. Personal Assistant If you have the ability to run errands for people, it is a welcomed activity to busy moms, dads, and business owners. People need client gifts ordered, holiday cards sent out, emails sorted, and even dry cleaning picked up! Yes, you can be paid for this.

4. Party Planner You already plan parties anyway, you may as well make some money off it. Get to know other moms who bake and decorate cakes, some private chef mommies, maybe some florists, and a few others...you will have a team ready to go for any party!

5. Dog Walker/Animal Care This is especially true if you have any idea how to care for farm animals. I live out in the middle of nowhere and would need someone who knows how to care for special animals to leave for a week or so. This is a great service for people who do not want to ask friends to drive to care for animals.

6. Sell Crafts If you are artsy, use it! Sell your art and use your God-given talents to  make your income and be able to stay at home with your family. This would also work for a baked good type company.

7. Redesign You can work with Realtors and stage homes for them...if you have mad photography skill, bonus! While most people will stage a home on their own, some Realtors want a professional's eye to look it over and take out all the little pieces that make the home personal.

8. Home-based Call Center I have done this in the past. This type of work can actually be quite lucrative, if you pay attention and pick the right companies! With some, you are paid hourly and will need either kids in school, or childcare. With others, you choose your hours and some even let you log in and take calls when you have time.

9. Sell on Ebay Several moms make a killing doing this. There are whole blogs based on this concept. If you want something different and interesting, I suggest you take a good look at ebay selling and how it all works!

Eggs Benedict...

People love it. I have no idea why, it's good, but really? It isn't the best thing ever. Well, my girl wanted to try her hand at making them, and wow. Just, wow.

This meal blew my mind. She did so well, and I figured we would share the recipe here.

Eggs Benedict is not a really complex meal, a poached egg, Canadian bacon, an English muffin, and hollandaise sauce. Easy.

Hollandaise Sauce:

3 egg yolks
2 sticks of butter (real butter and very soft)
A tablespoon of water
A tablespoon or two of lemon juice (I used fresh)

Separate your egg yolks from the whites and place the yolks in a bowl or small sauce pan (I used a double boiler so I didn't burn them). Whisk until they are fluffy, then add in the water and lemon. Place them on the heat and whisk...when you think you're done, keep going.

Add in your butter a small scoop at a time and keep whisking. Once the butter is in and mixed well, look for the thickness you want. Once you get it, you're done. Remove from the heat and set your sauce aside.


Meal:

Toast your English muffin while you grill your Canadian bacon. Top half of your muffin with the bacon.

Poach your eggs...this is where it gets tricky.

Fill a pot with water and bring almost to a boil. You want bubbles at the bottom of the pan, but do not want the water to boil. I added a tablespoon of lemon to help keep the whites together.

Crack your egg into a very small bowl (I used a measuring cup), each egg in it's own, you want to cook them separately.

SLOWLY...read that again S.L.O.W.L.Y. pour your egg into the water and cover the pot. Let it cook for 4 minutes, until the whites are cooked through. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on your bacon.

Pour some of your sauce over, and voila!

Of course you can add some peppers or whatever you want...I placed avocado under my egg.

How do you eat your Eggs Benedict?

While I am not really into snowmen, my mother is! Which means, my children love snowmen crafts for great fun gifts to their Nonie.

I have complied a list of 15 of the cutest crafts that are not totally unreasonable, so even the not-so-crafty person can make them:

Tin can snowman

Source

Snowman ornament

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Snowman door

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Sock snowmen

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Snowmen on wine bottles

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Wooden block snowman

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Wooden Snowman

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Yarn snowman

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Olaf

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Snowman wreath

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Snowman lamp

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Snowman centerpiece

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Snowman candy wrappers

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Popsicle stick Olaf

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Spindle snowman

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What are some of your favorite snowman crafts? Feel free to place your link in the comments!

Let's talk carpets.

You know those vacuum powders you love so much? You know...the powders you buy to sprinkle all over your carpet, then five minutes later you vacuum them up?

Yes.
Those.

I love them so much.
I hate paying for them.

Here is a great alternative:

1 Box, a big box, of baking soda...I don't really care too much about brand here
1 Big tupperware container or a sturdy Ziplock bag to hold the soda
1 Bottle of your favorite essential oil or blend (I prefer Melaleuca's Peace for my own home)

Dump the baking soda into your container
Add 10-20 drops of your oil
Shake well

*let it sit overnight*
This will make the scent stronger

Tada! Done. Boom!

You could even go as far as to make a cute shaker, but I haven't done anything like that.

Disperse a little powder throughout the carpeting in your home, wait 15 minutes, then vacuum. The scent stays for days!