"who?" from auntie anna

it must be coming up on the 6th month of pregnancy that allowed me to forget such an important and beautifully crafted gift this "homemade xmas." in the from scratch post i wrote about all the handmade items and forgot the ONE handmade item that was made for evia. auntie anna hand stitched and designed a little owl. it now watches us throughout the day and night and reminds of us of the love that little evia gets from her auntie.

forgetting such a gift = deserving a post all its own.

from scratch

final product, homemade gift 2011 - vanilla extract and d's spice rub

for the fourth year in a row, we have handmade most of our gifts for the majority of our family, for the holiday. on my side, we've made the gift exchange a "handmade" gift giving theme. over the years, the exchange has been creative, fun and economical. i'm always eager to see what my sisters and parents  have come up with and of course to see their reaction to our handmade goodies.

mom found a recipe for lip balm and used beeswax from property bees

10 years of holiday card collecting, mom cut them and hole punched to give us with string for garlands or gift tags next year

dad created fire starters (no more kindling) by using old candle wax, dryer lint in egg cartons

emily made a delicious assortment of truffles, mint, nut topped and cookie dough

anna went the handmade-purchase route and gifted a beautiful assortment of teas

another gift from anna - bottle brush animal ornaments, could they be any cuter?

vanilla in production, just 40% alcohol and vanilla beans - result vanilla extract

vanilla in the works, made two months prior so ready for use at xmas

spices from d, hand ground measured and packaged

these spices are requested throughout the year

2009's gift - sugar scrub

2008's gift, rosemary infused olive oil and d's rub

red + green = xmas

i haven't actually finished the crisp of the recipe i found, but here are a couple of my prep photos, season-appropriate in green and red. pomegranates and green apples are the main ingredients for this yummy holiday delectable. let the baking commence! (by the by, you're right, those are the very fruit used for the thanksgiving decor!)

update: i finished the crisp over the weekend and boy were we happy to have the smells of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, bubbling apple and pomegranates wafting through the air. our christmas tree was delivered at 5 and the crisp was done at 6 perfect timing for it to cool while we ate dinner. the little one even got to participate in a few bites as we hung ornaments on the tree. it was a festive and delicious holiday evening.

on a side note: we learned about goleta valley beautiful from a friend on facebook (thanks elizabeth!) although during the rest of the year the organization concentrates their volunteer efforts on planting beautiful native tree species to the urban areas of santa barbara and goleta, this year they decided during the holidays to rent those same trees instead of having them sit in the nursery. rina and i went on a nursery tour during our lunch hour and got an up-close look at coastal oaks, torrey pines and a slew of others. my personal favorite (most closely suited for xmas decor) was a redwood! how cool to have a 9' redwood in our house. according to the GVB executive director ken knight, this tree will later be planted at stow house. It is my understanding that redwoods can live up to a thousand years. pretty cool to have such an intimate few weeks with this tree that will be on our earth for hundreds of years to come! this purchase felt so good this year. it's money going to a eco-friendly cause, it's not a tree that come 1/1, we'll solely use for firewood or will go to mulch, and it was more affordable than our usual xmas tree. keep it in mind for next year. i believe they have traditional trimmed trees too (just limited). enjoy your holiday of family, food, giving and lovely holiday ambiance!

making mama's chores fun!

last week was d's birthday. although a super-fun time, it made a busy day for mama and baby. there were times, when little e looked activity challenged as she watched me bake and run around the house. we got out for a bit, but again it was errands and not super baby-focused. so as many mom's do, i came up with a way to make some of our tasks FUN! one item on the agenda was wrapping papa's presents. we had some brown postal-paper in the wrapping paper container and we have her clementine crayons, so why not have e make the wrapping paper with her artsy skills. mama got down on the floor too, to encourage the fun and as each piece was complete, i scooped it up and cut to size, stacking the gifts accordingly on the dining room table to await papa's arrival. 

it was a fun way for e to enjoy playtime, for mama to quiet down and have one-on-one time with e and for d to enjoy e's art. check, check and check, fun had by all. 

beginning her masterpiece

helping make chocolate cupcakes and a little taste too

gluten free, egg free chocolate cupcakes. not pictured: ibarra buttercream frosting, yummm

eczema + jammies

tummy time in her under the nile sleepwear

what a ride the eczema was for our family. e started showing signs of the itchy-skin rash when she was 3 months old. i was a desperate first time mom trying to make my baby feel better, how ever i could. it increasingly got more severe as the weeks pressed on. when e was 4 months we saw the pediatrician and she immediately prescribed a heavy duty steroid to help get her glowing baby skin back on track. at that time it was only little rounds patches (wheels) on her cheeks. as many know, medicine and traditional western treatment are not my first go-tos when attempting to treat ailments. we tried alot of different suggestions, products, etc. to help, curbing my diet for nursing, seeing a homeopath, blood work for e (to easily rule out what she may be "allergic" to). ultimately, we discovered she did have a food intolerance (which was immediately removed from both our diets), but her eczema never cleared and nothing but topical steroid really worked. the rash continued down her neck to her shoulders. as every mama knows it is really difficult to see your child in discomfort. this was daily and constant. she was in mits until she was about 7 months! i was required to occasionally use over the counter hydro cortisone and when severe, benedryl to put my baby at ease.

luckily she is sooooo much better now. turns out, in a couple of different stages, one stopping nursing and then two, stopping formula, e's eczema improved drastically and has been on the mend since 12 months. we are constantly trying to figure out what causes the flare ups, but i hope we just continue to see her supple skin shine through. 

my whole reason for this post, is because i wanted to share three brands of pj's that i love to dress her in. nighttime was the worst for the eczema. her scratching would wake her up (eczema has been coined as "the itch-that rashes") and anything scratchy disturbed her sleep. skoon organics, magnolia baby and under the nile have some of the softest cotton fabric - of any of the sleepwear she has worn since birth. the seams are not rigid and don't seem to irritate her. i can't adequately express how wonderful it is to see your baby fresh out of the bath, clean and content. a deep breath of relief for mama. a few pics above and below of e, in her soft jammies...

reaching for a "manna" in skoon organics

sleepy one, wearing magnolia baby

"summer, summer, summer-time"

image from bigBANG studio blog (our purhcase would be on a much smaller scale)

lucky me, i've been spending one day of the work-week at home with little e. we've done fun playdates - with girlfriends, for beach walks and playing under shady trees, at parks. but, i also want to create a fun environment at home where e will be occupied, challenged and enjoy her home-time, inside and out. we've talked about doing a sand box, next to a raised garden bed, but since the backyard is one project after another, that happens to be a little lower on the list. the weather in sb has been gorgeous and we haven't been experiencing the foggy mornings that our summer's are usually made up of, so a pool sounds divine. being that we take environmentally friendly purchases pretty seriously, i would prefer to not buy a plastic pool, that's going to wind up at the dump (we were recently doing a greenwaste drop-off at the dump and saw 4 plastic house/car/castle toys...getting compacted by the tractor). we try to always go green, when possible...

so i saw this great idea for an outdoor pool using a galvanized trough. there is a chance the metal could get hot, but i thought maybe it gets placed partly in shade and when filled with water, what's the likelihood of it getting too hot? i think it will be fun and we can reuse it as a container for planting, to house outdoor items, or e's toys...something. i'll be sure to post photos in use!

perhaps a galvanized trough like this?

my green baby

 when i was pregnant,  there was so much excitement in the air for the arrival of our little being. my friends and family showered me with some great gifts. my dad was down in la, visiting my sister and picked up a great book to help me prepare (thank you dad!!). back then i had so much time on my hands. i was able to read it from cover to cover. green baby by susannah marriott. i read it with enthusiasm, ready to put so many of the green choices into play. if you're conscious about living ecofriendly, many of the suggestions, are those you may have thought about, but perhaps didn't know how exactly to execute (for instance the best way to handle, store, launder cloth diapers), or they are choices you already make in your household, like eating fresh, local organic food. there are great ideas on how to incorporate your little one in thinking green, like making recycling fun. the book breaks the green ideas down into levels of impact on the environment. allowing you to participate in choosing green, but at a level that works best for your family. many of the statistics i wound up quoting throughout my pregnancy, amazed by the footprint we are making on this earth while raising our children.

the great thing about this book still sitting on my bedside table 1.5 years later, is it's still getting use by little e. she LOVES the baby photos in it. she looks at a baby getting her diaper changed, a baby eating broccoli and a toddler recycling with his mama. the photos are beautiful and provide a fun picture-story-time when waking up in the morning. 

my green baby

raw mother earth

today is earth day. we're pretty darn conscious in our household about the effects we have on the planet and are constantly trying to make a positive difference in our daily routines. today, in an effort to recognize the beauty and resources that our planet provides, i thought i would set some goals for myself. walk more on this earth, eat more raw and non-processed foods from this earth, get my hands dirty more from the dirt of this earth. 

this sunday we'll celebrate easter and of course will be contributing dishes to the wonderful feasts held with our families. i tend to eat more than i need to around any holiday and am always motivated to bring something fresh and sometimes raw to the table. my thanksgiving contribution wasn't the yummiest dish at dinner, but it was full of good stuff...bok choy, kale, collards, pomegranate seeds and roasted pepitas - with a pomegranate molasses dressing. this holiday i'm going to try and make use of the papaya we have on hand and attempt to make these mango cone papaya salad works of art below. aren't they lovely? please share with me, what you'll be making this holiday. would love ideas!

mango cones with papaya salad from gliving, green chef golubka

"brown paper packages tied up with string"

this holiday season, i was inspired to create a gift box for those merriment-friends that have inspired me in 2009 and whom i'm wishing a successful 2010. i've always been a fan of using brown paper and recycled packages, tied up with sting...which usually makes me sing the tune from sound of music for the rest of the day. this year i was inclined to actually give, a few of my "favorite things." when making this gift yourself, the contents can be your own personal favorites. i find homemade treats are a thoughtful, eco-friendly and cost effective approach. my favorites are chocolate! here are a few photos of the goodies i included in my gift box. i have to say they were happily received.

jessica foster truffles - in my holiday package were pomegranate (for the season) and ancho-chile cumin, a perfect compliment to the mexican hot chocolate (below). these bite-size bits of handmade goodness are made here in santa barbara, by jessica herself and are as gourmet as chocolate gets! see jessica's website for other delicious flavors.

hot cookie.com chocolate chip cookies - another locally made treat. i personally can't get enough of chocolate chip cookies, they're my ultimate dessert and even better when someone else makes them for you and you just enjoy!

ibarra hot chocolate - a version of mexican hot chocolate and a family favorite that is perfect on a cold winter night. with a little cayenne, you'll give it an added kick!

 

indulgence the home spa gift certificate - we all need to toast to ourselves, especially after a long year. indulgence provides the luxury of spa treatments in the comfort of your home! a thank you to carol of indulgence, who generously donated the gift certificates. a great way to motivate us to take the time.

i wish everyone a very happy holiday. may your 2010 be filled with health, prosperity, love and merriment.