They Went, They Tested, They Passed (& so did Ella & I)

Hooray for Peter & Austen! They were invited to test for their Red Belts at the Bradford Dojang quarterly testing. Bradford has at least 20 Black Belts in their gym, plus many students, so the testing is really intimidating! (I know because I tested with Ella for our Yellow Belts on the same night! *gulp!*)

Anyway, the boys did an outstanding job. Here's a peek at their board breaking~pretty cool!


We are so proud of them! Hopefully, they'll test for their Black Belts in March 2010!




Special thanks to all of the Randolph students who made the trek to watch our testing! You guys are the best!

Liberty Orchard Fun

On Friday I chaperoned Ella's kindergarten trip to Liberty Orchards in Brookfield. It's such a fun trip (I've done it 4 times!) The new owners are just as generous as the previous ones. They let each of the 3 classes take a big bag of apples back to school for lots of yummy munching.

The kids were taught how to pick an apple and keep the tree healthy. The next try was a great success!

The Canada Geese pulled into V-formation overhead. Can't wait to see them on their return trip

Isn't this the cutest class? Mrs. MacBruce is my favorite! I wish she could stay with them through to High School Graduation!

Ella's friend Olivia is part of the Kaplan clan. Their 3 line up with our 3 (Austen is a year older than Jacob, but he and Peter are fast friends with him) Isaac is in Cora's class. All of our kids have been friend since about day 2.

Sometimes things go perfectly. The rain that we were due to get from Hurricane Kyle showed up at exactly the same moment that we got back to school.

Feel the Love Friday Giveaway

Soooo.... It's Friday! I'm so psyched to go sit in front of the fire (it's COLD & rainy up here!) with a glass of pinot gris! But before I go... here's the first Feel the Love Friday Giveaway winner.
Drum Roll, please.... the winner of these lovely little ghosts and a yummy Energy Body Mist is Jennie W. of Beehive & Bird's Nest. Jennie's blog usually makes me LOL (laugh out loud). Go check it out!

Keep leaving comments! I'll keep giving stuff away!

Happy weekend, everyone! And CHEERS!

Martha Love... The Martha Blog Contest

Martha Stewart recently did a segment about blogging with Perez Hilton. We all know that Perez Hilton is a great blogger. Of course, it makes perfect sense that Martha is also a fellow blogger! What better way to share the ups and downs of everyday life?

She has offered a chance to get "blogged about" on her blog, by posting a comment and linking on your blog. Make sense? I mean, who WOULDN'T want to be on Martha's blog? ;) Do you think she'll ever Twitter?

Today you can read about two new kittens on her farm! They are just adorable!!

ps. check out marthastewart.com for incredible Halloween Ideas. Her decoration projects always drive me to channel my Inner Martha!

Give Away Today, Give Away Every Friday Until Christmas

In a very un-scientific way, my family and I drew a name to decide who would 2 bars of Twin Birch Artisan Soap... Perfect Pumpkin and Cranberry Cheer. They all wanted to pull the name, so I just did it because it was time for dinner, I had a little low-blood-sugar thing going on... you know how that all goes. Anyway, I'm so happy to say that the winner is right here in beautiful Randolph, Vermont. My friend Ramsey gets some free soap! I'm so happy because she's one of 2 friends who actually visit my blog. I guess all of the other girls figure they've already heard the story of the day, so what's the point? :)

Anyway, congrats to Ramsey! Here's her picture. She's with 3 of her 4 kids. Isn't she beautiful?

So, I love the holidays! Have I mentioned that? Since I can't help myself, I'll be giving something away every week until Christmas. I'm calling it "Feel the Love Friday". It's going to be random, but fun so please check in and leave comments. I'll be drawing names from all of the comments left from Saturday thru Thursday of that week. It will be something fun and it'll smell good, too! I'm psyched to send out lots of bubble love!

Puking at the Tunbridge Fair

I'm sure it's not unique that kids throw up at the fair. It's just that I've never been the mom of one kid who puked after a ride. This year I was the mom of TWO pukers. They went on the Twirly Hurl 3 times in a row. Then...it was kind of like the Barf-O-Rama scene in "Stand By Me". So, here are the exit interviews of the 2 chuckers. They might make you sick or they might make you laugh! Let me know either way! ;)

The vid. is so dark because Austen had to go lie in the grass in a quiet corner.

How Do You Feel About Fall?

Well, it's here. There are leaves in the driveway, the air is cooler and the Tunbridge Fair has come and gone (check back for that post~as long as you have a strong stomach!) It's Autumn in Vermont. For me, fall is bitter~sweet. I LOVE the upcoming holidays and all of the tradition that comes our way. I will miss the care~free days of summer. *sigh*

So, how about you? How do you feel about this time of year? What are your favorite things about it? Recipes? Family Traditions? Treasures to pull out from the closet? Let me know! Let's make it a giveaway! I'll use Teresa's method to pick a winner on Sept. 21st. You'll win 2 bars of Twin Birch Artisan Soap... Perfect Pumpkin and Cranberry Cheer.

Happy Fall! :)

All's Fun In Love

This is hard to believe... I've been married for 18 years. It's not that it's been hard at all. In fact, it has been such a wonderful ride of fun and adventure, with a sprinkle of profound sadness and pulling through a few dark moments, that time has just flown! We have the same crazy, hectic life as a lot of you. Four kids, a ridiculously large dog, 10 hens, house, Gerry's law practice, my soap~gig... sometimes I just laugh. (ok, sometimes I cry, too!) Mostly, I laugh. Click here to see Gerry in a death~defying moment at a water park in Lincoln, NH! (We call the ride "The Toilet Bowl!"

Anyway, I'm still crazy for Gerry and all of the wonderful things that he is. One of his best talents (and he has many), he gives amazing massages. Really good. That's what inspired my latest gift idea on Etsy. Because being in love is fun.

It's the perfect gift for newlyweds, an anniversary, and of course... Christmas & Hanukkah. Oh! Don't forget New Year's Eve! Click here to take a peek! ;)

We Will Never Forget

This morning, I am remembering very clearly that awful day seven years ago. I am praying for those who were lost and for those who were left behind. I hope that we always remember the heroism and courage of that day.

Yummy Massage Melts

Who doesn't love a great massage? No matter how bad a day can be, a massage from someone special can be the answer to the day's worries. My massage melts are the greatest way to deliver or receive a scrumptious, relaxing massage.

These little cuties are about 2 oz each. There are 2 in the package and each one is probably good for 2 luxurious rub~downs. Doesn't that work out nicely? :) They are made with natural, skin~loving ingredients: Olive oil, Carnauba wax, Candelilla wax &Bees wax. Your skin will love them and so will the rest of you.

Two little tidbits to consider~ They are primarily Olive Oil-great for the skin, a little tough on the sheets. The only problem I've run into was when the melt was left resting on the fabric... a little stain happened. Also, since they are melts, they can't stand high temperatures. Don't leave them in direct sunlight or in a hot spot.

They come in 4 fragrances: Romantic~lavender, vanilla & sandalwood
Champagne & Berries~spicy, sweet & sexy
Starry Night~musky sandalwood, patchouli & rose
Tryst~jasmine & midnight sweetness

Where will you get them? Right here! ;)

And The Winner Is... ME!

I love reading Teresa's blog Life, Homesteading, and Everything. She's funny, interesting and kind. She's also a great soap customer, which I thoroughly appreciate!! Recently, she posted a give-away. She is giving away The Creativity Book by Eric Maisel...and she's giving it to me! :) I won her very fair, random drawing. ;)
I'm so excited. I would love a year's worth of inspiration, which is what the book promises!!

Thanks Teresa! You're a honey! Do pop over to Teresa blog... you'll love it!

The Cutest Jumper I've Ever Seen

I'm psyched to be a member of the Etsy Bloggers Street Team. I'm still figuring it out, but I'm telling you, there are some awesome crafts people/ bloggers on this team. Each month they have a featured blogger. This month it's Joey & Aleethea. These people make the most adorable baby clothes ever!! Although I'm not willing to make another baby to dress them in these outfits, I can't wait til my brother and his wife start with their brood so I can dress them all in Joey & Aleethea's A~DORABLE products!! Just look at this Vespa Jumper. Are you kidding? I want one in my size!

Pop over by clicking here and check out their fun blog. Think hard! You MUST know someone little enough to fit into their cutie clothes!

The Ladies

Our little flock of hens is doing so well. I am amazed at how entertained I am to watch them from my kitchen window. They are quite a little group. They have been feasting on our crickets for weeks. They follow me up the trail to go blackberry picking with me. They dart from here to there for reasons I don't know. Really, they are quite fun.

Little Guy, our kindergarten chicken is now about 18 mos old. She faithfully lays one egg each day. As the only survivor of our Kinder~flock, she holds a special place in my heart. Plus, she lived with Connor, the rooster~with~anger~issues, for months before he met up with that awful fox. (see Connor's story here.)

I can't wait until all of the girls are laying eggs. I'm guessing it won't be too long now. They are about six months old. When do they start producing? I know one of you has the answer.
Meanwhile, they walk by the window of the bubble lab while I'm soapmaking and I know all is right in the world.

Pumpkin Party

I made a batch of Cinnamon Pumpkin CP this weekend. It's the first time that I used colorants from my spice drawer. The coloring is mostly turmeric with just a dash of paprika. I added both to the lye solution and mixed in some cinnamon while it was coming to trace.

I've seen my new favorite word..."SCRUMMY". That's the best description of how this beautiful bar smells. It's SCRUMMY. Can't wait to post it on Etsy during the 1st week of October!

Final Thoughts on Blackberries

My girlfriend, Ramsey was kind enough to point out that I posted a picture of black raspberries posing as blackberries. So, I want to share a picture of the real blackberries we've been enjoying.
Thanks to all of you for your awesome recipe ideas! If you missed the fun, check it out and make sure to read the comments because the ideas for using up blackberries are KILLER!

Speaking of killer, I'm a city girl who loves the country, the woods & my adopted home state of Vermont. However, I have no desire to run into any bears. Although I've been reassured 1000 times that the black bears which live around here are "more afraid of you, don't want to run into you either, will run as soon as they hear you coming...", I'm scared of them. After all, when we say that something brings out the MAMA BEAR in us, we're not talking about tea & cookies, right?

On an amazingly beautiful walk in our woods yesterday we came across this:




I'm pretty sure that it's bear $&%#! (I guess you can also call it scat.) I know the picture's not that great... I was shaking when I took it. Do note the blackberry seeds which are quite evident.
:)

Needless to say, I spent the rest of the hike hooting and hollering. I like to think they heard me coming and made other plans. Oh, and guess who else has blackberry seeds in his poo? I'll give you a hint.....