Busy fingers and the Mother Bear Project

Yarn

Besides spending time with my daughter… crafts, volunteering, fitness, gardening, and writing are the things I enjoy most.

Earlier this week, I stumbled upon an amazing opportunity, called The Mother Bear Project. I learned about it through a local yarn shop, Lovely Yarns.

The Mother Bear Project is a grass-roots, non-profit group dedicated to providing comfort and hope to children, primarily those affected by HIV/AIDS in emerging nations, by giving them a gift of love in the form of hand-knit and crocheted bears.  To date, 27,300 bears have been sent to South Africa, Zambia, Swaziland, Lesotho, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Burundi, Malawi, Botswana, Rwanda, Uganda, Namibia and other countries as we find out more about children in need.

What a great cause, right? I did have a slight problem…I haven’t crocheted in years. Last week I told one of the ladies from my quilting group that I wanted to pick up crochet again. She told me to bring my hook and yarn the following Monday.

Naturally I took her up on that offer. Do you think I’m going to pass up on that opportunity? Mrs. G was thorough! I really appreciated that she took her time to teach me some crochet stitches. Thanks to YouTube, I was able to brush up on the basic and the more complicated stitches that she showed me.

Being that it’s been a while since I’ve picked up my hooks, I was repeatedly pulling out my stitches before I finally hit the sweet spot (well at least for the basic stitches I’m doing) and I wasn’t making anymore mistakes. What a great feeling! I won’t be making a bear right away, I want the first bear I make to be really nice, and so the next few months I’ll devote to making a variety of items before I make a bear for the project.

I learned about The Mother Bear Project (indirectly) through Julia, of Aberrant Crochet. Julia makes gorgeous crochet, so be sure to take a peek at her virtual home. Julia was kind enough to reply to my comment in her Mommy Can’t Right Now, She’s Texting. In her comment, Julia was kind enough to share a few sites that would be beneficial to a noob crocheter like myself.

The website, Ravelry, is an online knitting and crocheting community. It’s chock full of information, through my virtual puttering around on that website, I discovered there were quite a few local yarn stores in my area! Who knew? I visited a few of the websites, and that’s how I eventually learned about the Mother Bear Project.

Crocheted Projects

Let’s see… I’ve already made a shocking pink cape for Draculaura, one of my daughter’s Monster High dolls. Currently I’m working on a cute cream colored mini-skirt for Clawdeen — another one of the Monster High dolls.

My daughter is a true fashionista, and so for Christmas (or perhaps a little after) I’m making her a scarf with beads woven in the fiber. It’s safe too say that I’m enjoying my crochet time. 😉

 

Recharged and ready to go; home after the holidays

Recharge

My daughter and I enjoyed spending our Thanksgiving holiday in South Carolina. I do have one major regret <sighs> with all the chatter about my Nikon battery charger, you’d think I’d have learned my lesson right?

Well, guess who decided not to pack a battery charger? Stupid, I know, I know… My reasoning, I have a full charge, so I don’t need it. The sad thing is, I hadn’t looked at my camera in about a week, and I’d taken hundred of pictures since that time.

Of course, I didn’t remember that important detail, until I tried to take pictures of Lake Marion. I was wondering why can’t I take pictures? Looking at the viewfinder, cleared that up quickly. My battery charger was almost dead, and so “looking at the battery charger just the other day and seeing I had a full charge,” was most likely a few weeks ago. I did manage to squeak out one photo, before my Nikon D80 shut down completely.

Of course, there were tons of gorgeous photos I could have taken — with a charged camera. Stepping outside the condo, when there’s very little activity, except for the fisherman at Lake Marion, makes for some amazing pictures. My favorite Lake Marion shots are taken while most of the world (around me) sleeps. Oh well… there will always be Independence Day.

Crafting during the holiday

Besides that, my daughter and I had a great time bonding with the part of the family that we only see once or twice yearly. In the early morning, and late evenings, my daughter and I worked on paper crafts. One day, I stayed up until about 3:30 am working on a few ideas I had for my die cutting machine (Cuttlebug) using a common metal item, that most people might have in the house.

Although I like paper crafts, I’ve always enjoyed working with metals/beads more, and so I’ve been looking for ways to incorporate them into the paper crafts that I create. Currently the handmade cards I’ve made (a few I’ve shown here at Celebrate Life) are samples to show ideas I’ve had. I don’t consider them a finished product, but a way for me to bounce around ideas.

During the Thanksgiving holiday, I made several cards, and will be posting a few of them over the next few weeks. I also will be releasing a new website within the next few months, but more on that later.

Three Reasons to use Aloe Vera; Health benefits

Aloe Vera Plant

Aloe vera can be traced back to over 6000 years. Egyptians depicted the aloe plant on carvings. Aloe vera is a natural remedy, and its used to treat a variety of conditions. Because of aloe vera’s anti-inflammatory properties, it is effective in treating conditions such as sun burns. Aloe vera gel can be extracted directly from the plant or it can be purchased at many health food stores, drugstores, and online stores.

 

Aloe Vera Soothes Sunburns

 

  1. Sunburns usually effects large areas of the skin. Redness, itching, swelling, scaling, and pain are all symptoms of a sunburn and can leave an individual feeling miserable. Reduce the pain from a sunburn by applying aloe vera juice to sunburned skin. Aloe vera gel or juice is an ingredient that can be found in many sunburn products. Apply aloe vera juice to the affected skin several times daily.
  2. Aloe Vera Promotes Dental Health

  3. Teeth require daily cleaning. We brush them several times daily to remove the plaque, food, and bacteria that can be trapped inside the mouth. Finding a suitable toothpaste is essential in maintaining healthy teeth. Toothpastes with aloe vera juice is as effective as other toothpastes. According to a study published in PubMed, it protects against Candida albicans, Enterococcus faecalis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, Prevotella intermedia, and Streptococcus mutans.
  4. Aloe Vera Can Help Eliminate Constipation

  5. Fast paced lifestyles, stress, medication, and poor eating habits are a few causes of constipation. Aloe vera is recognized for its stool softening properties. Aloe also contains a powerful compound called aloin. Aloin is a powerful compound containing strong laxative properties that helps treat constipation. Taking 150 mg of dried aloe vera juice is effective as laxatives, according to the Mayo Clinic.

References:

This post was written in advance, since I’m away for the Thanksgiving holidays. I won’t be checking my personal mail. My holidays are spent taking a break from everything technology related. I’ll be back soon, and will respond to comments, and visit your virtual homes.

Blessings, Opal

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving mouse

In the United States Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month. In our country, Thanksgiving is the most traveled holiday of the year.

We’re usually away for the Thanksgiving holidays, and the condo where we reside is perfect for relaxation. It overlooks a gorgeous lake, and my daughter and I spend our mornings on the beach collecting seashells. I look forward to the Thanksgiving holidays, since it gives me a chance to reconnect with family members that I don’t see too often. It’s also a time that I completely relax.

Do we need a special holiday to be thankful? Of course not, I’m sure many of use give thanks throughout the year. I’m definitely thankful for my loved ones, and I make an effort to let those people know (throughout the year) how much they mean to me often.

Have a wonderful day, and for those in the USA, Happy Thanksgiving!

This post was written in advance, since I’m away for the Thanksgiving holidays. I won’t be checking my personal mail. My holidays are spent taking a break from everything technology related. I’ll be back soon, and will respond to comments, and visit your virtual homes.

Blessings, Opal


Smoothies; Green energy drink

Green smoothie

I tend to eat a lot of fiber in my daily intake. I love dark leafy greens, and prepare them in a variety of ways. For those who’re not used to dark greens, there are other ways you can incorporate them into ones daily intake.

Adding greens to raw juices or smoothies is an excellent way to increase your fiber, along with many other nutrients that the greens provide. Because you’re adding the greens to a fruit smoothie, it will mask the taste of the greens.

I love dark leafy greens, and often eat them raw. I tend to add a bit more greens than what I’ve suggested below.

Green Energy Drink

  • 4 cups unsweetened apple juice
  • 1 cup cubed pineapple
  • 2 cups collards (or other greens like lettuce, kale, or collards)
  • 1″ ginger root

*If you want a thinner smoothie, add more apple juice. Directions

  1. In a blender add all ingredients
  2. Blend until smooth
  3. Drink and enjoy

This post was written in advance, since I’m away for the Thanksgiving holidays. I won’t be checking my personal mail. My holidays are spent taking a break from everything technology related. I’ll be back soon, and will respond to comments, and visit your virtual homes.

Blessings, Opal

Volunteering: People will judge you by your actions…

Quilters June2011 1

Say hello to the quilting group where I’m the newest member.

The above picture was taken last year. I wasn’t a member then. However, it includes some of the ladies that are part of the quilting group. We meet each Monday for three hours. It’s a great time of fellowship, and it gives me a chance to do something crafty… sewing. I learned how to sew when I was seven.

“We judge ourselves by our intentions, but others judge us by our actions.”

Many of us have the best intentions when it comes to serving others, but how many of us follow through? If we don’t watch out, we can easily forget the promises we’ve made.

Since my parents have always been active in helping others (even when the early years when they were poor themselves) I try to make an effort and give back to those who might not be as fortunate as myself.

Helping others, is something I strongly believe in, and it’s something I put into action since I was a child. My parents are great role models. The days when I struggled financially. I still helped others. I look back on my early twenties quite fondly. You should see some of the recipes I came up with then — however I survived.

Quilt Pinning 2 11 21

In todays quilting group, I managed to take a few photos. The majority of our time together is spent working, but we do manage to squeeze in conversation too. Because of the groups friendly nature, it gives everyone a chance to get to know one another — and to form genuine friendships too.

Quilt Pinning 1 11 21

As the newest of this group, there are times when I’m in the spotlight. It’s natural, they want to learn about me and so I’ve been happily weaving in bits of my daughter and my life into the conversation. Because of their friendliness, it didn’t take long for me to feel like one of the group, and so I look forward to my Monday quilting sessions.

Next Monday, one of the ladies is going to help me with my crochet. In the top photo, do you see the tall lady to your right with the sunglasses? Yep, she’s the one that will be helping me. She’s German, and I enjoy chatting with her. She’s told me a few stories of her country.

What’s brought these wonderful ladies together? A common desire to help those less fortunate. I’d say its even more fulfilling, because of the friendships that have been made. They’ve effectively turned their belief, of helping others, into action.

Photography: Autumn

Woods 1

Have you ever had one of those days where things don’t go as planned? I’m guessing most of us have had those type of days. Yesterday, it was my turn to experience that. Uhm, yippee? I had lots of plans but the majority of them weren’t completed.

I was struck with waves of nausea throughout the morning. Raking the leaves wasn’t a pleasant experience, since I had to frequently take breaks, however the job was completed. I’d planned on visiting our stream with my daughter, but since I wasn’t feeling well — after finishing the leaves I headed inside. The above photo was taken in our back yard, near our woods.

I did manage to prepare an extremely delicious soup, and so I’ll be posting the recipe on the blog. Yes, I actually managed to measure the ingredients. However, if I want to take pictures, I’ll have to make more since my daughter and I consumed it all.

In the afternoon, I did something I haven’t done in a while, I pampered myself. Because I have a full life; Being a mom, work, volunteering, etc., at times I forget that I need to take care of me. However yesterday I took notice, and it felt great!

I drew a super hot bath, using some of the all natural bath products (that I make) on myself. I gave myself the full treatment. A few drops of essential oil was added to my bath water; Lavender, rose geranium, and peppermint. All three are effective at combating nausea. Additionally, I applied a clay facial mask. Those are great for skin tightening, removing impurities, and toning the skin. A sugar scrub was applied to my body, and after that round of pampering I applied a nice moisturizer. One of my body butters to which I’d added essential oils rose and lavender.

After some body pampering, I started feeling like my old self again. I’d like to believe that the soup I prepared specifically for that occasion helped, along with my stubborn resolve that I wasn’t going to become sick, and the pampering was good too.

Whatever it was, it was a nice wake up call that even though I live a busy life that now and again I need to relax and take care of myself too. Here’s hoping you all do the same.