Grand Rapids Urban Chicken Movement

If there is anyone in the Grand Rapids area that is interested in getting involved in the recently formed Urban Chicken Movement, please consider joining us at the Eastown Neighborhood Association this Wednesday Novemeber 11, 2009 at 7:00pm.

We will be building from off of the information gathered at the previous meeting. We are all very hopeful the ordinance will be changed soon. There is quite an interest in this topic. We also have a facebook group Urban Laying Hens...Chickens for Grand Rapids

Happy Halloween!

Have a safe and fun Halloween!

Laundry Soap Update

I just had to replenish my homemade laundry soap and I thought I would give you an update.

I posted at the end of June. That would make it 4 months in total that we used the laundry soap. I made a mistake with my calculations! I used a tablespoon scoop in my laundry to be sure I didn't use too much. I used two tablespoons for each load of laundry for a family of four. It costs me 9 dollars to make the batch. 9 DOLLARS FOR 4 MONTHS WORTH OF LAUNDRY!!! That is $2.25 a month!! WONDERFUL!!

What is even better is that a friend told me I was using too much per load. She suggested only one tablespoon per load. It is very hard to change our habits. I believe we are attached to our household cleaning products and especially our laundry soap. I need that "clean" feeling and I bought into the "more is better" mindset. I used to use so much soap! My neighbor told me that her daughter worked for one of the major corporations that make soap and detergent. My neighbor informed me about how very little it would take to clean a load. I started trying it because I was broke and laundry detergent is so expensive. It worked, my laundry came clean even though I used barely two tablespoons of the liquid detergent.

My next endeavor is cloth menstrual pads, dryer sheet alternatives and toothpaste.

I have a working sewing machine still and I find myself taking on projects. I am so busy with school but it is a nice outlet to have a hobby that will help me relax in my free time. I have enjoyed myself. I plan on posting some of my projects and the website tutorials that I have found handy.

Artprizegr.com

I just added my first post for artprizegr.com. It is a blog created to keep tags on the Artprize happenings in Grand Rapids.

Check out this link: www.artprizegr.com to read my blurb :)

I encourage you to subscribe to this blog if you want to keep up with the art in GR during these exciting weeks to come!!

Camping in the cold rain

Went camping this weekend with the family up north to visit my Dad. Even my brother and his two boys came. My dad lives almost an hour away and is doing well for himself. I was impressed at the scenery once I got settled in. I know now why my dad wants to stay up there!

I also didn't realize how large the Amish community is up there. My only regret is that I didn't take my good camera with me to capture some of the beauty through my lens...but I was worried about all the rain. Camping is hard enough with kids but I didn't want to worry about my technology too.

Here is an Amish sign. My daughter said "mom, do they put those signs up to warn you of crazy Amish or their crazy horses?" I had to laugh because most signs are to alert you or direct you...what else could it mean to a 7 year old?

We passed several horse and buggy, several times during the day. Any time I am faced with the simplicity of others, I feel I need to identify my own wastefulness.

Here is what camping looked like most of the weekend...rain, rain and more rain.

We managed to have fun when we could :)

Summer update

This summer has been cold for us in Michigan! Our weather has resembled our Autumn months of September and October. I am not complaining, it has just been hard to conceal my disappointment. There is a healing element in warmth that I crave after our long and extremely brutal winter. I don't feel healed from the winter as of yet and I can already sense our daylight hours diminishing. School starts for my oldest next week. Her school follows an alternative schedule so they get a shorter summer break. This year I find it even more difficult to send her back.

I haven't posted in such a long time, I thought I'd give a few highlights for the past month:

My youngest turned 3!

I made her a dolly with a matching skirt. It was nice (thanks Emily) to have a working sewing machine in the house. I still have it and I am working on some clothes for myself.


This picture is a little blurry but I think it sums up my summer with my girls. My camera can hardly keep up. They dance, laugh and run all the time. Just busy with their own imagination. I really am going to miss these days...

Art Prize

"ArtPrize is a radically open competition [based in Grand Rapids, MI]. Open to any artist in the world who can find space. Open to anybody in the city who wants to create a venue. Open to a vote from anyone who attends." I borrowed that straight from their website...better they explain it to you then me!

Many local artists are busy at work putting together their ideas for the contest. I love hearing of the collaborations that are going on. The creative energy has been fun to observe.

I wanted to post this article and blog from a family that lives near me, I admire their commitment to being a family of artists (read the article because I couldn't begin to summarize their commitment). I thought that Rapid Growth did an excellent job on the article, Living as a Work of Art.

There is a collaboration between the beerhorst's and Vandyke's (Rachel and Cameron). Check out Studio Beerhorst or Kinship in Color and Wool for further development on the Art Prize collaboration and inspiration for living.