Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

In the past, I have not been a very adventurous cook.  In the last few years though, I have gotten much braver, and had a little more fun cooking.  I am a nut for Italian dishes, so one of the things I really wanted to conquer was making my own spaghetti sauce.  I know myself though, and I do not have the time and patience it takes to stir a pot on the stove for hours on end.  So I decided to come up with a recipe that could be made in my crockpot.  I also included my love of Young Living Essential Oils!  They give it a wonderfully more robust flavor than just the dried herbs I was originally using, or even the fresh herbs I tried.

And it turned out fabulous!

It was really best when I used the canned tomatoes we had from our garden, but since I don't always have that option, this was the next best thing...

Also amazing with Young Living's Taste Of Italy Essential Oil, 1-2 drops

Not a brain surgeon.

When my bathroom is clean and spotless, no one will notice.  But if it was dirty everyone would notice.  When my kids have clean clothes in their dressers, they won't notice.  But if my laundry basket is overflowing with dirty clothes, it will certainly get noticed.  Sigh. 

I was reminded of something very important this morning, and I wanted to share it with you. 
My home work matters.  Our work matters.

In the mundane task of making breakfast this morning, I can do it 2 ways.  I can make my little boys their breakfast and tell them to keep it moving because they need to finish getting ready for school and they still need to feed the rabbits.  Or I can try to be a blessing to them, make them breakfast with a smile on my face, maybe a little I love you note written on their napkins, and remind them that they are important and loved. 

Later, when I am continuing to work on the little flower headbands that I am making for my online shops, I could choose to just try and get a bunch of them done while my 2 year old is occupying himself for a little while.  Or I can take my time and make them to the best of my ability, possibly only getting a couple finished, and remember that maybe it is being worn by a little girl who wanted to feel pretty that morning and wanted someone to notice her beautiful new headband with the big flower that her mommy bought for her.  

I am not a brain surgeon, and I will not be saving a life or impacting the rest of someone's life if I don't make breakfast with a smile or do my best when I make a headband.  But what I do does matter to those around me.

Our home work matters. 

You just jumped in with both feet... now what?

I am so new to all of this, that sometimes the amount of learning I have to do is overwhelming.  Especially when you have to run your house, take care of all your kids, and actually research, make, package, and sell your products while doing it. 

You know the feeling, you just jumped in with both feet, and now you had better figure out how to do it!
Learning about SEOs, boosting your site and page, how to optimize hashtags and label and keywords, trying to use both graphics online and then learning you need a completely different way for print material (God bless my friend Leigh for coming to my graphic design rescue this week!), how to word the titles on your products to get the most views, what time should you post your blog, how you should pitch your business to others effectively, etc.

WHEW! 

But learning new things is also something I thoroughly enjoy, too.  I like new.  I like change.  I like different.  I like finding out how to do things I've never done before.  And when I feel particularly challenged, I've found some awesome people out there that though they gain nothing by it, are willing to help you when you ask. 

Don't be afraid to try something new and jump in with both feet.  Do a little learning yourself.  You never know what you will fall in love with or be totally amazing at if you don't give it go!

A no go...

Another day of trial and error, as we discover more recipes that we don't like.  Yes my whole family is getting involved in this one, as we are trying and perfecting a new shop idea to make the perfect "Melanie's Mash and Mush Soap."  We are still working on it to get it just right, and as you can see we are having a lot of fun working with it!

It is so awesome that my kids love getting involved in my business.  They get excited to help, and it is really helpful for me to get their point of view for some of the products I am making that are geared toward kids.  Working together on these projects is just another bonus to being your own boss, working your own hours, and being able to work out of home!

What I learned through mistakes...

I love learning new crochet projects to make!  I also love that each one I make teaches me at least one new lesson because something didn't come out as nice as I liked or it doesn't look right, or I made a mistake.  This makes for much better finished products and each one I make is closer to perfection!

For example my Foximilian project...  With my first fox (and first ever amigurumi) I learned that I liked making it (important!), I can finally trust myself to follow a written pattern and adapt it to my own specifications without relying on a youtube video to teach me how, and that you truly need to count your stitches well for it to turn out how you want it.  With my second fox, I learned that you can't just change the hook to make your project a little bigger, it just doesn't turn out the way you were hoping for.  I also figured out a better way to make the elusive "magic ring" and a much nicer looking way to sew all the pieces together when you are done crocheting.  My next fox (already started) is going to be really amazing, and my kids are enjoying the ones that aren't to my liking yet!

I am just so excited about amigurumi projects, they are so much fun, don't take too long, and there are a million different projects that you can adapt to make them your own style.  I will share my patterns when I get them all just right! 

And I found my next project in amigurumi...  MONSTERS!!!   

Just a little space I can zen out in...

Sometimes I have too many projects and things going on at the same time.  You too?
Total chaos (and I'm adding a blog to the mix). 

It's ok though, with 5 kids you get kinda used to the chaos.  I think maybe that's why I fell in love with crochet - it brings a little peace to my chaos.  And with 4 out of 5 of my kids being boys, doing something relaxing is just what I need.  A simple and pretty little blanket doesn't require much in depth thought, just some muscle memory and time.  It's a hobby that doesn't take up much space to do, a little spot on the couch left just for me to sit is all I require.  A little space I can zen out in while the chaos swirls around me, at least until my 2 year old discovers that I've gotten out my yarn...

Maybe this is you.  Well, maybe not exactly you, but maybe you need a peaceful hobby too.  I can't help you with the chaos, but I sure can try to help you with some fun hobbies that don't require a lot of money, space, and commitment.  Just some relaxing fun; a little zen in your day. 

This is my goal.  To share my eclectic loves with you, and have a little fun doing it.