Launch Day

Knittedhome's new look + redesign is finally live!  And I'm excited to see where this new direction takes us.  

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Resources + Goals

Interviewing: Hope

Hope was such an education for me.  She showed me how pleasant & respectful a well-educated young adult could be.  She and her family have placed in me a goal to bring up my own children with her kind of mutual respect & fun-loving attitude.  
Fun fact: Hope took the pictures that I now use for KnittedHome's online presence, including my profile & banner picture with my then-cell phone.


Hope
- How old are you & what grade are you in?  What state do you live in now?
I am 17 and in 11th grade. I live in Oregon.

- How old were you when I started watching you?
I was 10.

 - What is your favorite memory or activity that we did together?
I really enjoyed when we picked cherries and then made jam.

 - Did you think I was a nice or mean babysitter when I watched you?  Any particular reason?  Do you still think I'm nice/mean?
I thought you were firm but fair.  You didn't treat me as a little kid and I appreciated that.

 - Do you have any advice for me on being a parent?
Whenever you think you are being patient enough, be more patient.


Parents:
- What were your first impressions of me?
Smart, pleasant, reliable.

- What made you call me back?
General good impression with a very positive attitude.

- Do you have any advice as I embark on my own journey into parenthood?
Trust your judgment and don't over-think your parenting decisions.
The cellphone cozi Hope designed & I crocheted for her.

You can check out more in this series here.

New Sustainable Living Resources to Get You Excited About Living Green Again

I've dreamed of living in a Tiny House since I first stumbled upon Jay's Tumbleweed Tiny House designs back in 2007. I was living alone in my first apartment with only an hour a day of direct sunlight on my balcony, but I was having a renaissance in my life. I was devouring every book, blog, and video about living green, living tiny, and living sustainably. I wanted to grow my own food, preserve it, and cook from scratch; I wanted to make anything & everything so I could be independent of the grocery store. I wanted to have a home that I didn't have to pay utilities or a monthly rent /mortgage on.

To "live for free" without the need for an active income stream, began as a young dream and has continued to be a driving force in my adult life, whether on the front or back burner.

This morning I found this in my inbox and my passion is once again stirred up.

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Interviewing: Cobin

Cobin has been a wonderful supporter of my knitting & a beautiful reminder that Peppa Pig is my favorite show.  He would "save" it to watch with me.


Cobin
- How old are you & what grade are you in?  What state do you live in now?
5, Preschool, Ohio

 - How old were you when I started watching you?
When I was a baby

- What is your favorite memory or activity that we did together?
When you brought me a Car puzzle and we put it together.

- Did you think I was a nice or mean babysitter when I watched you?  Any particular reason?
You were a good one.

- Do you have any advice for me on being a parent?
Be nice; be nice to your baby, take care of your baby.

Parents:
- What were your first impressions of me?
My first impressions of you were that you were friendly, sweet, and down-to-earth!  And smart and responsible!  Respectful, caring and helpful.  :)

- What made you call me back?
All of the above qualities made me call you back.

- Do you have any advice as I embark on my own journey into parenthood?
Breathe!  Be patient.  Don't take things personally (tantrums/meltdowns, etc).  Respond to your child with love and limits!  You don't need this advice because you were always good at it when you were caring for Cobin.
     - haha, Thanks Rebecca :)  But I have definitely felt your words come to mind a couples nights already ;)


You can check out more in this series here.

Interviewing: Shane

Shane is one of the last kids I babysat up until I had EJ.  He even agreed to be my mitten model, once I agreed to pay him with his own pair of mittens.  He is such a sweetheart.  It has been fun and heart-warming to read his comments, typed up for him by his wonderful mother.


How old are you & what grade are you in?
Shane is 5 years old and just started Kindergarten!  (You started watching him when he was 6 months old)

- What is your favorite memory or activity that we did together?
My favorite memory is when Annie would let me make sandwiches for lunch and put all sorts of cool stuff on it like pepperoni!  I also liked it when we would make ice cream and have picnics outside :)

- Did you think I was a nice or mean babysitter when I watched you?  Any particular reason?  Do you still think I'm nice/mean?
Annie was nice!!  She was nice because I really, really liked her (Shane's words exactly!)  Yes, I think you're nice, and I miss you!  (Shane says we need to visit you soon).

- Do you have any advice for me on being a parent?
Shane's advice for you as a parent... Always play!


Parents:
What were your first impressions of me?
My first impressions of you: You were very loving and invested in the kids you took care of.  I first met you when you were watching a girl in Conor's first grade class.  You would walk her into school, give her a hug and tell her you loved her.  She had a hard time separating from you, but you were always patient and calm.

 What made you call me back?
I kept calling you back because you are awesome with kids!  You are patient and fun.  You were always trying to think of how I might want you to handle a situation.

 Do you have any advice as I embark on my own journey into parenthood?
My advice to you as a parent... Trust your gut.  It may not be the way they say to do it in the parenting books, but it's probably right for you and your family.

 You can check out more in this series here.

What Does Your Workspace Look Like?

I wish this is what I looked like when blogging & commenting...
I just want my little blogging corner to look like one of these pins.  

  

I think that's why I pin these; not because they all promise the same thing, but because their pictures are so convincing that if I just follow their "10 things to..." whatever, then I'll have the same pretty, streamline workspace, too.  :-P  (You can see more on my Etsy Board here)

   

Anyone else?

A New Interview Series

I always love a good interview, especially when it gets my gears going.  This theme popped into my head on a beautiful & sunny, relaxing Sunday afternoon last August after a good long text-chat with an old babysitting charge of mine (what else do you call those that you used to babysit?).

I've decided to interview all the "kids" I used to babysit and see where they are now.

I have to admit it's a little scary to believe some are in *gulp* High School (?!) already, while others are (luckily) still in elementary.  Intrigued?  Stay tuned!

Shane

Cobin

Hope

Lauren (coming soon)

Teddy & Charlie (coming soon)

Claudio (coming soon)

Katy & Molly (coming soon)

Putting it in Perspective

A couple weeks ago, I asked the city inspector to come out & see if we could start insulating the second story of the addition (future master bedroom).  I was having my second productive day in a row, chugging along through laundry, dishes, phone calls & picking up the house - with EJ in the play pen - when the knock came and I realized the house was a disaster!

2 laundry baskets waiting to be folded; an arm chair piled with half my yarn stash & etsy items waiting to be photographed; baby toys all over... :/





...not to mention all the dishes covering my entire kitchen counter.


But then it was like a voice reminding me:

Be thankful that I have a washer & dryer (no laundromat trips) and clothes TO wash.
Thank God for a healthy baby who is meeting & exceeding her milestones that we need a play pen; that we were even BLESSED with a beautiful daughter (some are not so lucky) & the resources to provide for her.
Thank God for such a beautiful, sturdy house that we can afford to live in & even afford to build on to, for our need of more space.
Thank God almighty for my beautiful, loving family & the hard working, selfless husband He has provided me.

And how could I not be over the moon thankful for this beautiful face?

So on this day I felt the call to show my thanks through service in the home: cleaning & organizing as best as I could with a little 8mo between my feet.  And I have to say, at the end of the day, I felt quite accomplished.  :)