As someone who considers herself quite old fashioned, I absolutely love folklore... especially when it comes to the home and kitchen.  So here's some magickal folklore I found in an adorable book called Cottage Witchery.  Enjoy!

Money is on the way if; Bubbles appear in your coffee cup, you knock over the sugar bowl, rice forms a ring around the cooking pot, and if tea leaves float to the top of your cup.

A visitor is coming to visit if cutlery or a broom drops to the floor.

If you drop a glass and it does not break it's a sign of true and trustworthy friends.

Keeping a broom propped up against the door frame keeps all troublesome family members or unwanted visitors out.

You can also scatter mustard seeds across the threshold to keep out unwanted guests.  Burying mustard seeds under your doorway or porch will keep away spirits. 

In cooking and baking stir clockwise to increase and pull positive things into your life and stir counterclockwise to remove obstacles and negativity. 

Other Magickal Happenings
Front Porch Dreams

Help Cami Hear is a fund that I've created to help raise money for my sister to replace her hearing device, which is vital to her way of life. 

She has Medicare but that only covers 80% of what this hearing device will cost... Leaving her responsible for approximately $1696.00.

Please visit HelpCamiHear for more of her story and to donate.  As we all know... every little bit helps... and even if you cannot give monetarily, which I can definitely understand, forwarding it on and spreading the word will help just as much.

I also want to point out this wonderful website the fundraiser is set up through... As some of you might have noticed I had a different link on my sidebar regarding this same cause.  Well we switched websites because this one would give my sister almost 100% of funds raised taking out only 7% of the total.  The other website we discovered was going to be taking 60% out of each purchase... Yuck!  So we highly recommend if you or a loved one or even a pet is in need of financial assistance due to medical or even funeral expenses... GiveForward is a great way to get the word out. 

Thank you.

Today I'm going to show you how I make my cup of chamomile tea.  Chamomile is a wonderful herb that is calming and an anti-inflammatory.  My little man even loves his chamomile tea with raw honey. 

Whenever I think of chamomile I think of Peter Rabbit... "One tablespoonful to be taken at bed time."

Here's what I use to make it:

1 tablespoon of dried chamomile
8 oz of just boiled water
Tea press

These pictures show me making two cups of tea... First put your water to boil while you are preparing your tea press.  Put your measured amount of chamomile into your tea press.

Then pour your just boiled water over the herbs and cover with the lid.

Set your timer for 20 minutes while your herbs steep and while you set up your nice quiet corner to enjoy your tea.  When the timer goes off push down on the tea press to capture the herbs on the bottom.  Look at the beautiful color it turned.

Now pour your beautiful aromatic tea into a cute mug and add some delicious organic raw local wildflower honey!

Now curl up and enjoy your chamomile tea while reading a book, perusing the internet, or crocheting like me!  And yes of course we can't forget... I always find my welcoming cup of tea sitting and waiting for me after I've chased the little one around the house for a bit.  He in fact just woke up from his nap and is stealing sips for himself ;) 

My husband has always wanted a map to pinpoint where he's been in the world.  Well he finally got one for Christmas and we had a great time pinning where in the world we've been individually and together.  But then I started to think about our son and how he's already been to a few states... so the three of us went in search of something we could use on his own little map to mark where he's been.  Of course pins are out of the question so we had stickers in mind... Well... we found the most perfect combination!  Sticker push pins!!!!!

So we had lots of fun explaining to our son that we were going to put a sticker on each state that he's been to.  Of course he's only two so he might not have exactly grasped the concept but he can point out California, Arizona, Texas, Kansas, Missouri and DC when you ask him where they are so it's definitely doing something!!  To find the stickers we went to one of those awesome teacher stores with tons of student supplies.  We could have stayed in there for hours!  But here is the result!

We can't believe our little man has already been to SIX states!!!  Wow!!

And here's Mommy and Daddy's just for fun!

_Olive oil.... Yep, that's it!  A few cotton swabs and some extra virgin organic (in my preference) olive oil.  It works like a charm and it all comes off, even mascara, within a few swipes. 

There are so many ingredients sitting right in your kitchen cupboards just waiting to be used as beauty products... and OH the money you'll save!! 

Stay tuned for some more kitchen cupboard beauty secrets!

My son was born a little over two years ago by cesarean section.  It was unplanned and something I was hoping didn't have to happen but it turns out for multiple reason it was EXTREMELY necessary.  Not only was he turned the wrong way, the umbilical cord was wrapped around his abdomen.  They got him out and aside from a not so memorable recovery moment of the epidural wearing off a bit too soon, we both were healthy and happy. 

The first weeks and months of our new life were incredible... but even still something was lacking.  For whatever reason, I as a mother was not feeling that bond... that melts your heart, can't even stand it, you want ten more, feeling was non-existent I'm ashamed to say.  Of course I loved him, and of course I'd do anything in my power to protect him.  However when I heard other mothers speak of that magical feeling... I could not relate.  It made me feel guilty... I felt like I wasn't "meant" to be a mother if I wasn't pouring out tears of happiness just by looking at our new little bundle of joy.  This went on I'm sad to say for a while... I nursed him, bathed him, took very good care of him... all the things a good mother does, but along with it came resentment and thoughts like "What was I thinking?!". 

Wow... crazy personal, not ever spoken out loud kind of feelings I'm sharing with you here huh?  Why you ask?  Because here I am over two years later... with this beautiful aching pull in my heart, every moment of every single day due to none other than that same little bundle of joy who has now become a slightly bigger yet still tiny stumbling bundle of joy.  Everything from his curly hair, to his expressions, to his imagination, to his voice, his singing, his words and sentences, his sign language, his tears, his laughter, his scent, his teeth... the list goes on and on.  This is my son... and I am his mother... and nothing on this beautiful green earth makes me smile or gives me more pride than he does... and just in case one of you out there is a new mama having these same feelings that I did... all I want to say is... Just wait and see.

I'm not saying it'll take two years... what I'm saying is that out of nowhere... the magick will hit you.  One day you'll be looking at that beautiful tiny human that YOU created... and you'll fall in love.  Just wait and see.

Other Magickal Happenings
Simple Homemade Makeup Remover

"I simply remember my favorite things... and then I don't feeeeeel...." Oh!  Sorry.... Am I the only one who breaks into song every time I hear the phrase "My Favorite Things"? 

So anyway... A very kind and dear friend of mine came to my rescue!  She saw a Facebook post of mine complaining about how I always seem to misplace my crochet hooks!  Well a couple of weeks later what do I find in my mailbox??  A beautiful handmade crochet hook organizer!!  Isn't it beautiful!  It is absolutely perfect.  I was overcome with gratefulness and love.  I'm not sure I've ever received a more kind and thoughtful gift.  I can't say thank you enough!  To know that my friend took the time to sew something so beautifully together that served such a great and useful purpose.  Every time I look at it I smile... "and then I don't feeeeel soooooo baaaad!"  ;)

Other Magickal Happenings!
Check out my Goddess page for a new lotion recipe!!