Hiking Wallace Falls: Priceless

6 hours hiking Wallace Falls
2 dirty diapers
1 blister
7 games of "Hide and Seek" played in a towering forest
3 amazing waterfalls awed over
1 geocache found
2 water bottles emptied
Too many salmon berries eaten along our journey

Equals

A priceless day with my family enjoying the great outdoors

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Show Us Where You Live: Master Bedroom

Greetings from the Pacific Northwest and welcome to the Little Blue Bungalow. The Britten's: Drew, Katie Jean (that's me!), Fiona and Keegan are pleased you've chosen our blog to stop by for a visit during Kelly's Korner "Show Us Where You Live - Friday".

If you haven't guessed it by my blog's title, we live in a small blue bungalow and like everything in the house our master bedroom is small. How small is "small" you wonder? Our master bedroom (ironic, really) is 10 feet by 10 feet and now you realize I'm not exaggerating on the small factor.

Packed inside our master bedroom is a beautiful antique bed set including: full size bed, vanity and dresser. The set was given to me by my parents when we married eleven years ago. This lovely set was refinished by my late grandmother Virginia and passed onto my parents after her death. It is definitely the "wow" factor in our bedroom and has been in each home or apartment we've lived including: Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin and Washington.

In the master bedroom (or should I say ahem..."grand" room) I'd also like to point out our huge closet. Do you see it? OK, not so huge and it didn't even come with a door. Really... so, I improvised and had my mother-in-law make the same curtain for the window and closet door. The closet is also so small even for me who has a minimal outfits that my husband has his closet in our son's room. But it isn't all bad, having limited storage space forces us to minimize our stuff including those outfits that you haven't fit into for years.

The master bedroom is small, but it our retreat at the end of the day. We hope you enjoyed your quick glimpse into the Little Blue Bungalow. Feel free to come back often and follow the daily happenings of the Britten's through my own personal, witty writing style at Little Blue Bungalow.

If you enjoyed this living room tour, please make sure to stop by Kelly's blog (click HERE) and visit other blogs participating in the "Show Us Where You Live - Friday".

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Thursday Thrifty Tip: Making Your Own Bubble Mixture

Summer = Bubbles. Seriously folks, lots of bubbles. Bubbles in the morning, noon, and night. Bubble usage also means spillage, carelessly dumping of bubbles and overuse which equates dollars in my mind. (At this point, every mother is smiling. You know. Yes, you know.)

In honor of Thursday Thrifty Tip, I'd like to share my (ahem...my husband's) secret bubble recipe that makes gallons of bubbles for pennies on the dollar and keeps the kids smiling.

What you'll need: Joy liquid dish soap, Glycerin (skin protectant found at most drug stores), tap water, and a plastic container* for storing the bubble liquid. Mix together: 2/3 cup of Joy liquid dish soap, 1 gallon of tap water, and 2-3 tablespoons of Glycerin.

Honestly, it is as simple as that and saves you money and worry of your kid's wasting your hard earned dollars. Knowing the kids can have free reign at a favorite summer past-time is priceless.

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

*Reader's Note: The original milk container I chose for storage as shown in the picture failed. Though it was plastic coated, it could not withstand the bubble mixture. Make sure to pick a completely plastic storage container like a 2 Liter pop bottle.

Family Preservation

Overwhelmed with my regular household duties and now a new work schedule, I ranted to my hubby about the logistics in preserving our food like I've done in the past. Having a garden is a passion, but storing and preserving food for the months ahead is and can be a CHORE.

So, naturally I was a bit mystified when Drew mentioned that the entire family would need to be a part of our food preservation now that I was working. Did he remember we have two small children under the age of five? Did he recall the pounds of food we store annually to enjoy over the winter months?

But, the truth is in the pictures! As we prepared to dry nearly 12 lbs of fresh strawberries a couple of evening ago, everyone was a part of the process. Keegan was in charge of washing and handing me strawberries to cut (minus the few he stopped and eat). I cut the strawberries while Drew arranged them on the drying trays and Fiona was the final production stop. Her job was to place the now full trays on top of the food dehydrator.

In the past food preservation had been my "job"...but together as a family the job was not a CHORE, but a blessed family moment. Drew was absolutely right; the entire family could be a part of the process. From picking the berries out in the field to enjoying the "fruits of our labor" when we pulled the dried fruit from the trays, together as family our ("my") chores became a fun activity.

Yes, there were a few more hands to help wash and Keegan did cut into our total production with his "snacking", but preserving the concept of a "family activity" was worth it.

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Wordless Wednesday

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Exhausted

Exhausted...hence, the absence of any posts on the blog. This weekend was packed with two days of moving Grandma Bonnie to a new sorority house, one BBQ, picking 12 lbs of strawberries, one get-together with friends, church, and don't forget...I worked on Sunday too. Whew!

I've got some great pictures and stories to share about strawberry picking and preserving, so I promise to settle back into the computer "saddle" tonight or tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm off to work, but I'm going to take a few minutes to dead-head some of the flowers. (Priorities, priorities my friends.) Life in the Little Blue Bungalow...

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Thursday Thrifty Tip: "Making Do With What You Have"

I'm sad to admit there are times I've rushed to the store to replace a item or thought I needed to have "just the right thing for the bedroom corner" only to find disappointment. Disappointment in the the prices, items and myself. Where in the world does this concept of "want now, must have" attitude surface from? Why is keeping up with "the Jones" such a necessity?

Unfortunately, I had one of those moments this Monday. On the weekend, Fiona had bumped into our toothbrush holder (purchased from Goodwill 5 years ago) causing it to break into several pieces. So already by Monday morning I had made a mental note of purchasing a new one as I brushed my teeth.

Later that day as I scanned the store prices I was shocked...$9.99, $12.99, $11.99 for a toothbrush holder and the matching soap dispenser...$17.99, $19.99! Are you kidding me? I was storing toothbrushes and soap NOT buying socks at Bloomingdale's!

Annoyed, but determined to find a new toothbrush holder that day, I finally settled on a very plain Jane clear plastic set including the soap dispenser and toothbrush holder for $2.99. Now that was a bargain! I wasn't thrilled with it, but I just HAD to have a new tooth brush holder. Right?

Next, I brought the the items home and tried to fit my ergonomic handled toothbrush into a too-small holed toothbrush holder. What? My bargain was a bust! Frustrated I looked at the pile of toothbrushes laying on the sink with disgust. My "bargain" choice didn't work and I wasn't going to pay those ridiculous prices. After a bit more thought it dawned on me...why not use a mason jar. Yes, a regular old mason jar that I pick up at Goodwill stores and garage sales for 10 to 25 cents to hold flowers throughout the summer.

My new toothbrush holder was here along in my very own home... if I only opened my mind to "making do with what I had on hand". Yes, it isn't fancy or flashy, but neither are we. Sometimes being thrifty is learning to make do with what God has given you, even if it is a Mason jar.

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Worldless Wednesday

Strawberry pickin' in the back yard...

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Sunday Harvest: Cilantro and Strawberries

Gardening is such a passion of mine and something our family does to reduce our grocery budget as well as enjoy a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. I have lots of readers and friends who would love to start their own garden, but don't know where to start. Sometimes I think you just need the right inspiration. Pictures go a long way and I hope through my blog I may inspire some of you to start your own garden.

To help inspire my readers, I thought I'd start sharing on Sunday's what we are harvesting from the garden. This week we are dining on lots (pints and pints!) of fresh strawberries and cilantro.

Cilantro is a favorite at the Little Blue Bungalow for us to add to Mexican dishes, casseroles and spice up our regular lettuce salads. I always use regular household scissors to harvest my cilantro and rubber band it (just like the store) and use it from our vegetable drawer for several weeks. I plan on replanting this week for our second harvest of cilantro in a another couple of weeks. The key to many spices and green leaf lettuce is to continually replant throughout the growing season to maximize the potential harvests.

Unfortunately most of our strawberries are eaten straight out of the garden...which in the big scheme of things is a good thing. For instance, I picked 4 pints of strawberries this morning and Keegan ate entire pint while I was picking them. (Slightly annoyed, I tried to remember he had just eaten strawberries, not an entire bag of Cheetos or something.) During strawberry season we normally eat a pint at every dinner meal...it truly is a beautiful three weeks. I have thought about drying some strawberries on a food dehydrator, but somehow they always get eaten. (Smile.)

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

For the Love of Diet Coke

From the local press...another productive day at the YMCA.

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Thursday Thrifty Tip: Reducing Paper Product Use

In a world of convenience and "toss-away", it is easy to get caught up in using paper products...napkins, plastic cutlery, paper towels, paper plates, etc. Not only do these items have an extreme environmental cost for our planet, but also hit our monthly household budget.

Last year in an effort to reduce our carbon foot prints our family made a decision not to purchase any more paper products and we haven't looked back. This paper decision has also meant a savings in our monthly budget. (And no, we still use toilet paper and disposable diapers if you are wondering!)

One of these steps in saving on paper was using cloth napkins at our meals. (Tea parties too!) Most of our cloth napkins were purchased at garage sales or our local Goodwill store for minimal cost. Because they are more durable then paper, we often use napkins for several days before they show signs of needed laundry care. Partially used napkins are then hung on the back of a chair as exhibited in the second picture, awaiting the next meal.

Now when we entertain we simply plan ahead and make sure all the dishes are washed and the dishwasher is empty. Instead of running to the store for those last minute paper products items to serve my guests, I carefully lay out my "real" dishes, cups, silverware, and cloth napkins. My party-goers are fine with the change and often follow suit by scrapping their own plate and putting them into the dishwasher. (Now I call that EASY entertaining.)

Another area I addressed was the use of disposable sanitary products. (Sorry to any male readers, but this is really valuable information to my lady readers!) I personally took this challenge one step further and stop purchasing disposable products, instead I purchased a Diva Cup. Honestly, this has been a great switch costing me around $29 and can be used for approximately 10+ years. I really could go on and on about this product, but I'll save face and stop here. (Smile.) If you'd like to learn more, check out their website by clicking HERE.

All in all, I really challenge you all to eliminate at least one paper product in your household this year. You can't change everything overnight, but even eliminating one paper product (napkins, paper plates, sanitary products)from your household will reduce your household expenses and reduce your carbon foot prints.

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Wordless Wednesday

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Toilet Paper Trail

"Momma said there would be days like this..."

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Chicken Coop Done...Chickens still in the Kitchen?

Yesterday my darling husband frantically scrambled to finish the "lovely ladies" new chicken coop. Though the coop is nearly 90% complete (minus paint and some trim work on the window and egg door) at approximately 9:45 PM he announced, "the chickens are going outside tonight!"

Of course in the back of my mind I wondered if dragging "the girls" outside that late at night was a great idea, but like my husband I was ready for the chickens to live in their new home...NOT my kitchen. So two by two we escorted "the ladies" to their new home.

Minutes later as the neighborhood was climbing into their beds, kids sleeping...our backyard was like a 4th of July explosion of bird chirps. Seriously. I wondered if someone would call the cops. Super loud and annoying!

Was it the new surroundings? The fact we drug them out so late at night? Who knows, but suddenly we both felt like it was like we had a newborn again. Where they hungry, cold, scared, or plain just crying to be heard?

We both honestly thought they'd settle down on their new perch, but when my husband woke me after midnight, I knew different. They were still making a racket in the backyard at the neighborhood's expense. Great. So two by two we escorted "the loud ladies" back to their boxes in "my" kitchen vowing to try to adjust them to their new home during the day.

This morning I woke to a quiet kitchen and four chickens looking up at me from their kitchen home. Go figure. I think we got "played" by a bunch of chickens.

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Portraits by Fiona

During dinner tonight, (pizza outside on the picnic table with Grandma Bonnie) Fiona got a hold of the camera for an impromptu photo shoot. So, of course, we all smiled at the camera secretly wondering if we were even in the view finder.

It is always so interesting to see what emerges from the camera after Fiona creative juices flow and I hope you enjoy a look through Fiona's eyes of life in the Little Blue Bungalow. For your viewing pleasure some of Fiona's photographic work...

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Reader's Note: Yes, that is the in-progress chicken coop behind us.

Random Thoughts

It's me here...thinking out loud. Maybe my thoughts are jumbled more from the fact I donated blood this morning or that it is just plain hot here in the Pacific Northwest. Really, what am I complaining about? I'm convinced after thirty, folks just have free liberty to complain about life and mostly that being in regards to the weather.

Goodness. I'm sitting here with every window (I take that back, every window I can...previous owners painted many of the windows shut...Drew has been "undoing" their handy work.) and door open just relaxing from a busy day. I'm listening to my "own" radio channel from pandora.com (truly a beautiful thing).

Seriously, have you gone to this website? You can type in any artist and they will create a personal "radio station" with similar style. I love it. It fuels me.

I started my day at 5 AM and got into the YMCA for 5:30 AM spin class. Absolute brutal today...they had us getting off and on the bike with sprints, planks and push-ups in between. Who makes up this stuff? All I can say is..."Jayme I'm tired, but don't worry I'll be back for more". Today was a typical busy YMCA day...5:30 AM spin class, 9:15 AM work in administration department, 4:05 PM Fiona's swim lesson. I'm convinced instead of a desk I'm going to need a cot soon, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

OK...I just got "butt" called by a friend. I hate this when this happens. Do you even know what I'm talking about? A "butt" call is when a cell phones accidentally calls you when someone sits down with their cell phone in their pocket. Not cool. Funny, but odd all at the same time. Really strange.

I just read through this blog and it is so random. If you are still following this...Congratulations. Nothing deep and meaningful tonight, but a glimpse of my random thoughts on a hot Wednesday night in the Little Blue Bungalow. Good night.

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean