Chore-less Peace

My toddlers don't have chores.

Do I think chores are a bad thing? Absolutely not. 

So why don't my kids have them?

Because they do "chores" without knowing it. 

They have no idea that doing dishes is a chore. 

They don't understand that helping me fold laundry is a chore. 

They have no clue that throwing their trash away, picking up their toys, or wiping up their messes are chores. 

To them, it's just how it is. 

"It just happens," as my three year old would say. 

I think chore charts are genius. And I will probably use them later. But, for now, I'm just letting them "help" me. They can't read and a chore chart would be just one more thing to keep up. 

We give praise for listening and obeying if I ask them to do something, but they don't get rewards for helping out. Am I grateful? You bet! This mama doesn't care if if takes 7 hours to fold laundry if one day it takes 7 minutes. 

Why no rewards?

Life. 

Teaching our kids to do things to help out is important. But teaching them to help and not expect anything in return is vital. We live in a take take world. I want my kiddos to go against the grain and give give give. 

They'll be given a chance to earn wages in our home later in life. But for now, we're going to try and establish a helpful attitude. 

I want to teach hard work and appreciation. After those foundations are established, we may branch into chore charts. For now, we're going to focus on helping without receiving reward. Giving without expecting. And doing without the weight of chores. 

I am, by no means, an expert in parenting but this is the way we would like to do things for now. One thing I have learned is that our parenting is constantly evolving and adapting as our kids grow and change. Our family is very different from others and I try to remember that as I hear various parenting advice. 

I encourage you all to embrace the uniqueness of your families. I also encourage you to instill a giving attitude in your kids as I try to do the same for mine. Our world can always use a little more generosity. A little more kindness. And a little more peace. 

Wishing everyone out there Chore or Chore-less Peace and...HAIR PEACE!!  

No-poo "Cheater, Cheater" Update Peace

So I cheated. 

It's for the good of those around me though. 

So, I cheated, but, you're welcome. 

Almost one week after I started the "no-poo" method of washing my hair, my hair turned into a grease ball. I think it's because I put my hair up wet. But still. 

So today I washed my hair with Dr Bronner's Castile bar soap and rinsed with apple cider vinegar. 

My hair definitely feels cleaner after washing with the Castile soap. 

So here's my general thoughts about the "No Poo" method:

Likes:

1. Curlier hair

2. No chemicals 

3. I really like the apple cider vinegar rinse 

Dislikes:

1. The baking soda: It makes my hair feel like straw while I'm cleaning it but, ironically, doesn't feel clean after the fact. 

2. The greasy feeling my hair had after a week or so. And my hair is not naturally greasy. 

3. My hair is much fluffier. For someone with thin hair, this method might work very well! But I'm not okay with making the mane...fluffier. 

So, will I keep it up?? 

Sorta. 

There's a woman locally who makes her own shampoo bars from goats milk (that she milks herself) and honey (that she collects from her own bees). I may give those a try and continue to use the vinegar as a conditioner. 

But I might use shampoo too. 

You never know. 

I'm as unpredictable as the wind.

I know a lot of people have responded to my "No Poo" trial and I encourage you all to try it out for yourselves. Everyone's hair is so very different. It might be the shampoo answer for you! 

Give it a shot and let me know how it goes!!! 

Trailer Peace

We live in a trailer.

A bonafide double wide.

It's not even a fancy new one that might, sorta, not look like a trailer.

It's a through and through 1970's double wide trailer. 

Now, despite what you may be thinking, it wasn't always my dream to live in a trailer. 

In fact, I was originally against the idea. 

My husband and I had the opportunity to get a beautiful piece of land in a beautiful remote location and we took it! The thing about this land was that there was no house on it. Though we are fans of camping adventures, living in a tent wasn't really feasible. 

So we looked.

We looked at building plans, taking out loans, living in an RV, etc. We had so many options but one opportunity presented itself that was particularly uninteresting to me. A free double wide trailer a few miles down the road from our land. "If you can haul it, you can have it," is what we were told. 

My husband immediately said "Yes"

I did not so immediately say "Yes". 

We went to look at it and I started to warm up to the idea.

 It was free after all. 

Free and clear home. 

No mortgage. 

Now it started to look a little more appealing.

After a lot of hard labor from my husband and my in laws, we got the trailer split (not the easiest task!) and ready to haul. 

We moved the trailer to our land and, suddenly, it became home. 

We have updated here and there. But really, the house had been well kept and just needed some cleaning and personal touches. 

We have now had two babies in this home and it is just that...a home. 

Not a trailer. 

Not a house. 

A home. 

We are sheltered from winds and rain. Warm in the cold winters. And cool in the hot summers. 

We have delicious, hot meals at night, and a never ending supply of memories to make. 

Candles burn to create a sense of comfort but the true comfort is the love within the people in this home. 

It no longer matters to me what the exterior a home looks like, only the joy and love that saturate the interior. 

We have been brought up in our society to scorn specific types of homes, catagorizing them by size and shape, often neglecting the sweet families making it a home. 

We judge people all too much by the cars they drive, or the houses in which they live. When truthfully, our houses will one day fall away. Moth and rust will even eat the castles and the mansions. Our world is dilapidated and will continue to fall into ruin. 

I now love our home, not because of its classification, but because we have made it our own. 

Anytime I get the, "Woe is me, small house blues", I remind myself how thankful I am to have such a warm and protective home. 

Anytime my walls seem paper thin, I remind myself how much closer they bring me to my family. 

And anytime random things fall apart, I drop to the ground and take cover half expecting our house is going to sporadically implode!! 

Just kidding. 

Mostly...

I have to consciously remind myself to shrug off the stereotypes that our society instills in our heads and be thankful for the major blessings I have in this life. 

I encourage you all, no matter your house woes and troubles, to make a home within your house. Create a warm inviting place with a gentle and thankful spirit. 

Forget the shell of your house, a home is made by the people in it. 

Wishing everyone out there house peace and...Hair Peace.