Guests

Next weekend, McNASA and I will have our first true weekend guests. I am very excited but nervous. We rarely had guests in our home when I was a child, and NEVER anyone who would stay for the entire weekend, so I get antsy and overzealous when I plan what to do and how to host them.

If I had all of the money I could ever want (and my 7 bedroom Victorian), I would want a guestroom that looked like this



That just looks and feels restful to me. Unfortunately, we don't have the budget or the space to make that happen yet. However, our friends have offered us a futon, and McNASA is more than happy to rearrange the room that he uses as a makeshift studio so that our friends can have their own space while they're here. I am going to post some before and after photos, and see how close I got to making a restful, welcoming room.

Balance

Things That Make Me Happy

-65 degree weather in February
-the cat stalking the birds via the giant window
-the knowledge that there is a 7 bedroom Victorian for sale in our price range
-Zeke's coffee, on its way!

Things That Make Me Sad

-homework
-dirty kitchen
-lapsed cleaning schedule
-not living in aforementioned Victorian

Dietary Guidelines

Kate, at Hillside Cottage, posted these fascinating dietary guidelines from the late 30's-early 40's. As a HUGE fan of real food, these guidelines are something I can follow! Thanks Kate!

MILK: 1 quart daily for each child, 1 pint for each adult
VEGETABLES AND FRUITS: 41/2 to 5 or more servings per person daily, 1 serving daily of potatoes, 1 serving daily of tomatoes or citrus fruits, 1 serving daily of leafy green or yellow vegetables, 3 to 5 servings per week of other vegetables, 1 serving daily of fruit
EGGS: 2 to 3 a week for adults, 4 to 5 for young children, a few for cooking
MEAT, FISH OR POULTRY: About 5 times a week or daily if prepared in combination with cereals or vegetables
CEREALS: Daily, preferably at least half made from whole grains
BREAD AND BUTTER OR ALTERNATIVE: At every meal

CALORIES:
Daily Requirements:
Man, moderately active 3000 cal.
Woman, moderately active 2500 cal.
Child 1-6 years 1200-1600
6 to 12 years 1600-2500
Girl 12-15 years 2800
Girl 15-20 years 2400
Boy 12-15 years 3200
Boy 15-20 years 3800

Tiny Pinecones and Toasty Kitty

The Only Way to Mop

After trial and error, I conclude that the best way to clean my floors appears to be on my hands and knees with a bucket and a bundle of rags.

I know that it sounds miserable. Every time I do this, I am reminded of Father Tim's horror when he sees Puny doing the same thing. I'll admit that it isn't especially easy on the knees, but the method gets the floor clean without streaks, and it's quick: with the proper tools, I can speed through my kitchen/dining room combo in about twenty minutes.

You need lots of rags. I like them because they're hearty and reusable. McNASA and I tend to be pretty gentle on clothes, so instead of making rags I buy washcloths at Target. They're the cheap ones (a bundle of twelve for three dollars) and they come in pretty colors.

You also need a bucket of warm water and an all-purpose cleaner. I'm partial to Caldrea because they smell lovely, work well, and don't leave a residue. Right now I'm on a bottle of Citrus Mint Ylang-Ylang and it smells like minted lemonade.

Dump some of the cleaner into the water (1/4 cup to 1 gallon) and stir it around. Using one cloth at a time, soak it in the mixture, then scrub the floor with it. When you're ready for more water, set the used rag aside and get a fresh one. If you never put a dirty rag back into the bucket, your wash water stays clean!

An Old Fashioned Girl

"'Things worry me sometimes, but I just catch up a broom and sweep, or wash hard, or walk, or go at something with all my might, and I usually find that by the time I get through the worry is gone, or I've got courage enough to bear it without grumbling,' answered Polly, cutting the brown loaf energetically."

- An Old Fashioned Girl, by Louisa May Alcott

Scenes from Southwesternburgh