This is going to be one of those posts where I fill you in on what I’ve been up to lately. It’s all very random and eclectic. And maybe even slightly redundant.

1. I. Hate. Snow.

2. I haven’t been able to go shopping in two weeks. That’s enough to near kill a person like me.

3. I am not done with my gift shopping yet. You can imagine what kind of anxiety this is creating for a girl that is usually done in November. Multiply that by 11 when she can’t get out because she lives in the snowy equivalent of Egypt.

4. Even if I COULD drive in these conditions, I couldn’t because my car has decided that she’s just flat out tired of starting. A new starter was ordered and the farmer drove into town today to pick it up. Trust me, he’s very motivated to get this all fixed and get me back on the road.

5. I’ve got a little alliteration gift for you. Snow… Pretty prison. You’re welcome.

6.  Bad weather and cabin fever makes me cranky. I try to look on the bright side. I really do. Am I thankful for the snow and the benefits it has for our crops? Yes. (said through my teeth) Is my pocketbook thankful for the snow? Yes. (downcast eyes) But, am I glad that I can’t go to the city and toodle around to my heart’s content? NO!!! NO NO NO!!!

7. I’ve been baking. I made sugar cookies with vanilla buttercream frosting. The frosting recipe was not to my liking and I added a teaspoon of salt. Perfection.

8. I don’t like frosting.

9. I’ve been reading. I read The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks. It was really good. He has a way of putting love into the most beautiful words. Or, better said, capturing a feeling with words. And the letters his characters write…gets me every time.

10. The Longest Ride was a good book, but if you want to read a GREAT book, choose The Fault in our Stars by John Green. TIME Magazine called it the best book of 2012 and after reading it, I can see why. I’d usually steer clear of a book where the majority of characters have some form of cancer, but once I started reading the sample, it hooked me. It’s one of those books that will stay with you. Unforgettable. And I saw that the movie is coming out in 2014.

11. I actually organized my jewelry box and threw away everything that didn’t have a match. That’s when you know that cabin fever desperation is gettin’ real, folks.

12. I have read almost every monthly edition of Men’s Health that my husband owns. I am a wealth of trivial fitness knowledge now. (See second sentence of # 11)

13. I made my own laundry detergent and I absolutely LOVE it! I spent $27.29 at Wal-Mart for all the ingredients and it’s going to last me forever. I got the recipe from this website:  http://www.howdoesshe.com/cheaper-and-better-diy-laundry-detergent/. I have always tended to be kind of a Tide snob. Tide was the only detergent that ever made the farmer’s manure-caked, dairy-barn scented clothes smell somewhat clean. It got the stains out the best, as well. But, good night, does it get expensive! The biggest box Sam’s has to offer only lasts me a month and a half. I’m not a fan of liquid soap at all, either,  because it always leaves spots on my clothes, so I wanted a powder detergent. This recipe surpassed my expectations. Barn clothes have never smelled better. Stains are conquered. Money is saved (like, BIG time), and world peace suddenly became possible. Ya gotta try it! I promise you won’t be sorry. I gave some to my mother-in-law because 1) I like to share and 2) I had it running out of my ears. She loves it! The farmer has started calling me “the laundry goddess.” (I’m…still…not sure how I feel about that.) Even HE loves it! And I love it because it’s kinda fun to make (Peanut helps) and the best part is that I’m saving my family money and teaching my daughter a thing or two about domesticity.

P.S. It’s supposedly safe for front-loader and high-efficiency washers. I don’t have one of those, so I can’t tell you for sure.

P.P.S. I always worry about detergent fading my clothes quickly. I still use Woolite Extra Dark Care for all of our nice, dark clothing. However, this detergent recipe doesn’t seem hard on my clothes at all. And it’s a much better, more natural alternative to detergent you can buy. I also still use store bought fabric softener. I wouldn’t say it was necessary with as good as this smells, though.

14. Peanut has done really well for as immobile as we’ve had to be in the past week and a half. She has started putting puzzles together all by herself and the look of pride and glee all over her face when she finishes one is enough to make anyone grin. She’s spent a day or two hanging out with Grammy. Grammy played cards with her and she was pretty excited about that. She’s helped me bake and cook and even clean house a time or two. It’s strange for me to have a child like her because when I was little, I’d rather have to do multiplication tables than bake or cook.  And I hated math. But, when she’s stirring laundry detergent or dumping flour into a bowl, I live right there in that moment because I know that THAT moment…right where I’m standing… is a memory. I won’t get the time back. And it’s a teaching moment. A moment that she’s going to look back on with fondness, as well. I read a quote the other day that really resonated with me: “The greatest gift you can give someone is your time.” Isn’t that so true? I know when I was a child-and even a teenager-it wasn’t the necessarily “memorable moments” that stuck with me. It was the little things. And it’s STILL the little moments that bring a nostalgic smile to my face.

15. I was ready to end this post somehow and re-read it in order to get rid of any mistakes, and I had to self-reflect and chuckle. I obviously have a bent towards the positive. That last paragraph was the silver lining–quality mommy time with Peanut. It’s like my subconscience looks for the bright side without my even knowing it.

Because is it just me or did this post end on a good note?

Faunching at the bit to get out of here but apparently retaining some questionable sanity,

Yours truly,

Breauna