Creative versus Competitive

This year for the pinewood derby K drew a great design for his car. His dad tried to get him to change his plan because it wasn't very aerodynamic. The design he said would slow the car down and the purpose of the PD is for your car to go fast, to try to win.
My sweet little K, (don't tell him I said sweet- I said Super Cool K ;) Said that he didn't care he wanted to make his design. Last year his car took 3rd in his troop and 12 in the region I think. Last year his dad spent A LOT of time helping him make the perfect car. This year is was about a 3 hour process from start to finish & K did almost everything his self (which Mom says is the point of the PD) So here is the Super Cool Boy with his Car- The Comet





No matter what he placed this year, we didn't pay attention, I am very proud of my little man for choosing to be his own amazing creative self <3

Sweet Montana Giveaway Winner

I am such a slacker! Sorry :(
This morning M and I Wrote out all the names............ Put them in a bowl.........
Then she reached her little hand in and drew out..........


Yesterday's Tomorrow!!!!
If you want to email me your address- kbkmsmom@yahoo.com -I will get your yummy treats mailed out to you as soon as I can. For anyone else who posted about my giveaway if you would like to try some huckleberry products send me your address and I have some smaller treats to send out as well. Thank You to everyone who blogged about my giveaway!

Milestones & Hurdles

There were two things that started this train of thought for me, a phone call from my sweet Sister In Law about potty training, & a great blog post, that I found at random, about how you could solve your child's homework issues. It got me thinking about all the milestones of raising children & how at the time they seem so frustrating, so frustrating that it consumes your day to day life in stress & worry.
Then you figure out how to solve it, whatever "IT" may be, & it becomes a distant memory. It may be weaning, potty training, math homework, I'm sure there are more but mine aren't there yet. And with each of your children the "problems" are never quite the same, and generally don't have the same solution. What worked for one may or may not work for another one, they are their own individuals.
Our latest & greatest was last year, getting my then 3rd grade son to DO his homework. The child is EXTREMELY bright, & once he had figured out how do to something doing it over & over & over again was not his thing. He would bring home piles of papers he wasn't getting finished, things he COULD finish in minutes. But did he???? Noooooooo, we would spend a couple of hours a night at the kitchen table, me being VERY frustrated & begging him to just finish them, him being VERY frustrated & digging his heals in. What I finally came to realize was this, once he had figured it out, and it was no longer a challenge for him, he had a hard time consentrating on it if there were other things going on.
So we put a desk in his room where it was quiet, gave him a small timer set with 10-30 minutes depending on how much work he had, then left him alone. It worked like a charm, & all was calm once again. I am very proud to say that this year in 4th grade he is doing great! Very rarely does he have to bring unfinished papers home & when he does he is able to finish it, at the kitchen table, in less than 15 minutes.
So I guess it goes to show that while we are learning how to deal with our childrens growing up milestones they, at the same time, are learning how to deal with life. And what we think of as a HUGE problem at the time soon becomes just a distant, & because we have conquered it, happy memory. And Life goes on one step at a time.

Cheap & Easy- yep that's Me!

I love finding cute things, that are cheap & easy, to decorate my Kiddo's rooms. I got the stuff for these on Saturday & made them Sunday evening. It took me between 2-3 hours to make all 4.
Total cost for me $2.50 each-
Here's all my snazzy supplies-












And here they are finished, I just need to attach some ribbon to hang them, string on the little man's though cause ribbon is for girls! What was I thinkin :)

I am a Hippie-At-Heart

Reading a friends post, this one to be exact, got me to thinking how much fun it would be to write a post about my love for Hippie Products. OK, probably more fun for me than for anyone else reading this, so this is mostly for me :) Ever since I was a teen I have loved all things natural/hippie, I only purchased used clothing (with the exception of unmentionables) & used natural products, went vegetarian, & I ADORE herbs, Herbal oils, & of course Herbal books (Of which I refuse to disclose the number I own). At the age of 16 I fell in love with this sweet little store, Meadow Sweet Herbs, I love everything about it.

The way it Smells- like herbs & plants,Sounds- they have a wind chimey thing on the door that jingles merrily every time someone goes in or out,Looks- The wall of shelves covered in clear jars full of a herbs, stacks of homemade soaps, lg containers of oils & lotions for mixing.Sigh.... there is no place better.

Now with 4 kids I have strayed a bit, but I still love my little store, I like using my natural oils & beauty & cleaning products. The kids & I mostly use natural healing products when we are sick, & our toothpaste of choice is Tom's :) Although the kids will tell you it doesn't taste as sweet as the kind at Grandma's house (which isn't a bad thing in my mind :)

Now my husband on the other hand thinks the whole thing is crazy.
He has a whole other way of life that he enjoys. In fact he was the one who informed me, when we were engaged, that I was NOT a Hippie :( He told me that Hippie's- don't wash their bodies, or wear Deodorant or brush their hair (he went to school with several) & that I was NOT like that. So I guess from that I came to realize that while I may not be Completely a Hippie,
I am definitely a Hippie-At-Heart.

Fun With Butterflies

I got the idea to make this from a great Blog that you can check out here -> :)
This is my first one, my practice one, & I love it! I am going to make a couple matching shadow boxes for my cousins new massage therapy room, so I am excited about that! Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Gray & Lavendar Treasures

A friend has asked me to help her with her sisters wedding, I am excited I love planning parties, of any kind, & while weddings are a lot of work it is also a lot of fun! Her colors are Gray & Lavender, So I have been searching the net for ideas. I have found a picture close to the cake she would like (I get to make the cake 2!) Here it is-ok, the cakes in the middle & hard to see but that is the closest thing to what we were looking for. Also, fun little tid bit of info, by Montana Marriage Law they can have anyone they choose officiate the wedding. I think they have decided to have his Grandfather officiate, so they will get to plan out their own vows and what will be said for the Ceremony.
I'm finding out all kinds of things I wish I had known when I got married a million years ago! oh well, that's what happens when you are young & dumb, uh I mean young & impetuous. I really am joking, I Luv U Hunny! :)
So I am off to do some more searching..............

One great read

I just finished this book for probably the forth or fifth time,
Daughter of the Forest by- Juliet Marillier is a beautiful retelling of the Celtic "Swans" myth, it is a mixture of history and fantasy, myth and magic, legend and love... To reclaim the lives of her brothers and break the spell that has been cast she will have to follow a path of pain, loss and love. But magic knows no boundaries, and Sorcha will have to choose between the life she has always known and a love that comes only once.

This is one of a series of 4, I really enjoyed reading this one it is my favorite in the series. I picked it up because I already knew of the myth & was intrigued by the thought of it turned into a book.
It's definitely a great read :)

Life Long Love <3 <3

I have been having a Love affair with reading since I first learned to read, I remember the first time I read Anne of Green Gables, I was in the second grade- 8 years old, I LOVED it. I read the whole set and moved on to Trixie Belden, Black Stallion, Nancy Drew, Tarzan, Jane Austen, Louis L'Amour - you name it I have probably read it. My very first job was in a used bookstore, The Book Rack, when I was 16. Talk about your dream job. I minored in English in College where I fell in love with Classic Literature & Poetry the only thing I didn't like was having to write a paper on Tess of the d'Urbervilles, I have never disliked a book more, I am more of a happy ending type of person & that book rubbed me raw. Now I don't mind realistic books, because I know life isn't all roses & rainbows, but that one was really hard to finish.


I enjoy books that make me laugh, & ones that make me cry, I'm not big on Mysteries but I do enjoy a good one every now & then. I stay away from the horror section although I have picked up a couple from there that a friend recommended. I am completely biased on the western books, you can blame my Gram for that, no one & I mean NO ONE can write a western like Louis so why bother reading any others??
So if anyone is looking for a good read I have some great recommendations for ya.

I love that I have the ability to read, & access to more books than anyone could ever want.

I love that I have been able to pass my love of reading onto my Children.

I love my Big Sister for reading to me when I was little.

I love that My Dad now reads the same Dr. Seuss books to my Children that he read to me when I was little.

Huckleberries Rock :)

We LOVE Huckleberries. When I was little my family would make a trip up the mountain to pick Huckleberries in the summer. It's one of my great childhood memories, & I'm glad to say that I have been able to take my kiddos to do the same. I don't have any pictures of us picking but I did find some great pictures of huckleberries to share with you. Huckleberries are very unique in their taste & in their texture, they are tart & sweet, picking them leaves you with red stained fingers & of course mouths :) They are usually about half the size of a blueberry, but I have seen some larger ones that were the same size. The texture is usually very firm, they are my FAVORITE Berry.
This summer the kids & I will have to go huckleberry picking & get some good pictures to post. My Dad is a Logger, the summer before last the job they were on had LOTS of great Huckleberry bushes & he brought home so many containers filled that their freezer was well stocked for awhile with YUMMY Huckleberries.

Do Kids Eat Cauliflower Soup???

That is what my Husband asked when he heard my plans for dinner, after which he quickly added how sorry he was that he would be working late and, sadly, would have to miss it. Well I wasn't quite sure if MY kids would eat it- but- I thought it sounded good & that it was worth a try. I was really slacking on the camera thing but I did get a few pictures.
Here is Picture #1-
This is the Chicken Stock, & Cauliflower pieces cooking-


Picture #2- is of the finished product :)


Now to Test it on the Children (insert Evil Witch Cackle here)


Kid #1-

Wow a thumbs up!

Kids #2 & #3-

Two more thumbs up!

OK now onto the pickiest no-veggie eating......

Kid#4-(Please ignore the funny look on her face, it really had nothing to do with the fact that her
Mother was making her eat a soup make of Cauliflower)

IT'S A MIRACLE ! A thumbs up here too!!!!!!

And in finishing I just want to say that some went back for seconds AND there were NO leftovers! So to answer the question-
yes! yes! yes! Kids DO eat Cauliflower Soup :)

Dogs & Light Bulbs

My Sister-in-Law sent me this, it made me laugh so I thought I would pass it on!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

How many dogs does it take to change a light bulb? (see each breeds' answers below)

	1. Golden Retriever: The sun is shining, the day is young, we've got our whole lives ahead of us, and you're inside worrying about a stupid burned out bulb?
	2. Border Collie: Just one. And then I'll replace any wiring that's not up to code.
	3. Dachshund: You know I can't reach that stupid lamp!
	4. Rottweiler: Make me.
	5. Boxer: Who cares? I can still play with my squeaky toys in the dark.
	6. Lab: Oh, me, me!!!!! Pleeeeeeeeeze let me change the light bulb! Can I? Can I? Huh? Huh? Huh? Can I? Pleeeeeeeeeze, please, please, please!
	7. German Shepherd: I'll change it as soon as I've led these people from the dark, check to make sure I haven't missed any, and make just one more perimeter patrol to see that no one has tried to take advantage of the situation.
	8. Jack Russell Terrier : I'll just pop it in while I'm bouncing off the walls and furniture.
	9. Old English Sheep Dog: Light bulb? I'm sorry, but I don't see a light bulb!
	10. Cocker Spaniel: Why change it? I can still pee on the carpet in the dark.
	11. Chihuahua : Yo quiero Taco Bulb. Or 'We don't need no stinking light bulb.'
	12. Greyhound/Saluki: It isn't moving. Who cares?
	13. Heeler/Australian Cattle Dog: First, I'll put all the light bulbs in a little circle...
	14. Poodle: I'll just blow in the Border Collie's ear and he'll do it. By the time he finishes rewiring the house, my nails will be dry.

How many cats does it take to change a light bulb?

Cats do not change light bulbs. People change light bulbs. So, the real question is:
	'How long will it be before I can expect some light, some dinner, and a massage?'
ALL OF WHICH PROVES, ONCE AGAIN, THAT WHILE DOGS HAVE MASTERS, CATS HAVE STAFF!

Sweet Montana Give Away

I have been meaning to get together a scrapbook to give-away but haven't found time yet to make one. So I thought it would be fun to do a Made in Montana one for now. So here it is-


1-pkg. of Huckleberry Taffy
1- jar of Huckleberry Jam
1- pkg. of Huckleberry Gummy Bears

This Give-Away is open starting today- through January 24, two weeks from today.
To enter my Give-Away all you need to do is leave me a comment below & blog about the Give-Away on your Blog with a link to my page. I hope everyone enjoys this! These are some of the things my Sis in Iowa likes to receive in pkgs from Montana!