Two Frog Home

Wanted: E-Course Testers – A Giveaway

Kathie — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:10:41 +0000

I’ve been working on adapting some of the classes I teach locally to an e-course format. I’m not quite ready to start offering these just yet as I’d like to do a test run. I’d like to get the kinks out and just better understand how I would work directly with students through an e-course. To do that, I thought I’d ask for volunteers.

These are the two courses I’m focusing on at the moment:

Struggling with debt? Trying to figure out how to live within your means? Tired of struggling between paychecks? Need help figuring out just where all of your money is going? This is the course for you! I’ll work with you one-on-one to go over your finances and come up with a working budget that gives you a little sense of security in an ever changing world.

This a 4-week course. We’ll spend two weeks gathering information, assessing income and tracking expenses. After we figure out just exactly what’s coming in and how its going out, we’ll work on setting up a livable budget that allows for emergency planning and a little fun, too! We’ll work together via e-mail and finish up with a phone session to make sure you’re ready for the balanced budget road ahead.

Do you want to embrace the voluntary simplicity path? Are you trying to figure out just what you want from a simple life and how to get it? During this e-course we’ll work with worksheets, e-mail and phone support, and journal writing to help figure out what you’re looking for in a simple life and plot a course to traverse.

This is a 5-week course that includes worksheets, e-mail and phone support, and home-work assignments tailored to your goals and desires.

The Giveaway: I’ll be giving away one of each of these courses. If you’d like to take one of these courses and enter in the giveaway: Simply leave a comment on this post with the name of the e-course you’re interested in winning. You can get up to three extra entries in the giveaway by doing the following:

Tweet the giveaway (be sure to use @2froghome, please)
Put the giveaway up on your Facebook
Link back to the giveaway on your blog

If you plan on doing any of the extra entries, please let me know your comment. You have until 5 PM (Mountain Standard Time) on Friday, August 6th to enter.

A Little Help from My Friends

Kathie — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:28:17 +0000

One of the greatest things Jeff has taught me and given me is the ability to ask for help. I like to try and figure everything out myself, except that there are times when asking for help from someone who’s been there and done that (whatever that is) is simply better. When you ask for help from someone who is more experienced, you get those little tidbits that only come with practice, those little nuggets of advice that you can’t read about anywhere because they figured it out on their own and tucked it away without even realizing how invaluable it could be. I know about those nuggets because I share them in the classes I teach, in the areas where I’ve become an expert, yet I don’t ask for those nuggets, for that help often enough.

When I decided to switch to self-hosting this blog, I was completely overwhelmed. Oh, I tried figuring it out and was very nearly on the verge of tears. I decided to walk away for a bit and then I realized that I needed help. There was tech support, of course, but I wanted, no needed, something more personal. I thought about who I could ask for help and I came up with Tara a.k.a. The Organic Sister. I knew she had a beautiful self-hosted blog and I figured she could help me. I didn’t see web design or blog consulting services listed on her page of services but decided to just e-mail and ask. She answered and quickly so – in a loving, kind, and educational manner. She helped me and in the process I was able to support her family in some small way. Honestly, I could not have done it as smoothly without her. In fact, I’m quite sure I’d still be struggling with it today. I still have much to learn don’t get me wrong, but at least I have a functioning blog with which to share and talk with you all.

I have plenty friends who’ve helped me in a multitude of ways as I navigate blogging, web design, CSS, social media, etc. etc. These same friends have inspired me in the garden, in my crafts, in the kitchen, and to live a more authentic, simple life. I want to share my friends and their wisdom with you all and have taken up a new way to do so. On my sidebar on the right, I’ll be highlighting some of my friends with small banners. These banners will rotate from time to time. These are my friends and they haven’t paid to have their banners put on this site. At some point I may change to paid sponsors in that spot, but I’ll be sure to let you know about them if and when that happens. Take a moment and check out their sites, won’t you?

Are you good at asking for help when tackling something new? If like me, you struggle with asking for help, how do you overcome that when necessary?

The Poppy Patch

Kathie — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:54:40 +0000

I’m smitten with our poppy patch. I had no idea, these ziar poppies would be so very beautiful. We had a crazy, wild wind storm last week, in which the poppies (and the tomatoes) sustained some damage. We lost a few poppies, but most survived and are now being propped up with a few bamboo stakes and twine. Next year, a much bigger poppy patch is planned and in a place that is a bit more protected from the wind.

What’s growing in your garden that has you smitten these days?

Small Batch Food Preservation

Kathie — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:31:05 +0000

When I talk about food preservation and building a pantry, I know that sometimes people envision an entire day of canning resulting in 80 jars of food in one session. I have done about 50 jars in one day but that isn’t the norm for me and probably not the norm for most people. Granted, there are only two mouths to feed in this house, obviously larger households need to do more preservation work.

However, when you’re first getting started, that amount can be overwhelming. Sometimes we need to tackle things a little at a time. I know I do a bit of both – large food preservation sessions and small bits here and there. Either way the pantry gets built, either in large leaps or baby steps.

Currently, I’m doing things in small batches. The snow peas are ready for harvesting in small bits, the strawberry patch only in its second year gives us at most a pound at each harvest, we picked just a few sour cherries, and on and on. The great thing about preserving food this way is that it builds the pantry without getting overwhelming and allows for a little down time simultaneously.

Have you done any small batch preserving lately? Planning, too? How about large batches?

Is This Thing On?

Kathie — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 22:47:55 +0000

I think we’re up and running. What do you think of the new home for Two Frog Home? Anyone having problems viewing the site? Let me know, please. I’m such a novice but I did have some fantastic help – more about her, soon.

Also, we’ve decided to start a newsletter announcing classes, sharing recipes, and much more. If you haven’t already, please sign up.

Summer of {Mail} Love – 1 Month In

Kathie — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:46:14 +0000

We’re about a month into our Summer of {Mail} Love – how’s it going for you? I hope that you’re finding it to be a blessing for you and for those you send some love too. Are you needing some new ideas? Check these out:

The Illuminated Letter
Letterfu - Letter writing without envelopes, cutting, or glue
Adopt A Platoon – Send a little mail love to someone you don’t know. They also have a great list of care package suggestions for folks in the military

Do tell us how its going for you and please share any ideas or links for us to use for inspiration.

Freezing Summer

Kathie — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:06:10 +0000

As a gardener and food preservationist, summer is an interesting time for me. I find myself wanting to be outside every single moment, soaking up the summer sun and warmth and there has been lots and lots of that. My lightening hair from the sun’s bleach is a testament to just how much time is spent outside. However, at the same time, my thoughts are also drifting towards winter and all the prep work that is necessary to face that with as much homemade goodness as possible.

I don’t mind saying, that it’s a mighty good feeling when I can enjoy the moment while simultaneously prepare for the moments ahead. Over the weekend, we were able to spread some mulch around growing winter squash plants, pull some weeds, water, harvest some goodies, and water some more. We were also able to eat and enjoy those homegrown, hand-picked goodies, while also having more than enough to save some for winter.

We were able to blanch & freeze 4 pints of snow peas. There should be more of those later this week, too. We added a pint of homegrown strawberries (in addition to the 4 gallons of store-bought) to the freezer. The garlic scapes were combined with walnuts, olive oil, and parmesan cheese for a yummy pesto – about a half-pint’s worth was frozen into individual cubes. We like making and drinking cordials so I’m experimenting with a lemon verbena cordial. That’s what in the jar behind the colander – a jar of freshly picked lemon verbena leaves steeping in vodka. I’ll add some sugar syrup in a few weeks.

I’m curious, how are you preserving summer these days? If you’re in the southern hemisphere, how are you enjoying your summer preserves?

The Excitement of New Plants

Kathie — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:52:11 +0000

Every year I try to grow something new, especially a new something edible. Last year it was rutabagas. They were such a hit that they’ll be making an annual appearance in our vegetable patch. This year, we’re trying kohlrabi, fennel, chinese kale, and ziar poppies. The chinese kale was a failure partly due to weather and partly due to gardener error. It didn’t seem to be producing much – the cool, wet June, seemed to stunt its growth and then it bolted. I should have harvested it even its rather small state, but alas, I didn’t and now it’s of no real use. I didn’t have much garden real estate devoted to it, but still I hate the mistake and loss.

Of all the new things, we’re trying I’m most excited about the poppies. I only planted a small portion of one flower bed with them and they are growing like crazy. I’m wishing now that I had planted more. Jeff and I talked about making a different, larger bed just for them next year. They haven’t even bloomed yet, but still they’re gorgeous. I also don’t mind admitting that I’m looking forward to a few loaves of bread filled with their sweet goodness.

In thinking about future years, I wouldn’t mind having a few in which to give way just the seeds to fellow bakers. Maybe next year, this year, I don’t envision having more than just a touch for our use. Any new and exciting plants growing in your gardens this year?

Smoothie Rewards

Kathie — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:05:17 +0000

“Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials.” ~Lin Yutang

I don’t know about anyone else, but I sure do struggle with those non-essentials in life. Just when I think I’ve rid myself of them, I find a whole new crop has sprung up. Life is a work in progress after all. Luckily, I get a lot of reminders about just what is essential. Like this morning, walking out to the garden to harvest some greens for my smoothie, only to be blessed with greens and almost another pound (15 1/2 ounces) of fresh, delicious strawberries. It’s all about the small, simple things after all. The reward for living a small, simple life? An incredibly delish smoothie made with homegrown greens (orach & swiss chard), a fresh apple and a frozen banana.

I hope your simple life is rewarding you and your soul today.

Porch Living

Kathie — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 21:21:22 +0000

Jeff and I are sharing a long-weekend at home. We’ve been doing a couple of hours of gardening work each early morning before the heat sets in, followed by afternoons and evenings on the porch. It’s a wonderful life I don’t mind saying.

I realize how incredibly blessed I am at these moments. Here we are sitting on our porch, eating freshly picked, homegrown strawberries, home-canned bread & butter pickles, and more – enjoying some leisure time together. The mere fact that I have a porch at all is a blessing, but to have someone to share it with and any leisure time at all must make me one of the most blessed people on earth. I know how many others have nothing and only have time to work and sleep. I’m grateful, so very grateful.

The cats, too, have been enjoying the porch.

I did try to do some work on the porch, but the glare from the sun made it too difficult for me to do anything but take a quick self-portrait. I did do some work on some old-fashioned paper, however; just to keep me from feeling too lazy and self-indulgent.

How are you enjoying your days?