Highlights

 Due to the fact that so much has happened since I last wrote I will quickly update with a few pictures.

 I not only learned how to crochet hats but I decided to crochet a blanket for my baby!  I will be honest, it was SO tedious!  I realized I am not one of those people that enjoy crocheting.  You know those people. The ones who can't wait to get home from work or put there kids to bed so they can relax and zone out by crocheting?  Yea...I only finished this blanket out of pure stubbornness and a desire to make something for my son. :)  I do LOVE IT though!

I did so well with the blanket I decided to make matching stuffed animals!

                                                                             

 

My Warrior Ninja actually became a hat making machine! He was making fun of me trying to learn how to make a hat and I challenged him to try himself.  Pictured is first hat.  His first of about 45 before the winter ended. :)  And of course one for our beautiful son to match!

 Above I am 8 months pregnant viewing the little garden my Warrior Ninja started putting together.  Below is the herb garden I have my love for his christmas present.  It has been so awesome having lots of fresh herbs for cooking!

 Below I am building a rabbit cage to keep my busy days before I gave birth to my son, the little ninja.

 

And of course we welcomed our beautiful son into the world!!!!

 Above: Six hours old! :)

 

Update!

     I have begun to accomplish some of the personal goals I had set for myself a month or so ago.  I am well on my way in crocheting a baby blanket and my Warrior Ninja has also unexpectedly jumped in!  He has been enthusiastically crocheting with me and is turning out really nice hats!  Already the "orders" are pouring in as cousins and friends see the one he wears around now.

    Since I have been feeling better I have been cooking a bit more.  I made a good split pea soup the other day and was surprised to find what a healthy and delicious option this is!  I added broccoli, potatoes and carrots as well as chicken broth and found that the potatoes made it taste a little creamy even though I didn't add milk or butter.  I also made another good soup from the "Bear Mountain" dry soup packets, adding vegetables, cream cheese, and some bacon.  This is probably not as healthy due to the sodium content and being a prepackaged food but it was a relatively cheap dinner as it will last as a few meals and so yummy!

    In the interest of saving money and paying off debt the Warrior Ninja and I are going to be moving in with our friends, and their three children (with one on the way in January).  It is a mutually beneficial arrangement I thin,k albeit somewhat counter cultural in an American society.  I am looking forward to having a full size kitchen to use though as our apartment kitchen is teeny tiny and doesn't even have a full size stove let alone counter space.  We get along with them very well.  It will be an interesting adjustment but I am looking forward to it. 

   Another effort I want to begin making in the interest of saving money is to focus on cutting food costs as I believe this to be one of our biggest outflows of money after bills.  The Warrior Ninja brought me home a magazine from "Mother Earth News' that is a "Guide to Self-Reliance and Country Skills" in which there are lots of money saving tips.  Specifically in this regard I have begun to wonder if there are ways I could get "free" veggies and fruits from local farmers if I volunteered with them in harvesting or gleaning.  The magazine suggests this works but being in Los Angeles I am unsure of how "local" farmers are.  I also find it a bit overwhelming adding this on after work, being pregnant, etc. but at the same time it might actually be something I enjoy and trying it out once couldn't kill me, right?  They also whole heartedly suggest that you buy everything in season when it is cheaper and then can so you have it later.  Again canning has come up...how hard is this?  Sounds like a dedicated way to save money....do I even like canned food?  Some people suggest drying your fruit...don't you need a dehydrator for this?  Is it worth investing in?

    In pregnancy news!!  I am feeling a lot better, still not up to my full work hours yet.  I am averaging about 24 hours a weeks currently and still feel tired when I get home.  Still feel nauseous and gaggy if I don't take the anti-nausea medication unfortunately, but at least with its use I feel well enough to go to work.  Had an ultrasound today and it looks as if we will be having a BOY!  The Warrior Ninja already looks very proud and happy. :) 

Cooking, Collages, and Crafts

     The past two days have been productive in a crafty sort of way.  Being that I am beginning to feel a bit better but still can't move around to much I have been looking for little projects I can do sitting down.  I am happy to say that I have beans cooking in my slow cooker right now!  I had my Warrior Ninja put the ingredients in a ziploc for me last night (the smell of the necessary onions and garlic I still find hard to manage due to the pregnancy sickness).  This morning I simply had to pour the beans and other ingredients into the slow cooker and add some chicken broth and water!  Looking forward to trying them!

     I also began to put together a recipe book.  I so often print out the pages of recipes and then they get lost or thrashed.  I filled the binder with page protectors so it will be that much more convenient for me to put the recipes away if I like it, plus the page protectors will be easy to wipe off should they get dirty.  I enjoyed the process of putting the binder together and especially making it look special!  In time I will probably add dividers of some sort.  I might do a section of slow-cooker recipes, another for freezer meals, breakfast and dinner and/or ethnicity rather then breaking it down into type of foods.

     I decided to see if I could crochet a hat to work towards my goals in "Ways to Raise".  I am not planning on trying to raise any money from this right now but I figure if I ever was to do that I better learn how to crochet and perfect the art.  Also I have thought this would be a good way to save money for Christmas presents for my nieces and nephews and friends who I think would like it.  I watched this video by DZCrochetCreations to learn how to crochet last night.  I remember that I was taught how to crochet a hat in college but now that 5+ years have passed since that time I don't remember the first thing about it besides the basic single stitch!  After watching this video, repeating steps, pausing and unraveling for an hour or so I finally found my groove and I believe I am on my way to a nice little crocheted beanie!