Clean.

One to keep and to share: a LuSa Organics giveaway!

Though LüSa Organics is as much a part of my life as our little farm, I'm much less likely to talk about it with you here. Because I fear that if I do, it might come across as a pushy sell and undermine what we've got going here on Clean.

But then this week I realized: what we make is wonderful. (Well, I already knew that.) What I realized was that what we make is wonderful and offering you encouragement and incentives to choose LüSa now and again is a kindness, not a push.

I want you to know the intention behind the products that I make; I want you to know our world view. I want you to know who we support with the dollars that we earn and why we bother to do it all by hand.

I want you to understand how important every purchase you make with us truly is; how we notice every time you pop over to restock your cupboard.

I want you to know how good it feels to use safe, organic body care and support a small family business at the same time. Because that's where everybody wins.

And really I want you to discover what sets LüSa apart from the products you can find at the big box store or the pharmacy down the road.

With that in mind, each Saturday you can come here to see what I have to offer. A story, a giveaway, a coupon code, free shipping - you never know what you'll find!

Whatever it is I hope you see my intention is pure and that you may fall in love with LüSa just like we have. And when you do, I hope you'll share LüSa with your friends. Because that simple act is a lifeline for a small business like ours these days.

The Giveaway:

Would you like to win a care package of LüSa for you and for a friend? I thought you might. Because receiving is lovely, but giving is an even greater treat.

One lucky winner will receive two each of the following (one to keep and one to give):

Uplifting Lotion Bar

Spiced Lip Balm Collection

4 oz Uplifting Sugar Scrub

Salute to the Sun Soap

Entering is easy. You can earn one entry each for leaving a comment, subscribing to my feed, following us on Instagram, and sharing LüSa with a loved one. Please use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter! (It's easy. I promise.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Special Offer:

And for everyone, enjoy a free gift with every LüSa order!

Simply place an order before Tuesday, October 27 at www.lusaorganics.com and leave a comment on your order that reads:

"I love Clean. (And I also love__________.)" Be sure to fill in the blank and tell us your favorite scent. (Patchouli, citrus, lavender, mint - or perhaps something else!)

Small orders will receive a product sample of something we think you will adore, larger orders will receive full-sized products. (Some will even receive limited edition treasure box products from the Autumn Treasure Box collection!)

And as always, thank you for going out of your way to shop LüSa. It means so very much.

Love,
Rachel

 

 

 

 

DIY Fairy Wing tutorial

Hello, lovelies!

Before we dig in on today's post I want to let you know that beginning this week I'll be sharing a LüSa Organics giveaway and/or coupon most Saturdays here on Clean. Check back tomorrow to see what I have for you. I promise to make it worth your while!

And big thanks to each of you who have chosen to support our small business as well as coming here to read my words. It means so much. (More thank you know.)

One more bit of housekeeping - it has become much harder to stay in touch through Facebook (my standard way to share with you in the past). It's time to subscribe to my blog!

Subscribing simply means that when I write a new post it will show up for you in your email. That's it. No spam, no silliness, just an email of new posts. Simple.

Sign up here.

Don't miss another post!

x Rachel

~ : : : ~

DIY Fairy Wing tutorial

I'm betting a few of you are still getting ready for Halloween. (We sure are!)

I made these wings a few years back and I loved them so much I could hardly stand it. The tutorial is as simple as can be, and start to finish they take under two hours.

For. Real.

So grab your glitter and some hangers and let's get crafty! (If nothing else it's an excuse to use the word "panty hose" again.)

Here's how.

I woke in the morning with a random plan to be Rollie Fingers for Halloween. (I was a huge Brewer's fan as a kid and this guy's mustache has always been a source of strange fascination for me.) But my own kids were freaked by the idea of their mother in a baseball cap and a wool handlebar mustache. And then I couldn't find my baseball cap and the whole plan unravelled. I had to be something else.

But what? My costume stash is pretty lean these days, consisting of a too-tight-for-me-now wedding dress, a pair of cowboy boots and an Amish straw hat. And that combination was scarier than the mustache, so I needed a plan-B. A fairy! Of course. But Lupine's wings were too small.

I searched Pinterest for ideas and came across two useful tutorials (this one and this one.) I read them each over once, got a little overwhelmed, and just went for it on my own.

And they were so easy. Ridiculous. And because of the amount of glitter I used, extremely satisfying as well. (I don't know what it is about glitter. I wish I could put it on my food I like it so much. Okay, not really. But unlike most adults I actually adore the stuff.)

These wings took me less than two hours from start to finish (including a trip to Walgreen's for nylons when I realized that I simplified all of my tights right out the door last spring).

So easy and so much cuter than a handlebar mustache.

Here is what you need:

Four metal coat hangers or equivalent amount of other very strong wire

Duct tape (packing tape also works in a pinch but isn't as strong)

2 pairs of nylons of preferred color, mine were size large-ish and full length, though in retrospect thigh-highs would work great.

Fine glitter

White glue or Mod Podge

Paint brush

1. Shape each of the four hangers into a wing shape. My top and bottom wings have a slightly different shape giving a distinct top and bottom, but go with whatever you like.

2. Cut off the hooked part of each hanger and tape together your left and right wing pairs, as above.

3. Slip a nylon leg on each wing segment and cut it off at the appropriate length. Knot on the back. (Feel free to call them "pantyhose" if you'd like to channel my grandmother during the process.)

4. Tape together the left and right wings to make a connected set. You're almost done!

5. Using diluted white glue (1:2 water to glue), paint the edges of your wings and sprinkle with glitter.

Paint designs on the wings and add more glitter. I did simple swirls and dots and allowed the excess glitter to add to the design. Remember: it won't be perfect, and it is a law of physics that glitter will not stay where you put it. Knock the surplus glitter off of the wing and onto a tray or newspaper and reuse.

Tip: Don't rub the glitter into place or you may smear the glue.

Allow to dry while you admire your work.

Your house. Will be full. Of glitter. But that's okay. Because now your house is magical instead of messy.

6. Hide your packing tape under ribbon or fabric and hold the ribbon in place with glue and a safety pin hidden on the back.

7. Attach a super long length of ribbon (the long cream-colored ribbons below) for straps at the center point. Cris-cross over your chest and tie in the back or at your side.

Tie them on and say to your reflection, "You are so magical I can hardly stand it. Mwah!"

 

Originally published in 2012.

 

Seaside Wrap

Despite being the only driver on this cross-country adventure, I did managed to find a bit of time to knit along the way. Usually it was in the morning (and yes, usually I was sitting in the camper bathroom to keep from waking the kids). But knitting is knitting, I say! No matter where I have to do it.

And so it was that just before we left Maine I cast off my Seaside Wrap.

Knit with a scrumptious silk/Merino blend from Sundara Yarn it is indescribably soft, drapey, and so delicious. I'm wild for this yarn - as well as the clever Sensible Shawl pattern! I've worn it almost every day since I cast it off, and have skipped blocking altogether since that would mean a day or two without my wrap.

The shawl crosses in the front and ties in the back, keeping it clear of hay bales, nibbling goats, and breakfast dishes. (Kudos to Sage for being a good sport and snapping a few photographs of me wearing it!)

The perfect luxurious yet practical wrap for this farm mama.

And yes, I know I just posted this picture a couple of days ago. But I love it so much I think I'll share it twice! And worth noting, I'm not normally a fan of garter stitch but I thought I'd give it a try just this once. It has officially won me over.

What a simple, rewarding project this was!

You can find my project on Ravelry here.

 

 

Inviting the Pumpkin Fairy on Halloween (or: how to get rid of all that crazy candy your kids just hauled home!)

As we busily prepare for Halloween - one of our favorite celebrations of the year - I wanted to share with you a beloved fall tradition in our home: the Pumpkin Fairy.

We were introduced to the Pumpkin Fairy by one of my most magical friends when our kids were small. And I am so glad we were! The Pumpkin Fairy is wonderful.

You see, I was always a little sketchy on keeping all that sugar from Halloween around the house. It's not what I wanted my kids to eat, yet I didn't want to be the heavy and swoop in and swipe their candy on November 1.

Also, last year Lupine exhibited a very clear/alarming reaction to food coloring that made Halloween that much more scary. Adding food sensitivities to the mix means that most of the candy that our kids bring home on Halloween fall onto our "no" list right out of the gate.

Hello, rock. Hello, hard place.

And then the Pumpkin Fairy swooped in on an autumn wind and saved the day.

The Pumpkin Fairy arrives by invitation to transform your Halloween treats into a wonderful, simple gift. (If she's never come before it's only because you didn't invite her!) What does she do with the candy? It depends on who you ask. Some kids think she makes the gifts she gives out of the candy she gathers; others think she might build her candy house from them. Personally, I suspect she grinds it up to make fairy dust for all the autumn fairy folk.

Here is how it works: Any willing children select the candy for the Pumpkin Fairy. Some make a selection, others dump in the lot of it. The chosen treats are put it out in a basket, covered with a cloth or silk and left on the table for the Pumpkin Fairy to find in the night. By morning the Pumpkin Fairy has come and transformed the candy into something lovely. (Around here she leaves small treasures akin to what we might find in our spring baskets.)

We find that the size of the gift is determined by how much candy they give, which for one of my kids means most of the bag is handed off and the food allergy candy struggles are over. (*wipes brow*)

In years past the Pumpkin Fairy has brought crystals, craft supplies, small handmade toys, and a special fall book. She always gives things that are a perfect match for the family she's sharing with!

We never force it, and if one child wants to keep a bucket of candy, that is their choice. (Around here that often means swapping out for legal treats from the coop.) But if you let the candy go and share the magic with the Pumpkin Fairy, oh the magic that will come!

So there you go. That's how we do it around here. It's not perfect, but for our family any way it's pretty darn close.

And at the end of the day, Halloween is still my children's favorite celebration. And the Pumpkin Fairy is just one more thing to look forward to. Because Halloween, after all, is so much more than candy. It's costumes and magic mischief and adventure!

And it turns out that the candy was just a sweet little extra all along.

 

Love,
Rachel

 

Our first days back

Being home, at long last, has been so good. Within a day of our return I found myself busily planning our fall and winter homeschooling season, plotting out new garden beds, making meal plans, and dreaming big dreams for all that we want to do around here.

Home.

Where Pete was waiting for us, where our quiet valley wrapped around us like warm, embracing arms, and where all of the comforts of our cozy little farmhouse were waiting to welcome us back. Spending the night indoors for the first time in a month we slept in late, then quickly dove back into all that we had missed while on the road.

We milked the goat; checked on the chickens, ducks, and quail; moved the sheep to a fresh pastures; delighted in it all. We lingered outside in the crisp October sunshine. We talked of plans for garlic, bonfires, and winter shelters.

Then I prepared pokeweed dye from some berries we had picked on our route home and dug horseradish and elecampane. We set to work making medicines and condiments for the coming season. I cast on a new knitting project. All of it was lovely.

It was one of those perfect days that just kept unfolding as though it would never end.

Before dinner time we drove to Turkey Ridge, the nearby organic orchard and picked all the apples we could fit in the Beetle. Since apple season is winding down they wouldn't charge us for anything, yet we're set for pies and sauces now for winter and beyond. Kindness abounds! We are thankful.

We drove home and - yes, of course - we made apple crisp for dinner.

Because how could we not? We were home. And really, it feels so good.

Reflections from the road

This weekend we came home.

Home to Pete, the farm, our animals, the Driftless. Home to the one and only place that has ever truly been home to us all.

And it has been delicious.

As for our time on the road, I can say with honesty that it ended too soon for us all. Four weeks out has us dreaming of six weeks or eight weeks or more, and we are already planning our next adventure.

Yet being home has been beyond lovely. Soft beds, room to stretch our legs, gardens and animals and woods calling us home.

And so... the journey is done.

It's bittersweet.

3718 miles, nine states, and countless adventures are behind us. There was a leaky camper with windows to duct tape against the rain, the ocean churning, new friends to meet, and new paths to explore. There were the inevitable ups and downs of living in a tiny camper and living in the moment of our life on the road. Now that we're home we're finding our deep roots once more.

 

Go with the flow.

Expect the unexpected.

Be kind.

And worry less.

Oh, yes. These things and more.

 

To everyone who welcomed us in our guided us along our journey during the past month - we are so thankful. Know that each of you are welcome here if your own paths wind this way some day. We'd be honored to share our home with you!

Thanks to Chris, Annette, Sam, and Maggie for fresh apples, soft beds, and a trip to the falls; to André, Heather, Marguerite, Cedar, and Ruby for and endless open door and a home for us in Vermont; to Amanda, Steve, Ezra, Adelaide, Harper, and Anabelle for good conversation, kayaks and dress ups, and the soup they won't stop talking about. To everyone who helped us along the way, our heartfelt thanks for food and shelter, connection and community, and bath an laundry services along the way!

So much love.

Also thanks to Jamie and Ginny for nearly (so nearly!) hosting us on our journey before the hurricane rerouted our plans. We'll catch you next time, we promise.

What a journey it has been.

Home sweet home, indeed.

 

Love,
Rachel