Tasty Teas #9: Catnip

I have a mint garden in my front yard, there are four different kinds of mint, peppermint, spearmint, lemon balm and catnip!  Did you know that catnip isn't just for the kitties?  It's really good for us humans too!  What's interesting is that while it makes the cats go nuts, it has a calming affect on us.  Cat nip tea is delicious.

It has a soothing affect on the tummy.  If somebody has indigestion, gas or is feeling a bit queazy, cat nip is the one I reach for on a lazy day.  It's important to note, however, that catnip will make you sleepy!  So if you are trying to get up and get out of the house, this may not be your herb.  However if it's the end of the day, you've got some nervous tension and need to relax, make yourself a 'cuppa, sit back and let it take affect.  I guarantee you will have a good night's sleep.  I love this herb.  Also, both my kiddos drink it with a little bit of honey: it's a perfect remedy for those long nights when your kid is sick to their stomach with a tummy bug.

To prepare, I take the fresh herb from my garden and dry it.  Like any herb I harvest, I try to make it as clean and user friendly as possible.  I cut off stems as soon as I pick it so it's not twiggy, I be sure to get rid of any discolored leaves, bugs or other things that just don't look right.  Most importantly, I thank the plant for being in my life and what it has to offer.  Then I set it out to dry on an old window screen, tossing it around once a day till the leaves are fully dry.  Once dried, I store in a large glass container and it will last throughout the year till next harvest, if I don't drink it first!  When I make tea, I generally go by a teaspoon per cup of water.

This is a magic herb.  It is also good for the babes too as you can see in my previous posts, Catnip Teething Pops and Tasty Teas #2: Tea for Teething .   Sorry if there is any redundancy here, I just can't stress enough how great this herb is!  It really does deserve all the publicity it can get!  Love and Light to you all!  Happy Tea Drinking!

Foot to Arm: Serafin's Arm Warmers

My kids inspire me all the time.  Today Serafin came up to me and asked me if she could make arm cuffs from a pair of her old socks.  Ok.  Easy enough. . . . 

She did the cutting and two minutes later on the sewing machine ( plus a little hot glue gunning of the felted hearst she wanted to add at the last minute) et voila!  One might look at them and think their nothing special, but I think Serafin would beg to differ, . . . check out the smile on her face.  

I don't know if you remember me saying that my dining room was my studio, it really is.  Last week I did a bit of a re-do and now both the kids and I have good clean space to work in.  I love how we bounce ideas off each other.  Yesterday Serafin was wanting to cover a headband with fabric and that lead me down the rabbit hole of watching tutorials on different ways to cover headbands.  Perhaps a new product is in the making for the "shop".  

My dining room/art studio, the kids table is in the right corner, we craft together!

In regards to my "shop", Dragonfly Whimsies, please check it out if you haven't already.  It is a work in progress and I am trying to figure out how to get my name out there.  Any ideas or even passing along my name to anybody who think might be interested would be incredibly appreciated.  

Creating the store was a big feat for me.  It was very exciting to find a creative niche, especially on Orcas, where there is so much creativity and art.  It's been a wonderful outlet for me, both emotionally and spiritually.  I also love modeling some form of a work ethic for my kids.  I am a stay at home single mother.  I have been blessed to be able to hang with my kids during the day when they are at home.  Because I don't think my kids will likely have the same cushion that I have, a concern of mine has been that they need to be modeled some form of work ethic.  With the advent of Dragonfly Whimsies, my kids see me building inventory, working at the farmer's market, selling, being involved in the community, making connections, AND, . . .my favorite part, CREATING!  Being at my sewing machine and working while my kids are 4 feet away at their craft tables making their own fabulous creations, talking, bouncing ideas off each other .  A lot of the time I have at least one kid asking me what I'm doing and trying to make their own version of it.  Serafin has even taken to making felt bracelets and selling them for $4.00 a piece at the market.  It's awesome to see and I can't wait to see where it goes.  Love to you all and talk soon!