Posted Monday, November 21, 2011 by Kally83

Now that we're expecting again, a question I'm often asked is "Are you planning on having a homebirth again?" I usually respond with "We're sure going to try," because as most people know, there are no guarantees when it comes to labour and delivery. Another question I'm often asked is "How do you get the epidural if you're at home?". That's an easy one, you don't. Inevitably, the next question is "Then why do it?" That's a tough question to answer because there's a lot to it. The simple answer is, it feels right for me. Their response to that often frustrates me because it's usually something like "There's no extra crowns in heaven for giving birth without drugs" or "You don't have to be a martyr". I don't choose to avoid pain medication in birth because I'm looking for some kind of reward or acknowledgement (though I do admit that when someone tells you how amazing you must be, it does give a bit of an ego boost). I'm not being a martyr, I'm being a mother. Before anyone jumps the gun, I'm not saying that people who receive epidurals or have c-sections aren't mothers, not by a long shot. What I mean here is this: my job as a mother is to make the best decisions I can with the information I have at the time. A mother that chooses to have an epidural is making the best decision for her and her baby based on the information she possesses at the time. If I aim for a homebirth and the midwife tells me that it's just not going to happen, this baby needs to come out by c-section then off we go to the hospital for a c-section....because clearly, that's the best decision for us at that time based on the information we have. Though I may be disappointed by the outcome, I refuse to feel guilty about it.


It truly blows my mind that birth has become so medicalized that women feel like those who choose not to go down the hospital/drug path are somehow weirdoes. Like we're irresponsible parents because we're "taking a risk" by giving birth at home in the comfort of familiar surroundings. I can think of a million reasons why I wouldn't want to give birth in a hospital (given the choice) but I don't like sounding preachy. Having given birth once in a hospital, I can say I've had the experience but frankly, I don't need it again. It felt like a waste of time and gas to me quite honestly, but I'm lucky enough to have regular, low risk pregnancies, so the hospital isn't a necessity to me as it would be to others.


Mothers should be honoured for simply being mothers. Carrying a baby for 9 months is as important in the process as the actual birth. And what of adoptive mothers....those who sometimes have to wait years to finally be able to hold their child in their arms? We're all moms, just doing the best we can with what we have so let's cut each other some slack ok?

Friday Confession

Posted Friday, November 18, 2011 by Kally83
Have I ever mentioned how much I love the Food Network? There are very few shows that I can't sit through on this channel. I never really thought of it as an addiction but I'm starting to think it might be. Despite my children's protests, I actually watched it for the better part of today...well I had it on but I was only partially watching it however it made me feel happy that when I looked at the TV I saw Guy Fieri instead of The Backyardigans.

My personal favourites are Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and Iron Chef America, but I also really enjoy French Food at Home, Chef at Home and Eat St. Boo and I used to love watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay but haven't seen it on lately. I used to watch a lot of Rachael Ray although her talk show isn't on FN so I often miss it.

The biggest problem I have is that it's absolutely essential that I eat something before or while watching most of these shows because otherwise I'll snack on whatever I can find (Ha, like I need to snack more!!!), so I try to plan accordingly.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to Alton Brown and tonight's Iron Chef.

Have a blessed weekend!!
Posted Wednesday, November 16, 2011 by Kally83
Blogging. Oh how I have missed you!!

I've survived the first trimester and am starting to feel slightly more normal again. I had my third midwife appointment yesterday and she commented on how exhausted I looked. I have to admit, it felt good to have someone notice. Apparently, since this is my third pregnancy, I have no excuse to need extra help because I've been there, done that. What people seem to forget is I also have a 3 year old and a 16 month old to look after on top of making a baby. I know, no one told me to get pregnant but, well, I am, so understanding that I may not have the energy to be here, there and everywhere would make things just a little easier. Ah well!!

I'm fighting off the urge to start decorating for Yule! The plan is to wait until we go to the Santa Clause parade on the 26th...our "unofficial" start to the holiday season. It's just so darn tempting, because I LOVE everything about December (even the snow!!) We've started our Christmas shopping (barely) but I'm hoping to be done by mid-December. I'm still collecting ideas for Yule gifts for the kids (our aim is only homemade gifts for Yule...now if only we could convince everyone to do that for Christmas as well!)

I'm also trying to catch up on all of the blogs that I haven't read in ages and hopefully join a Yule blog party (I see buttons for quite a few!!)

Lastly, we're working on collecting and painting toilet paper rolls for our Santa Countdown Calendar. I'm so tired of buying the cheap chocolate ones, bleah!!

Happy Hump Day!!

Playing Catch-up

Posted Wednesday, September 21, 2011 by Kally83
Bleah! Morning sickness is currently kicking my butt and I'm on meds!!! I can't even imagine how our ancestors survived this when they had so much other work that needed to be done. At least the drugs keep me barely functional...I don't know what I'd do otherwise!

Oh the catching up I have to do! I'm not even sure where to start! I managed to make a night at Kaleidoscope Gathering back in July. It was beyond incredible. We didn't make it to any workshops (the one we did get to got cancelled) but we attended the main ritual (AMAZING!!) and we spent the entire night dancing around the campfire to the beat of drums (literally all night, we watched the sun come up!)

And now I'm drawing a complete blank...I know other things happened but it was early August when we found out that I was expecting again so wrapping my head around that seems to have rendered everything else insignificant. I had my first midwife appointment yesterday and she sounded really optimistic about me having another homebirth so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!

My Women's Spirituality Group had a Full Moon Ritual in September which was wonderful. Foolishly, I offered to plan the next ritual for November 1st. I've never put a ritual together before but I have my dear friend helping me (she's also a newbie) and one of the more experienced ladies offered to sit down with us and help make our ideas into a ritual format so it should be interesting!

Munchkin turned 3 recently. I can't believe how quickly he's growing up! He's starting to understand concepts better now so I'm excited to really start including him in my practice.

Oh, we did our annual apple picking on Friday! Sooo much fun!! My sister and her boyfriend joined us so our basement is well stocked. Sunday afternoon will be pie baking day and I can't wait!

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Drive By Post

Posted Wednesday, August 31, 2011 by Kally83
Hello everyone! I'm so sorry I've been MIA but we've had a lot of things going on around here lately and I just don't seem to have time (or energy) to sit down and post! I promise to be back soon but I can't say for sure just yet when that will be.

I'm honoured to have been chosen as a Wonderful Web Witch Award winner by Pagan by Design
Wonderful Web Witch Award Winner
Thank you so much!!

A quick explanation for my disappearance and why I'll continue to be MIA for a little while longer: we have a new family member on the way!!! Yes, I found out a few weeks ago that a 3rd little witchlet will be joining our brood in April! Now that we're mostly past the shock, we're very excited although for the time being I'm "enjoying" the ever present morning sickness (whoever named that malady obviously has not seen me pregnant...24/7 nausea is far more accurate!) I warn you, once I start to feel like myself again, this blog will likely turn into my personal pregnancy journal! Our first midwife appointment is September 19th. Hopefully I'll be around before then but if not, I'll be sure to post some updates.

Brightest blessings!

Fun Songs

Posted Thursday, July 21, 2011 by Kally83
I feel like I'm cheating by posting two videos in a week but after putting up the last one on Monday, it made me think of this one. We sang this at our WSG campfire last week and I just loved it so thought I would share! Great for witchlets, although when I sing it with the boys we change the lyrics to "There's a little witch in every person today" Enjoy!

Coffee Talk

Posted Tuesday, July 19, 2011 by Kally83
PhotobucketI hope you all had a lovely Blessing Moon on Friday! I did my usual monthly Esbat although I did it in my room this time instead of the kitchen and I'm not sure I would do it again. Climbing over the bed to cast the circle was really awkward LOL.

I've been wanting to learn more about the Tarot so I did a reading using the Celtic spread while in my circle. It was eerily foretelling so I've decided to study a little more and start doing a daily 3 card spread to start getting a better idea of my personal relationship with the Tarot.

Spirit Voyage is starting their next 40 Day Sadhana and I'm super excited because it's much more active than the previous two have been. I haven't been keeping up with my yoga (other than once a week) so hopefully this will get me get back into the swing of daily practice!

Livin' on a Prayer (or two or three...)

Posted Monday, July 18, 2011 by Kally83
This has been my theme song lately. Finances are kicking our butts but we have our otherwise happy and healthy family and I'm thankful for that.

Friday's Fare

Posted Friday, July 15, 2011 by Kally83
PhotobucketI love kale! It's relatively versatile and a powerhouse of nutrition. One cup of raw kale contains 1g of dietary fibre, 2g of protein and accounts for 206% of your Vitamin A, 134% of your Vitamin C, 9% of your Calcium and 6% of your Iron. It's also a good source of Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Potassium, Copper AND Manganese. (source)

One of my favourite ways to serve kale is in this soup:




Veggie Kale Soup

A dollop of oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1 bunch kale, remove stems and chop leaves
4 cups veggie broth
4 cups water
1 can diced tomatoes
6 white potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cans black beans
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp dried parsley


Heat oil in large soup pot. Cook onion and garlic til soft. Add in kale and cook until wilted. Stir in the rest. Simmer on medium for about 25 minutes (potatoes should be cooked through).

Notes: I always hate putting actual measurements for soup so use this as a framework. You can use any kind of beans you like. You can add salt and pepper but I find the soup tasty enough without (and if you opt to use just water and a bouillon cube you'll have more than plenty of salt)

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Full Moon Blessings!!!

Being Held Captive by Summer

Posted Tuesday, July 12, 2011 by Kally83
Wow!!! I haven't logged in since mid June and when I came back today, I've added almost 10 followers to my blog! Thank you all for joining us, despite the fact that I haven't been around lately! Summer has meant being outside with the boys all day long, coming in for supper, putting them to bed, getting a few minutes with Boo and then crashing as soon as I hit the pillow leaving very little computer time.

Since I last posted, Bean had his first birthday. We kept it relatively small but had a great time and as usual, he was spoiled! This is the cake I made for him:

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We attended our first Pagan non-event event at Raven's Knoll over the long weekend (ours was the Friday-Sunday as July 1 was Canada Day). Really it was just a laid back weekend of camping with other Pagans and it was a great intro for us and the boys to the world of tent living. We camped often enough before we were married but once I got preggo with Munchkin...well we haven't been since.

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It was a lot of fun, but wow, no matter how busy we kept those boys, sleep was still not on the agenda. We had hoped for it to be a prep for the last weekend of July and Kaleidescope Gathering but unfortunately, the money just ain't there this year so we're going to start saving as soon as we can so hopefully we'll be able to attend next year. I'm still a fest virgin and really need to change that!

It's been hot as hell here the past week or so. With the humidex it's regularly reaching temperatures of 38-40C (100-104F for my American friends) We don't have central air although we do have an A/C unit that we put in the kitchen to keep the downstairs coolish. I've found just using the dehumidifier on it makes a massive difference (and uses a heck of a lot less power) With gas hitting almost $1.30L we've been spending a lot more time close to home so we're trying to keep it comfortable.

Well, off to bake some muffins for my Women's Spirituality Group tonight (I know, because turning on the oven on a day like today makes so much sense....I never claimed to be smart :P)

Of Full Moons and Cookies

Posted Thursday, June 16, 2011 by Kally83
Welcome Strong Sun Moon! A fabulous lunar eclipse was part of the festivities, unfortunately there was no seeing it up here in the Northern Hemisphere since it happened during the day.

I'm working on Bean's birthday cake this week (can you imagine he's going to be a year old!!). It's going to be an elephant but I needed to make the ears and trunk from cookie dough. Being the intuitive witch I am, I made a full batch of dough despite only needing a small amount for the cake.

Full moon + boatloads of leftover cookie dough =

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Too bad these don't freeze well! They'd be perfect for cakes and ale :)


I know he never reads my blog but I'd like to wish Boo a very happy birthday today. He does so much for our family and I can't express how thankful I am that I'm able to walk through this life with him.

Coffee Talk

Posted Tuesday, June 14, 2011 by Kally83
PhotobucketSo much has been going on lately, I barely know where to start.

I made it through Meatless May and have continued on into June (and pretty sure I'll just keep continuing on and on). I feel really good and I've even lost a couple of pounds!! I'm finally at my pre-pregnancy weight so I'm feeling really happy about that! Unfortunately, having babies means my hips have widened so certain "skinny" jeans that I've held on to are never going to fit again even if I continue to lose weight. I'm ok with that. I wasn't at first, but seeing the shape my body is now, I'm actually quite happy with it :) Also, seeing the struggles of some of my friends to lose their baby weight, I have no right to complain whatsoever!! I'm proud of what I've managed to accomplish.

If you don't already follow PaganDad (also the creator of The Pagan Village and The Pagan Household), you should be. He has such fantastic ideas for raising little witchlets in our faith. He's put together Pagan Summer Camp (in response to all of the Vacation Bible Schools out there). So much fun!

I'm going to be making a real effort to post at least a few times a week here (though I'm definitely not promising daily). I miss blogging! :(

This and That

Posted Wednesday, June 8, 2011 by Kally83
I'm sorry it's been awhile. With summer being here I've spent most days outside with the boys and am usually so exhausted by the end of the day, I never take the time to write.

Life has been sort of stressful lately too. Due to unexpected circumstances and poor planning on our part, finances have been REALLY tight so I've had to watch our budget to the penny (which I probably should be doing anyway.) The whole summer is going to be pretty tight but hopefully by the autumn things will be back on track.

I'm hoping to get back to posting regularly...I have plenty to write about it's just sitting down and making the time to do it!!

Gratitude Monday

Posted Monday, May 30, 2011 by Kally83
Today I'm thankful for..........


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SUNSHINE
(particularly after all this rain we've been having....)

Gratitude Monday

Posted Monday, May 23, 2011 by Kally83
I'm thankful for Spring's blooming flowers.


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Wordless Wednesday

Posted Wednesday, May 18, 2011 by Kally83
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A Little Moon Magick....Hopefully!

Posted Tuesday, May 17, 2011 by Kally83
PhotobucketTonight is the Full Flower Moon and along with my normal monthly Esbat, I'm planning on doing a little career magick for my hubby (with his help). He likes his job but is hoping for a new, higher paying position to open up (there's two potential places for this to happen but the HR department in his office isn't exactly "on the ball")

The plan so far is to do two parts, the first for the position to actually open and the second to give him what he needs to GET said position. We only really decided today to do this so I'm trying to throw a little something together (unfortunately, I really don't do all that much magick...only when we really need the extra boost of help). I'll post on Thursday with what we ended up doing because at this point, I only have some vague ideas.

I also have a few fun witchy things going on in the kitchen....

Happy Flower Moon!!

Wordless Wednesday

Posted Wednesday, May 11, 2011 by Kally83
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My Mother's Day

Posted Monday, May 9, 2011 by Kally83
Well, we never did make it to the farmer's market this weekend. Saturday was just too busy and by the time we got our act together on Sunday it was too late. I really wanted to get outside so we headed up to the Gatineau hills again.


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For Easter my sister got the boys these awesome t-shirts that have capes that velcro onto the back of their shirts. Too cute!


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Happy Mother's Day

Posted Friday, May 6, 2011 by Kally83
I received this from my mother-in-law (of all people!) and thought a little funny would be a good way to end the week and wish you all a very Happy Mother's Day.

A Mother's Dictionary

Bottle feeding: An opportunity for Daddy to get up at 2 am too.

Defence: What you'd better have around de-yard if you're going to let the children play outside.

Drooling: How teething babies wash their chins.

Dumbwaiter: One who asks if the kids would care to order dessert.

Family planning: The art of spacing your children the proper distance apart to keep you on the edge of financial disaster

Feedback: The inevitable result when the baby doesn't appreciate the strained carrots.

Full name: What you call your child when you're mad at him.

Grandparents: The people who think your children are wonderful even though they're sure you're not raising them right.

Hearsay: What toddlers do when anyone mutters a dirty word.

Impregnable: A woman whose memory of labour is still vivid.

Independent: How we want our children to be as long as they do everything we say.

Look out: What it's too late for your child to do by the time you scream it.

Prenatal: When your life was still somewhat your own.

Prepared childbirth: A contradiction in terms.

Puddle: A small body of water that draws other small bodies wearing dry shoes into it.

Show off: A child who is more talented than yours.

Sterilize: What you do to your first baby's pacifier by boiling it and to your last baby's pacifier by blowing on it.

Storeroom: The distance required between the supermarket aisles so that children in shopping carts can't quite reach anything.

Temper tantrums: What you should keep to a minimum so as to not upset the children.

Top bunk: Where you should never put a child wearing Superman jammies.

Two-minute warning: When the baby's face turns red and she begins to make those familiar grunting noises.

Verbal: Able to whine in words

Whodunit: None of the kids that live in your house.

Whoops: An exclamation that translates roughly into "get a sponge."

This and That

Posted Thursday, May 5, 2011 by Kally83
*yawn* I'm exhausted this morning. Bean decided to wake up every 2 hours or so again last night. Truth be told the longest stretch he's ever slept is 5 hours at a time and really that's only happened a hand full of times but I guess once you get a little extra sleep your body starts craving it.

Day 5 of Meatless May and so far, so good :) We're loosely following a meal plan from here and the food has been sooooo good. Last night we went out because we had to go to the mall and buy a new car seat for Bean (he's getting too big for his little bucket seat...where does the time go?) I had a mushroom pasta that was pretty good. I think I'm enjoying forcing myself outside of the box. For every restaurant that we frequent, I basically have one go-to meal but they all contain meat so as we make the rounds, I'm having to try something new.

I made kale chips for the first time yesterday. I meant to post a picture but Munchkin and I ate through them too quickly......here's the recipe I used although I'd like to try experimenting with different flavours the next time.

Finally, the big excitement around here is all of the Farmer's Markets opening this weekend!!! We'll be going on Saturday so I'll plan to take some photos!

Mom's Brag Book

Posted Wednesday, May 4, 2011 by Kally83
I thought twice about posting this because, really, who cares about my kids. But then I thought, this is my blog and I care LOL. Besides, who couldn't use a little more cuteness in their life :) So this is one of my fave pics of all time of my Bean taken a little over a month ago.


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Budding Politics

Posted Tuesday, May 3, 2011 by Kally83
I was up late last night watching the numbers come in for our election. Everyone knew the Conservatives would take at least a minority but I have to tell you, it was painful to watch their numbers climb so quickly. The Liberals and New Democrats were neck to neck for awhile but pretty soon, the NDP starting piling on the seats leaving the Liberals in their dust. When all was said and done, the Conservatives got the majority government that they've been craving for years. I, for one, am not happy about it, but it is what it is and hopefully they'll focus on things that help ALL Canadians and not just the ones they favour. A few exciting developments though: The NDP took status as Official Opposition (YAY!!!) so although they won't have much power, it gives hope that their slightly "left" perspective will help balance out the slightly "right" perspective of the Tories. Also, we had our very first Green Party candidate when their seat. Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party up here, won in her riding so I'm super excited for her. It's going to be an interesting four years to say the least!

Politics aside, there's something in my own backyard that's making me very happy.


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My lilacs are budding!!! I LOVE lilac and if there's one thing I like about it here, it's the lilacs in my yard.

Monday, Monday

Posted Monday, May 2, 2011 by Kally83
Is it Monday already? I had such a busy weekend, I think I need a few days to recoup!

I successfully commenced my vegetarian journey yesterday. I went out for lunch with my mom and sister and rather than the typical burger that I would eat, I tried some vegetable Pad Sew (aside from different noodles, I'm not 100% sure what the difference is from Pad Thai) It was really yummy! Tonight we're trying a Salsa Fry-Up.

Today was Day 1 of the Global Sadhana: Japji. I haven't received the CD I ordered yet so I had to use a moderate-paced recording from the Spirit Voyage website and...well, I can't wait to get my CD that has the slow version on it. Yikes!!! It was very interesting though and I'm looking forward to this journey.

Today is Election Day up here in the Great White North. I voted in the advanced polls last weekend so thankfully I don't have to pack the kids up in this rain to go vote but I'm definitely looking forward to watching the polls tonight! I can't even wager a guess at this point what's going to happen so it should be interesting!

A Quick Follow-Up

Posted Friday, April 29, 2011 by Kally83
I'm glad to see I've "stirred the cauldron" a little with my post about International Pagan Coming Out Day. I think it's great to get people thinking and talking.

I wanted to clear something up quickly though. While I haven't gone over the IPCOD website with a fine-tooth comb, I don't think "coming out" in this instance requires anything like signing up on their website saying "Hi, I'm so-and-so and I'm a Pagan." I think what they're really trying to accomplish is encourage those who are ready to come out to do so and lend support while they make that transition.

That being said, I can certainly understand why many people are decidedly in the closet. Everyone's circumstances are different. I'm lucky enough to live in an area where most people are relatively accepting or, at worst, indifferent. The people who immediately surround me though don't all fall into the category of either accepting OR indifferent. Knowing their personal beliefs, to admit that I was Pagan to them would render most of them downright hostile. This is why I remain "in the closet". I could care less if the greater world knew of my faith, but it's certain people close to me that I need to keep it from.

This leads to something of a catch 22 though, because I also know that a lot of this fear and hostility is caused by a lack of understanding and knowledge (with a little close-mindedness for good measure). While I don't know that we require an official day to "come out", if you're prepared to deal with the bad as well of the good of that choice, it can be beneficial to the Pagan community as a whole for people to stand up and say "Yep, I am Pagan and I'm not going to be treated like I'm evil because of it". Some of us have to remain in the closet because our lives could literally be destroyed by coming out, but for those of us who really DO have an option *raises hand*, I don't think it's a bad thing to open up about our faith to those around us.

Despite all that, I likely won't be coming out just yet, but for me personally, it's not a question of "if", but "when".

Trying My Hand at Gardening

Posted Thursday, April 28, 2011 by Kally83
I am a self-proclaimed blackthumb. I'm pretty sure I've killed just about every plant I've ever had in my care which doesn't speak well for someone who's supposed to be close to nature. Boo and I have been working on making something of a garden since we moved here 2.5 years ago. We did manage to pretty up the garden area and plant a beautiful pink something or other (that we're pretty sure ain't coming back this year despite being a perennial). We planted a raspberry bush last year and so far it looks like it might be coming back so this will be a first for us.

For a birthday gift (did I mention it was my birthday earlier this month?), my mom gave me a bunch of seed packets, some new gardening gloves and a gardening magazine. So sweet but such a waste.....or maybe not. I took the plunge with Munchkin 2 weeks ago and planted some marigold seeds in pots to try and get them growing to transplant once the final frost date has passed here. And guess what?

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Ta da! Houston, we have sprouts. Maybe there's some hope after all!

Coming Out (or not)

Posted Wednesday, April 27, 2011 by Kally83
So, May 2nd, 2011 is International Pagan Coming Out Day. I was actually a little surprised to find out this even existed but it sounds like a great idea. Unfortunately, I have my doubts that I will be a "coming out" participant this year, though I'm certainly planning on sending positive energy to those who are!

Don't get me wrong, I definitely contemplated it (heck, I won't make an actual decision until the day of) but, I know that when push comes to shove, I won't do it. Problem is, there are people around me that I know beyond a shadow of any doubt that will cut me out of their lives because of my Paganism. True, this doesn't have to stop me from telling one or two people but I never really felt like sitting down and having "the talk" with someone. Velma Nightshade from Witches BrewHaha worded it best when she said "I'm in the closet but the door is open". Annoucing my personal beliefs to the world is a bit much for me, but if someone asks, I'll normally tell them the truth (unless of course they are one of said people mentioned above).

It does bother me though that I can't be openly Pagan. I would love to "Like" all sorts of Pagan groups/magazines/websites on Facebook, but to do so would pass the word on to those who I'm not ready to tell. Granted, I have the Facebook account for my blog persona (in case anyone hadn't guessed, my real name isn't actually Kally and oddly enough my children aren't actually named Munchkin and Bean) but it's just not the same. I want to be one person, not two.

Are you out? What made you decide it was time and how did you go about it?

New Challenges

Posted Tuesday, April 26, 2011 by Kally83
Phew, it's been forever!! Boo went back to work three weeks ago and I had forgotten just how much work my two boys are, but we've been having a lot of fun, so it's all good :) Unfortunately, it means I have zero time to blog because I occupy the boys all day and do the chores at night. Weekends are spent doing family things so the little "me" time that I do get, I like sitting down with a cup of tea and reading a book.

Let's see:

I ended up missing out on the last two weeks of my global sadhana with Spirit Voyage because of that stomach flu I had (ok not a great excuse...it started as a good excuse but ended when I started being able to eat normally again...I just never got back on the bandwagon). But never fear, a new 40 day sadhana is starting on May 2nd so I've ordered this from the website and will be praying the Japji every morning for 40 days.

I recently decided to give up red meat in my diet. Sure a filet mignon is yummy but the pros of NOT eating red meat seemed to outweigh the cons so I took the plunge. So far it's been really easy but it's only been a little over a week so I know that they will come. In looking for some vegetarian meal ideas, I came across the PETA website. I'll be honest, I've never been a huge fan of PETA although in recent years I've started to realize that like every other group on the planet, it has it's extremists and maybe I shouldn't be throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Anywho, they essentially issue a 30 day challenge of attemping veganism and I decided to accept with one condition....I would become vegetarian for a month rather than vegan. I know myself and I know it would be hard enough to drop meat cold turkey (pun intended) so to drop ALL animal products might last for all of 2 days before I gave in to some cheese.

I discussed it with Boo since he would obviously be affected and he's ok with being supportive so long as we keep some meat around for him when he's tired of all the "rabbit food". Boo is decidedly an omnivore (if it weren't for me, I'm quite sure he'd be a borderline carnivore). In any case he won't be giving up meat anytime soon.

I'm still trying to figure out what made me decide to do this. Although I certainly think animals should be treated far better than they are, animal rights in general are not a passion of mine. Actually what sold me on the challenge was an article that talked about how being vegetarian can greatly reduce your carbon footprint which IS a passion for me.

At any rate, I'm hoping that these new challenges that I've set up for myself will improve my health and well-being as well as get me blogging regularly again!

Update and Yay, the Stomach Flu is Dead!

Posted Wednesday, March 30, 2011 by Kally83
Oh my word! I was soooo prepared for Ostara this year. We even managed to make it through our family ritual and then I got blind-sided with a stomach flu. No need for details, but it sucked. But I seem to be on the mend now so here, finally, is my update from Ostara.

Most of my plans ended up falling through since I ended up feeling like total garbage but we DID manage to make it through the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Chocolate Rabbit I knew my Munchkin would enjoy this and boy was I right!


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We usually try to limit his sugar intake so this was total heaven for him!Photobucket


Bean couldn't partake in the eating portion so he just smiled and played along with us.

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My Guest Post

Posted Wednesday, March 16, 2011 by Kally83
Check out my guest post today over at Confessions of a Country Witch!!

This and That

Posted Thursday, March 10, 2011 by Kally83
Let's see....


First off, Willow at Confessions of a Country Witch is hosting a 15 Days of Welcoming the God blog party. I'm going to be a guest blogger on the 16th. She still has a few spots open for both guest posters and sponsors if anyone's interested!!

The Pooka Pages has their Ostara issue available. Make sure to go check it out, they have such awesome ideas!!

I'm on day 11 of the 40 Day Global Burn Inner Anger Sadhana. I never thought it would have such an impact on me, but for the first time...hmmmm...ever I think....I was able to go through a full day without raising my voice to my kids. I'm the short-tempered type, so this is definitely new to me!!

I attended my second circle with my Women's Spirituality Group and it was INCREDIBLE!!! It just happened to fall on International Women's Day so we celebrated being strong women with chants, tea and a little time with the Goddess Kuan Yin.

Preschool, Homeschool, No School, Oh My!

Posted Tuesday, March 1, 2011 by Kally83
PhotobucketThe question of schooling our children has come up between Boo and I lately. For the past while, I've desperately wanted to try homeschooling. We decided that I would homeschool them through preschool and both junior and senior kindergarten. If I enjoy it and the kids seem to enjoy it, we'll consider going further after that.

I know there's going to be pressure from Boo's side of the family to put them in school because I'm not English/French bilingual (Boo's first language is French). I understand their concern, and have been looking into what activities, sports and classes I can put the boys in to ensure they spend time immersed in the language. Trying to find a basic, one morning a week, French preschool program has proven difficult but I'm keeping my eyes open. I've also joined our local homeschool support group and it looks like there's a French teacher amongst the crowd who is happy to teach a regular class to homeschool students. Boo has also said that if I can find him a good curriculum, he'll work with them on weekends as well.

I know we have a few years to go before the BIG decision comes (schooling before age 6 is optional as far as I can tell) but I'm already enjoying the prep that goes into it. Hopefully it lasts!!

First Steps in Meditation

Posted Monday, February 28, 2011 by Kally83
PhotobucketIt's been a long time coming, but I finally sat down last week and started learning the art of meditation. You'd think, having been on this Pagan path of mine for a year and a half now, I'd have sat down at least ONCE and tried to meditate, but alas, it has never been.

Not to say that I haven't been MEANING to, but I always found a million and one excuses NOT to. Too busy, too tired etc etc. But I finally said, enough is enough and got off my butt (or rather, ON it) and listened to a podcast on how to meditate (which included a short guided meditation at the end). So far, I suck pretty bad at it. "Quieting my mind" has never been something I'm good at. But I kept trying and taking notes in my meditation journal. So far I've learned that silence is not good for me. At least following a guided meditation or having some music playing gives me somewhere to bring my focus...when it's too quiet, my mind can do nothing but wander. So I figured I'll practice with "noise" and once I have that down, we'll work on silence.

All that being said, a friend of mine posted on her Facebook status today about this Sadhana which will take place for 40 days. The pranayama (breathing) was challenging but well worth the effort and the chant was just beautiful. I felt incredibly at peace and empowered after performing this meditation and I'm really looking forward to the next 39 days!! If you have any interest in Kundalini Yoga, it's well worth checking out!

Random Thoughts

Posted Saturday, February 26, 2011 by Kally83
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about where I want this blog to go. I've contemplated making it solely about my spiritual path and Paganism. Truth be told, the domestic arts is a relatively new area for me (I really started focusing on them when I was expecting Munchkin) and so that was part of the reason I created my second blog. Kind of a way of laughing along my journey of "housewifedom" (I think I made that word up LOL).

I started following Paganism after Munchkin was born and it just seemed natural to fall into kitchen witchery. In that sense, the two blogs are related, but I liked the idea of keeping them separate because each represents a different side of my personality. Here would be thoughts, questions and discussions about different areas of my spirituality (not limited to the kitchen) and the other would be light-hearted snippets from my everyday life.

I had also thought about a way of merging the two but couldn't really figure out a way of doing it that I liked. Time will tell......

Changes and Updates

Posted Friday, February 25, 2011 by Kally83
Hello my dear readers! I just wanted to let you know that there's going to be a few changes around here. I'll have a new grab button very soon so I would love if anyone interested would take it, and add me to their button exchange.

I read so many fabulous blogs but being something of a perfectionist, I don't like having them all just sitting at the bottom of my page, so I've created a page solely for buttons. I haven't moved any yet but you'll see that adjustment over the next few days.

I've started a new Mommy blog (I know, I know, like the world needs more of those!) so if you know anyone interested, let them know about Domesticated (button coming soon!)

Lastly, my hubby is starting up his own blog. Dinner: Interrupted will feature regular recipe posts where he'll cook, eat and then review all sorts of yummy entree's while trying to avoid letting it burn when the baby cries!

Celebrating Imbolc

Posted by Kally83
Wow, I know this post is way late but figured I should probably get it up now that I have a few moments to do so. We had a lovely Imbolc (despite the ridiculous amount of snow). We enjoyed a small family ritual and then a super yummy dinner.


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We loosely followed this ritual (Munchkin had put his coins in his baby potato head so it became a shaker LOL)


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For dinner we enjoyed chicken chili. This was the first time I made it and I definitely think we'll be adding it to our list of favourites.


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For dunking I made some Irish Soda Bread. I LOVE this bread but you need to eat it quickly, otherwise it becomes something of a weapon.


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Finally, dessert was no-bake cheesecakes. These were good although they didn't solidify as well as I would have liked.

Looks Like Yule To Me!

Posted Wednesday, February 2, 2011 by Kally83
Well, today we celebrate Imbolc. This time of year, we look forward to spring. I have to admit, it was hard to think of spring with our first major snowstorm of the year brewing.


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These were both taken this morning. We've gotten A LOT more snow since then! We did, however, have a really enjoyable Imbolc. I'll share tomorrow!

Pagan Elitism?

Posted Tuesday, February 1, 2011 by Kally83
I've been a solitary practitioner pretty much from the get-go. At first it was more out of necessity as I had yet to make contact with the Pagan community. After I discovered the community, I attended one of their bi-monthly brunches. It was ok...I had already met one of the better known members of the community over coffee. Plus I had made contact with another Pagan stay-at-home-mom so she attended as well. Everyone else just kind of nodded at my presence. That didn't bother me, it's just sort of the way of things when there's a newbie in the crowd.
While eating breakfast that morning, the woman beside me attempted to engage me in conversation. I was thankful and readily answered question while asking a few of my own. Post conversation, a few other members of the community came up and started chatting. Nothing wrong with that of course. Until they started laying into Christians like there was no tomorrow!! I know, I know, the Church has hurt a lot of people, but can't we get past that and at the very least, just ignore them? There didn't seem to be any specific catalyst...just seems that Pagan conversation has to involve trashing Christians. Irritation hardly described what I felt at that moment. I didn't say anything of course...it seemed kind of unwise to trash talk one of the more senior members of the community, especially considering how new I was, but I've never gone back.
Why does it seem to be that disliking Christians is a prerequisite for being Pagan? I admit, they can get on my nerves but you always get kooks in every religion so I certainly don't feel the necessity to single out Christianity. Did I miss a memo somewhere??

Friday's Fare

Posted Friday, January 28, 2011 by Kally83
I miss posting my recipes, so I've decided to bring back Friday's Fare. Now I just have to remember to always take pics of what I cook LOL

This recipe is a personal favourite of both mine and Boo's. So basic, yet super yummy!! It's pretty easy to just throw together but for measurements sake, click here for the recipe.

Bangers and Mash

Make up your mashed potatoes however you like them best (I personally have started adding some herb and garlic cream cheese in...gives it a little extra oomph!). Heat the sausages through, then fry up the onions. Make up some gravy according to package directions (if you make it from scratch it's even tastier but I rarely have opportunity to do this since you need drippings from something). Cover the bottom of a casserole dish with some of the gravy, line up the sausages, pour on the rest of the gravy then top with mashed potatoes. Bake for about 20 minutes and voila! All done! If I recall, the recipe says to let the potatoes brown, but if you do that, everything's going to overcook...just let the sides get a bit crispy and you're likely good to go.

Bon appetit!

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My Babies Are Growing Up

Posted Thursday, January 27, 2011 by Kally83
My boys are still really young, but it's making me so sad to see how big they're getting and how they're changing. Don't get me wrong, it's a happy thing, but it seems like only a moment ago that they were both small (although obviously that moment is a little closer to reality with Bean LOL).
Here's what's happening:


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Mid-December, Munchkin started sleeping in his big boy bed. He looks so teeny tiny!! We've always been a co-sleeping family (more to come on that later), so moving him to his own bed made me so sad. He still comes in to visit us at night but it's just not the same. It's even sadder since Bean has never much enjoyed sleeping in our bed, opting for his bassinette at the end of our bed (which he is quickly outgrowing!!) I miss cuddling with my baby during the night but I'm so impressed to see him growing up. Today, he didn't even ask to be put for a nap. He went upstairs to play in his room and when I went up to check on him he was fast asleep in his bed. *sigh* He doesn't even need me to read to him anymore :(


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Then, there's Bean. He's sitting up on his own now. And as you can tell, is starting to eat solids. He's still a little finicky with them, preferring Mommy's Milk above all, but I had tears in my eyes the first time he picked up some sweet potato and started eating it. At least we waited till Bean was 7 months. Munchkin was only 4 months when he had his first solids (I know, YIKES right?) Where does the time go?

My Altar

Posted Wednesday, January 26, 2011 by Kally83
These particular photos are coming a little late, but I wanted to share my personal altar with you. It's a little unconventional but half the fun of being Pagan is thinking "outside the box". So without further adieu:

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About now, I imagine you've realized that I wasn't kidding when I said "unconventional"! Now, where to start? My altar reflects "function over fashion" (in this case 'fashion' meaning a typical altar with all the trimmings). Firstly, the large, spinning spice rack. I have a teeny, tiny house with a teeny, tiny kitchen which equals very little counter space. To avoid using the floor as an appliance storage area, I had to put SOMETHING in the space my altar occupies so I figured spices/herbs would be acceptable.
Secondly, this particular photo shows a green and red table runner as an "altar cloth". I had it like this during Yule, though the rest of the year, I never use an altar cloth. This is probably a no brainer, but with my small altar space right beside the stove, covering it in cloth seemed like something of a fire hazard.


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A quick walk around my altar. To the left is my incense burner (I use stick incense at present, I'm on a budget LOL) The bell was a gift from my sister-in-law (though I don't think she knows that I use it as part of a Pagan practice) My South quarter candle has to sit on my altar because the floor is a bad place when you have 2 cats, a dog and a toddler walking around. Santa brought me the little mortar and pestle and I had added the decorations to represent the fairies.


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My tarot cards sit on top of the spice rack and my Goddess candle, along with the photo of Brighid sit on the right. Her offering bowl sits in front along with a bowl of blessed salt.


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Finally, my teapot serves as my cauldron.

As a Kitchen Witch, I feel like this altar really serves me well. I light my Goddess candle when I cook and make an offering of whatever results. I usually infuse whatever tea we're going to drink with positive energy and serve it from my teapot.

So that's that, hope you enjoy!

This and That

Posted Tuesday, January 25, 2011 by Kally83
Well, it's been a tad cold up here in the wilds of Canada (ok, hardly the wilds). We had a couple of days where it went down to almost -40C with the windchill (apparently it's the same in Farenheit though I couldn't tell you how that makes any sense) Anyway, it's been darn cold.
Boo is still home on parental leave so we've been keeping busy enjoying our family time, hence the lack of posts lately.

I've acquired a couple new witchy books in the past couple of months. Nothing heavy but I've been enjoying both. The Real Witches' Kitchen by Kate West has all sorts of neat recipes for foods, lotions, potions, oils etc etc etc. I'm finding it a handy idea book.
Natural Magic by Pamela J. Ball is a little deeper. It goes through a lot about magical pratice in quite a bit of detail, including some history and a breakdown of the "basics" of magic. I've had to take some of it with a grain of salt, but overall it's been a good and thorough read!(Apparently the reason this one was cheap at Chapters was because it isn't very popular...I can only find it through a personal seller on Amazon and I wouldn't recommend paying $112 for it!)

I do have a few post ideas that I've started but need to do a little research on and since I've barely touched the computer for the past few weeks, I can't say when I'll be able to finish them, but I'm certainly going to try and get a few more posts up in the near future.

In the meantime, the Pooka Pages have their Imbolc issue up so be sure to check that out!

A Breath of Fresh Air

Posted Thursday, January 13, 2011 by Kally83
So, I attended my second ever public ritual on Tuesday evening. It was with the Women's Spirituality Group but as it turns out, not the same one that I had spoken of many moons ago.

Can I tell you, it was frigging awesome! The rit was relatively basic and I know that a few of the more experienced practitioners were a little disappointed but much like them, I believe that things will get more deep as time goes on. With it being the first ritual for the group and having so many women new to public ritual they wanted to take it easy on us (which I really appreciated!)

It felt so good to circle with other women. I enjoy being a solitary practitioner, and probably always will, but there's something, dare I say, "magical", about working with other women. It looks like we'll be meeting every other month for now, with the hopes of meeting monthly in the near future :)

Taking Back Control

Posted Sunday, January 9, 2011 by Kally83
I’ve dealt with depression for just about as long as I can remember. It was at its worst in high school (like for most teenagers I imagine). I hated myself and depended on emotionally abusive relationships for my self-esteem. I could literally spend days in bed sleeping because life just wasn’t worth getting out there for. Despite the scars on my arms from my poor attempts at dealing with my emotions and the countless times I sat in the ER drinking charcoal to sop up the bottles of ibuprofen I’d downed in the hopes of ending this existence, I was never ACTUALLY diagnosed with anything. Nurses would begrudgingly stop in once in awhile to make sure I was drinking my libation whilst speaking to me in tones that told me in no uncertain terms that I really didn’t deserve to be there since my wounds were self-inflicted. I’d have a quick chat with the hospital counsellor or psychiatrist and after promising to seek help, they’d kick me to the curb. Maybe this is the down side of universal health care. Maybe it was (and is) the taboo that is depression. Maybe it’s all in my head (hardy har har). Regardless of what it is, to this day, I still deal with mental health issues.

A few years after I finished high school was when I “found Jesus”. I’d be lying if I said that it was no help. Finding a spirituality that made me feel like someone special did wonders for my self-esteem and I’ll always be thankful for those years of my life, even if I still allowed people to walk all over me and use my delicate state as a means of controlling me. It’s not God’s fault, it was those cruel enough to use religion as a form of manipulation.

I was still walking that path when I met Boo. By the time I met him, I had become an entirely different person. I was confident. I had managed to get myself a decent job and was renting my own apartment. I had dealt with a few hiccups but overall, I was a much happier, healthier person.

I was diagnosed with post-partum depression after Munchkin was born. My doctor was quick to put me on an anti-depressant and make a follow-up appointment or two to see how things were going. The drugs did nothing but make my stomach horribly ill and inflict me with more mommy guilt for putting drugs into my breast milk. It was around this time that I discovered yoga. The church that I had attended always looked down on yoga because of its spiritual connotations. This made no sense to me so I started practicing yoga daily and my symptoms improved drastically.

Life got busier as Munchkin got older. By this time I had moved away from Christianity and started following my Pagan path. Then I found out I was pregnant with Bean so although I took prenatal yoga classes once a week for a term, I didn’t keep up my daily practice. I did ok throughout my pregnancy but in the few months following his birth, my depression came back with a vengeance but this time it manifested in completely new ways. Actually, looking at it now, they weren’t really new. You see, I’ve always had quite an imagination. Boo forbade me from watching all those cop/investigative type shows because all they did was fuel the fire. He knew that I worried that there was someone hiding in the shadows of the basement but what he didn’t see were the morbid thoughts/scenarios that would go through my head. Truly, if I put any of my real thoughts onto paper, I would put Stephen King to shame. Actually, pick the scariest, most graphic novel/movie you’ve ever read/seen and multiply that by a thousand. Those are the kinds of things that go through my head at some point every day. Add to that a genuine anxiety that those things are REALITY and you have my life.

I found a couple of those surveys online that you can do to get a basic idea of what potential disorders you may suffer from. I know, it’s a bad idea to go looking for those things and start self-diagnosing because we always assume things are worse than they really are but to tell you the truth, in reading the answers I got, there was “nothing new under the sun”. I’m not silly enough to presume that I actually HAVE 6 of the 10 personality disorders that it “tests” for but it certainly reminded me that what I think and feel every day is not necessarily normal.

This being a new year, I’ve decided to attempt getting help again. My GP is a bit of a pill pusher so I’m hoping that I can by-pass the meds and have her refer me to a psychologist who can decide whether meds are what I need or if I need to change my lifestyle (or both if necessary). I have everything anyone could hope for...a loving husband, two beautiful sons. But it’s so hard to enjoy them when my brain is fried from constantly “seeing” them in accidents, or kidnapped or “insert horrible event here”. I think it’s about time to try and take back control of my own mind. Wish me luck!

New Year's Resolutions

Posted Saturday, January 1, 2011 by Kally83
PhotobucketBoo and I have decided to make 2011 our “healthy” year. We both really want to lose a bit of weight, but also to just BE healthier, for ourselves and for our boys. We want to be good role models of healthy living to them.

I’ve also made two of my own resolutions that are, to a degree, linked. I want to become a better homemaker, not just in keeping my house tidy and dinner made but in making our home into a peaceful, happy place. My second resolution is to put more effort into my Craft and I have a feeling that as a kitchen witch, the effort put into one of those resolutions will positively affect the other one, so it’s hard to lose!

I’ve also resolved to throw away perfectionism. I’ve struggled with this particular issue for as long as I can remember but I’ve decided it’s time to put it to rest. I know it won’t be easy, but Boo is going to help keep me accountable.

2010 was a wonderful year but I’m really looking forward to what 2011 has in store for us!

Do you make resolutions for the mundane New Year? What are they?

Brightest Blessings in this new year to all of you and your loved ones!