Kally's Cauldron

I’ve decided to learn how to sew. I’ve wanted to for quite some time but I figured I would probably have to wait until we had some spare money for a proper sewing machine so I sort of put it on the back burner. Then, when I was visiting my mom, she told me I was welcome to the sewing machine in her basement that belonged to my grandmother. It’s in fantastic condition and works great (I just need to buy some new needles) so hopefully in the next few months, I’ll be posting about my little practice projects! I’d also like to learn other types of needlework (knitting, crocheting, quilting etc) but I’ll start with this (as if I didn’t already have enough to do!!)

Now for today’s site:

In looking for websites specifically for Halloween, I came across this little place. It’s got most of the basics, but it has them all in one place which is always handy. Their History & Origin isn’t great but at least they don’t claim that it has anything to do with the Celtic God of Death, Samhain.
Really, Halloween Web is great for party ideas (which is where you’ll find a good deal of the content) and fun recipes. It looks like a good starting point if you’re not sure where to start. It’s definitely not a specifically Samhain site but it may help you think outside the box for house and altar decor as well as fun snacks to prepare for the big night!

I sat down to write this post at 9am and am only now (at 6pm) finally getting to actually writing it! Those boys of mine sure keep me hopping! It's another rainy day here but I guess that comes with the territory of autumn. I love the fall and I love the rain but it's getting a little excessive for my liking :) Moving along....


Let’s face it, one of the most complicated things you need to prepare for Samhain/Halloween is a costume! Costume Idea Zone has LOADS of ideas for homemade costumes for any age! I found a few cute ideas for my Munchkin that I hope I’ll be able to use this year!

Turn a box into any number of things...an aquarium, a box of popcorn....even a skill crane! Need an idea for you and your partner? How about a maid and butler? Or maybe A Roll in the Hay with the two of you in country clothes with straw coming out from random places (this one made me laugh!) The ideas are endless and even if you don’t find one that works for you specifically, it’s guaranteed you’ll get some great inspiration!

I can't believe September is almost over!! October 1st is on Friday and I'm so excited for The Domestic Witch's 2010 Halloween Blog Party! I was originally only going to participate on Saturday's but I liked the idea so much, I decided to try and make all of my posts (minus Tuesday's of course) somehow related to Samhain.
That being said, today's post is a little shorter because I've been so busy trying to get stuff together for October that I neglected today (yep, totally slipped my mind that we had one more Wednesday in September).


Pick Your Own is a great website to find pick-your-own farms in your state (and even your province!!). Considering it’s predominantly an American website, I was really impressed at the amount of farms that were listed for my city in Ontario!! In fact, that’s how we found the orchard we attended. It also has loads of great articles about canning and freezing your produce. It’s not just limited to apples either...you can find just about any berry, vegetable, honey and of course, a Christmas tree. Plus, if you’re looking for organic, they have those listings as well (I finally figured out where to get an organic turkey nearby!) The season is coming to an end but this may help out come Yule when you’re looking for a tree!

Merry Mabon to one and all! Today we celebrate the autumn equinox, a time of balance and gratitude. We're going to have our celebration on Sunday because with Bean and I both sick, plus all of the things I need to do to get ready for Munchkin's birthday party on Saturday, a feast just wasn't happening tonight. I will try to put together an appropriate meal though. Wishing you the merriest of Mabon's, whenever and however you choose to celebrate!

Now for today's website!
Organized Home is a site I came across looking for freezer recipes (sometimes known as once a month cooking – OAMC). It has tons of other useful articles and loads of free, printable sheets that range in use from every day phone numbers to shopping comparison charts. I use their charts for my freezer inventory and Christmas card checklist mainly but there are a few recipe ones I’d like to start using.
It’s this website that also gave me the incredible idea of a household notebook. I keep all of our important information (bill payments with account numbers, passwords for Internet sites etc) in it. I used to keep a lot of my recipe information in it as well (family favourites etc) but I’ve moved that to its own section in my Book of Shadows.
In looking at the site recently, they’ve actually made their Christmas/Holiday stuff into its own section on the website. I’ll have a lookie around and get back closer to Yule.
If you’re looking to get yourself a little more organized, definitely check out this website. Lots of great ideas and instructions to execute them!

Well, I've made it to mid-week. I've gotten no housework done although I did get a few other things done that I've been putting off (namely sending out invites for Munchkin's birthday and FINALLY ordering birth announcements for Bean!) Both boys have been really needy this week which has been challenging but I'm a mommy over a housekeeper so the chores will wait.
On that note, today's website is more on the domestic side than witchy. Happy hump day!

I came across Motivated Moms a couple of years ago when I first became a homemaker. Essentially, it’s a yearly chore list broken down into manageable daily chunks. I really love the set-up and it covers almost every household chore you can think of (and some that you may not!) It costs $8 to download the PDF but to me, it’s well worth the investment.
I use the “two weeks per page” version which includes a section for the regular daily chores (making beds, loading the dishwasher etc) and then a checklist for each day of that week with the cleaning/organizing to do that specific day (ie cleaning toilet, changing towels etc). You can also order it with daily Bible reading if you're into that kind of thing (hey, even now I enjoy reading it from time to time).
So if you’re looking for a way to get just a little more organized and don’t mind investing $8 a year, (I always like supporting mompreneurs!) definitely check out this website!

Brighid is probably one of the most well known Celtic deities. She is a classic triple goddess, representing maiden, mother and crone. Throughout history, there have been priestesses maintaining Her flame. Like many pagan deities, She was transformed into a Saint when the Church began converting the early Celts. Today, Her flame is maintained by an order of nuns at Her sanctuary in Kildare, Ireland.

I stumbled upon this website in one of my many random searches. The Ord Brighideach International was created as a way of encouraging followers of Brighid (in both Her forms as Goddess and Saint) to tend Her flame and spend time in prayer or meditation to Her. The site consists of a number of cills where you register to take a 24 hour shift. There are 20 shifts total, however only 19 need to be taken by users as it is said that on the 20th day, Brighid herself tends the flame.

I signed up for two shifts with two different cills (one all female and one co-ed). So far, I’ve done two shifts and am finding it a really positive experience for my spiritual path. Much like my full moon Esbats, it forces me to spend time getting to know my patron Goddess and contemplating my spiritual path which is something I don’t always find a lot of time for. The site has forums although currently, they aren’t very busy.

If you are a follower of Brighid, I highly recommend joining the Ord.