SNAP THAT

(Continued from part 1 which you can read here ). I tried different ways to raise funds for the Jiko Stoves Project in Kenya. First, I tried selling photos taken in Kenya. I opened an Etsy shop. I only sold one photo but I will try again later as I feel this can still be successful. I also tried to sell home made crosses on commission. You can read here about that effort. The crosses were wonderful and I did sell some. However since they aren't mine I returned the remainder to the craftsman. I used the funds raised to pay for school needs instead of jiko stoves. From time to time I thought of other alternatives for how to bring about energy efficiencies and I did find a fireless cooker. Read about it here.  I think fireless cookers are a good thing and they are much less expensive than putting in a full stove and jiko pot.  I considered going this route instead of putting into a full stove and buying jiko but 28 households in the village were waiting to have jiko stoves like th

Hi friends and fellow bloggers, I had to  come out from my blogging break for a short while to share some exciting and wonderful news with you. I've written before about my volunteer efforts in Kenya for the widows and orphans. One of the projects that has been on my mind for quite some time is providing all the village women in Chepkurbet with a jiko stove.  These women are from the Kalenjin tribe in the beautiful Rift Valley.  Read more about the Kalenjin people here . This is a traditional Kalenjin hut. Usually there is a separate one for cooking. These women and their children live in huts without running water or comforts that many women in the west have.  I wanted to help give them just a little more ease in their lives than what they have been accustomed to. It didn't seem right that I would have running water, electricity, washer and dryer and dishwasher and these woman don't have any of these things.  Beyond that I wanted to do something that would improv

Hi friends and fellow bloggers, I am so happy the weather has cooled down considerably because it means we no longer have 400 forest fires burning in my province. Instead we have about 260 fires burning with most of them under control. Sadly, it has been a year of great forest devastation but I pray that out of the ashes will spring forth new and vibrant life. I am not actually back to blogging but I did want to share my weekend baking. It has been so hot that I haven't been able to bake anything or feel much like cooking but I was able to bake some muffins and some one bowl bread today. The muffins I spotted recently on Katy's Food for the Hungry Soul .  Katy always has scrumptious recipes and photos on display. Once in awhile I get to try them if the recipe looks simple enough and I have the ingredients on hand. Recently, these French Breakfast Muffins looked so tasty and Katy described them just right so I had to try them and get them ready for breakfast. Here is

Hey readers and friends, I hope you are all enjoying your summer in North America or the end of your winter in other parts of the world. I do love all the various seasons we are blessed to have here in North America but the coming Fall in September is my favourite time of year. Having said that I have been very busy this summer and have found I am not paying as much attention to the blog as I would like. I think most, if not all of you, can relate *smile. So I am going to be taking a blogging break for awhile. I'm not quite sure how long. It might only be a week but then again it could be until the Fall. I just want to enjoy the rest of the summer and activities with friends as well as my swimming lessons and travel to family. I am not "pulling my blog" or deleting it. I have a lot I want to share but am not able to do so just now . Though I am taking a blogging break I will likely still pop in and read your blog entries. I hope you will all enjoy the rest of this

Hi friends, Some of you will remember my first foray into making liquid laundry detergent. I've used about half or just under half of it so far and it is working very well. It doesn't suds at all but that doesn't affect it's cleansing properties. I've even started hanging out clothes to dry on the patio as a way of saving on electricity costs and doing my part to go green. My mother has been having a lot of skin issues which have baffled the doctors and her skin is extremely sensitive so we thought I should make her some powdered detergent. This is the recipe I used. Powdered Laundry Detergent : - 2 cups Washing Soda (I get mine in the laundry section of a local food supermarket). - 1 cup of Borax (I get this at another food supermarket which is closer to my house than where I buy the Washing Soda). - 1 1/2 bars of Sunlight Bar Soap (If you don't have Sunlight and you are in Canada, you can use the Ivory Bar soap. In other countries, I understand peopl

Join in the Blue Monday fun at Smiling Sally's blog.