Orange Raspberry Lemonade ~ Real Projects. No Pulp.

Mar 032026

Car Busy Book Page

By Lauren
Posted on March 3, 2026March 1, 2026

When I start making a busy book, or even just a page for a busy book, I start with a list of ideas. I write down what I know the kid I’m making it for…Continue Reading

Feb 242026

Copycat Ozery Morning Rounds with Greek Yogurt

By Lauren
Posted on February 24, 2026February 24, 2026

I have been trying to make some changes to my food habits lately for the sake of my health. My blood sugar has been steadily increasing for years, and I recently tested in the “pre-diabetes”…Continue Reading

Feb 072026

Bonsai Sprouts

By Lauren
Posted on February 7, 2026February 7, 2026

A closeup of a wooden box containing burlap planters. We can only fully see 2 of the planters. The one on the left has 3 sprouts and a sign that says "plant name: Pigeon Pea". The one on the right has one sprout that is much taller than the others. Its sign says "plant name: Locust". Both signs say "sowed on: 01/25/26". There is a small booklet behind the box that says "growing guide"

It’s been 10 days since I started the process of planting bonsai seeds, and I have a few sprouts. So far I have one locust and three pigeon peas. The locust actually started sprouting in…Continue Reading

Feb 022026

Introduction to Busy Books

By Lauren
Posted on February 2, 2026February 1, 2026

Felt busy book pages. They are bound together on one side, and are in rainbow colours left to right. Some details can be seen, like holes cut out on the yellow page and grass shapes on the green page.

When my best friend told me she was pregnant, I immediately started making a list of things I could knit and sew for my first godchild. The list quickly got out of control, and had…Continue Reading

Jan 262026

Now we wait

By Lauren
Posted on January 26, 2026January 26, 2026

A long wooden box containing 5 small burlap planters. They are full of soil, and there is a plant tag in each with the plant names hand written on them. Left to right: Jacaranda, Crape Myrtle, Pigeon Pea, Locust, Delonix Regia. They each say "sowed on 01/25/26".

This morning I planted the seeds I had been soaking. Now we just have to wait for them to sprout! I forgot to take a photo of the soil before I rehydrated it. The bonsai…Continue Reading

Jan 252026

Seeds are soaking!

By Lauren
Posted on January 25, 2026January 26, 2026

A bonsai growing kit. The image shows a wooden box, an instruction manual and some seed packets on a wooden table, in the box there is some burlap, plant tags and dehydrated soil pucks

This is going to be a very long project, but I plan on posting updates. I got this bonsai kit for Christmas, and I’ve been looking forward to getting the seeds started. I don’t have…Continue Reading

Jan 232026

Repurposing

By Lauren
Posted on January 23, 2026January 23, 2026

I’m going to be repurposing this blog. I’ll leave the homeschooling and COVID stuff up because it’s a nice little record of that time (though not as complete as I’d like, I never post consistently),…Continue Reading

Jan 062022

Grade 7

By Lauren
Posted on January 6, 2022January 6, 2022

Obviously I’ve been great at blogging this school year… I just realized I never actually gave an update when I was done planning the year. But if you click on “resources grade 7” at the…Continue Reading

Jul 312021

Looking forward to next year…

By Lauren
Posted on July 31, 2021July 31, 2021

I was too busy, or maybe too overwhelmed, the last few months to keep updating here. I have a tendency to make projects for myself. If I don’t have enough to do I get restless,…Continue Reading

Feb 212021

Flying Lessons & Other Stories

By Lauren
Posted on February 21, 2021February 21, 2021

Mental Health I’ve missed posting here for a few weeks. I’ve been struggling with some mental health stuff. It’s just that time of year for me really. But dragging myself through work has been all…Continue Reading

Hi, I'm Lauren, a real human showing up unedited in a world that only wants to show perfection. This blog is no-nonsense and filter-free, and I hope that's a welcome change from the Pinterest-perfect world we're used to seeing.

I'm a chronically ill mom juggling work and family life, trying not to let the busy drown out the bright. I've learned that even when you're tired, busy or overwhelmed, there's space for creativity and joy. In fact, that's probably when you need it most.