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A Mother’s Day Plea: Loss of a Young Mother

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You may have seen some of the posts around the internet this week. A loved member of the crafting and DIY community suffered a terrible family loss that has touched our hearts, especially so close to Mother’s Day. In an effort to help spread the word, I am posting the story here as well as on my own craft blog. My heart goes out to this family and I hope they are able to find peace in this tragedy.

The loss of a loved one is a strange surreal reality. Life is completely normal except for one large, gaping hole. Each day the pain seems to become more real and defined as the actuality of what has happened sinks in.

Heidi of Honeybear Lane, lost her sister-in-law, Alice Hansen, this week to complications following the birth of her third baby. She fought a hard fight to stay on this earth with her husband and three little children who love her dearly. But God wanted her with Him and there is none who can stop Him. Her husband, Heidi’s brother, was left behind to take care of their two little boys and newborn daughter.

Heidi’s family opened a donation account for Alice and her family. This money will go towards funeral costs, residual medical expenses, and the costs of raising children without a mother or a job. Her brother is going through a very difficult thing and while nothing can replace the ache of losing his sweetheart, any sort of donation will help to ease the burdens a little.

If you would like to donate money directly, please visit Heidi’s blog Honeybear Lane. You can donate easily by clicking the “Donate” button on the right sidebar. You can donate through Paypal, credit card, or e-check (a check directly from your bank account.) Any and all donations are appreciated.

Please also spread the word by sharing any posts you see about it. You may use any of these beautiful printables that the talented Lara made for Alice. These printables represent the music that Alice made in her life–being a PhD in music. In addition to being a wonderful wife and mother, she was a very gifted pianist who traveled the world before getting married and having children. She shared that passion with her husband, also a pianist. Music brought them together.

 

Music was her passion. But her family was her life. She figuratively and literally gave her life for her children. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Message from Heidi: From the bottom of our grief-stricken hearts: Thank you.

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Comments

  1. Please share my condolences to the family and while this is no comfort to the pain of losing a loved one, it sounds like while Alice’s time here was short it was dear and special to all those around her. May your sorrow be soothed by sweet memories.
    corrine aka jafabrit

  2. Thank you for sharing this story. I re-posted on my blog as is since it was so well written. My heart and prayers goes out to this family!!

  4. I am so feeling their pain right now because it is my own. We lost my 26 year old daughter in law just three weeks ago. Her son and only child, my 10 year old grandson, got up one morning to get ready for school and found his mother blue and cold in her bed, while my son was at work. It has been devastating.
    My heart goes out to this young family…there are no words. I will keep them in my prayers…

  5. My heart goes out to the family. I feel myself to be so lucky not to have had this happen to me or one of my children. But even in this day and age, things happen that are beyond our control. With tears in my eyes, I ask God to bless this family in ways we will never know.

Have you read?

How To Hide Ugly Outdoor Hose Pipes

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Okay, let’s be real—nothing ruins a zen garden vibe faster than a neon-green hose sprawled across your patio like a drunk caterpillar. I learned this the hard way when my mother-in-law visited and politely asked, “Is your hose… part of the decor?” Cue my frantic Googling of “how to hide garden hose without looking like a weirdo.”

After testing a ridiculous number of solutions (including a failed attempt to disguise one as a “rustic clothesline”), here are the best tricks that actually work—no landscaping degree required.

1. The “Lazy Gardener’s Best Friend”: Hose Pots

Perfect if: You want something cute that takes 2 minutes to set up.

I grabbed this simple hose pot from Amazon last summer, and it’s been a game-changer. It looks like a giant planter but secretly swallows 100 feet of hose. Pro tip: Skip the cheap plastic ones—they crack faster than my resolve to “water the plants daily.”

 

2. The Ninja Move: Fake Rock Cover

Perfect if: You want your hose to pull a Mission: Impossible disappearing act.

I was skeptical, but this hollow fake rock from Amazon actually works. Just plop it over your coiled hose, and boom—instant “rock garden.” Warning: It’s lightweight, so toss a brick inside if you live somewhere windy (learned that after mine rolled into the neighbor’s yard).

3. The “Why Didn’t I Do This Sooner?” Wall Reel

Perfect if: You’re tired of tripping over hose loops.

I splurged on a  wall-mounted reel, and now my hose lives neatly coiled off the ground like a civilized garden tool. Key hack: Mount it at elbow height—unless you enjoy awkwardly squatting to reel it in.

4. Mother Nature’s Camouflage: Let Plants Do the Work

Perfect if: You’re cheap and patient (my spirit animal).

I trained creeping thyme to sprawl over my hose along the garden edge. Other great options:

  • Ornamental grasses (they’re basically nature’s curtain)
  • Hydrangeas (big, bushy, and great at hiding sins)

Avoid roses—hoses + thorns = a bad time.

5. The Sneaky Twofer: DIY Hose Bench

Perfect if: You need seating and storage.

I repurposed an old wooden storage bench by drilling a hole near the spigot. Now my hose lives inside, and I have a place to sit while pretending to weed.

What Not to Do (Trust Me)

 Burying a regular hose (it’ll kink and die a slow death).

 Using PVC pipes (they crack faster than my patience with squirrels).
 Letting it bake in the sun (UV rays turn hoses into brittle spaghetti).

So… Which One’s Right for You?

SolutionCostEffortBest For
Hose Pot$2/10Renters, small spaces
Fake Rock$$4/10Ninja-level hiding
Wall Reel$$6/10Frequent hose-users
Plant Cover$8/10Eco-warriors
DIY Bench$$5/10Overachievers

Your Turn!
Which hack are you trying? (Or do you have a better one? Spill your secrets—my hose is still judging me.)

Need more inspo? Check out:

P.S. If you spot my runaway fake rock in Ohio, let me know. 🌱