Lily of the Valley

Bride's Survival Kit

2014-08-13T17:16:00.001-05:00

My (one and only) baby sister is getting married next month. I decided to make her a Bridal Survival Kit as a pre-wedding gift. I put a bunch of wedding day necessities inside a cosmetic roll up bag. It is great because you can hang the bag from a door, and everything is really accessible. I have added several items since I took this picture. This was a really fun kit to put together, and I hope she loves it!

Contents of the Bridal Survival Kit:

* Makeup removal wipes

* Tylenol

*Gum

*Lotion

*Body Wash

*Toothbrush

*Toothpaste

*Larabar

*Water Bottle

*Floss

*Safety Pins

*Drink Packet

*Shout stain removal wipes

*Deodorant

*Hairbrush with a mirror

*Tissues

*Straw

*Q-tips

*Lint Roller

*Mini-Sewing Kit

My Stairsteps

2014-08-13T15:48:00.000-05:00

My babies are growing like weeds. My kiddos are 11, 9, 7, 4, and almost 2,now. Sigh, I wish I could freeze time.

2014-2015 Homeschool Year

2014-08-04T16:37:00.000-05:00

Our daily rhythm/routine is a helpful guideline, though my toddler likes to make sure to keep it lively. (wink)

A few weeks ago, we started up the new school year. Some years we take a longer summer break, but this year, I wanted to jump start the school year, so we have ample time in case of illness, etc. Also, my sister is getting married in September, and we are going to take a few days off for the wedding festivities.

So many times when I start the new school year with every subject, all at once, I feel completely and utterly overwhelmed. So I decided that what would work best for us is to have a tapered start to our school year. These first few weeks, we have been mainly focusing on doing our science and history lessons, as a family. Today, we added in math, as well. In a couple of weeks, we are going to add in language arts. Tapering the subjects at the start of the school year has helped me immensely to have kept my sanity, which is always a good thing.

On our first day of school, my three oldest were given new binders, which they got to decorate. These binders are important for holding the bulk of their learning materials, and we will be filling them as we proceed.

Our Homeschool Materials for 2014-2015:

I am still making a few final decisions on the last few pieces of curricula. We are all works in progress and there is no perfect curriculum out there. I tend to be the type that researches about curricula forever, and sometimes, you just need to jump in and go with something. Homeschooling is one of those things where progress and not perfection is so important. (Stated by a firstborn perfectionist, who is constantly being taught by God this very thing!)

This year, my students range from sixth grade (I cannot believe she is already in sixth grade!) to preschool.

History and Science:

Easy Peasy has printable syllabi for each level of history and science. It makes the nerd in me so happy. ;)

Here is a sample lapbook we have made in Easy Peasy Zoology. I am amazed at the quality of the materials, especially since it is free. We are having a blast!

We are using Easy Peasy Level 2 for our history and science studies, this year. Easy Peasy is a free, online, Christian curricula. In history, we are learning about Early American history. In science, we are learning about zoology. I love that we have been learning these fascinating topics, as a family.We have been learning these subjects through a blend of online games, books, lapbooks, etc. I am so impressed by this curriculum, and it is such a blessing that it is free.

Language Arts:

*Ample Read Alouds

*Copywork (mainly quotes regarding early American History)

*Explode the Code- Explode the Code is a favorite, in my house, and a couple of my children will be using them, this year.

*Daily Grams- My oldest two are using Daily Grams this year. We have used these in the past, and love it.

*Spelling- I am still deciding about this one, but am planning on getting All About Spelling. I have researched spelling curricula forever, and this is the one curricula that tends to get rave reviews across the board. I have resisted buying this curricula, in the past, because of my concerns of losing the letter tiles. But I think curriculum may truly help my children to become better spellers.

*Writing- After much research, I am planning on purchasing The Writer's Jungle by Brave Writer, this year. Brave Writer is such an interesting program. I listened to the Rescuing Reluctant Writer's Webinar by the author of the Brave Writer program and I was so encouraged. Writing has been a challenge in my homeschool, to say the least. If you are discouraged about teaching writing in your homeschool, please listen to the webinar. I am actually looking forward to writing with my children, this year. The Writer's Jungle consists of a book that is written to the teacher, which you can glean from in teaching your children, throughout their homeschooling years. It is half price through the Homeschool Buyer's co-op at this link. One of the concepts that is practiced is having a weekly freewrite period. Just set the timer for 5 minutes, and everyone writes on whatever subject interests him. No one needs to be fearful that their grammar, spelling, etc. is going to be judged; there are no rules except to write for the solid five minutes. Do this for eight weeks. After eight weeks, choose one freewrite to gently correct or find a copywork passage with one of their misspelled words in it. There is so much more to this program, but I have to say it sounds very promising and encouraging. The handbook teaches how to gently correct errors in your child's writing. I will try to keep you posted how it works for us.

*Phonics- Our favorite materials for phonics instruction is Phonics Pathways and Starfall.

Math - My oldest two are using Teaching Textbooks (our absolute favorite!) and my 7 year old is going to use Modern Curriculum Press Math B.

The Extras:

We are aiming to have a 15-20 minute time, per child, per day, where they can focus on practicing math facts, typing, geography, or foreign language.

Lily is learning Spanish via Duolingo. It is free and fun!
Stevie is learning Latin via Prima Latina.
My youngest three girls are watching (free with Amazon Prime) Little Pim language videos and Signing Times videos (on Netflix).

Another goal of mine is to have an art/crafts tea time, after our daily afternoon rest time.

I made this "Never Bored List" to help encourage my children to find something productive to do, once their studies are complete for the day.

Here are a few helpful Homeschooling Resources:

Restful Learning in a Frenetic World Webinar- This is such an encouraging webinar about homeschooling from a state of rest. Yes! Homeschooling from a State of rest. It is such an important message.

Schole Sisters- A website to edify homeschooling moms.

Read Aloud Revival Podcast - A podcast centered on the importance of reading aloud to your children. It is so inspiring!

I would love to hear about your homeschooling plans, for this year!

If interested, check out my 2014-2015 Homeschooling board on pinterest.

Walgreens Well Beginnings Products Review

2014-08-03T13:04:00.000-05:00

Walgreens has an exclusive line of baby items, including wipes, diapers, and baby wash, which I was sent for review purposes. Their line of baby supplies are called Well Beginnings.

Well Beginnings Diapers:
I received a 31 count, pack of size 4 diapers , which generally cost $8.99. These have worked very well for my toddler. I have found that they work just as well as my favorite name brand diaper. The cost is higher than I would prefer to pay, but it is a quality diaper, with several natural ingredients. I put the diaper through the ultimate test with my 22 month old, which is overnight use. It worked very well, and there were no leaks at all. I love that these diapers contain natural botanicals, Vitamin E, and Aloe.

Well Beginnings Baby Wash:

The Well Beginnings Baby Wash is paraben-free, pthalate-free, and dye-free.Those are wonderful qualities to have. It is $2.99 at your local Walgreens. Unfortunately, they do contain fragrance and EDTA which are items I prefer not to have in my children's body wash. If those types of ingredients were removed, I would be more than happy to use this product.

Well Beginnings Baby Wipes:

Well Beginnings Baby Wipes are fragrance-free and alcohol-free. A pack of 72 wipes is $2.39. These are very durable, and have held up exceptionally during a diaper change. They did not tear or rip in any way. I like that they are made of a three-layer fabric.

Check out Walgreens online:

Walgreens on Facebook

Walgreens on Twitter

Disclosure:
I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetsSM blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinon on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

Summer Update

2014-06-23T14:34:00.002-05:00

Hold the presses....time for an update. Excuse me while I blow the dust off this blog. I have missed blogging and am looking forward to hopefully updating this blog more frequently. Life is just busy with five children! We are taking a short summer break, and then we are going to start with just the basic subjects, to get a head start for the school year. I like having ample time to take off throughout the school year. (In case of illness, travel plans, or just mama needing a sanity day.)

I started taking the Foundations of Herbalism class through Vintage Remedies. I am loving it. I feel like God has given me a passion for natural health and wellness, and I love that I can take a class from home to further my education on this topic. I cannot believe how much I have learned just in the first unit. One of my favorite parts about the Vintage Remedies courses is that they are evidence based. They are natural health classes based on scientific evidence. It isn't just one person's opinion of what will contribute to overall health, it is based upon actual clinical studies. I also love that it is from a Christian perspective, which can be rare in the natural health world. I was concerned that taking this course would be too challenging to do, while taking care of my little ones. I have found that taking this course has actually helped me to manage my time better. I try to study one hour in the afternoon, most days, when the children are resting/having a quiet time. I want my little ones to have a love of learning throughout their lives. I want them to know that learning doesn't stop the moment they graduate high school. I want to model for them how important it is to be lifelong learners. (If you are interested in a sample of their classes, Vintage Remedies is currently offering a free Herbalism 101 course.)

We purchased almost 11 acres, last year. It is so exciting to have a property which we hope to build a house on, after we sell our current house. I love how quiet it is out there. My little ones cannot wait to live there and be able to run and play, freely.

My babies are growing up so quickly. My oldest is now 11 and my youngest is 20 months. Boy, how the years have flown. I wish I could pause time.

I would love to hear how you are doing. I have loved keeping up with those of you I am friends with on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. I do miss the dialogue through blogging. How is your summer going?

6 months (already) !

2013-04-18T13:31:00.002-05:00

They say to hold your babies close...they grow so very fast. It is so very true. These past six months since Abigail has been born have absolutely flown by! She went from being a cuddly little baby (although she was 8 lb 13 oz at birth, which I hardly believe counts as "little").....

to a fun and (mostly) happy 6 month old.

I am so thankful for the sunshine in life, my babies bring me!
I hope that you are having a blessed spring with your families.

My Plan for Rebuilding my Immune System

2013-02-28T14:47:00.000-05:00

I am so excited that my surgeon told me on Tuesday, that I am safe to go off antibiotics, now. I had only taken antibiotics, a couple of times, over the past ten years, prior to my eye/tear duct issue.I only took them in this case,because I felt it was truly necessary. I am so excited that I can work on rebuilding my immune system.I am not doing a full detox, since I am nursing.

Here are a few ways I plan on rebuilding/repairing my immune system:

- Drink lemon water each morning

- Supplement with Probiotics (I take this one.)

- Green Smoothies (full of antioxidants, phytonutrients, omega 3's, and chlorophyll)

-Yogurt (with live cultures. I am totally loving Greek yogurt.)

- Avoid white sugar/flour as much as possible.

-Focus on eating healthy, real foods. (Grass-fed beef, pastured eggs)

- Drinking filtered water throughout the day ( flush the toxins)

- Exercise at least 3-4 times a week (Exercise can help you heal up to eight times faster. It also helps to remove toxins.)

- Take a cod liver oil supplement, daily. (Cod liver oil helps with healing, is high in omega 3's, and helps with mood health)

- Eat salmon once a week. (high in omega 3's)

- Rebound a couple times a week. (Jumping on a trampoline is the best way to circulate a sluggish lymph system. It also helps to flush toxins. I recently got a rebounder, when they were on sale at Aldi for $25. Check out what Gutsy has to say about the health benefits of rebounding.)

- Stretch daily.

- Eat flax and chia seeds, often. (rich in omega 3's, antioxidants)

- Take milk thistle extract, once or twice daily. I was so excited to read in The Handbook of Vintage Remedies, that milk thistle is a perfectly safe supplement for nursing moms. It is actually a galactagogue, which means it can increase milk supply. It can prevent morning sickness and jaundice, when taken by pregnant moms. Milk thistle helps to repair any damage done to the liver, by any medicines we may take. It is so important that we take care of our livers or our overall health can suffer tremendously. Milk thistle can be taken even when we are on medicines, to make sure that our bodies use the medicine effectively, and to prevent our liver from being damaged.Studies have shown benefits even for those undergoing radiation and chemotherapy. I was so happy to find milk thistle extract for under $7, at Vitacost.

What are some ways you build up your immune system?

Note* I am not a medical professional.Always do your own research. Affiliate link is included in this post.

An Overdue Update

2013-02-11T15:55:00.000-05:00

I am sorry that this blog has been quiet for 4 months, ever since sweet Abby was born. The main reason (besides the fact that life is super busy with five children) is that I have been dealing with painful eye infections,since she was born. This was caused by a blockage where my left tear duct flows into my nose. This caused any bacteria that got into my eye to be stuck and to fester, and cause one painful infection after another. The official name of this condition is dacrocystitis. It is actually pretty rare in adults, and is much more common in infants. When my infection flared up again, in the middle of January, I needed to get on antibiotics immediately. My whole entire eyelid swelled up and I could only see out of a small portion of my eye, due to the intense infection. After going to my family practitioner, who didn't know how to help (except for give me antibiotics), I went to an ophthalmologist. I was very sad to learn that surgery to clear up the blockage was the only cure for this complication, or I would continue having flare ups and infections. I cannot even begin to tell you how reassuring it was to actually meet a doctor, who understood my condition.I met with my surgeon in the beginning of February. I had surgery to clear the blockage from my tear duct, this past Friday. I was very apprehensive, to say the least, especially due to the fact that Abby is still young, and isn't used to taking a bottle. Thankfully, I only had to be away from her for five hours, during the surgery.My mother was a trooper, watching all my little ones during my surgery. My surgeon had to probe through my nasolachrimal duct, which he did fairly easily, and had to cut out a bump under my eye that had formed from so much scar tissue caused by the many infections I have had. This whole experience has been overwhelming at times, but I am so thankful for the support and prayers of family and friends.I would greatly appreciate your continued prayers that this surgery has been successful. (We won't know for sure, until a couple of weeks.) If my eye continues to tear excessively, I will need a much more involved surgery, in which my dr. will create a new tear duct drainage area inside my nose. I would greatly appreciate your prayers that this surgery that I already had was successful. I hope that in the near future, that I can post much more regularly, as I have so much to share. Thank you for your prayers and support, friends!

Baby has Arrived!

2012-10-09T10:54:00.000-05:00

                                           We joyfully announce the arrival of

                                   Abigail Faith

                                   born on October 6, 2012

                                   4:03 am

                                  8 lbs. 13 oz.

   20 inches

    Thank you so much for your prayers! She and I are both doing great.I am so thankful that God sent us another precious gift!

Still Pregnant: Baby #5- 40 weeks and 4 days

2012-10-04T15:56:00.001-05:00

I .am.still. pregnant. Not that I should be surprised with my history. I thought I was in labor, last Friday, because I was throwing up and had strong, regular contractions for three hours. I was glad that hubby had stayed at work, since it didn't amount to anything. I am not very trustworthy of contractions and I try to test them to make sure they are the real deal, since I have been contracting, frequently, for weeks! Today, I had a prenatal appointment, and am now 3-4 cm, 50% effaced, and baby's head is pretty low. I am excited and nervous. It was encouraging to me that I have dilated more than last week. I would greatly appreciate your prayers that all would go well for baby and I. I cannot wait to hold this little sweetie in my arms. Thank you, dear friends!

39 Weeks and Counting

2012-09-27T10:51:00.000-05:00

I totally stalk my friends' blogs when they are nearly due. It just isn't fair if they don't update. ;) I know, I have been a very bad blogger. Life has been crazy busy, but that is no excuse. Thank you so much, everyone for your comments, prayers, messages, and for checking in on me.It means so much!

Today, I am 39 weeks day 4! I have been having painful Braxton Hicks contractions for quite a few weeks,but there still isn't anything regular enough to be considered labor. At my prenatal appointment on Monday, I was only 1 1/2 cm dilated. It was kind of a bummer, since I have been having so many contractions. I am trying to look on the bright side, and just keep taking a lot of walks and drinking red raspberry leaf tea. (It can only go up from here, right?) With my last pregnancy, I contracted strongly for the last 7 weeks of pregnancy, and it only took baby about 2 1/2 hours, once it was the "real deal". My belly is measuring 37 weeks, because baby is descending.Baby is an active gymnast,and in the course of an hour, moved from anterior, to transverse,to the posterior position. I am hoping I won't have to birth a posterior baby! I am trying to mentally prepare myself for the possibility that baby may bake for a while longer, as has been my normal history.

Here is my history of how long my babies have stayed in utero: (none of these were inductions)

Baby #1: 6 days past EDD (Estimated Due Date)

Baby #2: 2 days past EDD

Baby #3: 1 day before EDD (I was totally surprised with that one!)

Baby #4: 2 weeks past EDD (sigh....I thought I would be pregnant with that child forever! Labor was strong and fast, so it made the wait worth it!)

I hardly fit into my maternity clothes. You have no idea how much I had to tug on my shirt to get it to stay down for the picture. I have often wondered what you move on to, when you outgrow maternity clothes.

I am very clumsy as of late. Two weeks ago, I went running down our front hill to open hubby's car door for him, as he had full hands. I didn't realize it would be so dewy, and I slid down very hard on my tailbone. Poor hubby had to put down all his stuff to pick up his wife off the ground. :) I guess the neighbors got a good laugh on their way to work. I am glad that fall didn't cause any complications,and that I had time to heal from that back pain before labor started. A couple of days ago, I was heating up water for hubby's tea, and accidentally spilled the boiling water all over my hand. I am hoping this clumsiness is a temporary thing.

Even though I am very ready to give birth, I feel like this has been my shortest pregnancy ever. This has been my first pregnancy with only a smidge of nausea, (normally I throw up 4-5 times, daily, for the first 15 weeks) so that may be why this pregnancy seems shorter than my previous ones, to me.

I cannot, for the life of me, figure out what gender this baby is! Hubby has had a strong feeling that this baby is a boy. So far, he hasn't been wrong in gender assumptions. I, on the other hand, have only been right in guessing baby #4's gender. I had been feeling strongly that this is a boy, but now I am just in too much suspense to try to guess. I told hubby that I am so glad that we didn't find out. I totally could have gone for it, if he hadn't been so against it. (Since we were having 2 medically necessary ultrasounds, anyways. I wouldn't have had an ultrasound just to ascertain gender.) But now that I am so close, I am so very happy that I didn't find out.For me, it would definitely be like opening my Christmas gift early. (Yeah....I totally did that as a child....no self-control. It was fun at the moment, but then I was bummed because the surprise was over.) I know everyone has different opinions on this, and what works for us might not work for someone else. I think it is fun to have some kind of surprises to announce when baby is born, like gender or name.

Though this has been my easiest pregnancy, even at the ripe, old age of 31 (wink), this pregnancy has greatly aided in building my Faith in Him. After my fertility returned after Baby #4, I prayed that the Lord would preserve me from morning sickness, if He desired to bless us again with another sweetie. I was concerned that I would not be able to take care of my other four children, very well, if I was having a horrible bout with morning sickness. I was so thrilled and ecstatic when I had a positive pregnancy test, a short while later. Then, I hit six weeks, and I felt fine, and I became so scared. A friend of mine had just miscarried, and it was the first time she hadn't had morning sickness in the early weeks of pregnancy. I prayed so hard that God would send me morning sickness, as a sign that baby was healthy. Every day that I felt fine, I was so scared that I was losing my little blessing. I should have prayed more and worried less. It was a very scary time for me. I felt a small hint of nausea, at about 8 weeks, but it was really mild. I think that whole experience just confirmed what a blessing this little one is to me, and helped me to appreciate life that much more. At about 25 weeks, I went in for a routine ultrasound to make sure that baby was healthy. Baby looked healthy, but my placenta was low-lying, which is indicative that I would need a c-section if it didn't move up. I ate a ton of protein to help my belly to grow, and thanks to the prayers of many, at my 31 week ultrasound, my placenta was no longer low-lying and I was cleared for a regular birth. Those six weeks were very stressful to me.Though of course, I wouldn't have wanted a c-section, I realized how blessed we are to live in a time, when a low-lying placenta isn't a life or death matter for mama or baby. I am grateful for skilled surgeons who do these necessary procedures to protect life. Now I sit and await His perfect time to bring forth this little one. I am grateful that even if my faith is weak, God shows me to never cease trusting in Him. He is always faithful.

Just for fun, leave a guess in the comments box as to when you think Baby J. #5 will be born and what the gender will be. Thank you again, so much friends for your continued prayers and encouraging comments. Blessings!

Pregnancy Update: Almost 36 Weeks and Preparing for Baby

2012-08-31T14:53:00.001-05:00

On Sunday, I will be 36 weeks. This pregnancy has completely flown by for me! I am so excited to meet this little sweetie in about a month. I found out at my last ultrasound (at 31 weeks) that baby is head down, in the anterior position,which is the ideal birthing position. He/she stayed in that position for a couple of weeks. Yesterday, at my prenatal appointment, I found out that baby is posterior, (head down, sunny side up) which can be an uncomfortable position to birth in. I have been researching that the best way to encourage baby to get in the anterior position, is to walk on all fours. (which isn't exactly the easiest task for a mama who is about due!) If you could please pray that baby will move to the anterior position, before labor starts, that would be a huge blessing.

My iron levels had been a bit low, but I had them re-checked, yesterday. They are much better. I try to get my iron levels up by drinking/eating greens and red meat, but that didn't seem to do the trick. The only thing that really gets my levels up is taking an herbal iron supplement. Brands like Floradix, Herbal Iron, and Natrol Liquid Iron work really well. Many women tend to have low iron stores in their third trimester, since baby is storing up a lot of iron for after the birth, and the woman's blood volume has increased up to 50% more than before pregnancy. I think I will stay on Herbal Iron even after pregnancy, as it gives me more energy. Before using it, I would take an afternoon nap and still feel exhausted.

My Pregnancy Supplements:

Now Double Strength Cod Liver Oil (not the cream of the crop, like the Green Pasture variety, but this is one recommended on the Weston Price Foundation's cod liver oil recommendation page and fits our budget better), Alfalfa tincture (for helping to build up Vitamin K stores for helping baby's blood in clotting after birth), Rainbow Light Prenatal (which I have stayed on for about five years), Liquid Iron,and a probiotic.

I have been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions for the past couple of weeks. They are most intense at night. I can certainly see why the more children one has, the more challenging it is to tell when you are in "real labor". I try to put my feet up when the contractions get too intense, so my body will relax some. I have had a few strong contractions that awaken me at night, which is the same thing that happened with my fourth pregnancy. With baby #4, I had very frequent Braxton Hicks contractions from 35 weeks until 42 weeks.

My sweet daughter, Lily, has been such a blessing in helping me.We recently got a 5 cubic foot chest freezer, and we have been working hard to stock it for after the baby comes. I cannot wait to have a couple weeks of snuggle time with this little sweetie, once he/she arrives. So far, Lily and I have made at least 14 meals including:

Dinners:
Chicken Enchiladas

2 Baked Ziti

2 Chicken Broccoli Casseroles

Pizza Pockets

2 Lasagnas

2 Shepherd's Pies

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers

2 Potatoes Romanoff (to go with eggs/quiche and grits for breakfast nights, )

Chicken Meatballs

Spinach Lasagna Rolls (This is a delicious, meatless meal!)

4 Honey Pizza Dough

8 meal servings of cooked beef

4 bags cooked shredded chicken

Snacks:
2 (12 count) Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Peanut Butter Jelly Time Bars

Here are most of our freezer meals we have prepared, so far.

Pinterest has been a great way for me to glean and to organize recipes, for stocking the freezer. Having a chest freezer has been a Godsend. Now, I don't have to run to the store as often, and I can freeze several pounds of shredded cheese, a gallon or two of milk (always drinking about a cup from each gallon, so that the containers have plenty of room to expand), and other essentials. I love shopping for two weeks, rather than having to go once a week.I find that it saves me money and time to shop bi-monthly.

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer! I am so excited about hopefully holding my baby in the next few weeks!

Cascadian Farm Organic Review and Giveaway

2012-08-08T16:24:00.000-05:00

Whole grain consumption is of vital importance for a healthy diet. Few store bought foods contain adequate amounts of fiber. Cascadian Farm has created a new cereal, chocked full of ancient grains, including quinoa, spelt and KAMUT khorasan® wheat . One serving contains 35 grams of whole grains and five grams of fiber.

I am pretty picky about granola. I don't like it to be too sweet, nor bland.I found the new Ancient Grains Granola to be just the right sweetness. My favorite way to eat this cereal is in a bowl of milk, while my children preferred putting some on top of plain yogurt, drizzled with raw honey.

Cascadian Farm is graciously giving away two boxes of their ancient grains cereal to one blog reader of Lily of the Valley.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Go Raw Review

2012-08-08T15:38:00.001-05:00

One way that we try to stay healthy, is to incorporate a variety of raw foods into my family's diet. I was so excited when I found out that there is a company,Go Raw, which sells only raw, organic foods. Grabbing a healthy snack on the go, can be challenging. Go Raw offers a large assortment of healthy foods ranging from bars, to cookies, to sprouts, which meet that need. All of their products are dehydrated to no more than 105 degrees, ensuring that the healthy enzymes and nutrients are not damaged by heat.

I was so impressed when the folks at Go Raw sent me a selection of their chocolates to enjoy. Their chocolates come in three flavors: orange, mint, and original. These chocolates are made from two or three simple ingredients and are delicious. It is always a blessing having a little chocolate stashed around the house, and the fact that it was healthy made it that much better!

My family and I loved all the varieties of bars, which Go Raw carries. My favorites were the Real Live Apricot Bar and the 100% Organic Spirulina Energy Bars. These are so portable and are great for sticking a few in your purse or diaper bag, for a healthy snack for the whole family.

My absolute favorite Go Raw snack were the 100% Organic Spirulina Super Chips. They were chewy and very tasty.They contain five nutritious ingredients: sprouted organic sesame seeds, organic banana, organic coconut, organic date, and organic spirulina. I loved the afternoon energy boost I felt, after eating some.

I am so happy to have found a line of healthy foods that I can stand behind, 100%. Go Raw products are convenient, healthy, and delicious.

Disclosure: I received free products from Go Raw in exchange for an honest review.

Coconut Secret Review

2012-08-05T20:08:00.000-05:00

I was so thrilled to learn that there is a healthy alternative to soy sauce, Raw Coconut Aminos. It contains 17 naturally occurring amino acids, and is enzymatically alive.

I often make my hubby a pasta salad with the dressing recipe from the Pioneer Woman's recipe for Asian Noodle Salad. We were so impressed by how much the coconut aminos taste like soy sauce, yet they contain many health benefits. If you are looking for a good soy sauce alternative, I highly recommend Raw Coconut Aminos.

Disclosure: I received a sample of Coconut Aminos in exchange for an honest review.

July Happenings

2012-07-15T17:11:00.001-05:00

My Annie Rose turned 5 years old on July 10th! We celebrated by eating dinner at Fazolis (one of our favorite Italian restaurants) and enjoying a strawberry frozen dessert at home.

On July 13th, we dressed up like cows so we could get free meals at Chick Fil A. Yeah...we pretty much are willing to stoop to any level to get free food.

In other news, after a long time of waiting, we finally painted our very white dining room a sunshiney yellow, yesterday evening. It is called butter, and I shouldn't have waited so long. It makes the room feel cottagey and lovely.

Dining Room Before:

(Sorry, I always remember to take a before picture when I am already in the midst of transforming the room. Don't mind my bookshelf, which had already been moved to the middle of the room.)

After:

I just love how cheery it is! The morning light just pours in this room. I am not much of a decorator, but I do believe a can of paint can make a big difference.

Pregnancy Update:

I am 29 weeks pregnant, today! We are so very excited to meet this little sweetie, in a couple months. He/she is quite the gymnast already. I only have 11 weeks left! That sounded like a long time to me, until I realized that is only 77 days. (7 days x 11) I have filled my above the refrigerator freezer as much as I can, but unfortunately that is only holding about 7 meals. (plus frozen fruit, etc.) I would love to get a small chest freezer to stock with meals for after baby comes. This pregnancy is flying by!

I hope you are all having a very blessed summer!

So Delicious Review and Giveaway

2012-07-05T18:02:00.001-05:00

So Delicious sent me three free product coupons to sample a few of their goodies. So Delicious makes a variety of dairy free items, ranging from almond milk, to coconut ice cream, to cultured coconut milk. I was so excited to be able to sample and to review some of their products, especially since one of my children has shown off and on allergies towards cows milk.

Items I tried:

So Delicious Vanilla Almond Plus Milk
We have tried several different flavors of almond milk, and this one is definitely one of the tastiest. Since I have been trying to eat/drink a lot of protein for a healthy pregnancy, it is great that So Delicious Almond Plus Milk contains five times the protein of a normal glass of almond milk.My hubby loves mixing his Amazing Grass Berry Green Superfood Powder in with this scrumptious almond milk each morning. One great reason to buy So Delicious Almond Milk is that their products are verified on the non-GMO list.

So Delicious Coconut Milk Chocolate and Mint Chip Ice Creams
I have to admit that I balked a bit when I first saw the $4.50 ice cream for a small pint of So Delicious Ice Cream at my local grocery store. (My two usual criteria for buying ice cream is that 1. it is on sale and 2. that it contains no high fructose corn syrup.) All it took was one bite of this decadent ice cream to realize that this dairy-free confection was of a whole different caliber than the ice cream I am used to eating.This is a hide it in the freezer, mommy treat! Both the chocolate and mint chip varieties were so delicious and delightful! They contain only the best ingredients including organic coconut cream, coconut oil, etc.One thing I noticed, while eating the dairy-free ice creams, was that I didn't get that awful feeling of having consumed too much sugar, as I sometimes do, when eating regular dairy ice cream. It was very refreshing tasting. I kept a pint for me and a pint for hubby in the freezer, readily available for a quick indulgence. So-Delicious Dairy Free Coconut Ice Creams are amazing! They have 21 amazing flavors from which to choose.

So Delicious is graciously giving away three free product coupons to one of my blog readers! This contest will end on July 13, 2012, at 12 am EST, and is open to US residents only.

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Disclosure: I was supplied free coupons for review and giveaway purposes in exchange for an honest review.

27 Weeks Pregnancy Update

2012-07-05T16:41:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe that I have made it to 27 weeks, my final trimester, with baby #5! Pregnancy sure goes by quickly when there isn't much morning sickness. Two weeks ago, we got a precious peek at baby via ultrasound, and he/she looks very healthy. I am so grateful for that! Baby's gender is still a surprise to us, as we asked the ultrasound tech to please try to keep us from seeing it. She did a great job. As hubby says, waiting to find out baby's gender is one of the few surprises in life. Baby weighed nearly 2 lbs at the ultrasound and is measuring to my exact due date, Sept 30. (Though my history for giving birth is usually about a week past the due date.) I know that these last couple of weeks are going to fly by. I want to enjoy every little baby kick and wiggle, as those precious times go by so quickly. I would really appreciate it if you could please pray for a continued healthy pregnancy and labor and delivery of Baby J! Thank you so much! Blessings!

Delight Yourself in the Lord (and a Dayspring Giveaway)

2012-06-19T13:17:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite verses, throughout my life, has been Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thy heart." God has blessed me so much more abundantly than I could ever deserve or imagine. I never dreamed that I would be married to such a wonderful man, and be the mother of five precious blessings! The more we delight in Him, imperfect though we are, the more we realize the abundant blessings all around us. I have found that the more I wait upon Him, and seek His Will for my life, the more my desires are aligned with His. I need to sit at His feet daily, so I can be molded by the Master into the image He desires me to be.One way that my children and I seek to delight in Him is to record our blessings in our journals, thanking Him for His choice gifts. (I highly recommend One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, as inspiration in recording God's blessings in your life. No book apart from the Bible has changed my life as that book has.)

We are following some of the June blessing list ideas, as shared by Ann Voskamp. Here is a snippet of my son's list of three gifts orange.

I was so blessed that Dayspring offered me the opportunity to review one of their lovely totes, Delight Yourself in the Lord. I was especially excited, since Psalm 37:4 has always been one of my favorite verses. I love that without even saying a word, I can share God's Word with others, as I go about my day. I must say that it has been a great conversation piece, which can lead to further discussion about God.

The oilcloth tote is large enough to hold my homeschool planner, journal, Bible, cloth diaper(s), and any other needs. If I don't want to tote my purse, as well, I can just put my wallet and keys in the compartment, or I can fit my entire purse in the bag. This is so handy for me, as a regular diaper bag just doesn't suit my needs any more.

Dayspring also sent me this lovely jute bag, to bless a friend with. One of my friends is nearly due with a little one, and I was excited to give her some baby and mama gifts in this lovely bag. I hope that it is an encouragement to her, especially during these weeks while she awaits the arrival of her littlest blessing.

Dayspring is hosting a special on all of their totes during the month of June. If you buy two tote bags, you get one free.

Dayspring is graciously giving away one Delight Yourself in the Lord oil cloth tote bag (retail value $24.99) to one reader of this blog.
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Disclosure: The tote bags for the review and giveaway were given to me from Dayspring, in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing Grass Review and Giveaway

2012-06-09T18:17:00.000-05:00

The kind folks at Amazing Grass sent me some amazing samples of their products for review purposes. My husband and I loved the Amazing Grass Green Superfood Energy Bars. Their four flavors are: Chocolate, Berry, High Protein, and Chocolate Peanut Butter. Each bar was packed with fruits and vegetables and tasted delicious. I loved the Green Superfood Chocolate Peanut Butter bar, as it tasted so much like a candy bar, yet was packed with organic greens, probiotics, and many organic ingredients.

As a huge fan of green smoothies, I cannot begin to tell you how much I love the Jute Grocery Bag Amazing Grass sent me which says, "Drink Your Greens". I am sure that it will be a great conversation starter in the grocery store, for encouraging others to drink and eat to their health.

My favorite Amazing Grass product was their Amazing Meal samples. All of the flavors taste amazing, but my favorite was Amazing Meal Vanilla Chai Infusion. One morning last week, I awoke feeling very low on energy. Normally, I like to start my day with a spinach omelette or a green smoothie, but I felt too tired to make either of those things. So I grabbed the Shaker Cup from Amazing Grass, poured in an Amazing Meal packet along with about 10 oz of milk. All I had to do was shake and drink, and it really gave me the pep I needed to get on with my day. It was sweet like a chai drink you would order in a coffee shop, yet was chocked full of nutrients.It is a blend of organic protein (from rice and hemp), organic greens (wheat grass, kale, barley, grass, and alfalfa) organic acai, organic carrot, organic blueberry, organic goji, organic rose hips, organic maca, organic banana, organic flax seed powder, digestive enzymes, and active culture probiotics. It contained no harmful sweeteners, but was sweetened with organic stevia. I cannot think of an easier breakfast for busy moms, and is a great energy boost for any time of day.

My children were thrilled to be able to sample the Amazing Grass Kidz Superfoods . As a mom, making sure that my children are able to consume a large quantity of fruits and vegetables, daily. The Kidz Superfood Berry flavor contains 32 fruits and vegetables. One 6 gram serving of the powder is equivalent to 3 servings of fruits and vegetables.My kids enjoyed both the chocolate and berry flavors, but they enjoyed the berry flavor best. I mixed a packet of the superfood with some cold water, shook it up, and they said that it tasted like a fruit punch. It was a very easy way to ensure that my children were getting a wide range of nutrients from organic greens, fruits, and vegetables.

The folks at Amazing Grass are graciously hosting a giveaway of a 30 serving bottle of Kidz Superfood Wild Berry and some Kidz Superfood Chocolate Samples to two winners on my blog. I cannot wait for two of you to try these nutritional powerhouses with your little ones!
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Chobani Review

2012-05-30T20:01:00.000-05:00

The day that this box of Chobani Greek Yogurt arrived at our house was cause for great celebration. My family and I were so impressed by all the samples we received to review.

We received 6 packs of Chobani Champions, which is Chobani's children's line.The two flavors my children tried were Orange Vanilla and Orange Chocolate Chunk. Their very favorite were the Orange Vanilla yogurts.

They absolutely loved every bite....eating it was serious business...and they kept begging for more.

One of the most impressive things to me was the simple list of ingredients in the Chobani Champions. I love that they contain 5 live and active cultures, which is so great for healthy immune systems.

My husband and I enjoyed sampling the 12 Chobani Greek Yogurts. They even sent us Chobani's 3 newest flavors: Apple Cinnamon, Blood Orange, and Passion Fruit. I loved Apple Cinnamon; it reminded me of apple pie filling. My husband's favorite flavor that he sampled was Black Cherry; he loved the bold and flavorful taste.

If you are a frequent snacker (like me!), you just cannot go wrong with Chobani yogurt.

Chobani yogurts:
* contain twice the protein of regular yogurts
* contain live and active cultures, including 3 probiotics
*contain real fruit
* are free of synthetic hormones
*contain no preservatives or artificial flavors

It is rare to be able to find something on the shelf that I can buy my family, already packaged, without feeling concerned about the ingredients it contains. Chobani is one of those products that one can buy with confidence that you are nourishing your family.

Disclosure: I received free samples of yogurt from Chobani for review purposes. This post contains only my honest opinions.

10 Things We Don't Spend Money On

2012-05-29T21:39:00.000-05:00

Inspired by Simple Organized Living's post, Frugal Gal's post, and Money Saving Mom's post on "Things We Don't Buy", I decided to compose my own list. What works for every household is different and it is so much fun to come up with your own list.

1. New Vehicles- We only buy used, reliable vehicles.

2. (Most) Haircuts- My hubby cuts mine and our children's hair. We do pay a barber to cut my husband's hair, and it is worth every penny in my book. I tried to cut his hair once and will not try that again. ;)

3. Cable- Our main entertainment splurge is Netflix. ($8 a month) During our nearly ten years of marriage, we have never had cable and don't feel like we are missing out. (Which is probably a good thing because if I had cable, I would probably be lost in Food Network land or HGTV world.) We do rent an occasional $1 movie from a local Blockbuster kiosk.

4. Juice/Soda- We may splurge and buy a bottle of juice every couple of months or special drinks for a party, but we don't spend much on beverages from week to week. We mainly drink homemade (hot or iced) herbal tea (sweetened with raw honey), smoothies, and fresh water from our Berkey filter.

5. Shredded Cheese- I buy 5 lb. blocks of mozzarella and Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grate them, and put them in baggies in the freezer. It turns out to be tastier, healthier (less added ingredients), and more economical than buying most pre-shredded cheese.

6. Diapers- My two year old has been wearing cloth diapers for a while now, and I only occasionally have to buy a pack of disposables, for when she may have a bad diaper rash, a virus, or if we are traveling. It is so nice to save $20-$30 a month by not using disposable wipes and diapers. (It would be more of a savings, if she were younger, but at this point, she only dirties about 5-7 diapers a day.)

7. Newspaper Subscriptions- We subscribed to a newspaper a couple of years ago, but we don't really need it since I don't coupon any more. Having 4 kids, nine and younger, plus a baby on the way, isn't very conducive for spending copious amounts of time comparing prices and gleaning shelves for specific products. An 8 pack of toothbrushes from the Dollar Store suits us just fine in this busy season of our lives.

8. Books- I will buy a book on a very rare occasion , but I generally check it out via my library or I request to review it from the publisher.

9. Canned Beans- Cooking dried beans in the crockpot is very inexpensive, healthy, and easy. I make a big pot of pinto beans at the beginning of the month and divide the beans into baggies and freeze them. I defrost one baggie per week for our Mexican dinner night.

10. Cards- I usually make my own and/or let my children draw pictures for friends and loved ones.

I would love to hear what items you don't buy for your household! If you write a post about it, please leave me a link in the comments section. I am hoping to write a post on 10 Things We are Willing to Splurge on. Blessings!

This post is linked to Frugally Sustainable.

The winner of the Two Moms in the Raw Giveaway

2012-05-24T10:03:00.001-05:00

The winner of the Two Moms in the Raw Giveaway is Connie. Connie, please look for an e-mail in your inbox.

New School Year Preparations

2012-05-22T19:52:00.000-05:00

After six days of ~~stalking the mailman~~ eager anticipation, our homeschool curricula for the new school year arrived. Words cannot express how eager my children and I were to tear into our packages. We ordered all of our 2012- 2013 curricula from Timberdoodle and Christian Book Distributors. I was eager to get everything organized, since May is my planning month, and we are hoping to start our studies in the beginning of June. Last year was my first year homeschooling all summer, and I love it. It makes it a lot less stressful if we miss a day here and there, later on in the school year. My big reason for wanting to start in June, this year, is so we can take a month off in Sept/Oct, whenever the baby comes.

Our 2012-2013 curricula:

The three stacks of schoolwork are for my children, oldest to youngest, my fourth grader, second grader, and kindergartener. The books in the front of the picture are for my oldest two to share.

Our 2012-2013 curricula choices can be found here. (Side note: pinterest seriously keeps my brain organized.) My little ones are uber excited about their schoolwork for this upcoming year. I have to keep reminding them that we are off for May, and to wait a couple more weeks.

I am really excited about a couple of new curricula this year. The first is A Reason For Handwriting. I bought this for all three of my current homeschoolers. Here is a sample pages from it:

I love how A Reason for Handwriting contains so many great Scriptures for children to copy, and then even discussion questions to make sure that they understand the Biblical application.

Another exciting addition to our homeschooling curricula is Apologia's Exploring Creation with Astronomy. I ordered the complementary junior notebooking journals for my eldest two children. We are all really excited about those!

There are so many fun learning activities in the notebooking journal. I love the coloring pages with Scripture. I pray that all of these materials will be a helpful tools in pointing my children towards God.

Homeschool Organization

The Desktop Apprentice Organizer

It has been so great having the whole month of May to get ready for next year. It has given me time to make copies, organize materials, and to work on a making a homeschooling planner.(I still have a lot left to do!) I generally put all of our homeschooling materials in a bookcase in my dining room, but started running out of room in the bookcase. I had seen several homeschooling moms rant and rave over how amazing the Desktop Apprentice Organizer. Now, for someone like me who just loves to organize, I couldn't wait to get one. But I have to admit that the $45 price tag was too steep for me. Fortunately, if you go to Staples and buy it at the store itself, it is $25. I still hemmed and hawed about that price and the huge size of the organizer, but I am glad I went ahead and bought it. I absolutely love it. All of our current homeschooling materials fit in the Desktop Apprentice. I can stick the whole unit in a closet or on a shelf, if I need to get it out of the way. The only con to it is that it is a behemoth. It takes up at least one place setting at the table. I usually keep it on a tray table beside our school table. I started filling mine with art supplies like Prismacolor colored pencils and paint brushes.It holds hanging folders, and I have divided them according to months of the year, and I have been busy printing off copies from Teacher File Box. Teacher File Box contains printable sections from the Evan Moor books. I knew that I wanted daily math practice and daily writing practice for my eldest two, as well as several other workbooks. By the time I added them up, it was going to be very pricey. So, I was elated that I could just buy a subscription to Teacher File Box and print out the worksheets themselves. You can get a yearly subscription for even cheaper, via Homeschool Buyer's Co-op. The kind folks at Teacher File Box let me have a year's subscription for free (for review purposes), but I was seriously considering buying a subscription via the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op, since I easily would have wanted to buy $100 worth of their workbooks for each of my school-aged children.

Some of the copies I have been making from Teacher File Box.

I am hoping to be able to finish all of my homeschool planning within these last two weeks before school starts. I always tend to get a little nervous at the prospect of a new school year. It seems like whenever we have any time off, I worry about getting it all done. (From daily chores, to cooking, to cleaning, to taking care of the littles, etc.) One article that really encouraged me was from HodgePodge: How to Fit in All the Extras. She wrote a brillant post about just doing the 3 R's in the morning, and then fitting in all the extras, like math and history, one per day, in the afternoon.It was such a simple idea, yet so freeing. Another concept I want to be more diligent in implementing, this school year, is Afternoon Quiet Time. My two-year old generally takes an afternoon nap, but I need to make sure that all of my children have a daily quiet time.

More about the Desktop Apprentice Organizer by Fellow Homeschool Moms:

Planning, Planning, Planning @ Sam's Noggin

Sweet Plans: Homeschool Planning: Gathering Your Tools @ Sweet Phenomena

Our Homeschool Room @ The Crafty Classroom

School Room @ Delightful Learning

I would love to hear about your preparations for the upcoming school year!

Disclosure: I received a year's subscription to Teacher File Box in exchange of an honest review.

Freeing Up Counter Space in a Small Kitchen

2012-05-22T12:27:00.000-05:00

The counter space in my galley kitchen is at a premium, especially on days when I am trying to get ahead and prepare a couple of meals for the week. It seemed that as soon as I got out my countertop appliances (bread machine, dehydrator, crock pot, etc.), I had absolutely no counter room for chopping veggies. I had a hallelujah moment and realized that I should set up my kitchen appliances, that I needed at that time, elsewhere, out of the kitchen. I needed to think "outside the kitchen box". One particular day, I needed to use my bread machine and food dehydrator, so after filling them with ingredients, I moved them into my laundry room, and let them get to work.Though my kitchen is small, my laundry room is a decent size. I was then able to enjoy (mainly) cleared counter tops, with ample room to work. It is so easy to get into a rut, thinking that each room in our house is only for it's specific purpose. I think it is helpful to use each room in your house for your needs. It only took me nine years of living in my house to start to think outside the box.

I would love to hear what creative, unconventional ways you may use a room in your house to suit your needs?

This post is linked to Kitchen Tip Tuesday.