My Home Sweet Home

Red Tricycle Pedals into Atlanta with the Big Peach Giveaway!

Dawn Camp — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:52:23 +0000

[I will be compensated for sharing information about this giveaway, but opinions are, as always, my own.]

Red Tricycle is an online city guide for busy parents, offering ideas for things to see, eat and do with your kids in your own neighborhood. After adding Atlanta earlier this month, it now serves 7 cities plus a national edition. I attended a Red Tricycle launch party in Atlanta last week and am excited about the information my family will gain from this site.

Red Tricycle is pedaling into town in style with a huge contest that runs until May 31! Enter on-line by liking Red Tricycle Atlanta and filling out the entry form on the page during the contest period.

Please put my name, Dawn Camp, on the form where it asks who referred you, and enter to win your favorite prize from those listed below!

Which prize will you choose? (I entered to win the tickets to Treetop Quest!)

Red Tricycle Pedals into Atlanta with the Big Peach Giveaway! is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2013 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

The Graduation Toolbox: A Gift Idea for Graduates

Dawn Camp — Sat, 18 May 2013 02:15:19 +0000

[Post contains affiliate links.]

Most homes have two kinds of toolboxes: the kind that contain hammer and nails, screwdriver and screws, and a sewing basket with scissors, needles, thread, and buttons. These two boxes are indispensable; you don’t need them every day, but when you need them, you really need them.

When our oldest son graduated from high school, we gave him his own toolbox and tools. Last year I made graduation toolkits using a combination of these Redeemed Picnic Baskets from DaySpring for the girls and Stanley toolboxes for the boys.

They contained items such as screwdrivers; a basic sewing kit; scissors; hammer; and a tape measure. Customize based on what your budget allows. I purchased the filler items at Walmart.

I typed and printed a little note to tie on the handle. It might be cheesy, but I challenge you to make up something that incorporates the word tools and sounds appropriate for a graduate! Click the pic below and download a copy for yourself if you’d like to print it.

Our fridge is plastered with graduation announcements, some from kids we’ve known since birth, so I’m working on a new batch of toolkits. Thankfully the Redeemed Picnic Basket is currently on clearance at DaySpring for 1/2 price: $19.99! When they’re gone, they’re gone.

I already had a sewing basket, so I got myself one as a craft basket. It’s full of craft paint, paint brushes, Sharpies, and other crafty stuff.

Shipping is free at DaySpring on purchases of $50 or more, so you could get 3 Redeemed Picnic Baskets, or consider combining these other clearance items from the Redeemed collection to reach free shipping:

Redeemed – Fullness of Joy – Message Board: regularly $14.99, sale $5.99

Redeemed – He Is My Refuge – Metal Door Knocker: regularly $14.99, sale $6.99

Redeemed – The Goodness of the Lord – Wooden Planter: regularly $24.99, sale $9.99

Redeemed – Truly Loved – Coin Purse: regularly $9.99, sale $3.99

Redeemed – His Eye Is on the Sparrow-Wooden Birdhouse: regularly $19.99, sale $9.99

Redeemed – Everything Beautiful – Metal Watering Can: regularly $21.99, sale $9.99

Redeemed – Romans 8:28 – Wristlet: regularly $16.99, sale $6.99

Redeemed – Truly Blessed – Bird Cage Photo Holder: regularly $16.99, sale $6.99

Redeemed – Everything Beautiful – Fabric Cuff: regularly $12.99, sale $4.99 – I love mine!

Redeemed – Truly Blessed – Wooden Framed Mirror: regularly $29.99, sale $11.99

Do you have a graduate in your family this year?

The Graduation Toolbox: A Gift Idea for Graduates is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2013 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

You Can’t Take the Worldview Out of the Art Today at (in)courage

Dawn Camp — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:00:47 +0000

My son 18-year-old son and I enjoy listening to the Avett Brothers. Musical compatibility with a teen isn’t always easy, so I’m thankful. When he told me that some listeners wish they wouldn’t sing about their faith, I just laughed and shook my head.

It’s not that easy to take the worldview out of the art.

Read the rest today at (in)courage!

You Can’t Take the Worldview Out of the Art Today at (in)courage is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2013 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

The Embarrassing Post You Might Need to Read

Dawn Camp — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:50:43 +0000

When you get used to feeling, seeing, or hearing a certain way, you just assume it’s normal. It’s your normal. It surprised me when I couldn’t pass the vision exam for my driver’s license test at 16; the lady giving the test kind of bluffed me through it.

My senior year I got glasses—which I only wore for math class—because I couldn’t read the problems on the board. Although nearsighted, I was 20 years old before an optometrist gently suggested that maybe my eyes needed a little help all the time and I started wearing contacts.

I’ll never forget the shock of pulling up to a major intersection where the road extended far into the distance and realizing all that I’d missed seeing over the years. My normal has never been the same.

I’ve had a similar experience with dairy: it’s taken time to realize that now I need help digesting foods that I used to eat with no problem. My stomach distends like a ball inflated by an air pump. Sometimes there’s only the swelling and discomfort; sometimes I’m gassy; the worst is when I’m running for the bathroom.

I’d given up Chick-fil-a milkshakes and eating cereal on mornings when I needed to leave the house. We received two tins of Starbucks instant hot cocoa for Christmas and it was love at first sip. Until the misery hit. Whatever was happening to my digestive system, I didn’t like it. It cramped my style, not to mention my stomach.

On a whim I bought a box of Lactaid Fast Act Caplets on the way to an Italian restaurant for a friend’s birthday in February. I’d finally made the connection that dairy was my problem and thought a night of mozzarella and Alfredo sauce would be perfect to test the theory.

It worked! You swallow a caplet with your first bite of food, easy enough. At one point I felt the familiar my-stomach-is-being-inflated-with-an-air-pump feeling, but then it passed. (I now identify some meals as 2-tablet meals; this would be one.)

At home, I drink Lactaid milk. The caplets work to stop possible digestion problems, but the milk completely prevents them.

Lactaid Caplets are not a medication, but a supplement. My body isn’t producing enough of the digestive enzyme lactase to break down lactose, the sugar found in milk. Lactaid Caplets contain lactase, which helps break down the lactose in the foods I eat.

Lactaid milk contains no lactose. Lactase has been added to break it down.

Here’s everything you ever wanted to know about lactose, lactase, and Lactaid:

What is Lactose?

Lactose is the major carbohydrate in milk and other dairy foods
Lactose (milk sugar) consists of two simple sugars – glucose and galactose
Lactose must be broken down into glucose and galactose by the intestinal enzyme lactase before it can be absorbed by the body

What does it mean to be Lactose Intolerant?

Most people produce that natural enzyme, lactase, which breaks down lactose (sugar in milk). The amount of lactase your body produces will determine how much lactose your body can break down
Everyone has different levels of lactose intolerance
It is common for lactose intolerance to be progressive; many people develop a lactose intolerance later in life

What is LACTAID?

LACTAID^® Products can help people who have a lactose sensitivity to digest dairy products without stomach discomfort so they can enjoy the creamy, delicious taste of dairy that they love
LACTAID provides the lactase that the body can’t produce enough of, which helps you break down lactose
LACTAID^® Dairy Products are 100% real dairy, just with a natural yeast-derived enzyme added called lactase
LACTAID^® Lactose-Free Products include Milks, Cottage Cheese, Ice Cream and Eggnog
LACTAID^® is the nation’s #1 lactose-free dairy brand.

About LACTAID Milk

LACTAID is real milk – 100% lactose free – with the same nutrient profile
The lactase enzyme is added to the milk to break down the lactose, resulting in a slightly sweeter taste
LACTAID is ultra pasteurized and lasts longer under proper refrigeration – once open it should be consumed within 1 week
LACTAID products are calcium enriched
We need about 1000 mg of calcium each day
- LACTAID provides 500 mg of calcium in each 8 oz glass— you only need two glasses of LACTAID to get your day’s worth of calcium requirements
- A regular 8 oz glass of milk has 300 mg of calcium

Tips for eating with Lactose Intolerance:

Important note: if someone who is lactose intolerant consumes products containing lactose on an empty stomach, they will be more prone not to tolerate it. Eating lactose with other food will help you digest it more easily
Many lactose-intolerant people find that yogurt doesn’t bother them
- Yogurt has live and active cultures in it that help digest the lactose
- Greek yogurt has double the protein and fewer carbs, which means less lactose and easier to digest
- If tolerated, yogurt is a great way to get nutrients and calcium needed in an everyday diet!
Rule of thumb for eating cheese: the harder the cheese, the less moisture or whey in it—as a result, the less lactose in it
- Always choose the aged cheeses, as they are lower in lactose
- Aged Cheddar, Gruyère, Pecorino and Swiss cheeses will have less lactose in them
- Melissa suggests introducing these aged cheeses back into your family’s diets in small amounts to see how much they and/or you are able to tolerate

I tell all of my girlfriends about Lactaid. I initially thought I should blog about it, but then I got embarrassed. When The Motherhood sent a survey asking if anyone in my family suffered from lactose sensitivity, I knew it was time.

On Friday I participated in a conference call with celebrity chef, television host, and Lactaid brand spokesperson Melissa d’ Arabian and registered dietician Michelle Harrington. Lactose sensitivity can come on gradually with age, but it also affects many children.

If you’re having an Aha! moment (do you suffer from these symptoms?) and want to try Lactaid, or if you know you know you’re lactose sensitive, leave a comment. One commenter will receive a coupon for a free Lactaid product so you can give it a try.

[Disclosure: I will be compensated for my participation in this program.]

The Embarrassing Post You Might Need to Read is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2013 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

Decorate Your Desktop for May

Dawn Camp — Sun, 05 May 2013 11:52:20 +0000

Click on over to (in)courage to download your desktop calendar for May! {Do you download a new wallpaper each month or keep the same one for a while?}

Decorate Your Desktop for May is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2013 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

Fire-Roasted Corn Guacamole for Cinco de Mayo {and a $100 VISA gift card giveaway!}

Dawn Camp — Thu, 02 May 2013 05:38:10 +0000

When the Motherhood invited me to join Meghan, Renee, and Diane for a recipe project featuring Avocados from Mexico, I knew exactly what I wanted to recreate: Chili’s Fire-Roasted Corn Guacamole. By combining a recipe from Food.com (submitted by a Chili’s employee as the actual recipe) and another from the Pioneer Woman, I’ve not only come up with a great knock-off, but learned how to fire-roast corn on my gas stove!

My ingredients included avocados, a jalapeño pepper, corn, cilantro, a lime, 2 cloves of garlic, cumin, Kosher salt, and pico de gallo, which I got from Moe’s (yes, I cheated; my son works there and we eat there at least once a week). If you don’t have pico, you’ll have to add tomato and onion to the recipe. Pico de gallo also has cilantro, so I added a conservative additional amount since there was already some in the pico.

A friend recommended soaking the corn in water overnight to soften it and add moisture before fire roasting.

My kids think I get a little carried away with corn. I used three ears, but two would be enough.

To fire roast, I shucked the corn and placed it directly on my gas stove burners, all three ears at the same time. I used tongs to pick it up and turn to cook evenly. I thought the large burner would work better, but actually the smaller were best. It hissed and popped a little bit, and probably took about ten minutes to cook.

Look how good it looks!

Then I used this awesome new gadget I found at Ross to remove the corn from the cob. See its smile?

It’s crucial to buy avocados that will be ripe when needed. If you’re unsure how to evaluate them, click here for more information. After halving the avocados and removing the pit, I cut them up and scooped them out like the Pioneer Woman shows in her post. They don’t require any additional prep.

Add the pico de gallo, garlic, jalapeño pepper, cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice. Helpful instructions for juicing a lime can be found here.

Voila! This recipe filled three of these small square bowls, which have a one and a half cup capacity. The first bowl was emptied almost instantaneously and then I tortured my kids by saving the other two for a party.

5.0 from 6 reviews

Fire-Roasted Corn Guacamole

Author: Dawn Camp @ myhomesweethomeonline.net

Recipe type: appetizer

Cuisine: Mexican/Southwestern

A knock-off of Chili’s Fire-Roasted Corn Guacamole, using avocados from Mexico and fresh corn fire-roasted on my gas stove.

Ingredients

5 ripe avocados
2-3 ears of fresh corn, fire-roasted on a grill or your gas stovetop
juice of 1 lime
¾ cup pico de gallo
2-3 cloves of garlic, to taste
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
¼ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. Kosher salt
fresh cilantro, to taste

Instructions

Soak 2-3 ears of corn, in husk, overnight in water.
Shuck them (remove the husk) and then roast them over a grill or the burners of your gas stovetop.
Remove the kernels from the cob with a knife or other kitchen gadget and put them in a medium bowl.
Halve the avocados, and then use a knife to cut the inside into smaller pieces, which you’ll scoop out of the peel and add to the corn.
Add the pico de gallo, garlic, jalapeño pepper, cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice. To juice the lime, cut it in half across the middle (not top to bottom), poke the inside with a fork to release the juice, and then squeeze juice into the bowl.
Stir together and eat with tortilla chips. Refrigerate leftovers.

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Check out the other ladies on the Atlanta Avocado Team or visit Avocados from Mexico for additional recipes.

Avocado Lime Yogurt Parfait

Avocado Cream Popsicles

Chicken and Avocado soup

Share your favorite avocado recipe in the comments for a chance to win a $100 VISA gift card!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

[I will be compensated for my participation in this program.]

My (in)RL 2013: Where Less was More

Dawn Camp — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:07:40 +0000

[Post contains affiliate links.]

On Saturday, 6,000 women met in homes, churches, and coffee shops around the world for (in)courage’s 2nd annual (in)RL (in real life) meetup. An intimate group of five shared food, fellowship, and a photo booth at my home for a few sweet hours: a neighbor; one of my closest friends; and two women who took a chance and knocked at my door without knowing anyone inside.

Now we’re all friends.

An (in)RL hostess needs to prepare for a range in the number of guests. Some ladies register months in advance and we all know how schedules change.

Last year I wanted to have a photo booth, but didn’t manage to pull it off. I use my backdrop and lighting set up only once or twice a year, but this month I’ve taken senior cap and gown pictures for our homeschool group and photo booth pictures at an event for my kids, so the props are close at hand and familiar again.

These ladies are good sports. I’m almost positive they didn’t expect felt mustaches and beards and glasses and bow ties when they registered.

Mwahahaha!

Katie won the prize—DaySpring’s This Is the Day – Bird Cage Card Holder—for the longest drive.

And then dropped our jaws with a story about an in real life encounter with a birdie in a cage—yeow!

Alicia won the Lisa Leonard ((together)) Necklace for being the first to arrive and not knowing anyone here. One of my sons wanted to know how a guest that I didn’t know could come to my party and I explained the beauty of (in)RL: women coming together to build community.

We played “what’s in your purse?” in teams. Melissa’s purse contains one of everything and Donna didn’t carry one at all, she just walked across the street to my house.

I sent everyone home with a mug to remember this day we shared together, both old and new friends. I hope to stay connected to these women in the year ahead, better than I did with the ladies at my gathering last year.

It’s not always easy to coordinate schedules and plan events with a large guest list; I saw that this weekend. I hope my group wasn’t disappointed with the small crowd, but my friend said, “I think this was even better than last year,” as she left.

Yes, sometimes less is more.

A Sunday Scripture: Galatians 6:9

Dawn Camp — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 23:15:18 +0000

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
~Galatians 6:9

Does Someone Need Your Words Today? at (in)courage

Dawn Camp — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:27:55 +0000

My son carried two cards to our mailbox today: one for Sister Nat, a sweet lady at church who’s experienced great healing with an experimental cancer treatment; the other for Mr. Harold, an older gentleman who works in the office of the church where the kids and I go for classes one day a week.

I often type prayer requests on my phone to remind me of those who need a card in the mail: I hope you feel better soon. I’m sorry for your loss. You have not been forgotten. But in spite of good intentions, sometimes they’re never written.

It took Mr. Harold to make me stop and ask: Who might need my words today?

Read the rest of the story today at (in)courage.

April’s Desktop Calendar at (in)courage

Dawn Camp — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 14:17:49 +0000

Hop on over to (in)courage and download your desktop calendar for April!
{How many dandelions did you blow this spring?}