Oh, Hello!

 It has been about a month since I last posted. We have had some surprise events and I have been caught up with all of that and neglected my writing. 

First thing, I found in August I am expecting our second child. I was feeling off, tired, lazy and a little nauseous for a few weeks and I finally decided I wanted to rule out pregnancy. I was not expecting it to be that because we had to use fertility to become pregnant with our first. We thought for sure when we wanted a second child I would have to see the doctor again. To our very big surprise, it happened on its own. We were both in shock but excited at the same time. It also explained why I was feeling the way I was. I literally had no motivation to do anything. My appetite is starting to be normal again, and I am having a bit more energy now that I am into the second trimester. So hopefully I will take the time to write again. 

The other thing that has occurred, (not a good thing) is that I became the victim of a bank scam. Yep, never thought that would happen to me. I thought I had found a legitimate work from home experience, but I was wrong. It was a long process of "interviews" and "Q and A" between me and this person who was "hiring" me...and the details in which this person went to describe the job and make sure I was qualified really led me to believe that I would be working. Long story short, I was sent a cashiers check that I was to deposit, and then turn into money grams to send to PA and order the equipment that I was supposedly going to use. (Computer/software) Well, after I had withdrawn the funds from my bank, I got a call two days later saying the check was no good. Someone had cancelled it after I used it. So now, I am negative 2000$ in my bank account. I basically took a phony check, turned it into cash and sent it to who the hell knows. That was an incredibly bad day and I have contacted everyone right down to the state police to try and fix this. The bank is penalizing me even though they said that technically the funds were not clear on their end when they released the money to me in my account. Which is stupid in my eyes, and risky. Look what happened because they did that. So now we have to find a way to pay it back, which is tough b/c I am not working and my husband gets laid off this week for the winter. We need to catch a break!

So that is whats happening here. A miracle and a scam. Besides all that, the weather is changing...it still looks like Fall around here, but as we lose daylight, we are also losing more leaves and its starting to feel more like winter. Which I already am having the Christmas giddys. I am ready to bust out the decorations and put on the music. Something about Christmas time around here. The wood stoves burning, the smells of vanilla and baked goods...its cozy and I love it!

I hope everyone is enjoying their Fall. Thanksgiving is around the corner, and that is actually my favorite holiday! Always has been. This year I am making the dessert to bring to dinner. Im thinking of a trifle, Ive never made one...but it looks easy and delicious!!! Ill share the recipe at the bottom. Have a terrific week! 

Caramel Apple Trifle

Here is the link to the recipe.....ENJOY!

Hello Fall!

I have been a bit behind in my blog posts. Life gets in the way here at my house, but that's not a bad thing! My son is not sleeping as much anymore so we are pretty busy during the day, and when he is sleeping that seems to be the only time I can get any cleaning done. I am sure I'm not the only parent out there familiar with this haha. 

Woodstock Orchards, Woodstock CT

Anyways, few things I wanted to write about. First thing is, Happy Fall! This is and will always be my favorite season. I live in hoodies all season long, I drink loads of tea, my house smells like cinnamon, vanilla  and pumpkin all the time b/c I constantly am simmering home made potpourri on the stove, gorgeous mums of different colors decorate the front steps, the local orchards have hot apple cider and donuts and outside the smell of wood burning is returning to our town. I love it!  Fall is also a great time for farmers markets. We have a few good ones around here and I am embarrassed to say  I have not made it to any yet. I just have not been able to afford it. I am planning on going very soon however. Are you a farmers market lover? If you are I am sure you probably already know where to find yours, but if you don't, there is a website that helps locate.

http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/ Just click and search your surrounding areas!

My husbands family owns an apple orchard in our town, Woodstock Orchards LLC. It has been a part of Woodstock for many years. They have a wide variety of apples, along with other fruits such as peaches, pears and plums. This time of year there are fall/winter vegetables ready. They also make THEE best apple cider around. I don't say that just b/c its family, but it really is the tastiest cider I have had. If you ever find yourself in the quiet corner, make sure to stop in! Blueberries are earlier in the season, then the stand shuts down for a couple months until its apple time. My husband worked at the farm when he was younger but left about 12 years ago. It is now mainly run by my father in law and brother in law. It is a great place to stop in during the Fall season. CLICK HERE to check out the website. (it's a little out dated, but you get the idea)

Another thing I thought I would share was one of the potpourri recipes I make during this time of year. This is such a great way to make your home smell wonderful without the use of chemicals/perfumes. It is super easy. 

What you will need:

1 Cut up apple
1 orange peel
2 cinnamon sticks
1tb cloves
1tb vanilla extract
1tb almond extract
1.5 cups water (plus more to refill as it simmers down)

Place all ingredients into a pot, and simmer all day long! Just add more water to the pot when you notice it simmering down. You don't want to burn anything.
 Mix is good about three days and you can refrigerate it over night.

I found this recipe on Pinterest last year. Sometimes I add other things or leave some stuff out. It is all preference. Believe me though, it smells SO good and is not harmful to your health. If you have a wood stove at home, you can place this on top (preferably in a cast iron pan) so you dont have to leave the kitchen stove on all day.

Lastly, in keeping with the Fall theme....here is a cute little printable if you plan on doing a lot of Fall related activities this season!!

Save it to your computer and print it out!!! If it does not print full size, here is the link to the original post.

Have a wonderful day everyone!!!

Oh Annie NO!

 As many of you have probably heard, our beloved Annies Organic has sold out to General Mills for a whopping 820 million dollars. It is not that I am a boy cotter of all large corporations, because I am not. I am just not willing to support any major companies that are against the labeling of GMOs. General Mills is one of those companies. Was the money really worth it Annie? 

If you have not heard, here is an article from realfarmacy.com


Another FYI...if you are curious as to what other large companies own some of your favorite brands (specifically organic) just check the photo below. 

So sadly, this home will be saying good bye to the mac and cheese we love, the cheddar bunnies and the salad dressings. I am not by any means saying any one else should do the same...but if you care at all about GMOs and where your money really goes...it is something to consider.

Labor Day Weekend Round Up

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Labor Day weekend! Mine was wonderful. Every year at this time my town holds its ever famous Woodstock Fair. It is certainly a fun time, and who doesn't like to scarf down fair treats!! For those of us who live here though, it can get a little crazy because of the amount of traffic the fair draws in. This year we decided to pack up and head to Maine. We left Friday afternoon for my mother in laws home in Rockland. I absolutely love her area. There is so much to do out there. She is close to the ocean, shopping, eating, etc. We arrived at about 930 pm Friday and stayed until Monday afternoon. Below is my "weekend round up" in photos. We did quite a bit in the amount of time we were there, but I don't want to overwhelm, so I'm just showing a few things.

1. On Saturday, we went to the beautiful town of Camden. Every year they hold "Schooner Days/Windjammer Festival" There is a little outdoor market where you can buy local arts, jewelery, food, etc. There are wood workers building boats, and informational booths too. There are Schooner tours where you can pay for an hour long ride on the ocean and learn about the boat. There are so many beautiful boats on the water too. In fact, at one point a wedding party sailed by on one! It was amazing!! What a way to celebrate the big day!!! Another thing I love are the lobster crate races. There are a series of lobster crates in the water, connected of course, and young kids take turns to see how fast they can cross them all without falling. Its so much fun, and the kids are good too! If you find yourself in Camden this time of year, you should definitely check out the festival. It lasts all weekend.

2. Rockland Breakwater. It is about a mile long I believe. It is SUCH a gorgeous walk. It was built in 1880 in an effort to keep storms from causing damage to the harbor. (Years ago it had)  We had perfect weather for our walk. It is a little bit cooler once you get out on it for obvious reasons, so I wore a sweatshirt. Out on the rocks we could see seals perching, catching some sun. So neat. CLICK HERE if you would like to see more information on the breakwater.

3. Sunday by my request, we spent part of the day in Port Clyde, visiting Marshall Point. I have been here before but never got to take photos. This time I brought my camera. This is a pretty nice area, with a sweet out door restaurant right on the docks. The photo is of the Marshall point lighthouse. Fun fact: if you have seen the movie Forrest Gump, this is the light house he runs to!! CLICK HERE if you want to check it out!! (It starts around minute 1:33)
It is a beautiful view...my husband and son liked playing in the tide pools at the bottom. There is a cute little museum that used to be the home of the lighthouse keeper many years ago. Inside there are souvenirs for purchasing along with tons and tons of information on Marshall Point and the lighthouse.  CLICK HERE for information.

4. The last day we were in Maine, we spent it at Drift Inn Beach in Port Clyde. It is kind of hidden...not like the public beaches you see. This beach was amazing though. At low tide the water was as shallow for as far as you could walk out. The water was so clear, with nothing but soft sand under your feet. We all went in. What a beautiful day we had, we got very lucky with the weather this past weekend. There were tide pools here too that the hubs enjoyed looking for critters in. That is what him and our son are doing in the photo. Well, actually the baby just enjoys doing whatever daddy is doing. I hate things that pinch and crawl haha so I did not help.

I wanted to share something else quick that we saw...which is pretty neat and many of you have probably seen this movie...

Recognize that animal? I had no idea that Andre the Seal was in fact based on a real seal! This is a statue of him in Rockport Maine.  He was indeed real, and for about 25 years at that! Harry Goodridge found him as a pup many years ago (abandoned my his mother we assume) and from that day he became like one of the family. It is a very sweet tale, one that is far too long for me to write about. Now of course I need to watch the movie, I have never seen it! If you would like to read about the seal and how he became so famous, please CLICK HERE. This is a good little write up through Yankee Magazine.

Well, that is how we spent our weekend...I hope everyone had something fun or relaxing to do!!! I cannot believe summer is coming to an end. I secretly love it though, Fall is my favorite season.

Take care!!!

xo

Product Review : Well Beginnings Diapers

Good Morning all! Well, I am finally posting my review for the Well Beginnings Diapers that I was picked to do via Green Moms Meet. 

Now, I am not what I would call a "diaper snob" but I tend to stick with Huggies. I have used Pampers in the past, and I just don't care too much for them. The main reason for me being that the area where the straps are to stick the diaper on is too thin, causing me to rip many a diaper. Also I always felt like they were too tight in that area on my sons upper thigh. To me, a size 3 in Pampers was tighter than a size 3 in Huggies. Huggies diapers are much thicker in the upper thigh area and the part where you stick is as well. I never rip a Huggies diaper. The Pure and Natural is my favorite, but it is more cost affective right now to purchase regular Huggies since I get more in a box for a little bit cheaper price. That being said, I was interested in trying out these new diapers from Walgreens, just to see how they would stand against my number one pick. 

 

WB on left, Huggies on right

The package I recieved was 31 diapers for size 4 ( 22-37lbs). I did not have to pay for these, but I believe they are under 10$. Compared to Huggies Little Movers, the Well Beginnings Diaper was only slightly less thick inside. Right away it reminded me of the Pampers diapers. I thought for sure my son would pee right through this diaper. However, we were actually tested on that theory and not on purpose!! I change my son whenever I feel a large poofy wet diaper. He never goes longer than 1.5 half in one diaper with me. He pees a lot! One day last week I had a bridal shower to go to and daddy got to spend time with his boy. Well, lets just say for someone not used to changing diapers all day long left his son in the same diaper MUCH longer than he should have! Not horribly long that mom would freak out, but certainly longer than I would ever leave him. (longer than 2 hours) My goofy husband just "forgot". Anyways, you would think that he would have been soaking wet since he was peeing in the same diaper for a decent amount of time. He was not though! It was absolutely a full diaper, but nothing had come through. That right there was one big plus for this brand of diaper. Even though it is a little thinner than my Huggies diapers, it still fought against the leak. 

 

WB on left, Huggies on right

The second most important thing was the strap size. As you can see in the picture, the part on the WB diaper where the diaper sticks is basically the same size as the Huggies. Like I mentioned, my son has cute little chubby thighs and I worry about too tight diapers. With the stretchy waist band, it is more comfortable and does not leave a mark on the skin caused by tightness.  I also found that even though there is no "double grib strip" like the alternative, these diapers stay on just fine. I have changed diapers for years (I worked in daycare for many years) and sometimes when changing a chaild I would notice the diaper had come un stuck under the pants. So far this has not happened with the Well Beginnings. He has been wearing these for about 3 weeks now with no issues. 

Lastly, these diapers are hypoallergenic, cotton and soft. The liner contains aloe, vitamin E and natural botanicals. I have researched and haven't found anything stating any added chemicals to the diaper. BIG plus. 

Cost wise, these are pretty affordable. If you CLICK HERE you will find the package I got is listed for 9.49 and if I were to order I could buy one and get one 50% off. That's not too shabby. Also depending on the size you need, the deal is even better. Size 2 diapers come with 46 diapers to a pack (mine was only 31) same price and you can buy one get one 50% off. Right now on amazon.com there is a pack of Huggies 27 count, size 4 diapers listed for $17.62. Now you all know I love my Huggies, but if I am trying to save some money...the Well Beginnings is the way to go. You get more diapers for less money. 

In my opinion, Well Beginning Diapers are just as good as the Huggies I use every day. If the two were side by side in the store and the price was right, I would have no problem choosing the Well Beginnings. They have been put to the test (not always on purpose haha) and have passed. 

I thank Green Moms Meet for allowing me to review this product, I am happy to have learned about it and to be able to share the experience!

Please head over to walgreens.com/wellbeginnings or their Facebook page for more info or if you have any questions!


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.


(just a reminder...anything I review is all of my own experiences and opinions. I understand it is not the same for everyone.)

Vote for my kiddo!!!

So I completely forgot that I entered my son in a contest for KIWI magazine like four months ago. It was a contest to see who has the cutest "Green Baby". I had not heard anything for a while and I forgot about it. Well, I got an email today saying that they had narrowed it down to 25 babies. I decided to just see who had been chosen, and to my surprise my son was on the list! I never got notice that he was even considered!! 

The winner of the contest can win up to 1500$, a feature in the magazine among other fun prizes. Three kids will be picked. 

I would love and appreciate any votes we can get! I will post the link and if you do not mind, please find Cameron Y and give him a vote!!! I would love to show him this when he is older!!!

Thanks everyone!!

VOTE HERE!!!

Randomness on a Monday

So, it is a BEAUTIFUL Monday here in my little town. The sun is out, there is a wonderfully warm breeze and I do not want to do anything! UGH, does anyone else ever have one of those days? I am seriously lacking in the motivation department. My one year old is keeping himself occupied with toys at the moment. He is due for a nap very soon. I keep looking out the window thinking I should get up and go for a walk, or sit in the sun with a book, weed the garden, SOMETHING. All I feel like doing though is sitting down with my iced coffee, pinning recipes, or doing work inside the house. I guess I have SOME motivation, but its keeping me indoors doing things rather than taking advantage of this weather before it is gone and we are really stuck inside. I have been doing a lot of stuff in my home, still painting and moving things around. Yesterday I went through all of the clothing that no longer fits my son and separated it into sizes. Keeping things I love and can not get rid of, but selling or giving away the rest. There is SOOOO much. Maybe after his nap I can drag myself out of this funk and we can go play outside. It really would be a shame to waste such a nice day. I am sure there are many people stuck inside today that would love to be able to be out doors. I should remember I am fortunate that way. 

Another thing that I wanted to share was a bit personal. I may or may not have mentioned in previous posts that we had to use fertility to become pregnant with my son. Long story short, 10 years of birth control really messed up my system and I became super irregular after stopping. It prompted me to see a doctor who then informed me after a blood test that I was not producing enough FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) which meant my eggs (if any) were not big enough to become fertilized. How frustrating that was. I was only 27 when we started trying. I did not become pregnant until 29, after the 4th IUI attempt with a new shot introduced. ANYWAYS, I had wondered if maybe after going through the pregnancy if my body would straighten itself out. I was very discouraged and figured if we wanted more kids we could only conceive through fertility help. I still do not know if we would have to go that route. I hope not. My husband had to do his share in the doctors office too if you catch my drift. I feel like if we had to do that again he would be hesitant. I just want it to happen naturally.

So, I stopped breastfeeding my son at ten months. He was pretty much weening himself and I wasn't producing as much. Well a friend of mine has a  daughter who is three months behind my son, still breastfeeding her and had her cycle return about a month ago! Of course I was kinda bummed, I had finished breast feeding for two months and NO sign of a cycle for me. I made a doc appointment because I wanted to talk to him about thoughts on conceiving for a second time and what he could suggest. Should we wait, should we try? I also am not sure we want a second right NOW, but if we have to do fertility...you cannot just wing it. Well, to my surprise, guess what showed up the Thursday before my appointment? I know most women hate when it comes (and actually I'm no fan haha) but for me and what we went through, this was awesome!!! my body finally doing what it was supposed to do, and without medication to start it. It lasted a full week and was horrendous! But, I did go almost a year and a half without it. So (this can get a little TMI, in case you can't handle this stuff) I downloaded the OVIA app which is a fertility app that tracks periods, ovulation, fertile times etc. I figured I need to do this in order to see what my body is going to do. I could still be irregular, I do not know for sure if my period will come in 28 days or if it will be late. I do have to say this though, last week I was grocery shopping and all the sudden I am just standing there (TMI) and I can feel something going on down there. I went to the bathroom and checked and it was clearly cervical mucas. According to doctors and everything I have read, a good way to test if you are fertile is to check your CM. If it is stretchy then that is a good sign that you are. So I checked and sure enough...it stretched. I am sorry for all the info here, but for anyone trying to conceive or that has already gone through this, you get it. There is nothing that grosses me out about this kind of stuff anymore haha. 

My calendar as is appears today

I got really excited not because I think I will get pregnant or anything, but because the thought that maybe my body is getting back to where it is supposed to be is WONDERFUL!!! I do not know if it means my hormones will balance out and I will produce FSH like I should be, but one step at a time. So I marked it down on the app and have been keeping track of the times my hubs and I have sex. According to the app, if I have a normal 28 day cycle, my next period should start around the 28th. Praying for a period or a positive pregnancy test. None of the "un known" anymore!!!

Time to go put my little man down to bed. Maybe Ill head outside and tackle that garden...or maybe I'll just continue blowing up my friends pinterest feeds ;) tee hee hee

Enjoy the day!!

ALS Ice bucket challenge/my video

My Uncle James (pictured with his sister)  lost to ALS 03/04/05

So this weekend was incredibly busy. I had two parties back to back. I am still coming down from all the planning and prepping. It was a great weekend and we were blessed with beautiful weather both days. Needless to say I had no time for posting. Today I wanted to post about the ALS challenge that I am sure most of you have been seeing around social media. It was started by a man named Peter Frates. He is one of the many unfortunate people out there battling this disease. If you do not know what ALS or "Lou Gerhigs" disease is, basically it is a disease in your nerve cells in your spinal cord and brain that control voluntary movement. As it attacks it shuts down all muscle movement, paralyzing your whole body and eventually stopping your breathing. It is a horrible disease that I have witnessed first hand. I lost my uncle at the very young age of 40 to this disease in 2005. It was sad for many reasons, but more so because this was a man that was always on the go. Always doing something, fixing something, working on something, fishing, hanging out with his kids, etc...one of the nicest men you ever had the pleasure of knowing. My dads best friend and father of two awesome kids. It is hard to even talk about without tears forming. 

The ALS ice bucket challenge was started by Pete as I mentioned, and has swept across this country like crazy. Everyone is doing it, from us small town folk to police stations, fire stations, school teachers and even celebrities! I was nominated by my aunt and of course I accepted. I want to talk about the rules. There is no doubt that this has helped raise awareness as well as money. Fox news reported yesterday that in just 14 days, 1.35 million dollars have been raised for ALS research. In 2013 22,00 was raised in the same time frame. HOW INSANE AND AWESOME!! I have been seeing tons of videos on facebook of people taking the challenge and while it is wonderful, a lot of people are forgetting to explain the rules. This challenge is not just about seeing who will dump the ice bucket before the 24 hours is up. There is more to it.

If you are nominated, you have 24 hours to make a donation of 10$ and dump the bucket. If you decline the challenge, you are supposed to donate 100$. Basically in order to spend less you have to dump the bucket. Really though, any donation you can afford helps out. The ice is just a fun way to get people talking about it and donating. So, if accepted, get someone to film you. Get your bucket of cold water and a bag of ice. Here is the important part...YOU MUST EXPLAIN WHY YOU ARE DOING THIS. Please, do not just say you have accepted the challenge, your nominations and then dump. The whole point is missed. Explain what the charity is for, that you are donating or have donated (and please actually donate) then say who you nominate (at least 5 people) then go ahead and dump away!! 

To some this whole thing may seem silly, but to those that have witnessed what this awful disease can do, this is all so incredible. So, make your donation and then decide if the ice is for you. If you do not plan on donating anything, then do not bother with the challenge, because then it is meaningless. 

If anyone needs a page to donate to, here are two of my family members who will be doing the NH walk to Defeat ALS for the 10th year in a row. I cant believe it will be ten years in March that we lost my uncle. I pray that this disease meets its fate in my life time. Thanks everyone! (My video is posted below)



1.   http://web.alsa.org/site/TR/Walks/NorthernNewEngland?px=3509670&pg=personal&fr_id=10181#.U-pAiKP_mvP

2.    http://web.alsa.org/site/TR/Walks/NorthernNewEngland?px=1395381&pg=personal&fr_id=10181#.U-pAsaP_mvN

Randomness on a Thursday

It is an absolutley beautiful day today. My son is napping, and I decided to sit outside in the sun. The photo above is a shot of the view from my backyard. My chicken coop and the girls...and nothing but fields of corn and woods behind them. I love where we live. I wouldnt mind doing an overhaul on our house however haha. But if it means having THIS as our view, I wont complain too much. Its not even that our house is bad, because it is not. Its just smaller than we like and the layout is like a big box. Its two floors but no hallways, no closets. Just rooms adjacent to eachother. Oh well, we are forunate to have a home and we need to remember that. 

Also wanted to share that I finally recieved my Well Beginnings product review kit. So once I have used them for a few days I will post my review. This weekend is a busy one with the anniversary party for my parents, and then a bridal shower for my friend the next day. I'll get it done though! I won't be doing the baby wash however because I only use one type with my kid and I love it. I'll probably donate that. 

Hope everyone is having a beautiful day as well!!! Summer wont be here for much longer, take advantage if you can!!

Xo

Two week fitness challenge

My motivation for the week!

So, I have not been in the mood for writing lately...which is probably not something a blogger should admit. I have to believe we all get there sometimes though. There had been a lot going on around here lately. My brother and I are planning a whopper of a 30th anniversary party for my parents and it is happening this weekend. It is down to the wire and just trying to finalize the guest list rsvps, food, decorations....it's like planning a wedding all over again haha. That right there has been the focus of the last few weeks. On top of that, I have been feeling like junk b/c dear old Aunty Flo has shown back up in my life. After stopping breastfeeding for over two months she is finally here. It is bittersweet, b/c lets face it. NO ONE enjoys when she is here, but for me...it took a while to get pregnant with my son because my system was so out of wack. I was not getting my flo for months and months post birth control. I was actually worried it would continue that way and that we would have issues becoming pregnant again. The fact that my body did this all on its own gives me a little relief and a sense of hope that MAYBE we wont have to use fertility to help with baby number two. Fingers crossed. So needless to say, this week has been a little BLAH. 

On a positive note, the feeling of blah has helped motivate me to get off my butt and start exercising again. It has been years since I went to the gym. I try going for walks or runs with the stroller but honestly I hate it. Especially when it is muggy or just straight up hot. I don't care for jogging with the stroller. I don't mind a nice leisurely walk, but for breaking a sweat purpose...I don't enjoy it.

A friend of mine invited me on Facebook to her two week fitness challenge. She is starting out as one of those Beach body Coaches and this must be something she has to do. Basically what it is, is a series of exercises you do every day. Each day has a different set. You are supposed to factor in about 30 minutes of cardio as well, your choice how you do so. The exercises are not really difficult, I assume next weeks will be. Every day you do your exercise and then you post that you completed it. There are rewards also. If you post a photo of you doing the exercise, a video, a recipe or a motivational photo you can earn points. At the end of the two weeks the person with the most points gets a prize. Not sure what, but who doesn't like something for free? Anyways, I decided to do it. It helps that many of my friends are in on it too and we can support each other to finish it. I also decided to start at the gym again. So yesterday I completed Mondays work out and then hit the gym at night. I just finished Tuesdays routine. I will skip the gym tonite to give the muscles a day to relax, and then go again tomorrow. 

Of course during this you must watch what you eat and drink a ton of water. I am horrible at drinking glasses of water, but if I have bottles I can drink a ton. So I bought two huge Smart Water bottles and have just been refilling. ( I know plastic is horrible, but right now its the easiest way for me to chug)

I thought I would share the workouts for those of you that may want to try this. I know Monday is done, and Tuesday is today...but you can obviously start these any time and just do in order. Or perhaps you can start fresh next Monday! I do not expect to become ripped from the gym or this challenge, but if I can slim my hips/butt area thats what I want. I lost all of it after the baby was born and because I did not maintain it, I gained it right back. I would not say I am way overweight, I usually fluctuate between 130-140. Right now I am 145 and only 5'4. I would like to get back to the 125-130 range. I also would like to have a second baby in the near future and I think being as healthy as possible will help. 

So if you are interested...here are the workouts for this week. Feel free to start whenever you can. I am doing it during my sons nap times:)

You can refer to YouTube for any exercises you may need demonstrated :)

Organization Love...lets help out!

So I read an interesting article about an organization that is helping babies in need. I found it via KIWI magazine. The organization is called, Loved Twice. What they are doing is taking gently used baby items and packing boxes that will help a baby in need for the first year of their life. It is great because if you have or had children, then you know that usually you have an over abundance of clothing for your little ones. At least I did. I have so many clothes that my son never wore because he grew too fast, as well as clothes he only wore for a short time. I decided that I wanted to help out, so in my area I will be collecting as many items as I can to give to the charity. If you are interested in helping, what they are looking for is : gently used (or new) infant clothing size 0-12 months. Socks, bibs, hats, board books and blankets.

Check out the link for more information. http://lovedtwice.org/

It sounds like such a wonderful idea, and I am all about helping people. However, I have a soft spot for the babies. They are just so new, helpless and so innocent. The thought of a mother not being able to properly cloth her baby is heart breaking. If we can help in any way that why wouldn't we. 

There are a few ways in which you can help. You can host a mini fundraiser, donate money, donate clothing, volunteer or host a baby clothing drive. You can also collect donations and then pack your own boxes and bring to a local shelter/center/drive. If you are outside the local bay area (I am) then all they request is a note telling them where you dropped off your donations. I am sure there is a way to send your donations over to the organization itself, and they will go through it all and pack and ship. 

Either way, I am a fan of random acts of kindness, and I think especially with the winter months approaching, this is a good way to practice. So, check out the link and read up on ways to help!!! I hope that at least one person who has read this post will do so. 

Take Care!!

xo

My big boy:)

Today was a busy day! Spent it celebrating our baby boys post-bday :) This year flew by! 

Thank you mother nature for stopping with the pouring rain right in time for the bbq. What a great day! 

This mama is too tired for a post, so for now, how cute is that guy? Haha.

Xo

Recipe Post!!

Hey everyone! With the plethora of wonderful vegetables in season right now, I have decided I wanted to try some canning! I have only made pickles once a long time ago and they were not canned. My cucumbers are not doing so well right now, I am not sure if it is because they were planted on a day where we got freak hail, (remember that post?! crazy!) or if it is because they are not getting enough sun. Either way it is a bummer, I hope they find their groove! Luckily for us, my neighbor/husbands cousin has a beautiful and large garden and gives us all sorts of veggies. They are gone this week to the family house on Martha s Vineyard and while they are away they asked if we could pick to keep things growing. Umm, heck yes!!! So I found a yummy looking recipe on pinterest for pickles, which I will share. I also bought some organic green beans from a Facebook "friend" and did a couple jars of Dilly Beans! It is going to be such a long 10 days until we can eat them!! Anyways, here are the recipes and their sources, plus some photos I took while I went to it.

HERE IS THE PIN for Garlic and Spice Refrigerator Pickles Original Recipe

 What you need: (My Tweaked Version)


*6 Cups cucumbers, sliced ¼" thick
*1 Large Vidalia onion, chopped (or sliced)
* 2 Cups water, warm
* 1¾ Cups apple cider vinegar
* 1 Cup fresh dill, chopped
*  ½ Cup Sugar 
*  12 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
*  2 Tablespoons pickling salt (used evaporated sea)
*  1½ teaspoon dill seed
* 1 Tablespoon pickling spice 
*  1 teaspoon red pepper flakes(if you don't want the spice you can leave them out...

To make the Brine, you mix all ingredients except the onions and cucumbers. Stir well and let sit for 5-10 minutes to get a good soak. Stir again.

Combine sliced cukes and onions, pour brine over them.

Brine all good and stirred

Combined with the veggies. Now let them sit in the bowl like this for a good hour and a half to two hours. After it has set, its time to can. What I did was use a slotted spoon and scoop the cucumbers and onions out to put in the jars first. Then I used a ladle and added the brine over them. I left about a 1/2 inch from the lid.

Secure the lid good an tight and now they sit. Directions said ten days so that is what I am going with. I hope they taste as good as they look!!!

HERE IS THE PIN for the original Spicy Pickled Green Beans


So, I apologize for not taking many photos here. I will explain it, it was a very simple and similar recipe to do...

What you need: (Tweaked a few things here)

* 2 Cups water
* 2 Cups apple cider vinegar
* 3 TB Salt ( I used evaporated sea salt)
* 1 1/2 TB sugar
* 8 Cloves thin sliced garlic
* 8 Fresh Dill sprigs
* Red pepper flakes to taste
* 1 1/2 LB green beans rinsed and trimmed

Directions: 

Combine first 4 ingreidents in a large soup pan and bring to a boil. 

Remove from heat and add garlic, red pepper and dill. Give it a minute to stand.

Now the original directions do this part differently. refer to link if you want that recipe. What I did, was pour a little brine into the jars, then added my beans. Once I couldn't fit any more I added the rest of my brine to the jars.

Seal the lids and give these babies a minimum of a week.




I cannot wait to try canning something new!! I need to purchase a ton more jars and organic veggies. Once our tomatoes start turning red I will post some recipes with those. I created a whole board dedicated to canning on my pinterest page, so if you want to follow a long head on over!!! Repin!!

I will let you all know in 10 days how these came out and if I would change anything for a future batch:)

Have a great night!!!

xo













                                                                           

Product Review Monday: Seventh Generation

It has been a few weeks since my last product review, (I have not yet received the Well Beginnings Diapers) so I decided to promote another brand that I love. I have mentioned them in my posts before, but today I am specifically writing about one product in particular. Seventh Generation Natural Laundry Detergent, Blue Eucalyptus Lavender. MY FAVORITE. Now lets back up just a bit, before SG I was buying Tide. Why? It is what I grew up using and it is what my now husband also used before we ever got together. Eventually after a while I noticed my hubs coming out of the shower stuffy, sneezing and red eyed. I suggested he stop using regular soap brands and find a natural alternative. Free of synthetic perfumes etc.Once he got rid of those soaps, he got rid of the allergies. We did the same with our laundry detergents. We nixed the Tide. I went right to the Seventh Generation products because I was already buying the dish detergent and various surface cleaners. It gets a little overwhelming with all of the "Organic/Natural" brands on the market now, and you really have to do your research to see which ones really are what they claim to be, and which ones just want to make a buck. I have tried many different brands, but ultimately I wanted to pick a brand and stick with it. So here is my number one laundry choice and I will not purchase any other brand. Seventh Generations Natural Detergent cleans our clothing just as well as Tide ever did, but it does not contain chemically made perfumes/fragrances or dyes. I was buying the Free and Clear but I will admit...I do love the smell of cleaned laundry, especially after being on the line all day in the fresh air. There is obviously no smell with the Free and Clear so I began buying this one, the Lavender/Eucalyptus. The wonderful thing about this, is that the smells are from natural ingredients like essential oils. If you make your own body care products, or know someone who does, then you know essential oils are a must! You can sniff and breathe deep on an article of clothing and take relief in knowing you are not huffing something toxic into your body...just natural lavender and pine oils.  There is another scented detergent, "Fresh Citrus Breeze" for those that enjoy a more fruitful smell, or if you prefer NO smell at all...then Free and Clear is your baby. For me, it will always be the Lavender. 

One thing this company is passionate about is reducing and eliminating toxic chemicals from products we use everyday. If you recall my post a while back from the Healthy Baby Party. One of the things we did was watch a short video about toxins and then sign a petition. It was a great thing to be a part of and I am so proud of this company for all they do regarding the topic. Read Seventh Generations Mission here.

Back to the detergent. Not only does this kind SMELL amazing. It has worked wonderfully on our clothing. I am not nor have I ever been a bleach user. That is not to say I look down on anyone who does use it, I know that it does work! (and please remember that my blog posts are merely my own opinions) I just have never been able to tolerate the smell. I have noticed that if I have a white piece of clothing with a stain on it, and I can catch it quick enough, (even after a few days of it sitting there) if I pre treat with the SG detergent then proceed to wash it, the stain will disappear. If you go to the SG website it tells you exactly how to pre treat fabric. I have never had an issue washing clothes with this detergent. I wash our entire families clothing and that includes my one year old son. My husband has not had any type of reaction to it, nor the baby.

Another thing I love is that you can go right onto the website and click to see the ingredients and every single one is listed there! They even tell you what each ingredient is for. Example, "sodium citrate (plant-derived water softener".  CLICK HERE  for the complete list. I went on over to Tides website just to see how they showed their ingredients, it is not as in depth, and there is barely an explanation. Example, "sodium alkyl sulfate, use = (surfactant) Talk about vague.  CLICK HERE  for the Tide Free and Gentle list. Something else wonderful about SG detergent is that it does not contain any "brighteners". Most detergent brands add these to their ingredients and all they do is make your laundry more pleasing to the eye. It does not mean that your clothing is cleaner. UGH! One more chemical we do not need. I noticed that one of the ingredients listed on Tides Free and Gentle is " disodium diaminostilbene disulfonate". All it says next to it is "BRIGHTENER" That is a large word for brightener! Now I am not writing this post to single out Tide. They just happen to be the only other detergent brand I ever bought. I am sure I could Google other brands like ALL or CHEER and find similarities. I just really love Seventh Generation products. This is a blog where I focus on all things natural or organic because that is what I am passionate about. I understand it is not for everyone, and not everyone may have the same experiences that I do. I will just consider myself lucky.

I usually purchase the 100 fluid ounce container, like the photo above. It states that it washes up to about 66 loads of laundry. I believe it does just that! If I were to run normal amounts of laundry in our machine, using the appropriately measured detergent, I honestly believe that we could reach that amount, or at least close to. I will be honest and say I probably wash bigger loads then I should at one time. However, it does not mean that I use more detergent either. I typically fill to the second line. Clothing comes out clean every time. The 100 fl oz. lasts a very long time in my house, even when washing large loads. You just do not need a lot. Now mind you, it IS only myself, my husband and my son. If you have a large family you will obviously go through more detergent a year than we do. I do feel that if you were to compare it to other types, you would still find you use less actual detergent over time. That's a money saver in my book.

Speaking of money, for as wonderful a product and NATURAL a product, it is not over priced. Right now on the Seventh Generation website, if you were to order 100oz of this detergent, it will cost you 13.99. If you go to Soap.com (as it does not show a way to order off TIDES website) 100oz of Tide Free and Gentle will run you about 19.99. That is a pretty decent difference in price. Sometimes in store it is even cheaper. If you search around online, you may even be able to find coupons. If you go to the Seventh Generation website and enter your email, they will send you coupons every so often. If you have questions about anything they are pretty good via Facebook as well. I wrote to them a few days ago and within a day I had a response. 

They have a blog for those that want a little more information about who they are. They also post recipes, tips and other useful information. I'm telling you, this is such a wonderful company and I have no problem supporting them both in writing and out of my wallet.

So, if you are looking to lessen the amount of chemicals in your life, put a halt to lingering allergies, or take a step into living a more naturally conscience life, then please...take a few minutes and research the company. Go to the website, read reviews, check the blog and Facebook. Ask me any questions. Purchase a small container of detergent and do your own test run.You may be surprised at how much you end up loving them right away.


That is all for now!  Have a positively peaceful night!

xo

Deal of the week share

Hey Guys! I have been a little busy with the kitchen painting etc going on, so I havn't had time to sit and post. I just wanted to share something that came in my email today. Its a good deal if you are Seventh Generation fans. 

Expires July 23 so be sure to get to it as soon as you can!!

CLICK HERE

Pretty sweet deal if you ask me!!! Their wipes are the best I have ever used!!!

I will be doing a product review for Seventh Generations laundry detergent tomorrow. I should have more time to sit at the computer since I did most of the hard stuff in the kitchen today.

Have a great night!!!

xoxo

Upcoming product review!

Happy Thursday all! I hope that everyones week is going by fast for them! Unless you are on some awesome vacation! In that case...I hope just the opposite!! 

I have a couple fun things I'd like to share with you all!

 First off, I just received a nice little gift in the mail from our friends over at Beechnut Baby Foods. I knew I liked them! If you read my product review on them from a month ago, you'd see why they are so great. How cute is the packaging on this? It came with a nice card, HAND written in (not something pre-typed/printed) and four yummy flavors of their jarred foods. Thanks so much Beechnut for being such a wonderful company to have dealings with!

Second, I am so excited to say that I was selected for another product review by Moms Meet. This time I will be reviewing Walgreens Well Beginnings Diapers. I am super pumped to have been chosen to do this. I am a Huggies girl at heart, and usually only buy those for my son. I just feel like they are thicker and more secure on him. I have tried Pampers but the part where they stick is thinner than the Huggies and for whatever reason my son wets through them. This has not happened with the Huggies yet. I prefer the Pure and Natural Huggies but they are hard to find in his size now that he is wearing the larger. The Pure and Naturals I feel are even thicker than the regular and they are 100% cotton with aloe. I am hoping that these Well Beginning Diapers will be similar to those and perhaps more affordable for customers. The kit should be here within the next two weeks and as soon as it arrives I will share what I receive. 

I know that I am still semi new to the blogging experience, but I have to say with just the few product reviews I have been a part of, the companies have been wonderful.  The first two baby food brands were products I chose, because I both use and love them, and I wanted to share positive words about them to others. These diapers will be the first product I was picked to review,  and one that I have not used yet. So I am going into this with no bias. I will give my 100% absolute honest opinion when reviewing them. 

Other than those two items, I would like to mention that if you have checked my Facebook page at all, I apologize for what it looks like at the moment. I am still going back and forth as to weather it is even worth it to have a page. When I think maybe I shouldn't, I then remember that most the blogs I follow all have their own social media pages. They probably started out the way I am and just built their audience. So I will continue for now to try and do so. I know that part of my problem with it, is simply that I have an almost 12 month old son who, when he is awake keeps me busy basically all day. He is trying to walk, gets into everything, is teething, whiny sometimes for no reason I swear, etc...If you are a mom or dad then you know what I am talking about. Also, I have taken on a kitchen project in between dealing with baby boy. I have been wanting to pain the ugly dark wood trim around the doors and windows in our kitchen. I posted a few months ago when I painted the walls this adorable pale yellow. Hawthorne Yellow to be exact. During the day it looks very nice, but when the lights are on I do not like it as much because it looks like a darker yellow against the wood. So, I decided to paint the trim white. I want my kitchen to have a bit of a vintage/cottagey look to it. The white trim against the yellow looks so much better, and helps give off the vibe that I am going for. It has been a slow process because I cannot spend tons of money on house hold things with only one income. So little by little I do what I can. I just ordered this adorable greenish spice rack off Etsy (complete with 12 glass spice jars!) It will be the first item of decor to go on the walls. I can't wait! I have been searching for months for one, and this one was exactly what I wanted, and could not pass it up. Once it is on the wall, I will share a photo. 

Sorry for the tangent!! My main point that I was trying to make is that if I can at least keep up with blog posting I think that is the most important. Pinterest, Facebook updates and Insta photos can be more for convenience. I will still do them though!! 

Have a terrific rest of your day!! I will leave you all with this saying...just because It is something I am striving to do more of in my own home and in my life. Great words.

 xoxo

Happy Post Fourth!!!!/Weekend Round Up

I hope everyone had an excellent holiday weekend! I cannot remember the last time the fourth was on a Friday!!! Well, we had a blast. My hubs decided last minute that we would head to Marthas Vineyard for a few days. His grandfather owns some nice property out there in Chilmark. Every year around this time, and in November my in laws get a week of vacation out there. Usually we cannot make it during the summer b/c of work, but with the 4th being on the wknd, we decided to go! The top photo is of the baby checking out the waves on top of the ferry:) He has been out to the vineyard before, but was only 4 months old then.

Right down the road from the house is a beach called Stonewall. It was the babys first time at the ocean and he loved it! It did not surprise me though because he loves the bath. My husband would carry him towards the water and then bring him in a bit and put him on the sand, Cam would turn right around and crawl back out. He had us running all around the beach for over an hour. He slept awesome that night!

One thing you look forward to when you travel to a place like this is the food. I am not much of a seafood lover, but my husband sure is. There is a place that he goes to whenever we are up called Menempsha Fish Market. The owner is long time friends with the family and usually gives real good deals whenever we stop in. The hubs and my father in law came home with a huge bag full of oysters, a large piece of Striper, Cherry Stones, Lobster and other yummies. The photo above is one of my husbands creations. Ill share the make up below. Its a fish wrap...and if I ate fish...I would definitely try that!

My kid napped really well while we were out there. I was kind of nervous because he was not in his own crib, rather the pack and play we brought. Both days he napped no less than two hours each day. The last day he even slept over three! I am sure part of this has to do with the fact he is finally popping his first teeth. (only took 11.5 months haha) I took advantage of that nap time and sat outside on the deck with my mother in law catching some beautiful sun! I never ever take pictures of my self (I am not a selfie person) but I thought I would share how relaxed I was at that particular time. Tannin those legs! 

My mother in law is pretty good at making mixed drinks too. Ever since I became pregnant my taste for alcohol has diminished. Obviously I did not drink while pregnant and breastfeeding...but even after I just haven't really wanted a drink. Perhaps it was because of where we were, or how relaxed I was, I don't know...but I let her talk me into one of her Bloody Marys...and it was dee-lish!

The only sad thing about this weekend, was that for the first time in years we did not see any fireworks. Not until we were in the car on the ride home and we drove through town as they were lighting them off. I suppose we would have stayed if we did not have the baby with us. Last year when we went it was so awesome, because I was pregnant and when it was time for the finale, the baby was kicking me like crazy in the belly. Sometime I miss that.

That is how we spent our holiday weekend! What a perfect three days. Now back to reality...grocery shopping, cleaning, etc. Enjoy your day!!

Recipe for Ben's Fish Wrap
Main: Any type of white fish you prefer, cooked the way you like
Veggies: Diced cucumber, onion, tomato, chopped lettuce and avocado
Dressing: (can try all sorts) oil/vinegar, Italian, or just use a bit of tarter sauce

Wrap it all up and chow down!!

xo

4th of July Hiatus

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday! I will be out of town for the next three days and will not be near a computer. I look forward to spending time with my husband and my son. 

Happy 4th to ya!!

Xo