Three Things Thursday

I thought instead of a typical post, I would talk about three blogs I am loving these days. When I find myself at the computer or on my i pad, I visit the same places almost every time. This morning, I am sitting with my second iced coffee, my son is enjoying some Mickey Mouse and toast and the hubs is off to work. These days my sons nap time has turned in to school time for me as I mentioned previously I am taking two online classes. So early morning or late night will be the only times I have to sit and write about things that interest me. So lets just get into it shall we?

 First blog: Natalie Creates. I cannot express how glad I am to have stumbled upon her site. Everything about her style is exactly what I love. From her adorable little farm house, to her actual farm "Freckled Hen Farm" it is so comforting to sit and scroll through her daily posts, look at her bright and colorful photos, and then wish I had her here to completely re do the inside of my house hahah. She is extremely organized and one thing I think is wonderful (though my hubs would never be into anything like this) is that she and her husband have weekly and monthly meeting together to discuss finances and plans etc. If you check out her pinterest board she has one dedicated to organization, which is something I could really get better at. She does a lot of decorating with simple items she gets at thrift stores. I never seem to find anything when I go to one! Maybe its just that I am not as creative. She owns her own Etsy shop and makes adorable home made items. Coffee cup cozys, head bands, decorative things, etc...On top of that she runs her farm with her hubs and its complete with animals and an amazing garden. The photos she shares of what they harvest are amazing. I would give anything to have land like that and to have a garden and place for all those animals. Right now our chickens will have to do. Trust me, if you are into the same things I talk about...you will love her just as much. She is on instagram and Pinterest. The farm is on facebook. Links are at the bottom. Seriously, take a peek!!

ETSY SHOP

INSTA

PINTEREST

FRECKLED HEN FARM

Second blog: The Chicken Chick  For anyone else who owns and loves their chickens, this is a new blog I came across that is super informative and all around fun to browse. If you want to know anything about the health of your chickens, to why they do certain things they do, how to keep the coop clean easily, fun healthy snack ideas, etc...this blog has all that and more. Take a few minutes and navigate around her site. One of my favorite things she does is Flock Focus Friday where she puts up photos of different chicken breeds. She has a lot of giveaways also. Her DIY projects are amazing. There is just so much going on on her website and if you love chickens like we do then you will find it nothing but interesting. I also follow her on pinterest. She has a lot of social media pages which I will list a few. Grab a big cup of joe and head over for a visit.

FACEBOOK

PINTEREST

TWITTER

INSTA

Third blog: For The Love Of Cooking This is not an actual blog, but she is a "food blogger" and this website is where she posts delicious recipes for those of us that like to cook. I have made a few things from her site. Her recipes are simple and she lists the steps easy to follow. Her photos are bright and close up so you can see how to make the dish. She tends to use a lot of organic ingredients which of course, I love. She has an amazing amount of recipes to choose from and they are organized into categories. So if you need something quick, just jump on and find what you're in the mood for. I hit the Italian link often. It can be overwhelming searching online for a recipe because there are so many wonderful sites out there. But if I can suggest one to make it a little easier...try here first. 

FACEBOOK

TWITTER


There you have it. Three places I enjoy spending my online time. Feel free to check them out and let me know what you think!!

Take care for now!

xo

Happy New Year! I'm back...I think!

The hub bub of 2014 has come to an end, and things are settling down around here. For a few months I just needed a break from writing. To be honest, there wasn't too much going on in that time that I felt was worth a blog post. I have a almost 1.5yr old that takes up the majority of my time and whenever I even thought about sitting down I couldn't. He is everywhere, climbing, "loving" our pets a little too much, getting in to ANYTHING his little hands could pry open, etc. If you have kids, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I felt bad about slipping with my writing, but I'm no fool, I know my blog is not famous and there aren't people waiting for posts. Which then, makes me feel not so bad. But I do appreciate those that take a moment and read once a post is up. So....back to 2015!

This year our family is growing by one! We just found out that its another boy! He will be here around mid May. I cannot believe that it is only 4 months away. I feel like we just found out we were expecting. So now it is time to work on another room and get it baby ready. I wont lie, a huge part of me was hoping for a girl. I would love to have one of each. I think my husband is all set with two kids and I am on the fence because of that little girl I want. But we will see what happens down the road. We also want to buy a house in the next couple years and that is really most important. We love our little home now, but we rent it from my in laws and it is small. Too small for our growing family. Two kids are fine for now! 

Another change this year (which I am probably nuts for attempting right now) is that I am going back to school this semester. I have been in college for more years than I care to admit, but money or work or lack of motivation always stood in my way. I finally decided that I need to make moves in terms of a career. I will be 31 in 2 days and I don't even have my associates. I never qualified for aid so I never could afford school. I finally sat down with someone at the college and was approved for full financial aid....most likely because I am not working and have a child/one on the way. I kinda think that's lame however. It shouldn't be just because I have dependents. That is a whole other discussion, I am grateful to finally be covered and afford to take some classes. I am hopefully working towards the major "Pathways to Teaching" with the goal in mind of teaching reading and writing at a middle school level. That could change, but Id like to stay in the teaching field. I will be taking 2 classes online this semester which starts Jan. 20 and goes right until May. So I have to squeeze out finals right around the time we are having a baby!! I'm determined though...we'll see how it goes.

I am not one for making resolutions for the new year...I feel like a lot of the time its pressure to stick to something and you quit. Many people don't, but its not my thing. It does however get me to reflect on the year prior and think about how I can change certain things or do things differently this year. I wont promise my self anything, but I do think more. I love this quote, its pretty much the way I'm thinking about 2015...Now, it is not meant to be literal, the chances of me swimming in the rain are slim haha, but I want to keep things simple. I love the idea of simple living. Buy a plant and water it...I can do that!!! Invite a friend over for coffee or tea and have a meaningful conversation...I need to do this more often. Come winter I tend to stay cooped up at home because I do not like the cold. Id rather stay in my sweats near the wood stoves. I need to venture out more, see friends and have them here. Adult time is a must. Id like to be more creative. I found this WONDERFUL blog and her style is everything I love. I have used some of her ideas as inspiration in my home, and I would like to do more. I just need to get motivated and do it. Her blog is here : http://natalienoack.blogspot.com/
It is my most favorite spot to visit these days.

 Lastly, LET GO OF WHAT DOESNT MAKE YOU HAPPY. I am not typically an unhappy person. I love to laugh and have fun, but there are a few people in our lives that are more negative than positive. Any time we have conversations with them they always have something or someone to complain about or talk about etc and it is tiring. In my home I put inspirational sayings in frames in each of our rooms, so that we can take a moment and think about the good in our lives. Also should these people ever stop over, they can see that we choose joy...not negativity. I know you cant always be happy, and things occur in life that are not always good...but I try to remember that it could be worse. I've tried to remind my husband of this when he gets stressed about money. We have a home, a healthy child, we have money though it may not be a lot, he has a good job, and family that we can count on. For that we are truly blessed. 

I hope to have a chance to sit and write more. With the nursery project coming I will try and share as it moves a long. I hope everyone had a wonderful end to 2014 and that 2015 brings new and exciting things, positivity, and laughter. 

Happy New Year to you!! 

xo

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.)