My friend is giving away a really cool Egyptology book on her blog. You should go and enter, and while you are there take a look around she has some great posts! You can find the giveaway HERE, and don't forget to tell your friends all about it!
Birbitt thinks books are awesome!
Monday, August 20, 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Knot Genie Review and Giveaway
As you may already know if you've been following the blog for a while, I have a 3 year old with unruly hair. Being a multiracial family our boys have a mix of hair texture. My older two boys prefer short styles which suits me fine, but my little Twiggles he doesn't like the clippers, or scissors near his hair and really it's beautiful and I hate to cut it.
Here is what his hair usually looks like, and it's hard to tell in the picture but he has very fine strands of hair, that have tight kinky curls. He basically has a puff ball of hair on top of his head, and it's very dry.
See that? It's hard to comp and he always cries when I try, and then I feel horrible, and it just makes it all so much worse! I was excited to try the Knot Genie, because I thought it just might be our answer! Now I have never been able to brush or comb my baby's hair when it is dry, I always have to wet it first and usually I just brush it while the conditioner is in. Which is what I did here, but you can see that the brush is sliding easily through his hair.
Want a chance to win your own Knot Genie? Then look no farther, Knot Genie has agreed to give one of my lucky readers their very own Knot Genie in Camo Cloud, just enter in the rafflecopter below. And don't forget to share, share, share! You can get extra entries for sharing daily and for referring a friend!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Here is what his hair usually looks like, and it's hard to tell in the picture but he has very fine strands of hair, that have tight kinky curls. He basically has a puff ball of hair on top of his head, and it's very dry.
It's impossible to tell this from a picture, but I did not have to pull with the Knot Genie, I took a section of hair and gently teased the knots apart. If we met a knot I'd lift the brush up, and start over from the top, and on the second pass the knots would just slide apart almost like magic. That's it, two passes with the Knot Genie and the tangles just fell apart! As you can see in this picture Twiggles's hair is actually quite long if you stretch out all those kinky curls, which we do in the bath so you can see how long it really is. He played happily with his spider man toy in the water while I brushed his hair, and it only took me about 5 minutes to brush all of his hair, which is a huge improvement over the 10-15 minutes I spend with a traditional comb or brush. I have not tried the Knot Genie on his dry hair, but I'm not sure that I'll ever be able to comb his hair dry.
I know it's hard to see here, but this is him after his bath, his hair is already curling back up, but you can see it looks so much better! Twiggles LOVES his Knot Genie because he says "It not hurt, mama, it not hurt mine head!" I even tried the brush on my hair and it worked very well! So whether you have a little girl with long hair, or a little boy with tangly, kinky, curly hair like Twiggles, or anything in between the Knot Genie is the brush for you!
You can purchase your own Knot Genie HERE, in your choice of 9 colors and two sizes! The Genie you see pictured in my photos is the standard size in Camo Cloud. You can read lots of testimonials on their facebook page as well HERE.
Want a chance to win your own Knot Genie? Then look no farther, Knot Genie has agreed to give one of my lucky readers their very own Knot Genie in Camo Cloud, just enter in the rafflecopter below. And don't forget to share, share, share! You can get extra entries for sharing daily and for referring a friend!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Natural cleaners
One thing that I have been asked by many people is what I use to clean with since I'm against chemicals. Well I have several options for you.
My favorite cleaner is made by Young Living and it's called Thieves Household Cleaner. I buy it in a 14.4 ounce concentrate and it lasts me several months of daily cleaning. It is non-toxic, safe for use around children and pets, and I don't have to worry that my toddler will get into it. Plus it smells good, reminds me of cinnamon and oranges. :) If you'd like to get some, please visit me here for more information on that.
Of course I do also have some more readily available options. For glass and all purpose cleaner, plain white vinegar in a spray bottle works great just wipe with newspaper for nice clear glass! Don't like the smell of vinegar? Well then, try soaking orange, lemon, lime, or grapefruit (or any combination of) peels in your glass jar filled with vinegar for a few days to a week, and you'll have lovely citrus scented vinegar.
Want a germ killing cleaner that gives you peace of mind? Try Vodka, yup just the cheap stuff here though. You can even soak the citrus peels in vodka to get a citrus scent in your cleaner. Then just use a spray bottle to spray the counters or floors and wipe.
Need to clean your toilet bowl? That's easy! Pour in some white vinegar, then add baking soda. Let the fizz settle and then just brush and flush. My big boys think this is great fun! Another great toilet cleaner is simple hydrogen peroxide, just pour in 1/2-1 cup and let it set for 5-10 minutes then brush and flush.
Cleaning carpets more your need, well then just add plain vinegar to your machine or add in a few drops of essential oil for scent. Clean as usual and watch as your carpets are restored to their lovely color in no time at all! The vinegar scent can be overwhelming, but with open windows it's not an issue and once the carpet is dry there's no smell left.
What about room fresheners, those are easy too. Just pick yourself up a few travel size spritzer bottles, though glass is best plastic will work in a pinch. Just put a few drops of essential oil (I use Young Living exclusively because I know it's safe and high quality) into a couple ounces of purified water. Carpet freshener, same thing only instead of water I use baking soda in a shaker canister with a few drops of essential oil. Let it set for 5 minutes or so and then vacuum up as you usually would.
Something gooey stuck on your counter? Use baking soda and warm water to create an abrasive paste to help loosen the mess and then just wipe it away with a towel or sponge.
Speaking of those sponges, how do I keep them fresh and clean? Well, when I'm done with them I rinse thoroughly, and then soak it in bit of vinegar, wring it out and let it dry. Smells clean every time I use it!
Of course there are MANY great chemical free, green cleaners out on the market and I've used some of them and still do use some of them, but I wanted this to be a way to clean on the cheap. I will be discussing some of those other cleaners another time, but for now I'll just recap with a list of common household things that can be used for cleaners.
Vinegar - all purpose including glass (soak citrus peels in the vinegar for a more citrus-y, less overpowering scent), also works great in mop water!
Baking Soda - Combined with vinegar makes a great toilet cleaner, as well as disposal cleaner, and drain un-clogger. Also works great as an abrasive for those sticky messes. Good carpet deodorizer as well.
Vodka - all purpose cleaner, and disinfectant. Can soak citrus in this as well to give a more desirable aroma.
Spray bottles, large and small
Labels or Permanent Marker
Essential Oils for scent
Birbitt thinks that green cleaning can be cheap and easy. The cabinet under my sink has never been cleaner or less cluttered!
My favorite cleaner is made by Young Living and it's called Thieves Household Cleaner. I buy it in a 14.4 ounce concentrate and it lasts me several months of daily cleaning. It is non-toxic, safe for use around children and pets, and I don't have to worry that my toddler will get into it. Plus it smells good, reminds me of cinnamon and oranges. :) If you'd like to get some, please visit me here for more information on that.
Of course I do also have some more readily available options. For glass and all purpose cleaner, plain white vinegar in a spray bottle works great just wipe with newspaper for nice clear glass! Don't like the smell of vinegar? Well then, try soaking orange, lemon, lime, or grapefruit (or any combination of) peels in your glass jar filled with vinegar for a few days to a week, and you'll have lovely citrus scented vinegar.
Want a germ killing cleaner that gives you peace of mind? Try Vodka, yup just the cheap stuff here though. You can even soak the citrus peels in vodka to get a citrus scent in your cleaner. Then just use a spray bottle to spray the counters or floors and wipe.
Need to clean your toilet bowl? That's easy! Pour in some white vinegar, then add baking soda. Let the fizz settle and then just brush and flush. My big boys think this is great fun! Another great toilet cleaner is simple hydrogen peroxide, just pour in 1/2-1 cup and let it set for 5-10 minutes then brush and flush.
Cleaning carpets more your need, well then just add plain vinegar to your machine or add in a few drops of essential oil for scent. Clean as usual and watch as your carpets are restored to their lovely color in no time at all! The vinegar scent can be overwhelming, but with open windows it's not an issue and once the carpet is dry there's no smell left.
What about room fresheners, those are easy too. Just pick yourself up a few travel size spritzer bottles, though glass is best plastic will work in a pinch. Just put a few drops of essential oil (I use Young Living exclusively because I know it's safe and high quality) into a couple ounces of purified water. Carpet freshener, same thing only instead of water I use baking soda in a shaker canister with a few drops of essential oil. Let it set for 5 minutes or so and then vacuum up as you usually would.
Something gooey stuck on your counter? Use baking soda and warm water to create an abrasive paste to help loosen the mess and then just wipe it away with a towel or sponge.
Speaking of those sponges, how do I keep them fresh and clean? Well, when I'm done with them I rinse thoroughly, and then soak it in bit of vinegar, wring it out and let it dry. Smells clean every time I use it!
Of course there are MANY great chemical free, green cleaners out on the market and I've used some of them and still do use some of them, but I wanted this to be a way to clean on the cheap. I will be discussing some of those other cleaners another time, but for now I'll just recap with a list of common household things that can be used for cleaners.
Vinegar - all purpose including glass (soak citrus peels in the vinegar for a more citrus-y, less overpowering scent), also works great in mop water!
Baking Soda - Combined with vinegar makes a great toilet cleaner, as well as disposal cleaner, and drain un-clogger. Also works great as an abrasive for those sticky messes. Good carpet deodorizer as well.
Vodka - all purpose cleaner, and disinfectant. Can soak citrus in this as well to give a more desirable aroma.
Spray bottles, large and small
Labels or Permanent Marker
Essential Oils for scent
Birbitt thinks that green cleaning can be cheap and easy. The cabinet under my sink has never been cleaner or less cluttered!
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Copy-Kids Review
One of my biggest challenges in making the choice to live healthier and eat better was getting my 3 year old on board with the eating of vegetables! He loves fruit, but veggies are a chore and often he leaves them on his plate.
I was at my wits end mama's, I just didn't know how to get my toddler to eat his veggies! I have tried disguising veggies which works sometimes, smothering them in cheese or other sauce which doesn't work since he licks off the sauce, we've tried playing airplane or cheering for the veggies, I've done veggie dances, made up veggie songs, and even tried making him eat the veggies before I serve the rest of the meal. Nothing has worked, I mean if it's carrots no problem he'll eat them, he loves celery with peanut butter, and he'll eat organic corn if I serve it but if I offer him a green vegetable "it's yuck".
Enter Copy-Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables! I was given a review copy of this DVD, and now even three days after watching the video my son happily gobbles up his veggies and all I have to say is "can you eat your veggies like copy-kids?" I then get a cheerful head nod, and enthusiastic "YES!" I am so happy that my little boy is getting his veggies now! He even came over while I was preparing our broccoli and stole 3 raw pieces right off my cutting board! Last night he ate tomatoes which he has previously resisted in any form but sauce! Not only did he eat those tomatoes and green beans on his plate, but he ate them FIRST before any other food!
Copy-Kids is a new company launched in January 2012, with the release of their first DVD Copy-Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables. The company operates on the premise that children learn best from other children. There are additional DVD's planned for other desirable behaviors like exercise, and tooth brushing, the series is designed for children from 6 months to 5 years. The DVD itself is very simple, you choose one of 12 chapters (foods) that you'd like your child to eat. Then your child will see several different children on the screen each with a plate of the chosen food, some children will be eating the food whole, others will have slices or chopped veggies, some are eating it raw others cooked, a whole variety of ways! Each chapter is only 6-8 minutes long which is perfect for a toddler sized attention span.
Based on my experience with this DVD, children really do learn best from other children, especially children who are similar to their own age! This DVD priced at 19.95 is truly a wonderful investment in the health of your child, because what could be better than a child who happily munches on his or her veggies?
We here in our family give Copy-Kids 5 stars! It's simple, and cute, and I for one am a fan of anything that gets kiddos to eat their veggies! You can purchase the DVD here, and read more about Copy-Kids here, you may also visit them on Facebook. I am sure your child will love it, and you will too!
Birbitt Thinks that fruits and vegetables are a good thing, and ANYTHING that gets children to eat those veggies is a huge plus in my book!
I was provided a free copy of Copy Kids eat Fruits and Vegetables in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are strictly my own.
I was at my wits end mama's, I just didn't know how to get my toddler to eat his veggies! I have tried disguising veggies which works sometimes, smothering them in cheese or other sauce which doesn't work since he licks off the sauce, we've tried playing airplane or cheering for the veggies, I've done veggie dances, made up veggie songs, and even tried making him eat the veggies before I serve the rest of the meal. Nothing has worked, I mean if it's carrots no problem he'll eat them, he loves celery with peanut butter, and he'll eat organic corn if I serve it but if I offer him a green vegetable "it's yuck".
Enter Copy-Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables! I was given a review copy of this DVD, and now even three days after watching the video my son happily gobbles up his veggies and all I have to say is "can you eat your veggies like copy-kids?" I then get a cheerful head nod, and enthusiastic "YES!" I am so happy that my little boy is getting his veggies now! He even came over while I was preparing our broccoli and stole 3 raw pieces right off my cutting board! Last night he ate tomatoes which he has previously resisted in any form but sauce! Not only did he eat those tomatoes and green beans on his plate, but he ate them FIRST before any other food!
Copy-Kids is a new company launched in January 2012, with the release of their first DVD Copy-Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables. The company operates on the premise that children learn best from other children. There are additional DVD's planned for other desirable behaviors like exercise, and tooth brushing, the series is designed for children from 6 months to 5 years. The DVD itself is very simple, you choose one of 12 chapters (foods) that you'd like your child to eat. Then your child will see several different children on the screen each with a plate of the chosen food, some children will be eating the food whole, others will have slices or chopped veggies, some are eating it raw others cooked, a whole variety of ways! Each chapter is only 6-8 minutes long which is perfect for a toddler sized attention span.
Based on my experience with this DVD, children really do learn best from other children, especially children who are similar to their own age! This DVD priced at 19.95 is truly a wonderful investment in the health of your child, because what could be better than a child who happily munches on his or her veggies?
We here in our family give Copy-Kids 5 stars! It's simple, and cute, and I for one am a fan of anything that gets kiddos to eat their veggies! You can purchase the DVD here, and read more about Copy-Kids here, you may also visit them on Facebook. I am sure your child will love it, and you will too!
Birbitt Thinks that fruits and vegetables are a good thing, and ANYTHING that gets children to eat those veggies is a huge plus in my book!
I was provided a free copy of Copy Kids eat Fruits and Vegetables in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are strictly my own.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Sugar? Yes, Peas!
That's right, today we talk about snacks! Just because you are eating healthy, doesn't mean you can't have snacks! No we don't buy potato chips, and candy bars, and cheese crackers, and artificially flavored foods. We do, however buy lots of easy snack foods.
I do still buy crackers, but I look for natural or organic varieties and look for fairly plain crackers that we "dress" up. I also buy lots of fresh fruits and I look for fruit that is small and easy to grab quickly such as small apples, the mini oranges, plums, grapes, berries, bananas, and small peaches. Of course many veggies make great snack foods too like carrots, celery (with peanut butter), grape or pear tomatoes, sugar snap peas, green beans, and packages of pre cut broccoli florets. I do buy these things organic if at all possible and I aim for local produce as well.
We also snack on raisins, dried peaches, dried cantaloupe, dates, air popped popcorn with coconut oil, and sometimes we even snack on natural cereals as a quick on our way out the door kind of snack. I make muffins from time to time, or serve the kiddos yogurt and granola or fruit, we also do peanut butter and fruit preserves for snacks.
I have growing boys and so they do need lots of nutrients, they get most of their needs met at meal times but they do get a portion of their needs met by snacks. To me that means they need to have filling and nutritious snacks, not junk. So yes, we do get sugar in our daily diets but our sugars come from fruits and vegetables. When you are not eating candy bars, ice cream, and other sugary snacks it is amazing how sweet a carrot it, often I find apples to be too sweet to eat alone and I have to pair them with peanut butter! Sugar snap peas are named that for a reason, because they do contain a lot of natural sugars!
The best part is that I really don't have to worry about portion sizes anymore! I just bring the foods home, wash them in the sink, and then put them right into the fridge. When my boys are hungry they just go and grab some fruit, or veggies. The foods are healthy, and our meals are healthy and filling, so the boys don't tend to over eat and I don't need to monitor quite so closely what they are snacking on.
Birbitt Thinks that fruits and veggies are so much healthier and more convenient. Give it a try!
I do still buy crackers, but I look for natural or organic varieties and look for fairly plain crackers that we "dress" up. I also buy lots of fresh fruits and I look for fruit that is small and easy to grab quickly such as small apples, the mini oranges, plums, grapes, berries, bananas, and small peaches. Of course many veggies make great snack foods too like carrots, celery (with peanut butter), grape or pear tomatoes, sugar snap peas, green beans, and packages of pre cut broccoli florets. I do buy these things organic if at all possible and I aim for local produce as well.
We also snack on raisins, dried peaches, dried cantaloupe, dates, air popped popcorn with coconut oil, and sometimes we even snack on natural cereals as a quick on our way out the door kind of snack. I make muffins from time to time, or serve the kiddos yogurt and granola or fruit, we also do peanut butter and fruit preserves for snacks.
I have growing boys and so they do need lots of nutrients, they get most of their needs met at meal times but they do get a portion of their needs met by snacks. To me that means they need to have filling and nutritious snacks, not junk. So yes, we do get sugar in our daily diets but our sugars come from fruits and vegetables. When you are not eating candy bars, ice cream, and other sugary snacks it is amazing how sweet a carrot it, often I find apples to be too sweet to eat alone and I have to pair them with peanut butter! Sugar snap peas are named that for a reason, because they do contain a lot of natural sugars!
The best part is that I really don't have to worry about portion sizes anymore! I just bring the foods home, wash them in the sink, and then put them right into the fridge. When my boys are hungry they just go and grab some fruit, or veggies. The foods are healthy, and our meals are healthy and filling, so the boys don't tend to over eat and I don't need to monitor quite so closely what they are snacking on.
Birbitt Thinks that fruits and veggies are so much healthier and more convenient. Give it a try!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
A Laundry Review & Giveaway: Naturally Active Pure Oxygen Whitener
I am a mother of boys, three of them, and boys get dirty and get stains on their clothes. Sometimes I even get stains on my clothes from my children. It used to be that this wasn't an issue for me, I'd just spray some sort of stain remover on and then wash my clothes. Well, now that we are taking the chemicals out of our home, those sorts of stain removers are no longer in my supply cabinet.
That is where today's review comes in! See I have a really cute skirt than I love to wear, and it's a very light shade of khaki, really it's just barely darker than an eggshell type color. The last time I wore it my toddler wrapped his hands around me and got a nice yellow mustard stain on the back of the skirt. I didn't know about the mustard until after I took the skirt out of the dryer, and by then it's usually too late to remove a stain. I tried several tricks and nothing worked.
Then my Healthy Child Healthy World party kit arrived, and inside were some products for me to try, and to give away to my party guests. The first item I decided to try was the Naturally Active Pure Oxygen Whitener by ecoSTOREusa. I took out that lovely skirt with the bright yellow mustard stain, and applied a paste made from the Naturally Active Pure Oxygen Whitener and plain water. I rubbed it into the stain let it set a minute, and then rinsed it away.
This is where things get weird, at least to me, the yellow stain turned a sort of rust red color and I thought oh great I just made it worse (not that the skirt was wearable at all at this point). So I tossed it up over the shower bar to dry and figured I'd try something else later. When I went back to take it down after it had dried the stain, both yellow and rust red, was GONE! That's right GONE! A set in, two week old, yellow mustard stain was gone and I could once again wear my lovely skirt.
We believe in the realities of today and the possibilities of tomorrow.
Ecostoreusa is an extension of EcoStore New Zealand and all ecostoreusa products are made at their Michigan manufacturing facility. They are committed to providing Earth friendly products, that are made from plant based ingredients.
What I love:
Obviously I love that there aren't any yucky chemicals in the product, but beyond that I love that the product works exactly as it is intended to! I also like the price tag! A 35.3oz (1Kg) canister of Naturally Active Pure Oxygen Whitener will only cost you $7.85 with free shipping if you spend 25.00 or more in their store! ecoSTOREusa carries a variety of products for your home, bath and body, hair, baby, and pets all with the same No nasty* chemical guarantee!
Go ahead and check them out today! You can check out their website here, their facebook page here, and follow them on twitter here.
I have good news, ecostoreusa has offered my readers the chance to win their very own canister of Naturally Active Pure Oxygen Whitener. You may enter using the simple rafflecopter form below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclaimer: I was provided with the product for free as part of my healthy child healthy world party kit, I was not required to write a positive review (or any review for that matter), and all opinions expressed within are my own.
That is where today's review comes in! See I have a really cute skirt than I love to wear, and it's a very light shade of khaki, really it's just barely darker than an eggshell type color. The last time I wore it my toddler wrapped his hands around me and got a nice yellow mustard stain on the back of the skirt. I didn't know about the mustard until after I took the skirt out of the dryer, and by then it's usually too late to remove a stain. I tried several tricks and nothing worked.
Then my Healthy Child Healthy World party kit arrived, and inside were some products for me to try, and to give away to my party guests. The first item I decided to try was the Naturally Active Pure Oxygen Whitener by ecoSTOREusa. I took out that lovely skirt with the bright yellow mustard stain, and applied a paste made from the Naturally Active Pure Oxygen Whitener and plain water. I rubbed it into the stain let it set a minute, and then rinsed it away.
This is where things get weird, at least to me, the yellow stain turned a sort of rust red color and I thought oh great I just made it worse (not that the skirt was wearable at all at this point). So I tossed it up over the shower bar to dry and figured I'd try something else later. When I went back to take it down after it had dried the stain, both yellow and rust red, was GONE! That's right GONE! A set in, two week old, yellow mustard stain was gone and I could once again wear my lovely skirt.
About the Product:
That red bar at the bottom of the package there reads "No nasty* chemicals" and if you read the back of the package it says "NO toxic petrochemicals, NO phosphates, NO nitrates, NO chlorine, NO EDTA, NO obtical whiteners, NO dyes or synthetic perfumes."
This is from the Company's What We Stand For page:
- We are Accessible: Success comes from sharing our expertise and experience.
- We are Human: We are welcoming and care about all of our customers.
- We are Open: Transparent details, complete disclosure of our product ingredients.
- We are Encouraging: We believe in educating, interacting and communicating.
- Safe and healthier for you and your family (and even your pets)
- Effective (perform as well as, and sometimes better than, the “leading” brands)
- Cost effective (value for the dollar)
- Committed to helping people make healthier lifestyle choices
- Dedicated to helping you reduce unnecessary and potentially harmful chemicals in your life
- Determined to not only offer healthier, safer products, but to educating the world on eco-friendly products that contribute to healthy lifestyles and the sustainability of our planet and its fragile resources.
Ecostoreusa is an extension of EcoStore New Zealand and all ecostoreusa products are made at their Michigan manufacturing facility. They are committed to providing Earth friendly products, that are made from plant based ingredients.
What I love:
Obviously I love that there aren't any yucky chemicals in the product, but beyond that I love that the product works exactly as it is intended to! I also like the price tag! A 35.3oz (1Kg) canister of Naturally Active Pure Oxygen Whitener will only cost you $7.85 with free shipping if you spend 25.00 or more in their store! ecoSTOREusa carries a variety of products for your home, bath and body, hair, baby, and pets all with the same No nasty* chemical guarantee!
Go ahead and check them out today! You can check out their website here, their facebook page here, and follow them on twitter here.
I have good news, ecostoreusa has offered my readers the chance to win their very own canister of Naturally Active Pure Oxygen Whitener. You may enter using the simple rafflecopter form below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclaimer: I was provided with the product for free as part of my healthy child healthy world party kit, I was not required to write a positive review (or any review for that matter), and all opinions expressed within are my own.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Let's talk Toddlers!
I'd like to break for a moment, and talk about toddlers:
You know those wonderfully active, getting into everything, following you around the house all day insisting you read to me or play with me, always hungry, I'll do it by myself, don't leave me, sometimes napping, mostly potty trained, always talking, never still, cute little innocent faced toddlers. Like this one:
Let me tell you about this toddler of mine...
He's cute, and funny, and smart, and silly, and cute, and sassy, and energy filled, and creative, and he's so much work, but you know what? He's worth every single minute of it! This crazy toddler of mine, he makes me laugh, smile, and cry, he makes me chase him when I'm tired, he snuggles with me when he's tired, he makes me laugh hysterically when something is funny, and he melts my heart with four simple words "I'm Wuv You Mama"! He asks for kisses and hugs, he always wants "UP", can do it all by himself thank-you-very-much, unless it involves eating and then "I'm need help", he loves things all in a row neat and orderly, and he doesn't like his vegetables!
My wonderful toddler wakes up in the morning, and tip toes out to the kitchen where he climbs into the cabinet for the peanut butter, digs in the drawer for a spoon, and then sits on the floor happily munching peanut butter from the jar! He quietly opens the fridge, gets himself an apple, and quietly quells his early morning hunger and thirst. He knows what will wake his dear mama, and he knows that if mama is awake he'll have to eat a proper breakfast, so he's quiet as a mouse until his tummy is full and then he loudly rushes into my bedroom and proclaims "NEED Baby First".
This toddler of mine, pushes every boundary I have set for him, pulls on every string of his Daddy and Mine hearts, wears down every thread of our patience, brings humor into everyday things, and tests every limit known to him, he challenges himself each day, and needs constant reminding of just how he's supposed to behave...and you know what???
You know those wonderfully active, getting into everything, following you around the house all day insisting you read to me or play with me, always hungry, I'll do it by myself, don't leave me, sometimes napping, mostly potty trained, always talking, never still, cute little innocent faced toddlers. Like this one:
Let me tell you about this toddler of mine...
He's cute, and funny, and smart, and silly, and cute, and sassy, and energy filled, and creative, and he's so much work, but you know what? He's worth every single minute of it! This crazy toddler of mine, he makes me laugh, smile, and cry, he makes me chase him when I'm tired, he snuggles with me when he's tired, he makes me laugh hysterically when something is funny, and he melts my heart with four simple words "I'm Wuv You Mama"! He asks for kisses and hugs, he always wants "UP", can do it all by himself thank-you-very-much, unless it involves eating and then "I'm need help", he loves things all in a row neat and orderly, and he doesn't like his vegetables!
My wonderful toddler wakes up in the morning, and tip toes out to the kitchen where he climbs into the cabinet for the peanut butter, digs in the drawer for a spoon, and then sits on the floor happily munching peanut butter from the jar! He quietly opens the fridge, gets himself an apple, and quietly quells his early morning hunger and thirst. He knows what will wake his dear mama, and he knows that if mama is awake he'll have to eat a proper breakfast, so he's quiet as a mouse until his tummy is full and then he loudly rushes into my bedroom and proclaims "NEED Baby First".
This toddler of mine, pushes every boundary I have set for him, pulls on every string of his Daddy and Mine hearts, wears down every thread of our patience, brings humor into everyday things, and tests every limit known to him, he challenges himself each day, and needs constant reminding of just how he's supposed to behave...and you know what???
I LOVE HIM!
Not only do I love him, but I love every minute of my crazy days with him and I thank God that I have 3 wonderful, healthy, handsome, and down right zany children! I am blessed beyond measure, and thankful that the Lord felt me worthy to raise these three boys! I always thought I wanted a girl, but now I KNOW that I was meant to parent boys!
Tell me, what do you love about your toddler? If you don't have a toddler, tell me what you loved about your child when he/she WAS a toddler. If you don't have children, tell me what you love about someone else's toddler! I wanna hear it all, the good, the better, and the best...that's right there's no bad here, so lay it all out for us!
Birbitt thinks...TODDLERS ARE WONDERFUL! :)
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Review: The American Patriot's Bible
I recently had the opportunity to review The American Patriot's Bible King James Version, and I really like it. It is not your everyday take it to church with you Bible, but rather a very nice shelf bible for home use and reference.
The first pages are for recording marriages, deaths, births, military service and the like - similar to the very large family Bibles that used to be given to every newly married couple. Next it goes through the Seven Principles of the Judeo-Christian Ethic, the very principles that our nation was founded on. Now this Bible does not insist that our founding fathers were Christians, only that they used Judeo-Christian principles. The focus of this Bible is to shed light on how the Bible helped to shape our nation.
There are articles throughout the Bible that show how many of our famous people and events where shaped by the Bible, or explain why our constitution is worded as it is, or to explain some important piece of U.S. History. There are also small tidbits at the bottom of some pages that either provide a famous quote, or comparison, or shed light on a particular concept or word.
In addition The American Patriot's Bible also contains 12 four-page color insert sections that cover such topics as: The Bible and American Presidents, Faith of the Founders, The American Revolution, The Bible and American Education, Christianity and the American Frontier, and seven other topics as they relate both to our nation and the Bible. The purpose of The American Patriot's Bible is not to convince anyone that we are living in a Christian nation, or to rewrite history, or change the Bible in any way. This Bible is simple meant to shed some light on the foundation of our country, give a glimpse into the lives of some truly great men and women, and to provide insight into how the Biblical principals of our founding fathers shaped not only our country but a great many people within our country. Truly it is a lovely book and I am grateful to have it on my shelves!
I recommend this book to every one who loves both God and The United States. It is simply a wonderful Bible full of information, quotes, and tidbits that bring you great feelings for both God and the U.S. It is a charming book, and it brings something to the table that I've not seen before, it brings together Christianity and Country into one book and for me it's simply priceless.
I was provided a copy of The American Patriot's Bble from BookSneeze in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions within this review are strictly my own.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Breakfast in a hurry
I used to think that breakfast cereal made a good meal for the boys to start their day. And you know what, if you choose the right cereals, and serve it with fruit and toast sure it does make an adequate breakfast. Now, when I need a fast breakfast for the boys I get out our trusty Ninja Kitchen blender, take some fruit out of the freezer, grab some leafy greens from the crisper drawer, and some almond milk, water or fruit juice (depending on the flavor I'm making).
I purchase my organic frozen fruit already in perfect sizes for smoothies, with the exception of bananas which I purchase fresh and whole, and then freeze whole (after peeling). If I get a good deal on leafy greens I will often buy them in bulk, and then chop and freeze and just use a handful in our smoothies. These smoothies are not only filling, but the sweetness of the fruit covers well the flavor of the greens.
Some of our favorite combinations are:
Blueberry, Banana, and Spinach with apple juice
Pineapple, Banana, Celery and Orange Juice
Raspberries, Strawberries, Kale, and Fresh grapes
Frozen Grapes, Fresh Apples, Spinach, and water
Frozen berries, Spinach, and Almond milk
Mango, Pineapple, Banana, Kale and Orange Juice
Sometimes instead of desert I will mix up some frozen bananas, raspberries, and almond milk or yogurt and call it soft serve ice cream!
Forgive me for not having measurements handy, I don't measure I just go by proportion in my blender. I use about 1/2 fruit 1/4 greens and 1/4 juice or milk. For the "ice cream" I use 2/3 fruit and 1/3 milk or yogurt.
Birbitt thinks that ice cream can be healthy and simple.
I purchase my organic frozen fruit already in perfect sizes for smoothies, with the exception of bananas which I purchase fresh and whole, and then freeze whole (after peeling). If I get a good deal on leafy greens I will often buy them in bulk, and then chop and freeze and just use a handful in our smoothies. These smoothies are not only filling, but the sweetness of the fruit covers well the flavor of the greens.
Some of our favorite combinations are:
Blueberry, Banana, and Spinach with apple juice
Pineapple, Banana, Celery and Orange Juice
Raspberries, Strawberries, Kale, and Fresh grapes
Frozen Grapes, Fresh Apples, Spinach, and water
Frozen berries, Spinach, and Almond milk
Mango, Pineapple, Banana, Kale and Orange Juice
Sometimes instead of desert I will mix up some frozen bananas, raspberries, and almond milk or yogurt and call it soft serve ice cream!
Forgive me for not having measurements handy, I don't measure I just go by proportion in my blender. I use about 1/2 fruit 1/4 greens and 1/4 juice or milk. For the "ice cream" I use 2/3 fruit and 1/3 milk or yogurt.
Birbitt thinks that ice cream can be healthy and simple.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
More about Juice
Yesterday I talked about our changes involving drinks. Today I want to tell you a bit more about our juice changes. For us it wasn't just about eliminating sugar, or watching our weight or even choosing organic when possible, but I also wanted to know that the juice I was giving my children really contained all the goodness of the fruits.
Since I do not own a juice extractor I do not make too many of my own juices. I do have a high powered blender, and I can make sort of juices in that, but the nice smooth truly liquid quality of juice I just can not do. So when I buy juice I read labels carefully, I look for juices that are refrigerated, pasteurized as little as possible, and that are pure fruit juice with no added ingredients, I also prefer organic juices, but often those are only shelved juice.
Sometimes I do need to buy shelf juice, and in that case I always choose organic juices, and again look for juice that has no added ingredients, and has been messed with as little as possible. This means that for apple juice I purchase unfiltered apple juice which is cloudy, but delicious.
Would I love to own a juice extractor? YES! I would, but right now that is not in the family budget and so I will need to be satisfied with purchasing juice from the grocery store.
Why all this talk about unfiltered, organic, unpasteurized (or lightly pasteurized), and no added ingredients? Well the no added ingredients is a no-brainer I only want the fruit juice no sugar, or corn syrup, or any other substance that doesn't occur naturally IN the fruit. Organic is another no-brainer, I don't want chemical fertilizers, or pesticides leeching into my juice and I certainly do not want any Genetically Modified (GMO) fruits in my juice. Now the others are a little more tricky, I mean sure pasteurizing my juice won't hurt me, but it will destroy some of the nutrients in my juice and it will affect the taste of my juice and certainly by destroying nutrients the juice will no longer have the full nutrition of the fruit it was juiced from. Unfiltered? Same thing, it won't hurt me, but it won't help either. When you filter juice you are removing the bits of fruit that remain in the juice, which means that you have taken away nutrients and fiber, again if I'm going to consider my juice a food shouldn't it be complete?
Birbitt thinks real juice is so much tastier than processed juice, and a juice extractor is for sure on my wish list!
Since I do not own a juice extractor I do not make too many of my own juices. I do have a high powered blender, and I can make sort of juices in that, but the nice smooth truly liquid quality of juice I just can not do. So when I buy juice I read labels carefully, I look for juices that are refrigerated, pasteurized as little as possible, and that are pure fruit juice with no added ingredients, I also prefer organic juices, but often those are only shelved juice.
Sometimes I do need to buy shelf juice, and in that case I always choose organic juices, and again look for juice that has no added ingredients, and has been messed with as little as possible. This means that for apple juice I purchase unfiltered apple juice which is cloudy, but delicious.
Would I love to own a juice extractor? YES! I would, but right now that is not in the family budget and so I will need to be satisfied with purchasing juice from the grocery store.
Why all this talk about unfiltered, organic, unpasteurized (or lightly pasteurized), and no added ingredients? Well the no added ingredients is a no-brainer I only want the fruit juice no sugar, or corn syrup, or any other substance that doesn't occur naturally IN the fruit. Organic is another no-brainer, I don't want chemical fertilizers, or pesticides leeching into my juice and I certainly do not want any Genetically Modified (GMO) fruits in my juice. Now the others are a little more tricky, I mean sure pasteurizing my juice won't hurt me, but it will destroy some of the nutrients in my juice and it will affect the taste of my juice and certainly by destroying nutrients the juice will no longer have the full nutrition of the fruit it was juiced from. Unfiltered? Same thing, it won't hurt me, but it won't help either. When you filter juice you are removing the bits of fruit that remain in the juice, which means that you have taken away nutrients and fiber, again if I'm going to consider my juice a food shouldn't it be complete?
Birbitt thinks real juice is so much tastier than processed juice, and a juice extractor is for sure on my wish list!
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Changing our thinking about drinks
As we started to research, and read, and discover information we realized that our drinks such as milk and juice and *gasp* kool-aid really weren't drinks at all. They are food, in liquid form and if we wanted to be healthy we need to see our drinks as food. So we made a new rule, that water was the only beverage we would drink unless it was a meal or snack time and then we could choose to have something else as part of the meal.
Of course some of our beverages are no longer a regular option. Soda, Kool-aid, and other sugary drinks aren't offered except on rare special occasions and even then we look for a healthier option. Sodas now are either sparkling mineral water with flavored stevia added in, or a soda such as Hansen's that is made with pure cane sugar instead of processed white sugar or artificial sweeteners. Our sweetener of choice is now Stevia, and our go to beverages are iced tea, lemonade, and natural fruit juices.
We have also changed our stance on milk. I used to believe that milk was a necessary thing for a young child to grow and develop as they should, of course I now know that is not exactly true. I will not bore you with all the reasons we should not drink milk, but I will give you one thing to think about. If breastmilk is considered the perfect food for human babies, would it not follow that cow's milk is the perfect food for cow babies? Then why would we a) take the milk away from the cow babies (google the dairy industry, what you learn my shock you) and b) give cow food to our human children?
Now since my children have been accustomed to receiving cow milk with their dinner, and Twiggles is accustomed to a drink of milk before bed I could not take away the milk without replacing it with something. That something is Almond milk, Coconut milk, Oat milk, Rice milk, Sunflower milk, Hazelnut milk, and sometimes soy milk (though I must admit soy sometimes scares me and I personally can't drink it). These drinks are FOOD! They provide nourishment, and vitamins and minerals.
Remembering this helps me to keep my food intake in check. I remind myself that if I have a glass of juice, I won't be thirsty but I will probably still be hungry so I will instead drink water with a few drops of Young Living essential oil added in to flavor and give added benefits, and have a light snack such as a piece of fruit or a handful of raw veggies.
So our everyday drink is now water. With meals we may have tea, lemonade, juice, or non-dairy milk, and snacks may come with water or juice or milk depending on what is offered. I have noticed a big difference in my children this way, they aren't quite so hyper and crazy, they sleep better, and little Twiggles he is actually eating meals!
Birbitt thinks that what seems like a small change really can have big effects!
Of course some of our beverages are no longer a regular option. Soda, Kool-aid, and other sugary drinks aren't offered except on rare special occasions and even then we look for a healthier option. Sodas now are either sparkling mineral water with flavored stevia added in, or a soda such as Hansen's that is made with pure cane sugar instead of processed white sugar or artificial sweeteners. Our sweetener of choice is now Stevia, and our go to beverages are iced tea, lemonade, and natural fruit juices.
We have also changed our stance on milk. I used to believe that milk was a necessary thing for a young child to grow and develop as they should, of course I now know that is not exactly true. I will not bore you with all the reasons we should not drink milk, but I will give you one thing to think about. If breastmilk is considered the perfect food for human babies, would it not follow that cow's milk is the perfect food for cow babies? Then why would we a) take the milk away from the cow babies (google the dairy industry, what you learn my shock you) and b) give cow food to our human children?
Now since my children have been accustomed to receiving cow milk with their dinner, and Twiggles is accustomed to a drink of milk before bed I could not take away the milk without replacing it with something. That something is Almond milk, Coconut milk, Oat milk, Rice milk, Sunflower milk, Hazelnut milk, and sometimes soy milk (though I must admit soy sometimes scares me and I personally can't drink it). These drinks are FOOD! They provide nourishment, and vitamins and minerals.
Remembering this helps me to keep my food intake in check. I remind myself that if I have a glass of juice, I won't be thirsty but I will probably still be hungry so I will instead drink water with a few drops of Young Living essential oil added in to flavor and give added benefits, and have a light snack such as a piece of fruit or a handful of raw veggies.
So our everyday drink is now water. With meals we may have tea, lemonade, juice, or non-dairy milk, and snacks may come with water or juice or milk depending on what is offered. I have noticed a big difference in my children this way, they aren't quite so hyper and crazy, they sleep better, and little Twiggles he is actually eating meals!
Birbitt thinks that what seems like a small change really can have big effects!
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