tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8162943232352269372011-07-08T08:52:05.342-06:00Finding ways to afford a healthy lifestyle while raising<br> and homeschooling our four little women.~Dawnnoreply@blogger.comBlogger761100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-20571841888500473832009-06-24T08:52:00.003-06:002009-06-24T09:43:59.359-06:00

Remember during the presidential campaign the slogan, "no taxes for people making under 250K?"With the new health plans being discussed in Congress, there is talk of taxing YOU on your private insurance plan provided by your employer. Previously, health benefits are non-taxable, however with the new plan it would be subject to your tax bracket.For instance, we contribute $164.58 every two weeks

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-88327992490741395892009-04-28T09:54:00.003-06:002009-04-28T10:13:38.755-06:00

When we signed up to earn hotel rewards with Choice Hotels, we really thought we were entering into a good program. In addition for the month of April, if you stay two nights you earn a free night.Ah, but if only it was that simple! For instance, we stayed one night in Henderson, NV. We earned 790 points for a hotel stay costing 79.99. The second night we were in Anaheim California. We

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-48481886894993594472009-03-24T11:43:00.003-06:002009-03-24T11:46:08.424-06:00

When the Obama and Hillary posters first arrived on the scene, I couldn't figure out why they evoked such a feeling of dread within. I knew SOMETHING was wrong, but what?I figured it out after the election:"Shepard Fairey, known best for his ObeyGiant poster, recently came out with a Che Guevara/Lenin-style poster of Sen. Barack Obama."Want to see how stunning the resemblances are? GO HEREHmm..

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-34416259857657852342009-01-07T13:30:00.004-07:002009-01-07T16:01:52.176-07:00

I don't usually do tags from other blogs...because it takes time I'm not always willing to give. But Kimberly tagged me to post my 6th picture from the 6th folder in MY PICTURES. This was tough because I have two computers, one with two hard drives...so 3 pictures to be posted.My Desktop Computer.Here's the first from my C: drive. The 6th folder in explorer view is my graphics folder, but

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-3148029522351417672009-01-06T21:47:00.009-07:002009-01-07T15:54:27.297-07:00

This is a recipe my girls love!  It's a great one to make a big batch of, then put it individual servings in the freezer.  For a moist bar, add milk (or Almond/Rice drink).  If you're feeling really creative, add 1/4 cup of pumpkin or butternut squash puree.

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-79830788026415719492009-01-06T21:16:00.007-07:002009-01-07T15:41:59.984-07:00

Many recipes I find are high in sugar and low in protein.  I "tweaked" this one to increase the protein content and decrease the sugar.  My youngest daughter is very sensitive to egg--the original recipe called for 4 eggs;  I cut the eggs in half and used applesauce.  You might also try butternut squash puree or pumpkin puree.  As usual, this recipe has also been altered to leave out any milk or

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-42035574595643706932009-01-06T20:29:00.004-07:002009-01-06T21:29:02.609-07:00

This is a favorite the whole family will eat! I puree the red, yellow and orange peppers so they are not "obvious" to my four year old who has issues with food textures. I also finely chop the carrots, which end up resembling the meat. If I have sweet potato puree or cauliflower puree on hand, I add a half cup to a cup (depending upon the size of the batch). Most times, I make a double batch:

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-47968615578259577072008-12-12T14:27:00.001-07:002008-12-12T14:27:56.415-07:00

Xerox is printing and sending free postcards this holiday season to soldiers. Just go to:www.letssaythanks.comand follow the steps to make a postcard. Xerox will print and send it free!

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-61353575747130504712008-12-11T22:05:00.003-07:002008-12-11T22:08:18.079-07:00

Why not check out this site:www.healthytoys.orgIt's a non-profit that tests toys for harmful chemicals. Curious about the worst toys?WORST TOYS LISTBefore you give little ones toys, check their lists. They are not all-inclusive lists, but they do offer a testing service.

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-53513065772165796702008-12-11T20:19:00.004-07:002008-12-11T20:31:04.750-07:00

Yet another recall about the tainted milk products with Melamine from China. The recall doesn't make it obvious that they are from China, however:Michael Polzin, a representative of Walgreen’s stated in a telephone call to Ms. Reef, said that the product came from “Dan Dee” a “distributor” and thought they may be in “New Jersey”.Ms. Reef, a food sales and marketing veteran, used www.manta.com to

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-32579674823679798502008-12-11T09:30:00.004-07:002008-12-14T22:31:14.150-07:00

This is a family favorite that has been passed down. Every Christmas, we bake up a couple dozen and decorate them as a family to give to friends and family. The butterscotch refers to the brown sugar; our first year together in our first house, I told my husband that I was making them and he turned his nose up to the term "butterscotch." He has learned, since then, that he has a hard time

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-14193696291686240862008-12-10T21:56:00.003-07:002008-12-10T22:21:16.391-07:00

Maybe I should really call it a "lack thereof" budget when it comes to food. The last year has been a real struggle finding new ways to prepare foods without milk or soy ingredients for the sake of our one year old. My trips to Whole Foods have been extremely expensive and self-indulgent to cope with our change in diet.After reading The Grocery Cart Challenge Blog, I feel recharged to get not

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-74339575314115229752008-12-09T22:33:00.004-07:002008-12-09T23:02:37.514-07:00

My grandmother was a cynic. Brilliant, but a cynic. The title was her saying.I'm rather cynical myself, so I read and learn everything I can to make an educated decision.Take Global *cough, gag* Warming.Um, warming?The cooling in 2008 is equal to 20% of all of the warming of the last 100 years as compared to the rest of this decade.The warmest year on record was 1998. It's been getting cooler

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-19384117625512601692008-12-05T12:36:00.001-07:002008-12-05T12:36:33.684-07:00

I'm a hippie.Let's face it, I'm a hippie at heart.My goal: Urban Homesteading. Self-sufficiency. Organic food. Natural Laundry soap. No lead paint in my kids' toys. Teach my girls science, math, reading, writing, and (yes) sewing, cooking and subsisting.This weekend, we're making Laundry soap.We're starting our garden in the spring. This is inspiring:Other Resources:Gardening Jobs Month by

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-75630915767704667562008-12-01T09:40:00.003-07:002008-12-01T10:11:17.959-07:00

Clever Cat Litter PanWe have two cats, Zoe Pinkle Purr (female) and Pyewacket (male). They are both about 5 months old and messy like all little ones are. I became so frustrated with the amount of kitty litter on the floor and the smell that I started a search for a new pan.I had considered the "self-cleaning" pan, but wondered if it would be any better at containing the litter. Scooping isn't

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-23590761748737706822008-11-29T18:59:00.001-07:002008-11-29T18:59:48.366-07:00

You Are VixenSexy and sultry, you're the one all the other reindeer dream about.Why You're Naughty: That fur pulling spat you got into with Dancer over Santa.Why You're Nice: Because even when you're nice, you're still delightfully naughty!Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-8778552098420204252008-11-25T22:04:00.004-07:002008-11-25T22:07:59.184-07:00

I've written before about how we are refocusing our Christmas this year. We are not buying the usual hot toys, iPods, video games....but we are making many fun gifts and really trying to give from the heart.SHHHH!! I did get the girls a gift:They were a bit more than I'd planned to spend, though I spent $40 on all 3. It will be the "big" gift, packaged with their own special box of tea.I

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-51330101919610533982008-11-13T16:48:00.003-07:002008-11-13T16:52:28.568-07:00

I've already blogged about our Journey to Simplicity for Christmas this year and, so far, it feels great to not be caught up in the shopping frenzy. The countdown to Black Friday has begun and I couldn't care less! But as this has been a really rough year for me, I'm wondering what traditions everyone has to celebrate the end of one difficult year and bring in new blessings for the new year?How

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-78995166786163019482008-11-06T21:07:00.004-07:002008-11-06T21:10:15.887-07:00

I've made it known that I've avoided products made in China for the last year or so. I thought I was being safe until I saw THIS RECALL.The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Carter’s, Inc., of Atlanta, Georgia, are advising parents and caregivers that they have received reports that a small percentage of babies and infants have developed rashes on the upper back after wearing

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-75398735749511471572008-11-06T20:40:00.003-07:002008-11-06T21:11:37.632-07:00

My two oldest had their dental checkup today. It went well, though we do have a few cavities to speak of :( Apparently, they inherited my crowded teeth and we're not flossing enough.As usual at a dental exam, the dentist gave each of the girls a toothbrush. Though they are cute (the handles look like a whale), they are made in China.Why do I care? Every week I get recall notices in my email box

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-63655632349070692002008-11-04T09:41:00.003-07:002008-11-04T09:49:49.452-07:00

Thanks to all of the early voters, my vote not only counted, but it was completely painless. We loaded up our 4 children under 6 in the car, drove to the grade school nearby (about a mile away), and found a really close parking space in the half empty parking lot.We walked in to the registration table (no line), filled out our paper, signed the register, walked over to the voting booth (

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-2032630710028349882008-11-03T12:51:00.004-07:002008-11-03T13:20:01.332-07:00

Obama's tax cuts sound great, don't they? In fact, on a commercial for Obama he essentially purchases your vote by telling you his tax cut will put an extra 1000 in your pocket versus McCain who will put only $150 (isn't buying your vote illegal? I digress).Did you know that 47% of our energy comes from coal? You're going to need that $1000 to pay for your energy costs when Obama not only stops

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-48284449090184786112008-10-31T10:10:00.003-06:002008-10-31T10:45:34.872-06:00

My friend at Kathalog asked me if I'd had any new yummy teas lately. She knows that I, too, love tea!I've had many favorites over the years, but my current favorites are: Most of my teas are from Celestial Seasonings, produced here locally! They have a great selection of caffeine free teas and a variety of green teas.The Holiday Teas are out again. My girls and I have a tea party every

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-29595551990050159072008-10-28T10:41:00.002-06:002008-10-28T10:43:06.479-06:00

An eighth-grade textbook used in Racine schools is getting a lot of attention nationwide.The book in question is for a literature class and features an 11-page excerpt from Sen. Barack Obama’s autobiography, “Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance,” as well as a piece of his 2004 Democratic National Convention speech.FULL ARTICLEDoes this sound like the school system supports

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-88857383274422422672008-10-22T10:43:00.005-06:002008-10-23T15:04:34.613-06:00

All kidding aside about the low cost of freebirthing, this was something that crossed my mind when I was pregnant with my now 1 year old.What is freebirthing? Also called an unassisted birth, it is when a woman chooses to birth at home, without any assistance by a licensed medical professional. Laura Shanley, who owns the website unassistedchildbirth.org , has given birth to four children at home

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-17530944853289510842008-10-16T20:27:00.003-06:002008-11-06T21:11:37.633-07:00

THERMOS INTAKI've been looking for a water bottle for awhile. I like the Sigg bottles, but I don't want to drop $25 on a bottle (though they are nice looking bottles!).I found a Thermos at Target yesterday I love! It's BPA free--no surprise since Thermos has been committed to BPA free for a long time. It has a loop for a carribeaner and a dial to count the number of times you've refilled the

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-85009686759599492452008-10-10T13:47:00.006-06:002008-10-28T12:56:40.455-06:00

DON'T READ THIS! I challenge you NOT TO READ THIS! Because I know you don't want to hear it; no one wants to hear the truth once they've made a decision.Does it really NOT matter that:1. Barack Obama's "coming out" party for politics was hosted by Ayers, a terrorist? A terrorist who said, "I don't regret setting bombs; I feel we didn't do enough." In HIS OWN country. To which Obama responded that

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-38073867095791341462008-10-05T09:24:00.004-06:002008-10-05T09:35:30.210-06:00

OAR HOUSE The Oar House is a restaurant in Pensacola, FL overlooking the BAHIA MAR MARINA. It has an interesting history of enduring fire and tornado and is now open though there is no actual restaurant structure. :) It is all dining on the deck right on the harbor and the kitchen is in a temporary structure until the rebuild of the restaurant.I ordered the fish basket and a margarita. The

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-31662142245297334712008-09-26T20:26:00.005-06:002008-09-26T20:48:47.363-06:00

This is a quote from the Wall Street Journal:Americans reading that laundry list may note that it sounds a lot like the mindset of the left wing that will dominate the Democratic Party's convention and choose Barack Obama as its candidate in August. From nationalized health care and government-owned refineries to punishing taxes on the rich, Argentina has been there, done that. There are good

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-86739017024107269782008-09-26T08:53:00.005-06:002008-09-26T09:34:44.309-06:00

Subtitled: a quick education about PETAMy oh my, just when you think PETA couldn't be even crazier, they come out with this article:PETA asks Ben & Jerry's to use breast milk19 hours agoMONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Ice cream made from breast milk? That's what the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream to consider making.The Virginia-based nonprofit group

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-27581750788477741962008-09-20T14:57:00.005-06:002008-09-20T16:06:02.075-06:00

Every other other month or so, we take turns taking our three older girls to the movies for a "date night." We've seen the ads for Igor and it seemed like a "cute" movie to take the girls to. We usually go one on one, but since I'd taken my 6.5 year old to see Wall-E a few weeks ago, we decided she would come with my 2 year old and myself and still get some quality time. My 11 mo old and 4 year

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-5331918432149302852008-09-12T15:17:00.003-06:002008-09-12T15:25:29.822-06:00

Several years ago, we decided to reduce the Christmas stress. Our families aren't as big as some, yet the idea of buying for siblings, their families and our parents was daunting...and expensive!Instead of trying to buy 10-$10 gifts, we decided to draw names. Not only did we allow ourselves to save money (the limit is definitely not $100), but it gave us a chance to slow down and think about

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-90036986155903258122008-09-12T10:08:00.005-06:002008-09-12T10:47:35.094-06:00

This is the first in a series of articles on how to make your road trip more family-friendly.Our family took three road trips this summer: one 135 miles one-way, one 600 miles one-way, and the most recent was 1250 miles one-way. Over the last few years, we've taken quite a few road trips and with each one I grow more impatient and frustrated with places that are not family-friendly.First, let me

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-32138681204031121752008-09-12T09:37:00.003-06:002008-09-12T10:02:42.119-06:00

Tovolo Ice Cream MoldsI hesitated posting this review as I've never actually used the ice cream molds for Ice Cream. My infant is allergic to milk and I'm nursing, so I cannot have milk right now.I have, however, used the molds to create shaped boiled eggs and shaped rice:Notice the Cow Shaped Rice ball: Spray the molds with Pam, mix gooey rice with cinnamon and raisins, then smush in the

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-9831997045616511072008-09-09T21:24:00.002-06:002008-09-09T21:28:08.052-06:00

No, not me! The Elk. We enjoyed our first "fall" trip to the mountains last Sunday. The Elk are bugling and the weather is getting cooler. There are a few leaves changing color, so we will be visiting the mountains often for the next month.Here are some pictures from Sunday:

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-58530363215612488842008-09-04T10:10:00.003-06:002008-09-04T10:13:13.407-06:00

Looking for the Fall Colors? The Fall Color reports will be starting soon:http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/recreation/fallcolors/

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-46011023397457094402008-08-20T22:02:00.005-06:002008-11-06T21:11:37.634-07:00

Yes, I said it! It's August, and I'm counting down to Christmas.WHY? Am I just insane?No--well, probably--I just spent an hour today cleaning out my children's toys for a garage sale. This is after the 5 or so hours spent a couple months ago doing the same. I'm fed up. Four children under 7 = a big toy mess.So here I am, contemplating Christmas. I don't want to be a big grinch and take away the

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-48602119911483581422008-08-18T22:04:00.002-06:002008-08-18T22:07:38.596-06:00

Whoo Hoo! Due out in November of this year, here is the trailer for the new movie:http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/harrypotterandthehalf-bloodprince/My 6 year old and I just started reading the first book together :) That is, just after I finished re-reading the last book. I'm excited to restart the journey and view it now through my girls' eyes!

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-43557283646785976622008-08-18T21:45:00.003-06:002008-08-18T22:00:05.817-06:00

This was one I grabbed off the bargain rack on my way out. Was it divine inspiration? Perhaps. I imagine it's also why Catholicism has become my religion of choice, not just of birth. I'd gone to the store to purchase a Catholic Book.I've always felt disconcerted by the many versions of the bible. You can only translate and scribe so many times before words are changed and meaning is altered

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-26692402901133346332008-08-15T18:50:00.002-06:002008-08-15T19:00:56.366-06:00

Last week, I went to a Bridal Shower at a great Margarita Bar :) yum. As a part of the festivities, we were to bring a wrapped used book (one we've read and liked). We did a white elephant exchange and I ended up with this book.The book is about two sisters, one of which is in high school and pregnant. Her mother died of cancer and her father "checked out" of life with his daughters. She

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-37950504836190376302008-08-13T14:18:00.001-06:002008-08-13T14:19:23.227-06:00

I'd forgotten about this quote from Michelle Obama:Barack Obama will require you to work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism. That you put down your divisions. That you come out of your isolation, that you move out of your comfort zones. That you push yourselves to be better. And that you engage. Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved,

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-16141726287622645582008-08-08T21:44:00.003-06:002008-08-08T21:53:16.340-06:00

WHY is it, even though the Olympics are NOT televised live, that we are FORCED to sit through every other event of the day just to see the ONE event we WANT to see?I don't enjoy watching small microbursts of my favorite sports mixed between other sports that, admittedly, aren't interesting to me.I'm sure a part of it is to ensure the most money in television advertising. Or perhaps the thought

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-24212674533870778562008-07-22T10:05:00.003-06:002008-07-22T10:09:27.769-06:00

Milk and Soy Free, but not wheat/gluten free[Photo to be inserted here]Couscous with sweet potato and carrots1 cup chicken broth2 cups regular or whole wheat couscous1/2 cup carrot puree1/2 cup sweet potato puree1 tbsp butter (or smart margarine)Bring the chicken broth and butter/margarine to a boil. Add couscous and purees, stir and cover. Let sit until soft.This one is great warm or cold.

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-9575089479395509852008-07-21T21:18:00.003-06:002008-07-21T21:24:16.955-06:00

My oldest daughter lost her first tooth! She is 6 years and 3 months old. I wanted losing teeth to feel really special, so I made her this fairy doll to put her teeth in as she loses them. It's made out of a sock! You can see the little pocket where the hands should be. She woke up in the morning with a $5 bill (the going rate for any future teeth will only be $1) and a little scroll written by

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-40305420457809207662008-07-19T09:42:00.002-06:002008-07-19T09:54:20.274-06:00

Baby Lily skipped pureed foods. Apparently, she has an aversion to the texture. So until the last week and a half, she was strictly nursing. She has 7 teeth now (5 came in within a month and a half) so I'm finding ways to feed her what she needs with a little texture to it.Here are some foods she's eating:Rice noodles. They look just like regular noodles but are made with rice. Be careful

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-8721343311118013612008-07-03T22:44:00.004-06:002009-01-06T21:30:20.717-07:00

This is an old childhood favorite of mine. The aroma while cooking takes me back to my old house on Scranton Street :) And what can beat an entire meal in a pan? Veggies, nuts, meat, and whole grains.Of course, I had to tweak it for our diets today. We used bouillon cubes back then; now we use Organic Broth. My 8 month old has a milk and soy intolerance, so the recipe does not use soy or milk.

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-52609735131813155532008-07-03T10:52:00.005-06:002008-07-03T11:47:29.890-06:00

We are preparing to start our garden next year. The plan was to start the Spring just passed, but with a 6 month old with food allergies and a 2, 4, and 6 year old, I just didn't find the time. We are going to spend the next 8 months planning so that we are ready next year.I read an article in a local publication that referred to collecting rainwater in rain barrels. You simply place a barrell

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-40917479883699979982008-07-01T00:16:00.003-06:002008-09-12T10:06:33.578-06:00

My new favorite product! The Ergo Baby Carrier.My SIL recommended the Beco carrier, which I've also heard from others is fantastic. This one is similar, just not as pretty, but it was about $30 cheaper. I've now had the opportunity to carry baby Lily (8.5 months old, 21.75 lbs) for hours at a time and I don't get sore! She loves being on my back, especially since she can really see what is

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-725891269900134752008-05-04T13:12:00.005-06:002008-05-04T13:18:09.083-06:00

I love caramel coffee flavor. And I love Milkshakes.Unfortunately, I can't have dairy or soy.On an unusual trip to get a treat at Chick-fil-A (some fries, all that I can have there). We got to the window and the lady says that they are randomly giving out free Caramel Coffee Milkshakes to promote their new product and do we want a free one? HECK YES!But I can't and DH hates coffee, so we declined

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-80160244388228054552008-04-29T22:49:00.003-06:002008-04-29T22:54:11.916-06:00

There is a great company called Namaste that makes milk, soy and wheat free mixes. I bought a brownie mix and have been waiting to use it. I finally prepared it the other day to appease my chocolate craving and YUMMY! I started to think about how I LOVE the crusty outside of the pan and the inside mushy part isn't as satisfying to me. I posted to some friends online about it and we got into a

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-85389056733363104322008-04-27T10:57:00.001-06:002008-04-27T10:58:56.682-06:00

Playtex is taking requests for a free BPA-free baby bottle:CLICK HEREI have also put a link to the right of the Playtex BPA free Products

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-80434756388195988812008-04-25T15:58:00.003-06:002008-04-25T16:40:20.343-06:00

Ah, the new buzzword: "Green". Also "Go Green", "it's easy being green."For those of us who have been environmentally aware for years, it's a bit annoying. It's not that we don't want everyone to jump on the bandwagon and make some positive change, we just don't want it to be the latest fad that peters out in a couple years.And before I climb on my soapbox, understand that I'm not convinced about

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-46367619028400669232008-04-25T14:12:00.004-06:002008-04-25T15:42:22.693-06:00

My six month old has food intolerances. Not allergies--they are usually correlated with anaphylaxis (troubles breathing, hives). She has food intolerances which are characterized by many symptoms that include (but are not limited to) diarrhea, vomiting, mood changes (for instance crying and screaming, crabbiness) and in milk intolerance you often see a constant runny nose and bright red

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-82981600793061716902008-04-25T14:01:00.002-06:002008-04-25T14:11:05.949-06:00

Wal-Mart to Pull Bottles made with Chemical BPADisposal of bisphenol A bottles becomes after-ban safety issueThe other place bisphenol A lurks: our teethA 1996 study by Spanish researcher Nicolas Olea found detectable levels of BPA in young people immediately after they received dental sealants.Ridding life of products made with chemical BPA could prove a challenge

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-43360444308163413752008-04-16T17:44:00.000-06:002008-04-16T17:45:08.128-06:00

Canada Likely to Label Plastic Ingredient ‘Toxic’

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-90268101659080207422008-04-14T22:38:00.004-06:002008-04-14T22:43:43.379-06:00

Intrigued?This is the release date for the X-files 2 movie.Yes, I am a geek. I LOVE the X-files. I have seasons 1-6 on DVD and will, hopefully, complete the collection soon. Some day I want to sit down with my girls and watch the episodes together. I'm sure by then--especially since they will need to be MUCH older-- the episodes will seem very antique, like the old episodes of the Twilight Zone

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-57112436485755740422008-04-11T13:21:00.004-06:002008-04-11T13:38:13.831-06:00

I discovered today that the yogurt we buy for our girls--Yo Baby Yogurt--is packaged in a polystyrene product (Recycle number 6). I wrote the company about my concerns and in all fairness, this is the reply I received within hours (the formatting is a little off, ignore that some of the words run together, it was a byproduct of copy/paste):Hello ,Thanks for your inquiry about our packaging. We

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-78745294041201650372008-04-03T13:14:00.003-06:002008-04-09T13:34:42.886-06:00

Update: Okay, I did find probiotics without whey, casein or soy! It seems to be helping, so if you're searching, they do exist!I stopped at Wild Oats today to get some probiotics for Lily. She's had on and off diarrhea for so long, it's inevitable that her intestinal tract is suffering.I stopped to buy infant probiotics, all four girls in tow. Quick trip in and out, all girls buckled in the car

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-47010123120576960482008-03-31T14:54:00.003-06:002009-01-06T21:30:20.718-07:00

PHOTO COMING SOON!Applesauce MuffinsTOPPING:2/3 cup old-fashioned oats1/4 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar1 tsp cinnamon2 TBSP Olive Oil (more if needed)BATTER:1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 cup old fashioned oats1 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp cinnamon1 cup unsweetened applesauce1/2 cup almond milk1/2 cup carrot puree (or butternut squash puree) (steam the veggies, then

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-8676860563339580472008-03-31T13:40:00.003-06:002008-03-31T13:46:36.806-06:00

Day 3 on the no-milk proteins and no-soy elimination diet. Already, baby Lily slept through the night! What a difference--she slept from 10:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. After 8 weeks (56 nights) of waking up all night, it is such a relief.I hadn't realized how many products have milk proteins (casein, whey, milk) and soy (soy, soy lecithin, etc). It's a bit of a challenge avoiding such products, but

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-70941738436022514002008-03-30T13:48:00.003-06:002008-03-30T14:18:56.656-06:00

I have a five month old baby. At about 8 weeks, she started sleeping 6-8 hour stretches at night. She did this for about another 8 weeks, then suddenly started waking again. I chalked it up to a growth spurt and didn't think anything of it.Now almost eight weeks later, I'm coming to the realization that something is wrong. She is now getting up every two hours, often even every 1-1.5 hours.

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-48465797676262185272008-03-19T22:29:00.002-06:002008-03-19T22:29:57.801-06:00

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-16467224295638812692008-03-16T10:21:00.002-06:002008-03-16T10:43:14.852-06:00

We rarely go to the movies as a family. Usually twice a year we will all go to the movies, so I'm not very familiar with what a movie theater has chosen to do about commercials before the movie. When I was a kid, the only commercials were for future movies and the snack bar and I didn't think twice about it.That's not true anymore. We went to a local theater yesterday to see Horton Hears a Who

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-22465683590991095752008-03-12T20:10:00.004-06:002008-03-12T20:15:44.034-06:00

Another happy snack around our house is trail mix. The typical trail mix is not only expensive, but really high in salt and sugar, not to mention the added sulfur in the dried fruit. Our trail mix contains:unsulfured dried fruit (cranberries, mangoes, pineapple, etc)plain bagged bulk nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans)fruit-sweetened yogurt raisins (no high fructose corn syrup, no added color)Kashi

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-5905193711350770402008-03-12T19:54:00.003-06:002008-03-12T20:08:50.819-06:00

I recently was the recipient of the book "Deceptively Delicious" by Jessica Seinfeld. She uses alot of the same kinds of philosophies my friends and myself already use (for instance, "spiking" spaghetti sauce with pureed carrots, spinach, zucchini, etc). The breakfast bars are a great recipe (though I altered it, like I alter just about every recipe ;) It uses whole oats, butter or smart

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-4139593417358844512008-02-12T12:37:00.007-07:002008-02-13T17:34:46.731-07:00

The sister of a good friend of mine pointed out an article in our local paper about baby bottles, sippy cups and harmful chemicals that mimic estrogen. I generally pride myself on being up to date on the latest research about products, chemicals and health, so I was rather disappointed to find the following article, of which I had no previous information:Plastic baby bottles found to leach

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-15209930966751939512008-01-29T21:28:00.001-07:002008-01-29T22:11:15.332-07:00

Bumkins bibs are MADE IN THE USA! Read about the company here. After the bib recalls (Made in China) I dumped all of my foreign bibs and decided to start looking for bibs that are more likely to be lead free and are still good at keeping baby and toddler clothes clean.I started using the Bumkins diaper covers early last November. I was in a Babies R' Us and discovered the exact same pattern

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-60595586526489120882008-01-29T21:10:00.000-07:002008-01-29T21:24:03.859-07:00

My two year old is potty training. Really, she's potty training me. I had no desire to potty train with a newborn, but my little Katie had different ideas. It's gone rather well considering. We've had a setback, but in the last few days she has done amazingly well! And, in the end, any number of diapers I don't have to change are a bonus. I'm not a big fan of the thick underwear and rubber

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-14312688779290714532008-01-29T20:51:00.000-07:002008-01-29T21:09:37.776-07:00

You're probably sick of Cloth Diapering talk and yet, here I am--at it again!As I referenced before, I budgeted another $300 for cloth diapering for this year. Today, I spent half of my budget, $150. The plan is still to put $110.00 away per month from April-December of this year on the diaper savings.Back to my fluff mail--aside from my general shopping addiction, I love getting mail. If you

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-84836827359389026442008-01-29T20:45:00.001-07:002008-01-29T20:49:50.063-07:00

For most, tax season is stressful. With only one income and 4 children, tax season is fun for us. Even though we our filing is 4 exemptions, we still end up "on top" after our tax credits.Every year we have to decide what to do with the money. First and foremost, we pay off debt. This year is looking really good for paying off debt! The car was officially paid off last October so we are free

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-41213700089268804542007-12-30T09:47:00.000-07:002007-12-30T11:23:41.175-07:00

Savings: $1000 per yearIf it's one thing I've learned, people (especially moms) are opinionated about diapering. There are those in the disposable camps and those in the cloth diaper camps and the reasons for each vary.We used disposable diapers for our first 3 kids. We considered cloth diapering with our 3rd, but we just couldn't get it together for many reasons. I did get the feedback from

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-12296773793793338702007-12-29T09:32:00.000-07:002007-12-29T09:47:26.992-07:00

I found Kushies at Wal-mart while shopping one day. There were only 2 packages of the Kushies (5 pack) and I'd never heard of them, but thought I'd pick them up to try at a whopping $37.95 (that's only $8 per diaper after tax!). I asked a couple CDing friends whether they thought the diapers were decent but most of the feedback I received was that, for the price, they probably aren't very good

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-14353536832855711382007-12-28T22:14:00.000-07:002007-12-29T09:48:08.417-07:00

I found out about the gDiapers over a year ago. They are advertised as flushable diapers with outer covers you just throw in the washer. I tried to find them at our local stores like Whole Foods and Vitamin Cottage, but they weren't carrying them yet. I didn't want to have to pay shipping every time I ordered diapers, so I gave up on the idea.One year later, and one new infant later, they are

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-25825644713348663012007-12-28T14:03:00.000-07:002007-12-28T14:34:12.961-07:00

Squid Soap is made by Airborne. A few months ago, I signed up for product testing and was sent a full sized sample of the squid soap. We've now been using it for over a month and I wanted to share our findings.As far as soap goes, it's a great smelling soap! The sample we received had the orange squid on top and I think the scent is blue raspberry. We are still using the soap and it seems to

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-91762924655532694942007-12-21T12:17:00.001-07:002007-12-21T12:17:23.883-07:00

This is a great site to make snowflakes. It also helps when you want to make a snowflake on paper and, if you're like me, can't always visualize what a cut will look like in full.http://www.popularfront.com/snowdays/index.html?id=5666026

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-816294323235226937.post-5493872163289576812007-12-20T15:11:00.000-07:002007-12-20T19:49:58.285-07:00

The year 2008 is rolling in at a faster pace than I'd expected. And even though January 1, 2008 is really just a day later than December 31, 2007...and, frankly, it's not as if there is a big change from one day to next...it IS one of the most convenient days to choose to "start over" or start something new.This year, my main goal is to get a hold on our finances. We've never lived on a strict

~Dawnnoreply@blogger.com0