About Me

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I am homeschooling mom of 8 wonderful blessings and wife to my best friend.Baby-Wearing, cloth diapering, pregnancy, natural health and healing and living frugally are some of my other interests. I love to read, write, listen to music, shop second hand, photography and enjoy family time especially out in nature. I enjoy cooking and making things as natural and homemade as possible. I also enjoy learning new things and about others along the way.

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Monday, July 25, 2011

Homemade liquid laundry detergent


1 quart water (boiling) 2 cups Bar soap (grated) 2 cups borax 2 cups washing soda 2 more gallons water You will need about a 2.5 gallon container of some sort.

  • Add finely grated bar soap to the boiling water ( 1 quart) and stir until soap is melted. You can keep on low heat until soap is melted.

  • Pour the soap water into a large, clean pail and add the borax and washing soda. Stir well until all is dissolved.

  • Add 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed.

  • Cover the pail and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Stir each time you use it (will gel)

This recipe came from TipNut.com. I used this on my baby's cloth diapers. They smelled fresh and looked clean. I used Kirk's Castile bar soap in mine.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Eggplant and mushroom Linguine


1 eggplant
mushrooms
1/2 onion
Jar of favorite spaghetti sauce
mozzarella cheese
oregano
Parmesan
linguine noodles

peel eggplant and dice
sprinkle with salt and rinse in colander
cut mushroom and onion

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
cook eggplant, onion and mushroom in oil add some oregano and other desired spices
boil noodles according to directions
Put cooked linguine, eggplant, onion and mushroom in a baking dish
Add spaghetti sauce and mix ingredients together
Top with Mozzarella and Parmesan
Bake for about 20 minutes to melt cheese and warm dish

Friday, July 15, 2011

Cloth diapering


I have found another way to save money and it only took me four kids to try it. I actually thought about doing it with my third child but my husband was not on board at the time and I went back to work which would have made it more of a challenge. A friend told me a bit more about it so I was prepared. Since I am home right now I thought "Why not try it". I was getting tired of shelling out money for disposables. So, I have converted to Cloth and I am loving every minute of it.

I started out buying some pre-owned pocket diapers from E-bay to test the waters. They are Fuzzi Bunz brands. I got 6 with inserts for about $27.99. I ordered three more pocket diapers, one being a another Fuzzi Bunz (two of which were from ebay but a China factory), and some covers for Pre-folds. I got a gift card to use a Babies R Us. I bought some G Diapers but knew I would use reusable inserts instead of flush able. I also picked up some pins. I wasn't sure about pre-folds at the time. I picked some up on a whim on one of my trips to meijer.

I decided to get some cloth wipes from ebay as well. Click Here to learn about making wipe solution. I joined a cloth diapering group on Facebook and learned that due to little space a hanging pail liner would be great to store my dirty diapers in. A wonderful green Fuzzi Bunz (with a zipper on the bottom) liner now hangs in one of my bathrooms which is also my laundry room. Great resources on cloth diapering are on the web. I found a site that shows you how to make your own spray for cloth wipes. Click Here for more information on cloth diapering.

It cost me about $150 dollars to start out. I know this will save me money in the end. The one thing that I will have to be careful of is that they are so many cute prints and diapers out there that it can get expensive. Some mom's sell some of their stash on Facebook so they can buy others. Trading is available as well. I have found the cloth diapering group on Facebook very helpful. It may not be necessary to use a detergent that is made specifically for cloth diapers but a gentle detergent may be required if your baby has sensitive skin (which most do). I purchased a travel wet bag to go in my diaper bag so I can try to use them everywhere we go. There are many moms out there that make some adorable hand made diapers. I just had to buy one of those as well LOL

Other things that may come in handy is a sprayer that hooks to your toilet to help you spray off dirty diapers. I don't have one yet but that may be my next purchase. I find that I like Pocket diapers the best and Fuzzi Bunz are my favorite. Click Here to learn more about them. This has been a pretty good experience and I plan on continuing to use them until Logan is potty trained.


Reasons why I love Cloth Diapering:
  1. Better for Baby
  2. Saves money in the long run
  3. Better for the environment
  4. Fun to try different diapers
  5. Great designs and colors



Lingo

Pre-folds - Old school diapers Covers- Plastic covers with Velcro or without to use over Pre-folds All in Ones (AIO)-These types of diapers don't require covers or inserts One Size- This adjusts to fit any size baby on up to pre potty trained Pocket- Diapers with a pocket to put in inserts Wet bag- lined bag to keep wet diapers or clothes in. Hanging Wet Bag/pail- Is bigger than a wet bag. About the size of a pail liner but hangs up. Pail liner- Washable Liner to go in a diaper pail.


Logan in his polka Dot China Pocket :)

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Half way there Baby



My baby just hit 6 months, here is a recent picture of him. The top picture is when he was 2 days old. He is such a wonderful addition to our family. We all love him so much. He smiles all the time.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Summer Bucket List 2011




This is a fun idea. Make a summer bucket list for your family to do for the summer. Click Here for a Summer Bucket list party for more ideas.


Here is our list:

1. Go on a picnic
2. Have a Water balloon fight
3. Go on bike ride
4. Go to movie Theatre
5. Vacation Bible School
6. Summer Library Program
7. Visit Impression 5 museum
8. Play Basketball
9. Blow bubbles
10. Sidewalk chalk art
9. Read, Read, Read
10. Go swimming with Grandma
11. Yard sales
12. Make a craft with recyclables
13. Go Camping
14. Toddler Time
15. Make new friends :)
16. Play dates
17. Wash outside of cars
18. Go to a Beach
19. Jump rope
20. Random Acts of Kindness
21. Nature Walk
22. Play Catch
23. Go to at least one Mops summer outing
24. Have a summer party
25. Explore the Ledges
26. Fly a Kite
27. Do a craft from Family Fun Magazine
28. Play in Kiddie pool
29. Play in Sprinkler
30. Make a obstacle course
31. Visit Local Zoo





Monday, May 16, 2011

Yummy and easy Guacomole Dip




1 ripened Avocado ( I set mine on the counter until it feels soft)

A bit of Lemon juice for flavor and to keep it from browning

Mix desired amount of your favorite salsa

Peel Avocado and mash up

Add in lemon juice and salsa

Viola! a fast, easy and nutritious dip, just add some chips.

Friday, May 13, 2011

My 30th b-day






I had a pretty good b-day. I hung out with my 4 kids and hubby, cooked on the grill (of course my husband did this LOL). We had a delicious ice cream cake and enjoyed the day. It was a beautiful day and it wasn't too bad turning 30. I got some birthday money from my hubby. I shopped for myself today and picked up a very comfortable and cute suit that was 40% off at Peebles. He insisted I buy something for myself and so I did :) I have it pictured above. I can retire my maternity suit and wear this when I take my kids swimming.
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This blog is created and edited by me. I may receive products for review and giveaway. The opinions and statements about the products are my honest opinions and thoughts. I do not receive money to review and give away these products. If I do receive any monetary gain, I will disclose it in the particular post. I will not promote or compromise anything I don't stand for or agree with. Thank you for reading.
My Hebrew Name:
Amber
Courtesy of My Hebrew Name