Tom's of Maine

I have started using a couple of products by Tom's of Maine.


One is the unscented, aluminum free deodorant...and it WORKS!


The other is the natural antiplaque (fluoride free) cinnamint toothpaste (fennel shown in photo). It is also a great product.
I wanted to start using these products because 1) I don't want to keep smearing aluminum in my armpits and 2) we get so much fluoride in our water that there is no need to get more from our toothpaste. Try 'em!

hot chocolate

Stovetop:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
Dash salt
1/3 cup hot water
4 cups (1 qt.) milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir together sugar, cocoa and salt in pot; stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Add milk; stirring constantly, heat to serving temperature. Do Not Boil.

Remove from heat; add vanilla. Beat with rotary beater or whisk until foamy. Serve with marshmallows or whipped cream.

VARIATIONS: Add one of the following with the vanilla extract:
SPICED COCOA: 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg. Serve with cinnamon stick, if desired.
MINT COCOA: 1/2 teaspoon mint extract OR 3 tablespoons crushed hard peppermint candy OR 2 to 3 tablespoons white creme de menthe. Serve with peppermint candy stick, if desired.
CITRUS COCOA: 1/2 teaspoon orange extract OR 2 to 3 tablespoons orange liqueur.
SWISS MOCHA: 2 to 2-1/2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee.
COCOA AU LAIT: Omit marshmallows or whipped cream. Spoon 2 tablespoons softened vanilla ice cream on top of each cup of cocoa at serving time.
SLIM-TRIM COCOA: Omit sugar. Combine cocoa, salt and water; substitute nonfat milk. Proceed as above. With vanilla, stir in sugar substitute with sweetening equivalence of 1/2 cup sugar.
CANADIAN COCOA: 1/2 teaspoon maple extract.
(from www.hersheys.com)


Dry Mix:
4 cups dry milk
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix the ingredients and put them into an airtight container.
(from CDKitchen.com)

dang quesadillas

(Think glorified grilled cheese)

Tortilla wraps
Butter
Salt
Cheddar cheese
Whatever you want to put in them! Diced onions, peppers,.. anything!

Spread butter on one side of tortilla. Salt buttered side. Place on electric griddle butter side down. Sprinkle with cheese and fillin's. Butter one side of another tortilla. Salt buttered side. Place on top of the fillin's with butter side out. Flip when golden brown. Cook other side until golden brown. Cut and dip in salsa and sour cream!

white bean chicken chili

3-4 chicken breasts
4cups chicken broth
2 yellow peppers
1 onion
1 jar of green salsa
1 can green chilies
2 cans of great white northern beans
1 lime-juiced (or 2 tbs lime juice concentrate)
1/4tsp groud cloves
1tbs garlic powder
2tsp cumin
2tsp cayan pepper
1cup chopped tortilla chips
1 bottle of corona
additional tortilla chips
mozarella cheese

Crockpot chicken for 6 hrs on high. Once chicken is cooked (about three hours later), add all other ingredients. Let cook for another 2 or three hours. Serve with tortilla chips and mozzarella cheese! There's dinner for a few nights! yummers!

baby food

When Ethan started solids (at 11 months), I decided to make his own food for a few reasons: it's cheaper, healthier (no preservatives), and probably tastes better.

I found this website to be very helpful with cooking, preparing, and freezing his food:
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com

Also, a great tip about solids that my Doula shared with me is "if he can eat it in the form God made it, he can have it."

Really, who wants pureed peas...bleh!

liquid gold

When Ethan was first born, he got an infected tear duct. His bottom eye lid was red and puffy, so I called my Doula (who should write a book about these things!) and she said to drop a few drops of breastmilk in it and it would clear up in a day or so. And that is exactly what happened. This stuff is loaded! Breastmilk sterilizes, heals, and provides baby with the perfect meal every time he/she nurses.

This webpage has more info/uses for breastmilk (though I will admit that I flinched at a few of them:
http://members.tripod.com/~bmsg/breastmilkuses.htm

If you have any questions about anything reguarding breastfeeding, nursing complications, or ANYTHING this is a really helpful website:
http://www.kellymom.com

Seventh Generation

I have started using a few products by Seventh Generation. Overall, I am really pleased with their products, however; they are a little more expensive.

I am currently using the following:
Blue Euclalyptus and Lavender Laundry Detergent
Blue Euclalyptus and Lavender Fabric Softener
Free and Clear Laundry Detergent (For Cloth Diapers Only)
Free and Clear Dish Soap

I have also tried:
Size 4 Diapers: They are a bit leaky.
Baby Wipes: Good, but a little on the dry side and VERY expensive.

The Seventh Generation website (www.seventhgeneration.com) offers coupons, articles and a lot of information about cleaning products and other things. I like that they acknowledge how high their prices are and provide recipes for making cleaners at home.

meet the grizzy's

My family is incredible. My husband, Carl, is my best friend. He works tirelessly to provide for us while letting me stay home and hold down the fort. Our marriage has been such an awesome experience. We are celebrating our 5 year anniversary this May!

The next family member is our 3 year old 80lb lab named Wendy. She is THE best dog I have ever owned. She is super obedient and obsessive about fetch.

Then came Ethan, our firstborn son in November of 2007. He has totally rocked our world- for the better. Carl and I are crazy over this child and delight in watching him expore our world.

Thank God for this blessing of family!

living an intentional 2009

Life without a plan means that things don't intentionally happen, rather, they JUST happen (or worse, DON'T happen). So here's the to-do list for 2009:

a) Read 5 Books. Any suggestions?
b) Find a Mentor.
c) Get Pictures organized.
d) Start a compost pile/ recycle.
e) Have a Yard Sale.
f) Train Ethan Mentally, Physically, and Spiritually as is age appropriate.
g) Exercise regularly- including Wendy! (I know, really typical, but so far so good!)
h) Community, community, COMMUNITY!! LIVE in community with our family and those in our neighborhood.
i) Continue to grow as a wife, mom, and lab owner.
j) Grow a veggie garden.

Feel free to ask how it's going.

suck it up

Carl and I are getting ready to invest in a really high quality vacuum. We are currently the not-so-proud owners of a Bissell, which blows more dirt out than sucks in. So, a friend of ours who works at Kirkwood Sweeper recommended a Simplicity vacuum. I brought it home and vacuumed every last square inch of our carpet and voalah! Our carpet looks great. And the bag... was full- a sure sign that the Bissell does not work and the Simplicity does.

it smells like vinegar...

...because it is! I have begun using white distilled vinegar as a household cleaner and it cleans EVERYTHING! I like the fact that I now have only one cleaner that I need to tote around the house instead of the previous 8. After reading different articles about the many dangers of household cleaners, I made the switch. Now when Ethan kisses (licks) my mirrors, I don't have to worry about him injesting anything harmful.

Here is one article I read about typical cleaning supplies:
http://www.mamashealth.com/doc/cleanprod.asp

Here is a website naming the many uses for vinegar:
http://www.vinegartips.com/

To make a simple household cleaner, fill a spray bottle with 1/2 water and 1/2 vinegar. Spray away on counter tops, windows, mirrors, tile, floors, tubs, sinks, and yup- the toilet.

The cost of 2 gallons of vinegar at Sam's Club is only $3.99. That is a lot of cleaner!

it's easy being green

I've made the switch in many ways to make our home more green and will continue to do so throughout this new year. I'm not so much concerned for the planet, but for the health of my family. The more changes I make, the more I am amazed at how much more simple life is becoming.