A Challenge

Hmmm, what are you doing May 23-30?  I am participating in the Flats and Handwashing Challenge.  But why am I?
Good question.
With our girls, we were not aware of modern cloth diapers.  When the Professor came along, we took the plunge and spent about $200 on a big stash of used cloth diapers, MODERN cloth diapers.  They are great, easy, fun and really accessorize well with outfits!  However, you can invest a LOT of money to start up your own cloth diapering.  This challenge is to show that anyone, anywhere can use cloth diapers.  It will save you money.  Loads of money.  It is also MUCH better for the environment.  This challenge is to use only covers and flats (think like your grandma's kind of cloth diapers).  There will be no use of a washing machine.  Just hand-washing with a homemade camp-style washer.  The flats typically dry in about 2 hours, so no need to use the dryer either.  For a family to use flats and covers for their baby, it would take less than $100 for ALL the diapers your child would need til they are potty trained.  If you are using disposable, do the math.  I mean, really sit down and do the math.  Then visualize the diapers you are stacking up in landfills.  If you feel discouraged, then I encourage you to try out this challenge.  You have absolutely nothing to lose, but plenty to gain.
But back to the why.  I am doing this to show others cloth is possible, no matter what your income.  Cloth is easy.  Cloth is fun.  Cloth is healthy.  And I never have to say, "well he's just a little wet. Let's leave the diaper on."  If I think he is wet, dirty or I just want to see a different color on his bottom, we change him.  I am not out to change the world, I just want to help people see the benefits of cloth and hopefully even get some cloth converts!

How we made the eggs

To those of you who asked about the amazing eggs we made....here is the trick!

You boil some eggs in water and a little vinegar.

Drain and let them cool.

Meanwhile, cut foil into squares.  Take ceramic paint and paint one side of each foil square.  Any colors you like are fine.

Then just wrap the eggs with the foil.  You can do one color or several!  They are officially a new tradition here. 

A Book Review

I was able to review the book Daddy Dates by Greg Wright.  Greg Wright has a great sense of humor…and he has to because he is raising four daughters!
The book Daddy Dates was written when Greg realized he had a huge responsibly.  He all of sudden realized he had 4 daughters counting on him and quickly realized he had a mission.  His mission? “Don’t screw up”.  Thus, he began to intentionally date and court his daughters.  The book is well written and humorous.  It is peppered with stories from his personal life and things he has witnessed others going through.  It was a thoroughly enjoyable read but honestly I did not really feel I learned anything new.  The basic gist of the book is to spend quality time one-on-one with your kids.  Be sure and ask open-ended questions and make sure they know that they are loved no matter what.  Even though the book did not enlighten me, I am glad that I read it.  If you are looking for an uplifting, humorous, easy read then you will love this book! 

Fun Day!

A little (free) face painting....

A yummy, organic dinner that even the Professor loved!

And to finish it off...the coolest Easter Eggs EVER!  This was just so much fun and we WILL do this again next year!

A few good recipes

I am quite sure that I did not create these recipes, but they came from my own ideas.   I am so pleased with how they turned out.  This was one of the best meals I have ever made.  We all LOVED it!

(Almost) No Guilt Mashed Potatoes

Peel and dice the desired amount of yams and regular baking potatoes.  I used a 1:2 ratio (but our yams were quite big and the potatoes quite small)  Also, personal preference, I leave most of the peel on.  Place the potatoes and yams in boiling water and boil til soft.  Drain and then mash them (I use my mixer).  Add in a little butter and skim milk (we added in some fresh chives too).  Enjoy!!!  They are loaded with fiber and vitamins and are so good you do not need butter, gravy, salt or pepper on them.  They are positively perfect!

Summer Baked Veggies
I peeled and sliced 8-10 carrots.
Thinly sliced two small zucchinni
Cut up 2-3 cloves garlic
Add all three into a small bowl and drizzle with olive oil (just estimating that I used maybe 1 tablespoon)
Spread the mix on a baking sheet and grind (or shake) course ground salt and pepper over them.
Bake at 425 for about 30 minutes.

My husband hates cooked carrots....til now.  He said this one of the best meals he has ever eaten.  Ever.  It was light, simple, summery and most all of it came from our freshly delivered organic produce!

The Professor tried blackberries tonight for the first time.  We are pretty sure he liked them. (excuse the quality...they came off my phone)

Please let me know if you try my creations!

I Triple Dog Dare You

to NOT smile at these photographs of our beautiful boy!!!  Tonight he was able to swing for the first time and evidently he LOVED it, as evidenced by the photos you are about to see.  Enjoy and feel free to leave some comment love ;)

Book Review "Max on Life"

 

 

 

Noone makes words come alive better than Max Lucado!  His new book "Max on Life" does not disappoint as he takes on some very tough questions that many of us ask.  He tackles questions regarding angels, worship, sex, getting along with others, money, marriage, Jesus, the Bible, homosexuality, grief, children, baptism, suicide, prayers, and so much more. 

 

The way this book is written makes it simple to sit and read just a question or two at a time.  He uses scriptures to back up everything in this book, so it makes a book to use in your personal devotions.  This book would be a great tool to give to someone who is new in their Christian walk as it helps you understand so much of what God is teaching us through His Word.

 

I found "Max on Life" hard to put down and I know it is a book I will refer to many times.