Thursday, September 30, 2010
She's Here!!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Tasty Tuesday: Homemade Yogurt
After you have heated it, it needs to be cooled to about 115 degrees. I do this by setting the jar in my freezer and checking and stirring it every 15 minutes or so. You could also do this in the fridge or just on the counter, but it will take longer.
Once it is cooled I always add some non-fat dry milk powder to make the yogurt a little thicker. This is completely optional, but if you want to try it, add about 1/4 cup per quart of milk. Then you need to gently stir in the yogurt starter that should be at room temperature by now.
The next step can be done many different ways and can produce a wide range of taste and consistency of your yogurt. The milk mixture needs to be kept warm for anywhere from 4-12 hours at a temperature anywhere between 90-120 degrees in order to incubate and let the cultures grow. I have read many different ways of doing this, including putting it in the oven and leaving the light on, putting it in a cooler with a pan of boiling water, crock pots, or any other place you can keep it warm. I tried a few of them, but always had to keep a thermometer by it and check the temperature often. Since I knew I wanted to make yogurt often, I purchase a yogurt maker for about $20 and that way I can just set my jar in it and not worry about keeping it the right temperature. Anyway that you try it, it needs to be in a place where it won't have to be moved for several hours. You will get sweeter yogurt with lower temps and shorter incubating times and tarter yogurt with higher temps and longer times.
Hopefully you enjoy trying this fun process as much as I have! Be sure to leave me a comment and let me know how it turns out!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Your Comments: Thank You and Replying
Friday, September 24, 2010
A Day at School
Buddy has been learning long vowels in reading and even though this is not his favorite subject we have found a few games to make it more interesting and he is starting to read some really big words! He loves to use the white board, so I write some of his words for the day on it and he gets to erase them if he reads them correctly.
He has also been working on copy work and illustrating the sentences to make a book. He is almost done and pretty excited about making his own book.
Hopefully I will be able to get back into a routine and keep up with school for the kids once the baby is here!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
My True Nature - Review, Discount Code, & Giveaway! **CLOSED**
My kids love bath time. They especially love it when we add some bubble bath. When Kelly from My True Nature contacted me about reviewing her new bath products, I knew my kids would be all for it! I was also excited to try them because they are all natural and organic which means they are safe for my kids! Kelly sent us the Bubbly by Nature Bubble Bath and the Stinky by Nature Shampoo and Body Wash. After we received them, we immediately started using them. The bottles had adorable little cartoon characters on them that the kids loved to look at. The kids also loved the bubble bath! One thing I don't like about a lot of bubble baths is that they produce only small amounts of bubbles that don't always last that long. The Bubbly by Nature created huge amounts of bubbles that lasted for a long time! The Stinky by Nature did a great job of getting the kids clean, and the only small issue I had with it was that is was rather difficult to rinse out of their hair. When I asked Kelly about this, she said that it was due to the amount olive oil in the wash and already had plans to reduce it in the next round she manufactures to resolve this issue. Overall we had a great experience using the My True Nature products and can't wait to see what else the offer in the future!My True Nature is in the process of launching the first of their products and hopes to add more soon. Here is a little bit more about My True Nature from their website:
When I started using my products at home, I put cartoon labels on the bottles to make them laugh. I mean, who doesn't love to make their kids laugh? It is intoxicating. My kids loved them, and that’s when the idea for TubbyTown™, a make-believe bath-time wonderland, was born. TubbyTown™’s residents currently include Bobo the dragon, Milo the skunk, Clio the teddy bear and Ollie the octopus. Each has its own distinctive personality, and its own dedicated bath-time product. I know your little ones will look forward to playing with them each time they step into the tub just like mine do.

Kelly and her husband have lived in San Francisco for 12 years and have 2 children, Fletcher who is 5 and Adeline who is 3. Kelly is a big cook and that is how her interest in formulating her products started.
Want to purchase any of the My True Nature products? Head over to the site to check them out. Kelly has graciously offered my readers a 20% discount and free shipping when you use the code munchkin! (Code expires Oct 6, 2010)Want to win a 4 oz combo package of the Bubbly by Nature and Stinky by Nature? Keep reading!
Please complete the mandatory entry first and then feel free to complete as many of the extra entries that you would like to. Leave your email address (non spam example: name at yahoo dot com) in each comment so that I can contact you if you win. I will verify all entries, so please be honest! The giveaway will end Oct 6, 2010 at noon and I will pick a winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to anyone (and yes even my friends are welcome to enter since the winner will be randomly drawn using random.org!).
Mandatory Entry: Leave me a comment telling me who you would like to win this for (your kids, grandkids, friends, etc).
Extra entries (be sure to leave a seperate comment for each extra entry that you do!)
- Follow my blog publicly
- Subscribe to my blog (box on the left) and make sure you check your email to verify it!
- Add my button to your blog (leave a link to where you added it)
- Head over to My True Nature and tell me something new you learned.
- Subscribe to the My True Nature newsletter here (on the left side)
- Publicly follow the My True Nature blog
- Tweet, facebook, or blog about this giveaway (you may do one, two, or all three for up to 3 entries and leave me a link to each one that you do)
- "Like" My True Nature on facebook (leave me a comment with your name)
That's a total of 11 possible ways to enter, so get started commenting today!
My True Nature sent me these products for free to review. I was not paid for this review and I get to keep the products. All opinions expressed are mine!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Easy Homemade Granola
Ingredients: 1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
8 cups oatmeal (quick oats)
Directions:
In a large, 4-quart saucepan, melt the margarine or butter and the brown sugar
together. Stir it up and let it simmer for a few minutes (2-3 minutes). Add the salt and cinnamon, then the oatmeal. Remove pot from heat and stir until all the oatmeal is coated. Spread the granola onto 2 cookie sheets (with sides) and bake at 375° for 10 minutes, until golden brown. Cool granola completely on pan, then break up into pieces and transfer to a container. Add raisins or nuts if desired.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Suuthe by Mari Skin Repair Winner!
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
12
Timestamp: 2010-09-20 20:28:32 UTC
Comment #12 is:
Anonymous said...
I like suuthe by marie on FB. as Marie Palmer
cheydodge2@aol.com
Congratulations! I sent you an email and you have 48 hours to reply or I will have to pick a new winner.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Easy Freezer Corn
My Princess Bible - Review
My Sweetheart loves all things princess. She loves to wear dresses, dance, and pretend she is a princess. She even says she is going to be a princess when she grows up. So when I had the chance to review the My Princess Bible from Tyndale House Publishers, I knew Sweetie would love to read this one with me. And I was right! We have been reading it together before bedtime and she loves it and always wants to keep reading more! This book is written by Andy Holmes and illustrated Sergey Eliseev, who have been done a nice job putting this book together to teach young girls about women of the Bible. Each chapter is about a different woman and talks about a character trait that made her one of God's special princesses. At the end of each chapter there are two lines where you can insert your princess's name to encourage her to be one of God's princesses. For example the story about Eve ends with “________ is God’s special princess; ________ is sad when she does something bad.” I have enjoyed using this book with Sweetie as a way to help her become familiar with these important women of the Bible and how we can apply what we learn from them to our own life. So Much To Do...
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Wedding Bells Were Ringing!
Hubby signing the marriage license
Congratulations A & K!!!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Tasty Tuesday - Getting the most out of your roast turkey or chicken
Monday, September 6, 2010
Suuthe by Mari - Review and GIVEAWAY! **CLOSED**
Since having kids, I have become much more aware of what is in the products we use in our home and on our bodies. I have really started reading ingredient labels and paying attention to what things are made from. I love finding products that are all natural with ingredient lists that I can understand because then I know if it safe for us or not. Recently I discovered a company called Suuthe by Mari that offers skin care products made with high quality natural and organic food grade ingredients and no addatives or fillers. That sounded great to me and when they offered to send me a couple of their products for review, I was excited to try them out!Suuthe by Mari was started by Mari Carlin Dart when she was desperate to relieve her son's eczema and nothing else had worked. She came up with a salve that worked and when others began asking for her "magic salve," her business was born! Since then they have developed an entire line of natural skin repair products.
First they sent the flagship product of the business, the Skin Repair. We don't really have too many skin issues in our house, so I wasn't sure I would get a chance to use this for anything too quickly. The only issue we do have occassionally is that Sweetie gets very dry itchy skin in the crooks of her elbows. It usually last a couple days and I put lotion on it to try help it. Well, last week it decided to flair up so I put some of the Skin Repair on it and it was gone after one application! Sweetie said it was much nicer than the other stuff we've used because it didn't hurt when I put it on either! The Skin Repair can also be used for diaper rashes and since most of you know that we use cloth diapers, I had to ask if it was safe for cloth diapers. Well it is, so it is nice to have something around for if Lovebug gets a rash and I don't have to switch back to disposables until it clears up! There is a long list on their site of other skin issues that the Skin Repair is effective for.

They also sent me the Original Lip Balm. In the summer I get dry chapped lips from the sun so I tried this out right away and immediately noticed a difference. After a couple days of use, my lips were soft and smooth again! It is also effective for cold sores, which I get occassionally and I hope it helps me as well for those.
Both products have worked very well for us and I was also excited to read the ingredient labels and be able to understand what each ingredient is: Pure Emu Oil, Shea Butter, Organic Olive Oil, Bees Wax, Essential Oils: Lavender, Lemon, Chaomile Flower Extract-German Blue.
Other products that they sell include: Facial Skin Moisturizer, Natural Body Butter, Pure African Shea Butter, and Pure Emu Oil.
Interested in purchasing any of the Suuthe by Mari products? Head over to their site and check them out! Right now both sizes of the Skin Repair are on sale!
Interested in winning a tin of the Skin Repair? Keep reading! Suuthe by Mari has generously sent me a tin of the Skin Repair to offer as a giveaway to one of my lucky readers!
Please complete the mandaory entry first and then feel free to complete as many of the extra entries that you would like to. Leave your email address (non spam example: name at yahoo dot com) in each comment so that I can contact you if you win. I will verify all entries, so please be honest! The giveaway will end Sept 20, 2010 at noon and I will pick a winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to US residents (and yes even my friends are welcome to enter since the winner will be randomly drawn!).
Mandatory entry:
Leave me a comment and guess which milestone birthday I am celebrating today!
Extra entries (be sure to leave a seperate comment for each extra entry that you do!)
- Follow my blog publicly
- Subscribe to my blog (box on the left) and make sure you check your email to verify it!
- Add my button to your blog (leave a link to where you added it)
- "Like" Suuthe by Mari on facebook (leave me a comment with your name)
That's a total of 12 possible ways to enter, so get started commenting today!
Suuthe by Mari sent me these products for free to review. I was not paid for this review and I get to keep the products. All opinions expressed are mine!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
A Few Updates
First up is a pregnancy update. I am now less than a month away from my due date and hopefully we will get to meet our new little one in a few short weeks! This week we discovered that I have a monster of a kidney stone sitting in my right kidney. It is 15 mm!! The largest anyone is able to pass on their own is about 5 mm, so normally they would blast it up so that it could be passed in smaller pieces. Since I'm pregnant that is not an option, though. So far I haven't had any pain, but if it starts to move and blocks fluids from leaving my kidney, we will have to try putting in a stint for the fluid to go around the stone until after I have my baby. We are just praying that it stays put until after the baby is born!
In homeschool news, we have been off to a very slow start for a little over a month now. Between doctors appointments, visits to the dentist, gardening/preserving, and trying to fit in other fun stuff before the summer is over, we have been super busy and haven't been fitting in school too often yet. The kids are loving to stuff we do when we do manage to do it though! Sweetie learned all about creation for a while, and now we are on to the letter S for sun. She loves all the experiments she gets to try like making a sundial and drying grapes into raisins. Buddy did some letter review and now we are on to learning about short vowels. He also loves his science book and doing experiments about dirt, worms, bugs, seeds, etc. They also love the art book and music we are using and beg to do art or music almost everyday! If Lovebug is awake when we are working on school stuff, I also try to find some fun things for him to play with like puzzles, blocks, or other fun learning toys.
I also thought I would update you on my no shampoo experiment that I told you about here. I haven't used any shampoo since that post (little over a month ago) and it has been going great! My hair feels thicker and healthier and it never gets greasy. I've read that some people go through a greasy transition period, but I never had that. I've also read off people going a week without washing their hair, but I didn't really want to try that long. I still wash it every other day and one time skipped it for a total of 4 days and I couldn't even tell. It never got greasy or anything else! I have also noticed that I shed a lot less hair! I haven't had to clean hair off the shower drain for weeks! The only draw back to using the baking soda and cider vinegar has been having to mix it up each time. I have 2 squirt bottles that I use and just get them ready while I am waiting for the water to warm up before my shower, so I really isn't too difficult. Up next? I am going to try making my own laundry detergent and possibly deodorant.
I hope you're still awake after reading all that with no pictures. Hopefully we will soon get our camera fixed or get a new one and I will have some cute munchkin pictures to share. Also watch for a great giveaway next week!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Bloem and Grow - Review and Discount Code!!


When Kate, the owner, offered to send me one of her photo scrabble tile necklaces to review, I was so excited! I emailed her a photo of my hubby and this is what she created for me:
Kate has many more pictures on her site and facebook page, so be sure to head over to them and check them all out!
I think all her prices are very reasonable, especially for being personalized! If you would like to purchase any of her adorable stuff, head over to her site, Bloem and Grow. And Kate has graciously offered a discount code to all my lucky readers! Just mention the code "Michelle" when ordering and she will give you 15% off your order! So what are you waiting for? Head over and take advantage of this great offer to get yourself some cute stuff!
Bloem and Grow sent me this necklace for free to review. I was not paid for this review and I get to keep the necklace. All opinions expressed are mine!



