back to the simple life

Yup, that's right!  We are heading back to the simple life.  To the days of milking your own cows, catching fireflies,  swimming in the creek, homemade pies, and County Fairs.  Okay, maybe not that simple.  I have been slowing working my way [our family's way] back to basics and simplifying life.  I make some of my own cleaners, switched to cloth diapers (which are WAY less complicated than I thought), and in general try to lessen our intake of chemicals and yucky things.  Well after doing some more research specifically in the food department I was more that blown away.  I had some serious misconceptions on how I got my food.  The movie Food Inc. is A-MAZE-ING!!  It will blow your mind and disgust you...at least it did for me.   If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.  So watching Food Inc. and doing some other research as well as sharing Arbonne's new Arbonne Essential line with the 30 Day to Feeling Fit (more to come in another post) I have decided to go almost completely organic and focus on whole foods.  We were some what organic before, but now I don't think that I can even consider non-organic meats!  Yikes-a-roo!

I recently purchased this cookbook:  Feeding Our Families:  Bringing Back the Made-from-Scratch Family Dinners.  It is written by Katie Newell.  Katie is a  reformed junk food junkie, a healthy eating expert, motivational speaker and real food consultant.  She is the founder of HealthnutFoodie.com, which is an awesome website.  I made 2 meals from the cookbook and they were so scrumptious!  I am really excited to make more!  Katie recently share her knowledge at a weekly training call with Arbonne, it was so wonderful.  I learned a ton!  You can download (or listen online) to her talk here.  It is available for a limited time. 

Happy cooking!

Theology from Bugs

Tonight's prayer time with Bug #1:

Me:  Okay is there anyone you want to pray for?
B1: Daddy and Grandpa T.
Me: Okay anyone else?
B1: Grammy and Grandpa.
Me:  Anyone else?
B1: Umm....me! 
Me: (Trying to suppress a laugh) Anyone else?
B1:  Yeah, Jessie [from Toy Story]....SweetPea Beauty [from VeggieTales]....Kermit the Frog...Fozzie Bear...Rowlf the Dog [you know, the Muppets]
Me:  (Really trying to suppress a laugh) Um, okay.  Anyone else?
B1:  Oh no.  That's enough people!

I love her so much! 

Jesus Calling

This is from the devotional book Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.  It really spoke to me today.  

I am your strength and shield.  I plan out each day and have it ready for you, long before you arise from bed.  I also provide the strength you need each step of the way.  Instead of assessing your energy level and wondering about what's on the road ahead, concentrate on staying in touch with Me.  My Power flows freely into you through our open communication.  Refuse to waste energy worrying, and you will have strength to spare. 


Whenever you start to feel afraid, remember that I am your Shield.  But unlike inanimate armor, I am always alert and active.  My Presence watches over you continually, protecting you from both known and unknown dangers.  Entrust yourself to My watchcare, which is the best security system available. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. 

Psalm 28:7; Matthew 6:34; Psalm 56:3-4, Genesis 28:15

Steel cut

So I recently discovered Steel Cut Oats and I LOVE them!  They are so stinking yummy!!  John McCann's Oats with applesauce, flax meal, sliced almonds, and cranberries are my new favorite breakfast!  Love it!

Arbonne Essentials!!!

 

Check out these AMAZING new products from Arbonne!  I am so excited for them to arrive!!! 

From the Arbonne website:

	When it comes to what your body needs, it’s simple — the small changes are the ones that make the biggest difference in your life. So if you’re not sure if you’re getting the vitamins and minerals you need throughout the day, there’s an easier way to approach everyday nutrition that will help you feel better — and live better. Arbonne Essentials can help you accomplish your goals and get you on the path to healthier living with nutrition that’s individually targeted to your body’s needs. You can choose products from Daily Essentials, Fit Essentials or some combination of the two.
	Maximizing Absorption & Effectiveness Using an integrative approach, our ingredients work together to increase nutrient uptake for optimum absorption and effectiveness.◊
	Nothing to Hide Arbonne Essentials are formulated without gluten and have: • NO artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners • NO cholesterol, saturated fats or trans fats • NO animal products
	◊This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

 

Cloth Freedom

Can I just tell you friends, that I absolutely LOVE, love, love, love cloth diapering!  I know that I shared that I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of my cloth diapers and I have not been let down.  I have been using cloth for a couple months now and a couple key things that I have discovered:

1.  It is great!
2.  The poop is not as bad as I thought (especially when you use a paper liner for the older baby poops)
3.  Cloth wipes are ACTUALLY easier with cloth diapers than disposable wipes.
4.  The laundry doesn't really make a difference to my day-to-day activites
5.  It is slightly addicting!  I want more.  They are so cute and fun!  :)

Enjoying a lazy morning in pj's and diaper! 

Bug #3's first cloth diaper experience!  Cute little fluffy bum!

Milking the Milk

So, I am ALL about little tricks to save money.  This one I got from a great website www.healthyoates.com.  Basically you buy 1 gallon ORGANIC WHOLE milk, which is the same price as skim, 1 percent or 2 percent, and divide.  Separate the milk into two half gallon portions and then add a half gallon of purified water (I use a Brita) to each and voila! you have the consistency of about 2 percent milk for HALF THE COST!!!  That my friends is SWEETNESS!  You can check out their article here.

I also get my milk from Trader Joe's.  They have great organic milk and it is regularly cheaper than Horizon's (unless it is on sale) and better tasting than the other store brands available here (Meijer or Kroger).  Happy Milking!