TOS Review: Vintage Remedies

My friends and family think I'm weird. It started five years ago when we began treating Music Man's ADHD with diet instead of medicine. We took artificial flavors and colors out of our diet and began eating differently than most of those around us. It took some getting used to but we soon adjusted and we are so much healthier for it. As my kids got older they began questioning some of the decisions I make related to our eating habits. It was challenging when we would visit family and friends who still ate what we called "bad food." 

Enter Vintage Remedies for Guys.

 

This Blog is Not my Home

It's not my job either. I thought I wanted it to be my job.

I love writing. I love blogging. I love the blogging community. But I love my children more. I love my calling more. And my calling is my children.

A few months ago I began consciously noticing how much I was on the computer while my kids were awake. Then I noticed things that didn't get done because I was blogging. Or emailing. Or Facebooking. Or reading others' blogs.

Then I started thinking about the legacy I was leaving for my children. Did I want them to remember me on the computer? Or Facebooking on my  phone? Or blogging?

I started listening to myself ...

"Let me just finish this post."

"I need to send one more email."

 "After I finish reading this, we can do that."

Or do I want them to remember we played? And built forts. And created art.

Do I want them to remember that I was there for them - not just caring for their daily needs, but getting down and living life with them. 

This blog is not my home.

This is.

And this.

Amy at Raising Arrows wrote on a similar subject this week.

It took me over a month to get this post ready since I am only writing now when my kids are not awake. I have some reviews and other commitments that will take precedence over more personal posts, however, know that I am not abandoning my blog. I just have more pressing things on my plate at the moment.

Like homeschooling my boys and building forts. :)

Toilet Seat Two-Fer (Or How to Keep Your Skinny Minnie From Falling In)

Signs You Have a Skinny Minnie

1. Pants and shorts never fit correctly.
2. S/he has long legs that go on for days.
3. Belts are not a fashion accessory, they are a necessity.
4. You adore clothing lines with adjustable waistbands in size slim.
5. Even with size slim adjustable waistbands, the kid may need a belt.

Tips for Camping with Kids from a Camping Rookie

My major in college was Outdoor Recreation and I totally scoffed at the thought of car camping, much less a camper. I loved backpacking and the whole "pack it in, pack it out" philosophy. However, having kids, especially one with special needs, has changed my thoughts drastically. We had access to a camper this past weekend and jumped at the chance to get out of town. So we embarked on our first real camping trip away from home. On a holiday weekend. With two days to prepare.

And it was awesome. And we also learned a lot.

Tips for Camping with Kids from a Camping Rookie

1. Pack everything the night before. If you have to make a stop or two in route, you may end up with cranky kids and that's no way to start a vacation.

2. You don't need as many clothes as you think you do. Everybody recycles clothes and nobody is really truly clean in the woods. Even with a kid who changes clothes often at home due to messiness is fine with dirty clothes while camping.  

3. Take lots of yard games. Our boys brought a soft nerd-like bat and ball and a soccer ball. Not great for a crowded campground. The Saturn ball was a great boredom distractor though, as was Uno and Checkers.  

4. Take some friends with you! Camping is a great family activity but it is even better when you have someone to share the memories with. If you plan ahead, sites can be reserved next to each other. You could even spring for an additional campsite between the two families once the kids get old enough to stay in a tent alone.  

5. If the college kids next to you party all night, do not hesitaite to contact the appropriate authorities. You paid for your campsite and deserve a good night's sleep.  

6. Get up early one morning to watch the sunrise over the lake, beach or other body of water. I watch it almost every day at home but it is worth getting up to see it over the water.  

7. If you go to another state, find out the laws before you go. Think boating, life jackets, car seats, bike helmets etc. If you plan on fishing, find out the those requirements and laws too.  

8. Try to get recommendations on a campground before you go. Find out if it is family friendly or more of a fish camp. It is also helpful to know if the No Alcohol rule or Quiet Time hours are actually enforced.  

9. Don't go out on a holiday weekend on your first real camping trip. We did and there was a reason for it. We went in to the weekend knowing it was going to be crowded and it was fine for us. however, I would not recommend it for a typical rookie. :)  

10. Be flexible. Kinda goes without saying if you have kids but for a planner like me, a reminder is sometimes necessary!

So there you have it - ten tips I wish I had known before we left home on Friday. You'll hear more about the trip in the coming weeks. We can't wait to go again!

Do you camp with kids? What is your best camping with kids tip?

A Camping We Will Go

Two days ago, my husband came home from work and told me that we were going camping this weekend. I was super excited but slightly freaked because of my over-planning nature. Two days was a very short amount of time to plan a long weekend away. Camping. During the biggest holiday of the summer. Oh and did I mention it isn't something that we do regularly. So it isn't like I am really prepared to just go camping with two days notice.

Well, then I remembered.

Katie Kimball from Kitchen Stewardship just came out with the 2nd Edition of her family camping cookbook, Kitchen Stewardship in the Big Woods.

Kitchen Stewardship was one of the first real foods websites I found. I read everything she posts (almost immediately most days!) I have learned so much from her in the almost year that I have been reading her blog. And let me tell ya, that girl researches. Her posts are thorough and informative and she makes you think. A lot. And completely analyze everything you put in your mouth. Or your family's mouths. Read her blog. You won't be sorry.

Katie has made meal planning while camping super simple for traditional (real) food eaters. Kitchen Stewardship in the Big Woods contains 14 new recipes, 35 in all! There are printable packing and to-do lists, which are awesome for planners and list makers like me!! I was quickly able to plan my menu and move on with that part of the preparation process.

Her other two ebooks, Healthy Snacks to Go and The Everything Beans Book are also amazing!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, however, all opinions expressed are my own. If you purchase through these links, I do get a percentage of the sales and use them to sustain this website.

Decorating Dilemma: Mostly Mistreated Master Bedroom

So, months and months ago (before Christmas!!) I found some awesome linens at my local thrift store. There were multiple pieces (topsheets and several panels of curtains and though it was so not my typical style and color scheme, I snatched them up. I had been reading Nester for quite some and had been slowly gravitating towards more cool colors especially since there is a lot of dark paneling in our (rental) house. Well, there was no time to mess with them before Christmas so I put them "in a really good spot." (Do you ever do that?) This time I actually DID know that they were in a sewing tote. I just couldn't find THAT particular tote. But, I digress. Here it is JULY and I finally was able to lay my hands on them again. But my thoughts on my bedroom have changed about a dozen times since I bought these beautiful things and well now, I'm not sure.

Mostly Mistreated Master Curtain

I made my curtains during the week in January when we were snowed in. I had planned for them to be totally mistreated, but the fabric was raveling terribly and after months of looking, I couldn't find any affordable trim. I slightly mistreated them by hemming the edges and hanging them plain and simple with drape clips on a conduit curtain rod.

Eventually I will make this bed. I want to paint some large pieces of plywood or something to add some color in there too, kinda like fake walls. I am thinking a dark wood for the bed but may go with a distressed color - not sure yet.

I have an idea for my duvet cover which will be large pieced squares and machine quilted in all white. I cannot wait to get started on that!

An then today when I pulled my beloved fabric out, it had a creamy background instead of the white back ground I remembered.

Can you see through all those wrinkles?

I couldn't believe it. I was thinking all along it was a white background and that my white quilted duvet cover, white and taupe curtains, white bed skirt etc would be perfect. Now I'm not sure. 

Yes, those are empty frames. Still trying to decide what to do with them. I used the nail holes that were there so they are hanging a little wacky right now.

I just realized that you never seen cords in decorator blogs. Man, that looks awful!
Do they even have alarm clocks in their homes?

So what do you think? Does my fabric work even with the white? 

Judgement or Grace

I happened upon an awesome blog today. I feel like I am kindred spirits with her already. Jill Savage is an author of seven books including the latest one, Living with Less So Your family Has More. The particular post that got me was Let's replace judgment with grace.... It was a good slap in the face with where I am right now. Seriously. Check her out.

The Start of Summer Boy Brunch

 

Several years ago the Mother's Day Out program Farm Boy was attending held a tea party for the moms around Mother's Day. Music Man was in school at the time and of course did not attend. That got him to thinking though and he really wanted to have a tea party. Well, we couldn't have a TEA PARTY since I had BOYS. So I had to come up with something else.

School was nearing the end and after hearing them talk and talk about tea parties for a few weeks, I came up with an End-of-School Boy Brunch. We had it on the Saturday after school was out.

The first year we had monkey bread and milk. I served them on glass plates with fancy (dollar store) stemware with a straw. There were fancy napkins and candles - nothing matched but they didn't care! It was a celebration. And summer began.

The next year we were still settling into our new life in Georgia and though we had it, I didn't take pictures. Our third annual Boy Brunch was held after Sports Camp last year and I again forgot to take pictures. I remember we ate cake though. I had just completed a cake decorating class at Micheal's.

We realized last year that it could no longer be and End-of-School Boy Brunch since now we homeschool and school year round. We aren't as formal in the summer, and usually most of take June off. But we work on math three days a week and read everyday throughout the summer.

This year's Boy Brunch was held June 1, 2011. We had doughnuts this year since I forgot to put the cinnamon rolls together before I went to bed. Insomnia does have its merits since I woke at 3:45AM and remembered I hadn't made the cinnamon rolls.

This is what happens when you are tired, double the amount of butter for a recipe and end up having to double the whole recipe in order to not throw out a whole stick of butter.

This is what happens when you are laughing so hard you have to take a picture for your blog, run to your computer to load the pics and don't remove the overflowing dough when you first see it.

And these are the happy boys enjoying the slightly yeast-y doughnuts for our4th Annual Start of Summer Boy Brunch.

Do you do something special for the end of school or the start of summer? How do you celebrate?

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Oh and we have a winner! (You thought I forgot didn't you?)

Laura, please email me with your address and I will send your book out later today. Thanks again to Moe at Squeaky Gourmet for my first giveaway and to all who entered!  

How I Got My Life Back - Part 1

I've been held hostage for four days out of the month over the last seven years. I would have to cancel plans, give the kids some days off from school (there is no way to call a sub when you homeschool!) and basically hibernate during "that time of the month."

For those of you who know me personally, you will either be thrilled with what you are about to read or horrified I would actually write about this. But when something so miraculous happens, you really wanna share it with the world! And when that miracle could help someone else, you want to shout it from the mountaintops!!!

So here we go! I'm shouting!!!

Like I said, I've been held hostage. My periods were horrid. Pain, weakness, fatigue, headaches, grouchiness, cravings. I could go on and on attempting to describe what I go through each month.

Doctors would say, well, get used to it. It will probably get worse until menopause. (Thanks so much for the sympathy there! Did I really just pay to have you say that to me??)

My dear sweet husband had no clue until recently since usually he would be gone to work while I suffered. The last two years since we moved back to GA he saw more months of the agony than he didn't.

So enter my new friend who right now will remain anonymous since I didn't tell her I was blogging about her. I met her at our new church.

Our conversation went from elderberry syrup to her telling me about her cure from endometosis and fibroids. She was scheduled for surgery but didn't want to have it so she started looking for a cure for her symptoms which were very much like mine. Over three months time she basically cured her symptoms through natural vitamins, minerals and herbs. She quickly began writing down some things for me and well, it worked!!

I have not implemented everything yet. But I am going to share what I did.

• Nature's Way Red Raspberry Leaves - two pills twice a day (every 12 hours)
• Nature's Way Magnesium Complex - one pill twice a day (every 12 hours)

Easy huh??

I couldn't believe it myself.

There are a few other things I haven't implemented yet but I will tell you about those next month after I do.

Let me tell ya folks - this is huge for me. Otherwise I wouldn't be discussing this most private thing on my blog.

Normally I would spend these fours days captive in my home. Being a homebody, I love to be home, but not when I am forced beyond my control, ya know? 

Well this weekend, I baked a birthday cake and iced it. Then attended a family function worth five hours. And then went to church on Easter and spent the day with my family. None of this would have been possible had it been a month ago. I would have been in the bed all those days.

If you suffer during your monthly time, please try this. It costs very little and you could be changing your life.

I did.

TOS Review: Growing Healthy Homes Nutrition 101

 

I was so excited when I saw Growing Healthy Homes in our queue for review. I have been slowly changing the way I feed my family and this was a great boost in making even more changes.  

Growing Healthy Homes Nutrition 101 is a 3-in-1 health and wellness program, biology curriculum and cookbook designed for the homeschool family. Don't let the name fool you. This is not your ordinary health class. It is comprised of six Biblically-based units that teach nutrition, biology and life wellness through hands-on activities, amazing full color diagrams and scrumptious recipes.

On a personal note, my boys are finally getting of the age that they are asking about Music Man's challenges and health issues. Nutrition 101 not only tells you "the what" of nutrition but also about why we need to feed our bodies certain things. The different systems of the body are explained in their own chapter. It has been a challenge for me to explain some of Music Man's issues to him and his brother but with this complete curriculum, he's gotten biology and health/wellness all wrapped into one! We had no idea that bananas were bad for the respiratory tract and that is his absolute favorite food! Music Man is also beginning to understand more about how the body systems work together and how when one system is not healthy, it affects the whole body.

Another perk for me personally, is that it is one thing for Mama to say we don't need to eat that. Now my boys are taking on their own reasons as to why we don't need to eat that. They understand the why and choose a healthier option. That really helps this Mama when it comes time to makes decisions on eating away from home!

Nutrition 101 is such a complete curriculum that we were not able to complete it in its entirety for the review. I am excited that we can continue to use it throughout the rest of school year. It is actually designed to be used over several years, adding some challenging activities as your children age. (You all know I love a curriculum that can be used with multiple ages over the course of several years!)


Other titles from Growing Healthy Homes include The Raw Food Feast and Gentle Babies: Essential Oils and Natural Remedies for Pregnancy, Childbirth, Infants and Young Children. 


There are also some free MP3 downloads of recorded conference calls!

Read a sample of Nutrition 101!

Nutrition 101 is available in several formats.

Printed Book $99.95

CD ROM $79.95

Printed Book and CD ROM $129.95
Use code  TOScrew1 for a 15% DISCOUNT! 

Right now Growing Healthy Homes is offering a 15% discount using the code TOScrew1!! 

 There is a LIVE WEBINAR TOMORROW, Thursday, April 21, at 4 to 5:30 p.m. EDT (1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. PDT.) (Even after using and reviewing it, I plan to be there!)

Legal Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Crew I received Nutrition101 free of charge from Growing Healthy Homes for the purpose of review and exchange for my honest opinion. 

No other compensation was received.

Why I Don't Coupon - Part 1

I'm frugal but I don't coupon. Or at least not very often.

 photo by teamjtx on Flickr.

Coupons are for people who buy processed foods. Or stuff with junk in them. 

And we don't want no junk around here.

The only coupons available in Sunday circulars are those for products by big food companies that put all kinds of stuff in them I don't wanna eat. Or bathe with. Or clean my clothes with. Or ..... 

Do you see my trend here? 

Occasionally, I will find a coupon in my local heath food store for a product I might buy. Or a treat for the kids. But for the most part I don't use 'em. And I've tried. Believe me I have tried. 

There are only a few things left that I actually buy that I can use a coupon for: coffee, some bagged teas, hubby's toiletries that I can't get him to let go of. That's about it.

So what do I buy without coupons, you ask? Well we'll be talking about that this week.

Weaning Myself (Again)

I originally began writing this post in October but life caught up with me and I did not wean myself down. I had an almost identical experience two weeks ago and decided enough was enough. Intrigued? Read on ...

10/11/10

Ever have a ritual so wonderful that your entire daily routine revolves around it? To miss it means that your day just isn't a good one. If something is off with the said ritual then the whole day is shot.

For me, it is my morning coffee. I have a certain brand I drink passed down from a long line of coffee drinkers. I have a certain cup I use - a big mug with a beautiful handle given to me by a dear friend. I use only whole milk and it makes my coffee a beautiful khaki color, coined "blah blah" by a friend of my sister's. I go from a groggy unintelligible being who stumbles to the coffee maker to someone who is still rumpled, but somewhat coherent after just the first sip of my beloved beverage.

Well this morning all of that changed. We were out of coffee. I knew we were low, but I thought that meant we had one more pound of coffee left. Nope. Nada. Zilch. Nothing. I pulled out some Stash Green and White Fusion and attempted to convince my body not to rebel. I began noticing a headache. It got increasingly worse as I noticed I was also shaking. And getting nauseated. Oh yeah. It was bad. My son noticed me looking a little funny and I wondered on to the porch hoping that the fresh air would help. At this point I was suspecting a virus and actually glad I had not drank any coffee as coffee coming up is just eww. (Just being real here.) I sat outside for a bit holding my stomach and my head and trying to rearrange my very busy schedule in my head. Then it hit me. My headache was awful by this time and I began suspecting withdrawals. I quickly googled coffee withdrawal symptoms and could not believe all the info.

From what I read it is much better to wean that go cold turkey. I have had to go cold turkey several times due to unexpected pregnancies. They were not this bad though. My first was planned so I was already drinking decaf.

Fast forward to today ... 

February 17

Two weeks ago on a Sunday I slept in. It felt so good! Two hours of extra sleep. But then I woke up. And I felt it. Ugh. I knew I was going to be a little off since I was two hours overdue from my daily coffee ritual. But I did not expect what happened.

I got up, groggily stammered to the kitchen and began making my coffee. I would have loved to be in the habit of making it the night before, set it to come on and be ready and waiting for me. Since I slept in on this particular morning it wouldn't have helped to have it set to go anyway. I sat on the couch and nursed my ever-growing headache knowing that my coffee would be ready in about 6 minutes - that is how bad the addiction was. I knew how long my coffeepot took to work! So it is finally it was ready and I grabbed my mug. Sitting there drinking on the couch I was concerned that I was feeling sick. Like nauseated kind of sick. Well, I will spare you the details but I assumed I had a virus and ran to the bathroom. My family started to stir and I went back to bed, shaking with chills and feeling downright gross. They got ready and went to church and I took a nap - two hours worth. Later I got up and sipped some tea, ate a few saltines and rested some more. Then it hit me and I realized that I was experiencing withdrawal symptoms again.

So that very minute I decided my coffee habit was not worth it. If that is what happens to me when I don't get my coffee fix, how bad is it for me on a daily basis. Now I am on week two of weaning.

My Weaning Plan

• 2 of my big fat cups in the morning (down from a shared-with-my-husband 4-5 POTS a day) for 2-3 weeks
• continue to research additional helps (including amino acids) 
• find more teas that I enjoy that are caffeinated since most of the teas I enjoy are herbal. Eventually I plan to get completely off the caffeine but for now, I am weaning down slowly
• Sub one cup of caffeinated tea per cup per week until only drinking tea
• Once I am only drinking teas, sub one cup herbal tea per cup per week until only drinking herbal teas

So we will see. I'll update in another month of so and let you know how it is going.

Has anyone else weaned yourself off of coffee? What did you do different? 

Are you still coffee free??

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I have been making my own laundry detergent off and on for the past seven or eight years. I began making my detergent because I needed to downsize our budget.You will hear about some of the other reasons in a later post. :)

Originally, I used Fels Naptha but I am unable to tolerate the smell anymore. I began searching out an alternative and found that some folks use Ivory. Other soaps mentioned were Kirk's Coco Castile and Zote. I have found Kirk's at a couple of grocery stores (Kroger in the bath soap aisle and Publix in the laundry section aisle.) Homemade detergents can sometime make clothes dingy. (Mine did when I used Fels Naptha and I quit using homemade detergent for that reason.) I read recently about Mrs. Stewart's Bluing and immediately bought a bottle. You only need a few drops per load so it lasts forever. Zote has brighteners added to it, but I haven't been able to find it locally yet. I was told to try Big Lot's and looked yesterday to no avail. I'll keep looking though to keep my options open. :)

Dawn's Homemade Detergent Recipe
1 cup Borax
1 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda
1 cup baking soda (not pictured)
1 grated bar laundry soap (Currently using Kirk's Coco Castile (It smells like Ivory so I am able to tolerate it.)
a few drops of essential oil (if desired - lavender is heavenly!) 

When I start my laundry, I turn the warm water on first, add 1 T of detergent per load (2 T for extra large loads) and then allow the washer to fill an inch or two. I then turn it the water to cold. The little bit of warm helps dissolve the detergent. If it is a hot water load I skip this step and just start it with hot from the beginning. If needed I add 1 cup plain white vinegar to the bleach dispenser and then add my clothes.Vinegar can be used to soften clothes or to cut the stink. :) It is great for toileting accidents too!

I need to warn you about  something. Your clothes will be clean but they will not smell like what you are used to. This lack of scent does not mean that they aren't clean. In fact, it means quite the opposite! I have always hated laundry detergent smells and love that my clothes are clean and smell fresh, not perfumey!!

To dry clothes in the dryer, I use small scraps of toweling dipped in fabric softener (Seventh Generation brand) and dry normally. I hang as many things as I possible can to avoid running my dryer.

This is my normal laundry routine. I have a completely different one for stinky/smelly/work clothes. That is another post (coming soon!)

Do you have a frugal laundry tip? How does your laundry routine differ?