tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87341999940736612232024-03-05T16:42:24.579-05:00The Cheap and ChoosyAmy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14011007347104622971noreply@blogger.comBlogger127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-18630859308661446862012-10-16T22:40:00.000-04:002012-10-16T22:40:48.936-04:00Pumpkin Bread Recipe {low sugar}<i>Contributed by Anna of <a href="http://notknowingwhere.com/">Not Knowing Where</a></i><div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkf2V5vkHl3wXX4WRzNBwTYx6LoO-1_vOWHIGtfSNJBJ3xQiB2qf1ZvWWLZ8rs9ioS2-s7Bjqkke7OeE-sCEP5wQqTPAcQbgtfd8FuwZOHsm5KGTuZb-47o8E_AyvTJjkclI1BGDeOUJg/s1600/PumpkinBread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkf2V5vkHl3wXX4WRzNBwTYx6LoO-1_vOWHIGtfSNJBJ3xQiB2qf1ZvWWLZ8rs9ioS2-s7Bjqkke7OeE-sCEP5wQqTPAcQbgtfd8FuwZOHsm5KGTuZb-47o8E_AyvTJjkclI1BGDeOUJg/s400/PumpkinBread.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Happy autumn! It's been over a month since I've posted at <i>The Cheap and Choosy</i>. So many hard things, and so many good things were piled into September and October. I'm happy to be back, with a recipe that I invented last weekend. </div>
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For the last two years, I've been attempting to ease sweets out of my diet. It makes me a happier person and <i>seriously</i> cuts down on the mood swings. I love fall/winter foods, particularly pumpkin. And since pumpkin usually comes in a super sweet form, I wanted to create a lower sugar alternative to satisfy my taste buds. Here it is for you wonderful folks. I hope that you enjoy. In case you're scared by the "low sugar" description, my entire family has happily eaten this bread. Don't worry! It really is good. </div>
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<b><u>Anna's Low Sugar Pumpkin Bread</u></b></div>
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<i>Dry ingredients:</i></div>
<div>
3 cup flour (white or whole grain)</div>
<div>
1/2 t. salt</div>
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1 t. baking soda</div>
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1/2 t. ground cinnamon</div>
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1/2 t. ground ginger</div>
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1/4 t. ground nutmeg</div>
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<i>Wet ingredients:</i></div>
<div>
1/4 cup shortening or softened butter</div>
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3/4 cup sugar</div>
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1 egg</div>
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1-15 oz can pumpkin</div>
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<i>1 c. Milk + 1 T. Vinegar </i></div>
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You will need 2 mixing bowls and a liquid measuring cup. In the first (smaller) mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients and stir together. In the second mixing bowl, put the wet ingredients. In an ideal world, you should pull out your hand mixer and thoroughly whip your wet ingredients together. But in my imperfect world, I stir it around violently with a wooden spoon, and it's never been bad (Who has time to clean a mixer?). </div>
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In the liquid measuring cup, put 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Add milk until you have a total of one cup. If you keep buttermilk in your refrigerator, just use 1 cup of that and forget about the vinegar. </div>
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Go back to your big mixing bowl with the wet ingredients. Alternately add the dry mixture and the milk mixture, stirring between each addition (or beating with a hand mixer if you prefer). </div>
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Grease and flour a large loaf pan. Pour in the batter, and cook at 350 degrees F for about 65 minutes. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-53016831633465753152012-09-17T06:00:00.000-04:002012-09-17T06:00:06.303-04:00Wood Crate Linen Cabinet<i>By contributing writer: Ginger re-posted from <a href="http://www.gingerlymade.com/" target="_blank">Gingerly Made</a></i><br />
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Frugality and simplicity can effect so much of our lives. Today I want to talk about decorating our homes.<br />
<br />
As a craft blogger, I spend a lot of time making things, but I don't want to spend a lot of money on supplies. I'm sure you are no stranger to the pallet and wood crate craze everyone seems to be on lately. Well, I'm no exception. I love that you can find pallets or crates for free to cheap and they give a rustic charm to your decorating that I personally love.<br />
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It took me a long time to find some crates. I was actually <a href="http://www.gingerlymade.com/2012/04/enough-bookshelves.html" target="_blank">a wee bit frustrated</a> about it because I had this project specifically in mind. Finally I found some on found some on craigslist! They were not the size or shape I wanted, but I figured since I couldn't find any elsewhere, I'd get them anyway.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p498/gmbergemann/Bathroom%20Remodel%202012/_DSC0223.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p498/gmbergemann/Bathroom%20Remodel%202012/_DSC0223.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I had to be creative in how to arrange the crates since four of them were this odd L-shape. Which meant that they also needed some restructuring. But we went from these flower display crates to this awesome crate linen cabinet. Or bookshelf. Whatever you want to use it for. I just wanted it for a linen cabinet.<br />
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<b>Here's what we did.</b><br />
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Because of the L-shaped crates we had to remove the slats from one side and reattached them to the other opening up the front of the crate. Basically, we had to move the slats around so the correct side would be open once stacked up.<br />
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Then we painted the crates, used wood glue and nailed the crates in place as we re-stacked them.<br />
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<a href="http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p498/gmbergemann/Bathroom%20Remodel%202012/_DSC0138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p498/gmbergemann/Bathroom%20Remodel%202012/_DSC0138.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It turned out REALLY good! Then I filled it up with Mason jars for my Q-tips and cotton balls, lotions, and homemade natural soaps, towels, and wash cloths. And most importantly as the linen cabinet is sitting beside the tub, a place to set my book after I'm done taking a bubble bath. Ah, simple bliss.<br />
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<a href="http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p498/gmbergemann/Bathroom%20Remodel%202012/CrateShelf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p498/gmbergemann/Bathroom%20Remodel%202012/CrateShelf.jpg" width="428" /> </a></div>
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<a href="http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p498/gmbergemann/Bathroom%20Remodel%202012/CrateLinenCabinet1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p498/gmbergemann/Bathroom%20Remodel%202012/CrateLinenCabinet1.jpg" width="368" /> </a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-53016800358969475442012-09-14T08:00:00.000-04:002012-09-14T12:28:18.761-04:00"No Poo" 30 Day ChallengeHello again Cheap and Choosy readers! Today I am going to be sharing
with you my journey and results with the "No Poo" method! Want a natural
and easy way to simplify another aspect of your life...then read on! <br />
<br />
Okay, so are you scared already? I am sure that by the title you are. Don't be, I haven't lost my mind...completely.<br />
<br />
Ready....<span style="font-size: large;"><i>I will not use shampoo or conditioner for 30 days! </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Wait!</span>
Don't leave....keep reading! I know this sounds crazy! I will
explain how I came to where I am now with this challenge. <br />
<br />
One month ago, I stumbled across <a href="http://simplemom.net/how-to-clean-your-hair-without-shampoo/">this blog post</a> on <a href="http://simplemom.net/">Simple Mom</a>.
She shares that she has not used shampoo or conditioner in three
months! (definitely read her post...she explains it all so well!) My
first reaction...<span style="font-size: large;">GROSS!</span> Which I am sure was, and is your reaction to my challenge. (probably that and...Lorissa has gone off the deep end!) <br />
<br />
I
learned that shampoo is actually a detergent. When you use it, it
strips your hair of the healthy oils it needs, resulting in a <span class="st">vicious</span>
cycle...<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Here is the vicious cycle that happens:</u></span><br />
You wash your hair with shampoo.<br />
It strips out the natural oils and creates a barrier.<br />
Your hair over reacts and produces more oils to compensate for what is lost and hair becomes greasy.<br />
You are frustrated with your oily hair so you wash it almost daily.<br />
You keep stripping your hair of the oil it needs and the ends become frizzy, brittle and damaged.<br />
Now you have to use a conditioner.<br />
The top of your head is oily <i>again</i>. The bottom is dry and frizzy. <br />
And to top it off, you now need a full arsenal of hair care products just to get it to keep a style.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">This has been my frustration!</span></b> My hair is oily on the top, frizzy and dry on the bottom, and lays
flat. Sure, I have curly hair but it just lays flat and is frizzy.<br />
<br />
What I use on a daily basis... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_VI1F-3Oz0JzyR5XiJsgdFBOuIi3HG8njfI69kMV_sNSebUKslh_Ryo74avJlwbJMVvQmtm0eH5wA2vA3ygLhJPqvSloqatRnLH4w1IFn6lPRCkrZT0JvzCXjewIZq1059IntpwvMzIp/s1600/no+poo+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_VI1F-3Oz0JzyR5XiJsgdFBOuIi3HG8njfI69kMV_sNSebUKslh_Ryo74avJlwbJMVvQmtm0eH5wA2vA3ygLhJPqvSloqatRnLH4w1IFn6lPRCkrZT0JvzCXjewIZq1059IntpwvMzIp/s400/no+poo+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I
use a volumizing shampoo and conditioner, silk drop, a leave in
conditioner, curl shaping spray, mousse, or straightening cream.<br />
<br />
All
that, and my hair <u>still</u> doesn't look how I wish it would! It is still
frizzy, dry, brittle, and falls out like crazy!!!! Seriously...it is
amazing I still have hair left with the rate that it falls out! Oh, did I
also mention I battle with dandruff. This post is quickly becoming
embarrassing. <br />
<br />
You might just tell me to switch to a
more expensive shampoo, conditioner, or hair care product...but really?!
I do not want to, nor will I, spend $15 on a small bottle of shampoo
just to get the "results" I think it may give me. Maybe you are one of
the lucky ones that has gorgeous hair with out even trying. <span style="font-size: large;">To you I say</span>...I hate you....<span style="font-size: large;">I mean</span>...<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">wow, I am so happy for you, that is awesome!</span></i> But for me, I am at the desperate...I will try <span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>anything</i></b></span> point! And that is where this challenge came from. From desperation! <br />
<br />
Okay, enough of how I got to this crazy place...what to do now?!<br />
<br />
Drop
the bottle of shampoo, put away the bottle of conditioner, and hide the
300 bottles of hair care products you currently have. Go to your
kitchen and grab a box of baking soda and a bottle of apple cider
vinegar. <span style="font-size: large;"><u><i>Yes</i></u></span>, you heard that right! Hang in there...keep reading!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCT3BZJfqO7vwPIiOXnRPT1Qy3YFFxreIP9EWs8J6Zy74F7wuGzrCgtCZfmXMDlTTY1S-u0DclbAjKdOAMZhWDZa46CkbhZQ8PEEyBSlCPRXcOznmXQNYKHj2e841eDyDl6rqee3eWAqb/s1600/no+poo+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCT3BZJfqO7vwPIiOXnRPT1Qy3YFFxreIP9EWs8J6Zy74F7wuGzrCgtCZfmXMDlTTY1S-u0DclbAjKdOAMZhWDZa46CkbhZQ8PEEyBSlCPRXcOznmXQNYKHj2e841eDyDl6rqee3eWAqb/s400/no+poo+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here is the recipe I am currently using:<br />
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"Shampoo" : 1 Cup Water<br />
1 Tablespoon Baking soda<br />
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"Conditioner": 1 Cup Water<br />
1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar<br />
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I
simply mix up the solution and pour into a squirt bottle that I keep in
the shower. From what I have read, you may have to tweak the recipe a
bit to what suits your needs. If you have super dry hair you will need
to use more vinegar to soften it. Super oily hair, increase the amount
of baking soda. You may have to experiment for the first week to find
what works for you. I have found that a little does in fact go a long
way!<br />
<br />
It will take some adjusting and getting used to.
For me, getting used to not having a soapy, lathery feeling when I
shampoo has been the hardest. I found out pretty quickly, that just
because it isn't lathering doesn't mean it isn't getting clean! All of
the other bloggers I have read also say,
there is a period in which your hair re-adjusts how much oil it makes.
After all, it is used to you stripping it out every day with washing it.
Because of this, it will over produce oil for a time. This takes about two-four
weeks (possibly as long as eight)...hang in there because your hair will adjust! <br />
<br />
I
have decided to keep a daily record of how my hair looks and is
changing. I will update every week to let you know how my hair
is progressing...both good and bad!(Remember this is one of the
"transition" weeks so my hair will be more oily than usual while it is
adjusting) <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Week 1 </b></u></span><br />
<br />
Day 1- First time to wash with baking soda
and vinegar. I was worried the vinegar would make my hair smell funny,
but it rinses completely clean- no smell! Hair <i>feels </i>soft and clean! Top doesn't look oily at all! I think I used too much baking soda, the top looks a little dry for once.<br />
<br />
Day 2- No wash needed. Hair doesn't look oily yet. Still kind of dry. Must remember to use less baking soda mixture.<br />
<br />
Day
3- Top of hair looking oily, time to wash! Hair feels clean and smells
clean. Once again, I think I used too much baking soda.<br />
<br />
Day 4-No wash. Hair looks a little oily. Put it in a pony tail. No big deal.<br />
<br />
Day
5- Washed Hair. Getting used to not lathering. Used a little more
vinegar on the ends than the last two times. Hair looks clean and feels
clean.<br />
<br />
Day 6- Top of hair looks oily. Washed hair.
Didn't use enough baking soda. Hair looks and feels oily still. Washed
hair again. Much better. Hair looks, feels, and smells clean this time.
I am starting to notice a change in my hair's texture. I also noticed
that when I combed my hair only a few strands fell out rather than a
huge amount. I wonder if that is at all related?<br />
<br />
Day 7- Hair slightly oily but pretty normal for me even when using shampoo. Pulled it back into a pony tail. <br />
<br />
So
far I am pretty pleased with it. I wonder what my hair will be like
when the transition period is over. If it is anything like the other
blogger's results, I will be thrilled!<br />
<br />
What do you think? Are you brave enough? Desperate enough? Crazy enough to give this challenge a try?<br />
<br />
<u><i><b>I</b><b>f you are still not convinced take a look at these posts: </b></i></u><br />
<br />
MSNBC.com actually wrote an article on this! Read it <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30337386/ns/health-skin_and_beauty/t/ditching-shampoo-dirty-little-beauty-secret/#.T3irNU9UGyY">here</a>!<br />
<br />
<i>Simple Mom</i> gives you a hair update after using this method for two years! Read it <a href="http://simplemom.net/the-oh-so-important-hair-update/">here</a>!<br />
<br />
Great information from <i>The Hair Pin </i>on switching from shampoo and why...read <a href="http://thehairpin.com/2011/04/how-to-quit-shampoo-without-becoming-disgusting">here</a>!<br />
<br />
<i>On Just A Couple Acres</i> has a very encouraging post about her transition with curly hair...<a href="http://onjustacoupleacres.blogspot.com/2011/04/all-natural-hair-care.html">here</a>! and some great "No Poo FAQ" <a href="http://onjustacoupleacres.blogspot.com/2011/11/no-poo-faq.html">here</a>! <br />
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<br />
<br />
Think
about it...what if you could have beautiful hair and it not cost you a
small fortune?! Forget about all of the money, chemicals, waste, and
frustration that go with shampooing your gorgeous locks! <br />
<br />
On
top of that ...why not? Why not give it a try? If you hate it, you can
always go back to shampoo. But if you love it, you have found the
cheapest and easiest way to achieve beautiful hair.<br />
<br />
If you are <span style="font-size: x-large;">brave</span>, <b>desperate,</b> <u>crazy</u>, or <i>hippie</i>
enough (I think this may be why I am pretty open to the idea...my mom
secretly wanted to name one of us girls Moonbeam when we were born...no
joke!) to give this challenge a try with me, leave a comment below and
let me know you are in! Then each week I will share my progress with you,
and you all can let me know how you are doing!<br />
<br />
This was my first post ever on going "NO POO"...You can see all of my updates here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://beautifulsmhw.blogspot.com/2012/04/no-poo-30-day-challenge-update.html"> No Poo Week 2 Update</a><br />
<a href="http://beautifulsmhw.blogspot.com/2012/04/no-poo-30-day-challenge-update_13.html">No Poo Week 3 Update</a> <br />
<a href="http://beautifulsmhw.blogspot.com/2012/04/no-poo-30-day-challenge-week-4-update.html">No Poo Week 4 Update</a><br />
<a href="http://beautifulsmhw.blogspot.com/2012/04/my-curly-hair-post-30-day-no-poo.html">My Curly Hair Post 30 Day No Poo</a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtrPn-klPL18Dr_ZFA4AkfEtMrnYHgR0aUYC_6uH4UGHUL0UfkCvRRFTyDGX-HTLKCegvNa08ZY56ScB8EcF64pxKzS4tWyslswyjjnrJuGWkAE9ibvaW5qs_jS8BcT-Z-z41R5Tb9wIIY/s1600/No+poo+challenge+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-70038962630697530252012-09-03T06:00:00.000-04:002012-09-03T18:10:07.735-04:00Laurel Finds Her Forever Family {A Passion Post}<a href="http://thelittleredhouse.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><i>Contributed Post by Martha of The Little Red House</i></a><br />
<br />
132 Million. What does that number make you think about? The National Debt? We wish! How much a professional athlete makes? Probably pretty close. No, this is the latest statistic on the number of orphans in the world. Now, people quibble about what the word “orphan” means. Is it losing one parent? Or both? It doesn’t really matter. What it does mean is, at the least, 132 million children in the world are hurting.<br />
<br />
My name is Martha and I was asked to do a guest post on The Cheap & Choosy. My first thought was “not me”. Writing is not my gift. But, the more I thought about it, the more I believed that this was actually something small that I could do to shed a light on the orphan crisis. You see, The Orphan is my passion. A little background here so bear with me. My husband and I knew while we were dating that we wanted to adopt a child when we got married, whether or not we could have biological children or not. We had the privilege to help with an orphan from Belarus while he was here on a summer program and fell in love with him. Another American family adopted him and we got married and had our son. About a year and a half after he was born, I felt the itch, the “I’m ready for another child” itch. It was time to look into adoption.<br />
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We started the process with a local adoption agency and after a good number of months, things were going nowhere fast. Through much prayer and counsel we decided to wait a while to see what direction we should go in. We felt the Lord was directing us to Ukraine but things were not working out. During this waiting period to see which direction we should go in, I was looking at a website that helps special needs children in other countries find home called <a href="http://www.reecesrainbow.org/">www.reecesrainbow.org</a>. I had seen thousands of children’s pictures over a period of months and would say “I could love that child” “I could be her Mommy!” However, one day a new picture popped up: a picture of a little 15 month old with a crossed eye, wearing a pink turtle neck. Something grabbed me right then and there. She was deaf and possibly had some more severe issues. Her picture wouldn’t get out of my mind. For months I had been looking for my child and I had a sneaky suspicion I had just found her. However, she was DEAF. That scared the pants off of me! Could I do that? For the first time, I found myself talking myself OUT of a child. I can’t do that God. It’s going to be too hard!<br />
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So, God found me in the shower. Literally. I found myself crying in the shower, knowing what he was asking of me but saying “I can’t do this God!” So, he whispered back in my ear “I know you can’t, but I CAN!” People who know me, know I am down to earth and don’t usually have these types of experiences but I will tell you here and now, it was real and life changing. I felt a peace that passed all understanding. The next day, the Lord confirmed the same thing to my husband and we committed to my daughter who just happened to be in Ukraine.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-pG3KO2aieVo/UENV7OVzmuI/AAAAAAAACes/kpujWzzfZ90/s1600-h/clip_image004%25255B3%25255D.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="clip_image004" border="0" height="400" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-eRBSSElZJvM/UENV7pEZllI/AAAAAAAACe0/gINIQ52WlmE/clip_image004_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="clip_image004" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Laurel – August 2012</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The next 3 months were a blur but long story short, we went to Ukraine, stayed 6 weeks and came home with a very cute, very hearing impaired, very smart little girl. The conditions we saw in her orphanage were not horrible like some people have seen but rather poor and rundown from lack of funds. They washed, hung up and reused DISPOSABLE diapers. All of the playground equipment was broken. The children we saw looked well fed but my daughter ate and drank until she would throw it back up. These children would run up to us saying “Mama”? “Papa”? And we’d have to shake our heads “No”. They were so starved for love and affection. The special needs ones are the most heartbreaking. In Eastern Europe, there are really no programs set up for these children. No place for them in society. They are seen as outcasts and better off in institutions than out on the streets with other children. Special needs children are transferred from the baby house at around 4-6 years old into an institution (sometimes an adult mental institution). The trauma of this is dramatic! I could tell you a thousand stories but I won’t here, yet. Investigate for yourself. It’s very real. These children are children just like the ones in our own houses, but they won’t get a chance to live. They will rarely be allowed out of their cribs (if at all). They are without a chance for having a mommy & a daddy.<br />
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So was adoption easy? Nope. I’m completely honest about that when people ask me. We had an easier transition than most but I think most would agree that raising ANY child isn’t easy. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Seeing my deaf daughter learn to speak and hear is unbelievable! She has a chance to learn and grow and be loved and that is all the difference.<br />
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I challenge you, look for yourself. Visit <a href="http://www.reecesrainbow.org/">www.reecesrainbow.org</a>. Pick a child to pray for or even support. A verse from the Bible that really challenged us was this:<br />
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<blockquote>
<b>
James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.</b></blockquote>
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We may not be all called to adopt but we can all do something. We can pray, support a family in the process, give money or time to the orphan cause.</b></blockquote>
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“Adopting a child will not change the world. But for that child, the world is changed!” – Author Unknown</b></blockquote>
Take the challenge….ask God what he would have YOU do! It just might surprise you.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-g8LFsIWyXRE/UENV8DAOODI/AAAAAAAACe8/GPIJB8f_CAU/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B3%25255D.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="clip_image002" border="0" height="301" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ceXQsADt7l8/UENV8jwxp1I/AAAAAAAACfE/nANxOCyq4ZA/clip_image002_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="clip_image002" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Laurel (1 month home) with brother Noah- 2009</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Amy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14011007347104622971noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-49895592786936799382012-06-20T14:46:00.001-04:002012-06-20T18:17:10.148-04:00Natural and Frugal Bathroom CleaningContributed by Lorissa of <a href="http://beautifulsmhw.blogspot.com/">Beautiful Somehow</a><br />
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Clorox Wipes, Windex, Scrubbing Bubbles, Tilex, Pine Sol, Lysol, and Clorox Toilet Bowl cleaner. This is just a small list of all the cleaners we are made to believe we <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>need</i></b> </span>in order to have a clean and sanitary bathroom. If you don't use every cleaner above then you have a nasty and germ filled bathroom. This is what I believed. I loved using Clorox wipes and Lysol. It killed the germs. Clorox Toilet Bowl cleaner and scrubbing bubbles were toilet necessities! Windex...well that is a no brainer...you get a streak free shine! Mop the floor with Pine Sol and spray the room with febreeze. Squeaky clean and smell good bathroom!<br />
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While all of those cleaners do kill germs, <u><i>they also contain a ton of <b>chemicals.</b></i></u><b> </b>We all know this, yet we still love to use them. I know I did. I just figured all of the talk about chemicals in our cleaners was just a bunch of hype. It doesn't really affect my health that much. <b><i>Right?</i></b><br />
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But...did you know that...<br />
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The <a href="http://www.lung.org/healthy-air/home/resources/cleaning-supplies.html">American Lung Association</a> warns that "<i>Some products release dangerous chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Other harmful ingredients include ammonia and bleach. Even natural fragrances such as citrus can react to produce dangerous pollutants indoors. VOCs and other chemicals released when using cleaning supplies contribute to chronic respiratory problems, allergic reactions and headaches</i> ".</div>
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The <a href="http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_279.cfm">Organic Consumers Association</a> says "<i>Cleaning ingredients vary in the type of health hazard they pose. Some cause acute, or immediate, hazards such as skin or respiratory irritation, watery eyes, or chemical burns, while others are associated with chronic, or long-term, effects such as cancer.</i>"</div>
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If you have little ones at home this can be concerning. Think about if one of your little one's get a hold of that bottle of cleaner. <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>That thought alone was enough to make me throw them out. </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Money </span>was another big reason I decided to switch. Buying all of those cleaners, to achieve my sanitary bathroom, was costing a lot! </div>
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Here is what they usually cost...</div>
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Clorox Wipes 150 ct. - $7.74</div>
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Windex- $2.87</div>
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Clorox Toilet Bowl Cleaner- $3.76</div>
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Pine Sol- $2.97</div>
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Scrubbing Bubbles- $2.47</div>
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Tilex- $3.78</div>
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Febreeze- $4.97</div>
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For a grand total of $28.49! That much to clean a bathroom?! Oh..and don't forget the cost for paper towels to wipe it all down. Even if you do decide to go with the cleaners that are "green" you are going to be paying just as much, if not more!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Okay</span> enough of the <i>why </i> you should ditch those expensive, chemical laden cleaners. What do you do instead? I still want a <u>clean,</u> <u>sanitary</u>, and <u>pleasant</u> smelling bathroom!<br />
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Remember the <a href="http://beautifulsmhw.blogspot.com/2012/03/natural-cleaning-getting-started_27.html">kitchen and floor cleaner</a> I told you about? Grab that, some baking soda, and either your <a href="http://beautifulsmhw.blogspot.com/2012/03/my-un-paper-towels.html">un-paper towels</a> or even better a mircofiber cloth.<br />
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To start out, I usually spray down the whole toilet (inside included) with my lemon vinegar solution and sprinkle baking soda on the inside of the toilet. Let that set while you clean the rest.<br />
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I mentioned in my first post on getting started with natural cleaners that I eventually wanted to make my own "Windex". I finally figured out the perfect recipe! It is a little complicated to make and contains a lot of ingredients. Ready....grab your <b><i>lemon vinegar solution and spray it on your mirror. </i></b>Wipe with a clean microfiber cloth. That is it. Complicated right. ;-) It is amazing all the things water and vinegar can do! <a href="http://www.vinegartips.com/Scripts/pageViewSec.asp?id=7">(Vinegar Tips.com</a> actually shares 1001 ways to use vinegar!)<br />
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I do suggest using a microfiber cloth to clean you mirror. It removes lint and works wonderfully. You can buy a pack of 3 at the Dollar Tree! When you first spray this on your mirror and start wiping, don't panic, it may look like it is starting to streak. Be patient, let it dry all the way, and you will have a <span style="font-size: large;"><b>clean and streak free mirror!</b></span><br />
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Then I spray down my sink, counter tops and faucet and wipe clean with the same microfiber cloth. Wipe the toilet clean, scrub the toilet with a brush, spray and wipe down the shower with the water and vinegar solution. Finish with spraying the floor and mopping it clean.<br />
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You now have a <u><i>sparkly clean</i></u>, <u><i>fresh smelling,</i></u> and <u><i>sanitary </i></u>bathroom <b><span style="font-size: large;">using only two cleaners! </span></b>Amazing! I love to clean my bathroom this way. It smells wonderful, looks great, and I don't have to worry about harmful chemicals!<br />
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What does it cost to clean this way? Literally pennies!<br />
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Have you already made the switch to more natural cleaners? Any recipes you love to use in your bathroom?<br />
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-82817146526553541102012-06-18T19:29:00.001-04:002012-06-18T19:29:27.414-04:00DIY Chemical-Free Homemade Bug Spray<i>Contributed by Anna of <a href="http://notknowingwhere.blogspot.com/">Not Knowing Where</a></i><br />
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Our garden has been growing at an incredible rate, thanks to the attentions of my husband, and his right-hand toddler man. Here in North Carolina, the mosquitoes are terrible, especially in the garden in the afternoon/evening. I wanted to make some bug spray for my men to use to rescue them from biting insects, and spiders.</div>
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I discovered that making your own bug spray is literally as easy as making a cup of tea. The ingredients are incredibly affordable and have a long shelf life before being mixed together. <br />
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I went to my favorite natural health store in town to get the essential oils that are most effective. I've found my local natural health store to be an incredible resource - both for ingredients and for advice. These people really love what they sell, and have much more experience than me. The chain stores (of which we have two) will try to point you to the $20 bottle of all natural, herbal, yada, yada, that they have pre-mixed on their shelf. But this little unimposing store was immediately on board with my DIY desire, and helped me pick out the most effective essential oils.<br />
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I decided on citronella ($3.50) and lemongrass ($6.00) for the essential oils. Growing in my garden, I have spearmint and lavender. However if I didn't have these plants I could have puchased them dried at a very low cost. <br />
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Here is list of ingredients I used:<br />
<ul>
<li>Water</li>
<li>Dried lavender flowers</li>
<li>Dried spearmint leaves</li>
<li>Citronella essential oil</li>
<li>Lemongrass essential oil</li>
<li>Rubbing alcohol or Witchhazel</li>
</ul>
At home, I boiled 8 oz (1 cup) of water. I poured the boiling water over 2 tablespoons each of dried spearmint and lavender. I used a mug just like I was making a cup of tea, and covered the mixture to steep. After it cooled to room temperature, I strained out the herbs. To my herbal "tea", I added 14 drops of citronella and 7 drops of lemongrass.<br />
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Finally, I poured the whole thing into a spray bottle. For ease of evaporation, I decided to add some rubbing alcohol. Witchhazel is another (but more expensive) option if you want the spray to more quickly evaporate on the skin. I added enough rubbing alcohol to produce 10 oz total of bug spray. This is a minimal amount. Some people double the amount of liquid by adding much more alcohol or witchhazel. <br />
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It cost me less than $10, and will make enough bug spray to last many, many, months of summers. No harsh chemicals, inexpensive, and effective! <br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-51110464167673040862012-05-30T10:21:00.000-04:002012-05-30T10:21:02.267-04:00Because It's Fun, Adventures in Mixing Makeup<i><br />Contributed by Anna of <a href="http://notknowingwhere.blogspot.com/">Not Knowing Where</a></i><br />
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Did you know that you can create your own makeup from items that you probably have in your kitchen right now? Recently, <a href="http://wellnessmama.com/4948/homemade-makeup-recipes/">Wellness Mama</a> wrote a post about just that. I spent the following weekend scattering a multitudinous amount of colored powders across my kitchen and bathroom, in an attempt to concoct my own blends. I tried most of her suggestions. I made several happy discoveries, and experienced a few disappointing revelations. It was a little trickier than <a href="http://wellnessmama.com/4948/homemade-makeup-recipes/">Wellness Mama's simple post</a> made it appear.<br />
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"Why in the world," you may ask, "are you mixing your own makeup?"<br />
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Three reasons. One - My skin has developed allergies to just about every product that is found at a drug store. Two - I've always disliked the fragrances of cosmetics. Three - Mixing makeup just seemed like a lot of fun. What can I say, I do strange things on Friday nights after the toddler is in bed.<br />
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Inspired by an expert, here are my stumblings in creating makeup in my kitchen...<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJXIGEe2o6qTwSneP4FN5Qvh-4T2sbjHoBSD3rhfKCAVcEMh2YgdHagrNI8hizV_FYPkUCLUv12VSvDNXUXX7BmetbR6hYJD4Haoq1Ctt-NMEb00MwJcUhk5mA7zMdonoCynLyxONI5s/s1600/DSCN2284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJXIGEe2o6qTwSneP4FN5Qvh-4T2sbjHoBSD3rhfKCAVcEMh2YgdHagrNI8hizV_FYPkUCLUv12VSvDNXUXX7BmetbR6hYJD4Haoq1Ctt-NMEb00MwJcUhk5mA7zMdonoCynLyxONI5s/s400/DSCN2284.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foundation Powder, Eye Shadow, and Blush</td></tr>
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Here is the initial color pallette of my endeavor:<br />
<ul>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">White: corn starch</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Brown: cocoa powder</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Orange: cinnamon</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Red: dried hybiscus</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">Black: activated charcoal</li>
</ul>
In addition to lightening up the makeup, the corn starch is integral to absorbing the colors and spreading them on your skin. My skin also happens to thrive on the corn starch. Go figure. Whereas makeup I've bought has always made me break out, this stuff actually keeps breakouts at bay. Crazy!<br />
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For the foundation powder, I mixed cocoa powder and cinnamon into the corn starch until I was happy with the color. The corn starch and cocoa powder both tend to clump. A tea infuser worked as a sieve to break apart the clumps and help it mix. </div>
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I used the skin on my arm as a guide as I alternately mixed cinnamon and cocoa powder into the corn starch for the best shade. </div>
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For the eye shadow, I started by emptying one capsule of activated charcoal into a small bowl. To the black, I added cocoa powder and cinnamon alternately until I found a brown I was happy with. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifldhoq8kGltx96dmuQURannUxX3mYKzXmV8ituKVeAObMpY3hAKtCCNWR0GdRZmxe00QisKMZtvChLP7SVNSFy_0QnlVD7qTvbZ7gVNWWF-FgDvrGreODdid-JwGAww07Jztkb2I5qng/s1600/DSCN2225-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifldhoq8kGltx96dmuQURannUxX3mYKzXmV8ituKVeAObMpY3hAKtCCNWR0GdRZmxe00QisKMZtvChLP7SVNSFy_0QnlVD7qTvbZ7gVNWWF-FgDvrGreODdid-JwGAww07Jztkb2I5qng/s400/DSCN2225-001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div>
The activated charcoal plays a similar role as the corn starch. It is a smooth base that helps the makeup stick to the skin.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
The blush works a little bit differently than the foundation and eye shadow. The red from the hibiscus requires a small amount of moisture to get absorbed into the corn starch. I ground the hibiscus into as fine a powder as I could get. A coffee grinder is perfect for this. I sifted the hibiscus through the tea infuser into a small bowl. It was about 1 tablespoon. Then I added an equal amount of corn starch to the red powder. Next, I added a very small amount of water. No more than 1/4 teaspoon. I mixed well with a spoon, then I started using my fingers to work the hibiscus and corn starch together. </div>
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The result was a bright pink powder. Continuing to use my fingers, I added cocoa powder, more corn starch, more hibiscus... until I was pleased with the shade.<br />
<br />
The most expensive part was the activated charcoal. It cost $9 at a health food store. However considering I have enough to make a lifetime of eye shadow, I figure it was $9 well spent. Hibiscus was $2 for an ounce at my local health food store. An ounce of dried flower petals is more volume than you would think. It may make ten batches of blush.<br />
<br />
Making makeup in your kitchen is super cheap, and a lot of fun for the artistically minded. Have fun!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-28257926562269953642012-05-28T16:17:00.002-04:002012-11-23T07:31:25.441-05:00Homemade Taco Seasoning {Chicken Taco Soup Recipe}My friend Rachel passed a recipe on to me for "Chicken Taco Soup" that is delicious and super easy to throw together in the crock pot or prepare in bulk and store in the freezer for <i>multiple </i>crock pot meals.<br />
<br />
One of the ingredients on the original recipe is "one packet of taco
seasoning," and scribbled out beside is a homemade alternative that I was
pleased to find is comprised of ingredients that we keep in our spice
cabinet! I love scratching pre-made ingredients off my shopping list! Use this in any recipe calling for a packet of taco seasoning:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Equivalent of One Packet of Taco Seasoning:</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>1 Tbsp. chili powder</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>1/4 tsp. garlic powder</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>1/4 tsp. onion powder</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes*</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>1/4 tsp. dried oregano</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>1/2 tsp. ground cumin</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>1 tsp. salt</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>1 tsp. black pepper</b></div>
<br />
<br />
*This is a bit spicy, so if you prefer a milder seasoning, leave out the red pepper flakes.<br />
<br />
The possibilities of course are endless with this. It makes delicious "taco meat," and I've even made <a href="http://www.thecheapandchoosy.com/2012/06/homemade-taco-and-ranch-flavored-hummus.html" target="_blank">taco flavored hummus</a>!<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="text-align: left;">Now for the yummy soup recipe:</span><br />
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<b>Chicken Taco Soup:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 chopped onion</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 each 16 oz. canned chili beans*,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
black beans, and corn. (I use frozen corn)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 8 oz can tomato sauce</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 cup of <a href="http://www.thecheapandchoosy.com/2010/04/stock-in-crock.html" target="_blank">chicken stock</a> or broth</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 10 oz cans of diced tomatoes</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 Packet of Taco Seasoning (or above recipe)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2-3 chicken breasts</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
For topping:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sour cream (We use plain yogurt and it tastes great!)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Shredded cheddar cheese</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Tortilla Chips (or Fritos )</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
*I stopped using kidney beans and started preparing my own black beans via Trina Holden's instructions in <a href="https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?cl=142865&c=ib&aff=216195" target="_blank">Real {Fast} Food</a> to eliminate canned beans! <br />
<br />
Just dump everything in the crock pot and make sure the chicken is below the surface of the liquid ingredients. Cook 5 hours on high or until chicken is cooked through. Pull out chicken and shred, and return to soup. That's it!<br />
<br />
{Confession: We eat this with Fritos, which I was pleasantly surprised
to discover has a refreshingly short ingredient list of only three
things! You should check it out. I'm not going as far as to call it a
"health food" though! ;) }<br />
<br />
To Prepare in Bulk:<br />
<br />
I quadruple the recipe in a large pot on the stove top using the same
amount of chicken as the original recipe for more with less. I divide
into as many quart size freezer bags as possible and freeze.Then a few
hours before serving, I just dump a frozen quart bag of it in the crock
pot and put it on high. </div>
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***************<br />
Thanks for stopping by! I invite you to: <br />
<br />
Stop by my Etsy shop, Seams to Streams <a href="http://www.seamstostreams.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/cheapnchoosy" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
Join me on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SeamsToStreams" target="_blank">here </a>or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheCheapAndChoosy" target="_blank">here</a>!<br />
<br />
<br />
***************<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Linking up with <a href="http://raisinghomemakers.com/" target="_blank">Raising Homemakers</a>, Growing Home Blog, and <a href="http://thischickcooks.net/2012/08/22/whole-foods-wednesday-66-featuring-your-best-recipes-and-tips/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ThisChickCooks+%28This+Chick+Cooks%29" target="_blank">This Chick Cooks</a></span></div>
</div>
Amy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14011007347104622971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-32371259139144425982012-05-23T08:38:00.000-04:002012-05-23T08:38:45.996-04:00Citrus Enzyme CleanerHello Cheap and Choosy Readers!<br />
<br />
I'm Lorissa from <a href="http://beautifulsmhw.blogspot.com/">Beautiful Somehow</a>. I am a new contributor to The Cheap and Choosy and I am so excited to be able share tips on<i> Simple</i>,<i> Frugal</i>, and <i>Intentional </i>Living with you!<br />
<br />
Not too long ago, I started my journey into the wonderful world of <i><b>Natural Homemade Cleaners</b></i>. If you have never made your own homemade cleaners I strongly encourage you to give it a try! They are very simple and frugal to make. Add in the benefit of not worrying about your children or pets around them and you have some pretty awesome reasons to start making your own.<br />
<br />
Today I am going to share my newest and favorite natural homemade cleaner, the<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Citrus Enzyme Cleaner. This cleaner is absolutely fantastic! It can be made for pennies out of items you probably already have at home or are about to throw away.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHb-0O0BwxSfs6Or4v9jk78UV6qzPQ5ITBxG4iuiTlWgiaVu0_HqR6ckdQmUyuEZygSOn33G6JNqkC2ehHmTE5RBcx9ntuQ9IGOAmN0tvHBM6LUcfplvzOu-EBUTa3ms8jc8ONrcM09Hv9/s1600/Citrus+Enzyme+Cleaner+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHb-0O0BwxSfs6Or4v9jk78UV6qzPQ5ITBxG4iuiTlWgiaVu0_HqR6ckdQmUyuEZygSOn33G6JNqkC2ehHmTE5RBcx9ntuQ9IGOAmN0tvHBM6LUcfplvzOu-EBUTa3ms8jc8ONrcM09Hv9/s400/Citrus+Enzyme+Cleaner+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>What you will need...</u></span><br />
*7 tablespoons of brown sugar.<br />
*1 1/2-2 cups of fruit peels. I went with Lemon and Orange. You can also do lime, grapefruit, apple, or pineapple. I have read that pineapple actually has the most cleaning power to it.<br />
*1 tsp. Yeast (optional)<br />
*2 liter bottle with cap<br />
*1 liter (approx 4.25 cups) of water<br />
*Funnel<br />
*Permanent Marker<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Directions...</u></span><br />
Cut up your fruit peels and put them into the bottle. Using your funnel, add the brown sugar, yeast and water. Screw cap onto bottle and shake vigorously. Now here is<i> why the yeast is optional.</i> (I did not know about this when I first made this cleaner and did not add the yeast.) Without the yeast it will take three months for your cleaner to fully mature. With the yeast, it will only take you two weeks! Wish I would have known that at first....oh well...it works just as great, and was definitely worth the wait. If using yeast, take your permanent marker and write the date that is two weeks from when you made it, so you will know when it is ready. If you are making it without the yeast, write the date that is three months from when you made it. This is especially helpful if you are making new batches that are a few weeks apart, so you do not get them confused. Store in a cool, dry place. I keep mine in my pantry.<br />
<br />
When storing, you want to make sure that the cap is not screwed on all the way on. A lot of gas will build up and could actually cause the cleaner to explode. Yike! So make sure to let the bottle breathe. If using yeast, you will want to shake your bottle every day for the first week. If not using yeast you, will want to shake it every day for about the first month. Shake it once a week after that. When you are ready for your first use, strain the sludge/pulp from your cleaner and go to it!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Why is this cleaner so fantastic?</u></span> Other than the fact that you don't have to buy more vinegar (I go through that stuff like crazy!), it is extremely eco-friendly and allows you to use food scraps to make it. I love that! This cleaner truly is an ALL purpose cleaner! Here are just a few of the things you can use this cleaner for...<br />
<br />
<b><i>-cleaning floors</i></b>...1 part enzyme to 10 parts water.<br />
<br />
<b><i>-cleaning bathrooms</i></b>....1 part enzyme to 10 parts water.<br />
<br />
<b><i>-washing dishes</i></b>...add 1/4 cup of enzyme.<br />
<br />
<b><i>-getting out stains</i></b> (it is amazing for this!)...use undiluted directly on stain.<br />
<br />
<b><i>-laundry.</i></b>..add 1/4 cup enzyme.<br />
<br />
<b><i>-fertilizer for plants</i></b> (I am especially excited to try this!)...simply take your left over mop water and pour on your plants!<br />
<br />
<b><i>-cleans and clears drains</i></b>...use unstrained "sludge" from enzyme cleaner.<br />
<br />
<b><i>-wash your car</i></b>...1 part enzyme to 20 parts water. (My van desperately needs a bath!)<br />
<br />
<b><i>-cleaning fruits and veggies</i></b>...1 part enzyme to 10 parts water.<br />
<br />
<b><i>-insect repellent.</i></b>..use undiluted. This is supposed to be amazing for ants, spiders, and roaches.<br />
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<b><i>-skin care product!</i></b> (This one amazes me. I am trying to get up the courage to try it.)...1 part enzyme to 2 parts water.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">My experience with it...</span></u><br />
My cleaner is still about two weeks away from the full three months...but I became too excited and too impatient to wait. I tried it out on both my bathroom and my kitchen floors. It is absolutely fantastic! My bathroom and floors looked and smelled wonderful. I am so happy with the result. Next time around I will be trying the yeast to speed things up, as well as trying a pineapple version.<br />
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<br />
While doing research on the Citrus Enzyme Cleaner here are some other women who have made it and had great success...<br />
<a href="http://www.homemademamas.net/2011/08/homemade-citrus-enzyme-cleaner-part-1.html">Homemade Mamas</a><br />
<a href="http://happyhomemaker88.com/2009/05/02/recipe-for-homemade-citrus-enzyme-a-natural-cheap-effective-all-purpose-cleaner/">Happy Homemaker</a><br />
<a href="http://offbeathome.com/2012/04/make-your-own-citrus-enzyme-cleaner">Off Beat Home</a>...Thanks to Jillee for the awesome yeast tip to speed up the process! Makes a great thing even more awesome!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-22769875126972603882012-05-14T10:17:00.001-04:002012-07-27T14:31:06.074-04:00The Cheapest Chalkboard Labels and More!I mentioned before that the possibilities of <a href="http://www.thecheapandchoosy.com/2012/05/space-saving-diy-toy-stove-and-art.html" target="_blank">chalkboard contact paper</a> are limitless. That being so, I had a bit more fun with the roll I bought.<br />
<br />
First of all, I had not too long ago ordered chalkboard labels for my kitchen canisters. I think they look very cool and are so practical in that they allow you to change the contents of any given canister without peeling off a sticky label.<br />
<br />
I bought the cheapest labels I could find on Etsy, but they were still fairly expensive for what they are. I love them except for the fact that they are so small you cannot fit two words on them, like "white flour," "wheat flour," "brown sugar," "white sugar," etc.<br />
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This chalkboard contact paper gave me a MUCH cheaper solution, tailored more to my purpose. I had one canister not yet labeled, so I made a label for it, and will eventually replace the smaller ones on my other canisters as well. (You can see the sheet of smaller ones I bought on the left edge of the picture for size comparison.)<br />
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<br />
Another simple and fun use of this chalkboard contact paper is to re-purpose any picture frame to make a decorative framed chalkboard for verses, quotes, lists, or whatever you want! I just simply covered the glass with the contact paper! Smaller versions of this would make great economical yet thoughtful Christmas presents. ;)<br />
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And finally, I was able to make bigger chalkboards for my children's Bible memory verses by simply plastering a large chunk of chalkboard contact paper on the wall! I just traced a large frame I had for the basic shape and then cut dips out of the corners and done!</div>
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Yay for really cheap, easy, yet beautiful things!!!!!!!<br />
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<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Linking with: <a href="http://www.growinghomeblog.com/" target="_blank">Growing Home</a> and <a href="http://www.raisinghomemakers.com/" target="_blank">Raising Homemakers</a>, and <a href="http://lifeasmom.com/2012/05/12-ways-to-save-on-gifts-frugal-friday.html" target="_blank">Frugal Friday @Life as Mom.</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #645143; font-family: monospace; font-size: 21px;"><a href="http://tipjunkie.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Tip Junkie handmade projects" border="0" src="http://www.tipjunkie.com/images/TipMeTuesdayButton1.png" /></a></span>Amy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14011007347104622971noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-85295935601239716182012-05-09T06:00:00.000-04:002012-05-09T06:00:07.964-04:00Saving Time in the KitchenGood Morning Everyone!<br />
<br />
I'm Ginger from <a href="http://www.gingerlymade.com/" target="_blank">Gingerly Made</a> and am thrilled to be a new contributor here at The Cheap and Choosy! Amy is one of my real life friends and yes, she is as thoughtful and Christ-centered in her personal life as she is here as well. I am so honored to be a part of her 'Simple. Frugal. Intentional.' initiative here. Thanks Amy!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>Saving Time in the Kitchen.</b></span></div>
<br />
A while back, I realized that I needed to spend <a href="http://www.gingerlymade.com/2012/04/sweetest-guilt-trip.html" target="_blank">more time being Mom</a> and less time focusing on the household things that need to be done. So, I'm doing my best to find ways to save time in those arenas. I mean let's face it. Being mom is THE BEST, but there <i>are</i> other responsibilities too. I'm just choosing to give less time to those other responsibilities and in so doing needing to be more efficient with the time I have.<br />
<br />
So my first task is to save time in food preparation because typically I spend SO MUCH time there.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=3062">Image: David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net</a></td></tr>
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<b>Menu Planning:</b> <i><b>One Month At A Time</b></i><br />
I've been menu planning for a long time now. But I was only doing it for a week at a time. And it was really putting me in a stale-mate on what to cook. I became much less creative and found myself planning many of the same meals week after week. Even spaghetti gets tiring after awhile.<br />
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I've now begun putting menu plans in order for a month at a time. It forces me to be more creative and more varied in the meals I choose to provide for my family. At first it was a little difficult, but now I'm loving it.<br />
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<b>Freezer Cooking: <i>A Little At A Time</i></b><br />
Ok, I'm probably the last stay-at-home mom to jump on this band wagon, but I've finally figured out how awesome freezer cooking is. It took me forever to try it simply because of time. I know, isn't freezer cooking supposed to <i>save</i> you time? So why would time be a deterrent?<br />
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Most of what I had seen about freezer cooking meant going to the grocery store and loading up on a ton of food stuffs and then spending an entire day or even half a day prepping and cooking food to put in the freezer. I just don't have the time for that. My kids would never be ok with me spending that kind of time in the kitchen and devoting so little to them.<br />
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But, and here's the big but for me, you don't have to do it that way. What has been working for me is to just prepare one freezer meal at a time. Whatever I cook for dinner that night, I'll make one or two extra and toss those in the freezer. Over time my freezer dinner stash has built up and it only took me a few extra minutes each time I made dinner.<br />
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<b>More Simple Meals</b><br />
Sometimes I think us moms feel like we have to provide a culinary masterpiece for dinner. We don't. And they take too long to cook anyway. Sometimes the best meals are the simplest. Tonight we had a salad full of cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and apples. Topped with some seasoned chicken and a sprinkle of cheese it was a complete and healthy meal. And the best part, it took next to no time to cook.<br />
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These are just a few of the things that I have been doing to help me be more responsible with my kitchen time. What types of things are you doing? As always, I love learning from you and would love to hear what little tricks you have up your sleeve.<br />
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Thanks again for having me as a part of your Cheap and Choosy community! <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-71566210707605533912012-05-07T15:57:00.000-04:002012-11-30T09:29:33.213-05:00Space Saving DIY Toy Stove and Art Easel {Chalkboard Contact Paper}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxsurO7t2YNnkFBo1k3Lc-MRGOKWcCX-vP_HvFSyDef1H3rm1pl08S5a6li25fkkPm87biGY7gPvZWu4EQRBlcU4jxpsjcYyMjIt8BZWF6IquyjBsqvvADJAoTGXPFStlgyqPZXtdEzw/s1600/P1010963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxsurO7t2YNnkFBo1k3Lc-MRGOKWcCX-vP_HvFSyDef1H3rm1pl08S5a6li25fkkPm87biGY7gPvZWu4EQRBlcU4jxpsjcYyMjIt8BZWF6IquyjBsqvvADJAoTGXPFStlgyqPZXtdEzw/s320/P1010963.JPG" width="238" /></a>
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We have a small home, and I am more than content with that. However, my two and a half year old daughter is getting to an age where a toy kitchen would be an ideal toy for her, but there simply is not room.<br />
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My daughter "Peanut", being the creative and imaginative girl that she is, found a solution for that!<br />
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We have a small bed side stand type cabinet in her room that I once used for her books (which are now on a book shelf). One day Peanut started opening the door and putting her toy cupcakes in the cabinet to "bake" them, pretending that it was a stove.<br />
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I looked at the little cabinet and thought, "I can paint four burners on top and paint the front black so that it looks like the window into a stove!"<br />
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Since I have very little experience painting, and very little time right now, I thought it would be a long time before I would get around to such a project.<br />
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That was until I discovered <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kittrich-Corporation-Chalkboard-Contact-Paper/dp/B000KKMO90" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Chalkboard Contact Paper</span></a>. The little stove is the first thing that came to mind. How easy it would be to just cut out four little circles and stick them on, as well as the front "window" of the stove?<br />
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I ordered a roll of the contact paper for less than eight dollars, and as soon as possible after the contact paper arrived, I did just that. It took about 15 minutes, and that because I was doing other things at the same time.<br />
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I also ordered a little cooking set, and now my daughter has a little stove to cook on without adding a mite of furniture to our home!<br />
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Another toy that I have thought would be ideal for my daughter if there were sufficient space is a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Little-Tikes-4428-Double-Easel/dp/B00000IRTI" target="_blank">toddler art easel</a>. We have a little toddler table for tea parties and artwork, so for both reasons of space and the fact that we really don't <i>need </i>another place for her to draw and color, I had let the idea go completely.<br />
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But alas, we have an exposed side to our large old refrigerator in the kitchen and it occurred to me that I could made it into a little chalkboard! Since it's magnetic, we can also use magnets to secure paper there for her to write, color, or paint on too. There you go! The primary functions of an art easel only without a tray for supplies. I am thinking of ways to attach something to hold chalk and markers to the fridge, but for now I prefer to not have them laying about freely anyway.<br />
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The possibilities of this amazing contact paper are endless! I have a few other things I can't wait to do with it!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Super cheap. Super easy. Super fun!</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Linking up with: <a href="http://www.growinghomeblog.com/" target="_blank">Growing Home</a>, <a href="http://www.raisinghomemakers.com/" target="_blank">Raising Homemakers</a>, <a href="http://lifeasmom.com/2012/05/12-ways-to-save-on-gifts-frugal-friday.html" target="_blank">Frugal Friday @Life as Mom</a> and</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #645143; font-family: monospace; font-size: 21px;"><a href="http://tipjunkie.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Tip Junkie handmade projects" border="0" src="http://www.tipjunkie.com/images/TipMeTuesdayButton1.png" /></a></span>
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Amy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14011007347104622971noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-30819154964213482562012-05-01T12:02:00.001-04:002012-05-01T14:20:50.757-04:00Fresh Herbs for the Thoughtless Gardener<br />
<i>Contributed by <a href="http://notknowingwhere.blogspot.com/">Anna of Not Knowing Where</a></i><br />
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Have you ever noticed that many "healthy" recipes look just like your grandmother's recipe, except they call for things like fat-free cheese or egg substitute? When people tell me eating healthy is too expensive, I wonder if it's because they're reading recipes that call for specialty versions of high calorie food - like fat free butter or sugar-free honey.<br />
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When I was in college, my grandmother gave me a cookbook that has been a mainstay on my shelf for 15 years. It's a health food book with virtually no substitutes, just good healthy food <b><i>plus herbs and spices</i>. </b>It taught me that the secret to great cooking is not more butter or mayonnaise, but more guiltless, honest flavor. </div>
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Eight years ago, I started an herb garden outside my front door. Over the course of a few years, I planted just about everything I liked to cook with, just to see what happened. Freshly picked herbs are incredible!</div>
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But here's the thing - I'm a horrible gardener. Maybe half my sprouts survived a season. Very few took hold in the long run. So anything that survived did so <i>despite </i>me, and certainly not because of me. In a strange way, that makes me feel uniquely qualified to make herb garden suggestions. I am here to tell you what herbs to grow that are insanely delicious, and yet have great resilience to the thoughtless gardener.<br />
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The ones that make the cut here survived multiple years under my care (or lack thereof). I asked my husband, the gifted gardener, to proof this post and make suggestions. In addition to some careful corrections, he made multiple suggestions of herbs to add. To which I mostly responded, "Nope, I killed that... Can't do that one; I killed it twice... etc." This is not a comprehensive list of herbs that <i>gifted </i>gardeners consider to be easy, but only the humble opinion of one who struggles. Sometimes I feel like too many bloggers only talk about what they are insanely good at. However I'm silly enough to post about my weaknesses, on this, my first contribution to <i>The Cheap and Choosy</i>. Am I crazy? Probably. But here goes!</div>
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Mediterranean spices: Rosemary and Culinary Sage</span></b><br />
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The Mediterranean climate has a rainy season and a dry season. In other words, you can be like me and totally forget to water your sage, then follow this neglect with a period of avidly watering it every day, and then go back to forgetting about it completely. Rosemary, once established, almost never needs to be watered if you live somewhere that experiences periodic rain. The culinary sage gets periodically stressed, but so far has always bounced back. The sage's only problem is bugs. Our rosemary (that I planted!) is large enough to take over the world. Rosemary and sage are both perennials in many zones.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Italian Spices: Oregano and Basil</span></b><br />
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Oregano will die off to a pile of twigs in the winter, but then generate new growth the next spring. Be warned, there are many varieties of oregano, and they don't all taste awesome. Make sure you know what you're getting, because you will have it forever. Basil is not a perennial in most zones, however it <i>is</i> prolific while it grows. I once decided to hack off the entire plant at its base in June because I was going to travel, and there was no one to water it. When I returned from my trip, <i>it had started growing back</i>. This trick seems to only work in the early summer. If you wait too long, then it will take the hint and die. </div>
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Garlic</span></b></div>
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I find garlic to be particularly miraculous. In October, go to the store and buy a few bulbs of garlic from the produce section. Divide it into cloves, and bury each one outside. Water it periodically until the weather starts to freeze. Then do nothing until the following spring. If you like spring garlic, then you can pull some up early to eat. In this case, you eat the entire spring garlic plant. If you want full, mature bulbs, then you wait through the summer until the stalk is almost completely dead. Dig up the bulbs, and you have a year's supply of garlic. Store them in a dry place.</div>
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Now is a great time to start planting herbs in your yard! Transplants are often best, as many herbs propagate better from cuttings than from seed. Potted herbs can be tempting because there is less weeding involved. However my experience has been that there is no substitute for the plant being in fertile ground. Potted plants dry out faster and do not over winter well for the thoughtless garden. </div>
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The gardening husband insists that there are many more easy-to-grow herbs. Please share your experience if you have a favorite, hearty herb or spice in your yard. <i>The Cheap and Choosy</i> would love to hear your story. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-11998627475111496602011-04-05T12:42:00.002-04:002012-05-17T15:43:29.536-04:00The Boba Carrier - At Home and Abroad {A Review}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was blessed with the opportunity to review the <a href="http://www.bobababycarrier.com/index.php?page=classic-collection" style="color: lime;">Classic Boba Carrier</a> in <a href="http://www.bobababycarrier.com/index.php?page=boba-breeze" style="color: lime;">Breeze </a>during our recent trip to Brazil.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bobababycarrier.com/" style="color: lime;">The Boba Carrier</a> is a soft structured carrier, ideal for wearing babies from 15 to 45 pounds. It is an attractive and extremely comfortable carrier. The wide shoulder and waist straps are sturdy and comfortable made with high density foam. The military grade waist buckle is easy to snap and extremely easy to adjust. My husband and I found it very easy to adjust the waist back and forth when we took turns wearing Lydia. All you have to do is snap and pull on one strap and it tightens easy and centers itself on your waist.<br />
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One of the the things that make this soft structured carrier stand out among all the others is that it has removable foot straps. The foot straps have given me so much peace of mind. We have worn Lydia for very long periods of time and I did not have to worry about the carrier cutting into her dangling legs because I could easily slip her feet into the straps.<br />
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The other outstanding characteristic of the Boba is that the back is designed to be a bit higher than others. This is another key to making the Boba the absolute best carrier available. Even when Lydia tried to lean back, I did not feel the pull uncomfortably in my back AT ALL. I had briefly tried using another soft structured carrier that a friend let me borrow before I received the Boba, and I had found it a bit uncomfortable because Lydia was leaning back and it was pulling on my shoulders. With the Boba I have not felt that even once. It is so perfectly comfortable for myself and my baby! Actually, the whole reason the Boba came into being was because the creators were experiencing this problem with other popular carriers, along with leg discomfort for their baby and therefore the Boba was invented with a higher back to prevent the "leaning back" feeling, and foot straps, to prevent the problem of leg discomfort for toddlers and larger babies. You can read the story <a href="http://www.bobababycarrier.com/index.php?page=boba-story" style="color: lime;">here</a>.<br />
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I am busting at the seams with wonderful things to tell you about my experience with this product! Whether at home or traveling abroad I have come to see the Boba as an absolute essential, and you know me...I love finding things that I <i>don't</i> need to keep it simple. THIS, however will simplify your life in the having of it. I am so thankful that we had the opportunity to test and review the Boba for this trip. It was priceless.<br />
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Even before our trip to Brazil the week before we left I started using the Boba. It made getting ready for our trip so much easier. I had to make so many quick trips in and out of stores for last minute things. It would have been a pain to have to get the stroller in and out and in and out and in addition to that to not have my hands free in the process. Using the Boba made it go so much more smoothly. I quickly discovered that Lydia LOVED being on my back and that I loved having her there. Learning to get Lydia on and off of my back went a lot more quickly and smoothly than I thought it would. I found <a href="http://www.bobababycarrier.com/index.php?page=videos" style="color: lime;">these videos</a> very helpful!<br />
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As we embarked on this trip I was a little nervous because I have a history of back and hip problems that is usually aggravated by travel. I was hoping that carrying a toddler would not make that problem worse. I am here to tell you that I had almost none of the hip or back pain that I've had on previous trips and I wore Lydia a whole whole lot. We carried her everywhere in the Boba. We didn't even take a stroller with us. It was AMAZING how easy it was to get around this way.<br />
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The verdict is that traveling with a toddler is easy IF you have a Boba Carrier. I cannot imagine our trip without it. I seriously don't think it would have been possible. We walked, and walked, and walked, and walked. When we weren't walking, we were in and out of taxis, combis, buses, metros, trains, etc. We developed a system where we would wear her on the front for metros and buses and such forms of transportation so that we could protect her as those can get pretty crowded. We could also sit down while wearing her on the front. Invariably whichever of us was wearing Lydia would be offered someone's seat! Then, when we were walking long distances, we'd put her on our backs as this seemed overall more comfortable with a toddler. Our friends' baby is 10 months old and a good bit smaller, so she is more comfortable on the front all of the time.<br />
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In Brazil we spent two weeks in Belo Horizonte with our friends who are missionaries working with the children in that city's largest slum at a place called The Lighthouse. We also took a few days with our friends to go to Rio de Janeiro. While in Belo, at the Lighthouse, we were trying to help out as much as we could with the ministry there. Even there we wore her a lot to help us be able to do more things and because she just loved it!<br />
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I mostly took care of Lydia but was able to help out with one group of girls a couple of times and to do a little work in the kitchen. How was that possible? The Boba! Here's a picture of me kneading bread for well over 20 people with Lydia on my back! Honest truth: It did not hurt!<br />
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I had to take various trips to the store for food, milk, etc. and I always went walking with Lydia on my back. It was such an adventure. It's a very hilly place too so it was a great workout.<br />
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In Belo Horizonte on the weekend we visited a local park to see the monkeys. We took a bus most of the way and walked the rest. Lydia napped in the Boba for a good part of the time but she woke up in time to see the monkeys!<br />
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Also while in Belo Horizonte, we went out for Acai, as it is served very deliciously at a little shop near the Lighthouse. There we discovered a FABULOUS use of the Boba that ended up being a LIFE SAVER throughout the whole trip, especially when we went to Rio. In spite of the fact that Brazil is incredibly baby friendly, there are many small stores and shops that do not have baby chairs, and if they do, they do not have straps. They are just a smaller, higher chair. We discovered, however, that we could keep Lydia perfectly secure by strapping her into any chair with the waist buckle of the Boba. Here's Lydia enjoying acai this way. More pics of this to come...<br />
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Then came the trip to Rio. As I've said, I don't think it would have been possible without the Boba. We required a good deal of luggage as we were carrying a pac n' play. How we would have managed with all that at the bus station and to and from if we'd been using a stroller or our arms, I have no idea! Then while in Rio, of course we were walking an incredible amount, out and about seeing the sights, and eating out of course since we were away from our "home away from home." Here are some pics of Lydia at the famous Christ the Redeemer statue of Rio de Janeiro!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Under the Christ the Redeemer Statue.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here we have the hood attached and hanging because Lydia had just been napping. Normally we kept it attached and neatly rolled up. I love how easy it is to do!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a little happy! ;)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This typical high chair at a nice restaurant did not have straps. Never fear...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Boba kept her nice and secure!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleeping baby ready to leave Rio. This hood snaps on and off and if you want to leave it on it has attached bands that make it easy to roll up.</td></tr>
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The verdict after a very thorough trial of the Boba is that of all the baby equipment available today, I think it is the most practical and the most worth investing in. It's right up there with the crib and changing table in my opinion, especially if you plan to do any traveling. Even here in the States, there are so many places where a stroller is cumbersome to use. I find that Lydia is much happier in the Boba than in a stroller as well. </div>
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I recommend the Boba over other popular soft structured carriers. My friends in Brazil have another brand, and they tried the Boba and found it to be more comfortable and simple to put on. As I mentioned before, I had tried another kind of carrier briefly and felt a bit uncomfortable with Lydia leaning back. I also find the waist much easier to attach with the Boba. The buckle is mega quality and easy. And again, no other carrier as adjustable detachable foot straps!</div>
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Back at the Lighthouse in Belo Horizonte when Lydia and I were resting in our room, she started whining and I asked her what she wanted. We had the Boba laying on top of a suitcase. She walked over to the suitcase, picked up the Boba, walked over to me with it and lifted it up to me with a grunt. When I didn't immediately do anything about it because I was trying to find the camera to catch the adorable moment in a picture (at which I was unsuccessful), she sat down and started trying to put it on herself!</div>
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Please take a moment to go to <a href="http://www.bobababycarrier.com/" style="color: lime;">Boba's website</a> and learn more about this product! If you're trying to decide what kind of carrier to get, I recommend you stop your search here! If you are not sure about investing in a carrier, I encourage you to do it. It will be money well spent!<br />
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<br /></div>Amy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14011007347104622971noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-89809364880677926352011-03-30T08:46:00.000-04:002011-03-30T08:46:23.048-04:00Wordless Wednesday: Our Family in BrazilOur friends <a href="http://thematiasfamily.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;">Laura and Felipe Matias</a><span style="color: blue;"> </span>that we spent the last three weeks with in Brazil blessed us with the our first professional family photo shoot! I had hoped we could have this done when Lydia was a toddler. Not only is Felipe an amazing missionary and leader, but he's also a gifted photographer! You can see more of his awesome photos <a href="http://thematiasfamily.blogspot.com/p/images.html" style="color: blue;">here </a>and <a href="http://www.letthemcomeimages.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;">here</a>! Thanks so much Matias family! We miss you!<br />
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</div>Amy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14011007347104622971noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-7922043893416844952011-03-23T14:17:00.001-04:002012-11-10T21:14:38.451-05:00Not so Wordless Wednesday: Ellie Loves the Lighthouse!<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.bhcentro.jocum.org.br/en/index.php?community_centers:light_house" style="color: blue;">The Lighthouse</a></div>
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She loves <a href="http://www.thematiasfamily.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;">the people</a>, the food, and especially the dog. We will miss this lovely community when we leave here. There is truly LIGHT in <a href="http://www.bhcentro.jocum.org.br/en/index.php?community_centers:light_house" style="color: blue;">this house</a>!Amy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14011007347104622971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-47403696589555199582011-03-21T19:42:00.000-04:002012-05-17T15:44:33.019-04:00Brazil So Far...We've had a week in Belo Horizonte now at the Lighthouse having a great time seeing the work there, trying to help out in some practical ways and having a good time with our friends, Laura and Felipe who are leaders at the Lighthouse. You can look at their blogs <a href="http://www.thematiasfamily.blogspot.com/" style="color: red;">here </a>and <a href="http://www.letthemcomeimages.blogspot.com/" style="color: red;">here </a>see more of what's been going on here in their last 2 or 3 posts.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lydia walking with girls from the Casa Refugio (Refuge House). All of these children have HIV. Please pray for them as there is a new law and such homes are no longer allowed to exist, and many adoption possibilities have fallen through.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is on a soccer/basketball court at the Lighthouse that kids from the slum love to play on!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjop6XD_CCrWTzi5JpTATt3EiVCb_BCLpD5NaOcv43VLIJq30lDGO62q7vkqHxtFmgXw8xKvFXyXc3YAozixG52bAlyLkRwdX_pLjr53PyL1AAM6WBs4cT-ePf5wc0xcLQG_TNlMs8DFDU/s1600/P1160482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjop6XD_CCrWTzi5JpTATt3EiVCb_BCLpD5NaOcv43VLIJq30lDGO62q7vkqHxtFmgXw8xKvFXyXc3YAozixG52bAlyLkRwdX_pLjr53PyL1AAM6WBs4cT-ePf5wc0xcLQG_TNlMs8DFDU/s320/P1160482.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We are on a hill and can see much of the slum from our windows.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There aren't too many ways I can help, but I can definitely knead bread, though this was a much larger batch than I've ever made.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out on Laura and Felipe's front porch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready to go visit a local park on Saturday...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">where we saw lots of monkeys...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and fed them crackers!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lydia started walking almost as soon as we got here!</td></tr>
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We're now in Rio de Janeiro at the end of a short trip along with Laura and Felipe. We've had a nice time so far seeing some of the sights and relaxing at a local bed and breakfast with a fantastic view of the city. We actually saw Obama fly down from the Christ the Redeemer statue earlier yesterday We went to Copacobana beach yesterday and it turns out he was staying in the Marriot there. There were tons of army men and trucks and police. The street was blocked off. People were crowded around waiting for him to arrive. We had to eat and get home and did not wait. So strange that we'd happen to be here at the same time as our president!<br />
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Here are some pictures from Rio de Janeiro: <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laura and I with our girls at Christ the Redeemer Statue.</td></tr>
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And we're off right now to head back to Belo Horizonte and get back to work. These are really random pics and really random info. as I have had very little time to think about blogging! Just wanted to share a little.<br />
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</div>Amy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14011007347104622971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-32025962351064529502011-03-18T01:00:00.006-04:002012-05-17T15:44:57.863-04:00Guest Post by Tom.com: Frugal and Natural Garbage Disposal CleaningIf your fridge is anything like ours, sometimes you have interesting science experiments going on after a few weeks. Whenever we clean out the fridge, a lot of old food goes through our <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbage_disposal">garbage disposal</a> before hitting the sewer system. A commonly suggested way to <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Maintain-a-Garbage-Disposal">keep the disposal clean</a> is to throw ice chips into it every so often. To keep the disposal smelling nice, throw in some peels from a piece of citrus.<br />
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ymuYPaiYuaI/TXU3UzKYiuI/AAAAAAAACJs/PLH93ZHH-1k/s1600/lemon_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ymuYPaiYuaI/TXU3UzKYiuI/AAAAAAAACJs/PLH93ZHH-1k/s1600/lemon_3.jpg" /></a></div>
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We will sometimes buy lemons for other cleaning around the house, but we don't use the whole thing. We used to keep the rest of it around until the next major usage of the garbage disposal, but they would go bad.<br />
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To reduce the wast, what we did was slice up the leftover lemon and put it into a container in the freezer. Whenever we start smelling the disposal, we pull out a slice of frozen lemon and throw it in to the disposal. It takes care of both the ice and citrus suggestions while reducing our waste of lemons.<br />
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(<i>In case you didn't know, Tom.com is my hubby. :)</i> </div>Amy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14011007347104622971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-11600026206263918912011-03-07T10:40:00.001-05:002011-03-07T10:42:38.682-05:00More Than This Monday: A Cry from the StreetsWe're going to Brazil to visit a dear friend of mine and her family who live in the city of Belo Horizonte and work with an organization called YWAM (Youth With a Mission). I wanted to tell you about what they do there and share their blog with you!<br />
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First of all, the <a href="http://www.bhcentro.jocum.org.br/en/index.php" style="color: blue;">YWAM base</a> in Belo was started by Johann and Jeannette Lukasse, and Jeannette has written a book about their story called, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cry-Streets-Forgotten-International-Adventures/dp/1576582639" style="color: blue;"><i>A Cry from the Streets</i></a>. I highly recommend reading this book no matter who you are or where you are in life. I am certain that it will warm your heart, inspire you, and just altogether enrich your life. To follow the adventure of a young dutch couple just wanting God to use their lives, not having the slightest idea just how much He would, and how they were miraculously led and provided for step by step is simply thrilling. I pretty much cried my whole way through the book.<br />
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The ministry that they began now is comprised of several unique types of ministries. Some work directly with children living on the streets in rescue houses for kids on the streets. The kids go through a program teaching them life skills, and since many of these kids do actually have living parents, much work is done to reach out to their families and seek to help them get back on their feet and love and take responsibilities for the kids as well. The goal is restoration of families and helping kids be able to function in society and get off the streets. There is also an refuge house for those who have no home, many of whom are victims of AIDS. Some of these children have been adopted by staff workers and it is so beautiful to see. These are just a couple of the types of work going on.<br />
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My friend that we are going to visit and hopefully help works at a ministry called "The Lighthouse." As I said before, many of the children living on the streets do have families, but are forced out because their parents do not care for them, their homes are simply not safe, or a variety of other reasons. Most of the street kids also come from the slums, or poor neighborhoods on the outskirts of the city. The Lighthouse is located in the largest slum in Belo Horizonte. They work with the kids in the slum to teach them life skills, give them productive and safe ways to spend their time, and of course share the love of Christ with them. This is a program aimed at preventing kids from ending up on the streets. They also put an emphasis on reaching out to the parents of the children and helping the whole family. They seek to help the children spiritually, academically, physically, and socially.<br />
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You can get a personal glimpse into this ministry by following my friend's blog, <a href="http://www.thematiasfamily.blogspot.com/"><b style="color: blue;">Let Them Come</b></a>. You can also click on the image below. Please take a moment to look at her blog! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thematiasfamily.blogspot.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="107" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-fFq4iNtem9o/TXT6-odhEUI/AAAAAAAACIw/BgFPCRYoaEs/s400/novo+titulo1.png" width="400" /></a></div>Amy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14011007347104622971noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-27706062314959589802011-03-02T22:07:00.004-05:002011-04-05T08:29:59.317-04:00***CLOSED*** Your Choice of classic Boba or select ERGObaby Carrier GIVEAWAY!<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://common.csnimages.com/lf/logo/hash/p11/49%7Effffff/1/CSN_Stores_Logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://common.csnimages.com/lf/logo/hash/p11/49%7Effffff/1/CSN_Stores_Logo.gif" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-W0zNDEEWD6Y/TW6v5H-wCQI/AAAAAAAACIg/CBN3Fn0eWB8/s1600/Boba-Carriers-Classic-Baby-Carrier-in-Glacier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.csnstores.com/" style="color: blue;">CSN Stores</a> carries a great variety of baby carriers including <a href="http://www.bobababycarrier.com/">Boba</a>, <a href="http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/">ERGObaby</a>, <a href="http://catbirdbaby.com//">Catbird Baby</a>, <a href="http://www.sleepywrap.com/">Sleepy Wrap</a>, <a href="http://www.mobywrap.com/">Moby Wrap</a> and more!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In honor of our trip to Brazil, traveling with a toddler, CSN Stores is generously agreed to offer one of my reader's the chance to win a...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Classic Boba Carrier ($100 value) <i> </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i> </i><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-W0zNDEEWD6Y/TW6v5H-wCQI/AAAAAAAACIg/CBN3Fn0eWB8/s1600/Boba-Carriers-Classic-Baby-Carrier-in-Glacier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-W0zNDEEWD6Y/TW6v5H-wCQI/AAAAAAAACIg/CBN3Fn0eWB8/s1600/Boba-Carriers-Classic-Baby-Carrier-in-Glacier.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>or</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i> </i>an original or sport ERGObaby Carrier (of $105 value)! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I had been working with CSN Stores to plan an ERGObaby carrier for some time in anticipation of our "Traveling Toddler" mini event. Then I received the exciting opportunity to review a Boba carrier from Nap Inc. which I have just recently received and begun to practice using for our trip. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'll be posting a full review of the Boba with tons of photos and information after we return from Brazil but I have to go ahead and say that <i><b>the Boba makes carrying my toddler more comfortable than I EVER imagined possible</b>!</i> I have been amazed so far and my daughter absolutely <i>loves </i>it!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: blue; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bobababycarrier.com/uploads/images/classic/breeze-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bobababycarrier.com/uploads/images/classic/breeze-small.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: blue; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I wanted to offer my readers a chance to win a Boba carrier once I realized that CSN Stores also carries them and what a wonderful company they are to work with and now how wonderful the Boba is. However, since I'd been advertising a coming ERGObaby giveaway, I knew I had to follow through with that. <b>SO</b>, I asked CSN Stores if I could give my readers the choice of a Boba Carrier as well and they willingly agreed! I am ecstatic to offer you this unique giveaway! A big thanks to CSN Stores for their generosity!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>***THE GIVEAWAY</b>***</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">CSN Stores is offering a free <a href="http://www.csnstores.com/asp/keyword.asp?keyword=boba+carriers%2C+classic+baby+carrier&command=dosearch&matchtype=&keywordvalue=" style="color: blue;">Classic Boba Carrier</a> or an original or sport ERGObaby Carrier valuing $105 (your choice of <a href="http://www.csnstores.com/ERGObaby-BC5-RZO1000.html" style="color: blue;">camel</a>, <a href="http://www.csnstores.com/ERGObaby-BC6CA-RZO1001.html" style="color: blue;">black</a>, or <a href="http://www.csnstores.com/ERGObaby-BC6SP-RZO1002.html" style="color: blue;">black sport</a> or any other Ergo up to value $105 that may become available at CSN Stores before the end of this giveaway.)*</span></b><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">*This giveaway is for a Boba or Ergo carrier that CSN Stores carries up to a value of $105. CSN Stores is offering a gift code of $110 which as stated will cover the cost of a classic Boba or the above mentioned Ergobaby carriers totally free. <i>However</i>, CSN Stores has assured me that the gift code worth $110 can be used toward a carrier of greater value if the winner so desires. </span></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">***HOW TO ENTER*** </span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Go to <a href="http://www.csnstores.com/Baby-and-Kids-C45226.html" style="color: blue;">CSN Stores</a> and come back and tell me which <a href="http://www.csnstores.com/asp/keyword.asp?keyword=boba+carrier&command=dosearch&matchtype=&keywordvalue=" style="color: blue;">Boba </a>or <a href="http://www.csnstores.com/asp/keyword.asp?keyword=ergobaby+carrier&command=dosearch&matchtype=&keywordvalue=" style="color: blue;">Ergobaby </a>carrier you would choose if you won!</span></b><b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b></span><br />
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<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>(<span style="font-style: italic;">Leave a separate comment for each entry. Include your email address if it is not easily accessible through your blogger profile. You do not have to have a blogger profile to enter, as long as you leave a valid e-mail address.</span>)</b> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
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<div class="tweet-row"><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="tweet-text tweet-text-large" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a class=" twitter-hashtag" href="http://twitter.com/#%21/search?q=%23Win" rel="nofollow" title="#Win">#Win</a> a @<a class=" twitter-atreply" data-screen-name="BobaCarrier" href="http://twitter.com/BobaCarrier" rel="nofollow">BobaCarrier</a> OR @<a class=" twitter-atreply" data-screen-name="Ergobaby" href="http://twitter.com/Ergobaby" rel="nofollow">Ergobaby</a> carrier from @<a class=" twitter-atreply" data-screen-name="CSNStores" href="http://twitter.com/CSNStores" rel="nofollow">CSNStores</a> at Life as a Global Mom (@<a class=" twitter-atreply" data-screen-name="cheapnchoosy" href="http://twitter.com/cheapnchoosy" rel="nofollow">cheapnchoosy</a>) <a class="twitter-timeline-link" href="http://tinyurl.com/4vfv8fc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/4vfv8fc</a></span></div></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: lucida grande;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Link </b>this post up to any Giveaway Linky and just leave me a comment with the link! (3 entries per linky entered!)</span><br />
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<b>Comment </b>on one of my non-giveaway posts. (One entry per post commented on.)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">This giveaway is open to the U.S. and Canada until April 3, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. EST. </span>The winner will be chosen using a random number generator. I will post and email the winner, who will have 48 hours to respond. If winner does not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen. </span><br />
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</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">This is not a paid post</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">. The opinions expressed are completely my own! You can see my full disclosure <a href="http://thecheapandchoosy.blogspot.com/p/disclosure-policy.html">here</a>.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>Amy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14011007347104622971noreply@blogger.com1109tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-92162209382727122562011-02-25T16:50:00.002-05:002012-05-17T15:48:52.786-04:00Homemade Yogurt in the Crock Pot!Boy, have I learned a lot in the past 48 hours or so! First of all, I've been back and forth about whether to bother making my own yogurt or not because all the recipes that I could find that were supposed to be "easy" did not look so "easy" to me! Why? Because checking the temperature and keeping it just right for hours is something that this "global" mom would never be able to stay on top of. Yes, I always have multiple things going on at once but that level of attention to detail is beyond my ability and makes me nervous! I would have to stand there the whole time. I would never remember to check otherwise. I know that you can get a system down with trial and error and find a way to incubate yogurt without having to check, but I was dreading the trial and error and all the potential waste of milk and time in the process. I even have my mom's old yogurt maker that works really well, but we go through it SO FAST that I would have to make it so often since that makes a pretty small batch compared to what we use.<br />
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I saw a recipe once for making yogurt in the crock pot, but so many of the comments were negative, saying that it had come out runny, that it discouraged me. I lost my motivation.<br />
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Until this week. The fact that we go through yogurt so fast had gotten me thinking about really doing this some way in which I can make bigger batches.<br />
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Then I discovered, <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/">"A Year of Slow Cooking."</a> I know, I know, I'm way behind the times, but I'm SO excited! That blog will become one of the three cookbooks I'll be using for a year starting in April. (I'll share the other two in a later post.) Stephanie's enthusiasm and results along with the many positive results shared in the comments motivated to try this, and as she would say, "It works! It really really works!"<br />
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My daughter and I enjoyed the tastiest most perfectly textured yogurt today that I have had in a long long time...if ever!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU STEPHANIE! My fingers aren't quite shaking, but I'm very very excited, which is why I'm writing this post right now when I should be doing a lot of other things!<br />
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I won't repeat all of Stephanie's recipe, you can just check it out <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/you-can-make-yogurt-in-your-crockpot.html" style="color: blue;">here</a>. I will describe how I "sorta kinda" adapted it.<br />
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1. I heated a half gallon of whole milk on low fro 2.5 hours as the recipe called for.<br />
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2. The next step was to unplug it and let it sit for three hours. I didn't exactly follow this because I have the thermometer that goes with my mom's old yogurt machine that is perfect for global folks like me and doesn't even have numbers! It just has an arrow signaling, "When the temperature is here, mix in the starter!" Love it!<br />
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Therefore, I took off the lid and let it sit a while and checked a couple of times...not sure how much time went by, I think it was about an hour, but the temperature was just right the second time, so I scooped out two cups of it into a separate bowl and mixed in a half cup of store bought yogurt.<br />
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3. Then, since I knew it was at the perfect temperature, I put the lid on the pot and wrapped that sucker in TWO HUGE towels as airtight as I possibly could, because I knew it needed to not get any cooler.<br />
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4. Then I just forgot about it. The this morning, around 7:30, I remembered. I hadn't been in the kitchen yet because my dear husband brings me a mug of coffee as I stagger to a chair in the living room in the mornings where I remain with my coffee until Lydia wakes up and/or I remember that yogurt is incubating on the counter! For this reason, it was incubating for about 12 hours. I'd meant to leave it for only 10.<br />
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When I opened it up I saw clumpy yogurt with liquid separating it a little. I was excited because I knew this meant "not soupy." Yay! This was after stirring a tad:<br />
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This is where I reveal what a rookie I am, but it wasn't until yesterday that I learned that you call that "liquid" whey. I had tried to print out Stephanie's post, forgetting there were 400+ comments, and needless to say, it ran out of paper before even finishing the comments. I did scan the comments and that is where I learned what whey was <i>and </i>that you could use it for other things, like baking bread.<br />
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I did a quick search on<a href="http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/353018" style="color: blue;"> uses of whey </a>and got some great information really quickly. I knew I wanted to get some of that whey out for a bit thicker consistency of yogurt, so first I tried using our coffee sieve and scooping out a bit at a time and letting the whey drip off. I quickly learned that this was not going to work.<br />
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I thought I needed cheese cloth but I tried using one of our buffet style cloth napkins that we use as kitchen cloth because it is thin. I wet it, wrung it out, and laid it in a colander which I sat on a bowl. I emptied the crock pot of yogurt into the colander and sat it in the fridge for an hour or two. I know that's a broad range, but that's just how I work.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6MQgnU6qBChERn6OIUeUn2HY0SxyOumobFkoLYbwZDrDk7EBFl-4J6SKWnFH8ykmtjKSUlIETVZBw_9DG-nrYQ2sDJwevR0vx0VgmDFvNBQCBJ2JavHtFqoCJiVzVQFqtn7Kj0uLuqAU/s1600/Yogurt+Three.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6MQgnU6qBChERn6OIUeUn2HY0SxyOumobFkoLYbwZDrDk7EBFl-4J6SKWnFH8ykmtjKSUlIETVZBw_9DG-nrYQ2sDJwevR0vx0VgmDFvNBQCBJ2JavHtFqoCJiVzVQFqtn7Kj0uLuqAU/s320/Yogurt+Three.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was so excited when I pulled it out. The yogurt was just right, and I had about 2 cups of whey. Exactly the amount that I needed to substitute whey for water in my<a href="http://www.thecheapandchoosy.com/2010/06/truly-easy-homemade-bread.html" style="color: blue;"> easy homemade bread recipe</a> (which I'll be posting some tips on soon). I learned from my earlier search that using it instead of water to prep the yeast would make the bread moister and add some protein. I'm excited about all of the potential uses of whey, a great list of which you can find in <a href="http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/353018" style="color: blue;">this </a>discussion on Chow Hound. It led me on a search about how to make mozzarella cheese, which I might just try after our trip to Brazil!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZmbBtZkBL8w/TWgi386R2WI/AAAAAAAACII/fS7py8gLFVY/s1600/Yogurt+Five.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZmbBtZkBL8w/TWgi386R2WI/AAAAAAAACII/fS7py8gLFVY/s320/Yogurt+Five.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So finally I had a big bowl of yogurt in the fridge and a nice bit of whey on top waiting for the bread baking, which happened to be today since we just ran out.<br />
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<br />
I was distracted and left out a couple of important steps in the bread making <i>and </i>we were short on yeast. It's cooling now, but I don't expect the results to be stellar. I will try again and let you know how it turns out!<br />
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All in all, I can see this EASILY becoming a weekly routine! Set milk in the crock pot on low for a couple of hours around dinner time. Take the lid off and let it cool, keep check, but it should be ready in an hour or so to mix in a tad of last weeks yogurt. Then wrap it up in two towels and forget about it until the next morning. Save the whey and make bread for the week as well. LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: red;">Scratch yogurt off my grocery list! Woo Hoo!!!! </span></i></div>Amy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14011007347104622971noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-33094397173467988862011-02-22T11:40:00.007-05:002012-11-10T21:16:21.527-05:00Tiny Tush Elite {One Size Pocket Diaper} Review and Giveaway!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://tinytush.com/"><img border="0" height="93" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cOTdFepVD1A/TWPobnTDHNI/AAAAAAAACHQ/M9gZR_67lQ4/s320/Tiny+Tush+Logo+from+Site.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have been blessed with the opportunity to review the <b><a href="http://www.tinytush.com/Tiny-Tush-Elite-Pocket-Diapers-One-Size_p_713.html#" style="color: blue;">Tiny Tush Elite, one size cloth diaper</a></b> for you! <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zKny6rxlUDY/TWPmjVtnCFI/AAAAAAAACHI/UdHTGgmJxhQ/s1600/Tiny+Tush+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zKny6rxlUDY/TWPmjVtnCFI/AAAAAAAACHI/UdHTGgmJxhQ/s320/Tiny+Tush+cropped.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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First off, here's a bit about the company: <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Tiny Tush began with Charlene Foster, a mom who was searching for a better way to use cloth</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">diapers. Over the course of diapering her five children, she’d tried everything but had yet to find an</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">optimal cloth diapering system. With her unique flair for textiles and clear vision of her ideal diaper, she</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">knew she had developed a great idea that would help her - and many other moms – to successfully cloth</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">diaper....Tiny Tush was born!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Now a <b>decade later</b>, Tiny Tush, a family owned business, is fulfilling customers’ diapering needs</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">with excellent products and knowledgeable, courteous, and friendly service. Tiny Tush is dedicated</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">to providing the highest quality products (<b>many made in the USA!</b>) at affordable prices, and to giving</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">customers the best experience possible. Plus, Tiny Tush offers a generous <b>90 day money back guarantee</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">on all new products and a <b>30 day return on used products.</b></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.tinytush.com/Tiny-Tush-Elite-Pocket-Diapers-One-Size_p_713.html#">The Tiny Tush Elite One-Size Pocket Diaper</a></b></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_902845033"><br />
</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_902845033" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnke5jApkLD9nOIBeHevwsy87aGrUDCzVR8-PRfTkfAJrcwheVnPtnyvgwrqCGTG4qTWJE98n9ejfU0h3qHy1NprHdtE9dQ2JIO1YXaVb-sWRLygG5oR7qnuaaiulAAEGW3o2R5MAOZpM/s1600/tinytushelite.png" /></a></div>
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● This unique cloth diapering system is the easiest system available today. With a reverse envelope<br />
pocket opening in the rear of the diaper, the inserts are easy to install. This opening also<br />
<b>prevents stool from getting caught underneath the flap</b>, <b>making cleanup easier and yuck-free</b>.<br />
● The exterior of the Tiny Tush Elite One-Size Pocket diaper is a waterproof PUL. The inner layer is<br />
a <b>non-piling polyester micro-fleece</b> that keeps the diaper looking like new, even wash after wash.<br />
This diaper is available in either snap or Aplix closures.<br />
● Tiny Tush Elite One-Size pocket diapers are designed to fit babies from 7-35 lbs. The snap-down<br />
system for sizing is similar to the popular Tiny Tush Trim fitted, except there is an <b>extra fourth</b><br />
<b>row of snaps for increased adjustability</b>. There is also an extra column of snaps to keep this<br />
amazing diapering system secure and trim.<br />
● The four row snap-down system (that comes with both the Aplix and snap closure diapers) allows<br />
the rise of this diaper to be adjusted incrementally from newborn, infant, crawler, to toddler.<br />
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Let's take a closer look at the diaper:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-95dKY6-WUhs/TVvz3hM-cMI/AAAAAAAACF0/VbqT32f2VQQ/s1600/P1160075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-95dKY6-WUhs/TVvz3hM-cMI/AAAAAAAACF0/VbqT32f2VQQ/s320/P1160075.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the FOUR possible rise settings!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YZt95QxtfbU/TVv0GGPeQiI/AAAAAAAACF4/89D66R7SxjE/s1600/P1160077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YZt95QxtfbU/TVv0GGPeQiI/AAAAAAAACF4/89D66R7SxjE/s320/P1160077.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plush micro-fleece inner fabric. Two microfiber inserts for smaller and larger settings. They can also be used together for overnight stuffing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fzWti_vTGNs/TVv0Tn2eP7I/AAAAAAAACF8/_fF4OaTBS4w/s1600/P1160079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fzWti_vTGNs/TVv0Tn2eP7I/AAAAAAAACF8/_fF4OaTBS4w/s320/P1160079.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice that the flap for the pocket goes under the fleece layer. I have come to value this for spraying purposes! It helps prevent poop getting stuck or icky back splash. Also notice the extra snap on the right for crossing over for smaller babies.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E0pQwFMCFzc/TVv1kddcfTI/AAAAAAAACGU/YB4m_YwMqC0/s1600/P1160117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E0pQwFMCFzc/TVv1kddcfTI/AAAAAAAACGU/YB4m_YwMqC0/s320/P1160117.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b>First Impressions:</b><br />
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My first impression of this diaper was, "Wow! The material feels really sturdy!" I know that's a strange way to say it, but that is what stood out to me as unique from other diapers I've tried. It was plush, thick and it just felt sturdy!<br />
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The second thing that caught my attention was the FOUR possible rise settings. This is more than most one size diapers I've tried.<br />
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The micro-fleece seemed especially thick and soft. <br />
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<b>Fit:</b><br />
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It fits my baby wonderfully. No gaping around the legs which equals no leaks. It looks and seems comfortable on her. It was easy to find a perfect fit because of the many snap options (they are close together all the way across the top) and rise options. There is NO question that it will fit until potty training!!!!!!!! Great range of sizes!!!<br />
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<b>Final Impressions:</b><br />
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This is a great pocket diaper. I highly recommend it for its quality. The inner fleece is really durable and effective<b>, </b>and is made to last. It seems very comfortable and is easy to spray off from either direction because the pocket flap is under the inner layer and will not catch anything! This diaper is on my list of those which I will put on my daughter when I'm expecting her to have a poop any minute because it is easy to spray out without making a mess.<br />
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It truly fits a very wide range of sizes and is soft but snug around the legs. The inserts are absorbent but not bulky. I definitely feel comfortable going "out and about" in this diaper. It's on the highly dependable list in that regard. There are those that I will only use around the house when I know I'll be able to change her more quickly and those that I trust while out running errands or visiting that might have to stay on a bit longer. Tiny Tush is on that list!<br />
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I honestly have nothing negative to say about this diaper. For it's quality, the price is great, especially since it includes inserts!<br />
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<b>GIVEAWAY!</b></div>
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Tiny Tush is offering one reader their very own Tiny Tush Elite one size pocket diaper in winner's choice of color and closure!</div>
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<b>How to Enter:</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Go to <b style="color: blue;"><a href="http://tinytush.com/">Tiny Tush</a></b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> and leave me a comment telling me what other product you would love to try!</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>(<span style="font-style: italic;">Leave a separate comment for each entry. Include your email address if it is not easily accessible through your blogger profile. You do not have to have a blogger profile to enter, as long as you leave a valid e-mail address.</span>)</b> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
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<b>Additional Entries:</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Follow Tiny Tush on <b><a href="http://twitter.com/tinytush" style="color: blue;">Twitter!</a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Like" Tiny Tush on <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/TinyTushProducts">Facebook</a></b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">!</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Follow the <b><a href="https://www.tinytush.com/blog.html" style="color: blue;">Tiny Tush Blog</a></b></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8734199994073661223"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sign Up for the <b><a href="http://www.tinytush.com/Join-The-Tiny-Tush-Mailing-List_ep_82-1.html">Tiny Tush Mailing List</a></b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;">!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Link </b>this post up to any Giveaway Linky and just leave me a comment with the link! (3 entries per linky entered!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Share </b>about this giveaway in whatever social media venue or forum you wish. As long as you can provide a link to it, it counts!</span></div>
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<b>Comment </b>on one of my non-giveaway posts. (One entry per post commented on.)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">This giveaway is open to U.S. residents 18 years of age and older until March 7, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. EST (14 DAYS) </span>The winner will be chosen using a random number generator. I will post and email the winner, who will have 48 hours to respond. If winner does not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen. I will post the winner when the selection has been made and confirmed by the recipient.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">This is not a paid post</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">. The opinions expressed are completely my own! I received the product reviewed free of charge. You can see my full disclosure <a href="http://thecheapandchoosy.blogspot.com/p/disclosure-policy.html">here</a>.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></span></span></span>Amy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14011007347104622971noreply@blogger.com473tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-24873027612729105122011-02-20T20:00:00.012-05:002012-02-16T21:26:20.996-05:00More Than This Monday: Have you every been disappointed?I have...both in big and small ways, in my heart ways and in my mind ways. Ways that irritate and ways that break...<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8D5nS737WVCz3u4UVxxGi8zEN6EO_VeUjYmfQ_U-PsOUqwYpO4e5z9bAq_PCip8QKVMsAB1mheLpVLelkt2SnopYDr-f5ig0ZPxpcXD_ru_EEIor4lO9Z2a2QuN-_pGcAr4sgkWjnPA/s1600/More+Than+This+Monday+Button.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8D5nS737WVCz3u4UVxxGi8zEN6EO_VeUjYmfQ_U-PsOUqwYpO4e5z9bAq_PCip8QKVMsAB1mheLpVLelkt2SnopYDr-f5ig0ZPxpcXD_ru_EEIor4lO9Z2a2QuN-_pGcAr4sgkWjnPA/s1600/More+Than+This+Monday+Button.jpg" /></a> </div><br />
Speaking of ways that irritate, last week we had a check up scheduled for Lydia. My very lucid and intelligent husband had called and made the appointment. The day came, he got off work, I left things undone, Lydia un-fed and napped, we got there, and lo and behold there was no such appointment in the system. I was struggling with my attitude. I thought they should have tried to work us in. I thought they should have at least apologized since it was more like that they forgot to click "save" than that my husband had imagined the whole conversation.<br />
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As we left I was acknowledging my wrong attitude to God, not quite at the place of true repentance, when my husband and I both thought and said, "Well, there may be a reason we don't know about yet." <br />
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Sure enough, a day or so later, Lydia starts running a fever, and is sick for several days. The shots that she would have had that day, coupled with the germs she already had, could have made her very very sick.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Turns out it was all mercy. </i></div><br />
That is a minor example. Such disappointments and frustrations are quickly gotten over. Those of the heart, however, are a different matter. The loss of a loved one, the falling apart of all our hopes and plans...can "these things" be mercy too?<br />
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I've been hanging out in Luke 24 some lately. Three days after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, two very disillusioned, dejected, and dissapointed men were leaving Jerusalem and headed toward a town called Emmaus.<br />
<br />
Things had not gone as they'd hoped, expected, or desired. This Jesus- in whom they'd placed so much hope, was dead. They had heard rumors from the women that He was no longer in the tomb...that an angel said he had risen. Obviously they did not believe it because they were packed up and heading home...it sounded just to good to be true...and a little bit crazy.<br />
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They were talking about "these things" as they walked, and suddenly a stranger showed up and asked them what they were talking about. Dubious that anyone could have missed these headlines, they told him when he inquired further that they spoke of Jesus. When they finished, the stranger explained to them that "these things" <i>had </i>to happen for the word of God to be fulfilled. Jesus <i>had</i> to die, but why? <i>IN ORDER TO CONQUER DEATH AND THE GRAVE FOREVER.</i><br />
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The very "things" that led to their abject disappointment, were the very <i>mercies </i>of God that would bring them a hope and a future beyond what they had ever or could have ever hoped or dreamed. <br />
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Are you disillusioned in any way, big or small? Has anyone or anything let you down? Behind the smallest to the largest hurt, misfortune or closed door...maybe...just maybe...Mercy waits.<br />
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Do you know who that "stranger" in the story was? It was Jesus himself! After he explained to them how all the scriptures pointed to these events and the fact that that Jesus would die and rise again, He revealed Himself to them, and then disappeared. Needless to say, they packed up and headed back to Jerusalem as quickly as they could to tell the others. When they got there and were <i>still </i>telling their story. He showed up again, and revealed Himself to everyone.<br />
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What has touched my heart more than anything in this story is that Jesus, sweet and merciful Jesus, was about to reveal Himself to his followers...but <i>He </i>knew that two of them, so utterly disillusioned had given up and headed home. He loved them <i>so </i>much...He didn't want them to miss His appearing...He went and got them, and <i>then, </i>almost as soon as they got back, He appeared.<br />
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Maybe, my friend...maybe Mercy isn't <i>just </i>waiting behind those hurts...maybe if you turn around and look...you might just see that Mercy is following you...coming to get you...because He doesn't want you to miss Him. He just loves you too much. Just look...He is there! Ask him to open your eyes.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Love as Strong as Death</b></i></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Looking back, now I see</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>It was you wooing me</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>In the midst of everything</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>It was you not letting me</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>settle for loving anything</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>or being loved in any way</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>that would lead my heart astray</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Dissapointments, weakenings</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Rejection, failure, hurts, pains</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Joy, sorrow, loss and gain</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Everything had one sure aim.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Now I see Your sovereignty</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Waiting Oh so patiently</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Blocking my way so mercifully</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Until the time that I could see...</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Your ravished gaze so full of love</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>your eyes as steady as a dove's</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Your love unyielding as the grave</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>For this joy your life you gave.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Looking back I realize</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>You stood with longing in your eyes</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>With patient love that never dies</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Waiting for me to realize...</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>No love I could attain on earth</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Could ever begin to give me worth</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But your love is my life itself</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Never ending, glorious wealth.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8D5nS737WVCz3u4UVxxGi8zEN6EO_VeUjYmfQ_U-PsOUqwYpO4e5z9bAq_PCip8QKVMsAB1mheLpVLelkt2SnopYDr-f5ig0ZPxpcXD_ru_EEIor4lO9Z2a2QuN-_pGcAr4sgkWjnPA/s1600/More+Than+This+Monday+Button.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>I wrote this poem when I realized that so many disappointments that I had experienced were nothing but God's mercy...that were what it took for me to see His ravished love for me...and truly...they do pale in comparison. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">"What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?" ~Matthew16:26</div>Amy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14011007347104622971noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-55251032083984829782011-02-18T01:00:00.001-05:002012-11-10T20:45:37.664-05:00Easy {Two Ingredient} DIY Wrinkle Releaser!Ironing is problematic with a toddler on the loose! I have a really hard time remembering to turn off an iron...even before Ellie came along! Thank God for the automatic shut off! I *rarely* am there to get clothes out of the dryer as soon as they are finished. Laundry is going on during the midst of many other things! I also have a hard time doing ironing all at one time because I usually have multiple chores going on at once. It's just the way my brain works and I'm learning to work <i>with </i>my personality, not against it!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8mVLfBeVWtc/TVvtChqU92I/AAAAAAAACFk/T3si7Uvc47A/s1600/ironing-clipart-graphicsfairy004b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8mVLfBeVWtc/TVvtChqU92I/AAAAAAAACFk/T3si7Uvc47A/s320/ironing-clipart-graphicsfairy004b.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>
The fact that an iron may be set up for extended times, and that though I *intend* to close the door to my bedroom when the ironing board is set up and Ellie is playing in the hall while I shift laundry, sweeping, or -you name it-, I cannot trust myself to remember. That's just a fact! Therefore, I was super excited when I saw<span style="color: blue;"> </span><a href="http://somewhereinthemiddle-missylou.blogspot.com/2011/01/homemade-wrinkle-releaser.html" style="color: blue;">this</a> post on <a href="http://somewhereinthemiddle-missylou.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;"><i>Somewhere in the Middle</i></a><span style="color: blue;"> </span>via the <a href="http://www.raisinghomemakers.com/" style="color: blue;">Raising Homemakers</a>' Wednesday link up a few weeks ago.<br />
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Turns out that <b>one teaspoon of liquid fabric softener per one cup of water in a spray bottle</b> equals perfectly effective wrinkle releaser, fabric relaxer, whatever you want to call it! I used to buy this stuff during my single overly busy teaching days, and I have to admit, I almost feel silly using it! I feel a bit lazy, but now that we have a toddler around, I do think it's a pretty handy thing! <br />
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When I pull the clothes out of the dryer (wrinkled, of course), I'm spraying, stretching, and shaking out the shirts that matter and hanging them separated so that they can dry. Voila! <br />
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As I've been getting out wrinkled summer clothes to pack for Brazil I've realized that taking a bit of this along will really come in handy as well since ironing will be out of the question!<br />
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I bought a spray bottle and liquid fabric softener at Dollar Tree. However, the spray bottle only shoots a single stream of liquid, so I had to use a different one. In the future, I will also look for a fragrance free fabric softener because we are not used to smells and it's a bit overwhelming!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Image Courtesy of <a href="http://www.thegraphicsfairy.blogspot.com/">The Graphics Fairy</a>.</span></div>
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Amy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14011007347104622971noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8734199994073661223.post-48895779855157607972011-02-15T21:55:00.002-05:002011-02-16T09:40:11.957-05:00A 'More With Less' ValentineBoth my daughter and I are dealing with pretty bad colds, and were unable to go anywhere on Valentines day. My hubby and I aren't really big holiday people in that we don't think about them very well in advance. We love giving gifts and cards but tend to enjoy it more spontaneously than due to established holidays. For that reason and because Lydia and I have been sick, we had no plans, no cards, no gifts, 'no nothin' for Valentines day.<br />
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I had a surge of energy before Tom came home for lunch and wanted to make him something sweet. The cupboards are pretty bare as it's time to re-stock on some essentials, but thanks to <a href="http://www.worldcommunitycookbook.org/more/index.html"><i>More With Less</i> </a>cookbook, I was able to throw together a couple of sweet (but not too sweet) treats.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OdzPz6NRvyo/TVs6g1G8ZAI/AAAAAAAACFI/cuzPyBLLefs/s1600/P1160151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> The first was "Date Oatmeal Cookies" on page 286. We don't keep dates around, but we did have some raisins and made them Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. We had all the essential ingredients and they came out yummy. At first they were looking questionable when I peaked into the oven so I made a back-up of some "No-bake Cereal Cookies" on page 287 with rolled oats in place of the dried flake cereal.<br />
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I made two very last minute cards with card-stock and crayons. One for Lydia to scribble on and one from me. Lydia's got taped to the door for Daddy's (aka "dah tee") arrival. It was the first time she'd held a crayon or scribbled! Double special!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OdzPz6NRvyo/TVs6g1G8ZAI/AAAAAAAACFI/cuzPyBLLefs/s1600/P1160151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OdzPz6NRvyo/TVs6g1G8ZAI/AAAAAAAACFI/cuzPyBLLefs/s320/P1160151.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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It was simple and fun and didn't' require buying anything we didn't have! Thank you <i>More With Less</i>!!!!<br />
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</div>Amy Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14011007347104622971noreply@blogger.com3