Mommy Made Green

Hopping Guidelines:

MANDATORY:

* Add your blog's home page to the Linky list! I will be monitoring the blogs to make sure we only have 'green', family-friendly blogs involved.

* Follow the 4 hosts and the blog ahead of yours. Make sure to leave comments on each of the blog so they can follow you back! The more you follow, the more will follow you back!

OPTIONAL:

(You don't have to do these to enter the hop, but you must do both to qualify for the Featured Blog position)

* Grab the new Green Mama Blog Hop button and place it on your home page.

* Put the button into a post on your blog. Then leave a comment on this Hop post with the link.

This hop will be open all week but it will start over each week, so keep coming back each week to enter!

Welcome to the Green Mama Blog Hop! Enjoy!

Doubt and a Much Needed Update

2011-07-10T14:56:00.001-04:00

It has been a whirlwind of a few weeks in our household! I have gotten behind and I have also missed blogging so very much. So as it is a lazy Sunday in our house and all my boys are down for quiet time I thought I would take some time to write and share my heart and some of the happenings around here.

I think I have shared before that when I am pregnant God tends to do incredible things in my faith and my life. The 10 months I spend pregnant I experience more growth that I do at any other time in my life. I don't know why, but it has happened every time. This time around it seems like I have been learning a whole lot about doubt. Especially when I am afraid, which normally happens when I realize I no longer have control of a situation (any other control freaks in the room?).

This past week I went into premature labor at 28 weeks. It was scary, really scary. It happened really fast. I started having a few contractions, went to see my midwife, they hooked me up to the monitor and they were about 10 minutes apart and very mild. They also checked my cervix and it was closed. We decided for me to go home and rest. That evening they started picking up just a little bit to around every 7 or 8 minutes. My amazing doula suggested I drink 6 ounces of red wine and that spread them out to about 15 minutes for an hour. Then all of a sudden they were 3 minutes apart. So we went to the hospital (and ironically I haven't been there yet as our water birth class was scheduled for this week) and I get checked in and hooked up. Cervix was still closed but the contractions were right on top of one another. The team taking care of me was so incredible and I was so impressed with this hospital (but I guess that is for another blog post). I was given an injection to relax my smooth muscles and it worked. It made me really shaky but my whole body relaxed. After talking to my midwife about how difficult of a time I had sleeping she gave me a sleeping pill and sent me home that evening on bed rest until I could get a test done in the office on Friday. After taking that tiny pill I don't remember much until the next morning.

The following morning I woke up and I felt a thousand times better. In fact, I think I had been contracting for about a week and just wrote it off as back pain. My uterus is tilted and sit further back than most women, so much of my labor feels like back pain. After talking to Mr. Hero about my past pregnancies he reminded me that I typically don't feel most of my contractions until I approach transition. So that morning, although I felt better physically what happened hit me emotionally and I had a little emotional breakdown.

What happened with Little Buddy was so difficult for me I didn't even want to imagine what could have happened this time around if they weren't able to stop the contractions. On top of that, due to some things going on at home Mr. Hero wasn't able to take me to the hospital and it wasn't until the next morning that I realized how terrible it would have been if something had happened and he didn't get there in time. I had an amazing friend with me, who is one of the very few people I would have wanted there if Mr. Hero wasn't there, but of course he is always my first choice. Add that on top of some financial pressures we have been having due to work being incredibly slow for Mr. Hero and I experienced an overwhelming feeling of doubt in God's plan for our family.

For the past few months I have been studying the Tabernacle in the Old Testament, but it became a little heavy for the time that I had so just a few days ago I swapped over to a really great Beth Moore Study called Jesus: 90 Days with the One and Only. It has 90 short readings, devotions, and scripture prayers and has been just what I needed. You can find it here:

Yesterday's reading was on, you guessed it, doubt. And was just too good not to share. Here is the scripture from the reading (Matthew 11:2-5):

John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.

At first glance I didn't really understand what this scripture had to do with doubt. Until Beth explained it a little more. The John this passage is discussing it John the Baptist, the incredible man that paved the way for Jesus, the man that knew Jesus was the Messiah the second he saw him while baptizing people in the Jordan River, this is the man that baptized Jesus and witnessed the voice from heaven. Why is he asking if he is the Messiah? I love this quote from the devotion:

"Four walls closing in surely must limit your vision. The facts to support Christ's messiahship were all there. I'm pretty sure John knew...But time and circumstances can dull the image on your faith perception, and leave you feeling not sure what you believe... John had heard the wonders done for others. I think his faith was shaken because he could have used a wonder for himself, and he didn't appear to be getting it. John knew with his head that Jesus was the Messiah. Sitting in that prison cell, I think he was having a little trouble knowing it with his heart."

Tears rolled down my face as I read this. Head-doubt and heart-doubt, is right where I am at. All it takes is a glance around my home to see that god has been good to me. I have a beautiful home, beautiful children, a husband I adore, a business that is thriving, and so much more. I KNOW God is good, I KNOW that He loves me, and I KNOW He is going to provide for our family in every way. But as the four walls close in around me I start to panic. I start to worry that maybe this time He will fail me.

Beth closes with this: "Our heart-doubts can be very dangerous if we remain in them. But, if we wrestle through them with the Lord Jesus, when we get to the other side of our crisis, we will find ourselves spilled into a place of spacious faith!" And then tells us to meditate on Jude 22 and James 1:6 which reads:

But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.

And so I have begun to pray for His steadying strength to rule both my mind AND my heart. I think after almost 15 years of actively following Christ that, although I am not John the Baptist, I know God is good. I just need to ask him to steady my fearful heart and connect what I know to be true in my mind to the doubt in my heart.

Ever since coming home from the hospital I have had an amazing friend at the house helping me out. They have gone grocery shopping, cooked meals, folded laundry, changed diapers, played with my kids, and even just sat and kept me company. I don't know what I would do without them. The test results came back negative so I was taken off of strict bed rest today, which is great. I still feel really tired all the time and I do start contracting again if I do too much. So I am trying to take it easy and rest in the faith that even though I am not in control, God very much is.

This is a song that has touched me recently and I have listened to over and over again the past few days. Although this video doesn't specifically portray our situation, the words do:

Little Me Tea Winners!

2011-06-24T16:21:00.000-04:00

Winners!

I used random.org to generate numbers and used those numbers to pick winners based on the comment number, these were the numbers that were generated: 7, 17, 9, 20, 13, and 16. Based on those numbers the winners are:

Breanna

Anna

Cjoy

Rebecca

dailymom

Emily

Please email me immediately to collect your prize. Each winner will receive two packages of Little Me Tea, one if each of the flavors. Local customers will have to arrange pickup and out of town customers will have the tea shipped directly to them from Little Me Tea! If you are out of town please be sure to include your mailing address in your email. You have one week to claim your prize or I will pass it on to another mom!

Mr. Hero

2011-06-20T09:12:00.000-04:00

Mr. Hero doesn't get a ton of time on this blog. Last fall I took the time to write the story of how we met and why I call him Mr. Hero on my blog. If you missed that post you can see it here. With Father's Day approaching I found it appropriate to blog about him again. He is after all, my hero :)

For most of my teenage and adult life Father's Day was a difficult day for me. My biological father has chosen to not have a relationship with me. He was removed from the home when I was only 13 and I don't remember much of the few years prior to that.I don't know why and I don't know that I ever will. I have peace knowing that I have done everything possible to rectify the relationship, but he has chosen to not respond. He has not been a part of my life for over 10 years now, but that has not made Father's Day any easier for me. Before I had children, a father seemed like a fairy tale to me. I used to watch my friends with their dads and wonder what that was like. I have a few choppy memories of my father when I was very little and my mother was kind enough to give me a journal she wrote in when I was a baby that told me a lot about my father before he changed. I never had a father who told me I was beautiful or to protect me for the jerks I dated. I didn't even have my father to walk me down the aisle at my wedding. Father's Day was always a day that reminded me of all that I didn't experience and didn't have. Even later in life when I had a wonderful step-dad and fabulous father-in-law to celebrate it didn't erase the pain from the lack of my own father on that day. Even now as I watch all my facebook friends post pictures of their dads up on facebook, it makes me sad to think about the fact that I don't have any picture to put up. So I decided to put a picture of the most incredible father I know: M. Hero.

All that changed the year Mr. Hero and I had Mr. Mansee. Watching my husband father my children has healed my heart in amazing ways. Yesterday was a perfect portrait of how wonderful of a father and husband Mr. Hero is. As I prepare to enter my third trimester of pregnancy, the difficult days began. Pregnancy is never easy on me and yesterday was no exception. I woke up yesterday with severe pelvic pain and pressure as well as some light headedness and weakness. I tried to push through it, but by lunch time I needed to lay down. I have also always retain incredible amounts of water at the end of my pregnancies. With Mr. Mansee I put on 80 pounds and lost 50 of it before I left the hospital. That has also started this pregnancy. As a result I feel incredibly puffy, fat, and unattractive and my maternity clothes are starting not to fit as well. Then add in, my incredibly powerful hormones and I am just one big, hot mess. Anyone else picking up this was not the greatest start to Father's Day for Mr. Hero? By lunchtime I was laying in bed in tears and Mr. Hero was taking care of the kids.

After lunch we headed to his parent's house to celebrate with his dad and after a soak in their pool I felt well enough to make Mr. Hero his favorite meal and dessert, but that was all I had left. Shortly after dinner I collapsed on my father-in-law's amazing recliner and fell asleep. Mr. Hero woke me up when it was time to go home and I crawled into bed. He got me a cold compress for my swollen eyes and headache and then rubbed my back before bed. This morning when I spoke to him on the phone the first thing he asked me was how I was feeling. The love my husband demonstrates to our family is beautiful. Is he perfect? He has a temper and he gets frustrated, but he is quick to realize it and correct his behavior.

Watching Mr. Hero with our children is like balm to my heart that was broken by my father. My heart finds so much peace knowing that my children will never experience heartbreak like i did at the expense of their father. He loves them with as perfect of a love that a man can manage. When he comes home my house is full of giggles as he pretends to be Buzz Lightyear, Lightning McQueen, a monster truck, or whatever other imaginary noise the boys ask him to create. And yet, he does not tolerate even the smallest amount of disrespect or disobedience. In the same way that my husband demonstrated the Father's perfect love to me, it is an honor to watch him do the same thing for our children. I love this man more than words can say and every day I know that he is by far the greatest blessing that God has ever given me in my life.

I had so much fun looking through all the pictures of him with our boys the past 4 years and picking out my most favorite. Enjoy:

Happy Father's Day to all the daddies out there!

Welcome Green Blog Hop Mamas!

2011-06-15T17:17:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the 14th week of the Green Mama Blog Hop!

Please only join this hop if you deem your blog as 'green'. It doesn't matter if you are a beginner or if you're a pro.. this Green Mama Blog Hop is for you!

If you are new to my blog make sure to take note of a giveaway I have going on right now for Little Me Tea! To enter check out this post!

<a href="http://www.giveawaysandlife.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq300/sashica13/green-house-2-1.jpg" /></a>

~Lovely Hostesses~

Hopping Guidelines:

MANDATORY:

* Add your blog's home page to the Linky list! I will be monitoring the blogs to make sure we only have 'green', family-friendly blogs involved.

* Follow the 4 hosts, Featured Blog and the blog ahead of yours. Make sure to leave comments on each of the blog so they can follow you back! The more you follow, the more will follow you back!

OPTIONAL:

(You don't have to do these to enter the hop, but you must do both to qualify for the Featured Blog position)

* Grab the new Green Mama Blog Hop button and place it on your home page.

* Put the button into a post on your blog. Then leave a comment on this Hop post with the link.

This hop will be open all week but it will start over each week, so keep coming back each week to enter!

Welcome to the Green Mama Blog Hop! Enjoy!

Starting PreK!

2011-06-14T22:33:00.000-04:00

Some of you may remember about 6 months ago when I shared that we were putting Mr. Mansee in preschool. If not, you can read that post here. God was so good and we all had such an amazing experience with his preschool. He grew in ways that are nothing short of miraculous. Towards the end of the year when we would go on play dates friends kept remarking at how different he was. Prior to going to preschool, Mr. Mansee would spend the first hour or more of play dates in my lap or sitting next to me. Once he felt comfortable he would leave me to play but only if I was within his sights. He never spoke to people he didn't know well and on the rare occasion he did speak no one could understand him. Now he runs off to play as soon as we arrive to play and he happily smiles at random people in the grocery store. His speech is better and he is a much less nervous child in general. His school was fantastic and his teachers were fantastic. Here is one of my favorite pictures of him from school this year, taken in the car after I picked him up one day:

Unfortunately, the whole experience drained us financially. Preschool, especially his preschool with such low class sizes, is expensive! God told us he would provide the tuition each month, and he did, but we simply could not afford to sign him up again for this school year. After much prayer we decided to keep him home. With the new baby coming late September I decided to give myself a break and purchase the entire PreK kit from Abeka. I have used Abeka in the past when I was teaching, but never exclusively. Mr. Hero strongly suggested that I buy the whole kit, so he could help without much assistance. I ended up going to one of their open houses to save 10% and get free shipping. The down side was I had to wait a few weeks for my box to arrive, but when it did I was so excited and pleasantly surprised. The kit had EVERYTHING I needed: lesson plans, posters, flashcards, a calendar, dozens of learning games, and so much more. Here are some pictures of everything I got:

And I only paid about $175 for all of that! That is less than one month of preschool tuition! And I had hardly anything else I need to buy. I spent about $65 more on laminating, a flannel board, some dry erase markers, and a few other minor items. So for less than $250 I have everything I need for his entire preschool year! Mr. Hero has been so great helping me get the house ready to move into full time homeschooling mode. Here is our little corner in the dining room with all our supplies:

Shortly after getting the supplies I sat down and mapped out the first 6 weeks. I figure if I can get through the first 6 weeks before new baby comes we will be on schedule for us all to take a break to enjoy the baby and for me to recover.

For the summer we are working on Phonics and Numbers as well as making sure Mr. Mansee has a firm grasp on all his colors and shapes. Oh, and Little Buddy will be joining along right with us on a a more basic level. Our church also has teams going out to to different countries all around the world this summer. So each week we are going to study the country that that team is in as we pray for them while we work on where we live and geography. Here are the countries we are going to be talking about and praying for:

Guatemala

Haiti

Mozambique

Liberia

Gabon

New York City (I know not a country, but it will still be fun to learn about)

Lastly, I decided to write my own Bible curriculum for each morning. I found Abeka's to be a little too traditional for my liking and after all my degree is in Bible, so hopefully I know what I am talking about. We are going to start this summer simply going through some of the Old Testament together.

Anyone else starting their school year early?

Also, I have a giveaway running on the blog until Monday, it is in the post below this one and there will be SIX winners. If you haven't checked it out yet and entered make sure that you do!

Inroducing Little Me Tea and a Giveaway!

2011-06-08T17:15:00.000-04:00

My most favorite part of owning Mommy Secrets is getting to meet so many incredible moms and learning about their amazing ideas. Most recently, my former organic produce company stopped making a drop on my side of town so I started buying produce from Mel, who owns Big Organic Garden. If you are local you simply must check her out, the quality of her produce is unsurpassed. Mel is mom to a little girl named Julia and equally as passionate as I am about feeding her family a healthy, nutritious diet. Each week when I drove to pick up our produce we spoke more and more and she told me about a line of tea she created for her daughter and would soon be available to the public. She gave me and my boys some to try and we were all blown away by how amazing it was. This past week marks the big reveal for Mel and Little Me Tea and I am so excited to be a part of it. Mommy Secrets is proud to be the first official retailer to stock Little Me Tea. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this amazing product. My dream for Mommy Secrets is reach far beyond cloth diapers and natural infant items, but to be a place for moms with children in all ages and stages to come and find high quality products for their families as well as network together to support each other in the journey. I think you will find Little Me Tea is a perfect fit for this vision.

Little Me Tea is the first USDA organic ready-to-drink tea beverage for kids. It is a delicious blend of white, Rooibos, and herbal teas perfectly sweetened with a medley of organic fruit and vegetable juices and NO added sugar. It is available is two delicious flavors: Julia's Tropical Tea and Zane's Grape Tea.

Allow me to introduce you to Mel and her family as she tells you a little more about her tea:

When most people think of drinks for kids, they think milk and juice, not tea. Why tea for kids?

I think you’re right, most people associate tea with coffee and caffeine and by extension, they think it’s an “adult” drink. But there are many types of teas that have no caffeine at all and some of the most robust health benefits around. Tea is naturally rich in antioxidants and a whole host of polyphenols that help strengthen the immune system. Research shows tea helps with cancer prevention, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, heart health, stronger bones, healthy teeth and gums, and even can improve skin conditions like eczema.

How do you suggest serving Little Me Tea?

Definitely chilled. It’s really refreshing. But if you ice it, you may water it down. That’s a personal choice.

Both flavors have a delicious, natural smell, but a light taste. Do you think kids will like this, or will they miss the high sugar content to which they're accustomed?

I know kids will like this because we’ve gotten great feedback in all our taste tests. Many parents already water down their child’s juice so kids are used to a lighter taste. But if a child is used to drinking 100% apple juice, say, with 28 grams of sugar, yes, Little Me Tea may not seem sweet enough. I suggest weaning them from that high content sugar drink by combining Little Me Tea with that child’s favorite fruit drink. First, add a splash of Little Me Tea to their regular sugary drink. Then, over time, use less and less of the high sugar drink and add more and more tea, until they are only drinking Little Me Tea.

Do you have any other tips?

One thing Julia likes to do is make popsicles out of Little Me Tea. It’s super easy to pour either flavor into popsicle molds, freeze for a few hours, then enjoy on a hot summer day. You can also make ice cubes out of them and kids really get a kick out of that.

You say it’s the “healthiest kids’ drink on the planet.” How can you make that claim?

Well, first as a mom, I was completely frustrated when Julia got to be two, three and four and I could not find any drinks for her with less than like 12 grams of sugar per serving. That’s a ton of sugar for little bodies and it’s not good! Studies prove this point, but more importantly, I can tell kids are completely different after eating candy or really anything with high sugar. Honestly, I can tell by Julia’s behavior – or more accurately, mis-behavior! – if she’s had a sugary snack at school or a friend’s house!

So, back to why Little Me Tea is the healthiest kids’ drink on the planet…the fact that it has less than 1 gram of sugar per ounce is significant, but we also packed the drink with natural nutrients from fruits AND vegetables, as well as the variety of teas which offer their own unique health benefits.

So, yes, as a mom I stand by the statement that Little Me Tea is the “healthiest kids’ drink on the planet.” I developed it for my own daughter, but found other moms wanted the same healthy option for their children. As we say on the package, “what started as a drink for our child became a drink for every child.”

Little Me Tea’s grape flavor features a boy named Zane. Can you tell me about him?

Zane was in Julia’s Montessori class and they played together often. I became friends with Zane’s mom who is diligent about watching what he eats because he has autism. She shared with me how moms of kids with autism struggle with healthy food options for their children because they tend to have rigid eating patterns and are not open to new tastes and textures. Zane’s mom explained to me that these children, who need as much good nutrition as possible, can really benefit from a drink that includes healthy tea and fruits and vegetables. Little Me Tea is also a whole-food source of vitamin C which is a real positive. Just as I found the link between Julia’s sugar intake and her behavior irrefutable, parents of kids with autism have that same concern, only amplified.

So what’s the best way to read a label? Are there any tricks to spotting ingredients and some things that may fool people about labels?

First, look for the USDA certified organic seal on the front of the packaging. That will tell you a lot about how ‘clean’ the ingredients are. The USDA’s national organic program standards are set high and they’re very strict with their rules. “All Natural” is simply not good enough because corn syrup is considered “all natural” and we all know how bad that is for you.

Second, look at the list of ingredients: does the manufacturer add sugar or does it come from a juice source? One “healthy” brand that I had picked up once for Julia listed organic cane sugar as its second ingredient – that’s not okay with me. The Harvard School of Nutrition’s guidelines for healthy beverages targets no more than 1 gram of sugar per ounce – and that’s what parents should look for as well. Little Me Tea exceeds that limit, by the way, with less than 1 gram of naturally-occurring sugar per ounce.

The packaging features kids’ faces and tells a real story. Tell me a little about this.

As a mom, I miss seeing children’s smiling faces on products. They’re the most important people in our lives so why shouldn’t they be front and center? It was only natural to put Julia, our daughter, on the packaging because she’s the reason I created Little Me Tea. We put her on the Tropical Tea because her favorite fruits are pineapple and mango. The photo and story is of Julia’s friendship with Mayenie, who sadly has moved to Sierra Leone. But they stay in touch (technology is great!) and we’re sending some of Julia’s favorite tea over to Mayenie’s school so her new friends can have a connection to Julia back here in the States.

The other photo is of Zane, who I just told you about, on the Grape Tea. When we talk about the healthiest kids’ drink on the planet, we’re targeting not just healthy children, but those who need to be brought back to good health. Zane is our spokesman for those children, plus he loves the Grape Tea because it’s a great example of natural ingredients not only being delicious, but really healthy for your body.

As we introduce new flavors, we plan to continue to profile real children with positive stories to promote healthy living, physically as well as emotionally. We may accept nominations from Little Me Tea fans all over, so watch for news on that!

You’re a big fan of the environment as well as making sure your body gets proper nutrition. Can you tell me about the eco-friendliness of Little Me Tea?

Sure. I have always been conscious of taking care of our planet and making it a better place for the next generation. Organic isn’t just good for people, it’s good for the environment so there was no question that we would use certified organic ingredients that didn’t add to the deluge of pesticides and synthetic fertilizer poisoning our land and water. We use the leading recyclable manufacturer for our packaging –Tetra Pak. Its lightweight packaging keeps emission and transport costs low, reducing our carbon footprint. Tetra Pak uses an eco-model in their production and the package is recyclable and sourced from responsibly-managed forests.

My Experience:
Mel gave me some samples of Little Me Tea at my produce pick up a little over a month ago and I was so excited to give it a try. I purposely told my boys it was tea and not juice. I think when kids today hear juice they expect something super sweet, like apple juice. There is definitely a difference between Little Me Tea and juice, but the boys didn't seem to mind. They will now specifically ask for "tea" to drink instead of their normal apple juice. Little Buddy prefers the grape and Mr. Mansee and I prefer tropical. Little Me Tea has quickly become my favorite beverage and a few nights ago I found it even helped me with my heartburn. Being 6 months pregnant, I frequently wake up in the middle of the night with terrible heartburn and I reserve tums for terrible emergencies since the taste makes me gag. For some reason the other night I woke up with terrible heartburn and was craving some tea. I stumbled up to the kitchen half asleep to give it a try. I filled a glass up with ice and poured some of the tropical tea over the ice and gulped it down. Amazingly, my heartburn was gone! I don't know what did it, but it worked! I now drink a small glass every night before bed and haven't had any problems with heartburn since! We love this stuff in our house and it has become a beverage staple!

The Giveaway:
Mel is going to be giving 6 of my readers a FREE box of each of the two flavors for free! That is 1 box of Julia's Tropical Tea and 1 box of Zane's Grape Tea to each person FOR FREE! All you need to do to enter is one (or as many as you would like) of the following. Be sure to leave a different comment for each one that you do:

Follow Mel and Little Me Tea on Facebook
Follow Mel and Little Me Tea/Big Organic Life on Twitter
Visit Little Me Tea's Website, do some reading, and share one new, fun fact you learned.
Follow me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter

If you don't win we are proud to be stocking Little Me Tea and you can buy it here.

Good Luck! I will pick 6 winners on Friday June 17th!

Green Blog Hop!

2011-06-08T17:03:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the 13th week of the Green Mama Blog Hop!

Please only join this hop if you deem your blog as 'green'. It doesn't matter if you are a beginner or if you're a pro.. this Green Mama Blog Hop is for you!

<a href="http://www.giveawaysandlife.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq300/sashica13/green-house-2-1.jpg" /></a>

~Lovely Hostesses~

~Featured Blog~

Sprout's Green Family

Each week, there will be a fifth, Featured Blog to be followed as well. To qualify to be the Featured Blog, you will need to participate in all of the guidelines. I will pick one at random from all qualifiers. I will email you the Monday before the Hop, if you are chosen.

Hopping Guidelines:

MANDATORY:

* Add your blog's home page to the Linky list! I will be monitoring the blogs to make sure we only have 'green', family-friendly blogs involved.

* Follow the 4 hosts, Featured Blog and the blog ahead of yours. Make sure to leave comments on each of the blog so they can follow you back! The more you follow, the more will follow you back!

OPTIONAL:

(You don't have to do these to enter the hop, but you must do both to qualify for the Featured Blog position)

* Grab the new Green Mama Blog Hop button and place it on your home page.

* Put the button into a post on your blog. Then leave a comment on this Hop post with the link.

This hop will open each Tuesday night and will be open all week. It will start over each week, so keep coming back each week to enter!

Welcome to the Green Mama Blog Hop! Enjoy!

Green Blog Hop!

2011-06-01T16:46:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the 12th week of the Green Mama Blog Hop!

Please only join this hop if you deem your blog as 'green'. It doesn't matter if you are a beginner or if you're a pro.. this Green Mama Blog Hop is for you!

<a href="http://www.giveawaysandlife.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq300/sashica13/green-house-2-1.jpg" /></a>

~Lovely Hostesses~

~Featured Blog~

T-Rex Mom and Dad Tales

Hopping Guidelines:

MANDATORY:

* Add your blog's home page to the Linky list! I will be monitoring the blogs to make sure we only have 'green', family-friendly blogs involved.

* Follow the 4 hosts, Featured Blog and the blog ahead of yours. Make sure to leave comments on each of the blog so they can follow you back! The more you follow, the more will follow you back!

OPTIONAL:

(You don't have to do these to enter the hop, but you must do both to qualify for the Featured Blog position)

* Grab the new Green Mama Blog Hop button and place it on your home page.

* Put the button into a post on your blog. Then leave a comment on this Hop post with the link.

This hop will open each Tuesday night and will be open all week. It will start over each week, so keep coming back each week to enter!

Welcome to the Green Mama Blog Hop! Enjoy!

Green Blog Hop

2011-05-25T20:24:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the 11th week of the Green Mama Blog Hop!

Please only join this hop if you deem your blog as 'green'. It doesn't matter if you are a beginner or if you're a pro.. this Green Mama Blog Hop is for you!

<a href="http://www.giveawaysandlife.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq300/sashica13/green-house-2-1.jpg" /></a>

~Lovely Hostesses~

~Featured Blog~

Hopping Guidelines:

MANDATORY:

* Add your blog's home page to the Linky list! I will be monitoring the blogs to make sure we only have 'green', family-friendly blogs involved.

* Follow the 4 hosts, Featured Blog and the blog ahead of yours. Make sure to leave comments on each of the blog so they can follow you back! The more you follow, the more will follow you back!

OPTIONAL:

(You don't have to do these to enter the hop, but you must do both to qualify for the Featured Blog position)

* Grab the new Green Mama Blog Hop button and place it on your home page.

* Put the button into a post on your blog. Then leave a comment on this Hop post with the link.

This hop will open each Tuesday night and will be open all week. It will start over each week, so keep coming back each week to enter!

Welcome to the Green Mama Blog Hop! Enjoy!

Why We Take the Stand that We Do

2011-05-23T17:02:00.000-04:00

For those of you that do not know every single one of our products must meet very specific standards. One of those being they must be made in the United States or Canada or in a country with a fair trade policy in place. Let me tell you it has not been an easy decision. Early on in the process one of my favorite diaper brands (which also happened to be my biggest selling brand at the time) moved production to China. It was the first time I was faced with a really big decision regarding the stance we had taken. Many people would say that I would be stupid to stop carrying that line as it was the largest income producing line I had at the time and some people did tell me just that. But it came down to what I believed to be right. I believed that Mommy Secrets was an idea given to me for a very specific purpose: to support and educate moms. So in the end I let the line go and replaced it with another made in the USA brand. And we have experienced exponential growth since then. Today I got an email from the owner of Wahmies, one of my lines and I really felt I should share it with you:

I received this letter from a fellow Made in the USA Cloth Diaper Manufacturer and I thought I would pass it along. While I do not think she wrote it, it does contain some things to think about as Cloth Diaper Company continues to push forward with Manufacturing in the USA (California) and we feel very strongly that it is our responsibility to continue to offer you Made In The USA products:

"Did you see the Diane Sawyer special report? They removed ALL items from a typical middle class family's home that were not made in the USA. There was hardly anything left besides the kitchen sink. Literally. During the special they were showing truckloads of items - USA made - being brought in to replace everything and talked about how to find these items and the difference in price etc..

It was interesting that Diane said that if every American spent just $64 more than normal on USA made items this year, it would create something like 200,000 new jobs!

I was buying food the other day at Walmart and the label of some products it said "from China." For example our family's brand of Mandarin Oranges says right on the can "From China" For a few cents more I bought the Liberty Gold Brand since it was from California.

Simply look on the bottom of every product you buy, and if it says 'Made in China ' simply choose another product, or none at all. You will be amazed at how dependent you are on Chinese products, and you will be equally amazed at what you can do without.

THINK ABOUT THIS: If 200 million Americans buy just $20 each of USA goods vs Chinese, that's a billion dollar trade imbalance resolved in our favor. . . fast!!"

There might be the assumption by customers that products made out of the country are more affordable than those made in the USA. After taking a quick look at other diapers available on the market right now, most overseas made diaper brands cost exactly the same or more than our USA made products.

Every single purchase you make matters. Pay attention to the companies you buy from and the products they carry. Even the smallest amount makes a difference!

Green Blog Hop

2011-05-04T16:34:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the 9th week of the Green Mama Blog Hop!

Please only join this hop if you deem your blog as 'green'. It doesn't matter if you are a beginner or if you're a pro.. this Green Mama Blog Hop is for you!

~Lovely Hostesses~

Tales of the Wife

Happy Face and Body Lotion

Hopping Guidelines:

MANDATORY:

* Add your blog's home page to the Linky list! I will be monitoring the blogs to make sure we only have 'green', family-friendly blogs involved.

* Follow the 4 hosts, Featured Blog and the blog ahead of yours. Make sure to leave comments on each of the blog so they can follow you back! The more you follow, the more will follow you back!

OPTIONAL:

(You don't have to do these to enter the hop, but you must do both to qualify for the Featured Blog position)

* Grab the new Green Mama Blog Hop button and place it on your home page.

* Put the button into a post on your blog. Then leave a comment on this Hop post with the link.

This hop will open each Tuesday night and will be open all week. It will start over each week, so keep coming back each week to enter!

Welcome to the Green Mama Blog Hop! Enjoy!

My Rockin' Green Story

2011-04-26T20:54:00.000-04:00

I find myself telling this story all the time, so I thought I should write it down so all could know how my love affair with Rockin' Green started. I talk about it all the time both personally and professionally and it was insinuated recently that I do so because I now sell it. Let me set the record straight: that is ABSOLUTELY NOT true! Allow me to tell you my Rockin' Green story:

I am cheap, very cheap, especially when it comes to things I can do or make myself. Heck, I even find store bought bread too expensive so I make my own. I make my own laundry detergent and each load costs me less than a penny to wash. My homemade laundry detergent is not cloth diaper safe, so for several years I was buying detergent at the store to use on my diapers (with a coupon of course). When I started Mommy Secrets I intentionally did not carry a cloth diaper detergent because I found cloth diaper detergent to be too expensive when it did the same job cleaning my diapers as my cheap, coupon bought detergent did. As Rockin' Green became more popular I was tempted to try it, but at over $12 a bag I was way too cheap.

Then one day I got an email from the Rockin' Green wholesale department asking me if I would be interested in carrying their product. I politely wrote them back explaining why I was not interested in carrying their product and they insisted upon sending me a free bag to try for myself. I agreed but warned them that I wasn't promising anything. The bag arrived a few days later and I washed my first load and was shocked at the difference this detergent made. First of all there was no guesswork involved. No trying to make sure I didn't use too much or too little, no lifting up the lid to see if there were still bubbles, I simply followed the directions on the bag. When my diapers were done they smelled cleaner and they looked cleaner. I was hooked.

One of my policies is to not carry a product unless I have personally used the product and loved it. So after my free bag was gone I ordered another and PAID FULL PRICE for it. Yes, that almost $13 for a bag was now well worth it for me. As I approached the end of my second bag I had been using Rockin' Green for about 5 months exclusively and could not believe how happy I was. I had no build up issues, no stink issues, and even less staining issues. I couldn't wait to get the product in for my customers, but I knew if they were like me they would have to try the product for themselves. So I now give a FREE sample of Rockin Green (enough to do 2-4 complete loads, depending on if they have a regular or HE machine) with every single diaper purchase, at my cost, simply because I want the moms to know how wonderful this detergent is and much easier it will make their wash routine.

And since I am a lay it all out there kind of girl: I obviously now get Rockin' Green at wholesale price (one of the perks of owning your own business) however, even at wholesale, it costs more that what I was paying for my grocery store detergent. But you know what? I willingly do so because it really does that great of a job!

And the crazy thing is that since switching my customers over to Rockin' Green I have not had one customer complain about normal cloth diaper washing problems. A few had to use a Funk Rock in the beginning, but since then I have heard nothing but glowing reports AND I am not answering 5-6 phone calls a week from moms wanting to know why their diapers stink or repel.

So give Rockin' Green a try and you too can enjoy a much easier cloth diaper washing routine!

What Color is your Milk? Raw Milk Part 1: A History

2011-04-21T19:13:00.000-04:00

This is a topic I have been researching and studying for over a year now. It is not something I take lightly and it is not something that I just up and decided one day. My family consumes raw dairy. For those that have never heard of raw dairy before raw milk is milk that has not been homogenized or pasteurized, it comes straight from the cow and does not undergo any chemical change. If I were to write just one post on this it would be a small novel so I am going to break it up into three or four parts. Today I will discuss the history of dairy production in the United States, including the development of pasteurization. Then in the posts that follow I will discuss homogenization as well as frequently asked questions.

Before I go any further allow me to insert a few disclaimers (don't worry I will answer your questions in posts to come):

First, it is illegal for farmers to sell raw milk for human consumption in the state of Georgia where we live and the FDA is pretty strict on this. Raw cheese is not illegal, but raw milk is. Every gallon of raw milk I purchase is obviously labeled "for pet consumption only". You cannot get in trouble for purchasing the milk, but the farmer can get in trouble if the milk is not properly labeled. The sale of raw milk is different in every state to see what the laws are in your state click here.

Second, do not blindly decide to make the switch to raw milk. Do your research and decide what is best for your family. Make sure you are buying milk from a reputable farmer, even make a visit out to their farm and see for yourself how they treat their cows. As I said above this is something I have heavily studied for over a year and we have only just recently switched completely over to raw dairy. I am not a medical professional, I am simply a mom that has done some research. As always, discuss any diet changes with your doctor and if you don't have a doctor you trust contact me and I can help you find one in your area.

And lastly, I am not wanting to start a debate and if you feel the need to debate with me, please do some research on both sides of the debate before commenting. I have read tons and tons on this subject so do yourself a favor and do the same before making an ugly comment. Thank you :)

So to get started, take a look at the milk I picked up yesterday. I held a piece of white paper up next to it, since it is hard to capture the color with a picture:

Yes, that milk is in a clear jug. Anyone want to guess why it is not perfectly white? Let me help you... cows are supposed to eat GRASS and grass, especially spring grass, is very GREEN. Therefore, the milk is has a slight tint to it. And my goodness, does this milk taste incredible: rich and creamy and just wonderful! But I am getting ahead of myself. To understand raw milk we must first take a history lesson (with a little bit of my commentary for your entertainment):

Raw milk has been consumed by people around the world since the beginning of time. Cows spent their days grazing on wonderful green grass during the warm months and stored hay and root vegetables during the cold months. And farmers milked the cows for their families. Stop for a minute and think about how much milk a family would need? Today cows in a modern dairy can produce over 8 gallons of milk A DAY (thanks to a nice dose of hormones, but once again I am getting ahead of myself). As the world became more industrialized so did the dairy industry. Milk maids became popular in the early 1800's to provide milk for large cities. Interestingly enough, during the smallpox outbreak in Europe in the 18th century, it was common knowledge that the milk maids were immune to the plague. Milk had its first major breakdown with the growth of alcohol distilleries in the United States during the mid to late 1800's. People got a great idea to feed the cows the "leftovers" from the whiskey and other alcohol products. Many distilleries even opened up dairies right next door! Cows were brought in and kept in tight pens, no more green pastures for these cows! They were confined to filthy, manure filled pens around the clock. And guess what happened?

These distillery cows produced milk of such poor quality that it could not even be made into butter! Then all the cows got sick, followed by the people who drank their poor quality milk (this is the part that really gets me. I just don't understand why at this point someone didn't say: "Hmm, maybe we should leave the milking up to the farmers with the farm land..." But they didn't). Around this time a man named Louis Pasteur lost a child to bad milk and discovered that the milk could be heated to remove harmful bacteria. This is where pasteurization entered the scene. But it wasn't for 40-50 more years and many, many more deaths by bad milk that pasteurization became commercial. During this time big business and big cities kept trying to make money off of the commercialization of milk and farmers kept losing money and a struggle between the two known as "milk war" broke out. In 1895 commercial pasteurization began in the United States and by 1917 almost all of the major cities in the United States were now requiring milk to be pasteurized. Remember interestingly enough that milk from farm raised, grass fed cows was NEVER the problem. Several small things took place over the next 50 years, but I want to jump into the 1980's where another major event took place: advertising.

The dairy industry started doing everything they could to increase the sales of milk. Did you know that the advertising campaign of "Got Milk?" is considered one of the most successful advertising campaigns of all time? Despite the fact that any nutritionist will tell you that an adult needs only 3 cups TOTAL of dairy a day (that includes milk, cheese, yogurt, AND butter), people began consuming WAY more dairy than they needed to. Increased consumption leads to a need for increased demand and before long cows could not physically produce enough milk in a day to keep up! So in 1993 the FDA approved the use of hormones to increase a cow's milk supply by as much as 10 times their normal production rates! So cows now spend all day hooked up to milking machines in barns, curious what that looks like?

If you have ever breastfed, I want you to stop for a minute and think about what would happen to your nipples if you were hooked up to a breast pump for HOURS a day... blisters, infections, pus, blood... (once again you would think that the FDA would think: hmm maybe we shouldn't force these cows to produce so much milk, but they didn't). So now what are they going to do with all these infected cow nipples? Pump them with antibiotics! So now cows are no longer eating grass like their bodies were designed to do, no longer roaming free pastures, no longer producing a natural amount of milk, and now they are going to be pumped full of drugs to prevent infection that could simply be prevented by returning to their natural state. But doesn't all that pus and blood get into your milk? Why yes it does, but fear not because your milk is PASTEURIZED!

The entire history of the world people have been consuming raw milk, only in the last 75 years have people been drinking pasteurized, homogenized milk. As the years have past studies are being completed that show that pasteurized, homogenized milk is not as wonderful as it was originally thought. For example, in 2005 a study was released proving that drinking milk does not decrease your risk for osteoporosis. I am positive that over the next few years more and more studies will come out in this area. And I have not even touched on the topic of homogenization. So for the sake of brevity we will pick this topic up again in the next few days.

Up next I will talk about homogenization and then in Part 3 I will do FAQs. Please feel free to ask your questions below and I will answer them.

If you would like references for any of the information above please just let me know and I will direct you! In the meantime a really great site is: www.realmilk.com

I look forward to hearing your comments!

Worth the Drive

2011-04-20T20:38:00.000-04:00

I know I have been behind. But I did only promise to post when I have something positive to post, since I am such a huge fan of being pregnant... I have so many things to write about but have been feeling too yucky to post, but they will come I promise. Writing is so relaxing to me.

I think this topic is going to be like beating a daed horse throughout my entire pregnancy but I want to tell you how extremely important it is to have a supportive birth team. If you know me personally you know that I am a pretty assertive person. I have no problem telling someone what I want. But something occurs when you are in labor and all your hormones are crazy and you are getting ready to deliver your baby. You can be convinced of things that you never would have been able to earlier. All they have to say is "It is what is best for your baby" and you are bowing to whatever they "recommend".

One of my very good friends gave birth to precious baby girl last night at the same hospital that I delivered Little Buddy. As most of you know that was a TERRIBLE experience (you can read the whole story here). Today was the first time I had stepped foot into that hospital since the day we brought Little Buddy home almost 2 years ago now. Nothing could have prepared me for the emotions that hit me as I walked through those doors. The smells, the sounds, even some familiar faces. As I walked past the NICU on the way to my friends room tears welled up in my eyes and my heart raced. I was taken back to all the terrible memories of those 2 weeks we spent at that hospital. When I got to my friend's room she was actually in the NICU visiting her little girl (she is fine just had some minor issues that needed monitoring) and I was so thankful because it gave me time to collect myself. The day you have your baby should be one of the most wonderful experiences of your life, it should be full of hard work followed by insurmountable joy. The fact that simply walking into the hospital that Little Buddy was born caused me to have a minor emotional panic attack is so sad to me.

As I approach this birth, that I ~~long to arrive~~ patiently wait for, I cannot tell you how at peace I am knowing that I am going to have a supportive birth team, a doctor that I KNOW will not mention a c-section unless it is in MY best interest and not his, a midwife that is excited about a natural water birth and believes I can do it. And most of all I am so relaxed knowing that if there is a problem with this baby after birth MY pediatrician, that I know, love, trust, and respect will be there to take care of my baby. I won't have to explain six million times why we choose to delay vaccinations or why I refuse drops to be put in my baby's eyes. I won't have to fight the nurses who want to weigh my baby five seconds after birth and I won't have to plaster my room and baby's bassinet with "feed my baby formula or give him a paci and experience my wrath"signs (don't worry I don't word it like that, but I want to). My baby and I will be under the care of a doctor, midwife, doula, and pediatrician that I know and trust, so if there are complications I already trust their judgement and won't have to make 3 or 4 phone calls to different people before making a decision. I don't have to worry about pitocin being pushed on me when I reach the natural stall in labor, but instead will have the support of a midwife that does not believe in the routine use of pitocin in birth. And all that stress taken off my shoulders feels incredible already and I can't even imagine what a difference it is going to make during labor and delivery.

I say all this because last time I didn't make the 40-45 minute drive to see a doctor who shared my beliefs and I didn't make the 45 minute drive to the hospital where my pediatrician was because is wasn't convenient and at the time we thought it wasn't affordable. But, oh how I wish I had. If you are pregnant or expecting do NOT settle for less. Educate yourself on what happens during labor, take Bradley classes (they are worth every single penny), and know that I make the 40 minute drive to my doctor joyfully and with such peace for every appointment because it IS worth it. Don't allow sights, sounds, and smells of your birth experience to cause you emotional trauma, but to bring back memories of the the best day of your life. The right birth team makes a night and day difference in your delivery, trust me!

Make Your Own Cleaners Workshop

2011-04-06T19:41:00.000-04:00

Last week I spoke at a local MOPS group and I have had a ton of questions come in regarding making your own household cleaners. I just recently started offering a "Make Your Own Cleaners Workshop"and a lot moms seem to be really excited about it. Here are a few more details about the workshop:

How much does it cost and what does it include?
$15 per person. Each mom will walk away with a complete home cleaning kit and recipes to replenish the cleaners as they run out. The kit includes:

Soft Scrubber (bathtub cleaning)
Window Cleaner
All Purpose Spray Cleaner
Furniture Polish
Antimicrobial/Mold Cleaner
A Microfiber Cleaning Towel
Recipe to make your own Laundry Detergent

All products will be in either a spray bottle or glass jar (depending on the product). The laundry detergent is a large recipe just for one person, so it would be very difficult to make large quantities of it at one time, which is why the recipe is given and the detergent is not made at the workshop.

Where do you buy the replacement ingredients?

Most of the ingredients can be bought at a local grocery store. The two exceptions are Tea Tree Oil and Vegetable Glycerin. I purchase Tea Tree Oil at Whole Foods or from a reputable online store. Quality DOES matter for Tea Tree Oil, so cheaper is NOT better. The vegetable glycerin is optional, but I purchase it online. The cost of making your own cleaners is beyond minuscule when compared to purchasing conventional cleaners, so I have not compared prices of ingredients at different stores. I am saving so much anyway, it hasn't crossed my mind to look even further.

How much do you save?

The savings are incredible. For example it cost me less than $5 to make my laundry detergent if I choose to not add in essential oils. Each batch of laundry detergent I make is enough for about 200 loads of laundry (more if you have a front loader). That works out to be less than one penny per load! As for other cleaners it is not as easy to calculate the savings. The best way to determine is to calculate how much it would cost you to BUY green cleaners at the store and then compare that to the $15 you spend for the cleaners you make at the workshop PLUS their recipes.

How do I sign up?

You must be located within half an hour from me. Then you simply email me and we pick a date and time. Since I buy materials for your workshop in bulk I require that you have a total of 6 moms (including yourself) for the workshop. It is that easy?

TruKid Winners!

2011-04-05T09:10:00.000-04:00

The numbers chosen by random.org were 1, 6, and 12.

Congratulations to Jamie N., John, Anna & amp;Rebecca, and dailymom!

Please send me an email and I will forward your information on to TruKid!

TruKid Review and Giveaway

2011-03-27T11:53:00.000-04:00

How many of you wish you could afford high quality, safe hair and skin care for your kids? We made the commitment to only use natural, paraben and chemical free products only on our children, but I know that is not something that every family can afford. I jump all over the place in this area with no brand loyalty. I simply buy what is on sale. We have used Burt's Bees, California Babies, and Jason Organics to name a few. A few weeks ago I was contacted by a company called TruKid and was really excited to give another brand a try. Here is a little bit about their company from their website:

Differences are what make everyone special and stand out from the crowd. TruKid™ believes in being proud of who you are. We are a different sort of company and of course, proud of it! For starters, our products are uniquely created just for kids of all ages (there simply weren't enough healthy skincare products out there just for kids). Second, we are all natural and completely chemical free. But what sets us apart even more than our products, is our philosophy. TruKid™ strives to impact the world one healthy habit at a time. Through rhymes, songs, facts and more, we provide the tools your family can use to start forming healthy habits the fun way.

If you take one look at their product line you will notice something that makes them stand out from their competitors:

They are bright and kid friendly. They are an education based company, that not only produces natural quality products for kids, but they work to teach kids healthy habits! Each bottle has a symbol on it for children to see what part of their body they can use the product on. Here are the products TruKid sent me to review:

Silly Shampoo

Bubbly Body Wash

Sunny Days Sunscreen

I have been so impressed with all these products, that I believe I now have some brand loyalty. All of their products are free of parabens, phthalates, gluten, BPA, SLS, 1-4 diozane, and fragrances. Especially since their prices beat the sale prices of the other products, especially wwhen you buy 3 products at a time. One of my favorite things about them is the scent. They all have a refreshing, fruity, kid friendly scent that is not overpowering or annoyingly kid like (if that makes any sense at all). All the products live my kiddos smelling clean and best of all it is super gentle on Mr. Mansee's ultra sensitive eczema skin. I gave the soap the ultimate test and even used it on our dog. It also left him feeling clean and fresh!

This past week it got into the mid eighties here and we had a fun outdoor water party with some friends and I got to give the sunscreen a try. It also had that wonderful fruity smell and seemed less greasy than other brands I have tried. And the best part? It is only $10 a bottle if you buy it individually and even cheaper if you buy 3 at a time! The boys were out in the direct sunlight for 2 hours and came in with not even the slightest pinkness on their skin. Here is a picture of Mr. Mansee running through the sprinkler with one if his friends (and their water guns):

Trukid is hosting a giveaway to three of my readers! If you would like to be entered in the giveaway, please follow the guidelines below and leave comment for each entry. I will pick at winner on Monday, April 4th.

You may have one entry for each of the following. You MUST leave a separate comment for each entry:

Follow Mommy Made Green via google friend connect
Like TruKid on Facebook
Subscribe to TruKid's blog
Follow TruKid on twitter
Follow Mommy Secrets on facebook
Follow Mommy Secrets on twitter
Visti TruKid's website and let me know which product you would love to try
Buy a product from Trukid

Happy Shopping!

The Green Blog Hop!

2011-03-24T08:25:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the 8th week of the Green Mama Blog Hop!

Please only join this hop if you deem your blog as 'green'. It doesn't matter if you are a beginner or if you're a pro.. this Green Mama Blog Hop is for you!

~Lovely Hostesses~

Tales of the Wife

Mommy Made Green

Greening Sam and Avery

~FEATURED Blog~

Have a Happy Green Day

Each week, there will be a fifth, Featured Blog to be followed as well. To qualify to be the Featured Blog, you will need to participate in all of the guidelines. I will pick one at random from all qualifiers. I will email you the Monday before the Hop, if you are chosen.
Hopping Guidelines:

MANDATORY:

* Add your blog's home page to the Linky list! I will be monitoring the blogs to make sure we only have 'green', family-friendly blogs involved.

* Follow the 4 hosts, Featured Blog and the blog ahead of yours. Make sure to leave comments on each of the blog so they can follow you back! The more you follow, the more will follow you back!

OPTIONAL:

(You don't have to do these to enter the hop, but you must do both to qualify for the Featured Blog position)

* Grab the new Green Mama Blog Hop button and place it on your home page.

* Put the button into a post on your blog. Then leave a comment on this Hop post with the link.

This hop will open each Tuesday night and will be open all week. It will start over each week, so keep coming back each week to enter!

Welcome to the Green Mama Blog Hop! Enjoy!

A Diaper Funeral

2011-03-18T12:52:00.000-04:00

Today it is with great sadness that I tell the world I am having my very first diaper funeral. And I cannot believe I am actually sad. It is silly, really. I am sad that I am having to retire my first batch of diapers. After 3 years of consistent daily use the elastic in these diapers has been stretched to the max. These were among the very first diapers I bought for Mr. Mansee when he was about 8 months old and as soon as he was potty trained they went directly onto his baby brother. They have been on the front lines since March of 2008 and have served their time well. So please join me in saying farewell to these wonderful diapers (and hello to the first shot of my pregnant belly):

If anyone is in need of some diapers and is a seamstress I will give you these diapers for only the cost of shipping. They still work wonderfully and probably have more time on them if someone is able to replace the leg elastic. There is mild staining on some of the diapers, but other than that they are in great condition.

How long have your diapers lasted you? My smaller diapers will be ready for their third child in a few months! How is that for cost saving?

If you like my blog I would love it if you would vote for me by simply clicking on the button below. Nothing is required of you, just a click:

The Green Blog Hop is Back!!

2011-03-15T20:29:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the 7th week of the Green Mama Blog Hop!

Please only join this hop if you deem your blog as 'green'. It doesn't matter if you are a beginner or if you're a pro.. this Green Mama Blog Hop is for you!

<a href="http://www.giveawaysandlife.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq300/sashica13/green-house-2-1.jpg" /></a>

~Lovely Hostesses~

Tales of the Wife
Mommy Made Green
Greening Sam and Avery

~FEATURED Blog~

Butterfly Wishes and Wonderland Dreams

MANDATORY:

* Add your blog's home page to the Linky list! I will be monitoring the blogs to make sure we only have 'green', family-friendly blogs involved.

* Follow the 4 hosts, Featured Blog and the blog ahead of yours. Make sure to leave comments on each of the blog so they can follow you back! The more you follow, the more will follow you back!

OPTIONAL:

(You don't have to do these to enter the hop, but you must do both to qualify for the Featured Blog position)
* Grab the new Green Mama Blog Hop button and place it on your home page.

* Put the button into a post on your blog. Then leave a comment on this Hop post with the link.

This hop will open each Tuesday night and will be open all week. It will start over each week, so keep coming back each week to enter!

Welcome to the Green Mama Blog Hop! Enjoy!

Responding to Cries

2011-03-14T10:50:00.000-04:00

This may be another controversial post, but I am going to do my best to be as gentle and kind as possible. Many people ask me how I choose what to blog about. The answer is I don't really. When something consumes my thoughts and eats me from the inside out I know it is time to write about it. This is one of those posts.

It is no secret that when my babies are young I practice attachment parenting, but to be honest I am not a fan of that label any more than I am a fan of any labels. If I could describe my parenting beliefs with my babies it would simply be that I strongly believe in forming a close bond with my children when they are babies. I respond to them every time they cry. Does that mean I always give them what they want? NO, NO and NO. It simply means, that when they cry I respond. This was something I stumbled into as a new mom and deeply struggled with in the beginning. Everyone around me told me that I needed to put my baby down and let him cry or "self-soothe". I was told it was better for him, it would foster independence, even that it would be better for my marriage. So I tried it and nothing felt more wrong to me. Then one night I couldn't take it anymore so I went and got him and brought him in bed with me around 2 AM. I just planned to hold him until he fell back asleep, but before I knew it was morning and we had both slept wonderfully and so had Mr. Hero. So we started putting him in bed with us at night and low and behold the entire family slept wonderfully the entire night! Then people started to find out that we did this and I was told I was risking my baby's life and I would smother him to death. Horrified, I didn't understand and felt so guilty again. Thankfully, it was about this time that I met some other moms who did the same thing I did and who provided me with some more accurate information. You all know I am a research junkie, so I wanted to share some facts, but before I do let me insert my disclaimer:

I strongly believe that all moms know what is best for their babies. I understand that cosleeping is not best for everyone. The purpose of this post is not to convince everyone that my way is best. It is simply to encourage moms who feel that it may work for them. If letting your baby cry for a few minutes works for you, then that is great, this post is not meant to convince you do something different, but to let moms who feel crying isn't right, that is okay too.

Many people say that responding to your baby's cries will spoil them and make them codependent. I will NEVER say that following a top selling baby book and leaving your baby alone in a room screaming for longer than 10-15 minutes with the intention of keeping them on a strict schedule is ok and neither does the American Association of Pediatrics. Don't believe me? Read the statement from the AAP here. In this article written by the AAP we are even told "that responding to an infant crying will not result in an infant being 'spoiled' or over coddled". So now that we have proof from the American Association of Pediatrics that responding to your child's cries is perfectly okay, let me share my experience and beliefs on this topic based on questions/statements I get and see all the time.

When you teach your child to "self-soothe" at a young age they will always be better sleepers.
I have to say bull honkey on this one. Every child is different, some are excellent sleepers, some are not. Mr. Mansee was sleeping through the night from the day he came home from the hospital and continued to do so. He always has been an excellent sleeper. Little Buddy on the other hand is almost two and still has night wakings. I did the exact same thing with both of them and I have two opposite sleepers. I have had moms tell me that their kids have been sleeping through the night since they were a few weeks old in one breath and then tell me they hear them playing in their crib during the night in another. Umm... sorry that isn't sleeping through the night. They simply don't cry because they know you won't come get them.

Bringing your child into bed with you or going in with them throughout the night is bad for your marriage and your sex life.
If the only time you have intimate times with your spouse is in bed before going to sleep, clearly your sex life has been lacking from the beginning. Mr. Hero and I found that, yes, we did have to find other places and ways to spend time together, but our marriage has always been our top priority, so that was nothing new to us. Parenting doesn't stop when you put your kids to bed. Parenting is a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year job. You don't get to clock out when your kids go to bed.

Isn't sleeping with your child dangerous?
It can be. But cribs don't exactly have the best track records either do they? You should never bring your child into bed with you if you have been drinking or on medications that make your drowsy. If you child is too young to roll over and lift their head up then you need to be sure you create a safe place for them in your bed. When we brought little buddy home from the hospital we had a Snuggle Nest, which is where we have our babies sleep. Here is a picture of a newborn sleeping in one with his parents:

As you can see the baby is is a firm, safe bed. It is important to keep heavy blankets and pillows away from baby. We tucked ours under the snuggle nest just like the parents did in this picture.

Do you have to cosleep?
No of course not! Cosleeping is not for everyone. Cosleeping was great for us up to a certain point. Once our boys got to be about 18 months old we felt it was time to move them to their own beds. They currently sleep in bunk beds with a full bed on the bottom. If one of the boys need us we will sleep on the bottom with them. Some parents put an extra bed int he room with their baby or even a really comfy chair.

Why do babies wake up in the middle of the night?
The jury is out on this one and there are lots of opinions out there. Since this is my blog I will share mine. I believe that sleeping through the night is a developmental milestone, just like walking and crawling that needs parent assistance and teaching to learn. Like I said above Mr. Mansee was sleeping through the night very young and Little Buddy still doesn't do so consistently. There are also several developmental things that babies and toddlers go through while their brain develops: night terrors, teething, separation anxiety, allergies, and other illnesses. Until your child is able to communicate with you, you won't really know why they are waking up.

But don't I need to teach my children to function without me?
Yes you do, but why the need to teach them so early? Stop for a second and think. You are everything to your baby. You feed your baby, you comfort your baby, you love your baby, you keep your baby safe. You are your baby's entire world. Leaving them with a complete stranger has be just a little scary for a baby. Some babies like my Little Buddy love other people and have no problem, other do. Once again, every child is different. When my boys are old enough (typically around two and a half) we start to teach them that mommy and daddy leaving them for a short period of time is ok (prior to this Mr. Hero and I still have our weekly date nights we leave our children with family or with a babysitter our kids already know and trust). When we drop them off the first time there normally are still a few tears, but we are okay with those tears because we have spent hours talking to our children, praying with them, and preparing them for this. Then when we pick them up they normally have a huge grin on their face and we get to celebrate their courage and the following week they are excited. I have found that when I prepare my kids and don't sneak out on them there is actually a much more trusting relationship.

But my pediatrician says I need to do xyz...
If you don't agree with your pediatrician find a different one. Nothing is more important than having a doctor your trust to care for your child. If you child is ever in a life-threatening situation this is going to be the person making decisions and you need to trust them. Find a pediatrician you can agree with. If you need help I have several places to send you to find one in your area, just let me know.

In conclusion, I just want to reiterate how much I believe each mom needs to decide what is best for her family. There is no one way to parent, in fact, I think we even need to parent different children in different ways. Moms have enough guilt on their plates as it is. The last thing we need to do is make moms feel guilty for doing things differently than we do. Form friendships and support each other based on what you have in common: love for your children.

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Positive Pregnancy: Supportive Birth Team

2011-03-10T16:09:00.000-05:00

So here I am about make it out of the first trimester and I have yet to post about my pregnancy. The plan was to post once a week, but the plan was also to only write positive posts... things have been less than enjoyable, so I just decided to keep my ~~miserable~~ beautiful pregnant thoughts to myself. However, today I had something positive and exciting to write about. If you missed my post about how much I ~~hate~~ love being pregnant you can see it here.

Our insurance has changed since the last time I was pregnant and suddenly I had options when it came to choosing my OB. With both of my previous births I did not have a choice. Since my last birth was so traumatic choosing a new practice was something I took very seriously. I did lots of research and quickly discovered that there were not doctors close by that were supportive of natural childbirth. The hospital closest to my house has the WORST reputation for natural childbirth as well as one of the highest c-section rates in the area. That ruled out a homebirth for me. So I decided to choose a practice and a hospital that is about a 45 minute drive for me. I was not excited about making the drive especially with 2 toddlers at home, but I decide to give it a try.

The first few appointments I met with the OB. In the past, I haven't done this, but I have learned that is a mistake. If something goes wrong during my birth or if my baby comes early the OB is the one who is going to be making all the decisions, so I wanted to be sure that I not only liked the OB, but that I also liked the midwife. My first appointment with Dr. Frederick was unlike any doctor appointment I had ever had. Since I was a new patient I had to share my medical and birth history. Talking about Little Buddy's birth turns me into a shaking, crying mess and all doctors are normally very nice about it, but Dr. Frederick's response was shocking to me. He said, "I am so sorry that happened to you. You were mistreated and if something like that happens while you are in my care it will be a very different experience for you." Another Doctor has NEVER told me that my previous doctor had actually mistreated me. I have said before that if I thought I could file a malpractice suit and actually win I would, but i have never had a doctor acknowledge my mistreatment. That conversation was so healing for me. Since then I have been blown away by the support and hands off approach of this new practice.

This past week, I got to meet the midwife, Kim, who will be assisting me with my waterbirth. I was especially nervous about this because most people will tell you that if you like the OB, the midwives are probably very different and vice versa. That has also been my past experience. During my appointment my midwife told me to try homeopathic methods for my allergies before trying something over the counter, encouraged me to write a very detailed birth plan so the nurses knew what I wanted (you mean they actually pay attention to it at your hospital?), and she also didn't freak out when she couldn't pick up my baby's heartbeat and order 10 million tests I don't need. I have a tipped uterus and have never heard the babies heartbeat before the second trimester without an ultrasound. This was my favorite part of the conversation:

Kim: So tell me what type of birth you are hoping for?

Me: A waterbirth. I have taken Bradley class and love to use the Bradley method for pain management

Kim: Oh I am so excited! I love Bradley moms! And waterbirths are my favorite!

Me: I also want a doula.

Kim: Oh doulas are the best! Do you have one in mind?

Me: Yes I do.

Kim: Oh what is her name? Doulas are such a gift for mothers during labor and I love having them in the room with my moms!

For comparison let me share how this conversation has gone in the past:

Me: I wanted to talk a little bit about how I would like my birth to go.

Provider: Well, every birth is different and you can't really be sure how it is going to go.

Me: I understand, but I am hoping for a Bradley birth.

Provider: Ok, have you taken the classes at the hospital?

Me: No, I have taken over three months of weekly Bradley classes.

Provider: Ok, well what are your expectations?

Me: I would like to let my body do its job and labor naturally with as little medical intervention as possible. I would like to eat while in labor and I would like to be on intermittent fetal monitoring so I am able to walk around.

Provider: Well, sometimes medical intervention is necessary. Eating during labor is against hospital policy and we have to be sure that your baby is ok.

Me: I understand that. I just would like you to be supportive of my choices to do things as natural as possible. I also would like a doula.

Provider: Oh, um, well doulas can sometimes get in the way of what we are trying to do and are often discouraging to mothers in labor. Especially if there are complications.

By the end of my appointment this week I was so thankful that I had tears in my eyes and I hugged her. I have learned so much in the first few weeks.

Taking Bradley classes I was told over and over again how important it was to have a supportive birth team. I didn't really have that option, so I never really knew what that was like. Now I do. I cannot say enough what a night and day difference this makes and I am not even through my first trimester yet. Normally, I would enter into my birth with fear, anxiety, ready to enter into battle with nurses and doctors. To have team that ALREADY wants me to have a positive experience. If you are a new expectant mother please educate yourself on birth and find a birth team that supports your choices!

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Produce Box Meal Plan

2011-03-01T13:13:00.001-05:00

Local moms: today is the last day to order your produce box from Organics2U, you can see this week's boxes here. Remember, if there is something you don't care for simply send them an email and let them know what you would like to substitute.

This week I am going to give the jumbo box a try since it seems the worst of my first trimester nausea has passed (I hope). I am also getting my regular gallon of milk and dozen eggs. Here is the menu I have put together for this week with recipes and the produce that I will be using from the box to make it:

Meal 1: Beef Lo Mein (onions, broccoli, garlic, peppers, cilantro). This is one of my personal recipes. I simply stir fry the vegetables in sesame oil, ginger, liquid amminos, and garlic. Then I serve over rice noodles. I also sometimes add some chopped steak to the recipe as well.
Meal 2: Sweet Pepper Kale Pasta (kale, peppers, garlic) I found this recipe online and it looks so yummy! I can't wait to give it a try. You can find the recipe here. This recipe looks so good I just had to share a picture:

Meal 3: Grilled Chicken Sandwiches, Cole Slaw, and Fruit Salad (carrots, cabbage, onion, and different fruits). This is an easy meal. Here is the recipe I adapt my cole slaw recipe from. I omit the pecans and the apples most of the time.
Meal 4: Eggs, hash browns, homemade biscuits, fruit (fruit, potatoes) You can find my biscuit recipe here.
Meal 5: Veggie Pizza (remaining and leftover veggies) I love making veggie pizza at the end of the week with whatever vegetables I have left in the fridge. I have decided there is no veggie that doesn't taste good on pizza.
That leaves two days this week. We always have leftovers one day and then another day either eat something simple like PBJ or go out.

Lastly, I plan on using the sweet potatoes to make a loaf of sweet potato bread to have for breakfast one morning. Here is the recipe that I adapt from for that. I use honey crystals in place of sugar and coconut oil in place of vegetable oil.

For my grocery shopping this week all I will need to get for our meals will be (remember we buy our meat in bulk a about twice a year):

Rice Noodles
Bow tie pasta
pizza cheese
marinara sauce
pecans
feta cheese

I already have the following ingredients in my pantry:

Liquid Aminos
Olive Oil
Sesame Oil
Various herbs and spices
Honey Crystals
Coconut Oil
Flour
Butter

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Looking to Save on Organic Produce?

2011-02-21T14:04:00.000-05:00

I often get asked how on Earth I manage to feed my family of 4.5 a completely organic and whole food diet on only $600 a month. Today I am super excited to introduce you to one of my new favorite companies. If you are a local mom, this blog post is a must read!

As I have shared in other posts, I buy my produce in the winter from an Organic Co-op. In the summer I try to eat out of my garden or from the local farmer's market, but in the winter I LOVE my co-op. Previously, I was paying $50 for a large produce box twice a month, which I really loved but I have recently discovered something even better. A local company Organics2U just started doing a drop in Gwinnett county and I cannot say enough incredible things about them.

They have completely removed any of the qualms I had about co-op buying. Allow me to tell you what makes them so great:

Their boxes start at only $30! I find that one box is enough produce for us to have for an entire week with only supplementing a few things for recipes (for example this week the only produce I bought at the store was a cucumber and a red pepper).
You can add things to your box like raw milk, eggs, and even some local meat
You know what is going to be in your box ahead of time so you can plan your meals accordingly.
You can pick what you want in the box. This has to be my absolute favorite thing about this co-op, especially being pregnant. The previous co-op I was a part of gave me a bunch of beets every week and no matter how many different ways I tried them I just don't like them, so they ended up being wasted every week. With Organics2U I simply email them the items I do not want in my box and what I would like them substituted with and they take care of it for me. Let me give you an example. Last week I took the following items out of my box: mushrooms, beets, and onion. Then I substituted with the following items: bananas, oranges, and extra salad greens. No extra charge, no fuss, and no tossing out food my pregnant taste buds can't handle.
Their produce tastes incredible. The grapefruits I get in my box are the best grapefruits I have ever had. This past week I had baby heirloom tomatoes, that were incredible as well.
I get to try new things. A few weeks ago I decided to keep some Bok Choy in my box and I had never tried this vegetable before. Tracy, the owner of Organics2U gave me a recipe to use and my entire family (kids too) loved it!

I will be continuing to order from them every week and picking up at the Dacula location. This is their newest drop spot and they really need to get it growing! I am going to do my best to post recipes that I use from each week's box to share with you. Here is my menu plan from this week's box. Since you haven't ordered yet I will tell you what I am using from the box in each meal:

Meal 1: Jamie Oliver's Pasta Salad with freshly baked bread (heirloom tomatoes were so good I omitted the peppers and just had the tomatoes, it was incredible we had this last night. I bought a cucumber at the store to supplement)

Meal 2: Fish and Chips and Fresh Salad (Potatoes for the chips and salad greens for the salad)

Meal 3: Sausage and Kale Soup with Fresh Baked Herb Bread (Kale and potatoes)

Meal 4: Greek Salad (Salad greens, heirloom tomatoes)

Meal 5: Leftovers

This does not include all the yummy fruit we have for dessert and snacks. One of my favorite recipes Tracy posted was for Banana Nice Cream, which has become a family favorite in our house.

You can see this week's box here. If you would like to order a box, you must submit your order by Tuesday night for Friday pickup and you can pay with cash or check upon pickup or with paypal online.

Organics2U is offering the first 5 of my readers to order from them and pick up at the Gwinnett location a 10% discount on their first box valid until March 1st. This discount is for the boxes only and cannot be applied on milk, meat or eggs. Be sure to tell them Mommy Made Green sent you!

*I was not reimbursed in any way for this post and all opinions are my own.

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Promise

2011-02-18T14:58:00.000-05:00

When I am pregnant, for some reason, I feel an overwhelming urge to surround myself with scripture and dive into study with intensity. At first, I thought it was just in preparation for being a mother but now that I am in my third pregnancy and the pattern has repeated yet again I have realized that God does a great work in me when I am pregnant. Each time I have been pregnant he has given me a new area to study. With Mr. Mansee I worked through the New Testament with Paul and breaking through areas in my past that were less than pleasant. With Little Buddy I studied the fruit of the spirit with great focus, and this time I felt led to study the Tabernacle. A little odd at first, but now that I am a week in things are becoming much clearer as to why, but I guess I will be able to explain that more later.

Today something really connected with my heart and I felt the need to share it. If I had to pick one character in the scriptures that I feel I can identify with more than anyone else it would be Abraham. Which may seem odd, since I am a woman, but God has spoken to me more through his life than any other story in scripture. Like Abraham, God has laid a promise and a calling upon my life, a really big one. And like Abraham, I thought that it would come to pass much faster than it has (or hasn't). Today my study brought me back again to the story of Abraham and I was once again humbled to tears by a piece of his story. Here is a piece of the scripture I read today:

Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.”But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.” Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith. Then the Lord told him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession.” But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, how can I be sure that I will actually possess it?”
The Lord told him, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” So Abram presented all these to him and killed them. Then he cut each animal down the middle and laid the halves side by side; he did not, however, cut the birds in half. Some vultures swooped down to eat the carcasses, but Abram chased them away. As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a terrifying darkness came down over him. Then the Lord said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years."

~Genesis 15:1-14 NLT

There is a lot going on in this passage, but there was something that really stood out to me. When God first told Abraham he would have children he was 75 years old. SEVENTY-FIVE! And do you know how old he was when his son was actually born? 100. That is 25 years that Abraham waited for God to deliver on His promise. And I am sure that Abraham and Sarah had wanted children for an even longer period of time before that. But I knew that already when I read the above passage. What struck me today about the passage was that Abraham doubted God.

How many of us doubt God? *raises hand wildly in the air* I do. I doubt Him often actually. And truth be told I have been doubting His promises on my life a whole lot lately. He didn't really say what he said, there is no way it is actually going to happen, he didn't really mean it, there is no way that I will ever actually be doing what he has called me to do, I have started it and it just doesn't seem to be working, maybe I should just give up. Sound familiar? Maybe you don't feel God has made any large promises to you. All you have to do is pick up His word and see that He has. But maybe you are even doubting that He exists or that He even cares for you? This is where I learned from Abraham yet again today. When Abraham doubted God, what did he do in the passage above? HE TOLD HIM! Yes, that is right, he told God he was doubting him and questioned him! Why are we afraid to do that? Do we think that God doesn't actually know what we are thinking anyway?

I often compare my relationship with God to that of my children. Mr. Mansee has grown to love Annie's Organic Fruit Snacks more than anything else. He will choose to eat one of those over anything else in house. They are his "favowite". They sit in the snack cabinet next to the other snacks. He knows he can only have one a day. If snack time comes around and he hasn't had his fruit snack yet for the day when I open the cabinet I can see it on his face. I KNOW what he wants for a snack. So why don't I just reach up and hand him one? Because I love to hear his voice say: "Mommy can I have a bunny tweat please?" So when he asks I answer him and I know God is the same way. He wants to hear from us, He loves to have a relationship with us and there is no question we can ask Him that He can't handle.

But sometimes, Mr. Mansee has already had his bunny snack for the day or perhaps it is only 20 minutes before dinner and although he hasn't had one, now is not the right time. So when he asks for a bunny snack I have to tell him no or not right now. Does he like this response? Nine times out of ten he absolutely does not and he whines about how unfair I am or how hungry he is or how much he doesn't agree with my decision. But the bottom line is I am his mother and I get to decide what is best for him. Are you following me here? Think about Abraham for a minute.

At 75 years old he is told his barren wife will bear him a child and that he be the father of a great nation. Years go by and his wife continues to get just one pink line on the stick (if they had sticks then I am sure she would be peeing on them like crazy just like the rest of us who are trying to have a baby). Every month that passes and every single lined stick is just another reminder that God has not done what he said he was going to do. Then Abraham questions God and God reassures him that he will, in fact, be the father to many. This may sound good but I am sure Abraham keeps thinking about all the single lined sticks he has watched his wife cry over. Keeping all of this in mind, read here what Abraham's response was to God's reassurances:

"And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith." ~Genesis 15:6 NLT

That ladies, is why Abraham is known as one of the greatest men in the Bible. And that is where I fail every.single.time. I am like Mr. Mansee throwing a fit because he can't have the bunny snacks when he wants them. He knows I will let them have them, but he can't always have everything when he wants it. I question God and He answers me in one way or another, but when I don't like what I hear I often choose to continue to doubt that He really is good or that He really will do what He says He will, instead of choosing to have faith that he will do what He promises.

I love this picture of Abraham I found online. It is of him standing among the stars which probably served as a reminder of God's promise that he spent 25 years waiting for:

I'll be back sometime this weekend to let you local moms know what I thought of the circus last night. I think you will find my review very helpful if you are deciding whether to take your kiddos or not!

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A Positive Pregnancy

2011-02-15T20:50:00.000-05:00

So I told you yesterday I had some exciting news to share and I was hoping to have a picture to share today, but I won't have one until next week. But the big news is that I am pregnant with baby number 3! We are so excited, but I have been so tired, which is why my posting has been less than frequent lately.

This post is going to be interesting because I have made a commitment to myself this pregnancy to find the positive about everything. I am not a fan of being pregnant, in fact, I HATE being pregnant. However, after my experience with Little Buddy, I made a commitment that when I got pregnant again I would have a different attitude. Mr. Hero likes to tell people that his wife doesn't glow while she is pregnant, but instead she glares. It may be funny to you, but it is very true. So throughout this pregnancy I plan on posting something positive about being pregnant once a week and not to be a grouchy whiny baby. But, I do just need to get it out of my system. I figure if I can just share one time why being pregnant is not my favorite thing than I can go on being positive about it every week. So allow to complain just this one time and if you hear it from me again feel free to give me a virtual kick in the pants!

So why do I HATE being pregnant?
A little disclaimer: if you are pregnant for the first time, thinking about becoming pregnant, or have never been pregnant, I STRONGLY suggest scrolling to the bottom of this post and reading the paragraph in italics BEFORE reading the rest of this post. The last thing I want to do is scare anyone.

Where should I start? Maybe with the morning sickness, which really should be called all day sickness. And it is nothing like regular nausea. You feel like you want to throw up and most the time you don't, but if by some chance that you do actually vomit you don't feel better like you do if you have a stomach virus. In fact, you feel worse because now you have the taste of vomit in your mouth. This time around I have been blessed with a wonderful solution to my nausea: eating every hour. I know this sounds great in theory, but considering I have already put on about 12 pounds and I am not even through my first trimester I don't know if it is better or worse. We can't forget the wonderful drugs they can give you to help with your nausea. The first they will try to give you will make you so tired that you feel like a walking zombie who is just slightly nauseous. Then there is the super powerful anti-nausea meds that cost $10 A PILL (no that is not an exaggeration) and many insurance companies won't even pay for them.

Next up: food aversions! Another fantastic benefit of being pregnant. There is nothing like grocery shopping when you are feeling pretty decent, because when you are newly pregnant everything has to be planned around your nausea. So off you go to the grocery store during your good part of the day. As you come down the cereal isle you pass the seafood section and some nice man offers you a sample of sushi and then looks at you odd as you turn green and run for the bathroom. Or how about when you go out to a nice dinner with your husband at a restaurant that has been carefully chosen to avoid as much odd smells as possible and after ordering your meal and double checking with the server to make sure there is no broccoli anywhere near your meal or your husbands meal since the mere thought of broccoli makes you lose your appetite the man sitting across from you orders his meal with a side of steamed broccoli. Suddenly you are no longer hungry anymore. I also have to mention how much fun it is to stay away from things like onions and garlic because for some reason when I am newly pregnant if I eat any onion or garlic I will taste it in mouth for the next week!

Just as the nausea starts to wear off another fun event takes place: leg cramps! Ever had a Charlie Horse? Multiply that time 10 and you will know what a pregnancy leg cramp is! And the best part is they come on at about 2 or 3 in the morning. Forcing you to get out of bed and walk on them to relieve the pain. I have had leg cramps so bad my legs hurt all day the next morning.

Then we have pregnancy migraines. Those are always fun. I have never had a migraine in my life until I was pregnant. They always grace me with their presence sometime in my second trimester. Sensitivity to light, more nausea, and severe pain. They do make a drug that gets rid of them, but once again it will knock you out cold since it contains a sedative.

Sleeping while pregnant is another fun adventure. If you a stomach sleeper, plan to spend several weeks tossing and turning trying to get comfortable. Plus you will have to get up and pee at least twice a night. I think pregnancy prepares you for life with a newborn. Sleep will never be the same again.

About halfway through your second trimester you will feel your sweet baby move for the first time and I have to say this is the ONE thing about pregnancy I do enjoy. There is nothing like feeling your baby move for the first time. But beyond that I am over it. The movements are fun at first, but then the baby grows and decides the only time it wants to move is when you want to sleep or relax. Then the baby grows some more and decides it would be most comfortable to stick their foot into your ribcage. That is always comfortable.

About this time sex during pregnancy starts to be really fun... NOT! I think I will just leave it at that since I know my mom, siblings, and mother-in-law read my blog.

Entering into the third trimester, thankfully the nausea, migraines, and leg cramps are gone, but this is when people start to really annoy you. Everyone wants to touch your belly and you want to hang a sign around your neck that says: "Yes, I am pregnant, please think before you speak to me". Here are some of my favorite lines I have gotten. "Wow, you look like you are going to pop!" "Are you having twins?" "Can I rub your belly?" "What are you having?" (a baby!) "You look so uncomfortable/tired/worn out!" (why don't you just say wow, you look like crap?).

During the third trimester you also get to enjoy things like cankles. Don't know what cankles are? That is when your legs swell up so much you can't tell where your calf ends and your ankle starts. Your fingers will swell, your feet will swell, your face will swell, and other areas of your body that will remain unspoken will also swell. It is all great fun. Then towards the very end you will get to experience pelvic pressure. This is where is feels like you have a baby elephant pushing down on your pelvis. It will burn when you stand for long periods of time and you will occasionally feel tingles all the way to your toes.

I haven't even mentioned things that occasionally happen to women such as sciatica and broken ribs... feeling the pregnancy love yet?

Then during the third trimester you start to feel like a fat cow. I was never one of those woment hat gain a nice 20 pounds. My first baby I gained 50 and with my second I gained the same amount in five weeks less. I bet I would have gained 60 or 70 if I was full term. Does anyone know that babies only weigh 10 pounds at most??? What about all that extra weight?

The last thing I want to complain about is a due date. I HATE those words. Nowadays people treat due dates like expiration dates. Heaven help you if your baby is not here by your due date. First of all, you will be miserable because your baby is "late" and then everyone and their brother is going to be calling you asking where your baby is and when you are getting induced and why you aren't going to the hospital. Grr! A due date is an ESTIMATE. It means that your baby can be born 2 weeks before that date and your baby can be born 2 weeks AFTER that date. Just so everyone knows we will not be sharing our due date for this baby. Trust me, getting induced is NOT a pleasurable experience (but I will save that for another post).

And one last comment: if you are one of those women who only gained 15 pounds during their pregnancy and felt great the whole time, I don't want to hear it! If you have only had one I would say you are in for a shocker with your next one and if you have had multiple pregnancies that were that wonderful I have to say you need to consider yourself very very blessed.

So there you have it folks, all the reasons I hate being pregnant and I will keep my mouth closed about them for the duration of this pregnancy. I know many of you are thinking: well if you hate being pregnant so much why do you keep get pregnant?

Truth be told, every moment of misery is 100% worth it. Giving birth is one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I am unlike many women in that as much as I HATE being pregnant, I LOVE giving birth. If I could skip the pregnancy part and just experience the birth, I would in a heartbeat. Holding that sweet baby in your hands after ten months (40 weeks=10 months, not 9) of misery and work is an incredible experience. That being said, I am pretty sure this is it for us. I think adoption is in our future, but I am not wanting to endure another pregnancy again.

So please come back next week and enjoy a POSITIVE pregnancy post as I begin blog journey into a positive pregnancy. I'll leave you with a picture of Mr. Hero and I while pregnant with Mr. Mansee. I was about 30 weeks in this picture:

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A Heart with Holes

2011-02-14T13:45:00.001-05:00

First of all, I am sorry I have been not as regular with my posting lately. I have some exciting news to share tomorrow and I promise all will make sense! So come back tomorrow and see what has been going on in our house!

Valentine's Day is a happy day in our house and for me, but it hasn't always been that way. Valentine's Day often serves as day to remind people that are single or struggling in their marriages what they are missing. The idea for today's post has been pressing on my heart for a few weeks now and it came together for me this morning as I was starting a new study. Today's post is for everyone, but I want to specifically encourage those who are single or struggling in their marriages to really take some time to read it.

Did you know that 1 in 10 people feel unwanted on Valentine's Day? I also have found some sources that say there is a little jump in suicide rates on Valentine's Day (but I cannot seem to find a reliable source to verify this, so don't quote me on that). I don't know about you, but that just absolutely breaks my heart. And one of the reasons that it does break my heart is because I have been there.

I grew up most of my life without a father and my mom always did everything she could to make us feel loved on Valentine's Day, but there was always a hole in my heart and Valentine's Day just made me feel that hole even more. I went through puberty really early and I was really tall, so I didn't enjoy Valentine's Day in middle or high school. No boys ever sent me flowers for the school fundraiser. Then later in life I went through a string of ugly relationships in an attempt to fill that hole in my heart. It wasn't until much later in life, after marriage, that I finally understood why I felt the way that I did and why that hole in my heart was there. I wanted to share with you today what I wish I had known all the days of my life and what I pray that I can instill in the hearts of my children so no matter what happens to them in life their hearts never feel like they have holes in them.

I have struggled for many weeks now as to how to write the next part of this post because I know that when many people read the sentence I am about to type they will not continue reading. But before I type it I ask, that if you feel the need to stop, that you don't, keep reading. The sentence has been overdone, over said, over used, and even misused to the point that it has become cliche. But here it is: God loves you! He loves all of you. Every part of you and he created you. And that hole that you feel was meant to be filled by him. No matter how hard you try nothing else will ever fill it.

Many of us know that with our head, but connecting it with our heart is a completely different story. I believe I have known that God loves me in my head since probably about 1998. But I have only really recently been fully believing it with my heart and soul. How do you know? Here is the cold hard truth: If days like today make you feel lonely or sad, you don't know it. If not having a date today or not being in the place in marriage where you wish you were is ruining your day, then you don't know it.

The Bible has alway fascinated me. Even before I became a Christian when I was 16, I found the book itself fascinating. Since then, I have developed a love to study it. I love to study the history behind it, the meaning, I love to trace the original translations in Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic to their English words today. It fascinates me and God draws me closer to himself as I do this. In college, my degree was actually in Bible and I was the nerd in class that loved to write exegetical papers that were 20-30 pages long. Today I started a new study that focuses on the Tabernacle and how God longs to be close to us, which is what brought me to the final part of today's post.

Do you know that God pursues YOU? Do you know that everything that he has done since the beginning of time was so that he could have a personal relationship with YOU? Do you know that no matter where you are in life, what choices you have made or are making, he WANTS YOU? He LOVES you? He wants to RECONCILE you to himself?

Whether you believe in God or not I want you to take a moment and think about instances in your life where it seemed that something was beckoning to your heart. You felt something beautiful take place in front of you and some part of you felt like that was done just for you. That was your Father beckoning to you. I thought I would share my most recent experience with you:

It is no secret to those that know me well that I have wanted to leave my current home for many, many years. I have wanted to uproot my family and move west. I grew up in a small town up North and I felt that my children needed to have that same experience of snowy winters and small town nostalgia. Over the past three years my husband has received three wonderful job offers. Two were in Colorado and the most recently one was in Washington state. Both places that I have always DREAMED of living and raising my family. But for various odd reasons we ended up turning all three down or odd things have happened to make the move not possible. The truth is that God has been refining my heart to listen to him. This past Christmas it snowed on Christmas here in Georgia. In the 18 years that I have lived here, that has happened only one other time. In fact, every Christmas I am usually sad because there is no snow on the ground. As we were leaving my mother's house after a wonderful Christmas, the snow was falling down all around me and I just began to cry. I knew in that moment that God had sent the snow just for me. It was the first Christmas in over 18 years that I hadn't been sad on Christmas because there was no snow. It was the first Christmas I hadn't spent dreaming of what a White Christmas would be like in a home out West. And here the snow came down. I knew in that moment, that God sent the snow to remind me how much he loved me and how much he had blessed my life. That is who God is, He can bring beauty out of ashes. He can use something as simple as snow to change a heart.

So today I want to encourage those of you who may feel sad, lonely, or just plain depressed to look for the beauty in your life and know that God is within that beauty. That no matter where you are in life, he loves you deeply and wants nothing more than to fill that aching hole in your heart with his perfect love. It may be in the eyes of your children, the sun setting on your way home from work, the kindness of a neighbor, snowflakes, or simply the sound of your favorite song on the radio. He loves you right where you are.

Happy Valentine's Day and I pray that you see the beauty in your ashes!

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Green Blog Hop!

2011-02-07T21:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the 5th week of the Green Mama Blog Hop!

Please only join this hop if you deem your blog as 'green'. It doesn't matter if you are a beginner or if you're a pro.. this Green Mama Blog Hop is for you!

~Lovely Hostesses~

Tales of the Wife