Wednesday, September 30, 2009

ivory soap experiment (ptoe, oxygen)




ivory soap experiment (ptoe, oxygen)

Posted using ShareThis

I found this amazingly fun and of course totally educational experiment on 5 Orange Potatoes!! You'll love it! Be sure to click on the title to go to 5 Orange Potatoes and learn how to do this with your little ones! You'll love it! The photos are from 5 Orange Potatoes!!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Green your Face Wash!!

If you are like me, you are always looking to go Green with out braking the bank! Making your own products would be my favorite way to go! Buying in bulk is wonderful and you can make a lot of products that way. I found a wonderful website with a recipe to make your own face wash.

"Making your own face wash helps you go green because…


* You have total control over the ingredients in your face wash, eliminating harmful chemicals that serve as preservatives, synthetic detergents and artificial fragrances in conventional face washes.
* There is no energy wasted on shipping or packaging.
"


These quotes are taken from GreenYour.com

For the full article, be sure to visit GreenYour's website.

How to make your own face wash


1. Mix oatmeal and sugar with water to create a natural, cleansing facial scrub.[1]
2. Steam your face for a deep cleanse. Lean over a bowl of boiling water and drape a towel over your head. Add essential oils or herbs like lavender and rosemary to the water if desired.[2]
3. Mash bananas with honey or avocados with olive oil and smooth on face for 15-20 minutes for clean, smooth skin.[3]
4. Milk is a popular natural cleanser due to the beta-hydroxyl and lactic acids that exfoliate and smooth skin. Leave milk on the skin for 10-15 minutes before rinsing off thoroughly.[4] Because milk is an animal by-product, buy local or organic milk to support cruelty-free dairy products if you are concerned.


Glossary

* parabens: This family of preservatives (which includes methyl-, ethyl-, propyl- and butyl-parabens) can affect the endocrine system, which produces the body's hormones.
* phenoxyethanol: A toxic chemical that poses potential risks to pregnancy, fertility and early human development.[9]
* triclosan: An antibacterial agent that can cause everything from skin and eye irritation to the formation of dioxin and chloroform under the right circumstances. Both are probable carcinogens.


Recipe was taken from GreenYour.com.

Monday, September 21, 2009

CLARIFICATIONS!!

The most recent postings I have made about the GIVEAWAYS I want to be very CLEAR that they are GIVEAWAYS from my favorite blog PASSIONATE HOMEMAKING by Lindsay Edmonds. She has an amazing Blog filled with a lot of useful information and fun giveaways too! Please note that any and all information posted about her blog comes directly from her blog and you should always click on the TITLE or on the DIRECT LINKS posted on each post. This will take you DIRECTLY TO HER BLOG where you can find all the relevant information on each post that I have posted about her blog! I want to make sure this amazing woman and totally awesome blogger gets all the credit!! Thank you very much!
Amy

Anniversary Celebration: Cultures for Health Giveaway!


Have you heard of the wonderful starter cultures and kefir grains offered by Cultures for Health? I recently stumbled upon this company and was delighted not only to find they were local to me, but also to see the excellent line of healthy cultural starter kits they offer to get you started on boasting your health with probiotics.

Have you been wanting to make your own homemade yogurt? Simple. With Cultures for Health yogurt starter and standard milk, you just combine it with a quart of milk and let it sit on your counter for 12 hours. If you use raw milk, you can make your own raw milk yogurt without even heating the milk (beyond preparing your starter) and it turns out amazingly thick and creamy. You can protect the majority of the delicate nutrients in raw milk this way! You only have to heat a small portion of milk to build your starter and from there you can add a bit of this starter to your raw milk and set it on the counter and it will culture in a matter of hours. It is the best homemade yogurt I have tried yet – rich and creamy. If you take proper care of your starter, you will only have to purchase the dehydrated starter once and away you go! The yogurt starter comes with very clear directions for using pasteurized or raw milk.

Cultures for Health also offers water kefir grains, milk kefir grains, sourdough starter, buttermilk starter and also sorts of sprouting and fermenting tools. This is a great place to stock up on some helpful tools for natural eating. These products will save you money by allowing you to make it yourself! Not only is it economical, but it will be more nutritious and fresh coming from your kitchen!

Today, Cultures for Health is offering three winners the choice of their favorite culture starter! Your choices include: milk or water kefir grains, one of the three yogurt starters, kombucha starter, sourdough starter or buttermilk starter.


Anniversary Celebration: Cultures for Health Giveaway!

Another GIVE AWAY posted by my favorite blogger: Passionate Homemaking!! Click on the Title to go directly her blog!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Anniversary Celebration: NaturOli Body Products giveaway!


Anniversary Celebration: NaturOli Body Products giveaway!


Today, we invite you to check out NaturOli’s line of natural skin care products. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the wonderful selection of body care that NaturOli offers. You will find NaturOli’s products rate very low on the Skin Deep Database, and are very high quality, wonderfully nourishing to the skin, and perfectly safe for you and your family. They give complete full disclosure on the ingredients in each item. My favorite skin care product in their line has been the soap nuts soap bars. They use soap nuts in their recipe to provide a delightful soap for all your bathing needs. The crushed soap nuts make it a bit rough to apply directly to the skin, but if you lather it up between you hands before applying, it is well worth the effort! We use it on all of us now and love it! No more dry skin issues here. We have also tried the body creme, massage/intimacy oil (their #1 highest selling skin care formula on Amazon), and foot lotion and have enjoyed each of these products. I can’t wait to try the new soap nuts shampoo bar!

NaturOli is offering two wonderful skin care gift baskets to giveaway today in light of our celebration! Each gift basket will include six trial size skin care products of your choice and one soap nuts soap bar. Let me just inform you as well that their trial sizes are not the average trial size. They are a full 1 ounce of product. They contain a significant amount to sample and experiment with. My samples lasted forever! So if you just want to try out their products, this is an awesome way to go! You will not be disappointed!

BE SURE TO CLICK ON THE TITLE TO GO DIRECTLY TO PASSIONATE HOMEMAKING TO ENTER THE CONTEST!!

Anniversary Celebration: Bugaloo Kids giveaway!


Anniversary Celebration: Bugaloo Kids giveaway!

Do you want some cute adorable little leather shoes for your little one? You don’t have to go far to find Bugaloo Kids designs to be very affordable and adorable in the same place! We love these little shoes for our kids, and they are long lasting and fit forever! And at only $15 dollar a pair you are looking at a very reasonable price. Bugaloo Kids is a small business started by my sweet cousin, Heidi Wells, who designs all the shoes with her creative juices. She also lives right here in Vancouver, WA…so I see her work all the time! Heidi also has a heart for the world and donates 5% of her profits to help end child slavery.

Today, in light of our anniversary celebration we are giving away one pair of Bugaloo Kids shoes to a special winner!

BE SURE TO CLICK ON THE TITLE TO GO DIRECTLY TO PASSIONATE HOMEMAKING TO ENTER THE CONTEST!!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Homemade Natural Diaper Cream & Lotion


Coconut oil and raw shea butter are the perfect combination for a safe, natural and simple diaper cream or hand lotion. Shea butter is wonderful for its natural healing and moisturizing properties. It is rich in Vitamins A, E, and F, which help to soothe, hydrate, and balance the skin. Make sure to select raw shea butter, because many companies use bleaches, deodorizers, or chemicals to alter the scent and appearance of shea butter. These processings deplete the product of its healing and medicinal properties, and also destroy the vitamins and minerals present. You will know if it is raw by its distinguished nutty smell. Coconut oil is also very nourishing and moisturizing to the skin and has great anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

This is definitely a powerhouse for defeating yeast infections as well. We love it now! I used to have to switch my babies over to disposables when a rash hit, but with this salve, it heals wonderfully even when wearing cloth diapers. I recommend using a thick doubler/liner when applying this salve if you use cloth diapers to protect their warranty. My dipes are out of warranty, so we use it directly on their bum with the diaper and it has not caused any repealing issues. It washes out beautifully. This recipes works for a awesome natural lotion as well, helping to sooth dry and cracked skin. You may want to add some lavender (or other) essential oil for fragrance for use as hand lotion because shea butter gives it a nutty smell and may not be preferred if you like a real fragrant lotion.




How to make your own?


1/8 cup coconut oil (extra virgin is preferred)
1/4 cup raw shea butter (or the entirety of a 4 oz container)
3-4 Tablespoons talc-free cornstarch or arrowroot power (optional, to thicken) -Learn more about avoiding talc here.

Combine coconut oil and shea butter in a small bowl with a hand mixer or stick blender. You may have to soften the shea butter just slightly over very low heat in order to incorporate them well together, but it should combine well with a mixer. Add cornstarch or arrowroot a tablespoon at a time until you achieve the desired thickness. It will look similar to a whipped icing.That’s it! Transfer to a small covered container and place at your changing station. Keep a small portion in the diaper bag as well. Apply liberally with each diaper change as a preventative and rash salve. There are many more complicated homemade varieties out there, but this simple recipe has done the trick for us! Makes about 1 cup.

We buy our extra virgin coconut oil and raw shea butter from Mountain Rose Herbs. You can use refined coconut oil on the skin as it is a cheaper variety. Unrefined is preferred for eating.

BE SURE TO CLICK ON THE TITLE TO GO DIRECTLY TO PASSIONATE HOMEMAKING! I LOVE THIS BLOG AND I LOVE WHAT SHE HAS TO SHARE!! YOU'LL LOVE IT TOO!! CHECK IT OUT TODAY!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Calendula officinalis (Pot Marigold or Poet)


Calendula officinalis (Pot Marigold or Poet’s Marigold)

Posted using ShareThis

No one should live with out Calendula, especially if you have children! It's an amazing moisturizer and it's amazing for cute little baby tushies!! I was psyched to see how easy it is to make your own so come on~hop to it!! :) I do realize that unless you live on the west coast, you won't be making this until next year, but hey~thinking ahead here, go with it!! :)



CLICK ON THE TITLE TO GO DIRECTLY TO 5 ORANGE POTATOES FOR MORE!!

Free Shipping With NaturOli!!



TWO Free Shipping Offers plus
Extra Bonus Points for You & Yours

ONE: This week (ending Friday the 18th at midnight) you will get free shipping on orders over $29.

TWO: For the remainder of the month you will get free shipping on orders over $49.

PLUS: For the rest of the month, you will also receive your regular bonus points - plus an extra point for every dollar a new customer referred by you spends in our store. If they register (no strings attached and totally private) they will start receiving their own points, too. Please ask them to enter your name (as we have it in our records) in the comments section upon checkout.

(Free shipping is standard ground shipping - normally only on orders over $100. If you choose another option you will be given credit for standard shipping.) This includes items on sale, too.
Don't worry that the storefront states "over $100" - you'll see it adjusted for you. :-)

Shop Now!

BE SURE TO VISIT PASSIONATE HOMEMAKING! I LOVE THIS BLOG AND I LOVE WHAT SHE HAS TO SHARE!! YOU'LL LOVE IT TOO!! CHECK IT OUT TODAY!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Valentine Pocket from an Old Sweater





Valentine Pocket from an Old Sweater

CLICK ON THE TITLE TO GO DIRECTLY TO 5 ORANGE POTATOES FOR DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO MAKE THESE CUTE LITTLE VALENTINES POCKETS!!

JUST SEW CUTE!!



I know that you'll really enjoy this new business on ETSY!! My friend Megan Koeteman and my sis-in-law Jill Fisher have put together this cute little business and had their debut in St.Joseph at the Josephine Expo! They now have it up on ETSY. They make beautiful, hip baby items! Be sure to check them out today!! Just click on the title to go to their website and put your order in today!!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Encouragement for Weary Mothers




We all need a little encouragement from time to time. We need it from each other. We need to give encouragement to each other. I hope when you read this post from Passionate Homemaking, you will be encouraged and be inspired to encourage others! Be sure to click the link to read more!


Encouragement for Weary Mothers

CLICK ON THE LINK ABOVE TO GO DIRECTLY TO PASSIONATE HOMEMAKING FOR MORE!!

About Our Family

My photo
Missouri, United States
Clinton and I live in Missouri. Clinton works for CED, Inc. It is an electrical distributing company. He works in Inside Sales right now and is training for Outside Sales. I am an Independent Marketing Consultant for Melaleuca. I work from home and I really love what I do. Cora is 3 years old and she is so excited about starting Preschool in the fall. She loves everything Princess and her favorite color is Pink! Miles is 2 and he loves CARS the movie and is really into Thomas the Train as well. He is a ball of Fire and keeps us on our toes! And in keeping with stereotypes, loves the color Blue. Well, Wyatt Evan Fisher is here now!! He arrived at 5:03pm on June 22, 2008!! We are so very blessed and so very excited! He's 7 pounds and 5 ounces, 20 inches long! Healthy and so very handsome! We are so blessed and so proud of our new baby boy! Precious blessing from God!

Fisher Farm Family Cookout!

Fisher Farm Family Cookout!
Cora was swinging with her cousins.



Fun Fall Pictures!

We had a blast taking the kids pictures! It was a gorgeous fall day and the kids were in great moods! We really loved Miles "cheese" face! We tried to get him to say something else so he'd actually have a smile instead of the "cheese" lips! :)

I have included some of Hannah, Major and Cannon. They are great friends of Cora, Miles and Wyatt. We have had a great time being neighbors and friends! We have been really enjoying doing things together.



Cheese Lips!


Again with the lips! :)



The Ulitmate Mud Puddle Adventure

Miles LOVES Puddles! We have had a lot of rain lately and so the dead end fills up quickly with the run off. This is such a great joy for Miles. He loves water and jumping into puddles and making quite a mess of things! Take in mind that it's October and quite chilly out~this means nothing to Miles~he feels no cold. Now, since daddy took the pictures, please excuse the fuzzy ones! :)






Painting the Pirate Ship!

Cora and Miles love painting! They had a great time painting and I had a wonderful time watching them, taking pictures, laughing, being amazed at how quickly they are growing up, in awe of their creativeness. I am so blessed to be their mom. What a precious gift God has given me. I am so thankful!





Puddin'

I decided that it would be fun to let the kids play with their snack as a sensory activity! So, we had chocolate pudding to "paint" and granola and dried fruit to "decorate the painting" and their bodies as the "canvas"! It was a hit!

Miles wasn't sure at first~he usually revels in messes, but this time Mom was "letting" him and he just didn't know what to think about that! It didn't take him long to get into it though.

Cora had a great time and she dug in right away! When Dad came home from work, she invited him to join the fun as well! He took off his shirt and soon he was the canvas that the kids were painting! Cora wanted to make sure that his entire back was covered!

Wyatt remained an outsider to the event~which I am sure he appreciated! He really enjoys watching his brother and sister play. He smiled and laughed and cooed a lot! It was a really enjoyable time for us all! If you haven't had fun with pudding, I suggest you try!

Cora and her "Pudding Art Creation"

Cora and her "Pudding Art Creation"
We have chocolate pudding, granola, and dried fruit!

Puddin' face!

Puddin' face!

Miles was just getting started!

Miles was just getting started!

Now we are getting the hang of it!

Now we are getting the hang of it!

Cora loved the feel of the "squishy" pudding in her fingers!

Cora loved the feel of the "squishy" pudding in her fingers!

Daddy jumping in the fun!

Daddy jumping in the fun!

HMMMM......

HMMMM......

Almost got it all......

Almost got it all......

The Finished Paintings!

The Finished Paintings!

Now with silly faces!

Now with silly faces!

Cora's First Day of School!

Cora's First Day of School!

It was chilly morning.

At School

At School
In front on her school.

Her Cubby

Mrs. Creason~Cora's Teacher

Mrs. Creason~Cora's Teacher

Oh bath time!

Oh bath time!

May I Help You?

May I Help You?

Here's lookin' at you kid!

Here's lookin' at you kid!

Wondering if we could just go on our walk already!

Please???

Please???

Wyatt always falls asleep in his backpack on our walks!

Playing in the sprinkler!

Playing in the sprinkler!

Hannah, Grant, and Cora~Umbrellas to "save them" from getting wet....didn't work out so well!

Hannah, Grant, and Cora~Umbrellas to "save them" from getting wet....didn't work out so well!
Hannah and Grant are our neighbors. Hannah lives next door and Grant lives caddy corner across the street.

Hannah's brother Major.

Hannah's brother Major.
Major and Miles are good friends~they love to play together!

Fort Umbrella~all the kids are inside.

Fort Umbrella~all the kids are inside.

Miles coming to join the Umbrella Crew.

Miles coming to join the Umbrella Crew.

Cora Loves Playing With Finn!

Cora Loves Playing With Finn!

Clinton Jumping Over Cora!

Clinton Jumping Over Cora!

We take Jason's Dog Disel, for a walk everyday! Cora likes to hold the leash by herself.

We take Jason's Dog Disel, for a walk everyday! Cora likes to hold the leash by herself.

Cora LOVES to ride her bike! Everytime we are outside, she's on her bike!

Cora LOVES to ride her bike! Everytime we are outside, she's on her bike!

Miles Messes

Miles loves to make messes! This montage of cereal was waiting for me one morning and boy was I happy about it..... This isn't the first (or the last ~ I'm sure) time this has happened. If you don't get him food the moment you hear him wake up~BEWARE! Oh the joys of parenthood!

Miles Helping Himself to Breakfast.....

Miles Helping Himself to Breakfast.....

Cora and Aunty A making Cheese Cake!

Cora and Aunty A making Cheese Cake!

BIG SISTER

BIG SISTER

Cora is always asking to hold Wyatt

Cora is always asking to hold Wyatt

How Sweet

How Sweet

Into the face paint from halloween.....

Into the face paint from halloween.....

Miles thought Wyatt needed some too!

Miles thought Wyatt needed some too!

Bath Time

Bath Time

4th of July

4th of July

Four Wheelin' Anyone?

Miles loves Uncle Paul's four wheeler! He just loves to run to the shed, get the helmet on (which used to terrify him) and climb on! If he can talk daddy into it (which isn't a hard thing), he gets to ride all over the farm!


Clinton Painting Cora's Nails

Clinton Painting Cora's Nails

Angela and Jeremy Reynolds

Angela and Jeremy Reynolds
This is my best friend and her husband.

Wyatt's first week!

We had so much fun spending Wyatt's First Week of life with Nani and Pop Pop! We drove down right after we were released from the hospital and Wyatt proved to be a great little traveler! He never made a peep! Cora and Miles were great helpers and loved having their baby brother in between them. Every time we got out of the car, Cora would say,"Mom! Don't forget our baby!" It was really cute. It was a lot of fun for the cousins to get a chance to spend time together too. It was a great week!

Our First Family Pic!

Our First Family Pic!

Playing Time

Playing Time
In Nani and Pop Pop's basement playing!

Balloon Swords!

Balloon Swords!
Safe Play?

Ping Pong anyone?

Ping Pong anyone?
Miles couldn't wait for his turn to play ping pong

Nani and Cora

Nani and Cora
They had matching hats! It was so much fun!

Proud Grandparents!

Proud Grandparents!

All the Kids with Nani and Pop Pop!

All the Kids with Nani and Pop Pop!

Diaper Head!

Diaper Head!
He decided that it would be fun to put his swim diaper on his head! He made the return trip home a funny affair!

Cora wanted to do diaper head too!

Cora wanted to do diaper head too!

The Arrival of Wyatt!

We were so very excited for the arrival of Wyatt! He arrived two weeks early, much to everyone's surprise! On June 22, 2008, at 6:30am, I noticed that it was going to be a very special day! I woke Clinton up and we began the "run around". We had to get everything cleaned and packed and ready for the next week. We arrived at the hospital and everything took off from there! He arrived at 5:03pm and was 7 pounds 5 ounces , 20 inches long. Just perfect! He was our smallest baby, but the size of a regular full term baby! He just seemed so tiny to us! And to think that most people have babies his size! We couldn't be more thrilled with our new little man! He is so precious to us! He is very content and sleeps very well! You can't ask for more than that!

Baby Wyatt is coming!

Baby Wyatt is coming!
I wanted a picture before Wyatt made his grand entrance!

Our Precious Little Man!

Our Precious Little Man!
Just a few minutes after he was born!

Mom and Baby!

Mom and Baby!
I couldn't be more thrilled with him!

Dad and his Son

Dad and his Son
He is so proud of his boy!

Big Sis and Wyatt!

Big Sis and Wyatt!
She sang "Mary had a little lamb" to him! It was so cute!

Wyatt Evan Fisher!

Wyatt Evan Fisher!
Our Precious Baby Boy! Loves to look around!

Nani and Pop Pop!

Nani and Pop Pop!
Happy Family!

Pop Pop and Wyatt!

Pop Pop and Wyatt!
Pop Pop was able to cut the cord! How cool!

Wyatt and Nani!

Wyatt and Nani!
We loved having Nani there for the Birth!

Uncle Jason!

Uncle Jason!
It was great to have Uncle Jason come and visit!

Summer 2008!

We are having a lot of fun this summer right in our own back yard! We got the kids a little pool that they love and a swing that I (Amy) love so that we could enjoy being outside together as a family! God has blessed us with great children, great weather, and so much love for each other. I am always thankful for how well the kids get along. I am looking forward to seeing how Wyatt will fit with our little family.

Cora is growing up so fast and she is "teaching" Miles new things all the time! Miles grows so fast "learning" from his big sister and he loves to copy her. He follows her and repeats what she says and does what she does. It is really sweet to see them playing together and learning from each other.

Umbrella Time

Umbrella Time
Cora loves her little umbrella!

Fun in the Summer Sun!

Fun in the Summer Sun!
They love their little pool!

Pool Time!

Pool Time!
They love Splashing in the Pool!!

Eatting Pluots!

Eatting Pluots!
Snack time in the pool! Can't get any better than that!

We love eachother!

We love eachother!
They are best friends!

Cora and Miles Club House!

Cora and Miles Club House!
They love this little house!

Painting!

Painting!
The kids discovered that if you get chalk wet, it makes "paint"!

Coloring!

Coloring!
Cora loves to color.

My yellow picture!

My yellow picture!
Cora wanted to make sure that I took a picture of her with her picture!

My Favorite Cuties!

My Favorite Cuties!
They are such posers!

My Studly Man!

My Studly Man!
Miles is such a big boy!

Precious Princess!

Precious Princess!
Cora is such a Princess!