tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9357301436537168432024-02-06T20:21:01.138-08:00Green's Going Green....and Everything In BetweenMy efforts to go green, get healthy and return to simplicity.Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.comBlogger280125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-21255285555104595752012-12-04T11:55:00.001-08:002012-12-04T11:55:23.535-08:00Monstrous<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Figure One: Boy</span></strong></em></div>
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Figure Two: Boy's Pants</span></em></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My little J is quite the rough and tumble boy. He is hard on his clothes and they often become unwearable before they are outgrown. I don't mind a hole here and there, especially if he's just hanging around the house with me. But while doing the laundry this past weekend I realized that J has a hole in EVERY SINGLE PAIR of jeans he owns. This means two things: 1)He's going to need new jeans soon and 2) I'm going to have to learn how to mend!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Since I'm in no mood for shopping, I decided to mend some of the holes to keep them from getting bigger and to extend the life of his britches. It's the green and sustainable thing to do right? Repair and reuse? I came across <a href="http://www.oneartsymama.com/2012/04/little-monster.html">a tutorial</a> that taught you how to create a monster patch using felt. The result was adorable and looked easy enough.....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflU3nyTidF_0wTuhzuhFhlNS2vAifobnU1vvfjYv2PlPxMZiOqgdG6xii7tEa5-aYEq5q2lDzdbve-Fnv_kX6JNXzmWwVmzm_yYubx9sFo76BiaHLaf6jva65nQz-xwNaYBn7Hyw2saA/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflU3nyTidF_0wTuhzuhFhlNS2vAifobnU1vvfjYv2PlPxMZiOqgdG6xii7tEa5-aYEq5q2lDzdbve-Fnv_kX6JNXzmWwVmzm_yYubx9sFo76BiaHLaf6jva65nQz-xwNaYBn7Hyw2saA/s320/005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Until it wasn't. Okay. I'm no professional seamstress but I should be able to handle a patch job!! First of all, the "fusible" fleece that I used for the teeth did not fuse so I had to stitch them on to the felt patch. That wasn't too much of an inconvenience but the curse words started flying when I had to get those itty bitty pants on my sewing machine. Impossible! I squished. I scrunched. I pulled. I twisted. How in the world do you get those tiny pant legs under the needle without sewing both sides together?? Good thing the stitches are supposed to be "monster messy!" The eyes were cut from the same non-fusing fusible fleece as the teeth and were sewed down with a button that I hand stitched.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Though the result isn't exactly how I pictured it, I suppose from a distance, the pants still look pretty cute. At least one pair of his pants has been salvaged. But until I figure out how to wrestle his pants on to my machine, there will be NO MORE monster patches!!</span><br />
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Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-6508542659786619722012-11-27T19:37:00.000-08:002012-11-27T19:37:58.186-08:00Whip It Good<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have been using coconut oil to moisturize my children's skin for a couple of years now. It's cheap, it smells good, and it doesn't contain any weird ingredients that cause their sensitive skin to rebel. After their bath each night, we slather them down in organic coconut oil before sliding them into their PJ's and off to bed. J's eczema has all but disappeared since we stopped "chemicalizing" him and we only have to deal with an occasional dry patch on his cheeks or tummy. I've made him a special salve with calendula and chamomile for those spots and with diligent application, they fade away in about a week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I've been trying to incorporate more coconut oil into our daily lives, both by cooking with it and by using it in the body care products I make. Experts claim that coconut oil can help with just about everything from hair and skin health, to lowering cholesterol levels and helping maintain a healthy weight. And the fact that it smells like a tropical vacation doesn't hurt either!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Anyway, I do NOT use coconut oil as a moisturizer as my children do. I tried to but ended up feeling like a greased pig, a glistening Hawaiian Tropic model gone terribly wrong. It <em>does </em>soak in eventually but rarely do I have the time to lounge naked, waiting for my coconut oil to absorb before I dress and get on with my day. Who does?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I've been wanting to make my own lotion for quite some time but the emulsification process is intimidating. Oh the blending! The blending! I came across a </span><a href="http://www.rawmazing.com/homemade-body-butter-recipe/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">recipe for body butter</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> that looked easy as pie and required NO tricky emulsification techniques. Melt, chill and whip! That's it. So, so easy.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used olive oil instead of almond since that is what I had on hand.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And oh, what a glorious concoction it is! Silky, fluffy, buttery goodness that melts right in to the skin and leaves it glowing and quenched. No greasy, glistening pig here thankyouverymuch. My DIY body butter is free of freaky chemicals and is inexpensive to boot. Gently scooped out and placed in my empty shea butter container, I'm sure to have healthy, luminous skin for months to come.</span><br />
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<br />Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-85910817727274124152012-11-18T14:19:00.000-08:002012-11-18T14:19:22.590-08:00Back At It<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I've had a rough couple of months. It's been very difficult and I expect it will continue to be for a while. I've been "emotional auto-pilot" and in order to cope, I let a lot of things fall to the wayside. It was everything I had to just to exist. I cooked less, exercised less, cleaned less, created less and slept a whole lot more. But as I slowly adjust to what my new normal is going to be, I'm creeping out from the shadows and starting to pick up where I left off. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Today was beautiful fall day in the desert and just the thing I needed to get moving in the right direction. Our yard and garden have been sorely neglected since the end of the summer so we spent a few hours cleaning up and making plans for our next planting. Like many gardens in the desert, ours is watered by automatic irrigation which we never shut off after the intense summer sun fried what was left of our crops. Lower temperatures and ample water caused an explosion of weeds and other unwanted foliage but buried under the mess we found some of our hardier plants had survived and were thriving!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My herbs, though tangled in bermuda grass, are huge. The basil, thyme and rosemary are enormous! Our artichoke plants came back and look healthy as ever. We found a few eggplants and tomatillos hiding in the shadows of a huge tumbleweed. And peppers. OH. MY. GOODNESS. POUNDS of cayenne, cherry peppers, bell peppers and jalapenos. My hubby makes his own hot sauce but with this many peppers he'll be able to make a gallon or two!</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Our lemon tree is also heavy with fruit. Not all of them are quite ready but the kids had a great time picking a pile big enough for my husband's famous lemon chicken (with our newly rediscovered backyard herbs!) and a pan of lemon squares.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And while we were picking and cleaning, K found a praying mantis hiding in the bushes. We've seen a few of these interesting creatures in our yard but this one happened to be eating a wolf spider. My kids watched him eat until he was finished. I don't think they've been that rapt with anything in a long time!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wish I had a better lense so I could get closer but if you really look you can see the spider!</td></tr>
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Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-45568570466854722892012-08-28T08:20:00.000-07:002012-08-28T08:20:58.538-07:00Get It Together<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I love to organize. You may take one look at my house and think otherwise but really....I love to do it! How do you break into the professional organizer business anyway?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">These past couple of weeks I've been working on a home management binder to help me keep track of important, day to day tasks. I have seen examples of home management, also called home keeping, binders and my first thought was WOW. These people are NUTSO! Some women had huge binders with categories for everything from cleaning schedules to ovulation charts! But the idea stuck with me and I realized that I could create a binder for my family that wasn't fussy and ultra functional. Here's how I broke it down:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Important Numbers</strong>-These are frequently used numbers that I always have to look up on the internet if ever I need to call them. My list includes police, fire, poison control, my children's schools, doctors, dentists, my husband's work numbers and the local pizza place.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Birthdays and Anniversaries</strong>-I am good at remembering the months of these occasions....just not the day! So instead of calling my mother-in-law or my mom for the umpteenth time, I emailed everyone and created a chart with room to grow. I printed it out and BAM! Never an excuse to forget to mail that card on time!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Calenders</strong>-I included both of my children's school calendars as well as my husband's work calendar. It's easier to make plans when I can see what everyone is doing all at the same time!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Finance</strong>-This is my favorite tab. I have never been very organized when it comes to money. Can you believe I haven't actually balanced our checkbook in years?? I have tried using various computer programs to keep track but I never got in the habit of using them. I like to write things down. I included a register to keep track of purchases and watch our balance, and a list of automatic debits so I know when they will be taking money from my account. I also created a tax worksheet to keep track of our out of pocket medical expenses, car registration fees, and charitable donations. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Contacts</strong>-This one is pretty self explanatory. Putting my address book with all the other paperwork just makes things easier for me.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Meals and Nutrition</strong>-This is where I keep my list of my family's 21 favorite meals, along with my weekly meal planning sheets. I used to just write my meal plans on scrap paper but I'm hoping to keep them all in the binder and when I'm absolutely stuck I can just pull out an old plan and use it. Also, I find it helpful to track my food from time to time and this is the space where I'll keep my food journal.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The binder was incredibly easy to put together and I love that I have all the necessary paperwork in one place instead of stashed in drawers and piled on counter tops and desks. I like that that the binder can grow and change with my family's needs by adding or subtracting categories. I am fully aware that the "greener" option would be to digitize all of this information but a)I spend enough time on the computer already and b) I wouldn't keep up with it! I <em>like</em> to write. It's cathartic. It makes me feel in control. Entering things into a computer program just isn't the same. This works for me and makes my life so much simpler!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Do you have a home management binder? If not, how do you keep the papers from piling up? </span><br />
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<br />Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-42419740134198559342012-08-23T13:46:00.000-07:002012-08-23T13:46:29.419-07:00That's Just Peachy<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As summer draws to close, I've been scrambling to eat as much summer fruit as I can get my hand on. Cherries, peaches, plums and apricots....oh how I will miss you! A few weeks pack I hit up an amazing sale and bought 10 pounds of peaches for 59 cents a pound. I blanched, peeled and chopped them and stuck them in the freezer until I had time to do something with them.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPaPFwsjNZ3JfnHg-SbLHjTgdLfpeOf3yGarT8HA68xIByqEnKDzZcSpqGcM_TzCNrwAxberBRsdFg3QRfdwE4E7quGR3DSqmUaP5KBeDCs5lIaqcFMbFs0BUEOyMwqYD6q2eBZ9msmo/s1600/peach1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPaPFwsjNZ3JfnHg-SbLHjTgdLfpeOf3yGarT8HA68xIByqEnKDzZcSpqGcM_TzCNrwAxberBRsdFg3QRfdwE4E7quGR3DSqmUaP5KBeDCs5lIaqcFMbFs0BUEOyMwqYD6q2eBZ9msmo/s320/peach1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Today, my son and I made peach jam with half of my frozen peaches. The other half will be dried into fruit leather I think. I am out of jam and actually had to <em>buy</em> (gasp!) jam at the store. When my children declared that the store bought jam "tastes weird," I knew I couldn't let my jam stores run dry again. And so, with minimal work and just a little bit of our afternoon, we have nine jars of summer-y goodness waiting to be eaten. Delicious!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Licking the jam spoon </td></tr>
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Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-90456173012426431572012-08-14T15:51:00.000-07:002012-08-14T15:51:06.233-07:00Doubles<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. School is starting (my son started pre K this morning!) and with that comes the end of my long, leisurely mornings where I had all the time in the world to make breakfast for my children. My daughter starts first grade this year and will be in school from 7:45 until 4:15. Not only I am responsible for packing a healthy, nourishing lunch and two snacks each day, I have to make sure she has a hearty breakfast to provide her with the energy and nutrients her little brain will need to concentrate in the classroom.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">J's first day of preschool</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Being the huge fan of sleep that I am, I don't forsee myself getting up early and preparing a morning feast. I have to get up early enough thankyouverymuch! To make sure my poor kids aren't eating cold cereal every day (even though they'd probably like that!) I have been doubling my recipes and freezing the extras for busy school mornings. Making sure my kids have a good, real food breakfast, along with eating momma made lunches and snacks, makes me feel a little better about the onslaught of the not so good for them snacks that may get doled out at school.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So far, my breakfast freezer arsenal contains:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">whole wheat waffles-served with peanut butter, real maple syrup, or summer solstice jam that didn't set and therefore is being used as syrup :)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">whole wheat banana pancakes-served with same as above</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">whole wheat banana chocolate chip muffins-served with fruit and almond milk yogurt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">carrot and zucchini mufffins-served with same as above</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">bacon-cook it, cool it, wrap it in wax paper and done! Served with eggs and toast.</span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcvTD4g13DqioMxwkILtjuNUnUBL8uUazp4pppccGX4hNrF6zUKxCPtPcJZ1MlUKvqFEgNbZtHASEc9mr6HuOcEV9RbmFp_8dlUnk0RRdfd9ZN-XTb0-b_WJp7pZlLYeGos6sfoweE_Y/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcvTD4g13DqioMxwkILtjuNUnUBL8uUazp4pppccGX4hNrF6zUKxCPtPcJZ1MlUKvqFEgNbZtHASEc9mr6HuOcEV9RbmFp_8dlUnk0RRdfd9ZN-XTb0-b_WJp7pZlLYeGos6sfoweE_Y/s320/003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's a LOT of waffles Momma!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Building your own breakfast arsenal isn't that hard. Double EVERYTHING! It is much less expensive than buying packaged breakfast foods, and it cuts back on waste as well. You control the ingredients. And most importantly, you might even get a few extra minutes of sleep!</span><br />
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<a href="http://s922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/?action=view&current=steph-signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/steph-signature.png" /></a>Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-12528886422361669512012-08-11T14:57:00.000-07:002012-08-11T14:57:25.902-07:00So Sweet<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm baaaaack! I told you I would be. July was a supremely BAD month for me and my family. And though everything is still a little....off....things are slowly getting better. There will be many challenges ahead but I think we're past the worst of it. I hope!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Anyway......</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">All the stress from the previous month has taken a toll on my body. I've been suffering from insomnia. My hair is falling out in handfuls. And my skin....oh heavens. My skin. My skin is behaving like the worst of teenagers. I have struggled with acne for quite some time now. Getting pregnant and having babies did something to my hormones and I don't think they've ever quite rebalanced themselves. Cleaning up my diet helped a LOT. Using more natural products and make up helped too. But still, especially when my day to day is topsy turvy, I experience large, tender, swollen cysts on my chin. I can feel them coming and they stick around for weeks!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As I was complaining (for the 876th time) to my mother about my complexion woes, she mentioned that she had been using honey to heal up a recent stress induced breakout of her own. She claimed her nightly honey mask not only took down the swelling and redness, but it was actually helping to heal the blemishes. And on top that, her skin was less oily, more glowy and just better all around.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This is not the first time I've heard of using honey to care for your face. A while back, one of my favorite natural beauty bloggers, </span><a href="http://www.crunchybetty.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Crunchy Betty</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">, preached about the wonders of honey and even went so far as to challenge her readers to wash their faces with honey and only honey for two weeks. I figured I had nothing to lose. Honey is antibacterial, antiseptic and a humectant. All good things. So I went to the cupboard, pulled out the honey, and smeared it all over my face.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I've used nothing but honey, morning and night, for four days now and here's what I've noticed:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1. My have-their-own-zip code cysts have shrunk significantly, to the point where they are no longer </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">painful. And the marks from previous blemishes seem to be fading.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2. My face is significantly less oily during the day. I'm not shiny ten minutes after washing!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3. My skin looks....glowy. Brighter. I could be imagining it but I really feel it looks less dull.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the honey I have been using.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So what are you waiting for? What have you got lose? Go put some food on your face! If you do decide to wash with honey, make sure you are <strong>using raw, unpasteurized honey</strong>. If it's got floaty bits in it all the better. Your typical honey bear honey has been heated (pasteurized) and all the good stuff has been cooked out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here's to naturally beautiful skin!</span></div>
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<a href="http://s922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/?action=view&current=steph-signature.png" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/steph-signature.png" /></span></a></div>Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-82493327692334681062012-07-20T21:23:00.002-07:002012-07-20T21:30:42.336-07:00Tomorrow Will Be Kinder<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">They say that bad things come in threes. I can only hope that's true. If it is, I'm done. It can only go up from here. If it turns out that bad things come in fours, well....I'd rather not think about it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The absolute last thing on my mind right now is writing. Instead, here is a song that has been on repeat both on my iPod, and in my heart.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">May tomorrow please....please...be kinder.</span><br />
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<br />Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-63509878123164885182012-07-04T14:05:00.000-07:002012-07-04T14:05:42.980-07:00Happy 4th of July!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It may not be your typical, perfect 4th of July BBQ weather but we're certainly not complaining. The rain is much needed and much appreciated. Besides, running and splashing in the rain is just as fun as a package of sparklers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Happy Independence Day!</span></div>
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<br />Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-67600348142736260422012-06-25T16:53:00.000-07:002012-06-25T16:53:33.037-07:00Flubber Fail<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In an effort to keep my children cool and entertained this summer, we've been trying a variety of activites that can be done cheaply and quickly, while using recycled and/or on hand materials. We can't be at the pool every day for crying out loud! Pinterest is GREAT for finding fun things to do and today we tried to make our own flubber.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I found what appeared to be an easy </span><a href="http://www.momto2poshlildivas.com/2012/01/flubber-gak-fun.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">tutorial</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> but something went awry. Instead of stretchy, slimy, flubbery goodness, our mixture hardened up and had NO stretch to it whatsoever. Too much borax I think. Undeterred by my failure, the kids thrust their hands into the bowl and began squishing it between their fingers. Though stiffer than traditional flubber, our "booger goo" as K called it, still proved to be a big hit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">They squished it.</span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">They rolled it.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdIF_XgSKbo8WxDjE7v9v3Jt5LCS7I3GTXY6t6NNZiS2lVcsteds_m8u69hd35LST_PpTJVWqYTtAKwU0oNWF8yHIdRKkWgzIz58CGgd3BOCuwtuhpcYWEI_qg_qt1w3Sz6UiC4Ldq80/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdIF_XgSKbo8WxDjE7v9v3Jt5LCS7I3GTXY6t6NNZiS2lVcsteds_m8u69hd35LST_PpTJVWqYTtAKwU0oNWF8yHIdRKkWgzIz58CGgd3BOCuwtuhpcYWEI_qg_qt1w3Sz6UiC4Ldq80/s320/015.JPG" width="251" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">They bounced it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">They got plain silly with it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I entertained my kids for an hour with borax and glue. What did <strong>you</strong> do today??</span></div>
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</div>Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-73726194501819904892012-06-17T11:44:00.000-07:002012-06-17T11:53:06.766-07:00My Head Itches<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Two months ago, my daughter came home from school, her carefully braided hair undone and unruly. When I asked what had happened, she explained that the school nurse had been checking her and her classmates for "bugs." Relieved that there were none to be found, I promptly forgot about the incident and carried on my merry way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Fast forward two months. K has an itchy head. I checked her scalp several times but saw nothing. I chalked it up to the chlorine. We have been in the pool nearly every day since school got out and all those pool chemicals really dry out your skin. But when my husband got out the flashlight and began digging around during bedtime stories, he saw something more than just dry skin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Creepy Crawlies. Bugs.<strong><span style="font-size: large;"> Lice</span></strong>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em><strong>I FREAKED OUT</strong></em>. I know it's common and it happens to 90% of children at some point in their lives, but I couldn't help but feel I did something wrong. K started getting teary eyed and I knew I needed to calm down before she freaked out too. So I did what any scared Mom would do....I ran to my friend Kelly's house who, as a first grade teacher, had battled head lice herself not two months prior. Not only did she have an extra bottle of lice killing shampoo AND a nit comb, she made me a margarita and helped me look for eggs (which are the same color as K's hair!) long in to the night. Yeah. She's awesome.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We bagged K's bedding and all of her stuffed animals to suffocate each and every critter that may reside inside them. I washed everyone's bedding and pillows in hot water and dried them on the highest setting. I shaved my son's head. And as anti-chemical as I am, I bleached what I could bleach and used a lice killing spray on our car seats, mattresses, couches, curtains and carpets to kill every last one of those suckers. I am taking NO chances. This is not something I want to go through again!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Of course I didn't use all those chemicals without guilt. I cringe to think of us sleeping on mattresses that I sprayed with pesticides. Using stuff like that is just SO unlike me. I always try to go natural first. But lice....lice may be my limit. I want it gone. It's okay if my homeade shower cleaner doesn't work the first time but if my homemade lice killer failed I'd be really, really upset. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">K sitting for her daily head check. The head lamp casts a blue light which really makes the eggs stand out.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To soothe my green ego, I did break out my favorite aromatherapy book and mix up a "lice repellant" spray. To one cup of water I added four drops each of eucalyptus, geranium and lavender. It is to be used after showering, sort of like a leave-in conditioning spray and it is supposed to keep the bugs from settling on your noggin in the first place. I made a bottle for K and one for me too. It smells pretty good and will hopefully repel any and all creepy crawlies!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">How about you? Have you had to deal with head lice? How did you treat it? Were you successful with any natural remedies?</span><br />
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<br />Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-92158271855569149492012-06-13T14:45:00.000-07:002012-06-13T14:45:50.879-07:00Drop It Like It's Hot<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>It's hot.</strong> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Surprise, surprise. My family and I spent a LOVELY week in Southern California where the temperature never whispered above a perfect seventy degrees. But as soon as we topped those coastal mountains and began descending back into the desert, the thermometer on the mini van climbed quickly and steadily until it read in the triple digits. And there it remains. It's not really even "hot" yet; I mean, 107 is hot for most people but it's only going to get hotter. The worst is yet to come!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkEmJae-qUoWl3Ic0Kq6Bi048wZLJo5rADSBSX52RQjLJxqEbN_tM2ZsCr8aeNqQntA7GPlu2_8lVMPsONafRNs_5mjvPvQuKOFEcFM8-ou-JnKsNgEI3gbuwzvHjbm2v5x8yW0FfpM4/s1600/062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkEmJae-qUoWl3Ic0Kq6Bi048wZLJo5rADSBSX52RQjLJxqEbN_tM2ZsCr8aeNqQntA7GPlu2_8lVMPsONafRNs_5mjvPvQuKOFEcFM8-ou-JnKsNgEI3gbuwzvHjbm2v5x8yW0FfpM4/s320/062.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">K and J enjoying a perfect SoCal day!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As much as I would love to spend our entire summer traveling to temperate climates, we do have to spend some of the season in the valley and deal with the oppressive heat. As soon as the temperature starts pushing 90, our house becomes cave-like as I draw the blinds and curtains, hoping to block the vicious sun and keep the cooled air in. We caulk and seal every nook and cranny to improve the efficiency of our home. But still, the AC kicks on more often than I'd like....and I have the electric bill to prove it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In a last ditch effort to keep our home cool and our wallets fat, we decided to invest in solar screens. Solar screens replace existing "bug" type screens and improve air-conditioning efficiency thereby lowering your energy costs. Woo hoo! That make this sweaty, green girl very happy. The screens we installed block 80% of UV exposure and they weren't terribly expensive either. Plus our house looks like it got a face lift AAAAND the screens make it impossible to see in from the outside. A definite bonus since my son's bedroom window is right by the front door. No more lookee loos!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEFYDOj7e09S74kAaF6vlKaBQkMPpS-svOwBAT9bF_KsB_vbAUk8cbwAcHl8bLj4pLqD-F-1jDlMS8TYUhIJ4ITLA69JYlfMaeZA6AbiZUAuwlZUzEQF71CTgEqmyAHVj40DTg-n3Jpo/s1600/solar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEFYDOj7e09S74kAaF6vlKaBQkMPpS-svOwBAT9bF_KsB_vbAUk8cbwAcHl8bLj4pLqD-F-1jDlMS8TYUhIJ4ITLA69JYlfMaeZA6AbiZUAuwlZUzEQF71CTgEqmyAHVj40DTg-n3Jpo/s1600/solar.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not my house....but that's what my screens look like!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have definitely noticed that our air kicks on less frequently than it did before we got the screens. I'm hoping I'll see a difference in our next utility bill too. Until then, you can find me in the pool with a homemade popsicle...</span><br />
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<br />Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-28002677218922159452012-05-30T11:26:00.001-07:002012-05-30T11:26:27.535-07:00The Situation<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.<br />-</em> Lewis Grizzard, writer and humorist</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have previously spoken about out tomato "situation." It's out of control really. Three bad harvests led us to plant an abundant variety of plants this year, in hopes that we would actually pull in a sizable crop. The garden gods have smiled upon us and everything in our yard is bursting with life. The tomato plants in particular. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We tried just eating them as they ripened, giving them away to anyone and everyone. But eventually they began reddening faster than we could slice them and it was quite clear that the time had come for us to preserve our fruit. We spent several hours in the hot desert sun pulling every last tomato we could find from the vines. And though I don't have any official measurements (what is the official measurement for tomatoes? Bushels?) we amassed an impressive and intimidating pile.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">First, we made salsa. Our garden is full of onions, jalapenos, garlic and tomatillos too so that seemed like a no brainer! Then we made bruchetta. I made a batch of marinara (which is AMAZING) and the rest were sliced and dehydrated. Scratch that. <em>Are in the process</em> of being dehydrated. My Excalibur has been running for five days! The tomato "chips" are good snacks by themselves but I will store some to be rehydrated for cooking and we want to try layering them with garlic and oil to make our own version of sun dried tomatoes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The pile has dwindled but as I look outside, I see hints of red peeking through the tangle of vines. There are more. <strong>MORE!</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I suppose I shouldn't have put my sauce pot away quite yet...</span></div>
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<br />Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-70448631981018649282012-05-25T10:32:00.000-07:002012-05-25T10:32:03.473-07:00See How My Garden GrowsWhile many around the country are just coaxing their tender seedlings from the soil, our garden has exploded. It helps that we get to plant in early February! Thing will slow down soon as temps are now consistently above 100 degrees but I'm enjoying the produce! I have regularly been hauling in eggplants, peppers, squash, peppers, beans, tomatoes, tomatillos, turnips and lettuces. So much bounty!<br />
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Our apricot tree delighted us this year with it's biggest crop yet....still not a big enough haul for jam but enough to allow my children to make a trip to the tree everyday at lunch for a week. <br />
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The pomegranate tree is LOADED. I'm excited to have a good juicer this year. I'm looking forward to lots of yummy juice!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6J93GJ_IW0wb_IWMkje1bYGyr0l4QkRkHth1pDbfmipjaomAny3zJLj36TS0JLD57GmELEnP8oeKLs_VWZHIhE1H3OcLV4SypPVptozsqqC7JCQM7hv7do9Uor4YynoXKxU0Pa3U2zE/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6J93GJ_IW0wb_IWMkje1bYGyr0l4QkRkHth1pDbfmipjaomAny3zJLj36TS0JLD57GmELEnP8oeKLs_VWZHIhE1H3OcLV4SypPVptozsqqC7JCQM7hv7do9Uor4YynoXKxU0Pa3U2zE/s320/019.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We are enduring what I affectionately call the "tomato situation." Three years of bad tomato harvests instilled an overzealous desire to plant a ridiculous number of tomato plants in hopes of getting enough fruit to preserve. Be careful what you wish for friends. Our plants, some nearly five feet tall, have given us SO MANY TOMATOES. We eat them at every meal and I give them away to neighbors and friends daily. My son ventures out each morning and fills a plastic tea kettle with cherry tomatoes for him to eat with his breakfast. We have enough to preserve...and then some!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We planted "cut and come again" lettuce this year and I love it. It's a perpetual salad bar!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Our melon vines are coming along. Cantaloupe and watermelon threaten to take over the east side of our yard.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And of course, the zucchini. I really don't know why I plant more than one plant. Zucchini's prolific reputation never disappoints! I've made zucchini bread every week for almost a month, including a delicious new chocolate zucchini bread I just tried yesterday. It's more of a cake than a bread but it's got squash in it so it's healthy, right? Here's the recipe:</span><br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />1/2 cup cocoa<br />1 teaspoon baking
soda<br />1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />1 teaspoon salt<br />1 1/2 cups sugar<br />3
eggs<br />1 cup canola oil<br />2 teaspoons vanilla<br />2 packed cups grated zucchini
(don’t peel it)<br />1 cup chocolate chips</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Preheat oven at 350 F. Spray two 9×5 inch pans with nonstick spray.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In a large bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and
salt.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Add the oil
and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients along with the zucchini and chocolate
chips. Stir just until combined, and divide between the loaf pans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the tops are cracked and springy to the
touch. Makes 2 cakes.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">How does your garden grow? Please share with us!</span><br />
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<br />Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-67523586275401283802012-05-21T10:57:00.001-07:002012-05-21T10:57:42.006-07:00Eclipse<br />
Yesterday's annular eclipse was pretty spectacular. I'd been geeking out about it for weeks. The last solar eclipse I vaguley remember was way back in in elementary school. I don't remember much. I recall the eerie half twlight, a box viewer over my head, and the lemonade my then teacher (Hi Mrs. Bassett!) provided us. Since annular eclipses are rare, I wanted to be sure my children had some sort of muddled memory of their mother peering into a cheerio box while they rode their bikes in the orangy glow of the eclipse.<br />
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I started by explaining the mechanics of a solar eclipse, artfully illustrated with the help of an apple, an orange and a ping pong ball. I gave a stern warning about looking directly at the eclipse....maybe too stern. My daughter cried for twenty minutes and refused to go outside because she was afraid she would go blind. Ooops. <br />
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After calming her down, we upcycled a cheerio box and a bit of almunium foil to make a pinhole viewer. It worked beautifully and both children were able to see the moon cross in front of the sun.<br />
We were located a little far south to see the famed "ring of fire" but the moon did cover about three quarters of the sun. <br />
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My cousin <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/JC-Photography-New-Mexico/184667381606478">Jacki</a>, who is located in New Mexico, had a better view of the eclipse. I just had to share these awesome photos she took!<br />
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Just amazing....absolutely amazing!<br />
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<br />Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-50535002370524427282012-05-14T19:09:00.002-07:002012-05-14T19:09:38.448-07:00Round 'Em Up<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This weekend, we drove to the family ranch and helped tag and brand the new spring calves. This was my children's first time helping with branding and they were the best little cowpokes I could ask for. At the end of the day we were sunburned, tired and filthy but happy and immensely satisfied. Family, friends, food and horses....simple and perfect.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When it comes to grassfed beef, we practice what we preach!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7p10Ay_clv1GaP-Y9gdeD87sx6L_wHqofd35yxdsbCmto0l7LtA2AHE5dVqYBi5w6OBQIz5w3V1sjyK_q4cPF8FiUtCUO-ka9b3XhNcZUWwxyIRvohHwWwbpw4VIw58mbBpJksJivHgs/s1600/branding4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7p10Ay_clv1GaP-Y9gdeD87sx6L_wHqofd35yxdsbCmto0l7LtA2AHE5dVqYBi5w6OBQIz5w3V1sjyK_q4cPF8FiUtCUO-ka9b3XhNcZUWwxyIRvohHwWwbpw4VIw58mbBpJksJivHgs/s320/branding4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From between the ears of my horse</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8GxH3wt2NlxPP8Y0qNoMOuyNaSp4bJ6_2NvTuTPJOxzN0lRC0gJN851wG0Vd9D1rHZ0JH68cdGzI2hP-TiNB8o9tLAxNAdicGw9TtrpL_8gJzk34hqPOxLa5hhZErpI4igDND41ol7lA/s1600/023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8GxH3wt2NlxPP8Y0qNoMOuyNaSp4bJ6_2NvTuTPJOxzN0lRC0gJN851wG0Vd9D1rHZ0JH68cdGzI2hP-TiNB8o9tLAxNAdicGw9TtrpL_8gJzk34hqPOxLa5hhZErpI4igDND41ol7lA/s320/023.JPG" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My husband M and little J after a few hours of gathering</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">K was in charge of the "nut bucket"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M flanking a calf</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Granddad and Uncle B cutting the herd</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7t9dTjiauNVTs-EAR6MV1NlXDfNpIBdrnud3N-j6t-hjExtRLudSGr0DU4t0HOZtzD2aiCUs19E7Uz588lSUyFtxonyeYQlBSQ1FUzhrK9ZGMjEwyGj4nrRn96z4yhvUAqdOo6xAnYeM/s1600/branding5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7t9dTjiauNVTs-EAR6MV1NlXDfNpIBdrnud3N-j6t-hjExtRLudSGr0DU4t0HOZtzD2aiCUs19E7Uz588lSUyFtxonyeYQlBSQ1FUzhrK9ZGMjEwyGj4nrRn96z4yhvUAqdOo6xAnYeM/s320/branding5.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">K waiting patiently on Kid</td></tr>
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<a href="http://s922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/?action=view&current=steph-signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/steph-signature.png" /></a>Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-11786133907060783262012-04-24T13:21:00.000-07:002012-04-24T13:21:43.552-07:00Get to Know Your Steak<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In an effort to maintain my "girlish" figure, I have embarked on a diet of sorts. Less of a diet, more of a lifestyle change. I've always been a regular exerciser but in the past year and a half I have been losing the battle of the bulge. Getting my ass kicked actually. Drastic times call for drastic measures folks. For going on three weeks I have been sugar, caffeine, dairy, and grain free. It's been hard. The first five days or so were <strong>hell</strong>. And just an hour an ago, I narrowly escaped the clutches of buttery, salted soft pretzel. But every day, it gets a little easier and I can already tell a difference in how I feel and how my pants fit.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So what <strong>do</strong> I eat? Vegetables. Lots of them. Fruit. Lots of those too. Nuts. Just a few. And meat. Lots of lean, pastured meat. Since upping my intake of animal proteins, I have been extra conscious about the kinds of meat I'm eating. Amidst all the "pink slime" controversy and now "</span><a href="http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/04/24/tuna-scrape-pink-slime-sushi-world/?iid=nf-author-trend-now"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">tuna scrape</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">," I want to know more about my meat's pre-plate life than ever before. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I've written here before about the advantages of knowing your food, and </span><a href="http://simplicitymom.blogspot.com/2011/05/beefy.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">my family's connection</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> to the grass fed beef in my freezer. The advantages of grass fed beef and and other pastured animals are numerous but people usually associate grass fed with budget busting. This can be avoided by purchasing a whole animal but the thought of a whole cow(or even a quarter!) in your freezer can be intimidating. Well, be intimidated no more! Here's a neato infographic, courtesy of </span><a href="http://frugaldad.com/beef/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Frugal Dad</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">, to help you be a more educated beef buyer. The more you know about your food, the better!</span></div><br />
<div align="center"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://frugaldad.com/beef/"><img alt="Beef Infographic" border="0" src="http://frugaldad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Beef.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>Source: <a href="http://frugaldad.com/">FrugalDad</a><br />
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<br />
<br />
<a href="http://s922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/?action=view&current=steph-signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/steph-signature.png" /></a>Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-49976881691527845132012-04-23T09:00:00.000-07:002012-04-23T09:00:54.392-07:00Out Damn Spot!<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Boy (noun): Noise with dirt on it.</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I can't think of a more accurate description for my son. My little J is a rough and tumble </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">B-O-Y. He's loud, rambunctious,and always, and I mean <em>always</em>, dirty. Whether mud, food or some other unidentifiable substance, his hands, face and clothing are usually marred within minutes of waking. And though hands and faces are easily washed, J's wardrobe suffers from the constant onslaught of muck and mire.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguO70ARYPAq_sQoTOo4zK-nky5jp8LrVHQd_E-kV3meNjF0KYIhsNhRCU2TFuqt5UxoiuLVZMo_dMPMGrw7O4PFbPVXQ7z7Wm6sBBGxxAorthTolR4ku89pTq7CkLATtWf22a1lRzcvR8/s1600/132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguO70ARYPAq_sQoTOo4zK-nky5jp8LrVHQd_E-kV3meNjF0KYIhsNhRCU2TFuqt5UxoiuLVZMo_dMPMGrw7O4PFbPVXQ7z7Wm6sBBGxxAorthTolR4ku89pTq7CkLATtWf22a1lRzcvR8/s320/132.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shirt in question, before treating and washing</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There is always something that needs pre-treating before I wash it. When I greened up my laundry routine, I never gave a second thought to my beloved Shout stick. But when I went to attack the newest mystery stain on J's favorite polo, I discovered I was out of Shout and decided to mix up a batch of </span><a href="http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2009/02/a-natural-stain-remover-that-really-works.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">homemade stain remover</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> I'd been wanting to try. In a clean spray bottle, I mixed:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/4 cup liquid dish detergent ( I used 7th Generation)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span id="more-236"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/4 cup glycerin</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 1/2 cups water</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I sprayed the mixture generously on each spot and let it sit for just a couple of minutes before I threw it in the washer. The verdict?</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO97VD9uKajfcSH4r6olctV3c7CQ3QAwhN_kuyy0Lu9Okc2eQr-9cGir_skgEkUmmGd_lHaz6n0LX7rA-tEQS5DeGrZqoYHnW9av2IKpRkfAUAlCygp53VVVpD43F61p_ebWMf9I7KhU8/s1600/134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO97VD9uKajfcSH4r6olctV3c7CQ3QAwhN_kuyy0Lu9Okc2eQr-9cGir_skgEkUmmGd_lHaz6n0LX7rA-tEQS5DeGrZqoYHnW9av2IKpRkfAUAlCygp53VVVpD43F61p_ebWMf9I7KhU8/s320/134.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love that cheesy half smile :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">IT"S CLEAN!! Not a trace. I think there was ketchup, chocolate and mud this time around and the spots weren't exactly "fresh" either. This mix is a great, chemical free alternative to conventional stain removers and is much, much cheaper. I had all the ingredients on hand so for me, it was free! That's much better than the $4 I paid for each Shout stick.</span></div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Mom: 1</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Dirt: 0</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I WIN!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><a href="http://s922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/?action=view&current=steph-signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/steph-signature.png" /></a>Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-29225875711930350252012-04-18T09:42:00.000-07:002012-04-18T09:42:00.058-07:00And The Winner Is...<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Congratulations to comment number seven</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong><em>Nicole Spring @ Frontier Dreams!</em></strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You have won a copy of Rhonda Hetzel's new book <em>Down to Earth</em>! I'll be in touch shortly. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Thanks for reading friends!</span></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://s922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/?action=view&current=steph-signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/steph-signature.png" /></a>Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-63621822824236481622012-04-10T14:45:00.000-07:002012-04-10T14:45:43.856-07:00Twenty Nine<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Today, I am twenty nine. I thought this birthday would be hard on me. After all, it <em>is</em> the last year of my twenties. But I woke up this morning feeling happy, grateful, and very much at peace with where I am in this life. I am healthy. I am loved. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I need nothing else.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To kick off my 29th year, here is a list of ten things that are making me happy...right now.</span><br />
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<ul><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Cauliflower</strong>. The head we ate last night. The head I cut from the the garden this morning. And the eight heads in the garden still growing.</span></li>
</ul><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Children's consignment shops</strong>. I bought six pairs of shorts, three shirts and dress for $25. Cheap and eco-friendly!</span></li>
</ul><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Facebook</strong>. I can't believe how many people have left me a birthday message. I feel so loved!</span></li>
</ul><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Books</strong>. A real, bound, paper book. I love my Kindle but I miss the weight of a novel in my hands. Kudos to my husband for giving me a paperback novel for my birthday!</span></li>
</ul><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>A Best Friend</strong>. She knows all my secrets and remembers that I like dark chocolate with sea salt. She is irreplaceable!</span></li>
</ul><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Pop Rocks</strong>. The Easter Bunny put a packet of these vintage candies in my children's Easter basket and I love watching them giggle while they fizz and pop on their tongues.</span></li>
</ul><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Coronado Island</strong>. I booked our hotel rooms this morning for our summer vacation. I'm counting the minutes until I can see the ocean again. I should have been a mermaid!</span></li>
</ul><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Thomas the Train</strong>. My son gave me his beloved wooden train as a birthday present. I almost cried. </span></li>
</ul><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Burt's Bees Lip Balm</strong>. A fresh tube. So tingly!</span></li>
</ul><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Cat Vomit</strong>. Okay. Cat vomit doesn't make me happy. Twitch hacked up something nasty while I was writing this. But he chose to vomit on the<em> tile</em> which infinitely easier to clean than if he would have done it on the carpet. Happy Birthday to me!</span></li>
</ul><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What's making you happy today?</span><br />
<br />
<div align="center"><em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Don't forget to enter my </span><a href="http://www.simplicitymom.blogspot.com/2012/04/i-missed-it-and-giveaway.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">giveaway</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">! Win a copy of Down to Earth by Rhonda Hetzel!</span></em></div><br />
<br />
<a href="http://s922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/?action=view&current=steph-signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/steph-signature.png" /></a>Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-49532498557063964862012-04-08T10:08:00.000-07:002012-04-08T10:08:29.092-07:00Happy Easter!<div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><em>Wishing you all a very blessed Easter!</em></span> </div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmh9q0hJOSmKusyFJeFVMI3x5AxPGHCwcBt4-uPZdhSOtgucf0Q20r_3cDkaTRFp1Sm3WyYPqW9kDglsbotCazk-cxwN-yjHeQH0aI1jfJqtIPCBJj5kjOkCkJZ9wxzDfMLGGWZXKjbMU/s1600/DSC01875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmh9q0hJOSmKusyFJeFVMI3x5AxPGHCwcBt4-uPZdhSOtgucf0Q20r_3cDkaTRFp1Sm3WyYPqW9kDglsbotCazk-cxwN-yjHeQH0aI1jfJqtIPCBJj5kjOkCkJZ9wxzDfMLGGWZXKjbMU/s320/DSC01875.JPG" width="199" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqx92YxZRPwZR0VEnyHHw3dhWk_ovdluppb3yCFEDX-5BLvta6hZ6aF-evWLeNkPjyWGz2EAwJ0yiBLYkoXe7mJK7fPs5JO22cKOSHqAHNlnjm6z94YpcShcF6dilar1nMJ4uQTJdDTPs/s1600/DSC01876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqx92YxZRPwZR0VEnyHHw3dhWk_ovdluppb3yCFEDX-5BLvta6hZ6aF-evWLeNkPjyWGz2EAwJ0yiBLYkoXe7mJK7fPs5JO22cKOSHqAHNlnjm6z94YpcShcF6dilar1nMJ4uQTJdDTPs/s320/DSC01876.JPG" width="194" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Don't forget to enter my </span><a href="http://www.simplicitymom.blogspot.com/2012/04/i-missed-it-and-giveaway.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">giveaway</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> for a chance to win Rhonda Hetzel's new book</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> <em>Down To Earth. </em>Contest ends April 18th!</span><em></em></div><br />
<a href="http://s922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/?action=view&current=steph-signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/steph-signature.png" /></a>Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-15273160199012993192012-04-02T14:25:00.000-07:002012-04-02T14:25:35.419-07:00I Missed It! And a Giveaway!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I missed it! I can't believe I missed it! My two year blog-o-versary was March 30th. Two years. I can't believe I've been in this space for two years! This calls for a celebration!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm giving away a copy of Rhonda Hetzel's book, <em>Down to Earth; A Guide to Simple Living</em>. Rhonda's </span><a href="http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">blog</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> was the very first simple living blog I encountered. Her blog was my how-to manual when I started to live more simpy and more sustainably. Rhonda is helpful, encouraging, realistic, engaging and has inspired me more than she will ever know! I have yet to read the book (I'm hoping to get it for my birthday next week!) so if you win, do let us know how it is! </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWy0hjAZLZxg2NUeVFhrSD_jExhGly9tltnRtOIM6OF7ClUqmc4NXvmp7vkV8Kss1GJyJoU1Ojgvq9pj-9vz9tgO0dJej-08APGQFk06Cod-AzVL_54Lf0IGfgfezVFQsMkoFn5H5p2E/s1600/Down+to+Earth_front+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWy0hjAZLZxg2NUeVFhrSD_jExhGly9tltnRtOIM6OF7ClUqmc4NXvmp7vkV8Kss1GJyJoU1Ojgvq9pj-9vz9tgO0dJej-08APGQFk06Cod-AzVL_54Lf0IGfgfezVFQsMkoFn5H5p2E/s320/Down+to+Earth_front+cover.jpg" width="252" /></span></a></div><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To enter:</span><br />
<br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You <strong>must be a follower</strong> of Green's Going Green. Don't be a lurker. I won't bite. Mosey on up there and click follow why don't ya? I ship internationally!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Leave a comment</strong> telling me why you choose to live simply and sustainably.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For additional entries, <strong>share this giveaway</strong> on your Facebook page or on your own blog. Leave a separate comment for each.</span></li>
</ul><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Good luck friends! And thanks for reading!</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://s922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/?action=view&current=steph-signature.png" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/steph-signature.png" /></span></a>Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-31056858618942747482012-03-30T12:08:00.000-07:002012-03-30T12:08:35.818-07:00Apple Ginger Soda- The Finished Product<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Today was the day. The soda has been sitting on the counter<a href="http://simplicitymom.blogspot.com/2012/03/ginger-bug-update.html"> fermenting away</a>. I was a bit nervous to try it though. The dark, thick liquid in the bottle didn't look much like the light, bubbly beverage pictured in the original tutorial. I twisted the top and heard that beautiful pop of fermented carbonation. So far, so good. I poured some in a wine glass because we're fancy like that and passed it over to my husband. I figured his stomach of steel would fare better than mine if this whole experiment had gone horribly wrong. And then...well...I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story!</span></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8v3JOqE0sGosNbbQdUBH0iGqS02Sjhwt_HQiEyTtKp68GHqQHxgHbW5luilnEt08M3Yd4hVtIxWH5-snzBIq4YUizBf9OoGXT5V7r7kDE4cPyyL2gkX9AMflJLwg7_N9AISRSblNUlT4/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8v3JOqE0sGosNbbQdUBH0iGqS02Sjhwt_HQiEyTtKp68GHqQHxgHbW5luilnEt08M3Yd4hVtIxWH5-snzBIq4YUizBf9OoGXT5V7r7kDE4cPyyL2gkX9AMflJLwg7_N9AISRSblNUlT4/s320/001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Smells like Thai Fish Sauce"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnapMvduh41Qpll3AUNZx08lFdigj3s90CCayuzqiwgDjdoqTypUPyyl_2G1F1zTuLCkuwHqo_-eQLGt2OlBlr7WV-mbbDhcvw3ucqRtWzTRYdlbzq1rU_cqDiWAKUpo2Sfm-UD51cT8/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnapMvduh41Qpll3AUNZx08lFdigj3s90CCayuzqiwgDjdoqTypUPyyl_2G1F1zTuLCkuwHqo_-eQLGt2OlBlr7WV-mbbDhcvw3ucqRtWzTRYdlbzq1rU_cqDiWAKUpo2Sfm-UD51cT8/s320/002.JPG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"It's bubbly and....chunky?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQFWpqTDSaQ80VGzxoS9NHpWRIR2p0x7bTYDA_CO35pQPyl0UwvDPwmZGF48VyuMPaWXjcDhyphenhyphenWWan92Gsj4jy__p6_T6QmUkQ8Hit3DDfFSYZ2Zd9YWW2UBoDOlkENeuvsM5exUadxmQ/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQFWpqTDSaQ80VGzxoS9NHpWRIR2p0x7bTYDA_CO35pQPyl0UwvDPwmZGF48VyuMPaWXjcDhyphenhyphenWWan92Gsj4jy__p6_T6QmUkQ8Hit3DDfFSYZ2Zd9YWW2UBoDOlkENeuvsM5exUadxmQ/s320/005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"If I was really, really thirsty I'd drink it"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCM1NDQSjXa0ORrA8Pk5je6eJhNBPVhLYjCkE5SG8FDGNb8iOF1-3yLTuAItLW2VwUmNjFegmrS5rPxQjtDZRk3X5-Oj4V3gVznCWpLk2v33vKb-1_NZ94mbmOQsZSrFJ-wB01eL5kJog/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCM1NDQSjXa0ORrA8Pk5je6eJhNBPVhLYjCkE5SG8FDGNb8iOF1-3yLTuAItLW2VwUmNjFegmrS5rPxQjtDZRk3X5-Oj4V3gVznCWpLk2v33vKb-1_NZ94mbmOQsZSrFJ-wB01eL5kJog/s320/003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Meh....not that bad!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My sweet husband. He was generous with his observations to spare my feeling but I tasted it too....</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqV1XDGkTD3tp0MFKAPNs9h5nYQZXU1X544RCJFx-wpmyPgKoIXRRMQTEDCkWx3KOA8wYWqYeAhpf8srTakbLTmtZfe0IH4kwXrhv-fi3zWlz8EVu4llwOVFCp9X6JEkcjy_yszOo3gM/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqV1XDGkTD3tp0MFKAPNs9h5nYQZXU1X544RCJFx-wpmyPgKoIXRRMQTEDCkWx3KOA8wYWqYeAhpf8srTakbLTmtZfe0IH4kwXrhv-fi3zWlz8EVu4llwOVFCp9X6JEkcjy_yszOo3gM/s320/007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And if you can't tell by the look on face, it was terrible. It really did smell like Thai fish sauce. And because I used fresh squeezed apple juice, there were bits of apple floating around that morphed into these weird, chunky bits that made you feel a little like you were choking when you swallowed. The verdict?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">EPIC FAIL</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm not quite sure what went wrong but I know it was during the soda making step. The bug is still going strong, bubbling away just like it should. I'm definitely going to try this again. But in the meantime, all that Thai fish sauce juice is going right down the drain!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><br />
<br />
<a href="http://s922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/?action=view&current=steph-signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/steph-signature.png" /></a>Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-85632140065171541052012-03-29T11:23:00.002-07:002012-03-29T11:33:57.298-07:00In My Purse<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Like most women, I have a purse. A big purse. And the older I get, the bigger my purse gets. I didn't carry a purse in high school. In college, I had a few small ones but I usually just shoved my phone in my pocket, some cash in my bra and called it good. Once I got married, I started carrying larger bags to accommodate the things my husband didn't want to carry. And then when I had kids....wow. Diapers, wipes, toys, crushed Cheerios, melted crayons, sippy cups, dirty onesies, extra socks...you would be amazed at the all the stuff I used to cram in to my bag!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My kids are a little older now and I've been able to lighten my load considerably. I thought about going smaller but a nagging voice in the back of my head just won't let me. My bag is my lifeline! I came across an article at <a href="http://thesurvivalmom.com/2010/07/20/18-things-to-have-in-your-purse/">Survival Mom</a> about 18 things that every mom should have in her purse. But before I discuss the contents of my purse, let me preface it with this: My husband and I believe in preparedness. We're not of the "I need a bunker in Idaho" sort of preppers though. We're not nuts, just realistic. We've learned how to cook, garden, can, butcher, doctor, sew, ect...not only because it's a simpler, healthier and more fulfilling way to live but because by increasing our skill set, we will be able to be self sufficient in a variety of situations. In our current economic and political climate, you-know-what could hit the fan at any time. It seems silly not have some sort of plan in place!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Anyway...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My purse. I had several of Survival Mom's eighteen items but there were several I did not so I went Amazon shopping. The things I needed were cheap...a whistle, a mirror, a mini flashlight. These tiny items are the kinds of things that get lost at the bottom of your purse and end up coated in a fine dust of Goldfish crackers. To keep things contained and clean, I purchased two zippered pouches from<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/ZestyNotion"> Etsy</a> (I would have made them but I'm still not friends with my zipper foot) and divided my things into two piles; beauty and survival. Things like lip glosses, chap stick, sunscreen, and nail files went in to the beauty bag. My whistle, flashlight, first aid tin, uber cute pink pocket knife (thanks honey!) and other like items went into the survival bag or as my husband likes to call it, my zombie apocalypse bag. Yeah. He loves <a href="http://www.amctv.com/shows/the-walking-dead">The Walking Dead</a>...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio1BquCorhH_wsBeukuZgfEvE2KbMqqf5j-sR7AhiSQlOyepi_Gbudj2Sc3nt1L0FIPrInX4p1JYPpl-OMxxLHqQwJizWQz7z44Cc1iUH_sv08OwAt0bt8Hp7F2c1mopvocAcHDjnegrk/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio1BquCorhH_wsBeukuZgfEvE2KbMqqf5j-sR7AhiSQlOyepi_Gbudj2Sc3nt1L0FIPrInX4p1JYPpl-OMxxLHqQwJizWQz7z44Cc1iUH_sv08OwAt0bt8Hp7F2c1mopvocAcHDjnegrk/s320/003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My pretty pink Kershaw</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My purse is now super organized and I feel ready for whatever may come. Yes, there's a lot of stuff in there but honestly, it's not heavy at all. Much lighter than when it was full of bottles and diapers. Everything is contained, easy to find, and ready to go. From a power outage at a movie theater, to a scraped knee at the park I am prepped and ready.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What are some of the essential items you keep in your purse?</span><br />
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<a href="http://s922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/?action=view&current=steph-signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/steph-signature.png" /></a>Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935730143653716843.post-44955623826176080182012-03-26T14:27:00.000-07:002012-03-26T14:27:12.701-07:00Ginger Bug Update<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have to admit I was skeptical. I've never fermented anything before (not on purpose anyway) and I don't exactly have a winning record in the kitchen. <a href="http://simplicitymom.blogspot.com/2012/03/bug.html">Seven days ago</a>, I put some ginger, sugar and water in a jar and prayed for a miracle. Lo and behold when I opened my ginger bug jar on day three, it exhaled with a whispering sigh of carbonation. <em>Natural</em> carbonation. I actually squealed.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkM_e5NJoWwQo_uCXb51vU8uas-lbyGObUdwstKt7kSjdbzHnV-uMatNcGptblLGbfgYTnpKyk3syQWohj3gRemHEAa_sL50oTCYVB-co0pvPCeWrdTI_Grr4j0mxJmJlJsrEhcjxU6Qc/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkM_e5NJoWwQo_uCXb51vU8uas-lbyGObUdwstKt7kSjdbzHnV-uMatNcGptblLGbfgYTnpKyk3syQWohj3gRemHEAa_sL50oTCYVB-co0pvPCeWrdTI_Grr4j0mxJmJlJsrEhcjxU6Qc/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See the bubbles??</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Today is day seven and I took the next step in the soda making process. I broke out the juicer and juiced 3 1/2 cups of fresh apple juice and about two teaspoons of fresh ginger juice. To that, I added 1/4 cup of my bubbling bug. After a quick stir, I poured the mixture into two old kombucha bottles, tightened the caps, and put them on the counter to continue fermenting for a couple of days. Hopefully by Thursday, my family and I will be enjoying yummy, bubbly, probiotic rich apple ginger soda!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Stay tuned for the final result!</span><br />
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<a href="http://s922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/?action=view&current=steph-signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad69/tankandtink/steph-signature.png" /></a>Stephanie G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05882624961922548749noreply@blogger.com2