Mother Hen and Chick

It is getting to be that time of year right? The time of year when you make resolutions and plan to shed a few pounds. I have been contemplating losing 40 pounds since this fall. I gave up until after Christmas... Yesterday I began contemplating how I am going to start to make lasting changes. I love donuts. I work within 100 ft of a grocery store with excellent cake donuts. I have decided that my breakfast of a meat & cheese croissant can do without the donut addition. I am two days in minus the donut. Hurray. My other major offender is snack time. This morning I purchased Fiber One Chocolate Chunk cookies. At 120 calories this is a good step down from my 300+ calorie sugar laden snacks I usually find next door at Dollar General. Eventually I want to replace it with fruit but this is a start that wont leave me crying for chocolate. I also fired up MyFitnessPal app again. Updated my goals and started adding in diary entries. It is amazing how the calories add up before you re

It is the most wonderful time of the year! And the worst time of  year for our hands. The dry air and constant washing to keep germs at bay is tough on my skin. One solution that I can no longer be without is Triple Antibiotic Ointment. It is the only hand moisturizing solution my husband is willing to use.  https://www.amazon.com/Triple-Antibiotic-Ointment-Compare-Neosporin/dp/B013PYKVLA/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1481137977&sr=8-1&keywords=triple%2Bantibiotic%2Bointment&th=1 Each night, before getting into bed, slather your hands with triple antibiotic ointment. By the time you wake in the morning your hands will be healed or very much close. I am sensitive and leery of scented lotions and hand creams. This ointment is great for our household.

Today I realized I wore an outfit sent from Stitch Fix. Stitch Fix is a company that has a personal stylist hand pick clothing to deliver to your door. The questionnaire finds out your likes and dislikes. They get into what styles you prefer and how adventurous you want to be. I really like scheduling a fix. I was unsure the first time I scheduled but I knew if I didnt like anything then I was only out $20. I was amazed. Im not sure how on earth the stylist can send me jeans that fit so well. These jeans fit better than a glove and I would order five pair in different colors lol. Channeling my Grandma's thinking here. One tip. Detail. Be so detailed in what clothing you are looking for. I needed a dress for an outdoor spring wedding that was appropriate but not overly formal. I pinned a few ideas to my Stitch Fix Pinterest board and then I receive the most flattering maxi dress ever. I would have never tried this dress on and that is exactly why I wanted something out of th

I have been making soap for a little over three years now. This is the first year I decided to try holiday scented soap. I learned from previous fails that success depends on brands of fragrance oil you use. Fragrance oil, in my experience, is more temperamental than essential oils. The soap can set up fast and only a light scent. Be sure to verify oil is for use in cold process soap. I've had the best luck with Bramble Berry for my cold process soap. https://www.brambleberry.com/Cinnamon-Sticks-Fragrance-Oil-P6306.aspx?Options=9629,0,0,0,0,0,0,0     http://www.bulkapothecary.com/kraft-brown-soap-boxes-with-oval-window/ Avery design online and print yourself labels are wonderful for personalizing a small number of products. I love the scent "Cinnamon Sticks". It has a nice cinnamon scent but mixed with baked cookie. It isnt too strong or too sweet. Wonderful scent for the holidays. Hopefully these little men run off the shelves at

I am a soap maker who uses essential oils. Ive been looking for new items to make and sell at craft shows. When browsing Pinterest one day I found DIY diffuser necklaces. I knew that my customer base prefers all natural items. I found it hard to find clay that was truly all natural. Thankfully another blogger found DAS Air Hardening Clay. After I  received shipment I tested my first batch of pendants. I soon realized they must not be too thin. Several failed to stand up to minor pressure after drying was complete. Here is my fist attempt. I wore it with lavender during the work day. My coworker could smell me and it was strong enough without being overpowering. Very nice to enjoy a calming scent all day. The remaining clay has stayed soft for over a month stored in an air tight plastic bag. I will be making more clay pendants tonight.

My first post on children's books singled out the publisher Usbourne . They are great. We have other favorites as well. A few favorites for a child under two: My Farm Friends We live on the family farm and she gets to see several of these animals on a daily basis. I love the facts and realistic representations.  Little Owl's Night We enjoy this bedtime book. Such a fun take on how when the day begins it is little owl's bedtime. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? My gal has loved this book from the beginning and still enjoys reading it. Now she has it memorized somewhat and helps me with reading it. My husband is not a fan of the fanciful colors for a few of the animals. Lets face it lots of animals are brown and that would get boring. Little Blue Truck My husband loves this book. I love this book. I hope my gal does lol. This has about everything I need in a children's book: rhythm, fun, and a good moral. I enjoy the othe

I have read to my daughter since we brought her home from the hospital. I would be hooked up to my breast pump with my gal resting by my side. I began reading to grow our bond and keep the frustration from pumping to a minimum. I realized quickly that she enjoyed the books more if I enjoyed them as well. Then a friend invited me to a Facebook online party earlier this year. Something I normally dread but I was blown away at the amazing books. Usbourne books pull you in.  https://myubam.com/ https://myubam.com/ I like to watch Youtube videos of the books before I make a purchase. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLGucSEPBuk The publisher has books with elaborate colors and sweet story lines. Tons of facts, great rhymes, and sturdy construction make them a sound investment. This publisher has lots of books I look forward to enjoying as my child grows. For now we are in the under two year age category. A few of our favorites for children under two.  Slide a

One of my gal's favorite dishes is beef & noodles. Beef & Noodles: 1 Cube Beef (Pureed or Chopped) 1 Cube Zucchini (Pureed or Chopped) 2-3 Tablespoons Elbow Macaroni Boil water for macaroni. Pour in noodles once water reaches a boil. While noodles are cooking, warm the beef and zucchini. Once the noodles are done remove them from the liquid and chop them into a safe size for your child. Mix all ingredients. Yum.

I have loved chickens most of my life. At a young age I tended my small flock and learned to be responsible for my animal's care. My husband gave me chickens for my Christmas present the first year we were married. I was so happy. He built me a cute hen house. This year I am going to be ordering more chicks since my flock has gradually dwindled over the last 5 1/2 years. I have always loved Murray McMurray Hatchery. https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/index.html I always have a difficult time choosing 25 birds. What shall I order for 2017? I will create a post next week on my favorite breeds. Maybe that will help me choose.

I jumped on the legging bandwagon a few years ago. I felt I was too big for such tight fitting clothing. Wrong. Leggings are so comfortable and slimming. It is like wearing yoga pants to work. I recently bought a pair of red leggings. Red is on the more "wild" spectrum of colors for me. Since purchasing LuLaRoe leggings from a family member I have bought two more! And an Irma. I love that the company has clothing for all shapes and sizes. Prices are a bit high but one pair of comfy leggings is way better than two that fit just okay. Plus I would rather buy clothing that helps generate supplemental income from family. You will have to find a consultant in your area or maybe even become one! http://www.lularoe.com/adult-leggings/

Broccoli Dish 1 Cube Pureed Chicken 1 Cube Pureed Broccoli 1 Cube Pureed Zucchini 1-3 Tablespoons Cooked Rice Shredded Cheese Start cooking rice. While rice is cooking warm the chicken, broccoli, & zucchini together. Mix. Add rice and cheese.

At some point all the awesome baby purees you have been making are adding up into a nice freezer stash. You have built a nice selection and it is hard to remember how many times this week you have fed sweet potatoes. My awesome mother in law worked out a menu for our little gal. The menu is still valid when you move from purees to diced items. The meats are always mixed with a fruit, squash, noodle, or combo due to my daughter not liking the texture of meat. Breakfast: Cereals Blueberry in Cereal Yogurt Eggs Toast Oatmeal Cereal, Zucchini, and Blueberry Pancake Monday: Pears Green Beans Chicken Apple Pineapple Cauliflower Tuesday: Peaches Broccoli Yellow Squash Chicken  Noodles Wednesday: Apples Plums Butternut Squash Salmon Pineapple Thursday: Avocado Banana Zucchini Sweet Potato Beef Noodles Friday: Peaches Peas Noodles Carrots Salmon Pineapple Saturday: Pears Pumpkin Chicken Broccoli Zucchini Sunday: Avocado Sweet Potato

With a year of homemade baby food under my family's belt I feel like we have been surprisingly successful. My little gal loves her veggies and hopefully that will not change tomorrow. Here are a few things I found vital to our mission. Baby Bullet The manual is the best for advising when to introduce your baby to certain foods. I would buy the manual even if I didnt intend to buy the whole system. The storage system is very handy. The freezer trays with lids freeze your food in great portion sizes and can easily be thawed in the same sized containers. I recommend buying another freezer tray or two. https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Bullet-Baby-Care-System/dp/B004V5BTUA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476897658&sr=8-1&keywords=baby+bullet Larger Freezer Trays: Im pro lids on freezer containers. These trays with larger portions are great for squashes & sweet potatoes. We freeze butternut squash, yellow squash, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes in thi

At the end of harvest we always reflect on our biggest successes. Year after year the Australian Butter Squash reminds us why we love it so. This pumpkin grows well in tough circumstances yielding good numbers, sturdy plants, and delicious pies. Each pumpkin has thick walls making it the most efficient pie pumpkin we have ever grown. http://www.rareseeds.com/australian-butter-s/

What a beautiful fall day and a wonderful one to start a simple blog.