I'm dreaming of a.....

Grain Mill! I never ever thought I would be "crunchy" enough to want a grain mill....but here I am...scouring Ebay and Craig's List for a slightly used model. For years, I have been buying pre-ground flour, never really understanding fully why one would go to the trouble of grinding his or her own wheat. But after listening to Sue Becker's exceptional talk on the health benefits of grinding one's own wheat, I am convinced. I highly encourage you to request her free message on cd entitled "The Bread of Idleness". I was astounded to learn that pre-ground, whole wheat flour probably has less than 10% of the original nutrients, as freshly ground flour. I was also very inspired by this post about making whole wheat bread.

If you grind your own wheat, I would love to hear what mill you use, and if you recommend it. Blessings!

7 weeks

Olivia Grace

12 lbs 6 oz.

Pure SunshineI am enjoying every moment with my sweet, little Olivia.  I think that the time with my infants becomes even more precious, with each gift the Lord sends. I believe that it is because I now realize just how brief the infant stage is, and I want to savor the time that much more. It seems like she has always been with us!

Hope Suds: Do Laundry. Save Orphans.

      A couple of weeks ago, I was thrilled to win a bag of citrus scented Hope Suds through a blog giveaway. I have loved using this all-natural laundry detergent. I cannot tell you how much I actually look forward to washing and hanging our laundry on the line, while smelling the delicious scent of citrus wafting through the air. As much as I love this product, my absolute favorite thing about Hope Suds is that 100% of the proceeds goes towards helping families to adopt orphans, worldwide. This means that a seemingly menial task like "doing laundry" can bring a lot of hope. Each bag contains enough detergent for washing 48 loads of laundry. Hope Suds was founded by the Fanning family, a precious family who currently have five children, six and under, and are hoping to adopt one or two children from Uganda. I love that the Fanning family didn't just sit idly by, waiting for money to fall from the sky. They put feet to their prayers, by coming up with a savvy way to raise money for their adoption, which costs about $20,000. Hope Suds even has a facebook page, to keep up with the latest news. Buy a bag and help change lives!

Watch Food Inc. for Free!

Food Inc. is a revolutionary movie that has absolutely changed my perspective about food. You can watch it for free here. I am so inspired to take responsibility for my health, by growing my own food and buying from local farmers at my local farmer's market. I cannot wait to buy only organic meat.
If you have seen this movie, I would love to hear how it has impacted your food choices.

Gardening Basics

Stephen and Annie with their strawberry patch

  I used to think (well just last year, to be exact) that I needed to have 40 acres and a cow before I could have a "real" garden. That was my excuse, and no one could persuade me otherwise. Surely, there is nothing much that I could do on my 1/3 acre lot. That is...until I learned about the Dervaes family. The Dervaes family lives in California, and they grow 6,000 pounds of vegetables, annually, on their 1/5 acre lot. If you need gardening inspiration, I highly recommend the Dervaes family website.

The Dervaes Family




After learning about this inspiring family, my husband and I decided that it was high time that we become better stewards of the land entrusted to our care. Last year, we started a few raised bed gardens; this year we have added another raised bed.

Anyone can grow at least a few fruits and vegetables!

It is amazing what you can do with just a small piece of land. If you live in an apartment, consider container gardening on a porch. A variety of lovely herbs can be grown on a windowsill. If you have at least a little bit of land, I highly recommend raised beds.

A Few Reasons to Grow A Garden:

1. Cost
It is just about the most inexpensive way to get pesticide-free, organic produce. I recommend growing the fruits and vegetables which are mentioned on the Dirty Dozen list, which is rated highest for pesticides when commercially grown. Pesticide use has been linked to an increase in cancer.

2. Taste  
There are few things, as tasty, as a vine ripened tomato from one's own back yard! You cannot get much fresher than that!

3. A Wonderful Learning Tool for Children
Watching this video makes it clear that there is a real disconnect between many children, and their food source. Growing your own vegetables helps to bridge that gap. Little ones can learn about diligence by weeding and watering their garden. They can also learn seed and plant identification by helping in the planting process. It is the ultimate homeschool science project!






My five year old son knows that one of the first chores he must tend to, daily, is to water the garden. This task makes him feel mighty important around the house, and gives him a great responsibility.

4. Being Able to Bless Others with the abundance
Even with my black thumb, there are certain vegetables that are able to thrive in my garden. Zucchini, tomatoes, and cucumbers are always plentiful, and they produce more than just my family can eat. It is such a blessing to be able to share this healthy abundance with others.

I also would encourage you to only use non-genetically modified seeds. A very helpful book on this topic is Seeds of Deception.  Genetically Modified Organisms are very dangerous, and I encourage you to research this topic in greater depth. Lab animals that have been tested with genetically modified foods have had stunted growth, weakened immune systems, high blood sugar, amongst a heap of other health problems. Unfortunately, 70% of processed foods contain genetically altered soy, corn, cotton, or canola.

One main way that you can know for sure that your food is not genetically modified is by buying non-gmo seeds.

My Favorite Non-GMO seed website:

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds This company is run by a husband and wife, who were home educated. Their free catalog is just gorgeous. They only sell heirloom seeds, which means that they are open pollinated.

Recommended Books:

Seeds of Deception

Lasagna Gardening

All New Square Foot Gardening

In Defense of Food


What about Pests?
Pests can be a big problem, especially in an organic garden. Squash bugs tend to be our biggest threat. The ultimate solution, that I have found, is for my children to be diligent in keeping the bugs off the plants. During the summer, when the bugs are at their worst, I send my son outside with a bucket of soapy water. He inspects the plants and checks for eggs and bugs. He pulls the leaves off, which have eggs stuck to the underside, and puts them in the soapy water. He also pulls off each bug. Usually, doing this for a fifteen minutes, each day helps to prevent a lot of damage. He enjoys it too! Maintenance is the key, or the bugs will literally take over!  The more helping hands you have, the better!

I would love to hear about your gardening plans, favorite resources, or favorite gardening tips! Many Blessings!

The Winner of the Nursing Cover is.....

Sally.
Congratulations, Sally, I hope the cover will be a great help after the arrival of  your second blessing! Thank you to all who entered this contest!

Sleepy Wrap Review

As the mother of four young children, I have found that with the birth of each child, I have cut back on baby gear. The one exception that I have found it worthwhile to invest in, is a quality baby carrier. The main features that I look for in a baby carrier are ease of use, durability, and comfort. I was thrilled when the NAP company sent me a sample of their Sleepy Wrap carrier. I had heard rave reviews about their products, and I was eager to try a carrier that was created to work so well, even with a newborn. At first I was a bit intimidated to learn how to use the wrap, when I saw that the carrier consisted of a very long piece of fabric. The Sleepy Wrap came with a colorful picture booklet, so it didn't take long until I was able to put the wrap on proficiently. There are three types of holds that you can place your baby in, while wearing the Sleepy Wrap. I love bonding with Olivia, my five week old, while tending to household chores and my other children's needs. Now, I can wash dishes, make dinner, hang laundry, vacuum, and even grocery shop, all while snuggling with my sweet baby. For every mother who has ever wished that she had more arms, she will find the Sleepy Wrap to be an amazing asset. During those times when Olivia is fussy, I have noticed that she often relaxes and quickly falls asleep, once snuggled in the Sleepy Wrap. Nursing, while wearing the Sleepy Wrap, makes life much easier for Mom!
The benefits of babywearing are numerous; it is so  important for a baby to be comforted close to his parents, after birth. Dr. Sears has said, "The womb lasts eighteen months: Nine months inside mother, and nine months outside." The Sleepy Wrap is very comfortable, and I have found it easy to wear my infant for a few hours at a time.
Get Your Own Sleepy Wrap!
The NAP company is graciously offering a coupon code to all of my blog readers. Type in the coupon code  "Lily" to get 10% off any Sleepy Wrap order from 4/20- 5/25. The Sleepy Wrap comes in a variety of colors and they even offer organic fabric. The Sleepy Wrap is a one size fits all wrap, that facilitates newborns to toddlers.

NAP, Inc. sent me a Sleepy Wrap, free of charge. The thoughts expressed herein are my own, and are my honest opinions.

Nursing Cover Giveaway

Nursing is very important to me, and I treasure the many months that I have been able to nurse each of my four children. Baby Cribs is hosting a giveaway, on my blog of any of Trend Lab nursing covers. These covers are wonderful for any nursing mom, and are terrific to have on hand as baby shower gifts.
Mandatory Entry:
To be entered into this giveaway, visit Baby Cribs Plus and let me know what fabric choice you would like, if you win. Please also leave your e-mail address in the comments box.
Extra Entries:
1. Follow my blog on blogger or subscribe in a reader. If you already follow my blog or subscribe, leave a comment letting me know.
2. Blog about this giveaway and leave me a comment including a direct link to your blog post.
3. Follow me on twitter. (Or let me know that you already follow me.) Leave me a comment letting me know your twitter name.
4. Tweet about this giveaway. In my comments section, leave me a direct link to your tweet.
5. Link to this giveaway on Facebook.

Contest ends April 20, 2010 at 3 pm EST.
Baby Cribs Plus is giving me and one of my blog readers a Trend Lab nursing cover.

Two Treasures

Sarah Mae's blog is such a treasure trove, for me. She is a saved by Christ's precious grace, home educating, mother, who is so transparent with her struggles. I was so blessed to read these two posts on her blog:
Why I need Jesus

My Husband is Not Being a Spiritual Leader - This post is very encouraging whether or not your husband is being a spiritual leader in your home. It helps to show women how to approach any topic with their husband, without being a nagging wife.

Easter 2010

Grandma and Olivia Grace (3 weeks old)
I hope your Easter was blessed!

Prelude to "Labor Day"

I gave birth to my sweet Olivia on the day that I turned 42 weeks. (If my dates were accurate.) The two weeks that I was considered "post dates" were challenging to me. I knew that my baby was measuring small, and that the Lord would bring my body to go into labor in His perfect time. Emotionally, though, I struggled with contentment. Everywhere I went, many people were asking when I was due, and when I would be induced. Once I was 41 weeks, I coped best by staying at home, and tuning out all distractions. My midwife mentioned that staying home worked best for her. I turned to God's Word for strength. My midwife had told me to not worry about contractions as an indication of labor, as I had already had so many. (I had been contracting for 5 weeks.) I was beginning to even question what real labor contractions felt like, despite the fact that I had already given birth to three children. My midwife said to focus on other signs that labor was imminent. On week 41 day 6 (the day before I went into labor), my husband and I took our little ones out to breakfast, and then went to the mall to walk some laps. We went around the mall at least four times. We must have been quite a sight, I was waddling and holding my son's hand. My husband had our two year old in the sling, and was holding Lily's hand. Vendors were eagerly trying to get me to sample this and that, but I was a lady on a mission, namely, to kick start labor and to try to painlessly dilate. It happened to be my mother-in-law's birthday, so we stopped by her house, afterwords. Her large German Shepherd was in need of a walk, so my husband and I eagerly offered to take her dog on a walk. Later, my husband and I had a delightful evening out, since my sister-in-law offered to watch our little ones. (My husband wanted to celebrate my birthday, which was coming up.) Little did I know, that I would be holding my baby within the next 12-14 hours! We had a lovely time eating out, at a Chinese buffet. I was elated that they even served fresh pineapple, which aids in dilating the cervix. (I definitely ate my share of pineapple!) Though I had been emotional during the 41st week, I was very calm, the day before I gave birth. I was beginning to think that my dates were wrong, and was mentally preparing myself to go another week "overdue". We ended our date night, by going to a local coffee shop. I treasure this time with my husband and consider it a great gift from my Heavenly Father. He knew that a quiet evening was a wonderful prelude to "labor day". I was exhausted, when we got home, and right before bed, I made myself a strong cup of red raspberry leaf tea. (6 oz. of hot water with two bags of Alvita Red Raspberry leaf tea, steeping for 10-15 minutes.) I had been using Yogi tea, daily, for the last month of pregnancy, but I noticed that the Alvita tea was really potent. I highly recommend it! I went to bed about 11 pm.... totally unaware of the amazing events that would unfold within the next 12 hours! Stay tuned....birth story to come!