Reading List

Well, nothing like waiting until last minute to complete the first thing on my list of 12 new things.  I have such a long list of books to read that I had a hard time picking.  But, here it is:

                               

September – Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp

October – The Vaccine Book by Robert W. Sears

November – Womanly Dominion by Mark Chanski

December – Gospel Powered Parenting by William Farley

January – The Christian Childbirth Handbook by Jennifer Vanderlaan & Jan Tritten

February – The Nursing Mother’s Companion by Kathleen Higgins

March – The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson

April – Sacred Influence by Gary Thomas

May – The Mom Walk by Sally Clarkson

June – The Cross Centered Life by CJ Mahaney

July – Radical Womanhood by Carolyn McCulley

August – Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron

I’m hoping that I will be able to read many more books than this within a year, but I have a feeling that might not be possible once the baby comes.  So, this is my goal…one a month. 

Has anyone read any of these books or have any other book recommendations for me?

Natural Headache Relief

                   

I am constantly trying to find a way to eliminate the use of medication when health issues arise.  About a year ago I came across Young Living Essential Oils.  I became a member and instantly loved their products.  They are 100% pure, no chemicals or junk added.

My collection is small, but very useful.  I currently only have lemon, lavender and peppermint oil, but I have found that these are extremely versatile. 

Lately I’ve been loving my peppermint oil.  I have been getting mild headaches (maybe due to my pregnancy?) and I feel so good about using peppermint oil to take care of  it.  Being pregnant, the last thing I want to do is take medication.  All I have to do is put a drop of peppermint oil on my temples and almost instantly my headache fades away.  Not only is peppermint good for headaches, it also helps with stomachaches, sore throats and much more! 

Last year I got strep throat for the first time in my life.  I went to the doctor and they gave me a prescription to take.  A month later I got strep again.  (Does anyone know if it can be caused by stress?)  Went to the doctor again and got another prescription.  This time it went away for 2 months and when it came back I decided to give the peppermint oil a try.  Sure enough, a few days later my throat started to feel better.  I put a few drops of peppermint oil in water and gargled (and swallowed) it numerous times during the day.  I also put a couple drops of my lemon oil in hot water with a little bit of honey and sipped on that all day.  That was it and I didn’t get strep again! 

DISCLAIMER: This is just my experience with essential oils.  I am a member of Young Living, but do not write reviews/posts for them.  This is strictly my opinion that I am sharing with you.  Of course, I am not a doctor, so definitely consult a doctor before using essential oils and use with extreme caution.  :)

Snuggli Bebe

Check out Snuggli Bebe, a stylish baby boutique offering stylish products such as these:

                                            {Coconut Covers}

                   

                                             {Cloth Diapers}

                                         {Healing Butter}

      

I Love Fall

Please don’t hate me for saying this, but I am ready for fall.  I live in Michigan and I know that our summers are much more mild than many states, but I am really looking forward to fall.  It’s been a very hot and humid summer.  I do love warm weather, but I love too many things about fall to not look forward to it.  The only problem is winter comes after fall.  I wish it were fall all year…

I’m looking forward to seeing pretty leaves changing colors, making lots of pumpkin pies, making my house smell like autumn harvest, (and pumpkin pie)  and apple picking.  We picked apples last year and loved it!  Much more fun than going to the grocery store…

           

Anyone else looking forward to fall?

A Sad Goodbye

Wow, I’m still in shock.  I just posted last week about my sweet dog Rocky acting funny and not knowing why.  Well, he started to act better on Thursday so we put off taking him to the vet on Friday.  He was walking better and even ate a little bit (which he hadn’t wanted to do in awhile).  

On Friday night we were relaxing and all of the sudden he threw up.  We thought, okay….weird.  So I told my husband we have to take him in on Saturday.  We called as soon as the vet opened and they didn’t have time to get him in until Monday.  We even called other vets in the area because we just didn’t know what to do.  Nobody could get him in and we didn’t want to start back at square one with a different vet.  He was okay on Saturday, just kind of lazy and having a hard time walking.  Saturday night he slept in the living room which is unusual.  He is usually in our room with us. 

When we got up on Sunday my husband tried to take him out before he went to work at the church and he wouldn’t go out.  So I said just leave him.  He left for church at 7:00 and Rocky didn’t do much all morning.  He got up once to get a drink of water and then layed back down where he was.  He tried to get up but his legs just wouldn’t let him.  So I sat on the floor and pet him and talked to him for awhile.  At about 10:30 he started breathing deep, long breaths and I thought, oh no please just be okay at least until Rob (my husband)  gets home.  Then he started whining and kind of grunting and I knew something wasn’t right because he never whines.  So I picked up the phone to call the emergency vet number and I couldn’t even get through the entire answering machine message before he was gone.  I was in shock.  I had to call the church and have my husband rush home.  He had to get ahold of the vet because we didn’t know what to do with him.  I have to say, I didn’t plan on seeing that happen.  I thought for sure we would have to decide to get him put down someday. 

We had no idea he was so bad.  He didn’t show pain, just discomfort and we actually thought maybe his front leg was dislocated.  Cleary it was a lot more than that.  How weird, sad and disturbing.  I have no idea what was wrong with him and I think I’m glad that I didn’t know.  As heartbreaking as it is to not have him around, I think it would have been even harder on me to know what he was suffering with.  Needless to say, yesterday was a horrible day for me.  It isn’t any easier today being home without my husband and without my dog.  It seems so quiet and still and I don’t like it.  He was so quirky and had such personality.  Here are a few of my favorite memories:

-Anytime I was in the kitchen making dinner he would stand right next to me and grunt quietly as if to say “hey, how about giving some of that to me.”

-When we would eat dinner he would stand at the table and sometimes even tried to put his nose on the table and we would say “nose off” and he would back up about an inch so his nose was just close, not touching.

-He licked everyone and everything….including the carpet.

-He LOVED car rides.  Say “car” and he was at the door.  We still have some nose prints on the back windows.  :(

-He loved people.  Didn’t matter who, he thought everyone loved him too. 

-He didn’t play fetch.  If we threw him a ball he would run after it and roll on it.

-He chewed on tennis balls.  Not just kept them in his mouth, he chewed.

-Every time someone was on the couch he had to lay between the couch and coffee table, which meant we had to always have our feet up on the coffee table.

This is just a short list of things that we will always remember about Rocky.  I never thought losing a dog would be so hard, but he was my companion during the day.  I took him out everyday.  We went to get the mail together and it’s going to be so hard to change our routine.  It’s hard to walk in the house and not have him there to greet us. 

A few nights ago I layed on the floor with him and got my last picture with him. 

    

Rest in peace, dear friend.  You will be missed forever.

See this guy…

This is Rocky, our 9 year old Golden Retriever.

He loves to be outside…

And especially loves to swim…even if it’s just a puddle.

But, he does not like family photos.

We love him!

He turned 9 in the beginning of August and I swear he got “old” overnight.  He is always so playful but I noticed he was coughing frequently.  I thought maybe he was developing some allergies.  Still not sure.  He was being stubborn and only eating wet food, which is not normal.  Usually we only give him dry food.  I thought he was just being stubborn because he has done this before.  A few days later he started acting like it hurt to walk.  He never whines or cries so it’s hard for me to tell if he’s in pain.  I walked him to get the mail and he layed down 3 times before we got back inside.  Not normal.  The next day my husband said “I had to carry him up the stairs.”  He’s not a pocket pooch either.  He really didn’t like going outside anymore and I noticed he was having a really hard time standing up.  This is all within a few days and I thought, what the heck?  So we called the vet and took him in.  I was preparing for the worst.  I thought it was his hips because I’ve heard Golden Retrievers have hip problems.  The vet checked him out and said it was his back.  So he gave him 2 shots in his back and said he will be better in a few days.  A few days came and his back is better but now he is acting like his front legs are hurting him.  When he stands up he wobbles around like he is just learning to walk.  If he doesn’t improve by Friday we are off to the vet again. 

Please, please, please get better! 

I hate having a sick dog.  Especially my sweet one! 

Anyone else have dog problems like this?  Not fun!

A Journey In Mastering New Skills

Sarah Mae, from Like A Warm Cup of Coffee has a great post on her blog about mastering new skills over the next 12 months.  How fun!  I just had to join in.  She is inviting everyone to come along.  I love the idea of focusing on one thing a month.  Should be easy…right?

                                

Here are my 12 new things:

August – Create a reading list for the next 12 months…and read every one.

September – Update and utilize my homemaking binder (stay organized).

October – Create a prayer journal.

November – Declutter my home, go through things that I don’t use/need and get rid of it!

December – Make homemade Christmas gifts.

January – Make baby’s bedding and nursery decor.

February – Prepare for baby!!!  Make diaper cream, postpartum care kit, etc.

March – Become a new mom!  Enjoy quality time with my new baby and husband!  :)

April – Learn to make tea (loose leaf).

May – Master the art of bread making (this has been quite the challenge for me).

June – Research and find resources for making real baby food for when the time comes.

July – Focus on helping my sister prepare for her wedding and making it a really special time for her.  (She will be married next August) 

I think I can handle all of that…  Anyone care to join?  Visit here to see everyone else that is joining in! 

Look What I Found!

As most of you have probably figured out, I LOVE Etsy!  Not only for selling, but shopping too!  I have found so many baby products that I cannot wait to purchase when my little one is born!  Such as these…

 

Organic Natural Teether Lil' Cherry Leaf eco friendly teething toy 

{Hudson Block Co.}

 

             City Chic Peridot Reversible Baby Sling with Pocket                 

{Small Wish}

 

                      Organic  Stacker Toy                    

   {little sapling toys}

 

                   Sea Turtle Nursing Cover                

   {Pao Pao Baby}

 

               Nursing Necklace            

   {Little Nurslings}

Orglamix Winner!

Congratulations to WinItMama, winner of the Orglamix giveaway!  Please check your inbox for an email from me.  You have 48 hours to respond.

Thank you to everyone that entered! 

Travel System Recommendations

I’ve been looking and looking online at car seat/stroller  travel systems but I can't seem to find any that I like.  Maybe I will have to actually go into a store to look at them…  I’ve looked at Babies R Us, Target, Walmart, Sears…I just can’t find anything that I really like. 

Any recommendations?  Or anything to stay away from?  I’ve heard that Chicco is a good brand but other than that I’m not sure. 

Help Mommies!  :)

BabyBumz Winner!

Congratulations to Julie Kieras, winner of the $25 Babybumz gift certificate!

Thank you to everyone that entered!

*Orglamix giveaway is still open, don’t forget to enter!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

I think I have found my dream pie…

You have to check it out at The Thrifty Things! 

I will be making it soon.

Yum!

A Little Miracle

Psalm 139: 13-14

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and

wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

A Little Gardening Help Please…

This year I decided to try to grow tomatoes…so I got a Topsy Turvy and it’s hanging on my patio.  I have 6 tomatoes that grew (yay!) but they are staying green.  They are not turning red at all.  And they’ve been there for awhile.  Is that normal?  I’m not really sure if I’m supposed to pick them or just leave them on the plant. 

Advice anyone? 

Thanks!

August Special

Buy one bib, get one half off!!!

*Send me a message through Etsy conversation with your choice of bibs and I will set up a custom listing for you or discounted rate will be reimbursed through Paypal after transaction is complete.

Have a great August!!!