Bring On Lemons

I met a lovely lady at a Women In Management event a few years ago. She patiently explained essential oils to me and sporadically through the last few years, I would contact her with questions, to make purchases, etc... This lovely lady is Connie Koerth and she is a DoTerra wellness advocate who lives not far from me (she's in Brillion, WI and I'm in Reedsville). I found her knowledge and expertise, as well as her DoTerra products to be irreplaceable during my last two pregnancies and continue to use oils in my every day life. I recently had the opportunity to test out DoTerra's 'On Guard' product line. Connie provided me with cleaning spray, a roll on applicator, hand sanitizer, some cough drops, and a small bottle of the oil. The timing for testing couldn't have been better as we just had the stomach flu, the common cold, and pneumonia going through our family. The primary benefits of 'On Guard' blend by DoTerra: * Supports healthy immune functi...

These Sillycutie Kids Mittens are completely adorable as well as being warm and well made. The inside is fuzzy and comfortable and they provide the extra room chubby little hands need to be warm and yet wiggle. I bought two pair of this brand (one in blue for my 2 year old son and one in pink for my daughter for her first birthday) and I was not at all disappointed. They are well worth the money and most people will assume you made them yourself! Absolutely a great find! I would say they will fit from 1-4 year olds. (#kidsglove) I received one pair at a discounted price in exchange for my honest review (and they were so cute, I paid full price and picked up the second pair) - Mine were purchased via Amazon . Crystal is a church musician, babywearing mama (aka crunchy mama), business owner, active journaler, writer and blogger, Blog Tour Manager with WOW! Women on Writing, Publicist with Dream of Things Publishing, as well as a dairy farmer. She lives in Manitowoc County...

The Smart Bambino Stroller Organizer may not fit all strollers. We have several strollers and it fit most of them nicely. The only stroller it didn't seem to work well on was our double stroller (Britax B Agile Double) and unfortunately, I couldn't get a good fit on a shopping cart either. I just thought I'd give that a try because it seemed so nice for holding phone, coffee, coupons, etc... The velcro is very sturdy and you'll have no problem getting a good fit and feeling like your items are secure. This is a great addition for busy moms, especially since more and more strollers don't come with cup holders. (don't these people know that most of us are powered by coffee?) Shop for your own Smart Bambino Stroller Organizer on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B016P8N31S I received the Smart Bambino Stroller Organizer for free or at a reduced price in exchange for my honest review. #strollerorganizer May your paths be abundantly filled with lemo...

I've tried and used many different ring slings through the years, and this Mamaway Ring Sling was interesting from the moment I opened the package. The sling conveniently folds into it's very own carrying pouch which appealed to me right away. It's nice to just grab and go and not worry about an extra storage bag (or knowing your toddler is using your ring sling to wipe his sticky fingers). It took a few tries to get comfortable as this was my first time working with this particular sling material and non-metal rings. Once I got the hang of it, I was quite pleased with how my nearly 1 year old daughter and I felt. The Mamaway is nice and lightweight and the fabric is sturdy yet breathable. Grab your very own - right here!  mamaway provided this sling for me to try but the opinions expressed are solely my own

Anyone who has recently visited our home has been asked "would you like some kefir?" and most have been open to trying the delicious beverage. For years and years we have been taking probiotic supplements (yes, the entire family), and I swear by them. Between probiotics, breast milk, and duct tape, I'm quite close to taking over the world...insert evil laugh... But seriously... My journey to kefir started when a friend showed me how to make yogurt. Once I perfected making yogurt at home , I decided to look into the world of kefir. It took quite some time to hunt down some kefir grains. Unfortunately, none of my local shops carried the little buggers...so I ordered off Amazon and after a few day "activation" period, I was ready to rock and roll. We are now consistently turning out 4 cups of kefir each day. Believe it or not, we are going through just as much just as quickly. Our children (even the youngest who isn't quite a year) love the cold, sweet, d...

I'm at a bit of an advantage here - since I have access to free milk...but even with buying the milk at the store, this recipe is sure to save you some money on your next grocery bill. Our family of 6 goes through a LOT of yogurt, and I was sick of spending $20-$30 on yogurt, so we started making our own. It's nice to know exactly what your family is eating, and the whey can be used for lacto-fermenting vegetables, taking baths, softening skin, hair conditioner, etc... Here's the scoop: You will need: 8 C (that's 1/2 gallon) of 2% or whole milk 1/2 C original yogurt (non flavored and any brand will do) .... or once you make yogurt, hold 1/2 cup back and use as starter for the next batch a nut bag (if you do this often, it's worth it to have one...otherwise try a cheese cloth...or if need be, line a plastic noodle strainer with coffee filters) a crock pot with "low" setting a candy thermometer an oven a timer (I use the timer on my ove...

Delicious Home Made Granola Bars (an easy recipe even children can help with) Preheat oven to 325 F Grease 9x13 pan Combine: 4 1/2 C old fashioned oats 1 C wheat flour or all purpose 2 t baking soda 2/3 C melted butter 3/4 C honey 1/3 C dark brown sugar Options: 1 t vanilla, 1 C raisins, 1 C nuts Or 1 t almond extract, 1 C dried cherries, 1 C white chocolate chips Or 1 t vanilla, 1 C chocolate chips, 1 C nuts of your choice Or 1 t vanilla & 2 C mini chocolate chips Combine ingredients (adding options last) and then press into the pan and bake for 20 ish minutes. Let cool, cut, enjoy! I like to freeze after cutting and then toss into individual snack bags for on the go munching! Pictured is tonight's batch of door county cherry with white chocolate &almonds! If you try this recipe and use different "mix ins" -  please leave a comment we can share with others! ENJOY!!!! May your paths be abundantly filled with le...

Like tacos? Looking for an easy way to make tacos for your family? Try this: Grease a 9x13 pan Preheat oven to 350F Roll out 2 cans of crescent rolls and spread them on the bottom & up the sides of the pan. Smoosh the seams together to form a crust. Crush 2C tortilla chips and layer evenly over the crust. Fry up 2lbs ground beef, add taco seasoning and salsa or tomato paste (do it however you usually do for tacos - we make ours from scratch - but feel free to use package taco seasoning) Spread the beef mixture over the crust. Spread 2C sour cream over the beef. Spread 3C corn over the sour cream. Spread 2C black beans or refried beans over the sour cream. Spread 3C Spanish rice over the beans. Sprinkle 3C shredded cheese (you choose the flavor) over the rice. Crumble 1C tortilla chips over the cheese. Bake for 38 minutes at 350F Serve with diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, black olives, diced onions, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, tortilla chips, tac...