It’s yard sale time and with that comes the reminder of things that you should never buy used UNLESS you completely and totally trust the person selling and you have done your own research regarding reviews, recalls, etc.

1. Carseats – If you don’t know the history, you don’t know if it has been in a wreck or not.  Carseats also expire!  Err on the side of caution and buy new.

2. Cribs – These are constantly being changed, recalled, modified, etc.  Again, do your research or buy new.  It’s not worth risking your baby’s life.

3. Underwear – Enough said.

4. Helmets – These wear out and like carseats, need to be thrown out after an accident.

5. Mattresses – Bed Bugs.  Mites.  Body Fluids.  Ick.

6. Baby Bottles – Older ones may not be BPA free.

7. Hats – These are rarely washed so be prepared to be buying lice, sweat, dead skin cells, etc.

What else would you never buy from a yard sale?

Yes, we are potty training.  Again.  Kid #4.  This might be the last time we potty train unless God blesses us with another little blessing.  Can I get a Hallelujuh we are almost done with diapers?

Kid #1 was easy and completely trained by her first birthday.  Things are much easier when you only have 1 kid in that aspect.  Kid #2 was a little bit slower but he was done by 2 and 3/4.

With that being said, I thought kid #3 was going to be the death of me with potty training.    She seemed to be easy from the beginning.  I thought we were done.  Until.  The.Stomach.Bug.Hit.  In the midst of everything that comes with a stomach bug, she ended up being scared to use the potty.  It was a disaster.

I finally read the book It’s No Accident: Breakthrough Solutions to Your Child’s Wetting, Constipation, UTIs, and Other Potty Problems and it opened the door to finally us getting done!

I wanted to share a few of our “favorite things” since again, we’re on round 4.  I hope this kid will be easy.  She seems to be.  The past few weeks, she’s been taking off her diaper on her own and taking herself to the potty.  In all honesty, she’s been ready, I just haven’t been!  Here goes:

 

We have 2 Bjorn Potty Chairs.  They are available in lots of fun colors.  With my first 2, I had different potties that I wasn’t fond of but on a recommendation of a friend, we bought this one and love it.  One of the potty seats is in the bathroom and the other is in the van!  You wouldn’t believe how many times that has come in handy.  We like taking car trips and getting 4 kids in and out of the van isn’t very easy when one has to go potty RIGHT NOW.

Next, we watch Sesame Street – Elmo’s Potty Time.  A lot.  Enough to where I know pretty much all of the words.  Sad but true.  The potty training child loves it and it helps get them more used to potty being natural.

Another essential for us is the Folding Potty Seat with Handles.  This is great if you don’t want to take the potty chair to Grandma’s house or to Disney on Ice.  It folds up nicely and fits right in the diaper bag.

For underwear, we always use the padded Gerber Training Pants.  When we venture out and about, I normally put a plastic liner on as well just in case.

Of course with everything, there’s an app!  I highly recommend the Potty Baby app.  Click here for apple or here for android.  I like this app because it’s FREE and it alerts your phone whenever it’s time to take the child to the potty.  You set up the intervals.

I also recommend the Summer Infant Deluxe Piddle Pad.  It fits right in the carseat and absorbs wonderfully!  We leave it in her carseat and then wash as needed.  Nothing has leaked onto the carseat cover at all!  I love products that make my life easier!  Right now, it’s priced on Amazon for just $8.65 (compare to $12.99 at Toys R Us) and I highly recommend it if you have a little one like me!  This would also work great for babies that are prone to blow-outs.  Nothing worse than having to take apart a carseat with a mess in it.  This just gets thrown in the wash!

When it comes down to actually potty training, we believe in positive reinforcement, consistently taking the child to the potty, and M&M treats for successful trips.

Wish us luck!  What are your best tips for training?

 

Here’s a quick and easy recipe for keeping your lips looking luscious.

1 tsp. aloe vera gel

1/2 tsp. coconut oil

1/8 tsp. vitamin e oil (I usually just pop open a few capsules and squeeze out the oil.)

You can flavor it with a few drops of vanilla extract, or coconut, or whatever flavor you like.

Simply mix them all together and you have an easy moisturizing lip gloss.

 

 

 

I’ve decided to give up fast food. Nope, this isn’t an April Fools. I’ve seriously decided to give up fast food and change my family’s habits. So, I have set a goal to not eat fast food for the next 30 days. I actually started this almost 2 weeks ago. My family loves to eat out. Everytime we hop in the car the first thing I hear is, “Where are we going to eat?” Since we live almost an hour away from everything, we inevitably end up at the drive thru. It drives me crazy because I strive so hard to eat clean at home and we just blow it with fast food. Not to mention the impact eating out frequently has on one’s wallet. I could buy those Jimmy Choo wedges I’ve been eyeing for what we spend on fast food every month. So, how have I managed to keep us from pulling through the golden arches for almost 2 week? By being prepared! I started packing a small cooler full of snacks when we travel anywhere. The trick for me is to pre-package snacks into portion size containers long before we leave, usually as I am putting away my groceries, so I can grab and go. Just in case you want to join in and give up fast food for a month here are a few snacks ideas that have worked well for us. I have to say I’ve lost about 5 lbs. since I gave this up!

• On the go snacks:
• Cheese sticks
• Celery sticks with peanut or almond butter
• Rice cakes
• Hard boiled eggs
• Yogurt
• Trail mix
• Bananas
• Dried fruit
• Yogurt covered raisins
• Carrot sticks
• Almonds
• Broccoli
• Granola bars
• Grapes
• Sandwiches
• Pretzel sticks
• Berries
• Bagles
• Egg Rolls

Today is my 11th anniversary. Hubby had to work, but look what he brought home with him! I think I’ll keep him another 11 😉

Isn’t that sweet? I love that man!

I LOVE getting sweet messages from my readers.  I just got one from reader Julie in regards to my post How We Stopped Finger Sucking (Almost).  Here’s what Julie had to say:

 

I wanted to send you a HUGE thank- you for your post about the Mavala Stop! We have used it for a week and it appears that my sons have both stopped sucking their thumbs!! I have tried countless other products (including prescription from Dermatologist) without success. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

I’m so super happy to have helped.  And thank YOU Julie for your sweet message.  You made my day 🙂

After a rough couple of days, this totally made me crack up!  Hope it does you, too!

Thank you for everyone that prayed for my grandfather the past few weeks.  I was able to spend an enormous amount of time talking with him and just being together.  He passed away at his home on Thursday, March 21st at around 6:10 pm with my mom, my aunt, and myself at his side.  It was very peaceful and we are happy to know that he is in heaven.

There is something remarkably peaceful about watching a man who loved The Lord with all his heart take his final breaths.  He was at such peace the entire time and kept his eyes focused right on his eternal healing.

My grandfather loved my grandmother so much that he actually died on her birthday.  She had passed away 11 years ago.  I can almost picture him surprising her in heaven by arriving on her birthday.  What a joyous reunion that must have been.

I know I will have some good days and some sad days the next few weeks, so there may be some days without many posts, but my assistants will be keeping an eye on things and bumping up their postings as needed if I need a day off to myself.

Thanks again for all the prayers during this time.  I appreciate knowing I have such wonderful readers.

Erin

I am so excited that spring is finally here! Like I told you in a post on Monday, I am in the mood for spring cleaning. Today I want to share with you a few ways I green my clean. I tossed conventional cleaning products several years ago when I began to learn about the toxic ingredients that I was using to clean my home. The health risks aren’t worth it, it costs less to make your own, and it’s incredibly easy. You are going to be surprised how simple it really is and I bet you will have most of the ingredients on hand.

Window and Glass Spray

1 cup white distilled vinegar

3 cups water

1-2 drops of liquid dish soap

Simply combine all the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake to mix. Conventional glass cleaners leave a film on your mirrors and windows. The liquid dish soap will remove this film. Once you have removed this film, it’s no longer necessary to add the dish soap. I add a couple of drops of orange or lemon essential oil. It adds to the cleaning power and also gives it a nice scent.

Furniture Polish

3 tablespoons beeswax beads (found here-Beeswax Organic Pastilles, Yellow, 100% Pure 16 Oz)

8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Melt the beeswax in a crockpot or a double boiler. The easiest way is to melt the beeswax in a small glass jar using the double boiler method. I use a small mason jar. Once the beeswax is melted add the oil. Be careful not to burn yourself. I add about 15 drops of lemon essential oil. You could use teatree essential oil, or any woody essential oil if you prefer.

All Purpose Cleaner

1 gallon of water

1/3 cup white distilled vinegar

10-15 drops tea tree essential oil (found here-Tea Tree (Melaleuca) Essential Oil. 10 ml. 100% Pure, Undiluted, Therapeutic Grade.)

 

10 drops citrus essential oil (I use this-Orange Essential Oil. 10 ml. 100% Pure, Undiluted, Therapeutic Grade.)

 

I usually combine all these ingredients in a bucket and use it to dampen a cloth for cleaning my kitchen and bathrooms. Then I use it for mopping the kitchen.

For areas that need scrubbing like the toilet or showers I simply use baking soda, either plain or with a few drops of essential oils. I like tea tree essential oil for it’s antimicrobial properties and citric essential oils for their disinfecting and antifungal properties. Remember not to apply undiluted  essential oils directly to your skin. 

I think you will be pleased to learn how easy and inexpensive it really is to clean your house naturally and you get the peace of mind knowing that your home is chemical free.

Did you grab up the deal on coconut oil? It’s still available! Here’s a great way to use it. Making your own deodorant is one simple and easy way to go natural and save money at the same time. Conventional deodorants are full of chemicals that can be toxic and natural alternatives are often pricey and sometimes not as chemical-free as you might think. It’s easy to make your own with ingredients you probably already have around the house in just minutes. Here’s what you need:

1/4 c. cornstarch or arrow root powder

1/4 c. baking soda

6-8 tsp. coconut oil in it’s solid form

3 drops teatree essential oil (found here-Tea Tree (Melaleuca) Essential Oil. 10 ml. 100% Pure, Undiluted, Therapeutic Grade.)

9 drops orange essential oil (found here-Orange Essential Oil. 10 ml. 100% Pure, Undiluted, Therapeutic Grade.)

Simply combine all ingredients together until well blended. I use a clean empty deodorant container to store mine so it rolls up just like a conventional deodorant. Be sure to keep it in a cool place to prevent the coconut oil from liquefying.