Video of Doctor talking the truth about HFCS even without mercury!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67NMir6K0xk

Quick link on the peanut fiasco and now mercury found in high fructose corn syrup

This article goes to prove my point that "the big guys" do not give a damn about us or our children. It is all about making a product at the cheapest way even if that means putting the consumer and our children in danger while doing so. In light of the peanut recall, another story has been overshadowed regarding mercury being found in high fructose corn syrup which can be found in ALOT of stuff. This sweetner can be made in a safe way, but is not being done but rather companies are taking the cheaper route for themselves. This type of stuff angers me to no end, and that is why I am shying away from any food that is processed. I hope to eliminate all in the future. Mercury is bad for anyone but deadly to our little ones, and HFCS can be found in TONS of childrens snacks, drinks, etc. I am learning new ways to make Baileys snacks and such myself. Here is a very interesting article, and although it is a long one very informative~ http://www.democracynow.org/2009/1/29/food_safety_georgia_plant_knowingly_shipped

~9 1/2 Months~

Where has the time gone? Today our little girl is 9 1/2 months old! It is crazy how fast time flies, but boy are we having a blast! It is so much fun to see her learning so many new things, and become such a smart little girl with such attitude! lol We are working on trying to redirect her behaviors when she gets frustrated because she is starting to hit, and scratch. I feel like it is so early to be dealing with that, but she does not have a way to communicate her feelings since she can't talk yet. I am thinking of starting to sign with her, and see if that helps. She tends to get her bossy ways when it gets close to bedtime and she is just pooped. She definitely has Travs temper and stubborn ways. She is starting to pick up on us teaching her to be nice when she wants to kick some ass! lol Since we came home from Flag I was ill and trying to mend without having to take a trip to the doctor and pay a million dollars. That is one huge downside to not being married, that and not sharing the same last name as my bug. The other day Trav suggested we head to the courthouse so that I can have health insurance, but of course I said no because that is not how it will happen. I deserve our day, and it will be a very special one and not in some crappy courthouse. I know that is not how he wants it either. Anyway so thankfully I was able to get myself up to par without antibiotics which is wonderful. Bailey was the perfect company while I was feeling poopy. While I was sick I searched around online to find some home remedies to help me out, when I came across such sad news and a story I have been following for awhile. A little 3 year old girl out here in Gilbert had been battling a brain tumor since birth, and lost her fight the other day. This story touched me greatly when I first heard about Briannah months ago. At the time I read about her and her parents I admired their strength, and belief in the power of prayer. To face this terminal illness with such strength is something I am not so sure I could do. They kept a website for her and often posted updates and pictures of their precious little girl. http://www.babybriannah.org/, here is a poem written and posted on the website that just really touched my heart:

Briannah's Homecoming

Unexpectedly invited to witness a most intimate moment

Her Father says she left her earthly body less than an hour ago

Invited into her room Her Mother holds the three year old's body in her arms Wrapped in a soft blanket

Low lights, background praise music Her Mother strokes her baby girl's downy soft blond hair She holds her close to her body, speaking softly to Jesus about her beautiful daughter

Her Father speaks tenderly of the coming moments - to bathe their baby girl for the last time, to cut a lock of her hair

The peace they have - she's held in Jesus' arms now Home at last.

Wishing they were with her. Knowing He's not ready for them yet. Only sweet Briannah.

I know for me it really put into perspective my life and what awesome things I have to be thankful for. I know alot of friends/family are facing alot of different trying times from losing homes, jobs, and in some cases everything. It is now though that it is good to sit back and look at the bigger picture. If Trav was to lose his job today, our home was to be taken and all our posessions gone we would still have eachother and our beautiful daughter, and that is something to be uber grateful for. Jobs, homes, belongings.........all those things are able to be replaced and for me atleast are not the end all to anything. We are all so blessed to have our health and beautiful families and I for one am guilty at times of taking advantage of how great we have it. I put myself in Briannah's Mom's shoes and imagine living my life from the day my daughter was born knowing that someday she would die from her brain tumor, and what that would be like. My heart breaks for her, and encourages me that much more to be the mother that I am to Bailey. We sat down the other night and talked about the economy and what is important to us. We both agree that as long as we have eachother we can and will make it through anything. Posessions are just that, and in the end they are nothing that matters. I know that much worse things can happen, like having to bury a child after 3 short years. Not something anyone ever expects to happen, but it can. I do not put much value into material things and never have, but I vow to try even harder to pour more into my family than ever before, and cherish them every moment of every day! I am so grateful for the wonderful friends and family that we have.

On a lighter note I was able to make another diaper yesterday morning and it came out great! Today I am working on Bailey's Valentines dress which will be fun. I gotta run, Bailey is waking up which means time to make some pancakes! Yum! Happy Friday!

P.S. I included a picture of a book I am currently into called "Raising Baby Green" by Alan Greene...........this book is awesome and full of tons of great info starting on what to do to make sure you have a healthy pregnancy also. I had to post a pic of Bailey my monkey and her monkey "boots" in Flagstaff!

Snow, Snow, Snow!!!

We are back from our mini vacation to Flagstaff and we had a blast!!! It would have been nice to stay a little longer, but Trav must work! lol We are both so thankful every time we take a trip that Bailey is sooooo well behaved. We can travel just like we did before, but now we have such a cute little companion to come along and join in the fun. We always find ourselves talking about how lucky we are to have such a sweet little girl that is so mellow. She did cry for a minute on our way home when we were going through the moutains but that went away when she had a bottle. Before we left though I started to feel a little under the weather and had a little bit of nausea so that was a bad start for me but I was determined to have a great time no matter what. By the time we got there I was running a fever and having some boob issues, I know TMI, but I ended up with another case of mastitis! Ugh! Nothing that antibiotics won't take care of. I just took tyelnol to keep my fever down and fed Bailey whenever I could because that helps also. It was COLD to say the least up there!!!! We are not used to that at all. We ended up heading to snowbowl to play for a bit, but soon realized that it was WAY to cold for Bailey. We went onto the mountain and took a few pics but headed out right after that. We look forward to taking her back when she is old enough to walk and we can sled, snowboard, etc. She seemed to really like the snow, and that is surprising because she seems to have an issue with textures of things lately, grass being one of them. She HATES the feel of grass :) Our hotel room in Flag was perfect for us, and had a jacuzzi in our room so we could warm up after a cold day. I put bubble bath in there which I guess is a no no! lol Bailey was asleep in the other room and I started up the jacuzzi and went to the bathroom. Trav was watching boxing right there on the bed and he said he looked over and the bubbles were halfway up the wall! lol It was hilarious because he wanted to know what I was thinking, but we had a whole conversation about the bubble bath in the tub! He obviously was not listening, but we had a great laugh about it. Our hotel had a happy hour for guests to mingle and have a few drinks so we headed down to enjoy a snack. We plan on staying at this place again, it was that nice. Very comfortable and a great price. Every night stay included a real breakfast of Belgian waffles, eggs, hashbrowns, sausage, biscuits, toast, and tons of other stuff. Turns out Bailey LOVES waffles. We knew she loved pancakes, so she would probably love waffles. It is so neat to sit and eat a meal since she feeds herself for the most part now. Of course not without making a mess, so we find ourselves on the floor picking up food before we leave! We brought her pack n play with us, but after a few hours of sleep she decided it was not comfy enough so we brought her back to bed with us. We have not coslept since she was 2.5 months so it was interesting! She stayed asleep the whole night, but she moved ALOT! It was comical, but nice to have her close again. We did a little shopping, and just had some nice family time. We decided that we are going to try and take a few small vacations a year with Sedona being the next place we plan to go. Yesterday we had planned to head back to snowbowl and do some sledding, but it was very windy and way too cold so we decided to do a bit of shopping and then head home. It was the perfect little trip aside from my poor booby luck! Well Bailey is napping and I am going to join her, just wanted to hop on and share some photos of our first trip to the snow :)

So much to do and not much time!

Some days I feel like there are not enough hours! I know when some people here I stay at home with B, they think I am watching soaps while devouring large tubs of bon bons! Wrong! lol I have said many times that being at home is the hardest but most rewarding job ever. Bailey is super easy to take care of, but my resposibilities do not end with her. I know for me I manage pretty much everything in our home from budgeting/finances, keeping things tidy, doing the shopping, and making sure Trav has clothes set out, dinner, lunches, beer, making baby food, cleaner etc. I love it and take great pride in my work and no two days are every alike. I may have a plan in the morning, but it can soon go right out the window if B is by chance cranky or whatnot. I learned very quickly not to rely on any type of schedule and to make certain things priority and also multitask. At any given time I am cooking Bailey's food, running a load of dipes, and trying to find time to get my hair out of a ponytail, while trying to feed B! Time becomes even more strained when we have extra things going on that I have to prepare for. This weekend we are taking a trip to stay in Flagstaff as a family and enjoy the snow and the time away. It takes alot of preparation when traveling with a child. It's funny because I have been asked by several people when Trav and I are going to take some time away alone. My answer to that is we have plenty alone time, and Trav and I both feel like any trip or time out would not be complete without having Bailey with us. Prior to having kids I would have never understood parents that did not go out and have a sitter. Since Bailey is in bed early Trav and I have plenty of time daily to hang out as a couple, eat a nice meal, catch up on eachother's day etc. We also each get time out alone with friends whenever we would like. If I go out, it is usually once Bailey is in bed and Trav is home with her, and Trav goes out and I stay home. We do not really share common friends anyway so it works out great. I think I have been out 3x though since Bailey was born, because I still have to wake up with her in the morning! lol It still is nice to get out once in awhile though even if it is only to have dinner and some wine with the girls. I have had many family and friends want to babysit Bailey and as much as I love and trust them it is not something I am ready, nor do I know if I ever will be ready. We both agree there isnt anything we want to experience without her. One day when we marry we plan to take a familymoon! lol I also plan on having a much more natural birth next time and will have Bailey there also. Since becoming a mom I understand what it is like, and can totally relate to why we make the choices we do. I feel bad for anyone I ever judged. Being a parent is something you never understand until you are there. Needless to say this little vacation will be great with our little family, and the hotel room is 2 rooms so we do not have to go to bed when Bailey does. It will be tons of fun, and I will be sure to post pics of B's first snow! I had to go and buy her more snow gear because she is too big for her princess suit I bought when I was preggo.

I also had to make time to do her photoshoot for the Goodmama contest this week, and that was fun! She has such a personality it is easy to snap some awesome photos. She started to get a little annoyed after all my picture taking and even gave me the famous boo boo lip that I do so well! :) This week her new thing is giving mommy and papa kisses! It is the sweetest thing ever! She also loves this rocking giraffe that we bought her for Christmas, she goes to town rocking back and forth often with no hands! It is funny to see that her taste is alot like mine when it comes to food. She likes her fruits but really loves savory foods like terryaki chicken, potatoes, and italian squash. I can't wait for Co-op this saturday morning to see what we will get! We are leaving right for Flag after our pickup which is 630 am.

My best friend in the whole world is having her 6th baby in a week! I am sooo excited for her, and wish I could be there to help her with her kiddos. I want nothing more than to live in the same state as her (ID) and raise our babies together. I hate not having her close, although we do get to chat on the phone and that helps. We are alot alike in how we raise our children and the natural way of life we choose to live. We have tons to talk about, and she cloth diapers now too which is SO cool! Her husband is alot like Trav, and they would get along great. Unfortunately moving right now is not an option with the stupid economy, but hopefully the market will change and houses will start to sell for what they are worth or maybe we will win the lottery. Our home is too small for the family we would love to have, so moving is definitely in our future. We have thrown around a few ideas for states, but we won't know until the time comes. I had to ask my mom her thoughts on it, because we are so close and have never lived apart. I was shocked to find that she completely supports us if we moved. She understands the need to have a change of scenery and to build our life as a family wherever we choose. Mind you she has alot of grandkids, but more than half do not live in AZ already. I look forward to our future and settling down somewhere wherever it may be. Well I have a very busy day ahead of me tomorrow finishing up packing for our trip, and doing some grocery shopping, among MANY other things! I better join Trav and Bailey in catching some zzzzz's for there is only so much coffee can do! :)

A Trip to Greece!

In my kitchen anyway! Many of you know that I LOVE to cook! Well I am so used to cooking the regular American, Mexican, Chinese and Italian foods but I really wanted to branch out from there and kind of challenge myself to try some other cultures. The other day I took Bailey to lunch at this place called The Pita Jungle. The food was delish and I was inspired to try and make the stuff myself. I later asked Trav if he would be on board for me to start cooking my way around the world..........in my kitchen of course, and he said he was excited to see what I could do. I figured I would share my experiences and recipes here so you all could join me in my adventure if you would like. At the end of our journey I plan to put together a cookbook full of the recipes we try. Yesterday we started in Greece and I made quite the spread, and was SHOCKED at how good the result was. I started out by marinading some chicken in Soy Vay Island Terryaki sauce that I later cut up and skewered. I also made some skewers with mushrooms, pineapple, and bell pepper. I had Trav grill these up while I was making the other dishes. I made a greek potato garlic dipping sauce that was out of this world, and here is the recipe for that:

Skordalia (Greek Potato and Garlic Dip)

Ingredients:
2 russet potatoes (about 1 pound), scrubbed
Kosher salt, as needed, plus 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon
8 medium cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup whole blanched almonds
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup water
5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water by 2 inches and season generously with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until very tender, about 30 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let cool slightly.
Rub the skins off the potatoes and discard them. Coarsely chop the potatoes and puree them through a food mill or ricer into a medium bowl.
Meanwhile, on a cutting board, lightly sprinkle the garlic with a generous pinch of the salt and smash it into a fine paste with the side of a cook?s knife.
In a food processor, combine the garlic, almonds, and oil and puree into a paste. Mix the oil mixture into the potatoes until incorporated; then mix in the 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon salt, water, lemon juice, and vinegar and season with pepper, to taste. Serve.

To keep with my Greek theme I made a dish of Giant Beans Baked in the Oven also know as "Fassolia Gigantes Plaki" to bring this meal together. Here is the recipe:

Giant Beans Baked in the Oven

INGREDIENTS
500 gr. Greek fassolia gigantes, or butter beans
1 kg tomatoes
160 ml olive oil280 gr. onions, finely sliced
1 tablespoon tomato puree
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme

METHOD

Pick the beans clean from stones and grit and soak them in cold water overnight. Drain and rinse them in a colander, put into a large saucepan or a pressure cooker, cover with plenty of cold water and boil them until they are cooked but still a little hard. This type of bean cooks quickly, so be aware until you get used to them. They take hardly 2 minutes in a pressure cooker and about 30-40 minutes otherwise. If they get overcooked, they get mushy and soggy and they do not taste at their best. This first step then is also the most important in this recipe.Drain the beans through a colander and keep aside. In the same saucepan, heat the olive oil and fry the onions, the garlic and the dried herbs, until they start turning pale golden. Add the tomatoes with all the juice from the cans or, if fresh tomatoes are used, add 150 ml water. Then add the tomato puree and sugar, break up the mixture with a fork, season with salt and pepper, cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the sauce thickens.Mix the parsley into the tomato sauce, add the beans and mix well. Spread the beans in an oven dish. Sprinkle a little oregano and black pepper on the top and cook in a pre-heated oven at 350 grades F / 80 grades C, for 30 minutes, without stirring, until they look slightly crisp on top and quite dry.Alternatively, add the beans to the tomato sauce, mix well, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

I served with brown rice, and some Tandoori Garlic Naan bread that I picked up at our local fresh and easy store. Here is a pic of the end result of my hard work in the kitchen!
Here is a pic of what the bean dish looks like up close! Trav absolutely LOVED this meal, and said he expected it to come out amazing because it always does! He is quite the charmer! lol I look forward to sharing more on my trip around the world :)

A week in the life of a SAHM

Bailey is snug in bed and Trav is sound asleep after being out late last night and having to be up at 4 for work so he is pooped. I thought I would take a moment to blog and add some photos. The last week or so has been so eventful! It started out with my birthday! I still can't believe I am already 28, but whatever! Trav made me a very special dinner, and since I love to sew he offered to invest in some equipment to make my own cloth diapers. Of course I became super excited because for one I love cloth diapering and two we plan on having several children and this will be a cheaper and more fun route to take. I already have a sewing machine so we bought a REALLY nice serger for an awesome deal, and a snap press to add snaps onto my dipes! On top of that he gave me the go ahead to order all the supplies I needed to get started. Fabric was the first thing I bought and boy did I have fun picking it out! I was able to score tons of fabric used by big name diaper companies for myself to make my dipes. I was beyond eager to make my first diaper, but Bailey demands alot of my time so I did a little over the course of 2 days. After the diaper was completed, I was SHOCKED at how great it came out on my first try! I used a diaper that I had as my guide since I really did not have a pattern. Travis was so excited for me, and said he knew I would be good at it :) The fit was perfect on B, and she must have loved it because she pooped in it right away! I have already had tons of requests form my CDing friends for dipes, but as of right now I do not plan on making it a business. In the future it is a possibility but Bailey is my main focus, and I do not want anything interfering with being able to give her my attention. I have a bunch more organic fabrics coming and I hope to make some dipes soon! With the serger I can make sooo many different things it really is endless. I had already made unpaper towels months ago with the regular sewing machine, but the serger made it that much easier. I have not bought paper towels in months! Just one more way to cut down on garbage. While all this was going on I was busy cooking also. I cook every day, but this week our offering from the Co-op included 25 pounds of Tomatoes that I ordered. I made a HUGE batch of salsa but had SO many left I was not sure what I would do with them. I decided to roast them all with some olive oil, salt and pepper in my roaster oven and freeze for spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, etc. The house smelled amazing! I can't wait to see what we have this weekend at the Co-op. We are looking into ordering 1/2 a cow in the next couple of months that is hormone free etc. Since having Bailey we have really started to implement alot of changes into our lives in trying to be healthier with food etc. We are constantly making more changes and learning as we go. It is fun and so interesting for both of us. I have been surprised by Travs excitement in all of these areas. I was raised very organic and natural, however ventured away from it when I got older. This is all new for Trav but after doing any research it is easy to see that these choices we make are great ones for our little family. Back in the day when I was a child we shopped at a Co-op in Tempe called Gentle Strength....it closed a few years back, but man do I wish they were still around! I did not appreciate it back when I was a child, but now that I am older I completely understand why my mom made those choices. It is encouraging to see so many people starting to research causes of different diseases and such that have become so common. It is sad to see cancer causing chemicals being used in products used on our precious children. I quickly learned after Bailey was born that no giant company is going to look out for my daughter and do what is best for her. I have to take it upon myself to do the research needed to make sure she has the best chance of an awesome healthy future. I hope to see the government step in and make some changes to what is being allowed ingredient wise in all products not just childrens. Until then I will do my research little by little, and make my choices for our family based off of that. I seem to always get on a rant when I talk about this stuff, but I am so passionate about anything that has to do with Bailey and keeping her safe. There is alot of toxic chemicals in the air and such that I have no control over, however there are alot of other ways I can prevent/minimize her exposure to other harmful chemicals. The internet is full of information, and really you can find info on both sides, however facts are facts. When and ingredient used in baby products was found intact in a breast cancer tumor my eyes where opened wide, and that started my search for more information. I try to set aside a little time each week to do research when Bailey is in bed, or on the weekend mornings when she is watching sports with daddy. Speaking of sports! Yesterday the Cardinals made it to the Superbowl! We were so excited......Trav insisted I dress B in her Cardinals cheerleader outfit for his good luck charm. Sure enough when she went down for nap, they started to lose! Thankfully she woke up from her nap just in time to help them win the game! Trav swears it was his B that was the luck they needed :) We snapped a couple of cute pictured during half time, and I posted a couple from her 9 month bday at the park. We have alot planned for the rest of the week, so I will post as I go........today is only Monday!