Keep Calm 2013 is almost over!

2013 has not been the best year for us. I am glad that I didn't write about the journey we had, because I am happy to keep it all behind us. We are blessed to still have each other and are looking forward to a new year! 2014 a year of new beginnings!

Brownie mix!

Never buy boxed brownie mix again! 
So simple, so easy:

1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Flour
1/3 Cup Cocoa
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Baking Powder

Once you are ready to bake them add:

2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

I am so proud of where 2012 brought us!

This time last year I was 9 months pregnant as big as a house! I was awaiting the arrival of my little girl and dreaming about what 2012 would bring us. God blessed us with an easy labor and delivery and a healthy little girl, Willow Anne on January 15th.. We only had to stay in the hospital for 24 hours and then we went to Olive Garden with my mom and dad. Willow met her brothers and sisters for the first time the evening of January 16th, 2012. In June Karl graduated receiving his bachelors degree in IT and Dominyck graduated kindergarten! In August we moved into our new house! The boys also started an online virtual academy and are doing wonderfully.

I was able to start letting go of some of the insecurities that I had of what other people thought of me. That was my biggest goal. I wanted to relax a little and not yell at the kids at all. I had to stop worrying about the judgements others were giving me about my parenting style before I could be the person I wanted to be. This year we came a long way. There is still plenty to work on though. So I am looking forward to this next year!

New Year, New Beginnings!

What a wonderful time of year! Christmas has just passed, you are enlightened with the spirit and love, stuffed full and have plenty of new toys to play with. But, if you are anything like me and most of society this time of year is gray and gloomy, you have debt up to your eyeballs and you got fat over the holiday season. How motivating! Sarcasm at it's best. Now is a better time than ever to turn that around with hopes, dreams and goals for 2013, though! I am going to make a Goal Board. I want to get to my goal weight, find a solution to some of my health problems, become more financially secure and just all around work on becoming a better person. Karl and I have dreams of writing a novel and finding a way to have him home more. Most people have those goals year after year, but never accomplish them. This year is the year! Lets set the plans in motion. Plant your seeds so that you aren't sitting at the beginning of 2014 wondering where the year went. A memory jar is a great way to keep track of all the hard work you do through out the year, the goals you accomplished and the blessings you were given by God. Here is to a wonderful year!

My Mellow Mei Tai

"Oh my goodness. I love the Mei tai. It is so beautiful and very well made. I can't wait to learn to use it and it smells so wonderful. How cute is it. E loves it." -Heidi


There is nothing that I enjoy more than hearing happy feedback from a mama and her baby that love their new carrier. I have come up with a design that I not only would share with others, including my closest of friends, but also one that I would use myself for my own children and I do! I hope that they get many hours of use out of their Mellow Mei Tai! 

Baby wearing

So I am proud to say that I have been accused of being a baby wearer. I could careless if I'm implicated of spoiling my babies. As my grandparents always say, "Our kids aren't spoiled they are loved a lot." Baby wearing is a great way to form a bond and experience an overwhelming feeling of constant love. There are many benefits to baby wearing. Babies who are worn by their mothers have been proven to be less fussy babies. Studies have shown that over all they cry much less. Even in the evening hours babies are said to be much more content if they were worn for at least 2 hours during the day. Since, we co-sleep there is hardly a moment when my youngest is put down. Now, this would be exhausting and nearly impossible with out my carriers. My youngest daughter is one of the most easy going and happy babies I know. So this has proven to be true in my experience. Baby wearing promotes healthy, secure attachments between the babies and their caregivers. Physical interaction boosts maternal responsiveness and aids in a baby trusting their caregivers. A mothers scent becomes calming and familiar. Her voice is a beautiful song. Her heartbeat is soothing. Baby wearing benefits a mothers relationship with her young child. To me this is reason enough to hold my babies close to my heart day in and day out.

Living as a mama with RA or Lupus

Being a mama is hard work. It requires bending, moving, running, heavy lifting and the list goes on. From sun up until sun down, moving quickly is a necessity. Flipping the pancakes at breakfast, lifting up the baby from the crib, reaching for the plates in the cupboard, bending down to get the juice out of the fridge, twisting the top on a sippy cup, lifting up the toddler to help her wash her hands, bending down to put the baby in her bouncer, lifting the toddler into her high chair, carrying the plates with food over to the table and this is only before breakfast! Needless to say, my body is sore by the end of the day. Arthritis and other inflammatory diseases are hard to live with. They cause a struggle of pain and agony every day. You suffer with deformity, swelling, pain and stiffness. The mornings are the worst. Seasonal changes aggravate it. It can be debilitating at times, but children never stop needing you. You can't put their needs on hold until you are feeling better. You have to push through the pain even on your worst days. If you're anything like me, you have tried all sorts of pain medication and none of it works 100% of the time. The pain always comes back and is usually much worse than before. It is because you are masking the pain and not curing it. Besides that, if you are nursing or breast feeding many of the medications aren't safe to use. I have a few natural alternatives for you to try. Trust me, it is worth it!
There are so many natural options for people with arthritis, many of them date years back. Medications and treatments have become so complicated! Let's go back to the basics. Start with your diet. Eating a diet rich in vitamins and minerals, especially antioxidants and Vitamin E will make a drastic difference.  Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables to keep your symptoms at bay. Foods that are high in Beta-Cryptoxanthin, such as grapefruit, butternut squash, apricots or pumpkins, are great for your bones and cartilage. Foods high in Alkaline have also been said to balance pH levels and help reduce inflammation. A healthy lifestyle starts at the foods we consume.
Omega 3 fatty acids are found in fish oil, flax-seed, soybean oil, pumpkin seeds and walnuts. Omega 3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation caused by autoimmune diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus. Several studies have shown a reduction in the need for corticosteroids in patients who used fish oil supplements, which are high in Omega 3's. Evening Primrose oil is another great supplement that I swear by for myself. I would tell anyone who is suffering through pain caused by arthritis to try one of these supplements and see what works best for you. And since we know that pregnancy, lack of sleep and breast feeding can cause flare ups, adjustments to your daily life may be necessary. Keep in mind that mothers with Arthritis, Lupus and Fibromyalgia are far more likely to have postpartum depression. Eating a balanced diet, getting rest and allowing others to help will notably decrease the risk of postpartum depression. 
Diet and supplements in combination with regular non-strenuous exercise can significantly decrease the need for other invasive medications and improve quality of life. We have talked a little about diet and natural remedies, but have you tried a nice hot bath? I know how hard it is to find time for yourself as a mama, but an Epsom salt bath can be soothing and help with immediate pain. Remember, if mama is happy and healthy, everyone in the house will be happy!