7.29.2015

What I'm loving Wednesday | Safe Cleaning & Laundry Favorites

Happy Hump Day! I am so excited to bring you another installment of "What I'm Loving Wednesday" a weekly post that will list some things from the past week that I am loving, can't live without, on my wish-list, or are things I am plain obsessed with - and I will even add links (when applicable) so you can check out or scoop up anything you love too!
What I'm Loving Wednesday will be a great way for me to showcase some of my favorite products, tell about something fun that happened, show you what I'm crushing on, highlight some of my favorite blogs/instagram feeds and a great way for you to find all kinds of great new products to buy or people to follow!
 
I am so excited about What I'm Loving Wednesday and it is going to be a BLAST! I hope you  will follow along!
 
Today is all about... Cleaning and Laundry Favorites!

You all may or may not know that we had to unexpectedly had to move a few months ago, it did cost us quite a lot of money (as moving usually does) but in the end it really turned out for the best, we were able to move into a newly renovated apartment that was actually cheaper (and nicer) than where we were living, its a little out in the country so that is nice as well... But in the process of moving I decided that was the time to throw out all of those nasty cleaning chemicals.

I mean, who wants to clean with stuff that makes you feel like you're going to pass out, makes your eyes water, scalds your hands and the day after a good clean you feel like you're coming down sick just from being exposed to so many harsh chemicals? Who wants to itch all day from using laundry detergents and laundry sheets with who knows what in them? Not me anymore... And I especially didn't want to exposed our daughter with her developing system and body to that anymore.

So I started the search for more natural and mostly or completely non toxic cleaning supplies, soaps and detergents, and these are a few of our favorites so far! Check them out below...
 
When I found out there was a dishwasher in our new home I got pretty excited (needless to say), the dishwasher saves me literally so much time every single day and these are our favorite dishwasher detergent to date. These are awesome, so streaks or stains left on glasses or dishes, they get our dishes clean! No dirty yucky chemicals like phosphates and bleach on our dishes, these tablets are made with a non-toxic mineral based powergreen technology!
 
2 | METHOD ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER | PINK GRAPEFRUIT
Can you tell I love this scent? I mean I seriously love this scent! It cleans so amazingly well, smells amazing, is non toxic and seriously cleans good. I think I said the same things over and over there. Lol. Our house smells amazing (and not chemical-y) on cleaning day.
 
Okay, So we already know that I am obsessed with all things mint... And windex makes me seriously sick... Enter Method Glass & Surface cleaner in Mint! our windows and mirrors smell so fresh now! Plus no streaks! Yay!
 
This is the dish soap we are using right now and I'm seriously loving it! I don't love it quite as much as the next dish soap I'm getting ready to tell you about but it comes in as a super close second, and since they're both so different, maybe this is my favorite dish soap? It smells great and cleans awesomely! Plus, it looks so cute sitting on my sink! Lol.
 
Have a greasy pan or pan with food stuck to it (or burnt to it lol)? This is the soap! A few sprays, let it soak in for a minute or two and voila! Bye-bye any sticky, burnt, greasy, stuck food residue.
 
Still our most favorite laundry detergent, and we definitely need to get some more. :) It is plant based, hypoallergenic, 100% natural, infused with orange essential oil, non-toxic, gluten free, no animal testing, has no dyes or synthetic fragrances, and is affordably priced! Green cleaning at its best! Bye-bye itchys from chemical laundry detergents!
 
So many less itchies and random rashes once we started using these in place of dryer sheets. Did you know that dryer sheets are actually one of the most toxic things in your home? Worried that these wont get your laundry soft? Our laundry is actually softer since we started using these! Plus it helps cut down on drying time! They can be used over and over and over and over again too! Win-win! Want scent in your clothes still? We scent them and our clothes with...
 
Young Living essential oils are our favorite, and with good reason. One of our favorite oils to use for laundry is Purification! We also love Lavender and Citrus Fresh! Our laundry smells SO GOOD!

7.28.2015

Nuby Wash or Toss Stackable Bowls Review + Homemade Play Dough


When Nuby sent these little bowls I was super excited to try them, they're perfect for snacks, great for meals and toddler leftovers, playtime... And... Play dough!
 
I whipped up some homemade play dough on a whim the other day and it is seriously the funnest! I'll share a little more about that in a minute but first, let's talk about these bowls a little more. :)


The "Wash or Toss" stackable bowls are aimed at ages 6 months or older and are super easy to hold and definitely sturdy enough to reuse over and over and over again! They come in a set of 6 (6 bowls with matching lids), they each hold up to 8 ounces and are BPA free! Yay! I also love that they are dishwasher and microwave safe! Because even though I'm not by any means a fan of microwaves sometimes its just not practical to heat things up on the stove when you're in a hurry and your toddler wants to eat... NOW! lol.
 
The only complaint I have with the bowls are that I sometimes have a little trouble getting the lids off once I put them on and seal them, but even that is minor. We really love these bowls!

These nifty little bowls are available at Meijer so if you have one of those near you then mosey on over and pick some up!
 
Okay, I know you're itching to find out more about the play dough... so let me tell you... it is so much fun... yep, truth be told, I'm pretty sure hubby and I enjoyed playing with it just as much as B! 
 
I used Kool-Aid to color the dough and the colors turned out great and our favorite part is that they all smell amazing!
 
My favorite one color-wise were the blue and mint colors, and my favorite smell-wise were the pink and blue colors. To make the blue I used Blue Raspberry Kool-Aid, the yellow I used lemonade Kool-Aid, for mint I used a combo of blue raspberry and lemonade Kool-aids, for pink I used watermelon Kool-Aid and for the purple I used grape and cherry Kool-aids. I used about 2 packets of Kool-Aid per each ball of play dough and mixed until I got the desired color. :) My only disappointment was I wish the purple was a little more lilac purple than deep purple.
 
So now for the recipe, it only takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete and is so much fun!


Kool-Aid Play Dough

 
What You'll Need:
 
2 Cups Flour
 
1/2 Cup Salt
 
1 1/2 Cups Water
 
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
 
Kool-Aid Packets
 
 
Instructions:
 
Mix your flour and salt in a bowl, and the Kool-Aid together.
 
Add the vegetable oil to your water and bring your water to a rolling boil.
 
Slowly mix your boiling water/oil into the dry the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula.
 
Keep adding the water and work the dough until it feels like play dough. Next, separate it into sections and work your dry Kool-Aid into each separate piece with your hands, this is best done over a sink or on a countertop to minimize mess.
 
Once you have your desired color, store your play-dough in an air tight bag or these perfectly sized Nuby Wash or Toss Stackable Bowls.
 
And most importantly... Have fun! :D
 

7.23.2015

Presque Isle Summer Staycation | Weekend Re-Cap

Vacations are the best I think we can all agree, and staycations can be even better! Plus, they save so much money and you can sleep in your own bed at night! Lol.
 
This past weekend we took a little staycations up to Presque Isle, or Lake Erie if you prefer to call it... Seriously, it was the BEST DAY EVER!
 
It was a beautiful day weather wise in the upper 70's and mostly sunny, later in the day hitting the lower 80's... So pretty much perfect.
 

We went to Krispy Kreme [which I haven't had in years] and I introduced my hubby to the wonder of Krispy Kreme; There is nothing in this world like a warm Krispy Kreme donut right off of the conveyer belt, made, fried and glazed in a matter of seconds right before your eyes. They melt. in. your. mouth. And what was even better was that the sweet girl at the counter just gave us our donuts! Yay! I wish Bella would have tried a bite but she was much too interested in running around exploring. Maybe next time she'll try one. We plan on buying at least a dozen the next time we go. :D
 
From there we made our way up to Presque Isle State Park and to one of the gorgeous beaches... We were pleasantly surprised at how clean and clear blue the water was! And there were waves! I had to keep reminding myself that we weren't at the ocean because it felt like we were in paradise!
 
The warm sun on our heads, the sand between our toes and the waves playing at our ankles, it all felt so amazing.
 
Seagulls flew by and Bella ran through the waves and sand trying to catch any one that ventured too near. She wanted to catch one so bad haha, definitely an animal lover that one.
 
We cold have ran and walked on the beach forever, we actually walked probably at least 5 miles up and down the beaches there, some were crowded and our favorites were the ones that were almost or completely empty except for us, we pretended we were castaways on a deserted island. Willlsssooonnn!!! Lol!
 
We're pretty sure it was the best day of Bella's life, she loved every second and actually got sad and cried when it was time to leave that evening, poor thing, but we couldn't blame her because we didn't hardly want to leave either!


She loved playing in the sand, using her little shovel to scoop sand into her purple bucket, sifting sand through her little yellow sifter and find rocks and tiny pieces of shells, riding the waves, splashing and running through and into the waves, chasing seagulls... hours and hours of pure joy and the best kind of fun... It was wonderful and it was the most beautiful thing to see the world though the eyes of a child, filled with such wonderment, discovery, excitement and adventure.
 
We cant wait to go back again!
 

7.22.2015

What I'm loving Wednesday | Joyful Noms

 
Happy Hump Day! I am so excited to bring you another installment of "What I'm Loving Wednesday" a weekly post that will list some things from the past week that I am loving, can't live without, on my wish-list, or are things I am plain obsessed with - and I will even add links (when applicable) so you can check out or scoop up anything you love too!
What I'm Loving Wednesday will be a great way for me to showcase some of my favorite products, tell about something fun that happened, show you what I'm crushing on, highlight some of my favorite blogs/instagram feeds and a great way for you to find all kinds of great new products to buy or people to follow!
 
I am so excited about What I'm Loving Wednesday and it is going to be a BLAST! I hope you  will follow along!
 
Today is all about... Foooood! I mean, let's be honest here... I love food. And food is a big part of our lives here in our home. Well, food is probably a big part of most people's lives lol but you know what I mean. I love cooking, and baking, and eating, and entertaining, and feeding others. So today, I will be telling you a little about some of the foods I am crushing on; or rather munching on [bahaha]. Enjoy!
 
1 | HOMEMADE PIE & COBBLER
Crazy thing is, I've never really been a big fan of pies  [aside from pumpkin] until this summer. And now I can't stop making them. I've made like 5 or 6? Maybe more, I've lost count. It's becoming utter madness. Lol.
 
2 | JUICING
I've always been a fan of juice... but not all of the extra [extremely un-needed] added sugar they pump into that stuff... and the dyes/colorings... ugh. Anywhooo, I'd been wanting a juicer for awhile but there was no way I was forking over $40 to $100 for one... so needless to say, I was pretty ecstatic to find the one I was drooling over on amazon at the goodwill! Brand new condition, maybe used once or twice and they practically gave it to me! I paid $4 for a $70 juicer! Took it home, cleaned it super good and tried it out the next day. I am a fan of juicing and I'm so excited to try alllll the fruit and veggies! Nom!
 
3 | MAPLE BACON CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Oh-Em-Gee... When I make these I literally have no self control. The most perfect and decadent combination of savory and sweet. Very rich and you won't want to stop reading them. But they have bacon, and all natural pure maple syrup... That makes them healthy... right?
 
The BEST ice cream in Western Pennsylvania. They make it themselves,  It's quite a bit cheaper than Dairy Queen AND it tastes better! Oh, and they give you a pretty healthy sized helping too. Yep, I like this place. The cookies and cream flavor is my personal favorite and it pairs quite nicely with a scoop of chocolate.
 
5 | HOMEMADE POPSICLES
Again, less sugar in the homemade ones and they're soooo good! Our favorites so far have been raspberry lemonade popsicles with blueberries and strawberries, and coconut popsicles with blueberries and raspberries. Yummy!
 
6 | HOMEMADE STREET TACOS
I'm a fan. Super nom. But if you don't eat them in the street, are they still street tacos? Lol. I'm loving the new pineapple mango salsa I recently came up with too! I'll try to share the recipe soon. :)
 
7 | HOMEMADE MARGARITA PIZZA
I really don't know why they call it "margarita pizza" it has nothing to do with margaritas as far as I know of either... But I do know that they are good! I love buying the super thin crust pizza crusts, put a little olive oil and my homemade pasta sauce on and top with thinly sliced Roma tomatoes, fresh basil [I have fresh basil growing in a mason jar in the window in our dining room and it's so handy for cooking!!], mozzarella ball slices and a sprinkle of Parmesan... Bake until the cheese melts and NOM! Yeah, that's all I have to say... NOM!
 
8 | VEGAN VEGGIE SHISH-KABOBS
Well really, everything is better grilled. These shish-kabobs we made had zucchini, yellow squash, onions, peppers, [and my absolute favorite] mushrooms! I'd love to try broccoli on them too in the future! :)

7.15.2015

What I'm Loving Wednesday | Summer Outfits For Toddlers Under $40 At Gymboree

Happy Hump Day! I am so excited to bring you another installment of "What I'm Loving Wednesday" a weekly post that will list some things from the past week that I am loving, can't live without, on my wish-list, or are things I am plain obsessed with - and I will even add links (when applicable) so you can check out or scoop up anything you love too!

What I'm Loving Wednesday will be a great way for me to showcase some of my favorite products, tell about something fun that happened, show you what I'm crushing on, highlight some of my favorite blogs/instagram feeds and a great way for you to find all kinds of great new products to buy or people to follow!

I am so excited about What I'm Loving Wednesday and it is going to be a BLAST! I hope you  will follow along!

Today is all about... Complete Summer Outfits for Toddler Girls & Boys under $40 from Gymboree! It feels like [to us anyway] that toddlers are constantly running out of clothes to wear from outgrowing things so fast, so here are some affordable and super adorable options to look through! I seriously just discovered Gymboree and I have a feeling we're going to get to know them slightly better in the future, their stuff is so cute! Since I'm a "girl mom" it was a super-breeze to pick out a cute outfit for a girl... I had a slightly more difficult time picking out a boy outfit for this post though since I'm not familiar with buying for or dressing boys lol. Enjoy!

We all know that kiddos love sweets, and sometimes kids can be picky eater and push aside those good ole veggies... So ice cream telling your child to eat their veggies? *lightbulb* Why has this not been thought of before?! Lol.

I am completely obsessed with mint. The most perfect color ever invented, well besides pink.

So cute, my daughter would LOVE these, she is completely shoe obsessed and anytime she sees shoes she says "Shooo! Shooo!".

Oh Em Gee... I seriously need this in my size! I mean I have one that looks nearly identical, maybe I should add a ribbon?

Your little dude will be the coolest hipster around with this shirt! Chambray [with teeny tiny anchors] on a toddler? All the heart eyes.

Cute and functional.

Cutest little tiny man flip flops, they look like they would hold up as well.

These are just as cute as childrens designer sunglasses but not even a fraction of the cost... On sale right now for $1.79! Whaaaaaaat?

7.08.2015

What I'm Loving Wednesday | Ladies Tees & Tanks

 
 
Happy Hump Day! I am so excited to announce the first installment of "What I'm Loving Wednesday" a weekly post that will list some things from the past week that I am loving, can't live without, on my wish-list, or are things I am plain obsessed with - and I will even add links (when applicable) so you can check out or scoop up anything you love too!
 
What I'm Loving Wednesday will be a great way for me to showcase some of my favorite products, tell about something fun that happened, show you what I'm crushing on, highlight some of my favorite blogs and instagram feeds and a great way for you to find all kinds of great new products to buy or people to follow!
 
I am so excited about What I'm Loving Wednesday and it is going to be a BLAST! I hope you  will follow along! Today is all about... Ladies tees and tanks! All from small and fair trade shops, some from mom[preneur] owned shops and some that a portion of the proceeds go to charity! Enjoy!

1 | LITTLE BOOGAWEEZIN | I AM MODERN MOTHERHOOD TANK
The perfect shirt for all of us modern mothers... We are re-defining motherhood as most know it and we're pretty amazing.  Plus this shirt is breastfeeding friendly, #amazing. High fives all around.

2 | SWEET T's DESIGN SHOPPE | HEART FULL TEE
What makes your heart full? For me... Jesus, my husband, my daughter, my step-daughters, family, friends, food, photography, etc.... I love this shirt! Whatever it may be, this is the perfect tee to show the world that your heart is indeed full.

3 | ELSEWARE CO. | STRONGER, BRAVER, KINDER, FIERCER TEE
Stronger, Braver, Kinder, Fiercer. I feel all of those things since becoming a mother. Motherhood has made me a better person and I am so thankful.

4 | JOYBOUND APPAREL | JOYBOUND LOGO TEE
Do you have joy in your every day? I am always on the search for joy, to spot it even in the days when things aren't going planned. A joybound journey. Plus, a portion of proceeds go to charity!

5 | FRANCESCA BATTISTELLI | NAME IN LIGHTS TEE
This song speaks so deeply to my heart and what's better than wearing a tee with the lyrics of one of your favorite songs? A reminder that the number of followers doesn't really matter, what matters is that He knows your name. He knew your name before your were conceived.

6 | OF ONE SEA | OF ONE SEA LADY NOEL COLLAB TANK
A unity inspired surf brand [you all know how obsessed I am with the ocean] I love this brand and this shirt. Sometimes it does take a village [or ocean?], and we should always have each others backs.

7 | MADE WONDERFULLY | MADE WONDERFULLY SCRIPTED Psalm 139:14 TEE
Always be reminded of your true beauty and worth while wearing this tee. Such a beautiful tee with a beautiful message to remind you that you are beautiful, inside and out.

8 | BE BONAFIDE | LET'S GET REAL TEE
We all strive to make our lives look completely perfect, right? Perfect looking instagram feeds and blogs. But we are all just real people, imperfect people with imperfect lives, why hide it? By putting on this shirt, you must take on the responsibility to be your bona-fide (real; genuine) self! I LOVE this!

9 | SHE IS CLOTHING| ELLE EST FOTRE TANK
Elle est forte is French for "She is Strong" derived from Proverbs 31:25 "She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future"... While wearing this tank we can always be reminded that we can laugh without fear of the future since God is on our side!

10 | MULBERRY PRESS CO. | GOOD VIBES ONLY TEE
Seriously, no negativity here... Only positivity and good vibes allowed. :)

11 | TODAY IS A MIRACLE | TODAY IS A MIRACLE WATERCOLOR TEE
These tees celebrate the fact that "today IS a miracle"... Because it is! Whether you are healthy or  living with cystinosis, cancer, etc. etc. etc.. Every single day is a miracle. Plus $5 from every tee will go to the Cystinosis Research Network!

12 | SUDARA GOODS | PEOPLE ARE NOT PROPERTY TANK
Simply put: people are not property. This statement tee is a great way to promote conversation about modern day slavery happening around the world [and unfortunately even in the US] and what we can do to help bring it to an end.