Family Traditions....

Our precious full of life Tru fills our hearts with so much love and joy. He gave me the best job in the world and makes me a better person, like his daddy. I'm beyond blessed to be his mommy. 

As the holidays are here I have been brainstorming on what family traditions I want to incorporate with our family. We had some fun family traditions growing up and those traditions made the holidays more special and meaningful. 

So I ask you to comment on this post on some of your favorite family traditions. I'm still trying to think of the best things to start with ours and I'd love to hear yours.....

Grow Your Own Food = Yummy Baby Food

This is our first year doing a garden and we've been so happy with the results. It's so worth it and I can't wait to do it next year and expand our garden. We kept everything organic, even our fertilizer. It's also worked out great for making baby food. Tru loves our homegrown green beans, zucchini, crookneck squash and corn! I received our baby cook as a baby shower gift and I use it ALL the time! It's amazing. It steams and purees'. I have several different baby food containers (as you can see in the pictures). The food pouches are by 'nourish with style' and they are reusable baby food pouches that seal on the bottom, So it's easy to fill and clean out. I use different 2oz food containers and I also do the basic ice cube trays. After they're are frozen I will pop them out of the trays and freeze a couple cubes in smal freezer baggies and defrost as needed. Each night before I go to bed I defrost Tru's food for the next day. If I know I'm going to be out then I defrost a pouch.

So here are some ideas for baby food combinations
Zucchini and crookneck squash (I add pear every once in a while)
Spinach and yams
Yams and pear
Carrots and apple
Blueberries and pear
Blueberries and banana
Banana and peach
Banana and pumpkin
Peas and corn

It does take a lot of time but it's worth every second.

Step 4 of Going Natural

Step 4: homemade toothpaste!

I challenge you to go to your bathroom and read the caution on your toothpaste tube. Well if you don't want to get up and read it I'll tell you what the majority of them say: "If more than used for brushing is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away." Isn't that just crazy. Well, I decided to make my own and it's......

Super easy

Super cheap

And healthy. 

No junk added in it

Why not try it?

Here's the recipe.....
2 tbsp coconut oil
6 tbsp baking soda
10 drops peppermint oil
1/2 tsp unrefined salt
Mix all the ingredients together and put in a container. It doesn't taste amazing but it does the job and it whitens your teeth!

Step 3 of becoming more natural.....Powdered Homemamde Laundry Detergent

So I know my last post was Step 1 & 2, which included the liquid laundry detergent, but I recently made this powdered laundry detergent and love it! It's easier than the liquid one and not messy. I made it in just 10 minutes. The most time consuming part was grating the three blocks of fels naptha soap bars. I had to keep switching hands. The pictures below shows all the ingredients you need: a 5 gallon bucket, borax, baking soda (4lbs), 3 fels naptha soap bars, oxi clean and arm and hammer washing soda. I used a cheese grader for the soap bars and the rest you just pour in the bucket (the entire box of each item). Then you need to make sure you really shake the bucket, roll it around and get all the ingredients mixed very well. Then I used the container of the oxi clean to hold the detergent. You only need about 3 tbsp per load. I use my liquid fabric softener with it and our clothes come out very clean and smelling great! You should try it!

Going Natural...Step 1 & 2

I'm learning that many of the things we buy are not healthy for us. So I've decided to share some of the things I've slowly been implementing into our lives. This week is step 1 & 2 of going natural and I will post a few more easy things that will benefit you and your health. At times I get overwhelmed, especially now that I'm a mom, because I want to try 10 different things all at once but it's too much and causes me to stress out. So step 1 & 2 are easy to make, inexpensive and natural: Homemade fabric softener and laundry detergent. Chet, Tru and I all have very sensitive skin and the store bought softener caused Tru to break out in a horrible rash.
I found both recipes on Pinterest and have to give credit to the women who made them. I'm just grateful to have found the recipes. On April 25th I posted the fabric softener so you can click the link below step 1 to check it out.

Step 1: Homemade Fabric Softener

http://smalltowncitygirls.blogspot.com/2014/04/homemade-fabric-softener.html

Step 2: Homemade laundry detergent
I've been making homemade laundry detergent for a couple years now. I started doing it at the bed and breakfast because it's drastically cheaper. This is a liquid laundry soap that can be messy at times, but I love it.

http://www.icanteachmychild.com/make-it-homemade-liquid-laundry-soap-1/

A note about my pregnancy!

Court here. The past few months have been truly amazing. I am overjoyed that the Lord has blessed us with a baby growing quickly inside my belly. It is such an amazing experience that I hope every woman (who wants to) can experience some day!

It has been such a relief and joy to tell family and friends our exciting news. We kept it quiet for 13 weeks, which was really tough for me.

Here is how we told my Mom and Ron the news, we sent them this picture. For those of you who do not know, they have a special relationship with Shiloh (on the left) because she is their dog Chloe's baby. My mom pretty much raised Shiloh for the first 12 weeks! 

So this picture seemed appropriate. 

Now that the news is out, I get random texts from family and friends, like this from my dad. I love it! Thanks dad, we will need to remember this. 

Here is our little baby at 12 weeks 1 day. We love him/her already!

Oh and I cried at my first ultrasound. It was an amazing experience and weird. So weird. It's happening.

Right now I am 15 weeks and the baby is the size of a large naval orange. Wow! Its crazy that there is something growing inside of me, the size of an orange and I cannot feel it. Pants have just begun to feel a little snug around the waist, but most everything still fits. I am excited to have a cute belly to show off, but until then I just have this little pudge. But it's a cute pudge.

So how has my pregnancy been so far?
Overall I would say pretty good. I am sooooo thankful that I have not had much morning sickness. There were a few weeks (weeks 8-11) where food sounded gross and I was nauseous in the evening, but nothing terrible.

I continue to workout and do even more yoga now, which has been helpful with some back pain. I'm trying to eat healthy, but vegetables just hardly ever sound good. But I eat them anyway, because I know how good they are for me and baby. Plus, we are starting to harvest lots of veggies from our garden (that will be another post soon).

I'm tired and I love my sleep. I'm just trying to get as much in as possible before December arrives.

Cravings so far include sour gummy candy -- great for you, right?

Nick has been amazing and supportive. He is always looking out for me, making sure I am resting and he taking care of things around the house I cannot do (like poison the weeds -- I hate weeds). I love when he rubs my belly and prays over the baby.

A bit overwhelming. 
This past week I started looking at nursery furniture, strollers, monitors, etc. And WOW! It is overwhelming. There is so much stuff out there and the prices vary soooooo much. I wonder if the more expensive car seat is safer or is it just some fancy brand that drives the price up?!?!?  There is so much to figure out, but I know that I have tons of friends with kiddos who have already gone through this process, so that is reassuring.

Lastly, our little Shiloh is no longer going to be the baby in the family. Here is a picture of her with Nick. Shiloh was convinced that there was a tennis ball sitting on top of a speaker so Nick had to lift her up to prove there was nothing there. It was quite comical.

I hope you enjoyed my update!
~Court

Ok yum...pasta salad to feed an army!

This pasta salad is amazing. Delicious. Ridiculous. I eat this for several days in a row when I make it.
The credit for this recipe goes to my momma.

This above picture is not how much the recipe makes. There is a huge container of it in my fridge to go along with what is shown here.

It takes a little bit of time to make this pasta salad, but is well worth the efforts. Plus it makes a ton. Once you've had this, you will crave it like I do. Its a great side dish for BBQ's, any summer parties you might be going to or on its own as a meal with some chicken added.

By the way, there are tortellinis in this salad. Yum!

So here it is, Christi's Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 red onion, chopped
• 2 cans artichokes, chopped
• 4 chopped tomatoes
• Fresh parmesan (or feta)
• 1 head broccoli
• 1 box round tri-color noodles
• 1 box cheese tortellini
• 3 prepared packages of good seasons italian dressing (make this with balsamic vinegar and olive oil)
*start by adding two packages on the dressing to the salad, then add more to taste

Directions

Cook pasta according to directions on box and let cool, toss with olive oil so it does not stick together. Make good seasons italian dressing with balsamic vinegar and olive oil according to directions on package. Chop all veggies.  Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Chill in fried. Add cooked chicken if desired.

And look at this picture you can see the bits of tomato, broccoli, onion and artichoke hearts. Delicious!

I hope you enjoy!
~Court

New mommies to be

   

   So I've realized some important things needed for your little ones room and items you'll probably end up needing right away. 

So here's a list of things I had or bought after Tru was born: 

Clock 

trash can

Night light 

Lamp 

Dirty hamper 

Baby monitor 

Sound machine

Changing pad

Syringe bulbs 

Glider 

Little end table next to glider for your water and such. You have to drink a ton of water while breast feeding!

Boppy

Burp cloths

Nursing pads 

Blackout curtains  

Things I found useful during the first few months. 

Baby books - I started reading to Tru right away and he enjoys it!

Breast Pump 

Dr brown bottles 

Nursing cover 

Activity play mat 

Baby bath 

Good nursing bras and sports bras 

Swing

Ergo carrier or moby wrap 

Newborn sleepers with zippers - I didn't think Tru was going to be 6lbs and we had no preemie clothes and only a couple newborn. I highly recommend buying some newborn zip up onsies and keep the tags on until you come home from the hospital. That way if you don't need them you can return it 

0-3 clothes 

Mittens - for scratching 

Newborn beanies 

Grooming kit 

Swaddle blankets 

Few different brands of paci's

If you're having a boy I recommend buying a lot of little baby washcloths and always keeping one on the changing pad because it happened one too many times of Tru either peeing on him, me, Chet, the wall and a few other crazy places. :-) boys will be boys! 

Cetaphil lotion or coconut oil. Tru had a little eczema and the cetaphil helped within days. 

I hope this has helped you and if

You have any questions please ask! 

Healthy Tuesday...Sweet Potato Quinoa Soup, Salad and Homemade Bread

It's healthy Monday again and I have an entire meal to share with you. I found the sweet potato quinoa soup on pinterest and just cpoied it below. The second part of the dinner was our homemade salad and bread.

Sweet Potato Quinoa Soup 

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Nut-Free, Vegetarian & Vegan

Ingredients

• ½ cup quinoa
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped
• 4 cups organic vegetable broth
• 2 large organic sweet potatoes, peeled and grated
• ¼ tsp. cumin
• ¼ tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• 1 Tbsp. organic dried cranberries
• ¼ cup parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Cook quinoa on stove top according to package directions.
2. Place a large stockpot over medium heat; add oil and onions. Sauté the onions until golden brown. Add the garlic; cook for another 3 minutes.
3. Pour in the vegetable broth and grated sweet potatoes; bring to a simmer and add cumin, chili powder, sea salt and pepper. Cook until sweet potatoes are tender, approximately 20 minutes. Then, carefully transfer mixture, in batches, to a food processor. Puree until smooth.
4. Return mixture back to the pot on the stove over medium heat, add in dried cranberries and cooked quinoa; cook for 5 minutes then remove from heat.
5. Serve warm. Garnish with parsley.

Homemade Vinaigerette Salad:

Romaine lettuce

red onions

tomatoes

walnuts

avocado

apples

red cabbage

Mix it all together with a vinaigerette dressing.

Vinaigerette dressing: I don't measure. I just go by taste.

olive oil

splash of water

vinaigerette

italian seasonings

sugar

mustard, any type will work

crushed garlic

garlic salt

Homemade Bread: I use my express 58 minute setting and it's so yummy! The best part is there's only 7 ingredients.

1 1/4 cup water

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp olive oil

3 cups bread flour

3 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp yeast

1/2 tsp salt

Put the ingredients in the order listed with the yeast in the middle and press the start button.

Stop. Pause. Rejoice

Stop, pause and rejoice is my new saying. My devotional last week was based on those three words. When your flustered or upset just stop, pause what you're doing, and rejoice. This is so fitting for me and Tru. Being a mommy is the most demanding, difficult, never ending and exhausting job BUT it is the BEST job in the world!!! I'm so priviliged to be Tru's mommy. It's truly the greatest gift! It amazes me just thinking that God blessed us with our perfect little boy, to be his parents and raise him up to be a Tru man of God.
Tru isn't the best napper and he's still getting up 2 times during the night. Yes, I said 2 times and he's 17 weeks. My boy likes to eat! So there's times when I get frustrated and just want him to sleep, but I now stop, pause and rejoice to our Lord Jesus Christ and thank him for our Tru.  It has helped me SO much and I wanted to share it to you in hopes that it will help you to.
Deuteronomy 26:11 "You shall rejoice in al the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household."
I continue to do the 'stop, pause and rejoice' and it has now become a habit (I even do it when I get frustrated with our dog Reagan). And that's the kind of habit worth forming.

Healthy Monday...Crockpot Paleo Sweet Potato Minestrone

It's healthy Monday so here is a great recipe to start your week out right...
I found this recipe on Pinterest and wanted to share it with everyone because it was so good. Here's a few great things about this recipe: It's healthy...paleo, it's a crockpot meal so you throw it all in and come back later and it's done, you get all your veggies you need and it makes a great leftover meal or two.

Crockpot Minestrone Soup

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

8 hours

Total time

8 hours 20 mins

A simple crockpot minestrone soup with no beans or pasta. You can leave out the pork for a vegan meal.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Yellow Sweet Potato, diced
• 1 cup Carrots, diced
• 2 Celery Stalks, diced
• 2 Zucchini Squash, diced
• 2 Shallots, diced
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 28 oz Chicken or Vegetable Broth
• 28 oz can Diced Tomatoes w/ Juice
• ½ cup Frozen Spinach -or- 1 cup packed Fresh Spinach, chopped
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2 tsp Oregano
• 1 tsp Basil
• 1 tsp Parsley
• ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
• ¼ tsp Sea Salt
• 1-1/2 lb Ground Pork Sausage (optional) or ground beef

Instructions

1. Place the olive oil in the bottom of the crock pot.
2. Add the prepared sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, zucchini, shallots, and garlic to the crock pot.
3. Pour in the chicken (or vegetable) broth. I did half chicken brother and half water. 
4. Add the entire can (including juice) of diced tomatoes.
5. Add the frozen spinach (no need to thaw and drain, just add it frozen).
6. Add in the oregano, basil, parsley, cayenne, and salt.
7. Stir everything together, add the bay leaved, cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours (I prefer 8 hours).
8. About 2 hours before the soup is done, brown the ground pork sausage, breaking it up into small pieces with the back of a wooden spoon. I used ground beef
9. Once the pork is cooked through (no pink), add it to the crock pot and mix it all together.
10. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Crafty Thursday....Wooden Pallet

DIY Pallet Wall Decor

We bought a home, remodeled almost everything in just three months and moved in when I was 36 weeks pregnant. It was a crazy chapter in our life. Well, we were on a budget and our main wall in the family room was empty. We needed something big to fill the space and I didn't want to go and buy something. So I searched on pinterest and got crafty. I used the pallet our couch was delivered on, which I'm so glad I saved. Anyways, I stained it with a dark walnut stain and then Chet screwed leftover wood floor pieces on each shelf of the pallet so I could hang pictures. We made sure it was compeltely dry and then screwed it in the wall. Having the shelves make it nice and easy to decorate. I love our new wall piece and the best part is it was free (well for the most part). :-)

Tips on Traveling with a Newborn

    
 Okay so some of you may find this blog absolutely ridiculous but those moms out there who will be traveling with their newborn or baby for the first time will probably find this helpful, at least I hope so. Before taking my first tip with Tru I did a lot of reading from other moms. Some things were helpful but I wanted to share my experience and what I recommend. Then hopefully your travel experience will be great and stress free. 

     So I just got back home from my second trip with Tru and he is only 13 weeks old. After my first flight I learned a lot on what not to do and after this second trip I have a better idea on what to do and what to pack. Flying with a newborn is very stressful. My first trip was solo and I don't recommend that. Tip #1: Fly with your husband or someone because you need those extra set of hands and all the help you can get. Trust me! I was so stressed and anxious on my first trip with Tru. We were traveling to Texas and Chet was at realtor school so it was just Tru and I. I was worried he would cry the entire flight and I would be that mom on the airplane that everyone hates. :-) Well he did great! He slept a ton in the ergo carrier, ate and was quiet. As I was walking off the plane people came up to me and said they didn't even know there was a baby on board because he was so quiet, which is the best thing to hear! On my way back was a different story. I had the flu and I realized I brought WAY TOO much stuff. I had a 36 minute layover, they changed gates and I was running with a screaming baby in the ergo carrier as I was trying to hold everything. I got to the gate and had to put everything down to get Tru out of the carrier and if it weren't for a very sweet lady who offered to help I probably wouldn't have made it on. As I just mentioned I brought way too much stuff. So I had Tru in the carrier, a huge backpack, diaper bag and his car seat. Trying to carry all that through the airport is not fun. So tip #2: you don't need as much as you think. Pack smart!

     Chet flew with us to California and on the second flight he cried a lot and at that point I didn't care and wasn't stressed about people getting upset. You get over it very quickly. Just remember babies are going to cry and sometimes you don't know why (at least on an airplane). From my experience, if you don't stress about it you'll feel a whole lot better. 

Here it goes:
- What not to do: Don't bring as much stuff as I did on my first trip, especially by yourself. If you can get a car seat at your final destination then DO IT! Carrying a car seat through the airport is a pain in the butt. 
- What to pack: Lots of diapers, wipes, couple extra outfits, beanie (in case it's cold on the airplane), blanket, lavendar oil (helps calm them), lots of burp cloths and a couple bibs, ziploc baggy to put dirty items in, a few toys (rattle toy), ergo carrier, extra top for you in case he spits up on you, nursing cover, pump, bottles, hand sanitizer, and snacks.
- What to wear: Shoes that you just slip on and off because you have to hold your baby through security without the carrier. Wear something comfy and a top that's easy for nursing. 
- What to do: always be one step ahead of your little precious peanut. I pumped and brought a bottle just in case and ended up using it. You have to be very organized, and I mean having a burp cloth and a bib in the ergo zipper for quick and easy access. As well as headband and rubber band so they don't spit up on your hair. We bought fly baby and it's the thing Tru is in at the top fo the blog. It attaches to the tray and around your waist. Tru liked it because he could kick, move and play. I tried using it when I flew by myself and I don't recommend that because you need an extra set of hands to put it on. Also, I recommend having a layover of at least an hour in a half so you can get a bite to eat and let your little one kick and move. Let him get tired so he will sleep on the airplane. 
- Best way to change their diaper on the airplane: There were a couple times with Chet that I changed Tru's diaper on Chet and it worked out great (of course we used the diaper pad). But if you're by yourself it's difficult. I wasn't about to get his diaper pad and put it on the nasty germ filled bathroom seat so what I did was I put the toilet lid down, sat there, leaned back, put my legs together and up on the door (so there was an angle for him to lay on me), had him lay on my legs and changed him on me. It worked out great. And that way he didn't touch anything in the bathroom, just you!

I hope this has helepd you. If you have any questions let me know. 

Healthy Monday...Paleo Butternut Squash Soup & Quinoa Sweet Potato Cakes

It's healthy Monday, so start your week out right. For all you Paleo eaters or helathy eaters here are two delicious recipes you need to try. They are so yummy! The quinoa cakes are delicious to cook with eggs the next morning. I have made them several times and recommend both recipes.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion
2 stalk celery
2-3 tsp curry powder
4 cups diced butternut squash
4-6 cups vegetable broth (I used water)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp pure maple syrup (this was my first time buying pure maple syrup and you can definitely taste the difference. It doesn't have all the extra junk ingredients)
1 cup coconut milk

Saute the onions, celery and curry powder in olive oil until soft. Add the squash and broth. Cover the pot and bring to a simmer for about 30 minutes. Next you'll puree the soup in a blender. Place it back in the pot and add the coconut milk and syrup. Season with salt and pepper.
The following day we had it for lunch and added cooked quinoa and it was really good!

Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes

2 medium baked sweet potatoes - skins discarded
2 cups cooked quinoa
1/3 cup onion
5 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp. cumin
1/3 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 350
Cook your sweet potatoes until soft. Mash the potatoes in a bowl. Add all ingredients with the potatoes. Next you'll make your cakes and I just used my hands. Place on sprayed baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Next is the Avocado Lime Dressing that is amazing. You serve this on top of the cakes.

1 avocado
1 tbsp tahini, I used almond milk
1 tbsp olive oil
5-10 cilantro sprigs
juice of 1/2 lime

I blended this all together and refrigerated until ready to serve.

If this sounded tasty to you it's now time to make your grocery list, go to the grocery store and make it. You'll enjoy it!

I had pictures of both these recipes on my phone, but every single photo got deleted this past week. :-( I almost cried because there were 1700 photos and the majority were of Tru. So I'm sorry there's no pictures of the food. You'll have to try them out!

Crafty Thursday...Chaulk Painting

Em came to visit Tru and I and we had a weekend of crafting, making healthy recipes and refinishing our dining table and coffee table with chaulk paint. It was a great weekend. And of course we had tons of Tru time (our boy is named Tru).

Em brought her special brushes and soap and I ordered the chaulk paint and wax. No sanding was involved. All we did was paint the black table with the chaulk paint, let it dry and then sanded the corners and edges to make it look distressed and then we applied the dark wax. After that dried we buffed the entire table and then the distressed parts to show more. It takes about to weeks to cure and I buffed the top of the table a couple more times.
We did the same thing to a coffee table I bought on craigslist and it looks so much better!
The paint we used was called annie sloan. You can google annie sloan and find the nearest store that sells chaulk paint. I'm so pleased with the outcome and will do it again at some point. If I ever have time. :-) Having a baby takes up most my time, but it's so worth it.
It always feels good when you buy something used that's just okay, but you refinish it and love it. If you have any questions leave a comment!

Spring is here!

By the time spring finally rolls around I am so ready for the warm weather and to spend more time outdoors. We have been busy getting our garden ready and will be planting the rest of the vegetables later this week (after this last freeze, well hopefully last). It has been a lot of work, but we hope to have most of the vegetables we need for the summer coming right from our yard.

Here is the garden~

But there are two things that I am not very fond of in the springtime, including stormy weather (i.e. tornados) and spring cleaning.

We had the first taste of storms roll through today and we got some hail and crazy winds, but nothing terrible. Here is a picture of what it looked like when the storm was heading our way.

So now...about spring cleaning. I have a hard enough time keeping my house barely clean and making time to finish the laundry! Spring cleaning is always at the end of the to-do list. BUT I did purchase some new cleaning products that make me not hate cleaning as much. My good friend Alyce turned me on to Mrs. Meyers cleaning products several years ago and I have always loved to purchase them when they are on sale. The thing about these products is that they smell absolutely amazing! Plus the products are all earth-friendly, cruelty-free and not tested on animals.

Now this is where it gets good! Alyce over at Little Mama's Pretties posted about this website where you can purchase Mrs. Meyers at a discounted price, with free shipping and a discount on your first purchase. Heck yea! I decided I needed to invest in my Mrs. Meyers cleaning supplies, so my first order just arrived and here it is--

I use the lavender scent in my bathrooms and the basil in the kitchen. epantry also threw in a free gift, the cute dish rags!

I will definitely be purchasing again!

You can also get a discount on your first purchase by using this referral link and I will get a discount on my next purchase too-- www.epantry.com/referrer/6363/ 
Its a win-win situation!
If you want to save an extra $2 tell them a joke in the little conversation box.

My favorite products are the hand soap, dish soap, countertop spray and room spray.

You should try it out and let me know what you think!

Now I must start my spring cleaning!
~Court

Homemade Fabric Softener

I make my own laundry detergent and it's been working out great on Tru's skin. He has sensitive skin like his parents. :-) I had to stop using store bought fabric softener because it made him breakout. A friend of mine made her fabric softener and I decided to try it out and I'm so glad I did. It was so easy and took only a couple minutes! Chet's noticed a difference and we really like it.
You mix one quart of white vinegar, 25 drops of lavender essential oil and 1 teaspoon of rubbing alcohol for emulsion. Shake it up and you have great homemade fabric softener! I put about a 1/4 a cup per load.

Our House Remodeling...Before and After!

We have now been living in our house for about 7 weeks and we are loving it. We ended up remodeling a lot more than we ever expected but I'm so glad we did it before Tru entered the world. We did move when I was 36 weeks pregnant and I was so anxious to getting in and settled. They talk about nesting the last trimster and I wanted to so badly but had to wait until we moved in. Chet learned so much during the remodel! Our family friend, Glen, helped us every step of the way. They did all new plumbing, some electrical, new sub floors in certain rooms, one new bathroom, all new kitchen, got rid of tons of mold and leaks and so much more. We still have the upstairs bathroom to finish but we're so blessed to be in it now! Here's some photos of before and after...