What's In Your Car?

Packed for a day of exploring: snow pants and snow gear, extra clothes, a potty. Not pictured: all of my must haves that stay in my car at all times.

Day trip Saturdays are probably my favorite. Pack up the car, drive to a local State Park, hike in nearly every kind of weather. We've explored a lot of cool places and happened upon so much more. Of course, half-way through the day I'm usually reaching for my bottle of car Ibuprofen, whether it's because of kids screeching in my ears (which is usually the case) or I managed to hurt my knee hiking (which has happened enoughed). In those moments, I'm instantly grateful that I keep necessities on hand in my car.

When the topic of "must haves in our cars" popped up with a friend, I had to think about what I always keep stocked in my vehicle.

• tissues
• a bottle of Ibuprofen
• extra masks
• hand sanitizer
• a gallon of water (a full gallon at all times)
• a bowl for the dog
• two blankets (one for humans and one for animals)
• a compass (in case we lose cell service and we're traveling)
• spare change (tolls, meters, etc.)

I was mildly entertained by the different things we all keep in our vehicles and for what reason. We all have vastly different needs and how we live our lives are very different. I don't use my car to commute each day for work (wahm life over here), but I DO use it to explore and many outdoor adventures. Which means, most of what I keep in my car fits those needs or what we've discovered we should have on hand. The conversation made me realize I'm missing a big one in my car: Band Aids! How have I never thought about this one before?!? I have them stocked in our hiking backpacks, but not in the car. So, now I'm curious:

What do you keep in your vehicles? Your must haves and/or needs. Please share!

Going Green With A Dozen Kids In The House

2017 is a year of many changes for us so far. A new house, new travels, new milestones, new friends, and new opportunities knocking. Taking full advantage of all of the newness abound and kids who are doing quite well with the numerous changes, I decided to through some lifestyle changes their way too. 

When my oldest's food allergies were confirmed years ago, we made quite a few dietary changes. We became careful with our processed foods (because yes, we still eat them) and are expert label readers at this point. We've been careful with our cleaning products and various household items, but this is the year I've chosen to really go green. 

In the past few months, we've made subtle changes that haven't really effected the way we've lived. We've made sure any appliances we've bought (or intend to buy in the future) have been energy efficient. Our electrical and water was updated (to be more energy efficient). We've slowly switched to all natural and environmentally friendly everything. Dishwasher detergent, toilet paper, soaps, deodorant, cleaning solutions, sunscreens, bug spray, make ups, etc. 

Last week was a big change for us. We began using reusable (cloth) napkins and towels for clean ups and spills. Baby wipes are used strictly for wiping diaper butts and paper towels are only used for cat pukes (and the likes). After a full week of being environmentally conscience, I can tell this will be amazing long term. For us and our environment.

For our first full week, we used only half of a roll of paper towels and one package of baby wipes. Considering the amount of kids and diaper changes around here, that little waste is incredible! This time last year, we used one roll of paper towels a day, napkins at every meal, and at least two to three packages of wipes in one week.

Some of our new go-to's: colorful cloth napkins, tube free tp, Seventh Generation dish soap, alba botanica sunscreen (so far, I LOVE this product), bug spray (deet free and smells wonderful), Schmidt's deodorant, Seventh Generation all purpose cleaner (works just as well as any other cleaning product I've used).




Yes, there was an upfront cost for all of the reusable cloth napkins and hand towels (40 of each) and a slight cost increase for some of our household products. However, for the long term, our cost on household items will be going down. The only area that we have yet to change is with our laundry detergent. We already use a free and clear detergent, yet I'd like one that is a bit more environmentally friendly, while not driving up our overall cost too much. For a household that runs typically 2-4 loads of laundry a day (sometimes less, sometimes more), I haven't found a decent replacement. I'm leaning towards making my own laundry detergent to see how it goes.

I have spent a lot of time researching products and deciding what is best for my family and the daycare. I'm anxious to report back throughout the summer on which products are working best for us and which we'll need to change around. I do know that Amazon Prime Pantry has become a fast friend, as a lot of our local stores do not carry the products I'd like (and at a decent price). 

All my environmentally conscience friends, what products do you use that you just love? Anything I should check out? I would love to hear some feedback and/or any tips you have f!or this lifestyle change of our's!

Doesn't It Give You A Sense of Pride?

We're in the middle of another weekend filled with home and yard improvements. I won't lie, it's not my favorite thing in the world. Sometimes I question why we went with an older home that needed updating and lots of yard improvement. I'm missing our weekend adventures more than anything but I'm trying to keep my eye on the prize: get everything done with the yard and we'll have all summer to enjoy it. But I'm still unhappy about it.

While I've been hard at work on the yard, Hubs has been busy designing and building our fence (and rebuilding the deck). During one of my many bitching sessions on how much I hate the vine growing in our yard, my husband said something that has had me thinking for days.

As he endured my complaining, he responded: "but just think of the pride and accomplishment you'll feel once it's all done. You'll know that you did it and it's done because of you."

I quickly said, "no I won't." Despite answering quickly, my husband's words have echoed around my head since. What gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment, is obviously different than what gives my husband those same feelings. Everyone feels pride and accomplishment for various reasons.

For me, finishing an article or project before a deadline. Looking at my finished work and hearing my work was well received gives me a sense of accomplishment. When I can bring people together with my thoughts and words and hearing that I helped someone, gives me a sense of pride. Creating something for daycare that the kids enjoy and learn from or when a child learns something that I taught them gives me joy and pride. When I witness my children make a good decision all on their own. All of these things together give me pride, accomplishment, and fulfillment.

It's really of no surprise to me that the things that make me happiest are also the things that bring me the most pride.

As I sit here writing, I feel my soul is full. As soon as I finish this, I'm headed outside to do more (dreaded) yard work. I doubt to feel the sense of accomplishment I'll feel when I hit the 'publish' button of this post. So, out of curiosity (because I'm generally fascinated by these things):

what gives you a sense of pride and accomplishment? 

7 Easy Ways We're Helping The Earth This Earth Day

Being a parent and someone who spends all day with kids, setting a good example is important. Kids learn a lot just by watching the people in their lives. That's why I try to do little things that (hopefully) make a difference in the long run. We recently moved into a new house with plenty of mature trees, grassy areas, and areas that we're transforming. Here's a few things that we're doing or have done that helps the environment and lays a good foundation for the kiddos for years to come:

1.) Plant a tree, flowers, plants, etc. We'll be planting an apple tree soon and we just planted our garden last weekend (fingers crossed for sweet peppers, radishes, sweet peas, and mini pumpkins!). I've never had a garden of my own, but have always wanted to give my kids the experience of maintaining one that I got as a child (I helped my grandpa water his garden every year as a child and one year we grew corn--that was a highlight for me).

2.) Butterfly and bee garden. We're new to this area, but are excited about the low maintenance aspect of the garden, plus it helps the pollinators (which is something we're in desperate need of at the moment). We'll be planting our seeds next weekend so wish us luck!

The bottom tier is our vegetable garden and the top tier will be the site of our butterfly and bee garden. It's not a huge area but it's something! We also have plenty of plants in the area.


3.) Recycle. We recycle everything we can! Even better, this is the kids' job. Every day they have to take the recycling out to our recycling bin. They're pretty much experts about what can and can't be recycled.

4.) Don't use paper plates. We made this switch two years ago and couldn't be happier with it! Sure we make a few exceptions when we have parties or large get togethers or more recently, when we moved and had yet to unpack, but for the most part we use regular plates and cups. Our next big change is switching to cloth napkins and no more paper towels (although the paper towels come in handy for the occasional cat puke clean up) to lessen our waste.

5.) Solar or energy efficient appliances and household items. This is a great site that can help you make some easy changes to your home. Remember with a lot of these, the cost seems higher up front, but the pay off in the long range is greater. Energy efficient appliances are a must and many states/cities/counties have programs or grants to help with the cost of making your home energy efficient.

6.) Reusable water bottles. Get a water filtration system and invest in water bottles (we love Yeti or Contigo, while CamelBak are great for kids). We rarely buy bottled water anymore and use our reusable bottles whenever possible.

7.) Be mindful of cleaning supplies, soaps, etc. Green cleaning products are a must in our house due to the amount of kiddos in and out and for the pets (who like to get into everything). Seventh Generation makes great products that we use often.

A House Doesn't Make A Home, But It's An Important Backdrop

As you've probably gathered from some of the posts, we're in the process of moving. The organizing, giving things away/donating, and packing part of the process. We have a matter of weeks to pack up over six years of memories (that's what I'm kindly calling our crap we've accumulated). Ever since we found the house and everything aligned (quite wonderfully I might add) I've been gung-ho about packing. 

Now the gravity of everything happening is hitting me. We're actually moving and leaving this house behind. I'm excited, really excited. I am. I wouldn't be moving if I didn't want to. Yet everything is just a lot to take in. The house that saw my babies grow, caught their falls from their first steps, allowed me to start not one but two businesses. The house that has heard MANY screams and so much laughter and so much happiness. The house that has kept us warm, cool, safe, and cozy. It will no longer be our's.

Whenever I get a new idea to try with the kids, I instantly picture where this activity/project/complete mess will take place. A lot of times it's our beloved backyard or our easily cleaned kitchen. The walls are stained with Kool Aid from that one activity that I actually can't think of but I do remember it was Kool Aid that did it. There's a piece of edible slime stuck to the ceiling that will not peel off (and not from a lack of trying). There's the mud pile in the backyard that happened after the kids decided to create a flower garden with fake flowers.

Each little thing that may seem like nothing to anyone who looks at the house is something to me. That piece of slime is a memory of little feet who created an indoor "skating rink" out of the slime. When I look at each room of this house, distinct memories and feelings come over me. The corner of my living room that held little potties for years and saw dozens of children potty trained. The front door area that holds more kids than I would have imagined, looking out the door each Friday morning to catch a glimpse of the garbage trucks that flood the neighborhood. The closet doors in the boy's room that have fallen off more times than I can count because of kids playing hide n' seek. 

After the month is over, I'll no longer be able to walk through this house and think of those funny little times. I know, I know. We'll make many more memories and the new house. I'm looking forward to it. Yet there's no getting over the feeling that I'm leaving memories behind.

I fully understand  and fully believe the staying "a house doesn't make a home" but I also fully believe it's an important piece in our memories. Our house has been there with us, let us grow and change, and grow up. To leave it behind will not be the easiest thing in the world.

Some of those priceless memories in the house:

I'm lucky to have the blog, because if I'm not able to walk around the house to remember these moments, at least it's only a click away.

Things I Learned This Week

Life has been crazy lately and I've found myself more out of my element than I have since middle school. We've been doing a lot of adulting with this whole new house business and I've learned a few things about myself and life in general. So here is what my running on three hours of sleep self has to share:

• Refrigerators are expensive. Like $2,500 expensive. I was sticker shocked when we first began shopping.
• I thoroughly enjoy working with local businesses.
• Drinking caffeine past 3 p.m. means I can't fall asleep until 3 a.m.
• Grown adults have more issues following simple directions than two year olds.
• Rainbow Play Systems has amazing costumer service. I can only speak for our local dealer in Urbandale, Iowa, but they have been phenomenal to work with!
• Alternative facts.
• Post an ad on Craigslist (to sell an item) and you get THE BEST emails in response. Seriously fantastic entertainment and only slightly aggravating.
• 3 words: Tangerine Red Bull. This is a re-learning. I drank this A LOT on our road trips last summer and haven't had one since our Labor Day weekend trip. I was given one at an event last weekend and since then they've helped me cope with so many late nights.
• Another re-learning: how to pack a box. I learned how to expertly pack a box for shipping purposes and this week I was taught again how to pack boxes for both shipping and moving.

Keepin' it Green

While the other 364 days a year are just as important, Earth Day is a good day to reflect on how we protect our planet.  I'm not perfect - far from it, in fact.  My husband and I have a saying "If we can stop pursuing perfection, we can enjoy what's really great." That balance is what I strive for in my life.  While part of me would love our home to be as 'green' as humanly possible, I have to balance that with the demands of my careers, my family, and still make time for me.

Politics aside (and I can't believe this is a political conversation), our earth is really important (duh), and we aren't exactly leaving things in a better shape than we found them.  I quickly admit our house uses paper towels in the kitchen, I run the sink while brushing sometimes, and a slew of other crimes against our planet.  But I want to share some of the easy ways we help reduce, reuse, and recycle, all while retaining our sanity.

1. Personal Care products - December 2015, President Obama signed a law banning microbeads from our soaps, toothpastes, etc.  These tiny plastic beads might make your skin feel smooth, but they don't dissolve and end up finding their way into lakes and rivers.  But even before then, we had gotten rid of them after reading how they damage natural habitats. We also only use antibacterial soap in the kitchen, and use regular hand soap in the bathrooms after reading how overuse of antibacterial soap can contribute to resistant bacteria and the risks of triclosan.  In fact, we mostly rely on locally made Herbal Blis Soaps, instead of harsh soaps.  I've actually found my skin is softer and I use less lotion than when I was using other brands.  Same with deodorant, I switched from extra strength stuff to Tom's of Maine and find that I sweat less and don't expose myself to aluminium.  
2. We compost - Okay, we aren't experts at this, but we keep a bowl in our kitchen for scraps (no animal protein, only veggies, fruits, egg shells, etc,) and dump in the compost bin as the bowl fills.  I've been lazy and haven't kept up with it this winter, but have a renewed energy to help turn more of our waste into plant food.
3. Fuel efficiency - we drive our most efficient car any time we go somewhere as a family.  Sure, we'd have more leg room in the Jeep, but the Ford gets better mileage (not as good as my old Honda Insight...), and my husband takes his motorcycle to and from work when weather cooperates.  I'd love a Tesla, but I think that purchase is a few years off!
4. Food choices - I know I don't always make the best choices for meals, but I feel like we do a good job with some specific choices.  Hyvee stores make it easy to shop local, whether it is produce, meat department, bakery or dairy, there are local options that required less shipping to get to the store and like knowing I'm supporting my local economy.  I prefer Chipotle over Qdoba because Chipotle's meat sources don't use antibiotics unnecessarily, which many say is contributing to antibiotic resistant bacteria strains.  Basically anytime we have to choice and one is more natural (like Zarbee's vitamins!), we try to choose natural.
5. Recycling - this is another easy one for us.  Our city provides a large tote that we wheel to the curb every other Friday and the contents are hauled away to be sorted and recycled.  Plus our pop cans/bottles are recycled as part of Iowa's deposit program. 

I'm sure there's a few things I'm missing and our house is far from perfect.  But if each of us tries to do 10% better, I'm sure we can make a lasting impact for our kids and grandkids!

11 Things I'm Crushing On

Valentines day is quickly approaching, so I figured it would be a great time to drop in with a few items I'm totally crushing on.  Some items I have and love, others I'm batting my eyes at in hopes they'll notice me.  Speaking of stuff we love, be sure to check out the new links to stuff we love on the right side of our site!

1. Amazon Fire Stick - Our house relies on Amazon Prime (free 30-day trial link), Netflix, Hulu, and Sling for our television entertainment, and Amazon's Fire Stick is an inexpensive way to turn any TV or computer monitor with an HDMI input into an internet streaming smart TV.  

2. Label Maker - Yes, once again there are office supplies on my Valentine's wish list.  I'm totally crushing on this label maker, especially the available clear label with gold print cartridges!  Plus dozens of other label options, including iron on labels. I've got a basic Brother Label Maker currently, but decided I want an upgrade after reading Jen's review on iheartorganizing.com. 

3. Butter Bell - In the Butter vs. Margarine debate, our house is solidly butter.  We keep some on the counter in a covered butter dish, but recently upgraded to a butter bell. A little bit of water in the cup leaves the butter stored airtight, and means we can enjoy spreadable butter.

4. Bluetooth Headset - Laugh all you want - I know not everyone wants to look like a telemarketer, but this is my favorite Bluetooth headset to date.  I work from home and rely on my mobile for conference calls and meetings and got tired of holding the phone while typing or using speakerphone.  I've had bluetooth ear buds, but the ear plug part made it difficult because I could hear myself speaking too well, and I don't like the Jabra-type design because they don't seem to set in very snug.  This headset sits on your ear, has great sound and mic quality, and leaves an ear open to listen for kids, pets, or whatever.  I picked this one because of the charging base and love it!

5. Comfortable Dress Pants - Shooting weddings for my photography business is one of the most rewarding and exhausting things I can do on a weekend.  Clothing wise, I need to wear outfits that are dressy but can move and stretch as I work.  I'm totally crushing on these yoga pants that look like dress pants.  

6. Suction Cup Phone Mount - This has been so handy for using Google Maps in my car, plus it keeps my phone out of my hands while making calls.  There is no safe way to operate a cell phone while driving, but this puts it right in front of you for red lights, etc.  I'm on my second after leaving one in an Avis rental car in Denver, totally worth it and available for Prime shipping.  

7. Bath & Body Works Kitchen Lemon - I am picky when it comes to fragrance, mostly because I'm allergic to a ton of them!  But Bath & Body Works Kitchen Lemon is one of my favorite hand soaps, and we use it in our kitchen and all three bathrooms.  The fresh citrus scent leaves my hands smelling and feeling clean.  Bath & Body Works have ditched most of their anti-bacterial soaps, but I've been known to get out some Dial or other anti-bacterial soap when someone is feeling under the weather.  

8. Ring Holder - I'm one of those people who have to have a 'spot' for everything or they'll lose it.  I have a similar ring holder on my nightstand where I take off my rings each night, and one in the kitchen as a safe place to keep them while doing dishes.  It's simple but totally works for me.

9.  Eyeglass Holder - Like I said, a spot for everything.  I received a similar, hand carved one as a souvenir from my sweet hubby's work trip a couple years ago.  Sitting next to my ring holder, it holds my eye glasses at bedtime.  I've been known to lose my glasses after knocking them off my nightstand, I've yet to have that happen since I received this thoughtful gift. 

10.  Coleman Double High Airbed - I mentioned in my caucus post that we've been hosting guests.  Our spare bedroom leaves much to be desired, but we've had rave reviews (or overly kind guests) about the comfort of our double high airbed.  Since ours is a queen size, we always have spare sheets, and it inflates and deflates in minutes.  Easy way to turn any space into a guest room.

11. Sonicare Toothbrush - We are a house of few strict rules, but one of them is "You only have to brush the teeth you want to keep."  I'm sure my bonus daughter's friends are tired of hearing that at slumber parties, but we enforce that rule and keep a supply of new toothbrushes to offer the kids.  I love my Sonicare toothbrush and swear my teeth have never felt cleaner.  The travel charger was super handy when my job required more travel.  I've been using a Sonicare for six years and my dental hygienist comments on my great brushing every time!

So that's what I'm currently crushing on.  What's on your list?

14 Things I'm Crushing On This Winter

1.) LL Bean plaid comforter. I've fell in love with plaid last fall. Naturally when I came across this comforter I had to have it. Bonus: I got it for an excellent price when I ordered during one of their discount days, plus gift cards. It was a superb deal!

2.) Nail polish. I've been loving this nice sleek color made by Essie.

3.) Go Pack Tissues. These are a purse essential for winter time.

4.) Fuji insta camera and extra film. One of my daycare kiddies received one for Christmas and I fell in love with it! I nabbed one for the kids for our next photo booth. The thing I love the most is that it's simple enough for them to use without help and the film prices aren't terribly out of control.

5.) Go Pro. This is tops on my birthday list for this year. I want to get some practice in before we begin our spring and summer road trips.

6.) Old Navy swing dress. I bought this for a Valentine's dance and absolutely love the color (I got a maroon color), the comfort of the dress, and the price is amazing.

7.) Binging on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. I should be all caught up on every TV show and documentary by the time summer rolls around.

8.) Tea. Gotta love a good afternoon cup of warm tea to keep me going.

9.) Roller skating. It's been a great way to get out some of the cooped up winter energy, for the kids and us!

10.) Snow boots. One needs a good pair of snow boots this time of year.

11.) Hot chocolate recipe. I've enjoyed tweaking recipes this winter. So far, my favorite recipe is: 4 cups 2% milk, 1 bar of bittersweet chocolate, 1 Hershey bar, and 1 tsp of cinnamon.

12.) Carmex. No worrying about dry lips. I actually can't leave the house without this year round, but I seem to be applying extra through the winter months.

13.) Rodan and Fields. I just started a new facial treatment a month ago and I'm in love. My face feels so good and refreshed.

14.) Hand soap. Smells great and helps diminish the wintertime germs.

Making a Responsible Change

It all started with me having too much to do in the evenings. Try living off of four hours of sleep a night for months and you're ready to make a change. My feet hurt from being on them all day and had cuts on the bottoms from stepping on the little Lego pieces scattered about the boy's room. Then came a Saturday afternoon, just me and the kids. I had a TON of housework to get done. So when two little faces asked to unload the dishwasher, I said yes. I couldn't believe what I saw: my five year old and three year old knew exactly where every dish, pan, and spoon went. Sure they needed help putting stuff high in the cupboards, but it got done quicker than if it were just me doing it. As the last baking dish went in the cupboard and the boys walked out of the room, I decided to push my luck. "Please clean up the toys. Put them back in their proper places and we can have a special snack." Then they did just what I asked them too. I thought maybe it was a fluke.

When Monday morning rolled around and I had 9 kids to take care of, I decided to try a few things to make the day roll easier:

1.) Blankets/cuddle items on the couch or in bed (during naps) only. I was just done with kids dragging blankets behind them and getting upset when another child touched it. I implement this rule from the oldest (5) to the youngest (4 months). I am amazed at how quickly this changed how our day went, kid's attitudes, and how every child instantly understood what was going on.
2.) You can get as many toys as you want out, but they will all be cleaned up before lunch and naps. I also have them clean up toys in the afternoon before everyone leaves for the day and the boys clean up before bed. I was quite shocked when I realized even the one year olds knew where every toy went and every child's willingness to help and making an effort.
3.) No whining, use words. I'm shocked and pleased to inform people that when you tell a newly turned one year old (who obviously can't tell you exactly what the problem is), say to he/she: "show me" and they will in fact show you.
4.) There are very few time outs anymore. An offending child will need to sit on the sofa until he/she says sorry and is able to listen and "talk" about the problem. It's amazing when a two year old gets in trouble for hitting, is made to sit on the couch, and then we have a "talk." A talk usually goes something like this for a toddler: "hitting is not nice. It hurts. Do you want someone to hit you?" It seems to be that last line that gets all toddlers and preschoolers. Instantly, the look on their faces screams 'no I don't want anyone to hit me!!" and then it seems to sink in-what they've done, why they're on the couch not playing, away from the other children, and why they shouldn't do it.

These four changes have really made a huge difference in my day, cut down on upset children, and while these do seem like very strict rules, they have really helped the day run a lot smoother for both the kids and myself. I've always implemented a variation of these four rules, but lately, with 9 kids around during the days, I've had to be a bit more strict with them and it's paying off!

 After some discussion, my husband and I are also trying a new approach with the boys. We are giving them more responsibilities and rules. The biggest rule that we've implemented has been that our 3 kids (more so the boys than one year old Bup) are in charge of making sure the toys get picked up every day. They need to clean up after themselves in their room (and keep it clean). They need to help put their clothes away (mostly Max because if I have Harrison do it, it turns into dress up time and creates a HUGE mess!). They help take out recycling. They need to help unload the dishwasher (this is not an everyday thing. Usually only a couple of times a week). They need to have good behavior and follow the rules (no hitting, pushing, sharing, using words, etc).

To go along with our new parenting approach, we started a simple reward system for their cooperation. Instead of a weekly allowance that some parents do (we have not done this and have no plans to), we reward them with a pre-chosen toy (lately it's been Legos as they're in an obsessive Lego phase), a special dessert (a trip for ice cream), or a fun weekend activity (go somewhere or do something they've been wanting to do). However, in order to receive this reward, we have to talk about the week they've had. Good behavior/bad behavior, choices they made, what they could have done differently, what activities they liked best, what was the worst thing that happened this week, and what can be done next week (we also do this "high/low" thing every night before bed, it's a nice closure to the day and an excellent opportunity to hear my babes thoughts and talk about behaviors). I'm not going to lie, there have been weeks where they have not gotten their reward, mostly because of bad behavior and not listening. Last week, they got their reward Legos from the week before taken away because instead of cleaning them up, they threw them around their room. I was not happy. In order to get them back, they had to be extra good and do extra duties.

So far, this new system that has been successful. It has really lightened my daily To Do List! I love that this is a step in the teaching responsibilities direction and lays a good foundation of expectations. I have been flabbergasted as to how young a child understands what is expected of them and what they are capable of. While I'm happy to have some pressure lifted off of myself, I am mostly proud of the kids and how well all of them (mine and daycare kids) have listened, understood, and done with these new rules.