Friday, November 29, 2013

'Twas the Day After Thanksgiving

The turkey was perfect. The potatoes divine.
The pies were almost too tasty for people to believe they were mine.
Then we settled ourselves down for an after dinner nap,
to plan and draw out our Black Friday map.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

2013 Gratitude Challenge!

I have done this in the past. And Momma Jorje is right, it is time to do it again. Without further ado:



Monday, November 25, 2013

Healthy Child Summit

Have you ever felt overwhelmed when it comes to making the best choices for your family?


With all the hidden dangers lurking in our food supply, water supply, products we use daily, and even just in the environment, more and more parents are choosing to live a simpler, more natural lifestyle. But making the transition is enough to make any parent's head spin. And what about those soon-to-be parents who are just beginning their journey? All the research, websites, and books lead to information overload.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Introducing Native American Culture to Children at Natural Parents Network

I have a post today at Natural Parents Network about "Introducing Native American Culture to
Children.
"


That time of year has arrived. Harvest, turkeys, apple picking, pumpkin pies, and the story of the Indians and Pilgrims sharing the First Thanksgiving. It seems to be the only time of year we consider the historical or cultural impact "Indians" had on our lives: as a vague story of peace and harmony between the two groups who cohabited the area around Plymouth Rock. But, with November being Native American Heritage Month, more families are taking a closer look at the contributions Native Americans have made to our history and society.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Geek Food: Pumpkin Pasties


Welcome to the November 2013 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Feeding Your Family
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared recipes, stories, and advice about food and eating. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
***
The long and short of things. Our family loves food. And we are pretty much geeks. So, it isn't a far leap to turning our love of cooking in to recreating food from our favorite stories and books. Being fall, of course I need to share Pumpkin Pasties.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Natural Parents Network's 2nd Annual Holiday Gift Guide & Giveaway! {12/6, 26 winners, US, ARV $2,587}

Second Annual NPN Holiday Gift Guide and Giveaway {12/6, 26 winners, US, ARV $2,587}

Welcome to the Second Annual Natural Parents Network Holiday Gift Guide!

If you need to complete your holiday shopping, find a birthday present for a friend, or just treat yourself to something special, the NPN Holiday Gift Guide has something for everyone. But what's even better, the NPN Holiday Gift Guide is a great opportunity to shop consciously and to support many naturally minded small businesses.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Second Annual NPN Holiday Gift Guide & Giveaway (Pomegranate Kids $28) (12/6, 26 winners, US only ARV $2587.26)

Second Annual NPN Holiday Gift Guide & Giveaway (12/6, 24 winners, US only ARV $2587.26)

This review is part of the Second Annual Natural Parents Network Holiday Gift Guide!
If you need to complete your holiday shopping, find a birthday present for a friend, or just treat yourself to something special, the NPN Holiday Gift Guide has something for everyone. But what's even better, the NPN Holiday Gift Guide is a great opportunity to shop consciously and to support many naturally
minded small businesses.


The 55 companies that have provided items for review and giveaway are almost exclusively made up of work-at-home shops or companies that are dedicated to supporting eco-conscious choices.

I'm featuring one of those companies in my review below. When you get done reading my review, please click on over to the full Perfect for Kids and Perfect for Families. And you can find all 6 Rafflecopter widgets there, too.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Second Annual NPN Holiday Gift Guide& Giveaway (Kidecals, $28 ARV) (12/6, 26 winners, US only ARV $2587.26)

Second Annual NPN Holiday Gift Guide & Giveaway (12/6, 24 winners, US only ARV $2587.26)

This review is part of the Second Annual Natural Parents Network Holiday Gift
Guide
!


If you need to complete your holiday shopping, find a birthday present for a friend, or just treat yourself to something special, the NPN Holiday Gift Guide has something for everyone. But what's even better, the NPN Holiday Gift Guide is a great opportunity to shop consciously and to support many naturally
minded small businesses.

The 55 companies that have provided items for review and giveaway are almost exclusively made up of work-at-home shops or companies that are dedicated to supporting eco-conscious choices.

I'm featuring one of those companies in my review below. When you get done reading my review, please click on over to the full Perfect for Kids and Perfect for Families. And you can find all 6 Rafflecopter widgets there, too.
Without further ado, here is my review - thank you for reading and entering!

This is a Joint Review and Giveaway of the Canning Labels from Kidecals between Natural Parents Network and True Confessions of a Real Mommy.

Have something you love enough to put your name on it? Does your computer need brightening up? Maybe even a wall? Time to check out Kidcals! Their fashionable decals are just the thing. The name labels stick to anything, including clothing, and are waterproof and washing machine safe. The canning labels are dishwasher safe. And the wall decals are re-positionable. I had the chance to try out their personalized canning labels!

Our Experience


The first step is the hardest. Picking and personalizing your labels. Cute options abound! I had a little bit of a hard time with finding the right wording to fit their set space without the ability to change the font size or positioning. After I fiddled a bit, I found just the right number of spaces to fit the wording I wanted. From then out it was easy to place my order, and quick to ship. They stick well to my jars, and look great. I would check your jar choices before ordering, a few styles had too much glasswork design to allow a smooth application. 

You can see a little puckering on the bottom of the half pint jar label.

I am so excited that my hard work canning can get a quick label, and pretty bow, and I am set for the gift giving season!

Buy it!

You can purchase your own Kidecals on their website. With so many great choices for labeling and decorating your are sure to find the right item to help keep track of your personal items, customize birthday parties, or decorate your favorite spaces. I mean, chalkboard labels shaped like mustaches? Who can resist?

WIN IT!

For your own chance to win a $28 voucher from Kidecals, or one of the 26 huge prize packages we're giving away, come back to this post on November 6th when our Rafflecopter widgets will go live for your chance to enter! Or you can visit Natural Parents Network on November 6th to see and enter to win all of our fantastic prize packages at once!

Disclosure: Our reviewer received a sample product for review purposes. Amazon links are affiliate links.We try to seek out only products we think you would find relevant and useful to your life as a natural parent. If we don't like a product, we won't be recommending it to you. See our full disclosure policy here.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Saturday, November 2, 2013

Second Annual NPN Holiday Gift Guide& Giveaway (Redmond Clay $19.99) (12/6, 26 winners, US only ARV $2587.26)

Second Annual NPN Holiday Gift Guide & Giveaway (12/6, 24 winners, US only ARV $2587.26)

This review is part of the Second Annual Natural Parents Network Holiday Gift
Guide
!


If you need to complete your holiday shopping, find a birthday present for a friend, or just treat yourself to something special, the NPN Holiday Gift Guide has something for everyone. But what's even better, the NPN Holiday Gift Guide is a great opportunity to shop consciously and to support many naturally
minded small businesses.

The 55 companies that have provided items for review and giveaway are almost exclusively made up of work-at-home shops or companies that are dedicated to supporting eco-conscious choices.

I'm featuring one of those companies in my review below. When you get done reading my review, please click on over to the full Perfect for Kids and Perfect for Families. And you can find all 6 Rafflecopter widgets there, too.
Without further ado, here is my review - thank you for reading and entering!

This is a Joint Review and Giveaway of a Real Salt Organic Gift Set from Redmond Trading between Natural Parents Network and True Confessions of a Real Mommy.

You diligently decide on meal. Make the effort to get to the store, get it home, prep and cook. So, why use any old table salt in it? Time to give Redmond Trading's Organic Seasoning set a chance to bring out the natural deliciousness in your food, and find out how they add a new dimension to your food. Jennifer at True Confessions of a Real Mommy put them to the test, find out what her family thought.


Our Experience




Here's the thing. I do a lot of cooking. My husband is a chef. I rarely use salt in flavoring foods, and we NEVER buy seasoning or other flavored salts. They all seem to just taste stale and overpowering the flavors we so carefully put together. Not any more. This set is delicious. No dusty, stale flavor. The garlic and onion versions are superbly balanced to add dimension to the food without taking control. The seasoning salt is my new go to for fries, meat, and even a little zing on cottage cheese. 

This is where I would tell you any concerns or not-so-great parts of the review go. I have none. These are delicious. They are easy to use. My awesome skillz in the kitchen are only made better by using these over the other versions we have tried.



Buy it!

You can purchase your own Real Salt Organic Seasoning Set on their website. Go ahead and take a look at their other categories to find all natural toothpaste, bath salts, and more!

WIN IT!

For your own chance to win a Real Salt Organic Seasoning Gift Set (value $19.99), or one of the 26 huge prize packages we're giving away, come back to this post on November 6th when our Rafflecopter widgets will go live for your chance to enter! Or you can visit Natural Parents Network on November 6th to see and enter to win all of our fantastic prize packages at once!

Disclosure: Our reviewer received a sample product for review purposes. Amazon links are affiliate links.We try to seek out only products we think you would find relevant and useful to your life as a natural parent. If we don't like a product, we won't be recommending it to you. See our full disclosure policy here.


a Rafflecopter giveaway