A Greener Yoga Mat

I went through three yoga mats in one week.  I've always just bought a cheap mat at any old store without paying much attention.  THIS week,  my husband picked one up for me, but it was bumpy and I would rather have smooth so I picked up a cheap one from Walmart.  

Took it out to use it and I noticed it smelled pretty bad.  Very much like chemicals.  It was pretty gross to have my face so close to it at times.  I thought I would just let it air out, so on my way to the garage (it smelled that bad) I grabbed the cardboard that came with it and noticed this:

Warning:  This mat contains chemicals (recognized by the state of California) known to cause Cancer and/or birth defects/fertility issues.

Happy November! Crafts!

Last year we decided to make a Thankfulness Tree. (pictured below)  I had enough leaves for each day of November and everyday the three of us would write what we were thankful for.  (We just said out loud what we thought Hammie was thankful for because she was so little)  Everyone had such a great time filling it in that it was a requested project this year.  New tradition?  I think so!

Each year I have sloppily tried to draw a tree. . . the girls seem to know what it is so that's all that matters!  (Plus you get to cover it up with lots of leaves!)  This year I decided to make enough leaves for everyone to have their own leaf each day.  We even added some little birds this year, I think it makes the tree really fun!  Check out #4 on this cute Blog to find the leaf/bird templates

Before You Bake. . .

If you've ever read the ingredients list on your Baking Powder you would find the following:  Cornstarch, Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda), Sodium Aluminum Sulfate, and Monocalcium Phosphate.

Let's look at Sodium Aluminum Sulfate.  Here is an excerpt from livestrong.com about this food additive:

A Healthier Halloween

I've had some inquiries about what has been happening in my kitchen this apple season. . . I promise, I will get to that. . . but this is not that post.  Since Halloween is right around the corner it is only right to discuss all that candy!  

I will start with a few questions I've gotten about our own family's Halloween traditions:

Freezer Smoothies

We just had the most productive 3 hours!  So productive that I am able to start this blog post before the kids go to bed!  We had a fun weekend, but the house suffered. . . and for three hours we suffered. BUT laundry is well in hand, rooms and floors are picked up, dishes are done, and Smoothies are made!

With Fall officially here and preschool already underway, I am especially looking for something to give my girls immune system a little boost.  (We have already been through a round of antibiotics this season).  Our girls love smoothies.  And it is super easy to hide some veggies in those!  

I wanted to be sure that my girls got a good dose of fruit/veggies in them at least once a day.  Sometimes we just run out of willpower. . . time to eat clean.  After talking to my friend about freezer meals and getting a few tips I decided I would get some canning jars and make smoothies once a week and stick them in the freezer so I could always have them on hand.

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup (Slow Cooker or Stove-top)

I found this recipe at today's mama.  This recipe has become a staple in our menu planning.  I make it when we are sick, healthy, hot, cold.  Doesn't matter, it is always delicious.  Click the link to view the whole recipe or to get the stove-top version.  The way I make mine is even easier than the original recipe so follow along below. . .

Family Files #3

Squeezing in a quick Family Files post before our busy Sunday begins.  I've been hoarding so many pictures to share with you all!

The Princess said she was bored one morning (seriously only 10 minutes after she woke up, really??), but I humored her and made a quick batch of playdough.  It entertained them for hours.  My mom used this recipe when I was a kid.  It's super easy... I only had about half of the cream of tartar it called for and it still turned out great!  (recipe below)