my wishlist

Typically if you've had more than one child and all the same gender, it only seems logical that there would be no need for a baby shower. It's true. I really don't need a baby shower and there really isn't a desire to have one either. But what happens to all those things you really desire for the new baby? Does that mean she gets everything used, worn and well lived-in hand me downs? I'm also reconsidering the whole logic behind baby showers lately anyways and exploring creative ways of blessing each and every baby (and mom) coming into this world with or without a baby shower. Anyways, I've decided to create myself a "wish list" just because there are just so many new things I want for this next coming arrival :-)

And I just may have to get some of them!

Wanna see my wishlist?

a (stand-on) triple stroller

Beco Baby carrier

Nursing Cover

(luvaboos.com)

Nap Nanny Chill recliner

(napnanny.com)

Stainless Steel Baby Bottles

Wide-neck glass bottles

Organic Back-pack diaper bag

Moses Carry Basket

Children's book for homebirth

Summer infant super seat

Teething Bling

Abigail...

Abigail is my flower child all the way

I have never seen anyone more enthralled with creation! Really. She can't get enough of being outside.

and I really am so amazed how much time she takes to appreciate it all. It helps me appreciate it as well.

Thanks Abigail! Mommy loves you!

burgers and steak fries

So every pregnancy I've been anemic so I've been eating a lot more red meat and spinach this time around! But since we only eat locally raised grass-fed beef it can sometimes get hard on the budget. So with grilling season here ;-) I've been reserving our ground beef for some hearty cheeseburgers! I just added salt, pepper, garlic powder and little worcheshire sauce to my beef...roll into patties and threw on the grill. easy enough right?!

oh....and the drink is just pineapple juice and sparkling water with some lime. alcohol free and VERY tasty for summer time for all your preggos out there!

here's the lovely meal! And it was delicious! We paid about $3.89/lb and with 1.17 lbs. we got 5 burgers out of it. That's less than a $1 a burger, so its more reasonable for us than buying cuts like steaks, chucks or ribs. (Although I love those too!)

We get our beef from Seven Bridges Farms. They're located in Lima, but they also come to the Rochester Public Market every Saturday (they also do chicken and pork).

Something special I did for the burgers was pan fry some breaded onions. My husband loves onion rings on his burger so i just fresh cut some onions myself, breaded them and pan fried them. I personally thought they tasted way better than onion rings.

And lastly steak fries to top off a great burger! I just cut 6 medium sized organic potatoes into strips, drizzle them with olive oil or coconut oil and sea salt them. Put them in the oven at 425 for about 40 min (I like my crispy so may be less time if like them softer) - occasionally turning them a few times in the oven every 10 min.

What an easy and fun summer dinner!

high fructose corn syrup and sugar debate

So i feel like the heat on the whole CORN debate continuing to escalate and so I decided to do a small thoughtful process on what I really think about high fructose corn syrup. here's what inspired it all -

Sweet Surprise's ridiculous commercial:

Thankfully I've had plenty of research and learning under my "real" foods journey to know that high fructose corn syrup and sugar ARE NOT the same thing, but for a vast majority of people who don't have the exposure to the history of what has been happening with our food, it would be real easy to believe the propaganda of this commercial.

Apart from high fructose corn syrup being yet another processed food we consume made from corn, it is guarantee that it will be genetically engineered corn as well. And anytime we mess with God's design there's problems for me. I highly recommend Michael Pollan's book Omnivore's Dilemma. In his book he breaks down the GEO corn process, starting with a soak in sulfuric acid to break down the corn similar to the way it breaks down in our digestive system. This is how we are able to have the many parts of corn in so many different processed foods (whey, gluten, sugars, syrups, starch, big words we don't understand like xanthan gum, maltodextrin and zein and the list is much larger). Don't let us be fooled, our body processes GM products differently than whole foods. And, yes, even, raw sugar is a whole food because its a real food, from a real unaltered source.

Sugar comes from this:

:not this

For those who believe that your body processes HFCS the same as raw unaltered sugar, please consider this: "sucrose raises blood glucose and then crashes it, below fasting baseline, within 25 minutes of ingestions -- A FACT. This is why HFCS is being linked to diabetes rising in North America. HFCS or crystalline fructose or hydrolyzed fructose from inulin, convert to triglycerides and adipose tissue, within 60 minutes of ingestion, not blood glucose -- A FACT." - Dr. Mercola. That's those transfats everyone wants and talks about staying away from people! Real sugar does not break down this fast and you don't have the same "crash and burn" effects after eating unrefined raw sugar either. And I'm sure all of us mommies can testify to that when we see the reactions in our children's behavior to a piece of cake vs. an apple.

here's a rendition of the real truth behind high fructose corn syrup of the same commercial some students put together. And it's quite hilarious!

And just for my own entertainment here is one more video review on the commercial....a little more professional:)

So, what are your thoughts about the HFCS debate?

Mother's Day!

This post is a special post, not just because I'm a mother, but to the many women out there who have sacrificed themselves to love the precious gifts given to them.

I want to say thank you mothers! Today I am meditating on the life of Susanna Wesley. Did you know she had 19 children? Well, 10 children who were actually born and 9 miscarriages. This extraordinary women has propelled my own mothership in a several of sorts. Her husband also abandoned her where she literally learned how to pray and war to keep her family together! It is my conviction her demonstrated life of intercession and loyal motherhood that lead to the great Charles and John Wesley stories we all so often hear about to this day.

As mothers we have an incredible amount of influence and power that has been granted us through our children. And if we have the priveledge of being home with our children, its even more powerful the transforming love a mother's love, presence, support, prayers can catapult a child into their God-given destiny and purpose. Motherhood is practical and calls for us to be committed to even tedious, mundane tasks everyday....but it also very supernatural! Apart from the incredible life that comes from our wombs, we have been given a special anointing and mandate from God, even entrusted by God, to raise and lead His very own. What a honor!

So to all my mothers out there, to all the women who has taken a child under their wing, to all the virtuous, loyal, committed women who have entrusted their lives to the King.....I honor you today! You are priceless diamonds in the Kingdom!

marriage

I'm sure most of you will agree that marriage is a wonderful, beautiful, intimate, challenging, sometimes overwhelming and hard thing! How can they be ALL these things and more? I believe because of the sacredness of marriage and all God intends it to be - was meant to ultimately be a for-shadow of something even more supernatural, divine and holy.....Himself!

Think about it for a moment. Now we'll have to put ourselves in a perfect world, ultimately His world, to fully understand what marriage is suppose to represent....meaning let's forget for a moment the flaws of our physical marriages on earth and think about what God says about marriage. We're asked to be married to one person, to be faithful and loyal (Matthew 5:27). Even that our bedroom would be sacred and pure (Hebrews 13:4). We're asked to be joined to this person as One embodiment, where the two flesh become one (Matthew 19:4-6). We're asked to forsake all other family so that we can be joined to this person (Mark 10:6). We're asked to procreate as the fruit of this oneness (Genesis 1:28). We're told two is better than one (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10) and that the fruit of our womb is our inheritance (Psalm 127:3). Yes, we are even told that love is the greatest thing we will ever know, give and become (1 Corinthians 13:13).

If what we are asked to do in the natural is ONLY a foreshadow of what God desires in the spiritual, what would a marriage with the Lord really look like?

Many times throughout scripture we are referenced as His Bride, and even later as His wife. "Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready." (Revelation 19:7) I don't believe this is a futuristic thing, but meant to be a "present" Truth.

And what does it mean to make yourself ready? Think about everything you did to ready yourself before your own wife or husband to be. I think its safe to say that most of us didn't marry our spouses on a blind date, but we entered into a relationship with one another that lead to that partnership. We grew toward love and ultimately a point of decision to make this the person we would spend the rest of our life with. And even in covenant, we remain steadfast in our efforts to getting to know one another in that intimate oneness. BUT THIS IS ALSO WHAT GOD DESIRES OF US!

It is my conviction that marriage with the Lord doesn't necessarily happen the day of salvation, meaning the day we gave our hearts to the Lord. I would dare to say I have met several "believers" who have yet to come into the understanding of what it really means to be married to Jesus. He desires that we would also forsake all other lovers, to be joined together as one embodiment (as Jesus prayed in John 17), to lay down your life for Him (Matthew 16:25) and, yes, to even reproduce with Him (Galatians 4:19)! You think I'm crazy, but it is inevitable, when the two become one, there is procreation. And Jesus wants to reproduce Himself, but I stand fully convinced this only comes through pure, unadulterated, ardent love for God....because in love we can not help but birth His life through us.

He sees us as HIS inheritance and He is just waiting for us to choose Him.

embryonic stem cell research

What do you really think?

What do you know about it?

What are your thoughts about it?

Good?

Bad?

How do your own values or morals play a role?

Even if you don't know a whole lot about it, what are some are your first thoughts?

Curious....

allergies: natural remedies

I started a post at the beginning of this month talking about allergies. It wasn't something I struggled with as a child, so I'm relatively new to the whole "allergy" thing that happens to me every Spring. But in my adult years, it seems every year has been getting worse for me. To check out the last post on a few natural remedies and other great blogs that talk about facing allergies the natural way see here.

Anyways, today's post is in response to what my allergies have been doing these past few weeks and what I am learning. I would like to say there are two things happening that are both important factors to why I have been getting sick so often. (lately my allergies always develop into some sort of infection which ultimately makes me very sick). The first is the natural aspect of things....I don't always eat what I should and I don't get enough fluids like I should and I'm usually on very little sleep. The more and more I study pasteurization (especially milk products) the more I see how it can compromise the immune system, making me even more vulnerable to sickness. (please don't comment on pasteurization since this is not what this blog post is about). Also the lack of sleep is huge to not only maintaining health, but in order for our immune system to recover and build antibodies its pivotal we get the rest our body requires.

But I can't blame it all on natural things occurring. I personally know its a spiritual battle as well. Without a doubt every allergy break out, at its worst, always happens after we are facilitating the 24 hours of prayer and worship weekends. Last month's was awful.....it developed into a sinus infection and felt it moving to my lungs 2 weeks in. not scary for me, just more annoying than anything. And this month, literally a few hours from going into the weekend i again felt the tension behind my eyes, puffiness behind my face as my chest began to feel heavy again. Oh no! Gotta be kidding Lord! Needless to say, I believe in the power of prayer and certainly knew that this was a spiritual battle I must fight. So I prayed, I rebuked, I was steadfast walking in the truth of being whole and healthy. I had some friends praying for me as well. And though I've seen nothing happen physically in my body, the brighter side of things is I've been learning a WHOLE LOT about what I can be doing naturally to help my body recover faster. In the meantime I do think there are some things God is wanting to teach me in all this.

Anyways, back to the main thing I wanted to share. The past 24 hours have been very unpleasant. I was on two hours of sleep due to a full weekend with full blown allergies at its worst. My poor children....i was just asking for grace all day so i wouldn't act stupid. But as a result I've done a really good job these last 24 hours taking care of myself. I wanted to share some things I've done because this morning I literally woke up a different person! It's the best results I have had in a 24 hour period thus far! Whether it was prayer or the remedies - I'd like to think its both!

here's what I did:

1. I stayed away from sugar (including fruit juices) and grains during this time, and pretty much "tried" to stay away from pasteurized milk (I'm getting raw milk soon, wish I had it now - oh well).

2. I ate a raw sweet red pepper - these delicious veggies have Vit A and 3x the amount of Vit. C as a cup of orange juice...and since I think orange juice can be counter-productive for your immune system I wasn't drinking it.

3. I took Vit. D3 supplement - I knew I had been deficient, but didn't have any castor oil on me. I did spend some time out in the sun with the girls, but found my allergies getting worst so i resorted to a quick fix with the supplement this time. I usually don't do vit D supplements.

4. I wanted probiotics, so I've been drinking Kefir. I actually have been drinking this alot lately because of being pregnant. I tested positive for the Strep B with the first two pregnancies and because I don't take the antibiotics during labor, Kefir is found to naturally reduce the risks of the culture growing irregular. (More on that later, as I plan to blog more on kefir in the future).

4. I had some organic chicken stock stored up in the freezer that I had made a couple weeks ago. I turned into a spicy garlic chicken oregano soup with cayenne pepper to help clear my sinuses. Woo! Was it hot.....but I enjoyed it and it was still yum! (I should totally post the recipe it was that good!)

5. I took a nettle leaf supplement. You can also do nettle leaf as a tea. Most people are allergic to its pollen in the spring, but not its leaf and actually getting chlorophyll from this can help my body produce a antihistamine naturally.

6. Drinking tea. I've been reading a lot of the benefits of fermented teas, but this time around I just went with a respiratory mix of licorice root, eucalyptus leaf, fennel fruit, peppermint leaf, calendula flower, ginger and pleurisy root. I use to hate the taste of the tea, but its really grown on me and I've found it to be very good now. Thank you Wegmans! I also add locally harvested RAW honey to it.

7. And sleep - well unfortunately my youngest kept me up last night until 3:30am and awoke this morning at 6:30am, so I am still working on this one. Sleep and rest have been the BEST things for me in the past, so I wasn't too happy about it, to say the least, when I awoke this morning. But God has certainly given me A LOT of grace. Can all the mothers out there say AMEN?!

i have to admit though, I still had my cup of coffee this morning because of a headache that came about from not drinking it yesterday. I find that coffee does interfere with recovery, despite the argument of how many antioxidants are in it....i don't drink it black and so it's really no good for me.

Today my chest feels clear, I'm not blowing my nose nearly as much, my head is lighter and my face isn't puffy. Looking at me you wouldn't know at all what i had faced the last 24 hours.....Praise God!

All that to say....WOWZERS! Today I feel really good. I was so excited to share the news with you I just had to let you in on the secrets of what I've learned about natural remedies. And I found this time to be more pleasant than the apple cider vinegar shots (which works, just taste awful). ;-)

So, what do you do when you face the discomfort of allergies or being sick?