Product Review

Tonight I'm going to review a couple items that make my life easier, and right now, easier is great!

First up, my two cleaning items that are used daily.  My handy dandy Shark vacuum and my swiffer sweeper jet.

The Shark vacuum is the best thing ever for keeping my floors cleaned - especially with a little one crawling everywhere.  It is very easy, super light, and picks up anything - especially big things like cheerios, dirt, grass, and even things like nuts and bolts.  It does a pretty decent job on sand too.  Its not a deep cleaning vacuum, but it does all the top stuff.  Its so nice to clean the floors in a couple minutes.  You can even dump it without having to touch anything dirty.  It retails for around $60, but Stephen got it at a resale for under $20.  Great purchase!

Second is my swiffer sweeper.  I'm not a huge fan of a non-heavy duty mop, but if you clean often, this does the job.  It doesn't get super stuck heavy stuff off the floor, but smudges, light spills, and dirty spots it does great.  It has replace-able pads, so no rinsing out dirty mops, getting a sink of water for your mop.  It has an electric sprayer that sprays out your cleaner, mop and you're done!

Next is my clorox cleaning wipes.  I'm not sure why it took me so long to discover these things.  Maybe when my son started potty training and cleaning the whole bathroom every time he went wasn't fun?!  These are so easy to take one or a couple and wipe down the bathroom in two minutes.  That way the bathroom stays clean for company and you don't have to haul out the dirty rags and cleaner.  Voila!

Today had a lot of cleaning going on.  We cleaned and washed both cars, including cleaning and washing the car seats.  Yesterday Micah's new car seat arrived and it made me want to have the other two nice and clean!  

The house was filthy but tis now clean, laundry done, the kids and I played water balloons for a long time, and Micah loved sitting on my lap outside with water gently spraying in his mouth.  Funny!  

I also started couch to 5 k again, and the first workout wasn't fun, but I feel better - looser somehow.  I was so hot I felt like I was about to explode, but after playing in the water with the kids it was much better.

Yesterday we went to Hannah and Micah's and the kids had a great time playing in their pool together. 

Daniel learned to put his head in the water and blow bubbles!  He thought it was great.

Cute little Brookie

Sweet Bethy

Silly Jonathan - he freaked out at first when he got it!  Never been in a pool that deep where he could actually touch the bottom.  He didn't know what to do!  Having not been the most steady on his feet, he finally was ok to be in the floatie.

Crazy Daniel

So its November something, oh, its November 7th. Which means, I'm 2 days over due with Micah, and we are all waiting impatiently. I'm going to try and make this more about the boys and what its like having three little guys who are 2 1/2 and under. :)

Or like, how difficult it is to go to the bathroom by yourself, and if your intention is to get a little time away from the kids - hiding or shutting the door behind you is NOT a good idea.

Or, how when at your baby appointment your 2 year old says (as he hears another baby's heartbeat) "Mommy, its another baby Micah!"

Or, what spraying poopy cloth diapers is like....wait, you probably don't want to hear about that.

And pictures...very important. Now that I have a camera again, taking pictures will be a good thing.

Foods Update

So, it is interesting that I got my results back from a hair analysis test. They were somewhat surprising and not exactly what I thought they were going to be.

I am NOT allergic to gluten, but allergic to some fungus that is on wheat and barley. I am allergic to lots of mold and fungus. Also, cow's milk whey, barley, chamomile tea, coconut, eel, garlic, hazel nut, hemp flour, romaine lettuce (what?!), lime, mustard, orange, oyster, papaya, pea, tapioca, bumblebee, mixed feathers, mouse, pigeon droppings, some grasses, savinase, fish food, and tetanus.

Interesting line up, huh.

So, what to do! Not sure. I'm actually better right now, but I think I'm going to avoid most moldy foods. And probably still avoid gluten stuff...

So, last Thursday I made a decision, a long long long time in coming, to go on an elimination diet because my eczema (that I've had for my whole life) was really really bothering me. I can put up with so much, but then I decided NOW was the time to cut foods out and bite the bullet to feeling better.

So this week has been great, actually. I feel so much better. No more rash behind my knees, and my feet (which were covered) are much better. Still red and scaley, but flexible and not open sores. Hallelujah! Its beyond annoying to not even be able to wear shoes because they hurt your feet so bad. Yeah..... And I've been dealing with this for over a year now.

Basically, I'm cutting wheat, sugar, dairy, and anything that's not fresh. I'm loading up on apples, pears, chicken, brown rice, and fresh greens. Of course, that's also helped with losing more pounds too, which has been really really nice to jump start it.

Life has been busy and sick. First my hubby had some cruddy sinus stuff going on, then both my little boys have had been a little sick with runny noses, and now I don't feel the best either. My voice is almost gone right now.

So that's what's been going on! I've been super faithful with tracking all my foods and eating. I'm pretty proud of myself and feel like keeping keeping on. :)

Also, I've been able to be very faithful in reading my Bible every morning ever since my hubby got me an android phone. That little Bible app is worth way more than "free" to me. I can read while the light is off in bed, while nursing, or wherever I might be at the time. Its awesome.

Here Comes Christmas!

Here comes Christmas! Tomorrow we leave for my familys house for Christmas and I know there will be lots of food around, but I'm going to do my BEST to keep to the plan. There's been plenty of times I've said "Its Christmas....Its thanksgiving...Its a birthday..." and ate whatever I wanted. So, guess what, the food will ALWAYS be around. Its time to say NO and do what's best for yourself.

I feel like I haven't been eating the smartest, but I've been doing a lot better than I normally would. :)

I need to find a thread and see how people generally divide up their points during the day. Like breakfast x points, snack x points, lunch etc. What do you DO? I'm not sure what I'm doing so far.

But I'm finding that I tend to eat more during the late afternoon and then when hubby comes home, then dinner again. So I need to watch what I eat in the morning and late afternoon. Maybe more water to sip on to keep from snacking.

Weight Watchers

So I joined online WW again - this time NOT pregnant. haha And I'm going to be writing down my thoughts and how things are going here. So if you DON'T want to hear about it, go away. Or something. ;)

WEEK 1

So I lost 2lbs this week. Hopefully that's not just because I finished nursing and the normal fluctuation of body weight. Its been challenging because I've had 2 Christmas parties and a date night with my hubby. For one of the parties I planned ahead and saved most of my points for the evening - yay me! And that worked well.

For another I mostly did the same thing, and tried to eat well, but kind of failed. :( But I DID track it all, so at least I was faithful in that.

This week is Christmas week here in our families. Christmas starts tonight for the in-law family and tomorrow is Christmas dinner, and then christmas with my family later on this week. So its going to be hard.

In other news, I discovered that progresso light soup is REALLY good!!!!! Yay for low point soup that DOESN'T taste like canned soup, and Steamers vegetable bags. Mmm. :)

I love eating eggs in the morning, they have a high point counts, but that's ok. At least they're good for you.

Thoughts on Mark

Mark 4:18-20

"And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things entering in, choke the word and it becomes unfruitful. And these are they which are sown on good ground, such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred."

So, I, to me, sound like a seed sown on thorns. I feel like I get way too caught up, worried, and concerned with the cares of the world and don't have a burden for lost souls. I lust after having a good life, a good name and reputation....and then God gets choked out.

OR, is it my concern as a mother to provide for her children and want them not to suffer or want for food/stuff. Yes, ultimately, I want to bring forth fruit, have my children love the Lord, but I don't want to be unfruitful while I'm at it. Like a selfish person who just takes care of themselves and no one else. I want to NOT be caught up with stupid stuff and worried, but go wherever the Lord wants me to go and do. I'm tired of being worried about food, clothing, losing weight etc.

Sigh.

So what do you think about that verse?