Book Review: You're Made for a God-Sized Dream

Since we're all friends here, I'll just tell it to you straight: Read this book.

Even if you don't think you have a God-sized dream (you do), even if you're not sure what it is (God'll help you figure it out) and ESPECIALLY if you know what your God-sized dream is, but you're just not sure how/if/when to pursue it. 

Do I have a God-sized dream? To be honest, when I started reading Holley's book I wasn't sure. But as I turned the pages, I realized I had two or three dreams I hadn't even realized were there! Now are they all God-sized? Maybe not, but this book has given me the tools I need to pray about and pursue those dreams that are God-sized. The term God-sized doesn't mean you have a gargantuan dream. A God-sized dream can actually be very tiny. As Holley says, "The size of the dream isn't what matters.[...]It's not about how big or small they are, because he creates each one to perfectly fit the size of your heart."

Many of us, upon discovering we do in fact have a God-sized dream(s), start to tell ourselves lies about why we could never (ever) pursue that dream, embark on that adventure or clear that hurdle. Holley focuses on five lies that keep us from even dreaming in the first place! 

• Dreaming is selfish
• I don't have what it takes
• It's too late
• I don't deserve to dream
• I don't have time

And even when we do allow ourselves to dream, fears start to creep in about all the reasons it's not going to work. Chapter 5 is your guide to overcoming those fears (and also one of my favorite chapters in the book). Most of us like to feel safe. So we pursue safe dreams (or don't dream at all). We don't take risks because doing so takes us out of our comfort zone and (gasp!) puts our safety in jeopardy. Holley encourages you to look fear in the face and take that risk. You know the one. 

Her chapter on Disclaimers (Chapter 6) covers other reasons we don't jump in head first, and even when we do things might look differently than we imagined. My favorite quote in the book comes from Disclaimer #4: Success Will Look Different Than You Think. Holley states, "Success is simply this: obedience." Those five words nearly knocked me off my chair. Yes. Yes. Yes. Obedience to our Father. Not just listening, but doing what He asks of us. That is what makes us successful. 

As if she knows exactly where our thoughts will go next, Holley covers what happens when God-sized dreams go wrong, how to stop sabotaging yourself and why your dream is worth it. Because it is worth it. 

I love how loved I felt while reading this book both by Holley and our dear Savior. Holley gets it, and she's your cheerleader every step of the way, standing on the sidelines yelling, "You can do it!" Because sometimes, that's really all we need to get started...someone to tell us that our dream matters and that yes, you can do it.

Holley Gerth, best-selling author, life coach and co-founder of (in)courage, writes in a tone that makes you feel like you're just hanging out together drinking coffee. Her first book, You're Already Amazing, reminds us that we don't need to be more, do more or have more because we're already amazing just the way God made us. Hang out with Holley at www.holleygerth.com. 

**Available now at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.**

FTC Disclosure: I received this book from Baker Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. I received no other compensation for this post.

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Printcopia Canvas Review & Giveaway

You know what I love right now? Canvas prints! I have been wanting one for a long time, but 1) didn't have any professional or current pictures that I thought we were worthy of turning into a canvas and 2) wasn't sure where to start in the realm of canvas prints!

I was approached by Printcopia to do a review and giveaway of their awesome canvas prints and was sold! We had professional pics taken in November by the amazing Capri Photography by Meg.  Would you believe we've NEVER had professional pictures taken of our family until now?! And can ya'll believe we're ALL looking AND smiling?! Holy smokes I was over the moon for this photo and I couldn't WAIT to turn this picture into a canvas!

(it's not hanging crooked, I just take crooked pictures!)

I received an 11x14 canvas and I love it! The website is super simple to navigate and our canvas arrived in the mail about a week later. You can choose from several different options for the fit/wrap - I went for a mirrored wrap on ours. I also chose the standard thickness .75" and the standard wall hanging. 

I could talk all day about how much I love mine and how I can't wait to fit it into the new wall decor we're planning for our living room, but I'd rather you check out Printcopia and enter to win one of your own RIGHT HERE! 

One winner will win an 11x14 canvas and receive a code to upload the picture of your choice. Giveaway for US Residents only. Must be 18 years or older to participate. 

To enter: Simply visit Printcopia and then leave a comment (with valid email address) telling me what you plan to do with your canvas!

Winner will be chosen on January 24th, 2013. Winner will be contacted via email - please provide a valid email address to be considered.

FTD Disclosure: I received this product free of charge from Printcopia in order to conduct an honest review. I was not compensated in any other manner to review this product. The thoughts and opinions in this post are my own and may differ from other users of this product. Photos and images in this post are owned by me or provided by Printcopia.

New Year's Day Activity: Blessings Box

One of our New Year's Resolutions for 2013 is to be more mindful of our blessings. Our lives are full of so many wonderful things we tend to take for granted, and,I thought a Blessings Box would be the perfect way to incorporate gratitude into our daily routine. I've seen blessing jars around Pinterest and magazines, but when I saw Melissa & Doug's Decorate Your Own Jewelry Box, I knew it was the perfect box for counting our blessings.

My daughter received the box as a Christmas gift and set to work decorating it the day after Christmas. 

I talked to her about what we'd be doing with the box and she told me her bear, Beary was a blessing. I mentioned our family as a blessing, then she wrote both things on two separate slips of paper, folded them up and stuck them in the box. 

Our plan is to keep the box, slips of paper and a marker next to my daughter's bed. Each night before bed we'll talk about our blessings as we talk about our day, choose one to write down and place it in the box. 

At the end of 2013, we'll dump out our box and look back at how we've been blessed throughout the year. Such a simple way to practice gratitude each day of the year.

For more fun ideas and activities using Melissa & Doug products, check out the Melissa & Doug blog.


FTC Disclosure: This post and activity is sponsored by Melissa & Doug. All personal opinions and/or views regarding Melissa & Doug are my own and may differ from other users of Melissa & Doug products. I received compensation for this post. 

Comfort & Harmony Mombo Nursing Pillow Review

I'm so excited to share some information about this amazing nursing pillow from Bright Starts. I received the Comfort & Harmony Mombo Nursing Pillow and Infant Positioner in Pinehurst when Sprout was a teeny tiny baby and have loved the versatility of this pillow. 

I used in place of our other nursing pillow once I received it and immediately fell in love with the fact that it has 2 sides. 

• Soft Side: For Lounging 
• The fabric is SUPER soft and baby fits perfectly snuggled onto the Mombo.
• Firm Side: For Feeding
• The soft side lays on top of your legs while the firm side offers back support and allows you to rest your arms on top while nursing your baby.

It also seemed to fit around my waist a bit better than other nursing pillows. 

The other feature not present in any other nursing pillow is the vibrating disc inside the pillow. It's activated by a button and gently vibrates baby when he's lounging! I loved this option, however, Sprout did not! He wasn't a fan of any type of vibrating chair, though, so I do not fault the pillow! Sweet P, however, loved it and used it as a vibrating pillow! She was fascinated by it! 

As Sprout grew, we began using the Mombo for tummy time. It allowed Sprout to look up and out, which helped him enjoy tummy time a bit more than he did when he wasn't on the Mombo. He also loved feeling the fabric, which I'll say again is SO soft!

The pillow was also great once Sprout learned to sit-up. Sitting him up inside the hole while he played helped him develop the muscles necessary to prevent him from falling backward. 

And perhaps the Farmer's favorite use was as a neck pillow! He loves that thing and loves to lay on it when we play in the living room. 

• Purchase one of your own! Comfort & Harmony Mombo Deluxe Nursing Pillows are sold exclusively at ToysRUs. The pillows range from $39.99-$49.99 and covers are sold for $12.99-$25.99.

FTC Disclosure: I received this product free of charge from Bright Starts in order to conduct an honest review. I was not compensated in any other manner to review this product. The thoughts and opinions in this post are my own and may differ from other users of this product. I am not liable for any issues that may occur from use of this nursing pillow. Photos and images in this post are owned by me or provided by Bright Starts. 

{Fresh Produce} Clothing Review

Fresh Produce is a mom-owned and run company that offers comfortable, easy-to-wear clothing and decorative scarves. The vibrant colors of the clothing are inspired by the coast, and the special dye process creates trademark colors unique to the garment. This means each item of clothing is one of a kind! One of my favorite things about the company is that the majority of the products are made in the U.S.A.

I received the Standing Ovation Cardigan in truffle and was a bit nervous about the length when I opened the package and held it up. But let me just say that I love the length! I can wrap myself up in the cardigan when it's chilly (almost like a blanket!) and tuck the sides in so it resembles a wrap around shirt. It's also large enough to wrap around both Baby Blue and me on cooler mornings when I have him in the baby carrier!

The cardigan is 100% linen jersey and super duper soft. Because it's been so hot I was worried I wouldn't get much use out of it, but it's so light weight that it's perfect for chilly mornings and evenings. It's also easy to pack in the diaper bag in case it's cool in a store or restaurant. I think I'll also take it along when we go to the pool to use as a cover-up after we swim.

The drape of the fabric makes is casual enough for jeans, but dressy enough for a dress or skirt. The solid color also looks great paired with a solid or patterned shirt underneath. I haven't tried it yet, but I also think belting the cardigan would create a completely different look!

Although the price range of Fresh Produce clothing is a bit higher than I usually spend on clothing for myself, the items are made of quality material and (I'll mention again) made in the U.S.A. The Standing Ovation Cardigan is priced at $74 US dollars and is versatile enough to be worn most, if not every day of the week! I love the tagline on the tag of the cardigan as well. One side read: "live life. enjoy color." And the other side says "smile, it's contagious."

Be sure to check the sizing chart before ordering. I ordered a M/L in the cardigan because I thought I'd need a bigger size since I'm tall, however, I think the S/M would have fit a bit closer to the body.

Fresh Produce carries items perfect for everyday, vacation clothing and resort wear. The women's cardigans are great for layering for any time of year, but I also love their line of dresses! The products are sold in many beach locations, but the company also ships within the U.S. and to 200 other countries.

***FTC Disclosure: I received this product free of charge from Fresh Produce Clothing in order to conduct an honest review. I was not compensated in any other manner to review this product. The thoughts and opinions in this post are my own and may differ from other users of this product. Photos and images in this post are owned by me or provided by Fresh Produce Clothing.

InGenuity™ SleepEasy™ Playard Review and Giveway! (ends 1/22)

To celebrate 300 likes on my Facebook page, I'm hosting a pretty awesome giveaway!

I received this rockin' InGenuity™ Sleep Easy™ Playard to review when Baby Brother was about 3 weeks old. It's set up in our living room and a great place to lay Baby Brother while I tend to Sweet P. It also has a changing table attachment, which we LOVE, but I may be getting ahead of myself here!

Bright Starts carries a variety of infant and toddler toys, playmats, bouncers/swings and playards. I was delighted to do this review/giveaway because I've loved other products by Bright Starts. We didn't have a playard with Sweet P (we just borrowed from friends or used the one at my mom's house when we visited) and now I REALLY wish we had! Having a safe place for your little one to sleep or play while you cook, clean or take a deep breath is so important. It's also a great way to keep your 2nd baby from getting trampled by your first!

InGenuity™ Sleep Easy™ Playard product description and features:

The patented SleepEasy™ incline feature sets this playard apart!  The adjustable bassinet offers 2 sleep positions:  Flat or slightly inclined allowing mom to choose the position that works best for baby.  For added comfort and entertainment, the playard includes a soothing sound station™ and a fabric toy bar with 2 plush toys.  


There's plenty of storage for baby's necessities with Store Right Solutions™.  The Just Right Height™ elevated changing table easily pivots away to provide easy access to baby and a comfortable changing experience.  Quick fold and go with the One Less Step™ feature makes this playard highly portable and easy to take along.

• SleepEasy™ incline with 2 sleep positions:  Flat or slightly inclined
• Store Right Solutions™:  Removable organizer tray and lower zip storage area for baby's necessities
• One Less Step™ for quick fold and go without removing the bassinet
• Soothing Sounds Station™ that includes 5 melodies and 3 nature sounds
• Just Right Height™ elevated changing table easily pivots out of the way
• Fabric toy bar with 2 plush toys
• Travel bag included

I would recommend this playard to a friend over and over. The fact that the bassinet folds down with the rest of the playard makes travel simple. We took the playard with us over Christmas and it was simple to assemble and disassemble. You do have to pull up a bit on the sides before pushing in the buttons, but once you figure that out it's relatively easy. The bedding portion and bassinet pieces all fit into the travel bag for reduced baggage when traveling. I do wish the changing table could also fold down to fit in the travel bag.

The adjustable bassinet has also been awesome for Baby Brother because he's had major congestion since he came home from the hospital. The slight elevation helps keep him from getting too congested while he naps. Zipping and unzipping the bassinet to elevate the top is a cinch! I also love that the zippers are hidden and not a hazard for baby.

We didn't have a changing table with Sweet P either so that has been a great addition to our baby gear. The height is great on my back and the organizer tray holds plenty of diapers, our wipes and burp cloths. The changing table easily swings out while baby is in the playard.

The storage and easy access zipper is probably my favorite part of the playard. We have extra diapers, burp clothes, wipes, blankets and our playmat stored underneath the bassinet portion. I'm really going to miss that feature when we remove the bassinet!

The Soothing Sounds Station was a huge surprise for me. Most baby gear has music that sounds like a midi file and gets annoying after 5 minutes. I could listen to the Soothing Sounds Station melodies while I sleep! The nature sounds are also very calming.

Baby Brother loves to watch the two stuffed animals on the toy bar and I like that the bar can be moved around. The neutral colors are great and the playard doesn't stick out like a sore thumb in our living room (okay, it does, but not in a primary colors kinda way!) The playard is sturdy and would definitely work for subsequent children! We'll definitely be using this for years to come both in the home and while traveling. The playard is available at several retailers, including Babies R Us.

So how can you get one?!

Buy one! To find a retailer near you, click here. Bright Starts is offering a printable coupon for $10 off any InGenuity product! Coupon may be used at Wal-Mart, Target, Buy Buy Baby or Babies R Us.
OR
Win it! Bright Starts has offered to give away ONE InGenuity™ Sleep Easy™ Playard to ONE of my readers! Retails for $139.99!

Here's how to enter:
Please use a valid email address for each entry.
Mandatory Entry: Visit the Bright Starts website to check out the InGenuity products and leave a comment here about your favorite.

Additional Entries: You are eligible for additional entries once you've completed the mandatory entry (please do this as your first comment).

• Like The Iowa Farmer's Wife on Facebook (1 entry)
• Post a link on Facebook about this giveaway (link to The Iowa Farmer's Wife FB page) (1 entry per day)
• Like Bright Starts on Facebook (1 entry) 
• Follow The Iowa Farmer's Wife on Twitter AND tweet this giveaway. Please use @TheIowaFarmWife when tweeting (1 entry)
• Tweet this giveaway daily for an extra entry each day. Please use @TheIowaFarmWife when tweeting (1 entry per day)
• Follow The Iowa Farmer's Wife via Google Friend Connect on the sidebar (1 entry)
• Subscribe to the The Iowa Farmer's Wife via email (1 entry)
• Blog about this giveaway and leave URL (2 entries)

Giveaway ends January 22nd at 10pm (CST). Winner will be chosen via Random.org and announced in a separate blog post. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.  Open to US and Canada residents only. Must be at least 18 years old to win.

FTC Disclosure: I received this product free of charge from Bright Starts in order to conduct an honest review. I was not compensated in any other manner to review this product. The thoughts and opinions in this post are my own and may differ from other users of this product. I am not liable for any issues that may occur from use of this playard. Photos and images in this post are owned by me or provided by Bright Starts.

Book Recommendations

I haven't done a book recommendation in awhile, so here we go.

I am a certifiable bookworm. Now I know some people might classify themselves as a bookworm, but I am the type who can.not.put.the.book.down. I'm serious. I can't tell you how many times I've been reading a book and tell myself "just 5 more minutes." And 20 minutes later, "just 5 more minutes." And another 20 minutes...you get the picture. I've been known to stay up until 3 am (yes 3 AM!!!!!) to finish a book I couldn't possibly put down. I KNOW it'll still be there in the morning, but it's so dang hard for me. Because I LOVE a good book. So there ya have it. Bookworm. I admit it. That said, I've read well over 25 books this year. I can't remember them all (and truthfully some aren't worth remembering), but here are my most recent favorites.

The Art of Racing in the Rain: Garth Stein

Told from the perspective of Enzo, the dog. SUCH a good book. Grab some tissues.

The Alchemist: Paulo Coelho

Super quick read, about following your dreams.

Goose Girl: Shannon Hale

So so so good. Adapted from the Grimm's fairy tale.

The Maze Runner Trilogy: James Dashner

A bit Hunger Games-ish, but not nearly as good. Also includes the Scorch Trials. The 3rd book isn't out yet so don't start it if you are impatient.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: Jonathan Safran Foer

About a boy who lost his dad in 9/11. Really good, being made into a movie.

Peace Like a River: Leif Enger

Really good, but reeeeeealllllly sad. Get some tissues for this one.

The Duke & I: Juila Quinn

8 books: The entire Bridgerton series (ok, I've only read 3 of them, but more are coming!) is a pretty good read. The books feature 1 of 8 siblings from London in the early 1800's trying to find love, get married, etc. It's a bit risque at times, but reminds me of Pride and Prejudice. The Duke & I is the first book in the series (and my favorite so far). I've also read The Viscount Who Loved Me and An Offer from a Gentleman.

Lineage of Grace Series: Francine Rivers

I've only read 3 of these (but have the other 2 in my possession) and they are fabulous reads. I think I've talked about 1 or 2 before in another book recommendation post. They follow the stories in the Bible very closely (because I always go back to read the Bible version after I finish to check the accuracy!) and are VERY quick reads. Most of them are around 120 pages.

Ok, that's it for now. There are several so-so books and others not worth mentioning. That's my other problem. Once I get too far in, I can't give a book up. The Farmer always says, "You don't HAVE to finish it." Mmmm, yes. Yes, I do. It just takes longer and I don't waste sleep on it. The books I mentioned above...I've definitely lost sleep reading. So get to reading!

Author Recommendation: Francine Rivers

Have you heard of Francine Rivers? If you haven't, I'm so glad you're reading this! She's a pretty amazing author who has written some pretty awesome books. I've only read two of them, but I can't wait to get my hands on 4 others I've heard about. So what do I think you should read?

Redeeming Love: Loosely based on the book Hosea in the Old Testament, this book was hard for me to put down. I read it last Christmas and if I remember correctly I got yelled at a few times for having my nose in a book instead of visiting with family. It's an amazing story about unconditional love, faithfulness and forgiveness. Set in 1850 in California.

Unveiled: 1 novella of 5 about women of the bible. Unveiled tells the story of Tamar, and the obstacles, betrayal and abuse she faced. There are 4 other novellas in this series: Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary. Francine follows the bible, adding bits and pieces here and there of what may have transpired in conversation and thought. Like I said, I can't wait to get my hands on the other 4! This is a super easy read, only about 110 pages. And it comes with a bible study and questions about the biblical story of Judah and Tamar.

If you like Christian fiction, check out these books. If you've never read Christian fiction, check out these books. If you want to learn more about the bible, check out these books. In short, check out these books.

Shameless Plug

Flash cards by Rosita Designs

Let's just call this post what it is. A chance to brag about Auntie Rosita. As I'm sure you know by now, Auntie Rosita has her own design business...Rosita Designs. She makes all sorts of awesome stuff like Christmas cards (what?! you haven't started thinking of yours!?), wedding invitations (and all that comes with it), birthday invitations, party invites and all sorts of other paper goods. BUT! she doesn't stop there. She also makes super cute canvases of animals or words or whatever you want!, name frames, fun hair clips and pins, necklaces and flash cards. And if you're wondering who made my super cute banner and button? Yep, Auntie Rosita. Really, the girl's talents are endless.

So how can you get your (insert desired item from list above)? It's easy really. Just click on her website here: Rosita Designs and shoot her an email about what you're looking for. And as always, I'm not just saying she's awesome cuz she's my sister. She really is awesome.

Baby Alive

We don't buy Sweet P a lot of toys. Most of what she has, she received as a gift from one set of grandparents or the other. And though she may not have a lot of toys, trust me. The kid is never bored. She doesn't even play with most of her stuff, she looks for things like a measuring spoon or a sippy cup and walks around with those in her hand all day.

So. After saying we don't buy her a lot of toys. I've come to tell you that I bought her her first hard body baby doll this week. It's a "Better Now Baby" Baby Alive doll (I picked it because it had a hard body and was on sale) and she loves! it. I tried to let her pick which doll, but the one she wanted had moving arms and legs and made scary noises...and kept making the noises long after we'd moved down the aisle. No, thank you. Not bringing that into my house. The last thing I need is to hear some creep-o doll talk in the middle of the night. Nope.

She knew exactly what to do with the baby, too. Sponges, I tell you, these kids are sponges! She picked her up and rocked her, hugged her, carried around the room, kisses her if prompted and gives her water from the doll's sippy cup. I'm excited for this doll to play a role when we have another baby (this is NOT an announcement). It has a diaper and wets if you give it water (which we don't). She also came with a thermometer, stethoscope, blanket, band-aids (which we also don't use!) and a medicine spoon.

Try as I might, I was unable to snap a good photo of her with the baby, but here are the ones I got. Oh, and she's definitely a fan of the doll's ponytail on top of it's head. It's in her mouth constantly. Shocker.

At least the doll's in focus

Our Cloth Diaper Adventure

Yep. We have started our cloth diaper adventure.

I wanted to cloth diaper Sweet P when she was born, but I quickly realized that with the washing machine we had...it wasn't gonna happen. Instead, I dreamed about the days of getting a new washing machine and eventually trying out cloth diapers. You would think that during that time I'd be doing some research and figuring out what diaper I would choose once that miraculous day came (apparently, I didn't really do any). Don't get me wrong, I looked at cloth diapers online and in person and even had a salesperson give me the entire lowdown on which ones to use and what works best (if you think that stayed in my brain you are sadly mistaken).

Well, on May 4th my dream came true when a brand new front load washer was installed in my basement. Right next to it's twin, our new dryer. If they weren't made of metal I might hug them. I was in love, smitten, on cloud 9. But enough of that, back to the diapers.

On Tuesday while strolling around Valley Junction with Nana Nancy and Auntie K, we walked passed Little Padded Seats. I'd been thinking about my cloth diaper adventure, but hadn't really thought about when I was going to start. We walked a few more steps when I said, "I want to go in here."

Little Padded Seats is just about the neatest little diaper shop there is. They have everything you could possibly need for cloth diapering. Lauri and her husband Tommy own the store and offer classes to help you get started with cloth. (I will be signing up for those classes because I'm a bit lost). When we walked into the store I decided I was going to buy some supplies and get started. What a great birthday present for Sweet P!

Lauri was so helpful because even though I've looked at tons of sites and stuff about cloth diapers, I am utterly clueless! I bought 2 Thirsties covers and 2 hemp Thirsties inserts since I have prefolds at home from when I thought I was going to cloth diaper. Lauri mentioned that the prefolds I have may not be thick enough (and after a few goes I think she's right).

On Wednesday, I put Sweet P in a cloth diaper for the first time! I have to be honest I was really scared she was gonna poop. She didn't and I successfully changed 2 wet cloth diapers.

Today was a different story. She spent most of the day with the Farmer while Auntie K and I ran errands and when we got home I changed her diaper and put on a cloth diaper. I had a feeling poop was on it's way and when we went to change her into her pajamas...I learned I was right. YIKES! This is definitely going to take some getting used to. Honestly, it's a little inconvenient and it's going to take work. But I want to make it work. And Auntie Rosita doesn't think it's going to...so now I REALLY want it to work.

Our adventure has begun and while I'm not going to post a video of me putting on a cloth diaper (it took me about 10 minutes today, Sweet P was highly annoyed), I will keep you posted on our progress. So far, I really like the Thirsties cover and will try out the inserts tomorrow since they've been washed a few times.

Maybe I can talk a few of you into cloth diapering, too! And hopefully, pretty soon I'll be saying if I can do it, anyone can do it!

Pictures of the cute covers to come later...

Going Green Tip of the Day: Ditch the Paper Towels

Going Green Tip of the Day: Ditch the Paper Towels

Oooh, this is a hard one. We use paper towels...A LOT. We use them as napkins, to clean up spills, to dry our hands, to clean up Sweet P and to make Sweet P's wipes. But I do have a solution. And I'm slowly moving toward doing this and getting rid of paper towels except for what we use for wipes.

My friend Sarah told me about these Eco Friendly Cleaning Cloths. And they didn't disappoint. You can buy them online from the company or Amazon, but the best place to get them is at Costco. You can pick up a pack of 10 for around $8. Definitely beats the online prices, but if you don't have a Costco...I still think they're worth it. They are made without chemicals and made out of 99% recycled materials. I like them because they are soft and thick so they clean up spills and Sweet P's face really well! You can machine wash them with towels or other rags, but I do not recommend drying them. Keeping them out of the dryer keeps them soft. They even work great as a napkin.

So go pick some up and lay off the paper towels why don'tcha?

Read All About It

Looking for a good book? I have a few for you.

In case I've never mentioned it, I love to read. Love, love, love it. I consider myself a bonafide bookworm. Not much can compete with curling up on a rainy day with a good book. Of course, these days my book reading is limited to bed time or while Sweet P is napping. But! I still make it work because I love books! Okay, enough of that. Here are a few books you should be reading:

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The emotions this book invokes are plentiful. I laughed, I cried, I seethed...it was so, so, so good.

Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent

I'm in the middle of this one right now, but it is full of wisdom, faith and grace. And it's a true story (I love those).

In the Presence of My Enemies by Gracia Burnham with Dean Merrill

Pretty sure I cried through this entire book. It's about a couple who are missionaries that get kidnapped in the Phillipines. They are kidnapped for over a year, this is Gracia's recount of the experience. Her faith and reliance on God is absolutely amazing. Whew, definitely a tear jerker.

Just wanted to share those with you. If you don't have time to read, make time! And if you have any recommendations for me...do share!

Product Review: Babyganics

A few weeks ago I ventured into BabiesRUs. They were having a pretty big sale (unfortunately, it was pretty picked over) and I found Babyganics for BOGO free. I don't know about you, but I am a sucker for BOGO free deals. Not BOGO 50%, not Buy 2 get one free, but BOGO free (you don't see it much any more). I'd never tried Babyganics products before and was looking for a wipe to clean up Sweet P's spot at the counter. I wasn't disappointed.

Babyganics were made by 2 dads who were pretty much germophobes. I bought The Grime Fighter wipes (which is where the Babyganics link will take you). Here is the list of ingredients per their website: Plant Based Cleaning Agents (Coconut, Palm Kernel, Corn and Sugar based surfactants), Soy Ester (Soy based), Filtered Water, Water Conditioning Agent, Preservative (less than 0.05%)

Those are ingredients I can pronounce! The wipes work great on counter tops (kitchen or bathroom), table tops, high chairs, cribs and more. They did a good job cleaning up the food that turns to cement when it hardens (like bananas) and made me feel like the table top was really getting cleaned...without harsh chemicals. While these are fragrance free, the only negative I have is the smell. I'm not particularly fond of it, but I'd trade a not so great smell for chemicals any day!

Bonus Recipe/Product Review

Okay, so here is the bonus recipe you've been waiting for.

On Sunday, The Farmer and I made our own mozzarella cheese! It wasn't without help, of course. We ordered Ricki's Cheesemaking Kit and bought a gallon of whole milk (as local as you can get). I kept telling everyone we were making Buffalo Mozzarella and The Farmer kept correcting me. So I suppose it is Cow Mozzarella.

What we made:

Mozzarella cheese

Roasted Red Pepper, Tomato and Mozzarella Pizza

Roasted Red Peppers

What you need:

That's what you'll need for the mozzarella. Because I don't know how to make it without this kit, I can't offer much in regards to what I would do differently (although I would have added more cheese salt). I also can't take much credit for making it because The Farmer did most of it. I only helped at the end (and took pictures). So here are a few pics of the process.

Pouring the milk into a large pot

After the milk had hardened

Squeezing out excess moisture

The Results: It took a bit longer than the box said, but it was probably because we weren't sure what we were doing at first. I can't believe how simple it was. I think this will definitely become a staple around our kitchen. Not only did we put it on the pizza, but The Farmer made a quesadilla yesterday for lunch and we had baked pasta with mozzarella for dinner last night. Yum. If you're interested in making your own mozzarella, order a kit (you won't be sorry)! You can make mozzarella (or ricotta) up to 30 times with it!

The Grade: A-. Like I said, it needed more cheese salt and isn't super tasty on it's own. But on pizza, in pasta and as bocconcini it's delish!

Bocconcini: Mozzarella balls with parsley, olive oil, garlic & red pepper flakes

The Recipe:

Roasted Red Pepper, Tomato and Mozzarella Pizza

We came up with the topping and sauce ourselves. The crust recipe is a modified one from one we usually make because I used my KitchenAid mixer (and I usually do it by hand).

The Crust

What you need:

3 c flour (I used whole wheat, you can half and half it too)

1 c warm water

1 tsp active yeast

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp olive oil

Dissolve yeast in water in mixer bowl. Add salt, olive oil and 2 c flour. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer. Mix on 2. Add the rest of your flour gradually and mix for about 5 minutes (ball will resemble a ball and cling to hook). Detach the bowl, drizzle olive oil around the edges, cover and let rise in a warm place (free from draft) for an hour. Dough should double in size. Punch dough down and press across your pan. We use a cookie sheet (not sure why we don't own a pizza pan with as much pizza as we eat around here) and fill it with the dough.

Roasted Red Peppers

Preheat broiler to 450˚. Place 2-3 red peppers on a cookie sheet and place in oven for 30 minutes. Turn halfway through. Remove peppers and place in a bowl, cover with a towel for 5 minutes (this allows the steam to detach the skin from the peppers). Place peppers in an ice bath. Doing this lets you not only handle the peppers right away, but allows the skin to peel off easily.

Sauce

Mix olive oil, red pepper flakes, oregano and garlic salt in a small bowl. Pour onto pressed out crust and spread until crust is covered.

The Pizza!

Cut peppers into strips. Arrange peppers, mozzarella cheese and tomatoes (diced from a can, drained) on top of crust. Bake for 15 minutes at 350˚.

The Result: This pizza reminded me of foccacia bread so naturally I loved it! It could have used more sauce so we dipped it in marinara sauce. I think next time I'd add marinara or homemade tomato sauce to the pizza.

The Grade: A- because it needed more sauce (but I love condiments so maybe I go overboard on sauce). Definitely worth trying (especially the crust).

I love when we make something that is generally only available in stores because it makes me feel like we could live on what we grow on the farm (if we had a dairy cow I suppose). I can't wait to do the Recipe Challenge again this summer and talk all about the canning and jarring process (that will definitely be a journey/challenge!). Hope you enjoyed the Recipe Challenge, now go start one of your own! Check back often for new vegetarian recipes.