The Many Uses of Baking Soda

I have been cleaning with natural products for quite some time now. Baking soda is one of my favorite products for natural cleaning because it is cheap and it works great! I love baking soda for cleaning, but is is also a great bath and body product! I have a large box sitting in my bathroom, and I have been using it a lot. Before you get completely weirded out, just keep reading! It really works.  Baking soda as a face wash: I have been using baking soda, a little water, and some coconut oil to wash my face. The coconut oil removes makeup, and the baking soda is an excellent cleanser for the skin. You really do not have to use baking...

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Gluten Free Bagels and Freezer Meals

You want to eat these! I went to Wal-Mart in a different town today and found GLUTEN-FREE BAGELS! I have been craving bagels since.. um.. always, so this was wonderful news for me. I actually had a regular bagel a few weeks ago and it was NOT worth it. Every now and then I get this genius idea that maybe I can start eating gluten again and I will be fine, it never goes well for me. Anyway, this Wal-Mart didn't have a dry gluten free section (I was looking for granola bars) but oddly enough, they had a small section of gluten free foods in the freezer aisle. Neither Branson Wal-Mart has anything like this, in fact I have never seen one in any...

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Make Your Own Laundry Detergent - Part 2!

Back in 2010, Meagan wrote this post about making your own laundry soap. It was fairly popular, and we have sent several people to the post to check out how we make our laundry detergent. I made the liquid version once and I liked it but didn't love it. Meagan uses the powder version, and she swears by it. While I liked the liquid version, I wasn't completely comfortable having a large bucket of laundry soap on my laundry room floor. I used a lid, but it still didn't feel completely safe. I usually stock up on detergent during sales, but I had recently ran out and decided to make my own again. I found another variation on the homemade laundry...

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VIDEO - Thirty-One Gifts Summer 2013 Add-on Kit

Large Utility Tote - One of my favorites and shown in the video! I know this is something a little different! I just added this to our YouTube Channel. I have been a 31 Consultant for a couple of months now. I really enjoy it, and wanted a way to show customers and others some of the products. Check out my 31 site here to take a look at some of the items that I show in the video! ...

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VIDEO - My Favorite Cloth Diapers

This video is about my favorite diapers, and what I use right now. I have done a few blog posts about diapers that I like, but this is my first video. I tend to ramble a lot. Sorry :) My favorite diapers are AI2s and Hybrid Fitted diapers from Bumstoppers (right) and BumGenius Elementals. Feel free to comment with any questions!     ...

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Gluten Free Beef Stew

Don't mind the cell phone picture. :) This is another Crock-Pot recipe that I make pretty often. It tastes good, requires minimal effort, and everyone loves it. I am a decent cook, at best, so minimal effort is important to me. :) It is really simple to make a gluten free beef stew. Simply skip the breading of the meat entirely, or use tapioca starch (or cornstarch) instead. When I use frozen stew meat, I don't thaw it or "bread" it at all. I just throw it in the crock pot as is. Today I did (using tapioca starch) because I had stew meat that wasn't frozen. Ingredients: Beef stew meat (I used just over a pound, I usually make more) Potatoes,...

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VIDEO - Cloth Diapering a Newborn, Is it worth it?

This is a "quick" video that I did about cloth diapering a newborn. I share my experience as well as some of my favorite diapers and what I plan to use this time. I was told that I haven't been doing enough cloth diapering posts lately, so I will change that! Thanks and feel free to post here if you have any questions! In case you are wondering, no, my house is not always so quiet! I had to wait until Miki was napping, Kainan was playing Sesame Street on the Kinect and the dog was trying to get in my room. :) ...

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Gluten Free Bread Recipe

 --Edit 4/19-- I made this again with three slight changes. I used 2 whole eggs instead of 3 egg whites. It seems less wasteful and the results were even better. I also used apple cider vinegar instead of regular white. I accidentally used a lot more than was recommended, but it was still delicious. I greased the pan with olive oil spray, and the bread came out a lot easier.-- I found this recipe and it seemed to have some good reviews. I followed the recipe almost exactly. I tried to use my mixer, but it kind of sucks. I really need a Kitchenaid stand mixer. It is on my list of things to buy. Despite the crappy mixer, I made it work....

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Gluten Free Chicken and Rice Soup

This is one of our favorite meals. Everyone in my family likes it a lot. I have been making this for quite a while and sometimes I do slight variations but I make this soup almost once a week! It makes enough for leftovers (unless you have a large family) and it is fairly healthy and inexpensive. If you can't have chicken noodle soup, this is a really great alternative. I am not a huge fan of most gluten free noodles, so I prefer the rice. Here is what you need: About 2 lbs of chicken. I typically use boneless chicken breasts but you can use whatever you have one hand. 1 1/2 - 2 boxes of chicken broth. I use store brand organic, but you...

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Going Gluten Free - How To Get Started (Part 1)

I have had quite a few people ask me how to get started eating gluten free. I am going to be honest, it isn't easy! There are so many things that have gluten in them, and many that you don't realize until you start reading labels! It does get easier though, a lot easier! And it is completely worth it. The first thing that you need to determine is whether you are losing the wheat just to be healthy/lose weight or if you have an actual problem with wheat. There are some who say that wheat has an adverse effect on everyone, I don't know if that is true, all that I know is that it has an adverse effect on ME. If you have Celiac disease or a gluten...

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Gluten free tips for kids and adults!

I am currently working on a series about going gluten free. I have been gluten free for a little over a year now, and I feel great! My iron levels are normal for the first time EVER. I am pregnant, so that is saying a lot. I had incredibly low iron with my other two pregnancies. If you have Celiac disease or gluten intolerance, eating gluten can cause you to not absorb nutrients, like iron. I won't get scientific, but there are lots of other sites with more specific info on the science of it. I am not here to talk about the evils of wheat, but I will give you some tips and tricks that have worked for me! My son seems to do better without wheat...

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Gluten Free Chicken & Dumplings

Chicken and Dumplings are a staple in the south. I live in Southern Missouri, so while not truly the "south" we do have lots of southern food here! Chicken and Dumplings were always one of my favorite foods and after going gluten free I was sad to give them up! Well after a little trial and error I have come up with a solution! I found the original recipe here and changed it a little to fit my needs. It is DELICIOUS!! My entire family likes it, even my four year old who typically doesn't eat "bread-y" things. Just a little note, this is not a healthy recipe! It is totally gluten free, but I certainly wouldn't call it health food. :) Here is...

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