gluten free questions

I was asked how I got started with getting rid of the gluten in my life...

I am still learning a lot!! First, fresh fruits and veggies are great!! I know they are safe and I eat lots and lots!! Thank goodness its summer and I have many options!

Plan on a longer grocery shopping day. I read lots of labels now which is great to raise your awareness of what you're putting into your body!! Visit a natural food store. Yes, its more expensive but if you do this with someone else you can share and split the cost!

The grocery store I use has a growing section of GF foods that are pretty good. My sister made me a GF chocolate cake for my birthday and it was fabulous!! No funny aftertaste just pure yummoness!! It was just a betty crocker mix!! Check this out ... http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/gluten-free-baking-mixes

Part of the energy I think, comes from just eating better and healthier. Food from the ground, not with all the additives! The biggest things that I have been told to avoid is WHEY, MALT, WHEAT.

Mexican food is something I get often when going out, corn shells are safe! I love as a snack blue corn chips and GF guacamole! MMM!!!  When we go out to eat, I use my phone! Say were headed to Wendys. I type in Gluten Free menu and Wendys, and a list pops up. The chili is gf and baked potatoes! (theres more but I love those two) and you just don't add the crackers to the soup like I did the first time!! Its a learning process!!

So theres some of the things that can help you get started!!! Let me know if you have more questions that I can maybe help with!  For the anxiety/antidepression medication people, this may not make a big change but even a little more energy is huge for me!! I hope it helps with you too!!

Gluten free is ME

So, this is my new thing! I have been thinking about going gluten free for about 6 months and finally took the plunge. To be completely honest I was sick of having to know where the bathrooms were everywhere I went...for me, not for my kids! I used to work in a hair salon and there was this sweet old lady who had the walking farts something fierce and we would all quietly laugh....that was turning into me and Im only 30!!!! My dad decided to try it, I have a few cousins, and an aunt that all really notice a difference. I have been doing it for almost two weeks and can totally notice a difference. The biggest difference for me is the energy, that alone has been worth it! I feel so motivated! I just thought taking zoloft for my anxiety/depression was just going to make me sleepy all the time but the past few weeks have been great!!! I am so thankful. Things have been better in the potty room too! Yes, this is all a lot of TMI but this has been so great and so good for me to be reading labels and what I am putting into my body! I will let you know how it continues to go for me!

My Nephew is here!!

Preston Kendall has arrived!! 6 weeks early but doing so good and his mommy is too!! Hes going to have to be in the NICU for a bit until he figures things out on his own a little more but other than that hes in so healthy! Praise God!!!! Here are a few pictures of the new little man. He is just so precious and cute and soft and makes the sweetest little faces, and wiggly, and I could go on and on. I am a very proud auntie!!

 Preston Kendall, 5pds 10oz. 18inches

A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for.

Author Unknown

Love you buddy! Cant wait to watch you grow!!!

Vintage Dick and Jane Baby Shower!

This Sunday we got to celebrate my sister who is due to have a little guy soon!! I had it in my head to do a vintage dick and jane/ABC shower. Thankfully my mother in law saves absolutely everything and finding old things was easy. Here are a few pics of the get together.

Alphabet Sugar Cookies

The Goodies

Sisters! Love them!!

Outfits that my Grandpa wore when he was a baby! Precious Treasures!!

Yummy Yummy Yummy Cupcakes and Gluten free cake from brown sugar bake shop. They were marble with chocolate ganache in the center. heavenly!!

My two little helpers with their auntie and the baby they call bubba!

Fixed blog!!!

Meet Katie, I adore her! Thanks to her I have my blog back. She fixed it and now I can keep everyone up to date on whatever it is I do! I wont be trying to change anything with templates any time soon, or I will just call Katie if I want to do something to it! This is her little kiddo Grayden and he likes to say "I appeeeeciate you" and its stinking cute! So Katie...."I appeeeeciate you"!!

Old window turned chalkboard!!!

I have been wanting to find and redo some old windows for the house. I love the look and love to refinish things lately! So, I found this big old window at a garage sale for 5.00! I took it home and sanded it with my hubby's sander so it was easy(glass too)! I put a light layer of paint over the frame and re sanded the edges. Next I bought chalkboard paint and sprayed a few layers on. When it was hung up I thought it needed just a little more and asked one of my creative friends what she thought. It just so happened that she had the perfect thing at home that she wasn't using and cost only 1.00. A tiny metal bird and little flowers.I loved it and took it home to paint a little and added it to the chalkboard! I love it! To top it off I found chalkboard markers from Fris Office Supply. It writes so much better and looks fabulous!!



the finished product!

one of the cute little flowers

3.00 garage sale redo...I don't like how I have it decorated yet. Ideas??

I re did two of these and love the new look

spray paint and sand paper are my friends!!

Field Trips and Trees

I think we can officially say that winter is over and we are finally into spring!! Hallelujah!! Trees are full, the woods in our backyard are thick again, and if we had grass it would be green!! Ha ha! Birds are singing their songs and I love to hear them!!!! I love this time of year! May is always busy with school field trips, they gotta pack them in while the weathers nice. Ellies had a few and one I got to go along with was the Outdoor Discovery Center. Its one of our favorite places as a family to visit. This time was great with a tour guide to teach the kids (and mom) so much stuff.

Who has been here before?

Mr. Jamie showing the kids a minty smelling flower.

Looking for a leopard frog.

Looking for creatures.

I took this picture because Ellie is standing next to her buddy Parker here. She is quite a fan of Parker and I get to hear a lot about him. Its so cute!

Our little quiet road has had lots of activity lately. Next year our road will get paved! It will be so great to not have such a dirty van and take bike rides but its super sad to see these very old, large trees go down. I'm not really a tree hugger but still, it looks so bare around here. I am begging Dan to get some pine trees in here to fill it in a little!!

Before removing the big ones.

there it goes (tear, tear)

So bare, and I don't think they are done yet.