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The Big Book of Symptoms: A-Z Guide To Your Child’s Health

Posted by html404 on July 28, 2014
in Books, Children's Health, Health, Health and Wellness, Kids Stuff, Parenting, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

The Big Book of Symptoms: A-Z Guide to Your Child’s Health

Reviewed by B, my 15 year old daughter.

I thought The Big Book of Symptoms: A-Z Guide to Your Child’s Health
was very informative. I liked the fact that it had both natural and traditional preventives and treatments. I wish it hadn’t had so much of the “take your child to the pediatrician if he/she has such and such a symptom.” I completely understand taking them to the doctor for what you think could become/be life threatening i.e. Leukemia, A Brain tumor, TSS and others like these, but I would have liked to have known what to do in the meantime to ease my child’s symptom(s).

I like that it was written by a mom and a pediatrician.

I found this book to be really informative and easy to read. The illustrations were handy and easy to understand (especially to a non-picture reader like me :)) I loved the 3-in-1 First Aid, Choking, and CPR chart you can take out and hang up, I thought that was a nice touch.

About the Authors

Edited by two esteemed members of AAP, Steven P. Shelov, MD, FAAP, and Shelly V. Flais, MD, FAAP, The Big Book of Symptoms is an A-Z directory and ultimate guide to over 100 of the most common childhood symptoms from infancy to adolescence. From bee bites and colic to fever, sleep and skin problems, the new guide is designed to help parents evaluate their child’s symptoms and distinguish minor every day concerns from more serious conditions. It also includes an illustrated first aid manual, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) chart, and age-specific safety and injury prevention tips.

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Week #29 Saturday Top Five Laughs

Posted by html404 on July 26, 2014
in Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Humor, Kids Stuff, Saturday Top Five Laughs, Uncategorized

Quite a few funnies for my Saturday Top Five Laughs list this week. So once again we join Mel over at The Mommyhood Chronicles for week #29 (for us) in our Saturday Top Five Laughs of the week.

5. Our eight year old daughter asked to play with my walking doll – which will be 42 next month on my birthday, got her when I was two! – So dear daughter takes her out of our closet and exclaims, “There’s my other suit!” She had dressed walking doll in her alternate bathing suit and left it on the doll when it got put away!

4. Eavesdropping on children (great way to gather Saturday laughs…hee hee!):
Six year old son playing with eight year old daughter and three year old son, “Get out or you are going to be unfriended!” Too much social media influence or just life as a blogger’s child???

3. Jr. was caught singing a song from my childhood, “Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, I’m going to eat some worms!” I tend to break out singing this song when our children get the “Woe is me” attitude or pout and say, “Nobody loves me!” I have forgotten many of the words to that song, so here’s my refresher:

Nobody likes me, everybody hates me,
I think I’ll go eat worms!
Big fat juicy ones,
Eensie weensy squeensy ones,
See how they wiggle and squirm!

Down goes the first one, down goes the second one,
Oh how they wiggle and squirm!
Up comes the first one, up comes the second one,
Oh how they wiggle and squirm!

I bite off the heads, and suck out the juice,
And throw the skins away!
Nobody knows how fat I grow,
On worms three times a day!

Nobody likes me, everybody hates me,
I think I’ll go eat worms!
Big fat juicy ones,
Eensie weensy squeensy ones,
See how they wiggle and squirm!

This song was originally posted at:
http://bussongs.com/songs/nobody-likes-me-worms.php

Here’s a video, but we didn’t sing it quite this fast!

2. Jr. says, “There’s ants on the table.”
Me: “Kill ’em and eat ’em.” (joking!)
Jr. very distressed facial expression: “Ewww.”
He continued to look worried, I told him I was just teasing and his face relaxed! Poor boy, I had him fooled! (to my amusement!)

1. The two younger boys were going through the clean laundry pile looking for clothes. Then Jr. came to us with one of his sister’s bras on! Silly boy! The girls said he came to them first and actually struck a pose to show them his new garment!

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Non-GMO Artisan Oils

Posted by html404 on July 25, 2014
in Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Organic, Reviews, Uncategorized

We try really hard to eat healthy, and as I always say, we are a work in progress. As organic farmers, I think the difficult part is walking our talk, which means avoiding GMO products as much as humanly possible when there are no labeling laws in the state of Illinois or much of the United States for that matter. Here is an interesting article that includes a map graphic of how many states have labeling, which ones are reviewing it and which ones have done nothing: http://onforb.es/1ls9AUE). Walking the organic talk also means eating organic, which we do but we are not at 100% yet.

We love learning about companies committed to offering us organic, Non-GMO products. That’s why I was interested in working with Emile Noel Non-GMO Artisan Oils.

About Emile Noel

Emile Noel is a family run business, started by Emile Noël in Southern France. Their website states, “The Emile Noël oil mill offers only organic products – farmed without chemical fertilizers, synthetic pesticides or GMOs. In 1972, we were the first oil millers in France to press organically-farmed seeds.”

Emile Noel Non-GMO Artisan Oils offers a variety of organic, virgin-pressed oils including: mild olive, robust olive, sesame, toasted sesame, sunflower oil, sunflower spray, pumpkin seed, hazelnut, walnut, and sweet almond.

Review of Emile Noel Non-GMO Artisan Oils

We were sent a bottle of Sweet Almond oil. I have never used almond oil so at first I was at a loss as to how to use it. Then I decided I would substitute it for the oil we usually cook with.

We made egg muffins and used the Sweet Almond oil to cook the eggs in:

There wasn’t any difference in how the oil cooked the eggs and I don’t think we noticed anything different about the taste of the eggs either.

However, when I made homemade bread we definitely tasted a slightly nutty flavor and I don’t know if it was the oil or perfect weather but the bread turned out great, if I do say so myself! I just made regular bread with unbleached white flour.

For not having used almond oil before, I’d say that it was a good experience and you can expect us to purchase it in the future. I mean what was there not to like about the Sweet Almond oil? Nothing. My only concern would be finding a large enough bottle. I used the whole bottle making these two items. We usually buy most oils in a gallon size. But that isn’t going to be most families dilemma is it?

Visit http://usa.emilenoel.com/oils/seed/ for more information on these tasty non-GMO artisan oils.

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Week #28 Saturday Top Five Laughs

Posted by html404 on July 19, 2014
in Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Humor, Saturday Top Five Laughs, Uncategorized

This week has been challenging on the technological front, as you may have noticed my blog was missing for a few days. Thanks to Hostgator we are back up running. So I decided to back post my Saturday Top Five Laughs since I kept a running list and have almost two weeks worth of material! Again, we join Mel over at The Mommyhood Chronicles for week #28 (for us) in our Saturday Top Five Laughs of the week.

5. The temperature was 70+ degrees and the children were playing in their 24″ tall kiddie pool. Our ten year old came to me saying, “Mommy, I think my feet are frost bitten!” Me, “No they are not.” Then he goes, “Then why are my toes tingling!” It was cold water from the hose….but it was a bit humorous initially.

4. One of our sons came to us one morning saying, “I fell asleep on the floor of my room and woke up on a bed of pillows I had made. I wondered how I got there but fell back to sleep. Then I woke up in the bathroom washing my hands in cold water!” Can you say sleep walker?

3. We finally got our kittens neutered and spayed – thanks to McHenry county for reduced neutering and spayed programs and to our friend for referring us! Anyhoo, Jr. was sad and didn’t understand going to the doctor (most of our vets come to the farm) so he said, “But me like Freckles.” Awww….he didn’t think Freckles was coming back so we had to explain to him that we would pick the kittens up at supper time. It seemed to help Jr. a bit anyways.

2. 14 year old to hubby, ” You have old man legs. My legs are ripe and full of life.” That cracked us both up! 😉

1. The 14 year old also said that her butt glows in the sunlight. Everyone else’s is shriveled and dead. I have no idea where she came up with this stuff!

Until next time…

Feel free to share your funnies of the week with us!

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Beautiful Clematis – Wordless Wednesday

Posted by html404 on July 16, 2014
in Gardening, Home, Seasonal Stuff, Uncategorized

Beautiful Clematis

My photo does not do this Clematis justice but I still wanted to share it! This is a clematis at one of my paper customers. It makes me sad because when I transplanted mine last year from our townhouse to the house we are renting, it took a step backwards and is a puny little thing. 🙁 Sniff. Sniff.

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Retirement

Posted by html404 on July 14, 2014
in Articles, Family Stuff, Home, Uncategorized

This is a featured post.

Used with permission. Copyright: iriana88w / 123RF Stock Photo

My mom retired five years ago. Wow. It seems like yesterday. My dad did not get the chance to retire completely while here on earth but he is fully retired now and has been for over eight years. I do not know if my parents had dreams of what their retirement years would look like. I am sure it would include many car shows though! They loved going to car shows together and old cars was a passion of my dad’s. My dad was just 56 when he died. After my dad died my mom had my sister and her family move in with her for a while so she wouldn’t have to be alone and then gradually they all needed their own space. My mom offered our childhood home to my sister and they found mom a new place to live for a new chapter in her life. My mom’s idea of a retirement home is her little home in the woods away from people but still close enough to town that she can get what she needs. My sister shares the property but has her own little humble abode. I know my mom is not the norm but she is for my small hometown, which only has one golf course and I do not think there are any homes on it like there are on golf courses here in the U.S.

Golf course communities are appealing to many retirees. They opt to live on a golf course during their retirement because of the attractive views, ample time to tee off and watch others play your favorite game. Golf is a game of leisure, right?

Pool and community activities are another feature retirees are drawn towards when living at a golf course retirement community.

Golf course communities are usually 55+ so there are no screaming, meddling children 24 hours, seven days a week, unless they are visiting grandma and grandpa for the day.

My parents are not into golf so you wouldn’t see them at one of these retirement communities but perhaps your parents are gung-ho to live in one, like my aunt and uncle in British Columbia. If that is the case, you can find out more here.

Do you know anyone who lives in a golf course community?

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Week #27 Saturday Top Five Laughs

Posted by html404 on July 12, 2014
in Animals, Family Stuff, Farm Stuff, Fun Stuff, Kids Stuff, Saturday Top Five Laughs, Uncategorized

This week was a “barrel” of laughs from our three year old and our six year old, yet again! So without further adieu, we are joining Mel over at The Mommyhood Chronicles for week #27 (for us) in our Saturday Top Five Laughs of the week.

5. Three year old: ” Me take a bath? Me smell like soap!” He wanted to smell like soap. Gotta get that boy out of the “me” habit.

4. Six year old: “Mommy was I born with big eyes?”
Me: “Yes, you were born with big eyes.”
Six year old: “Yay! I was born with big eyes!”

3. Three year old: ” I want to walk to nanny’s house.” I laughed, my mom laughed and hubby laughed and all said that’s a loooonnnnngg way to walk…..1600 miles or thereabouts!

2. Three year old: “Mommy put in a pony tail!” His bangs were too long, but hubby cut them after this photo was taken.

1. And Saturday top laughs wouldn’t be the same without a pet story. We are pet sitting and there are several different animals, but the funny is the outside dogs are fed in the mud room and allowed in the house, unless they are dirty. Well, last night we did not think to close the door from the mud room to the main area of the house but neither did we know how hard it was going to be to get them out when it was time to leave! Both dogs hid in the living room at first and just barked at us, then we coaxed the male out with dog treats but the female hid in the bedroom and wouldn’t come out. Treats were not a motivator. Finally, B just took her by her collar and walked her out. Novel idea, use the collar!

How was your week? Did you remember to laugh and enjoy your children’s antics? Or pets for that matter? Do tell!

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Milo’s Kitchen® Treat Truck Visits Chicago Plus Giveaway

Posted by html404 on July 11, 2014
in Animals, Pet Food, Pet Health, Pet Products, Pet Treats, Things to Do in Chicago, Uncategorized

“The Milo’s Kitchen® dog treats, gift cards, and information have been provided by Milo’s Kitchen®.”

You all have met Padfoot, our Newfie/Golden Retriever mix. Padfoot had the opportunity to try Milo’s Kitchen® Homestyle treats. These yummy treats came at a good time because Padfoot decided to get lose a couple of times and I decided that because he came right to the door of the house I’d give him treats to encourage him to keep coming to the door of the house if he ever gets lose or out of his dog run. If you could see the traffic we get on our rural road you’d know why I was encouraging this behavior.

About Milo’s Kitchen® Treats

In the above photo Padfoot is trying Milo’s Grilled Burger Bites. They look exactly like they do on the package, just see the image below. My girls all exclaimed how good these treats smelled, especially the burger bites, good enough to eat they said. And I must say they did smell pretty good for dog treats!

We had Padfoot try Milo’s Chicken Grillers and tried to capture it on video…do you know how hard it is to contain a dog when he really wants a treat? He did well but after a couple of takes.

Lastly, Padfoot tried Milo’s Steak Grillers, which ironically resemble their packaging too. Sorry for the blurry photo! Padfoot displayed his eagerness pretty well in this photo!

Padfoot loved all three flavors and of course wanted more after he was done.

Milo’s Kitchen® Treat Truck Visits Chicago

When: July 19th
Where: Chicago, IL, Windy City Pet Expo, 1033 North Villa Ave.
What: Milo’s Kitchen Treat Truck

· The Milo’s Kitchen Treat Truck will be coming to your area so plan what better place to have a special date with your dog!

*Dog parks are subject to change due to weather and foot traffic

· It wouldn’t be a food truck without home-style dog treats! Your dog is invited to try free samples of Milo’s Kitchen® treats so you can figure out which varieties will have your four-legged friend begging for more.

· There’s no such thing as too many pictures of dogs. Receive family portrait photos straight from the Milo’s Kitchen photo booth or take your own selfies. Don’t forget to show off your dog’s look on Facebook, or via Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #MKTreatTruck

Milo’s Kitchen® Giveaway

Milo’s Kitchen® is generously providing and ship an additional gift pack one of you! The gift pack will include three varieties of Milo’s Kitchen® dog treats, and a $25 VISA gift card so that you can stay stocked up on some tasty favorites! Giveaway ends Wednesday, July 23rd. Enter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Beginner Driver in the House – Wordless Wednesday

Posted by html404 on July 9, 2014
in Family Stuff, Kids Stuff, Parenting, Safety, Uncategorized, Wordless Wednesday

Beginner Driver in The House

Bobbie is actually doing really well with her driving lessons. I see her improve each time we go driving. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t nervous. I just try not to show it and correct her in a calm, matter of fact voice. That’s how my mom, dad and uncle (he took me out driving a stick shift!) were with me. I am proud of Bobbie’s developing driving skills and the fact she takes is seriously and cautiously. She’s got a pretty good head on her shoulders, which should make her a good driver.

Have you taught your children to drive? If so, how did you feel about the whole experience?

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The Revealing by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Posted by html404 on July 6, 2014
in Books, Gift Ideas, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

The Revealing by Suzanne Woods Fisher

The Revealing by Suzanne Woods Fisher is the third and last book in the Inn at Eagle Hill series. As a reminder, this is a series about an Amish family, as seen from the girl on the book cover above. The mother was widowed and started an inn to make ends meet, due some bad financial decisions on the part of her deceased husband. It is all about how the family is making the inn work and their life in their Amish community. A review of book one and book two are here and here.

It was sad to see this series come to an end. I have enjoyed getting to know Rose, Bethany, Mim, their neighbors the Kings and various other characters.

In this particular book, I really liked how Suzanne made baby Sarah a part of the story and how Tobe and Naomi triumphed through some troubled waters of their relationship.

I was disappointed that we did not get to see how Bethany and Mim’s love life ended. I mean we saw them get to know a couple of fellows but that was it. Granted, Mim is just 14 years old in this book so it is kind of hard to show who she ends up with….but it was like a cliff hanger gone wrong because the series ended with too many questions. It made me feel like the story of The Inn at Eagle Hill was left unfinished….unless she is going to start a new series and share the missing details in it. I want to know if the inn ends up being the income Rose needs to provide for her family, I want to know if Jimmy goes into the horse breeding business, I want to know if Mrs. Miracle continues to give advice, what Mim and Bethany go on to do? See? Too many questions!

Otherwise I did find it an enjoyable read since it will probably be one of the only books I read this summer.

What are you reading this summer?

Buy it Now

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