I was stoked when I found out I was chosen to review Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers for my blog through Moms Meet.  When the box arrived I was thrilled and did a definite dance for joy.

Crunchmaster Crackers are an alternative to regular wheat crackers.  They are natural and certified gluten free.  They are  made from brown rice, stone ground corn, oat fiber and a 4 seed blend.  These crackers are oven baked and have a great texture.

The verdict is in and these get a thumbs up from my family.  I love having a great multigrain cracker for the little ones.  Our family does not need to avoid wheat, but they get plenty of wheat in their diet and I like to offer a wide variety of foods (and grains).  These crackers help us to shake things up a bit.  They have the perfect crunch and and come in 3 flavors.  They come in sea salt, roasted vegetable, and white cheddar.  I think our favorite flavor was the white cheddar.  The only thing I would love more about them is if they were organic.

On to the BEST news.  They also wanted me to give away a case to my readers!!! So…just enter by leaving a comment below (make sure I have a way of contacting you if you win).  What flavor would you be most excited to try?

Giveaway closes Dec 21st.

I would also be thrilled if you wanted to become a “follower” so that I can bring you more awesome giveaways.

For more info check out Crunchmaster’s web site (they even have a coupon up right now) or their Facebook.

 

WINNER IS… JEN “Roasted Vegetable sounds good”

She has been notified and 48 hours to respond by email.

 Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

Sick…that is what we have been over here for a large chunk of the fall and winter.  We have had something like 7 full blown viruses since the very start of fall.  It is kind of a joke.  A sick joke.

I am actually not sure what I think about it.  I am still trying to sort it all out.  I am sure God is trying to teach me something, so I am trying to pay attention.  Something about relying on him. Something about how I can not keep my kids healthy. Something about how he is in control…not me.  So I am just going to try and deal with it.

I have always said I would rather have it be me sick than my kids.  Well that has happened too.  The kids seem to bounce back between bugs…but I do not.  I have asthma.  I can’t eat half of the healthy things my family eats because of food allergies.  It all plays a role.  My lungs have been messed up EVERY single day for almost 4-ish months.  I am not dying. I am not in severe distress.  I am just trying to get through.  I have had 2-3 likely sinus infections, but thanks to the neti-pot and some serious steam breathing, shower taking, bla bla bla I have kicked them.  I am so thankful I did not have to take antibiotics.  Antibiotics.  They are bad for you.  Extra bad for people with a handful of weird health issues like I have.  Don’t feel bad for me. I am fine.  But yeah.  Still have the junked up lungs.

Kids currently trying to get healthy.  Thought I had this cold already a few days ago…woke up today with a more sore throat than usual…NOW I might actually have it.  Great.  Hoping that by the grace of God, this one won’t set me back much.  What has been happening is I catch a cold…kick most of it after about 3 weeks…and go back to where I was with my lung/asthma stuff.  I have been seeing a naturopath for the first time.  I know, kinda weird…kinda awesome.  I have gone twice and have a whole arsenal of things I am trying.  I am all about actually healing my body and getting it better rather than just taking stuff to mask the symptoms.  I am am also totally for “modern” medicine when it is needed.  But, I want to have a healthy body.  I want clear lungs, and I would love to eventually be off of my daily inhaler.  Because my asthma started up “randomly” after the twins were born I think it is possible to reverse some things and maybe not have to deal with it as much.

It has been a weird week.  We actually planned a couple fun things with friends and had to cancel it all.  My mom and grandma had other plans for all of this week and part of last so our “regular”  grandma times that break up the week are missing.  So here I am.  Just me and my sick kids all day every day.  And most of the time I can totally handle it.  When your kids are uber grumpy, snotty, and needy and you are the only one to deal with it for most of the day…you just do.  You are a mom and it is your job.  God made us for this.  Never easy, always worth it.

Blessings:

-Baby (17 mo) is actually sleeping through the night most nights (for the last few nights).  See how loosely I refer to all of this?  The decent sleep I am getting most nights  this past week has been a huge blessing and a large part of why I am still sane.

-my Birthday my mother-in-law is bringing over a sweet cleaning lady to clean my house tomorrow (I don’t know her, but any lady who comes to my house to clean is “sweet”).  Any guess what I have been doing for days to prepare? Clean. Nothing like the motivation of having two ladies in your home to get things moving.  Cleaning right now=killing clutter piles and half dusting so that it looks like you might actually dust on occasion.  Very excited and totally nervous.

I will leave you with some recent quotes.

“Mommy am I going to be sick on my BIRTHDAY???”  Quote from my melodramatic 3 year old son whose birthday is not until February.

“Mommy, my head hurts…a little bit all over…I think it is a headache, but I will be easy going about it (in a fairly cheery voice)”  Quote from my 3 year old Little Miss.

Hope things are well in your home!

Over and out.

It’s that time of year again.  The time when we all bribe our kids in attempts to get the “greatest family photo of all time” to send off to loved ones.  On Saturday one of our friends blessed us by offering to take our picture.  Our kids were not feeling well and it was cold and windy…but I am sure there are a few gems in there anyway.  Our photographer used a tripod.  Tripods always equal success.

When I heard about a program from Tiny Prints for bloggers to get 50 free photo cards I was thrilled.  We have never used them before, but their cards look amazing!

Here are a few of my favorites (click on images for links)…

 

 

Which one am I choosing? NO IDEA! There are too many I really love.  One thing I really liked about Tiny Prints was the number of types of cards you can choose from.  They have the traditional rectangular and long photo cards, but also adorable tri-fold folding, and round.  You can even get the corners rounded on your rectangular cards.  If you go with one of the traditional cards I LOVE the rounded corner option.  Many of the cards also have super cute printed backs that coordinate.

If you are shopping for cards their current promotion is save 20% off your entire order with the code 20SAVE (ends 11/15).  I will watch to see what their next promotions is and update this post!

 

What are your tricks for getting a great picture of your family? Do you just pick the best picture from the last year and call it good, or have pictures taken specifically for your cards?

About every month or so my friend and I make an Azure order. When it works out we take turns picking it up.  This is a good thing since we always magically end up at Burgerville when it is our turn.

I was especially pleased with my order this time.

40lbs of organic apples for $20? Yes please!

Here is my order so you can see how it breaks down and it includes the item number if you would like to look any of the items up.

DF138	Bare Fruit Apple Chips, Fuji, Organic	3 ozs.	1	1	$2.05	$2.05
FG495	Stahlbush Island Classic Mixed Vegetables	3 x 10 ozs.	1	1	$4.80	$4.80
HP215	Humphrey’s Cough Control #7	135 pellets	1	1	$3.55	$3.55
DP134	Straus Family Creamery Yogurt, Plain, Whole Milk, Organic	32 ozs.	1	1	$3.30	$3.30
GR104	Bulk Imported White Jasmine Rice	5 lbs.	1	0	$6.95	$0.00
QP054	Fresh Produce Pears, In Season, Organic	3 lbs.	2	2	$2.90	$5.80
QP230	Fresh Produce Apples, “In Season”, Juice Grade Organic	20 lbs.	2	2	$10.00	$20.00
CE135	Bulk Quick Oats, Organic	5 lbs.	1	1	$4.90	$4.90
Total: $44.40 Total Weight: 57.60 pounds

3 cheers for good food!

I was fortunate enough to get to sample Kashi Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bars (say that three times fast) .  Awhile back I was accepted into the Moms Meet program and occasionally I am chosen to try some fun products. I share them with my group, and then am sometimes asked to summarize what we thought on my blog.

Here is what Moms Meet has to say about the new bars, “Looking for a good-for-you granola bar that also tastes good? Kashi’s all natural TLC^® Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bars start with a chewy granola base made with peanut butter and peanut chunks for a nutty flavor. A thick layer of real soft fruit mixed with rich, dark chocolate tops the granola along with roasted runner peanuts and dark chocolate pieces for hearty, natural goodness you can see and taste. And they’re nutritious, too!”

When the box came in the mail we were holding our big garage sale.  I was stoked!  The kids were just getting up from their naps and they saw the box.  They asked if they could try them and we handed them each a bar and sat them on the chair.  They sat in perfect silence while they chowed every last speck.  I was actually surprised at how focused they were on the bars.  When strangers are waltzing around your front yard and taking away your beloved possessions the last thing I expected was them to calmly sit and focus on a snack.  They LOVED them and have asked for them many times since.

The main purpose of the sampling is for me to share them with a group I meet with who are interested in natural/green products. This totally fits with the interests of the girls in my Bible Study and so when I get a package from Moms Meet I always take the goodies along.

Here is what one of my friends thought of the bars:

“The texture/consistency was perfect. Chewy, but not gooey. I also thought the flavor had good balance between the chocolate and the peanuts. I am not a big peanut fan, but I did enjoy these.”

If you are interested in any of their products you can check out Kashi’s website.

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Go check out Kashi’s Facebook page to stay up to date on their promotions and be alerted of coupons.  I just checked and RIGHT NOW they have  a coupon for $1 off a box of their new pita crisps! Pared with a sale this will get you a great deal!

 

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Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

We have been having a blast picking this summer now that the the twins are 3 and a half.  This is the first Summer that we have been able to spend some time picking with the kids old enough to participate a little.

Here is what we have picked this year:

• Organic Blueberries at Minto Island Growers $1.74 ish per lb.
• Cherries with Salem Harvest-Free!
• Cherries at our generous friends the Askeys-Free!
• Broccoli with Salem Harvest-Free!

It was a little hard to decide what to do with all the cherries, but in the end I decided to just wash, pit, and freeze what we could not eat immediately.

 

Here are the steps I used to “put up” our cherries…

1) After I read about some different techniques to wash fruit I got excited about using vinegar and water.  I figured that instead of a making a spray I could probably make a soak for them.  I put 3 parts cold water to 1 part vinegar and let them soak for a few minutes and agitated with with my hand a bit.  Then I fished them out with a shallow ladle type tool with holes in it.

2) After the soak I rinsed them in cold water for a bit to get the vinegar off and get them a little cleaner.

3) Next, I dumped them into my salad spinner to let them drip dry a little more without getting the counter soaked.

4) Now it was time to pit!  Little Miss woke up from her nap and was so excited to help me.  It was our first summer harvest we have gotten to work on together and a great memory.  She was very helpful and so eager.  Her job was to pull the stems off and keep my hopper full in the cherry pitter.  She took pride in her work and said some of the funniest things.  “Oh look at this tiny sad one Mama! You think she will be okay (cherries are obviously girls)?”  She also told me, “I am a Mama” and made it clear that she was feeling so very grown up.

This was my first summer using the Norpro Deluxe Cherry Pitter.  I bought it from Azure Standard and I have no idea how I would have done this job without it.

4) I then bagged the pitted cherries flat in zipper bags.  I got as much of the air out as I could and then stacked a couple bags on a cookie sheet to freeze.  After they were frozen flat in bags I rearranged them in our freezer.

These will be great for smoothies, baking, mixing into ice cream, and cobblers!  What a blessing to fill our freezer with free fruit!

Borders has just reduced their prices again! Everything is now 40%-60%.  Check out your local store to see if you can score anything great!

I went in a couple weeks ago and found a nice little pile of books for the kids for cheap.  I was able to get some holiday and bargain books for even better prices than the books in the regular areas of the stores.

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Rue La La is offering free $10 credits to new signups!

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See Kai Run (One of our favorite shoe brands) just reduced prices on a bunch of cute shoes and socks.  Great prices up to 50% off.

Happy Thursday!

Yesterday I was lucky enough to get to go shopping for a bit.  We drove up to Portland and I headed to the Clackamas Old Navy with the baby while the Hubs kept the twins occupied elsewhere.  I got to take my time and really check things out.  While I like shopping at Old Navy for summer pieces, I love shopping there even more when the fall merchandise comes out.  Fall means sweaters, jeans, scarves, and boots.  Oh so cozy.  I was excited to see what they had for this year.

Here are some pictures of some of my favorite finds. Yes, I know it is back to school time…but I could not resist checking out stuff for the mamas too!

Some of my favorite deals right now

Jeans for kids are $12

 

They also had girls leggings for $6

 

Some of my favorite finds.

 

Reasons why I love the Clackamas location

It was the Old Navy I used to beg my parents to drive me to before we had a local Old Navy and the place I took my friends to on my sixteenth birthday.  Good memories.

It was also the location of my first date with Hubs during the summer between our sophomore and junior year of high school.  I was trying to revamp his wardrobe which basically consisted of 2 well loved Tommy Hilfiger t-shirts, a pair of jean shorts, and some Dr. Martin sandals.  Holding hands on the way home from a successful Old Navy trip is so romantic.

All moms can appreciate parking in one spot and hitting up multiple stores.  If you happened to need a caramel macchiato, some toilet paper, a loaf of good bread, party supplies, soccer cleats, a discount designer bag, and some never ending soup and salad and bread sticks you are in luck.

Lastly, because there are other Old Navy locations in the greater Portland area they seem to have a better selection of clearance items!

 

How does Old Navy compare to other value brands?

I would say it is at the upper end in terms of style and quality.  When shopping at stores whose regular prices are already fairly low I am looking for certain things.

• How well does it look like it will wash up? (Skip black if it looks like it might fade.)

• How well does it look like it will hold its shape? (Make sure it is just a bit longer than you will want it in case of shrinkage.)

• What is the weight of the material?

• How tight is the weave?

• What IS the material?

Old Navy has denim, woven (think dress shirts/sheet type material), and thicker knit material that will hold up great.

For every thin t-shirt or tank I find, I can usually find a thicker one I am happy with.  Sometimes shirts that are a cotton blend will hold up better than ones that are 100% cotton.

For comparisons sake their boys solid polos also felt like better quality than brands like Target and Children’s Place.

 

Ways to save at Old Navy:

Sign up for their Email list to learn about new promotions and sales and get great coupons.

Check your receipt and see if it has an opportunity to do a survey for a discount on your next purchase.

Watch your paper for occasional coupons.

Look for clearance items throughout the entire store.  Some of the best items I found were items which were marked down, but not even in clearance area.

Ask an employee what their current promotions are.  Sometimes it is easy to miss some of them.

Currently they are running a promotion called Super C-A-S-H where you earn $10 for every $20 you spend through 8-18.  Looks like each super cash voucher is good for $10 a $20 purchase.  (Works much like Gymbucks)

 

What did I get?

• A new pair of double-button boot-cut jeans for Little Miss $12

• Grey toddler boys polo for $5.oo

• Pair of strip leggings on clearance for $2.99

• Pair of toddler boys plaid shorts $3.97

• Toddler boys t-shirt $3.99

• Dressy tank for myself $5.99

Total- $33.94

Not to shabby!

When I was showing everything to Hubs and the twins after they came back Little Man said, “Those look like fall shorts!”  “Oh, like colors for Fall?? (thinking I had a very fashionable son), I said.  “No like fall….like they fall…fall off”, he says.  At least my skinny little boy can recognize a pair of wide legged shorts. He was absolutely right.

Now on to the fun part! Needing to do any shopping??  I scoured my coupon stash and have a coupon for $10 off any purchase of $50 or more for the first 7 people who comment below AND email me their mailing address.  I would randomly draw for them, but they expire next on the week on Thursday the 18th and I want to get them out to you ASAP!  If you would also take the time to subscribe via email, RSS feed,  or follow me via Google Friends I would be forever grateful!

This coupon would be a great way to earn some Super C-A-S-H and save even more money!

Email-  TwinMamaLoves (at) gmail.com

 

Disclosure: Old Navy compensated me for my drive and time with a small gift certificate.  I was not paid to write this post and these thought are my own.

When I occasionally actually get into the stores (we have been swamped lately) there are definitely some deals to be found.  The Hubs and I loaded the 3 Littles up and did a Trader Joe’s trip followed by Fred Meyer.

At Trader Joe’s we shopped like we still didn’t have a local store.  You would think we were preparing for Y2K like pretzels and counterfeit “Pirates Booty” were going to save our life.  “Divide and conqueror” turned into divide and “double up”.  Pretty sure we won’t need to buy snacks for 2 months.  My kids were “those kids” and I blame those darn little carts.  Last time Hubs took the kids he let them use them.  This time mean mommy said we had too much shopping to do.   I did not want to spend 3 hours using my nice voice to try and protect other shoppers ankles.  We went with the push the double and single  BOB’s and drag a cart approach.  What we ended up with was 2 toddlers who wanted NOTHING to do with the stroller and know how to push each and every button of their twin counterpart.  But, lucky for us they offered our kids taffy and suckers (I think we were the suckers).  Only 3 minutes later daddy was crawling around the van looking for which crevasse the taffy fell into and revoking the sucker for being stuck to inappropriate surfaces.  Next time I think we might pass on the “Mojo” basket.

The next stop was Fred Meyer.  Needless to say I went in while the rest of the family stayed in the car.  I was happy with my trip. I came out to pleasant kids and a patient daddy and Buzz Lightyear sticking out from our mini van’s sunroof.  I love my life.

Here is a tiny snapshot of my FM loot (Hubs has the good camera and phone today).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Came home from with…

2 Crayola colored pencils 99 cents

3 Crayola 24 ct. crayons 39 cents

2 packs of Avery 3 ct (with bonus) glue sticks. On sale for $1.49 and had a B1G1 coupon hanging from price tag.

Johnson’s Natural body wash. Had coupon for $1.50 off. (Having a hard time finding a good price on a good natural baby wash. This will do for now.)

Cottonelle wipes (great for toddlers!). Coupon for free product, but the shelf price was more than coupon would allow for. Anybody ran into this before? I think this shows that Fred Meyer’s regular prices are a bit high. I just asked if I could pay the difference.

3 big organic peaches on sale for $1.48 (decent price)

Whoppers (yes I said whoppers) $1.49ish or $1.25 with in ad coupon

Kettle chips. $1.50 after $1 off coupon at coupons.com

Pantene conditioner. Coupon for free product

Total $13. 24!

I also noticed that they had their clearance toys an additional 50% off.  I was at the South Salem store.  I did not find anything amazing but they did have quite a bit.  Might want to check it out!

Happy Tuesday!

 

 

 

Sweet Baby,
What can I say? You are amazing.  God blessed us with you on June 23rd (is that your birthday? we keep having arguments over that).  You were born 6 days after your due date at Providence St. Vincents in Portland at 8:42 a.m.  You were born by c-section after a very long labor.  Mama tried her hardest to have you “the old fashioned way.”  But it did not work out.  Was the full reason the VBAC didn’t work because you were a sweet chunker? Because I did not push hard enough for a Dr. who was actually supportive of our choice and not just “willing to try”?  We will never know.  All I know is that I am glad I did get to try.  I feel more a part of the mothering experience being aware of what happens during labor.  I now know what it is like to be “overdue,” have my water break, go into labor, think my contractions were “very strong” and then realize that was nothing.  I remember feeling like I was not sure I could do it without drugs in the beginning of our hospital stay, but then feel like I could do it forever if it was what I needed to do to get you and keep you safest.  God made us for this.  You and me.  You are my precious babe and I would do anything for you.  I am very passionate about birth, but not so focused on the “what if’s”  that I have exhausted myself thinking over what happened.  Honestly, there was never much time or energy to put towards it.  But, coming up on your birthday has brought back many memories of the experience.

 

 

Random remembrances of your early days
-You were a screamer in the hospital.  You only wanted to nurse or be skin to skin with daddy or I.  In the hospital we joked that we might never be able to wear shirts again. You had a job to do and took it very seriously.  They could barely complete your hearing test.  A sweet Russian lady bounced and shh’ed you like I have never seen before to just calm you down enough to get it done.  I never wanted you back in my arms so bad.

-I remember talking about adoption philosophies with my anesthesiologist right after you were delivered.  What a time for a deep conversation.  Not sure how I had any mental energy at that point.   Moments after my failed VBAC and your sweet arrival she wanted to know if we would be having more kids.  Apparently adoption was sounding like the most appealing option.  She needed work on her small talk skills.  Maybe she should have asked what color your bedding was rather than asking if you would be our last baby.

-The room we stayed in at in the hospital with you was tiny and quite dated.

-Most of the clothes we brought for you were too small.

-You were strong and sturdy.  None of the floppy newborn stage for you.

-You spent very little time in your hospital bassinet.  You preferred to sleep on daddy or me, and we happily obliged.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-You lost 10% of your weight and they wanted me to supplement you.  You might have had one drop of formula (literally) at a weak point to get them off my back.  I quickly regained my confidence and said something like “that is ridiculous.”

-Most all of our nurses were great.

-Our labor and delivery nurse (Jeanie I believe) asked me if I liked my Nike’s while she was starting my I.V.  I responded with a convincing “yes” thinking she was asking for a recommendation.  She replied with “Sorry. I just got blood all over them.”

-I remember watching a lady who had just had her baby walk back from the hospital coffee shop with her new baby, husband, latte, and 2 year old.  She clearly did not have a c-section and lived locally.  Touch jealous.

-I actually took pain real pain meds this time and wow…they worked.

-The drive home from Portland was actually quite nice and allowed us to unwind for a bit.

-Your brother and sister met you for the first time at home.  We brought them Starbucks chocolate milks with lots of whip cream to soften your arrival.  Luckily they loved both their Starbucks AND YOU!

 

At one year you are still our joy.  You are passionate and strong willed.  You still know what you want.  Your personality has only been multiplied by having an older brother and sister to study at all times.  You can imitate sounds and emotions amazingly well.  Sometimes I have to look to see if the sound is coming from you or your sister.  You are a wiggler and a mover.  You like to just GO.  You don’t like to be squished (have not since you were in my belly) or restrained.  You are sweet as pie and love baby dolls and your special duck.  You don’t like to be left out and are fully aware of your surroundings.  You used to smile at everyone, but now you are a bit more conservative with them.

You still nurse quite a few times a day and throughout the night.  You still have strong ideas about your food and just because you turned the “magical age” of a year we will not be rushing to wean you.  You are still my baby and we will take that slowly as you are ready.  You love cheese, raisins, yogurt, and anything you can get your hands on from the garden.  We are slowly introducing wheat to your diet and you love a good hunk of bread. Your favorite meal is a piece of quesadilla and some black beans from Uncle Dino’s restaurant.  For your Birthday meal we got some pizza from Wallery’s.  You ate almost a whole small slice!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your sweet words

First word-Mama at 6mo 3 weeks

Next words soon after-Dada, Du du (duck-duck her favorite lovey), Bubba, more, Papa, Ma, Da (dog), che (cheese), Mommy, Yeah!, yea, obey, no, nigh nigh (night night), and you are working on a word for your sister but have not landed on anything yet.

Signs-more, please (often signed against mamas chest).  Because you seemed to be ready to talk before signing we have been pretty relaxed with teaching you signs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You have a killer princess wave and will reserve it until you are sure people are actually leaving.  You love to give air kisses.  Since you were tiny you would hold perfectly still for kisses from Mama and Daddy for a long time (when you need them). You will even hold Mama’s hand against the side of your face when you need a good snuggle.  Although you wake often during the night you go down for your naps and bedtimes like a champ.  If your “love tank” is full and you have had plenty of time with Mama we don’t hear a peep from you…until you want to eat.

You are a precious blessing and we love you to pieces.  Happy Birthday sweet baby of ours!

Love, Mama, Dada, Bubba, and Sister