A Green Way to Clip Coupons

In honor of Earth Day, read my article for Today's Mama about how to use digital coupons.  It's really easy and you will never show up to the store and realize you left your stack of coupons on the counter at home.  All you need is a smart phone and/or computer!

No Easter Candy?

Photo GummyBears! by TamyCherry

For many, Easter is a fun-filled holiday packed with Easter egg hunts, dyed eggs and lots of sweets and treats.  However, for a few Easter is a stressful time filled with many can'ts and no's.  My son has had food allergies and sensitivities his whole life and artificial dyes, artificial sweeteners, and refined sugars (white sugar and HFCS) literally possess my son when he eats them.  This afternoon he happily gobbled up a treat size bag of gummy bears his sister brought home from a school egg hunt, but in about 45 minutes he was bouncing off the walls.  In three hours, he managed to....
Read the whole story and some possible ways to ease the stress here on Today's Mama.

An Alternative to Raw Milk

As many of you know, I drink raw milk.  Besides the fact I think it tastes so much better, its full of natural enzymes and vitamins that are "killed" off during pasteurization (some are added back in after pasteurization, but they are synthetic vitamins).  I am smart about it and understand the fears, concerns, and risks of drinking raw milk which is why I buy my raw milk from a state licensed raw milk provider.  However, with the bill HB75 up for debate in congress, the state (and lobbyists) have been a little scared and going after raw milk (IMHO).  Any who, the state has stepped in and prohibited my local farm from selling raw milk and so I have been forced to find an alternative.  I had purchased organic milk, but Jake's tummy has began to hurt and Lily's eczema is back.  A friend told me about a little store in Dallas that sold low pasteurized milk (vat pasteurized).  I had to check it out.  We've tried it and (while it's not raw milk) its a MUCH better alternative to ultra pasteurized milk.  The milk is also non-homogenized which means the milk and cream still separates, makes it feel a bit more natural :-).  One thing, they do offer low-fat and whole milk options, but be sure to grab the whole milk as your body needs the fat to digest the enzymes and vitamins (especially Vit A & D).  It's a complete waste to buy 2% and just have those goodies go straight through your body.  The Brand is Kalona Supernatural and I'm in love.  They sell cream, yogurt and buttermilk too - all vat pasteurized!  Here's a couple coupons if you'd like to check them out!  Once my farm is up and running again I will go back to raw milk, but for now, this is our new milk.  For those interested, the store that sells this milk is Natural Grocers in Dallas, they have several locations, but I went to the one at Coit & Campbell (think very small Whole Foods).

Great Deals on Kids Play

Kids go through toys so quickly so I'm always on the lookout for sales. Here's a few deals I found on some great toys to help you celebrate spring!

FREE Fun Days at Lone Star Park this month

Looking for something a little different to do this month with your family? Lone Star Park is having some great events for the family that won't hurt your wallet. This Sunday, April 17, they are having their Family Fun Day where the kids can ride ponies, meet SpongeBob SquarePants, enjoy bounce houses, face painting and so much more. AND here's how you get in absolutely FREE! They are also having events on April 23 and 24, but you can get in FREE anytime April 17 - July 10.

Fly a Kite

It has been so windy this week so on a whim, I decided to make kites with the kids this afternoon. I found a template online and drew something similar on construction paper for the kids (think Superman).

Next I let the twins cut out the shapes and decorate their kites. Since this was on a whim, I just grabbed whatever I had around the house so that meant we used Valentine's day ribbon for the tails, although crepe paper would be great too.

After we decorated and added our tail, I then folded the kite in half, then folded the flaps in too. You are just getting a good crease. Next I tied the corners with a string and then added our guide string (yarn would also work).

The kids LOVED making these and had a blast running around the yard with their kites. Of course today wasn't as windy as the past few days, but there was still enough to get those kites up.

Family Fun Day at Amon Carter

If you're looking for something to do with the kids this Sunday, head over to the Amon Carter Museum.  They are having lots of fun activities and crafts the whole family can participate in...and it's FREE!  Get the whole scoop, plus find out about their New Parent Tours in my post at Today's Mama.

30% off Spring Planting

Once April 1st arrives, I start thinking about what I'm going to plant in my flower beds.  I do have some salvia that comes back every year, but I need some more color. Luckily I just came across this 30% off coupon from Calloway's.  If you don't have a Calloway's near you or prefer to shop at Home Depot or Lowes, still print this out and take it with you - most of the time, they will accept competitors coupons (it is up to the manager though). Coupon expires April 10.

Free Museum and Arborteum Tickets

Spring is here and it's the perfect time to get out with your kids before it gets too hot around here.  Here are a few ways you can get free tickets to the Dallas Arboretum, Dallas Museum of Nature & Science (Children's Museum), and the Fort Worth Museum of Nature & Science.

Kids Bowl Free - All Summer Long!

If you haven't heard or checked out the summer program Kids Bowl Free, DO IT!  It's a fabulous program - all you have to do is register at a participating alley and your kids can bowl 2 games every day for FREE!  You can also snag a great Family Pass for $24.95 that gets up to 4 adults in for 2 games every day too.  That pays for itself at my alley in just 2 visits.  Check out all the details and get signed up!

Greek Pasta Salad

The weather has been warming up so I was craving a pasta salad. I looked around the web for some recipes and finally found a few I liked. I took a little of this one, and a little of that one and finally came up with this. So yummy! I just couldn't get enough of this dish. Perfect for a summer night.

Ingredients

• 1 Pkg of pasta (I used whole wheat bow tie)
• a couple green onions (optional, I left them out b/c my kids aren't fond of them, but they would be tasty)
• 8oz raw milk feta cheese, grated or crumbled
• 2-3 tomatoes, diced
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1-2 handfuls fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced (best to marinate in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and spices, but I didn't think that far ahead)
• Spices to taste (sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and basil)

Cook your pasta, drain and rinse in cold water to chill. Then add tomatoes, cucumbers and spinach. Mix your oil & vinegar with spices to taste in a jar or shaker. Shake well then pour over pasta mix. Toss well and chill for 1-2 hours (or even overnight).

A Visit from the Tooth Fairy

Okay - this is just about the greatest thing I have ever seen. I LOVE this and can't wait till the twins are at the age for this. We still have another year to go, but I'm printing my Michael's coupon and snagging one of these doors for this project now so I'll have everything ready to go when the time is right.

Easter Bargins on Amazon!

With three little ones, getting in and out of stores quickly is a chore and forget about browsing or comparing things to find just what you're looking for, so I LOVE shopping online. The other day I was looking around Amazon and found several great deals for Easter baskets. Check out all the deals at my post on Today's Mama.

Now is the time to Stop the Wasps

The kids and I were out playing this morning and I noticed a wasp scouting out our swingset so I quickly jumped up and grabbed a paper bag, blew some air into it and tied it up on our swingset to keep them away. When we were in Canada last summer we noticed people had these bags up everywhere. We finally stopped someone and asked what they were for and he said the wasps. If you set it up BEFORE they move in they will not build a nest in that area. How cool is that! Apparently, wasps are very terratorial and if there's is already a nest in the area, they'll move on. I have one more place on the side of the house I want to put a bag (we had wasps there a few years ago), but hubby will have to tackle that with a ladder this weekend.

The Circus is coming to town!

Yesterday I received a very special email in my inbox...a 20% off coupon code for tickets to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus! I'm so excited. The twins are at the perfect age to see their first circus and I'll love getting 20% off my tickets. Get all the details at my feature post on Today's Mama.

Discount Tickets to Day out with Thomas

If you have a little boy between the ages of 2-6, chances are you know Thomas the Train. My son adores Thomas and the gang and would be in heaven to not only see but ride his idol, and he just may have that chance if he can stay on his best behavior, lol. March 25-27 and April 1-3, Day out with Thomas, is coming to Grapevine Vintage Railroad. Purchase your tickets online and with the code, you can get $2 off your tickets.
...visit Today's Mama for my complete article and your discount code!

$0.75 for Movie Tickets?

YES!! Cinemark has some awesome deals on movie tickets and my two favorites are Reel Family Time (Mondays) and Discount Tuesdays where you can get movie tickets to any movie for just $0.75!! I've got the complete scoop at Today's Mama.

Helping Japan

It's been a week now since the major earthquake in Japan and for many of us, our lives have not changed one bit. However, for those in Japan the world stood still, and probably feels like it is still standing still as they search for loved ones, find places to sleep & food to eat, and worry about what radiation will not only do to them, but to their family for generations to come. Living Social, one of the daily deal sites I follow, is currently offering to match every $5 donation to Japan. I urge each of you to see what you can do to help this country who is in such pain and bewilderment.

Do you coupon?

I'd love to hear if you coupon or not and if so, what are some of your strategies for making it effective for you. I wrote about a few of my tips at Today's Mama, check it out.

Kombucha is in the House!

Since moving to Real Foods, I kicked my 2x day Dr. Pepper habit. It was a bit tough for me; I've really missed having something other than water or raw milk to sip on. I wanted that fizzy drink to get me through the day. Then I discovered Kombucha. I fell in love with the drink from the store, but it's expensive ($3.50 a bottle here for 15oz). I started reading up on the fermented tea and discovered it's quite easy to make at home. I was nervous though, the scoby intimidated me. What if I did something wrong and killed it? Plus you have to wait about 8 days to even take your first sip. I had a friend who recently started making her own Kombucha and offered to give me a starter scoby from her batch. That was just the push I needed and today I picked up my starter and got my first batch of Kombucha set up. I'm really excited and can't wait to see how it turns out. She reassured me that the scoby is really forgiving and other than contaminating it with chlorine, it's pretty tough to mess up (BTW - Amanda is a great foodie and has a fantastic blog, be sure to check her out).

For those unfamiliar with Kombucha, it's a naturally fermented tea that you flavor with fruit. The scoby houses bacteria and yeast which provide lots of great probiotic benefits. Kombucha contains a huge range of enzymes, vitamins (lots of Bs, and C), and organic acids. Some say it's the elixir of life. I just know it tastes good and fills that empty void at lunch for me.

I'm going to try and get a couple of batches under my belt first, but I want to try Water Kefier too (another fermented drink). Should be fun!

50% off Disney On Ice:Toy Story 3!

My kids LOVE Toy Story 3 and I LOVE that you can get tickets for HALF OFF!! Find out how in my article on DFWMama.com.

Shrimp on Sale at Whole Foods - Today Only!

Whole Foods is having a great One Day Sale on shrimp skewers - just $1 each! Shrimp is my oldest daughters new favorite food (her favorite food changes frequently) and so I will definitely be stocking up on this today.

A Little Green Treat for St. Patty's Day!

My twins LOVE smoothies and their favorite one is actually a green smoothie. Here's a fun, yummy, healthy way to celebrate St. Patty's Day.

Green Smoothie/Popsicle

• handful of spinach or kale
• 2 handfuls of mango or other mixed fruits (I keep a huge bag of frozen fruit on hand just for this, it comes with mango, pineapple, peaches and strawberries)
• 1 apple (I leave the peel on)
• 1 banana
• 2 large spoonfuls of plain yogurt (low pasteurized or homemade with raw milk)
• Splash of fresh orange juice (juice from 1-2 oranges is enough)

Mix together in a blender and serve immediately or pour into popsicle molds and freeze. My kids love the popsicles for breakfast and think they have the best mom in the world for letting them eat green popsicles for breakfast. This recipe is so versatile too - I routinely use whatever fruit I have on hand, watermelon is fantastic (although your green starts to turn to brown :-). I really don't think you can mess this up. Just mix whatever you have on hand, taste it and if you think it's a little tart, add a sweet fruit like banana or if it's too sweet add something a little tart to balance it out. Super easy!

Cheap Movie Tickets and Kids Clothes

Good Monday Morning! When I woke up this morning two deals stood out to me; I hope you can take advantage of these great steals.

1) $5 for Movie and Soda at Studio Movie Grill! Movie tickets are so expensive these days without snacks and drinks so I love when I can find great combo deals like this one.
http://www.groupon.com/r/uu3527077

2)$10 for your first box and a 6 month membership to ThredUp ($36 value). My kids are growing like crazy and I'm currently in need for spring clothes. I love resale and this is an awesome steal that comes straight to your door.
https://www.plumdistrict.com/?ref=uabdd9da12ad

Enjoy!

Kids Shopping, Grandparents Gifts and a FREE Target GC!

My two favorite daily deals this morning -

1) $7 for $15 at Kid to Kid in Plano. I don't know about you but I desperately need to update my kids' closet for spring. Those darn kids grow so fast and last year's spring outfits are too small. I love resale shops for my kids clothes and getting half off is such a sweat deal!
http://www.juiceinthecity.com/?referrer=qmehbq1n43

2) One of my favorite places is ArtsCow and right now they have a special where you can get 7 free photobooks (just pay for shipping). Can you say awesome Grandparents gift!! If you've never tried ArtsCow, you get awesome quality at fantastic prices, BUT the shipping is so slow. I'd expect 4-6 weeks for these books. Thinking ahead, these would make terrific grandparents gifts! You can use one of their templates to design the books or if you're creative, totally design the book yourself and just upload it to their site to print. To get the deal, just follow the link and enter the code 7FREEBOOKS to validate the code under your account. Coupon must be redeemed by 3/18/11.
http://www.artscow.com/

3) Free $20 GC to TARGET!! Just get four of your friends to sign up for Plum District, a very cool deal site for moms. They don't offer the typical Groupon stuff, very neat things. I got my Pouch Pals deal from here. Check them out!
https://www.plumdistrict.com/?ref=uabdd9da12ad

Cod on Sale at Whole Foods - Today only!

What's for dinner at your house tonight? Whole Foods is having one of their One Day Only Sales today and are featuring Wild Alaskan Cod for just $7.99/lb (normally $12.99 here). I think I will be swinging by and picking some up this afternoon (and since I bought my new Food Saver a month ago, I can stock the freezer now!). You can cook cod in so many ways, but my favorite is to saute some zuchini, squash and tomatos up, then place seasoned cod (or any white fish) on top of the veggies, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or so, till the fish is done. Serve with some wild or brown rice. Yummy!

Our first garden!

Since we are trying to be healthier and do more "real food", I really wanted to start growing some of our own food. I knew the kids would love it, but I was a bit nervous taking on a garden. I have a nice 4' x 8' plot picked out on our lot, but I've never had a garden. Who knew if I'd even have a green thumb. A month or so ago, I saw a free clinic advertised on Vegetables in Containers, at our local Calloways and I thought it was a perfect intro for my garden. This past weekend I attended the clinic and loved it. Afterwards, I quickly planned out 3 container gardens the kids and I could easily do for spring and grabbed some plants. I really wanted to do seeds, but they said it was already too late in the season to start your own seeds. Good to know for next year.

This afternoon the kids and I got started. The twins were beyond excited. L had fun the first 2 minutes then was off playing in the yard.



First step - add rocks in the bottom for drainage





Next, add organic POTTING soil (make sure you get potting soil and not garden soil or you will burn your plants)



Then add your plants. We have 3 themed pots
1) Salad - lettuce, 2 spring mix, basil
2) Salsa - roma tomato, mexican oregano, 2 cilantro
3) Pizza - roma tomato, bell pepper, rosemary, basil, italian oregano







Viola! Our garden is done. I know we will not yield an over abundance of herbs and vegetables this year, but hopefully it will give me the confidence to get a real garden going this fall.



On the Right Path

The change in my son these last three weeks have been amazing. I look at how far we've come and where we started and am so happy at our journey. It's been a long journey and I know it's far from over, but it's nice to see my son enjoying and participating in activites instead of climbing the rafters or crawling under chairs.
J has always been a bit behind on speech, but by the time he was 2-1/2, my husband and I were about to pull our hair out with his behavior. He would constantly try to run away from us when we were out and about, wouldn't listen for anything and couldn't sit still for more than 1 second. My husband thought we just needed to be tougher on him and I think he was partly right, I am a softy, but I just felt in my gut there was more going on. I began to look at food addititves, mainly artificial sweetners and wasn't liking what I was reading. I decided to cut all artificial sweetners from his diet. I quickly noticed a change. While it was far from where we wanted to be, I was happy we made an improvement. Since J had a milk allergy, I had him tested for other food allergies as well. The doctors we went to classified him as "high risk" for ADD and wanted to put him on all kinds of supplements. I remember sitting in one doctors office in particular wanting to run out of the office as the doctor was talking. I was not buying that the answer was to pump him full of supplements. The allergy tests came back a month or so later and he did have a few allergies, but nothing severe so I began looking at other preservatives, dyes and additives.
Over the next year and a half I really started questioning a lot of the things in foods. My moms group had Lisa Greene, author of Processed Kids, speak at our meeting one time and I identified with many of her stories about her son. I began slowly moving to less and less processed foods and making sure things didn't have a lot of additives, which pushed me into the organic world.
About two weeks ago, I picked up a book called Real Food, What to Eat and Why by Nina Planck and my view on food completely changed. What she said really made a lot of sense to me. Luckily I have access to a local dairy that sells raw milk, so we switched to raw milk, low processed cheeses, butter and cream. I stopped shopping at traditional grocery stores and started shopping at Whole Foods, buying their organic items only (they do sell convential items too so be sure to check the label if you want to go 100% organic). It's tough to keep our budget in check at WF, but it is doable. Especially if you stay away from processed foods and shop mainly produce and bulk bins. I can't wait for farmers markets to start back up in May so I can shop there instead of WF, but for now, it's Whole Foods.
Making this switch has been AMAZING for my son. I can't say how proud I was of him this morning at church, sitting on the stage with all the other kids listening to the children's message (a first for us). Even 2 months ago, this would have been a disaster. He would have been messing with all the band instruments, wires, even climbing up and down the three steps the kids sit on. Now, he is 3, going on 4, so he did fidget a bit, but tried to listen as best he could, follow directions, and answer questions. Since making the switch he has also stopped complaining his tummy hurt, a daily occurance before. I'm not sure if it's the milk, decrease in processed foods, or removal of pesticides since going organic, but it's probably a bit of all three. Obviously this path isn't easy, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen (mainly cleaning :-), but it has been so worth it. I know this isn't a "fix-it" solution either, but we are all becoming healthier for it which isn't a bad thing.

Free Form Art

So, last night while I was trying to make pizza dough, my trio came in from the beautiful outdoors and asked to do something with glue. Hmmm, my hands were sticky and I needed to knead the dough so I quickly pulled out some random art supplies and let the kids make collages. I don't plan too much with crafts, I'm more of a "go-with-it" mom, although I do try to plan out some seasonal crafts. They had a blast and you can teach so much with collages. You can do themes, colors, hard/soft, etc. This time around we did Free Art and I just put out some colored feathers, pipe cleaners, and tissue paper. Some of the pipe cleaners we twisted around our fingers to create little springs, giving our collages a 3D effect. J got really into the tissue paper and loved tearing it, A couldn't get enough of the glue, lol and L was just experimenting with the stickiness of the glue. The whole thing lasted maybe 20 minutes, but it was so worth it. My kids (and I think all kids really) love doing things with their hands so that 20 minute break to make collages did wonders for their moods. After it was done, they happily ran back outside and played till dinner. And we now have three original art pieces for Daddy to take to his office or we can save and turn into a birthday card for a friend.

Welcome!

So, with the encouragement of a few people, I'm starting my own blog that will feature a variety of things such as my journey with food and my family, arts and crafts with my kids, and even a few tips I learn along the way trying to shop and live the Real Food way.  I hope there's a little bit of something for everyone.  If you like what you see, please follow my blog and pass it along to your friends.  I would love to hear your comments too and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me!