Caring Bridge

This post is a somber one. I wanted to let everyone know about this website, though. Also, to encourage anyone looking for a charity/website to donate to this holiday season to think of Caring Bridge. http://www.caringbridge.org/ is "a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free websites that connect family and friends during a serious health event, care and recovery. A CaringBridge website is personal, private and available 24/7. It helps ease the burden of keeping family and friends informed. The websites are easy to create and use. Authors add health updates and photos to share their story while visitors leave messages of love and support in the guestbook."


Unforunately, I've had a number of former students who were cancer patients or had life threatening illnesses. Most recently, one of the mommies from my October baby group on Cafemom, had her 3 year old daughter diagnosed with Leukemia. Such a tragedy for a family that had already experienced a lot of loss in just last week. The good news is her daughter has ALL, which has a very high recovery rate, so we're all hoping for the best!


In times like these it's nice to have a way to update everyone, without having to make a ton of calls or emails. Caringbridge.com allows people to post updates, pictures, etc. from anywhere at anytime. It's a great site and free to everyone. I hope that you might consider a small donation.


http://www.caringbridge.org/donate

Fruity Sweet Potatoes

Here's a super duper yummy slow cooker recipe I tried out for Thanksgiving. Everyone loved it and of course it was so easy for me, since I just threw it in the crock pot!

• 2 lbs. (about 6 medium sized) sweet potatoes, or yams I only used 3 large and it worked fine
• 1 1/2 cups applesauce
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 tsp. cinammon
• chopped nuts, optional

1. Peel sweet potatoes if you wish. Cut into cubes or slices. Place in slow cooker.
2. In a bowl, mix together applesauce, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Spoon over potatoes.
3. Cover and cook on Low 6-8 house, or until potatoes are tender. *I was short on time and did them on high 3 hours and it worked out fine!
4. Mash potatoes and sauce together if you wish with a large spoon -or spoon potaties into serving dish and top with the sauce.
5. Sprinkle with nuts, if you want.

prep time: 15 minutes
cooking time: 6-8 hours (low)
ideal slow cooker size: 3- to 4qt.
Makes 6 servings **according to my recipe. BUT mine served at least twice that plus had some left, I guess it depends on how much is considered a serving!!

Kid Steals

I had a previous post about BabySteals.com, well great news! Now there is a KidSteals.com too! Be sure to bookmark it and maybe even sign up for the daily updates. It's the same concept as Baby Steals, with "products from one hot brand each day at 50%-80% off until it sells out." Thrifty moms like me love it!

Update - Peel and Stick

I have not posted lately due to, go figure, being busy as a Mommy, wife, teacher, friend, etc. etc.! I do apologize and hope to post more often.

I wanted to reference a previous post. A while back I had mention Peel and Stick room decorations. Well, I finally got around to purchasing the pink and brown dots for my daughter's room and they are wonderful! So easy to use and matched her decor perfectly. They're exactly what I was looking for!

I'll post a picture of how they look:

Also to elaborate on my previous post about BabySteals.com- they have now opened KidSteals.com! Another great resource for fellow thrifty mommas.

Baby Steals

My latest and greatest find is babysteals.com It's like some other sites you may have heard of where they post a great deal on a product, but it's only for one day. You have to purchase the item that day, or you miss out. (Another example of this is woot.com) Here's the "about" from their website:

At BabySteals.com we sell one quality baby or maternity product every day at 50-80% off until it sells out. It's not just a deal, it's a steal! A 'BabySteal'!

No, we're not stealing and reselling babies. We drop one amazing steal a day at 9am MST until it's gone, and they sell out fast. Once we're sold out, you lost out. On the weekends we give you a second chance on steals we still have, and you might get lucky and find more than one Steal a Day!

This is the place where mommies of all kinds get hooked up with the latest 'babysteal' at an unbelievable price. Our 'steals' are designed to save you serious money on products you would normally spend more money on, or things you just wouldn't normally 'splurge' on because of the cost. The prices are so good you'll want to get one for you, your sister, and your best friend. That is, unless they're hooked on BabySteals.com too. You may want to give them a call because they're probably already getting one for you!

Since we have 8 babies and kids between us at BabySteals.com, we know how hard it is to keep up with everything your baby needs. Blankets, clothes, bottles, toys, diapers… the list goes on and on (not to mention the maternity necessities for yourself before the baby even gets here). So we created a simple (and fun) way for moms to get great deals on the things they need (uh, want) most.

So the bottom line is, visit early every day or sign up for our Daily Steal Email Alert, because at 50-80% off retail, the daily steal sells out fast. We are so happy you're here and we're sure it's going to be a daily visit for you and your friends!

I made it my homepage so whenever I open internet explorer, I can check what that days buy is and see if I'm interested! Awesome!

Maple-Flavored Barbecue Chicken

We're in the process of moving and since I spend my days packing and cleaning I was looking for a slow cooker recipe to try out today. Found this one online this morning, tweaked it a bit, because I didn't have some of the things (Worcestershire sauce) and hubby doesn't like some (mustard), and it still came out DELICIOUS! I highly recommend this yummy, yummy sandwich recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1 c. ketchup
• 1/2 c. maple flavored syrup
• 2 tbsp. prepared mustard (I substituted with Hot & Spicy Mayo)
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce (I substituted soy sauce)
• 2 tsp. lemon juice (I omitted because I didn't have any!)
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder (I omitted because I didn't have any!)
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 4 boneless, skinned chicken breasts

Directions:

Place all ingredients in slow cooker/Crock Pot and cook on low for about 7 to 8 hours or until chicken is done. Remove meat, shred and return to sauce. Place on buns for sandwiches or serve over hot rice. Serves 4 to 6. (I cooked the 7 hours, and then shreded the chicken and returned it to the sauce on "warm" for the final hour, came out GREAT and I served it on hoagie rolls, but the hubby also had a third(!) helping over rice) I highly recommend it, this was soooo good.

Recipe taken from slowandsimple.com

Baby food Containers

If I didn't mention it already, I'm a momma who makes all my little one's baby food. It's something I'm pretty proud of and it's so easy and affordable. Anyways! I was doing the easy way of freezing the food in ice trays, which gave me the perfect cube size portions, and then storing them in ziploc bags. It was easy enough because we never went anywhere, lol. Well, now we are traveling a lot more and she will be going to "daycare" at her Lola's house. So, now we need portable food. I've invested in 4 of these. Stay Fresh Baby food containers.

The best baby food storage system you'll find — one that's freezable, portable, and even stackable! These single-serving containers keep homemade baby food fresher than others (and won't pop open in your diaper bag, either). The secret? Secure, screw-on, locking lids. Plus, the cups snap together for space-saving stacking. In fact, the 7" organizer tray even fits in most freezer doors. Microwave and dishwasher safe. Includes twelve 2 oz. containers with lids and tray.

I've just begun using them, but I really like them! They're secure, stackable, and easy to clean! I'm definitely happy with my investment.

Creamy Swiss Spinach Dip

So afterschool today we had a party to reveal our "secret pals". All year we've had secret pals from the PTO and they deliver little presents to the teachers through out the year. It's a neat little program. Anyways, today was the day we found out who our pals were and we all enjoyed a little potluck. I made a Creamy Swiss Spinach Dip, which got rave reviews! This is the second time I've made it and everyone just loves it.

From my Reader's Digest Taste of Home 5 Ingredient Cookbook

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 package (9 ounces) frozen creamed spinach, thawed
• 2 cups diced Swiss cheese
• 2 unsliced round loaves (1 pound each) Italian or French bread

In a small microwave safe mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and garlic powder until smooth. Stir in spinach and swiss cheese. Cover and microwave on high for 6-8 minutes or until cheese melted, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cut a 4-in. circle in the center of one loaf of bread. Remove bread, leaving 1 in. at the bottom of loaf. Cut removed bread and the second loaf into 1-1/2 in. cubes. Spoon hot spinach dip into bread shell. Serve with bread cubes.

Yield: 3 1/2 cups

Personally, I just put it in a bowl, I'm not talented enough to cut a bread bowl!

Peel and Stick

So my latest find was in Parenting magazine (the early years) may 2009 issue. This is JUST what I've been looking for and was pleased to find them to be quite affordable! I just found this tonight, so I haven't tried them yet, but will definitely post a review on how they work out for me after I try them in a month or so!

Decorative Peel & Stick Products

The "Dots" collection will be perfect for my baby girl's room in our new house! I can't wait to get them ordered and try them out!

Happy Mother's Day 2009

So as I sit here creating this blog, the clock has passed midnight, so it is now officially my first Mother's Day. So Happy Mother's Day to me and all the other mommies out there! May you have a wonderful day with your babies.

Personally, my own mother already brought me a flower and poem. Aww! My husband's not so great at surprises, so he bought me a card a target about 4 hours ago as I stood right next to him picking out a card for HIS mom. Yeah. =)

I'm not sure how I want to organize this blog just yet, but why not start with a couple recommendations for the week? A book I recently read that I think other mommies might enjoy is Things I Want My Daughters To Know. From Publishers Weekly:

Noble (The Reading Group) hits her stride in her tearjerker fourth novel. Before Barbara Forbes, a mother of four, succumbs to terminal cancer, she leaves words of wisdom for her four daughters in the form of letters to each of them. In the year following Barbara's death, her daughters draw strength from her words and from each other as they move forward with their lives. Lisa, the eldest, is advised to "let someone look after [her]" for a change. Jennifer, "fragile and hard to reach," struggles with an unraveling marriage. Free-spirited Amanda is thrown for a loop by a family secret, and teenaged Hannah, experiencing her first taste of rebellion, is reminded that she still has a lot of growing up to do. Though Barbara's life-is-short aphorisms are nothing new, her sharp wit and distinctive voice is a nice complement to the four nuanced stories of coping with death. (Apr.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

I really enjoyed this book, and actually I didn't know until I posted this review that it was her fourth novel. I'm going to have to check out her others and add them to my reading list!

My mommy product recommendation for this week will be the Peanut Shell. I'm a huge fan of baby wearing, and I absolutely love my Peanut Shell! The only downside is that I wish I could still use the cradle carry, because Isa loved it so much! She's gotten a bit big for that carry anymore though, but we can still use the other holds!

Welcome to Mommy's Favorite Things!

As a new mommy I'm constantly finding new products and resources that I love and want to share. This blog will be where I record all my favorite things, hence the name ;).

A little about me: I'm a 24 year old married mommy of one. I work full time as a teacher. With summer break approaching I'll be working full-time in retail. I go to school online full time, getting my Master's. I enjoy organizing, photography, cooking, reading, blogging, graphic designing, shopping, sewing/crafting and more! My parenting style is less-extreme attachment parenting, I breastfeed and make all my own baby food. We vaccinate and co-sleep.

And I have opinions on everything!