Yeast Free Diet - Have you heard of it?

Ok, so I am trying a new thing - the Yeast Free Diet.  With week two nearly under my belt, I'm not gonna say this is easy.  Honestly yes, I cheated when my husband took me out last week.  *smiles*  But I've also lost five pounds!

Here are three plans.  As usual, everyone has their own twist.  But they all seem similar and appear that they would accomplish the same thing.

The Yeast Diet

The Candida Diet



The Hotze Health and Wellness Center

So here are the first things I attempted making a salad dressing and my own ketchup!

Olive oil, avocado, salt and fresh herb dressing.

Tomato juice, garlic cloves, lemon juice and Stevia!

Wish me luck as I have two and a half more months to go!  Recipes will come in the future...I'm sure!  This is an adventure for me.  My first "official" diet EVER!  *winks*  With help from my family and self-control granted from the Lord, I'm taking a step forward to greater health.

Jewelry Storage Ideas

Are you like me?  Do you have piles of jewelry spilling and running over?  Do you know what to do with it all!?

I have chunky vintage pieces and and simple charms on a chain.  And clip earrings, how to store those?  Then there are bangles, thick and large.

After much digging around on the web, here are some great ideas to store all of that precious bling!  Now I can't wait to get all of my jewelry unpacked and fancifully displayed!

From Harper Valley

From Storage Geek

From Pretty Pretty Petals

From Makeup And Beauty

From Pretty and Fun

Pardon our dust...

...MommieJoys is in the process of being "remodeled!"

Check back soon to see our new look.

Diaper Cakes

Pretty Princess Diaper Cake

Natural Giraffe Diaper Cake

Aren't diaper cakes so fun and simple to make!?  These are two I've made for friends baby showers.  Just something fun to remember.  *smiles*

Have you ever tried your hand at making a diaper cake?  Other than the price of diapers this is really an inexpensive way to make quite a useful and impressive gift!  Once you get all the diapers rolled and rubber banded, things going quickly.

Check out this link for some instructions...http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Diaper-Cake.

Happy baking!

10 Natural Helps for Families During Cold Season

So, the nasty sickie bug that hit us a month ago decided to reappear over the weekend.  Darn little bug.  Won't you just die?  Several people I know are having a hard time getting rid of this nasty breed of bug!

Some stuff to think about.  (Unless this list is all "No, duh!" to you more experienced Mommies.  *smiles*)

• Using a humidifier in your child's room at night can make a huge difference.  If I forget to fill ours up or plug it in, my daughter's nose in the morning is all crusty inside and out!
• Keep hand sanitizer easily accessible and make sure there is a full bottle of soap at each sink.  Can't clean those hands too much!
• Instead of a hand towel, use paper towels to dry hands.  While this isn't the most "green" option, it cuts down on the places bacteria or "sickie bugs" can fester.
• Try some natural sanitizer wipes such as those from Seventh Generation.  Having sanitizer wipes handy to clean up messes - after craft time or during potty training - also helps kill a few of those buggies.
• Limit sugar intake!  Your immune system is lowered for several hours after having sugar.  This includes fruit sugar.  Also, sugar allows bacteria and yeast to grow in your body.
• Eat plenty of hot soups and drink lots of water!
• Diaper wipes work great to clean up a snotty nose!  Also helps from getting that snoz red and chaffed.
• Open the windows and let the fresh air blow through the house.  A bit of sunshine could be helpful to you too!

Since there are so many options out there from prescription drugs to Grandma's home remedies, I decided to share some of our family's favorites.**   Just something else for you to research, but if you're interested in "natural" cough and cold help - here ya go!

• Standard Process Congaplex** - Available online from Amazon and from many health care providers, Standard Process has incredible all-natural, mostly organic vitamin supplements.  Congaplex is our "go-to" supplement whenever we are sick.  (Or when we've been around sick people!)  It is for short term use, to boost the immune system.  There is a chewable form available for kids, or if they're like my daughter, they can swallow or chew the adult capsule!  **Please seek help from a professional, call the company or do extensive research before giving this supplement to a child.  

• X-clear Kids drops (And adults - in a spray form!) - Gentle enough to use a few times a day.  Saline drops with Xylitol and grapefruit seed extract.  Available online from Amazon or at many health-food and vitamin shops.

 

• Hyland's C-Plus Cold Tablets - Helps with the symptoms of "little" colds and runny noses.  All-natural and homeopathic!  Available online at Amazon and often at your local grocery store or pharmacy!

• Hyland's Cold 'n Cough 4 Kids and Hyland's Nighttime Cold 'n Cough 4 Kids - Why use chemical based cough syrups for your kids?  Hyland's all-natural, homeopathic products work just as well - even better perhaps!  Wal-Mart now carries many Hylands products as does Target, CVS and Wal-Greens!

• Hyland's Earache Drops - Another Hyland's product that I keep in my doctor bag.  Great to carry with you on a plane too, just in case.  Helps relieve pressure caused by head-colds - oh yeah, helps with pain too!  Available online at Amazon or often at your local grocery or pharmacy.

• Vick's VapoRub - Merely rub a tad of this on the bottom of your child's feet at bedtime and cover those little piggies with socks!  Available online at Amazon and nearly any grocery store or pharmacy!  (And yes, I realize this technically isn't a "natural" product!)

• Nordic Naturals Children's DHA and Nordic Naturals Arctic Cod Liver Oil - My toddler has used both the children's and adult fish oils from Nordic Naturals.  Great for the brain, immune system, bowels, joints, etc!  An over-all GREAT thing to add to your daily supplement routine.  Even medical doctors are beginning to prescribe fish oil. 

• Primadophilus Children - The good bacteria for your stomach.  Remember when you took those antibiotics and your doctor said to eat plenty of yogurt?  (I'll lay aside the fact that most yogurts are high in SUGAR completely defeating the purpose!)  Well, probiotics are what the doc wanted you to get from that yogurt.  It helps restore the "flora and fauna" of your guy, and kill off the yeast/bacteria in there!

**I am not a licensed health care professional.  These are products I personally recommend based on experiences with my family.  As always, it is best to check with you health care provider before starting any new supplement or medical regimen.  Please, always do your own research before swallowing any kind of medication or supplement, natural or otherwise.

Pottery Barn Kids Chair - Goodwill Find

So, we were shopping at Goodwill - as is our weekly habit - and this Pottery Barn Kids chair was comfortably sitting back by the book section.  With a nifty $3.99 sticker tag it quickly became -  MINE!  Er, uhm, my daughter's.  *winks*

Although there were faded spots and some ink marks, the thought of DYE popped into my head.  Since I'd never tackled dying anything, a $4 risk was worth taking.

Initially, I machine washed the cover.  Instead of drying it, I chose to soak the cover overnight in a tub full of Oxi-Clean.  (Dye Free Oxi-Clean is one of my favorite laundry tools!)

The Oxi-Clean really did help brighten up the cover, but the ink stains were still quite visible, and the fading was still...faded.  

Turning to the dye I could find during a grocery trip to Wal-Mart - I chose Rit Petal Pink.  Timidly, I followed the directions on the bottle to dye the chair cover in my washing machine!  And guess what?  It worked quite well.

In truth, the color came out a bit more along the lines of Pepto Bismol than I expected.  My goal was to stick closer to the original pale pink - but hey, for a first try, it turned out great!  (Now to find the time to re-stuff the arm cushions!)

Courageous DVD Winner!

And the winner* of the Focus on the Family sponsored Courageous DVD giveaway is...*drum roll*

#21 - Diana Bradford Hatch

Congratulations, Diana!

*If I do not hear from the winner within 48 hours of when I send the winning email, a new winner will be chosen.