Fall Photo shoot with the kids!

We seized the day, temperature, and Sunday family time for a mini-photo shoot with the children!  Nate found the spots close to home this morning during his run!  I LOVE having a husband that is also an awesome photographer and awesome at photo editing!  Of course he has many other awesome traits too!

Thankfully no one drove by while I was acting like a complete fool jumping up and down with Sophie the Giraffe trying to get the kids to (1) look up (2) smile (3) sit still and ALL at the same time!

Sister and Brother

My sweet boy is getting too big!

I loved this one!

Sis will be 4 years old soon!

Date Night with my LOVE!

Anyone looking for frugal date night ideas?  Here is one of our favorites ....

- Kids to bed early
- Set up candles at the kitchen table, turn off the lights
- Ipod hooked up to speakers ($1 garage sale find!)
- Focus on the Family Marriage podcast cued up
- Synergy Kombucha in our favorite wine glasses!
- Notecards and pens to take notes for discussion

.... for a total price of $3.90!

We spend an hour or so listening and then discussing the podcast.  We are always looking for ways to grow together and make our marriage stronger!

What are some of your favorite frugal date night ideas?

She just melts my heart!

Since Jackson was born, I have been singing this one song to him over and over again before each nap and at bedtime!  Last month, Sophia was laying on the ground outside of Jackson's room (the door was cracked open), and she heard me sing to him!  I didn't tell her that I saw her outside the room.  The next night I asked her what song she wanted me to sing to her before bed and she responded "Jackson's song please."  From that point on, this song has become a staple in our bedtime routine!  I had no idea she knew all the words until we were driving in the car on the way home from preschool yesterday!  I wanted to snap a video last night to capture this memory for the future!!

Doesn't it just melt your heart?

My little man ...

I love this little guy! :)

Saw, Saw, Hammer, Hammer ..

As I was organizing pictures and videos on the computer tonight, I came across this video from earlier this summer!  Nate's parents taught Sophia this sweet song and she was prepared to sing it to us when we got home from a date!  So precious!!

Do you remember any children's songs that you learned while a kid?

Cheese!

This morning was school pictures!  I wanted to get a few for myself in case Sophia decided not to smile for the photographer!!

Our little girl is getting so big!

Excited to go to school!

On our way home from school, I tried to ask Sophia about her day, what she did, how they did school pictures ... Yes, basically 20 questions!  She looked at me as serious as ever and said, "Mom, I was just chillin' out waiting for my pictures! Actually, I was just chillin' out all day long at school!"

I have never heard her use those words before, and I had to keep from busting out laughing!  "Chillin' out!"  Wonder where she learned those from?  Probably school!  Ha!

Shoo Fly Shoo ...

Anyone else have a KILLER problem with fruit flies in their kitchen?  I am awaiting my shipment from Amazon for my fruit fly traps!  They can't come fast enough!

I was swatting at some flies near Jackson, and he thought it was hilarious!  He kept laughing and laughing!

See for yourself ...

Such a sweet boy!

I like it to B-Sweet… Boresha's B-sweet REVIEW

I like it to B-Sweet…

You all know my desire to eat healthy and provide health choices for my family.  But I have to admit, I love the taste of sweets, and if you are truthful, most people are that way.  With most Americans consuming over 150 lbs of sugar a year, I know I am not alone in my search for a healthy sweetener option.  I also have a family history of Diabetes, so I have extra reason to be cautious with sweets and sweeteners.

As I considered all the new and old sweeteners on the market that claim to have no calories, the choices were overwhelming.  When choosing a sweetener, I considered the following questions: “ Is it natural?”  “Does the body know what to do with it?” and "Has it been linked to cancer, headaches or some other problem in the future?"  I considered honey, maple syrup, organic sugar but all of those contribute to fat storage and higher blood sugars…not good!  I looked at a myriad of non-caloric sweeteners and found Stevia to be natural but hard to use because it has a noticable after taste and is challenging to near impossible to bake with.

I decided to just use brown sugar and coconut sugar, until I was introduced this summer to a great low glycemic natural sweetener that does not cause blood sugar increase and does not promote fat storage.  The taste is pleasantly sweet and it is granular. It looks like sugar and can be substituted in recipes in the same amounts as sugar.  It can be used in coffee, tea, lemonade, sprinkled on cereal or any other way you would use sugar.  It even carmelizes when heated to give that great finish to desserts.  My diabetic family member has been using it for months to help keep his blood sugar stable and he loves it. I have been using it just like sugar for the past 6 weeks!

MY REVIEW:  When I use  B-Sweet™, I don't feel the least bit guilty that I am putting something that "might" be bad for me into my body!  I am confident in the science behind this product and love having it to share with all the members in my family!  To get a similar sweetness to Stevia, I had to use quite a bit more (in terms of volume), but it doesn't have the same bitter aftertaste that you find with Stevia.  When I make my oatmeal in the morning, I used to put 1 tablespoon of brown sugar to get to the taste I desired.  I have to put about 1 heaping tablespoon of  B-Sweet™, to get a similar taste, but it isn't as sweet.  However, it does taste more natural!  

I haven't been using any artificial sweeteners (Splenda, Sweet N Low, or Equal for YEARS), so I won't be comparing those for this review.  

Well, now you know why they call it the "Family Sweetener."  Its safety crosses all age barriers as well as the diabetic barrier!!

Here is a great family recipe with it!  We made it last night and it was AWESOME!!

Homemade Kettle Korn:
½ cup organic yellow popcorn
1/4-1/3 cup extra virgin coconut oil

Place the corn in a large steel pan with a lid and add the coconut oil as the popping oil.  I used my pasta pot.  Heat the pan and shake a few times for even heating of the corn. When the popcorn is finished and still hot, sprinkle with B Sweet and sea salt to taste.  Add the lid for 1 minute to let the B Sweet melt on the popcorn.  Mix with a spoon and enjoy a healthy family snack.

NERD ALERT: 

Here is the nerdy part of my review for you who want a little more science on this sweetener.  The product is made from carbohydrates called glycosides extracted from acai berries and kiwi fruit.  The prorietary extraction process leaves a delicously sweet granular sweetener that is safe for diabetics, children, pregnant and nursing mothers.  There are no cautions at all on the label.  It is sweet, it is natural and it contributes no fat storing  properties  like sugar and other sweeteners do.  Here  is a link to more detailed information on the product.  It has been tested and certified low glycemic by the Glycemic Research Institute through human clinical trials.  Now that helps me have confidence that the science really has shown the product to meet all the criteria many of us want in a sweetener.

I hope you are as convinced as I am with all the awesome information provided!  Head on over (to the website below) and check it out!

BUY IT: HERE  (As of now it is not available in stores, but can be purchased on line.) 

Disclaimer: I received this product free of charge. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. 

We had a fun fall trip to the zoo with our new friends that we met at Breastfeeding Support Group!  All these babies are no more than 6-8 weeks apart (well, except Sophia of course!)

Feeding the birds!  She had a blast!

Wow, this redefines BIG HEAD?

Two little lovebirds ... like me and the hubby!

We were so bummed the dolphin show wasn't going on while we were at the zoo!  Next time!!  

Do you have a favorite exhibit at the zoo?

Happy 1st Birthday Jackson!

What a year it has been!!!  My sweet baby boy is now ONE!!  We decided to have a small family party to celebrate this big event!!

My photo journey of Jackson's 1st year!

Jackson's homemade pumpkin spice cake with homemade cream cheese icing!

My Uncle Harv and Aunt Sue with Jax

Happy Birthday Jax!  Mommy and Daddy love you so much!

My parent's attempt at a picture with all 3 grandkids!

My Cousins Chuck and Lori and Jax!

The family!

The "kids" table!  (Sorry Sarah, Brandon, and Grandma!)

Daddy and his boy!  They are buds!

He did a great job opening gifts!

He totally rocked the cake!!!

Only crumbs were left!   He ate a HUGE piece, no dinner of course!

Group picture minus the hubby!

We are so excited to have our sweet Jackson and I am SO glad the boy is FINALLY CRAWLING now!! Yay, on to walking next ... well, in a few months!

Of note ... Please don't do this ... If you see a baby in the store and you ask their mom how old they are and they tell you ONE and DO NOT ask, "Is he walking yet?" and the mom says, "No." DO NOT SAY, "Really? He should be!"  Not every baby walks at 1 year ... ok, stepping off my soapbox!