Giveaway Winner!!

The winners of the Red Apple Supple Giveaway are..................

Scarlet of Moms Wear Your Tees. com said...

I am a google follower.

April 15, 2010 5:01 PM

The Taylor Household said...

fb of red apple
joni lively taylor
jonilynntaylor at gmail dot com

April 20, 2010 11:35 AM

WWillows6 said...

I'm following you on Twitter user lisalmg.
lisalmg25 at gmail dot com

April 26, 2010 5:39 PM

Thank you to all who entered this giveaway!

The winner of the Go La Rolla Baby Giveaway is.....................

SAPsMaMa said...

I follow you via feedburner!

mphin278 AT yahoo DOT com

April 28, 2010 2:44 PM

Thank you to all who entered! Come back and enter some other giveaways! I always have something going on, and LOTS to come! These winners will have 48 hours to email me back with their address, or their prize will be forfeited! Thanks again for stopping by!

Upcoming projects

Here is a sneak peek into what we have been working on!

We are going to be out of town from Saturday- Wednesday but the following week we will be starting a 2 week unit on birds! The boys started working on a project that will go up on Thursday next week to kick off our bird study!

They worked very hard for about 2 hours, so I am thinking this unit might be a hit!

Hmmmm what will it be???

I have started on a project of my own, that I am hoping I can have done by the time the boys graduate high school. The school room! I cant believe I am showing these pictures, but here it is after I stripped everything off the walls, out of the cabinets, and tossed all the shelving!

I picked up some beautiful black office furniture and can't wait to get it all together! Look for the school room unveiling sometime this month!

Finally, a have a HUGE surprise for all you natural mamas! Look for that May 1st! You won't want to miss it!

Work in Progress.......................

This week has been busy but nothing is finished.

I have started many things like redecorating, potty training, and bottle feeding(Have no fear, we are trying to prep Lil for when I go to work so only 1 bottle a day) but I have yet to check off a single thing on my to do list and I am exhausted!

I have wiped up potty training messes, sat on the floor in front of the potty and read stories, bathed Fast Eddy 4 times today alone, and fell asleep while I held the screaming extreme separation anxiety baby. Is the work of a mother ever finished??

My "Duties" but....................

Changing diapers but I get to kiss chubby baby feet

Rocking them to sleep while I just want to lay in bed but I love to rub their head while they sleep in my lap

Constant worrying but I get to turn to God in prayer

Giving baths but I love to smell them after I have covered them in Mustela baby oil after their bath

Cleaning cuts but I get to hear "I wuv you mama"

Getting peed on a night but I love Cuddling with them in our "Family bed"

Singing "I will always Love you" by Celene Dion to Fast Eddy until my throat hurts but I love that he loves my singing voice

My job comes with some awesome benefits doesn't it?


My duties as a mother are never done, and when I get to a point where I feel like I am close to being done, like potty training...................a whole new door opens. When I start complaining about having to do my motherly duties, I need to remember that I am ever so blessed to have duties to complain about. I am sure there are thousands of women who would long to have these duties. I will not take my children for granted, but instead Thank God every day for choosing me to carry and raise these beautiful children. I only hope that I can be as good of a parent as my heavenly father.

Here are my current work in progresses.



"Lord, Thank you for every minute of my day, as stressful as it might be I am thankful beyond words. While sometimes I feel that you have more faith in me, than I do in my self.........I know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, and I know that I am never alone in this journey. I give you my heart, mind and soul.....Lord refine me."

This is what little boys are made of

After reading this post by Filth Wizardly, I was inspired to let my children be free to use their imagination. She has some awesome ideas for preschoolers- you will get addicted!! She is all about letting them be messy and free. I love it!

This is what little boys are made of.................DIRT! It took me 1 hour to get all the dirt out of his hair! They were building a dirt castle. That's my son :)

*That tube was an old line for sprinklers that he unearthed.

Mommy Loves Tuesday Giveaways #5

Do you love to win stuff??? Do you have a great giveaway going on?

Come over and win some free stuff or show the linky love and link up your giveaway! Please keep the giveaways family friendly! Come back every Tuesday, to tell the world about your giveaway! feel Free to follow me for updated giveaways!

Here are my current Giveaways!

Peapod Creations Organic baby package including 1 organic Cuddly wrap, 1 organic blanket,and 4 organic burp cloths! End 5/14

Hatley gift certificate, you can buy a PVC free raincoat! 5/12

Educational Package from Peaceable Kingdom Press 5/4

Go La Rolla Organic Baby layette 4/29

Please link up with your blog name, Giveaway name, and date that it ends! Thanks!

Feel free to follow my blog so you can get updates to come back every Tuesday to link up! I look forward to finding new blogs, and perhaps winning some great products! You can also link up every Saturday over at Mama to 3 Blessings. She hosts a Super Saturday Link up! Have a great week!

Muffin Tin Monday

We missed out on last weeks muffin tin since we had no leftovers! So this week we ate leftovers from yesterdays breakfast party we had! We had our family over to have cake for Fast Eddy's birthday- late because we cancelled for sicky baby.

Here is today's tin. Donut, cheese grits, watermelon, banana, eggs, and yogurt! The boys love eating from tins.

Here is the cake I made for Fast Eddy! It is a cake made to look like a stack of pancakes, since we had a brunch party! It was a hit!

Eco-Friendly- Hatley Nature PVC FREE Raincoat Review and Giveaway!

April Showers bring May Flowers!

Hatley has you covered with products to make the rain fun! They have raincoats, umbrellas, and rain boots for all sizes!! Their products are all nature centered, so you will find adorable designs such as butterflies, allligators, ducks, bugs, horses and more!



Hatley carries everything from children's clothes to kitchen aprons as well! Formed on the principles of good design, quality, and family Hatley ensures that their products will last! Perfect hand me downs!



Here in Florida it rains A LOT, so we were really excited to review the pirate raincoat! I have been on the hunt for a raincoat for the boys, but have not found any that met my standards. Hatley meets all of them! Regular raincoats are made with PVC plastic, which is a known carcinogen and the most toxic plastic available. Ever smell a traditional raincoat? That smell is the plastic off gassing, gross I know!


Hatley's raincoats are 100% PVC free, and smell like......nothing!( exactly what you want :)) The inside is lined with 100% soft cotton, and the outside is 100% polyurethane. The adorable pirate print we recieved has Captain bears and first mate moose's all over it! Fast Eddy likes the sword fighting otters the best! I really love that he can snap the whole raincoat by himself; Great for preschoolers!


You can complete your rain outfit with matching rain boots and an umbrella! Made out of 100% latex rubber, they are sure to keep your little ones feet clean and dry! Unfortunately, they do not carry an Pirate umbrella but you can find some alligator and moose umbrellas!


Check out Hatley online or locally to see the other great products they are carry, and to read their green living committment! With aggressive recycling and flame retardant free pajamas, they are striving everyday to make thoughtful decisions that affect our Earth.

BUY IT: The pirate collection is currently on sale! You can pick up the raincoat for $29.99, and the boots for $20.09. They also have some of their umbrellas marked down to just $11.99!!

WIN IT: Hatley Nature has generously offered to give one reader a $20 discount towards their next purchase!

Mandatory Entry:
Visit Hatley and tell me your favorite collection! You must also become a Facebook Fan of Hatley and let them know Home Grown Families sent you!
You must be a Home Grown Families Google Follower to participate.

Extra Entries
Must include email address if not listed in profile. Each entry must be a separate comment.

• Visit Hatley and tell me what other products you like! 1 entry
  

• Visit Hatley and sign up to receive their email newsletter. 1 entry
  

• Become a fan of Home Grown Families on Facebook- 1 entry

• Become a follower of Home Grown Families on Twitter- 1 entry

• Tweet about this giveaway for 1 entry per day! Must leave permalink and include Home Grown Families in tweet.
  

• Subscribe to Home Grown Families via Feedburner in the upper left corner- 1 entry

• Add my button to your blog, and provide a URL.- 3 entries

• Blog about this Giveaway on your blog and provide post URL- 2 entries

• Enter any of my other giveaways and let me know which one you entered- 1 entry per giveaway.
• Vote for Home Grown Families on Top Mommy Blogs by clicking on the logo on the left. 1 entry
  

Good luck everyone! U.S and Canada!- Giveaway will run until May 12th! I will use random generator to pick a winner and will email the winner and announce it here on the blog. The winner will have 48 hours to respond, or a new winner will be announced.

DISCLAIMER: I was not paid for this post. I was given a free product to review, and I have provided my own honest opinion. Thank you, Hatley for allowing us to review your products and for the awesome giveaway. You can view our PR policies here.

Giveaway Winners!!

We have winners! The 5 winners of the Little Green Books giveaway who are receiving 5 great books are:

1. Midnite Skys said...

Added your button to my blog

April 11, 2010 11:33 AM

2. Jolly Green Mommy said...

I am following you on Twitter

April 11, 2010 10:02 AM

3. sweetpea08 said...

I entered the Peacable Kingdom Giveaway
rachel_demille@yahoo.com

April 21, 2010 5:04 AM

4. tree said...

i entered the The Mommy Hook giveaway!

enchantedtree(at)hotmail.com

April 22, 2010 7:32 AM

5. Mama Riser said...

entered the hands-free bra giveaway

mama[dot]riser[at]gmail[dot]com

April 14, 2010 1:39 PM

The WINNER of The Mommy Hook is......................

Mari-Ann said...

FB fan of Mom, Dad and Baby as well.

April 12, 2010 8:01 PM

Thank you to everyone who entered! Keep a look out for future giveaways! I will contact the winners sometime today, and you will have 48 hours to respond with your mailing address! Thank again, and I hope the winners enjoy their books as much as we did!

Math for Kids- Great FREE Educational Games

Fast Eddy can't seem to get enough math in, so on my hunt for math activities I came across Math For kids from KidsNumbers.com! They have tons of games to go along with what your kiddo is learning. They have games for addition, subtraction, time, fractions etc!

My favorite part.........they have a teacher worksheet generator! Fast Eddy does not do well with over cluttered pages, because he gets very EASILY distracted! These worksheets are simple and too the point! Great for test making, if that's your thing too!

I just love finding free educational things for the boys!

Our trip to Disney

Last week we took a long awaited family vacation to Disney! It was nice to spend the day together in such an amazing place! Although we have been before it never seems old! This was Carrot Top's first trip! :) Here are some of my favorite pictures!

I LOVE this Sword in the Stone picture!

Oh, you can see his love for dinosaurs right? He touched it at the exact moment it moved!

This is about the closest we could get to Mickey Mouse, as Carrot Top would not even stand in the line! The thought of a HUGE mouse does not do it for him!

Our family!

I can't wait to go again!

Baby Raves: Peapod Cuddly Wrap Review and HUGE GIVEAWAY!!!

"As a company, and as family members working together, we at Peapod Creations believe in the importance of close, nurturing family ties. We are particularly focused on the needs of infants and young children and how parents can best fulfill those needs. One of the most basic needs of a newborn is to be held in close contact with mother, father or other caregiver. This helps infants develop their trust in the world. It also enables parents to develop their awareness of their baby’s cues and confidence in their ability to meet their baby’s needs."

Babywearing is such a big part of our life, and one thing I look forward to when pregnant is babywearing my squishy newborn in a soft organic wrap, right next to my chest. Sometimes the Florida heat is too strong to have them all wrapped up in a thick wrap though and I worry about overheating etc. I was soooo excited to try out Peapod Creations Organic Cuddly Wrap, because it was the answer to my wrapping heat problems. Matter of fact it was the answer to all my babywearing problems! This awesome 100% certified organic wrap is lightweight and completely breathable! Since I "wear" my babies for multiple hours a day, it is soo important that the wrap is organic! I wouldn't want them breathing in toxins throughout the day!


Stretchy wraps like the Cuddly Wrap, are perfect for getting that perfect snug fit and remaining hands free! A huge benefit of a wrap over other carriers, is that there is no need to adjust straps when Daddy wants to carry baby. They have a very small learning curve and are great for beginners! Peapod Creations also includes an instructional DVD with every carrier so you can learn how to properly wear baby. I love that I can pre-tie unlike woven wraps, and that I do not have to re-tie throughout the day!

Although it is lightweight, it is strong enough to get a secure back or front carry! Wraps are so incredibly versatile, and allow you to carry baby in soo many different positions! The Cuddly Wrap's long length is prefect for high back carries and provides great coverage when nursing! I found that since the material is thin, it evenly distributes the weight and does not bunch up or dig into me! Not only comfortable for mom, but also for baby or toddler! The Cuddly Wrap comes with no age or weight restrictions, so you can comfortably back carry a toddler as well.

You can find the CuddlyWrap in colors such as Tan(that's what I have and I love the naturalness of it),Sage, Brown, Red, Navy, Denim, Black, and Pink! For every pink wrap that is purchased, PeaPod will donate $5.00 for National Breast Cancer Research! Wrapping for a cause, as if I needed another reason to love it:)


You can not only find the CuddlyWrap on Peapod Creations but also some other awesome eco-friendly baby products! Using the same 100% certified organic fabric as the CuddlyWrap, their blankets are perfect for your newest arrival! Super soft, reversible, and adorable color combos! I especially love the little pocket for storing a pacifier! This 32' square blanket is great for swaddling too!

Lil looks good is non traditional colors!

Peapod Creations used the same organic fabric to make some oversized burp cloths! I am in LOVE! As you may have read, Lil has reflux and is always spitting up. I can't ever seem to catch it all, and despite having a cloth on my shoulder it still goes everywhere! These kidney shaped burp cloths cover your whole shoulder and catch everything! I feel great knowing her face is resting on super soft and safe organic cotton! Sold in the same colors as the wrap and blankets, these cloths come in a set of four! A must have for a new mama!

For more information on safe babywearing, you can read my previous post here.

BUY IT: Check out Peapod Creations for a list of locations where you can pick up any of their items!

WIN IT: Peapod Creations has very generously offered to give 1 reader the Ultimate Peapod package including a Cuddly Wrap, blanket, and a pack of burp cloths! That is a HUGE package and perfect for your newest arrival!

To make it even better..........they are going to give away 1 wrap in May, 1 in June and 1 in July!!! That's 3 additional opportunities to win this amazing wrap!!! Thank you Peapod for this awesome giveaway!

Mandatory Entry:Become a fan of Peapod Creations on Facebook, and let them know you are trying to win the Baby package at Home Grown Families!
You must be a Home Grown Families Google Follower to participate.

Extra Entries
Must include email address if not listed in profile. Each entry must be a separate comment.

• Visit Peapod Creations and tell me what colors you like best! 1 entry

• Visit Peapod Creations and tell me one benefit you learned about wrapping. 1 entry

• Become a fan of Home Grown Families on Facebook- 1 entry

• Become a follower of Home Grown Families on Twitter- 1 entry

• Tweet about this giveaway for 1 entry per day! Must leave permalink and include Home Grown Families in tweet.

• Subscribe to Home Grown Families via Feedburner in the upper left corner- 1 entry

• Add my button to your blog, and provide a URL.- 3 entries

• Blog about this Giveaway on your blog and provide post URL- 2 entries

• Enter any of my other giveaways and let me know which one you entered- 1 entry per giveaway.

Good luck everyone! U.S and Canada!- Giveaway will run until May 14th! I will run another giveaway for this wrap starting May 15th! I will use random generator to pick a winner and will email the winner and announce it here on the blog. The winner will have 48 hours to respond, or a new winner will be announced.

DISCLAIMER: I was not paid for this post. I was given a product to review, and I have provided my own honest opinion. Thank you, Peapod CReations for allowing us to review your poroducts and for the awesome giveaway. You can view our PR policies here.

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