Getting Lucky

Luck. It really isn't something we have been having a lot of lately. Both cars have broken down, our check that we were expecting has been delayed for up to a month and we had nearly two weeks where my husband couldn't get to work because of either the weather or the car breaking down.

But, what is luck? I don't think it is necessarily getting everything that you want or even having the best timing. Luck is chance, and like everything else it is random. I have had some great luck in the past. All my kids were born healthy thanks to random combination of DNA, I love my job because I was lucky enough to have someone teach me the basics, I love that I have become educated enough to type this blog post without a ton of spelling mistakes.

I also love being lucky enough to talk to other moms who cloth diaper and spend my time at home with my kids. Now, that is lucky. I do have some lucky things I carry with me though. I have to admit it. It's not luck I am thinking about but more of an OCD type of thing where certain items have to be on me at all times. Like, for example, an extra pair of baby socks. You never know when your kid will need another pair of socks!

And a deck of cards. I always have a deck of cards in my bag, even if I only have my diaper bag. Its like my lucky little thing that I always carry with me! I really feel exceptionally lucky every day. I am lucky to have healthy, funny, intelligent kids. That happen to also be hilarious. I am also lucky to have an AMAZING husband who does all the heavy lifting around the house.

Did I mention that he is awesome? He gets up early and takes the kids to school when they miss the bus, washes my cloth diapers and even cooks on occasion. Although last time he cooked I got VERY sick so I am thinking that his cooking really isn't that lucky. :| But, otherwise, I really hit the jackpot when I married him.

I think that luck has a lot to do with our outlook. Are we lucky because our car broke down? Well, we got to spend some extra time together. Are we lucky because our check was delayed? Maybe. We might need the money for something more later than we do now. Luck is definitely linked to your outlook, like a glass half empty, glass half full type of thing. I know I am lucky. I love my life!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the Bookieboo and "Earthies Wants You to Feel Lucky" blogging program, making me eligible to win a pair of Earthies shoes and American Express Gift Cards. For more information on how you can participate, click here. http://www.bookieboo.com/forum/topics/earthies-wants-u-to-feel-lucky

Seventh Generation Giveaway!

Winner has been emailed! Thanks everyone for entering!

Seventh Generation recently sent me a ton of their feminine care products to review and offered to host a giveaway package for one lucky reader! Let me start off by saying that I totally advocate cloth pads because they are reusable, but let's be honest. Most women are looking for the convenience of disposable pads and tampons.

Seventh Generation feminine care is a good choice because they are made from organic cotton and are 100% chlorine free! If you are looking for an alternative to use then Seventh Generation is much, much more eco-friendly than traditional pads and tampons and keeps more chemicals out of your body. 100% cotton, what's there to complain about?!?

I tried them out, and can say that:
1. They don't have that stupid irritating plastic that rubs and chafes like most commercial pads and
2. They are super comfortable and convenient. I will admit it. I love cloth, but these are easy which is cool.
3. I love the logo/motto "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations" a saying that is from The Great Law of The Iroquois Confederacy. When you have kids, nothing can be more important than thinking about the future and what kind of environment we are leaving behind.

If you want something to use while your are out and about, need a backup for your Diva Cup, or want a healthier alternative to commercially made pads and tampons then check out Seventh Generation. They are now available at Target, Wal-Mart and lots of other stores across the nation.

Now, onto the giveaway! If you want to enter to win your own feminine care gift pack of organic tampons and pads from Seventh Generation just follow these guidelines.

Mandatory Entry

Follow my blog publicly, and tell me something you learned about Seventh Generations line of feminine care products that isn't mentioned on this page. Go to Seventh Generation here.

Extra Entry
For an extra entry, tell me one reason that you prefer using organic cotton tampons and pads. You can check out the videos and other resources on the Seventh Generation feminine care website to learn more about reasons to use natural, organic feminine care products. Good luck everyone.

The winner will be drawn on Feb. 25 using random.org and entries will be verified before notification. Winner has 48 hours to reply by email to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn.

Seventh Generation provided products to me free of charge, at my request, for this review and giveaway. The opinions expressed here are my own, and not influenced in any way by third parties.

GroOrganic Garden Planner Review

I was recently given a subscription to GroOrganic Garden Planner to review for my blog. I love gardening and really don't use chemicals on my garden at all. We have had some success but this year I really want to be prepared and armed with all the information I need for a really successful garden so I can can and freeze veggies for the winter.

The GroOrganic Garden Planner has really helped me prepare for this season by showing me how much ground to prepare for the number and type of plants that I want to grow and by giving me tips and information on each of the different types of plants I am going to grow.

Some things I really like about the GroOrganic garden planner include the ability to track your garden over the span of several seasons and years and the staggered planting feature. For example, with the staggered planting you might grow squash in one area of your garden for two months then switch to tomatoes instead of squash. This technique works well when you don't have a lot of space to grow veggies and herbs but want to have a full variety during the growing season.

Remember when you were a kid and there was always WAY TOO MUCH of one veggie and not enough of another? In my case we ate squash with every meal for three months but only got tomatoes once in a while :( With the GroOrganic garden planner you can actually track the success of your crops and regulate the number of plants you have to the numbers you want the garden to produce. I think that this tool would work best when used for two or more years consecutively. On the second year you could be able to adjust the amount that you need for each type of plant.

I also think beginners could use the GroOrganic Garden Planner to help manage their garden and produce a more successful crop. You can right click each type of plant at the top of the planner for growing information, get your frost dates and also learn how to rotate your crops from season to season with the planner. I have a lot of trouble knowing where to plant crops so the planner takes the guess work out of planting a garden for me.

I really like this tool. I do recommend checking out all the videos before you get started so you can learn how to use the GroOrganic garden planner to its fullest potential. All of the features are explained in the videos and they are pretty short and concise. I also think that this planner would work best in the second year, like you may not notice as many benefits the first year as the second and later years of using the tool. Good luck gardening!

If you want to connect with GroOrganic or start using the tool for yourself, then you need this info:

Buy GroOrganic

GroOrganic on Facebook

GroOrganic on Twitter

GroOrganic on Flicker

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Updates, Snow and Upcoming Giveaways

Wow, what an amazing and interesting week it has been. First, we got a LOT of snow for this area. We ended up with about 2 feet of snow during the past two weeks. My kids haven't even been to school in a little over two weeks, too! But, I have some amazing news! Starting next week I will have two giveaways that are confirmed for my blog!

First I will be hosting a Juppy Walker giveaway. I am not a fan of "baby holders", you know, those things that we all use to keep our babies contained when we are busy. If I can't do the job when holding my baby then I just use a carrier or wrap to wear my baby. But, this product is different. It isn't meant to be a baby holder! I will give you all the details when I have my giveaway posted!

I am also working with one of my favorite companies, Seventh Generation. I totally love that their products are made with the Earth and our future, and children's future, in mind. I am going to be hosting a special giveaway for women during the next couple of weeks, so keep your eyes peeled!

Enter Your Recipe on RedGold for a Freebie

If you join RedGold and leave a recipe, they will send you a free set of measuring spoons! I end up buying a set of measuring spoons at least twice a year because my kids use them for odd things. Like making mud sculptures and to eat cereal with. We aren't civilized, obviously ;)
Anyway, you can share a recipe here and they will send you some measuring spoons. Make sure you sign up to get 'em!

Storyland Yoga Review

We recently received Storyland Yoga for Kids to review. First, let me say that we do yoga five days out of the week, just me and Little Zelda Fanatic. Little Wiggler is there, too, but he isn't into yoga yet. :)

First, the benefits of yoga. Yoga is thought to help people become more focused and centered, and also relieves stress. Yoga can also help bring you closer to the natural world, as well. Of course, this DVD is for kids and can be used inside or out with a portable DVD player. After a while, Little Zelda Fanatic learns all the yoga stances in a sequence so we don't need the DVD unless we are learning something new, which makes it easier to exercise outside.

Storyland Yoga is completely kid-oriented. Each chapter (there are three) tells a story using simple yoga exercises that keep kids interested and moving. We have only had time to do the Condor Trek because of everyone being snowed in and keeping me busy. Little Zelda Fanatic recreates the story randomly for people, so I know it was a hit! He was trying to tell his dad about biking up the mountain to save the egg just last night. He also asks for yoga now, which is a very cool development.

The exercises include a lot of imagination and pretend, something that my three year old loved. We also did the Condor Trek as a family with my 10 and 11 year old kids. The exercises were simple enough so that even as beginners in yoga they can easily keep up. The pace is perfect for Little Zelda Fanatic at three years old but is also fast enough for the older kids to maintain their interest in the DVD.

One thing I like about the Storyland Yoga DVD is that you don't have to have a lot of knowledge about yoga to use it. You can actually just use this as a regular exercise DVD if you want. We also liked that the stories are vivid and interesting. Little Zelda Fanatic was especially psyched about the story, while the older kids liked being able to get active in the living room. This DVD is actually the perfect solution to getting rid of some excess energy when you are cooped up inside from the weather.

I also love that it gives me and the two littles in my house a chance to play together. I want health to be important to them as they grow, and nothing is more influential than getting involved and giving them an example to go by. I help them with the poses as needed, but it is important not to push your kids too hard when they are getting started. Storyland Yoga is totally fun, and isn't meant to be a competition.

You can learn more by visiting Storyland Yoga , or you can buy the product here on Amazon . I would definitely recommend Storyland Yoga to anyone who wants to help their kids become more active. This DVD could also be super helpful when you need to get active as a family and have a lot of ages, like our family. We have kids ages 11 through 3 that all loved the DVD.



I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.