Summertime Energy ~Guest Post

Here are just a few snacks That will Give You Energy Throughout Your Day. Filled with vitamins , antioxidants, minerals and more. Get ready for all that summer fun and pack in the energy.

1.Bananas are one of the best sources of potassium, which helps maintain normal blood pressure and heart function in the body.

2.Apples contain lots of vitamins and minerals, and are also a rich source of flavonoids which are powerful antioxidants

3.Pumpkin Seeds are packed with minerals such as magnesium, iron, and calcium, vitamin K and protein.

4.Carrots are high in fiber They contain high amounts of Vitamin A (Beta-Carotene) which is good for eye sight

5.Celery is filled with fiber, vitamin C and B-vitamins. It has a diuretic effect, which helps to flush out excess fluid from the body.It also works as an anti-inflammatory .

6.Sipping water with lemon (cold or hot) is known to provide energy. Start your day with a cup of hot lemon water.

"MaryBeth is a Christian wife and mother of 3, following in The Lord’s footsteps. She loves to blog so you can often find her at CountryLife4Me but you can also find her on Twitter and you can follow her on her Fan Page on facebook!"

Soap Crayons ~Guest Post

                                                                                    

Do your kids love to play in the bath? I know I did ! Here is how to make your own soap crayons that are perfect for baths!

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MATERIALS :

Mild powdered laundry soap

Food coloring

Ice cube trays or other small molds

Water

How To :

Add 1 cup of the powdered laundry soap to a bowl. Slowly add water by the teaspoon until it becomes a thick liquid mixture. Stir well and add food coloring until it is the color you want. Pour it into ice cube trays or other small molds.

Set in a dry spot for a few days and allow the crayons to harden.

When they are hard, remove them from the mold and use.

You can test this on the side of your bathtub before letting your kids use them.

"MaryBeth is a Christian wife and mother of 3, following in The Lord’s footsteps. She loves to blog so you can often find her at CountryLife4Me but you can also find her on Twitter and you can follow her on her Fan Page on facebook!"

My Cloth Diapering Journey ~Guest Post

When I started my cloth diapering journey, I had no idea just how humongous the selection was out there! I am an indecisive person by nature and was completely overwhelmed at all the choices I had to make. AIOs, pockets, covers, prefolds, AI2s it was all too much! I hopped online to find other's opinions and information on what would work the best yet still be cost effective as one of the larger reasons for choosing cloth diapering originally was to save money. I can't tell you how many times I filled up an online shopping cart and almost checked out then decided to wait and research more before I bought. Lets just say it was ridiculous! Now, a year and a half later, I have some advice for anyone just starting out cloth diapering.

First I would say, do your research. Visit mom blogs and look through their diaper reviews. Most of these mamas know their stuff, and you can find their opinions on all sorts of brands. You can also visit the Diaper Pin website where there are reviews on many of the cloth diaper brands and stores. There is also a book out called "Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering" that I have heard great reviews about. I haven't read it myself yet, but from what I've heard it gives a great overview of the types of diapers out there and how they work. Talk to any friends you may have who cloth diaper. Most people who choose to cloth diaper love to talk about their "fluff"!

Second, don't put all your eggs in one basket unless you are certain that's what you want. Although buying all of your diapers at once can be cheaper, it's not always better in the long run. Some diapers work really well for a tiny infant, but wont fit a bigger baby as well and vice versa (in fact it's usually vice versa ha!). Also keep in mind your child's ability to soak a diaper will greatly increase the older they get which may influence which diapers you can use for nap time and bed time. The more types of diapers I've added to my stash the easier cloth diapering has become for me. If I'm in a hurry there's an AIO waiting, if I want a lot of absorbency I've got hemp prefolds and covers, and if I want something cute I've got a whole host of printed pocket diapers. A good way to try out a bunch of different diapers is to do a diaper rental or trial. Many online retailers offer this with the option to buy the diapers you really love and send back the diapers you didn't like so much. 

Third, don't just buy the cheapest diaper you can find. There might be a reason it's the cheapest diaper you can find. That being said, I do have quite a few cheaper diapers that have served me very well. It's also true that the most expensive diaper is not necessarily the best. Many of my favorite diapers fall somewhere in the middle price wise. In the end, it all comes back to doing your research. 

Fourth, think about where you are wanting to use your cloth diapers. Are you going to use them while out shopping or at day care? You might want to make sure you've got some AIOs or pocket diapers you can put on your baby easily. I've found that my babysitters feel the least intimidated by a velcro closure so I have a few of those (even though I am not really a velcro fan). Also, how much is your husband into cloth diapering? Is he willing to change a cloth diaper? My husband will do a pocket diaper change, but doesn't like to fuss with the prefolds and covers at all. 

So, what would I have in my perfect realistic stash? (not my dream, I-have-too-much-money-for-my-own-good stash) 

10 hemp prefolds

5 or so cotton prefolds - in case of diaper rash, you can pin or snappi them without a cover for more air flow whereas you can't pin the hemp ones

4-6 covers - I love Thirsties covers the best, in snaps only - I don't like the velcro ones

10 pockets or AI2s - in a variety of hemp, bamboo, and microfiber fabrics - I like having choices!

3-5 AIOs

3 night time fitted diapers 

2 wool covers

I think that about sums it up! The biggest mistake I made when starting out was not trying enough variety. I wish I had either done a cloth diaper trial or bought one of each type of diaper and tried them out before I bought my entire stash. Don't get overwhelmed. Just try a few different diapers out and see what you like and what you don't and go from there. You can always sell the diapers you really don't like. There's quite a big used cloth diaper market out there!

About me: I am a wife to my amazing, funny, enthusiastic husband Jesse and a full-time mommy to one active (and adorable) 18 month old son named Angelo. I discovered the mama blogging world looking for information about cloth diapering (to save money), and have been “sucked in”.  My current interests (aka, obsessions,) involve frugal living, cloth diapering, greener living, improving my culinary skills, and becoming a more godly wife and mother. I blog over at Mother Necessity.

The Fine Art of Spring Decorating ~ Guest Post

I love decorating for the holidays, but for so many people decorating during other times of the year can be difficult. Not only do you have to figure out what to decorate with there is also the problem of too much to choose from. I know you would think that it would be harder to decorate for winter holidays, but with spring and summer you really must have more creative skill as the stores are not going to do the decorating for you as they do during the winter holidays.


I personally love sticking to pastels for spring and bold bright colors for summer. Spring time brings flowers and green back to our lives so having these colors is always a great choice. For spring decorating I always use accessories in limited amounts to brighten up my home and make it feel fresh. A great example of something simple you can use is the above fragrance warmers. Not only are they very spring like, but they also can be used to scent your home with a great spring scent.  These add both style and function to your home. The addition of a few flowers or greens around the base of these scent warmers would also add to the look and feel of your home.

Another way to change up your home décor is with a theme. Birds are very big this year and with this really cute bird canister set you can sing with the birds while you cook. This would add a great spring and summer feel to your home. The warm yellows and bright colors of the flowers pop out in a way that could grab someone's attention and they are great to store pasta and flour in.  Add in some great bird wall art or other bird themed accessories to create a very tranquil space. 

Another great way to decorate for spring is to use the obvious flowers. Daisies are hot this year and the trend is just going to keep going. Add some silk daisies to your centerpiece or use them in a vase on a side table. You could also hang them over an entry or on a low bookshelf with some candles.  Another great idea would be to mix flowers and birds for a combined theme that is sure to make your visitors comfortable and create some great conversations.

"This is a guest post by Holly Brown.  She currently runs an interior design blog called Home Style Tips and is an independent distributor for Celebrating Home, a home décor party company."

Establishing a Routine for Your Newborn ~ Guest Post

Bringing a brand new baby home from the hospital has to be one of the most exciting experiences a mother can have. There are many visitors, many welcoming gifts, and of course lots of advice.  But after the excitement wears off and friends and family leave, reality quickly sets in.  Focus turns to the task at hand, and while there is nothing sweeter than rocking a sleeping baby, keep in mind that babies don't always sleep when we expect them to.  There are, however, measures we can take to help establish a routine for the new addition.  

After the challenge of labor and delivery has been experienced and the first medical choices of immunizations and cord blood banking have been considered, a new mother now has to adjust to life with baby at home. One of the biggest changes for mom is having days and nights are turned around for baby’s feeding schedule. This is common for newborns, but it can wear moms out when their own sleep patterns are disrupted.  To remedy this, moms should gradually work to keep the baby up for extended periods of time during the day.  This can be terribly exhausting when dealing with a tired and cranky baby, so get family and friends involved. Take turns keeping the baby awake for periods of time during the day.  This will do wonders for the newborn when you finally let her sleep and rest during the night.  Mothers should remember to not get discouraged and not be too hard on herself if this takes a week or so to turn the baby's sleep pattern around. 

After the days and nights get straightened out, it is extremely important for moms to establish a schedule for the baby.  Feeding times should occur at regular intervals to regulate and stabilize a baby's metabolism.  Once this is established, naptime and playtime can become part of the routine.  The key is routine: food, play time, nap time. The payoff for establishing this routine will be when the child gets a bit older.  When regular naptime becomes part of a child's routine, moms will not have nearly the number of bedtime battles down the road.  Always keep in mind that a well-rested child is a well-behaved child.  

Along with establishing a routine for the baby is establishing a routine for mom.  Moms tend to be selfless, always doing for others and putting the baby first.  Of course this is very noble for a mother to do, but keep in mind that for a mom, she is no good to anyone, including her precious baby, if she are operating on fumes.  Just like a baby, mom needs to be recharged.  For the first several weeks, a mother should always nap when the baby naps.  Laundry and other chores can wait.

Lastly, once that baby is safely home and tucked away in bed, don't forget to tackle other important issues to protect your child, life insurance, a will, and guardianship in case any emergency would warrant those things down the road. 

"This article was written by Katie Moore. Katie is an active writer within the blogging community who discusses maternity, motherhood, prenatal health, childbirth and other topics within this niche.  If you have any questions or would like to connect with Katie please contact by visiting her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter @moorekm26."