My dryer was not getting the clothes dry in one cycle.  Sometimes not even two.  I clean the dryer vent after each load, but I had never cleaned the vent in the back of the house or considered the entire pipe.  This was in my dryer pipe after 15 years…..

Let my grossness be your warning.  CLEAN YOUR DRYER VENT!  (Sorry for the yelling!)

Here is how: http://www.wikihow.com/Clean-a-Clothes-Dryer-Vent

My dryer works better now!  You might want to try yours.

Kim

I have recently discovered Shining Light Dolls.  These are vinyl dolls of all sorts.  They can be purchased on Amazon.  There are many choices.  I have purchased a couple for Easter baskets.  My kids like them.  They are good for kids of all ages.  I chose St. Patrick for today.   Check them out on Amazon or Facebook!

 

 

 

Kid #1 was diagnosed with Celiac Disease over 10 years ago.  I have been trying to find him things for a long time.  Often I am asked what products and recipes we like.  Not my whole family eats GF, but we do about 80% of the time. (Kid #1 is 100%)

First bread: It has come a LONG way since I started buying it in 2003.  Our favorite store bought brand is Udi’s.  We also like the mix from Bob’s Red Mill in the bread machine.  I have tried a few other mixes and recipes, but my boy like these and so these are the ones I use day to day.  (And they are easy, so we both win.)  He prefers the bread machine bread.  I buy it from Amazon on auto-ship.

Next recipes: I follow a few GF bloggers on Facebook (I have not opened the gates to Pinterest yet).  We like Gluten Free Mama (We like her flour too.), Gluten Free on a Shoestring (I have all her cookbooks), and My Gluten Free Kitchen.  These are all user friendly, easy and practical.

I hope these help some getting started.  For those of you that have been eating GF for a while, what are your recommendations?

Can wait to hear about other ideas?

~Kim

I have tried a few different online meal plans, but NONE of them compare to Plan to Eat.  It is so easy.  This site creates grocery list and menu calendars for you.  My favorite feature is the ability to download ANY recipe I find on the web right into the plan.  I love it.  All my favorite recipes are in one place.  Separated by category.  I don’t know how they do it!

You can pay for a month or subscribe for a whole year.  You can share recipes with friends or the Plan to Eat Community.  Best of all you can try it free for 30 days with no risk.  I know you will love it.

Use my referral link: http://www.plantoeat.com/ref/thismomthinks to get started.

I spent $545.10.  I was able to get the following items:
Ground Beef and Chicken
Honey
Lettuce
Mushrooms*
Milk
French Fries*
15lbs of Fresh Potatoes*
Breakfast cereal
Oatmeal
Eggs
Dressing*
Tomato Paste
GF Udi’s Bread*
GF Chicken nuggets*
Yogurt
GF Frozen Cheese Pizza
Lunch meat (Half organic/Half conventional)
Naan Bread* (Kid #4 loves this and they have small sizes that are perfect for her)
Croissants* (Kid #2 favorite)
Nutella * (For the children, hum….)
Cottage Cheese, Sour Cream*
Corn Chips and Salsa
Cheese sticks, fruit leather
Power bars for DH
Beverages (Carbonated water, coffee, organic juice, case of water)
My favorite Chicken Tortilla Soup*
And more….
*not organic

The other reason I spent $550 dollars.  I am challenging my family (and myself) to only spend $60 a week all of March.  If we can accomplish this our grocery budget will be under $800.  That would be super.  Our food budget is the one place that we can really cut costs.  I have some home improvement plans and I want to start saving now.

So the prepping has begun.  It will take most of one full day, but it is totally worth it.  Meal planning saves us so much money and time.  I know it does.  I just need to commit to taking the day once a month and get it all done.  At least it is raining……

From This Mom,

Kim

 

You hear the sound first.  Sometimes I am asked what it sounds like.  I always answer the same way.  “You only have to hear it once to know what it is.”  It is not a cry, a moan or a scream.  It is the sound of fear, panic and fight.  My 11-year old daughter has seized since she was 4 months old.  That first seizure all those years ago, that lead to the brain scan, that lead to the diagnosis, that has lead to me knowing way more than an English teacher needs to know about the brain, strokes, CP, and pharmacology.

I run to her, where ever she is.  And she to me when she can.  Her clumsy knee walking even clumsier because of the tremor and the fear.  It has actually made me feel worse that she knows it is coming.  I mean, I do appreciate that she is better able to predict, to prepare me, to get us ready, but I hate that she fears it.

She fights.  She fights like crazy.  As her body tenses she screams.  Her eyes lock with mine.  By now I have one kid watching the time and another running for a bucket.  (She almost always vomits.)  I begin the talk.  “You are okay.  Just relax.  I am here.”  A lot of that I say just for myself and to fill the room with something that isn’t her moans and terror.  My kids try and talk to her.  They jump around and make faces.  They sit and hold her hand.  They worry.  They never take their eyes off her.  They recheck the time, they say things like, “how much longer?” and “is she breathing?”  Because sometimes she stops.  Totally.  Stops.  I have rescue breathed for her more times than I can count.  A fourth grade teacher at her school saved her life a year ago.

So we watch her.  Her body tenses, her eyes roll.  We give her the dissolving tablet to help her relax.  It tastes bad.  She fights me a little.  That is a good sign.  I make a joke.  She directs her eyes toward me.  Another good sign.  Total amount of time past – less than 5 minutes.

She relaxes a bit.  Her breathing normalizes.  Her skin pinks up.  And I pray.  Pray the pill will work, pray she will breath, pray that my other kids aren’t scared.  But I am.  But I have to check the clock.  Then she vomits and I check the clock again.  Was the pill in long enough?  She is drooling but can’t wipe her face.  I ask her if she wants me to and she nods.  Another good sign.  Time: 8 minutes.

I have managed seizures at home before.  It isn’t new, but it is never easy.  She lays down.  She will sleep now.  20 minutes, 40 minutes, an hour, 4 hours….I never know.  After last night’s it was 12 hours. I watch her.  Check her breathing and wait.  I set my iPhone alarm, so I can check overnight.  I never need it.  I am up and down every couple of hours without it.

Once she wakes she is ready to go.  I half-joke and say that she recovers before I do.  It is true.  She happily loves on our little dog.  She sings her sing-song conversation with him and I watch.  Her balance.  Her breathing.  She is shaky, but happy.  We survived another one.

I don’t write this for pity or sympathy, but rather as an example of happiness in spite of hardship.  She is the happiest kid I know.  She enjoys everything that she experiences.  Maybe it is because her life is hard at times.  She, more than my other kids, is acutely aware of how hard things can be.

Today is a new day, so I’ll watch her.  I’ll give her 8 pills today (and every day) in hopes of keeping her seizure free.  Most days she is.  And the days she isn’t, I watch, I wait, and I pray.

From This Mom,
Kim

I have made the move to WordPress.  I have decided to build a blog here and “train” myself.  There is no doubt I will eventually call in some help in the design department, but we will see what happens.  I am eager to restart the blog I have restarted a few times before.  I will the bringing over the old posts.  (As soon as I figure that out!)  I will be writing more too.  I have been looking for an outlet for all that rattles around in my head.  I like to write.  (Whether I am good at it or not!)  Thanks for checking it out.  Come back again.  You never know what I will come up with.  ~Kim