As a little girl, I used to daydream about motherhood.
What would it be like, I wondered from as far back as I can remember, to be the mommy?
How I hoped I could be like my own mother.
What would it be like, I wondered from as far back as I can remember, to be the mommy?
How I hoped I could be like my own mother.
You know…company-is-coming-over -this-is-not-a-drill clean detergent.
Before we get too far into the story, I’m assuming you’re here for the DIY, so look no further!
Silicone ice cube trays with lid
1 1/2 C Washing Soda
1 C Citric Acid
1/2 C Baking Soda
1/2 C Sea Salt
2 capfuls of Thieves Household Cleaner
20 drops NonGMO Grapefruit essential oil
Add all ingredients in a bowl and stir well.
When you add the Household Cleaner, add a small amount at a time and stir quickly.
It will start to foam up, but that’s okay. Keep stirring.
Then, press the mixture into silicone ice trays with lids.
HELPFUL HINT: Use 1/4 C Vinegar and 10 drops Young Living Lemon essential oil as your rinse aid!
I had switched to “Green” brands thinking this would fix things.
Nope.
White, filmy nastiness that was embarrassing to get out of the cupboard.
Strong smells still. Rewashing every dish by hand, which you know I don’t like doing.
My new “safe” ones were listed as toxic!
I felt defeated.
In that moment, I heard every person who ever said, “Everything gives you cancer anymore. Just get what works…”
But there was hope!
(If you haven’t gotten your toxin-free wellness kit yet, click here: Young Living Starter Kit)
Every couple months, I throw this simple recipe together. It’s my favorite by far.
One cube per load does the trick!
What you need (each is a link to my favorite, tried and true supplies!):
Silicone ice cube trays with lid
1 1/2 C Washing Soda
1 C Citric Acid
1/2 C Baking Soda
1/2 C Sea Salt
2 capfuls of Thieves Household Cleaner
20 drops NonGMO Grapefruit essential oil
Add all ingredients in a bowl and stir well.
When you add the Household Cleaner, add a small amount at a time and stir quickly.
It will start to foam up, but that’s okay. Keep stirring.
Then, press the mixture into silicone ice trays with lids.
HELPFUL HINT: Use 1/4 C Vinegar and 10 drops Young Living Lemon essential oil as your rinse aid!
If you’ve never met the power of Thieves, you’ll be amazed at all it can do.
Because we love Thieves as an immunity booster in our house, we weren’t surprised when we learned it was in their amazing Dishwasher Detergent.
I recently learned that a capful of Thieves Household Cleaner works great in the dishwasher, and it’s true!
That makes 11 toxin-filled bottles I have ditched for this one cleaner!
As you read through the blog, you’re likely learning very fast that Young Living Essential Oils have rocketed our family into toxin-free living.
You can read our family’s testimonial and learn more about how to get started with Young Living, click here.
It doesn’t have to be confusing and frustrating to find a way to conveniently clean your dishes!
You have options, my friend.
Clean, safe, toxin-free options!
Many Blessings!
~Andrea
In response to sickness and the Ohio weather shifting from mid 70s to upper 30s overnight, we present to you some indoor fun…
**drumroll please**
The soap you use on your dishes matters, so we have found the top 2 safest dish soaps for your health.
Your hands are covered in the soap you choose.
The food you eat sits on the dishes meaning your family ingests all the chemicals store soaps leave behind.
Thankfully, you have options!
(If you haven’t gotten your toxin-free wellness kit yet, click here: Young Living Starter Kit)
My all-time favorite trusted source for all things non-toxic is Young Living.
Their Thieves Dish Soap is strong but safe.
The best part is that it is super concentrated, so it lasts a good while.
You’ll love how it attacks grease and leaves your dishes a true clean.
This recipe is fast to make, and it works so well that I love having the ingredients on hand for any time I run out of Thieves Dish Soap!
It’s a great feeling.
Watching our boys drink from water bottles cleaned in safe soap, eating their meals from dishes I know are truly clean, but I shudder at what I’ve put into our bodies over the years.
I’m so grateful for so many safe options, especially with how well the Young Living and DIY work!
I hope this has helped you create toxin-free dishes stress free!
Toxin-free laundry detergent is a key component to your family’s health.
Unfortunately neither the store nor the specialty “safe” detergents can give you a true, healthy option.
Let’s jump right into the DIY that saves our family a ton each month!
2 gallons of hot water (not boiling, just hot from the tap)
1/2 C Super Washing Soda
1/2 C Baking Soda (great way to get more use from what you bought if you made the fabric softener)
1/2C Thieves Laundry Detergent
20 drops Essential Oils (lavender is our favorite)
1.) Add 1/2 C Super Washing Soda to your 2.5 Gallon Jar.
Pour in enough of the hot water to be able to dissolve and stir.
2.) Pour in 1/2 C baking soda and stir to dissolve
3.) Fill bucket with the rest of the hot water. You must do this before step 4 or your mixture will be super bubbly.
4.) Add in 1/2 C Thieves Laundry Detergent and stir gently
Pour 1/3 C then pour into your washing machine or detergent drawer.
If you see some of it settling over time, that’s okay! Just stir before use. It will break up in the wash. We have used this successfully in both a regular washer as well as an HE.
Wasn’t it odd that something in the store made to smell great made me nauseous?
I guess because of this, I wasn’t too surprised to find how dangerous they are.
The worst part?
Some of the most common brands that scored an “F” on the ewg.org scale are made for babies.
Babies!
Brand new respiratory systems, hearts, brains all developing while snuggled in toxins.
The cherry on top? They charge an unsightly amount for 90 loads, call it “Free and Clear,” and even concentrate it to give it to us in tiny little bottles.(You’ll find Fabric Softener does the same thing).
Like me, you’ll probably find your detergent doesn’t fit into your healthy lifestyle, either. Check it out:
Take Babyganics for instance. The word “baby” is right in it!
Fragrance Free? White bottle? Well played, Babyganics.
And how about Dreft!?
The detergent we’re supposed to wash all our newborn clothes in before the baby arrives to avoid allergic reactions to detergents that also scored an “F”…what??
Even the words “Green” lead the consumer to be confused thinking we’re paying extra for something great, when in fact, we simply are not.
The top pick outside of DIY is the only brand I can always trust.
Thieves Laundry Detergent packs a serious punch with the amazing power of Thieves essential oil blend!
If you’ve got five minutes (yes, it literally takes only five minutes…or less!), you can have chemical-free laundry detergent that works great and leaves your clothes feeling good, too.
For only around $3 per month!
At a fraction of the cost, this is a quick and easy way to not only save on the budget, but also save your family from breathing in toxins. (Find the companion Fabric Softener here).
You’ll find Young Living products all over this blog because I believe in them and the quality that only Young Living offers.
I know their products will not be altered in a way that will ever harm my family, and we love what the oils have done for our family’s health.
Learn more about the best way to get started with oils by clicking here.
It’s a good feeling to know this is one more way I can love my family and take care of their health.
After facing childhood cancer in our home, we know the reality of how sick the toxins lurking in the grocery aisles are making our world.
We find peace of mind in this simple switch.
It’s a little different.
It’s a lot less overpowering in smell, but those changes are so unbelievably worth the health of our family.
The snow day Monday, Steve stayed home from work and couldn’t play with the kids at all or come near me because he was feeling so bad. This was a bummer, but boy oh boy did we have quite a week in store for us. This was truly the calm before the storm.
Tuesday was another snow day, and I did have such a great morning with Cohen, but then it was off to the hospital with Hudson for an I.V. and an injection.
We finally made it home and Steve was feeling sick still. He went on a run to get some medicine, but never made it there because there was a pipe burst in our rental property.
Hudson came out of the scan and nursed like a champ. That night at home, however he was not able to get milk from me.
This was so upsetting. My mom went to make a bottle of my frozen milk for him, and I had to leave the room because he will refuse a bottle if he can see, hear, or smell me at all.
I went into my room, laid on my bed, and sobbed. I was just so drained emotionally from the day, from what was to come Thursday with chemo, and I just fell down on the bed and let it all out.
I think I needed to. Doing all of this by myself at the hospital, I have to hold everything together, and I’m glad in a way that I finally had something that made me release those emotions.
Then, I got to thinking about what I had eaten that day with all the stress and being at the hospital had brought. About 500 calories.For the entire day.
I wiped my tears away, ran downstairs and started grabbing the best foods I could to replenish my supply. I pumped that night around 10 so my body knew I still needed to produce milk, and by morning we were back in business.
Thank goodness this happened with my second baby, so I knew how to process what was happening, and I didn’t think I was just drying up! Thank you, Lord!
Thursday morning we were back in the clinic for a full day of chemotherapy. This was Hudson’s second round, and this day made everything else we had been through (and would go through in the next couple days) totally worth it.
 Dr. Dole told us the following news: Hudson’s tumor has gotten considerably smaller, his genetic testing all came back favorable and low-risk, and Hudson will have a normal life expectancy! Tears of joy!
 Thank you, thank you thank you, LORD!!!
Friday, Steve took both he and Cohen to the doctor. The night before, while in the middle of hourly diaper changes, Steve told me he was just so cold. His temperature read 101.7. I grabbed Tylenol and a half hour later it read 103!
Got the Motrin, but fifteen minutes later it read 105.1! I was so scared. He was shaking and shaking, Hudson needed me, and Cohen was coughing so hard in the next room, I just knew he had something, too.
With help from a sweet friend, who is a nurse, we chugged some Rehydrate and brought his temperature down to where he could finally sleep. The doctor says it’s an infection possibly sinus or bronchitis.
Our babysitter has a sinus infection, and Cohen tested positive for the flu after waking with his own 102 temperature.
Hudson and I took to the nursery with the air purifier and camped out in there for a few days. The hardest part is seeing Cohen (with a mask on and changing my shirt every time I come in contact with him, which isn’t that often) and not being able to help my baby at all.
And all of it…no matter how stressful, how tough, how emotional; all of it I’d do all over again for moments like this.
Thank you, Lord that we will raise these brothers together as it should be. We praise You for this beautiful gift!!
PRAISES:
-Wonderful genetic testing!!!
-Tumor shrinking!!!!!
-Loss of more nodules!!
-Growing and gaining weight!
-Family and friends who leave food on our doorstep and in our infusion room, call with concern, text with love, and rejoice along with us!
-Wonderful jobs for Steve and myself that are so good helping us still through this
-Amazing doctors who go above and beyond. Dr. Kim Kohsla and Dr. Dole are a Godsend.
-Sweet Anna, who we prayed for last week, is home safe and recovering…thank you, LORD!!
PRAYER REQUSTS:
-Chemo. last Thursday will knock the tumor down even more!
-Wonderful bloodwork this Thursday
-Steve, Cohen, and Ruthanne (our babysitter) get healthy enough to be around Hudson by the doctor’s Wednesday estimate
-Me going back to work (still nervous a little!) Tuesday
-Hudson and I do NOT catch any of this sickness!
Thank you for sharing our journey with us.
Andrea 🙂
I write to you today almost nine years exactly from the day I decided to live for the Lord, and there are some things you should know, new Christian.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
This is something I didn’t really understand until I began Bible study. To read, study, dig deep into what the Lord has left for us to live our life by is huge.
Every day, in big and small ways, we need Scripture.
One way to do this is to have a go-to every day. This is an app I have on my phone that serves me well.
It’s easy to personalize with different devotions, and I can even link up with friends who have the app.
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:24-25
Being a homebody who can sit and read for hours without socially interacting with anyone, I fought this one hard.
It wasn’t until I was urged by a friend and by Scripture that I began really being active in a community of Christians.
It’s been unbelievably special.
Our Bible study meets Wednesday nights, and we have something called House Church every other Sunday evening. It is basically a family study where the kids learn a lesson and play while the adults discuss a study or the sermon after we’ve had dinner together.
It’s a lot of Jesus in our life.
It was a big change, but it was so very worth it. If you’re unsure of where to start, your church elders can lead you into a community of believers.
As a new Christian, it can be overwhelming how great our God is. How He loves. How He lives.
This verse can help us:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23
Each day I need His mercies. I have to pray,”Lord help me be better than I was yesterday.”
This hope is what keeps me going. That we don’t have to live in fear of never measuring up to Jesus.
Jesus died on the cross so we can have a new start. Be forgiven. Washed as white as snow.
Live there. Keep taking in that while we will not ever be as perfect as Christ, we can be forgiven, dust ourselves off, and try even harder the next day.
This will not be easy. In fact, it is written
If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
John 15:19
Hate?
They hate me? Because I am a follower of Christ?
Yeah, sometimes.
For lots of reasons I both do and don’t understand.
Either way, like Peter writes about living in exile, it’s just the way it is.
It’s hard because for the most part, we like being liked. So when someone hates us, makes fun of us, casts us aside because we live in a way they don’t understand, it will be hard, new Christian.
Put on the suit of armor. It is a battle, but take heart. It’s the only one really worth fighting.
Jesus longs for you. To be with you. Talk with you. Listen to you.
Just like any other relationship, in order for it to work, we have to show up. Every single day.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
Revelation 3:20
Ever since reading Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World I have held this picture in my heart of Jesus waiting on my couch (my designated Bible study spot) patiently as I sleep.
With a childlike excitement He hopes I follow through with my promise to pray, study, and come to His feet each day.
I don’t want to let Him down.
He died for me! No one else in this world loves me like that.
What is the only way I can reciprocate that love?
By loving Him back. Showing up. Playing an active role in my relationship with Him.
Instead of feeling guilt when I sleep longer than my alarm or when I go a couple of months without starting my day in the Word, I pray, “Lord, help me put You first.”
I can do nothing without Him. I can do everything with Him.
New Christian, this is a journey. But this walk you will take is full of more rewards than you can even fathom right now.
Take this scripture and envision yourself each day as you are tempted to live your life outside of the Lord.
Arm yourself, sisters and brothers.
Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, …
Ephesians 6:14-20
Welcome, new Christian.
You are loved.
Love,
A Sinner Like Me
Non-toxic fabric softener is a must for your health.
We’ve all seen those Pins that boast the many uses of dryer sheets, but theres more to fabric softener than meets the eye.
I love how our clothes smell when we pop a Young Living Seedlings Baby Wipe into the dryer with them!
Such a light smell that I know is safe unlike anything I could find in the store.
Baking Soda– we get the big, 5 lb. bag since we use baking soda in so many recipes.
3-5 drops essential oil. Our family prefers Citrus Fresh or Purification!
Fill your container 3/4 of the way full with epsom salts and 1/4 of the way with baking soda.
Stir to incorporate and break up any clumps.
Use 1/2 cup with large loads and 1/4 cup for small loads. Pour right into your washer with the detergent! 🙂
When it’s time to switch over to the dryer: add essential oils (we like Citrus Fresh or Purification for our laundry) to dryer balls like these .
While we were busy making everything we have smell so fresh and so clean-clean we were actually covering them in some pretty sketchy chemicals. Chemicals that mess with your air quality and harm your family from the inside out.
(If you haven’t gotten your toxin-free wellness kit yet, click here: Young Living Starter Kit)
The ewg.org website rates dryer sheets and other household items with an “A-F” rating.
Take a look to see how the dryer sheets in your home measure up.
You can also read here about what exactly makes dryer sheets such a problem when it comes to the air quality in your home.
I think I was most let down by Babyganics.
I mean, I knew the smell in the fabric softener I had used in the past was not a natural smell, and it had to come from something synthetic to be that strong, but, et tu, Babyganics?
You mixed the word “Baby” with “organics,” and you got me.
But not anymore.
If you’ve got two or three minutes and are looking for a quick, easy recipe that works and is toxin-free, you’re going to love this!
We have been using this in place of fabric softeners after trying some fairly horrible recipes.
Our clothes have smelled like vinegar, been so electrically charged we have shocked each other in passing, and grumbled through folding as we endured multiple zaps.
Finally we agreed on this.
I use this softener with these wool dryer balls to help combat static. We love it! Even in the winter, when static is tough to fight, we have found success!
Baking Soda– we get the big, 5 lb. bag since we use baking soda in so many recipes.
3-5 drops essential oil. Our family prefers Citrus Fresh or Purification!
Fill your container 3/4 of the way full with epsom salts and 1/4 of the way with baking soda.
Stir to incorporate and break up any clumps.
Use 1/2 cup with large loads and 1/4 cup for small loads. Pour right into your washer with the detergent! 🙂
When it’s time to switch over to the dryer: add essential oils (we like Citrus Fresh or Purification for our laundry) to dryer balls like these .
Citrus Fresh is a part of something called the Premium Starter Kit that gives you a big discount on every product you buy with Young Living.
Read this post to learn what all comes in this crazy-good deal and learn more about all you can replacement buy with Young Living as a brand you know you can trust here.
Something I really love about non-toxic laundry detergent and fabric softeners is that our boys like to help with the wash.
I love that their tiny hands can hold on to a measuring cup full of something that isn’t harming them if they spill a little here and there.
It’s a great feeling to have soft, fresh laundry that you know is not only safe but effective, too!
You don’t have to sacrifice your health or your wallet for products that work.
Pretend play seems to pile up quickly leaving us in need for this pretend play storage DIY.
It’s super simple, cost efficient, and makes clean up a cinch!
What’s that?!
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! Its….us in public wearing the costumes!
Showing up to Christmas dinner in the costumes.
Rolling up in the grocery like a boss.
Out in the neighborhood showing off our bike skills.
Using our rough Batman voices to do mundane tasks.
We. Love. These. Costumes.
I remembered the extra hooks I had from the demo of our coat closet and the left over pallet wood in the garage.
Lightbulb!
I would like to say it was all me but… math? Logic? Measuring?
That’s a hard pass.
Super husband to the rescue! *Disclaimer: Super husband does not and will neither condone the use of this as a nickname nor take a a picture posing as such.*
One slat from the pallet, five hooks, a drill, and two screws later, and we had the cutest little superhero cape storage ever!
1.) Find a weathered pallet. We got ours from behind a business to go out with the trash. We’re classy like that.
2.) Carefully pull it apart using a crowbar and a hammer. *If you cut it off, you’ll have fresh-wood saw marks. I wanted it weathered on all sides, so we did it the hard way.
3.) Choose the pallet piece that works best for your space.
4.) Find the studs in the wall to screw each side of the pallet into.
5.) Space your hooks evenly. Screw them in with a drill.
6.) Hang up your capes, masks, and start playing!
One last feature I love about this organizer is how easy it makes clean up.
The boys like hanging them on the hooks, and I enjoy how sweet they look under the window.
As if they’re waiting for the next imaginative child to scoop them up and bring them to life.
To make moments precious and fond for this momma and poppa.
Quick, simple, cheap, and a memory-maker? We’ll take it!
Living This Blessed Life
January 1, 2014
I think what I’m most surprised about is how normal our life is right now.
Other than Hudson sleeping more than usual, we are just the same as we were before December 10.
It’s not like our life has come crashing down on us. It’s not even like I think about it all the time. It’s just a part of our new lifestyle.
We check his Broviac when we change his diaper to make sure the dressing is still properly attached. I flush his Broviac once a day with Heparin, and I wipe him down with Chlorhexidine before putting him into his jammies each night.
This may seem like it’s not normal at all, but after just two short weeks, it’s just our new normal. No biggie.
We still play, laugh, talk with friends, watch movies, celebrate little things here and there that the boys do each day, and go to work. We still do everything we used to, it’s just got a few more steps to it than normal.
Hudson is so happy, and is getting close to rolling over back to belly. He loves looking at his big brother and staring at the fireplace. He loves when we talk to him, and especially when we read to him. He’s loving being a thumb sucker, and I secretly love it, too.
When I look at the big picture, we’re going to be okay, and we are okay.
We have to keep positive to make life fun and healthy and loving for our boys. If anything, we’re growing closer as a family each time something new comes up with Hudson. Best of all, we are growing in our faith in the LORD though our walk with Him has taken this unexpected turn.
Prayer Requests:
~Hudson has lost many of his nodules, but he still has four major ones that are yet to go away.
~That Hudson and Cohen will do just fine when I go back to work on the 6th.
~That a little girl named Anna, whose momma has posted about her heart surgery coming up on Friday will be laid on the hearts of everyone reading this blog, too. Lord, please heal her sweet little heart!
~That the body scan will show Hudson’s tumor has shrunk considerably.
~Good chemo session on the 9th
~That my students aren’t affected by my need to leave and be with Hudson when I need to be with him. That they will still learn a lot from me and take important lessons with them that will help them in high school and beyond. That I can be a good teacher for them even though my heart and mind are here with my boys.
PRAISES!:
~Friendships that the Lord has given us. I cannot believe how many people are so compelled to pray for Hudson and our family, write us sweet messages, and just stick by us through the tough and celebrate the good with us. What a blessing every single day!
~Another nodule that was on the back of Hudson’s head, and a source of constant concern is GONE…GONE GONE GONE!
~That I found a homemade recipe for wipes that I love and will feel so much more comfortable combating “chemo rash” with after our next treatment on the 9th.
~That Mommy and Daddy shared our 10th Happy New Years smooch on the couch after both nearly falling asleep before midnight.
Songs. Books. Tummy Time. Comb-overs.
All in a day’s work.
~Jeremiah 29:12
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
Thank you for sharing our journey with us.
Andrea 🙂
Something you should know if you follow this blog is that my husband can do anything, including this DIY warm and cozy lighting.
I point to pictures for remodeling, and he just…does it. Creates it. Poof! Out of thin air.
This bookshelf lighting is just one of many projects you’ll see we’ve tackled over the nearly five years living here.
When we moved into our fixer upper, the playroom had a spot where built-ins used to be.
It was basically a big piece of particle board shelving held up by a couple 2x4s and some drywall at the bottom.
Oh, and some random wires, gaping holes, and trim pieces barely holding on for dear life.
You know, the usual.
Did I mention, demo of this weird space surprised us with HVACÂ issues?
No cold air return from upstairs.
After some time spent adding duct inside the wall, we were on our way.
Our boys love getting in with Grandpa and Daddy to make this house a home.
After knocking it down and building a bookshelf within that space, we knew we needed some lighting.
To find these pulleys was an adventure in and of itself.
I knew I wanted them to be old farm pulleys, but every antique store we visited had two problems:
1.) They never had three of the exact same pulley. I tried putting three different (but similar )styles side-by-side in desperation, but it just wasn’t the look I wanted.
2.) They weighed a ton! I mean, not a literal ton, but farm pulley they were. It was what I imagine a baby calf might weigh.
I ended up landing on these Farm Pulleys and have been pleased with their look and lighter weight.
When I stumbled upon this Industrial Cage Pendant Light I was all set…mostly. Steve was going to have to cut the plug off and do some wiring, but we’ll get to that later.
My original thought was to have them mount onto a bracket like this one:
I had this dream for about five seconds into the process until Husband called me in and gave me the same, “Yeah, that’s not how this one works…” dream-crushing speech.Â
This set us on a brainstorm that ended with the look we have today, which I do love even more than my original plan.
1.) In the back of our antique store is a reclaimed wood section. It’s amazing. We found 12 foot barn wood that fit our width measurements (between the top of the bookshelf and the ceiling). My husband had to rip it using a guide board with a Circular Saw.
2.) He then used a 1/2 inch Hole Saw to drill three holes in the wood for the wire of the lights to come through above the middle of each column of the bookshelf. *He ran all the wiring before drywalling the bookshelf. If this isn’t something you’re proficient in, and you don’t want to be zapped, hire an electrician.*
3.) After nailing the board to the wall using a Brad Nailer, he stripped the light wire and ran it over the pulley.
4.) Here’s where we had to get a little creative. We needed something industrial-looking to cover the hole in the wood. I was surprised by how good this Metal Grinding Wheel looked once he put a rubber grommet through the middle of it (both used to protect and cover the wire). He then hard-wired it into the box in the wall. This was a two-person job. I had to hold the light while he wired it into the wall. *You want to pre-drill the holes in the grinding wheel where your screws will go into the wood or else you’ll crack the wheel.*
5.) Using a Drywall Anchor he screwed in these Ceiling Hooks to hang the pulley from. It took some readjusting from different angles to make sure they were all the same level, and this was also a two-person job. I held the cage light while he screwed in the hooks.
We love the unique look it gives the boys’ playroom and how it provides a little extra light where they play. The Edison bulbs give a warm glow to this side of the room.
Once we overcame the obstacles of finding each piece and the many hardware store trips, Steve said it was a fairly simple project. One the boys are getting use out of every day as they zoom their cars and build their Legos.
Enjoy!
~Andrea
Easy, DIY non-toxic baby wipes make life easy.
Store-bought wipes are highly toxic to your baby’s developing body, and far too expensive.
What’s in the wipes you’re using on your babies?
I cannot believe what’s in some of these, and I’m so thankful I can pass this information to you!
Click here for a discount on the safest oils and lifestyle products like baby wipes: Young Living Starter Kit.
What do we know about most grocery store wipes?
1.) Have known irritants in them for our babies’ skin, eyes, and lungs.
2.) Organ system toxicity risk.
3.) A cancer risk.
Young Living’s Seedlings is my overall top pick.
These wipes smell amazing.
Seedlings wipes get the job done, and are always safe and toxin-free.
We don’t have to worry about them changing their formula in a way that would put our children in danger, and for that we can put our minds at ease.
To learn how to get 24% discount on these and other safe baby items from the Seedlings Line, click here.
If you’d rather try a little DIY, here’s a quick and easy recipe for you to put together.
2 round Tupperware containers with lids
1 roll of paper towel cut in half
2 TBS carrier oil like this one
1 healthy squirt of Castile Soap
5 drops Young Living Seedlings Calm Oil Blend for BabiesÂ
3 cups of purified water
That’s it!
We are so thankful for this recipe.
It’s really nice to have on-the-go, too.
Essential oils are an amazing tool to create a toxin-free home.
Learn more about how to get the best deal (up to 49% off) on the world’s best essential oils (and the only ones I trust on our family) by clicking here.
Whatever you choose-DIY, safe in-store options, or a mixture of both, at least you can rest assured you’re giving your children something that won’t irritate their skin or damage their little bodies.
We have played the math card game Rubbish approximately one billion times, and I’ll play it 1 billion and one if it means our boys practice the skills this game sharpens.
My five-year-old loves it, my three-year-old wants in, and we all enjoy the time together.
It’s quick, and super simple, too!
1.) Lay out two rows of five cards, horizontally for each player. The rest of the cards are for the draw pile.
2.) Choose the first player. We rock-paper-scissors for it. 🙂
3.) The first player chooses a card. Each of the cards you laid face down represent a number (left-to-right) Ace-5 in the top row; 6-10 on the bottom row.
4.) If the card drawn is Ace-10, pick up the face-down card in the corresponding spot, and replace it with the card drawn (lay it facing up).
5.) The face-down card you pulled to replace with the drawn card is now the next card you play. If it fits in to what’s left, you pick that spot’s card up and lay the one in your hand down in its place. Your turn continues until you don’t have any more spots available for the switch out.
Example: I draw a 5. I pick up the card face down that’s in the 5 spot (top row last card on the right) and lay the 5 I just drew where it was. The card that was face down was an Ace. I pick up the first card on the top row and lay the Ace down in its place…keep going until you run out of spots to fill.
The first to fill all his or her spots is the winner!
1.) If you pick up a Jack or Queen, you automatically discard into a discard pile next to the Rubbish draw pile.
2.) If you pick up a number you already have face up, discard.
3.) If you pick up a King, it’s wild and can be used as any number Ace-10!
4.) When you run through the entire deck of draw cards, shuffle the discard into a new draw pile and keep going until you get a winner.
The best part about Rubbish is that it looks exactly like the ten-frames my oldest is learning in Kindergarten math!
He works with numbers, placement, and I was really surprised by how quickly he learned the numbers associated with the face-down cards.
For our three-year-old, this has been great to help drive home learning his numbers.
I love this silly game called Rubbish and how it helped the boys’ skills grow so quickly, how it’s teaching and reteaching number sense, and most of all how it always brings us together.
A bowl of popcorn, a game of Rubbish, and our two boys makes for a great time in our homeschool day!
December 26, 2013
This is not a tragedy.
I do hate it. I do wish it wasn’t sucking up the first six months of Hudson’s life and pulling our family apart during what should be a bonding time with our new baby.  I do wish, more than anything, that I didn’t have to see my baby hurt or watch people put drugs into him time and time again, but this is no tragedy.
Nope. Not even close.
Tragedy was hearing a heartbeat and then three weeks later seeing blood.
Tragedy is never getting to hear the precious heartbeats of two other babies we will never hold on this earth.
This family knows tragedy, and this simply isn’t it.
This…this is a pause. A murky spot in a family’s life. Because Hudson will survive this. The Marshalls will survive this.
When people wonder how I stay so positive or how I’m so strong, I think of two things.
First, I am positive because, really, what’s the alternative? I get all “Why us?” and then what? What do my boys get from that? What does this family get from that?
Nothing.
Instead, we cry our eyes out when we have to, pull ourselves up once we’re done, and we push forward because it lets us live. It lets us laugh (especially Hudson, who has developed the most adorable belly laugh), it lets us chase each other around the house, snuggle with hot cocoa and watch Christmas movies, and then it lets us laugh some more.
My strength?
Let me make this perfectly clear: this is not my strength. I am held up solely by our Savior.
All the glory goes to Him.
Every time I (the girl who passed out when they drew blood for pregnancy) watch a needle go into my baby without even getting the slightest bit queasy, or loving on him to help him through pain, when I would normally be sitting with my head down trying not to fall over, that’s all Him.
I pray for strength every time.
I ask and I receive.
That doesn’t mean it isn’t hard or isn’t troubling; it just means He helps me make it through.
It’s crazy. Every time I have to flush a Broviac (port) line, scared to death I’m going to mess up, or stay with him through a procedure where I see way more than I wanted to, I make it all the way to the end.
To the part where he is resting and happy again, and then I fall apart. Not a moment before.
Yes, part of that is me fighting for him, but I cannot take the credit. It would be a lie.
With that strength and positivity, we faced Hudson’s first chemo treatment and second admission into the hospital head on.
This stay was especially tough on Cohen because he didn’t see me at all for three days, and he has been having a hard time trusting that I’m not going to leave for a few days again. This morning, he said, “Mommy, you don’t want to take care of me.”
This broke my heart- I mean really broke it in two-but I have to keep focus on the big picture.
Focus on the one thing I know is certain: when Cohen has his little brother to grow up with, this will all be worth it.
I know that he doesn’t understand it now, but that’s what parents do. We do the tough things that help our kids in the long run. We hurt for them, and we shoulder the responsibility because that’s what we do. It’s our God-given privilege to do so.
Doing the tough stuff for our kids definitely hit home at our stay at the hospital, which was much more eventful than I had planned. I expected Thursday to be his first day of chemo. The end. However, true to hospital fashion, it was not that simple.
First, we weren’t sure if his Broviac was working properly because I had a hard time flushing one of the lumens the night before. On top of that, we had to go down to X-Ray to make sure it was placed correctly because the model they used on him made the nurses wonder, so we went down there first.
X-Ray is relatively quick, so we got an EKG and an Echocardiogram, too as a baseline for what his heart looks and sounds like now because one of the drugs can harm his heart. Then, we did a hearing test because another drug can harm his hearing, and we needed a baseline for that as well.
They tested his urine (cotton balls in the diaper…genius), flushed his Broviac (which nurse Jenna did with ease, thank goodness!), and then we did chemo.
Thank goodness for my momma who rushed over from work so Steve could spend an hour and a half of Hudson’s first treatment with him.
It would last 6 hours total once he got two hours of fluids to make sure he was hydrated.
Friday was big for Steve. He went back to work and we had our babysitter, Ruthanne stay with Cohen for the full day.
For Hudson and Mommy, Friday was more of what they did Thursday with the addition of an anti-nausea drug he got all three days, chlorhexidine wipes for his arms, back, and legs to help prevent blood infection, and the newest addition to our life, changing diapers every hour with gloves to help as much as we can with the rash that comes from the chemo.
It’s awful. Thank goodness for prescription zinc oxide.
Chemo day two went well, but that night was rough because that was the night the rash appeared and he screamed every time the nurses changed him.
He had to have a blood transfusion first, and handled his final day of round one well, but we were told he would need to either stay the night again or come in the next day at 2 p.m. for a drug called Neupogen.
He would have to receive his first dose in the hospital for observation then given by me through his Broviac for the next 7-10 days. This will help his bone marrow regenerate.
Crazy how quickly one can go from being the momma that is freaking out about putting saline into her baby’s nose to suck out snot to being the momma who administers drugs through a tube in a hole in her infant’s chest.
Thank goodness for our wonderful home care nurses who will be here to teach me how to do this properly. I’m nervous about this because it took 20 minutes to give Neupogen to him today, but I know this will just become one more part of our new normal, and we’ll be just fine.
I do keep the big picture in mind, and it helps for sure, but the Devil is trying his hardest to creep into my positivity, tear down my hope and faith that the Lord is healing my baby.
I have to fight it every day.
Those thoughts pop into my head as sudden fears and worries when I know better than to worry. I am so thankful for my friend, Danielle who told me that when we don’t know what to pray that just saying, “God, help!” can be enough. That He knows how to help us best and pull us through.
I cannot count how many times I have prayed, “God, help!” this week.
So thankful that every time I do, I can tell the Devil to get out of my head.
That I believe wholeheartedly that the Lord has His hand on my baby boy.
I know this with all of my heart, but that doesn’t mean that this faith of mine is not tested time and time again every single day.
But Momma, like Hudson Xavier, is a fighter.
God, I know You know my heart.
I know You are holding our family together.
I know You have the power to heal our baby so we can live this beautiful life You have given us together.
All the glory to You, forever and ever.
Prayer Requests:
*Good genetic test results
*Strengthen our ties to each other (Steve and me) as this takes a toll on any marriage. We have been though a couple of heartbreaking things together that is helping us handle this, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need prayer.
*For Cohen to somehow understand that Mommy has to care for Hudson at times, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to care for him. That he will find peace with what we have to do to help his sick baby brother and know that I love him more than he can ever possibly comprehend.
PRAISES!:
*First round of chemo done and no sickness!
*A baby who sleeps through the night!
*The every hour changes is done!
*Such a fun time together now that we’re home playing as a family.
*Finding out that I have five weeks of FMLA left so I can keep my job and insurance!
*Finding that insurance is going to cover Hudson’s treatments.
*All the prayer across the globe for our baby boy
*Wonderful friends new and old who are helping in so many ways (babysitting, messages, texts, surprises on our front door, meal train, funny videos with the belief that laughter is the best medicine, and just loving on us when we need it most).
*People who are coming to the Lord in prayer who aren’t usually speaking with Him
*HUDSON IS HERE AND IN OUR ARMS!!!
Ephesians 6:16
“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
Luke 17:6
“He replied, ‘If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.'”
Thank you for joining us on this journey. Your prayers are so appreciated!
Andrea 🙂
I learned so much, it’s impossible not to share! If you’re looking for a great study with in-depth questions that challenge your heart,Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: Finding Intimacy With God in the Busyness of Life is it!
The lessons in this book lead me to grow in who I am as a mother, wife, friend, and child of God.
You cannot find it at the store, so this DIY toxin-free makeup remover will become your new best friend.
Toxic beauty products lead to cellular damage and premature aging.
Our skin (and largest organ) drinks in whatever we choose in this moment.
Start with the safest and only pesticide-free essential oils from Young Living.
From there you can do one of two things.
The Young Living makeup remover wipes will be your new favorite quick pick.
They are soft, smell clean, and leave you skin fresh and free of makeup.
Don’t have a discount yet?
Get it here!
You can choose to store these in the liquid or not. I choose not to, but I have friends who like them presoaked, too!
Approx. 60 cotton roundsÂ
1 tsp Hempseed oil
2 tsp liquid castile soap
2 TBSP witch hazelÂ
1 cup purified water
10 drops Young Living essential oil of choice (suggestions: Lavender, Geranium, Tea Tree, Manuka)Â
***Mixture yields approximately 3-8oz mason jars filled with 20 cotton rounds each***
Combine liquid ingredients in a measuring cup.
Add all ingredients together in mason jar and stir together. Either dip cotton round in or submerge to have a pre-wet wipe.
Learn more about the safest essential oil option here: Not all oils are created equal.
For all your skin endures during the day, it’s important to nourish it, especially as we age.
Take care of yourself in this little but important way.
Your skin and your body will thank you.
Hudson Update
December 18, 2013
Today  we went to Children’s to meet with Dr. Dole. Some good news. Some not-what-we-expected news. Some things still unknown.
If there’s one major struggle I have with in this hectic go-go-go! life, it’s what I’m missing with my boys when I’m moving so fast.
We wake and rush to work and school. We get home and the house needs cleaned. Dinner needs made. Baths need given. Children need tucked. Lunches need packed.
Then, as quickly as it began, it’s over.
Another day in the books. Another set of moments to hug, snuggle, read, laugh–gone.
Our house is clean and so are our kids (mostly), but if all those things are on our “must do” list, how do we steal moments back?
How do we hack this long adult life thing so we can enjoy this very short parenthood thing?
Our boys don’t have a particular love for sitting still or being serious when it comes to learning, so this marshmallow numbers game is great!
I noticed one day while reading with Hudson that he just didn’t seem to have a great grasp on his numbers 1-5.
I had the next day at home on Christmas break, and I happened upon some of those K-Cup- type filters in my cabinet.
I wrote 1-5 on the inside of each filter with a Sharpie.
We could’ve gone to 10, but if there’s one thing I know about Hudson (and a lot of kids in general) is that overwhelming him in the beginning can shut him down completely.
Also, I know I have to scaffold (or break down) the game and build up to the final goal for better success.
So, I grabbed some marshmallows, my kid, and asked if he wanted to play a game where he’d win a marshmallow if he won. Um, yes! He was definitely in.
Here’s how I broke down the marshmallow number game for Hudson, my three-year old.
He had mastered the numbers 1-3, so we were ready to move up to five.
He was having some success by the end of our first try, but it was slow-going, especially since he happens to be the particularly ornery type, who think it’s funny to eat the marshmallows Elf-style.
Patience is a virtue, my friends. 🙂
1.) I asked for his pointer finger, and we tapped the numbers in the filters as we recited them. We did this about five or six times. It is important to keep the numbers in order for a while.
2.) He was really interested in those marshmallows by that time, so I had him drop one in each cup as he looked at the numbers. We did this five or six times.
3.) We dropped one in each cup reading them backwards five or six times (5,4,3,2,1).
4.) I started asking him to put a marshmallow into the cup with the number I called out.
If he got all five right, I gave him a mini-marshmallow.
He was starting to lose focus, and the marshmallows were pretty much the whole reason he showed up to the party, so I figured by then it was time to let the kid eat a couple. He agreed.
5.) There were some times when he got them mixed up. If so, we’d take his finger or the marshmallows and repeat the verbal recognition together. “1,2,3,4,5. 1,2,3,4,5..”.and backward, “5,4,3,2,1…” Repetition is key.
From there we kept at the guessing for a while until he started to get most of them right.
After that I switched two of the filters around, went back through steps 1-3, and then started guessing again.
Once he got those I moved a couple more filters around so they were all mixed together.
This was tougher because he was so used to seeing them in order. He can also count aloud really well and was using that to help him, so this made it tougher.
Each step of the process helped build his confidence.
If he lost that confidence, we’d just go back to me helping him with tapping the numbers with his finger over and over until he was ready to try again with guessing.
I will get this game out only every once in a while. In between, I’ll try different games with numbers.
It takes a lot of patience, a lot of practice, and a lot of repetition, but it’s worth it in the end.
Our next step, once he’s mastered 1-5, is to slowly add in filters up to ten for this marshmallow number game.
I will also use pennies the next time that he can add to his piggy bank.
I find that changing up the way I teach is important for our boys.
They like activities much better than workbooks.
They like movement much better than sitting.
And they really, more than anything, love when the game is over and Momma lets them set up a marshmallow catapult.
Left over marshmallows, a spoon, and a block is all you need to laugh and laugh as the marshmallows fly, zip, and zoom across the room!
December 16, 2013
Saturday, December 7, Hudson woke from his nap, and it was time for a diaper change. When he stretched out with his balled-up fists reaching for the sky, I went in for our routine tickles and raspberry belly laughs.
What I found made my heart drop.
Lumps. Two of them.