Blueberries, Bugs, and Besties

If you are like me and LOVE blueberries will all your heart then grab your bestie and head to Pappy's Blueberry Patch! This patch is just north of Springfield and is usually open every June and July. They don't pick every day so you must call before you go to see if they are open - the phone number is 417.833.8771. This blueberry patch is a little hidden treasure of Springfield and it's absolutely beautiful! We have picked berries twice already and I'm not going to lie, will probably go a couple more times before they close. You better act quick to get your berries; between me and Amber and the Japanese Beetles - there won't be berries for long!

Don't Underestimate the Power of a Carrot

My son, Jeremiah, tries to find ways for us to come back in his room after we have tucked him in for the night. He requests anything from a drink of water to a pair of socks or simply just to say, "I love you" (yep, he knows how to melt this momma). I would like to think its because he wants to spend time with us because we are so fun but realize its because he doesn't want to go to bed. A few nights ago shortly after leaving his room, Jeremiah came up with the funniest excuse yet.
Jeremiah starts crying (a little harder and louder than normal).
Matt goes to his room to see how he can help; "What's the matter buddy?"
Still crying Jeremiah says, "My I eyes don't work very good. I didn't eat my carrots."
"Well tomorrow you can ask mommy to give you some carrots with your lunch," Matt now laughing.

Because Jeremiah is such a good boy and does what daddy says, he asked for some carrots at lunch the next day. Together we sat at the table munching these yummy carrots that we picked up from the farmer's market. After lunch Jeremiah was so excited to try out his improved eye sight. How do you think the boy wanted to do this? "Come on mommy, let's go play 'I Spy' in my room...in the dark!" We sat in his floor, with the lights out, playing 'I Spy'.
"I see in the dark mommy! I eat my carrots really good!"

Is this boy a dietitian's kid or what!?! Carrots are a great source of beta carotene (a precursor to Vitamin A) which can help prevent macular degeneration and night blindness. Vitamin A Deficiency is the number one cause of blindness world wide, not necessarily in the United States but is definitely a huge issue for other countries. Think about the hardships that people in other countries go through to just survive and how much harder it would be to do those things necessary for survival if you were blind! Don't you feel lucky to live in a country that has access to fresh fruits and veggies or any food for that matter? Don't take it for granted...eat your carrots.

A Beautiful Blogger

Because my sister is nice and supportive of my hobbies, Becca sent me a Beautiful Blogger Award. Thanks, Sister! The rules to getting this award include #1: Make a short list of things people might not know about you and #2: Pass the award on to some new bloggers.

I am new to the blog world, writing and reading them. I have to tell you that I find blogging interesting, relaxing, and enlightening! So, to fulfill my duties as a "Beautiful Blogger Award Recipient" here we go...

A few things you might not know about me:

1. I was going to blog about carrots today until this little blog opportunity arose. Don't worry, my carrot blog will come shortly so stay tuned. :-)
2. Ironically enough I teach a cooking class and cannot make a pancake to save my life. I can tell others how to make pancakes step-by-step and it seems as though it would be very easy. My students get it, but I can't.
3. I love rainy and cloudy days. I don't often admit this to people because I don't want to appear as an "Eeyore" but I LOVE the coziness a rainy day brings.
4. I did everything in my power through high school and college to NOT public speak. When I started college I tried choosing a major that did not have public speaking as part of the curriculum - well that didn't go well considering public speaking is a part of the gen ed requirements. You may be thinking, "So what, a lot of people fear public speaking?" What do I do for a living? Oddly enough I'm a college instructor...
5. I want to be a Home-Ec teacher when I grow up...or a Diabetes Educator...both would suit me well I think. :-)

And the Beautiful Blogger Award goes too...

1. Check out my sister's blog The Murdaughs. This is my favorite blog because most of the time it features my super cool niece, Zeda! :-)
2. Bonnie Hall Photography is ran by a friend of my sister's. Bonnie has an amazing talent and is willing to share it with us. She has taken family photos for me and has agreed to take photos of Ava over the next year. Check out her blog and you'll get a glimpse of my little munchkins!
3. Red Monkey Scrapper just started by one of my friends from high school, Jessica (Dunaway) Allison. She just started a new and very important job as a mommy. Jessica recently started a blog to share her creative card making ideas!

The next two blogs are not "new bloggers" but a couple of my favorites so I thought they were worth a mention.

1. Gateway to Saving ran by Alicia "The Coupon Lady" (as my sister and I affectionately call her). Alicia is amazing and can help you learn how to save your dollars in ways you didn't even know were possible!
2. The Tasty Kitchen...since I am not working this summer I have been cooking (but NOT making pancakes) and have gotten a lot of ideas from "The Pioneer Woman" who runs this site.

Since my blogging debut I have had a few people tell me that they are thinking about starting blogs or wanting to revamp their current blogs - you know who you are ;-) - so once you have joined the rest of us as a blogger, I will feature you on this blog and send you this most prestigious Beautiful Blogger Award. Happy blogging everyone!

I Can't Believe It's Been a Month...

Happy 1-month Birthday Miss Ava Rebecca!

The thing I don't like about being a parent is how fast time travels once your baby is here. I can't believe Ava has been here for a month and at the same time can't remember what my life was like before her.

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl. You have brought me an extreme amount of joy over the past month and I can't wait to learn more about you.

Going Green...What Does That Even Mean?

We have all received messages about "going green" - it's in the news, plastered all over products at the grocery store, and you can even get rebates for making eco-friendly upgrades to your home and vehicles. If you are like me and have good intentions but don't really know where to start then let's work together and see if we can figure out what this "going green" business really is.

According to Wikipedia, "going green" refers to procedures and/or products that are considered to inflict minimal or no harm on the environment. "Going green" helps promote sustainability, reduces usage of resources, and reuses items to decrease manufacturing. Okay, I get all of that but what can I do to help the environment?

Now, I don't consider myself a "tree hugger" or an extreme environmentalist but I do want to do SOMETHING. About a year ago I started recycling paper, plastic, glass, and tin. I always wanted to start recycling because I always felt super guilty when throwing paper away especially...not sure why I had issues with just paper? Anyway, my sister mentioned that she had started recycling and because she inspires me and motivates me and may not even know it, I too, started my first batch of recycled goods. It is so liberating going to the recycling center!

I do have goals for "going green" and what you will learn about me really quick is that I have BIG ideas and good intentions but need a little motivation and accountability. :-) That is where you come in...if I tell someone else of my plans I am more likely to stick to it. Now while I probably won't be putting windmills in my yard for wind energy there are a few small things each of us can do to "go green".

My "green" goals include:
Reduce the amount of water used
Create a compost
Decrease food waste - being creative with food - now I can do that!
Making my own cleaning supplies

I'll keep you posted on my progress! What are ways you live "green"? Small steps or big ones let's hear them!

I'm here...and overwhelmed!

Wow, my own blogspot! I normally just follow blogs and post an occasional comment; never did I think I would actually create one. But - I'm here, I'm excited, and most of all, I'm overwhelmed! So for those of you (My Matthew) who are following this blog, suggestions and encouragement is always welcome as well as a little patience during this "design" process. There is a lot to learn BUT I have a lot of ideas and stories for my blog so stay tuned!