vaccinate?

I realize I may be opening a can of worms here, but I'd like a friendly discussion on this. The swine flu vaccine.. are you going to give it to your children? yourself? why or why not.

I've been reading a lot of literature and articles. I think we've survived our first (Lily) and now second (Ryan) case of the H1N1 virus. I'm still on the fence. There's pros and cons to both sides. So which will you choose, vaccinate or take your chances?

all my favorites.

1. Cliff's Z bar for kids...I actually eat them :) The chocolate brownie bar is my fave! I eat one for a chocolate fix and don't feel all the guilt!


2. The Sigg water bottles. Well, for one they are very cool looking...but they are also safe for you and the environment!

3. I love the thought of eating organic but have only managed to switch our milk so far. We love the horizon organic milk. I found a bulk pack of these at Whole Foods and I stick them in the kids lunches.

4.The alba lip balm. Honestly I will never use anything different, Alba works! Alba is also made from natural products and doesn't have the bad "stuff" you shouldn't be putting on your body. It is a perfect product for dry lips, I use it daily.

5. The Built NY lunch tote. This is actually a wish list item for me, I love the different designs they carry, I love all things bags as it is!

6. China Glaze nail polish is my favorite. I recently started giving myself pedicures! I wanted my feet to look like I had been to the salon without the price tag. I was recommended China Glaze, I do love it and have found that my little investment has gone a long ways!

7. I love Jenny McCarthy and love all that she has done for her son's health. She motivates me to want to eat healthier. She really is a great mom!

8. Methods Squeeky Green laundry detergent and dryer sheets made with rice milk+mallow. For one, they smell amazing...another, the dryer sheets come in a very cool little package and they are moist. The best reason is, it's the one product that doesn't make my son's eczema flair up!

9. Methods non-toxic all purpose wipes. I love these for my car. When stopped at a light or waiting to pick up my son I get cleaning in my car:) They make my car look nice and tidy and I don't feel like my hand has absorbed anything it shouldn't have.

10. Jack Johnson music. This is my favorite music to listen to! My husband and I saw him in concert, he is so cool! Love, love this music!

11. Organizing for Life by Sandra Felton. This book seriously helped me. It really helps you figure out why you do what you're doing now, and helps you become the more efficient person you want to be.

12. Alba lotion. The hand and body lotion with cocoa butter is my favorite! I have always had really dry legs and heels. This is the first lotion I have found that cured my dry skin problem. I will never try another lotion again, seriously!

13. Tazo Zen tea. It's a green tea, and it's good for you. I just love tea!

14. Real Simple "Family" magazine. I think it comes out every year in September! Always has really useful tips, also love that matte feel of the pages and cover :)

15. The BYO lunch totes are very popular this year. Picked them up for my kids and we love them. It's like scuba suit material, when it's dirty I just throw it in the wash and it comes out good as new!

16. The Ped Egg. This has gotten rid of my dry cracked heels for good...love this little ivention. It is way better than a rough file.

17. Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha. It's my favorite but I try not to go too much :)

18. Spritzer hand sanitizer. Just line the kids up and spritz away. It's way better than the goopy, messy gel.


So that's it... all my faves! Just want to thank Brittany for inviting me to be a guest blogger this week, it was super fun!

pumpkins.

ooh. I just saw these on Kelly's blog, and I think I'm in love.

food fetish.

Lately I have had a food fetish. I love, love the way magazines display food and make it all too appealing. They can make anything look appetizing, really. So in my attempt in giving our food more appeal, I found that my kids were also more likely to eat it! The other morning I served french toast kabobs, they loved them. The added effort also made for a cheery morning. Give it a try and see if it works for you! You can find the recipe here.

field trip.

Today we ended up at Saint Cupcake! I love to take the kids to the city and enjoy a change of scenery. I call them "field trips" and the kids always get really excited when I ask them if they would like to go on one. There are so many amazing shops to discover, it makes me want to skip down the sidewalk like a kid...actually I do sometimes!
We all thought the shop was yummy in more ways than one! The shop bakes the best cupcakes ever! The frosting I could eat like a bowl of icecream! Our favorite was the toasted-coconut-cream cupcake, I especially loved the long white tray they served them on...what a great fieldtrip! Lucky for you they ship nationwide.

house guest!

I am so excited for this weeks house guest! Julie Martin is her name. She's the mother of 4, and talented as can be. Check back all week for new posts and ideas from Julie, leave a comment and get acquainted. It should be a good week.

a little about me

Hello, my name is Julie Martin and I will be your guest blogger this week. First let me start off with a little about me. I am wife to Ryan, mommy to Taylor 13, Anna 8, Emily 6, and Drew 3. I am a SAHM and do a little photography on the side.

I love, love the creative world and indulge in it often! For a quick fix the best way is via internet while sipping tea during a mini break from the many tasks I have to accomplish during the day. I have tried to not take on a lot just to keep my life more simplified, but I have always had a huge desire and need to create. It is such a part of who I am that I feel like a part of me is missing if I am not creating. So aside from loving to look at all the creative stuff people have created, I too must be that person! It makes me giddy just thinking about color, textures, photo shoots, great recipes..the list goes on and on! The balance between a simple life and a creative life is something I will always be trying to figure out, but all I can do is try my best each day to accomplish just that.

I thought I would start off by showing you some pictures of my family. Even though I have learned how to technically take a "perfect" picture, meaning depth of field, rule of thirds, correct exposure...I also love the pictures that I find on my i phone. They are by no means "perfect" but they are perfect to me! My kids take most of these pictures of themselves and eachother, the pictures on my i phone are some of my favorites!