Jubal had a great first day in Kindergarten. I am so proud of him. I cried all day and wondered how his day was going. When I picked him up he gave me a great big hug and said "I had a super duper duper super fun day!" That made the day golden.

Big changes ahead

Today is a reflective day for me. My little guy goes to kindergarten tomorrow and I am having some very mixed feelings today. Apart from doing my best not to cry in front of Jubal, I have such a heavy heart because I am going to miss him a lot. I am also so excited about the things he is going to learn, the friends he will make. I also pray that he will be used by Jesus in his new class.
We met his teacher yesterday and she seems very nice. The assistant is nice too. It was funny because they both remembered that we will be riding our bikes to school some. They also remembered Jubal's name too. That was impressive. Jubal is nervous but I think he is excited too. He got really hyper once the shock and nervousness wore off after meeting the teacher.
Being a mommy is a hard job. We deal with behavioral issues, we take care of their boo boos, we feed them, we train our children the best we can in being good kids and making good decisions. We even try to teach them things they can do to become more independent. Yet, when the first day of kindergarten rolls around, it's one of the hardest things yet (for me anyways). I feel really good about his school, his teacher, and the things he is going to learn. But I am still going to miss my little buddy. I can't believe how time has flown. God has taught me to cherish these days and to cherish Jubal. Tomorrow is going to be a big day for me, Stephen, and Jubal. Big changes ahead and many more fun memories to look forward to as well. Sniff....sniff....sniff......

New products

Props to Jesseca Bellemare and The Modern Baby Co. for new baby cuties! She has started all new items with vibrant fabrics and fresh designs. Check them out at www.themodernbabyco.com. Another cool thing is the onesies are organic, super soft and super cute! Let me know what you think!

A cool find

We are so blessed to have a fantastic grocery store here in Asheville. It's called Amazing Savings. They sell organic (and some conventional) food at very discounted prices. Some of it is outdated but it's still good for the most part. The fun of it (apart from the prices) is you never know what they will have. It's different week to week. I love it! This week I went and found an incredible thing called Soap Nuts.

I have never heard of it before so when I found it, I was immediately sucked in. To educate you a little, soap nuts are the shells from the fruit of the soap nut tree. This tree grows in the wild in India and Nepal. When the nuts are in the water, they release a substance called saponins. It's a natural substance that works like soap to clean dirt and oils from textiles and other surfaces. The other cool thing is that I can reuse the nuts up to 3 times in the same day. What a great money saver and a healthy alternative too. So, if you see any soap nuts, now you know what they are. Have a great day today! Enjoy your family.

Sweet taters alive!

My family loves biscuits. So when I found this recipe I was excited to try it. It turned out really yummy and with a healthy twist....sweet potatoes!

Sweet Potato Biscuits

1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted cold butter
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup cooked mashed potatoes

- Preheat oven to 450
- Combine dry ingredients
- Cut butter in small pieces and add to flour
- Using fingers work butter into flour
- In small bowl, combine milk and sweet potatoes
- Add to flour mixture and stir until it forms a ball
- Turn dough on floured surface and knead 14 times
- Roll dough 1/2 inch thick and cut out biscuits
- Bake 8-10 minutes

Enjoy!!!!!

Interesting random facts

Nonculinary uses of lemons:

• Lemon juice cleans piano keys and copper pots, brightens porcelain, absorbs odors, and removes lipstick and wine stains.

• Half a lemon, from which most of the juice has been squeezed, makes a fresh cleaning pad for faucets and sinks. Use it with a little salt as an abrasive.

• Equal parts lemon juice and beaten egg can be boiled briefly and scented with rose water to make a natural face lotion.

• Undiluted fresh lemon juice is just the thing to clean water spots and stains from your automobile chrome.

Before there were so many lotions and ointments in stores, people relied on commonsense cures. These remedies were recommended in the 1800s:

• If you cut yourself while cooking, apply molasses to the wound to bind it temporarily.

• For relief from a toothache, apply a poultice of gingerroot to your cheek on the side of the tooth pain.

*Copied from the online Farmer's Almanac, August 6, 2009 edition.

Stay tuned....

Wow, it's been a while. I sure have missed blogging. Our computer got infected with a virus and so I have been out of the cyber world for a couple of weeks. So, I have had some time to think (uh-oh) about what to write next. I will have some fun things to post over the next couple of weeks such as recipes, sewing finds, and things God has been teaching me. Keep checking in when you can.
On a different note, I want to send out best wishes for my friends that will be delivering little miracles in the next few days. I am so excited for you and so thankful that God has given you this beautiful opportunity. It's amazing being a mommy and I know you beautiful mamas are going to be fantastic in your births and beyond. I am praying for you ladies and I can't wait to see pictures!!!!!
Have an amazing, God-filled day!