Goodpastures Go Green!

I have to start by saying that I am not a green product expert by any means, in fact, I have a very short list of requirements as I pick my green products out:


1. If swallowed by Jude, it won't be harmful (all natural).
2. Has to smell SUPER good
3. Easy to find at local stores.
4. Low impact on the enviroment.


Here are my faves-

Method eucaliptus-mint bath scrub and toilet cleaner ~ Target stores
Leaves your bowl and bath sooooo sparkling and the scent is so therapeutic! (it's the lil things when you're a housewive!)

Method, Best in glass. ~ Target Stores

Amonia free glass cleaner that works, need I say more?

Method, multi surface cleaner. ~ Target Stores
French lavender scent is pretty amazing! and it  cleans sooooo well!

Method wood cleaner with almond extract~ Taget Stores

Can't say this is the best wood cleaner but it sure leaves your wood surfaces smelling like a cookie.

Method, Pink grapefruit dish washing tabs~ Target Stores

These left my dishes VERY sparkly and I am a freak about my dishes being clean

Seventh Generation detergent in water blossom scent~ Target Stores or Whole Foods Market

I don't get the baby kind and it is so gentle you can wash your baby clothes with your own. LOVE this stuff.

Seventh Generation Dish Soap~ Target Stores or Whole Foods market

GREAT stuff. Totally safe for washing baby bottles.

But if you really want to treat yourself (which I haven't gotten to this year) but THIS IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!!!

The Good home Co's sheet spray in the beach days scent!!! ~available at their website and Restoration Hardware.

I can't tell you how AMAZING this stuff smells. Just try it. One of my favorite scents in the world! Please just try it, soooooo good! and they have other wonderful products with this scent, even vaccumm beads!

Other wonderful green discoveries include:

Kiss my face toothpaste-BEST STUFF! Available at Green Acres Market and Whole Foods Market

Melaleuca Shaving cream for the man of the house- Available from my friend Sue (message me if you want her digits) and their website. Nathan LOVES this stuff.

Quit Bugging me Jason Bug spray~ Whole foods market and Babies R us

Deet free. baby friendly. works great.smells even better.

Then off course there is Vinegar which I hear is good but like I said I am a scent kind of girl

Though my friend Antonia puts orange peels in hers, so I will have to try that.

There you go!

5 people I would love to meet

If you could meet any 5 people in the world, who would they be?

Here is a countdown of my picks:

Number five:

Paris Hilton

Can you imagine growing up the way she did? I can't. It would be so weird having everyone do everything for you and treating you like Royalty. I do think however, Miss Hilton would be much deeper and smarter than people make her out to be, plus she is funny, she'd be a good pal.

Number 4:

Barack Obama

What a cool experience it would be to meet the President! This one in particular would be special because he is the son of an immigrant who turned his life around and went to Harvard at a not so young age. Very inspiring. Anything is possible in this country, my son could be President. I love America, so yes, would be thrilled to meet him. Plus, it doesn't hurt he is the most handsome since Kennedy!

Number three:

Martha Stewart

Who doesn't like Martha right? I would just love to hang out with her. She knows all about hospitality and manners, oh I want to be like her!

Number two:

The Duggar Family- Michelle Duggar in particular

I just think this family is sooooo lovely! The way that they shine! They are beautiful and it's because they love the Lord. I would love to soak up all of Michelle Duggar's wisdom, what a sweet spirit and great mother. I want to be like her also! A mixture of her and Martha would be a good combo I reckon.

Number one:

Dolly Parton

 OH MYLANTA I LOVE HER!!!! I think she is the greatest thing since sliced bread. She is so beautiful and talented. She IS everything I love about America. Yes this is my one person I HAVE to meet!

So there you have it folks, who would yours be?

Making Goat Cheese= Making Love

Recently I was talking to a friend about keeping my sanity...if you are a mother, you know exactly what I am talking about. Sometimes you will go a half of a week wearing sweats with sweet potato stains, and no adult interaction other than the Duggars on TLC if you are lucky enough. Your husband gets home and you start talking in baby voice and trying to cut his chicken breast in to tiny pieces. It happens, and I know I am not alone in this! My friend who lucky for me is also a family psychologist and mother said that one thing that helped her marriage was going out two days a week and learning something new. So on I went on an adventure to Providence Hill Farm in Kansas to learn how to make goat cheese. I have to say, my friend was right, not only did I meet a great group of very real ladies but I de-stressed quite a bit. I am making a commitment to myself to do this more often, no matter how hard it might be to leave hubby and baby or to let my pride down and ask someone to babysit. I want to encourage you ladies to go out and learn something new, don't be afraid to admit to yourself how hard our job is. TAKE CARE of yourselves, BE GOOD to yourselves, because if you don't, there is no way you can love on anyone else!

Now for the fun part, some pictures for your enjoyment...

My new friend Christy (whose farm we were in) and her sweet daughter chloe making magic happen

Those goats are so loved!

Riccotta with blueberries,nuts and honey

Mozzarella in olive oil,garlic and oregano

Ps- If you are interested in cheese making classes or Goat's milk soap making classes and you live near the Kansas City area become a fan of Providence Hill Farm on Facebook and check out the schedules. and if you are not into that sort of thing but you like to smell delicious check out their website for some AMAZING and natural, handcrafted soaps and lotions at www.goatsmilksoapandlotion.com

The Pioneer Woman

As I was doing my many chores this morning, I found myself thanking the Lord of heaven and earth for all the wonderful appliances that make my day just a bit easier. How did women survive before such contraptions??? I would like to see Ree (self proclaimed Pioneer Woman) live without a washing machine, microwave, dish washer, making her children's clothes stitch by stitch, and growing her own food, with no car, just for one day. Haha. This would make a great TV show, someone should pitch the idea to TLC. I know I would not last a day! But seriously, though things have changed a lot since those days, modern mothers just have a different frontier. Whether that frontier is becoming the women we want to be, getting all the impossible laundry done, shepherding our children's heart, or just getting through the day without pulling our hair out,  there is a pioneer woman in all of us and we can do this!

"MUST HAVES" birth to 6 months

Hey everyone! Since I have a lot of friends that are pregnant or have younger babies, and you are always asking me what my favorite baby products are, I decided to show you in a post.  Here are my top five:

                                  Number one: THE BUGABOO FROG STROLLER
 Jude loved it when he was 4 days old, and he still loves it.  It has a detachable bassinet which was really great when he was teeny. This stroller is all terrain, the wheels work at the beach and on hiking trails. It's called the frog because it has shock absorbers and it hops as you go which babies love. It's also super easy to handle and very stylish. Though it comes with a big price tag, we bought ours used on craigslist.

Number two: THE BEABA BABYCOOK

This product is AMAZING! All you do is wash any veggie of your choice and cut it and this little machine will steam, blend and reheat it to perfection in 15 minutes!!! I make all of Jude's food organic so this is so cool because I get to know exactly what I am feeding him and it's soooo easy! Oh, and you only have to wash one dish. This is also another pricey Item available at William's Sonoma BUT truly it pays for itself considering each little pouch of organic baby food at the store is a dollar, and you can get 4 servings out of one sweet potato if you make it yourself, with the added benefit of no preservatives.

Number three: BURT'S BEES BABY PRODUCTS

We have used these since the first week Jude was born and they smell sooooo good! Normally, you can't use scents on babies with sensitive skin, but because this is an all natural product, it is very gentle. It costs a little more than Johnson's but lasts a lot longer also because a little bit of this goes a long way.

Number four: THE PHIL AND TED'S TRAVEL CRIB

This crib is Nathan's new obsession as a lover of travel and the outdoors. It rolls up into a burrito the size of a yoga mat, the matress is self inflated and it only weighs 6 pounds. It is also UV protective,can fit easily in a backpack or luggage, and your child can use it until he is 3. This travel crib goes for $229 at babies r us and everywhere else, but is on special right now at costco.com for $74, that is cheaper than any pack and play, and so much better!

Number five: DR.BROWN'S BOTTLES

I would not recommend any other bottle! These were great and super helpful with the burping, and we all know how important that is. Also, the logo on mine started peeling (which is food grade anyway) and when I emailed them about it, they replaced ALL my bottles with new ones and they were sooo pleasant about it, so I love this company. Off course it is all BPA free.

So there you go, there are my top five. Other favorites and must haves include the Boppy pillow, Jump and go for the doorway, the Dr. Brown's microwave sterilizer was awesome, oh and baby swings are really great too so register for one of those. And also remember, when it comes to baby stuff, you really get what you pay for, look for the BEST ITEMS and then get them used or look for them on sale. When I was pregnant I read a book called rich dad/poor dad, and it said you shouldn't say "we can't afford this" because that makes your mind stop working, instead you should ask yourself "how can I afford this?" For us, it was looking on craigslist and for the best prices, and I am glad we did.  I hope this is helpful.

Oh lord, I have become one of "them"!

I never could have guessed a little over a year ago that I'd be the girl that I am today...I am sure neither could any of my four former roommates in the little hippie commune that my husband and I lived in. Nathan and I always knew that we wanted children, in fact, we wanted fourteen. As unconventional human beings, we decided we'd be great parents "I can't stand these parents whose life stops when they have kids!" I would say, "I am going to live in a hippie commune even after we have a baby. The baby will adapt to my lifestyle, not the other way around!" - and so, after 5 years of being married, we finally decided to start trying for our first child... fast forward 15 months and I am in a completely different city, living in a little suburbia house right outside downtown KC, with a six month old baby boy, going on play dates, and being friends with other "mommies" ( a word I once hated.) How naive I was to think that nothing would change, that I wouldn't change. He has turned our world upside down, and though I didn't want to admit it at first, for fear of criticism from my old friends, I LIKE THIS! Children change EVERYTHING. I have discovered a "secret club" that you become a part of when you are a mother, one that you only belong to as soon as you announce " I'm pregnant!" a sisterhood of non-judgmental women. All of us become equals once we become mothers. Whether you are a hipster,hippie, or a conservative mother, you will find that motherhood brings women together. Because, it changes you...and surprisingly, you don't mind. I am LOVING my new life as a mother, I don't really care if you think I am a sell out because life is fabulous,and I invite you in, to share in the adventures and misadventures of me, baby Jude and my sweet husband Nathan. so let's raise up our martini glasses and toast to MOTHERHOOD!