Blended Family of 5

My adventure with ducks so far

2017-06-03T12:57:00.003-07:00

My adventure with ducks so far

We got ducks! We brought them home just shy of 4 weeks ago. It's been a super cute, sweet and fun adventure with a few challenges.

Let me say first ducks are not chickens. We have raised chickens since 2010 and chickens are easy. Not a giant learning curve. Tons of websites, blogs , social groups and books that all say close to the same things. I know a lot of people with chickens I can always pick their brains. Ducks have all the resources but everything is different. I know no one with ducks and they aren't as intuitive.

So I brought home ducks thinking they needed a warmer, a place to play in water and food. What I found out is ducks are not born waterproof. They can drowned or freeze to death in a tiny bit of water. They need to be kept dry until fully featured. How is this true? I see ducklings in the pond swimming. Well they have a Mother duck. The Mother duck has waterproof oils she is always rubbing on her babies helping them survive while they grow. Ok so no water to play in? No, they can play in water under supervision for shot periods of time. They will need to be completely dried and put back in their warm brooder when done.

Feeding your ducks. Well they are babies feed them chick food right? NO! Chickens need different things than ducks. Chickens grow slower and should start on a medicated feed to prevent common chick illnesses. The medication in chick feed is very bad for your ducklings. It can kill them. The feed store recommended Flock Raiser. No medication. I didn't guess that was wrong. Made since I used it with my quail. Quail are game birds I guess ducks are too. Well Flock Raiser isn't just without medication it's also high in protein. Fast growing birds need higher protein to support muscle and feathers growth. What is didn't know is some birds are fine on Flock Raiser and some still need more. I found out the hard way. My duck had a seizure. Backyard Chickens forum has duck owners that say this can happen for a few reasons. Infection, neurological or low vitamin B3. There's no duck doctors so my inner science geek had to weigh out the symptoms and try and treat. Well the day before the seizure the duck kept sitting and had shaking legs. I thought it was cold and heated it up. Seemed to be correct until the seizure. A few places noted shaking legs and seizures could be they need Niacin/B3 I could give them niacin crushed up( not slow release) or try mixing Brewers Yeast in their food and water. I got Brewers yeast. We've been using it a week and the ducklings seems to be more active. Less sitting and no seizures that I can tell. I've been giving them a scoop in their food morning and night.

Oh wait food morning and night. The food will get wet. Ducks dip their food in their water making a mess. The food gets soaked and will mold. Mold is another duck killer so change the food often. As ducklings they need a lot of food. As grown ducks you limit the food to a cup in the morning and the evening. Ducklings needs the food for fast growing. Ducks if they eat food all day will develop a fatty liver and get very sick. Again it could kill them. Back to the seizure. We added Brewers yeast and are upping their protein until fully feathered. Guess what there are unmediated chick feed with higher protein that Flocker Raiser. I found this bag and will see how it goes. I was told it's good for duck and other meat birds. No we aren't eating these duke purpose ducks.

Other things we can add in moderation to our ducks diet are peas, mealworms and sardines. Don't worry if your ducks won't eat them. They are just as picky as kids. My ducks do not like sardines and they love peas. Ducks also need water to eat so they don't choke. They dip their food and clean their nostrils by dipping their beaks while eating. This makes a huge mess and gets the ducks messy and wet.

Next challenge. How to keep the ducklings dry. If they get messy and wet you can safely assume they will get everything around them messy and wet. Keeping them clean and dry is a chore you can't ignore. I've set up a Rubbermaid tub as their brooder. The tub has holes drilled in the bottom for extra draining. The tub sits in a baby pool to collect the water.

The first bedding we tried was corn cob. We used it with our turtles and our chickens. It's ok with ducks but doesn't keep them dry. It's just easy to dump in the trash for a quick cleaning. I'm cleaning their brooder twice a day.

Since I go through a ton of bedding when I ran out of cob I used Aspen shavings. They are very clean and don't create a lot of dust. I use them with our Guinea pig and chickens.

No dust helps prevent respiratory issues. Don't ever use cedar it causes cancer in some animals. With ducks shavings are a nasty wet mess. Off to Tractor Supply I went for more corn cob. Well tractor supply does not carry corn cop cop so I was stuck trying to find something that I could use. The manager of the store showed me corn cob horse bedding which is a pellet that when it gets wet absorbs the water and breaks up into a dust. So far this is my very favorite I can change the ducks bedding once every other day. That's with them dumping a ton of water. My ducks are dry.

Last and something you have to do is allow your ducklings to bathe. They are dirty. Their features are coming in and itch. It's also super cute and a great time to talk to the ducklings and bond. Find a sunny or warm place. Put enough water for them to cover their feet and sit and watch them play and clean themselves. Limited time. We do it 15 to 20 minutes. Dry them off and put them in their warm brooder. They end up cute and fluffy.

We decided to film with a Co-star

2016-07-17T15:57:00.000-07:00

If you've read our blog or use to shop at Lovely Eco Chic you know Declan. Well he's no longer my potty training toddler but my hilarious Second grader. He loves to be in home movies. The funny part to me about this movie is he wanted to be called Dan. You see if you move some letters around in his name and take some out his name is Dan.

We planted Sweet potatoes. I'm going to give you the link here for my inspiration so you can actually see the How-To I tried to follow. I hope you enjoy.

As always a huge THANK YOU to our daughter Tanner Lutz for the filming and editing.

It's been over two years since our last post.

2016-07-10T09:17:00.002-07:00

Wow did life takeover in a hurry. My kids are grown. I have have three in high school all in and out of braces. Both my little cloth diaper models are well in to elementary school, soccer, basketball and wrestling. I'm still working full time and trying my hardest to give my kids experiences and memories they will keep with them for years to come.

My husband and I bought a bigger home for our family back in December. There's still much to to do. I thought I would start blogging again. Hopefully we still entertain and you all can take something with you.

On that note.. Tanner my second oldest is very talented and see and I are doing a Vlog about our garden and other DIY things that we do around this new home. We will be posting written blogs and links to our YouTube videos here just in case you.re interested in the stuff we are doing and want to be a part of our fun.

Here's our first video. I hope you like!

My beautiful daughter on vacation with her Dad

2014-06-22T13:26:00.001-07:00

One perk of a blended family is having two families in some cases. Both of our daughters have this blessing. My oldest Marysa's dad has been sending me breathtaking photos of her and texting me. Per my request as the idea of my daughter at the Grand Canyon has me a bit freaked out. Photos of her happy calm my nerves.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-06-13T19:47:00.001-07:00

Wow! You get what you pay for I suppose

2012-05-29T21:29:00.000-07:00

I'm nine months into running my on-line shop. Lovely Eco Chic I have been working with a lot of bloggers. Mostly I've been very please with the reviews I've had done. Since I'm really pick y about what I carry to the point of being crazy almost I get really bummed out when I know a product Rocks! and the blogger makes it sound blah!

So far this has happened twice where I felt like asking them to just take the review down. In fairness to my fans I like them to see as many points of view as possible. This last one hits home. It's my favorite product. The review makes me look like I'm trying to sell moldy bread. I noticed I lost a few follows on FB today. I'm wondering how this affects my creditability.

I'm just sick to my stomach wondering what's the right thing to do. My business is just now getting weekly sales. I hope this wont stop them.

Where is my Start up an on-line for Dummies book. There has to be a what to do if your bloggers don't agree with you. Ugh!

To top it off I've been dealing with this drama and Sonny goes and tries to wash his hair with the left over chicken fat in our frying pan from dinner. It smells so bad. I just wanted to puke.

I love today! That is all.

My Broody Hen

2012-04-25T18:49:00.000-07:00

Some of you know I have 2 sets of hens. Last years hens Blacky and Sally and this years chicks. My hens will be a year at Mother's Day. They are pretty solid egg layers at this point. Over the last couple weeks we had a huge BOOM of eggs. I was giving them away to everyone.

Well I now know the reason. Blacky thinks she should have chicks of her own. She's Broody. Poor thing doesn't realize that she needs a rooster. This is were it becomes a bit strange. Sally is our dominate hen. Definitely a hen. She too lays eggs. However now that Blacky thinks she's having chicks Sally is playing Dad. She struts around the yard protecting to coup. If you're any one besides me she pecks you. Blacky sits patiently in the nesting box. Waiting and waiting for these unfertilized eggs to hatch.

Looking at various websites how to deal with this poor Motherless hen I'm following none of the advice. I take her out of the nesting box a few times a day and make her hang out with Sally. I keep taking the eggs. Some have looked weird, jelly looking on deflated. Some are shaped strange with ridges. Every website says this could be from stress.

I almost want to replace an egg Blacky sits on for a few days with a baby chick. As hard as this couple is working to raise some chicks I think they should have some. Just a couple of things are stopping me. I have six birds already. Who's to say the trick will work? That kind of borderlines on animal testing to me. I guess I keep making sure she socializes with Sally in the yard and get plenty of food and water. Heck I have thought I was pregnant a few times when I wasn't.

Lovely Eco Chic Diaper Service and Boutique: Planet Wise Breastfeeding Cover Giveaway

2012-03-23T20:30:00.001-07:00

Lovely Eco Chic Diaper Service and Boutique: Planet Wise Breastfeeding Cover Giveaway: Planet Wise Breast Feeding cover Giveaway!

My peeps first dust bath

2012-03-04T16:03:00.001-08:00

Yes we are expanding our flock. More to come.

Worried homeless

2012-02-28T20:50:00.001-08:00

My brother is homeless. Two of them are. Bad choices info their teens followed them into their 40s.

Driving my son Joey to school last week he told me God talks to him and told him his dad was dead. I wasn't sure what to say. It's been months since we have seen him. I could only feel sadness. Poor Joey to have that kind of worry at 10 years old.

Sure when I wake up cold or see the rain I hope my brother has a place to keep warm. Joey loves his dad. His worry goes beyond what mine ever can. This is Dad he loves and see suffer.

I just tell him to pray. God has a plan and hears him. Joe tells me he talks to God. I think my litter mans prayer were heard. My brother called my parents. He's in a rehab. The pastor of the church he goes to helped him get in. He's got a job when he gets out. Even better news he shares a bunk with our other brother who's in rehab as well.

Today is good. Amen

Diaper Donation

2012-02-05T11:58:00.000-08:00

Diaper Donation

Since the cloth diapering community is full of generous people, we thought we should send this message out to ask as many persons as possible to join this cause with us.

Our friend Jenn, the owner of The Big Blue Frog in Penticton BC has been approached by a local mom who is going to Haiti in June to do volunteer work in an orphanage for children with AIDS. They are in desperate needs of...well... everything so we thought we could help with the diapering part.

We've been able to find about a dozen of gently used diapers so far but we all know that it is far from enough, especially when you have 7 or 8 kids in diapers!

If you are able to participate, PLEASE send your diapers (pocket with insert, AIO, AI2, hybrid, fitted-cover) to

MiniMaestro
2339 Ogilvie Rd
PO Box 46004
Gloucester ON K1J 7M9

or to

Lovely Eco Chic

3649 Hillsborough Dr

Concord, CA 94520 ( I will send them for you. As international mail can cost slightly more. ~Mary)
MiniMaestro gift certificate for each diaper you send us. And if you do not need or want the gift certificate, MiniMaestro will donate a new diaper for each couple of diapers you send us. Please make sure you indicate your choice when sending the diaper(s), along with an e-mail address to contact you.

You can read more about the orphanage here.

So? Who's in with us to help those kids in Haiti wear descent diapers? Does not have to be cute or fancy, only do adequately what a diaper is supposed to do...

Thank you from the bottom of our heart!

One of those shopping trips

2012-01-22T19:43:00.000-08:00

I am slowing adjusting to life where a big paycheck came in every two weeks in my name to a paycheck that is never consistent as a substitute preschool teacher. Fortunately I'm not a big spender and when ever I need money for food or gas god seems to deliver.

Today Joey needed new shoes. Lucky me my brother always sends gift cards to my kids for Christmas and Joey got his shoes. Target in our town also has groceries and I picked up a few things.

I can't help but try to shop fast when the boys go anywhere with me. A perfect example why is the sweet elderly woman who told Declan not to grab the coffee cup out of the trash and he lost it. When I picked him up his pants were soaked through. Joey and Sonny want everything on the self and I'm broke. It's a hard thing for me to say "No we can't get that." After all my joke for years has been ...Target's the what the heck did I buy for $300 store?

The lines were exceptionally long tonight. My boys stood by me calmly. Miracle. The checker finally rang us up after a 10 minute wait. My boys are still calm.... I'm slightly holding my breath and crossing my fingers at this point. Sure enough after giving the checker 3 gift cards I still owed $41s and had $35. I asked him to take something off and he voided my entire transaction then proceeded to look threw the trash for my gift cards. Fifteen people behind me standing there were asked to go to another line and a woman lost it slamming her cart and throwing an unattractive grown up woman fit. My boys stayed calm.

An hour later still trying to leave Target I was given another $5 credit off my bill for my kids and my own patience. I'm just thankful today I was given that miracle of peaceful boys in the store. They could have easily made an awkward situation so much worse. I don't know if the knew or not but I sure love them.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-18T21:11:00.001-08:00

Wordless Wednesday.....

Family day... good idea or bad idea?

2012-01-14T14:59:00.000-08:00

Our family has started the year spending time together on Sunday. I love this idea, unfortunately it doesn't come with a natural excitement and ease for all of us.
In our family, change does not come easy. Our first outing was a walk around our local reservoir. My husband and the boys ran ahead while I trailed behind with my preteen who silently protested by walking as slow as possible. The highlight was her little brother teasing her into tears. The day was not a complete failure but not our finest moment.
Yesterday we hit Briones regional park. This time we all started grumpy. I of coarse planned this one off a memory five years back and took us to the wrong location. First party failure. The hike was long and uphill with long drops to the side. This worried me. My little ones were just to fast and careless running along the path. Warren finished the hike with numbers 2 & 4 of our kids while I meandered back towards the car with numbers 3 & 5. We met about an hour latter and a cool face to face with a couple young bulls. Everyone was in good spirit.
No tears....or just for now. The adventure part of the day worked out. However owning your own freelance writing company on deadlines and unfinished homework made us talk about less family days.
No clue if we will hike next weekend? I'm hoping we do. Being unplugged grumpy or not is priceless. My kids wont be small forever.

Mom + braces = Oh my goodness

2012-01-07T17:15:00.000-08:00

We went to our second orthodontist visit today for Joey. Our first was a year and a half ago. We were told he was delayed due to his circumstances before we got him. We went through the process of pulling baby teeth and waiting for the new to grow in.

No one told us how many teeth we were waiting on. Apparently it was 14 since he still had 12 to go after . This poor kid complains daily about his teeth hurting and tries hard to keep him mouth closed as to not show people his crooked teeth.

As his Mom I want him to be proud. He's a great kid and super cute. The orthodontist gave us a few options.

Wait for his teeth to fall out naturally. The orthodontist told us if this does not happen naturally in 6 months to work with a pediatric dentist and get them pulled. He should have all his teeth in a year and a half.
Two rounds of braces. This would have poor Joe in braces for 5 years. Costing us a pretty price of $8000.

My heart is breaking for him. I wore braces for 5 years. I felt a lot better day one. My teeth were shinny. My teeth started shifting and even looked straight in the braces for years before I got them off. Getting Joey his braces now would get them off by freshman year. If we start his braces naturally when he looses his teeth and it takes a year and a half he'll be in junior high when we start and late high school when they come off. That just sucks! That bill is a hard one to commit too.

Now I'm regretting in the biggest way quitting AT&T. Feeling very selfish pursuing my own dreams. My kids need. I'm sure braces on kid #3 isn't the last of our massive costs of raising kids. Just the first step. Yikes!

My little shop will have to wait. Not closed just be moved down in priority. I may have to go to school at night to improve my appeal to employers. As my skills are very telephone related. Pray for a Pell Grant. I need another job! Full-time so my kid can grow up confidant and pain free. Now would be great!

The truth is

2012-01-05T13:47:00.001-08:00

I've been pretty down lately. The winter typically does this to me. I always blame it on my lame birthday. December 26, who wants to relate their birthday with forgetting and leaving?

So my rant today adds to that. I'm beating myself down. No job. No jobs advertised. My little shop sits listless and people are cleaning house on Twitter and Facebook and I'm loosing my small inch of internet fame as I'm disliked and unfollowed. Now returns are being made.

The hardest part of all this is I'm 36. I have five beautiful kids and I feel like such a cruddy role model. My parents worked hard. We had things. Sure not a lot of time was spent as quality family time but I could look up to them and feel proud.

My kids parent me. If I slip and swear they correct me. They are diligent about doing homework before having fun. Sure their rooms are messy not matter how I nag. I suppose it's the value of being a kid to blame that on. I love them all so much.

I'm up to nothing. I spend a lot of energy on my shop without interaction. I miss my kids all day. I'm just sad . It's the truth.

Time to check-in

2011-12-31T08:44:00.000-08:00

Early this year I posted my goals:

New goals

1. This years garden will be fabulous.
2. I will have chickens.
3. Learn to compost.
4. Read more
5. Run more.
6. Reduce house hold clutter by 50%
7. Take family to the snow.
8. Visit 3 state/national parks with the kids.
9. Keep strong with eating and feeding my family healthy.
10. Get Sonny to sleep in his own bed.

Here's my after birthday check-in without my list of why I didn't.

1. We had a fabulous garden. Spinach, corn, tomatoes, squash, kale, carrots, peppers, egg plant, soy beans, bush beans, apples. I grew a lawn my kids played on all year!

2. My chickens names are Sally and buff brahma and Blacky a black Cochin. I love my girls.

3. I can compost! I tried multiple ways and finally stuck with worm composting. It's stink free! Highly recommended. My compost also breads mealworms that are my chickens favorite treat.

4. Read more only happened on-line. I have read up on company after company to make sure what I'm offering in on-line shop my conscious can live with. This year I'll still have this goal.

5. Run more only happened once. That was more than the year before. This year run will change to bike more. I think it's easier maybe????

6. I have rid my house of so much to make it look like I have never touched it. This is my #1 goal for 2012.

7. I officially took the kids to the snow. I wont be doing it again. I hate snow!

8. We went to zero national parks. Still high on the list for 2012.

9. We still eat home cooked food. I just added a second crock pot to the line up and got silicone pans that allow us to do more with our roaster. Still lots of room for improvements.

10. Sonny sleeps with me and I move him. Does that count?

My personal opinion of this year. I can do better and I will. There's a whole new list of goals for 2012 I can't wait to start.

Happy New Year!

Garden dreaming

2011-12-29T18:10:00.000-08:00

I think I have a true sickness. My yard looks sad in the fall and winter. A lot of my hard work has ended season and I have cardboard all across my beds to help prevent too much unwanted vegetation growing. My chickens do have half as many grubs to dig up and all my cloth diaper laundry is being hung inside unless a good sun bleach is needed. Then I may even hang them in the fog and rain.

I have six pots on my front step where the sun hits these short winter days. I have greens, spinach and kale seedling growing away. My lights I hang in my garage are in my sons room keeping his turtle warm this winter and I have high hopes of a new house and yard for this years summer garden.

I find my self paging throw Territorial Seed Company's Spring 2012 catalog with an areal shot of my dream homes back yard. Reading ideas, planning a shed with a desk for Lovely Eco Chic to work from while out in the yard with my children, my chickens and my garden. A place where I can even sew.

The yard extends beyond the picket fence.

I should be cleaning my current home. Sending out resumes so I can work for someone? Oh well.... Dreams for now.

2011-12-22T16:14:00.001-08:00

Watch "Attack the Chrismas tree" on YouTube

Where have I been?

2011-11-27T09:33:00.000-08:00

We first should celebrate soccer season is over. Marysa and Joey added their fourth trophy and Sonny his first to our crowded fire place mantel. This usually means more time for family and the family blog.

After a series of falls and a year of numbness I blew up at my doctor. I told them I'd take my chances with the pain. I needed to have a reason and not be treated for the symptoms any longer. Off the meds I'm a little emotional. I can feel the right side of my body again. Surprised my issue is with my bladder. Close to complete paralysis cause by my nerves not communicating out of the injured area of my back. Good news is I don't have to jump in to more meds. My body can take up to six months to self rehab and there is a remote control device they can add to my bladder to improve my quality of life if we need to go down that road.

My little on-line shop is fun. Not an over night success and I'm patient. I'd rather see the cloth diaper service side take off. Me trying to help instead of taking. Warren of coarse reminds me no one goes in to business not to make money. I hear my sisters voice saying to him before we got married. Because of her heart......it's so big and she's a giver. Don't hurt her. So who knows I may make it or not in business. I can tell you I feel successful I have made some great friends.

Now all the blah, blah blah is over.............

Cool blogs I want to write.

Mountain View Sanitation District is super cool.
There are vegetable gardens popping up EVERYWHERE!
Meet Turtle 10
For a change I like what Contra Costa County has been using my tax dollars for.
Are the birthday parties ever going to stop?!

Twitter Potty training Party

2011-11-08T09:05:00.001-08:00

Come share with all us parents what works for your little one in the first step closer to being a big kid.

This is our first party ever. Hopefully it will grow in popularity to weekly.

I have Three great prizes for this chat. Ecoposh trainer, Flip trainer & Fuzzibunz Ticklefree Trainer.

The "offical" event page is found on Lovely Eco Chic Facebook page to RSVP how ever leaving a comment here you'll be there willalso enter you in the drawing.

Event time is Wednesday 7pm PST

Where:Twitter
hashtag #pottylearners

Ruby's Red Wash Review & Giveaway

2011-11-04T13:21:00.000-07:00

This product is amazing and the brains behind it is wonderful too. Ruby's Red Wash gets the blood out. It's the bleen' truth.

With that said let me tell you I experiment with everything. I have a need to know. This is what I know about RWW.

First people are scared to try it..... I can't understand why? Anything that makes my life easier I'm all for it. The microwave, washing machine, toilet paper.
It's great for all blood stains not just menstruation. It works on blood on sports uniforms, blood from nose bleeds, from the fluke accident were you slice your thumb open cutting while cooking. Saving what ever you bled on. Towel, shirts, under ware, sports uniforms.
It's not bleach or even OxyClean. It's not going to change the color of the cloth the stain is on. RWW is micro organisms. Like in yogurt only the kind that attach themselves to blood and only blood. Completely biodegradable. Eco-friendly.
It's easy to use now or later. Rinse, saturate stain, soak and rinse. You don't even need hot water.

Our tests were on postpartum bleeding, premenopausal bleeding, bloody nose on a cotton t-shirt. It came clean every time. The only problem we came across was old blood stains that have been washed and dried already a few times.

As a mother of five, three who are rough boys and love to take me into the ER with cuts, keep me fully aware of the amount and size of bandages I have on stalk all the time. I am trilled to have a product where at least I don't have to buy new cloth because the old close the stain didn't come out after soaking in OxyClean. I have two girls that will be changing really soon as well. Believe me they already have favorite jeans and panties. I sure would like for them to keep them and their pride.

You may not run out and by a bottle today for what ever reason is holding you back even though you really might think about changing your mind. Let's have a giveaway.

The rules:
You must comment each of your entries.

You must follow on Google Friend Connect so I can tell you you're the winner. +1 Entry
follow @rubysredwash on twitter +1 entry
follow me on twitter @pinkradish +1 entry
Become Ruby's Red Wash friend on Facebook +2 entries
Tweet about it. No more than 4 times a day 2 hours between tweets +2 per tweet
Post it to Facebook +4 entries

Bonus entries

Buy something at Lovely Eco Chic and leave a comment on your check out you'd like a free sample. + 10 entries
Tell us how the sample worked for you on LovelyEcoChic.blogspot.com Ruby's Red Wash informational page +15 entries

With that said..........

Dates of the Giveaway are 11/4/11 - 12/9/11 Winner will be posted here and contacted by e-mail. I use random.org to choose winners. 12-9-11 9 PST you will be notified who won. You have 48 hours to respond.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

Eggs-- Which comes first?

2011-10-31T22:15:00.000-07:00

If you been following along. I have chickens. They are now laying hens. Today it's official I have my first dozen eggs that are truly farm fresh. That is of coarse if farm fresh and backyard fresh are the same.

This is my fun experiment I did with a few eggs and a few kids.

First the eggs. One if from my girls and one is labeled "Farm Fresh" These eggs were gathered or bought at approximately the same time

The store bought egg outside is larger. I have no face to match with this egg.

This is Blacky's egg.

This is Blacky

The store baught egg insdide is thinner.

Than Blacky's free range grain feed egg shell.

Ok I am in love with my hen. This is where you'll get some cold hard scientific evidence what egg tastes better.

These are my testers.

Declan I will eat everything including hand sanitizer.

Sonny.... Can I have a treat. No not grapes...How about a cookie?

Joey's that's disgusting do I have to eat it ?

Marysa .. It's good but it would be better with garlic.

This is the test. My perfect microwave eggs.

The egg to the left is Blacky's eggs. The egg on the right is from a faceless Donner.

This is Blacky's egg yoke beat with a splash of 2% milk. Nice and smooth.

This is the faceless yoke beat with a splash of 2% milk. Notice the glob of yuck.

Blacky's egg after 40 seconds in the microwave tasted by each kid except Joey who backed out at the last minute.

Declan, Marysa and Sonny loved this egg. Marysa thought this had to be store bought.

The faceless egg after 40 seconds bubbles and fizzed and tasted good but it was no Blacky.

So I am happy to say my girls lay eggs tasty enough for my children and I know what they girls egg and know it's healthy enough for this Mama of 5 to approve.

Next test will be baking..... No clue when but a good idea. :-)

Come play a game at my store Lovely Eco Chic

2011-10-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

Flash Friday Fun

PayPay Gift Certificate

My period

2011-10-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

I joined in on a monthly Period Chat on Friday hosted byYou ARE Loved. I met her on twitter are few months back and think some of my stories might help others.

Of my five children two are girls. They are in the fifth grade and are going through some changes. As the Mom I want to do this right. For me it was horrible and for them it doesn't have to be.

I started my period at about twelve years old. It was about a month after I got a box of period products in the mail from my parents insurance company. My Mom gave me the box and that was it. There was no talk. The box had a brochure in it that included some information but I wasn't sure what it was talking about.

One day I was on a bus coming home from school in my new white pants. I got up to get off the bus and a kind woman handed me her newspaper and told me to cover my rear walking off the bus. I didn't ask questions and did what she said. My stomach had been hurting all day and couldn't imagine what I was covering up. The woman saved me from being teased by the kids who were on my bus. I started my first period.

I got home and searched for my box. There was dry weave pads with wings. Not very many so I wrote a note and placed it on the back of the toilet before going out to babysit two boys. My night babysitting was rotten. The boys were wild, I couldn't focus and set the stove on fire. Yes I caught the kitchen of the house on fire. I got it under control and cleaned up. The parents kept me as the sitter for years. No hard feelings but I was sick.

My mom put a bag of maxi pads on the back of the toilet. They were huge! I was a girl, small. I did not know how often to change them. I layered them in my underwear because I didn't want to leak on my pants again. Walking out in to our family room my dad told me I looked like I was walking with a corncob shoved up my butt. It was such a bad first experience.

My periods lasted for weeks. They were heavy and gross. I stopped smiling and started hiding in my room. By the time high school came around I was cutting school whenever I had my period. My end of the year report card showed I missed classes 154 times, My parents were called to the school and I was given the option of going into a program at my high school called Start Now or to be transferred to Olympic High School. I school for 'bad' kids. I was signed up for Start Now. I had four classed with the same kids for the remaining three years of high school. My mom was called when ever I missed a class. I still cut class I just got smarter about it. I had stacks of blank papers with my Mom's signature on them. I used them as needed to excuse my self from class and I made up work. My grades stayed good.

I had a friend Freshmen year who showed me that her Mom had tampons. We both tried them out. Cardboard tubes. They were hard and we didn't know that the cardboard was not suppose to be left inside our bodies. Now I know how lucky we were in not getting TSS from that experiment. I didn't try a tampon again until my sisters wedding a year after I graduated from high school. One of the bride's maid told me how to use it.

At nineteen I read that birth control could make your period lighter and went to Planned Parenthood for a prescription. They discovered I was very anemic. I was given iron pills. My periods got lighter the birth control pills made me neurotic. I stopped the birth control and found out that calcium, magnesium and zinc would control my period cramping fro a school nurse who was the first person I ever talked to about my period. It worked for the most part.

I got married at 22. We never used birth control. I was never at risk of being pregnant. I had my regular- irregular periods. At one point it was so heavy I had giant purple blood clots pass. I thought at this point it had to be a miscarriage. I went to a doctor. The doctor thought I had one of two things happening. endometriosis or my ovaries were swelling to the size of racket balls when I ovulated. I was going to be tested. I was 24 at this point and dealt with a painful heavy period for twelve years in the dark.

The test I was going to have involved filling my uterus with a blue radioactive serum on the first day after my period. I didn't have a regular period. In fact it was March and I hadn't had one since passing the blood clots Christmas shopping. I called my doctor and asked if there was something I could take to make my period start so I could get the test over with. There was but they had to make sure I wasn't pregnant. My home pregnancy test was negative. My blood test from a week earlier was negative but they wanted me to do one last pregnancy test before I could pick up the prescription. This test said I was pregnant.

OMG! I was pregnant. I delivered a 9.3 pound baby girl in December, two weeks before my 25 birthday. I was given a depo shot for birth control. It worked great for two years. No periods. No worry. Then I started to get horrible leg pains and I had to stop my shots. The period did not come back heavy and was more regular. I was on a mini-pill that was better than my pill experience before and when my husband and I got divorce in 2003 I stopped birth control all together. My periods were still irregular but not ever as heavy as when I was a teen.

I got remarried in 2005. In 2006 I found out I was pregnant again. I carried this baby for twelve weeks and lost it. I had a post part um bleed for almost 6 weeks. I was told not to try and get pregnant again for six months. I didn't try but I got pregnant again giving birth in February 2007. The post part um was short. A few weeks and here it is 2011. I had maybe two periods since. I even got pregnant and had another baby 2008 with out a period in between. This time it's an IUD keeping me from a regular period. I do have monthly moods and occasionally bloating or spotting but no period.

Here I am a mother of these beautiful girls who will be women soon. I am frantically trying to find the easiest way to help them with this change in their life. Since my experience was not that ideal. In fact it was crappy. Chats on Period talk are invaluable to me. Parenting classes on how to talk to your preteen and in the works and anything I can do to make it fun we try. My oldest went to see a teen doctor who thinks it will happen soon. We prepared by making a game plan, sewing cloth pads if she doesn't like the feel or disposable pads like me and lots of girl talks.

I can only pray she'll stay close to me and feel good about asking questions and talking to me. No one should have to grow up into a woman in the dark like I did. It's kind of funny now, my sister has a daughter two years older than my girls and for the first time I can ever remember we talked about our periods and how she grew up in the dark too. It's nice to have her here going through at least this part of growing up as a woman together. Knowing I'm not alone in wanting for my daughters to walk into the light as they grow up..