Go Long! Go Green!

Ahhh ... the taste of Michigan in February!

2012-02-15T16:11:00.000-05:00

With the kids in bed last night at 7:30pm, Nate and I were able to sit down and enjoy peace, chocolate, talking, and wine! We don't usually do anything really elaborate on Valentines Day, but try to come up with meaningful and economical plans to better strengthen our marriage! We love sitting at the table in candlelight and enjoying a yummy dessert (a must make for everyone!) and some wonderfully refreshing wine. I picked a book chapter to discuss while Nate picked a podcast to share. It was wonderful to connect with each other while the normal hustle and bustle of life STOPPED for 2 hours!!

Thanks Mama Pea for the wonderful recipe! So glad it made enough for leftovers today!

Ahhhh .... so tasty!! So refreshing and so Michigan!

Our Valentines celebration makes me long for our Grand Haven, MI summer vacation in July! Ahhh .... the warm weather, beautiful MI coast, friends, and family!! What more can a girl ask for ...

Epic Success and Failure all in one day ...

2012-02-14T14:01:00.001-05:00

We should begin with the epic failure ....

Looks like a VERY VERY dense doughnut ... not a loaf of bread!

My first attempt at Gluten-free baking in the bread machine without researching recipes! I thought I can just sub the flour and add some Xanthum Gum ... well, I was WRONG!! Back to square one ... GOOGLE!! I need to find good recipes that work to make GF bread b/c buying a tiny loaf for $5.50 each time isn't sustainable!! Anyone have any good recipes?

On to the epic success .... THANK YOU PINTEREST and this blog!

I made a few changes .... turned the "I love you ..." into a "We love you ..." I traced each one of our hands since Sophia, Jackson, and I all LOVE our favorite Valentine!!

I have a funny story about our little craft. Sophia and I called Nate around noon to wish him a Happy Valentines Day. She was telling him about our morning and that we just were working on a "craft" for him for a present. She started telling him that we were tracing hands, but I quickly quieted her and said ... "Shhhh, don't tell so daddy will be surprised!" She said, "Mommy, I want to tell him, no secrets!" She told him that we were tracing our hands for him and that we had to trace Jackson's hands when he got done nursing. Nate tells me later during the conversation, "Oh, all I ever wanted for Valentine's Day is a copy of hands!" HA!!

Wonder if he will be impressed??

Do you have any fun Valentines crafts or projects you are working on for your VALENTINE??

Jackson LOVES his toes!

2012-02-14T14:01:00.000-05:00

My sweet lil' guy LOVES his toes! He is way more flexible than Sophia ever was!! The kid loves having his toes in his mouth!! However, he only can reach them on the changing table when the cloth diaper is off!!

A Valentines Card!

2012-02-10T13:25:00.000-05:00

This year Sophia was asked to bring 10 Valentines for her Valentines Party at Preschool. We looked at all the Valentines at Target and I was not at all impressed. I couldn't justify spending $4-6 on a box of Valentines plus they were major lame-o!! What is a girl to do when she needs valentines? Of course, hop on Pinterest and find a super cute, easy idea!! Pinterest very rarely disappoints!! I found this pin and had to try it! I made a few changes to make them a little cheaper!

What do you think?

They were super easy ... quick hole punch in the card, feed the pipe cleaner through the back (see below), cut out red hearts out of card stock, add the wiggly eyes, a nose, and smile, then glue the face onto the card! Last, wrap the "hand" around the sucker!

Used a little peace of tape on the end of the sucker so it wouldn't be as "floppy"

The best smile I could get ... she was being extra silly this morning!

Sophia helped on the first few, but then it got a little boring she said! Ha!! She loved putting on the wiggly eyes!!

I was able to snap a few more pictures over the past few days!

She loves practicing her letters. "S" is her favorite letter! I wonder why!

My sweet boy with Daddy's favorite shirt! Already have him in baby camping gear! Ha!

Yes, she really has Christmas Mickey socks on. The girl lives in those things! Some things aren't worth the fight!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Warning: HEART BREAKER!

2012-02-08T20:03:00.000-05:00

Wow, it just doesn't seem possible that Jackson is 5 months old already!! Where is the time going? (I am happy to look back on months 1-4 as just a memory!) I love seeing his smiling face each morning (well, at a normal hour that is! Ha!) or after he gets done nursing! Just such a happy baby!! Don't get me wrong, he has his periods of time where he can wail with the best of them!

I know, with a face like this, I know it's hard to believe he cries!!

He has been doing some rolling around! Mostly likes to roll from his back to his "near" tummy ... fully on one side! He also has been enjoying playing with his feet! Problem is that he can only get his toes in his mouth on the changing table without a diaper on! I love my cloth, but it is a bit restrictive when trying to be uber-flexible!

We enjoy Wednesday mornings to ourselves while sis is at Preschool! Usually mommy enjoys watching the Glee and Parenthood episode from the previous night on the DVR while Jax sleeps! Ha!!

Tried to snap a pic with self-timer ... didn't work so well as
he didn't have my funny face to laugh at!

He has been laughing more and more! He loves playing "airplane" on my legs! He enjoys being tossed in the air, well, a few inches at this stage in the game!!

Now if we could just get this night time sleep down a little better. These short stretches are NOT fun! Seems like month 1-2 were horrible, 3 was much better, then 4 has been YUCK! Maybe the 5th month will be the best yet .... come on, a mom can dream right???

Oh, what I wouldn't give for 5 FULL nights in a row of uninterrupted sleep!!! Back to dream world for me huh?

Jackson's Room ... FINALLY complete

2012-01-22T20:42:00.000-05:00

Jackson's room has been painted for a few months, but the last lingering project was to recover his glider rocker cushions and make a new pillow! I seriously have had the fabric sitting in the corner on my room in the JoAnn bag for 3 months!!

Here is the final product ... I absolutely LOVE the colors!! If you would have told me the gray would have looked awesome, I would have told you NO WAY ... but it rocks! Good job hubby on picking it out!

Artwork my mom found before Jackson was born and before we knew it was a boy!

Love love love this decal!

Jackson Grant Long ... so presidential huh?

You can see the green glider cushion in the bottom of this picture ... no more ...

My first sewing job since 8th grade! I think it turned out pretty good!! The extra white pillows are my new "nursing support" pillows! My arms always fall asleep while he is nursing. Probably b/c of his big head! Ha!

Of course sis wanted to be the first one in the chair!

Up close of the pattern colors that match PERFECTLY!

I am so glad our room re-do's are over for awhile!! So much work ... yet such an awesome reward and finished product!

If you give a mom a muffin ...

2012-01-06T13:11:00.000-05:00

Most of you know and LOVE the famous kid book titled, "If you give a mouse a cookie ..." We must read that book at least once a week in our house! Yesterday on Facebook, a friend posted this ...

IF YOU GIVE A MOM A MUFFIN

"If you give a mom a muffin, she'll want a cup of coffee to go with it. She'll pour herself some. Her three-year-old will spill the coffee. She'll wipe it up. Wiping the floor, she will find dirty socks. She'll remember she has to do laundry. When she puts the laundry in the washer, she'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer. Bumping into the freezer... will remin...d her... she has to plan supper. She will get out a pound of hamburger. She'll look for her cookbook. (101 Things To Make With A Pound Of Hamburger.) The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail. She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow. She will look for her checkbook. The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old. She'll smell something funny. She'll change the two-year-old. While she is changing the two-year-old the phone will ring. Her five-year-old will answer and hang up. She'll remember that she wants to phone a friend to come for coffee. Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup. She will pour herself some. And chances are, if she has a cup of coffee, her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it." by Kathy Fictorie

Ok, so for all of you mom's out there (or even just anal, task driven busy bodies like myself), doesn't this describe your life perfectly? Start one task, see another that needs done, then see another, and another, and before you know it, you have forgotten about the first task you started and NEVER finished. This is my life EVERY day it seems like ... with laundry, washing diapers, changing diapers, hanging clothes, cleaning out this closet or this drawer, eating, emailing, etc!

So glad someone thought of a cute, accurate way to describe my life and probably hundred's of other mom's out there!!

Do you have this problem? If not, how do you keep yourself on track so that you are not derailed?

Decorating a Gingerbread Tree

2011-12-21T08:53:00.000-05:00

Lots of my friends have been decorating Gingerbread Houses and I felt like a bad mama not getting one to do with Sophia. With Jax, we just never got around to getting one. Of course, when I went to Target yesterday, 5 days before Christmas, they only had 2 left and of course BOTH were VERY broken! I saw this tree kit and thought, hey, it could be fun! Honestly, for this age (days away from 3), I felt like I like the tree better! It took less time (great for the short attention span) and was VERY easy to assemble! There were minimal choices for decorations which is always a good thing too!!

Notice when you see our creation below it looks NOTHING like the example on the box!

She did a great job assembling it herself (with only a little help from me!)

She begged me to eat some ... I told her it was only for decorating, but caved with the 1/2 inch size star that should have been at the top! :)

Putting on the little balls, aka light bulbs!

Laughing at Aunt Sarah and Hannah!

Yes, I know you are all coveting this BEAUTIFUL creation right now! Be inspired to decorate now ... :)

Jackson was sleeping during all this Christmas tree decorating fun, so that meant that Mommy and Jackson got some quiet time alone while sis was napping! Isn't my little boy just adorable? I got his little onesie at the Hendricks County Craft Fair! I just love it so much!! :) My little man with his lil' ho-ho-ho tie!!

Sweet, sweet boy!

Do you have any fun decorating traditions you like to do with your kids or while you were growing up?

Homemade Peppermint Patties

2011-12-19T21:51:00.000-05:00

I am a sucker for York Peppermint Patties! Too bad the long list of ingredients is less than appealing ... and horrible for you! I found this recipe and decided to try it ... Only 4 "clean" ingredients!

THE VERDICT: AMAZING! I totally agree with the blogger and would add more peppermint extract the next batch, but these rock! I had to hide them in the freezer from the hubby or they would have been gone in one setting!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut oil (solid state – firm at temperatures below 76 degrees)
1/4 cup raw honey or maple syrup
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2-1 cup dark chocolate chips, melted and cooled slightly (I found it easiest to melt them and thin slightly with a Tablespoon of milk to get the best consistency. Cooling is essential for it to stick correctly.)

Directions:

1. Combine the coconut oil, honey/maple syrup, and peppermint extract in a food processor or blender till smooth.

2. Place in freezer until the ingredients are fairly solid (15 minutes or so).

3. Scoop out mixture with a 1.5 teaspoon scoop or whatever you have on hand (I used a standard Tablespoon) and form small balls on a parchment paper/wax paper lined cookie sheet. Press down into flattened rounds. (It will naturally melt a bit when brought in contact with your hands, so quickly form little mounds but don’t stress for perfection, because it will not happen.

4. Transfer back to the freezer to solidify again.

5. Remove from freezer after they are firm again and dip with a spoon into your melted cooled chocolate until fully covered. Allow 10 minutes or so to harden. Store in refrigerator until you are ready to consume.

Yield: 10-12 small patties

Enjoy!

Making Fun Memories Together!

2011-12-19T21:45:00.000-05:00

Wow, what a whirlwind of a month! Can't believe December is almost over!!!

Last week Sophia brought home Christmas Presents from preschool! I asked her, "did you make these for mommy and daddy?" She said, "No, my teachers did!" Ha! I had to laugh ... brutally honest huh? At least I know those are her hand prints!

Sophia's Christmas Gift to Mommy! Thanks DD teachers!

Sophia's Christmas Present for Daddy!

The past two years in MOPS we have done a Christmas Craft! I LOVED this one! So easy to make, looks so pretty!! Even has a string of lights on it!! Sweet!

My 2011 MOPS Christmas Craft! LOVE IT!!

Friday night we drove through the light display at Ellis Park! This is as close as she got to Santa ... yep, all the way across the room!! Santa looks better from the distance huh?

Christmas in Ellis Park

Saturday evening we headed to Hummel Park for the First Annual Christmas Experience. We got to see a live Nativity Scene, live animals, Mary, Joseph, and "pretend" baby Jesus because it was way too cold for a real baby! There were donkey and pony rides and a HUGE camel!! They had cookies and hot chocolate as well as The Grinch playing! Sophia's favorite part ... the 10 min train ride ... it was so cold outside and she waited patiently for 45 min. The girl can be patient when she is getting something she really wants! Guess we are all like that ... just don't like to admit it, huh?

Waiting for the train at Hummel Park

Finally our turn ... so excited! A very patient girl waited 45 min!

Here we go!!

I have been attempting to keep the camera close by so I can get more pictures of my sweet boy! I can see why my mom had double or triple the pictures of me compared to my sister! The second born just doesn't get the camera time of the first born! Look at my boy ... good neck control and enjoying the Bumbo! Too bad it is pink! HA!

Daddy's Little Elf!

I hardly have any pictures of me and THE BOY! Love the tree in the background!

Having fun with the camera!

Ummm ... wait a minute mom!!

This boy is all smiles most of the time (well, after a diaper change, eating, and a nap!) He just melts my heart!

All smiles with a full tummy! Love my mommy's milk!

Looking forward to wonderful CHRISTmas memories as a family of FOUR on Sunday!!

Pookie Pack WINNER

2011-12-16T13:20:00.000-05:00

Congrats to

APRYL

#20 out of 70

"Receive GLGG emails"

Winner has been contacted and has 48 hours to respond!

Run, run as fast as you can ...

2011-12-11T07:30:00.000-05:00

... you can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!

Well, ok, maybe the pilsbury dough boy but this post still includes gingerbread men!!

Love my sweet boy!!

People say they see Sophia in him ... do u agree?

Last Tuesday evening, my in-laws came over along with my sister-in-law Rhoda, and we decorated gingerbread men cookies!! Sophia has really been interested in the story of the gingerbread man this year. She loves to recite the little jingle too!! :)

Very excited to get started ...

After this picture, this gingerbread man lost his head ... ahhh!!

I think the girl ate more mini m&m's than made it on her cookies. She has never had more than 5 m&m's at once, so with a full dish in front of her, she just couldn't stop!!

She also tasted a red hot for the first time ... she said, mommy, I NEED water, too spicey, then proceeded to keep eating them!

The sugar is kicking in ... craziness I tell ya, craziness!! Plus icing on the nose!

All of Sophia's decorated men and women .. some for the family, some for the neighbors!!

Sophia just had a blast this whole evening! She and Aunt Rhoda were giggling all the time!! What a fun tradition that will continue along the Long Family side! Plus, Grandma Long's gingerbread men are the BEST I have ever tasted!! Yum Yum!! Did you notice in the picture above she even has a gingerbread apron that Grandma Long passed down from when Cousin Lexi decorated cookies all those years ago??

What fun holiday traditions do you have with your family?

Pookie Pack Review and GIVEAWAY!

2011-12-06T20:24:00.000-05:00

I was thrilled when I was contacted by Carmen over at Pookie Town Designs for a blog review and giveaway! I am always in the market for cute hair pieces that are affordable for my sweet Sophia Grace!!

Pookie Town Designs stocks pinwheel bows, big, stacked bows, felt flower clips, baby headbands, ponytail streamers, appliqued onesies .... you name it, she can make it for your little "pookie!" :)

Here is a little info on the Etsy Shop owners:

"We are a mother-daughter team who enjoys making things for little Pookies. Carmen (the daughter) is an (almost) 33 year old stay-at-home-mom to 3 small Pookies. She is the creator of Pookietown Designs and enjoys making bows, clips, ponytail streamers, and all manner of girly hair items. Margi (the mother) is a young-at-heart librarian and former owner of a scrapbook shop. She contributes gorgeous appliqued onesies to Pookietown. "

Carmen sent me a Pookie Pack full of adorable pieces to try out on my "pookie!"

Top to Bottom, L to R: Petal Pookie Flower Clip, Mon Petit Baby Headband, Red Preppy Pookie Pinwheel Bow, Pookie Posy Felt Hair Clip, and White Pookie Princess Bow (shown below)

Petal Pookie Flower Clip: Mounted on a single-prong alligator clip with a sparkly center. It is great worn alone or on any headband or hat! It runs about $5.00.

Mon Petit Baby Headband: Newborn-sized, although fits older babies as well. As you can see in the picture below of the backs, it has a super-soft 5/8 in fold-over elastic to avoid marks on the head! It runs $10.00.

Red Preppy Pookie Pinwheel Bow: 1 1/2 in grosgrain ribbon, hand-folded, hand-sewn, heat-sealed to prevent fraying, baked and lightly starched (to hold shape). It has a chunky, French-knotted center and a non-slip grip for those girls with fine hair (make sure to request the non-slip grip)! It is mounted on a partially-lined, single-prong alligator clip. It also looks good alone or on any kind of headband or crocheted hat! It runs $4.00.

Pookie Posy Felt Hair Clip: Mounted on a partially-lined, single-prong alligator clip, with a sparkly center! Worn alone or with headband or hat! It runs $5.00.

Pookie Princess Bow: 2 stacked bows, make like the red Preppy Pookie. For extra stability, it is mounted on a double-prong alligator clip. It runs $7.00.

Double-prong alligator clip (LOVE LOVE LOVE this feature)

Here is a picture with the white Pookie Princess Bow on my ALMOST 3 yr old Pookie!! LOVE IT!

I didn't know if it would be too big, but I LOVE it!

My Review: I was really impressed with the craftsmanship of these bows/clips! You can tell they are all homemade with tons of TLC! So often I find people that just buy pre-made bows from the store, slap an alligator clip on them, and sell them for 5x what they paid for them! Carmen put a lot of time and effort into making these clips last through the normal wear and tear with a young girl!

- I LOVE the double-alligator clip on the big bow. It honestly makes the bow stay in her hair SO MUCH BETTER! We always struggle to find bows that will stay in her thick, yet stick-straight hair!

- The headband design is the best I have ever seen! I love the felt circle covering to minimize or avoid marks on the head! That is my biggest complaint with most headbands on the market today ... they always leave a mark on her head!

- Carmen's prices are VERY affordable! I love it!! I love that she has a variety of products at all ends of the "affordable" price spectrum!

- The customer service is fantastic! The bows came shipped in a nice size box to protect them from getting smashed! I didn't have to reshape any of them! A lot of this has to do with the excellent craftsmanship with the bows as well (heat-sealed, baked, and lightly starched).

- Versatility: I love the fact each of these items can be worn in so many different combinations (hats, headbands, alone, etc). I love that aspect!

Head over now and check out all the awesome products in her etsy shop! HERE

Here is additional information from her shop:

Welcome to Pookietown! We are adding new items all the time! LAST DAY FOR CHRISTMAS DELIVERY (most items) IS MONDAY, DECEMBER 12! Enter code pookietown at checkout for 10% off your entire purchase! If you see something you like but would prefer a different color or clip please contact me! We are more than happy to do custom orders! If you live near Goshen, Indiana and would like to arrange for local pick-up, contact me and I will give you a coupon code to reimburse your s/h costs.

BUY IT: HERE

WIN IT: Carmen has offered up a set of 3 Preppy Pookie Pinwheel bows (colors chosen by the winner!)

Links you will find helpful for the giveaway:

Go Green Go Long on Facebook
SGsMama on Twitter

Favorite Pookie on Etsy

This giveaway is open to the US and will end on Thursday Dec 15th at midnight so that the prize will be received before Christmas! :) The winner will be drawn via random.org and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be drawn. Please, no PO Boxes.

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Disclaimer: I received this product free of charge. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not monetarily compensated for this review.

Pookie Town Designs Disclaimer: It's the buyer's responsibility to keep their Pookie safe! These items contain small pieces that if broken off could pose a choking hazard. While I take the utmost care to ensure the safety of my creations (I put my little girl in these too!) it's ultimately the buyer's responsibility to use caution and common sense when putting any hair accessory on their child.

New-Skin Share The Outdoor Sweepstakes

2011-12-01T20:00:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of New-Skin for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

As many of you know, my family LOVES the outdoors! Nate and I would both agree our favorite vacation pre-kids would be our camping trip out west in Summit County, CO! We hiked, biked, and enjoyed God’s beautiful creation! Our tent was right next to a stream that was flowing rapidly! One night it got down to 22.3 degrees! You should have seen me, I looked like a mummy in my sleeping bag! Nevertheless, all the miles we hiked wrecked havoc on our feet. We both ended up with blisters at the bag where our boots rubbed. Unfortunately I didn’t have anything but Band-Aids, but I really wish we had some New-Skin®.

New-Skin is a liquid bandage. It is invisible, flexible, and waterproof. Here is additional info from their webpage: “New-Skin® Liquid Bandage dries rapidly to form a tough protective cover that is antiseptic, flexible, waterproof, and lets your skin breathe. Just brush on New-Skin® Liquid Bandage - One stroke protects the wound by keeping out dirt and germs and provides protections against infection with an antiseptic.”

You might not be a lover of the outdoors like my family, but maybe you have a kid that loves to ride bikes or skateboard. Falling is usually inevitable, so you would want to keep both the Liquid Bandage and Scar Fade™ on hand at home!!

They also have a unique Poison Ivy Treatment. “New-Skin™ Poison Ivy Treatment is the only product to combine both an active medicated OTC ingredient to stop itch and a non-irritating wash to lock up and remove the toxic oils that cause the poison ivy rash, in one complete formula.

Its dual-action foaming lotion addresses both the root problem of poison ivy rash and the uncomfortable itch that often accompanies it. In many cases, just one application of New-Skin™ Poison Ivy Treatment applied to the affected area will provide complete relief. Its unique formula isolates urushiol oils, the cause of the allergic reaction and skin irritation from poison ivy, and the mild foaming formula helps wash away the oils from the skin.

The active ingredient Pramoxine Hydrochloride is FDA approved to treat the itching sensation associated with poison ivy rash. New-Skin™ Poison Ivy Treatment is also effective against the rash associated with poison oak and poison sumac.”

The New-Skin® products have you covered whether you're playing ball, hiking or enjoying an afternoon in the garden. No other bandage beats New-Skin® for its ability to cover, protect and help prevent infection for everyday wounds. Believe it or not, New-Skin® products have been protecting cuts and scrapes for over 100 years. Not only do they protect your cuts and scrapes with their Liquid Bandage, but they also aid in getting rid of scars with the Scar Fade™ Gel and can help treat poison ivy with their Poison Ivy Treatment.

For a limited time, New-Skin sweepstakes are happeningg! There are 3 amazing grand prizes to win – a skiing trip to Breckenridge, CO, a tour of the Botanical Gardens in Atlanta, GA or a hiking trip in Yellowstone National Park, MT! Also, although there will only be 3 Grand Prize winners there is good news for the first 500 entrants in the sweepstakes! They will receive a New-Skin™ waterproof container. So hurry up and get in your entries!

How to enter: Complete the entry form on the New-Skin® Share the Outdoors sweepstakes link and have your friends and family visit your sweepstakes page to earn up to five votes per day – every vote increases your chances of winning the adventure of their choice!

I would love for you to share in the comments section of below why you would want to win the sweepstakes and how you would use New-Skin® products if you win! Try to include a link to your sweepstakes page in your comment to help increase clicks!!

Day 30

2011-12-01T02:28:00.000-05:00

Day 30: Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here belows

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Wow, it has been a ride during these 30 Days of Thankfulness! I see it only fit to thank the ONE who made all the other 29 blessings possible! If you are counting your blessings this month, I challenge you to continue! Also, remember to check out this life changing book. If you allow it, it'll change your life!!! I promise!!

Day 29

2011-11-29T12:46:00.000-05:00

Day 29: Very thankful to have my workout buddy back from England! Gillian Williams you killed my abs this morning! Tomorrow I might not be able to get out of bed! HA! Feel the burn ... LOVE the pain!

A picture to capture yesterday's Thankful THOUGHT! :)

Day 28

2011-11-28T19:42:00.000-05:00

Day 28: Sweet memories with Sophia as we put up the Christmas tree this morning!

I was also blessed by this excerpt from Ann's blog today ..

“Christian thanksgiving is the life of Christ in the heart — transforming the disposition and the whole character.
Thanksgiving must be wrought into the life as a habit—before it can become a fixed and permanent quality.
An occasional burst of praise, in the midst of years of complaining, is not what is required. Songs on rare, sunshiny days; and no songs when skies are cloudy—will not make a life of gratitude. The heart must learn to sing always.
This lesson is learned only when it becomes a habit which nothing can weaken. We must persist in being thankful.

When we can see no reason for praise—we must believe in the divine love and goodness, and sing in the darkness.
Thanksgiving has attained its rightful place in us, only when it is part of all our days and dominates all our experiences.”

J. R. Miller, 1912

Day 25-27

2011-11-27T17:04:00.000-05:00

Behind again ...

Day 25:Awesome niece (Lexi Martoia) and nephew (Tyler Martoia) that think their Aunt A and Uncle N are still cool and worth hanging out with!!

Day 26: Great Thanksgiving Celebration with the Kiesel side and some Euchre to finish off the night with a great partner Harv Kiesel!!

Day 27: Family PJ day with our own "church service" during kids nap time! Love listening to Focus on Family podcasts to stregthen our relationship with each other and Christ!!

Sophia: mommy and daddy and jackson

Day 21-24

2011-11-24T02:20:00.000-05:00

Wow, so much to be thankful for ...

Day 21: Thankful that Nate is home with us all week long!! I don't know who is more excited ... Sophia or myself!!

Day 22: Thankful to have a great gym where I can workout and slowly get back into shape! Thanks Mei Fitness for having awesome equipment and top notch customer service!

Day 23: So thankful for the ability to laugh and smile through life!! I am especially thankful for all of Jackson's sweet, sweet smiles!

Day 24: Is very thankful our family is willing to drive down to Indy to celebrate Thanksgiving! Can't wait to see u Naomi and Mike Martoia, Lexi Martoia, and Tyler Martoia!! Bring your game face!!

... are you having a hard time by the end of this 30 Day challenge? Ever since reading THIS book, I find myself daily thinking about all of the blessings God has placed in my life! Also Ann has encouraged us to find even the smallest things to be thankful for in life!! I encourage you to add this book to your Christmas List!

Pumpkin Spice Oats in Crockpot

2011-11-20T14:06:00.000-05:00

I found this AMAZING recipe on Pinterest but now can't seem to find it again (I forgot to PIN it! Ugghhh!)

Pumpkin Spice Oats in Crockpot

1 cup Steel Cut Oats

12 oz milk (used Silk Vanilla Almond Milk)

3 cups water

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinn

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1. Spray Slow Cooker

2. Stir all ingredients together in a mixing bowl

3. Pour into slow cooker

4. Low for 4-5 hours or overnight!

Not my pic, but you get the idea ...

Let me tell you ... this was AMAZING!! It made about 5 cups! I calculated and it is about 238 cal/cup! It was so nice to wake up to the amazing smell in the kitchen as well as the AMAZING warm oats in the crockpot!

Highly recommend this recipe to anyone who loves oats and pumpkin!!

Any favorite pumpkin recipes???

Day 17-20

2011-11-20T13:52:00.000-05:00

Sorry I have been a slacker on the blog ... I have kept up on FB, but keep forgetting to post here too!!

Day 17: I am thankful for the long stretches of sleep I USED to get from j-man and am praying for those back again!! Already can tell I am gonna need a nap today! :( Also very thankful S is an amazing sleeper!!

Day 18: Thankful to have friends that know just what u need to keep u going including playdates and lunch! Kathy Taylor Mulder we r excited to see u guys soon!

Day 19: Date night! 1st one away from both kids in 10 wks!!

Day 20: For God's goodness and many blessings on our lives!! A great church service to remind us how truly blessed we are! Oh yeah, also Jackson's 11.5 hr sleep stretch!! Debbie Lewis Kiesel -- what did you do to get that boy to sleep that long? This past week we haven't hit longer than 5-6 hr stretches!! HA!! Too bad I couldn't sleep to enjoy it!

Sophia: Forgot to ask her ... will get a list from her soon! She is running out of "new" ideas without prompting .. she keeps saying the same like food, food, food, mommy, daddy, mimi, papa, grandma, grandpa, and on and on and on ...

Day 15/16

2011-11-16T20:30:00.000-05:00

Day 15: I am thankful to have a warm place to sleep at night and always food on the table!

Day 16: Thankful for food to put on the table although tonight's meal was an epic disaster! I have NEVER thrown out a whole meal before until tonight!

Ok, so I just realized they both kind of deal with food! You can tell I REALLY love food!! Yum Yum!!

Sophia: Baby Hannah (although soon we won't be able to call her "baby" anymore b/c she will be 1!!)

Day 14

2011-11-14T12:02:00.000-05:00

Day 14: So thankful for an awesome breastfeeding support group! We have the best LC's!! Janice Miller Record -- love love love seeing your smiling, encouraging face every Monday!! So thankful Jackson is gaining weight and for an awesome milk supply this time around!!

Sophia: Grandma and Grandpa Long coming to visit

Day 13

2011-11-13T14:35:00.003-05:00

Day 13: So thankful for the gift of FRIENDSHIP! I have so many incredible friends in my life right

now ... I am humbled by their generosity, caring spirit, encouragement, and humble hearts!

Some are near and some are far ... but all are close to my heart!

Don't ya just wanna bust into SONG? "Friends are friends forever ..."

Sophia: CHURCH and her black shoes from Faith

LUXbutt organic one-size diaper REVIEW

2011-11-13T13:29:00.000-05:00

I want to take the time to welcome Angela H! She is our guest blogger for today!! :) Here is her review on the new LUXbutt organic one size diaper!!

Hi, everyone! First off, I want to thank Go Long, Go Green for allowing me to guest post. I don’t have a blog of my own, so I am very grateful that she is letting me share my review with you.

When my LUXbutt organic one size diaper finally showed up in my mailbox, I was so excited. I picked up the package and instantly thought to myself, “Wow! This is really trim!” It barely felt like anything was in the envelope. Always a good sign if you ask me.

Let’s start with some of the great features…

1. Well, it’s not really a “feature”, but these ladies are clever… and I like clever. Take a look at the tags on the diaper. Reading these just brought a smile to my face.

2. The ever coveted 3rd snap to prevent wing droop. At first, the snaps gave me a hard time. It took me a minute to figure out how they are supposed to line up, but once I got it right it was just like snapping any other diaper. You’ll notice though that the middle snaps in the second row are lower than the rest… but I have no idea why.

3. WIDE elastic, which I am simply in love with. It really helps the back of the diaper hug your little one’s tushy, which in turn helps prevent those nasty blow outs.

4. Elastic sizing instead of snaps. I was leery at first, I will admit. I tried a FuzziBunz one size and HATED the elastic sizing on it. It was just so hard to adjust. Not the case with the LUXbutt. A little bit of trial and error is likely required, but adjusting the diaper is super easy and there are tons of options to get the PERFECT fit. Once you get the hang of it, re-sizing the diaper to go from the younger to older child is a breeze.

5. Amazing fabrics all around… from chic color collections (they have started with “chocolate”) to super thirsty hemp inserts and oh so soft organic cotton velour. I mean, seriously, I want organic cotton velour against my bottom! I am jealous of my baby.

Okay, the nitty gritty. Is this diaper any good? I vote YES! Getting started with the diaper takes a little longer than most… there’s more trial and error in adjusting the rise with the elastic and hemp does take longer to prep, but it’s worth it. Not having to snap down the rise adds to the diapers trim-ness as it eliminates that extra bulk in the front and the hemp insert means you’re less likely to need additional inserts.

The hemp inserts say that it takes about 5-7 washes to reach maximum absorbency, but I was antsy and gave it a shot overnight after only about 3 washes. My 7 month old is a bit of a heavy wetter. With our current diapers, he needs to be changed in the middle of the night. I kept the LUXbutt diaper on him all night and was definitely impressed. It did not make it all the way through the night, but it held out longer than our current setup. If I were to put in a doubler, I am sure we would make it through the night.

I also put the diaper on my 25 month old (sorry, no pictures of him… he wouldn’t hold still long enough). I didn’t do overnight with him, but he decided to test the LUXbutt’s ability to withstand a massive poo. It passed with flying colors. Everything stayed in the diaper and it washed up beautifully (which, considering my son’s ability to stain a diaper, that is saying a lot).

So, in the end, I LOVE this diaper. I would totally save my pennies to buy more (if I needed more diapers). Or if I was just starting out, I would definitely use their layaway program. Yes, you heard right. LUXbutt understands that cloth diapers are big investment, especially when you are just starting out, so they have LAYAWAY! You pay a deposit and space out your payments however you see fit over the next 8 weeks. How awesome is that?!

Want to buy a LUXbutt (or two or twelve) of your own? Their Grand Opening Sale goes through the 15th!

Thanks again Angela for the great review. Head over to their website and check it out!!