tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90208645974410127082024-09-06T17:43:35.580-07:00There are over 80,000 chemicals approved by the FDA for eating. This is our family's journey trying not to ingest them.MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-1729261989807097752014-03-05T13:24:00.000-08:002014-03-05T13:27:18.921-08:00

Giving is an important part of our family.  A few months ago, I noticed the girls were entertained by finding loose change around the house and collecting it "for the act of giving it away".   I wanted The Princess to learn that, while giving is a wonderful thing, she can also save some for herself.  And she should not only SAVE some for herself, but give herself some SPENDING

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-30338253002714919002014-02-26T09:52:00.000-08:002014-02-26T09:52:27.017-08:00

If you are looking for an easy project to entertain the kids then this is it!  Seriously, I made this while drinking my morning coffee.  AND it entertained my girls for most of the morning. . . and then again in the afternoon! There is nothing quite like playing Pretend!  But let's face it, pretend is way more fun when you have props!  And to make mommy even happier, I

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-43730020171262962952014-01-06T06:52:00.000-08:002014-01-07T14:02:04.989-08:00

My kids just had Christmas with an influx of new and awesome toys.  Toys that light up, make noise, and completely entertain.  So when I decided to make "I Spy" bottles for my girls I wasn't expecting to get a big reaction.  Boy was I wrong!!!  Our girls were SO EXCITED and it completely entertained our 2 and 4 year olds.  I actually made these for a car trip we will

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-43227005481833008832014-01-05T16:32:00.000-08:002014-01-05T16:41:18.087-08:00

Happy New Year!  If we are friends on Facebook you may already know that we had a very kid-friendly celebration at home ;)   Here are some pictures from our evening.  Party Bath!!  I found this idea on Pinterest and loved it!  Use a drop or two of food coloring to make your water a pretty color (this will not dye skin) and fill the tub with little

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-16509249793201995582013-12-29T11:47:00.000-08:002013-12-29T12:14:09.686-08:00

I am a big fan of New Year's celebrations.  Now that we have kids we celebrate in different ways, but no matter how you celebrate it's a fresh start!  January 1st comes and there are endless possibilities for the new year.  Whether you are a person that makes resolutions or not, it's a good feeling.   I was on Pinterest trying to come up with fun New Year's

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-36472509632275642472013-12-03T11:10:00.001-08:002013-12-29T11:05:56.626-08:00

I always thought that Elf on the Shelf looked like so much fun, but I never could see us adopting a tricky little Elf that is going to make more messes for me to clean up.  Don't get me wrong, I love seeing all the pictures of these little Elves and the creative mischief they get into!  For our family we really strive to do character building activities and that's when I started to

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-82918618107971179452013-11-16T12:23:00.001-08:002013-12-29T12:14:22.370-08:00

I went through three yoga mats in one week.  I've always just bought a cheap mat at any old store without paying much attention.  THIS week,  my husband picked one up for me, but it was bumpy and I would rather have smooth so I picked up a cheap one from Walmart.   Took it out to use it and I noticed it smelled pretty bad.  Very much like chemicals.  It was pretty

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-77310463438310487862013-11-03T07:24:00.000-08:002013-11-03T09:55:19.451-08:00

Last year we decided to make a Thankfulness Tree. (pictured below)  I had enough leaves for each day of November and everyday the three of us would write what we were thankful for.  (We just said out loud what we thought Hammie was thankful for because she was so little)  Everyone had such a great time filling it in that it was a requested project this year.  New tradition? &

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-36422854110441837272013-10-28T16:34:00.000-07:002013-10-28T16:37:08.315-07:00

If you've ever read the ingredients list on your Baking Powder you would find the following:  Cornstarch, Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda), Sodium Aluminum Sulfate, and Monocalcium Phosphate. Let's look at Sodium Aluminum Sulfate.  Here is an excerpt from livestrong.com about this food additive: Food Additives Because aluminum makes up a significant portion of the

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-8595644995695834262013-10-25T20:32:00.000-07:002013-10-25T20:32:59.461-07:00

I've had some inquiries about what has been happening in my kitchen this apple season. . . I promise, I will get to that. . . but this is not that post.  Since Halloween is right around the corner it is only right to discuss all that candy!   I will start with a few questions I've gotten about our own family's Halloween traditions: Do our kids trick or treat?  OF COURSE! 

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-70302221007494672462013-09-22T18:38:00.000-07:002013-10-26T07:31:31.016-07:00

We just had the most productive 3 hours!  So productive that I am able to start this blog post before the kids go to bed!  We had a fun weekend, but the house suffered. . . and for three hours we suffered. BUT laundry is well in hand, rooms and floors are picked up, dishes are done, and Smoothies are made! With Fall officially here and preschool already underway, I am especially

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-83149133000024470902013-09-13T07:19:00.000-07:002013-10-26T07:31:02.320-07:00

I found this recipe at today's mama.  This recipe has become a staple in our menu planning.  I make it when we are sick, healthy, hot, cold.  Doesn't matter, it is always delicious.  Click the link to view the whole recipe or to get the stove-top version.  The way I make mine is even easier than the original recipe so follow along below. . . Tomato Basil

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-86362811569889042362013-08-11T07:34:00.000-07:002013-10-26T07:30:37.131-07:00

Squeezing in a quick Family Files post before our busy Sunday begins.  I've been hoarding so many pictures to share with you all! The Princess said she was bored one morning (seriously only 10 minutes after she woke up, really??), but I humored her and made a quick batch of playdough.  It entertained them for hours.  My mom used this recipe when I was a kid.  It's super

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-55099878679285535652013-08-05T11:31:00.001-07:002013-08-05T11:42:41.001-07:00

 We have been having some fun with our girls making homemade ice cream. YUM.  I remember making ice cream in resealable bags a couple of times in school.  It was always fun.  I turned to Pinterest, of course, to try to remember what exactly to put in the bags.  Does everyone out there have an ice cream maker now??  So many of the homemade ice cream recipes

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-30144462138623165532013-08-04T12:56:00.001-07:002013-08-04T13:10:13.216-07:00

The most common question that gets messaged to me is:  What is the easiest thing I can do to start eating better? Eating healthy can be hard and time consuming.  There are so many labels to read and so much contradictory information out there.   Sometimes you just need to get dinner on the table and don't have time to "research" what you are eating. My family and I came up

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-66360058497049952892013-07-30T10:24:00.000-07:002013-08-02T07:48:15.528-07:00

Homemade Laundry Detergent: For about a year now, I've been using Honest Laundry detergent.  It is gentle on my girls' skin, but it is also fragrance free.  When I do laundry I really like some sort of scent (as long as it's natural).   My good friend has been making her own laundry detergent for a while now and loves it so I thought I'd give it a try.  See original recipe

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-9290202771470379452013-07-29T14:45:00.002-07:002013-08-02T07:48:55.593-07:00

Today I am sharing a super easy, healthy recipe that my whole family loves!  The given name is No Bake Energy Bites found at Gimme Some Oven, but my girls call them Peanut Butter Ball Cookies.  These are great because you can throw in whatever you have on-hand or whatever you think will taste good.  Today I will share with you how we usually make them. I actually doubled my

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-27631869208385784152013-07-29T14:20:00.000-07:002013-08-02T07:49:19.854-07:00

A quick recipe for the Starbucks tea lovers.  I'm not sure where I originally saw this recipe, but chances are it was Pinterest.  What recipe isn't from Pinterest anymore? Here we go:  Passion Iced Tea Lemonade. Tazo Passion Tea. . . I have used the "iced" passion teabags and the regular passion tea bags-- seems to work the same! Toss in a

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-13268817571987177312013-07-20T07:37:00.000-07:002013-08-02T07:49:48.925-07:00

 Just a little bit of what we've been up to lately:  Heavy on pictures, light on words. Our 4th of July: The Princess went to her violin lesson on the 4th so we made her teacher a little 4th S'mores plate. We tried to theme the whole day out, including meals and snacks.  Here are our "fruit rockets".  Whipping Cream  Whipping Cream:  Whipped.

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-14528950605707151892013-07-10T09:28:00.002-07:002013-08-02T07:50:12.850-07:00

Since our oldest, The Princess, was born we've been a "Huggies Family".  Huggies diapers rarely leaked and their wipes were always the thickest.  Right before Hammie was born I tried cloth diapering with The Princess to see if it was something I wanted to do with Hammie. I wish I could tell you I am a Eco-friendly, healthy eating mom and that's why I wanted to cloth diaper, but really

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-84317052282822582622013-07-01T20:04:00.002-07:002013-08-02T07:50:31.845-07:00

Last Thursday I started feeling a little congested.  Thought for a day that it might be allergies.  Then Friday came.  I was miserable.  Over the counter medicine was doing nothing and I thought for sure by Monday I would be in the Doctor's office demanding a Zpack because I'm a mother and mothers know best asking if I could get a prescription.  While I was online

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-8321727599339465292013-06-30T19:56:00.000-07:002013-08-02T07:51:04.387-07:00

This is going to be a quick blog post, but this recipe was just too good NOT to share it right away!  The pizza crust was made with cauliflower.  YES, cauliflower!  To get the whole recipe go to this great little blog I recently found called Eating Bird Food. This crust is a little more delicate than your normal pizza dough so keep your toppings light.  There

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-23110361256195738882013-06-29T20:12:00.000-07:002013-08-02T07:51:27.977-07:00

Dishes in our house goes something like this:  Fill the dishwasher with dirty dishes (but rinse them or they won't come clean), pour in A LOT of detergent (or they won't come clean), put it on Pots and Pans setting, high temp, and sanitize (or they won't come clean).  When they are done:  Sort through them, put the clean ones away and rewash (almost half) of the ones that

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-82578230024653694102013-06-26T15:58:00.000-07:002013-08-02T07:51:48.425-07:00

We've been researching wheat, whole wheat, and flours lately.  It's one of those "in moderation it's fine"  things. . . except it's in everything you eat!  Just like high fructose corn syrup!   I am not interested in fad diets.  I do not believe I need to give up all gluten because we do not have an actual allergy to it.  However, I do believe in eating REAL food

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9020864597441012708.post-70627413143691219742013-06-24T13:27:00.000-07:002013-08-02T07:52:13.434-07:00

This is for our friends that enjoy seeing what we have been up to not only with our attempt at healthy living but our day to day life..  A lot of our Mommy friends enjoy getting some fresh ideas for their families and hopefully you find something helpful or at least entertaining.  This is post number one in hopefully a series of Family File posts.  While we haven't been up to too

MarcosandStacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08359885041701015188noreply@blogger.com0