NorthDallasMommies

#MrsFieldsMoments Slow Down And Enjoy A Cookie With Someone You Love! #USO #cookies #family

2014-10-16T03:16:00.001-05:00

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Mrs. Fields Famous Brands ("Mrs. Fields") and Interbake Foods LLC ("Interbake Foods," the company responsible for the manufacture and sale of Mrs. Fields branded pre-packaged cookies sold at retailers throughout North America) today kicked off "Mrs. Fields Moments," a national campaign inspiring busy cookie lovers to slow down and enjoy a cookie moment with loved ones.

At a time when obligations leave precious little time for the ones that matter most, Mrs. Fields is encouraging a nationwide movement to dedicate Sunday night to cookie moments with family and friends. Mrs. Fields wants every cookie lover to embrace and share their #mrsfieldsmoments – from milk-and-cookies to bedtime treats – and has provided fun and useful tools for doing so at www.mrsfieldsmoments.com.

Mrs. Fields is a Proud Supporter of the United Service Organizations, Inc. (USO), and "Mrs. Fields Moments" builds on the Organization's "Every Moment Counts" campaign, which helps all families – military and otherwise – make the most of every moment together.

"When you buy Mrs. Fields cookies, you're not just buying a cookie: You're helping create moments that matter for troops enduring long deployments," said Kevin McDonough, President of Interbake Foods. "By buying a box of Mrs. Fields cookies, you help give a cookie moment for you and for them. It's a touch of home to those who need it most."

Visit MrsFieldsMoments.com for "Snacktivity" ideas, Conversation Starters, more information about the Mrs. Fields–USO partnership, or to find a grocery store with Mrs. Fields Cookies (look for the USO banner on the box!).

About Mrs. Fields Famous Brands The Company is a well-established franchiser in the premium snack food industry, featuring Mrs. Fields® and TCBY® as its core brands. Through its franchisees' retail stores; it is one of the largest retailers of freshly baked, on-premises specialty cookies and brownies in the world and the largest retailer of soft-serve frozen yogurt with live active cultures. Its franchise systems operate through a network of more than 950 franchised and licensed locations throughout the United States and in 23 foreign countries. In addition, it operates an internet and catalog gifting business, a branded retail business and has entered into licensing arrangements that leverage awareness of its core brands among its retail customer base. The Company is currently relocating their headquarters from Salt Lake City, Utah to Broomfield, Colorado.

About the USO The USO lifts the spirits of America's troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases in the U.S. and abroad, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops, military families, wounded warriors, troops in transition and families of the fallen. The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. Our programs and services are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff.

About Interbake Foods Headquartered in Richmond, VA Interbake Foods LLC is a baked goods manufacturer with over 110 years of business experience. Interbake Foods is the North American cookie and cracker Division of Weston Foods. This includes Interbake Foods in the USA and Colonial Cookies Limited in Canada. Weston Foods' mission is to be recognized by its customers as providing the best bakery solutions in North America and Interbake is privileged to serve the marketplace with our award-winning products and services. Interbake Foods consists of three distinct business segments: Retail Private Brands, Contract Manufacturing and Girl Scout cookies through our ABC Bakers Division.

We would like to encourage you to spend a little extra time this Sunday with your family, here is a list of great "Snacktivities" to enjoy with the kids, from mix and watch movie night.....to a family costume contest, these ideas are so much fun. Turn off that TV and put down those devices for a little quality time. Enter to win the trip of a lifetime for your family in the #MrsFieldsMoments contest HERE , just upload a fun photo of your cookie moment and you will be entered to win a trip to Washington DC.

Share this with your fellow bloggers and friends!

United We Stand, You Are Forever In Our Hearts 9/11/01 #America #freedom #9/11/01

2014-09-11T04:12:00.001-05:00

We can never forget that fateful day 13 years ago when all of America was changed forever.

What were you doing at the moment the twin towers fell is a question I often hear asked on our forums, do you remember what you were doing? How has your life changed since then? We all have different answers, some good, some bad, some very sad. One thing we can say is that we still live in America, land of the free! United we stand!

Forever the victims of September 11 will stay in our hearts along with all the many soldiers that have died fighting for our freedom since 9/11.

United We Stand ~ You Are Forever In Our Hearts

Dedicated to those lost in the September 11,2001 terrorist attacks

Video post below- click to view So Awesome!

Post by Kristy Sinsara.

Leslie B

Crafty Kids: DIY Shaving Cream Paint Creations #crafts #kids

2014-08-20T14:17:00.001-05:00

Crafty Kids: DIY Shaving Cream Paint Creations

Rheney Williams-Guest Blogger

For moms who grew up in the '80s like I did, you'll probably remember those spinning art toys that let you create splashes and spiral smears of paint. You know – there was a spinning platform with paper exposed underneath, you dropped dots of paint into the middle and the spinning motion and centrifugal force pulled the paint out to the edges of the circle and you were left with these crazy, tie-died-looking paintings?

Although the toys have changed over the years, a kid's (and kids at heart!) basic desire to see swirls of paint and crazy combinations of colors hasn't. And an old-school product is making new spiral innovations possible: Shaving cream! All you need are a few basic supplies and you and your kids can have hours of creative and colorful fun with a beautiful piece of artwork to show for it at the end of the day.

Gather the materials for your shaving cream paint projects. You'll need:

Foam Shaving Cream (not the gel)
Paints in an assortment of colors
Heavy card stock or construction paper
Spatula or ruler
Skewer or little fingers!
Large cookie sheet or use smaller individual trays, one for each child

Tip: To make clean-up a breeze (and avoid having to buy a disposable tray), line the cookie sheet with aluminum foil first. Then all you have to do is remove the foil and you're done!

1. Spray a few lines of shaving cream onto the sheet and use the spatula or ruler to spread out the shaving cream flat and in a square or rectangle about the size of the paper.

2. Add a few random dots of paint or food coloring around the shaving cream palette.

Tip: If you have leftover paint samples from the last time you painted a room, this is a great way to use those and ensure whatever masterpiece your kids come up with coordinates with the space!

3. Use the skewer to make swirls with the paint in free-flowing circles or waves and if you have little kids, just let them go nuts with their fingers.

4. Place the paper into the shaving cream with the right-side facing down so that when you pull the paper off, the paint is on the correct side.

5. Gently push the paper into the shaving cream so that all surfaces touch and allow it to sit for about 10 seconds before carefully peeling the paper off of the shaving cream.

6. Place the paper on a flat surface (in my case, I had another foil-lined sheet pan at the ready) and carefully scrape all of the shaving cream off of the paper to reveal the magical marbling below!

7. Set the paper aside to dry thoroughly and if the edges start to curl, place a glass or other heavy object on the corners to keep them down during drying.

From here, take some time to admire your work and see what imaginative images your kids can find! Can you spot the hidden smiley face that appeared in my swirls? In addition to your classic refrigerator pin-up, here are some other creative uses for your pint-sized Picasso's masterpiece:

Make DIY bookmarks to give as Christmas gifts to the readers you love
Use the brown paper bags from the grocery store in your shaving cream paint project and have unique book covers for school next year
Frame it so you always have a custom piece of art in your office or work space
A DIY puzzle: Cut it into a bunch of different pieces that your kids can put back together and learn about how shapes and patterns relate to each other

What other cool things can you and your kids come up with for shaving cream paint creations?

Rheney Williams is a prolific crafter with a background in theatre arts. Besides writing about projects for Home Depot, Rheney is currently putting her DIY expertise to work by remodeling her first home and experimenting with colors and textures in her home decor.

Amazon.com Widgets

Are you a Business Owner? Now Sponsorship is easier (and cheaper) than ever!!!!

2014-07-16T19:49:00.001-05:00

Every day, moms across the country are logging into their chapter of The Mommies Network, thanks in part to the support that we get from our sponsors... and our moms are returning the favor by finding out more about those businesses that support their chapter.

That could be you! Sponsorship is a really inexpensive option to marketing, and this week, it's even more affordable.

Now until July 23rd, we are offering 50% all Forum Sponsorship spots with a graphic and text. For as little as $10-$125, your business can be in front of our members for a whole year!!!!

And, we try to make it really easy for you.

Simply Click Here and select the 50% Forum Sponsorship Option. From there, select your chapter and how many spots you want and fill out all of the other information and your discount is instantly applied. Or, you can look around to see if one of our other options works better for you!

After submitting your sponsorship, you'll be taken to a secure PayPal page, and with that complete, we will have your sponsorship up and running within 24 hours!!

An entire year of presentation to our members for as little as $10.... how can you NOT afford to!

Click Here to order your sponsorship today.

WANNA CHANGE YOUR USERNAME? NOW IS YOUR CHANCE!!!!!

2014-05-29T12:02:00.001-05:00

We are in the last 48 hours of the Mommies Network May is for Mothers, and we are upping the perks for you to donate!!!

If you make a $25 donation before 11:59pm on May 31st, you can change your username by simply forwarding your donation receipt to heather@themommiesnetwork.org!

Yeah- it's really that easy!!!

Visit http://themommiesnetwork.causevox.com to make your donation right now!!!

Are you part of the 99%?

2014-05-08T10:19:00.001-05:00

How would you feel if I told you that less than 1% of the people around you cared about what you need?

Far too often, we feel the impact of standing alone and just wish that someone else would stand there with us, knowing that the journey would not be so hard if we just had a few extra people to help us along the way. This is apathy, and it's a big problem. I bet this is something you have experienced in your life. However, when the shoe is on the other foot and something out there in the world needs us, we tend to pass it right by.

The Mommies Network has over 20,000 members... moms who come to us for help and support and community. 20,000 moms just like you. Last year, less than 350 of those members donated to The Mommies Network during our May is for Mothers campaign. Look around you- do you think that only 350 of our members need support and community and the other 19,650 don't? And which one of those are you?

When we look at our chapters, that is not what we see. We see moms logging in day after day, sometimes 20 or 30 times a day. What we see is that almost all 20,000 of those members do need us and do use us, but that less than 1% of our membership helping burden the cost of the other 99% of us. Less than 1% of us are committed to what you need.

Forget the money, because it's not about the money. It's about apathy. The indifference of saying 'I don't need to do anything because someone else will take care of it and I'll still get what I need'. Do any of us really want to be that person?

Are you satisfied knowing that select few people are more invested in your support than you are?

This week, the conversation we are having on the forums is asking our members to make a commitment. We are asking one simple question:

"What will you do to make your community better?"

It doesn't have to be money! There are dozens of ways you can help... little things like signing up for Amazon Smiles and giving 0.5% of your purchases back to The Mommies Network, or asking a friend to join so that our community of support gets bigger, going to an event that one of our volunteers worked hard to provide to you, or even just not passing by a post without saying something.

Or you can give a few bucks and know for the next year that you were not a part of the 99% being cared for by 1%, if for not other reason than to know that a community cannot sustain itself like that and you know you use and need that community.

Give today so you can receive tomorrow.

Get Support. Give Support. The Mommies Network.

I Don't Like Mothers Day

2014-05-06T09:44:00.001-05:00

Let me tell you why.

I don't want to sound ungrateful- I really don't! But, I could do without the store bought card. Flowers are always nice, but they will wilt ( and guess who is going to have to throw them out and wash out the gunky water from the vase?)

Honestly, one day a year, a $5 card and overpriced flowers do not make this job any easier. I'd rather get something I know that I need. Something that actually makes motherhood a little easier. Something that is personal. Something I use the whole year!

This year, I am asking the people I love to give me a community of friends and people who understand me. This year, I'm just asking the people who love me to skip the card and the flowers and make a donation to The Mommies Network instead.

The Mommies Network is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, which means that it can't continue to bring FREE support to moms without help.

It's super easy and takes just a second! Just click on the image you would prefer below and you can post it right to your Facebook Wall. Tag the people you know will be sending you a card and ask for this instead! Best of all, you actually are saving time (and money) of those people you love, because this takes just a minute. We will even be send out a personalized E-Card to you on Mothers Day to let you know that person has made a donation in your honor.

Give up the Mommy Myth that you can't ask for what you need, and tell the people that love you to skip the card... you'd prefer a circle of friends this Mothers Day!

Click here to Share this image on your Facebook Wall

Tales from our Supermoms

2014-05-03T10:41:00.001-05:00

Over the past two days, we asked for our moms to share their Mommy Myths, and the response has been overwhelming! Here are a just a few*...

" I had to learn it's okay to ask for help... My mom was very sick several years ago and was in and out of the hospital.... between taking care of my mom, going back and forth to the hospital... trying to keep some sort of normalcy for my family.... Dinner, homework, etc, I almost lost it. I felt like the world was on my shoulders and I was a moment away from losing it.

Thankfully several friends from this site would just send little notes of encouragement, offers to help with the kids, etc. I wouldn't have made it without them. I tear up just typing this because I will never be able to repay them for what they did during that time...."

"I'm not one who's afraid to lay it on the line.... For some reason however, it took me longer than usual to talk about (some) issues. I finally opened up last week and boy am I glad I did! It was like a weight was lifted. I don't want to talk about it on FB .... but I knew here I'd be safe. I got a ton of support and a wealth of information I would've had no clue about otherwise. I feel a lot better about my situation and I feel like I'm able to move forward not only more educated but also supported which means the world."

"When I started back at work after having my first daughter, I really depended on the MOTC forum for major support. I remember the feeling of missing the baby were so strong I felt like someone was ripping my heart strings out! I cried my first day back. The first few weeks were the hardest, and I went to the forum often for encouragement, understanding, advice, tips on how to balance working and being a new mom. It was so fantastic to get connected with other moms who knew exactly what I was feeling."

"I was talking to my MIL last night on the phone, and she asked me how I was coping... I said "Well, I am managing to feed the kids and keep them fairly clean, so we're doing okay." and she said "Well, I see you post smiling, happy pictures on FB and just think you are doing fine,....

Which is exactly why BM helps me. I don't post this stuff on FB because I don't want the whole world to know, but I can come here and talk, vent, ask for advice etc. I know that people here, other moms going through similar things will understand and give me support.

That's really such an amazing thing TMN provides, for their members to get and give support, for FREE! "

This is what just a few of our moms are saying when they are telling us why they need their chapter. We are not social media! We are a place where moms find support when the rest of the world expects them to just deal with what life throws at them. But we cannot do it alone.. just like these moms cannot do it alone.

We give this to our members for free because we don't believe that moms should have to pay to get this kind of support... but that doesn't mean that that it's cost free for us to provide it. We have moms who can't donate... and we understand that. We also have moms who already give their time to our organization, and we do not want to ask them to give more... they make your support possible! If you can give, give for yourself and another mom. Your donation means that these moms and tens of thousands of moms just like them can come here tomorrow and get the support they need!


Click here to donate now!

* Some of the details have been changed to protect the identity of our members and have been used with the permission of those members Our mission: To provide a safe, secure, FREE place for mothers to find support and encouragement from other mothers and to empower them to be better women, mothers and community leaders.

Lessons from a Stressed-Out Mommy!

2014-04-30T23:04:00.001-05:00

I've had it. The smile has disappeared from my face and I am in a twisty-twirly spiral of self-doubt and the words echo through my brain like a mantra I know too well.

I can't do it all....

Those aren't the words of the Mommy I show the rest of the world. To the rest of the world, I am a rock. A pillar. A foundation. But inside, I am crumbling. The dozens of masks I put on... complete parent to my children, loving partner to my spouse, absolute provider to my family, dedicated employee to my job, willing volunteer to the schools and clubs, kind and thoughtful neighbor, generous and loving daughter, giving and supportive friend... I'm exhausted and I'm sick of constantly sacrificing myself. I have to be these things- all of these things- and I don't know which one to let go of ( or even if I can let go of) without feeling like I've disappointed everyone. And in my mind, I spin.

...But I have to do it all.

This is where I have been. Tied up in knots. Caught in a race with myself. Unable to feel any satisfaction because everything I did, even if it was good, was never good enough. And the path out of my Stressed-Out Mommy Syndrome was simple. I just wanted someone else who understood it all.

There is a relief that comes with having someone who tells you that you are not alone. The reason is that within struggle lies a feeling of solitude..and not the good kind of solitude I get when the kids are in bed and I can have a moment of peace. The bad solitude... the lonely solitude. People, by nature, long for connection, especially in times of struggle. And during those times, the best connection is made by simply acknowledging that my struggle is hard. And that I am not alone in thinking that.

What lessons have I learned? Three simple things:

- Admit the struggle. Every time you think the world is depending on you, stop telling yourself that you can't show that to the rest of the world. Stop thinking that you don't deserve support, because you do. We all do.

- Don't underestimate the power of connection. Connecting with other people is key, and finding a place where you can let down the masks, and what you get back is that you are not alone; it's vital to overcoming struggle that you not feel like you are walking the path by yourself.

- You only get what you are willing to give. When we connect, we cannot simply expect to take and never give. Connection is about exchange.... others being there when we need them, and showing up when others need us. With this, we create our own safe space. Our own community of people we can turn to.

This is what we do at The Mommies Network. When we started, we didn't do it to get the latest slow-cooker recipe or to debate about the whether we return shopping carts or not. We did it because we recognized that connections matter, and that women ( and especially mothers!) find it difficult to connect in a meaningful way unless we have a place to be honest about our struggles. And nobody can understand the struggle of a mother like another mother. When I talk about the twisty-twirly spiral of self-doubt, that is a place that almost every other mother recognizes. When I say I can't do it all but I have to do it all, millions of other mothers know this feeling... because they feel it too.

We Get It

We've Been There

This month, The Mommies Network is launching in annual May is for Mothers campaign focused on one idea... the letting go of the Mommy Myth. The Mommy Myth is simply that we don't need help and support. What we do is give you a safe space to let go of your Mommy Myths. A place to come with your struggles and have a community of moms who understand why it's so hard who can rally around you and say the thing you need to hear... that you are not alone.

We are YOUR Community

We are asking for a donation- whatever you can afford- so that we can continue to keep "the lights on and the doors open", for you and for every other moms in our communities. If you have received support, or watched other moms benefit from simply having a place where they can be honest about their struggles, please make even a small donation. We want to keep doing this year after year, but we can't do it without your help.

Click on a mom YOU identify with to help us keep doing what we love.... supporting you!

Now Thru 3/31- earn $5 for The Mommies Network by purchasing from Amazon!!!!

2014-03-24T08:44:00.001-05:00

The Mommies Network

Now through 3/31, make an Amazon purchase through The Mommies Network Amazon Smiles page, and Amazon will donate $5 to the organization we love so dearly ( in addition to the 0.5% we receive regularly). If you are making a purchase from Amazon ( including Prime purchases), please use this link to earn TMN $5!!!

HOW EASY IS THAT!!!!

Click Banner to sign up now to start earning money by shopping at Amazon for The Mommies Network!

Check out our latest deals from our TMN Affiliates!

2014-02-12T21:06:00.001-06:00

ᐧ

Invitation to free new website that helps moms better manage their kids’ group activities

2013-08-26T10:12:00.001-05:00

Hello Mommies,

I am a fellow member of the Mommies Network and the creator of a new website called

Podanize, which helps moms, dads and group leaders better organize their kids'

group activities (e.g. soccer, scouts, school classes, etc.)

Kids today are overscheduled, and keeping up is a challenge:

• What day did I volunteer at school to go read with the kids?

• Who is driving to the scout meeting?

• When am I signed up to bring the team's snacks?

These are just a few of the many little details that busy parents have to keep straight.

Try as we might, something inevitably falls through the cracks. We all need a little help

to stay organized.

I’d like to invite you to join our brand new website. To join, just go to http://

www.podanize.com and click Get Started to create a "Pod" for any real-world group, or

even just your family for now. You can create a Pod if you’re a group leader or a group

member. It’s quick, easy and free. Then "get your Pod going" by adding discussions

or events, and inviting others to join your Pod. Podanize can also be accessed via a

mobile browser, and our mobile app will be available in late 2013.

Our mission at Podanize is to help ease the stress that comes with keeping our

kids active and involved. To this end, we welcome any feedback you have. Podanize

is for you and is built to get better over time by adding your suggestions – I’d love

to hear from you. Also, if you know of other moms (or dads) who might benefit from

Podanize, please share this with them.

Podanize is ideal for all extra-curricular activities: soccer, little league, playgroups, scout

troops, swim teams, theater groups, school classes, PTA, etc. The list is endless and

includes anything with a need for ongoing communication and coordination.

Again, just go to http://www.podanize.com to get started.

Best,

Nikki Sacks

Co-Founder of Podanize

nikki@podanize.com

Mom's Adventure with Organic and Homemade Baby Food Blog Series

2013-08-11T12:10:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! I am new at blogging so be patient with me please!

I have a beautiful 4 month old baby girl, and I am new to learning all of the organic, No-GMO, etc, lifestyle. All I do know is that after reading the literature that is available on what the processed JUNK we are putting into our bodies can do, I do not want to give it to my baby girl.

So, this blog series will be all about me feeding Charlotte. I will do my best to give the specifics, recipes, and everything to help you feed your baby as well.

I wish I could tell you I was breastfeeding, but my milk just didn't come in :( But we are doing the best we can do.

Tonight we tried solid food for the first time!! We had organic oatmeal. Since I know nothing about oatmeal, and after looking at the whole foods store it look like it would be about the same price to buy and make. So I bought some organic whole grain oatmeal baby food. I added water until the oatmeal was almost a liquid consistency.

I started by letting Charlotte play with the spoon, just so she could get used to the idea of the spoon in her mouth. Then, I tried feeding her, making sure I was patient enough with her, because not much went it her mouth. She started out by not actually swallowing much, but by the end of the little bit a made, she was actually swallowing some.

I don't think she could taste it because she didn't hardly react, so we might not be on oatmeal very long! Check back next week to see what we try for our next food. What will it be??? Liver? Egg yolk? Sweet potato? Avacado? Who knows!

Make Your Own Kombucha! Part 2

2013-08-04T20:53:00.000-05:00

You have brewed your first batch of kombucha... now what?

A few options to condiser:
~drink as-is
~bottle for a second ferment to add carbonation
~bottle for a second ferment to add flavor with or without carbonation

I love flavored kombucha with a little bit of carbonation, so that's the route I chose. I'll show all options here, though.

First thing- after washing your hands thoroughly, take your scoby out of your jar and place in another container; add 1 cup of your brewed kombucha. Cover with a towel and set aside.

Transfer the remaining kombucha to glass containers of your choice. I use empty store-bought kombucha bottles that I have saved, but any glass container with a lid will work. Leave about 1.5 inches room in your container. Beware, this can get messy. I use a measuring scoop with a handle to transfer the kombucha from the jar to a funnel resting on the bottle.

If you want to drink it as-is, you are done! Just put the lid on your bottles and put in the refrigerator.

If you want to do a second fermentation for carbonation, put the lid on your bottles and put back in your warm, dark place for at least as 2 days, depending on the level of carbonation you want. It might take a couple batches of playing with timing before you get that perfect level you are looking for.

If you want to flavor your kombucha, keep reading!

Flavoring is where you can be creative with your kombucha. Fruit, herbs, flowers, spices, and any combination of the above can be used. For ideas, look at the ingredients of your favorite store-bought flavors. For fruit, you can use juices, purees, or chunks.

I added one tablespoon of cherry juice and one tablespoon of frozen blueberries to each 16oz jar.

After adding your flavor, put the lids on your containers and place back in your warm, dark place for 2-3 days. If you do not want any carbonation, burp your containers every 12 hours by removing the lid to relieve pressure, then replacing the lid.

When your second fermentation is over, place your bottles in the refrigerator to chill, then enjoy! I usually strain mine with a mesh strainer before drinking to get out the fruit and any baby scobies that may have grown.

Remember that scoby you took out at the beginning? Use it to start another batch of kombucha!

With each batch you make, your scoby will grow. You can separate the layers to have more scobies. Give them to friends or start more batches of kombucha! You can even chop up your extra scoby and add it to your pet's food or use it as plant food.

I hope you enjoy your homemade, cost efficient kombucha as much as I enjoy mine!

Make Your Own Kombucha! Part 1

2013-07-25T20:00:00.000-05:00

Buying kombucha at the grocery store can get expensive really quickly! At $3 or more a bottle, it's just not a habit I can afford to keep. So, I learned how to make my own! I'm still playing around with flavors, but I have the base recipe down pretty well.

For those who don't know, kombucha is fermented tea. It is FULL of probiotics, making it a very healthy drink choice. And it's very easy and inexpensive to make!

There are a few things to gather before you start:
~a scoby (from a friend, on Craigslist, or order online)
~a 1-gallon glass jar (lid not needed)
~tea bags (I use organic black tea, but green or white would work- just no herbal teas)
~sugar (I use organic cane sugar)
~filtered water (chlorine in tap water can kill the scoby)
~tea towel
~rubber band (large enough to fit over the jar opening)

Fill a pot with about half a gallon of water (no need to be exact) and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and add 8 tea bags; cover with lid and let steep for about 15 minutes.

After the tea has steeped, remove the tea bags and throw away. Add one cup of sugar and stir until dissolved.

Poor the tea into a 1-gallon glass container and add water until the jar is about 90% full.

Cover the jar with a tea towel until the tea cools to room temperature.

When the tea is room temperature, add your scoby and 1 cup of the liquid it came in (if it didn't come in liquid, store-bought regular flavor kombucha will work).

Place the tea towel back on the jar and secure it with a rubber band. Place the jar in a dry, dark place (I use my pantry) until it is fermented, 7-14 days depending on weather and taste preference. It will ferment more quickly in a warm place, so if you want to speed up the process, try putting it on top of the refrigerator. Try to keep it at least 6 feet from any other fermentations you have going (sourdough or kefir, for example) to avoid cross contamination of the cultures.

After about 7 days, taste your kombucha to see if it's ready. I usually just get some out on a spoon to taste it. It should have a slightly sweet, vinegary taste when it is ready. The longer you let it ferment, the more vinegar and less sugar you will taste. If it's not ready, cover it back up and return it to your dark place. If it's ready, you can either bottle it and drink as is, or you can give it a second ferment, with or without added flavor.

Supplies needed for the second fermentation:
~Glass bottles with seals (I use empty store-bought kombucha bottles that I've saved)
~Funnel
~Juice, fresh or frozen fruit, or whatever else you want to flavor with

Check back next week to see how I do my second fermentation!

Spring Break

2013-03-08T08:56:00.001-06:00

Do you remember when Spring break was amazing? It was a time of celebration. A time of crazy spontaneous fun. A break from everyday life to let your hair down and get a little crazy.

Flash forward to motherhood...

Even though the kids are counting down the days to freedom, moms are watching the days pass with dread. For working moms, it means finding extra childcare and finding the extra room in your budget to pay for it. For stay at home moms it means extra kids... bored kids. Not so fun anymore eh?

NorthDallasMommies.com has a plan to help you survive this upcoming week. Check out our calendar HERE . We have activities planned everyday from bike rides, to roller skating, to craft time in the park ending with a well earned moms night in next Saturday night!

Hopefully with a little help from NDM, we will all make it through another spring break and maybe even enjoy it a little (fingers crossed.) Then, we can enjoy our actual break time again when its over.

Our Best Advice for New Moms

2013-03-02T10:20:00.001-06:00

Holding your precious newborn baby for the first is the most magical beautiful moment you will ever experience. You hold him/her and look into their innocent little eyes and imagine who they will become. You sniff their delicious little heads, smell that amazing baby smell and feel more love than you have ever experienced in your entire life. Its magical.

You cant wait to get home and start life as a mom with your beautiful little bundle of joy. When you lay your delicate newborn into the car seat for the first time you suddenly realize... you have NO IDEA what you are doing! You don't know how the buckles work, or if the baby is in there right. You have the nurses check 5 times to make sure it's correct before driving all the way home at 15 miles an hour just to make sure your perfect little baby makes it home safely.

Once you get home the mystery continues. Is he eating enough? Is she sleeping enough? Why is she crying? Is that normal? Am I doing this right? No one ever told me it looks like that!

There is a huge learning curve in new motherhood. We asked our members of www.NorthDallasMommies.com what the best advice they had for new moms.. Here is what they had to say.

"If you can get help from family and friends, TAKE IT! There is no shame in it! You are human and need rest too!" -L

"Read a lot of books and articles about raising kids, but ultimately go with your gut instinct. I think as moms we are tuned in with our kids' needs. Just because some popular author or doctor tells us we should raise our kids one way doesn't make it the right way for us--or our children. I've learned a lot of beneficial things by reading books, but in the end I had to go with what I felt was best, because I know my kids better than anyone else." -C

"Don't forget about date nights with hubby or a night out with friends. Its ok to leave the baby for a few hours, mommy needs sanity time" -L

"Never clean during nap time." -I

"Don't be afraid to ask questions. Call your pediatrician. Call your mom. Check online resources. Every mom has gone through this at some point and most are happy to help with friendly advice." -C

"Relax and try not to get too overwhelmed. Your baby can sense your anxiety which could escalate it even more. " -M

"SLEEP WHEN THEY SLEEP!!!" -A

"Join a mom's group. You can check in online and have much needed grown up time even before you little one is old enough to play. Sometimes my only sanity time was bringing my infant out to a playgroup with more experienced moms to help out." -C

"Babies are a lot stronger than you think. Despite how small and fragile they seem, you will not break them while getting them dressed or holding them. Enjoy those moments and don't stress out trying to be extra careful!" -L

"It's ok to make mistakes. It's going to happen. Those perfect moms only exist on pinterest and television. Real life motherhood is hard and sometimes there isn't a right answer. Accept that you can only do the best that you can... and that your best is better than you think it is." -C

Sponsor Spotlight: Compassion International

2013-02-19T07:22:00.001-06:00

Have you ever wondered what life is really like in other parts of the world? Have you ever wondered how to explain to your kids that they have it pretty good compared to some kids who live in other countries? What if you could see daily life on another continent — and give your kids an experience they won’t forget — without getting on an airplane? At Change the Story: The Compassion Experience, you can do just that. Your destination? Uganda. India. Bolivia. Your tour guide? A child who lives there, waiting to give you an inside look into their world — how they live, the streets they walk, and why their stories will never be the same. This one-of-a-kind event is made up of 3,100 square feet of exhibit space that will immerse you and your family into the environment of the developing world. You’ll step inside homes, walk through markets and see schools. You’ll experience first hand the challenges that a life in poverty presents, but will also experience each child’s special story of hope. It’s an amazing opportunity to see a different world that is usually only experienced by traveling overseas. It’s also a chance to not just tell your kids about poverty, but to let them experience it — all in a safe and controlled environment. Hear what Dove award-winning recording artist Matthew West had to say about bringing his family to The Compassion Experience:

Matthew West Testimonial from Compassion International on Vimeo.

The Compassion Experience is coming to the Dallas area this week — it will be at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship (4141 International Parkway - Carrollton, TX 75007) February 20-24. It’s a complimentary event, brought to you by Compassion International, Bent Tree Bible Fellowship, and 90.9 KCBI radio. It takes about 20 minutes to complete the tour.

Walk-ins are accepted, but reservations are recommended to avoid waiting in line. Click here to reserve your spot now or visit Compassion.com/change for more information.

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Compassion International is the world's largest Christian child development organization that permanently releases children from poverty. Founded in 1952, Compassion successfully tackles global poverty one child at a time, serving more than 1 million children in 26 of the world's poorest countries. Recognizing that poverty is more than a lack of money, Compassion works through local churches to holistically address the individual physical, economic, educational and spiritual needs of children—enabling them to thrive, not just survive. Compassion has been awarded eleven consecutive, four-star ratings by Charity Navigator, America's largest charity evaluator.

Moms Gone Wild

2013-02-07T08:49:00.002-06:00

Moms, margaritas and mayhem... OK not so much with the mayhem, but we had the margaritas and moms covered at last night's moms night out. If you didn't make it out, you seriously missed out.

Moms night out is my little piece of sanity in my otherwise insane world of mommiedom.

Whether you are a working mom or a stay at home mom, you are on the clock 24/7. A job with no breaks, long hours and many days what feels like little appreciation. Many times as a mom you sort of forget yourself in all that caring for others. It's nice to have a break when you can just be you. Not mom, not wifey... just YOU!

You can get dressed nice in something that is not suitable for work, and that has no spit up or other bodily fluids on it. You can do your make up (or not) just the way you like it without worrying about looking good for hubby. Best of all you get that much needed ME time to remember that you are really a person, who has a name... that is not Mom!

Last night was an awesome night out with some amazing ladies. Thanks for reminding me of who I am. And thank you for being YOU with me for a night!

The Lowdown on the Playground Park Review #5

2013-02-06T12:44:00.000-06:00

Parks can be fun, but much like Internet dating, they aren't always what you find on-line! My boys and I are on a mission to visit as many area parks as we can and tell it how it really is. We will get the lowdown on the good, the bad, and the ugly and share it here for you!

On Friday we went on a playdate at Eureka Playground in South Lakes Park. The park is located at 501 Hobson Ln. in Denton.

Its a HUGE playground. The whole structure is made of wood.

There is a lot to do and several unique climbing structures.

There are all sorts of tire swings.

It has a smaller area for younger kids which even my oldest son, who is 6, enjoyed.

My little guys actually played here the longest. There are plenty of big kid swings but there are extra toddler swings in this area as well. There is also plenty of seating at several picnic tables.

We even found this cool standing swing over there.

There were a few open slides...

Most of the slides were boarded up and in bad need of repair.

There was also this sign... Which made me a little leery...

In case you cant read it... the sign says

"Caution

This play structure is built with chromated copper arsonate (CCA) treated wood that contains arsenic. Even though this wood is sealed twice a year to lessen the leaching of arsenic, parents should take precaution of washing their children's hands after play on or around he structure. Food stuffs should not come in contact with the wood."

Then the warning was repeated again in Spanish.

Say what?

This warning made me very hesitant about going back. Sealed or not sealed... not sure I want to risk arsenic poisoning from wood in a playground made from 98% wood!

Eureka playground has a great design and was HUGE. The kids really enjoyed it. They also enjoyed a good hand scrubbing after playtime.

Because of the possible poisoning and broken equipment we give this park...

one sticky thumb up.

The Lowdown on the Playground Park Review #4

2013-01-30T12:49:00.000-06:00

We did a play date on Monday at a neat little park.

Willow Bend Park is located at 800 Hundley Dr in Lake Dallas.

Here is a picture of this ship themed park.

This park was small but cute with plenty of seating all around the play area.

There is a large parking area and everything is set far off the road.

Lewisville Lake sits right behind it and there is a boat dock nearby.

It has some neat decoration and holds true to the theme.

There are some tunnel slides, two dolphin ride ons....

a balance beam, periscopes....

some rope ladders and monkey bars.

The boys had a great time playing pirates... what else do you do at ship themed park ;)

The biggest disadvantage of this park is the parking. Since it shares parking with the boat dock you need to purchase a parking day pass for $2 to play there. I was really surprised since none of the city websites mentioned the parking fee. I even checked with a city employee who was there and you can be ticketed for parking to play at the park for a bit without the permit in your car.

The park was cute and inspired a lot of creative play.

It was a little older and on the smaller side.

Paid parking was definitely a disadvantage as well.

We give this park

1 Sticky Thumb Up

The Lowdown on the Playground Park Review #3

2013-01-28T13:37:00.001-06:00

Friday we did a playdate at our third park.

North Lakes Park is located at 2001 W Windsor Dr in Denton

This tree house themed park was pretty awesome. It has these 2 large play structures.

There is this large rock to climb...

And some great slides...

This cool bridge connects the 2 tree houses together with monkey bars underneath.

There was a lot to climb.

There were plenty of swings including 2 toddler ones and this cool standing swing.

Separate from the large play area is a smaller toddler friendly play area.

This one is fully fenced in so no escaping!

This is a really neat park with a TON of fun to be had.

There are so many great features this may be our favorite park so far!

The best part for me was its size. Normally, when I play with the kids at the park I am ducking to avoid decapitation or wondering what the weight limit is... This playground is full sized and an adult can easily maneuver through it!

Its a great park to get out there and play WITH the kids.

We give this park

Two Sticky Thumbs Up "and a wink"

The Lowdown on the Playground Park Review #2

2013-01-25T08:44:00.000-06:00

Our second Park was McKenna Park. Its located at 700 N. Bonnie Brae St..in Denton, Tx.

The address is slightly misleading. To locate the playground itself you need to turn onto Scripture which intersects Bonnie Brae.

Here is the playground.

Its a little bit older and could really use some TLC. There is a lot of rust and paint is peeling from most of the metal structures.

Parking is along Scripture (no parking lot)

Its a little close to this street for me. It didn't have a TON of traffic but quite a bit. I took this pic standing on the playground.

The park has 4 swings, two of which are toddler swings.

There are a few cool slides as well. Including these which look like they may have been added more recently than the rest of the play ground.

The best part about this park is the monkey bars. There are so many all over the place! Older kids would LOVE monkeying around here.

The boys had a good time checking out McKenna Park.

While the location is less than ideal, with a little love this could be a really nice park. It has a lot of lower to the ground activity for little guys and tons of climbing for the big guys.

We give this park...

Two Sticky Thumbs Sideways

The Lowdown on the Playground Park Review #1

2013-01-23T13:12:00.001-06:00

Our first park was Lake Forest Park located at 1760 E Ryan Rd in Denton, Tx.

This was a neat little park far away from traffic. It has plenty of benches perfectly placed under large shade trees.

The play structure is AWESOME and much bigger than it looked like on line.

It has 3 levels to play on with tunnels on each level. Great twisty slides on both sides and little activity corners in between.

They had this cool little climbing wall off to the side. The foot holds were close enough together that

even the little ones were able to climb.

There is also a smaller toddler friendly play area which was a big hit as well!

The most unique part was these little symbols, like this, that were all over the playground.

There is this cool wheel you can spin and the kids raced to find the next image.

This park was great and the boys want to go back tomorrow!

We give this park...

2 Sticky Thumbs Up!

Making a list, Checking it twice

2012-11-15T06:48:00.000-06:00

Don't get caught on the Naughty List because you forgot to order customized Santa Letters for all your favorite kids!

For just $6 for the first letter and 10% off for each thereafter with the discount code SANTA, you can send the magic of Christmas to any child. A unique letter that you personalize will arrive from North Pole Station in Alaska in time for Christmas. Choose from a variety of themes including The Reason for the Season and School Days templates. Each one is special- just like the children.

Act now before Santa gets too busy making toys and packing his sleigh! Ordering is open through Tuesday, November 20.

Proceeds benefit The Mommies Network, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a safe, secure, FREE place for mothers to find support and encouragement from other mothers and to empower them to be better women, mothers and community leaders.