Somewhat Crunchy

Why I Love the Burger King in Waynesboro Pennsylvania

2012-01-23T07:54:00.000-05:00

We try not to eat out too often for health and financial reasons. But when we decide to make a quick pit stop somewhere, the choice is usually Burger King. And before you ask, no I was not compensated for this post. I just believe in giving credit where credit is due.

On our travels we have stopped at many, many Burger Kings. Why? Well, we like it. But the main reason is because they have good dairy free options - which is important to this mom. Bram, my 4 year old and I are both allergic to dairy.

Most of BK's buns are dairy free which makes most sandwiches safe. And most importantly to Bram the fries are safe! Did you know McDonalds has dairy in their french fries. Yup, they do.

My favorite place to get BK is in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. It's an itty bitty little town near the MD/PA line. And we used to live there. Every time we go there every single employee is kind, helpful and smiling - and that means a lot to me!

I'd like to give a shout out to two of my favorite people there who always go the extra mile - Donna and Ghee. They rock. Thank you guys for always providing exceptional service.

But as I said, everyone there is very helpful. My husband, Bram and I made one such pit stop last week. Bram has recently started to enjoy nuggets so I checked their online allergen menu to be sure the nuggets were dairy free - they were. However when standing in line I double checked the very helpful, clearly posted nutrition and allergy guide. The guide, which turned out to be outdated, said the nuggets did have dairy. So I was confused.

And you know what the employees did - yes employees - two people jumped in to help us. One asked the cook to make Bram a burger just in case the nuggets had diary. The other employee went back to the freezer and brought me out a chicken nugget box so I could read the ingredient list. (In case you're wondering, the nuggets are currently dairy free.)

Thank you Waynesboro BK for always being so helpful, kind and reliable!

About Food Network's 'The Big Waste'

2012-01-17T08:05:00.000-05:00

Did you get to see Food Networks' special, The Big Waste? It's all about the epidemic of food waste in America, and it was very eye-opening. Four of Food Networks' top chefs teamed up to create a gourmet meal for over 100 people. The meal had to be made completely with food headed for the trash - items grocers were throwing out because they were close to their 'best by' date, produce that was passed over for slight blemishes and meats that were unwanted because of small flaws.

There was a recurring theme on the show that echoed throughout the internet. Americans need to stop being so picky! We're wasting tons, literally tons, of food because we've trained ourselves to expect nothing less than perfection. When an apple has a slight nick we dig deeper in the pile for a perfect one. Herbs are starting to wilt, so we toss them in the trash instead of freezing of drying them. It really is criminal. Especially when you think of those starving in our very own country!

But.

There's always a but.

Please forgive me. I don't mean to sound like the spoiled American.

While I wholeheartedly agree with the above sentiment, it's completely true, I think there is another side to this story.

Have you seen the grocery prices in this country??
While so many Americans income is going down, being cut in half, or disappearing completely, the grocery prices keep rising. Many families can barely afford to eat.

Do you know how much I'm spending each week?
We have a family of 6 - three of which are teens who eat constantly. I have taken up couponing to save money because we were spending $250-$300 a week in groceries. Yes, that's $1000+ a month just in groceries. And I buy generic!

Call me spoiled, but if it's expensive I expect it to be good.
I'm sorry, but if I'm going to pay an arm and a leg for a pound of produce I expect it to be in good shape. I don't want to pay outrageous prices for fruit that will spoil two days after I take it home.

There's a little bit of fear in our reasoning.
While we do need to accept peaches that look less than perfect, the providers need to understand that as consumers, we're a little worried when things look "off". Weird things have been happening. When I was a kid you only heard of food poisoning in spoiled meat and dairy. Now we have listeria in cantaloupes, e coli in lettuce and salmonella in peanut butter. And we're not just talking about a weekend spent running to the bathroom, people have died.

Don't tell me waste isn't factored into the cost.
I realize the huge (HUGE) amount of waste is hurting our farmers, especially the small mom and pop farms. But with any business there is waste, and good business means planning for that and factoring it into the cost. I do see it's an unending cycle, high prices means more waste, more waste means higher prices - but it's not just the consumer's fault.

What about everyone else's role?
As I said, we must retrain our brains to stop this epidemic of waste - there really is no excuse for it. But what about everyone else? We need to work together to fix it. What about the grocers who could arrange a weekly delivery to local food banks? Why don't companies partner to decrease waste? Those chickens the butcher know won't sell because he nicked the skin could be bought at a lesser price by factories that produce chicken broth. What about a seconds section in the grocery store for lesser priced, not as pretty produce? I'd shop in that section! But if I have a choice between perfect tomatoes or bruised ones for the same astronomical price, I'm taking the perfect ones.

Yes, I noticed.
On the show, did you notice how those "less than perfect chickens" that no one would buy were all iced down and waiting in coolers? My guess is that was for the show. Under any other circumstances, I think those chickens would be tossed straight in the trash. Why? Because it costs money and overhead space to store those undesirable chickens! And business isn't going to pay to store what is essentially trash.

I understand.
To answer my above question, grocers don't deliver to their local food bank because they'd have to pay the delivery person, have a truck and pay for fuel. It all comes down to money - I understand that! It makes sense why they can't or won't do it. But that brings me back to the point of this whole post.

It's not just the consumers fault. There are lots of things we could all be doing, patrons and business alike, to solve this waste epidemic. I'll start. Next time, I won't pass on that slightly blemished lettuce.

What are you going to do to help?

My First Weekly Wrap Up In Forever

2012-01-13T15:56:00.005-05:00

It feels like years since I posted my last Weekly Wrap Up and linked up at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers - looking back, I haven't done one since March. Wow. I wish I could say it's because we've been so busy with amazing things, but in some ways we've been struggling to find our groove here. So we're making some changes!

The Schedule
I have three teens and a toddler here, and a baby on the way. Mornings seemed like the teens took forever to get ready. So this week I instituted a new minute-by-miute morning schedule and it's been a success. Everyone is ready (at the same time) to eat breakfast together then move into school work. It's also given me a little time in the morning to hop online and get some play time in with Bram (the toddler). Heaven!

Grading
I've mentioned many times I don't like grading papers. I usually put it off which creates an even bigger chore later and makes it too easy for the boys to fall behind if I don't catch issues early. All year Fox and Tony have been using Teaching Textbooks. If you use the CDs rather than the books, the program GRADES FOR YOU! I knew this but just now set it up for Tony. Fox is next (once I locate his CDs, ahem). And I can already feel a huge weight off my shoulders! It's fabulous!

History (the part where I need your advice)
For years I used Sonlight and loved it. When Tony and Billy moved in we switched to Tapestry of Grace because all students learn the same topic on their own grade level, and I loved it. I still love it. But I'm to the point where I feel I can't follow one more curriculum schedule. Between co-op, literature class at a friend's, doctor's appointments, math and science I feel "boxed in" with our school. So here's what I'm thinking, tell me if I'm crazy.

Should high schoolers have a structured history program, or is it okay to go a little unschool?

I have two great books - Reading Lists for College Bound Students and Notebooking Success. My thought is to hand pick reading selections from Reading Lists and notebook through them. We could do a unit study of sorts for each book. We could go in historical order or just mix it up and refer to a timeline. I want to be sure the boys get a solid foundation in the classics, I just don't know if it's the right thing to do. I've always, always, always followed a boxed curriculum. But now, after 11 years of homeschooling, I think I'm finally ready to "break out of the box".

What do you think, is it doable or am I crazy?

PS - Sorry I don't have any fun photos to share, I seem to have misplaced my camera. I blame pregnancy hormones!

CLOSED Birthday Giveaway: Win an Apologia Live Ticket!

2012-01-10T11:25:00.007-05:00

Congrats to J.K. McGuire for winning!

It's my birthday - I'm 33 today! And to celebrate I'm having a giveaway!! What's up for grabs?

A Ticket to the Apologia Live Retreat in Baltimore Maryland!

You may remember I went last year and found this retreat to be an uplifting and moving experience. I am SO EXCITED to be going again this year and I want to meet you there! So enter to win for a chance to attend for free.

Apologia Live in Baltimore will be held at the Westin Inn, March 9-10 2012. The schedule is filled with workshops, worship time and amazing speakers.

Giveaway Rules:

You must be 18 years of age or older to enter
You must leave an email address or link to a contact page for notification
Each entry must be left in a separate comment
Entries are unlimited

How To Enter:

Leave a Comment (yes, it's that easy!)
Tweet about this giveaway (and leave a comment with your Twitter name)

A winner will be chosen using Random.org on Monday January 16th. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond with acceptance. If the do not respond within 48 hours they forfeit the prize and a new winner will be chosen.

GOOD LUCK!!

A Quiet Christmas

2011-12-23T08:01:00.008-05:00

Our Christmas tree stands in the corner of the room without decoration.

I was going to post a picture of it but the camera is dead, left uncharged on the desk, also not ready for Christmas.

No twinkling lights adorn the outside of our home.

Only a handful of my favorite Christmas decorations are sprinkled about the house.

I still don't know what I'm going to fix for Christmas dinner. I'm not in the mood for ham or turkey so I decided on beef tenderloin. Until I went to the store and saw a 5lb beef tenderloin was $77. No thank you. Moving on. I'm now thinking pork or pot roast. If I don't decide then I'll pull a chicken out of the freezer.

Until yesterday morning I had not bought a single Christmas present.

And what I bought yesterday wasn't much. I didn't come home with armloads of bags. I didn't experience a shopper's high. But I also didn't experience the next day buyer's remorse.

And I find I like it this way. I think I've finally found that place in my heart. A place I've been striving toward for about 3 years now. Where Christmas is about CHRISTmas, not presents or things.

Some of this change is due to screaming tight finances. Some of it is due to taking things easy while savoring the life growing inside me. (I'll be 16 weeks on Christmas day!) And some of it is the fruition of 3 years hard work. It's not easy trying to change a lifetime of Christmas commercialism that has been wired into our brains by the media, brands and our own good fortune.

It's easy to be givers when we all "have". A large part of America have been "havers" since the 80's. It's so fun and easy to give when you have. So we did the big gifts and big parties (which there is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with!) And it was fun. The problem lies in that most Americans are now teetering on the brink of being "have nots" and we suddenly feel inferior because we cannot give like we used to. Because before, the emphasis was on the giving, not praise to God for his Son and the generosity of Him giving us the ability to give at that time.

I am so thankful my family, immediate and extended, understand the true meaning of Christmas. My family is who ingrained in me, fighting against the worldly commercialized view of Christmas, that Christ is what Christmas is about. We gather together, enjoy each other's company and praise His name. In the long run on earth and eternity

The tree doesn't matter.

The pictures don't matter.

The lights and decorations don't matter.

The presents don't matter.

And as much as it pains this pregnant woman to say, what you have for Christmas dinner doesn't matter.

What matters it that you're focused on Him. Let's praise Him for what we do have, a savior for eternity and one another's company.

It's been a calm, enjoyable, quiet Christmas season here in my heart. Even with the kids running around, the pets knocking over the tree and family visiting by the truckload. I wish the same for you. May you have a quiet Christmas season in your heart. May our hearts rest in His peace this weekend.

Merry Christmas!

Link Up Your Christmas Posts!

2011-12-03T23:47:00.002-05:00

I hope you've had fun hopping around visiting the participants of the 5 Days of Christmas series. There were so many topics covered and we had a blast sharing with you!

A Slob Comes Clean - Getting Your Home Company Ready
Feels Like Home - Christmas Traditions
Somewhat Crunchy - Christmas with Dairy Allergies
Spell Outloud - Children's Books
Mama's Learning Corner - Children's Crafts
Many Little Blessings - Edible Gifts
Sunflower Schoolhouse - Decorations
An Oregon Cottage - Christmas Cookies
Catholic Icing - Wishing Jesus Happy Birthday
The Traveling Praters - Traveling
The Homeschool Classroom - Gifts Kids Can Make
Mama's Laundry Talk - Laundry Gifts

Now it's your turn - we want to hear from you! Share your Christmas survival tips, recipes, crafts, favorite reads, whatever knowledge you'd like to share. I need some fresh Christmas ideas to get my creativity pumping! And please don't forget to link back to at leas one of the host blogs so others know where to join in the fun!!

Dairy Free Hot Cocoa

2011-12-02T19:25:00.004-05:00

Nothing screams Christmas louder to me than a steaming mug of hot cocoa. I love to cuddle up in front of a twinkling tree and sip away.

What a tragedy it was when I realized almost all hot cocoa mixes have dairy - and those that didn't have dairy tasted awful when made with water. Blech! So I had to get creative and concoct my own version - a tasty dairy free version - of hot cocoa.

Dairy Free Hot Cocoa
2 1/2 cups Plain Almond Milk or Soy Milk
1 1/2 cups Rice Milk
1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons) Cocoa Powder
1/2 cup (2 Tablespoons) Chocolate Syrup
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon instant decaf coffee
1/2 cup sugar
mini marshmallows to garnish (optional)

In a heavy sauce pan - or if you're lazy like me you'll use a cocomotion because it does the stirring and heating for you - combine all ingredients over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until the mixture is well combined and the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour into mugs, add mini marshmallows if you like and enjoy!

I have so enjoyed sharing my dairy free tips for the 5 Days of Christmas series. I hope you've learned some things that will help you on your dairy free journey. And I also hope you've enjoyed the extremely varied and fun posts of my bloggy friends below.

Tomorrow is your day to share whatever Christmas tips you have to share! Whether it's a great gift, a craft to do with your kids, a recipe, we want to hear about it!! Come back tomorrow for the big 5 Days of Christmas Link Up!!

A Slob Comes Clean - Getting Your Home Company Ready
Feels Like Home - Christmas Traditions
Somewhat Crunchy - Christmas with Dairy Allergies
Spell Outloud - Children's Books
Mama's Learning Corner - Children's Crafts
Many Little Blessings - Edible Gifts
Sunflower Schoolhouse - Decorations
An Oregon Cottage - Christmas Cookies
Catholic Icing - Wishing Jesus Happy Birthday
The Traveling Praters - Traveling
The Homeschool Classroom - Gifts Kids Can Make
Mama's Laundry Talk - Laundry Gifts

Easy Dairy Free Bread and Rolls

2011-12-01T18:11:00.005-05:00

What's better than piping hot bread straight from the oven?

For years I was intimidated by bread making. I assumed it was a very difficult and tedious process. But I found out it doesn't have to be!

This recipe is for simple white bread, a great accompaniment to any meal. It's so easy to make! I mix it up in the morning, punch it down and put it in bread pans around noon then pop it in the over 45 minutes before dinner. Simple!

Easy White Bread or Rolls
1/4 cup sugar or honey
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 egg slightly beaten
1/3 cup non dairy butter substitute, melted
4-6 cups all purpose flour

Combine the sugar, yeast and warm water in a large mixing bowl. Allow the mixture to sit until the yeast is foamy and bubbly, about 5-10 minutes. Add the egg and melted butter then combine gently. Add 4 cups of flour and mix until you get a sticky batter. Slowly add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, kneading as you go, until you get a smooth elastic ball of dough. Take care not to overwork the dough or it will get tough. Grease the bowl and cover it with a damp cloth. Allow it to rest and rise until it has doubled in size, about 3-4 hours. Once the dough has risen, punch it down, divide it in half and place each half in a greased bread pan.

If you would like to make rolls, at this point you divide the dough in half again and again until you have 24 equally sized dough balls. Place these in two greased 9 x 13 pans.

Loosely cover the dough with greased wax paper or plastic wrap and allow to rest until once again double in size. Bake in a 350°: oven for 45 -55 minutes or until nicely browned.

Then devour it with honey!

If you missed it be sure to check out Monday's Tips For a Smooth Dairy Free Christmas, Tuesday's Great Dairy Free Products for Cooking and Wednesday's Dairy Free Pumpkin Pie!

And be sure to stop by these other great blogs participating in 5 Days of Christmas! So many great topics are being covered!!

A Slob Comes Clean - Getting Your Home Company Ready
Feels Like Home - Christmas Traditions
Somewhat Crunchy - Christmas with Dairy Allergies
Spell Outloud - Children's Books
Mama's Learning Corner - Children's Crafts
Many Little Blessings - Edible Gifts
Sunflower Schoolhouse - Decorations
An Oregon Cottage - Christmas Cookies
Catholic Icing - Wishing Jesus Happy Birthday
The Traveling Praters - Traveling
The Homeschool Classroom - Gifts Kids Can Make
Mama's Laundry Talk - Laundry Gifts

Dairy Free Pumpkin Pie Recipe

2011-11-30T17:41:00.006-05:00

I am so enjoying sharing my dairy free tips with you for the 5 Days of Christmas Series! Monday I shared tips for a smooth Christmas, Tuesday I shared great dairy free cooking products, the rest of the week I am going to share some of my winning dairy free recipes. First up, pumpkin pie! Mmmmm.

Oh yes.

I love this pie.

In fact, my whole family likes it better than the dairy version.

Gasp! It's true.

It all starts with a yummy (and easy) crust.

Crust (makes 2 crusts)
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup very cold dairy free "butter" sliced by tablespoons
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons water with ice

In a medium bowl stir together the flour and salt. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until it looks coarse-grained, like cornmeal, and the butter is the size of small peas. (A food processor works well for making crusts!) Add 4 tablespoons of water and mix until well incorporated. Add the remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition until you have a soft, pliable crust. You may not need all the water! Divide the dough in half. Roll out one half and place in a 9" pie plate. Repeat with the other half.

Pumpkin Pie (makes 2 pies)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons ginger
3/4 teaspoon cloves
4 eggs
1 can (29 oz) canned pumpkin puree
3 cups canned coconut milk (NOT lite)

Preheat the oven to 425°. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. In a large bowl beat the eggs. Stir in the pumpkin puree and sugar mixture. Next add the coconut milk.

I know cocounut milk sounds strange for pumpking pie, but trust me, this is where the magic happens.

Pour the batter into the prepared pie crusts. Place the pies into the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350° and bake for 40-50 minutes more until set. Cool completely.

I strongly recommend you make this pie the day before you'd like to eat it. Allowing the pie to sit overnight allows the flavors to mingle and marry and give birth to amazing flavor sensations! Enjoy!! Please don't forget to visit my other bloggy friends participating in 5 Days of Christmas. Each blogger is sharing great ideas in their areas of expertise!

A Slob Comes Clean - Getting Your Home Company Ready
Feels Like Home - Christmas Traditions
Somewhat Crunchy - Christmas with Dairy Allergies
Spell Outloud - Children's Books
Mama's Learning Corner - Children's Crafts
Many Little Blessings - Edible Gifts
Sunflower Schoolhouse - Decorations
An Oregon Cottage - Christmas Cookies
Catholic Icing - Wishing Jesus Happy Birthday
The Traveling Praters - Traveling
The Homeschool Classroom - Gifts Kids Can Make
Mama's Laundry Talk - Laundry Gifts

Great Dairy Free Products For Christmas Cooking

2011-11-28T17:23:00.006-05:00

We're continuing in the 5 Days of Christmas series, tackling Christmas with dairy allergies. Yesterday I shared tips for a smooth Christmas season, tomorrow I will start sharing some of my tried and true dairy free recipes. Today I'm sharing some of my favorite dairy free products that help make Christmas cooking and baking easier. A lot of these items have to do with sweets because, well, I'm all about the sugar and carbs all season long!

WARNING AND DISCLAIMER: Always read the labels!! Currently these items are not made with dairy but the manufacturers can change their ingredients at ANY TIME - so again, ALWAYS read labels. Also, these items are not made with dairy but many are made on shared equipment. So if you are extremely sensitive to dairy, these items may not work for you.

Okay, now that that's out of the way, let's get started! This is going to be a pretty long post, there are lots of great products out there!

Milk Substitutes
I love almond milk and hemp milk for cooking and baking, the flavor is smooth and they are fatty enough to use in many recipes. Namely I like Tempt Hemp Milk, Almond Breeze Original Almond Milk or Silk Almond Milk. And Silk Dark Chocolate Almond Milk is amazing - especially with a shot of Kahlua - just saying.

Depending on the recipe and desired flavor, I also enjoy using coconut milk. I will use canned coconut milk for baking (I like Imperial Dragon) or beverage grade coconut milk (like So Delicious Coconut Milk) for drink recipes or those not needing as much fat.

If you're allergic to nuts your other main stream options are soy or rice milk. Although you may be able to tolerate hemp milk as hemp is not a nut, it is a seed. First soy. I try to keep my soy intake to a minimum because too much of it makes me a basket case - seriously I walk around with PMS symptoms on steroids, it's bad. But of the soy beverages I have had I've found 8th Continent to be my favorite.

As for rice milk, this is another beverage I don't use too often. Although it is my favorite for dipping Oreos because it's thin enough for the Oreos to absorb the liquid. I don't cook or bake much with rice milk because it just doesn't have enough fat. If rice milk is all you can cook with I suggest substituting 1/4 of the rice milk with oil to give it a little more oomph. My favorite is Rice Dream.

Butter, Yogurt, Cream and Cheeses
I have always been an advocate of Earth Balance - it tastes delicious and is extremely versatile. They also have a spread that is completely soy free, love love love that! However, it can be very difficult to find in my area. I usually have to go to specialty shops. Because of that, I have recently discovered Best Life Spreads at my local Walmart. While they aren't soy free they are versatile, tasty, easy to find and less expensive than real butter!

As for yogurt you just can't beat Amande Almond Milk yogurt and So Delicous Coconut Milk yogurt is a close second - their Raspberry is "so delicious". I have had soy yogurt in the past and for whatever reason, even though soy milk doesn't bother me, I just can't stomach soy yogurt.

If you have a recipe that calls for cream I would recommend MimicCreme . It's really rich and yummy. It's also great for chowders or cream potato soup. Yum! And if you need sour cream I just love Sour Supreme. Yes, it's all soy, so I have to be careful how much I eat, but it is so good!

Lastly, cheeses. I hate to tell you that I have not found ONE dairy free cheese I enjoy. They all taste so...uck. *shiver* There's just nothing like the real thing when it comes to cheese. But if you're lokking for cream cheese Tofutti's Better Than Cream Cheese is a good substitute! Again, it's soy, but it tastes good! Great for pumpkin rolls.

Chocolate
It can be hard to find dairy free chocolate, but I've been fortunate enough to find a few good options. In the town I used to live there is a FABULOUS chocolate shop, I've mentioned it before, called Zoe's Chocolate. They now ship their handmade delicacies, many of their dark chocolate items are dairy free. They are a little pricey but make an amazing gift.

A good choice for baking is Ghiradelli Semi Sweet chips. Yum! I like to just snack on these too. Last time I checked, the generic Food Lion semi sweet chips were also dairy free and tasted good.

As for chocolate candies I recently discovered Cella's Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries are dairy free! This was life changing for me and I ate a whole box in a weekend because I had gone without chocolate covered cherries for FOUR years! Seriously, you have no idea how happy that discovery made me. Another love of mine are the Dark Peanut Chews. Sweet, salty, caramel-y, so so so good! I could eat my weight in those things too.

Lastly, Ghiradelli Double Chocolate cocoa mix is dairy free. It's strong, so young children may not care for it as much as adults, but if you throw a little Hershey's syrup in there you could fix them a quick cocoa.

Random Products
I have been pleasantly surprised that many of my favorite crackers, Club, Ritz and Wheat Thins are dairy free. (Some generic brands are not so again, read the labels!)

Stove Top Stuffing is good for a quick fix when going to a party where there may not be much safe to eat. I generally stay away from the stuff because of the sodium, but it is wonderful to have on hand in a pinch!

Nature's Path granola bars in Choconut (my favorite) and Peanut Choco are dairy free and very good. I like to keep a box of these in the car for those "just in case" moments.

A Little Advice
With the exception of crackers, I have found many name brand products containing dairy are often dairy free in the generic brands. You can't afford to be a brand snob when you have allergies, check every ingredient list on every brand - you might be pleasantly surprised to find you can eat more than you originally thought!

Don't forget to stop by my friends' blogs to read about more Christmas related topics!

A Slob Comes Clean - Getting Your Home Company Ready
Feels Like Home - Christmas Traditions
Somewhat Crunchy - Christmas with Dairy Allergies
Spell Outloud - Children's Books
Mama's Learning Corner - Children's Crafts
Many Little Blessings - Edible Gifts
Sunflower Schoolhouse - Decorations
An Oregon Cottage - Christmas Cookies
Catholic Icing - Wishing Jesus Happy Birthday
The Traveling Praters - Traveling
The Homeschool Classroom - Gifts Kids Can Make
Mama's Laundry Talk - Laundry Gifts

Christmas...With Dairy Allergies

2011-11-28T09:35:00.016-05:00

I'm so excited to have teamed up with a fabulous group of bloggers to bring you a 5 Days of Christmas series. Here we share our best tips for Christmas - in our own areas of expertise. Being that I am allergic to dairy (along with my 4 year old Bram) I'm bringing you tips, products and recipes to make your Christmas season easier! Be sure to check out the blogs at the bottom of the post to see what other topics are being tackled - like cookies, books, travel and craft ideas.

Monday: Tips for a Smooth Christmas Season
Tuesday: Great Dairy Free Baking Products
Wednesday - Friday: Recipes to Make Your Dairy Free Taste Buds Sing!

A SMOOTH CHRISTMAS SEASON WITH DAIRY ALLERGIES

Be Prepared

The key to a smooth and enjoyable Christmas season is to be prepared! I'm telling ya, the Boy Scouts know what they're talking about. Stock your pantry with diary free goodies. Whether it's store bought favorites or homemade cookies - have lots tucked away for that surprise moment. You never know when your kind neighbor will show up with a delectable Christmas treat your little one can't eat. In that moment it's so helpful to pull some hidden cookies from the pantry so they (or you) don't feel left out.

Pack It Up

If you have a child with allergies, or if you have allergies, you know how frustrating and uncomfortable it can be to attend a holiday party where there's nothing safe to eat! Always, always, always pack something when you're going out - even if it's just a quick trip - a short stop at a friend's house can turn into an afternoon outing. Keep a snack basket in your vehicle and fruit roll ups in your purse. If you're going to an all out affair pack a dairy free meal. It's better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it.

Make It Special

Since there are so many things off limits to my little guy I have no problem saying "Hands Off!" when it comes to his treats. Why shouldn't he be able to have something yummy all to himself when there are so many things that only "other people" can have. One way I like to make Bram (or myself!) feel special is to bake a single size portion. If I make pumpkin pie Bram gets his own pint-size pie. He never fails to be surprised and excited about this little something extra.

Make It Okay

Don't let your little one (or yourself) feel like the odd man out or like a burden. Allergies can be difficult enough to navigate without feelings of exclusion (being the only one who can't eat dinner) or guilt (feeling like you're making a ton of extra work for mom). Allergies are just part of who we are. So make it a special time! Bake those dairy free cookies together, mash those potatoes with dairy free milk - and smile about it!

Be sure to visit these other great sites for more helpful ideas for Christmas!! And come back tomorrow when I'll share some of my favorite products for dairy free baking!

A Slob Comes Clean - Getting Your Home Company Ready
Feels Like Home - Christmas Traditions
Somewhat Crunchy - Christmas with Dairy Allergies
Spell Outloud - Children's Books
Mama's Learning Corner - Children's Crafts
Many Little Blessings - Edible Gifts
Sunflower Schoolhouse - Decorations
An Oregon Cottage - Christmas Cookies
Catholic Icing - Wishing Jesus Happy Birthday
The Traveling Praters - Traveling
The Homeschool Classroom - Gifts Kids Can Make
Mama's Laundry Talk - Laundry Gifts

Not Letting The Past Rob My Present

2011-11-14T20:47:00.008-05:00

I have been wanting to share an amazing secret with you...

I am expecting a baby! 10 weeks along with a due date of June 13th. I have been wanting to share this with you for some time. But I waited. I waited until the doctor confirmed the pregnancy.

I waited until my 9 week sonogram - a routine for me because of our history of miscarriage - when I could see the heartbeat, hear the heartbeat and smile as the technician said everything looked perfect. Perfect. She actually said perfect.

And yet, I still waited. I found myself hesitant to share the wonderful news. Why?

Because I know there are so many who are praying for life to take hold in their womb. Because of our history - because I'm the Mother of the Miscarriage.

The unnamed.

The forgotten.

The unacknowledged.

And it hurts. A past miscarriage can taint the joy of even a normal pregnancy. It can leave you hyper vigilant and fearful of every symptom or lack thereof.

Estimates say one in every four pregnancies end in miscarriage, 25%. My miscarriage rate is 50%. We have had two healthy, wonderful babies. We've also lost two. Early losses at 12 weeks and 8 weeks, but losses the same.

Blessedly early - I didn't have to birth a breathless baby.

Bitterly early - I didn't get to birth and hold a breathless baby.

And I wonder, with this blessed pregnancy, will our rate rise to 60% or fall to 40%? Strange thoughts I know. But this is the aftermath of being the Mother of the Miscarriage.

Are you also a Mother of the Miscarriage?

Don't let anyone tell you you aren't a mother. You are. You've held life, no matter how short a time. You are a mother. And though losing that baby hurt, in time you will find you were blessed in other ways.

You are a mother.

You were chosen.

A vessel to deliver souls to heaven.

And though you didn't get to know your baby here on earth, your baby knows you.

I take great comfort in the fact that when I enter heaven those two lost babies will be there to greet me - whole, in all their glory and so much wiser than I because they have had more time at the feet of Jesus.

To those whose arms ache because they never held their little one - you will hold one another in heaven.

To those whose spirit aches because they chose to abort their baby for health or convenience - the Lord forgives and your child is waiting to love on you in heaven.

To those who are haunted by the cries of babies born too early or unwell - they were not crying in pain, they were crying from the sadness of having to leave you behind, and joy in knowing you will one day be reunited.

I send love to all those Mothers of the Miscarriage. And I dance with joy over the life inside me. I will cherish every moment, whether they be long term or fleeting. Because every moment is a blessing.

#Dishmat Twitter Party

2011-11-14T14:25:00.008-05:00

So, you remember that mega giveaway I participated in for the really, really awesome Dish Drying mat?

The one where 10 bloggers gave away 33 dishmats in 6 different colors?

And hundreds of people commented and tweeted for a chance to win one?

Yeah, that one.

(photo credit: Rachel of Finding Joy)

Brace yourselves.

The maker of that really, really awesome Dish Drying Mat is having a twitter party!!! Join us THIS THURSDAY, November 17, 8:30pm CST for a chance to win one of 12 dishmats!!

Follow-
@EnvisionHome - Maker of The Dish Drying Mat and prize awarder
@SomewhatCrunchy - I'll be asking the questions
@JimmiesCollage, finding_joy and @raising_arrows - your hostesses with mostestes
#dishmat - this hashtag is where the magic will happen

This is going to be a fun, fast paced party with lots of winners! Don't miss it!!

Phone Conversations Overheard At My House

2011-10-21T07:44:00.008-04:00

Bram is our 4 year old. He is a pistol. Let's just say he can be a handful sometimes. He's very energetic. All. The. Time. And can talk smack like the big boys. But if someone calls his bluff he comes running to Mommy. Ha!

My younger brother, Brandon (who is the classic, awesome pick-on-you uncle and goes by Uncle B) called my cell phone last week. Bram happened to be playing a game on my phone and answered. This is the conversation that ensued.

Bram: Who's this! (loud and aggressive)

Uncle B: Who's this?

Bram: It's Bram.

Uncle B: Hi Bram.

Bram: Who's!! This!! (louder and more aggressive)

Uncle B: Boy! It doesn't matter who this is. If you don't stop talking to me like that I'm going to come kick your butt!

Bram: I'll kick your butt! (Not backing down)

Uncle B: That's it, I'm coming to kick your butt!

Bram: You can't! It's dark! (So tough)

Uncle B: Yes I can!

Bram: Uh-uh, you don't know which way to turn! (confident and sure of himself)

Uncle B: Yes I do. I've been to your house before.

At this point Bram realized he may have gotten himself into trouble and ran to me with the phone, half scared, half giggling.

Bram: Mommy!! Someone's on the phone and he says he's going to come kick my butt!!

He didn't say one word about his part in the scenario. I know it was onery of him. But I couldn't help but laugh. I LOVE that kid!!

The Road to Relevant

2011-10-17T13:53:00.004-04:00

In a couple short weeks I will once again be heading to the Relevant Conference. Denise (whom I had the privilege of meeting last year) from Denise in Bloom is having a pre-conference link-up for attendees to get to know one another.

I'm sure my regular readers won't mind if I take a moment to introduce myself (my readers are awesome like that).

I'm Cheryl - a homeschooling, "somewhat crunchy" mama. I love the Lord with all my heart - my daily prayer is that He will be glorified in my imperfection.

I love my hubby, my kids, homeschooling - and social media too. But I'm sure you could have guessed that. If I'm not with my family, I'm on twitter...or Facebook...or my blog. It's how I roll. I am passionate (and continuously learning) about the business side of blogging and connecting with others online.

Out of that passion I launched The 2:1 Conference - to bring together the "socialmeidialites" who homeschool their children.

I am looking forward to attending Relevant again - last year truly helped me prioritize my heart and I was able to connect with some truly amazing women who love God.

~See you there!

Dish Drying Mat Review and Giveaway!

2011-10-14T15:00:00.003-04:00

I've recently fallen in love with a new-to-me kitchen product.

THE DISH DRYING MAT

Now, I know what you're thinking "A dish drying mat? No thanks, I'll use my dish towels." I know this because I thought the same thing at first. But let me tell you something, my dishwasher is broken. I have four boys in my house who feel the need to eat continuously. At any given moment of the day I have dishes drying on my counter...and no dry dishtowels. Now I actually have a towel to dry my hands on when I need one.

The Dish Drying Mat must be filled with some type of alien-technology foam. Okay, not really. But it seems that way because it absorbs more water and dries more quickly than my dish towels. I love that! Plus the foam makes the mat very sturdy. I can dry my wine glasses and pitchers without worry of them skooching around or toppling over.

And on top of all that - it's pretty! I love when a product is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. The Dish Drying Mat comes in a waffle pattern and lots of pretty colors to choose from. I have three mats, one each in cream, sage green and red (my favorite!).

I can hear you now. "Cheryl, my dishwasher is in perfect working order, I don't need a Dish Drying Mat." But you do! These mats are so versatile. You can use them for:

Drying produce (place your fruits and veggies on the mat to dry)

A beverage station (at your next party place self-serve drinks on the mat to soak up sticky spills)

A homeschool experiment mat (I'm thinking exploding volcanoes and chemistry experiments)

A diaper changing mat (lightweight, absorbent and folds up very small)

A washable piddle-pad (for your incontinent pet)

Padding for storing china

A bath mat

I'm sure you can think of other uses too! I'm giving away three black Dish Drying Mats. But I'm not the only one. I've teamed up with a group of great bloggers who are also giving away three mats, and each is giving away a different color!! Follow the rules below for a chance to win a black mat from me and click over to my friend's blogs to enter their dish mat giveaways too!

GIVEAWAY RULES

You must be 18 years of age or older

Open to US addresses only (sorry everyone else!)

You must leave an email address or link to a blog with email information (for notification purposes)

If you tweet about this post, be sure to leave a comment stating you did so

Each entry must be left in an individual comment or will only count as one entry

Entries are unlimited

The winners will be chosen via random number generator on October 20th and will be notified via email. Winners will have 48 hours to respond with their shipping information. If they do not respond within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen.

HOW TO ENTER

Leave a comment sharing why you'd like to win

Tweet about the giveaway (each tweet must be left in a separate comment)

Not sure what to tweet? Use this: "I want to win the #dishmat giveaway from @SomewhatCrunchy!" Or make up your own. Just be sure it has #dishmat in it.

And don't forget to visit these other fabulous blogs for more chances to win a dish mat in other colors!!!

An Oregon Cottage - Cream
Finding Joy - Sage Green
Many Little Blessings - Sage Green
A Slob Comes Clean - Coastal Blue
Spell Out Loud - Coastal Blue
Feels Like Home - Red
Raising Arrows - Red
Mama's Learning Corner - Black
Jimmie's Collage - Gray
Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers - Gray

FTC Disclosure: I was compensated for my time in testing this product and writing the review.

I Support The Homeschool Post Awards

2011-10-12T14:25:00.005-04:00

If you're online at all, you've probably heard about the Homeschool Blog Awards. This is annual event in which we nominate our favorite homeschool bloggers, then vote for the winners. There are many different categories in which to be nominated and lots of great prizes to win (including 50% OFF a ticket for The 2:1 Conference!)

Many of you know, I generally don't do blog awards anymore. In May, after the Circle of Moms fiasco, and this intelligent post at Postpartum Progress I stated that I would stop participating in awards which drive traffic in drones to the host site, not the nominated blogs - you know the ones. The ones where you're expected to go back to the host site and vote daily, and encourage all your readers to vote daily...at the host blog...yeah those. I'm not picking on Circle of Moms, there are many other awards set up like theirs which I have chosen not to participate in (even when I was nominated).

But I feel the Homeschool Post Awards are different. Better even. Why? For one the blogs are peer nominated - that's huge. Second, every voter is allowed only one vote per category. Their goal is to truly acknowledge and award homeschool blogs based on their merit - they're asking what YOU like to read.

They're not based on how many times you can get your Aunt Bertha to log on and vote each week. In my opinion, with the one vote rule, it's more like a survey. I LIKE THAT. A lot.

So I encourage you to go nominate your favorite homeschool blogger today. Acknowledge what it is you love about their blog!

Guest Posts, Dog Pee, Facebook and Tattoos...Parenting Tips Please?

2011-10-10T19:48:00.003-04:00

First up - guest posts! I write monthly for two great homeschool sites, check out my latest!

Bend It Don't Break It - Character Training for Toddlers at The Homeschool Village

Perfect Fall Apple Recipes - A Collection of Mouth Watering Recipes with Apples

The next few topics have to do character and discipline issues with the teens. Some days, do you ever feel completely unqualified to parent? Yeah. That's how I felt earlier today. But then I remember what I was like as a teen (sorry mom) and realize this is all part of the territory of growing up, building character muscle and self control. Here's the issues we've been working on today.

Dog Pee
How do you teach the difference between "Work Smarter Not Harder" and lazy shortcuts? Billy is such a smart boy, I have said many times before, he has an engineer's mind. He is always looking for ways to be more efficient and improve the design of anything he gets his hands on. But I'm afraid, with work, this efficient trait has crossed over into the area of laziness. He is Dog Boy this week. The afternoon "walk" with our Irish Setter has turned into a 1 minute step outside the door. Not enough. This of course turned into an after dinner waterfall of dog pee on our carpet. (I'm so thankful for my steam cleaner!) This child makes SO MUCH extra work for himself by taking short cuts the first time. I've been hoping that he would learn on his own that laziness = more work later. But it just hasn't clicked. Any tips for me?

Facebook
First thing this morning Tony lost his Facebook privleges. Why? Well, we allow our teens to have Facebook with the stipulation that they, for security reasons, do not play any games etc that require access to their account (curse you Farmville!). Guess who has repeatedly broken this rule? Yeah. How do you teach integrity? It's so hard. I'm struggling to teach this really sweet and loving child that right is right and wrong is wrong and rules are rules even if you think no one is watching. But it hasn't sunk in. In his mind there is a different set of right and wrong depending on whose house he is at. Have any advice for this situation?

Tattoos
My son, Fox, wants a tattoo. This is something he has occasionally brought up over the last year. And the answer is no every time. The answer will continue to be no until he is 18 AND not living in my house. The tattoo he wants is of a specific Bible verse. Because it's a Christian tattoo he thinks it should be okay. Mmm hmm. This is a respect issue. The answer is no, the answer will stay no and yet he has continued to bring it up. We're working on respect. My words to him were "You are not called to understand or even like our decisions as parents, you are called to respect and obey. I have been 15, you have not yet been 32 so you need to trust me when I tell you you do not yet have enough experience to fully understand the ramifications of a tattoo." Such a tough lesson.

Parenting Tips
Please hear me when I say I love these kids - I am NOT complaining. They make me laugh everyday, we've shared a lot of laughter today even. I'm simply sharing what went on in my home today - the things that made me go hmmm. And I'm desiring some advice from my intelligent readers (that's you!).

An Aching Heart

2011-09-28T14:43:00.006-04:00

*UPDATED - Thank you to all who prayed. Court went well on Thursday. Not great, my friend was still presented as a problem the court needed to fix, but better than what could have happened. The good news is, the hearing (which was only scheduled for an hour) dragged on and time ran out. They rescheduled a date in late October for my friend to come back and defend herself as she didn't get a chance to bring any of her witnesses forward. This gives her a whole month to prepare for this expanded hearing. New strategies are being laid and the Lord's heavenly host are being called on to fight this battle for her. I'm happy to report that 10 of us showed up to support her, and I think it made a difference. I feel it gave her credibility in the court's eyes and it bolstered her lawyer's confidence. It was a good day. God is good.

I'm sorry I haven't been around this month. I've missed you all. I've wanted to write...but I just couldn't. I was uninspired. My heart has been aching for a friend walking a very difficult road.

Will you pray for her and her children?

I won't/can't share the details yet. But I will say that she is, from everything I've ever seen, a wonderful, loving, Christian, homeschooling mom. And right now she is facing losing custody of her children and possible jail time.

I pray this is not so. May eyes be opened, hearts softened, and a fear of God and a reverence for His law be instilled in the hearts of men. May chains be broken and mercy prevail.

Some friends and I will be accompanying her to court tomorrow. Thank you for your prayers. Truly. Thank you.

Chores 'Round Here - The Teen Schedule

2011-08-30T23:25:00.000-04:00

*Be sure to scroll down to see what other fabulous bloggers are chatting about scheduling and link up your post! It doesn't have to be a new post - if you have wisdom, please share!

It can be difficult to find a chore schedule that works for you family - I know, it's been a challenge for us. It was especially difficult when we were all cramped in a tiny house, tripping over one another and a surplus of all our stuff!

At the risk of jinxing myself, I'm happy to tell you that we've finally found a schedule that works for us! And I'm going to share it with you today. Our schedule involves individual chores that each boy must do every week, plus a group of chores that the boys alternate each week. It sounds confusing - but it's really not.

This has worked much better for us than schedules in the past because with 3 teenage boys (and one toddler boy) in the house there's a lot of testosterone floating around here. With this schedule, the boys must work together to be sure the house runs smoothly, but they aren't working together on individual chores. Doing that often created strife because they are all so different - one gets everything done early, one gets everything done last minute and another only gets everything done (very slowly I might add) if you crack the whip. There are plenty of other opportunities we use to teach them to work together nicely without chores.

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. - Proverbs 27:17

Rotating Chores:

Dish Boy: Does dishes after meals, Sets and clears the table, Gets drinks for meals

Dog Boy: Walks dogs, Pooper-scooper, sweeps and mops utility room once a week (room where dogs eat and enter/exit on walks)

House boy: Cat litter boxes, Vacuums one downstairs room a day, Takes out trash

The boys rotate these chores each week, right now Fox is Dish Boy, Billy Dog Boy and Tony House Boy. On Saturday afternoon they rotate - in alphabetical order, dish, dog, house - so there is no confusion. In addition to their rotating chores they have their individual chores. In our new house, we are thankful each boy has his own room. We also have three bathrooms - Tony and Billy share one, Fox and Bram share one and then there is the master bath.

Individual Chores:

Tony:
~Monday -Laundry (his clothes and bed sheets)
~Friday - Bathroom Scrubber

Fox:
~Tuesday - Laundry (his clothes and bed sheets)
~Friday - Bathroom Scrubber

Billy:
~Tuesday - Bathroom Scrubber
~Wednesday - Laundry (his clothes and bed sheets)

For just as we have in one body many members, but the members do not all have
the same function, so we, although many, are one body in union with Christ, but
members belonging individually to one another. - Romans 12:4,5

This has been working for us, hallelujah! Well, this and keeping copies of the schedule taped up where they are easy to see. I am so thankful to have our chores Well Ordered. What works for you?

Be sure to check out all the ladies chatting up scheduling from all angles and join the conversation!

Dana at A Slob Comes Clean - When Life Happens and Your Schedule Stops Working
Amy at Raising Arrows - How You Spend Your Time Matters
Maureen at Spell Outloud - Do Toddlers and Well Ordered Days Mix?
Kris at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers - Scheduling Time With Your Husband
Jimmie at Jimmie's Collage - Meal Planning for Well Ordered Days
Angie at Many Little Blessings - Time for Creative Endeavors
Rachel at Finding Joy - The flexible schedule, it's posible
Cindy at Get Along Home - How I Stopped Dithering and Learned to Love the Schedule
Lacy at Catholic Icing - Creating a Schedule Your Family Can Thrive On

Tempted to Public School

2011-08-29T09:51:00.005-04:00

Confession: I was struggling in my homeschool resolve. I was [thisclose] to thowing in the proverbial towel, signing on the dotted line and ushering my children onto the big yellow bus.

Truth: It happens. It may happen early, it may happen late, but it will happen. At some point in your homeschooling career you will want to give up. That's okay. It's not about the feeling of giving up, it's about the action of continuing on.

As you know, we had a very tough year last year. But I was ready to put that behind us and press on - or I thought I was. Until a few weeks ago when Tony and Billy went to visit their mom. Then Fox went to housesit and dogsit for his grandparents. And my husband went on a business trip.

That left me alone in the house with our 4 year old, Bram.

And oh the time I had! Hours. HOURS everyday to do what needed to be done plus time left to do what I wanted. It was amazing. The house was clean. The laundry was clean AND put away. I could leisurly cuddle with my littlest. And I was able to get a ton of behind the scenes work done for The 2:1 Conference.

Then a selfish voice began to creep into the back of my skull...

Do you have any idea how much you could accomplish if they were in public school?? The house would stay clean! You wouldn't have as many dishes to do! The big boys woudn't pester the little one and vice versa! You would have time to build a bloggy empire! Mwahahaha! Why not put them in public school?

And I admit, I was severly tempted.

I knew God had put homeschool on my heart because it's the path He wants me to follow. But it's hard, it can be so hard - and this alternative looked so easy. I went to my husband with watery eyes and pled my case...

..this house could run so much smoother if I didn't have 6 hours of my day consumed with homeschool and activities.

...I could do "real preschool" with Bram, not the hit or miss lessons he's been getting as of late.

...I could really get all the bloggy endeavors moving.

...and he didn't buy it. Thankfully, I have a strong, determined husband - who has more faith in me than I ever will. When we started down this homeschool path 11 years ago we meant to see it through to the end. He lovingly pointed out that of all the 'reasons' I gave to quit, none of them were about the boys or God. They were all selfish reasons, decisions made out of frustration or fear.

Are the boys unhappy? No.
Are they struggling academically? No
Are we discipling them, not just teaching them? Yes
Will they get that discipleship in our local public schools? No.

So why would we quit?

Sometimes God calls us to do things that aren't easy, sometimes they're downright tough. When I step away from the day-to-day frustrations and personal wants, I can see this journey is blessing me as much as the children. It's not easy but it is a blessing. I just need to keep my eyes on the goal and enjoy the journey.

Women of Faith Reminder #WOFImagine and #WOFOTT on Twitter

2011-08-26T08:15:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone, this is your reminder that today and tomorrow The Women of Faith Conference will be at the Verizon Center in Washington DC! They will be in Dallas this weekend also.

My mom and I will be attending, as we have almost every year for the last 10 years. We always have a blast. There are great speakers like Sheila Walsh, Marilyn Meberg, Lucy Swindoll, Lisa Whelchel (who also homeschools!) and my personal favorite, Patsy Clairmont. Although I don't believe Patsy will be in DC this year.

Patsy, honey, you need to talk to your people. DC should be an every year event for you. Just sayin'.

There's also dramatic presentations from the remarkable Nicole Johnson. If you read my post on Building Cathedrals you know I adore Nicole. And there's music! In the past we've seen Steven Curtis Chapman, Kathy Triccoli, Sandi Patty and I believe Amy Grant is making the rounds this year. Top notch speakers and entertainers.

I will be at the DC event all day Saturday. If you will be there, please leave a comment or tweet me at @SomewhatCrunchy - I'd love to meet up with you!

If you aren't near DC there is still a chance that there will be a Women of Faith conference near you. This is a national event, they are in two cities a week from now through November. I encourage you to check out the WOF site, find an event near you and GO!

Allow yourself to be blessed.

Apologia Blog Hop and Giveaway

2011-08-22T08:40:00.003-04:00

Today is Apologia's Blog Hop - a time for you to get to know more about Apologia, their amazing speakers and line of books for the homeschool heart, plus meet some great bloggers (ahem) along the way! There are 12 bloggers participating - that means 12 giveaways! So after you read the interview and enter here, skedaddle on over to the Apologia Blog Hop to see who else is participating and what else you can win!

I have had the privilege to interview Davis Carman, owner of Apologia and homeschooling father of 7 children. He shared some great info, nuggets of wisdom and an inside scoop about the upcoming Apologia e-catalog. Be sure to read the interview then check out the giveaway below.

Davis Carman is passionate about being a husband and father. He and the wife of his youth, Rachael, have been happily married since 1986. They live near Charlotte, North Carolina,where they are raising their seven children. The kids range in age from 6 to 20. The Carman family has been enjoying the adventures of the homeschool lifestyle since 1996 when God “got their attention.” In 2008, Davis purchased Apologia Educational Ministries, the leading publisher of creation-based science curricula designed specifically for homeschoolers.

SC: In 2008 you purchased Apologia Ministries. Since then Apologia's line has expanded to include inspirational books for homeschool hearts. Tell us about your new book, Good Morning, God and how writing it was placed on your heart.

DC: Yes, Apologia has a new line of inspirational books to encourage homeschooling families to stay in this adventure of a lifetime. Some offer practical help and what I like to call the nuts and bolts or “Homeschooling 101.” Other books in this line up deal with heart issues for parents. My new book, Good Morning, God is the first of what we hope will be many for the pre-K age group. This particular book (illustrated by Alice Ratterree) is about a four-year-old boy who learns to love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength in the course of a week. Although homeschooling is not directly mentioned, it is clear that this boy is growing up in a family where intentional discipleship and home education are part of everyday life. I want to provide books for this age group that encourage and demonstrate traditional Christian values in action. I also want the kids to see certain aspects of life as normal whether or not they are their own life experiences. This would include families with a nurturing mom and an engaged dad, brothers and sisters, homeschooling, imaginative and relaxed play time outside, unconditional love, church attendance, prayer, praise, and daily worship of Jesus Christ.

SC: You and your lovely wife Rachael have been blessed with 7 children. Does a typical homeschool day run like a well oiled machine, like feeding time at the zoo, or somewhere in between.

DC: My answer is “all of the above.” We have found that making sure Rachael has Sunday evening to plan for the week is vital. We try our best to stay on plan, but we know that life will happen, a kid will get sick, a friend will be in need, or the time for an activity will change requiring us to adjust as the week unfolds. We are grateful for smooth running days and weeks, but we realize that we will need to persevere through many moments and stay focused on Christ who will give us the strength to hang on when the going gets tough.

SC: Speaking of Rachael, she is an inspiring speaker and author of thoughtful, encouraging books. Will you share a little about her latest book How To Have a HEART For Your Kids?

DC: Rachael is truly gifted with an ability to effectively express her passion for living a faithful, obedient, joyous life in Christ. Her hope and prayer is that she will be a messenger of truth, pointing moms to Him who is able to give them everything they need for life, godliness, and homeschooling. She wrote a book for Focus on the Family entitled Soundbites from Heaven – What God Wants Us to Hear When We Talk to Our Kids. Her newest book How to Have a HEART for Your Kids is published by Apologia. She uses the word “HEART” as an acronym to encourage moms to truly consider what it means to love their children, accept them as gifts from God, and teach them the truth found in His word. Along the way, the reader gets a peek into our life at home.

SC: There has been some chatter about Apologia's upcoming Christmas e-catalog. An e-catalog sounds really exciting! What is it all about, will you give our readers the inside scoop?

DC: I am really excited about this new project. It’s purpose is to provide an opportunity for fans of Apologia to get some gifts and family-oriented items that will make the Christmas season even more meaningful and blessed for their family. This special event will be for a limited time during the holiday season. Anyone who is part of our e-mail list will get the first notice when it comes out November 11. Some unique offerings include beautifully illustrated Christmas cards and artwork, which are designed to defend the Christian faith with their portrayals of Nativity scenes. One final teaser is a never before released Apologia gift card that long-time Apologia users will find financially beneficial. I also think grandparents will do well to consider getting them as a way to show their support for the homeschooling efforts of their families.

SC: If time and money were no issue, what destination would be your ultimate family vacation/field trip? And why?

DC: We feel extremely blessed to be able to take our family to some really nice destinations as we travel to homeschooling conferences across the USA and internationally. We took our family and a dozen Apologia employees to Hungary this March to minister to missionary families who are serving in twenty European countries. We just got back from the Arizona homeschooling conference where we extended the trip with a visit to the Grand Canyon. We hiked into the Canyon and along the rim, watched a colorful sunset, and observed dozens of shooting stars as we enjoyed God’s amazing creation. Each new homeschooling conference provides an opportunity for our next ultimate family vacation/field trip.

SC: I think a favorite Bible verse or passage can tell a lot about a person, what's yours?

DC: When Jesus was asked about the most important commandment, he referred to Deuteronomy 6:4-7. If Christ thought it was that important, I can’t help but put it at the top of my list too. In almost all of the presentations I give at homeschooling conferences, my first point has something to do with our need to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Of course, I have a long list of other favorites including John 10:10, John 17:3, and 2 Peter 1:3.

Isn't that inspiring? Thank you Davis for taking the time to chat with us! Reader's please know that Davis' wife Rachael will be speaking at The 2:1 Conference in April, she's funny and inspiring, you don't want to miss her! Now on to the giveaway. What's up for grabs? Davis' book Who is God and the accompanying coloring book. There will be two winners, each will win one set.

Giveaway Rules

You must be 18 years of age or older

Open to US Addresses Only (Sorry Everyone Else!)

You must leave an email address or link to your blog page with email address for notification

If you tweet about this post, be sure to leave a comment stating that you did so

Every comment counts as a separate entry

Entries are unlimited

The winners will be chosen by a random number generator on Friday, August 26, 2011, 8:00 pm and contacted via email. The winners will have 24 hours to respond with their shipping information. If they do not respond within 24 hours new winners will be chosen.

How To Enter

Leave a comment.

Tweet about it-and comment that you did (one comment per tweet)

Not sure what to tweet? Use this: "I want to win the @ApologiaWorld giveaway at @SomewhatCrunchy" or make up your own, just be sure it has @ApologiaWorld in it.

Thank you and good luck!!

Go Read - Why We Adopt

2011-08-10T15:10:00.004-04:00

So I was going to post something today but nothing really came to mind. So then I wasn't going to post something. Then I read this:

Why We Adopt by Chantelle at Given Much (I just love love love her blog.)

So then I HAD to post and tell you to go read it too. Simple. Concise. True.

Do You Women of Faith?

2011-08-01T08:10:00.007-04:00

Yes, I Women of Faith.

That may sound strange, but it's a verb, let me tell ya. My mother and I have been attending Women of Faith conferences for about years. We always come away feeling surrounded in God's perfect love and peace, wanting to bless our families. I adore WOF.

We have always attended the Washington DC event - tens of thousands of women praising His name...it's powerful. And it's fun! The speakers have a way of sharing their messages with a good dose of humor and reality to meet us where we are in our walk.

WoF has a really great promo video - but blogger is being testy and I can't upload it. Be sure to watch it if you'd like to get a glimpse inside the conference.

Over the last years we've been privileged to hear people like Patsy Clairmont, Nicole Johnson, Marilyn Meberg, Steven Curtis Chapman, Kathy Triccoli, Lisa Whelchel, Sheila Walsh and more! The line up for DC promises to be awesome this year too! If you're not near DC check out their other destinations to find an event near you they will be in 28 cities across the US. Depending on which city you go to, they are offering two themes this year. The DC theme is Imagine.

Are you ready for some inspiration and encouragement? I am, and I'll be there! I am proud to say that I am a Women of Faith blogger! I will be in DC sharing live tweets, photos updates and more. Maybe I'll even be able to score a speaker interview - fingers crossed!

I hope you'll come and meet me there. We can be blessed together! The DC event is August 26-27, 2011. There are still tickets available!