Saturday, April 28, 2012

Wow, I miss this!

Life has been so busy here lately! The days are so full that I can't quite find the time to write when it's light outside...

But as soon as the kids are in bed, I pass out!

I'm in the car- in Tennessee!
We are heading to Missouri...
For TWO weeks!!

I am hoping for loads of great photos and the time to play catch up when I get home.

I have so much fun stuff to share! So many great projects going on involving our home and property! Some big announcements!

But for now, I just wan to share that my kids are fantastic travelers, an avocado + a bag of tortilla chips is a fantastic snack to eat on the road, and I have spent a lot of time today laughing at myself as I try to pump donor milk and keep from flashing truckers! <3

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Being MIA

I do seem to go missing, don't I?

I have been having the most amazing time with my family! I have so many photos and stories- but I am too busy cuddling my 7 month old to upload them.

I'm even writing this update from my iPhone- I have barely touched my laptop in weeks!

Just a few observations...

Keelin is a wise little soul. Wise beyond her years.

Jackson has music in the air around him, I swear!

Finn has the softest hair and the gummiest grin.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Being Happy during stressful times

Wow. Being Happy.

Recently, I have had a few people refer to me as a happy person. I am happy, but I choose to be happy. I feel negativity and stress in such an overwhelming way that I have to sometimes make the choice to be joyful.

Yesterday, I was so stressed out (had so much to do that I ate a packed lunch while I drove and only stopped to feed and change the baby)... And I found myself becoming a bit of a wreck.

I decided that today was going to be my day to recoup. I'm going to do laundry, watch useless cartoons, update my budget, and just reorganize myself. I'm a bit behind the 8 ball at the moment and I really need to catch up and take a breather!

Do you sometimes have to do things that help you adjust your attitude, reclaim your positivity? :-)

Monday, April 2, 2012

"Gluten &apos;Free to be you and me&apos;"

I crack myself up sometimes ;-)

I just finished a gluten free elimination diet to try to pinpoint the source of his tummy issues. After weeks of being gluten free, I can say with much certainty that gluten is not Finns issue.

Today was my first day of a dairy elimination diet. All I wanted all day was my raw milk... And it teased me from the fridge!

Any good dairy free recipes, y'all? I think this will be tougher than going gluten free!

Saturday, March 24, 2012

NC meetup!

Heading out to meet with some of my favorite bloggers in Charlotte, NC!

Can't wait to share the event when I get home!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

First Day of Spring!

It is here!
Know what this means?

I'm about to get busy!!!

I made a to-do list...

I need to purge my kitchen cabinets.
I need to purge the kids toys.
I need to clean my car really well!
Time to sun diapers.
Need to map out garden plans.

Highs in the 70's all week!
Hurray!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Winner! And I&apos;m 25!

Emily Passaro is the winner of the Inspired by Finn hazel wood necklace!

Today is my birthday (I'm 25!), so I've been enjoying myself and taking it easy. I have some cool news from ye ole backyard for you later this week!

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Inspired by Finn Hazel Wood Necklace- Review and Giveaway!!!

Oh,my friends! Do I have something fun to share!



I had been in contact with Greenie Beanie Bottoms, a fantastic online retail source for the needs of the eco-conscious family about doing a review for them. It was decided that I would review an Inspired by Finn Hazel wood Necklace!




Oh, the excitement!! Besides having such a cool look (fabulously crunchy!) to them, this jewelry has medicinal properties. The necklaces are Inspired by Finn, makers of our favorite amber teething jewelry, so you know that they are made from quality materials!



I was given a great little packet of information with our necklace, explaining that it is made from beaked hazel wood, how best to use it, and what benefits we may notice.

Beaked hazel wood is good for so many things, positively affecting the body mainly by balancing pH. It can reduce reflux, which is what most people use it for, but it can also help with acne, reduce headaches, eczema, diaper rash, and more!



It is to be worn around the neck as much as possible, in contact with skin.It is fine to wear in the bath tub, because getting the wood wet helps it to be absorbed through the skin. You don't want to wear it in highly chlorinated water, though, like pools.

For adults, it is recommended to wear them to bed, but our necklace, and yours, is 11 inches and perfectly sized for a little neck, so you should remove it from your little one's neck at night. The hazel wood pieces are small, so use common sense, as they are a choking hazard.



I was very pleased that the hazel wood necklace was 11" long, so it fit him well around the neck and was easy to keep tucked under the collar of his shirts, close to his skin. He had been dealing with some reflux, so I wanted it him to receive the maximum therapeutic benefit.

We left the necklace on for baths and supervised naps, removing it at bedtime. It did take a good week before we started noticing the positive results, but we were really happy to notice his spitting up was slightly less frequent. The longer he has worn it (which is almost a month now, and they can last anywhere from 4 months to a year!), the less spitting up we are seeing. Instead of the automatic reflux after he eats and we move him, if he spits up now, it is because we are jostling him (sorry, Finn!) and it is partially digested breastmilk instead of it coming out of him almost as soon as finished nursing.


As a mom, it pained me to see him deal with reflux. As a breastmilk donor, it hurt me to see so much liquid gold be wasted hitting one of us or the floor after a feeding!!

We are really glad to have our Inspired by Finn hazel wood necklace from Greenie Beanie Bottoms! I feel like it is important to let moms know that this is a great product and that isn't a new-age hoax. It is a natural remedy that people have used for many, many years and I would highly recommend moms give them a try for spitty babies or for themselves, since there are so many benefits to having balanced pH that don't necessarily just apply to children!

Greenie Beanie Bottoms is thrilled to offer one lucky reader their very own Inspired by Finn Hazel wood Necklace! It is 11" long and retails for $21.95!

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Review +Giveaway starts TOMORROW!

Get ready! I have a great product to share with you all... And you can win one!

Thursday, March 1, 2012

A chicken in my car? Say what?

Some funnies from this week!


One of our hens was helping me clean my van today!
That is what happens when I spill a bag of oats.

This chicken is Cake, my favorite Araucana hen...
She jumped right in and started helping.
I let her snack while I took out excess jackets and kid socks,
but I was nervous she would poo in the van.

No worries- she didn't!


We get such beautiful eggs!
These beauties went in Round 2!
Yes, the incubator is running again!
We will have more babies right before Easter
:)


Purple potatoes, anyone?


They make the prettiest mashed potatoes!


Eggy Happenings!


See the pip in the bottom egg?!



We hatched our first babies!

Will do a special post all about them- I couldn't get the sweet little guys to not be blurs in photos, but will try again soon!

And guess what!!
I can actually look at a couple and tell who their moms are!
One of the babies is from an egg laid by our feather footed hen, Goldilocks!
How do we know?
Teeny feathers on the legs and feet.
SO stinkin' cute!

Monday, February 27, 2012

What have I been doing?

I have people asking why I haven't been blogging.
Truthfully?
Because I've been doing this...


Babywearing.
while planning Triad Tot Toter stuff!


Babywearing.
while getting a five dolla footlong!


Babywearing.
while at the last Triad Tot Toter meetup!


Babywearing.
while groceryshopping at Earth Fare!
(photobomb by Kate- hehe)


Babywearing.
while feeding the chickens!

I would get nothing done if it weren't for babywearing... especially since Finn's allergies are acting up AND he's teething. Rough stuff, my friends, but I am able to stay productive by keeping Finn close.

Jackson has made great strides in potty learning and Keelin has her first loose tooth.
My world is changing :-/

Monday, February 20, 2012

A new kind of cloth diaper.


Frosty Tush?
Snowy Buns?
Chilly Booty?
;)

We got some snow!! Finally!

I didn't believe it would snow, so I left my not yet dry load of diapers on the line!
hehe

Anyone else experiencing their first little bit of winter weather?

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Tonight!

Tonight is the night! Time to stop turning our eggs and bump up the humidity!

You do this a few days before they are due to hatch!

Could we have babies soon??
I sure hope so!
:)

At least half of the eggs we put in were not fertile, so I'm hoping for a good hatch rate from the eggs we have left!


Some of the eggs we put in the incubator were from others, but this is a photo of some of ours! Can't wait to see our chicks- my hope is that they are all as differently colored and beautiful as the eggs they will hatch from!!

Monday, February 6, 2012

A week in photos

And when I say a week in photos, I mean last week ;)


We did an evaluation of what needed to be done to the barn before we could get our goats. Keelin just chilled out on a bale of hay and drew :)


My mom shopped for me this Christmas from my Etsy "favorites" list!
Mason jar lids with straws make for easy carrying of my favorite decaf teas mixed with lemonade!


Finn was laughing at his mommy's silliness.
He turned 5 months old!


A little brag about Keelin's report card!


Tim turned Finn into Super Baby :-)

Success.

Tim and I were talking the other day about my educational goals. I would like to go ahead and polish off the last little bit of school I need to finish my Bachelor's degree, but I am thinking about going in a different direction than I had previously planned.

No biggie, it won't throw off my completion by more than a couple of classes that I will have to add in. But I heard words come out of my mouth that really distress me now.

I said, "I don't know when I will finish my degree, but I would like it to be before my 10 year class reunion, because I would much rather say, 'I am a _______, but I run a small farm and homeschool our three children!' than 'I am a housewife.'"

Amazing that I am so passionate about my family, but I still found myself in a mental place where I felt the pressure of what other's deemed as success. I felt the pressure to such a degree that it actually, for a moment, made me feel like I was not successful in my own right. For just a second, I said words that I didn't mean, because I felt a little insecure.

SO, in light of that, I thought I would share some of the things that have gone on this week that some might seem mundane and/or uncool, but were successes!

I am still making new friends! Putting myself out there is hard, but I'm trying to meet new people! I went to quite a few social events this week- it was fun!



I put 25 eggs in my new incubator! So exciting! Im also working on repairing an incubator that my dad gave me!



I have really purged the excess stuff from our living space and feel like we have a lot more room now!

I sewed a bunch of flannel wipes to be used for baby wipes, tissues, an family cloth- all different prints so we know what is which ;).

What success did you achieve this week? Share your awesomeness!

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Being a milk donor--

I met the family that I will be pumping for! :)

I took her a couple of bottles of frozen milk that first day and have met up many more times since! I have taken her around 200 ounces, so far!

If you have extra milk or even just a good supply and would be willing to pump a few minutes a day, please consider being a breast milk donor!



The first bottles!


I pumped while steeping tea and baking kale chips for Jackson's 3rd Birthday party! Takes very little effort to make a big difference in a baby's life!


Finn hanging out in my lap waiting for me to put my pump together- we were waiting on some friends for lunch and I had a moment to pump :)


Human Milk for Human Babies


and


Eats on Feet

Both of those nonprofit organizations are great ways to link up with moms in need of milk or to express a need for donor milk!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Hurray!

We had to postpone our last closing date, because of some confusion with our insurance... but today was the day!

We closed on our house!
We're homeowners!

Now, I just need some goats...

Friday, January 20, 2012

Just in awe. How a community came together-

Two nights ago, I posted on Facebook an article for a friend that I found on positive speech and thinking when you are preparing for natural childbirth. I told her that I thought it would be great reading as she prepares for her hospital waterbirth- which will be her first drug free childbirth! (I was so excited for her- I remember how amazing my first natural birth was following my hard epidural and pitocin filled first birth... I felt SO empowered and I couldn't wait for her to feel the same kind of strength and healing!)

Fast forward to yesterday afternoon. I was sitting in Starbucks with my friend Kate having a Passion Tea when I mentioned the article to her! I thought Kate would enjoy it, since she is in grad school to become a Certified Nurse Midwife. I mentioned that I posted it on my friend's wall and how excited I was that she was getting so close to her due time.

Kate asked me if I had seen her response to me on Facebook. No, I hadn't.

I pulled up Facebook and read her response.

The condensed version was that she was no longer planning a hospital waterbirth for a number of reasons. The hospital required there to be someone there to put up and take down the pool, within an hour of birth. The birth pool rental was more than they could afford, and if that wasn't enough, I knew already that she wished she could have a doula, but that was financially out of the question, as well.

She said that she was still planning on a natural, drug free, intervention free birth- that she could labor in the shower and bathtub at the hospital, but did not have the choice to deliver in water.

And as soon as I read that, it struck a cord in me.

I got to hire the perfect midwife. Get the awesome birth tub. Have the amazing doula. Have the fantastic birth photographer. I got to have MY perfect birth experience- a virtually pain free waterbirth and a beautiful postpartum recovery.

How lucky am I? How blessed. We could afford those things- and I had a supportive family and network of friends.

Does my friend not deserve a doula? The opportunity to give birth in water if that is what feels right to her? Why should being able to have the birth experience you long for be available to one, but financially out of reach for another?

Fast Forward...

I left Starbucks and got on the phone with my friend Jessica, who is working towards becoming certified through DONA- a doula in training... that was my first phone call. She's done a few births and I knew she could use more. I asked if she were available to attend a mother for free or reduced cost, since I knew she was already volunteering her services for teen mothers through the YWCA, but I was hoping she would be available!

Jessica immediately jumped on board and offered her services as a doula- for free.

I told her my other issue- finding a birth tub that wasn't totally unaffordable.

She mentioned that a mutual friend, Jade, had a La Bassine birth tub from her hospital water birth that she rented out occasionally. I got home, got my kids in the house, and picked up the phone to call Jade-  right then, my phone rang.

It was Jade.

I immediately launched into telling Jade what I was trying to do- find an affordable birth pool. She offered hers up immediately at no cost. All I needed to do was purchase a liner and a hose to fill it.

Do you see the puzzle pieces coming together?! By this point, I was SO excited.

Not only did we have a doula, but we had a birth pool! I decided to buy the hose and liner myself, as her baby gift from me. I called to tell her the good news!

I believe she was excited, a little overwhelmed, maybe a little shell shocked. :) She would get the opportunity to have her waterbirth... AND she had a doula. I would encapsulate for her, since I am training to be a CPES- and I offered to watch my doula friend's children and my pregnant friend's child, just to eliminate that worry, as well.

A little while later that night, Jade called me back. She told me about a mom she'd met at a breastfeeding group, who was having a hard time maintaining her supply for her 3 week old baby. She'd ordered Domperidone from Canada and was hoping it would make a difference- she was pumping like mad, taking supplements, only to get a few ounces. She is essentially supplementing formula with breastmilk- not what she wanted for her baby. Jade is already pumping for another mom, but she thought of me.

She asked if I would be willing to pump, anything was better than nothing, for this woman's baby. I said yes, absolutely.

And even better, Jade got back in touch with me again last night and told me not to buy a pool liner for our pregnant friend. The woman I am going to be providing donor milk to was giving us her pool liner (for the same kind of birth pool!), since it was unused due to her having a c-section.

So, just to recap...

In a matter of just a few hours...

A pregnant mommy went from telling me that her dream of a waterbirth was shot to having a birth pool provided, a doula volunteer her services, and a having childcare offered by the person doing her encapsulation.

A doula in training got another birth scheduled to hopefully finish her certfication- and childcare for her kids offered by the CPES in training.

The woman who offered up her birth pool found a mom to provide donor milk for a newborn whose mother was struggling to feed her.

I found a person to give milk to- and the mother of the baby I'm pumping for gave us a pool liner for my friend that is now getting to have her waterbirth with a doula!

Did you get all of that?!

Are you in awe of the power of networking as I am?

I am so proud to be part of this village of moms and birth workers...

And if my day could have gotten any better, my new Boba came.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Charlie Banana WINNER!

Sarah Elizabeth Welte is the winner of the Charlie Banana OS diaper!

I emailed you and posted on Facebook, but if you see this first (hehe) go ahead and email me your mailing address - dustileigh@gmail.com - so I can pass it on to All About Baby Boutique!

Thanks to everyone who entered! I am so excited to see all of the new names and faces. There will be more good posts and giveaways in the future... and I am happy to cover all sorts of crunchy goodness, so let me know what you would like to see :)

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Feeling a bit feather-brained today! (Chicken Update)


Happy Tuesday!

It was rather warm here in NC today! It was in the 50's!

I thought that it would be a good day to turn out our feathered ladies.
They have a fenced, covered run- but I know they prefer to be running around! We just have to be mindful of predators, be they the neighbor's dogs or critters in the woods.

They have finally finished molting and are back to laying!


I don't wash my eggs until time to use them, but I did go ahead and stick these in the fridge. Blue, green, pink tinted, and light brown! 4 of our 6 laying hens are clearly back in the game!

It was our first time experiencing molting AND this is our first winter with chickens- I am sure the extra darkness has affected them. We have a timed light in the coop, so they get a couple of more light hours a day. I like to think this has helped!


Right now, we have 6 hens and 4 roosters (that came from a batch of chicks that were supposed to be all pullets... good grief!), so we are planning to butcher 3 of the 4 roosters soon. They are really starting to drive me nuts, but thankfully they aren't fighting or hurting the hens- just making a bunch of racket and eating food while producing no eggs... which are both eatable offences ;)

There is a Flock Swap coming up (where people can buy, sell, or trade chickens and such) and I think I may go and see what is available. There are a few breeds of chicken I would like to have... might try my luck!

How are your chickens enjoying the cooler weather? Hanging in there?

Monday, January 16, 2012

Laundry... How do you manage it!?

Good Morning! It doesn't feel much like a Monday morning, because Keelin spent last night with her Mimi (her dad's mom) since she has no school today. I forgot to turn off my alarm, so I've been up since 6:30am!


We missed Keelin! She's our sunshine :)

The babes were watching a Thomas the Train movie while I folded laundry.

LAUNDRY!

It's a 4 letter word at our house!

There are 5 of us, Finn in cloth diapers full time and Jackson wearing a couple a day still.

I love washing cloth diapers.
No joke!

But the clothes? Ugh, it's a never-ending ordeal that makes me want to become a nudist, if only to avoid the laundry!

I do a bunch of laundry a couple of days a week, but there may be a better way! How do you keep up with your laundry? Are you satisfied with your method? :) And even better, what kind of eco-conscious soap do you use?

And speaking of cloth diapers, don't forget to enter the


Thursday, January 12, 2012

Charlie Banana One Size! Cloth Diaper Review and Giveaway!

Everyone,
I am so excited to be able to share this blog post with you!

I was given the opportunity by the amazing new baby boutique in my city and online (All About Baby Boutique)  to do a cloth diaper review and giveaway! And the diaper?

A Charlie Banana One Size pocket diaper!


I have been cloth diapering for almost 3 years now and have tried many, many diapers. But before I got my tester diaper, I had never used one of these! I went to All About Baby Boutique in Greensboro, North Carolina (Can you imagine my excitement- a local, mama owned and run store that sells cloth diapers but also has a fantastic website!) and met the owners, Sheresa and Priscilla- who, for the record, are awesome! I browsed the goods, many of them handmade, and our 3year old played in their toy room. I picked up a few things that we needed, was given the Charlie Banana One Size I was testing, and went home to start prepping! I could not wait to get this diaper on the boys!


My first impression of the diaper was that the inside (thick microfleece) is SO soft. It's what you notice immediately. I was a bit concerned that something so soft and squishy wouldn't be the same after washing. Same for the inserts, since it comes with two- a small one, perfect for our little Finn, and a longer one (medium/large), exactly what we would need for our big boy, Jackson! The inserts were the thickest I have ever seen and again, you can't help but notice how soft the inserts are. Us cloth diapering moms love some "fluff" and this diaper has it in spades... everything is so fluffy. I was really hoping that washing and drying would reveal a diaper that kept it's softness and fluffiness, unlike some diapers that are washed and immediately turn into a pilly mess or inserts that go flat. Well, I wasn't disappointed! If it was possible, the microfiber inserts got fluffier!

Big, fluffy inserts after prepping!

And guess what?! The pocket opening is big enough for this large handed mama to get my paws in there to stuff inserts. And the opening is in the front, which makes a world of difference when dealing with poopy diapers!


After the diaper and inserts were prepped, I figured I would try it on Finn, our 4 month old, first since he is in diapers full time and Jackson is potty learning and usually only wears them out and about or to bed. This was the first time I had ever adjusted leg elastic to adjust the size of a diaper. All of my one size diapers have a bunch of snaps! Well, it was easy as can be and looks so nice and tidy without the bazillion snaps to adjust the legs. Not only that, but there are more options than just Small, Medium, Large. You can adjust the diaper to between sizes! Finn is right between a Small and a Medium, so I secured the elastic with the button in the hole between Small and Medium, essentially creating a S/M, where most diapers don't give you near the customizing ability- and you guys know that when leg elastic doesn't fit properly, the diaper is useless. No worries with the Charlie Banana One Size! They have done us proud, CDers.

Super customizable, not just small/medium/large

At the bottom of the wings, where it meets the leg elastic, there seems to be a bit of bunching. I was concerned that it would affect the diaper and leak, since I wasn't sure if it would keep a nice "seal" around the legs. My other concern was that it would dig a bit into his thighs and make him uncomfortable and/or cause him to have red marks from the pressure.


Again, no worries with the Charlie Banana One Size. No leaking, no blowouts, no discomfort, and none of those awful red marks! I was relieved. And the fit? Nice and trim, even with those super fluffy inserts.


Finn was a fan!

Now, time for Jackson, because what good is a one size diaper that won't fit until time to potty learn, right?


Jackson said the diaper was nice and soft! I noticed that even with Jackson, who is tall and skinny where Finn is long and chubby, there is a nice tall rise. I think my biggest beef with one size diapers is that on the largest settings, they tend to have rises that don't accomodate kids that wear that size adequately. And the little bit of bunching I noticed with Finn around the wing/leg area was not near as noticeable with a larger child wearing the diaper.

I thought the fit for Finn (17lbs) was fantastic, as was the fit for Jackson (28lbs)- very customizable and trim without sacrificing absorbancy. The diaper was soft, the inserts were soft, and the quality of the materials was evident after the many washings and wearings we have subjected the Charlie Banana to thusfar! It was easy to adjust and stuff! I would say that I highly recommend the Charlie Banana One Size! Now, I have read that the Charlie Banana OS can use disposable inserts, but I haven't tried them. The Charlie Banana One Size diapers start at $20.88 and go up to $25.88 at All About Baby Boutique, depending on whether or not you go with a classic color or designer prints.

I think the price is spot on and I plan on investing in a couple more of the Charlie Banana diapers.

(Just don't tell Tim, because for some insane reason, he thinks that there is such a thing as "enough diapers!")

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

It's really happening!!!

We have been renting the house I grew up in.
We intended to buy it from my Dad, so we jumped into homesteading and homemaking.

But really, this house and few acres isn't really, really, really ours...

But it will be on Friday, January 6, 2012 at 4:00pm EST!!!!

We are closing on our home, finally!

I won't be able to take a deep breath until it's all over... until we're homeowners... or, uh, mortgage holders that will be homeowners in 15 years or less :)

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

New Year's Resolutions-- 2012

I do them every year :)

Last year, I resolved to learn to knit, among other things! All attempts were successful and I really enjoyed learning to garden and wearing a bikini on the beach when I was super pregnant! I made a conscious effort to SLOW DOWN my life and actually enjoy it. It's made a wonderful difference, for sure!

Here are my resolutions for 2012:

1. Continue to change my shopping habits.
I'm good at buying used and/or in bulk, but could still be more careful about how many new things I bring into our home and how much trash we produce from packaging.

2. Make more time for reading!
I got a Nook last year and have been reading a lot more since I got it. I keep it in my bag in a padded case that I bought from an Etsy seller to protect it... I bring it out whenever I find a minute, especially in the pick up line at Keelin's school.

3. Learn to enjoy baking.
Although I find it tedious, I can bake bread well, but with my new Kitchenaid mixer (Tim and my Dad got me one for the holidays) I think it will be easier for me to expand my baking knowledge. I want to become the queen of muffins and master yeast rolls!

4. Continue to become more sustainable here at home!
We are planning to add goats and rabbits this year, as well as a few more fruit trees, while continuing to raise chickens and garden. I am excited about canning what is in season, doing more than I did last year, particularly juices and vegetables!

What are your resolutions for the New Year? I'd love to hear what you all are tackling this year!

Monday, January 2, 2012

Whewww!

Man, this holiday season really whipped my tail! Did everyone survive!? :)

It seems like it was a whirlwind couple of months around here, but it was great fun and a lot of work.

We hosted Thanksgiving!
We hosted Christmas!
THEN
We went to Missouri, where my husband is from, and spent a week with his family.

Now, we're home and it's 2012. Already!

We (Tim and I) are so excited to share our plans for this year with you all. I'm really looking forward to your feedback and ideas. Bear with me while I upload a gazillion photos from the last couple of months and organize my thoughts after being a bit busy for the last few weeks!

Happy New Year~

WINNER is--

Brandi!

I messaged you on Facebook, lady!
Will send out your present as soon as I get your address!


Thanks to all who entered and helped me test out Rafflecopter. I will be using it later this month for a HUGELY awesome review and giveaway.