Grain Mills?

The joke among real food families is that Mom might as well set up a bed in the kitchen, because she spends more time in there than she does sleeping ;o) While that's a bit of a stretch, I do spend A LOT of time in the kitchen. And I enjoy that! It's the heart of our home. And we have been so blessed by our new home and it's enormous and inviting kitchen. It easily lives up to my expectation as heart of the home (minus the fact that currently it is refrigerator-less).

But since I do spend a good portion of my day storing, preparing, and eating real foods, I'm always on the look out for something that will make my job a little easier and my family a little healthier! And if that gadget also makes us a little more prepared in case of emergency, then sign me up! The latest toy practical tool that's caught my eye is a grain mill. There aren't many choices in this arena but enough to make the decision difficult. The 2 that stand out are the NutriMill and the WonderMill.

Soon, Organic Mama's Shop will launch a new retail site, selling not only my handmade items, but also gadgets and tools to help make living a more sustainable lifestyle a little easier! So whichever mill I decided on, I'll open up a wholesale account and sell them though our new site! (But I will be ordering Mills before the site launches, so if you're interested, let me know!)

But for now, I'm in the research process. So far, both mills seem to be really quality machines. But which one will be a better buy? Not sure yet... I'll let you know what I find out ;)

Anyone with experience with either one, feel free to weigh in!

Thanks!
~OrganicMama

Jewelry Giveaway!

Just finished up a cowl for myself from the fall-ish yarn I posted about on my FB fan page earlier this week (I promise to post a pic later!). Then I found these fun earrings from another homeschooling Etsy mom, that will match it perfectly!! And she's having a giveaway on her blog this week! Go check it out at mompotter.blogspot.com or follow the link in her Etsy shop.

Hope you're all enjoying some wonderful fall weather!
~OrganicMama

It's been a while!

Here's a pic of Braveheart ;o) I thought I was buying Free Ranging Chickens, but ended up with Free Loading Chickens...

Life is wonderfully busy! LOL I've let this little blog slip by the wayside... Not that life has slowed down at all, but I feel like maybe it's time to pick this back up. Lots has happened! We've added a yarn shop- GrandValleyFiber.etsy.com and many new products to our main shop OrganicMamasShop.com Thank you to everyone who made my Birthday Week Facebook Giveaways a smashing success! If you haven't 'like'd me on FB yet, go check it out- facebook.com/OrganicMamas . I try to post fun recipes, helpful articles, giveaways on other sites and of course some freebies from my own shop as well!

So check back often! As I venture through this jungle of homeschooling, homesteading, and home business, I hope to pass along some useful info ;o)

Blessings!!
~OrganicMama

A Plan...

Here's my Meal Plan for this week ;o)  I've tried to make it really simple!  Martha Stewart sends me really delicious recipes every day, but I'm going to ignore all of her elaborate recipes and K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple, Silly!).  I've included the PDF I've made of my next 2wks meal plan, and I've outlined it here with links to all my recipes for this week.  I'll save next week, for next week ;o)
You'll see I use my 5min bread recipe A LOT!  It's a great book!  If you don't have it, I suggest you go get it!!  Check it out on my cute new bookshelf----->

Thanks again for peeking in on me!  I'd love to hear what you think!  And check in on me again!  It keeps me accountable :o)
~OrganicMama

Here's the link to my PDF meal plan. I'm working on figuring out how to publish the actual file on here ;o)

Sunday Night
~Prep for Monday... 
   Defrost 1 lb Burger and chicken in fridge
   Make Cookies (substitute organic/natural ingredients when possible)
   Make 5min bread Dough and let rise overnight

Monday
8:30
      - Start Oatmeal
      - Bake a loaf of 5min bread and refrigerate the rest.
12:30
      - Make Grilled Cheese Sandwhiches
      - Celery and Dip
5:30
      - Spaghetti
      - Tossed Salad w/ apples, cheese, and walnuts
      - Chocolate Pudding for dessert

Prep for Tomorrow
      - Defrost burger in fridge
      - Pancake batter

Tuesday

8:30
      - Pancakes and apples
      - Make Banana Muffins
      - Bake bread
12:30
      - PB&J and bananas
5:30
      - Tacos and corn
Prep for tomorrow
      - Make strata

Wednesday
8:30
      - Bake Strata
      - Make crackers
12:30
      - Turkey Sandwiches
      - Put chicken in oven
5:30
      - Roast chicken
Prep for tomorrow
       - Make dough
       - Defrost pot roast in fridge

Thursday
8:30
      - Eggs and toast
      - Cut veggies for snack
12:30
      - Left over chicken and fruit
5:30
      - 30 minute Chili
Prep for tomorrow
      - Make Granola

Friday
8:30
      - Cold Cereal
12:30
      -Tuna Sandwiches
5:30
      - Cheese Pizzas (using 5min dough)
Prep for tomorrow
      -
Saturday
8:30
      - Yogurt and Fruit
12:30
      -Cheesy Pasta ( see recipe below )
5:30
      - Skillet Beef Stroganoff
Prep for tomorrow

Sunday
8:30
      - Oatmeal
      - Put Pot Roast in Crock Pot
2:00
      - Make Brownies
      - Pot Roast Supper
Prep for tomorrow
      -Defrost burger
      -Make cookies
      -Make Bread Dough

Preview of my week...

Ok, today is the day!  I'm going to spend this weekend getting my life a little more organized!  And I'm blogging about it in hopes that it keeps me accountable.... even if no one else reads it.. hehe ;o)  But if you do, leave me a comment!  It's always nice to know someone's checkin in on me.

I think my Achilles heel is that there is nothing constant in my day... Z never leaves at the same time in the morning, or get home at the same time at night.  We have no buses to catch, no school bells or time clocks....  So our days are kinda just go with the flow, see where we end up.  And that's not working!  I don't usually like where we end up- pressed for time, messy kitchen, forgotten naps, missed events, and no time for what really counts.

So I've identified my problem- now what's the solution?  There seems to be some mental block for me with getting organized.  But I think my plan for this week is to get military style strict with our meal schedule. 
8:30- Start Breakfast
12:30- Start Making Lunch
5:00 Begin Dinner Prep

I'm setting my alarm, and when it goes off, I'm going to drop what I'm doing and get working in the kitchen ;o)  I'm going to focus on those time frames and I think the rest of the days activities will fall into place around them...  If i can accomplish this for one week, I'll add some more to my schedule the following week.
Check back tomorrow for my meal plan!

Thanks!
~OrganicMama

After Easter....

Boy, it seems like I've been putting everything off until after Easter. "Yeah, let's get together after Easter." or "I'll get to that project after Easter. Well now that it's after Easter I'm having to make good on all those promises! somehow I thought the Easter bunny would leave a couple extra hours of daylight in my Easter basket...

I'm trying to slow down and make sure to fit in the important things, like a peanut buttery picnic ;o)
Life is beautifully hectic! I don't think I could be happy with a predictable life, but I would like to figure out how to make my life a little more orderly {{shrug}} That's one thing I've ALWAYS struggled with is keeping things organized. As the Lord blesses me with more things, I know I need to figure out how to make it all fit together so things aren't falling through the cracks any more.

Any suggestions??

On another note ;o) I'm in the mood to win something pretty, and I stumbled upon this fun giveaway over at Just a Mom, Ha!

Go check it out and maybe win yourself something fun!
~OrganicMama

West Mi Families!

http://www.westmichiganmommy.com/search/label/giveaways
Check out all these fun local giveaways!!

And don't forget to look me up on facebook!  Search OrganicMamas.etsy.com to find the details of my latest giveaway!
~OrganicMama

--
Shannon Wendt
Organic Mama's Shop~
Unique and Practical Mothering Accessories and Necessities
OrganicMamas.Etsy.com

Catholic Heritage Curricula is hosting a 24/365 Virtual Conference!

I love this idea! Now you can browse through all of their material online just like you'd be able to if you were at a conference in person! ALSO, there are discounts, free shipping, and giveaways!

Just in time to start planning your next school year, right! Right? Positive thinking! Ha ha! I'm such a procrastinator... I was going to give that up for lent this year, but decided to wait until next year ;o)

Ok, not really, I'm not that bad. I'm giving up sleeping in, I figure that's the root of a lot of my bad habits. So if I get up early every morning, now I'll have time to check out the virtual conference and plan my school year early.

Praise be to God for giving us a new day each and every morning!
~OrganicMama

And the winner is....

Drum roll please .,.,.,.,.,.

LONA!!! From ShadySideFarm.etsy.com

Congrats Lona! All the game sponsors will contact you ;o)

Thanks everyone for playing!! I'd love to hear your feedback on the game

~OrganicMama

Garden Mama and Natural Suburbia Giveaway

http://gardenmama.typepad.com/my_weblog/

A fun Giveaway featuring a member of SHE team!
Some super fun Easter items!
Leave a comment to enter ;o) It's that east!

~OrganicMama

Kim Payne's Shop and the FINAL CLUE

If you're new to the game, click here first!

It's a delight to be able to tell you all about Kim's shop! She's one of my very favorite SHE (Schooling @ Home Etsian) team members! She's been sweet enough to create some very fun and useful items for me ;o) First she created the worlds most adorable apron then she made me a very cute and practical organizer to put a bunch of school stuff in. She ROCKS!! Go check out her shop at KimPayne.etsy.com

After a long hiatus, she recently restocked her shop with her sweet little dolls and stuffed animals. I'll be ordering this sweet little rabbit for an upcoming b-day, can't wait ;o)

Kim is a very talented seamstress and more importantly, she's one of the sweetest Mamas you'll ever meet!

If you go visit her blog KimPayne.blogspot.com , you can enter to win "Speedy" one of her new animal creations!

Go visit her shop for the FINAL CLUE!! And the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree if you know what I mean...
If you're having trouble finding it, let me know and I'll try to point you in the right direction.
~OrganicMama

Mountaineer Country

If you're new to the game, click here first!

Shannon is a very talented and inspiring homeschooling mama. She and her family have relocated to the foothills of beautiful West Virginia, seeking a simpler, family-centered lifestyle. That feeling of beautiful simplicity, faith and harmony shines through when you visit her shop or her blog.

Shannon, along with her family, work to create the "eclectic mix" of items you find in her shop. There are knitted and crocheted items such as scarves, bath puffs and other bath items. Then there are also turned or carved wooden items; adorable toy boats, lovely bowls, ink pens, and many others. All the items are of such fine quality, it's amazing that one family could produce them all! It would be hard to know what to choose - a bath puff would be a nice treat; but the toy boats are so precious!

So visit http://mountaineercountry.etsy.com, and see for yourself - and find clue #9!

Allorahandmade Party Sunny Necklace GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Allorahandmade Party Sunny Necklace GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Here's another fun giveaway!!

http://cupcakewishesandbirthdaydreams.blogspot.com/

Yummy Giveaway on Cupcake wishes and Birthday Dreams :oP Go check it out!!
~OrganicMama

Log Cabin Creations and Clue #8

If you're new to the game, click here first ;o)


Krysti is relatively new to the Etsy world ;o) She just opened up her shop LogCabinCreation.etsy.com , in December! She creates her beautiful felted and antique bead works of art a little north of the border in Eagle, Alaska! Man, I thought I was worried about snow! She's a crafter by nature and has dabbled in different crafts throughout her life and is currently exploring her love of antique trade beads. The history of which is almost as fun as her jewelry it self!

She also has some fantastic felted items! I'm a particular fan of this scarf (pictured above) which I found in her shop.

She is a super sweet Homeschoolin Mama from our 'Last Frontier'. Visit her FaceBook page for some fan only deals! And visit her shop to find our Clue #8!!

Happy Hunting!
~Shannon

Elegant Rose Boutique and Clue #7

If you're new to the game, click here first ;o)

Oh man! I could use some of Melissa's Headache Relief Balm! Is there some way to teleport it here? You should swing on over to Melissa's shop ElegantRoseBoutique.etsy.com and read the rave reviews on this!

I wish my computer was scratch and sniff! Her essential oil products look amazing! And all of her items have received rave reviews. She's been using essential oils for over 6 years! So if you have a question, fire away! She uses only pure essential oils and herbs to make all of her natural bath and body products which include handmade soap, deodorants, lip and headache balms, bath scrubs and fizzies. The essential oils are added to each bath and body items to relax, energize, sooth or just to give a wonderful aroma.

Head on over there to pamper yourself or someone special and find CLUE #7!!!

Only a few days left!! Hurry up and get you entries! Click here to find out how and where to enter!

Have fun!
~OrganicMama

Jewels By Jane and Clue #6

If you're new to the game, click here first ;o)

Ya know, I really love our SHE team (Schooling @ Home Etsians). I've gotten to know a bunch of really neat Mamas from all over the country! Jane is another one of those interesting people ;o) She was also a big help in getting my blog lookin spiffy ;o)

She creates the neatest folk button art! It's all very unique and 'Feel-able'! Now how often can you say to your friends "Come over here and FEEL this new art work I just got!" This is a great way to add a little life to an otherwise quiet area of your home. How about a Waterfall in your bathroom? Or a little Twilight for the entry way? The above pic of her Beach work, is my fav! I'm in need of a little beach weather....

So if you're in the mood to spruce up your space with a little texture, hop on over to Jane's shop JewelsByJane.etsy.com Where you'll also find the next clue!!!
ALSO...
Check out her fun blog www.JumpinInTheJungle.blogspot.com

Don't forget all the ways to earn entries! Read about the all here

Thanks for playing!
~OrganicMama

Hands Delight and Clue #5

If you're new to the game, click here first ;o)



There is so much to love in Liz's shop, HandsDelight.etsy.com !!
She has a whole shop full of beautiful knits! Both practical and fun ;o) So many useful things, snuggly slippers for these cold February mornings, durable nylon pot scrubbers (for when I get sidetracked and leave the oatmeal on too long... again), or her quick essentials bag (only enough room for what's really important! No more clutter!). She's also knit up some unique home decor and gift items! Take a peek at her Easter mirror, or the crochet snow flakes or Monogrammed cross!

Go read more about her latest project and inspirations on her blog http://handsdelight.wordpress.com

And be sure to visit her store for the latest clue HandsDelight.etsy.com
Scroll down and find clues #1-4!
So far we've had 1 person find the hidden item and another REALLY close guess! Keep looking, and let me know if you've found it or if you think these clues aren't helping and maybe I'll have to be a little more obvious ;o)
~OrganicMama

Calico Prairie and Clue #4

If you're new to the game, click here first ;o)

Kristi from CalicoPrairie.etsy.com, is another one of these wonderful Mom's I've met via SHEteam. She's shares her "Laura Engalls Wilder" side with us on her fun little Etsy shop. She has a love for things with an 1800's style!

Ever just want to turn the world off and move to a little house surrounded by gardens and pasture? Hmmm... I know I sure do! And I know I'll need a good apron when I do that!

Another thing I love about her shop are her reusable gift bags! I always hate wasting money on a gift bag that just gets tossed. These sweet little bags will be a gift in themselves! Perfect for Easter goodies!! Pass that along to the bunny...

Head on over to CalicoPrairie.etsy.com and find CLUE #4!!!
Happy hunting ;o)
~OrganicMama

Havenwood Farms

So have you all been looking?? Any ideas about what the hidden item could be??? So far no guesses, but we're just getting started ;o) To find your next clue, go check out this fun little shop run by another sweet homeschoolin Mama named Shanan

Havenwoodfarms.etsy.com

Shanan makes wonderful looking soaps and tats some incredible jewelry and home decor items. I never heard of tatting until I checked out Shanan's shop. It's a way to create beautiful lace by hand with a series of knot and loops. Very interesting! You'll have to go check it out!

Contact her for your next fundraiser! Many scents and swirls to choose from!!

Find out more about Shanan, their farmstead, and her many talents at http://soapsandshuttlelace.wordpress.com/

Don't forget to check out her shop and find clue #3!!!


Thanks! and Happy St Valentines Day!
~OrganicMama

Bow N Hairo Designs

I have had the pleasure of getting to know Candace who's the brains behind this sweet little shop. My girls are sporting her wares as we speak...er...type... Anyways ;o) I LOVE LOVE LOVE these clippies! They actually STAY PUT! Imagine that! Not to mention they are really adorable. She's fantastic with custom orders! Did you check out her Minnie clippies? A custom order for a B-day party! What a fun idea.

If you've got little girls, you really should go check out her headbands and clippies. Even if you don't have little girls, go check out her shop and you'll find clue #2...

BowNHairoDesigns.etsy.com "Where Cuteness Is Your Best Defense"
Check out her current special and her blog BowNHairo.com
10% off all orders over $10 and FREE SHIPPING for all orders over $20!

GAME ON!!

Ok here we go again! Scroll down to the Hide N Seek post for new rules!!
Have fun!! Happy Hunting!!!
~OrganicMama

The first clue...

If you're new to the game, click here first ;o)


I will post a clue every couple of days to help you discover the secret object! The clues will start off vague and gradually become more obvious. Have fun! And please ask any questions you have, so we can make sure we've ironed out all the kinks ;o)

Here's your first clue...
Most of us own at least one of these


Have fun! And convo me on Etsy when you think you've discovered it!!

~OrganicMama

Gypsy Moon Art giveaway!

http://gypsymoonart.blogspot.com/2010/01/birthday-earring-give-away.html

This is a friend from my West Michigan etsy team ;o) She's giving away a beautiful pair of earring to celebrate the B-day of her and her Daughter ;o)
~OrganicMama

SHE Team Hide and Seek Game!

GAME ON!!

Join our virtual game of Hide N Seek! You could win a prize pack filled with items from SHE team shops!!

Our game is free to play! Up for grabs is a prize pack filled with items from SHE team shops!!

How to play virtual Hide N Seek...

In the etsy search box at Etsy.com, type our key word "HideNSeekEtsy". That will bring up shops participating in this game. Somewhere in one of those shops is hidden a secret object ;o) Every few days I will feature a new shop here on my blog, go visit that featured shop to find clues about the hidden object.

How to WIN...

Earn entries now though Feb 28th @ midnight central time...
1) Find the hidden object= 5 entries (convo Shannon @ OrganicMamas.etsy.com if you find it!)
2)Make a purchase in a participating shop= 4 entries
3)Post a link to this listing on your Blog, Facebook, or Twitter = 1 entry for each one
4) E-mail at least 5 friends
5) Add at least 2 participating shops as favorites.

Post here to get credit for your entries! No need to post for each one, one post is fine and I'll sort it out ;o)

Happy Hunting!!
~OrganicMama

Charlie Soap Giveaway!!

Check out Kitchenstewardship.com !!!
She's having a giveaway for Charlie's Soap
Here's the link...