Ever since becoming a mother, SIDS (or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) has been one of the scary unknowns that is always in the back of my mind.  Back when I did daycare, they even had us providers take a class on it.  Now as foster parents, both my husband and I had to take a SIDS/SUIDS training class again.  While they truly don't know what causes young children to die for no apparent reason in their sleep, per our training, unsafe sleeping conditions has been a leading finding in almost every Read more [...]

With six kids ages 7 weeks through 11 years in our home, baby wearing is a necessity for me.  This becomes even more true when away from our home but I also wear our little ones around the house and yard too.  While I have several different carriers and they all do serve a particular purpose, there is one main carrier that I reach for time and time again during those first few months of our children's lives.  My Comfy Joey Ring Sling. Sending a big thank you to Comfy Joey for providing me with Read more [...]

Even though it's been studied and proven that barefoot is best, it's just a fact of life that most people need to wear shoes.  There are exceptions in some countries where there just aren't any, but here in the US, it's a necessity.  Although, about 8 years ago this Winter when we were up buying some eggs, honey, and butter from an Amish family, the kids were actually running around and "skating" on some ice bare foot!  I'm far too wimpy to ever attempt such a feat.  So for our family, I just Read more [...]

Our 2 year old daughter is obsessed with babies!  Ever since we took in our first (4 month old) foster baby over a month ago, she just can't get enough.  And even though that little girl was only with us two weeks, we knew our daughter missed her as she'd walk around the house looking for baby after she left.  Thankfully, the void didn't last long as our next foster baby arrived just three days later!  So now, with a real tiny baby in our home, the obsession has doubled for her and I was so happy Read more [...]

With the cooler days creeping in, our family loves to enjoy snuggling in the house with a cup of hot chocolate and an entertaining children's DVD.  Since we don't have any television channels, we rely solely on DVDs that we own for our movie entertainment.  We find that this is a great option for our family with six kids under 11, as I no longer have to monitor inappropriate commercials and regular viewing choices.  I automatically know that every DVD I get from NCircle Entertainment will fit Read more [...]

Thank you Miracle Baby for sending us a Miracle Sleeper for review! Sleep takes on a new meaning and importance in your life when you have an infant. We will do whatever it takes to help our daughter sleep, meaning we can sleep! Her safety and comfort while sleeping is our top priority. Our daughter loves to be warm when sleeping and she seems to wake up more often if she is chilled. We know that lose blankets in the crib are not a safe option, so we were excited to get the chance to try the Read more [...]

While most schools are now in session, the crazy back to school season can be so stressful that some things just have to get put on the back burner.  While backpacks, notebooks, folders, markers, pens, and pencils are a necessity for that very first day, one things that many families may be in the market for this month still is a great pair of shoes to complete the 2016-2017 school year.  Thankfully, the highly trusted shoe brand, Stride Rite, is here to help.  They've been creating shoes built Read more [...]

I have mentioned in a previous posts how my husband and I had been in the process of getting licensed for foster care.  Before that was even complete, we had received a phone call for our first foster children!  That was an exciting and scary time as we were unsure of what to expect.  No matter how much you prepare, foster care is such an uncertain path.  I've been told you just never know when you'll get a call for a child/ren or when that next call will come saying the social worker will be Read more [...]

The beginning of Fall brings many changes.  Not only is school back in session, the weather has turned cool and the leaves have begun to change and drift to the ground already here in Minnesota.  Even though we're still plenty busy around the farm with field work: chopping, combining, emptying the pit, etc., it's time to start digging out the bulky coats, hats, and mittens.  I also start pulling out the gorgeous fall clothes with deep, bold colors.  To help our family prepare, Nano Baby sent Read more [...]

As I sadly pack away our fun, bright colored summer clothes, I'm trying to brace for what lies ahead.  Here in Minnesota, we typically have gorgeous, crisp Falls which are nice but then comes Winter.  I've never been a Winter person as the 30 below zero days are more than I care to handle.  But for now, the slow down that Fall brings as we leave Summer behind is nice.  And to help me prepare and welcome this change, Zutano sent a couple awesome outfits for our kiddos. Sending a big thank you Read more [...]