400th...

This is my 400th blog posting. It is a lot like watching the kids grow - where does the time go?

I began this blog as a place for family and friends to keep up on our lives. Along the way I started making new friends, as well as, reconnecting with friends of long ago. It really has been wonderful to be able to share a bit of our lives, document family events, and also learn with you.


A couple of you have been with us since the beginning. Others we picked up shortly after. And recently I picked up a few more after being deemed unintentionally "green". For quite a long while, our son's blog actually had more followers.

So what have we explored together?


You've seen multiple trips to the zoo, followed along with my nurse practitioner school adventures, read our birth stories, participated in my first ever blog event "Live and Learn", and followed along during my "Flats and Handwashing Challenge". There have been other postings where we shared news of our son's peanut allergy , and his pediatric strabismus. And canning season is fast approaching so rest assured we'll see more about that soon, too. You're listened to my ruminations as well as seen some of the emergency preparations we have implemented into our lives. And last, but certainly not least, we've had lots and lots about cloth diapers with a little bit of attachment parenting thrown in for good measure.

I know not everything I write about is appealing or interesting to everyone, but the fact that you would read along anyway because it's about our lives means a great deal to us. We are grateful for all the friendship and kinship we've shared with you and loved having you along on our journey.

As a thank you for reading, I have two wonderful sponsors who have offered a giveaway to commemorate this 400th posting and our daughter's blog's 100th posting.


It's smoothie season around here. I've moved away from my morning protein shake and have now started drinking a morning smoothie. It seems that our daughter also prefers smoothies, too. However, I prefer for her not to drink from my straw (still trying to not introduce my mouth flora into hers - think cavity prevention) and using two straws every morning was adding up to a fair amount of wasted plastic straws. As much as I would try to wash them, often I was unable to get them as clean as I wished. After some searching, I found I kept hearing good things about Straws by Carli. I purchased two glass smoothie straws and have been extremely happy with them. Bebe Sister is still too young to use glass straws, but we've cut our straw use in half. This, once again, makes cents and sense . These straws are made of borosilicate glass which does not break easily, are dishwasher, microwave, and oven safe, and carry a lifetime guarantee! One lucky reader will win a set of straws made by Carli.


So where do I store my straws? My dear blogger friend Julie of Caboose Cloth made me a lovely glass straw case. Not only does it work wonderfully storing my straws, it also looks lovely on my kitchen counter-top! She has offered the winner a case for their straws.

This is the case Julie made for me. Lovely, isn't it?

If you'd like your own set of straws and a case, you have two options - purchase them through their Etsy shops (Straws by Carli or Caboose Cloth) or win them here. One lucky reader will win a set of Straws by Carli with a case from Caboose Cloth.


How to enter?
Mandatory entry - Leave a comment telling me what your favorite of the 400 postings has been or if there was one that was memorable to you.
Extra entries (Leave additional comments for each of the other entries):
- Visit Straws by Carli and tell me what type or color of straw you like that she offers.
- Visit Caboose Cloth and tell me what you would like Julie to make for you or like Caboose Cloth on Facebook.
- If you're a follower of this blog or any of our kids' blogs, tell us and you gain one extra entry.
- Follow us on Facebook.
(1 mandatory entry plus a possible 4 extra entries for a total of 5 possible entries.)
Giveaway runs through 11:59PM on June29th after which a winner will be chose via random number generator. Please make sure I have a way of contacting you should you win. Winner will be contacted directly and will have 48 hours to respond.


Once again, thank you for reading along these past 400 postings. Thank you for all your kind comments and gestures of support. And thank you to my sponsors. I truly appreciate your generosity and support.

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who participated.