Gardening Spotlight: Edible Radish Greens?

             Yes! Believe it or not, not just the root is edible, but the leafy top part as well. Here's how we discovered this and a little more about how you can eat radish greens and what they taste like.

             This was what our little radishes looked like before we thinned them out. They took off so well and we had to pull so many up, it seemed wasteful to just toss all of them. John originally was getting radish greens mixed up with turnip greens since he already knew those were edible. But, after further investigation, it turns out radish greens are too!

             To be completely straight forward, I have not actually tried eating any yet. From what John read online, they are supposed to taste similar to spinach, which I love. In fact, that's pretty much the only way I'll eat salad. However, they are also supposed to have a peppery taste to them, which I do NOT love. So, I decided to forgo eating them in a salad and took John's suggestion of blanching and freezing them. Not familiar with blanching? It's super easy!

1. Bring a pot of water to a slow boil. Toss whatever you're blanching (you can find out more about blanching HERE) in for 30-60 seconds.
   
   
   
2. Transfer what you're blanching to a bowl of ice cold water. Only let it sit for the same amount of time you blanched it for.
   
   
   
3. I set our finished radish greens in a strainer to help drain some of the excess water while I finished the rest. 
   
   
   
4. Drain/squeeze as much excess water as you can before freezing. If you don't have a vacuum sealer or anything like that, you can always just use freezer baggies or even can your fruits or veggies as well. 
   
   
   

             What about you: Do you can or freeze any fruits or veggies in the fall? What's your favorite method for preserving?

VW Camper Van Kid Play Tent Giveaway

Amy & Aron's Real Life Reviews
is so happy to be hosting the

VW Camper Van Kid Play Tent Giveaway
9/17 to 10/08
Open to US & Canada

One Lucky Winner will receive 1 VW Camper Van Kid Play Tent, 1 Lunch Bag, and 1 Pencil Case; valued at $95.98.

This is a great package for any kid in your life, perfect to start that stock pile for Christmas gift giving. You can see Amy & Aron's Real Life Reviews complete review, CLICK HERE

A very special thank you to all of my awesome co-hosts.

 Love, Mrs. Mommy, 

MomJunky, 

Capri's Coupons,

 Been There Done That with Kat, 

Joans 5 Star Reviews, 

Totally Temberton, 

Deliciously Savvy,

I Love Family Travel,

 Creative House Blog,

 Davids DIY

Thank you so much to all of the bloggers participating in this giveaway. Without you, it wouldn't be quite as much fun.

Now for the fun stuff. This giveaway is open to US & Canada. There are daily bonus entries for sharing this giveaway on your social media channels. I can't ask you to "Like" our pages but, if you see something you like, let us know so we can bring you more of it. We LOVE it when you LIKE our pages. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you for taking the time out to enter into the giveaway. If you have any questions please feel free to email Amy & Aron's Real Life Reviews at grovesamy81@gmail.com 

Winner will be mailed prize directly from The Monster Factory. No Bloggers Participating in this giveaway are responsible for shipping the prize. This giveaway is not affiliated with any social media platform, including, but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Mixed Bag Mama was not compensated for this post.

Exposed Skincare Review

             Hey folks! How many of you have been dealing with breakouts longer than you care to think about or admit? Chances are good most of you reading this post are adults and are thinking the same thing I am: Shouldn't this acne crap have gone away by now? You know, like in my teenage years!? I feel ya. That's why you may be interested in today's post.

             I'm sure I'm not the only one out there who still has problems with acne that has resorted to the “I'll try anything” method of dealing with it. I go through phases too. If it gets bad enough, I'll actually give in and go to the doctor for some prescription topical cream. In between those times, when it's not so bad (or at least tolerable by my standards), I'm happy to try out whatever natural remedies I come across. So, because of this “switching between camps”, so to speak, I was even more intrigued when the representative from Exposed Skincare contacted me. Their skincare line strives to contain the best of both worlds: natural, plant-based extracts and advanced acne medicine. 

 

             I don't know about you, but this is the first time I've seen a facial regimen that contains both natural and medicinal ingredients, which I thought was interesting. The medicine works to unclog your pores, remove nasties, and kill acne causing bacteria. The natural extracts help to heal your skin by reducing redness and irritation, restoring radiance, and protecting your skin. Cool, huh? And the best part is the Exposed Skincare kit is guaranteed to give you clear skin in 30 days AND, if you use up all of your first kit, don't see a noticeable difference in your skin, and send it back within one year of purchasing it, you will receive a full refund! (Minus shipping costs.)

             So, did it magically clear up my skin? Short answer: no. BUT, I would like to believe there are several factors involved as to why it didn't, otherwise they wouldn't have such an awesome guarantee on their product, right? 

             Not going to lie: We were still in the throes of moving and unpacking when I first started trying this out, so I forgot to get a proper "before" picture. This is the only one I have of myself from that time.

             First of all, I'm pregnant. With my first daughter my skin did get magically clearer, which is especially a miracle considering I worked in a restaurant in a hot kitchen for the majority of that pregnancy. This little girl, however, has wreaked havoc upon my face. So, I'm pretty sure my crazy pregnancy hormones have a lot to do with Exposed Skincare not doing it for me.

Second, I have a bad habit of touching and picking at my face. To be honest, I don't even realize I'm doing it half the time and wouldn't if my husband hadn't told me. I'm especially prone to do so while sitting at the computer which, some days, is more than I care to admit. So, while I did make a conscious effort to avoid doing so while I was trying this product out, I'm sure there were times I was still doing it without even realizing.

             Also, I have to admit that while I did read it, I wasn't very good about obeying their “five rules” on the back of the quick start guide, which involves changing your pillowcase every 2 days, not touching your face * ahem *, drinking plenty of water, washing sweat off soon after, and avoiding sugars and dairy. I didn't have a problem drinking plenty of water because I already do that. Does that count? I don't normally eat a lot of sweets, but my parents visited one week and brought cookies, brownies, and a couple of cupcakes. O.o I also haven't tried out the Microderm Scrub or Clarifying Mask yet, so perhaps one of those would help jump start things too? 

After trying Exposed Skincare for 30 days. Yes, that's the same shirt as the first picture. I have other shirts, I promise. ;)

 

             With all of that being said, I do have intentions of trying Exposed Skincare out again after I have this baby and my hormones aren't quite so crazy. I would still recommend you give this product a try if you're NOT pregnant and have mild to moderate acne. You can find out more and order your own kit on their website. (Keep in mind their kits are meant to last several months so don't let the prices scare you. Plus, you have nothing to lose besides the price of shipping if it doesn't help. ;) )

I was not compensated monetarily for this review. I received a free product in order to facilitate my review. Regardless, all opinions are my own and may differ from your own. 

Top 5 Reasons I'm Excited For Another Girl

 

             ...No matter how ridiculous the reasons. ;) Now, I know what you're thinking. If I read a title like this, I would get the impression the person writing the post was trying to convince him/herself more than anyone that they are happy about having another girl. I assure you, my enthusiasm is genuine. To be totally honest, I was actually kind of relieved our second baby is the same gender as the first once I really started thinking about it. Why?

1. We already have all of the “girl stuff”. If you know me at all, you'll know that I am a big fan of gender neutrality. However, unless you're buying specialty clothing online, it would be damn near impossible to find enough clothing in stores to outfit a baby entirely in gender neutral colors, patterns, etc. Plus, and I've heard this from other people with girls, people tend to go especially ape shadoobie with the baby clothing if you're having a girl. So yah, we have enough girl clothes to cover twin or triplet babies. (Yes, I'll be getting rid of it as we go now that we know we are done with babies!)
2. It takes care of our bedroom situation. Don't get me wrong. I love our new house, but it does kind of stink that there are only two bedrooms. It's extra interesting because one is huge and the other is tiny. But, now that we know we'll have two kids of the same gender, we can move them into the big bedroom once the baby starts sleeping through the night (which we had planned on anyways) and not have to worry about adding on to the house eventually.
3. Girl names are way easier than boy names! For us, anyways. Like I said, I was convinced I was having a boy until our ultrasound. In all that time, we still hadn't really come up with a boy name either of us liked. Once we knew it was a girl, we had her name figured out by the end of the day. O.o Seriously. But, like I told my mom and my husband, maybe that's the reason we couldn't figure out a boys name: because she's not a boy! Lol
4. I'm already used to girls. I always thought I would have more boys than girls, but honestly, now that we have Myka, I don't know what the hell I would do with a boy. Plus, unsurprisingly, she's turning out to be a bit of a tomboy. Besides Myka, we have two nieces who are a few years older than her, so I definitely have more experience with girls. And as much as I hate to admit it (again with the gender neutrality), I have found there are fundamental differences between boys and girls. Whether it's nature or nurture is another story. (Seriously though, why are most boys so hyper?!)
5. *insert crickets chirping* What happened to number 5, you ask? Well, I was so worried that people would get their panties in a bunch over it that I decided to take it out completely. Have I mentioned that I don't like people arguing or confrontation? Sorry. I was just too lazy to change the picture and the title!

             If you have more than one kid of the same gender, were you happy or a little disappointed about it at first? How did you come to terms with it if you were disappointed?

Bambamboos Diaper Giveaway

Bambamboo Diapers Giveaway

Hosted by Tales From A Southern Mom

Co Hosted by Michigan Saving and More

Sponsored by Bambamboos Diapers

            Bambamboo diapers are hypoallergenic, dye free and biodegradable. Made from soft and absorbent bamboo they are perfect for the eco-conscious family! You can purchase them at their website here! Read all about the Bambamboo diapers here. Bambamboos is sponsoring a giveaway for 5 people to win one pack of diapers in their choice of size. Enter today and good luck!  

Entry-Form

Participating bloggers were not compensated and are not responsible for this giveaway.No purchase required to enter this giveaway and there is a limit of one entrant per household. Void where prohibited. All entries are optional. A new winner will be chosen if the original winner(s) has not responded within 48 hours of email notification. Tales From A Southern Mom is not responsible for shipment of the prize(s). Sponsor is responsible for all shipping this prize. This giveaway is not administered, sponsored, endorsed by, or associated with Facebook, Twitter, Google, Pinterest or other social media outlet. This is posted in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Any questions, email julie.talesfromasouthernmom@gmail.com.

Ham Cheeks $25 Shop Credit Giveaway

      Work at Home Moms are small business machines. They do everything from hand-making their creations, running shops, shipping and even managing social media accounts like Facebook. Unlike a big company that has products made by factory workers, WAHMs personally make each and every item they sell. Purchasing from a WAHM helps small businesses thrive, supports families and provides you with something custom and amazing to add to your stash.

      Ham Cheeks is a Mom-run shop right here in the USA! A proud Mom to 3, this shop owner works hard for and is inspired by her customers. Check out the Ham Cheeks Hybrid Fitted Review to see some of her work and stop by to enter to win something of your own!

     Now for the Giveaway! Enter the Ham Cheeks Designs Giveaway Below!! One lucky USA or Canada winner will receive a $25 Credit to her shop. Void where prohibited.

Ham Cheeks $25 Shop Credit Giveaway USA/Canada

Disclosure; This blog was not compensated for this giveaway and is not responsible for prize fulfillment. Gleam tool will randomly draw a winner who will be contacted via e-mail and have 48 hours to respond. If no response is given, another winner will be drawn. Questions? Contact MamaBananasAdventures@gmail.com and thank you for stopping by!! 

This giveaway is not affiliated with any social media sites, including, but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Making a Homestead Part 7: Cool Weather Crops

             Hey folks! Did you know that, depending on where you live and how much you enjoy gardening, your growing season doesn't have to end with your harvest in late summer/fall? There are actually quite a few veggies you can plant in the fall and today we're going to talk about cool weather crops some.

             First of all, I just want to say that I am no expert on this by any means. In fact, I am just learning about all of this myself, both from my husband and by first-hand experience. But, if you're a novice like me, I'm hoping you can get some useful info from this post. :)

             In a nutshell, most “cool weather crops” both grow better in the cooler weather and also have a short grow time. This makes these veggies ideal for areas that are mild year round or have all four seasons (aka a cool fall) so that they still have plenty of time to grow before winter. Many of these veggies, my husband tells me, will actually not do all that well if it gets too hot, hence being perfect spring and autumn crops. For example, beets will get woody and hard and radishes can rot in the ground during the summer!

             So, what did we decide to plant for our first fall garden? We have beets, two kinds of radishes, two or three types of lettuce, romaine, spinach, and garlic (which I'm told won't actually be ready until next spring, I believe). I feel like I'm forgetting some too. We just planted everything on August 25^th and as of yesterday (the 30^th) we already had romaine, both types of radishes, and beets sprouting!

             To be honest, I didn't even look to see when the ideal time was to plant any of that in our climate region, but John did make sure everything had a fast grow time (some of it only takes about a month from planting to harvest!) or was meant to be planted in the fall. What I'm trying to say is that everything should be “good to grow”. I worked really hard getting the garden ready, so by God I was going to plant stuff asap!

             Now, on to the bragging I promised in the last homesteading post. ;) As I've mentioned, we did all of this without a tiller or any machinery. We initially plotted out the garden with grass clippings. There was a ton of it at first, so the idea was that it would help kill off the grass underneath to help make digging it up easier eventually.

             When we were ready to dig, I raked all the grass aside and John dug everything with a shovel. O.o Believe it or not, it actually went a lot quicker than you would think! Still, better him than me. ;) After the digging was done, I put some of the grass clippings back over top, but not nearly as much as before. Then, long story short, over the next week or so, I kept messing with the grass and the dirt until I decided I didn't feel like fooling with the leftover clumps of sod. So, off came all the dead grass again and I beat as much dirt I could off of the grass clods and raked them out.

             After all that nonsense, I moved all of the “sod clods” and grass clippings over to the other half of the garden that we didn't dig up yet. I evidently didn't get it covered as well, so it could use some more of the grass killed off first anyways. Then I took the metal rake again and tried to even out the dug up half as best as I could. So, it may not look like much, but a lot of work went into getting this little plot ready! Especially from a pregnant woman! ;)

             Are any of you planting a fall garden? What do you look most forward to growing?

Toddler Discovery Time: Starting Homeschool...Kind Of

             Hey folks! Now that we are settled into our new place, Myka and I have started up our “school” stuff again. We are getting a little more...I don't want to say “serious”, but “involved”, perhaps, this year. I'm hoping this will help us get into the swing of things and get a routine somewhat established before baby sister gets here in January. I'm also using this “school year” as a trial run to get myself better organized and see what works and doesn't for Myka. When we start homeschooling for real, I think I'm more worried about me staying organized than anything. :/ Is that normal?

             This year we are continuing our alphabet learning with crafts, coloring, and do-a-dot pages. Since Myka was only two, we were pretty lax about the whole thing. It was more something fun for us to do than “learn this now!” We are on letter “K” this week, if that tells you anything. Lol But, she does recognize some letters, mostly the ones near the beginning of the alphabet, so it's nice to know some of our activities are sinking in.

             Right now this is our art/learning table, which is why there are paintings and crayons here too. Someone brought watercolor paints to a park playdate we went to recently, so that is Myka's new obsession. (Not that I'm complaining. I'd have to disown her if she didn't like arts and crafts.) Anyways, we're pretty much done with all of our letter “K” projects, other than finishing the coloring page, which probably won't happen. Sometimes she goes to town on coloring pages, other times she'll do a few quick scribbles and say she's done. Ah, toddlers.

             For letter “K” we had the usual coloring and do-a-dot pages. Myka loves masks, so I was excited when I also came across this (somewhat frightening) color-it-yourself kangaroo mask. As you can see in the first picture, I tried to incorporate colors and numbers in the key banner thing, but honestly, she's pretty good with her colors already and numbers...Well, we need to work on those. She knows 1-10 for the most part...just not in the right order. Lol It'll click eventually, so I'm told, so I'm not too worried about it. Last, but not least, she really enjoyed making the kite. Can you tell she's proud of it? Ha ha

             We are also incorporating the preschool curriculum we had a giveaway for on here a few months ago. It's all about nature and hands-on activities, so it's right up our alley! I can't give too much away about it because I don't want to get in trouble, but you can find out more about it and purchase it yourself if you like HERE. If you scroll down far enough, you can get a free sample theme to check out first too!

             Anyways, the curriculum inspired our little seed picture that's really a do-a-dot page above and got us motivated to plant our herbs indoors as well. (below) We just planted them a week ago and already have sage sprouting! I thought there would have been more since our outdoor garden is taking off like a rocket, buuuuttt....I'm hoping I just needed to move the pots to a sunnier area (which I did) and that the seeds didn't just get drowned out by a certain someone. :/

             Next week we should be wrapping up our garden theme and possibly starting a new one. I have no clue which one I want to do next. I'm really trying to hold off on the fall stuff until it's actually fall later this month and apples until it's closer to Myka's birthday in October as we are planning on going to an orchard to celebrate. What are your kids learning at school (whether it be outside of the home or in) right now?

             Stay tuned for my next homeschooling post about schedule/routine struggles!

Fall Fluff Giveaway

 

The Parenting Patch is excited to announce the fourth annual Fall Fluff Giveaway! 

            James and Heather, a husband and wife team, launched The Parenting Patch: Where Parents Grow on September 15, 2011. In honor and celebration of the fourth anniversary of the blog and website, The Parenting Patch is hosting a fabulous giveaway event in which one lucky winner will receive one fabulous fluffy prize pack.  
Smart Bottoms Available in bold colors and fun prints, the Smart Bottoms Smart One all-in-one one-size organic diaper fits most babies between 8 and 35 pounds. The diaper offers a trim fit with plenty of absorbency from ten layers of organic cotton. The attached insert folds to meet the absorbency needs of any baby, and the design allows for faster drying time. For more information, check out the Smart Bottoms Smart One 3.0 and 3.1 All-in-One Cloth Diaper Comparison Review from The Parenting Patch. One lucky winner will receive one (1) Smart Bottoms Smart One 3.1 all-in-one cloth diaper ($29), one (1) large Smart Bag wet bag ($18), and one (1) two-pack of hemp inserts ($12). (Retail value $59)  
Buttons Diapers Buttons Diapers is a quality, affordable, and adorable all-in-two diaper with two sizes of snap-in inserts. Recommended for babies between 9 and 35 pounds, the one-size diaper covers consist of two layers of soft wipeable PUL with double leg gussets. For more information, check out the Buttons Diapers Review from The Parenting Patch. One lucky winner will receive three (3) Buttons Diapers diaper covers ($33), three (3) Stay Dry daytime inserts ($10.50), and one (1) package of cloth wipes ($7). (Retail value $50.50)  
ecoAble Founded in 2013, ecoAble strives to help parents with the cloth diapering adventure, bringing back the joy, enjoyment, and emotion to cloth diapering experience. The company believes that childhood is a celebration, and the colorful cloth diaper prints and cute characters are inspired by the joy and love children bring into our lives. ecoAble celebrate childhood by supporting babies and families with thoughtful designs, quality materials and construction, and convenient shopping options. For more information, check out the ecoAble reviews from The Parenting Patch. One lucky winner will receive one (1) charcoal bamboo all-in-one cloth diaper ($15.99), one (1) bamboo all-in-one cloth diaper ($15.99), one (1) all-in-two cloth diaper ($16.50), two (2) charcoal bamboo inserts ($9.33), and one (1) snap-in charcoal bamboo insert ($3.95). (Retail value $61.76)  
Cloth Wipes Heather at The Parenting Patch recently started making her own cloth wipes using upcycled flannel baby blankets. One lucky winner will receive thirty (30) handmade cloth wipes in assorted prints and multicolored thread edging. (Retail value $30)

 One lucky reader of The Parenting Patch and the other participating blogs will win one (1) cloth diaper prize pack valued at $201.26 that includes the following amazing prizes:

• One (1) Smart Bottoms Smart One 3.1 all-in-one cloth diaper ($29)
• One (1) large Smart Bag wet bag ($18)
• One (1) two-pack of hemp inserts from Smart Bottoms ($12)
• Three (3) Buttons Diapers diaper covers ($33)
• Three (3) Buttons Diapers Stay Dry daytime inserts ($10.50)
• One (1) package of cloth wipes from Buttons Diapers ($7)
• One (1) ecoAble charcoal bamboo all-in-one cloth diaper ($15.99)
• One (1) ecoAble bamboo all-in-one cloth diaper ($15.99)
• One (1) ecoAble all-in-two cloth diaper ($16.50)

Two (2) charcoal bamboo inserts from ecoAble ($9.33) One (1) snap-in charcoal bamboo insert from ecoAble ($3.95) Thirty (30) handmade upcycled cloth wipes in assorted from The Parenting Patch ($30) To enter for your chance to win the Fall Fluff Giveaway, simply use the following entry form. And please offer a huge thanks to the sponsors and participating blogs of the Fall Fluff Giveaway! Good luck!

Entry-Form

  The Fall Fluff Giveaway is open to legal residents of the United States of America. Void where prohibited. Giveaway is not affiliated or associated with Facebook or any other social media platform. Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on September 30, 2015. One winner will be chosen at random. The winner will be sent an email and will have forty-eight hours to respond. If no response is received within forty-eight hours, another winner will be chosen. Mixed Bag Mama is not responsible for prize fulfillment.

EverydayHappy Family Care Kit Giveaway

EverydayHappy Giveaway Sponsored by EverydayHappy

Hosted by Pea of Sweetness

 

            Established in 2013, EverydayHappy is the result of an intense collaboration between all of their different talents. They put all of our energy into researching, testing and refining their products, then they did it all over again until they were satisfied. Our kids can’t read labels, so it’s our responsibility to make sure they’re only exposed to safe, natural ingredients.
            By living mindfully, they’re making life truly meaningful for our kids. What they’ve built is a promise — to make every day happy for them, and for those who want to join them. See what Emilee from Pea of Sweetness thought of the EverydayHappy Family Care Kit.
            Would you like to win the EverydayHappy Family Care Kit? This giveaway runs through 9/13/15 at 11:00pm Eastern Time and is open to US residents ages 18+. Winner is subject to eligibility verification and will have 48 hours to confirm before a new winner will be drawn. For any questions/concerns please email emilee.roberts (at) peaofsweetness (dot) com (consider adding this email to your “Safe List” as winning email notification will be sent from this email). Please refer to the full terms and conditions in the Giveaway Tools.

Entry-Form

  Disclosure: Emilee at Pea of Sweetness received complimentary products to facilitate her review. No additional compensation was received. Participating bloggers are not responsible for prize fulfillment. Mixed Bag Mama was not compensated for this post. This giveaway is not affiliated with any social media platform, including, but not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.