Binkies and Briefcases

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What’s The Deal With Weighted Blankets?

By: Stephanie4 Comments

When Harkla reached out to us and asked if we’d be willing to let Nick test out their weighted blanket, I jumped at the chance. Weighted blankets as an intervention have been recommended to us since our son was a toddler and diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder. I’ve talked about them before here on the blog. Now that Nick is older, I was really excited to get a chance to test a larger blanket. (The weight of the blanket is recommended according to the weight of the user, so toddler-sized blankets no longer work well for our 11-year-old son.) 

Harkla sent us their 15-pound weighted blanket with a blue duvet. I love that the cover is removable so it can easily be thrown in the wash.

It is true that these blankets can be pricey.  I have a friend who used her tax refund this year to buy one for her daughter. If you are wondering wether or not the investment is really worth it, I’ve put together this post just for you. 

What to Consider When Buying a Weighted Blanket [Read more…]

Stitch Fix Spring Options

By: Stephaniecomment

A few weeks ago I got an email alerting me that I had earned more Stitch Fix credit through my referral link. I was excited to order another box and see what they would choose for me now that I’ve dropped quite a bit of weight this year. I adjusted my settings in my online profile and asked them to send me a box of things in new sizes. That part was a lot of fun! [Read more…]

Five Great Products for Kids With Sensory Issues

By: Stephanie2 Comments

The first time a professional told me my son had Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) was when he was two years old. He’s eleven now, so we’ve been navigating this world for almost a decade. Today I wanted to recommend a few products for kids with sensory issues that our family actually used and loved. I know when you first find out that you are dealing with a diagnosis like Autism or SPD, it can be very overwhelming–and expensive!–to try to figure out which products you actually want to try. Of course, you don’t have to have a diagnosis to find these products helpful. 

All of the products below are ones that worked well for Nicholas. I’m including my Amazon affiliate links for your convenience so that you can read the reviews from other parents as well.  [Read more…]

How to Make Slime Without Borax

By: Stephanie1 Comment

Are your kids into slime too? My girls are OBSESSED with this stuff. They have turned the kids’ bathroom into a chemistry lab. But, unfortunately a lot of the recipes they find online include things that we don’t keep on hand, like borax and contact lens solution. We don’t have that stuff, so they needed learn how to make slime with things we do have. This easy two ingredient slime comes together very quickly and the girls had fun squishing it around.  [Read more…]

How to Hand Wash A Silk Pillowcase

By: Stephanie5 Comments

Recently Eddie and I switched to silk pillowcases. (I know, I feel so fancy now.) There was only one problem: I had no idea how to hand wash a silk pillowcase. I knew they were supposed to be much better for your skin and your hair than other fabrics, but immediately after I bought them I realized that laundry was going to be an issue. 

But now I do know what to do. And just in case you aren’t sure how to wash your new pillowcase either, I’m here to help. I’m also going to include my Amazon affiliate links to the products I mention for your convenience. Ok, here we go…. [Read more…]

How to Dye Easter Eggs With Vinegar and Food Coloring

By: Stephaniecomment

Posts on this blog contain affiliate links to the products mentioned for your convenience. 

Learn how to dye Easter eggs with vinegar and other things you already have at home

Happy Easter! Is your family dying eggs this year? I know there are a lot of fancy kits and other methods available, but this is the classic method we always seem to go back to using. I learned how to dye Easter eggs with vinegar and food coloring when I was a little girl, and I think I’ve done it this way almost every year since. 

I like that I don’t have to buy anything special, we can just use things we already have around the house. Plus, it’s easy enough that the older kids can even do it themselves. They take a lot of pride in the designs they create. 

Ready?

[Read more…]

Easy Vegan Pad Thai

By: Stephanie5 Comments

Since I switched to a plant-based diet, the #1 question I get from friends is “How do you eat that way when the rest of your family doesn’t?” (I guess they haven’t seen my tips for switching to a plant-based diet.) It can certainly be tricky, but recipes like this vegan pad thai make that aspect of my healthier lifestyle a lot easier because, not only do I love this recipe, but all of my kids will also eat this dish. If you have meat eaters, you can always set out some shredded chicken or steamed shrimp separately for them to add if they’d like. I love that this meal is easy, vegan, and gluten free– and it comes together in about 20 minutes.  [Read more…]

Five Great Books That Help Kids Understand Puberty

By: Stephanie2 Comments

My oldest child recently turned eleven and my middle child is turning nine. At this age they are starting to have a lot of questions about the way that bodies work and the changes that will be happening to them. We’ve sat down and had a few discussions, but we understand that sometimes kids are too embarrassed to ask their parents what they really want to know. So I put together a list of books that are helping us have these tricky conversations. Here are five great books to help kids understand puberty. 

Please note that some posts on this blog contain affiliate links. If you click on the picture of each book, you will be using my link and taken to the Amazon page where you can read the reviews from other parents and purchase the book, if you choose. 

5 Books To Help Kids Understand Puberty

    1. We are big fans of the American Girl informational books in our house. Abby LOVES The Care and Keeping of You. I love that they have two versions of this book, one for younger tweens and one for older teens. I bought Abby the one for younger girls and she sits in bed at night and pours over it. She even asked me to buy her the one for older girls. Version 1 of this book is recommended for ages 8-12. Version 2 is recommended for older kids in grades 5-9. 

[Read more…]

Dear Church

By: Stephanie6 Comments

I don’t want to leave you. 

But I will if you make me. 

And make no mistake, the fault would be yours. 

I know that sounds harsh and I’m sorry. More sorry than you will ever know. Because this year has been hard and I need you. We need each other, and I don’t want to do this. You’ve been so good to me. You’ve been there for everything.  The weddings and funerals. You brought food after the babies and when my son was in the hospital. You’ve taught me so much. You brought me closer to God. You offer me counsel and counseling. My husband is on the worship team and my children love seeing their friends at Awana. I know you try hard. But this is about so much more than lasagnas and Vacation Bible school.

This is not about our Bible or our pastor (who is an amazing, kind, and accepting man). It’s not about a Ladies’ Bible Study or a Small Group and it’s not even about one specific church. These examples are only symptoms of a much larger problem. And, while I’m sure I’ve played my part, I don’t think it’s really about me this time.  
[Read more…]

What I Learned in 100 Days of Going Vegan and Gluten Free

By: Stephanie4 Comments

Going Vegan and Gluten Free?

Are you thinking of going vegan and gluten free? I have soooo much to tell you!

Have you missed me? I have taken a long break from the blog over the past few months to focus on our family. You might not see me quite so much on the internet, but don’t worry, I’m still here, and I have some exciting news! And a looong post to welcome you into the new year.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I have been struggling with my personal health issues for several years. It’s true that I have also wanted to lose weight, and I’ve even blogged about that before as well, but last year I made some very big changes to my lifestyle and they made a huge impact to my overall health. This post is for those of you who may have made a similar New Year’s resolution and are also considering going vegan and gluten free (or maybe just one or the other). 

When I shared on my Facebook page that I had been successful not only losing a significant amount of weight, but also reducing the neurological symptoms I’d been suffering for the past few years, several of you asked me to do a post about the changes I made. When I wrote my post What I Learned From Posting My Weight on The Internet, I weight over 180 pounds. It says 180 in that post, but if I remember correctly I was actually 183. As of this morning, those last two numbers were inverted and I was about 138. That’s 45 pounds gone! My ultimate goal was 135 and to get back into my wedding dress. I have not hit my goal quite yet (close enough), but I DID get back in my dress!  [Read more…]

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