baby care recipes: July 2014

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Natural Fertility Prescription: Sponsor #21

Trying to have a baby? Well, if you're trying to go the natural way... or at least are for a year or so, I have something that can help you out! I've been really excited to introduce you to this sponsor! Natural Fertility Prescription.

Iva Keene is a naturopathic physician, natural fertility specialist and passionate complementary medicine advocate. She's devoted to teaching couples about safe, effective, affordable ways to overcome infertility naturally and without IVF... But not only that, she's a generous sponsor for this March of Dimes Fundraiser and she's offered to donate her $200 program to one of you wonderful donors!!

Iva said she does what she does because she's very passionate about woman’s health, natural fertility management, complementary medicine and protecting the environment and our Planet’s fertility.

"I believe education is the key to better health, optimal fertility and healthy babies," she said. "Many people simply don’t know and don’t understand what’s good for their health and fertility. It’s this lack of knowledge and awareness that’s the number one cause of most health problems we see in the world, including infertility. This is why I provide lots of free articles and information on my website and via twitter."

Her mission is to reach as many people as possible until natural fertility management becomes the first line of infertility treatment and preconception care.

"Today we are seeing more and more couples with infertility, she said. "Conventional medical approach to infertility is IVF or some other form of ART (assisted reproductive technology). These procedures are invasive, painful, expensive and harmful for mother’s health and the baby."

She said top experts in the industry are speaking out and warning couples to reserve IVF as the last option and not the first. She said the natural fertility approach in her program has been shown to nearly double the success rate of IVF, if IVF is the only option.

Iva has generously donated the entire natural fertility program, which comes with three additional books (on gender selection, natural contraception and infertility myths) as a bonus! So the person who wins this will get the whole kit. A $200 value!

You can also find out more about this program by following @IvaKeen on Twitter.

If you donate just $20 to the charity I'll give you 20 tickets to win this prize from Natural Fertility Prescription! Not only are you helping a charity but you get 20 tickets in our GIANT drawing! AND you get a GUARANTEED prize from ME! One of which can be two of these cute baby headbands and bows! Look I made these!!

(Or you can get a custom doggie bandanna instead) You can donate by clicking the "chip in" button to the right or by clicking here. (Paypal is NOT associated with the drawing, just with donations. Questions about the drawing? Email me at babymakingmachine{at}gmail.com)

This is just one of more than 40 prizes (worth over $1500) that's up for grabs in the drawing! See the full list here. 100% of the funds raised are going to March of Dimes, to help save babies!

Read how this got started here!
Check out all of the prizes here!
Enter my 2nd Cutest Baby Contest here!
Have a giveaway? List it here! Offer extra entries to your peeps for donating!

Franks Big Ones: Sponsor #22

Read my latest TTC update here.

My hungry readers are going to want some of these. Have a sweet tooth? Just plain like cookies? Well take a look at these... Probably the biggest cookies you've ever seen! Look at these compared to Chips Ahoy!

But what's even cooler is their story behind Frank's Big Ones ... How they got into creating the cookies! Here's their story:

"We are that family. You know the one. The one down the street with a minivan full of children and bikes and toys scattered all over the yard. We have five children, who I refer to as el Cinco de Mio on my blog, I'm a Smart One. Raising our 8-year old girl/boy twins, 6-year old son, 4-year old daughter, and our 9-year old nephew keeps things deliciously insane here. With four natural children, we may not seem like the word "infertile" applies to us, but it does.

According to Resolve.org, infertility is defined as:

A disease or condition of the reproductive system often diagnosed after a couple has one year of unprotected, well-timed intercourse or if the woman suffers from multiple miscarriages. Infertility affects approximately 10% of the population.

Given the fact that my husband Frank and I tried to conceive month after month for 2.5 years with no success, we found ourselves in the midst of that unfortunate 10%. Thankfully, our journey into Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) was brief and uncomplicated. I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrom (PCOS) and was prescribed Clomid to kick my ovaries into obedience. This is the easiest of all ART, and we were very lucky and blessed to conceive our three pregnancies with the help of Clomid.

Many other infertiles, however, have to endure much more invasive, time-consuming, and costly ART procedures such as IUI and IVF to build their families. Others become parents via adoption. Some people, sadly, lose their precious babies to miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal demise due to prematurity or other complications. For many, the road to becoming parents is a long and hard one, and some even eventually choose to resolve their infertility by moving on to living their lives child-free.

On the spectrum of infertility, we definitely had it easy. Thank you, God.

Several months after our fourth child was born, I became pregnant again -- with another man's baby. He was overjoyed. So was his wife. So was Frank. You see, I was a gestational surrogate, and the baby I carried was conceived via IVF transfer of my intended parents' embryo. The baby was 100% genetically the child of his parents. As many surrogates like to say, I was just the "oven," and I helped a wonderful couple become parents. Becoming a gestational surrogate is my way of showing gratitude for the blessings that have been given to me. It is my way of giving back, of paying it forward.

I blog about my life as a gestational surrogate, infertility, and my family within the ALI (Adoption, Loss, and Infertility) blogging community. This community is largely responsible for how Frank's cookie shop came to be:

Girl meets boy in high school.
Girl and boy get married after high school.
Girl becomes a teacher. Boy joins the Army.
Girl freaks when Boy is diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
Girl calms down. Boy is medically retired and is an amazing stay-at-home-dad.
Girl and boy have four kids and also raise Girl's nephew.
Girl writes a blog. Boy bakes big cookies.
Girl brags about Boy's cookies on her blog.
Girl's blogger friends demand to eat some of Boy's cookies.
Girl gets BIG IDEA. Boy says, 'Oh crap!'

And thus, Frank's Big Ones bakery was born."

The Etsy site that is linked above is currently under reconstruction, but they are still taking orders. Though it's currently in vacation mode, feel free to explore through their Etsy shop to view additional cookie pictures and read the pages of positive feedback that we've already received. Though the Etsy shop is currently closed, we're still taking orders! If you're interested in seeing an updated cookie list with new varieties and current prices, please send an email to SmartOneKym@gmail.com for more information.

You can also win an order of these gigantic, delicious-looking cookies by donating to our fund raiser!

If you donate just $1 to the charity I'll give you 1 free ticket to win this prize from Frank's Big Ones! Not only are you helping a charity but you get 1 ticket in our GIANT drawing! You can donate by clicking the "chip in" button to the right or by clicking here. (Paypal is NOT associated with the drawing, just with donations. Questions about the drawing? Email me at babymakingmachine{at}gmail.com)

JM Tolman Jewelry: March of Dimes Sponsor #23

Read my latest TTC update here.

Personally, I think I'm pretty dang unique. For one... How many "mommy bloggers" do you know who aren't moms or pregnant yet? Yea, I have no shame! I was blogging about my thoughts on motherhood before I was even ready to a child.

The next March of Dimes Fund Raiser sponsor I want to introduce you to has a unique sense of art.

Jensie is a 20 year old illustration student. And she already has her own store selling her work... JM Tolman.

She said she started her shop initially to help pay off her tuition.

"$15,000/term, a small miracle I'm still in school," she said. "And, to be frank, I like it when people enjoy my work. I don't like to keep any of my pieces because they all tell stories- I want people who are not me to see those stories."

Her artwork is different, darker than a lot of art you see out right now... At least quite different from the art that crosses me from day to day. But when you look at them, you can tell there's so much feeling behind it.

Jensie only sold paintings and prints for the first few months.

"The problem with this is they are on the expensive side and I could only make one each week," she said. "Well, I managed to go the Hootanany this summer, and one of the vendors sold little frame pendants with prints of paintings inside. I thought to myself, 'It would be more interesting if these were actually painted on the pendant.' I bought several blank pendants a couple days later. I love making them! They're quick to make and I'm challenged with creating a narrative in one or two panels. I write little stories for each one, and I'm in the middle of making a zine for the first batch!"

Jensie has been drawing her whole life.

"It's what I do," she said. "My biggest inspirations are quirky novels, folk tales, horror/cult movies, and music. I have a type of synesthesia where I see music in colored waves- most, if not all, of my palette comes from music. To me, my best work resembles songs."

And those waves she speaks of are very present in this pair of Green Psyco Earrings she has offered to give as a prize to one lucky donor to March of Dimes! You can learn more about This artist by checking out her blog, or by following @JMTolman on Twitter.

If you donate just $5 to the charity I'll give you 5 free tickets to win this prize from JM Tolman! Not only are you helping a charity but you get 5 tickets in our GIANT drawing! You can donate by clicking the "chip in" button to the right or by clicking here. (Paypal is NOT associated with the drawing, just with donations. Questions about the drawing? Email me at babymakingmachine{at}gmail.com)

Cocoa Bead Designs Jewelry: Sponsor #24

Short story: I.. The self-proclaimed "Baby Makin' Machine," found making a baby isn't as easy as I had hoped. So to take my mind off baby makin' I'm spending a month raising money to help March of Dimes babies. Read the long story about how this fundraiser got started here!
Read my NEW (10/14) latest TTC update here.

One thing I know every woman loves or could use is a nice pair of earrings. I don't wear earrings much, but whenever I do I think "I should wear these more often!" They are one way to spice up an outfit in a snap!

Our next fundraiser sponsor is Careen, who makes handmade earrings at Cocoa Bead Designs.

Careen is a 23 years old and just graduated in May from Biola University in La Mirada, CA with a

degree in communication disorders. She recently moved back to my hometown of San Luis Obispo, CA. She plans to go to grad school in the next couple of years, but in the mean time she's looking to find a job in San Luis Obispo, while also working at my parent’s flower shop and making jewelry on the side!

"I have set up a little table in my room where I create all of my jewelry," Careen said. "My family is probably the biggest fan and supporter of my work. My mom, dad, and sister are the one’s that I run all of my earrings by before I post them on etsy. My sister likes to call herself my 'quality control officer.'"

She said she's always loved crafting but she has her college roommate to thank for teaching her the tricks of the jewelry trade.

"I found out very quickly that this was something I loved to do," she said. "Soon after that, people would comment on how beautiful the jewelry we were making was and it was then that we decided to open up a little 'jewelry boutique' outside of our dorm room. It was so much fun to see our friends wearing our original jewelry pieces around school. When I graduated I lost my little venue and decided that I would start an etsy shop. So far I’m having a marvelous time."

She likes that she has her own little place to display her work.

"I love to make jewelry," she said. "But if I kept all the stuff I made my dresser would be covered in nothing but earrings! I already have way to many to begin with, so it’s nice to be able to sell my creations and know that they are going to a good home : ) I also have loved learning how to take pictures and be creative in that aspect."

She says she's definitely a perfectionist, so sometimes it takes her a long time to finish a pair of earrings.

"I’d say the longest I’ve ever spent on a pair of earrings is 2.5 hours!" Careen said. "It just depends on the earrings and if I like my design the first time. I’m known for taking my pieces apart many times before they are exactly what I had imagined."

To her making jewelry isn't just a business now, it's a hobby too.

"I love making jewelry, and I love to see people wearing my jewelry," she said. "It really instills a sense of pride in me to think that someone loves and is wearing something I have created with my own two hands. I’ve never thought of myself as a business woman, but I have strangely begun to love it. I won’t lie, it is also nice to make a little extra money on the side : )"

To learn more about this awesome designer check out Her Blog.

Now Careen is generously donating a beautiful pair of earrings (pictured below) to one lucky donor! She said these took awhile to make, and they were created with love! If you were to buy these in her shop they would be $28, but if you donate just $15 you could win them as a bonus for FREE!

If you donate just $15 to the charity I'll give you 15 tickets to win this prize from Cocoa Bead Designs! Not only are you helping a charity but you get 15 tickets in our GIANT drawing! AND you get a GUARANTEED prize from ME! One of which can be two of these cute baby headbands and bows! Look I made these!!

PLEASE Help Baby Makin(g) Machine!!

Ok, I've never devoted an entire post to begging, so you know this has gotta mean a lot to me right? I wasn't going to interrupt fund raising and post about it but this is something I really really want so I figured I'd ask for your help!! I aint too proud to beg for this! I just found out yesterday that I'm a finalist in The Bump Mommy Blog Awards. But get this... I'm in the Best Fertility Blog category!! Perfect right? That's totally what my blog has been all about... Preparing to be a mom, researching good TTC techniques etc.

I'm way flattered and excited, and now that I know all about it I REALLY want to win!!

Well if I win I get a $100 Gift Card to Pottery Barn Kids! I've never bought anything there before, and I think it could be fun to put in a chest and save for when I find out I'm pregnant.

If that never happens (or doesn't happen before it expires) I'll give it to one of you! Promise!! And if I win overall (not likely) I'll get $1000 cash!! Yea... We could SO use that!!

In less than a year I've gotten to know so many of you! You are awesome people who have helped me along the way... And I hope my rants, questions and fact finding has helped you some too! And I promise after raising money for March of Dimes I'll go back to ranting and questions, and personal stories k?

I'm hoping you can help me once more today by voting for me!! You don't have to sign up or anything. And thanks to Google Analytics and SiteMeter I know how many of you read my blog every day, so if each of you... And each of my followers go over and vote I can win!! PRETTY PLEASE vote!!

Ok thank you! Now go vote (please!!)!

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Kona Creations Sponsor #25

That's right, Farrah and her husband, Charles... They are a husband and wife team who enjoy crafting. Farrah enjoys any type of sewing or needlework and she likes to paint on occasion. Her husband, Charles, is the sign-making king. He loves coming up with the signs, making them and painting them.

"We are a team and like to bounce ideas off of each other," Farrah said. "We also make hand-poured candles - something we learned to how to do together. We are always looking to try new crafts which explains our variety of crafts. When something new and interesting catches our eye we like to try it out."

The way they started their shop is like a dream to me! I'm always telling my husband we should run away to the jungle and just live and survive together! Their story isn't quite as extreme but it's close.

They decided to start their shop because they wanted to do something other than their daily 9-5 job and thought why not have some fun and sell our creations to others.

"We've named our shop Kona Creations because we both have a deep love of Hawaii," Farrah said. "We have been to the Big Island and Maui several times and have left our hearts and souls there. My husband promises that someday we will make it our home."

Right now it's just my Farrah, Charles and their doggie Boomer. She says they aren't in the position to have children right now but they hope to someday!

"My husband and I met when were 16 in our junior year of high school," she said. "It was love at first and have been together ever since. We have been together for 17 1/2 years and are each other's best friend. We do everything together and could not imagine life without one another."

How sweet, no?! This husband and wife team has decided to give both their love and craft by donating prizes for TWO WINNERS! And you can win one of these below!

Welcome Friends Handmade Country Sign:
This cute little wooden hanging sign was created by my husband. He painted the wood with a brown base coat and let the wood natural beauty still show through. He then sponge painted the border and sweet saying "Welcome Friends" with white paint.
A rusted wire hanger was attached with a homespun ribbon in the middle to complete this cute country sign.

The sign measures about 3.5" x 11".

Primitive Handmade Sheep:
Adorable little sheep looking for a home. Handmade using chenille fabric that has been coffee stained to give it a wonderful aged, primitive look. His legs are hand-painted cinnamon sticks. The wreath around his neck was made using mini ming garland and rusted wire.

Learn more about this cute couple by visiting their Facebook Page and by Following @KonaCreations on Twitter.

If you donate just $10 to the charity I'll give you 10 free tickets to win both of these prizes from Kona Creations! Not only are you helping a charity but you get 10 tickets in our GIANT drawing! You can donate by clicking the "chip in" button to the right or by clicking here. (Paypal is NOT associated with the drawing, just with donations. Questions about the drawing? Email me at babymakingmachine{at}gmail.com)

This is just one of more than 40 prizes (worth over $1500) that's up for grabs in the drawing! See the full list here. 100% of the funds raised are going to March of Dimes, to help save babies!

Read how this got started here!
Check out all of the prizes here!
Have a giveaway? List it here! Offer extra entries to your peeps for donating!

Lorelei's Atelier: March of Dimes Sponsor #26

Short story: I.. The self-proclaimed "Baby Makin' Machine," found making a baby isn't as easy as I had hoped. So to take my mind off baby makin' I'm spending a month raising money to help March of Dimes babies. Read the long story about how this fundraiser got started here!
Read my NEW (10/14) latest TTC update here.

I'm so excited to introduce you to our next sponsor! Her name Lorelei Novak and she is a self representing jewelry artist. She presents her artisan jewelry for sale on the wonderful website, Etsy; a great place to find all things handmade and vintage, and displays and sells her work in the wonderful shop: Lorelei's Atelier.

"It may be rather obvious to say but I love everything and anything artistic!" Lorelei said. "At my artist studio, I love designing beautiful heirloom jewelry with a fresh modern perspective!"

She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University. Over the years, she has developed as a jewelry artist and designer.

"I think of each piece I make as unique artwork and my beads, metals and gemstones are my artist's palette," she said.

"My aspiration for my Etsy shop is to give my handcrafted artisan jewelry a chance to shine and be seen by many people and be in the company of other talented artists and craftspeople. I design and craft pieces of wearable art that I truly hope will become treasured additions in many collections as well as provide my clients with thoughtful gifts for many special occasions!"

Her designs are created with the finest hand-selected natural materials, and of course, always with Love from her to you!

"When I create my jewelry, I am inspired by colors, nature, feelings, memories, textures and at some point, during the process of making the piece, the jewelry takes on a life of its own," she said. "That's the moment I know I'm on the right track and the rest seems to flow naturally! For me, each piece of jewelry I create is a unique piece of wearable art. It gives me a lot of heartfelt joy knowing there are people in many parts of the world who are wearing and enjoying my jewelry."

She said she suspects she could say she lives vicariously through her work-- "la belle amour (the Beautiful Love!) and the joie de vivre (the Joy of Life!) --That pretty much sums up my philosophy on life, love and passion and of course the making of beautiful jewelry . "

And beautiful it is, as well as her soul. She believes in an attitude of gratitude, and tries to live a giving life.

She donates 5% of the proceeds from the sale of her handcrafted jewelry to charity and she is a proud Member of Altruism on Etsy Team. You can see all of the great items created by this very charitable team, by using the Etsy search feature to search for the "aoe team."

Lorelei says she has a new favorite saying: "So many beads, so little time!" And boy, does she do so much good with her time! Not only does she donate 5% of her proceeds to charity already, she's donating a $40 Gift Certificate to her shop!!

If you donate just $20 to the charity I'll give you 20 tickets to win this prize from Lorelei's Atlier! Not only are you helping a charity but you get 20 tickets in our GIANT drawing! AND you get a GUARANTEED prize from ME! One of which can be two of these cute baby headbands and hairbows! Look I made these!!

Pimp Your Ultrasound! MoD Sponsor #27

Short story: I.. The self-proclaimed "Baby Makin' Machine," found making a baby isn't as easy as I had hoped. So to take my mind off baby makin' I'm spending a month raising money to help March of Dimes babies. Read the long story about how this fundraiser got started here!
Read my NEW (10/14) latest TTC update here.

I figured it was time to change things up a little bit around here. Tired of hearing from mommies? Of course not! But why not hear from a guy for a change?

Andy is first time Daddy-to-be. An actor by trade, and developer of Pimp My Ultrasound.

He and his wife been best friends since they were kids. Now they've been married for 11 years.

Since he travels alot and auditions alot he hadn't really "planned" on having kids but they were blessed out of the blue 5 months ago and things have been going great.

When they found out, his artsy side came out and he had an idea that has now come full circle.

Like anyone, he wanted to announce and show off their ultrasound in a unique way so he had an iphone app built called "Pimp My Ultrasound".

"Its been such a fun project and I can't believe it is going to be on the app store this month!!!" Andy said a month ago (it's in stores now!). "I of course built it originally for my wife and other pregnant women in mind but husbands and daddy's have really taken to the pics I've 'Pimped' so far so that's been a fun surprise."

This mommas boy was actually how they told everyone "Its A Boy" on twitter and facebook.

Looking for a fun way to tell the good news to family and friends? Want to make pimpin pictures out of your friend's ultrasounds? (I'm planning on doing one for my BFF!) Learn more about this cool application by visiting their website, or by following @PimpMyUltrasnd on Twitter!

Everyone who donates to this March of Dimes Fundraiser will be entered to win this fun iPhone app! There will be 2 WINNERS!

If you donate just $1 to the charity I'll give you 1 free ticket to win this prize from Pimp My Ultrasound! Not only are you helping a charity but you get 1 ticket in our GIANT drawing! You can donate by clicking the "chip in" button to the right or by clicking here. (Paypal is NOT associated with the drawing, just with donations. Questions about the drawing? Email me at babymakingmachine{at}gmail.com)

This is just one of more than 40 prizes (worth over $1500) that's up for grabs in the drawing! See the full list here. 100% of the funds raised are going to March of Dimes, to help save babies!

Read how this got started here!
Check out all of the prizes here!
Have a giveaway? List it here! Offer extra entries to your peeps for donating!

Color My Silly: MoD Sponsor #28

Short story: I.. The self-proclaimed "Baby Makin' Machine," found making a baby isn't as easy as I had hoped. So to take my mind off baby makin' I'm spending a month raising money to help March of Dimes babies. Read the long story about how this fundraiser got started here!
Read my NEW (10/14) latest TTC update here.
Amy from Color Me Silly Photography is one of my sweetest blog and Twitter friends. I really really love her! When she found out I was going this fund raiser, she not only help me spread the word... She donated AND offered to be a sponsor!

Amy says she just follows my her eye, and her camera. I wish I had the talent she does with the lens!

"I'm working on getting some portraits under my belt, and will have my first baby portrait shoot sometime in the next month," she said. "Photography is my way of expressing my creativity."

She's 28, a graduate of Johnson & Wales University with an AS in Culinary arts, and a BS in Food Service Management.

"I've been married to my best friend for 7 months," she said. "We've been together for almost four years."

Her husband is a Fire Fighter in the Air National Guard, and a Civilian contract Fire Fighter for the Navy, as well as a volunteer fire fighter in their community.

"He is a huge part of the woman behind my art as well," she said. "He supports everything I do, and keeps me sane."

Amy is generously donating an 8x10 photo to THREE WINNERS! You'll winners will be able to choose your photos out of her current collection which she'll will email to you (watermarks will be removed).

You can find out more about Amy by checking out her blog, or by following @LoveMyFireDawg.

If you donate just $15 to the charity I'll give you 15 tickets to win one of these three prizes from Color Me Silly! Not only are you helping a charity but you get 15 tickets in our GIANT drawing! AND you get a GUARANTEED prize from ME! One of which can be two of these cute baby headbands and bows! Look I made these!!