Mommin' It Up!

August 6, 2013

Up North

Andy, the kids and I spent a week in Northern Michigan earlier this month. We were with some of our closest friends. Nine kids. Six adults. Seven days. A million incredible memories.

We relaxed, we read books. We went tubing and jet skiing, we took walks and went shopping. We ate, we drank. We laughed. Oh, how we laughed!

We celebrated Andy’s 40th birthday with a day as close to perfect as any I can imagine.

I’m having a hard time putting into words what a great trip it was… I think I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

August 6, 2013August 6, 2013

Shelf-Safe Milk – What will they think of next?

This post is sponsored by Milk Unleashed and TheMotherhood.com.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a stench emanating from your car, and after ~~hours~~ days of searching, you’ve found a sippy cup filled with sour milk.

I know I’m not alone here!

Sam’s a big milk drinker. The boy loves him some milk! It’s not always the most convenient choice, though, since we’re often on the go (Hence the sour sippy cups!) and don’t have access to refrigeration. Or, at least it didn’t used to be the most convenient choice.

Enter – shelf-safe milk. The same Grade A fluid milk your kids know and love, but in a package that requires no refrigeration.

I bet you’ve seen it, but didn’t realize exactly what it was. Shelf-safe milk is available in a variety of brands.

How does it work? Good question!

Shelf-safe milk has been pasteurized at a higher temperature, but for a shorter time, to preserve taste and nutrition. It’s then immediately put into a sterile Tetra Pak shelf-safe carton (consisting of layers of foil and paper, and is recyclable) that keeps out light, air and harmful contaminants.

The result?

Nutritious milk that lasts up to six months without refrigeration or preservatives.

It’s perfect for lunch boxes, car trips, sporting events – wherever you go, you can now take milk with you! It’s also great just to have on hand at home for times when you haven’t been to the grocery in a while.

Not that that, uh, ever happens to me.

Shelf-safe milk can be found at many grocery stores (not always in the refrigerated section!) and through Amazon.com.

For more information, visit Milk Unleashed on their website , Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter!

August 5, 2013August 5, 2013

I’ve got THE Joy, Joy, Joy!

This is my friend, Joy Marie Minor. Or, Baby Joy as I like to call her. (Although she is a big girl now at 16 months old, I think I can still get away with calling her “baby” for awhile.) If you’ve been reading this blog for the past year or so, you’ve seen Joy here before a few times. Last year Joy and her parents Paul and Jessica inspired me to get involved with our local Buddy Walk for Down syndrome and I raised over $600 for Team Peace, Love, & Joy! Our team total fundraising was over $3,000!

Joy has had a BIG year since last year’s Buddy Walk. She’s worked hard in her therapies and can now sit up all by herself! She knows lots of sign language signs thanks to her ASL-professional Mommy and Daddy. She’s watched her big brother tackle kindergarten and she’s secured talent representation with Down Syndrome in Arts and Media and had had TWO professional modeling jobs, one for Infantino’s Everybody Plays campaign (first plane ride! To California!) and one for Sweet Petunia Clothing (which big brother Jay {who I want Sophie to marry because then I will have the most exquisite grandchildren eva-ah} was also a part of). Joy’s beautiful face is changing the way our society views people with disabilities. Woot woot!

Joy infantino toy — Yes! That’s Joy on the packaging for this Infantino toy! Superstar!

One of Joy’s photos from the Sweet Petunia shoot also made her the cover girl for this year’s Buddy Walk! If you’re local to Dayton, you’ll start seeing this billboard off of I-75 this week! Go Joy!!

Obviously, Joy is beautiful. She is sweet, she is smart, she is funny, and she is a hard worker. But do you know what Joy’s greatest asset is?

Her wonderful family.

This baby girl hit the jackpot in the family department. She has the most amazing mom, dad, and big brother who work hard to make sure she’ll get all the resources she needs to reach her full potential. She also has two stellar sets of grandparents, not to mention aunts, uncles and cousins who love and encourage her.

And one of her family’s biggest assets?

The Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association.

The MVDSA is a volunteer-lead non-profit organization that provides support to individuals with Down syndrome and their families living in our area. Joy’s mom, Jessica, says, “We were introduced to the Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association (MVDSA) right after Joy was born. The support physically, spiritually and financially has been a blessing to us this year. We have developed a support group of families that we now call friends. The MVDSA is a volunteer lead non-profit organization. The Buddy Walk supports our Moms Night Out, DADS group, Playgroups and monthly family meetings. With the support of MVDSA, friend and family we are proud to say that Joy is a happy, healthy little girl who happens to have Down syndrome! “

Funds raised through the Buddy Walk also provide scholarship funds for individuals with Down syndrome that can be used for therapies, tutors, and lessons to help those kiddos become equipped to do their best!

As Jess stated, the MVDSA is essential to the families it serves. This is why I’m raising money for the Buddy Walk again this year. I love the awesome people in my community with Down syndrome and I’m proud to support them and their families.

I set a $500 fundraising goal this year and I even got my family involved! Bobby, Joshua, Sophie, and Jonah are walking with me and Bobby and the big kids all have fundraising goals, too. We would LOVE your support in our fundraising efforts! I could use some $5 Friends! Any amount you want to donate will help so much and is sincerely appreciated from the heart. You can donate to my efforts online here. Or, if you think it’d be more fun, you can donate to Joshua’s efforts here, to Sophie’s here, or to my husband Bobby’s here. It all goes for Team Peace, Love, & JOY!

Thanks in advance for supporting us – we love our $5 Friends!