This is one of our favorite things to do. I always think of my friend Sara who gave us the idea many years ago (at least 4?)
It is the perfect Saturday afternoon activity, with ingredients you most likely have around the house. And they are super cute to add to any gift-wrapped package.
Here are the instructions. Have fun!
I have two boys, and we spends tons of time outside at playgrounds and parks, on trails, looking at sticks, collecting rocks, swinging, running, jumping.
But even when they are inside, they need to move. So we found the perfect solution.
There are attachments for a trapeze bar, climbing rope, ladder and rings.
This was my two year old’s Christmas present last year, and is the one thing that has been used every single day by both boys (6 and 3.) and all of their friends think they are extra cool because they have a swing in the living room!
I can’t find this brand on Amazon anymore, but here is one that looks comparable:
Indoor Trapeze Bar and Swing Set for Kids – Perfect Rainy Day Activity
I am always on the lookout for a way to use less sugar in my baked goods. Now that the holidays are here, it seems like every single thing we do involves sugar!
That’s why I was really happy when Green Moms Meet asked me to review Monk Fruit in the Raw.
Here are some facts about this zero calorie sweetener:
• Monk Fruit In The Raw is a wholesome, zero-calorie sweetener made from real monk fruit, a vine-ripened fruit that is native to Asia.
• Monk fruit, known as luo han guo in Asia, was first harvested in the 13th century by Arhats, or “Enlightened Ones,” which translates to Monks in English.
• The sweet and delicious extract from monk fruit is blended with other sweeteners to create the perfect balance of sweet.
• Monk Fruit In The Raw is naturally vegan, kosher, and gluten-free, and does not contain any added table sugar, sugar alcohols, or molasses.
• Conscious, rejoice! Monk Fruit In The Raw has the closest taste to sugar of any non-caloric sweetener, and has the least amount of aftertaste.
• One pack of Monk Fruit In The Raw is about as sweet as two teaspoons of sugar.
• One box of Monk Fruit In The Raw (40ct packets) retails for $3.49, and the Monk Fruit In The Raw Bakers Bag retails for $6.99. Price may vary based on the retailer.
I enjoyed searching their website for recipes, and I decided to make our favorite pancakes using Monk Fruit in the Raw. The results were delicious!
Check out Monk Fruit in the raw- you won’t be disappointed.
And Have fun as baking just got a little healthier!The Monk Fruit In The Raw Baker’s Bag measures cup for cup, just like sugar and can be used to replace all of the sugar in beverages, sauces, and dressings.
For baked goods, it is recommended to only replace half of the amount of sugar with Monk Fruit In The Raw for best results. Try to substitute half of the sugar in your favorite baking recipes with Monk Fruit In The Raw or visit InTheRaw.com for recipe ideas.
Connect with In The Raw online to see their latest products and get exclusive access to discounts and special offers!
I have samples and coupons to share! Please contact me if you’d like me to send you one.
***I received this product for free from the sponsor of theMomsMeetSM program,MayMediaGroupLLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a MomsMeetsSM blogger,Iagreetousethisproduct and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of this product.
Did you come home on Halloween night with an insane amount of candy and then hide it, only to find it two weeks later? No? Only Me?
Aside from the artificial colors and flavors, trans fat and high fructose corn syrup this stuff contains, I have a hard time eating any of the chocolate after my last post.
If you still have any candy lurking in your pantry and you feel too guilty to toss it, there is something you can do with all of that excess sugar.
Send it to Operation Gratitude, and they will include it in care packages for our troops deployed overseas. You can either send the candy in yourself (no later that December 5th- directions on the website) or find a local dentist who is participating in the candy drive.
However I really hope it makes you think about the treats you buy.
Fair Trade. It’s an easy label to look past when we are deciding which chocolate or coffee to buy, especially if you’re more interested in the organic or gluten free labels. But I wonder how many people actually know what it means? Most people I’ve asked assume it has something to do with the environment.
Here is the definition from Fair Trade USA- the leading third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States.
“Fair Trade goods are just that. Fair. From far-away farms to your shopping cart, products that bear our logo come from farmers and workers who are justly compensated. We help farmers in developing countries build sustainable businesses that positively influence their communities. We’re a nonprofit, but we don’t do charity. Instead, we teach disadvantaged communities how to use the free market to their advantage. With Fair Trade USA, the money you spend on day-to-day goods can improve an entire community’s day-to-day lives.”
So why does fair trade matter?
Fair trade in general is a better deal for farmers, including cocoa farmers. In the fair trade system, farmers sell their produce directly to purchasers, who agree to pay more than the market price for the produce. Fair trade certified chocolate in particular, means that the product is produced without child labor.
The alternative is chocolate that is produced using child labor. By child labor, I will go with the Internationa Labour Organisation’s definition of work that “is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children; and interferes with their schooling by depriving them of the opportunity to attend school; by obliging them to leave school prematurely; or by requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work.”
Many of the children are actually sold as slaves to work in the cocoa fields, forcing them to do hazardous work, which includes using dangerous machinery or tools, manually transporting heavy loads, working with hazardous agents or working long hours.
This is something we can’t ignore. It is real, and most of the chocolate sold in the US is made from cocoa fields worked by children and often child slaves. These children have machete marks on their legs from the work they do splitting open the cocoa pods.
As I’m carefully purchasing strictly organic fruits and veggies for my sweet boys, boys on the ivory coast are spraying pesticides and fungicides on the cocoa crops without wearing protective clothing as they breathing in the fumes.
Then we support this practice when we buy the chocolate. It is that simple.
The ILO calls the cocoa industry the worst form of child labor that exists today. And many mainstream brands know about it but turn a blind eye to this ugly truth in the name of the almighty dollar. They keep the industry alive. HOW IS THIS OK?
I firmly believe each one of us can make a difference in this world when we direct our money to the right sources.
Look for these labels:
and only purchase chocolate if you see one. Chocolate is not something we need to sustain life. If you don’t see the label, don’t buy it.
We can make a difference.
We vote for change with our dollar.
Every purchase matters.
THERE IS GOOD NEWS. We have lots of fair trade chocolate options at our fingertips! Here is a list
