Our trip to Disneyland (AND a giveaway for a free night at Country Inn & Suites hotels!)

Country Inn & Suites is celebrating because they've opened a new hotel right within walking distance to Disneyland! Check out our visit to Disneyland and read all the way through to learn how you can enter to win a free nights stay at any Country Inn & Suites location!

I'm sure that most of us growing up, Disneyland was the ultimate dream vacation for any child. My biggest excitement was seeing my favorite Disney movie characters in real life, in their environments and getting to truly interact with them. The second most important thing I looked forward to were all the different amusement rides. It was a great mix of thrill or adventure.

My family of origin took us to Disneyland once during my childhood and the rest of our family vacations were mostly road trips around the Western US, sprinkled with a few visits to our family in Poland. My husband's family, on the other hand, visited Disneyland almost annually as their budget for family trips. So when I married into his family, the love of Disney was set in quite early.

It's a perfect day! #MickeyMouselovesPierogies

A photo posted by Bianca @ The Pierogie Mama (@thepierogiemama) on Nov 7, 2016 at 11:07am PST

My husband and I took two trips to Disneyland before having children. What a different experience it is go to to Disneyland and experiencing it as an adult! We got to zoom through the park, not a care in the world how long the wait lines were, stay up late for the fireworks show and didn't worry about character signatures and rode the coolest rides.

Then, my sister-in-love moved to the San Diego area this year and the whole family collectively gasped - we can go to Disneyland when we visit her! This past November the four of us flew down to visit her family and play at the park for 3 days, which we spread out over a week. Now getting to experience the magic of Disneyland through our daughter's eyes (aged 4 and 2) was something my husband and I will never forget. This time the priorities were very different; find our favorite characters to get signatures, ride only a few of the age appropriate rides and just simply look to soak it all in. There is so much to see in the details at Disneyland if you aren't distracted by rides! Pirated of the Caribbean is one of my favorite things to see at Disneyland because they have done such a great job at temporarily making you forget where and when you are. It's easy to get swept up in that creaky boat in the Louisiana bayou, duck your head in the midst of a drunken pirate canon ball brawl and yo-ho-ho with Jack Sparrow.

Some of our favorite memories were watching Penny and Ruby meet Elena of Avalor. It's a relatively new show and that day happened to be Princess Elena's first debut in meeting her friends at Disneyland. We also got to see an extended preview of the upcoming movie Moana (in the old Bug's Life theatre, so there were ocean sprays, smells and wind gusts!) and we had a caricature done of the girls at Fisherman's Warf. One night my husband and I left the kids with their grandparents and we went back for some night time roller coaster rides on the Matterhorn and Big Thunder.

As I mentioned before, Country Inn & Suites just opened up a brand new hotel that is within walking distance to Disneyland! With 174 gorgeous rooms that have family friendly open floor plans, spa-inspired bathrooms (for mama to relax after a day of chasing kiddos, duh), a 24/7 gym, free breakfast and an outdoor pool with views of the Disneyland fireworks, it's an easy sell for me! By saving a little bit of extra cash on transportation, parking and one meal of the day being covered, you now can shamelessly indulge in those delicious Dole Whips outside of the Tiki Room! Not going to lie, I had at least 3 a day while we were there because I was 8 weeks pregnant with #3 and that was about all I could stomach at the time!

And when I talk about saving a little bit of cash, how does one night free at any Country Inn & Suites location sound to you? That would put a little extra change in your pocket for your next vacay, right? So here's the deal - follow the rules at the bottom and you'll have your chance to be one of my readers to win this awesome prize!

To enter the giveaway:
1. Watch this short video on the all new Country Inn & Suites in Anaheim location and leave a comment below telling me one interesting thing that she said. Include your email address so that I can contact you if you win!
2. For a second entry (first option must be completed!), visit the Country Inn & Suites website and tell me in a separate comment which location you would stay at if you won.

2/1/17: The winner is comment #47, which is Sheila P! Check your email!

Giveaway rules: This giveaway is sponsored by Country Inn & Suites, not by The Pierogie Mama. The contest is open until 1/31/17 and the winner will be contacted via email only. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email in order to claim their prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. No purchase is necessary to win, but if you do want to enter you have to play by the rules described above. The comments must be relevant to the question, otherwise they won't count. If you don't provide an email address, I don't have a way to contact you. Good luck and I can't wait to see who wins!

Guest Post: K.I.S.S. (Keep it Simple Silly) Breakfast

It’s Christmas morning and all your family will shortly be descending on your house for the annual holiday dinner. Trouble is, it’s morning, and you don’t want to make a mess before “the mess” by preparing a huge breakfast for your kids.

Well, have I got the answer for you… The Grazing Breakfast!

Ok, so this isn’t a new concept. That’s being said, it’s one that is fairly easy to pull together, can provide an option for even your pickiest of eaters, and leaves you with very little clean up!

My go to options are all self-serve (unless you have very little ones, who will require a little assistance), and can be mixed and matched for a ‘somewhat’ healthy meal. This is also a great idea if you have drop-ins – or like my family, those grandparents who make the rounds, but don’t give you the head ups as to where you fall on the timeline.

The Line Up:

Hard Boiled Eggs –  The day before Christmas I throw a pot of water on the stove and cook up a dozen eggs. These bad boys keep for up to a week in the fridge, so even if they aren’t all eaten, you have grab and go breakfast for a few days.

Fresh Cut Fruit –  This is a staple at our house for the holidays. If you are anything like me, between the cookies, cakes, fudge, and whatever else appears at the office or around the house at this time or year, by Christmas morning you are craving something fresh and naturally sweetened. To make things easy on yourself, most grocery stores sell precut fruit. Or to make things easy on your wallet, buy a few easy to prepare fruits – like apples, bananas, and strawberries – and do the cutting yourself.

Deli Meats (and Cheese) - Did you know that you can ask the deli counter to cut your meats to a crazy thickness? This was a marvelous discovery I made one day when I wanted to serve ham with breakfast, but didn’t want to buy one of those half hams. Although the price per pound may be a little more than the prepackaged meats, this is a great option to create some bite size meat and cheese options that you normally expect to see as passed hors d'oeuvres.

Monkey Bread –                        

A special (and oh so simple) treat that will have guests and your children saying "WOW!" and coming back for seconds and thirds. Best yet, it's so easy to make, you'll be asking yourself why you hadn't done it before.

Monkey Bread Recipe (Adapted from the Betty Crocker Recipe)

2/3 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

4 cans buttermilk biscuits (I prefer Pillsbury, and they sell a four pack in most stores)

12 tablespoons butter

1 cup well packed brown sugar

- Preheat oven to 350°

- Prepare bunt pan by spraying VERY well with cooking spray – it is very important to coat this well as you do not want any of the gooey goodness to stick!

- Place cinnamon and sugar into a gallon bag and shake until well mixed

- Remove biscuits from packaging and cut into quarters – I find it easiest to take 4-5 at a time, laid on their side, and then cut.

-  Add biscuits to the bag of cinnamon-sugar and shake to your hearts content – this is a great task for a child.

-  Evenly place the well coated dough bites into the pan, and sprinkle a little extra cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top

- Over medium-high heat, bring butter and brown sugar to boiling in a medium size saucepan – this mixture will be extremely hot and is a burning hazard, but please have the kids out of the room for this one.

-  Allow to boil for 1 minute - stirring constantly – then pour over biscuit quarters

- Using oven mitts, place in oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes

- Let stand for 5 minutes before turning upside down onto a plate

Best served warm!

Don't miss Stacie's other delicious recipe on the blog - Cranana Muffins!

NonProfit DBA by day, wife/mom/baker all the other hours - Stacie is a Washington State native, DC transplant, and lover of all things creative. Owner and head decorator of Enticing Icing Cupcakes, this mommy baker enjoys sharing her secrets to a sweet life. Check out more of her work at www.enticingicingcupcakes.com.

Guest Post: Ava

The holidays are a joyous time, but for many it can also be painful. Having personally suffered the loss of a parent, wonderful memories return but also the bittersweet reminder that it's all we have left. Today, my brave and strong friend Sheila writes about her beautiful angel daughter, Ava.

For any sadness in your life, any time of the year, take refuge in sharing your feelings with one another. Be it your spouse, a close friend or even a stranger with a similar experience. Talking about it can be immensely healing and personally I have processed my grief differently by talking about it. If you have a friend whom you know what suffered a loss at any time, gently talk to her about it and remind her that you remember. That may be the most comforting thing you do for her.
__________

Her name is Ava, simple and fleeting on the tongue.  In French, it means “bird,” a sentimental nod to our time in the Navy.  Swallows are symbolic for guiding each sailor’s voyage and bringing them home.  Before she was born, my husband & I constantly debated on this name.  We just couldn’t agree.  As first-time parents, we couldn’t agree on many things.  Once we laid eyes on her though, the debate died along with our child.  It was clear who she was.  Ava.  I wish I heard her beautiful name spoken more.

She was our first child and so badly, badly longed for.  After trying to conceive for a handful of years, she entered our lives that May just as quickly and unexpectedly as she left.  Even in those sweet, early days of my pregnancy, I felt I knew the little life I was carrying inside of me.  I was carrying a girl—a darling, feminine girl with dark wavy hair.  She’d love ribbons and bows, wear pink tutus, and dance ballet.  She was constantly in my thoughts, and on the way to work, I’d listen to lullabies or sing to her.  In the evenings, I’d read her, Guess How Much I Love You.  My evenings and weekends were filled with prenatal yoga and building our registry.  My bookcase was lined with the latest in parent books.  I was five months pregnant, hopeful for our future together and very much looking forward to being her mother. 

I was a week away from a routine ultrasound appointment and so excited to see her face for the first
time, anxious to point out whose features were whose.  And then, it happened.  For reasons unknown, I awoke one morning to blood-soaked sheets.  My amniotic sac had ruptured.  I rushed to the hospital
and was met in the ER; there was nothing they could do to save her life.  I was in early labor, and
because she was a few weeks too premature to live outside of my womb, she wouldn’t survive.  I was
giving birth to say goodbye. 

Laying on the hospital bed and between contractions, I would whisper to her, “I love you.  I am sorry.  I am so, so sorry.  Be strong.”  What lead to this?  I dissected my pregnancy over and over.  I prayed for the first time in years, asking God for whatever pain she was feeling, to let it pass quickly.  She was born on August 23, 2010 at 8:13 p.m., tiny, wiggly, and pink.  I recognized my chin, my eyebrows, and her daddy’s feet.  She lived for a very short time, struggling to breathe through her underdeveloped lungs before passing in our arms.  After having such dry weather the entire summer, it stormed that evening.  It felt like the sky was despairing with me. 

I don’t remember much about the months that followed.  I do know that I felt broken.  Lost. Responsible for her death.  Suicidal at times.  I was a mother with no baby to show for it.  My work gave me 6 weeks of paid maternity leave, and I slept much of the day while laying awake at night.  Dressing was too much work.  Eating was too much work.  Living was too much work.  Concerned, friends and family would call or stop by for small talk.  They didn’t want to upset me, so awkwardly they would avoid her name or any conversation of Ava.  I just wanted to die alongside my daughter.   

Then came the months of November and December, which brought another dimension of grief.  There were so many unintended reminders of how she was missing from our lives that holiday season, the time of year that I once most loved.  We’d never see the excitement for Christmas through her little eyes, and knowing this made my heart and arms ache even more.  We received cards in the mail and invites to parties, and although grateful to be thought of, I couldn’t gather the strength to feign joy or even respond.  Ava’s name wasn’t on them.  I knew everyone remembered her, but for how long?  My worst fear was that her name would be forgotten.  I’d wake in the morning, cry on the drive to work, glue myself together, cry on the drive home, and then go to bed.  I stayed in our bedroom most of Christmas Day. 

I managed that winter, and the four that came afterwards, the best I could.  Ava now has two healthy
siblings who know her name and sometimes ask about her.  A handful of family members also speak of her, acknowledging her birthday and on holidays, or sometimes just because.   My heart bursts with gratitude each time.  One of my worst fears continues to be that she’ll be forgotten, the only record of her short life being the marker that sits atop her grave—which is why I write this. 

Sweet Ava, your story is now memorialized in written word, just as it is engraved in your daddy’s heart and in mine.  You were here.  You are remembered.  You are missed.  Love you to the moon and back, baby girl.

What I am packing in my carry on luggage for international travel with a toddler and a preschooler

We are preparing for our first international flight with kids - and even though my husband and I are seasoned travelers; let me tell ya - I'm a little scared. A little anxious. Really excited for our destination. Catching the extra zzzz's while I can. Trying not to overpack. But I probably did and I can't say that I will be too sorry about it.

Our upcoming trip to Germany has been greatly anticipated and over the last few months we've been talking more with Penny, our preschooler, about what to expect on this long plane ride and how we are so excited to see Babcia and Vovo (her maternal grandparents) once we land. But truly, even though we talk all about this and she is on the cusp of becoming a rational 4 year old, we have no idea what we can expect from her and her little sister, Ruby, who is 19 months old. 17 hours of travel is extremely wearing on adults, and it will be much moreso for our children. The longest flight that we have taken as a family of four has been a five hour jaunt, which was only a few months ago. Here's hoping that both of them, especially the toddler, will have a few memories of that experience so that it doesn't throw them off too much.

Can I pause for a moment and make a comment about how I can't believe that I have a toddler and a preschooler?? It was only last year that I had a toddler and a baby...

While it's very easy and temping to completely over pack and bring EVERYTHING with us as a carry on, my husband and I are opting to trim down as much as we can due to the fact that we will be hauling 3 large pieces of luggage, our carry ons, two small children and their car seats.


So without further adieu, here is what we packed into our carry on luggage for our international flight with a 3 1/2 year old and 19 month old!

• Diapers and wipes (recommended 1 diaper per hour of travel)
• A small spritzer of OnGuard essential oil
• Brand new Usborne books, we are very excited to use the new flashlight book!
• Our new Kindle Fire tablets; perfect for both parent and kid use. We also bought child ear phones and pre-loaded the tablets with a ton of apps that they got to practice with for a week ahead of the trip. 
• 2 changes of clothes for the kids and one for each parent, each set in a gallon sized Ziploc bag (which can also be used to seal smelly accidents)
• Token "lovies" that will help comfort the child and provide the scent of home in an unfamiliar space
• Travel sized toothbrushes that are preloaded with toothpast
• Coloring books with crayons
• Norwex Enviro cloth to wipe down plane trays - thanks for the idea Erin, who will be writing a guest post here in the very near future!
• Small, inexpensive toys and craft items from the Dollar Store that can provide entertainment but are easily disposed of. 
• Our two soft structured carriers for ease of transport through security and to help lull them to sleep on the airplane. 

I wrapped each and every single item in wrapping paper, including the diapers. This turns it into an activity that can be either a distraction or celebration. Because my kids can't read yet, I labelled their contents so that we can quickly grab what we feel is the best item for that moment.  <-- hack="" mama="" nbsp="" p="">

I filled at least a dozen Frozen themed ziplock baggies with an assortment of healthy pop corn, cheerios, yogurt covered raisins, trail mix, granola bars, a "treat" (usually a chocolate ball or a few marshmallows) and included different themed stickers, sticky notes, crayons, or other small time occupiers. I also made a specific "take off" bag that was place mats that they color on (like you get at a restaurant), a couple suckers for their ears.

But what is really going to save me are the diapers! I've flown many a time where at the end I've been covered in all sorts of bodily fluids and it's not fun. So here's to hoping that these will stand the test of a long international flight and keep both my baby and ME happy!

What do you pack for flying with your kids? 

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. This giveaway is funded by The Pierogie Mama and is not associated with any other entity, including but not limited to Sam's Club, Huggies, Facebook, Google, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest. Please see giveaway for full rules and eligibility. 

The Family Behind The Badge: Thank A Police Officer (Part II)

This week I am honored to share two stories with you. These are the personal testimonies of two law enforcement officer wives (LEOWs), of which my husband and I are very close with their families. Right now there are a lot of politics in the news regarding the police and my goal of sharing these women's stories is to shed some light to you on what goes on behind that Badge. I am a strong supporter of law enforcement; and I believe that they are true heroes in our community that deserve as much honor as our military. 

Saturday September 19 is Thank a Police Officer Day. I encourage you to thank one if you see him or her, buy them a cup of coffee (or a gift card) and most simply - wear blue that day. A great idea is to use blue painters tape on your car's or home's window. 

This is truly often a thankless job, and as Ann (and earlier this week, Melody) will share with you, it comes at great sacrifice of themselves and often times their family too. Here's Ann's story.

My husband and I have been together since we were 15 and 16 years old.  He worked as a server at a Mexican food restaurant for 8 years and  I worked multiple odd jobs baking for a local farmer’s  market stand, in manufacturing for a small business, and in retail.  As years went by we graduated high school and a local community college, then I set forth to cosmetology school.  My then fiancé struggled with what he wanted to do as a career.  I remember the moment he told me he wanted to go to the Police Academy, as we stood in the middle on his restaurant.  I hate to admit, but my comment back was, “Okay… really?  You’re not going to be one of those cops are ya?”  You see, my images of police as an adolescent were not fond memories.  Now, I look back now with different eyes.  They were just doing their job, following protocol, and keeping people safe.  I could see the excitement in his eyes with the dream of helping others, plus the benefits, early retirement, and Honor of the Badge were enticing. 

We married in 2006 at the young ages of 21 and 22.  As the thought of my husband becoming Law enforcement (LE) settled in, I became very excited, proud, and supportive.  Next began the applying, testing, and the waiting game.  He was blessed to be hired by a local Sheriff office.  Lucky for him he got to miss my whole first trimester of our first child while he was at the academy.  

He very much enjoyed the academy.  I believe he loved the camaraderie, the education, having someone push his limits, the physical fitness routines, and the thought that he would be able to make a difference in an  honorable a career.   While in the academy, our nerves were definitely rattled when we lost one of the female Deputies from his agency and five citizens, by a mental man.  It was a very tragic day for our community and Brotherhood.  I remember asking him over the phone “It’s not too late, are you sure you want to do this?” He continued on and graduated. The day I had the honor of pinning the brass on his chest I will never forget. 

Hitting the street:  He spent 8 weeks on FTO, then was deemed a commissioned Deputy. The crown-vic pulled into our driveway.  It felt like a new status.  Later on we learned having a take home vehicle is has its pros and cons.  I would say the first year of shift changes, court dates, stress, and having a very colicky newborn was a true test of our marriage.  We are now 7 years in, still pretty fresh in comparison, but we both feel very weathered. This career wears fast on the LE, their family, and lifestyle.  We have enjoyed the Brotherhood we have established, although we do not participate in many of typical police functions.  As a LEOW(wife), I am very proud of my Husband.  He is a great Deputy with compassion, a good listening ear, and quick mentality.   I have learned to pray harder than I ever have before, not to worry, flexibility is key, holidays can be any day, patience, planning, and to take on a full load feeling like a single parent sometimes.  I have learned what he does and what he doesn’t like to eat in his patrol car (some things are too messy or some finger food just feels dirty, no matter how much hand sanitizer he uses).  My husband will only wake up early while on night shift for his son’s sports games or a Seahawks game.  He enjoys living in the moment. 

When off duty, he very much switched his brain into family life, but doesn’t hesitate to help a citizen in need of loading lumber at Lowe's, assists elderly, hold open doors, acts as an undercover citizen as he witnesses a Motor Vehicle accident, but reports to dispatch the situation as an off duty deputy.  He truly has the heart of a Hero. 

Today we have a 6 year old and a 4 year old, whom are very proud of their Daddy.  Our son keeps  saying he would love to be a police officer.  The kids also enjoy Dad showing up in uniform at school or for sports events, so they can show him off.  They often get confused about which shift dad is working or to be quiet while he sleeps. But we do our best and I have so much compassion for his emotional and physically hard work.  

But today things are different, than 7 years ago…  I am very aware of the floods of Police Supporters and families.  I am also very aware of the escalated hatred, threats, and disgust toward men and woman who bear the badge.  There are days I pray and feel my husband should just keep holding his head high, trust the Lord is cloaking him.  Then there are days where I doubt if it is worth it to go  fight a battle that can’t be won.  Evil will keep creeping into people souls, drugs will continue, the jails will be full, crime will accelerate as desperate people do desperate things.  I have seen him come home with stories of success and courage. I have seen him come home with defeat, bruises, and a broken spirit.  These Men and Women are a different breed of human.  Yes there are some who make bad choices.  But the majority work hard, follow the rules, and are such great assets to their communities.  

I will not hide my LEO Pride.  Those trying to scare the peace officers and their families are cowards. I have Faith on my side.   Our LE life will keep chugging along until retirement or until my husband decided to ‘tap out’ and change careers.  Whatever he chooses he has my support.  Any chance I have, I continue to urge people to Thank any Police Officer they meet to show their support and gratitude.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, 

for they shall be called sons of God.”

-Mathew 5:9

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If you are local to Skagit County (Washington State), please see this fundraiser:

The Family Behind the Badge: Thank a Police Officer (Part I)

This week I am honored to share two stories with you. These are the personal testimonies of two law enforcement officer wives (LEOWs), of which my husband and I are very close with their families. Right now there are a lot of politics in the news regarding the police and my goal of sharing these women's stories is to shed some light to you on what goes on behind that Badge. I am a strong supporter of law enforcement; and I believe that they are true heroes in our community that deserve as much honor as our military. 

Saturday September 19 is Thank a Police Officer Day. I encourage you to thank one if you see him or her, buy them a cup of coffee (or a gift card) and most simply - wear blue that day. A great idea is to use blue painters tape on your car's or home's window. 

This is truly often a thankless job, and as Melody (and later this week, Ann) will share with you, it comes at great sacrifice of themselves and often times their family too. Here's Melody's story.

We are an LEO family, and I wanted to share our story with you.

My husband wasn't that little kid who knew he wanted to be a police officer someday. He did feel a personal calling to wear a uniform, serve and protect, and for a while he thought of joining the military, but the decision to work in law enforcement came much later. It wasn't until after he started his career that he discovered his grandfather and great grandfather were both cops before his family moved to America. He does have Blue in his blood.

To be honest, I wouldn't say I was always an LEO supporter. I used to be more of an LEO tolerate-r.  I was fortunate enough to not have had any real dealings with law enforcement growing up. So my first experiences with police were getting pulled over for speeding as a teenager. Consequently, I wasn't their biggest fan, but I still respected them. I also got the sick adrenaline spike in my stomach whenever I saw those red and blue lights, just at the thought that they were coming after me (I know I should have replaced that tail light... I was only going 6 over....did I remember to renew my tabs?).

But I matured, got my lead foot under control (a little)...

While in college, my husband and I had two personal experiences with police.The first was a pretty negative, actually. I don't feel the need to go into the details, but it was not inspiring.

In the second experience, an officer went out of his way to help us when our old car broke down. He ended up bumper-to-bumper pushing our car all the way down the street to an empty parking lot where we could leave the car overnight.

Not just his act, but his attitude, made a lasting impression on us, and I wish I had his name so I could tell him, that in many ways, he was the one that tipped the scales, and inspired my husband to start this career path.

So, while attending Western Washington University full time, my husband took a full time job as a security guard, working mostly nights, to help prepare him for his future career.  By the time he accepted his first position as a full time commissioned police officer, his academy date was set for the very same day I was due to deliver to our first child. So, we bumped the C-section up, and 5 days after she was born, new daddy left for the academy.

In many ways, I was a single mother for my first 5 months of motherhood. My husband only got to see his baby girl on the weekends.

We now have three wonderful children. My husband’s schedule changes about every two months from days, to swings, to nights. The crazy schedule changes take their toll on the body, and I'd say he is pretty much sleep deprived all the time. He works weekends, nights, holidays, overtime and more overtime...Some people have a hard time understanding why we can't make plans in advance, or why he doesn't seem to be able to attend many events. Sometimes we have to celebrate Christmas in January. Sometimes we stay up till 4 in the morning talking, because that's the only time he and I have to catch up on life. Sometimes night shift sucks, and I can't watch news or crime dramas on tv because my mind will take me to dark places. Sometimes I love night shift because I can finally binge on my favorite girly tv show and don't have to share my wine or popcorn.  Sometimes I take the kids to meet their daddy on the side of the road someplace, and hand him a cup of coffee though the window, just so the kids get a chance to see their dad that day. When we do have a day off together and go out in public, he is always tense. You can't turn off that kind of hypervigilance that is needed to survive in his line of work.

Every day, he goes out there with no idea what he will be up against: If he will get shot at, assaulted, or sued. If he will have to wrangle a farm animal out of the highway, or a suicidal person from the edge of a bridge. There are all kinds of people out there in all kinds of situations. There are people who will scream to their children “This is why we hate the police!” while they fight the officer and threaten his life. But my husband always keeps his cool, and he treats everyone with respect no matter what.  He understands that people make mistakes.  I am amazed that he has never developed a bitter attitude towards people due to any of his experiences. I hear his horror stories, and I also hear the stories of people who, because of his good attitude, end up thanking him as he issues their ticket, or reads them their rights. 

It is hard work. And while I think I am a very capable woman, there is no way I would ever have the patience, tact, strength of character (and biceps) that he has to use every day.

Law enforcement is a very unique profession. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining. I am proud of my husband for what he does. Our family life is different than some, but that's all this LEO family has ever known. It is who we are. I don't want to get political, but I will say it is unfortunate that negativity is so loud and infectious that it sometimes overshadows the truth.

Don't be afraid to show your support this month for the bravery that our law enforcement officers show every single day. On September 19^th, or any day, thank a police officer! Send a card or a coffee gift card to their department. Put out a blue ribbon or a blue porch light, whatever you feel inspired to do. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers, and spread some kind words for our heroes in blue. 

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If you are local to Skagit County (Washington State), please see this fundraiser:

Visiting the Dallas Zoo

In May we took a week long family trip to Dallas as a piggyback on my husband's business travel. One of my favorite things to do with my daughters is visit the zoo, so I've made it a fun goal to visit different zoos across the country when the opportunity presents itself.

We actually ended up visiting the Dallas Zoo two days in a row. This was in part because of my sprained ankle that happened the day before our flight and because I spent most of first day in the Zoo North part of the park, only realizing at the very end that the Wilds of Africa part was worthy of an additional day as well. Luckily I have an annual membership at our local zoo which granted me discounted tickets to any AZA accredited zoo, so it was totally affordable to go twice!

It's kind of fun getting to seeing a different zoo that is across the country because animals behave differently based on the climate. Seattle is very temperate and you don't get a lot of extreme weather, but I'm sure that the warm climate creatures missing their natural sunshine. For the time we spent in Dallas it was in the mid 80's, fairly humid with scattered thunder showers. It was amusing to see what thunder showers mean to Texans versus what it means to a Washingtonian. In Western Washington we really don't get a whole lot of thunder storms. But when the thunder started rolling at the Dallas Zoo, I quickly saw the umbrellas and ponchos get broken out. Then it started to rain...and it was warm. Yes, the stereotype is mostly true, it rains a lot in Washington but a girl gets used to it. But warm rain, on a hot day, was actually nice! It was funny to notice that difference.

At the age of 3, Penny is really into dinosaurs. We even had a fairy-dinosaur joint birthday party for per and Ruby back in March. So imagine this girl's glee when we walk into the park and she spots something very peculiar on the ground..

Nope, we definitely don't have these in Seattle!

It was awesome witnessing her reaction to seeing "real" dinosaurs; as most of these were animatronic and fairly realistic, even to an adult.

She also had to make sure that each dinosaur was appropriately roared at.

Onward we went and discovered The Steam, which was a play area designed to look like a stream for children (and their parents) to cool off in. We spent a lot of time here, wading through the water, Penny jumping from different rock features and Ruby testing the waters as she toddled around.

But the part of the zoo that has me raving about is the Wilds of Africa portion. It was truly impressive because of the truly open layout of the savannah that momentarily takes you away from a zoo in Texas to actually seeing what it looks like in nature. As a matter of fact, this was the first exhibit in North America to combine elephants with zebras, giraffes, impalas, ostriches and guinea fowl in the same habitat!  

The Woodland Park Zoo recently transitioned their elephant herd to the Tulsa Zoo and it was incredibly surprising to see how many elephants the Dallas Zoo has; at one point I photographed 5 in the same picture.

Penny enjoyed the giraffe exhibit as well - the giraffe heads were at eye level with us so we were able to get pretty close to them. Sadly we just learned that the little baby in the herd died last week because of an injury.

Stay tuned for more of our adventures in Dallas, Texas!
Part 1: Getting there and staying at The Omni

Have you visited the Dallas Zoo? 

Tell me about your favorite exhibit!

Catch up on my other zoo trips across North America!

Family Camp 2015

A quick word about something close to my heart - fundraising for cancer research.
_________________

This past week my family and I took off for the Great White North and attended DVM Bible Camp in the Canadian Okanagan. My husband's family has been attending this camp since the very beginning, 49 years ago, and it's been a wonderful tradition that gets us together and replenish our souls and faith together.

DVM Bible Camp was started by my husband's great uncle and his son. The land was homesteaded upon for several years (the main lodge was built in 1924) and in the 1960's it was bought by the family. It was ranched upon and later converted as a campground and the owners invited the local church to come out in the summer for "family camp." My husband's mother grew up going to this camp every year, subsequently taking her family and children throughout their lives too. This was the third time that I've attended.

The camp runs rich with family history. Each time I've gone up there I discover a memory of a family member who had been there years before. A quilt, displayed on the wall. Photo albums filled with pictures of my husband as an awkward teen (so great!). The best yet - the welcoming arms of distant in-laws so treat me like a cousin, even though we may have not met or seen each other in several years.

Walking through this camp for a week makes me think of what a time capsule it is. It's about 15 miles from the nearest town, and 40 miles until you can get some wifi. It wasn't until fairly recently that they harnessed the hydro-electric power that they can gain from the creek flowing through the property that gives the lodge consistent lighting and hot showers for everyone. Chapel and classes are held in the old lean to that was the cattle stable when it was a working ranch. There are several other original buildings on the property that were clearly hand chopped log houses. Each year that I've visited I sneak a Laura Ingalls Wilder book from their library and dive myself into the pioneer days with this view above my book.

Each day has two chapels (worship and a message) and there is a morning class. Throughout the day there are different family activities available; from "killer" croquet to gold panning, agate hunting, a ropes course or swimming in the lake. The best part is that you just let your kids run free. This is an age where disconnecting is sometimes harder for children than the adults, where many haven't ever truly experienced what it's like to play outside and imagine for yourself what to do. Heading out to camp every year is a a reprieve for all of us.

Oh - and you betcha that I cloth diapered for a whole week while camping!

I'm signed up to fight cancer with Jimmy Fund Walk!

I participated in an Ambassador Activation on behalf of Influence Central for the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation. 

Donate to my fundraiser by clicking here.

This year has been 8 years since my dad passed away from cancer.

My dad was diagnosed with gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST)(cancer) in 1999. At the time, his oncologist had no clue what this even was, much less even begin to know how to treat it. We lived in a small town and he was referred to oncologist after oncologist. He tried chemo but hated the effects. He had a 13 year old daughter and a 7 year old son who were begging him to come play, after all. He wasn't given very good odds because of the rarity of his disease. Thankfully, this didn't stop him.

My dad wasn't the kind of guy to sit back and just let this happen. He started looking into medical trials and over the years was matched up with trials in Philadelphia, Boston (at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute) and Santa Monica. He underwent several new-fangled surgeries (like being injected with a chemical that 'lit up' his cancer cells, very futuristic at the time) and at one point was traveling for treatment a cycle that sent him from Seattle to Boston on a rotation of once every 4 weeks, twice a month and then back to once every 4 weeks. Imagine the toll it takes on a healthy person to fly that often; and then imagine how a cancer patient feels.

Through his perseverance in trying to find a cure my dad lived with his disease for 9 years. I only know of one other person who has surpassed that time. My dad's battle is the symbolism behind my tattoo. During his travels for cancer treatment he took it as an opportunity to see parts of the country that he normally wouldn't have seen; and took my brother and I on several of those trips.

He couldn't have gotten to where he did without the help of others. As a state worker he was gifted vacation hours by his co-workers so that he can travel for his treatments. When he was in Boston he stayed with a family that made their upper floor available for cancer patients who came to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. He connected with Angel Flights, where pilots volunteer their time and plane to fly medical patients where they need to go; in my dad's case from Seattle to Santa Monica.

In the last 8 years I've long considered how, or if, I ever would want to participate in any cancer fundraising events.  There are a lot to choose from but none had really spoken to me in the way that Jimmy Walk Fund has. The care that my dad received at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute was cutting edge and probably more importantly...compassionate. Following his passing I actually got several phone calls and emails from his nurses and the receptionists at the cancer center who knew him and had stories to share with me. My dad always said that the people who he met at the cancer center were angels. They realized how important their role is in his journey and they took it seriously. They recognized that these patients are people with families. 

Photo credit to John Deputy

The Jimmy Walk Fund  has raised more than $100 million since 1989 to support Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's lifesaving mission to conquer all forms of cancer in children and adults. The Jimmy Fund Clinic at Dana-Farber is one of the world's premier pediatric cancer centers. The fundraiser goes to support research and care for both adult and child cancer patients. The walk takes place in Boston, but you can sign up to walk along 4 different routes or virtually (like I am). My goal is to raise $500 to fund further ground breaking research and patient care at Dana-Farber, just like my dad received.  You can help me reach my goal by donating on my personal fundraising page and if you have a story like mine, you can sign up to walk too! Virtual walkers are free, but if you are in the Boston area and want to physically walk on September 27 - use the discount code BLOG to get $5 off your registration.

Photo credit to John Deputy

DONATE TO MY FUNDRAISER HERE!

Join me in my journey and help me reach my $500 goal! 

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with anyone that you think will be interested!

How to choose suncare

Today I'd like to welcome my good friend Melody on the blog! She's a mom of three and someone who I can always count on to look at the facts at face value.

A little about Melody..

I became a mother shortly after graduating from college. These last 7 years I have been sharing my time between local sustainability leaders and my three beautiful, nature-loving, crayon-eating children. 

Through all of this, I've come to understand that taking care of our internal environments (bodies) needs to be a priority.  And stress can be just as toxic to our bodies as all the scary synthetic chemicals that we are being exposed to. So, it's all about balance. I'm glad to be able to share some of what I have learned with you. 

The warm weather season brings a whole new list of skin care products for our little ones, but not

all skin care products are created equally, and “natural” means absolutely nothing. The challenge
for us parents its to ignore the hype, and somehow find time to gather the right facts, so that we
can outsmart the ad companies and choose the products that are actually best for our families.

Easier said than done.

The store aisles have too many choices, and maybe none of the right choices. Products have long lists of hard to pronounce ingredients, and lots of confusing or misleading messaging! And who has time to do all that research!?

Well, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) does! Their website is fantastic!

If you get a chance, I highly recommend you spend some time exploring all of their resources. You can search any skin care product and it will give you a report, showing the concerns for each ingredient. Even if they don't have the product already in the database, you can enter the ingredients by hand and it will generate a customized report for you!

I went through my house and grabbed all the kids products I have, and ran reports on them,
including their score on a scale of 0­-10 where 0 means “good, harmless”, and 10 means “really bad, toxic”.

Here's my list with a link to the full report for each. (link)

If you find that many of the products in your home contain harmful chemicals, don't feel guilty. You didn't buy them for their side effects. You made a good decision with the information you had at the time. And don't feel the need to throw them all out at once and buy new. That would be wasteful and expensive (I couldn't afford to do that!). Instead, just be open to learning, and when it  is time to buy new, consider choosing a safer replacement.

To me summer is all about hiking, camping and swimming and sunbathing! 

How can I choose safe products for my family?

Here's some information I have gathered from the EWG on seasonal products.

INSECT REPELLANT:
How do you keep the bugs away without DEETing your babes? My recommendation: non­toxic deet­free sprays, or essential oils! Find out more about what the American Academy of Pediatrics has to say about insect repellants.

SUNSCREEN tips from the EWG:
Say no to:
• SPF above 50
• Retinyl palmitate
• Aerosol spray and powder sunscreen
• Oxybenzone
• Added insect repellent

Say yes to:
• Hats and shade in mid­day sun
• Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide as active ingredients, otherwise Avobenzone (at 3%)
• SPF 15 to 50, depending on your own skin coloration, time outside, shade and cloud cover.
• Use a lot and reapply frequently

The EWG has a fairly exhaustive list of products found on the market, but here are a few seasonal products to absolutely avoid because of their rating on the EWG scale:

:( Sunscreens :(

Aveeno Active Naturals Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer, Medium Sheer Tint
Banana Boat Protective Tanning Dry Oil Continuous Spray Sunscreen

:( After Sun :(

ULTA Refresh Redness Relief Continuous Spray
CVS Aftersun Redness Relief Continuous Spray
Ocean Potion Suncare Therapeutic Hemp Seed After Sun Lotion

There are lots of good middle ground choices, but if you're for the best of the best, here are some
seasonal products that get a perfect score from the EWG:

:) Sunscreen :)

Pure Daily Essentials Body Glow Sun Bar
Luminance Skincare Sunscreen
Healthy Home Company Sunscreen Broad Spectrum, SPF 32
Belly Buttons & Babies Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
Just Skin Food Natural and Organic Sunscreen, SPF 30
The Honest Company Honest Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30
Nurture My Body Sunscreen Fragrance Free, SPF 32

:) After Sun :)

Aromatica Organic Aloe Vera Gel
Belly Buttons & Babies After Sun Body Lotion
Pure Daily Essentials Body Glow Sun Bar
Vika's Essentials Prodigal Sun Oil Blend
Banana Boat Sooth­A­Caine Aloe Mist Spray

But, what's so bad about “chemicals”?
So glad you asked...

The toxic chemicals I worry about, are the ones that often resemble hormones. Hormone-
mimicking, aka endocrine disrupting chemicals can be especially worrisome in babies and young children who are still developing and growing. Research suggests these chemicals may cause:

• Reductions in male fertility and declines in the numbers of males born.
• Abnormalities in male reproductive organs.
• Female reproductive health issues, including fertility problems, early puberty, and early
reproductive senescence.
• Increases in mammary, ovarian, and prostate cancers.
• Increases in immune and autoimmune diseases, and some neurodegenerative diseases.

While there is still a lot we do not know, many of us agree that it is better to be safe, and limit our
exposure to these chemicals. Here is the EWG's Dirty Dozen of Endocrine Disruptors

I'd don't want to expose myself and my family to these nasty chemicals, 

but they seem to be everywhere. Where do I even begin!?

Start small. Small changes add up, and small changes actually last. Here are some guidelines to get started:

1. Give yourself credit for making one small change that you can stick with, instead of trying to unrealistically tackle the universe in one shopping trip.
2. Look at labels for the items you use daily, and let yourself relax on the rest.
3. Look at labels for what you use that you don't wash off (like lotion and hand sanitizer) and cut yourself some slack on the others.
4. Don't let guilt or flashy ads control you!
5. When it comes to kids, think “could they eat it?” Because you know, they probably will!

Thanks for reading,
Melody

Disclosure: We are not healthcare providers! 

The information on this post is intended to encourage (and advise) readers to do their own research. 

Products and/or information are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease.