Where are they now?

For a long time I've wanted to do a post recapping some of the things I recommended. Some of my finds were great- others...well, read on. It's been so fun to go through old posts; I expect this will be the first in a series.

Recipes:
Black Eyed Pea Fritters- outstanding! Just seeing the picture makes me want to have them tonight. 

Cake pops- So good! And you can try Elana's gluten free version and let me know how they are!


Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day- Now that I am gluten-free, this is a less frequent treat in our house. But I do still make it every so often for my family and guests. And it turns out beautifully every time.

Projects:
Stamped Lampshade- Faded within several months. I think it would have worked well if I'd used craft ink (which is more permanent).


Products:
Oil and Spice Bath products- Still the only soap I buy, and they've extended their line to include lots of other products, including a new lotion I love. New website is:  www.OilandSpiceBath.com

Glass Straws - Well, I have one out of four left. In their defense, I broke two in the dishwasher (they slipped through the crack and got stuck and broke when I yanked out the bottom rack). The third one broke when it was left outside in the Tonka Truck (that was the end of glass straws in smoothies out on the back porch). If I had purchased them (vs. getting them for free), I might have asked them to replace the dishwasher-broken straws, but...maybe not. You can now purchase stainless steel straws from Amazon (4/$11) and we were given some plastic reusable Pottery Barn straws that we use all the time. I still use the glass straw every day with my smoothie, and I love the way it feels. I would like to get more, but for now, one is enough.


All Things Brite- My Etsy shop was a one pillow wonder. I may get back to it at some point, but for now I'm loving having time to make my friends and family things (and even that is sparse) without the pressing need to sell stuff and get it shipped off. It was fun while it lasted!


Around the house:
Natural cleaning solutions-  I still use only Dr. Bronner's as an all-purpose cleaner, and baking soda and vinegar for bathroom and kitchen cleaning. The kids don't clean the bathroom all the time...cleaning the toilet lost it's appeal (but they'll be back at it when they are a little bigger).

Homemade laundry detergent- I made this again after an extended break (and an allergic reaction to Tide) and was reminded how much I love it. I had wandered away from making my own because of health problems and it was just one more thing to do. But I am getting back to it and you can't beat the cost (even if you coupon). One note- I do find that using a stain-treatment (or Oxyclean for really bad stains) helps because this isn't a super-powerful detergent. But I use those things even with regular detergent, too.

Decorating with orange-  I did decorate our guest room with touches of orange, but my new living room has even more orange accents. Adeline's room is getting a few orange touches as well. I'd hoped to paint the front door orange, but it's not enough contrast with the 1960's brick. Hopefully I can show you a picture of that re-do soon.

Health:
Apple cider vinegar- Still a go-to product for health and my husband has been using it with some success in treating his seasonal allergies (after running through every over-the-counter medicine with no success)

Children:
Exclusive/Extended Nursing- I have no regrets about this and hope the Lord provides another opportunity for me to practice it again! Next time around, I will go about introducing solids in a different way, thanks to information from the Weston Price Foundation (and the book, Real Food for Mother and Baby). Mainly, no grains and lots of protein as first foods.