Anyone Have a Comb?

New babies come at a high cost.  No, I’m not just talking about money or those sleepless nights - but there’s something else that these precious little ones cost us mothers… and that’s the toll on our personal hygiene.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the full length mirror on the way out the door yesterday and I barely recognized myself.  My hair was carelessly pulled up in a bun-tail (you know, one of those half pony-tail, half bun thingies);  My black shirt had a very large smear of white dried spit-up on it; and my Capri’s looked like they had just come out of the hamper (it was actually the dryer – but hey, at least they were clean!).  

Raise Your Hand If You're Sure!

After seeing my legs, it dawned on me that perhaps I had also neglected to ‘groom’ my pits…  I pulled up a arm and gasped!   Yikes… I was officially a hippie!  We live in an area where tank tops and shorts are normal attire year round.  I have gone into public several times like this – to the store, to visit friends, and have even attended church!

Even though I’ve been able to shower on a semi-regular basis, shaving hasn’t exactly been high on my priority list.   Our newborn son has a bad case of Acid Reflux and as a result must remain upright all of the time.  My arms are always full and most of my time spent caring for his special needs.  I suppose one should be able to rationalize this and not let it bother them, but yesterday it really got to me.  

I started to descend into a little pity party, when a small voice from behind me said ‘Mommy, you’re the most beautiful girl in the whole world and you’re a wonderful maker!’ (I’m assuming he meant food).  My oldest son (4) had poked his head around the corner and in two seconds set me straight.  He reminded me why I had let everything go in the first place…  there are more important things in life than looking well groomed.  Who cares what anyone else thinks? Besides, I know that this ’season’ of my life will pass all too quickly and my hairy-legged days will be over.

With a renewed spring in my step, I proudly grabed my hairbrush and neatly combed those lucious locks… on my legs!

God Bless!

~ Erika

Are they really healthy?

Although I love cookbooks, I’m terrible at leaving recipes alone… I always want to modify and try out my own variations of recipes – especially desserts!    This recipe is no different:  I found a basic recipe for macaroons in a Raw Food books called “Raw Food – Real World”and tweeked it Hawaiian Style.

You don’t have to be a ‘Raw Foodie’ to enjoy this recipe – in fact, I have ‘Meat & Potato’ friends asking for more of these all the time.  The best part is that they are actually good for you!  The kind of ‘good’ that means they are actually doing good things to your body – like being full of antioxidents, energy and fuel.  To top it all off, they are chocolatey and delicious!!

In it’s ‘raw’ form, chocolate is called Cacao (pronounced Kuh-Cow) and can be expensive… so I usually buy it from one of three places when it’s on sale:

• Navitas Organic Raw Chocolate Nibs - Amazon
• Sunfood Organic Raw Chocolate- Sunfood Nutrition
• Navitas Organic Raw Cacao Powder – Vitamin Shoppe (Your local VS store may also have this).

Sometimes I use unusal ingredients so I’ll try to always list a few online buying options for you.  If you ever have a hard time finding something, feel free to ask. 

Ok, here’s the recipe along with a ’how-to video’ for making ’Raw Chocolate, Macadamia Nut Macaroons’. 

The special tools featured in this recipe are:

• Refurbished 12 Cup Food Processor – Brushed Nickel (I got mine refurbished directly through ShopKitchenAid.com and saved nearly 1/2 of the retail cost… plus it came in ‘brand new’ condition with a 6 month warranty)
• Excalibur Dehydrator – Model #3926T
• VitaMix – Model 5200 w/Dry Blade

Here is the ingredient list… or if you have the Living Cookbook software, you can download the free .fdx recipe file and import it:

Living Cookbook .fdx Recipe File:
Chocolate, Macadamia Macaroons (To Download: Right mouse click on the recipe and select ’save file as’ – Save to your computer and then you can import it into your Living Cookbook program.  Or you may save the text file here – Macaroon .txt file

Raw Chocolate, Macadamia Macaroons

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:
2 Cups Coconut (raw dehydrated and unsweetened- shredded or flakes)
1 Cup Raw Cacao Nibs (ground to powder)
1 Cup Raw Almonds (ground to flour/meal)
1/2 Cup Raw Macadamia Nuts (ground to flour/meal)
1 tsp Sea Salt

Wet Ingredients:
3/4 Cup Raw Agave Nectar
2 Tbs Raw Coconut Oil (cold pressed)
1 Tbs Pure Vanilla Extract

Procedure

1. In Food Processor – Combine Coconut, Cacao Powder*, Almond Meal/Flour*, Macadamia Nut Meal/Flour* and Salt.  Pulse until well blended.
2. Add Agave Nectar, Coconut Oil and Vanilla Extract to Food Processor and mix until dough forms (approx. 20-30 seconds).
3. Scoop into ‘Macaroon’ balls and place on your Dehydrating Trays (be sure to have the non-stick sheets placed on top of the dehydrating screens first).
4. Place macaroons into dehydrator.  Set drying tempature at 110° – 115° and let dehydrate for approximately 8-12 hours.  Then remove macaroons from the non-stick sheets and place directly on the dehydrating screens.  Return to the dehydrator for an additional 12-18 hours or until macaroons are no longer sticky.
5. Store Macaroons in Refrigerator in an airtight container or bag for up to 2 weeks.   You can also store the cookies in the freezer for up to a month.

* Note:  Use your VitaMix to grind the Cacao Nibs into Powder and your Almonds & Mac Nuts into a mealy flour before adding to the food processor.

Yield: 54 Cookies

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Dehydrating Time: 24-30 hours (depending on humidity)

Feel free to send me any questions or comments you may have! 

I Want My Mommy!

I’m pretty obsessive about making sure that hands get washed regularly; I try to minimize our exposure to other sick people; and of course the #1 defense is to eat a healthy diet full of ‘whole’ and ‘raw’ foods… but inevitably, everybody gets sick sometimes. Especially children who lack the judgment not to put their hands in their mouth… Or in my son’s case; lick the counter at the post office. Eeewww! It must be a boy thing?

In my opinion, the biggest thing that taxes a mother’s emotions, energy, sanity, and just about everything else is: sick kids.

Well, it was our turn last week. We had just brought home our newborn son from the ICU – where they drilled into us the importance of not exposing him to ANYTHING for the next 6 weeks (is that even possible without a bubble?) – and especially a fever! We weren’t home three days when my oldest son woke up from his nap with a 105.5 degree fever! He was so sick that he kept saying to my mom ‘I see two of you Grandma!’ Then the throwing up started.

At this point, I’m already running on fumes from the lack of sleep – but now I’m torn between caring for my oldest son and comforting him – while being gravely concerned for our newborn who has now been exposed to this flu. I knew there would be days like this, but didn’t expect to jump two feet in my first week as a mommy of 2!

Immediately we bowed our heads and prayed, sincerely asking the Lord to heal our son and supernaturally protect the baby. With a strength that comes only from the Lord (and from an amazing family), we kicked into high gear and began to clean, wash, launder, and sanitize everything in the house. We quarantined the baby in an entirely different area of the house and nobody could enter it without changing their clothes and scrubbing up to their armpits!

It lasted 48 hours, generated 31 loads of laundry, used up 2 bottles of Purell, filled 4 full garbage cans, cost $84 in supplies/medicine, and I’m not sure I ate or slept the entire time. Yet somehow, by the grace of God, he completely protected us from it – especially the baby. And we survived to talk about it… Nothing short of a miracle in my book!

And although we’re over the flu for now, we’ve moved on to an infected belly button (the umbilical cord fell off too early), two eye infections, a sensitive circumcision, angry diaper rash, and a switch in formula (since the last one was too gassy).

Yet one look into my children’s eyes, and I’d do it all over again if I had to… which will probably come sooner than later.

God Bless!
~ Erika

A Precious Gift from God

Three nights ago, we received a call from our adoption agency… They had a baby for us!  Even more exciting is that ‘he’ (yes it’s a boy!) was already born and waiting for us to pick up!  (That’s the short story – I’ll tell you the long one another day).  However, he was in the NICU until today when the doctors decided he was good to come home!

Needless to say, I’ll be taking longer breaks in between my posts while I tend to my newest addition… but I am working on putting together a video of our adoption experience to share with you soon!

Thank you to all of those who prayed for us, our son, and for all your encouraging notes! And a special thanks to the Birthmom who Chose Life for this child and who gave me the extreme privilege of loving him as my own.  Once again, I am in awe at how awesome God is!

Rejoicing from home with my new son sleeping on my chest,
~ Erika

Best w/ Family & a Movie

Ok, I admit it… I’m a bit of a Pizza Snob.  I really dislike the cheap pizza that comes from ‘huts’, and from the little dude wearing a toga  – but I’m also too cheap to pay for a ‘gourmet’ pizza made by a ‘knight’ who claims that his ‘table is round’ (if you catch my drift). 

Pizza is a VERY special treat in our family for two reasons:  1. We regularly eat only ‘whole’ and ‘raw’ foods in our house; and 2. ’Pizza Night’ also means an extra ‘Family Night’ – complete with a movie, dessert, and snuggles on the couch. 

After searching the internet over for the Perfect Pizza Crust, I finally found one, and then I modified it slightly to reduce the amount of yeast needed.   I can’t take credit for the entire recipe – but it’s been so long, that I can’t remember where I found the original one. 

So every now and then, when we crave a good pizza, we make it ourselves.  It’s a simple recipe, and the cost for this ‘perfect pizza crust’ is only about $1.50 with maybe another $2 for the sauce and cheese topping.   And in my book, you can’t beat the taste or the cost!  I’m hoping you’ll give it a try – perhaps it will start a whole new tradition in your family.

As aways, here’s the recipe along with a ’how-to video’ for making ’The Perfect Pizza Crust’.   The ‘Perfect Pizza Sauce’ recipe and video are coming soon.

The special tools featured in this recipe are:

• Refurbished 12 Cup Food Processor – Brushed Nickel (I got mine refurbished directly through ShopKitchenAid.com and saved nearly 1/2 of the retail cost… plus it came in ‘brand new’ condition with a 6 month warranty)
• Excalibur Dehydrator – Model #3926T

Here is the ingredient list… or if you have the Living Cookbook software, you can download the free .fdx recipe file and import it:

Living Cookbook .fdx Recipe File:
Perfect Pizza Crust (To Download: Right mouse click on the recipe and select ’save file as’ – Save to your computer and then you can import it into your Living Cookbook program.

Perfect Pizza Crust

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups very warm water
2 tsp yeast
2 tsp sugar
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (start with 3 cups and add more as needed and set aside some for your hands and rolling out dough)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs Olive Oil

Procedure

1. If you have a food processor, this pizza dough can be made in under 5 minutes with hardly any mess to your kitchen.  Of course, you could also mix the dough in a heavy duty stand mixer, in a bread machine, or by hand (although the latter would be a serious workout).
2. Place very warm water, yeast and sugar in food processor and pulse once to mix.  While most recipes will tell you to use lukewarm water when making yeast dough, I find that by the time you take hot water, put it into a measuring cup and then into a food processor, it has cooled significantly.  I always use water that is almost too hot to the touch, and have always had great success.  Let sit while you measure out the dry ingredients.
3. After 5 minutes or so, you will see small bubbles forming in the liquid in the food processor, which indicates that your yeast is working.  Dump in the dry ingredients and turn on the food processor.  The machine will go all the work, including the kneading.  After about a minute the dough should form into a ball going around in your food processor.  Open the machine and take a look.  If you think the dough is too wet, you can add a bit a flour, but know that too wet is better than too dry, and the dough will loose some of its stickiness as it rises.
4. Place about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large bowl.  Take the dough out of the food processor (putting a little olive oil or flour on your hands will keep it from sticking) and form it into a ball.  Place in the bowl and turn to lightly coat with the olive oil.
5. Cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let dough rise in a warm, draft free place for about an hour or until doubled in size.  To speed up the proofing process, you can also place the covered bowl in your dehydrator at 110° for approximately 30 minutes.
6. Once your dough has risen, split the mixture into two balls and form with hands or rolling pin into pizza circle.  Top with your favorite sauce and toppings.
7. For a crust with a better taste and texture, I recommend baking on a baking stone in a very hot oven (500 – 550°F) for about 10 -15 minutes.  Be sure to check the crust regularly after 10 minutes to ensure it is evenly cooked.
8. Once you remove the pizza from the oven, place on cooling rack and let sit for 5 minutes before cutting into slices.

Servings: 8
Yield: 2 Medium Sized Crusts

Tips:
You can store any unused dough in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  Store in a Ziploc bag in fridge until ready to use.  Let dough come to room temperature before proceeding.  You also let the dough rise and freeze it for future use.  Thaw in the fridge or for about 4-6 hours on the counter.  Bring to room temperature before proceeding.

Feel free to send me any questions or comments you may have! 

Guilt Free Ice Cream

If you’re a ‘lactose intollerant’; healthy ’raw’ food lover; or just a ‘weirdo’ like we are, then this recipe will satisfy your ice cream cravings and perhaps take you to the shores of Hawaii – well… at least in your minds eye.

Here’s a delicious and easy recipe along with a ’how-to video’ for making ’Lava Flow Ice (non) Cream in your Vita-Mix blender. 

Never feel guilty for giving your kids dessert BEFORE dinner again!

Here is the ingredient list… or if you have the Living Cookbook software, you can download the free .fdx recipe file and import it:

Living Cookbook .fdx Recipe File:
Lava Flow Ice Cream (To Download: Right mouse click on the recipe and select ’save file as’ – Save to your computer and then you can import it into your Living Cookbook program.

Lava Flow Ice ‘Non’ Cream

Ingredients

Main Ingredients:
2 Cups Frozen Strawberries (fresh, unsweetened)
1 Cup Frozen Pineapple (fresh, unsweetened)
1 Cup Coconut Milk (cold/first pressed, unsweetened)
1/4 Cup Agave Syrup (raw)
1 Tsp Vanilla
12 – 14 Cubes Ice cubes

Optional Toppings:
1 Tbs Nuts (use your favorite)
1 Tbs Shredded Coconut (unsweetened)
1 Tsp Chocolate chips or Raw Chocolate (Cacao) Powder

Procedure

1. In the Vita-Mix, place the frozen strawberries, pineapple, vanilla, agave syrup and ice.   Start at Variable Speed 1 and quickly move to Speed 10, then ‘High’  Using your tamper, guide the ingredients into the blade and mix well.
2. As the Ice Cream blends, you will hear the motor change sound and begin to mix from the bottom up.  Remove the tamper and wait for the mixture to form 4 lumps at the top.  At this point, turn off the Vita-Mix and you’re done!
3. Serve as you would Ice Cream – in bowls or cones.  Top with your favorite toppings and Enjoy!

Servings: 6
Yield: Approx 6 Cups

Ready In: Approx. 5 minutes

Tips

• Fill any remaining mixture & toppings into popsicle molds and freeze for later!
• For a milkshake consistency, blend slightly longer and pour into a glass.
• This recipe can be easily adapted for a 100% ‘Raw’ diet.

Feel free to send me any questions or comments you may have! 

Squishy Fun for Less!

I’ve caught my son sneaking little bites of play-dough every now and then and it got me wondering ‘what the heck is in that anyway?’   The container says ‘non-toxic’, but if you’re a conspiracy theorist mom like me, you’re not entirely convinced it’s safe.

Plus, if you haven’t noticed, name brand playdough isn’t cheap… and I was tired of buying container after container every time ours dried up. 

Here’s a cheap and easy recipe along with a ’how-to video’ for safe Homemade Playdough that costs only about $1 to make! 

Now if I could just find a way to keep my son from mixing all those pretty colors into one big ‘poo-colored’ ball. 

Here is the ingredient list… or if you have the Living Cookbook software, you can download the free .fdx recipe file and import it:

Living Cookbook .fdx Recipe File:
Homemade Playdough (To Download: Right mouse click on the recipe and select ’save file as’ – Save to your computer and then you can import it into your Living Cookbook program.

Homemade Play-Dough

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:
2 Cups Flour
1 Cup Salt
2 Tbs Cream of Tartar

Wet Ingredients:
2 Tbs Canola Oil
2 cup Water

Add Last Ingredients:
40 drops Food Coloring (10 drops of each color)

Procedure

1. Combine all ingredients (except food coloring) into a non-stick sauce pan and mix well.
2. Heat on Medium until mixture thickens and begins to stick to sides of pan.  Be sure to continuously stir the mixture as it cooks.
3. Continue stirring until it is no longer sticky and forms a firm ball in the center of the pan. (approximately 2-3 minute from start to finish)
4. Remove mixture from heat and let cool until it is just warm to the touch.
5. Knead and divide into 4 balls.  Push your finger into the center of the ball to make a well for the food coloring.
6. Add 10 drops of food coloring to each ball  in order to make the four colors (red, yellow, green, blue).
7. Knead well and let cool before giving to child to play.
8. Store in a Ziplock bag for up to 2 weeks or more (preferably in the refrigerator).

Servings
Yield: 4 (1 Cup) Balls

Preparation Time: 2 minutes
Cooking Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Tips
If mixture is too dry, add a little oil and/or water… OR, if mixture is too wet, add a little flour – until the consistency is ‘playdough-like’

To preserve you or your child’s creations, you can bake it for 1/2 to 1 hour at 300 degrees until thoroughly dry.  If you have a dehydrator, you can also follow the manufacturers instructions to dry your pieces.

Feel free to send me any questions or comments you may have! 

Tasty & Cheap Eats!

This recipe is very easy and can be changed into a semi-’raw’ dish if you only stir-fry the noodles and put the raw veggies on top. This is the perfect recipe if you are transitioning to a raw food (or whole food) lifestyle.

I have caught my son picking out the Broccoli, but if I take the time to chop it up a little smaller – he eats it without knowing it!  This is weird, because he will drink broccoli willingly in the ‘Dirty Juice’ (see the related video on how to make this).

I used to dread mealtimes, because I never knew what to make… I wanted recipes that would be cheap, healthy, AND easy to make. This seemed impossible, but I forced myself to sit down and write out a realistic Meal Plan – Although we aren’t 100% raw, I also wanted recipes that would satisfy our body, health and budget – but it had to taste good too!

All of my recipes, meals and shopping lists are organized in my Living Cookbook software. If you don’t already have Living Cookbook, I encourage you to check out what this Software is capable of!

Here is the ingredient list… or if you have the Living Cookbook software, you can download the free .fdx recipe file and import it:

Living Cookbook .fdx Recipe File:
Veggie Stir Fry (To Download: Right mouse click on the recipe and select ’save file as’ – Save to your computer and then you can import it into your Living Cookbook program.

Veggie Stir Fry Recipe:

Ingredients

Vegetables
2 stalks Celery (chopped)
1/3 head Onion (chopped)
1 head Broccoli (approx. 10-15 florets)
1 each Carrot (sliced)
1/4 head Green and/or Red Cabbage (chopped)

Noodles
3 packages Thai Kitchen Rice Noodle Packet (flavors vary)

Seasonings & Oil
1 1/2 packets Seasoning (Packet that comes in the Rice Noodles) or Season to taste.
1 1/2 packets Sesame Oil (Packet that comes in the Rice Noodles)
2 Tbs Soy Vay’s Veri, Veri, Teriyaki Sauce (or to taste)
2 Tbs Olive Oil
3 Tbs Water (if mixture seems dry or as needed)

Procedure

1. Open Rice Noodle packages and break noodles in half, then place in bowl.  Fill with just enough water to cover the noodles.  Let sit for no more than 5 minutes – otherwise the noodles will become mushy.  You want the noodles to be pliable, but still very chewy.
2. Clean & Chop all veggies.  Feel free to add in whatever veggies you think will be tasty and hold up during the stir-fry process.  If you want more Raw veggies, you can also hold all of the veggies until the end and just stir-fry the noodles.
3. Place Olive Oil in Large Skillet over Medium Heat.
4. Once skillet is heated, put all of the veggies in and mix well.
5. Add the Noodles, then stir in the Teriyaki, Seasoning and Sesame Oil packets.
6. Let mixture sit in skillet and stir well every 1-2 minutes until noodles start to turn golden brown and get a little ‘crunchy’.

Servings: 3
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Feel free to send me any questions or comments you may have! 

More Dirty Juice Please!

A lot of moms want to know how it’s possible to get the recommended daily allowance of fruits and veggies into their families diet…

Well, here is a recipe and ‘how to’ video for one of my favorite ways. 

Ok, so there’s no dirt actually involved in the process – but since the end result is pure, unfiltered juice, my family has dubbed this recipe ‘Dirty Juice’.  Some might say this is an ‘acquired taste’, but after a while, you’ll be craving the healthy burst of energy you’ll have after drinking 8 oz of this yummy nectar! 
 
My son has been raised on this juice and has never had the ’store bought’ kind.  He loves it, and so does my husband – who used to be a real ‘meat and potatoes’ kind of guy.

If you don’t already have a Vita-Mix, I strongly encourage you to check out what this machine is capable of!  For more information about Vita-Mix you can go directly to the Vita-Mix website.   For free shipping, be sure to use: Coupon Code: 06-004166

Here is the ingredient list… or if you have the Living Cookbook software, you can download the free .fdx recipe file and import it:

Living Cookbook .fdx Recipe File:
Dirty Juice (To Download: Right mouse click on the recipe and select ’save file as’ – Save to your computer and then you can import it into your Living Cookbook program.

Dirty Juice Recipe:

Ingredients

Fruits
2 whole Red Apples (skin on – cut into half – core removed)
6 berries Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1 whole Banana (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 cup Pineapple (fresh or frozen)
2/3 cup Red Grapes (fresh or frozen)

Vegetables
1 cup Carrots (approx. 1 large carrot)
1 cup Spinach
5 Leaves Kale
1/2 cup Cabbage (red and/or green)
3/4 head Beets (outer skin removed)
1/2 cup Broccoli (approx. 4-5 small heads)

Liquids
1/4 cup Frozen Grape Juice Concentrate (Natural, no sugar)
3 tbs Lemon Juice Concentrate (or use 2 thin slices of fresh lemon)
1 1/2 cup Water
14 cubes Ice cubes

Procedure

1. Feel free to experiment with ingredients.  Just be sure to keep a good balance between fruits and veggies – otherwise you’re juice will be too sweet or too ‘earthy’.  Don’t forget to wash all fresh ingredients thoroughly before using.
2. In Vita-Mix, combine all ingredients (except Ice Cubes) and mix on High for approximately 1 minute (until well processed) using tamper to thoroughly mix.  Stop Vita-Mix and add Ice Cubes, then blend again on high for approx. 20-30 seconds.
3. Store in air-tight container (preferably glass) in fridge for 2-3 days.
4. Variation for popsicles:  If making popsicles, blend in ice cubes until mixture is slushy – then pour into molds and freeze.  Kids love these pops and they don’t even know how good they are for them!

Servings: 10
Yield: Approx. 80 Ounces
 
If you don’t like the thickness, feel free to dilute the juice with more water… Or, you can always strain the juice in a nut-milk bag or through several layers of cheese cloth.

Feel free to send me any questions or comments you may have! 

The Purse Curse

Why is it that husbands get away with just a wallet and keys, while us ladies have to carry around purses filled with all the ‘necessities’? 

Before children, I still carried a lot; but now my purse qualifies as luggage.  I’m starting to re-think this whole purse thing… 

Here’s what’s in my purse right now… seriously!

• My 24 oz Water Bottle – In my favorite flip lid Nalgene Bottle
• My son’s 12 oz Water Bottle – In a perfect kid sized Nalgene Bottle
• Wallet with: ID, Credit Cards, Checkbook, Photos, Receipts and at least 100 stupid membership cards (just one more punch and I’ll get a free something).  Oddly enough, there is no actual money in my wallet – except for a few loose coins.
• Keys
• Cell Phone, Case and Headset
• Sunglasses, Case and Microfiber Cloth
• 2 Bottles of Hand Sanitizer: One in 2 oz pump and another small keychained size.
• Wipes
• Pocket Sized Bible – Love this one from Amazon.
• Digital Camera (a Sony Cyber-Shot if anyone cares)
• Gerber Multi-Tool – With a built in screwdrivers, I use this all the time!
• Swiss Army Knife – mostly for the cool tweezers!
• Pack of Gum
• Aspirin
• Mini Hairbrush
• 2 Band-Aids
• Tissues
• 3 Toothpicks in plastic
• Matches
• Eyeglass Repair Kit
• Rubberbands – Both the hair and standard ones.
• Disposable Rubber Glove – you have no idea how many times I’ve had to use one of these (like the time my son peed all over the floor in Macy’s and I had to mop it up – Yuck!)
• Book of Stamps
• Travel Pack of 5 Toilet Seat Covers – compliments of my mother-in-law (she really knows me!)
• Chapstick
• Hand Lotion
• 16 crayons – accumulated from restaurants (which I am removing from my purse right now!).
• 2 Sunday School projects from my son
• Pen
• Note Pad
• Costco Coupon Book
• Today’s Mail
• and finally… a tampon! (even though I haven’t had a period in almost 10 years – see ‘our adoption story’ for more info on this)

I can’t even imagine if I had another baby or if I wore make-up!  I’d have to upgrade to a full time pack-mule!!  And I have a confession:  Even though my son has outgrown his stroller, I often take it with me when I go shopping just to hold my purse!

I’m normally such a neat freak – I can’t imagine why I let my purse get like this… Perhaps there’s a 12-step program for this.  I’d like to what you’ve got in your purse and perhaps you have a tip on how you’ve tamed the ‘purse curse’.

Help Me!

~ Erika