I just wanted to share with ya'll this beautiful video! I have had the honor and joy of watching Amy and her Family's journey to Elijah! I pray that if their story moves you to take action that you will do so boldly and without fear!

Saying goodbye to HFCS

After months of complaining about our weight and life style Bryan and I have decided to make a change!

We are cutting High Fructose Corn Syrup out of our diet. Now...before I go any further I must say that after a lot of research I do not believe that HFCS is to blame for this country's weight problem, but I do think that it has contributed. I also think that "organic" is a fancy word for "over priced". So, the Hable household has two new food rules:

1. No HFCS

2. (Attempting to) Keep the number of ingredients on the food label to 5 or less

You would be surprise to find out what foods that have HFCS and/or are highly over processed are just hanging out on your refrigerator door! I had a delicious bottle of marinade that I assumed had oil and a few herbs and spices in it....WRONG! the first ingredient was HFCS followed by a long list of things I can't pronounce!

For the past two weeks almost every thing we've eaten had been homemade from scratch....including all of our bread. I mention bread because today in the NYT Wall Street Journal there was an article called "Ten Money Moves That Will Always Pay Off" and #8 on the list........Buy a bread machine! We don't own a bread maker (yet) but I agree that making my own bread has saved lots of dough (pun intended) and even better, I control what is in that bread! No HFCS and no ingredients that don't look like English!

I can't honestly say that I have seen a big difference in our health over the past two weeks (yet), but I love the fact that I know exactly what we are eating and saving money on some everyday items. Also, I love using my hands to provide food for my hubby instead of just taking credit for getting a "good" deal at the grocery store.
What about you? have you made any changes to your household that you feel will make a long term difference to your family?

A Clean Home...The Microwave

I had planned on posting about some changes in eating habits that are happening in our home but, I was cleaning earlier and wanted to share with you this fun way of cleaning the microwave....ok... I'm not sure that cleaning the microwave will ever be "fun", so let's stick with "surprisingly easy".

Needed:
1/2 of lemon
2cups of water
a microwavable bowl big enough to hold the above
a dirty microwave

Place water and lemon in your bowl and place the bowl in the microwave. Run the microwave for 5-10mins. Then let sit for 5mins. Wipe down with a clean cloth!


TA-DA!!!!

A Clean Home...dusting

A while back I wrote about making my own laundry detergent and how much satisfaction I felt from saving money on such a necessary household product.
Well, making my own laundry detergent has inspired me to find other ways to save money and use healthier products in my home! There are so many changes we've made...or are working on making that I can't wait to share with you!

Bryan has a horrible allergy to everything dust. I always knew this, but I didn't understand how bad it was until an allergy test a few months ago:

Poor guy!

So I made a PLEDGE to dust more. But honestly I don't like to dust...or clean. Plus the smell of dusting solutions...YUCK! So, in an effort to get more excited about dusting and hopefully help Bryan feel better in his own home I started making my own dusting solution!
How easy is this?!?
1 cup of white distilled vinegar (less then $2.00)
1/2-1 teaspoon of olive oil
a few drops of lemon juice

Shake it all together in a spray bottle and go to town!!! I have used this solution on wood, electronics, and on glass vases.
I really hope that you will consider the cost of cleaning your home and the ingredients that you're using, and encourage you to research alternative ways to keep your home A Clean Home!

SOaP

An amazing story about the power of creativity and soap that is posted on Fox's Real American Stories! And be sure to visit http://www.globalsoap.org/

Contentment (Philippians, iv. 11)
By William Cowper


Fierce passions discompose the mind,
As tempests vex the sea,
But calm, content and peace we find,
When, Lord, we turn to Thee.
In vain by reason and by rule
We try to bend the will;
For none but in the Saviour's school
Can learn the heavenly skill.
Since at His feet my soul has sate,
His gracious words to hear,
Contented with my present state,
I cast on Him my care.
"Art thou a sinner, soul?" He said,
"Then how canst thou complain?
How light thy troubles here, if weigh'd
With everlasting pain!
"If thou of murmuring wouldst be cured,
Compare thy griefs with mine!
Think what my love for thee endured,
And thou wilt not repine.
"'Tis I appoint thy daily lot,
And I do all things well;
Thou soon shalt leave this wretched spot,
And rise with me to dwell.
"In life my grace shall strength supply,
Proportion'd to thy day;
At death thou still shalt find me nigh,
To wipe thy tears away."
Thus I, who once my wretched days
In vain repinings spent,
Taught in my Saviour's school of grace,
Have learn'd to be content.

1 WONDERFUL YEAR!