Unforgettable Childhood

Before I became a mom I thought I had motherhood all figured out. I thought that adding children to our little twosome would be a piece of cake. I thought I would just keep working, always have a clean house, cook and bake all while raising my children to have excellent manners.

And then. . .I had kids. I realized that I do not have a Super Woman cape hiding under my clothing. I do not have super human strength and lightning fast speed.
I tried to be Super Mom, but it just was not possible. I want to be a great mom to my kids. But by whose definition?

I am learning that I cannot say “Yes” to everyone and everything. I have learned that some days if I decide to have an afternoon art adventure with my girls. . .the house may stay a mess.

I am going to start making a few changes with this blog and I can’t wait to share them with you.

This blog is my journey to helping my children have an unforgettable childhood. If I was trying to be Super Mom I don’t think that is the experience that they would have. I think by being a “good enough” mom, we can embark on an amazing adventure.

Stay tuned to some changes around here and don’t forget to join my SnazL party on Wednesday afternoon at 3pm EST/2pm CST. It should be a fun time for us to get to know each other better.

Have a great week!

Okay, I admit it, my family does not live very green. Our town does not have curbside recycling. I bought CFL light bulbs almost a year ago and still haven’t replaced the old ones. However, I am trying to teach my Daisy Girl Scouts all about helping the environment so I decided I better start doing what I can for the world.

So as my first “Get Real Girl – Goes Green” post I am reviewing two products from Ecostore USA.

What does EcoStore USA have to offer?
Our eco friendly, plant-based household cleaning products are as effective as the leading supermarket brands, and our body and baby care ranges are gentle on your skin and are simply beautiful to use.
All of our products are made from plant- and mineral-based ingredients, free of toxic chemicals that bring people closer to nature with non-toxic, environmentally safe solutions that also help to reduce our carbon footprint.

Our products also help to ensure value for the dollar for our customers. We know it can be expensive to buy natural or organic products but we’ve found a way to safely super-concentrate our formulations. Our super-concentrates means that a little really does go a long way – saving you money by cutting down significantly on cost per use.

What product did I review?
I chose to review the Aloe Vera Shampoo and Conditioner. My oldest daughter and I are always looking for Shampoo and Conditioners that will add moisture. Both her and I have been using these products for the last two weeks.

What do we think?
My daughter can’t believe how soft her hair is and we both have had no problems with dry scalp. We both have hair that requires more conditioner than usual, but this has been with any conditioning product we have used. The product smells good. We both think this product works great and it is safe on the environment.

Would you like to try this product?
Ecostore has sent me another set of shampoo and conditioner that I am giving away to one of you. The only thing you have to do is leave a comment.

The contest will end on Wednesday, August 26th at midnight CST.

Tuesday’s MckLinky Blog Hop is sharing a favorite recipe. I decided to give you one of my favorite bread recipes. This recipe stays moist and it is a favorite of everyone in my family. It is even pretty healthy! I have it on a recipe card in my box, but I got it from Taste of Home Healthy Cooking or Cooking Light. I can’t remember which. . .sorry.

Makeover Pumpkin Spice Bread
2 1/4 c. sugar
2 c. flour
1 1/3 c. cake flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
4 eggs
1 can (15 oz) solid packed pumpkin
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/3 c. canola oil

In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. In another bowl, whisk eggs, pumpkin, buttermilk, applesauce and oil. Stir into dry ingredients, just until moistened. Transfer to two 9X5X3″ loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Enjoy, YUMMY!

I am a stay-at-home mom of three girls living in a small town in South Dakota. I am currently working on two personal blogs. Thue Crue is my family blog. It is my goal as a mom to help my kids have an unforgettable childhood. Adventures of the Thue Crue is my family’s adventures, the good the bad and the ugly. We love to explore, craft and let our imaginations run wild.

Girlfriends Get Real is a blog that focuses on my desire to share my thoughts on Faith. I am not perfect and this blog gives me an opportunity to share my story, my struggle and my journey. I love the Lord with all of my heart, all of my soul, all of my strength and all of my mind (Luke 10:27). I strive to grow in my relationship with Jesus Christ every day.

When I am not writing online I can be found: reading, scrapbooking, and spending time with my family. I am married to a wonderful man that helps me to dream big and finances all of our crazy adventures. He graciously lives in a house full of pink, ponytails and a lot of drama.

Taylor is our soon to be 9-year-old daughter. She loves to write and draw. She plays the piano and sings. Already she loves to be center stage.

Madelyn is our soon to be 7-year-old daughter. She is already way too high fashion for me. I don’t have to persuade her to get ready in the morning. Soon, I am sure she will be the fashion director of this house. She will tell you already how horrible it is to be the middle child. (and I sympathize with her because I was a middle child, too)

Nadia is our soon to be 4-year-old daughter. She is the Queen of the Castle, just ask her. She starts everyday with chocolate milk and Dora the Explorer. She can be found cruising down the sidewalk on her training wheels shouting, “Look at me!”

My blogs are ever-changing because God isn’t finished with me yet. It is my goal to share with my readers a glimpse into our lives as we try to honor Jesus Christ in everything we do. I want this to be a fun place for you to stop off to laugh with me, cry with me and watch me try to create a childhood that my children will never forget.

O’kay, so I am pretty new the world of blogging and I am really still trying to figure it all out. So I decided the best way to do that is to visit as many blogs as I possibly can and learn from the experts.

One way to do this is to participate in blog hops. So starting today I am participating in BlogNerd Bash. A lot of bloggers will be in Chicago this weekend for Blogher. I won’t. This is my way of still meeting bloggers.

In September I am hoping to do a huge makeover on this site. I hope it will be fun for everyone so stay tuned.

Part of the Blognerd Bash is to tell a little about yourself, (deep breath), so, here goes.

My name is Amy. I am a SAHM of three girls, Taylor (8), Madelyn (6) and Nadia (3). Everyone is nearing their next birthday so we are starting to gear up for fall parties. I am married to a wonderful man who is my hero, (you can read about it here).

I was a working mom until my youngest was 6 months old. I have a degree in mass communications and have worked in the marketing, customer service and healthcare industries.

I love to write and read. I would love to have more time to craft, (hopefully when my children are a little older). As my youngest starts school I would like to begin freelance work as a writer. I love to sing and lead worship at my home church.

Most importantly, I am a follower of Jesus Christ. He is the most important part of my life. I am on a faith journey that has its ups and downs, but every night I go to sleep in peace, knowing that I believe in a big God that is always with me. I write about my faith journey on my other blog Girlfriends Get Real. In blog world I am the Get Real Girl. Because life isn’t easy and way too many people try to pretend that it is. My writing is from my heart, no fluff, it is just me being real.

Visit Amanda to check out this Blog Hop!

And. . .there is another great Blogher at Home Blog Hop. Make sure you check in out here.

Today is my birthday, YEAH!! I am celebrating over at my other blog, Girlfriends Get Real. Head over to check out my giveaways in honor of my 32nd birthday. They are just a few things to let you know a little more about me and all the things that I love! Happy Birthday to me, but presents for you. What could be better?

If only I had a magic wand, I would wave it and my house would be clean. It is a beautiful day out, (well besides the wonderful South Dakota wind), but I am cleaning like mad. I did decide to take a little break to blog a bit. I did promise an after picture of my closet project, but I cannot get blogger to cooperate with me and it will only upload upside down. I will have to try again later.

So today, I move on to another room, another project. I do have a deadline. Thursday night my husband’s family starts to arrive so I am under the gun to get going. I didn’t get my Spring Cleaning done that I needed to, so I am focusing on Summer Cleaning.

This is going to be our Annual Camp Thue. I wish my house was clean so I could focus on the fun stuff. I am planning a big Messy Art Party for my nieces and nephews and I would much rather be getting the supplies ready for that.

Hopefully by tomorrow, my house will be clean and I will be figuring out all of the activities that are going to make my house messy again.