This month I had the extreme pleasure of reviewing the book Steady Days: A Journey Toward Intentional, Professional Motherhood, by Jamie C. Martin. The quote above is from the beginning of the book, setting the stage for an exploration of what it takes to be a professional mother.

There is one message that rings out strong and clear throughout the entirety of Steady Days and it is this... mothering requires intentionality. To maintain peace and order, we must be purposeful about how we achieve that. To maintain our enthusiasm, we must plan activities and encouragement into our days that inspire us. To capture memories and special moments with our children, we must have a plan for what we will do and how we will remember what we've enjoyed and experienced.

Over and over again, this one thought. To be successful in achieving my goals as a mother, I must be intentional. Purposeful. Prepared. Well-planned. Goal-oriented.

Let's face it. It can be easy to go on auto-pilot as a mom. Sometimes our days are so full and overwhelming that we just go with the flow, without being intentional about how we are spending these precious years with our children.

As a home educating mother, I make more of an effort to be intentional about how I educate my children, what learning resources I expose them to, how many books we read, etc.  And yet, throughout the rest of my day I can sometimes get so focused on other aspects of my roles as mother, wife, homemaker and more that I cease to be purposeful about all the other realms of my mothering.

If you can relate to what I'm saying, I think that you would be blessed by Steady Days. Jamie is encouraging and upbeat, and yet consistently challenging us to consider how we are doing things, what our motivations are, what could be changed, how we could grow as mothers.

Jamie reading to her 3 sweet children

A few other practical things I loved:

• Short, simple chapters. If bite-sized is what you need to make it through a book and really implement its strategies, then you will just love how Jamie has organized Steady Days into 40 short chapters.
• Steady Days Planner. This is Jamie's version of a homemaking binder, and she has so many wonderful suggestions for adding to it. A few that I was particularly inspired by were a Steady Blessings page (for recording our blessings, special moments, thoughts of gratefulness), Special Date Organizer, Shopping Lists, and Children's Goals. Many of the particular pages she discusses and shows throughout the book can actually be found on her website, at http://www.steadydays.com/resources.html.
• Room Time. A clever technique for achieving a bit of quiet time for Mom to get some things done, while each child plays/reads productively in their own space (no more sibling squabbles, at least for 20-30 minutes!). Love it!

Final thoughts: I really enjoyed this book and I know that I will reference it again and again. I love Jamie's encouragement to just implement new things or small changes bit by bit. For moms who are feeling overwhelmed and in need of someone to help you get more organized and intentional in your mothering, Steady Days is for you!

To get to know Jamie a little better and find more tips, strategies and thoughts for bringing steadiness and professionalism to your days, you can find her at her blog, Steady Mom.

Would you like to win a signed copy of Steady Days: A Journey Towards Intentional, Professional Motherhood?

Here's how:

(Please leave each entry as a SEPARATE comment, to ensure that they are all counted. Thanks for making my job easier!)

1. Tell me why you need to read this book, or a goal that you have for your mothering.
2. Visit Jamie's blog, Steady Mom, and leave a comment.
3. Subscribe to Steady Mom.
4. Follow her on twitter, @steadymom.
5. Subscribe to Keeper of the Home.
6. Follow me on twitter, @keeperhome.
7. Post about this giveaway on your own blog, and leave me the url.

Giveaway ends Friday, January 29th at 3:00pm. This giveaway has now finished.

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
• Moukisac: Your 6 in 1 shopping bag system; compact, stylish, versatile and practical, of course! Made by Canadian mom.
• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
• ListPlanIt: Lists to put your world in order
• Vintage Remedies: Get healthy, naturally
• Just Bumming Around: When only the best cloth diapers (at great prices) will do. FuzziBunz packages on SALE!

More from Keeper of the Home

• The Handbook of Vintage Remedies: Review and Giveaway | Keeper of the Home
• Get More Organized This Holiday Season: ListPlanIt Review and Giveaway | Keeper of the Home
• The Last Great Giveaway | Keeper of the Home
• Your Turn to Get Organized with a Meal ePlanner! | Keeper of the Home

When Emily of Hope Ink Art asked if I would do a review and giveaway of one of her scripture art prints, I couldn't have been more delighted! Not only is her work eye-catching, unique and beautifully done, but it boldly proclaims the very HOPE that we have in Christ. What better way could we possibly add to our home decor?

Here are a few of my favorites from her Etsy shop, Hope Ink Art, to give you a little glimpse of the work that Emily does:

Delight. Psalm One. (This is a cafe mount, which comes ready to hang on a 3/4 inch professional backing, no need to frame)

Hope.

Forever.

And here is the striking "Love Defined" print of 1 Corinthians 13 that I received, personalized in my colors of choice and with mine and my husband's name on it. This is the print that is going to be given away!

(The grainy look at the bottom attests to my poor photography skills. The print is finished with a wonderful looking sheen to it, and I just can't seem to capture it well enough with my camera. In real life, it looks just beautiful and very classy.)

Would you like to win your own personalized (colors, names) 12 x12 "Love Defined" print from Hope Ink (a $40 value)?

(Yes, of course you would!)

**Please remember that as always, you must leave each entry as a SEPARATE comment for them to be included. Thank you so much for making my life just a teeny bit easier! **

Here's how to get entered:

1) Visit Hope Ink and take a look around. The print that's being given away is the personalized 12x12 "Love Defined", but please still take a moment to browse around then come back here and leave a comment telling me your favorite product (and believe me, I know it's hard to choose!)

2) Tweet or Facebook the giveaway, or both for 2 entries (gosh, has "Facebook" now become a verb? Just as long as it never makes it into Webster's Dictionary)

3) Follow me on Twitter (@keeperhome)

4) Follow Emily of Hope Ink on Twitter (@hopeink)

5) Post about this giveaway on your blog and leave a comment with the post url

6) Become a Keeper of the Home community Forum member or start a new topic

As well, you should know that there is currently a sale going on at Hope Ink- Buy 1 Get 1 FREE! Today (Friday, Dec.18th) is the last day of this fantastic Merry Christmas sale, so take advantage! Even if you were to win the giveaway, I don't know how you could go wrong with more of this beautiful scripture art adorning the walls of your home!

Note: Emily has also just confirmed for me that her printer says that anything ordered up until the 20th should make it in time for Christmas (US shipping only), so this is a perfect opportunity to finish your Christmas gift list!

Giveaway ends Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 5:00pm. Giveaway has ended. Thanks everyone!

(I have received a product to review but have not been compensated for my time to write this review or run this giveaway)

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
• Moukisac: Your 6 in 1 shopping bag system; compact, stylish, versatile and practical, of course! Made by Canadian mom.
• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
• ListPlanIt: Lists to put your world in order
• Vintage Remedies: Get healthy, naturally
• Just Bumming Around: When only the best cloth diapers (at great prices) will do. FuzziBunz packages on SALE!

More from Keeper of the Home

• Herbal Art Prints Giveaway! | Keeper of the Home
• Giveaway: Beautiful Silver Handmade Mementos and Earrings | Keeper of the Home
• Steady Days: Book Review and Giveaway | Keeper of the Home
• Get More Organized This Holiday Season: ListPlanIt Review and Giveaway | Keeper of the Home

I've always been a list maker. I make lists of what needs to be done in the day, what food is in the fridge that needs to be used up, what meals I'm going to make, what to pack for a trip, what gifts to buy, what errands to run and what order to do them in, what blog posts I want to write, and what I'm going to wear each day (okay, so that last one isn't true, but the other ones all are). When I first began to explore the lists at ListPlanIt, my initial thought was that it all looked quite simple. Maybe too simple. I already knew how to make a list myself, so I wasn't sure how these lists were going to revolutionize how I organized my home, personal life, etc.

I was wrong, though. The more that I got into the lists, my perspective changed. What I realized is that although each list in and of itself may not be anything mind-blowing or new (although some lists are for things I never would have thought of!), the concept of having access to all of these pre-made lists in one place is! With a click of my mouse, I can choose any list out of the 400+ on the site, and immediately I have exactly what I need to organize yet another area of my life. When used well and in combination with each other, I am starting to see just how these lists could simplify, declutter and organize much of my work as a homemaker in particular.

One thing that I've wanted to establish for a long time is a homemaking binder, with information on recipes and meal planning, house cleaning, schedules and routines, gardening, etc. I've never really set it up the way that I wanted to, and thus it was never useful enough to keep on using (funny how that happens). I've been inspired, though, to use the lists at ListPlanIt to very quickly and easily put together a methodical and very thorough homemaking binder that I think I will actually use and truly benefit from! (Oh no, another winter project to add to my list- but perhaps this will be one of the most helpful projects of all!).

The real benefit of ListPlanIt (at least, in my opinion) is that there is already a list for pretty much anything you could think of (and ones you've never thought of, too). The work has been done for you. With a membership you simply log in, access your lists, and print or download the ones that you want. You can use the lists as many times as you like. With a download level membership ($30 a year), you can even go into the list file yourself and type directly into the list, customizing it exactly as you like it!

Since you can't actually open the lists on the site and see them for yourself, I thought it might be helpful for me to let you know some of the ones that I've looked at and am most excited to use:

Home Management: I really like the Monthly Cleaning Schedule (which comes already completed with daily and weekly tasks), as well as the blank monthly cleaning schedule which I could use to create my own. The Shopping List (for keeping track of everything you need to buy, not just groceries) would be a handy thing to keep in a purse or diaper bag for when I'm out. I don't get out much (now tell me you hadn't already known that about me!), and when I do I often forget things that I wish I had looked for. The Items Needed list would work well for that purpose, too.

The Comparison Shopping list is a really good tool for those seeking to save money, especially on groceries. It's already made for you and all you need to do is print it out and bring it shopping with you. This is one of the many, many ways to save money on food that I talk about in my upcoming book.

I LOVE the Clothing Inventory lists (for women, men, and boys or girls). I've sorted through my clothes and made an inventory before and it is so helpful to really record what you have so that you can see what you really need (not just what you want or think you need). Also, the boys and girls inventory lists are perfect for my method of buying kids clothes frugally. These will definitely be added to my homemaking binder!

And for the garden- I am sure that later this winter I will use the Seed Starting Schedule, as well as the Garden Notes for keeping my own record of what was planted when, how it's doing, problems I had and how I solved them, etc.

Meal Planning: Most of these looked really helpful. I am all about meal planning as a way to ensure good nutrition, to save $ on groceries and to reduce stress for moms. A couple that I would be likely to make use of in my homemaking binder are My 21 Meals (a list of your 21 favorite meals that you make most often), plus several of the Meal Inventories (for quick reference as you make your meal plans). They fit in well with the list that I like to keep updated with all of our favorite meals and recipes, to help keep menu planning a short and simple task (except that these look much nicer and more organized than my current list!).

I could also see using the Favorite Recipes pages (one for each category- breakfast, entrees, desserts, etc.) as a really good, quick reference in a recipe binder. When I re-organize my recipe binder this winter, I think I will use those pages at the start of each new category section. Plus there are several easy to use meal planning sheets to stick on your fridge, with either a week's or a month's menus. I also appreciated the Grocery Lists, especially the checklist (less writing= less time making my shopping list). With the Download membership, you can make changes by typing directly in the lists, tweaking them more to your needs, and having a grocery checklist full of the specific foods that my family buys would not only help me prepare my shopping lists faster, but also give me a place to quickly check off items that I notice are running out so that I don't forget to buy things we need.

Holidays and Occasions: Lots of great lists that help to plan important holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or birthday parties (wish I'd had this as I planned my daughter's 5th birthday last month). I especially loved that there was an Advent list, for planning out each day's Advent devotions, activities, etc! For anyone looking to get more organized for the holidays, there are lots of good resources here.

Time Management: Using the calendars (monthly, two months and six months at a glance), together with the Daily Planner and the Weekly Planner with Meals, I think I could do away with my regular planner and just keep everything hole-punched and in my homemaking binder!

And a few other lists I know I'll use-- the Responsibility Charts (for different ages of children) under Family Matters, and several of the blog and business organizing lists under Business Planning.

Like anything else, these lists are only helpful if you actually use them. The nice thing is that because they're already made, easy to customize, and ready to print with the click of a button, it makes it that much more likely that you will actually use them simply because they're so easy to use. The sheer quantity of different lists to choose from ensures that you're likely to find a list for just about anything you need to organize, and though I spent a lot of time looking through the lists that come with my membership, I know that I haven't come close to exhausting all of the ones that will come in handy.

All in all, I think that if used well, ListPlanIt is an excellent resource for any homemaker, mom or busy woman in general who is hoping to get more organized and could use a little help along the way.

And one of you is going to get a little more organized with a ListPlanIt 1 year download membership!

Here's how to get entered for this fun and timely giveaway:

I want you to get every one of your hard-earned entries, so please, please, please leave a separate comment for each entry that you fulfill!

1. Take a quick visit over to ListPlanIt's site, then leave me a comment telling me what you like most about it, or which lists you'd be most likely to use, and why you need to win this membership!
2. Post about this giveaway on your own blog and leave the url of that post.
3. Link to the giveaway on Facebook.
4. Tweet this giveaway.
5. Follow me on Twitter (@keeperhome)
6. Follow Jennifer of ListPlanIt on Twitter (@ListPlanIt)
7. Subscribe to my blog (or tell me that you already do)
8. Join the forum or start a new topic.

Good luck! One of you is going to join me in getting more organized this Christmas season and in the New Year as well!

Giveaway ends Friday, December 11 at 5:oopm. Giveaway has now ended.

(Disclaimer: Though I have received a product, I have not been paid to write this review.)

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
• Moukisac: Your 6 in 1 shopping bag system; compact, stylish, versatile and practical, of course! Made by Canadian mom.
• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
• ListPlanIt: Lists to put your world in order
• Vintage Remedies: Get healthy, naturally
• Just Bumming Around: When only the best cloth diapers (at great prices) will do. FuzziBunz packages on SALE!

More from Keeper of the Home

• Your Turn to Get Organized with a Meal ePlanner! | Keeper of the Home
• The Last Great Giveaway | Keeper of the Home
• 2 Year Blogiversary Celebration: What’s New and a Giveaway! | Keeper of the Home
• Plastic-Free Ice Cube Trays (and a Giveaway)! | Keeper of the Home

I knew exactly what I wanted. And I knew exactly why I wanted it...

To read the rest of this review and see the incredible giveaway that accompanies it, see my review page.

Please note: If your comments are being flagged as spam, I will still get them! My spam filter is currently set on high since moving to my new site, as it's just not functioning up to speed yet and I don't want you all to be seeing all the spam that it was letting through. I am thoroughly checking my spam folder and approving all legitimate comments, so please do not be alarmed if your comments don't appear at first. I will definitely get to them and you will receive each and every entry! Promise!

This giveaway has now ended. What an incredible turnout of entries! Good luck, everyone! I'll announce the winner soon!

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
• Moukisac: Your 6 in 1 shopping bag system; compact, stylish, versatile and practical, of course! Made by Canadian mom.
• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
• ListPlanIt: Lists to put your world in order
• Vintage Remedies: Get healthy, naturally
• Just Bumming Around: When only the best cloth diapers (at great prices) will do. FuzziBunz packages on SALE!

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• Giveaway: Stainless Steel Food Storage! | Keeper of the Home
• A Nostalgic Giveaway | Keeper of the Home
• The Handbook of Vintage Remedies: Review and Giveaway | Keeper of the Home
• Steady Days: Book Review and Giveaway | Keeper of the Home

This incredibly nifty looking contraption soon arrived at my doorstep, and I couldn't wait to give it a whirl!

Here it is, full of ice, straight out of the freezer.

In the process of being cracked (by my 4 year old, who can almost do it by herself but needs just a bit of help at the end).

And voila: a tray full of ice that has not had to sit in plastic or have nasty chemicals leached into it! I love it!

I was actually having some mild difficulties with my lovely new ice cube tray, until my Mom came to visit us a couple of weeks ago. She quickly exclaimed that these were just like what they used when she was a girl (before plastic ones even existed, although my understanding is that they were previously made of aluminum, which we now know is also not a healthy option)! Who knew?!

The only real troubleshooting I had to do was learn to fill it up just a smidge lower than I would fill up my regular trays (thanks Mom!), so that the lever is able to move smoothly and crack the ice cleanly without any struggle. Now that I've figured it out, it works like a charm every time, and it's actually quite nice to have ice just sitting there in the tray, rather than needing to pry it out of the little ice cube holes.

My last concern was regarding how I would fit several of them into my freezer, since they don't stack easily to the the lever on top. Looks like Carolyn has already found a great solution, and will soon have some stacking trays very similar to this one:

Carolyn's priority over at The Tickle Trunk is to find great quality products, made using stainless steel as a safe alternative to plastic (which we know has the unfortunate ability to leach toxic chemicals into our food and beverages), and make them affordable for moms like you and me. She carries a wide selection of other products including the wonderful water bottles I use, various sizes and styles of food storage containers, cups, cutlery and more! Reviewing (and personally using) some of her fantastic products is always a no-brainer for me!

Would you like to win one of these ice cube trays for yourself? Here's how:

1) Leave a comment with your name and email address, letting me know one of the following things:

• One other product from The Tickle Trunk that appeals to you.
• A product that you've already purchased from her store and how you like using it!
• Any suggestions you have for new stainless steel products that you'd like to see The Tickle Trunk carry.

2) To be entered a second time, simply post about this giveaway on your own blog and and leave a second comment with the post url
    or
Subscribe to my blog's feed, either through a blog reader or through email, and leave me a comment letting me know that you've done so.

3) Giveaway ends next Thursday, at 3:00pm PST.

This giveaway has now ended.

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
• Moukisac: Your 6 in 1 shopping bag system; compact, stylish, versatile and practical, of course! Made by Canadian mom.
• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
• ListPlanIt: Lists to put your world in order
• Vintage Remedies: Get healthy, naturally
• Just Bumming Around: When only the best cloth diapers (at great prices) will do. FuzziBunz packages on SALE!

More from Keeper of the Home

• Giveaway: Stainless Steel Food Storage! | Keeper of the Home
• Great giveaway on stainless steel products! | Keeper of the Home
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• Eco-Friendly Grocery Shopping at its Best: Moukisac Review and Giveaway | Keeper of the Home

So... you can imagine that when Jennifer from Born 2 Impress asked if I would consider doing a review, I was ecstatic and immediately said yes! Just a couple weeks later, when Abbie opened up the box that had arrived in the mail, she (and I) were just thrilled with the contents!

Doesn't she look beautiful? This is just one of the lovely little clips and bows that we had the privilege of trying out, and I think it was my favorite (though it's hard to choose!).

Abbie, on the other hand, absolutely loved this bright and bold headband:

As well as this sweet little daisy clip:

**Talk about a willing and cheerful model!

One of the things that impressed me most about this mom-owned and run business was it's selection! They had almost every type of clip you could imagine (flowers and insects, braided clips, organza bows, small and large ribbon bows, clips sets) as well as a huge variety of different types of headbands, plus hats, pony-O's and even purses and totes. They range in size and selection for infants, toddlers and big girls, with appropriate styles of clips and bands to suit each stage of hair length and thickness as well.

The clips are snap style, and the bulk of the clip is carefully wrapped in ribbon or soft fabric to prevent ripping/catching hairs and to help them stay in snugly. You may have noticed in pictures that my Abbie has extremely thin and fine hair and even at age 4, it is only full enough to keep it in a chin-length bob.

I often struggle to find clips that work well in her hair but aren't too small and babyish, and these clips were absolutely perfect! They stayed in place very well, considering the fact that they are larger and heavier than most of the clips we've used. Hooray!

I would love to let one of you try out some of these beautiful, hand-made hair accessories for your own little girl, so Jennifer has generously offered to give away a $20 gift certificate to Born 2 Impress!

Here's how to enter:

1) Visit the Born 2 Impress site, give yourself a little tour, and choose your top one or two favorite products!

2) Leave me a comment letting me know your favorite picks, and make sure that you leave your name and email as well.

3) If you'd like to be entered a second time, mention this giveaway on your own blog and leave a second comment with the url of the post where you linked to it.

4) Giveaway ends next Tuesday, 3 pm (PST). (Unfortunately, giveaway is only open to US residents or those with a US shipping address)

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
• Moukisac: Your 6 in 1 shopping bag system; compact, stylish, versatile and practical, of course! Made by Canadian mom.
• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
• ListPlanIt: Lists to put your world in order
• Vintage Remedies: Get healthy, naturally
• Just Bumming Around: When only the best cloth diapers (at great prices) will do. FuzziBunz packages on SALE!

More from Keeper of the Home

• Bugaloo Kids: The Cutest Baby Shoes (And You Could Win Some!) | Keeper of the Home
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• Adjusting to Life with 3 Little Ones | Keeper of the Home

As a concerned mom, when I found out about this, I immediately wanted to throw out all the plastic in the house and replace it with anything I could find that seemed to be safe. Problem was, figuring out what was out there, how to choose between the different options and was it really worth the ludicrously high price tags that seemed to accompany everything that wasn't dangerous for us? 

I decided to do my research. I've spent the last 4 or 5 months gathering BPA-free sippy cups (a few I bought myself and most were generously given as samples by the companies). I have two expert testers, namely Abbie (4) and Caden (21 mths) who have gladly tested them out for your benefit. Now we're ready to share with you what we've learned!

For those wanting more info on BPA in general, here are a few links of interest for you:
Bottles, sippy cups and BPA- oh my!

Bisphenol-A (wikipedia)

Consumer Tips for Avoiding BPA

BPA is Toxic at Low Doses

And now, on with the battle of the sippy cups!

Klean Kanteen

Ease of use: 9

Few pieces, simple to put together and take apart.

Ease of cleaning: 8

The spout comes apart so easily, and all the pieces are dishwasher safe. After a while, the spout eventually got some mold spots on it, so I had to replace it, but the replacements are available at most stores and weren't too costly (they're made by Avent).

Practicality: 7

It occasionally leaks a little, if not kept upright. Because it is completely stainless steel, when it is used for a cold drink, it sometimes becomes a little bit too cold for children's hands. Also, it looks great and we all found it visually appealing, but the 100% stainless steel design means that when (not if, but when!) it gets dropped on a hard surface, it will dent or scrape. Still functions, but doesn't look quite as pretty anymore. Also, as the child gets older, the sippy top can be replaced with a screw on or sport top, which makes it a versatile option.

What my kids thought of it: 8

Both kids really enjoy using this one, although I think sometimes they don't like the feel of the metal on their hands. They like it's spout the best (the same spout as the Avent Magic Cup), but given the choice between this one and the plastic cup, they'll usually pick the plastic, although they will pick this one over the other cups.

Cost: Silver $10.95, Colored $12.50-$19.99

**(this cost and all of the others are based on the current price at Amazon.com
)**

My overall rating: 8.5

This is a cup that I like to like. I feel good about supporting the company. I like that it contains little plastic (except in the top/spout). I like that when they're done with the sippy style cup, we can simply buy a new type of lid. I wish the all-metal design was a little more practical, and that it didn't hurt so much to fork out the money for one of these (or stress me out each time I think I've lost it!).

** Thought they're not quite the same cup, for a much cheaper version of this cup (yes, Klean Kanteen, I know they're not the same as your cups!), check out The Tickle Trunk, which specializes in affordable stainless steel products for food and drink! You'll need to buy your own spouts to add on to it as they don't come with spouts, but the cup looks and functions virtually the same.

Sigg

Ease of use: 5

Very difficult for even my 4 year old to open and close the spout. I usually had to help her do it, otherwise it wasn't closed all the way, which resulted in leaks. My 1 1/2 year old found it difficult to drink from, and could not open/close the spout at all.

Ease of cleaning: 7

The top comes off quite easily, and only comes apart into two pieces (though I had a hard time figuring out how to separate the two when I first got it). It seemed to do fine in my dishwasher, although once I noticed a bit of a crack in the aluminum on the bottom and wondered if that was from the heat? Luckily it didn't affect the lining or the seal, and the crack was pretty superficial. To wash by hand, you'll need a thin bottle scrub brush, as the neck of the bottle is very narrow.

Practicality: 6

It's a really nice size and doesn't get as cold as the stainless steel cups do. I like that it has the flip lid for when I put it in my diaper bag. But it wasn't terribly practical in that I constantly have to help Abbie with it, and worry about whether it has been left open or not.They do come in several different sizes, 10 oz, 13 oz and 20 oz. We have the 13 oz, and it's a perfect size for my 4 year old, but a bit too big for my 1 1/2 year old.

What my kids thought of it: 7

They love the look of it! It's definitely a gorgeous cup (and there are so many adorable designs and colors), and my daughter was so excited when it arrived in the mail! Despite the difficulty with the spout, she still doesn't mind using it. I don't even bother with it for my son, as he can't open it and finds it a little more difficult to drink from.

Cost: $19.50-$21.99 for most designs

My overall rating: 6

Though this was the one I was fairly excited about, it actually disappointed me the most. Additionally, I am not satisfied with not knowing exactly what the liner is made out of, considering the bottle is made with aluminum (which is toxic). They claim that it is absolutely non-leaching, and it may well be, but the problem is that I just don't know enough about it. It seems to be quite a hush-hush secret, that silly old liner, and I just have this thing with wanting full disclosure regarding the things I am buying for my kids. Call me crazy.

Foogo (by Thermos)

Ease of use: 8

My one complaint with this cup is that sometimes it's hard to get the two top pieces properly lined up so that it screws on correctly. It usually works, but is sometimes finicky and takes me a minute or two.

Ease of cleaning: 8.5

Though the lid has 4 components, it's not too time consuming too take apart and put back together. It's easy to wash, and I found it one of the easier ones as far as getting the spout thoroughly clean so that mold doesn't build up.

Practicality: 9.5

It's a really nice size for little hands, with the double handles that make it easy for young ones. What I loved the most about it is that it has the safety of stainless steel, but the handles and the top and bottom are covered in plastic, so the cold metal is never touching the kid's skin. The colors are also nice and bright, and I find it appealing to look at. It doesn't leak much either. It also comes in a handle-less version, for those who prefer it that way.

What my kids thought of it: 7.5

This was my area of sadness. Though this cup had so many great features, my kids didn't really go for it as much as I thought they would. They'll use it, but they don't tend choose it when asked which one they want. However, both the 1 1/2 and 4 year old will drink from it without an issue, which is great, and they do like the colors on it.

Cost: $11.95

My overall rating: 9

It may not have been my kids favorite, but nonetheless, it's a great cup! It has so many perks, works well for little ones and somewhat older ones. Cleans easy, travels well, not plastic, easy to hold. Overall, I think this is a good choice.

Born Free

Ease of use: 8

Depends on how you want to use it. If it's for a younger child, there is a special two-part attachment to help reduce air bubbles, as well as an optional double handled piece, all in addition to the regular two-part lid and spout. However, I usually ditched the special attachment, as well as the handles, and then it was a simple two piece deal, which made it easy to put together and take apart.

Ease of cleaning: 7

It's easy to put in the dishwasher, but I recently discovered that despite being washed in the dishwasher or being scrubbed in hot soapy water, it has developed mold spots on a sort of hidden inside ring that I didn't notice right away. Most of the plastic spouts do seem to develop mold eventually, but I guess this inner portion is not cleaned thoroughly by regular dishwasher use, so now I need a replacement spout. As well, the opening on the top is bottle-sized ao you need a special scrub brush to do it by hand.

Practicality: 6

This was one of my least favorite spouts. It has a funny opening cut out of the plastic (rather than open holes with a stopper attachment, like most sippies), and the kids found it especially hard to suck out of when we first got it. Neither of them seem to really love the spout- maybe it's a bit awkward of a shape or difficult to get a very steady stream of liquid? I think the idea is that the kids shouldn't have to suck as hard, which can create uncomfortable ear pressure build up. Also, because it's just a slit that allows kids to drink from it (not a controlled, vacuum style spout), leaks are inevitable. It doesn't leak like crazy, but you definitely have to keep an eye on it.

What my kids thought of it: 6

They don't really love it. They'll use it, but I think the spout really turns them off. My son loves his cups of raw milk, but when they're in this cup, he doesn't tend to even finish them.

**Side note- When sending me this sippy cup to try out, Born Free was kind enough to also send me two of their bottles, as well as two pacifiers. Though I had never really used a bottle with either of my kids (going straight from breast to cup), I didn't think much of it. I decided to try giving one to my son, though, just for the sake of reviewing it. I was so surprised to find that he fell in love with it, even at nearly 18 mths old (and never having used a bottle before, ever!). These are fantastic bottles, if you're looking for BPA-free but not wanting to use glass!

Cost: $10.99

My overall rating: 6.5

I wish that I liked this cup more than I do, but it just didn't do a whole lot for me. If my kids don't love it, it's hard for me to love it. The fact that it does leak makes it less desirable to use (it does come with a separate plastic, snap-on lid, but I find it impractical to use). It's a relatively affordable option, though, especially for those looking to stick with plastic, and the removable side handles for little ones is a nice feature that I haven't seen on any other cups.

Avent Magic Cup

Ease of use: 9.5

This is the simplest of the cups I tried. It has the least amount of pieces, which I must admit, makes it very handy. It's also a really nice size for my kids to hold and use, both my son and daughter.

Ease of cleaning: 9

Again, because of few pieces, this one is a snap. The top is slightly narrow, but I can at least get a dish scrubbie in it pretty well, or else I toss it in the dishwasher. The lid and spout are simple to clean. It does have the issue of the other plastic spouts where mold builds up eventually (this just seems to be the nature of these BPA-free plastic spouts, unfortunately), but as with the Klean Kanteen, the replacement spouts aren't too costly and are readily available everywhere.

Practicality: 8

Very minimal leaking, handy size for little hands, not many pieces to lose. Overall, I like it a lot. My biggest issue with this one is that although I know that it's BPA-free, I still have these lingering doubts in my mind, since it's fairly cheap and made by a company that doesn't specialize in more natural products. Call me skeptical, I suppose. I'm sure that it really is BPA-free or they wouldn't be able to market it as such. As well, it looks like they now have some with optional handles, as well as some smaller (7 oz) ones for very young babies.

What my kids thought of it: 9.5

This might be their favorite. They love the bright blue (it comes in several colors, but that's what we have), they like that it's plastic and easy on their hands, they like the size and the spout. This one is often requested/fought over when I open up the cupboard.

Cost: $7.99 for a twin pack

My overall rating: 8.5

If you're not wanting to shell out the money for one of the more expensive ones, and are okay to stick with plastic, this might be the cup for you. It's definitely kid-friendly as well as wallet-friendly. Guess that makes it mom-friendly! Overall, I do like it and it gets a lot of use and love in our house, though I have others that I prefer more in an idealistic sort of way.  

There you have it, ladies! The result of several months of cajoling for free samples and trying to test them all out fairly (I know- what a hard life I have!).

Wondering about my overall top picks?

Plastic: I love the Avent Magic Cup. Especially if your budget is small and you don't mind that you'll eventually have to get some new spouts, I think this one is a real winner.

Non-plastic: For me, it's a bit of a toss up between the Foogo and the Klean Kanteen. The Foogo is just an incredibly practical, durable cup, so easy on little hands and it's pretty similarly priced to the Klean Kanteen. However, the Klean Kanteen holds a bit more liquid (yet isn't too big for a 1 year old), and has that great ability to grow with your child by switching up the lid, as well as having a spout that my kids seem to prefer just a bit over the Foogo. Hmmm... it's a toss up!

(As an aside, if you are thinking of buying one of these cups through Amazon.com, would you consider using this link to get to Amazon, in order to support this site? The individual product links weren't working for some reason, but you can use this link
instead. Thanks so much!

Care to weigh in with your own thoughts and experience with any of these sippies? What did you like about them? What didn't really work for you or your children?

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
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This week, I was so excited to try two more of their artisan breads (appropriately, I chose two from the Artisan Bakery in Vancouver), the Whole Spelt Bread and the Sourdough Rye Bread. Both are delicious and wholesome, made with the old-fashioned, slow-rising process that makes the grains as digestible and nutritious as possible!

Another wonderful product we tried this week was cheese from Little Qualicum Cheeseworks, a local artisan cheese producer, that is not certified organic but is certainly raising their cows and making their cheese with the best practices possible. I choose one hard, raw, gourmet cheese called Rathtrevor, which Ryan and I just love! The other is a soft cheese called Fromage Frais, similar to cream cheese, in berry flavor. It is just heavenly.

For produce, I wanted to try their lettuce, peppers and tomatoes, The only peppers they had this week were mini sweet peppers, which were definitely expensive, but just exploding with flavor. The tomatoes were firm and sweet, and the lettuce was large, crisp and very fresh. We enjoyed a wonderful greek styled green salad, with some of these veggies and the feta cheese I purchased. Since the pears were wonderful last week, I ordered a few more of those, as well as some Ambrosia apples, more avocados and some Crimini mushrooms (which I did up in this style, and they were amazing).

I also bought a few cans of organic refried beans on sale, as well as two packages of organic corn tortillas and an unusual-for-me purchase of fancy, fresh pasta for a night when I wanted to make an easy meal!

All in all, I was once again pleased with my order, and especially with the high quality and freshness of the produce, breads and cheeses!

Now, I promised you two things in this second review (see the first week here). The first was a really good look at how you can save money and make a service like this affordable. The second was a deal for my readers to give spud! a try, and you'll find that at the end of this post.

What I've done is gone through each element of their service that could help you to save money, pointed out anything that I think is particularly noteworthy about it, and ways that you could best take advantage of it. For the Americans, please note that I am reviewing the Canadian service, so pricing will be different of course, as well as the availability of particular products based on which city or state you are living in, since spud! works with local producers and farmers as much as possible.

Produce Caselots- Some items would be worth it to stock up on. Cases of apples, potatoes (good price for organic potatoes!), carrots, squash, etc. Anything that keeps well for a long time. Another possibility would be to buy together with a group of friends, purchasing cases for the purpose of splitting up amongst the group.

Multibuys- when you buy 2 or more of these items, you get an extra percentage off (usually 5 or or 10%, depending on the item). There are several items I noticed that would be worth stocking up on- for instance, coffee beans, bottled drinks and water, bulk baking supplies like chocolate chips, bags of frozen berries and veggies, ketchup, honey, peanut or other nut butters, soap and shampoos, canned seafood, meat and poultry, etc.

Super Deals- items that are perhaps being discontinued or that need to be sold quickly and are limited in quantity. These ranged from 10% up to around 30% discount.

Produce Specials- there are regular produce specials, changing from week to week. For example, this week's included avocados (mmm, love these!), oranges, celery, carrots and sugar snap peas, all at 10% off of regular. Shopping these produce specials would be a great way to keep produce costs a little lower, and you can simply meal plan around what's on sale.

Grocery Caselot- There is a great range of product in this category and excellent savings to be had. This is a way to really stock up at better prices, or to share cases with friends. One example I noticed was for Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Diapers, regular $17.20 per package (which is already cheaper than my local grocery and health food stores). Buy 4 packages in a case, and they become $14.50 each, which is barely more than Pampers or Huggies, if disposables are your preference. Another example is the large cans of Eden Foods Organic Crushed Tomatoes. These are regular $4.15 a can, but become $3.10 each when purchased in a case of 12 (and by the way, Eden is one of the few or possibly only companies using specially BPA-free linings in their cans!). Other great deals include coconut milks, non-dairy milks, canned beans, etc.

Grocery Specials- Similar to produce specials, a great way to simply check what's on sale and focus your menus on some of those items. Sales are generally 10% off of regular price.

Bulk Buying- This is one of my favorite aspects of spud! Unlike many health/natural food stores which sell only in small amounts and packages, not only does spud! sell in caselots for both grocery and produce, but they also sell bulk for items like dry beans, lentils, nuts and seeds, dried fruits, grains and baking products.

For beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, etc. most items can be purchase in smaller packages (usually 500 grams for beans, and 200 grams for nuts), but also in large amounts (usually 10 or 11 kg) as well. This is a great way to stock your pantry (or freezer, if you're buying nuts and seeds).

Under baking supplies, they carry large bags (20 kgs) of organic flours, such as whole wheat, white, spelt and cornmeal, as well as bags of organic sugars (brown, white, turbinado). Baking soda, baking powder and shredded coconut are also available bulk. I've compared the prices to the best prices I know of in Canada for bulk whole grain flours and they are very comparable.

Standing Order- I mentioned this feature last week, and it's a great way to top off the savings that are possible. Everything in your standing order is automatically discounted by 5%. This is an excellent way to save on items that you know you use regularly. 

All of these money-saving buying methods can be found under Sales and Offers, in Go Shopping.

My overall thoughts: I will most likely order from spud! again. It won't become my regular, only place for shopping, but I will definitely make use of it here and there to get organic produce that is difficult to find elsewhere, to simplify life some weeks when I'm lacking in time or can't get the car during the daytime (and maybe especially when the new baby arrives!), and perhaps also to make some bigger bulk purchases from time to time. I think this is a fantastic service, and I've been so impressed! Thanks spud!

Ready to try spud! out for yourself??? (Americans, use this link to spud!)

Place 4 orders from spud!, and you will receive $5 off of each of your first three orders and $10 off of your fourth order, for a total of $25 in free, organic groceries delivered to your door!

When submitting your order, use the promo code: KEEPERBLOG09 and your discount will be added to your new account!

Edit: There were some issues with using the promo code, but spud! assures me that all is well and you can go ahead and use the code now to place an order! Sorry for any inconvenience!

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
• Moukisac: Your 6 in 1 shopping bag system; compact, stylish, versatile and practical, of course! Made by Canadian mom.
• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
• ListPlanIt: Lists to put your world in order
• Vintage Remedies: Get healthy, naturally
• Just Bumming Around: When only the best cloth diapers (at great prices) will do. FuzziBunz packages on SALE!

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I thought that I could order anything I wanted up until noon on Wednesday, but when I logged on at 11am, I was disappointed to realize that the cutoff was actually 9am that day, for time-sensitive items. This meant that I couldn't get any of the breads or cheeses that I want (as they are specifically ordered according to customer requests, so that they are wonderfully fresh when you get them). I really wanted to order some of those items, and let you know what I thought of them, so I decided that just wouldn't do.

All that to say, I opted to postpone my order and just do it next week instead. My next spud! review will be up next Monday morning, promise!

P.S. For the person who asked me to tell you how my organic avocados were from my order last week, they were fabulous. Very nice and creamy, wonderful tasting. They made a scrumptious guacamole, which made me a happy woman, let me tell ya!

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
• Moukisac: Your 6 in 1 shopping bag system; compact, stylish, versatile and practical, of course! Made by Canadian mom.
• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
• ListPlanIt: Lists to put your world in order
• Vintage Remedies: Get healthy, naturally
• Just Bumming Around: When only the best cloth diapers (at great prices) will do. FuzziBunz packages on SALE!

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Well, not quite. In actuality, I had done the grocery shopping myself... on my computer, while my children played happily behind me. Two days later it showed up at my door.

I didn't have to brave the snowy roads. I didn't have to find a time when my husband could let me use the car. I didn't have to put both kids in their car seats, get them arranged in the shopping cart (or remember to bring a quarter with me), feed them snacks intermittently to keep them happy, say no to their requests for half a dozen items or lug them back into the car and then out again, while juggling bags of groceries and keeping Caden from falling down on the wet, slippery driveway.

This was Week 1 of my spud! organic grocery delivery service trial and here's my loot:

My order was a bit on the small side, as I had already done a big shop at the beginning of the month (we had been away for over a week and the fridge was barren, let me tell ya!). So I just ordered a few things that either sounded tasty or would add to some meals I was thinking of making (breads and bagels, unsulphured dried apricots, some produce, cottage cheese, much-needed dishwasher detergent). I've been a bit under the weather, so you'll notice a few convenience items I don't normally purchase (salad dressing and store-bought soup broth), but they'll make a couple of meals just a little bit easier, just this once.

Here are a few thoughts on my spud! experience thus far:

** My order arrived on schedule, placed neatly beside my front door. I missed it while I was bathing the kids, but no matter. The cold items are placed in an ice pack, off to the side from my fresh items, so everything is just as it should be. 

** The organic produce looked really nice. The pears are beautiful and not quite ripe, the avacados big and firm, the fresh ginger fragrant, the grapefruits plump and juicy (the baby carrots were nice, too, though I've barely ever seen bad baby carrots).

** The dishwasher soap was packaged in a bag, so it couldn't spill onto my lovely food

** My order came with a great little newsletter on back of my order summary. I loved the recipe for mock souffle, and can't wait to try it!

 **The bread... oh the bread. I chose some real European style, slow-risen sourdough rye. It's intense and delicious. I was thrilled beyond words to discover so many properly prepared breads among their baking section! Can't wait to try something else next week!

** Highlights from their website so far:

• Local items are specifically labeled, and if you click on the word "Local" you can find out exactly how far that item traveled to get to their warehouse
• Each product has a detailed ingredient listing, as well as a link to more information about the company that makes it
• There is this great thing called a Standing Order. What this means is that you can choose the items that your family regularly uses, such as a dozen eggs, 1 gallon of milk, and a cluster of bananas per week. These items will automatically be on your weekly order, and then you can add anything else that you want on top of those items. Standing Orders can be weekly, every second week or monthly, and can easily be edited to add or remove products. As a great bonus, you automatically get 5% off of each item in your Standing Order.
• It was so easy to revise my order the day after I had already submitted it (of course, you can only revise up until the cutoff date for your delivery day). I realized that I really wanted more avocados, because the two I had bought had only made me crave them more. I logged in, added my avocados, updated my order and submitted it, and received my new order statement. Piece of cake.
• In general, the website is just well done. It's appealing to look at, simple to navigate and I found everything I needed without a problem. There's much more on the website that I want to explore in more detail, and will share with you next week!
• They carry more Nourishing Traditions styled bread products (old-fashion sourdough and sprouted grains) than I would have imagined! In my suburb of Vancouver, I don't know of any bakeries making bread of this caliber, but having their warehouse near downtown Vancouver, they have access to some fantastic bakeries, and I can't wait to sample some more of their wonderful offerings!

A few cons (it wouldn't be a true review without at least a couple, right?),

** I wanted to buy more Stevia, but they didn't carry it. I was a bit surprised, as I thought it had become such a standard item in health food stores.

**Naturally, it's a bit more expensive than much of my regular shopping. My produce market, though it doesn't carry 100% organics, is particularly well priced, so I found some of the produce prices a bit tough to swallow. Some of them were just fine, though, especially when I consider how hard it is to find many of those items organic (ie. pears, bell peppers, etc.). I think it's important to realize that there is somewhat of a price for a service like this, for 100% organics, for the convenience and ease, for the gas saved, etc. 

For the order pictured above (plus my dried apricots, which I forgot to put in the picture), I paid $53.83, although $4.00 of that was just a deposit on the freezer pack that came with my order, so really it came to $49.83. When you consider I had a few convenience foods in there, a specialty bread, plus the dishwasher detergent, and that every single item was organic, that's not too bad. Also, Americans, you have to consider that those are Canadian prices, which are definitely a good 10-30% more expensive than what most of you pay.

Next week, I'll dive into the prices a little bit more. There are some other aspects of the service that could definitely help to make shopping there more affordable, including the standing order system, bulk products, buying multiples of an item to receive further discounts, a points reward system, weekly specials, etc. I'll try to compare it to my regular shopping and see how it adds up!

Overall, I was definitely please with my first week of ordering from spud! Make sure you check out your local spud! website, either www.spud.com or www.spud.ca.

(And just a little food for thought- next week I will be letting you know about an a special deal that spud! is offering specifically to my readers, so that you can also give them a try and see how their service works for you!)

Have you ever used a grocery delivery service like this? What about it appeals to you (or doesn't appeal to you)? What things would you like me to explore about the sevice and report to you on next week?

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
• Moukisac: Your 6 in 1 shopping bag system; compact, stylish, versatile and practical, of course! Made by Canadian mom.
• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
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