7 reasons to change from CFL bulbs to CREE LED bulbs

This post is brought to you by Cree Bulbs. All opinions are my own. I will only share products and reviews in this space when I feel strongly about the product and believe it's worth sharing with others.

When news stories started to break about the fact that incandescent light bulbs were going to become a thing of the past, my husband went immediately out to the store and bought boxes and boxes of bulbs. 

It's not that we're anti-energy savings and greener options for our home, it's that we both HATE the way CFL bulbs light up our home. Words like cold and dull come to mind when I think of CFL bulbs. Not to mention the fact that walking into a room and flipping the switch doesn't mean you'll be bathed in warm, beautiful light. Instead you'll be greeted by a dull, grey-cast light that needs time to warm up to full brightness (which, let's be honest, isn't really that bright.)

Dan changing out the kitchen pendant light. Won't have to do this again for a VERY long time.

Yes, I have so many other things to worry about in my life, but I was honestly a little panicky about not being able to find good light bulbs anymore. And I encouraged my husband's over-buying of bulbs.

So when I was contacted by Cree to see if I wanted to try out their LED bulbs, I was pretty quick to sign on. If they could truly do what they said in their email to me--"warm light, instant on, energy-saving", I was more than willing to give them a workout in my big old farmhouse where we secretly hoard incandescent bulbs in the basement. 

We're coming up on 3 months of Cree Bulb use in our home and here's what you should know:

1. They turn on right away. There's no warm-up time. Flip the switch and let there be light.

2. They light the room just like an incandescent lightbulb. They give off warm, strong light that feels inviting and comfortable in all the rooms where I use them.

3. They last forever. The first places we switched over to Cree bulbs were in the most annoying places to change the bulbs. First on the list, the pendant that dangles over the kitchen island. The bulbs have a 25,000-hour lifetime (an incandescent lightbulb has about a 1000-hour lifetime), so one bulb change is going to last us a really long time. No more climbing on the kitchen island and dealing with the fragile pendant? Done.

One of the next places I wanted a CREE LED bulb was at my bedside table. It provides warm, soft light for reading, especially at night before bed. 

4. They use 85% less energy than incandescent bulbs.

5. They are mercury free. The other thing I hated about CFLs was the fear of breaking them and dealing with proper, safe disposal. And because these LED blubs from CREE last longer, they are less wasteful (and less toxic.)

6. They are dimmable. If you're one of those fancy people with dimming light switches CREE's newest 4Flow Filament design will work with most dimmers. It is made from durable shatter-proof plastic but has cross-flow ventilation that cools the LED. (And it can be used inside and out!)

7. They are priced to be affordable. Cree's standard (A19) bulb is under the ten dollar mark at Home Depot. 

So if switching out your bulbs to CFLs makes you feel a little depressed, like it did me, Cree's LED bulbs will be your new best friend. Find out more about the different types of bulbs they offer by visiting www.creebulb.com.

This post is part of a sponsorship with CreeBulbs. All opinions are my own. 

My Christmas notebook planner (aka: how I stay sane during the holidays)

I wrote this post as part of my participation in a blog tour for The Motherhood on behalf of the makers of Children's MOTRIN® and received compensation to thank me for taking the time to participate. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

Two weeks ago when I was scrolling through my twitter feed "Christmas" was one of the top trending topics. I immediately got a little tightness in my stomach and rolled my eyes at the thought that people were already starting to talk about it, even before Halloween had come and gone. 

I've always been the kind of girl who feels bad for Thanksgiving. Each year Christmas seems to creep in on her and choke out all the goodness of Thanksgiving. So I rarely let myself begin to even think about Christmas let alone turn on a carole or plan the pockets of my advent calendar before I've fully celebrated Thanksgiving. 

But the other day driving home from school the girls started talking about Christmas. "It's my favorite of all the holidays," someone said. "And not just because of the presents. I love the way Christmas feels--cozy and warm. I love the spirit of Christmas." 

I sat and listened in silence and decided, maybe I could let Christmas creep in a little earlier this year. Maybe instead of feeling that post-Thanksgiving-only-a-few-more-weeks-until-Christmas panic, I'd start to think and plan a little earlier. Maybe instead of the post-Thanksgiving "how am I ever going to fit in all the things I want to do with them?" crunch, I'll give Christmas planning a little head start. 

So this year I'm embracing the spirit of Christmas early. Because it's not just about the rush to buy presents and decorate and get the tree and bake the cookies and send the cards, it's about the "cozy and warm" of Christmas. 

And that's why instead of waiting until after Thanksgiving, I decided to share my Christmas sanity-saver with you all a bit early, too. 

This idea is in no way my own. My grandmother--mother to FIFTEEN children--used a similar system. And my own mother too-- that secret black Christmas book that we all were SO tempted to peek inside, but never did. At least I never did. 

Many years ago I bought myself a large moleskine notebook that has become my Christmas notebook. It is the place where I organize Christmas. It is where I gather my thoughts, write down my ideas, collect recipes, make lists, and most importantly gather memories. 

Here's a breakdown of what's inside my Christmas notebook: (Be warned, I'm a list-maker. And I have to write things down on paper to keep my mind clutter-free.)

1. Gift lists: Each year I make a three-column list. The first column is the name of anyone for whom I have to purchase a gift. In the second column I write down any and every idea I have for their gifts--whether homemade or store-bought. And the final column is what I actually ended up purchasing or making. 

2. Pre-Christmas calendar. In order to keep the week before Christmas from getting all kinds of crazy I plan out the week before in my notebook--everything from bath nights to when we'll decorate the tree or drive around looking at lights, to what Christmas Eve service we'll be attending, and when I need to get my Christmas meal grocery shopping done. 

3. Meal-plans + grocery lists. I also keep track of all our big meals in my notebook. Christmas Eve dinner (which in my wise old age has become simplified to soup and good bread), Christmas morning breakfast (something fairly easy, but special and always a big fruit salad), Christmas dinner with family and day after Christmas meals with out-of-towners. I write out my meal plans, make my grocery lists and clip recipes and ideas into the notebook as I come across them during the year.

4. Receipts. In the back pocket of my moleskine I tuck all the holiday shopping receipts. This way when/if something needs to be returned, I know exactly where to find it.

Added bonus: Not only is the notebook helpful for planning each holiday season and knowing who's getting what, it also makes a great reference for birthdays. When I find myself at a loss for ideas, I consult my Christmas notebook to see if there were ideas I didn't jump on for Christmas that might be great for a birthday. If it's July and I think of The Perfect Gift for one of the girls, I quickly jot it down in my notebook because Lord knows I won't remember it in December.

But probably what I love most about the notebook is the memories. Do you remember  what you got your oldest child for her 3rd Christmas? I most-definitely do not, but oh how I love flipping back through the pages of my notebook to Christmas 2005 to find out (it was all about horses and art supplies.) Or remember 2009 when I tried to pull off a fancy roast, luminaries and the late Christmas Eve mass with a toddler? Yeah, I was crazy back then. 

My notebook keeps me sane. It helps me avoid those "standing in the middle of Target with no idea what to get my kids" moments. It helps me stay organized enough that I can truly enjoy the "warm and cozy" of the season.

And this year, I decided to bring it out early. Thanksgiving, I still love you. I'm just adding a sprinkling of Christmas spirit all around. 

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The makers of Children's MOTRIN are inspired by all the things moms do. Moms may not always realize it, but they are amazing in so many ways. Moms are on call day and night have have so much unique knowledge that can really help other moms. That's why the makers of Children's MOTRIN are asking moms to share this knowledge in the form of tips and tricks that help keep them going. They are asking moms to post their tips to the MOTRIN facebook page and for every post, Children's MOTRIN will donate $1 to Safe Kids Worldwide, a global nonprofit that provides moms with the tips they need to keep their children safe.

a little act of kindness

Sometimes there's that little act of kindness you've been meaning to do for months and you just needed that extra nudge. Thanks to Kleenx®Brand for the nudge I needed for this act of kindness below. *

When we moved from our old house at Thomas Run one of the things I knew would be the hardest to do was to move away from our neighbor Mr. Dorsey. Mr. Dorsey was born in our house and grew up there but eventually moved next door onto his own smaller piece of property.

We became close over the years. Though he was stubborn and strong as an ox in his 70-plus years, we all still kept a close eye on him. He'd never ask for help (and when he did, you knew he really needed it) so Dan--cut from the same kind of cloth--would look for opportunities to help him out.

The very first time we met him he told me, "Just so you know, I walk laps around the pastures early in the morning, sometimes in the dark--so don't shoot me!" He used to drive a milk truck and always keeps milk truck hours. When his bull would get out and end up in our backyard, I'd call him up and laugh about it--though Mr. Dorsey was never happy about it.  When his cow would show up in side yard, I'd walk her home with a stick and put her back in the fence. 

When we first planted our garden, he'd pulled out his plow and ripped up the earth. He told us about the huge tree in the front yard and how his father had remembered it being that big and how old it must have been, the oldest in the valley. He worried about people robbing him and hated when the raccoons started getting in to his grain. He hoarded tractors and tractor parts and round bales and had two antique trucks buried in the brambles behind the falling down stone silo. But you couldn't move them or take them--because he might need the parts some day.

He said we were the best neighbors he'd ever had.

So when we moved to Woodlawn, I knew leaving Mr. Dorsey was going to be one of the hardest parts. 

We still see him. I still check in on him. When I drive by on a Thursday and he's out on his riding mower, I know everything's all right. 

When I see him now, he hugs me and gives me a big wet cough-drop-sticky kiss on the lips and squeezes my arm. He asks if Dan is busy at work and tells me he's getting ready to retire from driving the school bus. He tells me about any houses that are for sale in the valley and how I need to convince my dad to buy one for me, because we need to come back. 

I've tried a few times to get him over here for dinner. But he always puts me off and instead says, "just bring me some of your oatmeal raisin cookies. I think about those every since you brought them to me that one time." He doesn't ask for much, but he does ask for cookies. 

Every time I drive by I get that little twinge of regret that I've haven't shown up at his door with cookies since we've moved. The kids remind me often. And then I forget. And then weeks have gone by. 

But I finally found my reason this past week. An opportunity to do an act of kindness, even something small--and I knew exactly what my act of kindness would be and who would be on the receiving end.

When the kids walked into the kitchen and there were oatmeal raisin cookies in the oven they knew what I was doing. I'm pretty sure someone said, "It's about time, mom." When Mr. Dorsey gets home from driving the bus tonight, they'll be something waiting outside the door for him. 

So if you're putting off that little act of kindness, that special thing you've been meaning to do, here's my nudge--do it. It doesn't take long. It doesn't take much. And it feels so good. 

A big thank you to Kleenex®Brand for the push to do this small act of kindness. For giving us a few extra goodies to pack in our basket for Mr. Dorsey, including their cute little packs of tissues that I know he'll be tucking the car seat (or school bus seat!) beside him. Thanks for making this small act of care so easy to do. Here's hoping you'll join the "Share the Kleenex Care" movement and be inspired by them to do your own small act of care. Even just the smallest gesture (like passing a tissue) to a friend, stranger, neighbor--that needs it, has a big impact.

*This post is part of a sponsorship with Kleenex Brand and Socialstars. 

More than just clean teeth

My girls and I were asked by our friends from Social Stars to take a look at these products from LISTERINE® SMARTRINSE. We were sent some goodies and tested out the products as part of our nightly bedtime routine. My promise to my blog readers is that I will only share sponsored posts on this blog if they are for products I would recommend to my friends, purchase myself, and have some connection to something I am learning, working on, teaching my children or care deeply about. So if I'm sharing it here, know that it's because I think it's worthy of sharing.

I went to the dentist last week and I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't been in the dentist chair in quite awhile. Long enough that I couldn't remember the last time, and had to put a big fat question mark on that part of my new patient form. It's the classic "no dental insurance, put the kids' teeth before my own teeth" scenario. Thankfully, through the power of good genetics and good brushing, my thirty-eight year streak of no cavities and no fillings has continued.  And the dentist office was quick to make sure I would be back in six months and keep up with my healthy teeth. I promised I would.

I have to admit that in my current commitment to better health, my eyes have been opened to the power that lies in taking care of all of oneself. 

In my blissful youth, I was the kid who never had to worry about her skin. But the bliss of those days is apparently over as I've hit my late thirties. And I have adopted a Skin Care Routine. As crazy as it may sound, taking care of my skin has been an eye-opening experience. Those five minutes I take at the end of the evening to pull back my hair, wash my face and put on a little magical cream feel so important. Not only the fact that it's good for my skin, it's been good for my soul as well. 

Cavities are SCARY! 

Setting aside that time, caring enough about myself to take care of myself, and take time for myself? That's so important--for health, for heart, for self-esteem, for outlook on life. I know, I know, it seems like a bit much to get from a five-minute face washing, but I am convinced that these healthful habits are important and set a pattern for healthful habits in other areas of my life. 

It's this same intention--the importance of caring for yourself--that I'm trying to teach my girls. While we're not needing to worry about blemishes and zit creams yet, we can start off on this same path by taking good care of our teeth. 

Lately, that's meant not only standing in front of the mirror brushing, but also adding more to that nighttime routine, including flossing and using mouthwash. I want my girls to know that taking care of their teeth isn't just about cavity prevention, it's also about taking care of the whole self. It's about setting aside time to establish healthy habits--something that will serve them well in all areas of their lives. 

The girls recently got a fun package in the mail full of teeth-care-taking goodies from the folks at Listerine. Now, if you live in a house of girls, you can probably guess there's a little bit of excitement over pink mouthwash, purple dental floss and cool toothbrush holders that suction cup to your mirror. 

It was the perfect way to continue to encourage the point I am trying to make--that caring for teeth is more than just clean teeth. But in the meantime, while they're swirling and spitting and I'm feeling good about them taking care of their bodies--the LISTERINE® SMARTRINSE is cleaning up the gunk their toothbrushing didn't get, strengthening their teeth and taking care of their whole mouth. Because a happy mouth is a smiley mouth. And who wouldn't want to see this crazy smile?

Want to know more about LISTERINE SMARTRINSE®? It helps prevent kids' cavities, and strengthens teeth 99% better than brushing alone. It cleans in places the toothbrush cannot reach (and c'mon we know kids aren't the best brushers), and provides up to 12 hours of cavity protection. And my girls say the pink is the best. Sorry boys. 

This too shall pass...right?

I wrote this post as part of my participation in a blog tour for The Motherhood on behalf of the makers of Children's MOTRIN and received compensation to thank me for taking the time to participate. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

On one of my visits with my mom over the summer she returned the big brown scrapbook I made for her years and years ago. By now, photos and hand-written captions and notes are slipping out, the pages dotted with water stains. It's seen better days. She handed it to me reluctantly, knowing my plate is pretty full, but hoping I might find a little time to put the big brown spiral back together. 

I have it sitting on the bookshelf behind my desk. I keep it right on top in hopes that one of these days I'll pick it up and start to glue and paste the pages back together. 

Of course the few times I have picked it up, I've found myself lost in the photographs. The house I grew up in has much the same feel of Woodlawn. Big, old, beautiful. But always something wanting to be fixed. I'm hopeful that my kids are getting at least a sliver of the experiences we had growing up. (Though I'm seriously lacking in the canning and gigantic vegetable garden.) 

When I flip through the pages of gardens and sheep shows, and tubing trips down the stream, beautifully set Thanksgiving tables, music lessons and Volkswagen buses, I'm left with nothing less than awe for mother. 

Man, she had her hands full. Four kids. A barn full of animals. Sports practices. 4-H meetings. Burst pipes above the kitchen ceiling and escaped steers running up the road. I know it must have been stressful and overwhelming and just too much at times. But the thing that stands out is grace.

As I stand in the midst of four kids and farm animals and soccer practices and school runs and homeschool lessons plans, and laundry and messy houses and broken sinks and chores, grace is not the word that comes to mind to describe myself.

One of my mother's most commonly passed out words of wisdom is "this too shall pass." I would say those words to myself while sitting in the chair of the baby's room--rocking a crying, sick child that just wouldn't sleep. Or when someone decided to suddenly give up naps. Or adopt a less-than-enjoyable attitude.

But this year, I find myself grabbing on to that mantra once again. This new pace we're finding ourselves in kinda has me out of sorts. I like down time. Home time. And it takes work to find those moments right now. A family dinner that isn't hemmed in by soccer practice, church meetings or homework? An afternoon to blow off work and take the long way home? The moments aren't as frequent as they used to be. 

But I also know that this too shall pass. The schedule will soon slow down for the winter. We'll all adjust to the new pace. I'll learn to do a better job of recognizing those simpler, quieter moments and relish them. 

I'm not sure how my mom did it. But she managed to balance so much, so much hard stuff with such grace and calm. I love the quote below...that grace is an outpouring of what's on the inside. I'm pretty confident that's the key right there. And I'm praying for just a portion of that in my days, as well. That grace might overflow.

Thanks for listening, friends. More soon.

The makers of Children's MOTRIN are inspired by all the things moms do. Moms may not always realize it, but they are amazing in so many ways. Moms are on call day and night have have so much unique knowledge that can really help other moms. That's why the makers of Children's MOTRIN are asking moms to share this knowledge in the form of tips and tricks that help keep them going. They are asking moms to post their tips to the MOTRIN facebook page and for every post, Children's MOTRIN will donate $1 to Safe Kids Worldwide, a global nonprofit that provides moms with the tips they need to keep their children safe.