These Are a Few of My {Recent} Favorite Things

1) Homemade fudgesicles.  My favorite popsicle growing up: the fudgsicle.  So when a friend (thank you, Beck), posted on facebook about these treats, I knew I had to make them.  Here are the ingredients: plain yogurt, vanilla, cocoa, milk and (drumroll, please) maple syrup.  I kid you not.  No processed sugar, friends, and they are delicious- rich chocolate flavor with a hint of tang from the yogurt. The whole family loves them.  We've eaten three batches already this summer.  Recipe found here.

2) Summer Reading.  We've thoroughly enjoyed Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Homer Price.  Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is an eccentric lady who lives in an upside down house.  All the parents in town end up calling her because she can fix their children's behavioral ailments using some very creative treatments including "The Won't-Pick-Up-Toys Cure" and "The Answer-Backer Cure" and "The Selfishness Cure" and "The Never-Want-To-Go-To-Bedders Cure" and so on.  My kids, between giggling, were pretty embarrassed to hear how awful some of these behaviors sound when read about- how familiar they sounded was the embarrassing part.  This book was highly entertaining and very sweet.

Homer Price is about a boy and his adventures in the quaint little town of Centerburg which include how he and his pet skunk help catch some thieves and what happens when his uncle's donut maker contraption goes haywire.  It, too, was delightful.

3) An Outside Sink.  Jamey recently installed one for me.  Now no more muddy hands or vegetables (think carrots and potatoes) in my kitchen (or bathroom) sink.  Dreamy.

The water comes from the barn roofs via our rainwater storage tanks.  Used water runs out of the sink and into the bucket to the left (to be reused yet again).  The stump is a stool for little people and the shelf on the right acts as a little counter space.

4) Smooze.  Another cool and healthy treat.  I've only been able to find these on Amazon thus far.  Made with coconut milk in flavors mango and pineapple, they taste even better bought with Swagbucks!  Click the picture to find out more.

5) Coconut Oil.  You may have been hearing all the recent hype about coconut oil.  Well, a few months back, I bought some from Tropical Traditions because they were running a sale and offered free shipping.  I've completely switched over to using it for all my sauteing and have even substituted it for butter in some baked goods.  Along with my first order, I received a book (no pamphlet, a real book) about how this company came to be and how real families are harvesting the oil using authentic methods in the Philippines.  It also includes the owner's personal testimony in the back- yes, the owners are Christian.  I highly recommend their coconut oil.  You'll receive the free book, too, with your first order (and through their referral program, I'll receive a discount coupon).  To find out more about it or to place an order go here.

6) Pet {Wild} Bunnies. Their mama built their nest in the midst of our strawberry patch, inside the garden (inside the "rabbit proof" fence).  It was either dispose of them or try to tame them. Everything we read said that taming and keeping wild baby bunnies alive is close to impossible and they've proven so.  One of the original four sneaked out of the box one night never to be seen again and, just recently, two more died from us moving them out of their pseudo nest and into a small rabbit tractor of sorts when we went away for the day (totally our fault and I was sick about it).  But we still have one!  And the kids adore it.  And, maybe I do, too.

feeding them baby formula with a plastic syringe- every few hours- at the beginning

So...what's one of your {recent} favorite things?

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