The Brothers Family

We don't know if the baby is a boy or a girl, so I have an outfit ready for each gender for coming home from the hospital in. I'm not huge on the "Coming Home Outfit" frenzy that seems to be out there. I've heard stories of women spending $100+ on the outfits that their kids come home in. I cannot fathom this. I, however, am such a bargain shopper that I'm excited to say that neither outfit I purchased was over $5.00. So, here's what I picked out for little baby Brothers to make his/her first adventure home in: If she is a she: If he is a he: (It is merely coincidence that they are both plaid). The orange hat and socks were hand knit by my sister, Jen and are so absolutely adorable that they will be part of the fun. I am currently 33 weeks pregnant so only 7 weeks left until my due date. I'm starting to get really excited to meet this baby and see who we've got! Feeling a little bit more confident about our name choices (which will remain a secret

"Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope." -Maya Angelou XO, Meg

In our household we have a very favorite Banana Bread recipe. I am not always a huge fan of banana bread, but this recipe is a sure win each and every time. I've made it with regular all purpose flour, spelt flour, and multiple versions of gluten free flours. I've never had it turn out less than amazing. So since today was cloudy and a little gloomy, I decided to make some with the browning bananas on the counter. It is so delicious, I have to share it with you. Banana Bread (from How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman) Makes 1 loaf 8 Tbsp butter 1 1/2 C all-purpose flour 1/2 C whole wheat flour Note: (I've replaced this with 2 C Spelt flour OR 2 C gluten free flour mix: today I used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour and it is incredibly soft and moist with no trace of GF grainy texture . Just be sure to sift the flour first. It truly makes all the difference.) 1 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 3/4 C sugar 2 eggs 3 very ripe bananas, mashed 1 tsp vanilla extract

( photo credit ) "Earth friendly Natural Personal Care for the Greater Good" We love Burt's Bees products in our household. We love using natural products that are free of chemicals and are safe for both us and for the environment. This was taken directly from their website and encompasses the reasons why we choose to use their products for both us and will use them on our baby too: "Sulfate Free. Paraben Free. Phthalate Free. Petrochemical Free. Not tested on animals." "We promise to stick to The Natural Standard, maintaining the highest ideals and never taking the easy way out. We will never compromise what is best for your experience and well-being, and will always be true to what we define as natural. We are working with others in the industry — organizations and other companies — to join us and adopt The Natural Standard in the interest of The Greater Good." Click here for more on Burt's Bee's commitment to Natural Products. It seems to