Introduction

Hello everyone!! I am just getting started in the blog world and hope that those reading this will enjoy my new blog. As I get started though you will have to bare with me as I am learning the ropes. Most of my posts will probably be about diy projects, crochet or food because that is mostly what I am interested in. More everyday personal stuff about my family will be more reserved for facebook where I have privacy settings and can control who is viewing. Most people are interested in food but I really started becoming more educated on what is in our food and the affects it has on our body when one of my children was having what appeared to be sensitivities to some of the things in our food. A friend suggested the Feingold Diet   http://www.feingold.org/  It seemed overwhelming at first but honestly my husband and I were willing to try and it could not have been as overwhelming as what we were dealing with. We were skeptical at first but have been hooked ever since we tried it. It has truly been a blessing from God. It took a little bit for what I call toxins and poisons to really get flushed out of my child's system but what a huge difference it made! The short version of this special diet is eliminating synthetic (artificial colors which by the way are made from petroleum), synthetic (artificial) flavors, BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole), BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene), TBHQ (Tertiary Butylhydroquinone), synthetic sweetners, and even some natural salicylates. This is a link to a short blurb about it and has another link to a more in depth article if you want to read it titled A Rainbow of Risks. http://www.cspinet.org/fooddyes/ Thus started my family's journey on this food adventure we are now on!  For the most part our whole family eats this way now as it is easier to cook the same thing for everyone and think it is unfair to eat things in front of my child that he/she cannot eat, plus it is healthier.
    On a side note I was later diagnosed with fibromyalgia and due to all the research on food I did with my child knew that diet could play a part. So I started researching diet and fibromyalgia. I was already eating a lot healthier than I used to because of the Feingold diet but also learned that eating Vegan could help with fibromyalgia. I did not go totally vegan although I did cut out all meat for awhile, I just realized I could not eat non-vegan as much as I used too and needed to cut out wheat as much as I could. I found my favorite vegan recipes and even made some for the rest of the family. Some they liked and some they did not. I discovered spelt flour and now use it as much as I can in place of regular flour.  For awhile I was able to manage my fibromyalgia with diet, exercise, and medication. Thanks to God however, his healing powers, and my sisters in Christ laying hands on me, I have been healed of fibromyalgia for seven months now. I still pay attention to my diet though as it is a healthier way to live and I just feel kind of yucky when I eat to much processed foods and foods with a bunch of things that our bodies were just not meant to handle.
    As far as crochet goes, it is definitely my favorite hobby. My grandmother was an expert at crochet and I was always intrigued by it but never thought it was something that I would pick up. A few years ago however we were living in a small town (population of 500) where my husband had started working at a church. The local librarian was offering crochet classes at the library of an evening and I thought it would be a good opportunity to get out and meet some of the ladies in the community. And the rest is history! I really only learned the basics at first and my products consisted of granny square afghans as gifts, and some scarfs and hats for the family. Here is a picture on one of my afghans I made for my cousin as a wedding present using her wedding colors.  Until recently. I bought a knitted headband at a local arts and crafts fair for $15. They have become pretty popular here and I wanted some other colors but am cheap. I do not knit but thought I could figure out how to crochet them. I did figure it out and my friends suggested I start selling them so I set up a facebook page for selling them and have had quite a few orders.  www.facebook.com/ArcticLilysLoops In doing so I built up my confidence and started learning new stitches and make different things. I have made some more types of hats as well as slippers, wrist warmers, and Christmas stockings for my kids. It has been a lot of fun and has been a great stress reliever of an evening after the kids go to bed. It has also come in handy on long road trips to keep me occupied. My husband had a job for a while that took him all over the state we were living in and to maximize our family time when he would go on road trips we would often pile in the car with him.
     So I think that is enough of an intro. for now but stay tuned as I will probably be posting crochet pictures, links to patterns I have used, as well as some favorite recipes I use a lot or new recipes and food ideas that I find.