Easy Salt Dough Ornaments!

We wanted to do something a little different with our Christmas tree this year so we decided to make our own ornaments! I put this off for a long time because I thought it would be too difficult or time consuming. I was surprised to find out that these ARE really simple and quick to make! We used gingerbread cookie cutters this time and we decided to use some of the more natural ingredients around the kitchen to color these with. We used turmeric for the yellow, cinnamon for the reddish-brown, cocoa for the dark grey and just plain salt dough for white. The “people” came out all different shapes, colors and sizes so the boys called them “Gingerpeople of the world”. I thought it was a great idea! The boys had so much fun making these that I know we will make them again next year! I am told that these will preserve until next year, but we might decide to donate them instead of keeping them in the RV all year.

Gingerpeople of the world recipe:
4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 cup salt
Various seasonings for color

Instructions: 
Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Mix ingredients together. It will feel really dry, just keep mixing. The dryer the dough the better they dry out while cooking!
At this point you can separate into a few bowls and add the desired color. We used cinnamon, turmeric, and cocoa powder!
Roll out until about 1/8 inch thick.
We rolled the dough right on the cookie sheet so we didn’t have to move them after we cut them out.
Bake at 325 for about 1 hour or until hard. We have a convection oven so we did about an hour and a half.
Let cool completely on a wire rack and then decorate!
Varnish can be used once decorated to seal the ornaments if you want to keep them for next year!

The post Easy Salt Dough Ornaments! appeared first on That Savage Life.

MMM. Brownies. Chewy, fudgy, thick chocolate goodness. We have tried several “paleo” brownies and just could not get into the texture or the taste of them so we decided to try our hand at Sweet Potato Brownies. We had an abundance of purple sweet potatoes lying around so we used those instead of the traditional orange ones. They don’t taste any different, but it does make the brownies LOOK darker instead of the orange tinge the traditional sweet potatoes give. I was a little skeptical of these when I was whipping up this recipe, but the results were awesome. The only regret is not having some raw milk on hand for these to go with!  My husband says he prefers these to any other brownies we have tried. We added chopped raw pistachios to ours, but you can omit those or add any nut or dried fruit of your choice! Try it out and let me know what you think!

[wp_ad_camp_2]

Fudgy Sweet Potato Brownies!

Ingredients:
Two cups of sweet potato (cooked and peeled)
3 eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup raw honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 tbs coconut flour
3 tbs cocoa powder (we used special dark)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup Enjoy life chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped raw pistachios (optional)

[wp_ad_camp_2]

Instructions:
Bake and peel the sweet potato. Mash and measure out two cups.
Add egg, oil, honey, vanilla to a bowl and whisk until smooth.
Fold in coconut sugar, coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and chocolate chips.
Pour batter in a 9×9 greased baking pan.
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

The post Fudgy sweet potato brownies! appeared first on That Savage Life.

This summer we have had an awesome time as a family participating in the Fulltime Families Summer Scavenger Hunt sponsored by Lazydays the RV Authority! My friends have noticed all the fun pictures on Facebook and want to know where they can find the lists for each week! With permission from Fulltime Families I have printed them below and a free printable PDF is coming! While this was done online it can easily be translated to an offline game between friends or a group! It was so much fun! We still have one more week left to go, so I will update week 4 when we finish! Have fun and good luck!

Rules

This Family Scavenger Hunt is Sponsored by Lazydays, The RV Authority.

Complete this scavenger hunt by taking a photo of each item on the list. There are 100 items, plus a final family portrait (#101). You must submit a separate photo for each item. Your family portrait must be your final photo.

You do not have to be full-time on the road to participate.

This is meant to be fun and stretch you as a family. This is a four week game. Creative thinking is encouraged, but no substitutions.

The items were chosen to be fun, challenging and educational.

1. You must submit one photo per item. One photo cannot represent multiple items.

2. The photo must be of the assigned item, no substitutions are allowed. However, creative thinking is encouraged.

3. The list item number and description must be in the title and/or the description

4. Tag each item with “#lazydaysRVhunt” and the item number in the following format “#ftfld38“. Please follow this exact format. When entered correctly, Facebook will turn the tag into a blue link.  We will use these tags to credit players points.  Incorrectly marked pics will not be counted, however you will be given the opportunity to edit and resubmit with proper hashtags.
5. The Family Portrait must be your final photo (#101), the rest can be taken out-of-order.

6. All photos must be taken after you have joined the hunt. No archival photos allowed.

7. All photos must be your own.

8. No nudity and family friendly pics only.

9. You do not have to take a picture of everything listed, the person with the most points at the end of 4 weeks wins.

10. In the event of a tie, a tie breaker challenge will be issued.

11.  The judge/s reserve the rights to award additional points and / or issue additional challenges on the fly.

[wp_ad_camp_2]

Week 1  (Download Week 1 PDF Here)

• Remember to Tag each picture with the corresponding hashtag and #LazydaysRVhunt
• All pics must be taken expressly for the hunt.  No previous pics please.
• If you have not read the rules, please do so here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/fulltime-families-summer-scavenger-hunt/first-time-playing-start-here-official-rules/555226304544618

(#FTFLD1)”I can’t believe we all fit in here!” 600
(#FTFLD2) Picture a live farm animal 350
(#FTFLD3) Picture of a fountain 200
(#FTFLD4) Picture in a fountain 500
(#FTFLD5) Crossing the street in a cross walk 250
(#FTFLD6) In an elevator 300
(#FTFLD7) Decked out in Sporting Equipment 450
(#FTFLD8) If you’re family was a ‘family band’ 700
(#FTFLD9) Swinging on a playground swing set 400
(#FTFLD10) Jumping on a trampoline  600
(#FTFLD11) A fire hydrant 200
(#FTFLD12) A cactus 400
(#FTFLD13) A palm tree 400
(#FTFLD14) A christmas tree 400
(#FTFLD15) Eating an ice cream by an ice cream sign (you’re welcome kids;) 800
(#FTFLD16) In front of a grocery store 200
(#FTFLD17) The parents in the kids play area at a fast food restaurant 600
(#FTFLD18) Playing video games 200
(#FTFLD19) An aquarium full of fish 450
(#FTFLD20) With a grocery cart 200 (500 bonus points if a team member is in the cart)
(#FTFLD21) With one of those little car rides outside grocery stores 300
(#FTFLD22) Caution tape 200
(#FTFLD23) An insect 200 (+500 if you identify the insect)
(#FTFLD24) Park bench 300
(#FTFLD25) Jump rope 200

(#FTFLDBONUS1) WEB Challenge:  Go to http://www.lazydays.com/ to complete this task and post your screen capture + your pic to get your points: “Are you the Queen of your RV?” This is just right for you! Find it at Lazydays.com. Take a picture in a crown along with a screenshot of what you found. 1000 pts!

[wp_ad_camp_2]

Week 2 (Download Week 2 PDF here)

• Remember to Tag each picture with the corresponding hashtag and #LazydaysRVhunt
• All pics must be taken expressly for the hunt.  No previous pics please.
• If you have not read the rules, please do so here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/fulltime-families-summer-scavenger-hunt/first-time-playing-start-here-official-rules/555226304544618

********** CREATIVITY PASS:  This week you can choose 1 challenge on the list to recreate (drawings / legos / etc)  if you can’t find it.  Use your pass wisely  and tag your picture when you use it with #creativitypass  *****************

#FTFLD26 With a restaurant employee 500
#FTFLD27 With the manager of the restaurant 800
#FTFLD28 At a table with a group of strangers out to dinner 950
#FTFLD29 Striking the same pose as a statue (with the statue) 450
#FTFLD30 Spelling out FtF with your bodies 700
#FTFLD31 In front of a Volkswagen Beetle 800
#FTFLD32 A Hawaii or Alaska License Plate that you found during the week.. in a parking lot somewhere (no substitutions) 950
#FTFLD33 With a mannequin (must replicate stance) 600
#FTFLD34 Four leafed clover 700
#FTFLD35 An American $2.00 bill 500
#FTFLD36 In a Tent and it must be pitched 500
#FTFLD37 With a character from the muppets 700
#FTFLD38 Blowing bubbles with bubble gum 200
#FTFLD39 Something that says “Made in the USA.” 350
#FTFLD40 A cricket mallet 600
#FTFLD41 A foot long (12 in.) shoe 700
#FTFLD42 A take out menu from a Chinese Restaurant 600
#FTFLD43 An origami object that a team member created (A decorative object made by folding paper) 500
#FTFLD44 A T-shirt from Arizona 400
#FTFLD45 Someone hanging upside down 400
#FTFLD46 An LED light 400
#FTFLD47 A reflection 300
#FTFLD48 Buying $0.10 of gas, receipt and pump must show amount (Picture of receipt and pump price needed) 800
#FTFLD49 Inside a Walk In Freezer 700
#FTFLD50 A business card from someone named John 800

#FTFLDBONUS 2 Lazydays Bonus Web Search #2
Like to Fly, but really love to RV. Look for a special offer with a plane in it on Lazydays.com. Take a screen shot of special offer logo and a picture of family members flying paper airplanes for 1500 bonus points!

Week 3 (Download Week 3 PDF here)

• Remember to Tag each picture with the corresponding hashtag and #LazydaysRVhunt
• All pics must be taken expressly for the hunt.  No previous pics please.
• If you have not read the rules, please do so here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/fulltime-families-summer-scavenger-hunt/first-time-playing-start-here-official-rules/555226304544618

********** CREATIVITY PASS:  This week you can choose 1 challenge on the list to recreate (drawings / legos / etc)  if you can’t find it FOR 1/2 CREDIT. Use your pass wisely  and tag your picture when you use it with #creativitypass. The Creativity Pass can not be used for items that state ‘no substitutions’  *****************

#FTFLD51 Doing exactly what a sign says (any sign can work) 200
#FTFLD52 Inside a city bus 500
#FTFLD53 Inside a train 700
#FTFLD54  Behind the counter of a donut shop 400
#FTFLD55 Someone from your team doing a slam dunk (picture must have the person
in the air) 800
#FTFLD56 On a fire engine (a full-size, working fire engine) 600 1000 Bonus points with a fireman in uniform
#FTFLD57 Colorful tongues –eat or drink something to change your tongue to green,
purple, etc 200
#FTFLD58 Picture with a solar panel 300
#FTFLD59 A member of your group handcuffed to a police officer 750
#FTFLD60  Next to an old-fashioned tube television 500
#FTFLD61 Your team in a pet store 400 (100 extra points for each team-member holding an animal)
#FTFLD62 your team on a spiral staircase 500
#FTFLD63 standing right next to a Harley Davidson 500 (500 bonus points if the rider is on it)
#FTFLD64 an ice-cream truck 400
#FTFLD65 running through lawn sprinklers 500
#FTFLD66 video a dramatic earthquake scene in public (15 second video) 600
#FTFLD67 holding a live frog 400
#FTFLD68 Find an unknown couple and ask them how they met. Then post a pic along with their story. 700
#FTFLD69 A team member holding an 8 track tape (no substitutions) 600
#FTFLD70 Create your own sport – name it and take a picture of your team ‘in uniform’ 300
#FTFLD71 A team member in the driver’s seat of a real construction vehicle (not a pick up truck) 700
#FTFLD72 A real tombstone from 1910 (date of death) or earlier.  800
#FTFLD73 A whale 500
#FTFLD74 The Random Act of Kindness Secret Mission… A FtF Summer Scavenger Hunt Tradition.  The completion and documentation of a random act of kindness, with a twist… Your kids (1 or all or any combination of them) have to come up with the random act. Then you find a stranger, perform the act, photograph it, and document the strangers reaction and your family’s reaction. The label for this is #ftfrandomact. And it’s worth 2000 points! But in order to get the points you’ve got to complete this mission just as its stated above. Any questions?

#FTFLDBONUS3 Lazydays Bonus Web Search #3
How many service bays can you find at both Lazydays locations. Find the answer and add a picture of yourself holding the number you found for 1500 bonus points!

 Week 4 Coming Soon! 

The post Fulltime Families Summer Scavenger Hunt sponsored by Lazydays the RV Authority appeared first on That Savage Life.

My Paleo transformation after six months!

My whole life I have struggled with my weight and health. There are so many diets, pills and quick fixes and I am sure that I have tried them all. When I was in high school I was athletic. Very athletic. I worked out between 3 and 5 hours a day. Then I grew up and moved out on my own. This meant cooking my own food, drive thru’s and partying. As the years went by I had two kids and I packed on the weight and my health started to decline. At my worst point I weighed 306 pounds. My feet ached, back hurt, and legs swelled. I had constant heartburn, depression, chest congestion, coughing, headaches and I wanted to sleep all day because my energy level was so low. At that point I was AFRAID to go to the doctor because I was horrified about what he might find or say.

We do a lot of traveling. My family always dreamed of hiking, but it just was not easy for me. I would be out of breath and having to stop every few minutes. This frustrated my kids, but they were patient with me. I would circle the parking lot of grocery stores for 30 minutes before finding a parking spot up close to the door so I didn’t have to walk as far. I flew on the plane to Culebra, Puerto Rico and my hips were so wide that I sat squeezed into the seat for 6 hours. Once we got there the beach was beautiful, but walking everywhere had me out of breath and exhausted. I just couldn’t keep up!  I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted with reckless abandon. Pizza, ice-cream, fried foods and burgers were among my favorites!

After I had my boys I only wanted to feed them the best. I made their baby food and made sure that everything they needed was taken care of. I put myself last… like most moms I know. As the kids grew we began to eat at restaurants more and more. Not only was I unhealthy, but my whole family was on the same path I was on. Last summer my 7 year old wanted me to play soccer with him. It was THEN that I realized that I couldn’t. I physically could not run, jump or kick the ball because my body hurt and my lungs burned. I was so out of shape and weighed so much that I could not play with my kids. The thought of living life on the sidelines scared me to death.

At this point in our lives we were in Cheyenne, Wyoming and a woman I met at a homeschool group was telling me all about her experiences with the Paleo lifestyle. I had never even heard of Paleo before that. She was so passionate about it that it made me think that there had to be more to it! I got home and googled all about the Paleo lifestyle.  That next week I decided we were going to give it a try. I thew out everything in the house that was not Paleo approved and made my first meal plan. My husband went along with this because he was used to me trying all the fad diets. We started full throttle with Paleo the next week and committed to one month. If we hated it we would go back to our old lifestyle. In that one month we noticed changes almost right away. My acne cleared up, my weight started dropping, and my sleep was improving. When we reached the one month mark we decided we would keep going. We were not missing the grains at all. The one thing I had held onto for the whole month was my morning coffee ritual. I would pour BOTH hazelnut creamer AND heaps of sugar in it. It wasn’t really even coffee anymore. I decided that if we were going to do this and change our lives I had to get rid of the sugar and creamer. I researched and talked to my Paleo friend and she told me about coconut oil in my coffee. Believe me… I thought she was nuts. Being me, I will try anything once. Sometimes twice. So, I tried it. I have to admit, at first it was a little weird, and totally different from my super sugar coffee. I committed to a full two weeks. I was going to have my coffee that way for two weeks. I was very surprised when I ended up LIKING the coconut oil coffee. I still WANTED and CRAVED the sweet coffee though. At this point another friend introduced me to Diane Sanfilippo’s 21 Day Sugar Detox. That book is the real deal! The whole point of it is to re-train your tastebuds. I committed to the full 21 days with an awesome support group. At the end of the 21 days I was super surprised that things that were once not sweet, like carrots, were now sweet. It worked! That is how I kicked my sugar habit. Even now I can only eat a few bites of something super sweet before I push it away.

[wp_ad_camp_1]

We followed AND LOVED the Paleo lifestyle for the next few months. I fell off the horse a few times, but I got back up, dusted myself off and got back on track. Fast forward to today. Today I am 72 pounds lighter. All those symptoms I talked about earlier are gone and I started Crossfit at the local box. I am still out of shape and still overweight, but I was given a warm welcome at the Crossfit here in Helena, Montana! I am excited to be working on me. My kids see the difference and I can feel the difference! We enjoy long family hikes and cooking at home. It’s not about the weight. It’s about my health and the chance to get in the game instead of watching from the sidelines. The Paleo lifestyle has been a true game changer for our family. My only hope is that my story inspires someone who thinks that they could never do it. You can! Just try it! What do you have to lose?

[wp_ad_camp_5]

I hope that you enjoyed reading My Paleo transformation after six months! I am looking forward to updating you in another six months!

The post My Paleo transformation after six months! appeared first on That Savage Life.

When I started my journey there were so many books out there and it was confusing! I am a lover of cookbooks and I will not buy a cookbook if it does not have pictures in it! Each of these Paleo cookbooks has the recipe on one page and the beautiful pictures on the other page! I hope you love them as much as I do!

This is my list of my personal top five favorite Paleo books!

1. The 21-Day Sugar Detox: Bust Sugar & Carb Cravings Naturally

The 21-Day Sugar Detox book  helped my kick a 15 year coffee + sugar + creamer and Texas sweet tea habit!

2. Practical Paleo: A Customized Approach to Health and a Whole-Foods Lifestyle

3.  Against All Grain: Delectable Paleo Recipes to Eat Well & Feel Great

4. Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans

5. Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat

The post I HIGHLY recommend these books! appeared first on That Savage Life.

We had a great day of cake, presents and the splash pad!

The post Happy 5th Birthday Grant! appeared first on That Savage Life.

We made state #28! We are in Oxford, AL for a few months!

The post Alabama State #28 appeared first on That Savage Life.

I found this and found it fitting and wanted to share it here!

The post We homeschool because… appeared first on That Savage Life.

The post Thoughtful Thursday: Family appeared first on That Savage Life.

At Davis Hospital and Medical center they got us in quickly and the staff was really sweet to a very angry Grant! They calmed him down and glued his ear back together! He was so brave he got two suckers and stickers from the nurse who took care of him! 

Grant is all better now and is running around like normal… we just have to be careful about putting a shirt over his head. 

I am sure that with boys this will not be our first visit to the Emergency room late at night. We are hoping that it will be a very long time until the next visit! 

The post Ear today… gone tomorrow. Grant 0 Bunk 1 appeared first on That Savage Life.