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Feb 2

A New Addition to the 8th Continent Soymilk Family!

Megan Stremick and her son Charlie

Article by: Megan Stremick

With our son Charlie only a few months shy of his second birthday, we thought it would be a great time to add to our family. We made the announcement of our pregnancy to our immediate families at Christmas dinner which made for an exciting holiday despite my nausea. This will make 10 grandchildren for my parents! Add 10 adults and you have yourself one hell of a party anytime we all get together.

After word got around the office my lovely friend and co-worker Sara Lopez thought it would be a great idea if I shared the news with a blog and started tracking my progress. So please don’t take me sharing this news like I think I’m Kourtney Kardashian and you’ve all been following me on E! and really give a hoot that I’m prego. Personally, I think you should be watching the Housewives over the Kardashians anyway. We just thought it would be a great chance to get moms and expecting moms to share their stories, advice and even ask questions relating to the stages of pregnancy and being pregnant with a toddler (those last few words just exhausted me).

I’m just nearing the end of my first trimester, which has been a gas let me tell you—literally, a gas! I think the moment my body and my brain were on the same wavelength that I was pregnant by belly swelled with gas and my senses went on overload, deciding that the smell of roasted turkey or the mere thought of a leafy green vegetable would fill me with the desire to wretch.  The familiar feeling of nausea came back to me, I remember that distinctly when I was pregnant with my son, but the need for a nap at all hours of the day and the sleepless nights seems new. But, then again, I did not have a toddler running around the first time. I think I may be turning a corner. I am going on my third morning waking up without saltine cracker crumbs all over me and the sheets from my middle of the night snacking to appease an uneasy belly. Could the land of more energy and a fresh salad that doesn’t make me gag be waiting just around the corner? My vastly expanding butt would appreciate some exercise soon, that’s for sure.

Are you newly pregnant? Share your first trimester feelings? Been there, done that and have some great advice for me, I’d love to hear it. You can connect with us on Twitter and also on Facebook.

Family

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Jan 31

DIY Heart-Warming Hand Warmers

In most parts of the country right now, not only is it cold… but it is bitter cold! Winter storms are hitting a lot of the US and it is a daunting thought to even anticipate going out there into the frozen tundra.

With Valentine’s Day coming up, and the frigid weather outside, we figured that these DIY Heart-Warming Hand Warmers made from recycled material might just be what the doctor ordered.

Supplies:

  • All-natural material (We used a 100% cotton flannel shirt from a thrift store)
  • 100% cotton thread
  • Uncooked long grain white rice
  • Scissors
  • Needle
  • (Optional) Dried Lavender or Essential Oils to put into the rice

Directions:

First and foremost, if you are using a recycled shirt like we did, wash it and make sure it is clean.

Cut square of fabric from your shirt and fold it in half.

Cut the shape of a heart out of your square ensuring you are allowing part of the fold to stay intact. (this just makes it easier to line up when sewing)

You can sew the edges of your heart together by hand or by machine but you must make sure if you are sewing by hand that the stitches are close enough to not allow any of the rice to fall out when finished.

Leave a gap when sewing so that you may turn your heart right side out and fill it with rice.

Once you have put your rice in, stitch the open gap closed by hand.

Heating time depends on the size of your hand warmer and the strength of your microwave.

You can make one heart for each pocket! My Heart-Warming Hand Warmer only takes 30 seconds to heat up. Make sure to be careful when removing your hand warmer from the microwave in case it is hot and also keep an eye on it when you are microwaving.

You can reuse these hand warmers time and time again!

Did you make a pair of Heart-Warming Hand Warmers? Post a picture on our Facebook or share with us on Twitter! And keep checking back for more awesome ideas, recipes and crafts.

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Jan 21

Create Something Saturday- A Sweet Photo Display for Your Sweet

That time of year is here again. The time when most of us draw a blank as to how to express our love for the people in our lives. But what are we to do? There is an entire day dedicated to it! With this Sweet Candy Photo Display, you will have a colorful candy dish and the perfect gift for the one you love!

Supplies:

Glass vase

Boston Baked Beans, Sweetheart Conversation Candy

A picture

To start, make sure you photocopy the original picture so that you won’t get the picture all sticky form the candy you will be using.

Cut the picture to the right size

Hold the picture against the side of the vase as you fill it with candy.

Give the vase to your loved one on Valentine’s Day and be prepared to be showered in kisses!

Do you have any great ideas for Valentine’s Day? Let us know on our Twitter or Facebook!

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Jan 3

8th Continent Soymilk Draw Your Own Sun Grand Prize Winners!

Earlier this year 8th Continent Soymilk had a package re-design and we created a contest where kids and adults could submit drawings of their own suns for a chance to support the K-12 school of their choice.

From thousands of suns, 50 winners were voted on and 50 others were selected by a panel. The schools of the winning suns received a $1,000 Blick Art Materials gift card to redeem for art supplies totaling in $100,000. Also, the Grand Prize Winners are featured on the new packages of 8th Continent Soymilk!

And now the moment you have all been waiting for…

Drum Roll Please!

The 8th Continent Art Contest’s Grand Prize Winners are:

  • Rae Holcomb’s design, featured on the Original flavor carton, uses cool shades of and green and has symmetrical triangle-shaped rays centered by a blue smiling face.
  • Bryn Pawlik’s design, seen on the Complete Vanilla flavor carton, includes a golden rays emanating from the sun’s cheery, pink face.
  • Ann Rose’s sun design, included on the Vanilla flavor carton, features a whimsical face – with the sun winking at the viewer – highlighted with gold and red rays that create a sense of movement.
  • Lacey Rosman’s perfectly round sun design, which appears on the Light Vanilla flavor carton, has an expressive face surrounded by a rainbow of brightly colored rays.

Each of the designs was selected based on their creativity, uniqueness and how they represented a bright and sunny outlook to the new day – much like our soymilk product. You can also see the rest of the winning suns here.

Even though the contest is over- there is never a wrong time to share a little sunshine! Make sure to fan us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to keep updated about any new contests we will be having in the future.

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Dec 7

Planning Gifts on a Budget

Article by: Megan Stremick

Tis the season for giving gifts which means those of us on a budget are starting to sweat as we make our lists of everyone we need to shop for; friends and family, co-workers and neighbors, the list seems to grow longer every year. But last year I decided to change up the traditional gift giving for everyone and relieve the stress on my wallet. My ideas worked so well I thought I would share them with all of you.

Mine is a large family when you account for my husband, his parents, his sister then my four siblings, their spouses and all of their children (9 collectively at this point) and my parents. I’m exhausted just thinking of the idea of finding the perfect present for all of them. So last year we came to a decision together to do Secret Santas. My sister-in-law found a perfect website, www.elfster.com , where once you’ve entered everyone’s name it randomly selects your Secret Santa for you and sends the selection to you in an e-mail. You can anonymously send your wish list as well—taking the stress out of gift ideas for everyone. Then we took this same concept and applied it to the kids so that each adult was a Secret Santa for a niece or nephew. This was perfect—two special gifts instead of 15 less meaningful gifts.   For my parents and my in-laws, an up-to-date picture of our son in a nice frame is always well received. Last year we got my dad a wine club membership for a year. Split between all of the siblings it was a inexpensive and a gift that kept on giving all year long.

Last year my friends and I decided to start a new tradition to do a holiday pot luck and each person brings a wrapped gift that cost no more than $20 and we play the white elephant game—you can find directions to the game here.

For younger kids think about refurbishing hand-me-down toys from friends and family. Think about your friends and family that have kids that are older than yours and ask if they are getting rid of some of the toys that their kids don’t play with anymore. Choose the toys that are in the best shape and clean them up and wrap them up. If you start this when you’re kids are young enough you will be able to train them that ‘new’ toys don’t always come in cardboard and plastic packaging. This is also a great way to go ‘green’ for the holidays—less consumption and less waste.

Another diamond in the rough of the internet is www.restaurants.com and I am in-love with this new find. This website offers gift certificates for participating restaurants and you pay up to 70% less than what the gift certificate is worth. For example you can buy a gift certificate worth $100 for your sisters favorite restaurant but you only pay $40 for it! You print it right you’re your computer.

If you have any great ideas for giving gifts on a budget please share them with us on Twitter or Facebook. I know I’m always looking to give the perfect gift for a perfect price.

Family Megan Stremick

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Nov 18

Create Something Saturday- Pumpkin Photo Holder

Family is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Thanksgiving. Everyone gets together to ooh and aah over all of the delicious creations coming out of the kitchen. Parents are in the front room watching football, kids are chasing the dog around the house, and moms are setting up the table and putting the finishing touches on the pumpkin pie. And when the family comes together, they look around and remember: this holiday is all about coming together.

Here is a cute craft that is easy to make with kids. It makes a perfect centerpiece for any Thanksgiving table!

Supplies:

  • Foam Pumpkin (these are on clearance right now at any craft supply store)
  • Green pipe cleaners
  • Foam letters with adhesive backs
  • Pictures of your family

Directions:

  • Decide what you want your pumpkin to say and pick out the letters.
  • Apply the adhesive letters to the front of the pumpkin.
  • Take the pipe cleaners and wrap around your finger.
  • Stick one end of the pipe cleaner into the stem piece of the foam pumpkin.
  • Take your favorite family pictures and allow the pipe cleaner’s curls to pinch them into place.

Now you can enjoy your Thanksgiving meal with an adorable Pumpkin as a centerpiece!

Need more recipes and tips for Thanksgiving dishes, crafts and meals?

Make sure to follow us on Twitter and join our Facebook Fan Page!

Crafts

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Nov 18

How to Make this a Thankful Thanksgiving

Article by: Megan Stremick

For my family, right before Thanksgiving dinner the family gathers around the table and takes a moment before the first bite of Turkey is eaten or the first forkful of yams is put to their lips and they share what they are thankful for.  It may seem cliché, and while this tradition would be a wonderful habit to get into every night, Thanksgiving is the time that brings out the “thankfulness” in everyone.

Reflecting on your past “I am thankful for…” moments you may be thinking to yourself, “gee, I feel like I say the same thing every year, how can I make my thanksgiving moment more meaningful this year”?  It’s to be expected that year after year the ever present “I’m thankful for my family and friends” speech is, at some point, going to wear thin and you are going to want to share something a little more sentimental and heartfelt. The only way to do that is to really take the time to reflect on the question of “what are you thankful for” (preferably not 10 minutes before Thanksgiving dinner).

A good way to do this is to make a list. Sit yourself down for five minutes to make a list with the thought: What makes me truly happy? When you start to reflect on not only the people but the specific times, places, smells, and sights and even the feelings you experience in your everyday life that really make you happy, you might just surprise yourself with what you come up with.

Right now I am thankful for the mornings when the air is cool, the neighbors are burning a fire giving off that winter smell, I have a delicious cup of coffee in my hand and Charlie is eating every bite of his breakfast without me having to shove it in his mouth for him. I am thankful for the moments when Russ and Charlie and I are snuggling in bed together and giggling. I am thankful for my yoga practice and what it does for my body and for my sanity.  I am thankful that when I think I’m having a bad day I have wonderful people in my life that remind me of all the things I should be thankful for.

What are you thankful for? Let us know on Twitter or on Facebook.

Family Megan Stremick

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Nov 12

Get 8th Continent Soymilk into your local stores!

Can’t find 8th Continent Soymilk?

Many of you have posted that your local retailer has stopped carrying 8th Continent or that you’re just having a plain hard time finding us in stores.  We assume there are probably lots of other people we haven’t heard from who feel the same way too!

We think your store should be filled with the things you want. So, here’s how you can let your voice be heard and make a difference to get 8th Continent near you. If you don’t see 8th Continent at your local grocer, visit our Product Finder tab on our Facebook Page for easy ways to bring 8th Continent back into your store.

Thanks again for all of your support!

About 8th Continent Soymilk

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Nov 12

Create Something Saturday: Thankful Doorknob Hanger

Every year at Thanksgiving dinner, my family goes around from person to person and lists what they are thankful for. I’m not trying to sound cliché, but when it comes to me, I have a hard time pinning down just one reply. My mother raised me to be thankful for everything in our lives and to never take things for granted. That is truly the meaning of Thanksgiving to me.

Here is a cute craft that you can make with the kids to teach them to be thankful for something every day!

Supplies

  • Paint
  • Non-Finished Wood Door Hanger (You can pick this up at any craft store)
  • Post-It Notes
  • Pencil
  • Glue
  • Raffia

Directions

  • Paint the wood doorknob hanger yellow.
  • Allow the hanger to dry and using the eraser end of a pencil, create various colors of dots on the hanger by dipping it into paint and applying to the hanger to make it look like an ear of corn.
  • Once the dots have dried, glue a Post-It Note pad on the hanger and a paper that says: “Today I am thankful for…”
  • Tie the raffia around the top of the hanger for decoration (you can also attach a pencil to the raffia)
  • Have your little one write what they are thankful for each day on the post-it note pad.

You can take the ones already written on and hang them on the fridge or wherever you’d like!

You can also gather all of these notes come Thanksgiving dinnertime to share with family and friends.

From the 8th Continent Soymilk Family to yours: Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Make sure to fan us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more Thanksgiving recipes, crafts and tips!

Crafts

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Nov 8

8th Continent Soymilk and Walk Now For Austism Speaks

Walk Now for Autism Speaks is the nation’s largest grassroots fundraising and awareness event for Autism.

On November 13th, 8th Continent Soymilk will be at the Walk Now for Autism Speaks at the Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. As a proud sponsor, we’ll be at the expo for the duration of the walk giving out samples and coupons!

We are proud to say that 8th Continent Soymilk is gluten and casein free, and it’s been shown that Autistic children react better to gluten and casein free diets.

Families who have been affected by Autism and volunteers power this successful grassroots fundraising effort. Not only does this walk generate vital funds for Autism research but also it raises awareness about the increasing prevalence of Autism and the need for increased research funding to combat this complex disorder.

Please come out and join us for this fun event to a great cause!

Hope to see you all there!

About 8th Continent Soymilk Events

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