The incredible journey with Uncle Bens, Bens Beginners, and Mars

It started as a small task....cook with your family and post a video.

But what it ended up being has rocked me to my core.

Let's start at the beginning:
Reese and I are avid cookers. I honestly need to start blogging more of our cooks since he loves to be in the kitchen. He loves it so much that I bought him a professional chef hat and coat last year for his birthday. He started to put it on while cooking. He refers to the cooking cartoon, Ratatouille. And we will say, "Your sleeves look like you threw up on them!" And we laugh since the mark of a good chef is messy apron, clean sleeves. (I do need to get him an apron!)

One day we were looking up recipes. It started in Pinterest and then we had some Uncle Bens Rice so we decided to look up on their website to see if they had any inspiring ideas for a quick dinner.

What we found was a contest. The rules seemed simple. Cook a meal with your family, film it, and then post it onto their website. 

That day we took to pinterest and found a recipe that included ribs. We had some amazing ribs in the freezer and we wanted to use them. They were from our own beef. It was important to show who we were in the video. We are ranchers! 

We filmed that Saturday and it took all day. These were some of the videos that didn't make the cut because we had a limit of 3 minutes. When we had the first video done it was 15 minutes! :) Editing was in order!

We had a blast! But then after reading the rules (I don't recommend starting something without reading the rules first!) we discovered we had portions of the video in vertical shooting. Back to the drawing board! We went and bought the ingredients again and then shot it again. It only took two hours of filming the second time. We had it down! 

I went to upload the video to Uncle Bens and our school in Boswell could not come up. We couldn't submit the video. But we stuck with it and I contacted Uncle Bens. They referred me to Bens Beginners and the conversation started to get us on there. The result was we were able to post our video under independent film. They were great in responding back to me! (Next year we will get it to where Boswell will be on there since there will be many more submissions from our tiny little town!)

I talked to our principal, Mr. Edge. He gave us the thumbs up. Then...it was all out marketing! Here is where my story gets interesting!

My strength: Connectedness. (Gallup Pole test) which means I find connections between people and try to bring them in. I do not like people being not included so I try to bring those people together with often odd connections. :) 

What does Reese's video have? We are ranchers, we support agriculture, Reese has a cleft lip and palate, he is a young chef, we live in Oklahoma. 

There were several things I could go on! I started on posting a blog to gain awareness. I used the PR Press release and added a little bit of my own twist. Then...I went nuts. 

I used the social sites: Facebook, Twitter, G+, Instagram, Pinterest

I found a group of Cleft Lip and Palate kiddos. This was a closed group. I sent an invitation to join the group and several days later they accepted me. I posted Reese's story. 

That is where the things got interesting. We made friends. We made many friends. Friends that are going through the same things Reese and I went through years ago. I saw people's raw emotions about their children going through surgeries. 

On October 15, my daughters birthday, I saw a post about a little girl named Kamry, Supergirl. They were from Springfield, Missouri. She was just born. She was diagnosed in utero with Tristomy 13. It's a rare chromosome disorder. The result was she also had a cleft lip and palate. That is how one of the members posted about her story in the cleft lip and palate. You can see her story here: https://www.facebook.com/PrayForKamrySuperGirl

I watched the supergirl's story unfold as I kept telling people to vote for Reese. We met a chef in Oklahoma City, a great group of Canadians from Crime Stoppers, and three ladies who diligently voted for my son on twitter. 

Many people posted about 'good job, voted, congrats'....we did receive one message from a child around Reese's age which cut like a knife. He had not read the message and reposted saying some ugly choice words about my son's looks. 

The dagger hit my heart. I posted to the cleft lip group and said, 'Should I intervene'? They all said yes so I found out the school where the child attended. (Once again why children should not be unmonitored on the computer--because with a little research, your child can be found). I told the counselor about the situation, asked her guidance on how she can handle it, and just said, "Please educate this child on what a cleft is..."

The response I received was they contacted the child and educated him about what a cleft was. He took down his hateful post and replaced it with "Poor kid, I hope he lives a long life." ...better and perhaps I stopped a future bully.

Keep voting...Keep voting...The days were long on the computer reaching out to strangers.

We had one TV Host retweet to his 32,000 followers, appeared in various publications on the net, and gained awareness about what a cleft truly was. A blogger wants to feature Reese on her blog by using him as a success story!

Kamry kept fighting her battle through our competition. 

I saw her little feet and they were adorable....as her perfect little face. 

Prayers were said as I kept tweeting. I shared my advice to mothers going through surgery. How they could tell if there was infection. My advice was being heard through the group! All 12 surgeries that my son had endured allowed me to be an asset to the group. In addition, most were from the UK and Europe. I met also beautiful, young people who had clefts. One young lady befriended me on Facebook and she speaks Swedish, English, and Spanish. She is a true success story.  

I remember Reese's face when he was born. I remember all the scariness I faced when I was 20. I had only wished I had a resource like the cleft group I had just found.

(Reese, 4 months of age)

Then on October 25, I read a post...in disbelief I re-read it from Kamry, the Supergirl. 

 I reread the words, "She passed away..."My heart remained heavy as I continued praying for them throughout the day. I prayed for peace....

I also thanked Kamry. I thanked her for coming to this earth for 9 short days. For allowing many people to be touched by her story. I looked at Reese playing with my three year old daughter. I felt blessed for all the trials and tribulations that we had gone through and survived. 

I hugged the kiddos closer that night. I kissed them and there was a peace as I shut down the computer. 

A friend told me at church, "There is a divine reason for everything."

If we are selected as finalists, voting will begin on November 18, 2013!
We will keep everyone posted!

The reason we joined the competition was just to show the world how amazing my son could cook. And it ended up being so much more. 

I was able to show the world my amazing, success story: my son, Reese. 

And I was able to meet extraordinary folks around the world. 

And one beautiful Super Angel, Kamry.

South Dakota Devastation and Horrific Photos (viewer discretion is advised)

South Dakota Cattle Ranchers had a monumental blizzard hit and many of them lost a huge percentage of their livestock. Tens of thousands death loss to our cattle industry.

News reporters are too busy covering the government shutdown and failed to bring it to light in a timely manner. Yet alone, let it be of importance on their website. (SHAME ON YOU).

The heart of America is with those trying to keep tradition alive and your bellies full. Ever wonder what it would be like to have empty shelves in the supermarket? Where do you think food comes from? Milk? Beef? Eggs? Salad? From our dedicated farmers and ranchers.

I'm plain pissed off at our government because of this reason: You are not helping those that WORK for a living ...especially our ranchers and farmers that feed our nation. The South Dakota residence NEED federal assistance to locate their herds and help recoup their losses. During this government shutdown we are still funding foreign countries like Egypt. Don't you think our country DESERVES our attention first?

As a taxpayer, I want my money going back into America's WORKING class. Don't you?

What is most sickening is our farm bill has not passed for the year. It won't even come up now that we are in shutdown. So a bill that would help assist our ranchers and farmers and feed America is on the backburner until their puppet show ends.

SHAME ON YOU GOVERNMENT! You are here for us, not the other way around! You are acting like stubborn children trying to get your way! The hard working Americans (that are becoming a smaller and smaller percentage of America) are fed up with the way our government is ran.

You are messing with our livelihoods.

I am Autumn from Oklahoma and I support this message. If I was closer I'd move our herd into the white house lawn and camp out. Don't know if it's a fence in or out state.

This picture speaks so much to me because there is still a calf with it's head up, ears down alive in there. Even if they were to save it...the battle of upper respiratory infection and sickness might kill it.

These pictures were provided by http://bigballsincowtown.com/storm2013.htm Thank you for showing us the true destruction. Our prayers from Oklahoma are with you during your loss.

LOCAL FAMILY IN RUNNING FOR UNCLE BEN’S® BEN’S BEGINNERS™ COOKING CONTEST, SEEKING ONLINE VOTES FROM COMMUNITY

Reese Daily knew that he loved to cook. He had a "palate" for food! But this has special meaning since Reese was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate. He's been through 12 surgeries. That doesn't stop him from doing what he loves and cooking is one of those things. Reese Daily’s family, residents of Boswell, Oklahoma have entered the UNCLE BEN’S ® Ben’s Beginners™ Cooking Contest, a movement designed to help children learn to make healthier choices, at an early age, by getting them interested in cooking.
Parents with children who are in kindergarten through 8th grade were asked to submit a home video that showed the family together in the kitchen introducing a rice-based dish they prepared and discussing their experience cooking together. The contest received entries from families throughout the U.S. In an effort to help the Daily family strengthen their score and give them an opportunity to be chosen as a finalist, they are asking the community to vote for the video they submitted titled Reese’s Hawaiian Style Short Ribs. The link to the video is athttp://bit.ly/1aiYOLU. If selected as a grand prize winner the Daily family will receive $15,000 cash and a $30,000 cafeteria makeover for Boswell Public School. Two members of the Daily family will also appear on “The Rachael Ray Show!”
From October 9 through October 27, 2013, individuals can view all the contest videos and vote for their favorite by visitingwww.unclebens.com and searching for the recipe name. Individuals are encouraged to vote once per 24 hours. For more information on the Ben’s Beginners™ Cooking Contest, visitwww.bensbeginnerscontest.com.

Please share and let's see how many votes this young man will get!

My amazing son!

My son once again has amazed me! For those of you that have missed my previous posts, he has a bilateral cleft lip and palate. He decided this last year to once again enter public school since we moved to Boswell, Oklahoma. He wanted to give the kids' one more chance to be nice and we found the greatest, most amazing kids here in Boswell, Oklahoma! He has quickly made friends in this small town! He has competed and won medals for speeches in 4H! He jumped at the chance to help his school!

Reese entered the UNCLE BEN'S® Ben's Beginners™ Cooking Program by making a short cooking video. Vote for his video and help him get in the running for great prizes, like $15,000 for our family and a $30,000 cafeteria makeover for his Boswell school. 

http://bit.ly/1aiYOLU    SEE HIS VIDEO NOW and VOTE STARTING OCT 9!!!

Vote daily at the link above, after October 9, so please bookmark his video page and set an alarm on your phone to help remind you to vote for Reese! 

Please help spread the word. He even cut down branches to the Boswell sign so he could make this video! That in itself shows community pride because you couldn't see the sign before! 

I will send out a reminder the day of voting!

Autumn Daily

PS. Watch his video RIGHT NOW! It's only 3 min long!

Okie Suds Fresh Snow

Okie Suds is a soap company in Boswell, Oklahoma. Made in Oklahoma! We are dedicated to bringing products that are moisture packed and good for your skin. 100% biodegradable, Vegan, and super moisturizing! We use sustainable oils so you can feel good every time you use our bars. We love animals and DO NOT test on them.

Our products contain some awesome ingredients and a shoe in for gifts for teachers, nurses, students and the hard to shop for. We have several all natural bars which contain essential oils.

We just made Fresh Snow in Oklahoma today. It will be available for sale on October 20, 2013. There is limited quantity, it will be on a first come, first serve basis. Once they are gone, they are gone for the 2013 holiday season.

Topped with Jojoba beads (which are biodegradable), these bars mimic real life snow, capturing the beauty of crystal topped pure snow. The reason snow is blue has to do with the light that it reflects. White light truly is all the colors of the rainbow, snow reflects blue hues and gives us the impression of blue in some places.

The scent of this is a clean smell, like you just stepped in a snow covered meadow. It mimics fresh laundry or clean cotton.

What is in your handmade soap?

Ever wonder what is in your soap?

I only purchase handmade soap, so it's got to be good for me....right?

I am making a business plan for my soap company and got to research the competitors! My main concern was 'what do they put in their bars!?' and boy was it a shock!

Without naming names, here is what you should try to avoid when purchasing handmade soap (in red)!

EDTA: 
"Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, widely abbreviated as EDTA (for other names, see Table), is anaminopolycarboxylic acid and a colourless, water-soluble solid. Its conjugate base is namedethylenediaminetetraacetate. It is widely used to dissolve limescale."
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethylenediaminetetraacetic_acid

Did they just say "DISSOLVES LIMESCALE?" Do you want to suds your baby up in that? I think not!

Triethanolamine:
"Reports indicated that TEA causes an increased incidence of tumor growth in the liver in female B6C3F1 mice, but not in male mice or in Fischer 344 rats.^[11] A 2004 study concluded "TEA may cause liver tumors in mice via a choline-depletion mode of action and that this effect is likely caused by the inhibition of choline uptake by cells."^[11]"
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triethanolamine

Again, why would you put a product that has studied on 'animals' in your finished product? As a manufacturer of handmade soap, you should be aware of the contents of your soap. Why would anyone want to put an agent that is known to cause tumors in their product? 

Another company had this: 
Our soaps are handmade from virgin vegetable oils (olive, coconut, soy, palm, sweet almond, sunflower, apricot kernel, and/or avocado), lye, and distilled water. Additions are noted with descriptions.

You can't even read the ingredients within the soap until you purchase it! Are they from sustainable oils? I'd avoid this one all together!

One company claimed they were all organic and then I read this in their Sandalwood soap:

Phalate-free Fragrance

"Fragrance oil(s), also known as aroma oils, aromatic oils, and flavor oils, are blended synthetic aroma compounds or natural essential oilsthat are diluted with a carrier like propylene glycol, vegetable oil, or mineral oil. Aromatic oils are used in perfumery, cosmetics, flavoring of food, and in aromatherapy."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fragrance_oil

Key word: synthetic! I have fragrance in some of my soaps! I use it in my Orange Sandalwood soap because I refuse to be a part of the destruction of the Sandalwood tree. But if you are going to say you are all organic and natural...Don't put a fragrance in your soap! 

So what I am trying to say is ...before you lather up, make sure you know what is in your bath with you!

Okie Suds contains some/most of these ingredients: 

Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Palm Kernal Oil, Canola Oil, Water, Sodium Hydroxide (lye), Essential oils, Fragrance Oils, Dead Sea Salt, Grade 1 Lavender Buds, Jojoba Beads, Shredded Loofah, Pink Sea Salt, and Iron Oxide.

Please look on my website: www.okiesuds.com for an entire list of ingredients. Click on the soap and it will come up! I will be adding more clays in the future for colorant. I will also make more soaps that contain only essential oils. We have two soaps that contain only essential oils: Lavender Oatmeal and Rosemary Sage.
We are committed to your health and safety of your family and friends! Choose Okie Suds for all of your homemade soaping needs! 

September 30, 2013 Giveaway

Hey readers!
Okie Suds (my soap company) will be having a giveaway of one of my favorite smelling soaps: Orange Sandalwood.

100% Biodegradable, Vegan, topped with jojoba beads (also biodegradable), contains fragrance Sandalwood oil because Okie Suds will not participate in the destruction of the Sandalwood Tree!!, Contains amazing, SUSTAINABLE oils, Proudly MADE IN OKLAHOMA!

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE: (Let her know you came from Autumn in Oklahoma blog!)
https://www.facebook.com/teesxxoopartylite?hc_location=timeline