H 2 the O August 5, 2010

A couple of months ago I got onto a kick of drinking not much of anything except water. Somewhere along the line I added those carbonated beverage back in here and there, and along with that came the juice drinks from a powdered origin, that’s how they roll here. I have noticed in the last couple of weeks that I. just. feel. like. crap. I am always tired, sometimes achey, and severely lacking in the motivation-to-do-anything department. I think it’s time for me to get my drink back on.

Remember a few years ago (maybe 5 or 6 years) when the Nalgene bottles were the new-to-the-scene rage? I picked me and The Manchild up one each of them at the EMS store, along with a trusty mouth guard thingy. About a year later I picked up three more at one of my favorite places, L.L.Bean. They were on sale, and I had lost mine, so how could I not? This time the hubby got one too.

The next thing I know, avoiding #7 plastics is all the rage. Of course, what do you think I found on the bottom our Nalgene bottles? Why, yes, of course, #7, #7, #7. You are not a lucky number, are you?

Let me just go off on a side note tangent about this… I am no expert on plastics and the numbers that you find on them. I have not done any kind of extensive research on plastics and the good, bad, or the ugly that may be associated with them. I have done a little reading here and there that put me on a kick a while ago in which I just wanted to avoid plastic food containers altogether. This kick was short lived, but I still try to avoid the plastics when possible. The point that I’m trying to get at here is how I came to find my treasure, the Klean Kanteen.

So. Back to L.L. Bean I went, the land of satisfaction guaranteed. I refturned those Nalgene #7′s because I was not satisfied with the possibility, whether real, or remote, or not, that they were leeching chemicals into my water. And there, sitting so pretty on the shelf, I saw it, the Bean Kanteen. So pretty in pink. I picked up one that day, and eventually returned to add a plain stainless to the family collection.

I can’t say enough good things about these containers. I have never had one leak on anything, Though they have been dropped a million plus one times, they have only minor scratches and a few small dents here and there. I’m not sure if this can be possible, but the ones we have are not insulated, but they seem to keep our water colder for a longer time period than the average plastic bottle. I’ve had a million compliments on them along with the “where did you get thats?”

So. Are you ready to get your drink on? You will feel so much better, I promise. And if you pick up a reusable container like mine, you will also be friendly to the earth!

How Does Your Garden Grow? August 6, 2009

 

If you have been following along at all, you know that this year I decided to do some unconventional gardening, and plant on straw bales.  A family friend tried it for the first time last year and she loved it; since I was short on prep time and didn’t have a great space readily available, I decided to give it a go.  

 

I had a…let’s say peculiar start, with these strange mushrooms growing, but they simmered down after a bit and things were going along smoothly… until the last few days.  I had these HUGE beautiful zucchini and squash plants, and it seemed that overnight they rotted away.  I have never really had a garden before, so I am guessing that either they got root rot from all the rain we have been having (because they were all rotten on the bottom where they went into the hay) , or it has something to do with the slugs that I keep finding.  

 

At this point, I have plucked one cucumber, one zucchini, and I have a few eggplants and a zillion tomatoes growing. Tonight when we got home, the children and I went to take a peek like we do every day, and we finally have some grape tomatoes turning orange.  The only problem I have not is that the babies seem to find it greatly entertaining to pick my not-yet-ripe fruits from the vine… this could turn into a problem.

 

Since I am leaving for the Philippines in October and will not be back for 2 years, I am just taking this go around as a learning experience and taking some ideas and lessons from it to use the next time around.  

 

This is what I have to say about gardening on straw so far:

• It was insanely easy to get everything set up and get the garden going
• With the exception of the mushrooms, I have had virtually no weeds
• While my bales are now disintegrating, I have learned that 1-next time I will put some kind of support around the outside so I can get another year out of them, and 2-I will have some amazing compost for my pile at the end of this season

 

I would definitely try this again in a heartbeat with a little more research and pre-planning.

Here are some recent pics, enjoy!

Changelings June 26, 2009

I am torn today because I have two subjects on the brain, both dealing with change, but in different ways.  One has to do with how ‘times change’ and the other with how ‘people change’.  I’m going to stick with the times today since I have been thinking about that for a few days.  We’ll get to people later.

 

A week or so ago I was going to write a post about my grandmother.  And her opinions.  Yes, her opinions did need its own sentence.  I decided against that because I’m still teetering on the fence in regards to how personal I really want to get here (please keep this in mind if you plan to revisit, becuase it will also apply to the soon to come people post).

 

When I was in my teens, I was… let’s say very alternative for the time.  I was quite the tree hugger, years before it became trendy, and I caught a lot of flack for that.  While I held on to a lot of the ideas and practices I had then, there are several that slipped away as the years passed by.  I no longer remember the different properties of different crystals and stones, and I don’t have any more t-shirts that say things like ‘save a tree, harvest a developer’.  I try not to regularly lecture family members and friends on how to be kinder to the environment.

 

I’ve held true to my beliefs that there is such a thing as natural healing (though I don’t practice it very often-and I DO believe there is a place for conventional medicine), and we should all do our part in preserving the earth;  I’ve always chosen a more natural or organic option when it was available.  I’ve gone through times where I was a little more active in the   ‘earth renegade’ lifestyle, and I’m coming back into one of those times.  I’m trying to live a more natural lifestyle (natural food, natural cleaning, natural all around).

 

I specifically remember a family gathering where I was discussing the healing benefits of certain herbs and crystals with my grandmother, and she insisted that ’all that’ was psychological.  I remember making the statement that it may be so, but I would rather carry a crystal in my pocket than take a pill; if I could heal myself psychologically, all the better.

 

The other night I dropped a jar of our homemade jam at my grandmother’s house.  We sat and chatted a while as the kids played outside, and she commented on how she thought it was funny that I was getting so into the homemade thing.  This was after a recent phone conversation we had where she was telling me that she puts peppermint oil in her laundry with the sheets because it kills bed bugs.  I thought it was funny that she seems to have forgotten what I was doing 15-20 years ago; the same thing I am doing now.

 

Within the last few days, I came across this post about how the U.S. is a little late in jumping on the band wagon of the simple lifestyle, but that without America, the change that had been seen in other countries would be short lived.  Rhonda linked to some Oprah articles and shows on cutting back and living simply.  What does it say about our society, that it takes an economic crisis and Oprah for us to join others in efforts to take care of that which has only been lent to us (Earth)?

 

Today I received my email update from Katie over at Kitchen Stewardship, and while her post focused on nutrition, in her ‘How?’ everything was tied together; everything we do is connected in one way or another.

 

I’m so happy to see that even though it has taken a while, we are finally catching on to this movement.  I have discovered so many resources online that are helping me come up with more and more ways to live naturally and healthfully, all the while minimizing my impact, but in a way that is not tedious or not conducive to my currently busy schedule.  I’m hoping that this time around the change is more than a phase, and I can have an impact and inspire others, even if it is only one person.

Mmmmm Mmmmm Good June 20, 2009

…And it’s not Campbell’s soup!

We made our strawberry jam last night.  We were able to make 2 batches with all the berries we had picked.  One batch went to school with The Manchild as gifts for the teachers, and the rest is in the fridge.  As I was mixing up the pectin, I was thinkging that I had to add a lot of sugar, and it was a shame that I couldn’t use the low sugar pectin to make freezer jam.  This is a perfect example of how I am domestically challenged.  I came across a blog today that covered that very topic!

At any rate, here are some pictures so you can see how easy it is in case you are also domestically challenged but want to try something new and exciting!

Fresh picked strawberries from a local farm:

Washing off with veggie spray:

Getting ready to mash up, using a pastry blender makes it incredibly easy!

All mashed up:

Mixed pectin and sugar:

Mixing mixing mixing and more mixing:

Ready to be covered and set and move into a cooler climate!

The Manchild HATES strawberry jam passionately, but he tasted the end result and ate it TWICE today!

Blurbs on Bibs June 19, 2009

When The Manchild started on solids, the year was 1997.  I don’t recall there being a lot of selection on the street when it came to bibs.  Fast forward 10 years to Popo making that big step to real food, and there are so many to choose from, you just don’t know where to turn.

 

With The Manchild, I absolutely fell in love with those pullover towel-style bibs that just had a hole and went on like a shirt.  They were great, and that’s all I ever used with him.  I had maybe 5 of them, and they all had Winnie-the-Pooh pictures.  They looked like this:

I had a few of these that I had held on to, but they didn’t work very well at first because she is such a little peanut.  So I picked up what I thought was a pretty good deal at Babies R Us.  It was a pack of 10 bibs by Koala for $11.99.

 

I used those for a bit, but I wasn’t overly impressed with them, and my aunt who watches the babies while I am working insisted that I needed to get one of ‘those bibs with a pocket’.  I shopped around a little bit and decided to try the Kiddopotamus Bibbity Rinse and Roll Bib.

I bought two of those, one for home and one for her house.  The reviews were wonderful; I would never need another bib again.  I.hated.it.

I shopped around some more and found the Bumkins Super Bib.  I thought, what more could I ask for?  It was not plastic, it was waterproof, it had a catchall pocket, and best of all, it was machine washable.

Or so it said anyway.  The first one I had ended up with a ripped seam in the pocket after a few rounds in the washing machine.  I hadn’t had it for very long, so I exchaged it for another, and the same thing happened. 

 

 I threw my arms up in defeat and went back to the pullover bibs I had leftover from The Manchild, and the 10 pack I had picked up at Babies R Us.  That was until I took a trip to Ikea a few months ago and found these:

Yes, that’s right, at Ikea.  At Ikea I found A SET OF TWO BIBS FOR $3.99.  Yes, a set of two bibs, for $3.99, that have sleeves, that have a pocket, that are waterproof, and are machine washable.  I bought 3 sets.  One for home, one for Auntie’s house, and one for Mayonaise’s (grammy’s).

 

After using these for a few months, I have to say they are the absolute best way to go.  I can’t wait to find a reason for another trip to Ikea so I can pick up another set so I don’t have to go back to the old ones when these are in the wash.  What a great find!

 

You can find them here if you want to try them out.

Garden Update June 17, 2009

Generally speaking, my straw bale gardening seems to be coming along quite nicely, with the exception of the pest problem that I have… well that, and maybe mushrooms.  I just reminded myself that the day before yesterday I went to check on our bales and discovered that there is an overwhelming growth of mushrooms popping out everywhere!  I have decided to place blame for this on the Miracle Grow Organic Soil that I put on top of the bales.  Some of the information I had found online indicated you don’t need to do anything other than water the plants, but I decided that  I would follow the path of our family friend who had turned me on to the idea of bale gardening in the first place, and just put a little smidgen of dirt on top; it seemed like the natural thing to do.  So now I am reminded that since the sun is showing itself today, I have some weeding of mushrooms to do when I get home this evening.

 

Now back to the pests… I seem to have attracted aphids that have taken quite a liking to my little veggies.  I have been trying to research what options I have for ‘organic’ pest control, and I have decided to try a mix of Dr. Bronner’s Peppetmint soap and water in a spray bottle.  I’ll mix that up tonight and let you know how that one goes.

 

Something else that you may find of interest on the gardening subject is this:

As I was poking around this morning in the blog world, I came across Premeditated Leftovers, which I found to be a pretty good read.  One thing of great interest that I wish I had seen a few weeks ago before my big trip to Home Depot for yard tools and such, is this great video on making your own composter for less than $30!  What great ideas!

 

For your viewing pleasure, I will try to get some pictures of our progress, and sqautters, posted very soon!

TPC Suds Pump June 15, 2009

I’ve decided that from time to time I will go ahead and write about those products that I feel people just can’t (or shouldn’t) live without.  You know the ones… everyone has a few that they think everyone else should have, it’s Either your signature wedding or baby shower gift, sometimes the birthday special.

 

 

Everyone should have at least one Pampered Chef Suds Pump ®.  This is a soap dispenser that stretches your liquid soap beyond belief.  I have been using them for years; I have one at every sink in the house. 

 

 I’m sure by now you must have seen dispensers like these in the grocery or department stores,  they are put out in cute little containers by Dial and Softsoap, often times marketed towards the children you have in the house.  The only drawback to buying these dispensers in the store is that you have to buy their refills, because who knows the correct recipe for the perfect foam?

 

 

With The Pampered Chef Suds Pump®, the bottle is clearly marked to what level you should fill it with soap, and then to what level you should add water.  Give it a good shake, and you’re good to go. 

 

I will admit that after years of use, the pump finally got clogged up a little bit, but the beautiful thing about The Pampered Chef is that you can order replacement parts (and shipping is free on those!). 

 

The kids love to wash their hands, and you will love saving the earth, money, and soap all at the same time!

These Are Days June 11, 2009

Here is what I have been up to for the last week or so…

 

The garden is coming along… for right now I’ll go ahead and say nicely (all the while hoping that I don’t stick my foot in my mouth!).  We watered the bales daily for a week.  They changed color, getting a little darker, got a little stinky for a few days, and they definitely ‘baked’ themselves, becuase when we planted on Monday, it was warm inside near the top where we dug out for the plants, and actually almost still hot in the middle. 

 

Here are some pics for you to take a look-see of what we have so far.  We planted tomatoes (3 varieties), cucumbers (2 varieties), cantelope, eggplant (2 varieties), and peppers (2 varieties).  I am very excited to report that the day after we brought the plants home, they wilted after spending the night just on top of the bales, but they sprang right back to life as soon as we got them planted and watered!

I had a very intense weekend; Popo was sick with a high fever that started on Thursday night.  She had felt a little warm when she went to bed, but just slightly so I didn’t give her anything.  When I went to check on her a little later she was burning up.  The thermometer read 104.4, 104.6, and 105.4.  Needless to say, that even with all of my previous eexperience with The Manchild and his high fevers, and the nursing classes that I do have under my belt, I was still a little worried.  I gave her some Motrin and stuck her in the tub to try to get her cooled down a little.  When the Dr. on call (actually a nurse from the children’s hospital) finally called back it had dropped to about 102.  I knew that she wasn’t dehydrated, she didn’t have any other symptoms that I could speak of, but a fever that high is still nerve-racking.  She was on a cocktail of Tylenol and Motrin throughout the weekend, and she was quite miserable.

 

Other news with Popo is that within the last week, she has started throwing all out temper tantrums.  It’s funny how you look at other mothers with ‘that child’… that is, until ‘that child’ is your child.  What have you done with your spirited children to make it through the toddler years smoothly?

 

New and exciting on the schooling front, I found another accelerated second degree program to look into, and yesterday I took a placement test for one of the programs I applied to.  I scored a perfect ’105′ (the proctor said she is not sure why that happens, but good for me), and I have to go back and take another test tomorrow morning.

 

While I was on campus I stopped at the book/natural living store, and picked up a vegetarian crock pot cook book which I am very excited about, some nutritional yeast, and some soap nuts laundry detergent (I went with the liquid because the actual nuts were just too much for me to wrap my head around).

 

I have been looking for a vegetarian cookbook for the crock pot or some time now, and I can’t wait to try out some of the recipes this one has.  I recently found a vegan recipe for macaroni and cheese that called for nutritional yeast, and though we aren’t vegans, DH is a hater when it comes to cheese (even though he LOVES my baked macaroni and cheese).  The soap nuts are something I came across online somewhere, and I thought it was a pretty interesting green product.  It was somewhat of an impulsive buy for me, but I figured, why not?

 

I’ll keep you posted with the garden’s progress, the cooking, and the soap nuts.  Do you have any experiences with any of these, or ideas to share?

Two Cozy Coupes for the Price of None (well…almost) June 8, 2009

My girls are getting older by the minute, and now we have our own space for play… Of course I am keeping my eyes peeled for good deals on outside play items (and everything else too!)  One of the things I have been itching to get my hands on is a Cozy Coupe.  You know, made by Little Tikes, the little red foot car with the yellow roof.  I recently saw them on sale I think at Target for $49.99, and put a wanted post on freecycle immediately.  I didn’t get any responses, whatsoever, so I just pushed it to the back of my mind and figured I would just stay on the lookout for one.

 

A week or so later, I was driving by a tag sale, and lo and behold(!), I spied a Cozy Coupe stuck in the back over in a corner.  I immediately turned around and went to check it out.  It was a little faded, the wheels were a little rusted, and one of the ‘hubcaps’ was broken… it was marked $3; the price was perfect.  Along with that I also scored a few new books for $.25 a piece; can’t go wrong for a price like that.

 

My only problem was that as soon as I got home and took it out of the trunk, both of the girls were going crazy.  Within a couple of Popo’s runs up and down the driveway, The Baby decided she wanted to take a spin as well.  This of course led to some not so friendly moments between the two.  While we took this opportunity to practice our sharing skills, it did not go as well as I would have liked. 

 

I decided that it might be a good idea to see if I could find another great deal on a second Cozy Coupe and headed over to craigslist.  I found a post that was about a week old, listing a few toys, including a Cozy Coupe for $5, noting that it was not in great condition.  I asked for a photo and got the details, it sounded about the same as the one I had already found, it would be perfect.

 

I met the seller this morning on my way to work, and was delighted to see that this was infact the long lost twin to the Cozy Coupe we had sitting lonely in the garage, and my day was made when I tried to hand over the $5 and was told, “by the way, there’s no charge for this.”  I offered again, and it was refused.  I went merrily on my way with a big smile.

 

I’m not sure what is going to happen with school and my schedule as far as work goes coming up in the near future, so I have been trying to scrimp and save as much as I can.  I have also recently made a decision to consciously shop, in that I am always looking for things second hand, local, and handmade.  If I do buy from the big store, I am sure to use my cloth bags, or if I forget them in the car (which I have been known to do), I have made a new practice of refusing a bag altogether, even if it is a cartfull!

 

Do you have any ideas or tips on how to save the earth and money at the same time when you are shopping for the littles?  I’d love to hear them!

We All Need A Little Marjory June 2, 2009

Did you ever watch Fraggle Rock?  Do you remember Marjory the ‘trash heap’?  I don’t know why I always recognized her as being a compost pile, and not just a trash heap, but for some reason, I have always remembered Marjory fondly, and she gave me a greater respect for Jim Henson; he was great for more than The Muppets.

 

I’ve written before about my love of being green.  I treid to start a compost pile in the backyard when I was in high school, but the neighbors weren’t very appreciative; the husband asked me to clean it up because the wife’s home day care children were attracted to it.  Being that we lived in a duplex at that time and we shared the back yard, I complied with his wishes.

 

That was well over 15 years ago, and while I had often thought of starting another pile, I didn’t really ever have a good place for one.  I generally rented non-single family places that weren’t very conducive to compost piles.

 

Last year while we were looking for a place to call our own, our town was offering compost bins that had been featured on Oprah, FOR ONLY $15!  I can’t even begin to descibe to you the excitement that I had when I heard this.  I promptly got on the waiting list and could not wait until I had a place to set it up!

 

Now that I have been using it for almost a year, I have decided that I would prefer to compost the old fashioned way (sans bin).  While the bin is somewhat compact and can be a little more pleasant to the eye, I have had quite the trouble keeping the animals out of it, and because it is so tall, it is hard to give it a thorough turning.  I stopped at Home Depot over the weekend and picked up some plastic poultry netting and poles so that I can get a pen of sorts set up and see how that works out for me.

 

I decided to post the bin on freecycle, and I have been overwhelmed at the number of responses that I have had!  I think I may send an email to the town to find out if they have any plans of doing another program like they did last year.  At any rate, I am just amazed at the number of people who have piles that they want to get into bins, or people who want to start a pile.  After doing some research, I found that if you do it properly, there really is no benefit to having a bin other than it may look a little neater.  This is not a problem for me as I had the bin behind the garage and I plan on keeping the new pile there as well.

 

At any rate, I was wondering if any of you have had experience with composting, and what your thoughts/preferences are.  For those of you who have considered it but have never acted, here are some great websites I found that may give you the motivation you need to get started, it really is easy!

Create Your Own Compost Pile

Composting for the Homeowner 

Garden Guide to Composting