Works for Me Wednesday

"Crayon Cookies"
E loves to color! She calls it "writing", as in iwannawrite. However, seeing as she is two, there are always men down at the end of the coloring session. Small little pieces of broken crayon. It used to frustrate me, I was constanly combing the clearance isles for cheap crayons to replace the never-ending stream of useless ones. Until, I got out my old muffin tin. I save all the little pieces of colored wax and when we have enough (which happens pretty quickly), I put them in the oven on a low setting and wait for them to melt. I usually keep similiar colors together, remove the paper, and now you have little crayon cookies. They are perfect for toddler hands and keep me from having to buy new crayons every week. Works for me!

Check out more Works for me Wednesday tips!

Stimulus?

So, apparently, rebate checks are hitting bank accounts and mailboxes a little earlier than expected.
And Bush is now putting an empasis on spending this "free" money on oil and groceries. According to the article on CNN, Sen.Charles Schumer said "It's galling to think that taxpayers' stimulus checks will be lining the pockets of OPEC. The sad truth is that the average American family will spend almost their entire stimulus check on higher gas prices this year." I whole heartedly agree.

As far as spending more on groceries, I am currently working on putting in my garden. It should supply us with lots of yummy, pesticide-free veggies. My mother and I are both joining a local CSA, so that should pretty much take care of all of our produce for the next 25 weeks. I cannot wait! That will seriously reduce the amount of money spent at the grocery store. We don't eat much meat, and I am currently cutting down on the dairy in our diet. So I am excited to see that grocery bill drop immensly this summer and hope to never look back. How can you save yourself some money?

Now, on gas. I have restricted my traveling to three days a week. It is amazing what you can do with a little planning. All of our errands are run on Tuesdays, although since we are not buying much the errands we "have" to run are at a minimum. We go to the park for a play date or to the local library on Wednesdays and I allow Saturday or Sunday for a free day to go see the grandparents or head up to Amish country for some eggs and such. So far this month I have spent $40 on gasoline, two $20 fill-ups. Granted, I am a SAHM. But, tweak it to fit your lifestyle. What can you do to reduce your consumption? Cancel that summer vacation? (gasp!) Carpool? Ride your bike to work? (This is my husbands answer to this problem)

I don't think my rebate check will be going into my gas tank. And lets say it does, it will take me 15 months to spend it.
What am I gonna do instead? Pay off that last lingering credit card. This is on our radar, stimulus check or not. We are just gonna be able to do it that much faster. My husband's it going into the emergency fund, and my daughter's....straight to her retirement fund. Yes, she is two. We have decided that to really bless her, we will set up her retirement. So even if she flunks out of college, she will still be able to grow old gracefully. Think about it, it brings tears to my eyes.

What are you gonna do with yours?

Meatless Monday

In my attempt to live a less-consuming lifestyle, we have cut back some on our meat consumption. We never really ate all that much meat to begin with, if it is missing in our dinner it is not a big deal. We rarely eat it during the day. So I have decided to post some of my favorite vegan or vegetarian recipes. They are usually pretty healthy, good for the environment, and good for the wallet. It is amazing how much your grocery bill drops if you avoid the meat and dairy cases. Yesterday I did all of our shopping for the week and only spent about $60, that is every meal for the family. (We NEVER-well almost never- eat out) I don't use/advocate coupons. They are generally for things that we don't buy anyway, over-processed junk food that you do not need. It is not saving money if you are buying something that you don't need or even worse, may not use. Big deal if you can save .45 cents on 2 Pillsbury Cinnamon rolls, you shouldn't be eating that crap anyway! Make it from scratch,if you must have it, at least you know what is going into it.Okay, enough of that rant.


So, here is what's for dinner tonight....Yum!
BTW, I am not a huge fan of "meat substitutes" I usually just skip them, this recipe is just as good w/o the tofu. If I make it without tofu, I usually chop up about half a head of cabbage and throw it in. I also just go ahead and add some of the ingredients from the marinade straight in the stir-fry, i.e. the garlic and ginger. It is a very easy and flexible recipe.


Tofu and Vegetable stir-fry

Marinade:
1 lb. tofu, cut into 1" cubes
3 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tBsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tBsp sesame oil
2 tBsp dry sherry
1/4 hoisin sauce

Vegetables:
2 tBsp olive oil
medium onion, chopped
carrot, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 cup broccoli florets
1 lb snow peas
red pepper, thinly sliced
1 tin sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 tBsp cornstarch
2 tBsp flax seed, ground

-Combine marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Gently stir in tofu cubes, cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
-Heat oil in frying pan and add onion, cooking until soft. Add other veggies, from slow to fast cooking and fry until desired.
-Add tofu to the veggies. Stir 1 tBsp cornstarch into marinade and pour over vegetable mixture. Heat until tofu is hot.
-sprinkle flax on top for garnish

Brain dead

It has been five days, well four and a half really. Johnny comes home late tonight, he should be to the airport in a little bit and then he has a two hour drive. I am anxiously awaiting his arrival. I cannot say that I will be up at midnight when he gets here, I don't think I have ever been so tired in my whole life. My back is aching, and I don't even have someone to bitch too.

My little five year old niece was here for some of the weekend too, and it has been an extraordinarily long weekend. Every time I thought that I had everything under control, someone would poo their pants or some other equally exciting surprise. Of course, the weather did not cooperate, so we were stuck inside all weekend due to the rain. Umm, have I mentioned that I live in a 900 sq.ft. home? As if taking care of three little ones was not enough to physically drain you, I can hardly complete a sentence. I think the only full sentence that I have uttered the last few days is "are you listening?" A whopping three word sentence that most of the time didn't even elicit a response.

And now? The only thing in my brain is and you want three!?!

I have never been so green

Yesterday my guy left us for Charlotte, NC. I was so not looking forward to being a single mom for five days. This is the first time he has had to leave town for work since L was born in January. Although I am here with them all day by myself and seem to manage just fine, there is something about those last three hours of the day that so completely requires another set of hands.

Last night was our first night "alone". We went to a class at the library, so E had a PB&J and a variety of fruit for dinner. I guess it could be worse. I ate her crust. (yum) Unfortunately, L screamed the whole way home. In my humble opinion, there is nothing more nerve racking than being completely helpless for your screaming baby. I mean full on red-faced, tear-streaked, can't-catch-a-breath, blood-curdling screaming. For the love of pete, help me. Of course, the second I pull her out of the car, she is fine. Inexplicable.

We got home a little before 9 o'clock. Now, I am not one of those mothers that totally freaks if her kids aren't in bed right on time, but pretty close. I start to check the clock every second and am painfully aware that with each passing moment my job gets more difficult. I am a little more relaxed with E, she is a little older and seems more adaptable (I cannot believe I just said that about my 2 yo). However, L, on the other hand, I have worked very hard to get her on a sleeping schedule. It is brilliant, she is in bed by 9:30 and sleeps til about 4 a.m. I bring her to bed with us at that time and she sleeps with us until I get up at about 6:30. I usually leave her in there and she comes to at about 9:00. Needless to say, after slowly shaving precious moments off her bedtime (it used to be 11) I am not about to screw it up now.

I decide to take my chances with E, so I plop her down on the couch with a book. I explain to her that I am gonna put L down and that she needs to just read quietly until I come out. Since L is getting a tooth (yes, a tooth @ 3 1/2 months) she has been a little bit more difficult to get to sleep. Another source of stress, since I am flying solo. I have all these visions in my head of E running around crazy and L screaming in her crib.....

It is a miracle. A. Miracle.
E manages to actually do what I have asked, and so sweet about it too. L goes down without too much drama. I am half way home. E is next, she gets a bath almost every night, it is just part of our routine and helps her calm down. However, since it is already after 9:30 I decide that tonight is not one of those nights. I give her the five minute warning, the tension rises. She starts dumping her juice on the couch. So, I grab her jammies, I figure she doesn't know what five minutes is anyway. Then the meltdown ensues. We manage to get on her jammies and get to her room, she has said the word "NO" a record number of times in the last three minutes.

Bedside is usually a sweet end to the day, full of hugs and songs and giggles. Tonight we get there, and WHACK. The last thing my beautiful little girl does before she falls asleep is smack mommy in the face. I can't deal. I just put her in her crib. There were no words, no hugs, no giggles, how depressing.

Moments later my guy calls. He is in his hotel room, safe and sound. Asks me how it is going. "Fine", I say, not quite ready to unload.
Then he starts bitching about how his "company put me up in the nicest, most expensive damn hotel in Charlotte. I have spent almost all my per-diem for the weekend on one dinner. I had a steak, a glass of red wine, and a glass of whiskey and it was $48! How do they expect me to eat all my dinners on only $100!?! I will have to call tomorrow and have them wire me more money. I could eat appetizers, but it is still $10 for two little crab cakes! What the hell?"

I am a puddle of envy.

Works for Me Wednesday

Works-for-Me-Wednesday

Love to have shaving cream handy in the shower? Hate scrubbing the rust ring off the tub? The thing that works for me is taking clear fingernail polish (cause we all know...who has time to paint their nails anymore?!?) to the bottom of the shaving cream can. Paint the bottom of the can before your first use and it will stay in your shower rust-free.

I had a sneaking suspicion

You are a Hippie

You are a total hippie. While you may not wear birks or smell of incense, you have the soul of a hippie. You don't trust authority, and you do as you please. You're willing to take a stand, even when what you believe isn't popular. You like to experiment with ideas, lifestyles, and different subcultures. You always gravitate toward what's radical and subversive. Normal, mainstream culture doesn't really resonate with you.

Are You a Hippie?

Abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting

This statement is from the EPA's Fact Sheet on the insect repellent DEET.

Consumers can reduce their own risks when using DEET by reading and following products labels. All DEET product labels include the following directions:


Read and follow all directions and precautions on this product label.
Do not apply over cuts, wounds, or irritated skin.
Do not apply to hands or near eyes and mouth of young children.
Do not allow young children to apply this product.
Use just enough repellent to cover exposed skin and/or clothing.
Do not use under clothing.
Avoid over-application of this product.
After returning indoors, wash treated skin with soap and water.
Wash treated clothing before wearing it again.
Use of this product may cause skin reactions in rare cases.


So, it doesn't seem that bad. If you use it correctly the EPA has found DEET to be safe for everyone, including children 2 months and up. However, when your are spraying it, does it accidentally get near your little ones hands or mouth? Do you run into the house and give everyone a bath to wash the chemical off treated skin? What exactly is "over-application"?

Symptoms of DEET Exposure
- Eye and mucous membrane irritation.
- Ingestion can cause CNS disturbances.
- Desquamation about the nose, dryness of face, a slight tingling sensation. Contact urticaria.
- Toxicity is primarily neurologic (encephalopathy, seizures, movement disorders, coma) and may occur via oral or dermal exposure, most commonly in children.
- Bradycardia is rare but has been reported after dermal exposure to deet. Hypotension has been reported after large ingestions.
- Eye contact may result in a smarting sensation. A burning sensation of the lips, tongue and mouth may be noted.
- Confusion, ataxia, hypertonicity, and clonic jerking progressing to coma and seizures may occur after acute oral or chronic dermal exposure.
- Abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.

(source:Hazardous Substances Data Bank, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD. March 2003)

Ummmmm, I think I will take my chances with the ticks and mosquitoes. Luckily for us, there are alternatives to the chemical laden repellents on store shelves. Here are a few of our favorite recipes for tick and mosquito repellent. The ingredients are all basically the same, it just depends on what type of essential oil you use.

Start with
-2 Tablespoons vegetable or Olive oil
-1 Tablespoon Aloe Vera gel
-add 20 drops of your choice of the following

Tick repellent
-rose essential oil or
-eucalyptus essential oil

Mosquito repellent
-lemon balm essential oil or
-thyme essential oil or
-lavender essential oil

Mix the ingredients together, shaking to blend them well, and keep in a glass jar. (we reuse small food jars) Use a few drops on you skin or clothing. (safe for Fido, too)

Dog fight

Yesterday was another beautiful day here, about 75 degree. I got my first sunburn, oops. I hate to put all that sunscreen on and managed to protect E with a lightweight long-sleeved shirt and hat. However, I was not so concerned with myself. I hate it when that happens.
We took a nice long walk with the 5 year old boy that lives next door. I had L strapped on in her sling and E was walking with Byron. Our seven year old dog, Addie was walking with us. We live in a pretty quite area and she is very good about sticking close, so she was off leash. It seemed at the time like a good idea, between chasing a two and five year old and carrying an infant, a dog on a leash seemed like a little much. However, I could not leave her in the house, she is a good dog but likes to show her angst at being left out by eating pillows. I was not in the mood to come home to a house full of stuffing.
We were headed back to the house, about half a block up the road, when I hear a woman calling. I turn back to see a pit bull stalking us. Panic sets in, and I can hear it in the woman's voice. She is chasing her dog and calling frantically, to no avail. I quickly get E and Byron right behind me and I am freaking out. I have L strapped on me and have no idea how I am gonna stop this dog. My dog Addie, comes running. I don't know if this pit was after her all along, or was coming for us. The two dogs clash and the pit goes straight for her neck, they dance around the middle of the street, teeth barred and growling. The kiddos are safe, they are peaking out from behind me. It seems like a life time, I yell at the woman to pull her dog off. What a terrifying thing to have to do, stick you hand into the middle of two dueling dogs. She was kicking at her dog and finally somehow managed to pull it off. Addie instantly backed off and as quickly as it started, it was over. I look over Addie, she has a lot of slobber and some bloody spots on her neck.
Her chain is missing....we use a choke collar on her, our vet says that is better for them than a regular collar. I think that metal saved her life. I recovered the chain in three pieces in the middle of the road. The collar was badly bent, I cannot even imagine the damage that would have been done to Addie's neck had that collar not been there to bear the brunt of the attack. I have been thanking god all day that everyone is okay, and that the pit decided to go after my innocent dog rather than my innocent children.

BPA

Here is an interesting development on Bisphenol-A. All the findings and research surfacing is totally creepy. For more on the creepiness, check out the findings by Frederick Vom Saal They have found that the level of harm found in studies of BPA depends on who is funding the study. Shocking that the chemical corporations found no harm in 13 of 27 studies.


We recently attended a talk at the local library by Dr. Matthew Cowan on xenoestrogens, a category that BPA falls into. Xenoestrogens are substances in our daily life that our bodies uptake as estrogen and cause hormonal imbalances. Plastics and pesticides are two widespread, but common sources of xenoestrogens. Xenoestrogens act like hormones once they are absorbed through the body.

As frugal as I am, I see replacing my plastic food storage as a necessity. I have already recycled all of my tupperware, either in the conventional way in a recycling bag or for other uses such as organization in other areas of our home. We now keep small items such as crayons or pencils in them, rather than the food that is being contaminated by them. The resin ID Code on the bottom of plastics gives you an idea of the ingredients. (in addition to the recycling implications) Not only should you not eat out of plastics in the #7 catagory, but they also cannot be recycled. Most certainly avoid these types.

1, 2, 4, 5 =Better plastic
3, 6, 7 =Bad plastic
No. 7= Bisphenol A

Take a look in your kitchen, what do you have in there that is poisoning you and your family?

OMG

This afternoon E and I spent some time outside playing in the sunshine. It is a beautiful day, and L is sleeping. We picked dandelions (she is my juice powered weed eater!), swung, and walked over to say 'hi' to our neighbor, Larry. Just as we were getting ready to head back in the house, E disappeared for a minute. I didn't think much of it at first...by the time I found her, it was too late.

mommyipoop

Inside we go. We hit the bathroom and I yanked off her clothes, "oh my god."
I plop her down on the pot to see if she needs to go anymore. It is a nasty, diarrhea poo. (I took photos, but came to my senses before posting them) So now it is also all over her potty chair, "oh my god" I utter again. After a few minutes of not breathing through my nose, we manage to get cleaned up.

In the rush to get in the house and to the bathroom, we wake up L. Damn. I go in, get her, and feed her. We are all hanging on the living room floor. L is at that stage, she can roll onto her tummy, but not onto her back. It really pisses her off. I usually let her squirm for a few minutes, and start to fuss a bit before flipping her back over. She was up on her hands and tummy looking at the puzzle pieces E was showing her, when BLAHHHH. Projectile vomit right next to E. E looks up at me and in total distress shouts out....

ohmydawd! ohmydawd!

I can't help but chuckle, it could be worse!

One small step

E and I just walked out to the mailbox. It is a decent 60 degrees here, which is a welcome change from the *snow* we got over the weekend. Yes, snow! I am so sick-of-it, all I want to do is get out of this house and play outside with my babies.

At any rate, we went to the mailbox and found it empty! There was not a single piece of junk in there. And thanks to our efforts to also reduce our debt, not a single bill either. The few things that we do still pay every month are put on paperless billing. (This is how I justify the Internet!)

So I feel like we had a small victory today! I gotta celebrate all the little ones!

I just realized, maybe I should go into more detail about how we (I) accomplished this.....

-reduced debt
-the credit cards (two left!) that we do still have send e-mail statements and I pay them on-line
-no car payments, they are both paid off (yeah!)
-home and car insurance is an auto-draft on our checking account. I do receive a statement, but only every 6 months.
-all utilities are paid on-line
-library notices are e-mailed
-we no longer receive all the junk (i.e. coupons for restaurants we don't eat at. coupons for diapers we don't buy. adverts for cars we don't need. applications for credit cards we have vowed not to use. and on and on.) See this post for info on how you can get your name off these lists too.

We shall see what that box holds tomorrow.

Wish List

Helen E. Riegle is the founder of HER Designs, she creates bags that are cruelty-free and eco-friendly.

She says, "When I embarked on this business, I envisioned products
that would challenge conventions and change perceptions.
My designs celebrate the virtues of cleaner, greener living
that embraces style.”

I only WISH I could afford one....maybe you can.

Hardcore Enthusists need not read

Top Ten Things I have done this year to help.....(in no particular order)

(For those of you out there who can do no wrong, remember that I am a SAHM just trying to do the best I can. So, get off my back!)


-quit drinking bottled water

-neither of my children (3 months and 2 yrs.) use disposable diapers (or diapers of any kind, for the most part)

-no longer buy things that I don't need (Granted, this is subject to opinion...maybe I didn't NEED that cool wallet for my BDay. However, it was bought at a small local shop that carries things made by people in my city.....)

-use baking soda for anything and everything(no more plastic bottles and toxic chemicals)

-quit using paper towels, by using old clothing instead

-quit drinking soda

-got cotton bags to use at the grocery store (and actually remember to bring them with me!)

-got on this site to get off the list for credit card offers. (this is also helpful on our way to debt freedom....more about that later)

-further reduced junk mail here

-buy all (yes, ALL) my produce at the Farmer's Market. I plan all my meals for the week from what I find at the Farmer's Market. Find a market near you. (Although, I am putting in my own garden in three weeks. We will have almost everything we need in our own back yard.)

Product Review

Now that the three (my niece is staying the weekend) babes are finally napping.....

Product Review #1

Erbaviva Baby Lotion

I purchased this lotion from Apple Blossom Organics
First of all, let me just say, the customer service is excellent. I immediately got an email stating that they had received my order and that it was on it's way to me. Alicia is excellent, the items arrived quickly and with a little sample of another one of their products. (Plus they use recycled shipping materials).

With that said....I am also in love with the lotion. I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt every time I lathered my little ones up with Huggies baby lotion. So here is the alternative. It is a bit pricier than it's petroleum laden counterparts, but well worth it. I use it regularly on my 2 year old and my three month old and we have barely made a dent in the bottle, a little goes a long way. I like the smell, it is pleasant without being overwhelming. And, of course, it doesn't contain any parabens, sodium lauryl sulfates or propylene glycol. What's not to love?

I also purchased Erbaviva Sniffles Baby Chest Balm. We dig it too!

Thieves in training

Our big party plans for Friday night consisted of meeting my mother and five-year old niece, Eliana for dinner at a local mexican restaurant. My mom is somewhat of a regular there. We had a margarita and some enchiladas and were relaxing at the table, our kiddos were sick of sitting and since it was late and there was hardly anyone there, they got up. They went over to help the Mexicans roll silverware and pretend like they were employees. Restaurant work is in their genes, in about a decade they will both be third generation waitresses or bartenders.

As they came back to the table my niece informed us that she was "Cindy" and my daughter, her friend, that was with her "Well, her name is Kelly".

Oh, I say, and what are you ladies doing out this evening?

Just had some dinner, and we are getting ready to have dessert. We live just down the street, and are going home soon, she answers.

I decide to compliment her on her lovely boots (my mother will get a kick out of this seeing as she is the one who bought her those black suede and green leather kicks). Before I can continue this conversation with these new found friends "Cindy" and "Kelly", my niece pipes up.....

I know what you name is. Your name is Beth, and your name is Emily. Referring to us by our real names.

Well, how do you know our names? I ask her, in shock.

I read your mail

Rotting out of my head

Some days being a SAHM really sucks. Today, is one of those days.

My two year old, who is potty trained, decided to smack me in the face this morning while we were getting dress and having her morning pee. Okay, I get the picture, she doesn't want/need to pee.
*Time out for smacking mommy in the face.
We go out to the living room so she can watch Elmo while I get breakfast ready. This is our morning routine. Even if I only let her watch a few minutes of it, she is happy and I don't have to hear "Iwannawatelmo" all day.
*Time out for peeing on the couch while watching elmo.
Back out in the living room, we have managed to get through breakfast. She is playing with baby sister and I decide to change the laundry. I head for the laundry room, and my darling daughter follows me. This is fine, I get the clothes out of the wash, and either hang them to dry or hand her the few items that do go into the dryer. Today, however, she wants me to hold her "jui". She refuses to put it on the counter/floor/table and wants me to hold it. We have a bit of a discussion as to why mommy can't hang laundry and hold her juice at the same time. Besides that, why does she need me to hold it anyway? I finally take it from her and set it on the floor, which sends her into space.
*Time out for throwing huge fit and acting insane.

It is now ten a.m.

My employer doesn't even provide dental insurance.

3 months later....

L started rolling over last week! Now, I know...that is a milestone that most parents look forward too. The pediatrician looks for it as a sign of normal development. It is a requirement for the next step of crawling. However, I was not ready for it and it reeked havoc on my life for a few days. How could such a small thing destroy my world?

I am a fan of most of the hippie principles of child rearing, however, the one I cannot deal with is the "family bed". DH and I will be one of those old couples with the two twin beds.....if it were up to me we would already have those twin beds. I sleep better on my own, so the fewer people in my bed the better. That being said, L did spend sometime there. In those first few weeks I was not capable of getting out of bed every two hours, out of sheer exhaustion. Running around chasing a two year old all day and then feeding every two hours almost got the best of me. At any rate, we had gotten L out of the bed and into a cradle! Hooray for me, I have a 2 1/2 month old that sleeps through the night! (Sorry to rub it in)

Then she rolled over. At first I thought it was awesome. She was going after a shiny robot toy a good friend of mine gave her. She loves it and had to have it, and by god she got it. I immediately called DH and told him the news, his little girl is growing up. I had her perform her new trick when he got home that night, all is well and everyone is happy. Even big sis E is cheering her on.

Midnight "rolls" (sorry, I can't help myself) around and I am startled by a crying baby. Why? Was the whole sleeping-for-six-hours-a-time thing a joke? A mean way for the gods to trick me into thinking I was actually going to get some quality sleep? I would get all nice a comfy with my nighttime routine, and then BAM taken away just as fast as it came.

I head over to her cradle and see she has her poor little face smashed against the sides of the cradle. Gravity is working against her and she cannot get back over on her back. I pull her out and feed her, just for good measure. Back in the cradle she goes. Then 2 a.m.-crying baby-face in the cradle-feed-back to bed. Then 4 a.m., I am sure you get the idea.

Why not just bring her back to bed with me.....I will not admit defeat!

At the 6 a.m. waking it dawns on me, big sis E is at her Nana's house. This entire ridiculous night of waking was all for nothing. There is a perfectly good crib sitting in E's room, nice and comfy, with a warm blanket, and a stationary mattress. Damn, I am an idiot.

Through bleary eyes the next day, DH and I finally got L's crib put together. And that is a story for another day........

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Diaper Free

It has been five days since I changed a poopie diaper. I consider that a major accomplishment seeing as I am a mother of two. E is 2 1/2 and L is 3 months. Yes....3 months old. Who would have ever thought?

On Thursday morning I decided that we would try Elimination Communication (ECing for short). I thought all these hippie mothers with their naked babies were crazy....but, lo and behold, the first time I held dear L over that little bowl, she peed!!!

Sucess!! I thought. I couldn't beleive the luck we have had with "catching" those pees (and more importantly poos)

she has gone in a bowl, in our toliet, in my dad's toliet, and next to the parking lot in the park....

Now, there have been the misses. A big streak on the blanket is not a pleasant thing to find. But, I just throw those misses in with her cloth diapers and wash them all together. So far it is working out great. I look forward to more adventures with a diaper free baby. Isn't this summer gonna be fun..............

Getting GREEN

Just a little reminder....GREEN= Getting Responsible for Earth, Environment and Nature.

I like the "getting" responsible part, it reminds me that it just takes baby steps to get to where I want to be. Each day I take a moment to think of the ways that I can be better TODAY.

Being green is more than just recycling, eating organic and avoiding the plastic bag.

Being green is about making choices to support small businesses, support companies with a social conscious and to buy locally or buy fair trade. It is about helping yourselves and helping you neighbors. It is about the example we are setting for our children. It is about charitable giving. Green living to me is about making the right choice for our community and for my family.

I know that being green is super hip right now and that's great but lets make green not just the new black but also a new way to live and a new way to inspire. Everybody's doing it.