When I was younger I used to feel trapped an depressed when Fall came to a close and winter arrived. The past two years have not been this way for me though. I am actually enjoying the seasons as they are here. I have to say that I am thrilled to see the bulbs popping up though--it's perfectly timed.
Evie is getting to the age now where she is more self sufficient and my brain has been able to take somewhat of a breather. When Asa was her age, she was already 2 months old. It's nice to have some order back to life and also be able to enjoy the wonderful traits my 2 and 5 year olds have. I love to hear them sing. I know they won't always want to sing me songs. We have been reading in my bed before they go to sleep at night. They love it and get so cooperative with bed time routines now. I love cuddling with them and enjoying them. I love when Asa calls me into his room--after he is supposed to be sleeping--to tell me something that happened at school. I love when Evie tells me "Mom, you're my best friend" ...then goes on to tell all of her family members the same thing. I am so happy with my life, and am working on being more content as the days pass. I feel so blessed to live in this home with my children and husband in this safe country. Issues I go through are so minuscule compared to peoples suffering around the world. I am so thankful for my church too. What an awesome bunch of servants. I feel so blessed to have so many godly, wise older people in my life to advise and encourage me when I am going through something, or even when everything is great. I see how many people don't have this opportunity, and therefore don't really mature, grow or learn..I never want to take for granted what I have been given, I never want to be unteachable.
I have been working on ancestry more lately--or maybe about the same amount as usual. In my research I have obtained a couple family recipes and am thrilled to try them out!!
I wonder if home prices will continue to slump over the next couple years; 2013 would be the year we originally had wanted to have our house flipped and sold by. We changed our mind this year to stay. Now I wonder if we can because our new mortgage company is giving us grief. I hope that even if we don't sell the house then, that we will have it finished. Sometimes when I start a project at home, it encourages my man to start one of his as well. I guess I have more than a few good reasons to finish re-grouting the tile in our bathroom!! It's a mess too, Evie spilled pink nail polish all over the grout that hadn't been fully cleaned up, so I have a lot of scrubbing and digging and re-grouting to do, a hard job that will take a long time and I honestly don't want to even start.
I should get my chores done now so that I can do special jobs like that when I get an extra minute.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
melody
I love the hymn, O Sacred head now wounded:
I love Fernando Ortega's version too
Now listen to this:
very pretty right? I love this melody.
I want Green Pastures played at my funeral.
I love Fernando Ortega's version too
Now listen to this:
very pretty right? I love this melody.
I want Green Pastures played at my funeral.
Friday, January 28, 2011
New Year
Well it's 2011. We've had a lot of snow so far this year. Over 15 inches yesterday! I am sore to say the least--it was very heavy snow. I was busy shoveling it into a big fort complete with tunnel for entry. The kids and I had fun. Asa had only one full day of school this week, he's on a delay today and it's snowing again.
So lately I have again been working on our family tree on Ancestry.com. I bought an international membership so I can now see international census records and such. This is so much fun for me, I feel like a sleuth and I love finding pieces of the puzzle and having things match up on records. I am stuck on a few sides but still am thankful to have relatives to ask questions of. I love getting stories about people, not just their names, origin and birth years. I love having a face to put into the name even if I don't have a picture. This is a big job though, it takes a lot of time and thought. My brain is usually fried after I research for a while. I love that it gives me the excuse to talk to older relatives that I normally may never have talked to again. (As sad as that sounds)It's amazing how many ways a specific family's name was recorded wrong throughout the years. That's the kind of stuff that makes searching difficult. It's important for me to do this though because it seems so many people don't have any interest in it, and I am afraid that family heritage will be lost forever. I want to pass it along so my kids and their kids can know how and when their ancestors came to this country and where they came from. I have all their family members back to where they migrated from...at least country wise. Although I do have a family member with a Polish name who was born in Germany. A little confused about that. I eventually would love to publish a book for family and especially my kids, complete with recipes of beloved dishes their ancestors made. I hope that I can accomplish this in my life.
Life is so short though. I have been thinking about this lately. It changes your perspective on issues with people or most earthly problems when you realize tomorrow could be your last. I am not saying that in a sad way either. I have just heard of/ or have known quite a few people lately who have passed away early. It makes me appreciate life and my family so much more. It makes me much more likely to over look offenses and not be so sensitive about petty things that I normally get upset about. It makes me want to hug my kids and other family members and let them know how much I love them way more than I normally would. It really just helps me put life into the right perspective: God is in complete control--not me. It even helps me not to put value on material things I want. I realize I can live without so much that I have and how wasteful I am and then ways to change that. It makes me realize how much courage I lack when it comes to speaking up and standing up to people who don't know the Truth and that I have nothing to lose if I can be loving in how I challenge/inform them. Seize the day!
I better go get my kids ready to drive to school, since we missed the bus as I was writing this!
So lately I have again been working on our family tree on Ancestry.com. I bought an international membership so I can now see international census records and such. This is so much fun for me, I feel like a sleuth and I love finding pieces of the puzzle and having things match up on records. I am stuck on a few sides but still am thankful to have relatives to ask questions of. I love getting stories about people, not just their names, origin and birth years. I love having a face to put into the name even if I don't have a picture. This is a big job though, it takes a lot of time and thought. My brain is usually fried after I research for a while. I love that it gives me the excuse to talk to older relatives that I normally may never have talked to again. (As sad as that sounds)It's amazing how many ways a specific family's name was recorded wrong throughout the years. That's the kind of stuff that makes searching difficult. It's important for me to do this though because it seems so many people don't have any interest in it, and I am afraid that family heritage will be lost forever. I want to pass it along so my kids and their kids can know how and when their ancestors came to this country and where they came from. I have all their family members back to where they migrated from...at least country wise. Although I do have a family member with a Polish name who was born in Germany. A little confused about that. I eventually would love to publish a book for family and especially my kids, complete with recipes of beloved dishes their ancestors made. I hope that I can accomplish this in my life.
Life is so short though. I have been thinking about this lately. It changes your perspective on issues with people or most earthly problems when you realize tomorrow could be your last. I am not saying that in a sad way either. I have just heard of/ or have known quite a few people lately who have passed away early. It makes me appreciate life and my family so much more. It makes me much more likely to over look offenses and not be so sensitive about petty things that I normally get upset about. It makes me want to hug my kids and other family members and let them know how much I love them way more than I normally would. It really just helps me put life into the right perspective: God is in complete control--not me. It even helps me not to put value on material things I want. I realize I can live without so much that I have and how wasteful I am and then ways to change that. It makes me realize how much courage I lack when it comes to speaking up and standing up to people who don't know the Truth and that I have nothing to lose if I can be loving in how I challenge/inform them. Seize the day!
I better go get my kids ready to drive to school, since we missed the bus as I was writing this!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Merry Christmas
This is a fun and hectic time of the year. Love getting to see family and eating good food, but I am also looking forward to going into town and now being stuck in traffic or long lines at stores.
I love the smells of Christmas. I found a candle at a store in the mall called "fraser fir" Seriously a wonderful smelling pine candle--not overwhelming but this light perfectly reminiscent scent of christmas trees. I want to go buy it after the holidays...because I'm hoping it won't be $35.00 anymore! I like the idea of reflecting on the birth of the son of God. I find it odd that we hijacked a pagan holiday to do it though. I don't like the idea of Christmas being anything you want it to be though either. Celebrate it or don't.
Finished watching the BBC series Little Dorrit. I have to say I absolutely loved it, up until the very end. The chemistry between the two characters wasn't there for me. It was sweet--I liked the story of it, I just didn't see the chemistry they should've portrayed. That was slightly a let down. The whole series was so well done and perfectly acted--until the last part in my opinion. I love Charles Dickens. When I was young my mom read to me and my brothers "David Copperfield". It was such a long book but I was so enraptured by it. I couldn't wait for the next time she would read it too us and always wanted an extra chapter more.
My kids are so crazy..bouncing off the walls in anticipation of Christmas. They are pretty cute though. We've been reading a special Christmas book each night before bed and it's been really fun. They love to cuddle in my bed with me in their warm jammies and listen. I hope this is building good memories for them. Today we are going to make cookies and brownies, hopefully that will add to their holiday memory jar as well.
It's a bright, beautiful Christmas Eve late morning. It's cold out and slightly breezy. The weather forecast had been looking favorable for a white Christmas--now not so much. That makes it better for travel if nothing else. Tomorrow we will be having Christmas brunch with my husband's family, then Christmas dinner with my family. It's going to be an incredibly busy day. My family is having a huge dinner with over 30 people- it should be fun. We do a Yankee swap and everyone always gets into it. There are family members on my dad's side that we won't be able to see. I miss them. The older we get, the larger the family grows, the harder it is to see everyone for Christmas or any holiday. It's bittersweet. I didn't get to send out as many cards as I'd have like this year. Things just get so hectic!!!
I am thinking of venturing out into the crazy shopping hub bub to see if I can grab a pair of shoes. We'll see if I make it.
Mark and I watched Mad Men for the first time last night and couldn't get through the episode. I thought the concept of the 60's theme was great, but it was so raunchy and had nothing more to it then scandal after scandal and glorifying the way NOT to live, making it seem exciting and fun, when in truth people living that way I am sure feel empty. It didn't even seem slightly realistic, overly sensual and unbelievable.
Well if I don't blog again until the new year. I wish everyone a happy holiday season and I'll catch up with you next year. I can't believe it's already 2011..Sometimes I still feel strange writing 2010.
I love the smells of Christmas. I found a candle at a store in the mall called "fraser fir" Seriously a wonderful smelling pine candle--not overwhelming but this light perfectly reminiscent scent of christmas trees. I want to go buy it after the holidays...because I'm hoping it won't be $35.00 anymore! I like the idea of reflecting on the birth of the son of God. I find it odd that we hijacked a pagan holiday to do it though. I don't like the idea of Christmas being anything you want it to be though either. Celebrate it or don't.
Finished watching the BBC series Little Dorrit. I have to say I absolutely loved it, up until the very end. The chemistry between the two characters wasn't there for me. It was sweet--I liked the story of it, I just didn't see the chemistry they should've portrayed. That was slightly a let down. The whole series was so well done and perfectly acted--until the last part in my opinion. I love Charles Dickens. When I was young my mom read to me and my brothers "David Copperfield". It was such a long book but I was so enraptured by it. I couldn't wait for the next time she would read it too us and always wanted an extra chapter more.
My kids are so crazy..bouncing off the walls in anticipation of Christmas. They are pretty cute though. We've been reading a special Christmas book each night before bed and it's been really fun. They love to cuddle in my bed with me in their warm jammies and listen. I hope this is building good memories for them. Today we are going to make cookies and brownies, hopefully that will add to their holiday memory jar as well.
It's a bright, beautiful Christmas Eve late morning. It's cold out and slightly breezy. The weather forecast had been looking favorable for a white Christmas--now not so much. That makes it better for travel if nothing else. Tomorrow we will be having Christmas brunch with my husband's family, then Christmas dinner with my family. It's going to be an incredibly busy day. My family is having a huge dinner with over 30 people- it should be fun. We do a Yankee swap and everyone always gets into it. There are family members on my dad's side that we won't be able to see. I miss them. The older we get, the larger the family grows, the harder it is to see everyone for Christmas or any holiday. It's bittersweet. I didn't get to send out as many cards as I'd have like this year. Things just get so hectic!!!
I am thinking of venturing out into the crazy shopping hub bub to see if I can grab a pair of shoes. We'll see if I make it.
Mark and I watched Mad Men for the first time last night and couldn't get through the episode. I thought the concept of the 60's theme was great, but it was so raunchy and had nothing more to it then scandal after scandal and glorifying the way NOT to live, making it seem exciting and fun, when in truth people living that way I am sure feel empty. It didn't even seem slightly realistic, overly sensual and unbelievable.
Well if I don't blog again until the new year. I wish everyone a happy holiday season and I'll catch up with you next year. I can't believe it's already 2011..Sometimes I still feel strange writing 2010.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Thanksgiving Eve
Things I am thankful for in 2010(in no particular order):
my bathtub
extra virgin olive oil
news that my township has brought recycling levels up 60%*
Potty-trained 20-month-old
Public School Back Up Plans
BROWN RICE PASTA
Bio-degradable plastic trash bags
health
my scheduled phone calls
creeping jenny and all her friends in my pot(see pic)
great deals at target
the ocean
MW2, and now Black Ops**
my Sherpa/faux mink blanket
paint on my basement walls
a new roof
solar powered things
silence
bath robes and slippers
my husband and how far we've come these 6 years
not being allergic to bee stings anymore!
memory foam
conversations about eternity with my son
"tea" and "coffee" made by my daughter
never having to clean up puke--seriously.
new homes for pets
wonderful bible studies
weekend getaways
my pioneer girls
hot and sour soup
walks with a friend on warm summer nights
purex 3-in-1 sheets
Bird-E towels
finally printing off all the pictures for Evie's album
Sufjan Steven's music
"Parenting isn't for Cowards"
the opportunity and privilege to parent my children
the wonderful family I have been blessed with
all the life lessons I've learned--including;
Being sure of important decisions I've made and then realizing I don't know what I am talking about, and getting over the guilt associated with that.
Dealing with issues head on, instead of letting them linger and get way worse.
Assuming the best of people and giving them a chance to redeem themselves!
That forgiveness can sometimes only be possible with the help of Christ who has forgiven an eternally larger wrong than what I am facing.
That making peace isn't always about letting things go, or overlooking problems, but dealing with them correctly--and how freeing that will be.
That sometimes I talk to much about recycling and that may make people even less likely to give it a real try!
Last May
*After the new HUGE bins had been introduced--this according to a man I spoke with from the township
**Because I get to play it with my hubby and I get better every day :) :)
my bathtub
extra virgin olive oil
news that my township has brought recycling levels up 60%*
Potty-trained 20-month-old
Public School Back Up Plans
BROWN RICE PASTA
Bio-degradable plastic trash bags
health
my scheduled phone calls
creeping jenny and all her friends in my pot(see pic)
great deals at target
the ocean
MW2, and now Black Ops**
my Sherpa/faux mink blanket
paint on my basement walls
a new roof
solar powered things
silence
bath robes and slippers
my husband and how far we've come these 6 years
not being allergic to bee stings anymore!
memory foam
conversations about eternity with my son
"tea" and "coffee" made by my daughter
never having to clean up puke--seriously.
new homes for pets
wonderful bible studies
weekend getaways
my pioneer girls
hot and sour soup
walks with a friend on warm summer nights
purex 3-in-1 sheets
Bird-E towels
finally printing off all the pictures for Evie's album
Sufjan Steven's music
"Parenting isn't for Cowards"
the opportunity and privilege to parent my children
the wonderful family I have been blessed with
all the life lessons I've learned--including;
Being sure of important decisions I've made and then realizing I don't know what I am talking about, and getting over the guilt associated with that.
Dealing with issues head on, instead of letting them linger and get way worse.
Assuming the best of people and giving them a chance to redeem themselves!
That forgiveness can sometimes only be possible with the help of Christ who has forgiven an eternally larger wrong than what I am facing.
That making peace isn't always about letting things go, or overlooking problems, but dealing with them correctly--and how freeing that will be.
That sometimes I talk to much about recycling and that may make people even less likely to give it a real try!
Last May
*After the new HUGE bins had been introduced--this according to a man I spoke with from the township
**Because I get to play it with my hubby and I get better every day :) :)
Monday, November 22, 2010
Surely there must be an antidote to the lumps?
So ever since my hubby found out he had high cholesterol things have been changing around here. I love a challenge, and this is definitely a big one for a family on a tight food budget. I have been roasting Chicken and Turkey breasts, slicing it for lunch meat and making soup with the leftovers. He was eating Healthy Choice-type frozen dinners for lunch--which were economical, but loaded with fat and sodium. Now I make sandwiches with lots of lettuce tomato and onion, no mayo...some super good, Drew's Italian dressing, and some feta sprinkled on the meat. He loves it! I also make him tuna or Salmon, I used plain yogurt and the same dressing as the creamy base...along with the cucumber and stuffs. He has been taking a lot of fruit too, and Light Baby Bels...he always needs cheese!! He really enjoys his new lunches, and I am so glad!! His night snacking has diminished a lot too, now he is really into eating carrots, celery and nuts. This is helping me too, I have been making sure I cut out the prepared foods and have also been making Red Swiss Chard for him...which he loves too! I really hope it helps bring his levels down.
I finally ordered prints from when my daughter was born 2.5 years ago!!! 299 prints are on there way and I am going to buckle down and get her baby book done! I have been feeling guilty about it since she turned 1! I finished my son's on his first birthday!
We started watching Little Dorrit on DVD and I am really enjoying it! We also started watching The Walking Dead...which is well done for a zombie show. It gets disturbing though.
So today a dear friend I've known since birth had her first child, and it's so exciting! Babies are such amazing miracles and blessings. I can't wait to hold this little one, and am so frustrated with this head cold that will definitely prevent that from happening anytime soon!
If there is one thing that I can't live without on Thanksgiving, it's stuffing.
After the Baby Book, I have getting my passport on the list.
I got Disney's Beauty and the Beast Diamond Edition BD/DVD Combo for $9.99 today with $15 of coupons at Target! That was awesome. $5 off the coupons was from targets own printable coupons on their website, and you can put it toward any Disney movie, including the Toy Story 3 BD--on sale for $19.99...so pretty good afterwards! This ends on the 24th though so hurry!
Family is watching Adventure Time, Lets go party Ice King!
I finally ordered prints from when my daughter was born 2.5 years ago!!! 299 prints are on there way and I am going to buckle down and get her baby book done! I have been feeling guilty about it since she turned 1! I finished my son's on his first birthday!
We started watching Little Dorrit on DVD and I am really enjoying it! We also started watching The Walking Dead...which is well done for a zombie show. It gets disturbing though.
So today a dear friend I've known since birth had her first child, and it's so exciting! Babies are such amazing miracles and blessings. I can't wait to hold this little one, and am so frustrated with this head cold that will definitely prevent that from happening anytime soon!
If there is one thing that I can't live without on Thanksgiving, it's stuffing.
After the Baby Book, I have getting my passport on the list.
I got Disney's Beauty and the Beast Diamond Edition BD/DVD Combo for $9.99 today with $15 of coupons at Target! That was awesome. $5 off the coupons was from targets own printable coupons on their website, and you can put it toward any Disney movie, including the Toy Story 3 BD--on sale for $19.99...so pretty good afterwards! This ends on the 24th though so hurry!
Family is watching Adventure Time, Lets go party Ice King!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
hi
Dear Blog,
Please forgive me for ignoring you for so long. I have been busy with a lot of things, but not entirely too busy to blog once in a while. It's already the latter half of November and I happen to be listening to Joy to the World (by Sufjan Stevens)as I type this. Its a shame for me to go so long without updates, because then I forget all the cool things that happened or that I want to blog about :)
Asa was upset with me today when he left for school. We all woke up late and I rushed everyone to get dressed and eat, and being the easily distracted five year old that he is...he didn't do what I told him too in a timely manner and only ate a squeezable yogurt as he walked to the bus. I was pretty angry at the kids too, yelling a bunch.. I think that hurt his feelings; he wouldn't wave, hug or say goodbye to me.. in fact I saw him on the bus through the tinted windows looking down instead of over at us :(
It's amazing how something like that can change the whole day for me. I love my little one so much. He's pretty sensitive. Evie on the other hand isn't. If I yell at her she'll figure out a way to talk herself out of getting in trouble!! And then go and find some snacks.
I am sad though, I feel like a jerk.
I have to dye a tee-shirt for his Thanksgiving program today...He is really excited about and sings his song a lot. It's very precious. I sometimes feel that this part of life must be the climax, the spot where everyone wants to get to--maybe because once you get past it, it's kind of less exciting because you've experienced the main "life changes"(Though I realize I am thinking this before I've experienced a whole life) So this is probably also the hardest part of life, because it's tiring and draining and emotionally challenging. I think about how it'll be easier when the kids are grown, but then think I'll be sad when they're grown because life will be getting away from me, and I'll wish I enjoyed them being kids longer. I definitely enjoy it, but I do get very tired sometimes. Hubby mentioned last night about how nice it'll be for him to retire with me. It's funny because 6 years ago I would've never imagined that we would be looking forward to the latter half of our lives...it's just weird. I think one moral of the story would've been to wait a bit before having children. Three months of marriage wasn't enough time together. Granted we always had my step son, but still. I hope I don't sound unthankful for my amazing, beautiful children, because I would give my life for them, I just wish sometimes that I had waited. I know God has the best timing so I am actually just wasting my time thinking and talking about it, who knows how long our lives will be.
Something I wanted to do differently this holiday season, was to get as many handmade and/or local gifts I could find for family members. I am having so much fun looking on Etsy. I really would like to receive some re-usable fabric sandwich bags! and a bar of handmade organic shampoo--like a bar of soap.
Gotta go get some housework done
Please forgive me for ignoring you for so long. I have been busy with a lot of things, but not entirely too busy to blog once in a while. It's already the latter half of November and I happen to be listening to Joy to the World (by Sufjan Stevens)as I type this. Its a shame for me to go so long without updates, because then I forget all the cool things that happened or that I want to blog about :)
Asa was upset with me today when he left for school. We all woke up late and I rushed everyone to get dressed and eat, and being the easily distracted five year old that he is...he didn't do what I told him too in a timely manner and only ate a squeezable yogurt as he walked to the bus. I was pretty angry at the kids too, yelling a bunch.. I think that hurt his feelings; he wouldn't wave, hug or say goodbye to me.. in fact I saw him on the bus through the tinted windows looking down instead of over at us :(
It's amazing how something like that can change the whole day for me. I love my little one so much. He's pretty sensitive. Evie on the other hand isn't. If I yell at her she'll figure out a way to talk herself out of getting in trouble!! And then go and find some snacks.
I am sad though, I feel like a jerk.
I have to dye a tee-shirt for his Thanksgiving program today...He is really excited about and sings his song a lot. It's very precious. I sometimes feel that this part of life must be the climax, the spot where everyone wants to get to--maybe because once you get past it, it's kind of less exciting because you've experienced the main "life changes"(Though I realize I am thinking this before I've experienced a whole life) So this is probably also the hardest part of life, because it's tiring and draining and emotionally challenging. I think about how it'll be easier when the kids are grown, but then think I'll be sad when they're grown because life will be getting away from me, and I'll wish I enjoyed them being kids longer. I definitely enjoy it, but I do get very tired sometimes. Hubby mentioned last night about how nice it'll be for him to retire with me. It's funny because 6 years ago I would've never imagined that we would be looking forward to the latter half of our lives...it's just weird. I think one moral of the story would've been to wait a bit before having children. Three months of marriage wasn't enough time together. Granted we always had my step son, but still. I hope I don't sound unthankful for my amazing, beautiful children, because I would give my life for them, I just wish sometimes that I had waited. I know God has the best timing so I am actually just wasting my time thinking and talking about it, who knows how long our lives will be.
Something I wanted to do differently this holiday season, was to get as many handmade and/or local gifts I could find for family members. I am having so much fun looking on Etsy. I really would like to receive some re-usable fabric sandwich bags! and a bar of handmade organic shampoo--like a bar of soap.
Gotta go get some housework done
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
fall
Is is just me or was it in the 80's and 90's less that two weeks ago? I am so cold now. I was contemplating putting the heat on last night. Asa took his leather jacket to school today.
Asa is now in school, the local elementary school. He is doing really well there, only complains of it being too long of a day--but he's been learning and working and his manners have even gotten better! I miss him terribly, but love cuddling with him when he gets home. It's so much harder going through it yourself than thinking about sending your child off to Kindergarten without actually having gone through it. Evie misses him too, but things are settling down here and I know it's the best option for us now.
Our roof was leaking last week when the remnants of TS Nicole hit town. We quickly had it replaced. I wish I could see the new roof better so it could maybe make me happy after spending so much money on it! Oh well, it's the peace of mind I guess. I picked up a solar powered attic fan to help with energy costs mostly in the summer. Love the fact that it costs nothing to run it!
It's amazing how you can train yourself to be more efficient and self sustaining. I think by not buying things that are disposable you can really change the way you look at everything. Recently I was somewhere where so many plastics and disposable items were thrown into the regular trash in front of me and I was cringing!! I hate plastic bags (ziplock) and try not to look when recyclable containers are disposed of incorrectly. I don't want to sound like a snob either because I religiously used them until I was turned on to being less wasteful and the reality of how when we use a plastic bag once then toss it, it'll be around forever in a pile under the ground!!!
Right now I am debating in my mind whether Corn based plastics are better than bio degradable plastics. I know that the type of biodegradable plastics I use will not biodegrade anywhere but the landfill--but that is where most if not all of them will end up. They are superior strength which I think is important because it is more efficient than using more than one bag when one rips and falls apart(which is more likely with the corn based products which also cost significantly more $$)
The good thing about (some)corn plastics is that it'll biodegrade anywhere, in water, in dirt, in a compost pile, a landfill. They won't last as long though, they may fall apart on you if a lot of food products have been able to sit in them.
I'm all about lessening our dependency on oil and biodegradable plastics--while they do use some recycled plastics to their batches--still require oil.
It's a hard call, I am not sure which is best, but I am thankful that either kind will not last forever in the landfill!
I have been doing great with having the one bag of trash a week again! I know strange things tend to make me happy, and most people may not understand it, but it feels great to be efficient, I save a lot of money this way too :)
We are getting new windows soon and I am thrilled about the fact that we should be feeling a lot warmer this winter because of them! That and the fact that they are double hung which will feel like a luxury for me :) :) :) :)
I am getting over some sort of illness, but I feel so great mentally! I am thrilled to know that the sun is shining brightly above the rain clouds. The sky is perfectly blue up there, and it's bright(and warm?). Sometimes I wish I could fly on days like this just to reiterate this feeling! The end of the week is supposed to be warmer again and sunny :) :)
Asa is now in school, the local elementary school. He is doing really well there, only complains of it being too long of a day--but he's been learning and working and his manners have even gotten better! I miss him terribly, but love cuddling with him when he gets home. It's so much harder going through it yourself than thinking about sending your child off to Kindergarten without actually having gone through it. Evie misses him too, but things are settling down here and I know it's the best option for us now.
Our roof was leaking last week when the remnants of TS Nicole hit town. We quickly had it replaced. I wish I could see the new roof better so it could maybe make me happy after spending so much money on it! Oh well, it's the peace of mind I guess. I picked up a solar powered attic fan to help with energy costs mostly in the summer. Love the fact that it costs nothing to run it!
It's amazing how you can train yourself to be more efficient and self sustaining. I think by not buying things that are disposable you can really change the way you look at everything. Recently I was somewhere where so many plastics and disposable items were thrown into the regular trash in front of me and I was cringing!! I hate plastic bags (ziplock) and try not to look when recyclable containers are disposed of incorrectly. I don't want to sound like a snob either because I religiously used them until I was turned on to being less wasteful and the reality of how when we use a plastic bag once then toss it, it'll be around forever in a pile under the ground!!!
Right now I am debating in my mind whether Corn based plastics are better than bio degradable plastics. I know that the type of biodegradable plastics I use will not biodegrade anywhere but the landfill--but that is where most if not all of them will end up. They are superior strength which I think is important because it is more efficient than using more than one bag when one rips and falls apart(which is more likely with the corn based products which also cost significantly more $$)
The good thing about (some)corn plastics is that it'll biodegrade anywhere, in water, in dirt, in a compost pile, a landfill. They won't last as long though, they may fall apart on you if a lot of food products have been able to sit in them.
I'm all about lessening our dependency on oil and biodegradable plastics--while they do use some recycled plastics to their batches--still require oil.
It's a hard call, I am not sure which is best, but I am thankful that either kind will not last forever in the landfill!
I have been doing great with having the one bag of trash a week again! I know strange things tend to make me happy, and most people may not understand it, but it feels great to be efficient, I save a lot of money this way too :)
We are getting new windows soon and I am thrilled about the fact that we should be feeling a lot warmer this winter because of them! That and the fact that they are double hung which will feel like a luxury for me :) :) :) :)
I am getting over some sort of illness, but I feel so great mentally! I am thrilled to know that the sun is shining brightly above the rain clouds. The sky is perfectly blue up there, and it's bright(and warm?). Sometimes I wish I could fly on days like this just to reiterate this feeling! The end of the week is supposed to be warmer again and sunny :) :)
Friday, August 20, 2010
Making things
I've been making a lot of things lately. It feels good to make things. Something kicked into gear in my brain and I was able to let go of some of the laziness inhibiting my housekeeping skills. The house, laundry, finances and other things are all organized currently. This is the longest streak I've been able to keep up so far. It feels great though. I love being able to do just minimal house work and have a neat house and spend time with my most precious possessions: Evie and Asa.
Asa turned 5 last week. We had a small family party. Small is subjective however, it was just family, but still around 15 people. I made an ice cream cake:
24 Ice cream sandwiches
1 container of cool whip
1 Jar of Hot Fudge
cost me 6.50 and it tastes GREAT
I just layered the Ice Cream sandwiches with fudge and cool whip twice, then sprinkled sprinkles on top and froze it. I let it thaw out a bit before serving. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it! Love easy, tasty, inexpensive things like that!
I had a hard time on Asa's birthday. I don't see the changes he goes through unless I step back and realize how much he's grown in the past 5 years. I still have the new mom mindset. My heart was really aching realizing how quickly time goes and precious that time is. I hope I am growing up at the same time as him, getting wiser and such. When he was really little I was pretty young still, him being my first, I was adjusting to not being so self centered and I had a really hard time getting used to the changes in my body. While I remember loving that time, I also remember getting really down and feeling sorry for myself a lot. I also though I was in control of motherhood and knew exactly what I was doing. So foolish! With Evie I was better because I tried to enjoy even the hard times with her since I knew how quickly the hard days of new baby-hood go. I feel like I was just telling myself I have a lot of time before he goes to school. Now he is being home schooled..something I was sure I wouldn't do. I love this little boy beyond words. He is an interesting little character. He is beautiful to me and I love his brain. I wish he didn't have asthma, allergies and eczema, but it has given me extra time with him that I wouldn't have in the administration of medication :) He is very VERY strong willed, and I feel I will have a hard time with adolescence but I am praying and trying to develop a healthy parent-child relationship with him so that it will go a smoothly as possible. I want the best for him. I feel so bad for him when I see him get jealous of his little sister and bewildered when his cool big brother chooses her side. I know he'll be OK though. I love being his mom. I love all the important lessons I would never have learned without him. I love his beautiful eye color and his amazing ability to beat me in Castle Crashers and other video games. I love how he is starting to read even though he tries not to very hard ;) I love his love for animals and bugs. His love for building legos and drawing with chalk. His crazy obsession with certain songs until another takes it's place. Much more too..
On a completely different note:
Recently I was thinking about trash. About how it sits outside--or inside(if you only have a bit) and SMELLS in the summer. Especially meat containers, wrapper and papers. YUCK! I was thinking of ways to get rid of it. Could I leave the chicken pads and papers and foam out on a table to bake in the sun? Then it won't rot in the trashcan? haha I was also thinking about grinding up scrap foods from meals and flushing them? Am I crazy? It's so hard to eliminate waste!
I have been shopping at a grocery clearance outlet and reduced my food by 25%+. The only problem is there aren't as many choices when deciding what to get based on packaging.
I recommend checking out:
Green Genius trash bags
New Dress a day
I really want to try these:
UncommonGoods Garden Bon Bons
and these:
(from REI)
Asa turned 5 last week. We had a small family party. Small is subjective however, it was just family, but still around 15 people. I made an ice cream cake:
24 Ice cream sandwiches
1 container of cool whip
1 Jar of Hot Fudge
cost me 6.50 and it tastes GREAT
I just layered the Ice Cream sandwiches with fudge and cool whip twice, then sprinkled sprinkles on top and froze it. I let it thaw out a bit before serving. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it! Love easy, tasty, inexpensive things like that!
I had a hard time on Asa's birthday. I don't see the changes he goes through unless I step back and realize how much he's grown in the past 5 years. I still have the new mom mindset. My heart was really aching realizing how quickly time goes and precious that time is. I hope I am growing up at the same time as him, getting wiser and such. When he was really little I was pretty young still, him being my first, I was adjusting to not being so self centered and I had a really hard time getting used to the changes in my body. While I remember loving that time, I also remember getting really down and feeling sorry for myself a lot. I also though I was in control of motherhood and knew exactly what I was doing. So foolish! With Evie I was better because I tried to enjoy even the hard times with her since I knew how quickly the hard days of new baby-hood go. I feel like I was just telling myself I have a lot of time before he goes to school. Now he is being home schooled..something I was sure I wouldn't do. I love this little boy beyond words. He is an interesting little character. He is beautiful to me and I love his brain. I wish he didn't have asthma, allergies and eczema, but it has given me extra time with him that I wouldn't have in the administration of medication :) He is very VERY strong willed, and I feel I will have a hard time with adolescence but I am praying and trying to develop a healthy parent-child relationship with him so that it will go a smoothly as possible. I want the best for him. I feel so bad for him when I see him get jealous of his little sister and bewildered when his cool big brother chooses her side. I know he'll be OK though. I love being his mom. I love all the important lessons I would never have learned without him. I love his beautiful eye color and his amazing ability to beat me in Castle Crashers and other video games. I love how he is starting to read even though he tries not to very hard ;) I love his love for animals and bugs. His love for building legos and drawing with chalk. His crazy obsession with certain songs until another takes it's place. Much more too..
On a completely different note:
Recently I was thinking about trash. About how it sits outside--or inside(if you only have a bit) and SMELLS in the summer. Especially meat containers, wrapper and papers. YUCK! I was thinking of ways to get rid of it. Could I leave the chicken pads and papers and foam out on a table to bake in the sun? Then it won't rot in the trashcan? haha I was also thinking about grinding up scrap foods from meals and flushing them? Am I crazy? It's so hard to eliminate waste!
I have been shopping at a grocery clearance outlet and reduced my food by 25%+. The only problem is there aren't as many choices when deciding what to get based on packaging.
I recommend checking out:
Green Genius trash bags
New Dress a day
I really want to try these:
UncommonGoods Garden Bon Bons
and these:
(from REI)
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
summer
Summer is well under way. It's been a scorching one too. I turned 26 a few weeks ago. It feels old. Comparatively speaking I know it's still young, but when I tell myself I am 26 I feel like I am past the prime of my youth.
My kids are getting bigger and learning so much--so quickly! Asa is learning to read from the book I am using called "Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons" It really works, seriously. It's totally different from the way I was taught, but it's good and he gets it really well! Evie likes to sing songs about everything, she reminds me of Frances. Songs like: "I'm walking down the stairs, I'm walking down the stairs" "It's raining on my arm, it's raining on my arm!" She's very original in her lyrics.
When I am 52 my youngest (as long as there are no more) will be 29. I think that is crazy and good. Hubby just celebrated his birthday as well, though it felt like it lasted forever..birth-week it should be called. Growing up we had a saying "birthday brat" Everyone became the birthday brat on their birthday, this is how I am defining the Birth-week...the week of too much attention on one person given by themselves and others and causing a serious case of the birthday brattiness.
I bought these cotton towels recently that work like paper towels only are washable and re-usable! I love them and now I see the woman who makes them has new ones with different colored borders which I am interested in to designate certain towels to certain jobs. Blue for Bathroom, Green for kitchen etc etc..
I also started making paper. I figured out how to make the seeded kind which you can plant in the ground. I was going to use it for invitations to a large shower, but now I think it'll be a bit too much work!! Time is running out. When the shower is over I will make a post on all the details. I am so excited for it, it's going to be great.
This summer has been pretty quiet so far though. Vacation is in August and I am so excited for that.
I have been only throwing out 1 to almost 2 bags of trash a week for our entire family..kitchen sized trash bags mind you. Someone asked me how I did it and honestly it's just being aware of all the waste that is generated from everyday use of everyday items. It was prompted by the smelly trashcan out back, I didn't want to sit on my patio near it. So I decided to be careful with what I threw out and it became pretty easy. I am saving more food instead of scraping it into the trash, compacting every little thing I can and of course recycling everything I can recycle. It's fun and worth it. I like to go easy on the hardworking trash-men who come out every week in the heat and carry heavy bags of smelly waste to their trucks.
I recommend:
being conscious of the packaging of your weekly purchases; buy the least amount of waste possible.
cotton Bird-E towels
Teach your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
My kids are getting bigger and learning so much--so quickly! Asa is learning to read from the book I am using called "Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons" It really works, seriously. It's totally different from the way I was taught, but it's good and he gets it really well! Evie likes to sing songs about everything, she reminds me of Frances. Songs like: "I'm walking down the stairs, I'm walking down the stairs" "It's raining on my arm, it's raining on my arm!" She's very original in her lyrics.
When I am 52 my youngest (as long as there are no more) will be 29. I think that is crazy and good. Hubby just celebrated his birthday as well, though it felt like it lasted forever..birth-week it should be called. Growing up we had a saying "birthday brat" Everyone became the birthday brat on their birthday, this is how I am defining the Birth-week...the week of too much attention on one person given by themselves and others and causing a serious case of the birthday brattiness.
I bought these cotton towels recently that work like paper towels only are washable and re-usable! I love them and now I see the woman who makes them has new ones with different colored borders which I am interested in to designate certain towels to certain jobs. Blue for Bathroom, Green for kitchen etc etc..
I also started making paper. I figured out how to make the seeded kind which you can plant in the ground. I was going to use it for invitations to a large shower, but now I think it'll be a bit too much work!! Time is running out. When the shower is over I will make a post on all the details. I am so excited for it, it's going to be great.
This summer has been pretty quiet so far though. Vacation is in August and I am so excited for that.
I have been only throwing out 1 to almost 2 bags of trash a week for our entire family..kitchen sized trash bags mind you. Someone asked me how I did it and honestly it's just being aware of all the waste that is generated from everyday use of everyday items. It was prompted by the smelly trashcan out back, I didn't want to sit on my patio near it. So I decided to be careful with what I threw out and it became pretty easy. I am saving more food instead of scraping it into the trash, compacting every little thing I can and of course recycling everything I can recycle. It's fun and worth it. I like to go easy on the hardworking trash-men who come out every week in the heat and carry heavy bags of smelly waste to their trucks.
I recommend:
being conscious of the packaging of your weekly purchases; buy the least amount of waste possible.
cotton Bird-E towels
Teach your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
More stuff...
I have a hot dog cutter called the Guard Dog which scores the hot dog horizontally but keeps it intact. That way when my kiddies bite into the hot dog it'll fall apart into small pieces they won't be able to choke on. It's a lot of fun to use and I was really excited to see it mentioned in The New York Times!
It was invented by the creator of Pop Corn Chicken and Steak Umm's: Eugene Gagliardi of Creativators. They cook really well once they've been scored...it actually tastes better!
It's always great to have easy food options that are kid friendly and safe!
Another thing I wanted to talk about was the 7th Generation dishwashing tabs I mentioned before. Though I only used the Free and Clear type, I really didn't like it at all. I probably wouldn't try the scented kinds because they are all lacking rinse aid. They cost more than other brands which include it. Oh well! Back to my old Cascade Tabs!
I am still loving the laundry detergent though, bought it again and love how little I need! My washing machine has been staying nice and clean too since I've been making sure not to use too much soap!
Next plug: GoGo Squeez Applesauce pouches.
What a great idea! I love the no mess idea. So great for packing a lunch too! The kids like them too and the different flavors are great! About 50 cents a pouch but nice for a treat!
My baby turned two a few weeks ago. She is 95% for height! I can't believe it, she seems so petite to me! She is really getting verbal though. She loves colors and told me her flip flops were purple and pink today...I was shocked!
I sure love having a girl. She enjoys helping with dinner and calling in the boys for me. It's so amazing how differently male and females are wired even from birth.
It was invented by the creator of Pop Corn Chicken and Steak Umm's: Eugene Gagliardi of Creativators. They cook really well once they've been scored...it actually tastes better!
It's always great to have easy food options that are kid friendly and safe!
Another thing I wanted to talk about was the 7th Generation dishwashing tabs I mentioned before. Though I only used the Free and Clear type, I really didn't like it at all. I probably wouldn't try the scented kinds because they are all lacking rinse aid. They cost more than other brands which include it. Oh well! Back to my old Cascade Tabs!
I am still loving the laundry detergent though, bought it again and love how little I need! My washing machine has been staying nice and clean too since I've been making sure not to use too much soap!
Next plug: GoGo Squeez Applesauce pouches.
What a great idea! I love the no mess idea. So great for packing a lunch too! The kids like them too and the different flavors are great! About 50 cents a pouch but nice for a treat!My baby turned two a few weeks ago. She is 95% for height! I can't believe it, she seems so petite to me! She is really getting verbal though. She loves colors and told me her flip flops were purple and pink today...I was shocked!
I sure love having a girl. She enjoys helping with dinner and calling in the boys for me. It's so amazing how differently male and females are wired even from birth.
Monday, April 26, 2010
good deals
Since everyone in the world could potentially read this I thought I would let the world know my good deals
$4.09 total for all of the following:
Bertolli Olive Oil and Garlic Tomato Sauce
reg. $2.29 sale 1.89. cpn: .75 doubled Final: .39
Classico Vodka Sauce
reg. $1.99 cpn: 1.50 Final: .49
Capri Sun Sunrise Valley(x2)
reg. $2.00 cpn: 1.00 Final 1.00
Viva Single Roll Paper Towell
reg. $2.19 sale: 2.00 cpn: .85 doubled; Final .30
Carolina Yellow Rice packet (x2)
reg. $0.66 sale 0.59 cpn: .75 off two doubled; Final: two for free
Scott Flushable Wipe refill
reg. $1.99 cpn.50 doubled; Final: .99
Silk Almond Milk
reg. $2.99 cpn: Free!
Silk Almond Milk Vanilla
reg. $2.99 cpn: Free!
Reg Total $19.76
Sale Total $18.83
w/Coupon Total: $4.09
YAY!
$4.09 total for all of the following:
Bertolli Olive Oil and Garlic Tomato Sauce
reg. $2.29 sale 1.89. cpn: .75 doubled Final: .39
Classico Vodka Sauce
reg. $1.99 cpn: 1.50 Final: .49
Capri Sun Sunrise Valley(x2)
reg. $2.00 cpn: 1.00 Final 1.00
Viva Single Roll Paper Towell
reg. $2.19 sale: 2.00 cpn: .85 doubled; Final .30
Carolina Yellow Rice packet (x2)
reg. $0.66 sale 0.59 cpn: .75 off two doubled; Final: two for free
Scott Flushable Wipe refill
reg. $1.99 cpn.50 doubled; Final: .99
Silk Almond Milk
reg. $2.99 cpn: Free!
Silk Almond Milk Vanilla
reg. $2.99 cpn: Free!
Reg Total $19.76
Sale Total $18.83
w/Coupon Total: $4.09
YAY!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
rainy day
Today is a pretty boring day!
I read an article saying that most americans use too much laundry detergent and that some loads can be washed without any soap at all. The agitation from the machine loosens dirt and it's then rinsed away. Interesting. I am going to use less now. It also said that if you use too much it causes the suds to come up too high in the machine where the lint and dirt that are also lifted with the suds cannot get rinsed away. This makes bacteria grow and causes odors...they say it can also cut the life of your washer shorter. Its funny because I always think to myself, the more soap I use the cleaner the load will be...they said most people feel that way but it's not true!
A little helpful tidbit I hope!
I am starving right now.
Time for a snack! oh, and to wash some laundry....
I read an article saying that most americans use too much laundry detergent and that some loads can be washed without any soap at all. The agitation from the machine loosens dirt and it's then rinsed away. Interesting. I am going to use less now. It also said that if you use too much it causes the suds to come up too high in the machine where the lint and dirt that are also lifted with the suds cannot get rinsed away. This makes bacteria grow and causes odors...they say it can also cut the life of your washer shorter. Its funny because I always think to myself, the more soap I use the cleaner the load will be...they said most people feel that way but it's not true!
A little helpful tidbit I hope!
I am starving right now.
Time for a snack! oh, and to wash some laundry....
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Do YOU really need it?
So after trying the laundry detergent, i can say it works great. Though I used too much the first time, filling the cap to "3" is for normal loads, but I guess our water is really soft of something, so the second load got less. The smell is wonderful though, I love it.
I was thinking about how I used to reach for the plastic wrap, or plastic baggies regularly about a year ago. Now I don't even think about them. It wasn't like I stopped using them on purpose. We ran out and I forgot to get them at the store. I started using re-usable(and recyclable!) plastic containers with lids instead. Now I just say to myself when I'm in the that aisle of the store, "Do I really NEED them?"
Obviously not if I've gone so long without them!! They are convenient but not necessary! It seems really wasteful if you sit down and think about it. Tin foil on the other hand is a must and can be recycled, unless it's totally soiled. Even still I don't feel bad about some of it going to a landfill--it will break down.
Speaking of breaking down,
We live in a town home, so cleaning up pet waste gets annoying. I usually keep a bag outside and wait till it's half full before putting it in the trash ON trash day. It's still gross though to have outside waiting to be full. I found this product which I think is ingenious for my scenario--or others with sewer connections and tight outside quarters!It's a flushable doggie bag! I love that idea, because it gets rid of it quick, and the doo-doo goes to a place where it gets cleaned out of the water! It seems like such a "sanitary" solution.
I have to see if they have them at pet smart now.
I also have to say, before I run and get my children out of the mess they've made while I've posted this is:
What and incredibly faithful God we have. Faithful to us when we wonder. He is so faithful to me, and I want to be faithful too.
I'll expound later, there is shrieking going on...
I was thinking about how I used to reach for the plastic wrap, or plastic baggies regularly about a year ago. Now I don't even think about them. It wasn't like I stopped using them on purpose. We ran out and I forgot to get them at the store. I started using re-usable(and recyclable!) plastic containers with lids instead. Now I just say to myself when I'm in the that aisle of the store, "Do I really NEED them?"
Obviously not if I've gone so long without them!! They are convenient but not necessary! It seems really wasteful if you sit down and think about it. Tin foil on the other hand is a must and can be recycled, unless it's totally soiled. Even still I don't feel bad about some of it going to a landfill--it will break down.
Speaking of breaking down,
We live in a town home, so cleaning up pet waste gets annoying. I usually keep a bag outside and wait till it's half full before putting it in the trash ON trash day. It's still gross though to have outside waiting to be full. I found this product which I think is ingenious for my scenario--or others with sewer connections and tight outside quarters!It's a flushable doggie bag! I love that idea, because it gets rid of it quick, and the doo-doo goes to a place where it gets cleaned out of the water! It seems like such a "sanitary" solution.I have to see if they have them at pet smart now.
I also have to say, before I run and get my children out of the mess they've made while I've posted this is:
What and incredibly faithful God we have. Faithful to us when we wonder. He is so faithful to me, and I want to be faithful too.
I'll expound later, there is shrieking going on...
Monday, April 12, 2010
for becky
I went to the grocery store today. I bought a lot of "green" cleaning products--which I had coupons for. We have a very tight food/household needs budget, yet I do pretty well with being able to get organic fruits (apples and greens today) and natural-ish cleaning products. The products which I have used before really do work too, you don't sacrifice anything, well maybe except headaches from fumes or overly strong scents.
I got some Seventh Generation Laundry detergent because I had a $2 coupon, which brought it down to $3.99. It's usually so much more than my normal stuff(Purex Natural Elements)--which I still love btw--that I don't even try it. It has a very fresh scent that smells real, haha.. First load is just about ready to go into the dryer, then we'll see how good of a job it does!
I also always get Seventh Generation all purpose cleaners. They were on sale too plus I had a coupon. When it comes to window cleaner though, I usually just get cheap-o store brand vinegar cleaner--92 cents is good for me!
Another thing I am trying out for the first time is the Seventh Generation Dishwasher Tabs They come in a easily recyclable cardboard box, Finish also has recyclable packaging...but Cascade doesn't.
If this stuff works well, I might buy it again, the ingredients aren't as harsh as the ones I normally buy. It was on sale for $3.25 for 15 washes. I usually get the Cascade which is $3.99 so I thought I would try this kind out. I ONLY use their Dish Soap which works amazingly and has such a wonderful fresh REAL scent--so the company has a good reputation with me!
I have also been buying Marcel Small Steps Paper towels, toilet paper and napkins. Out of those three, the paper towels seem to go very quickly, like there aren't as a normal roll or something. They are all great quality and cheaper than the leading brand---which at least doesn't advertise as recycled paper.
I also got a hand soap refill bag: Method brand. It was on sale for $4.5 and fills about 3 normal sized pumps -- I have a bunch of those plastic pumps in a cabinet so I got to re-use them which was cool. Less waste is good, plus the soap is biodegradable and made from plants--meaning no petroleum. (I like this because as I've said a while ago, less dependency on oil and plants are quickly renewable)
All of these products are great for people with allergies too--like mi familia.
But the best thing I did today was go through my cleaning cabinet and get rid of the products which I don't use anymore...mostly floor cleaners. I have a Shark Steam Mop now and love the fact that it only needs water and it sanitizes and easily gets up stuck on food. I read a while ago about how indoor air quality is however many times more polluted than outdoor air because of the cleaning products. I wouldn't be so gung- ho about it if these cleaner, healthier products weren't so readily available and affordable.
I guess saying that was the best thing I did today is pretty shallow. It was even better to take my kiddies to the park and play with them on this amazingly gorgeous sunshiny spring day :)
I got some Seventh Generation Laundry detergent because I had a $2 coupon, which brought it down to $3.99. It's usually so much more than my normal stuff(Purex Natural Elements)--which I still love btw--that I don't even try it. It has a very fresh scent that smells real, haha.. First load is just about ready to go into the dryer, then we'll see how good of a job it does!I also always get Seventh Generation all purpose cleaners. They were on sale too plus I had a coupon. When it comes to window cleaner though, I usually just get cheap-o store brand vinegar cleaner--92 cents is good for me!
Another thing I am trying out for the first time is the Seventh Generation Dishwasher Tabs They come in a easily recyclable cardboard box, Finish also has recyclable packaging...but Cascade doesn't.
If this stuff works well, I might buy it again, the ingredients aren't as harsh as the ones I normally buy. It was on sale for $3.25 for 15 washes. I usually get the Cascade which is $3.99 so I thought I would try this kind out. I ONLY use their Dish Soap which works amazingly and has such a wonderful fresh REAL scent--so the company has a good reputation with me!I have also been buying Marcel Small Steps Paper towels, toilet paper and napkins. Out of those three, the paper towels seem to go very quickly, like there aren't as a normal roll or something. They are all great quality and cheaper than the leading brand---which at least doesn't advertise as recycled paper.
I also got a hand soap refill bag: Method brand. It was on sale for $4.5 and fills about 3 normal sized pumps -- I have a bunch of those plastic pumps in a cabinet so I got to re-use them which was cool. Less waste is good, plus the soap is biodegradable and made from plants--meaning no petroleum. (I like this because as I've said a while ago, less dependency on oil and plants are quickly renewable)All of these products are great for people with allergies too--like mi familia.
But the best thing I did today was go through my cleaning cabinet and get rid of the products which I don't use anymore...mostly floor cleaners. I have a Shark Steam Mop now and love the fact that it only needs water and it sanitizes and easily gets up stuck on food. I read a while ago about how indoor air quality is however many times more polluted than outdoor air because of the cleaning products. I wouldn't be so gung- ho about it if these cleaner, healthier products weren't so readily available and affordable.
I guess saying that was the best thing I did today is pretty shallow. It was even better to take my kiddies to the park and play with them on this amazingly gorgeous sunshiny spring day :)
Monday, March 29, 2010
good deals
I shopped at Aldi today. It was my first time and I probably won't be back, at least for a while. It's pretty far away. I did really enjoy shopping there though. VERY inexpensive. The produce was so cheap and nice! I got a beautiful Del Monte Pineapple for 1.49. I got two bags of iceberg garden bagged salad for .39 each! Hots dogs for .79. The stuff is their own brand for the most part, but nothing is out of date and dented or bruised! I wish we had one close to where we live! I wouldn't shop for everything there, because I try to get whole foods as much as I can, but for produce (from the US) and freshmeats, frozen meats, deli and dairy, I was super impressed. I don't mean to sound snobbish, the products I mean mostly are cereals that we are used to, and crackers, frozen meals for hubby's lunches and so on. They had some health food options too, overall, i saved a big penny and like I said, wish we had one close by!
One thing I will appreciate when the kids are grown, is not having to clean up every possible body liquid that a child could manage to spew. Today was one of those day... wow I guess it's better to all happen at once than to have a little bit every day?
Evie hasn't been napping well lately. She isn't going to sleep well at bedtime either. In fact, she is in her room screaching right now. Ear plugs would be nice.
I have been working on my family tree through Ancestry.com. It's very addictive! I want to spend the extra $10 to get national records so I can try and find the families left behind in Europe. Yes all my ancesters came from Europe. Italy, Germany, Ireland, England, Lithuania and possibly Poland. My family migrated from Italy mostly in the 1910's, and that was only two generations ago. Same with Lithuania. Half of the Germans too. So that would make all of my great grandparents from those countries, naturalized here. The Irish and English have been here as far back as I can trace(1790). I would guess they came over before the country began. Though some may have, and some may not, there are many families involved in them.
It is fun. There is no one famous in my lineage, but it's fun to hear stories about people. I interviewed my grandfather and he told me stories that I was able to jot down. I hope to add them onto my tree. Ancestry really makes it very organized. My goal now is to save and file all the records I connected to my tree before my membership runs up!
I think she's about done whining. I hope she is.
One thing I will appreciate when the kids are grown, is not having to clean up every possible body liquid that a child could manage to spew. Today was one of those day... wow I guess it's better to all happen at once than to have a little bit every day?
Evie hasn't been napping well lately. She isn't going to sleep well at bedtime either. In fact, she is in her room screaching right now. Ear plugs would be nice.
I have been working on my family tree through Ancestry.com. It's very addictive! I want to spend the extra $10 to get national records so I can try and find the families left behind in Europe. Yes all my ancesters came from Europe. Italy, Germany, Ireland, England, Lithuania and possibly Poland. My family migrated from Italy mostly in the 1910's, and that was only two generations ago. Same with Lithuania. Half of the Germans too. So that would make all of my great grandparents from those countries, naturalized here. The Irish and English have been here as far back as I can trace(1790). I would guess they came over before the country began. Though some may have, and some may not, there are many families involved in them.
It is fun. There is no one famous in my lineage, but it's fun to hear stories about people. I interviewed my grandfather and he told me stories that I was able to jot down. I hope to add them onto my tree. Ancestry really makes it very organized. My goal now is to save and file all the records I connected to my tree before my membership runs up!
I think she's about done whining. I hope she is.
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