It's Not Easy Being Green

"WE only eat organic"

2012-01-24T22:35:00.001-05:00

Something has been bugging me for awhile and I thought it was appropriate to blog about it. I realized that there are people in the world who get so wrapped up in eating well, that they forget how to live well. This is a very real (and common) trap which would be easy for me to fall into. In fact, I kinda did. While I still think it's great to buy local, organic, cook fresh and from scratch, etc., it has become less of a priority. As a Christian, it is equally important to me to care for others, particularly the poor. It is also extremely important for me to care for my family beyond just cooking for them. We aren't wealthy, and as such, we have to make choices about our money. We can't have it all. And as much as I value caring for our bodies by eating well, I cannot value it above being able to feed the poor. As much as I want my kids to eat well, I also want to feed their souls, give them a somewhat organized home, and save for their future. We were spending too much time and money on food. And in reality, how much difference will those little choices I stressed over make on their well-being? And how much more important for them to see us giving, even if it has to hurt a little? Don't get me wrong...I'm not here to tell you that it's wrong to buy raw milk from a farm, or use organic apples. (That would be funny, coming from this blog!) I'm just realizing this isn't for us--at least for now. Maybe someday when we are in a different financial position, we will do some of those things. But this has given me food for thought. Is MY child so important that he should eat a PERFECT diet while other children die of starvation? It is our God given responsibility to care for our bodies, but there is a line between careful and phobic. Between wisdom and worship. We are responsible for many things, and I want to be more aware of keeping those things in balance. For now, I've gone to buying regular meats, dairy and vegetables from ALDI. We buy specialty items (like GF and dairy free items or treats) from Trader Joe's. And of course the occasional trip to Costco for a few things and stuff for HATC. I still cook mostly from scratch (which saves money and is healthier) but have tried to simplify our meals. We have more money, less stress and more time with the kiddos. I'm pleased with this switch. It feels right for this era.

The world has changed...

2012-01-24T22:33:00.001-05:00

...for the better! You probably haven't heard that much. We often tend to see the negative and only focus on all the work that lies ahead of us in this life. I have observed something lately and wanted to share it by way of encouragement...

Today I was reflecting on trips to the "Health food store" as a child with my Mom. (Way to go, Mom, for being crunchy way ahead of her time!) This involved driving in our car for what seemed like an eternity to go to some sketchy hole in the wall run by stoned hippies. There were shelves of strange concoctions, crudely labeled, with high pricetags. And some prepared foods. I think I recall honey sticks and fruit leather--both of which always looked appealing but were inevitably a disappointment. I don't think there was ANY fresh food at these stores? I didn't learn the word "organic" until "Fresh Fields" (which eventually became WholeFoods) moved into Annapolis in the 90's.

NOW... a huge variety of healthy foods exist, and are readily available! Right down the street I have an excellent small organic market. Whole foods and Trader Joe's are 15 minutes away. And EVERY grocery store has a "health food" section and a huge selection of quality produce. Not to mention the farmers markets in every neighborhood! There are tons of delicious, healthy options. I love this. And this is when you KNOW the world has changed... when you go to Costco and find "UDI gluten-free" bread in the freezer! (Along with soy milk, natural peanut butter, organic chicken, etc) People have been using there buying power to make better choices, and now even the big guys are taking the hint. :) Keep it up, people!

Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies

2012-01-19T15:06:00.003-05:00

Yes, I know I've been M.I.A. for an eternity. I have a few things I'd like to say, but haven't been organized enough to keep up with the basics of wifedom/motherhood. So alas, they will have to wait a bit longer. But since I wanted to write this recipe out anyway, I figured I'd post it for you to enjoy. Since I last wrote, my husband has gone Gluten-Free and I've had to let go of dairy again. It has been a crazy adventure, but our health is greatly improved.

I adapted these from the Gluten-Free Goddess blog. They were absolutely delightful! Here is the original recipe: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2006/01/dark-chocolate-brownies.html (They looked just like her photo, too!)

And here is what I did :)

Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies

{Gluten-free & dairy free}

Ingredients:

5 ounces dark chocolate (check ingredients for dairy)

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/4 cup hazelnut flour (almond would probably be fine too)

1/2 cup gluten free baking flour mix of your choice (I love Better Batter)

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon vanilla

hazelnuts, to taste

chocolate chips, if desired.

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line an 8x8-inch square baking pan with foil and lightly oil the bottom.

Melt the dark chocolate and coconut oil in a saucepan over low heat, gently stirring. (or melt at half power in microwave, stirring occasionally. This is what I did.)

In a mixing bowl whisk together the brown sugar, flours, salt and baking soda. Make a well in the center and add the beaten eggs, vanilla extract and melted dark chocolate mixture. Beat on low-medium for two minutes, until the batter begins to come together. Beat until it thickens and becomes smooth and glossy. Gently stir in hazelnuts. Place in pan and top with chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 for 32 to 35 minutes, or until the brownies are set. The top should look cracked when done.

Cool on a wire rack; and remove the cooled brownies from the pan by gripping the foil edges and lifting the brownies out as a whole.

Allow to cool for an hour before cutting if you don't want them to fall apart.

Yield: 12-16 servings

Happy baby babble :)

2011-05-18T22:45:00.000-04:00

Happy Earth Day!

2011-04-22T20:56:00.000-04:00

Okay...so I have to admit...all I did in honor of Earth day was to pick up my free cuppa joe from Starbucks in my travel mug. Tough, I know. :) But I'm actually in the habit of using my travel mug at starbucks these days. So I figured I'd write about a few things I've done to become more green this YEAR.

Travel mug at starbucks. (as a bonus, it saves 10 cents!) I also buy the coffee we drink at home from a local roastery who uses only organic, fair trade beans.

We became a one car family! Bought a beautiful and environmentally friendly 2010 Honda Fit, which is on the top 10 list of "green" cars for last year. I cannot tell you how much I *love* this car! What a blessing. :)

I've made better use of one of my favorite posessions: my set of baggu's. :) I've finally gotten in the habit of grabbing them on my way out the door, and I keep one in my glove box for random stops at the store. I sometimes even use them at Target. (They give you 10 cents off also!)

Cloth diapering...round 2...complete with homemade wipes. :)

I've switched most of the lotions/cleansers we use on our skin. I try to avoid sulfates and petroleum in particular. I am impressed with Avalons skin products...my skin has never looked happier. :) Body soap is bought from a local soap lady, and I make my own scrub.

I use white vinegar and baking soda to clean most things in my house. I also love these products (

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Karmalades?ref=pr_shop_more) for tougher jobs. They smell fabulous and work great!

Lastly, I've been striving to buy local, in season produce, and to cook/bake almost everything from scratch. This has been tricky in my tiny kitchen, but I've enjoyed the challenge. :) This has been better for our bodies, and better for the world since we aren't using fuel to transport our food from across the country.

Happy earth day!

possessed American

2011-04-21T21:32:00.001-04:00

I am in a room, surrounded by things. In America, it is so easy to become overwhelmed and burdened by our possessions. This is such a problem, that there is an ongoing television series called “Hoarders”! And many of us are not SO far off from those featured on the show. Hopefully you aren’t so obsessed with keeping things that you can’t take your TRASH out! But look around your house and just think about this: How many winter scarves do you own? How many do you NEED? How many pairs of shoes? How many do you NEED? How many cookbooks? How many do you actually USE? How many mugs? (Oh I am guilty on this front!) How many do you require? (Come on Rebecca, when was the last time you served coffee to 20 people in glass mugs?!! LOL) I’ve spent so much time asking myself these tough questions, and paring down, and I STILL have...Way. Too. Much. Stuff. It’s an ongoing struggle here. But this week, I’ve gotten fed up with our stuff, which caused me to reflect on some sermons I heard recently. Our former pastor preached through the book of Ecclesiastes last year and I've been listening to his wonderful sermon series! This book of the Bible discusses how brief, busy and wearisome life is, and recommends that we enjoy the simple things we have( love, work, and wealth) while we have them. This has caused me to look at my possessions differently. I've started to see the burden they can be. We live in a small apartment with 2 children, and having too many things has been causing me so much stress. I truly have to choose between my kids and my home. If I want our home to be remotely tidy, I sacrifice my children, and if I want to enjoy my kids, our house is a constant mess. Lately I have tried to spend more time with my children, which I believe is the best choice (a delightful, though not always easy one) but after only a few weeks, I’m drowning in things and the chaos they create. I have put a ton of effort into good storage, it’s just not enough! So lately I've realized that we have too much, and I need to be more radical in my fight against materialism. Until recently, if something had a use, it was "useful" and therefore kept. But now, I am beginning to see how even useful things can suck life from you. For example, I love my mugs. But when I have 20 of them, and all 20 end up getting used and put into the sink…INSTANT stress! This is ESPECIALLY true with children's toys. Sam has many bins of toys, and sometimes he just dumps them all out on the floor. Some of these toys have many pieces. If we don't pick up his room when he's done, he won't want to play in it anymore, because he can't even choose a toy to play with. It's TOO much visual stimuli! I don't blame him, because I feel the same way. I have so many clothes, most of which don't fit properly, yet I cling to them. I end up digging through mounds of clothes trying to find "the shirt that is comfortable and fits and isn't stained." :) I want to have maybe a weeks worth of clothing that works and nothing more. We have so much more than we need. So now that I've had these realizations and I feel that I "need" a certain object, I've come up with two questions that help me discern whether an item is going to benefit my life or waste it:

Is having this item WORTH the amount of Joe’s life it will take to pay for it?
Is owning this item WORTH the time and effort I will spend cleaning it up?

On a side note, I do believe in the importance of owning a moderate amount of things you enjoy for simply for their beauty! But that is a post for another day. :) I want to enjoy my life, and the things I own. I DON'T want to be possessed. :) I'm at the start of a journey to a place where our home is purged of excessive/ugly/burdensome things, and there is more space/time/energy to enjoy life together. One good thing that will be accomplished on this journey is donating many things to the thrift store for people who want to spend less. And eventually, I'd love it if we were able to give money we save to those who need BASIC things...Food. Clean water. Clothing. Shelter. I'm excited, but there is such a long road ahead...

joyfully distracted :)

2011-04-13T20:43:00.000-04:00

I'm posting to say that I am joyfully distracted this week, and haven't had time or energy to think of anything worth posting about... Except for the fact that I'm joyfully distracted by these cutie pies!

dirty dozen

2011-03-31T22:01:00.000-04:00

Although I am crunchy in many ways, it might surprise you to know that I rarely buy organic. You see, my values sometimes war against one another. While I want to make a statement to the powers that be by buying local/organic/non GMO foods, I also firmly believe in being frugal and really can't afford the food I would like to eat. I am trying to figure out a happy medium. Here are some guidelines I've come up with for our family:

DAIRY: First of all, I try to use minimal dairy. I think we have an overabundance of it in our American diets. But we still go through about a gallon of milk a week and about a bag of shredded cheese. On the weeks I shop at Trader Joe's or MyOrganicMarket(MOMs) for $5.50 a gallon, I purchase organic milk. When I'm at Costco on the alternate weeks, I buy their milk, which is just over $3. I figure organic half the time is a step in the right direction, and it winds up costing as much as buying milk at a regular store every week. But as money becomes available, I do intend to buy more organic dairy products. And even when money is tight, I only buy dairy products which state that the cows are not treated with rBGH. It is inhumane to use on the animals, and may have negative effects on humans who consume them. Cows treated with this hormone require lots of antibiotics(for mastitis) which many believe can lead to antibiotic resistance in humans. This is a great little fact sheet, if you'd like to read more: http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/docs/SayNoToRBGH-fww07.pdf

MEAT: After realizing how badly animals are cared for, and how contaminated our meat is, I have become more determined to eat only organic meat. My ideal would be to buy from small local farms! But that is just not in the budget yet. So for now, I am cooking mostly vegetarian dishes, so that I can afford to buy organic chicken breasts. Again, cooking less expensive meals has allowed for the "splurge" of happier chickens. The taste is SO much better too! We almost never eat red meat or pork, and when we do, I buy "natural" but not organic. The only fish we eat right now is canned tuna, and that is not organic, but I'm not convinced that is as much of a problem.

PRODUCE: This year, I made huge efforts to buy only seasonal produce. That means for a large portion of the winter, we did not have fresh fruit. (I make an exception for bananas, cause really, when are they "in season"? and we can never by local for those either!) It was tough, but we saved money, didn't settle for eating something that tasted only slightly better than wax fruit would, and took better care of the planet. Raisins and applesauce saved the day! And I have to say, I've never been more excited about summer fruits and veggies! But back to the point, I always try to buy local (from farmers markets mostly), but not always organic. Even in the summer, organic produce is still pricey, so I need to be wise about what I purchase. Someone has come up with a list called the "dirty dozen", which recommends avoiding produce that is most potentially hazardous. So this summer, I intend to make an effort to buy this "dirty dozen" either organically, or from farmers who use minimal pesticides. I'm not going to buy any other organic produce, at least for now. Here's a cute little cheat sheet(made by Heidi Kenney) for you to tuck into your memory when you go shopping! (The left picture is the part you need to memorize if you're following my advice here)

Consistency...vice or virtue?

2011-03-24T15:01:00.000-04:00

Growing up, I always heard people talk about the importance of "consistency" in parenting. People with all different approaches to parenting seemed to sing the praises of this concept. I absorbed this information, and when I became a mother, I believed it was vitally important to "be consistent" in child training. Lately however, I've been thinking long and hard about this term, and asking the question, "Is consistency really one of the greatest virtues of parenting? And if so, what exactly does it mean?"

The other day, a thought struck me like a ton of bricks: If consistent parenting means to punish every single time a child does something wrong, or punish all offenses with the exact same method, then God himself is an inconsistent parent, and there is no room for showing grace or mercy to our children! This simply cannot be right. I think there is much room for danger in trying to administer punishment "consistently." (The only exception to this I can see is in training young toddlers. Since language is not developed yet, it is helpful to use the same consequences for certain offenses, so that they understand "When I do X, Y will occur.") So, should we strive to be consistent with our kids? My recent conclusion: Absolutely! So what do I mean by the term "consistent"? I'd advocate mirroring consistency as we find it in God. He is a reliable, trustworthy, and faithful Father. He does sometimes give harsh consequences for our sins, and yet He is exceedingly gracious and merciful.
On this note, I'd like to post the section of scripture that has most influenced the way I approach parenting:

"The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust." Psalm 103:8-14

That last part just blows me away. The natural compassion I have towards my children is the way God has chosen to relate to me, someone who was His enemy. wow. But back to my point. He REMEMBERS that we are dust. He knows we are weak and going to fail repeatedly, and though He has the right to punish us immediately, He is instead long suffering. He gently corrects and redirects His children. He allows us to repent and try again. And He even goes as far as to send the Redeemer to die as a blood offering for our sins. I can't tell you how often I forget that my children are dust. I get angry and want to punish them when they sin against me.I'm so grateful for a Father who remembers. So now I seek to remember their humanity and my own. I want to be someone who is a consistent person--a mother they can depend on to love them well. Sometimes this means showing compassion and mercy on their human weaknesses and sometimes the most loving thing is a hard consequence or punishment. But in either case, I have forsaken the idea of consistent discipline. The consistency I aspire to is consistency in who I am and how I relate to my children.

Life is sweet

2011-03-18T14:44:00.005-04:00

I've been on a kick lately. I'm baking through a book of vegan cupcakes. mmm. I can barely resist them long enough to snap a photo!!!

Green = simple = happy :)

2011-03-10T20:25:00.011-05:00

Being earth conscious has an indirect benefit--it requires you to live your life fairly simply. I've especially noticed this now that we have only one car. We recently got rid of both of our cars and bought a new car--a 2010 Honda FIT. It has great fuel economy, and is just an absolutely delightful car! Having only one car has forced me to be at home with our boys every day. At first I was terrified by the idea of being trapped in the house with two young children! But after a month of this I can say with confidence--This simple life is good for the environment, and good for us. I am able to be a better mother to my children (none of us could really handle running around as much as I did when we had a vehicle), delight more in God, and put more thought and time into being green. I use cloth diapers more often, bake bread and desserts, waste less food, buy less (since I'm rarely out shopping), am constantly repurposing things, recycle more faithfully, make my own body scrub and wipe solution, etc. And above all, it has just put a lot of things into perspective. By spending so much time in my home(without a tv), I realize more and more that I have everything here that I need! I have a great family, good food and a comfortable place to live. It is wonderful not to be bombarded with advertizing that lies to me and tells me, "You need this. If you had this, you'd be happy." I already am happy...or at least I was, until I saw ads that tell me otherwise! My simple, green life is teaching me to deny consumerism and appreciate what matters most. I've been enjoying my kids more. (an example: Today while Tru was napping, Sam and I threw on our wellies and headed into the rain to jump in some puddles! Simple fun!) I've invited more people into my home than I ever have. I'm more grateful and content with what I have, and therefore give more. I've read more and had clearer thoughts. I could go on, but you get the picture. Hope this inspires you to simplify your life! Green = simple = happy. The end. :)

Happy thoughts

2011-03-02T13:05:00.004-05:00

My dear sister, who is very wise, pointed out that I might also benefit my children by acknowledging the good I do as a parent, while trying to correct my flaws. And she is right. So I'm going to stop and think about the things I think I do well as a Mother...

Lately, I've been singing/clapping with them every morning. My mom sent us a kids CD in a music style that all 3 of us love. The first song is called "So glad I'm here" and when I sing it to my boys it is a great reminder to love my days with them.

For the most part, I am a stable person, whom they can run to and feel safe.

I ask what they feel and think, because I really want to know.

I try not to judge their motives when they do things that seem naughty until I have heard and considered their perspective.

I sit down and play with them--not for a long time, but for a period every day.

I pray with them and for them each day.

I prepare a healthy variety of foods for them, and try to make them taste good. :)

I started letting Sam bake with me while he was still 2. He loves it now.

I tell them that I love them and praise them often.

I show them physical affection.

I usually admit my failures and ask their forgiveness.

I accept their limitations.

I strive to train them with the gentlest methods possible, with consistancy.

I love and respect their daddy, and make sure they see that. (this is UBER important)

I say yes to things that make me crazy sometimes...like paint, playdough, puddles, etc.

I don't baby them, but help them learn to be independent and strong.

I read to them sometimes (this is one I really want to do more often!)

I lose sleep when they need me.

I breastfeed, even in spite of difficulty.

I take little opportunities to teach them about the world.

I delight in beauty with them.

I am patient and kind much of the time.

I put a high value in family and try to make times together fun.

I create simple traditions to create memories with and for them.

What are some of your greatest strengths as a parent? I'd love to hear about them. Caring for young children can leave you exhausted and brain dead. Unlike jobs in "the real world", you get little praise, acknowledgement or thanks. Some days you just have no idea what you did, or whether or not it meant anything. And there's nobody to hand you a paper with a grade on it! So I think this kind of reflection is pretty much vital. This post has done me some good. :)

I just love these sweet faces!

2011-03-01T19:35:00.002-05:00

my favorite four year old

2011-02-24T08:49:00.004-05:00

Here he is, on the day of his birthday party. I made it a camping theme--a huge tent out of blankets in his room, fishing, and worm/dirt cupcakes. :) He was so excited!

4 years of motherhood...the good, the bad and the ugly

2011-02-23T20:31:00.008-05:00

My firstborn, Sam, just turned 4! This amazing event has caused me to reflect on how I have changed as a mother in those years since I became one. Please bear with my little rant... :)

Parenting is so much harder than I thought it would be. I have encountered all sorts of challenges that I just never expected. I consider myself a fairly patient, loving person, and so I just assumed being a mother would come naturally to me. I suppose in some ways it does. But what I failed to realize is that parents have to make tons of decisions each day, and decision making is extraordinarily difficult for me. My thought processes are slow and meticulous, and when you have young children, you often need to be able to think fast. This is endlessly frustrating to me. I have had to let go of so many things in order to focus my mind on parenting well. And when I try to do too much, my kids suffer greatly. In my frail humanity, I ignore them or get snappy with them whenever I try to do anything (cook, clean, type, etc)while they are awake.

I never realized how lonely parenting could be. I learned this when Sam was just an infant. He was a very large baby with an even larger personality! I soon discovered that he was energetic and intense in ways few children are. When you have a uniquely challenging relationship with your child, you may feel like nobody understands what you're going through. Eventually, you will probably find other parents who can relate, but there may be times when you are weary, broken hearted, exhausted, confused, and even angry, and you don't know any other mom who truly gets it. There have been many times I have felt this loneliness in the past 4 years. One memory stands out in my mind of trying to sit at a cafe with a friend and her little girl who was the same age as Sam. (They might have been 2?) We both ordered hot chocolate to share with the little ones. My friends child sat calmly and politely sipping her drink. Sam saw me carry ours up, compulsively grabbed it, spilled it everywhere and then threw a screaming fit. It took all my energy(plus help from my friend) to get him out of the cafe. I was so disappointed that I could just not do anything like that with my toddler. Grocery stores, restaurants, malls and pretty much anyplace outside our house was a nightmare. Sure, all moms can relate to having difficulties and frustrations with their kids. But when I would talk to other women about parenting, most of the time I got blank stares, or looks of pity, when I would describe things I was dealing with on a daily basis with Sam. I was also immersed in a community that typically approaches discipline differently than I do, so I felt alone and overwhelmed on that front too. Frequently during the past four years, I have been terrified that I am going completely out on a limb and screwing my kid up. Parenting can be scary, especially when you don't feel that anyone is "in the trenches" with you. Thankfully I did have honest, good moms around me for encouragement. My mom and mother in law often gave me encouragement and praise. And by the time Sam was hitting terrible twos, I did have one friend who was truly on the same page with me on every level. What a blessing she was to me during the difficult 2's and 3's! Those were hard years, but God was faithful throughout.

One thing I have just recently been able to see and confront is that I am a sinner, and it comes out in my parenting. Yes, I have known that all along, but it is so much more clear to me now. When you're young and imagine being a parent, you never think about the fact that you will be ridiculously tired, and that when you are in that weakened state, you are more prone to failure. No matter how hard I strive to be gracious and loving, I fall terribly short. This is why it is so important to me to make an EFFORT to focus on grace and love in my parenting. Because even with my best efforts, my kids will not be loved as they ought to be. I cannot love them as my heavenly Father loves me. I am far too broken. But I have been loved well by God, and so I strive to love them well. Recently I was having a lot of difficulty with Sam again, and I realized that I had a bigger problem than he did. I was exhausted from being up with Truman every night, and so Sam was watching a show while I slept in the morning. This seems innocent enough except that I was OUT of it, and often Sam would try to wake me for a long time. This would result in both of us being frustrated and irritable. I would get mad at him when really I was the one being irresponsible. He's only 4. Of course he was behaving badly by the time he got me up. And of course I was irritable because of his relentless energy while trying to wake up(something that is hard for me even in a serene atmosphere!). The solution? I needed to go to bed earlier and get up before Sam. This has made the world of difference in our lives. I can't believe what a happy, sweet boy I have every morning now that I've stopped blaming and taken responsibility for myself. But the truth is, even with this effort on my part, I still fail my boys! And I am also learning to accept that, and know that God will be the parent to them that I cannot be.

Okay...now that I've tried to be real about my struggles with mothering, let me be real about its blessings too. There is just nothing sweeter to me than the smiles and laughter of my children. Their joy could brighten my darkest day. I cannot remember what I thought the good life was before I had Samuel and Truman. But whatever it was, it was nowhere near this satisfying. Mothering has been harder than I expected, but also far more rewarding. Kids have brought a much needed lighthearted element into our home. Joe and I can be far too serious. :) It is so fun to play trains, build with legos, watch "Charlie and Lola" and dip cookies in milk with Sam! Yes, this is my JOB, and it's fabulous. And as much as I enjoy them now, I anxiously anticipate future days with them. I am so glad I will, Lord willing, get to watch their personalities unfold in the coming years. I can't wait to find out who they become! I already appreciate their delightful, individual personalities, but it will be great to watch them grow into the good men I believe they will be. :)

In closing, I have to say that my mother in law was right. Four is a magical age for little guys. Sam is getting easier all the time. And Truman is just the chillest of babies. Our little family is at a really lovely place! I know it will get harder again, but for now, I'll breath a sigh of relief, smile, and hug my sweet babies, knowing that in a blink they'll be bending down to hug their mama!

cloth diapering, take two...(GoGreen review)

2011-02-23T20:18:00.007-05:00

Somehow I managed to keep Sam in cloth diapers with only 12 bum genius pocket diapers. I somehow lost one (I don't even want to think about what became of it?!! EW.), so I had 11. This was not going to cut it now that I'm a busy mom of two! I heard about some new diapers (http://www.gogreenpocketdiapers.com/) from a friend on facebook. They looked really good, and were HALF the price of BG diapers, so I figured it was a worthy investment to buy a few more! I've been using them for the past 2 weeks or so. Here are my thoughts...

Pros: only $8 a piece, really cute patterns, soft, seem durable/well made, good elastic, snaps. These would be great for someone who wants to cloth diaper but is on a tight budget!

Cons: Not as sturdy as BG diapers, so I wouldn't recommend these if you want to use them again on future babies. Also, I've had some trouble with leakage. (even poo seems to come through to the outside fabric--something I've never experienced with BG) I think this may be partly due to the inserts being too small? I'm going to try stuffing them with prefolds, and I'll update you when I see how this goes.

Truman

2011-02-09T22:01:00.003-05:00

Our 2nd son, Truman Shepherd, was born on September 27th, 2010. I finally got the all natural birth I wanted! He was born in a whirlpool tub at a birthcenter after 8 hrs of labor. I actually didn't intend a water birth, but once I was in (at 8cm), I wasn't getting back out! haha. It was an amazing experience, and I am so grateful that I was able to have it. These are some recent photos of our sweet baby, who is now 4 months old.

yeah...a bit overdue to say the least.

2011-02-09T20:38:00.003-05:00

Hello blog world. I'm here to say that I'm still alive and well...quite well actually. I've been busy baking and birthing a sweet new boy named Truman Shepherd. He's now 4 months old and truly a bundle of joy! But being a mother of 2 has made me re-evaluate how I spend my time. Blogging is just not a priority for me. However, I still want to share things with you every now and then, so please don't completely give up on me. =)

I continue to ponder my approach to parenting in light of the fact that Sam is now almost 4 and we have another child (with a totally different personality!) to teach and love. It's been a long road, and there are many years of learning yet to come! As a reminder to myself, and to get your input if you'd like to give it, I want to post a summary of my parenting ideas that I wrote shortly after Sam was born. It's basic, but sometimes I find making simple points can be helpful. I will try to fill you in on thoughts I've had since then at a later date.

What do I want to communicate to my children? I want them to learn that we will always love them, no matter what, and that we want everything good for them. I want them to learn that God is the source of all that is beautiful and good. I want them to learn that we are all sinners--that includes their parents--but that God is merciful and gracious to forgive our sin. I want him to learn that though life is hard, we are part of a grand story, God's story. He is sovereign over all things, and will use us for His glory. I want them to learn that God's law does not exist to deprive us from joy, but to give us greater joy. Because the Lord knows we cannot keep the law as we ought, He has provided the ultimate sacrifice for our sin, Jesus. I hope they will see that as Augustine says, "Our hearts are restless til they find our rest in Him."

How can we communicate these things well in daily life?
1) Lots of prayer!
2) Humility. We should be constantly seeking to acknowledge to them our weakness and need for Christ.
3) Talking with them about our Christian worldview--specifically taking all opportunities to explain redemption.
4) Affirmation. We need to praise them as often as possible for thinking and doing right.
5) Sacrificially serving one another. (husband-wife-children)
6) Setting boundaries, and explaining WHY they are there. (few and with good reasons) And yes, punishing when they willfully cross those boundaries.
7) Knowing each individual child, and loving him for who HE is. And though this seems obvious, showing tenderness and affection to each one.

some crunchy thoughts to munch on...

2010-04-05T15:00:00.008-04:00

It's been forever since I posted...hope you haven't given up on me! I do intend to keep this blog, but I probably will only post on it when I have something I really want to say. As you may already know, we're expecting another baby in October, so our lives will be fuller and free time harder to come by!

I decided to pick just a very few "new years resolutions" for 2010, so that achieving them would be more reachable. I have to admit that though I strive to be "green", I have not been recycling during the past three years. The place we currently live does not collect recycling, so I have to drop it myself. It's taken me til now, but I finally purchased a recycling bin (actually, it's just a big trashcan). I found out where the local recycle center is, and plan to drop it off every saturday on my way to the farmers market. I haven't made my first trip yet...but I hope to this weekend. yay!

In light of recent changes (pregnancy and getting rid of some bookshelves that took up a lot of space in our home), I've been motivated to have less things. I've always been one to weed through things I don't appreciate and send them to new homes where they will find use and give joy. But now I am desperately craving a simpler life. I'm really striving to part with everything that we really don't need. There is probably someone out there who DOES need it, so if it doesn't go to friends, it's destined for craigslist or goodwill. The hardest part is Sams abundance of toys! We buy very few ourselves, but somehow still have tons. We have got to make space for his new brother/sister, and frankly, he doesn't even play with most of his toys anyway. So I've started talking to him about getting rid of things so that we can have room for new things. I want him to learn early on about reusing/recycling. I'm trying to come up with a policy for keeping toys to a minimum, but haven't gotten there yet. (Any ideas?) For now, I'll probably tell him that if we can get rid of a certain number of toys, we will get him another Thomas train. (Hooray for small, durable, collectible toys that your child loves!)

I've been encouraged to meet more earth conscious Christians lately! When I started cloth diapering, I felt like a freak...but now I know many others. I'm so glad to see these ideas are slowly infiltrating even the Christian culture.

As a hairstylist, I'm also very excited to see professional haircare lines all coming out with sulfate free products! Now granted, they may still have some potentially harmful chemicals, but this is a big step in the right direction. I'm a big fan of Aquage's sulfate free shampoos. On that note, I've been wanting to mention to you a useful website that I recently discovered: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ They rate tons of different cosmetic products on a safety scale of 1-10. I recently ran out of my beloved foundation, and decided to replace it with something a little safer. I searched through this site and found the best rated foundation made by a professional line (Stila) and read reviews of it online. I've been happy with my purchase, and glad to know it's a little less harmful to the environment and me!

I've been thinking (re-thinking--for the millionth time) my ideas on parenting...I'll try to post some of those thoughts soon.

I hope you are enjoying the glorious springtime!

my little tree-hugger

2010-01-13T12:51:00.001-05:00

He makes his mama proud. =) Seriously though... Sam seems like quite the outdoorsy type. He adores feeding YaYa's goats, exploring fields with a stick, and feeling bugs. Now we just need to work on being able to cope with different temperatures/landscapes. Both the snow and the ocean totally freaked him out.

"FOOD, Inc."

2010-01-13T12:50:00.000-05:00

I finally saw this film, and am so glad I did! It is free for internet download on netflix if you have access and interest.

Several months ago, I read part of Pollan's book,"The Omnivores Dilemma." I didn't have time to invest in reading it, but was disappointed to put it down because the information was fascinating. I was delighted to find that he was interviewed for this film! Joe pointed out to me recently that I'm an Italian at heart, and he's right. I firmly believe that the process of creating food ought to be enjoyed from start to finish! Pollan seems to agree. In the past 50 yrs, we have become so disconnected from our food. This film exposes how this has happened and what we can do about it. I'm so happy to see people flooding farmers markets where they buy LOCAL and in SEASON. I'm also thrilled to see more people interested in the art of cooking, thanks to the Food network.

I was challenged by this film to once again rethink my approach to food. The film ends by saying how much power we have as consumers. We can gradually change things by the choices we make in the grocery aisle. In our home, the first step is to incorporate even more vegetarian dishes. We will buy chicken only once weekly, so we can afford to buy organic. In the next few months, I want to learn more about cooking real meat (with bones and skin!) so that I can order from polyface farms. (They are interviewed in the film and happen to be local to us!) I'm also making an effort to buy organic milk and yogurt, even if we have less of it. (I've learned that rice milk is a good replacement in certain things.)I'm making granola bars and cookies from scratch. Now the only major thing I have to figure out is what to do about lunchmeat! We all really like it, and it's hard to find convenient replacements. I'll keep working on that...

Trials in mothering

2009-09-11T15:50:00.001-04:00

I read several parenting books this summer. I found them all helpful, but especially this one: http://www.amazon.com/Raising-Your-Spirited-Child-Perceptive/dp/0060923288 Instead of telling me how to raise a generic child, this enabled me to actually UNDERSTAND myself and my child, and parent him accordingly. I highly recommend it!

Sadly though, it's just really difficult to be a good parent. And it's tremendously challenging to be a good, gentle parent. It's not easy to love someone who hurts and angers you, and your child can do this in a way few others can. When I read the book I just recommended to you, it altered my parenting, and Sam's behavior improved dramatically! Until this week. This week, Sam discovered true temper tantrums. He's always had fits when he was overstimulated, but these are entirely different. In my panic, frustration, and exhaustion, I have been anything but gentle. I have been an angry, inconsistent, and harsh parent. My sinful responses to Sam have caused us both much grief.

Last night, I was at my breaking point. I called my mother in law, begging for advice. I'm so thankful for her gentle reminders. She raised 4 boys, and thus endured 4 years of "terrible two's"! She gave me a few ideas of things I could try. But most importantly, she reminded me (once again) that he is a little person. And as such, a sinner in need of grace, just like his mama. This conversation made me realize that when Sam's behavior is getting worse, he needs me to 1) show him lots of tenderness and grace wherever possible and 2) be faithful to punish him consistently for real wrongs. My mother in law also told me that I was a great mom. I didn't feel deserving of her praise, but I was a whole lot happier and more motivated this morning. And so far Sam is responding beautifully to these changes. I think her example of "gentle parenting" toward ME (constructive criticism accompanied by kind words of affirmation) really drove the point home. The human heart craves gentle parenting. It did mine a world of good! I'll keep striving to be this kind of parent for Sam...

some new pics

2009-07-17T20:22:00.007-04:00

I don't have time to write a post, but I want to post a few pictures of Sam for Grandpa Ed, (Joe's grandfather) who is facing brain surgery next week and likely in need of some cheer. These were taken at Rehoboth Beach, where we went for a family day trip last week. I hope this sweet boys face makes you smile, Grandpa.

a quick hello

2009-05-09T13:08:00.004-04:00

Stacy and Mark were coming through town, so they stopped by our house for the night. They arrived around 11pm, so of course we had to stay up until 3am talking and laughing together. Then we dragged ourselves out of bed at 9am, so that we could have breakfast at Plato's diner before they had to take off. We really enjoyed seeing them! And I was especially happy that I finally got a nice photo of Sam with his Aunt Stacy. =)

Comforting

2009-04-23T10:32:00.006-04:00

Last night, I was quite discouraged about being a mother. I was weary of it's relentlessness...I was exhausted from the sleep deprivation (who would have thought this would go on for 2 yrs?)...In my minds eye, I was a failure as a mother because I forget to ask God for His help, because I often feel like I have no idea what I'm doing, because I'm so impatient with Sam...In that moment, every mom I know seemed like June Cleaver, except me. I knew my feelings were exaggerated, but I was still overwhelmed with sadness and frustration.

I woke up this morning to a beautiful spring day, which made me feel a little more hopeful. But still I struggled with feeling inept. And as I was checking my email, I glanced over at Sam and observed this little scene:

Sam had gone and picked up his baby doll (we got it some time ago, but he rarely plays with it) and began to feed it a bottle. I wish I had a video clip to show you how tender and nurturing this rough and tumble little guy was towards this doll! You can see in the first two photos how carefully he is positioning the baby in order to give him a bottle. As he was playing with the doll, he was asking if he was hungry and offering him a bottle, and referred to the baby as "Sam". I was encouraged by this scene because it made me realize, I have done some things well! I felt, for a moment, like I could see myself as Sam sees me. In the day to day, yes, I have moments of failure and weakness. But overall, I'm a mother who faithfully loves her son. More importantly, I realized that God is gracious in spite of my failures. Who Sam becomes can be affected by my parenting, but it does not depend on my parenting. I'm so glad that at the end of the day, God is the perfect parent that I cannot be. May both my strengths and my weaknesses teach Samuel seek his Father in heaven! And as for me, I will seek His help more often in raising this child. I NEED it!

Apartment therepy!

2009-03-29T12:32:00.005-04:00

My friend Becky let me read her copy of the book "Apartment therepy". I got so excited that I jumped right in and rearranged/cleaned our main living area and our bedroom. The book helps you determine your sense of style, and then takes you through an 8 week (1 room per week) process to transform your apartment into a place you find comfortable, useful, and beautiful.

I'm enjoying both the process and the results. I'll keep you posted. =)

My favorite boy!

2009-03-27T17:04:00.005-04:00

Who can resist this sweet face?!?!

Exploration, adventure and discovery...

2009-03-27T12:54:00.007-04:00

feeling the water

Sam and Mama by the lake
Running with glee by Buddy Attick lake

Sam watching a Robin and saying "Hi Bird!"
The first blossoms of spring!
posed on a stump
"I fix it, tree"
Sam was trying SO hard to get that stick to connect to the tree!
Laughing at peekaboo (I was hiding behind a tree)
Handsome boy!

First visit to NJ

2009-03-24T21:46:00.011-04:00

I had the great privilege of spending this past weekend with my sister and her husband at their home in New Jersey. Stacy and I had a grand time talking, eating, and being girly. Mark played video games most of the time, in effort, no doubt, to counteract the estrogen. =) We had a grand time together. I'm so glad to have her in my life.

Me and my sis in front of her pretty house

Delicious "Baba Booey"(pb and choc) cupcake from an local bakery called "crumbs"

This broke my diet. But it was worth it!

Saturday night: dinner and a chick flick =)

Stacy and Mark snuggling. cute tat!

awkward!!! Do we pose alike or what???

ah, that's better.

By the magnolia tree

Sisters

death of the american dream

2009-03-17T17:31:00.005-04:00

I am really fighting covetousness and discontentment lately. Yes, I should be thinking about the huge portion of the world that has less(much less) than I do. But sadly, I tend to focus on the culture around me, which is so financially prosperous. Today this struggle reached a climax when I started a new job. I now nanny for a family who owns the most beautiful house I've ever set foot in! It's not the most expensive house I've ever seen, but it is just perfect. If I could design a living space, that is exactly how I would make it. Huge kitchen complete with espresso machine, open living room with tons of windows overlooking wooded walking trails, a huge closed in back porch with a fireplace, xm radio throughout, huge pieces of art from a gallery the wife inherited from her father, all modern but livable furniture, etc. It was simply stunning. I'm so glad I get to work there one day a week! But as I took in the beauty, my heart started to fill with desires to possess this...Followed by sadness at the realization that this is not the life I have chosen. Though I may someday own a house, I will never have a house such as this. In that moment, I believed the lie that "If I only had ____ then everything would be okay."(a phrase our pastor used in a sermon)

And then, the Holy Spirit convicted me. He reminded me that I have the greatest possession... Jesus. And suddenly I felt truly wealthy! I really got the concept of storing up treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy. I know that if I had that house, it would be so hard to feel that this world is not my real "home"...So though I struggle with appeal of luxurious living, I would never trade my mansion in heaven for this mansion on earth!

a few recent photos (finally!) from my new camera

2009-03-12T14:02:00.004-04:00

My sweet little guy hugging his new bear. Doesn't this face just melt your heart???

Sam loves to sleep on our bed. He also likes to "play" sleep, but this is the real deal. He was totally OUT.

Joe and Sam had a blast playing in the snow this time around. (Sam was scared of the snow last time) Sam's face was as red as a tomato when he came in and he didn't care one bit. Like father, like son!

Doctors and abortion

2009-03-11T06:42:00.006-04:00

I've spoken before of various things I think Christians should be do in regards to fighting abortion. Here is one of those opportunities. President Obama believes in abortion to such an extreme degree, that he would remove even this clause, which protects pro-life doctors from any obligation to perform abortion. We need to do our part to make sure no such law can be passed!

http://www.beheardproject.com/

back to natur...al.

2009-03-10T20:09:00.004-04:00

I've been lazy and have gotten away from posts which have anything to do with being "green"! Sadly, in the rush of life, I've forgotten to be earth-conscious much of the time. But whenever we let go of something, it's because we've chosen to invest our time in something else we deem more valuable. My "treasure" has been my son. Since I've had to work in recent months, all my extra energy has gone to striving to love/train him well. And really, part of the work of caring for the earth is raising children who are conscious. So here's my question for the day: How can we raise a "green" generation? I'd love to hear your thoughts or practical ideas!

I love the term I just used--"conscious." If you've seen the movie Wall-E you know about its depiction of the human race (many years in the future) as fat, helpless, blind followers of what they are told. Now that is an extreme picture, but if we allow ourselves to grow lazy, we are heading in that direction. I want to raise Sam to be conscious... of His God and eternal things....of the beauty and the chaos that exists in the world...of the needs and emotions of all those around him. I think it is in this context that he will care about preserving the earth in the right way. I hope he will do his part not only to stop destroying the world, but to help bring it(and its inhabitants) healing and to truly enjoy its beauty. It seems to me that focusing merely on avoiding plastic might keep us breathing longer, but it will not help us feel the wind caressing our faces or smell the sweet summer honeysuckle. And it will certainly not yield the joy of giving food, shelter, medical care, and the gospel of Christ to an orphan. So though I will continue to live in a "green" way, and hope Sam will learn from this example, it is not my focus in educating him. I will teach him by exploring the outdoors, and pausing to study the ants. And when he gets in conflicts with his little friends, I will talk with him about his emotions and then ask him to think about the pain he has caused his friend whom he loves. And throwing food on the floor is a problem, not just because it's gross and wasteful, but because it's ungrateful for generousity of God's provision. (If we don't need/want something we have, we should give it to someone who does. Recycle!) And I'll tell him that though mama would enjoy some new shoes, she won't buy them until her old ones fall apart, so that she can help those that have real needs, not just American ones! ;) And then, (here's the most important part) I actually have to live this way. I need a lot of prayer. :)

Piper clip

2008-11-11T07:40:00.003-05:00

If you scroll to the bottom of this page, I posted I posted a youtube clip of what John Piper had to say concerning the election. I don't necessarily agree with all that he says, but I thought it was interesting and good food for thought.

A change of focus

2008-10-29T20:03:00.009-04:00

I have been so overwhelmed with thought and emotion about the subject of politics, that I have not been able to post anything until now. I did my best to research candidates. I watched the debates. And I thought and prayed hard about how to vote as a Christian. I want to say first and foremost that I am no expert on politics, just a Christian woman trying to vote responsibly.

Yes, I voted for Barack Obama. (eyes widen and silence falls over the crowd) No, that was not a typo. I'm sure many of you are wondering how I could do this in good conscience. So I'll tell you the story of how I made my decision.

First, I did my homework about both candidates. From what I could tell, neither man was devoted to Christ. So that put them on equal ground as men, in my estimation. From there, I took the classic evangelical approach of weighing out the morality of their policies. After much thought, I came to the conclusion that both of these men had skewed morality in their personal lives and on the issues. The only moral issue that really stood out to me was abortion. I am passionately against abortion, and of course, Obama is as liberal as one can be on this issue. I knew he would strive to make sure that abortions stay legal, and elect supreme court justices who would do the same. The thought of all the little babies that are being slaughtered daily breaks my heart. So I became discouraged and frustrated in terms of how to cast my vote.

And then several things occurred to me in regards to Christianity and abortion:

http://www.upper-register.com/blog/?p=229

The article above was the first thing that swayed the way I was approaching the issues. I had previously thought there was only one way to approach this problem--to outlaw abortion! But upon reading this article, I started to think that we might be fighting a losing battle. The basic idea the article conveys is that even if we reversed Roe V. Wade, it is very unlikely that abortions would become illegal. As I thought about this, I began to question whether this approach to fighting abortion is going to be effective. Then as I considered the very secular America we now live in, I found it hard to imagine the religious right being able to win this battle. Thus, in my mind, abortion was no longer my litmus test for a president.

If I wasn't going to be able to vote based on moral issues, I had to come up with another way to choose a candidate. So I prayed. And I as I prayed, I happened to read through Romans 13:

1 "Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. 5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.
7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor."

One would expect Paul to encourage Christians to fight against the disgustingly corrupt practices of Rome. (No, it wasn't a democracy, but people could still influence government.) But he doesn't. In fact, he encourages them to focus on being good citizens. To pay taxes--taxes that would fund things like temple prostitution. He encourages them to be at peace with all men. To submit to their leaders:"...for there is no authority except from God." Paul seems to imply that Christians ought to put their focus on spreading the gospel as citizens, influencing their world by quietly and peaceably living out their faith. It seems to me that we obscure the message of the gospel by preaching Christian morality apart from Christ. Our secular society begins to see Christianity as nothing but laws, and Christians as those who enforce their beliefs upon everyone. I am certainly not saying that Christians should never pursue political careers. But what I am suggesting is that in our enthusiasm for keeping our country safe and moral, we don't lose sight of the gospel!

And so I settled upon my role as an American Christian. In regards to voting, I felt free to choose the man whom I think is the more capable and wise leader for our country. And in regards to ending abortion, I believe that our best hope is the spread of the gospel! And there are so many things Christians can do to help people choose life, so I want to devote myself more to those causes. But I'll save that for another post. =) I'll end by encouraging all my fellow Christians to consider this: Keeping America moral will NOT keep it Christian! And in fact, having such a focus on moralism could even hurt the cause of the gospel. This is something most worthy of our consideration.

Update on CFL bulbs

2008-04-28T11:05:00.001-04:00

After I posted the entry on ways to go green, someone alerted me to the hazards of CFL bulbs. I want to post the following link so that those of you considering that option can be aware. Apparently they contain mercury, so while there is no danger in using them, there is danger if they break! Check it out:

http://www.wcpo.com/mostpopular/story.aspx?content_id=7a72e757-be37-4f9e-a6c9-10cbd52e9445

2008-04-26T21:44:00.000-04:00

Taking Sam for a spin on my new cruiser!

a beautiful image

2008-04-26T15:15:00.000-04:00

Adorable. Cute. Beautiful. I've heard these terms more in the past year than ever in my life. (They were not used to describe me, unfortunately!) Everywhere we go, people fall in love with Sam. I can understand why. He is a captivating child. But it has made me wonder what beauty is. What is it that people are drawn to in other people? As the saying goes, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and that is true. If you ask me what movie star I think is attractive, you will get a different answer than if you ask my best friend who she finds attractive. And yet, there are some people that seem inherently beautiful...

Lately I've struggled more with my self image. I've had a baby, and even though I've been able to reach pre-pregnancy weight, I'll never have pre-pregnancy shape. I find myself ashamed at my vanity. And yet, dissatisfaction haunts me. And I know in my heart that vanity is ugly. But it's hard to remember when I look in the mirror, or see celebrity photos.

Giving Sam life has forever altered my body, but his life has changed my heart. Although he does have nice physical features, I've come to see that the reason Sam is so appealing is his tremendous JOY. His happiness is absolutely magnetic. I've also met many an old lady that radiates beauty despite the wrinkles. I've come to believe that our spirit is well over half of what makes us attractive to others. I want to be like Sam--to love simple things and people the way he does--to be joyful. I think this is the best kept secret to beauty.

A long time ago, my friend Leia and I were working on a school project, and she accidentally burnt my finger. That scar remains, and I call it my "love scar". I can't see it without thinking of Leia. I want to feel that way about sags and stretchmarks. Without them, Sam would not be here. I want to be a more joyful woman. And I want to learn to see the beauty of a body which has been torn to give life to another. After all, that is the beauty which our Lord possesses.

Go green--for the environment and your pocket

2008-04-25T07:58:00.002-04:00

Someone has asked me to give some ideas to busy moms for how to be green on a budget. So here goes:

1) Cloth diapering! I know that most of us feel uncomfortable thinking about this. But I promise it's not nearly as gross or difficult as it sounds. It isn't for everyone, but many of us can do it, but haven't considered it. And there are so many reasons to do so! A few examples:

saves you money! Sams cloth nappies cost the same as 4 mo of disposables.
helps the environment. Each child produces an average of 8-10,000 diapers before potty training. That's an incredible waste! And they aren't biodegradable.
safer and more comfortable for baby.

Here's a link to sam's diapers, which we are very happy with. Cloth diapers have come a long way! Check this out:
http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=98&products_id=1279
2) Use Vinegar and baking soda for cleaning! Honestly, I've found that this works better than most commercial cleaners. Here are two pages of ideas:
http://www.vinegartips.com/cleaning/
http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/bakingsoda
3) recycle. Duh. =)
4) reusable bags for shopping. You can buy them for a buck at any grocery store these days. But if you want to invest, baggu's are wonderful (very convenient. I just keep them in a storage bag in my car):
http://baggubag.com/index.html
5) Use reusable glass storage containers for food where possible, and buy in bulk.
6) Use old cloths for cleaning instead of paper towels.
7) Switch to CFL (energy saving) light bulbs. They have a higher initial cost but save energy and money in the long run.
8) Buy local and organic when in season, and freeze. Also only buy organic on things that matter. Here's a list:
http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/54-55/organic
9) walk, bike or ride-share whenever possible.
10) buy a water purifier for your faucet instead of using bottled water. (I did some research and found that this is as safe or safer, and cuts way down on both cost and waste!)
Well, there are the ones that I've tried to impliment. =) If anyone would like me to go into further detail on any point, just let me know. Hope that encouraged you!

2008-04-24T14:33:00.001-04:00

This is my new favorite pic of sam. We mostly use glass bottles, though I am not sure how long this will last, since he likes to throw things now.

broken

2008-04-24T13:23:00.000-04:00

I've heard various titles given to my generation...(generation y, me generation)...but I don't think any have really captured us. I was listening to the radio today and heard a song called "Broken" by Seether. And though the song seemed to be expressing the pain of a lost love, it made me think. Most of our music is full of angst and sadness. I really wonder if "Broken Generation" isn't an appropriate title for those of us in our late teens and twenties now. Most of us have grown up in homes with either split parents or with a single parent. In reaction to the idea of staying in miserable marriages, our parents opted for happiness. But many times to our hurt. We ache for peace and beauty and love. Unfortunately, some of us look for those things in all the wrong places. This world is broken, and we are all broken people. We will fail in ways our parents did not. Some of us will be overcome by sadness and search out any anesthetic we can find. (drugs, alcohol, love relationships) Others will try to be better than our parents, and in so doing, create new problems. (perhaps we'll be too arrogant? Or too independent? Or selfish?) We cannot escape this cycle of human weakness, but there is hope. Because of sin, there is pain in our lives. But in Jesus, we find peace, beauty and love. There is redemption for the broken: "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest" Matthew 11:28 ESV As a member of this broken generation..."Redemption" is my favorite word.

confessions...

2008-04-24T09:59:00.001-04:00

Today is an ideal day to create a blog which exists(in part) to promote earth consciousness: The sky is cloudless, the air is warm and fragrant, and the field outside my window is bursting with life. There are colors everywhere screaming to be noticed. My hope for this blog is to use it primarily to post little thoughts about my two great passions: Jesus Christ, and this beautiful world He came to redeem. I find that sadly, the church is typically the last place you find "green" people. I think those that go to extremes have made us afraid, and we run the other way. For a long time I was almost embarrassed to show my "earthy" side around Christians, for fear of disapproval. So this blog marks my "coming out of the closet" as it were. I'm Rebecca, and I'm a crunchy, Christian mama. And I hope you will join me...