Mama Gone Green

This Moment: Super Finn

2012-02-10T07:28:00.000-08:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Inspired by Soulemama

Earth From Above: A Review

2012-02-09T06:10:00.000-08:00

Earth From Above has been around for awhile, but the 10th anniversary edition came out recently and we snagged it from the library. The book is amazing. There are aerial photos from around the globe from things like glacial rivers in Greenland to fabric drying in India. The photos are gorgeous, fascinating, and are all related to environmental issue.
Each chapter of the book includes a summary of a different environmental issue, things like ecosystem decline, population growth, agricultural impacts, water pollution, biodiversity, overfishing, climate change, the current energy crises, and micro-credit. The pictures within each chapter often relate to the summary topic discussed.
This book would be a perfect parallel for the class I teach.. it basically sums up almost all of the topics that I discuss into 3 or 4 page segments and has these fantastic pictures to go with it. If the book was not so gargantuan and enormously heavy (and probably expensive too) I would recommend my students using this as their textbook-- or at least as a companion!
I have had this book checked out from the library for about 2 months now, and Finn and I have really enjoyed slowly going through the book, looking at the photos, and talking about what we see. I am a total sucker for photographs, as well as all things environmental, but this book is definitely worth a look. I only wish I could go visit all of these places in person.. (sigh).

Yarn Along (and a continued case of "startitis")

2012-02-08T08:13:00.000-08:00

Joining in with Ginny over at Small Things. Can't believe it's already time for another yarn along!
So, I made some progressed and finished up a few things this past week: I finally put the finishing flowers on Phoebe's dress (she isn't modelling it because it is supposed to be a birthday present), I finished up a wee baby hat for a friend (not shown as it is to be a surprise), and I almost finished up Phoebe's pixie hat (just need to weave in a couple loose ends and add the button). Sadly, I made the 12-24 month version, and now, at 11 months, it is already pushing too small. My children have enormous noggins.
I am still (slowly) working on Finn's Valentine's monster. It is ending up being quite a bit more entailed than I had expected, so I have been sort of avoiding it. If I want to actually get it done in time, I need to get a move on...
OK, so I have problems. I also casted-on a tea-top for Phoebe, another secret project for a baby-to-be, and this hat for myself. I am just too scattered brained to focus on one thing at a time these days!!
I am still reading The Big Thirst and also started reading Pride and Prejudice for my book club. I got an e-reader for Christmas, which I was a little hesitant about using, but I found P&P for only $0.99 and so I am giving it a whirl. It is weird not to have the feel of a read page in-between my hands, but I must say that it is pretty convenient. And, although I haven't researched into them, they seem like an environmental plus because of all of the paper and processing energy saved over printing books.
What are you reading and knitting this week?

Fleas? Oh Geez....

2012-02-07T07:40:00.001-08:00

So, with 5 animals in our house, and in a climate that is very supportive of fleas, we are no strangers to these gross pests. But, for the past year or so, the fleas have seemed to leave us alone, and I forgot what a huge pain in the butt they are to deal with.
About 2 months ago, Moshi, our puppy, started to itch. And I mean itch. Really bad, non-stop, itching. We thought she was having an allergy to something she was eating. We decided it couldn't possibly be fleas, because the heart worm meds that our dogs take also prevent fleas from reproducing. So, while fleas may come in contact with them, they can't have babies and the population should be self limiting. Or so I thought.....
Eventually, after Moshi was so itchy that she had scabs on her back and her face was swelling, I brought her into the vet for help. Fleas, they told me. She has fleas. They found one on her. Only one. Hmmmm. So, my first question was how does one flea cause a reaction like this? Answer: an extreme flea allergy. Lovely. We have a dog that is extremely allergic to fleas. My second question was how is she having this reaction when she is on a flea preventative? Sadly, since we also have cats in our home, that we were not treating for fleas, they were acting as the reproductive hosts, and then the fleas could bounce back and forth from the dogs (but could only breed when on the cats). I was told that I would have to constantly treat all 5 animals with a flea medicine, otherwise Moshi would continue to have serious reactions to the few fleas that were in our environment. An hour and a couple hundred dollars later, I left the vet with a couple months worth of flea treatments for our zoo.
I was told that these spot-on topical treatments (we chose Advantage) were completely safe for our dogs, as well as for us. In fact, the vet said, some of the drug reps even come in here and lick this stuff to show us how safe it is. I thought that that sounded like a very stupid idea, and still thought the medicine posed some risks, but what else was I going to do? My dog was allergic to fleas. The vets assured me it was safe, gave me no warnings or precautions... how bad could it be?
We gave the animals the first round when I got home, the itching subsided, and everyone seemed happy. Well, today the animal's monthly dose of flea meds was due. Todd put it on the pets, we made dinner, and as we sat down to eat, we noticed a big "stain" on our leather couch. Upon closer inspection, that "satin" was really an area where the leather finish had been stripped away.... by the topical flea treatment after the dogs had laid down (see photo below).
This of course, freaked me out, and I ran to the computer. Yup, these treatments could act as solvents and strip away finishes.. if it was doing that to the couch, what is it doing to the skin on my animals? Further research suggested that these flea treatments are in fact not benign, like I was told, but full of potentially dangerous chemicals that could harm my pets or the people in my house!
So, I spent the next half hour or so researching some completely natural methods or keeping the fleas out of house... without any toxins. I thought I would share what I found here.

Use herbs to repel fleas. Fill a squirt bottle with essential oils of clove, eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, rosemary, cedar, or citronella (or your favorite combination) and spray pet with it every week or so to keep fleas away.
Bath animals regularly. For dogs, rinse with water that has been steeped overnight with lemons to repel fleas. I heard cat's skin was too sensitive for this.
Add brewers yeast and garlic to their food to repel fleas
Add zinc (10 mg for cats and 20 mg for dogs) to their food daily
Keep the house clean! Vacuum the floors and furniture and then empty vacuum bag outside into trash. If you leave it in the vacuum, or dump it in the inside trash, any eggs could hatch and re-infect the house. Wash all pet bedding and dry on hot cycle in dryer on regular basis.
Use diatemaceous earth. This is basically small pieces of silica that will kill fleas without being harmful to pets or kids, even if swallowed. You can sprinkle it around house, especially into cracks, sprinkle onto pet bedding, and even rub into your pet's fur.

I am ready to stop using these chemicals and try some natural methods for keeping the fleas away. Do you have pets? Do you have to treat for fleas in your area? If so, how do you do it? Do you have any great natural remedies to share?

Weekending

2012-02-06T07:11:00.000-08:00

Joining in with Amanda from Habit of Being for a weekending post....

This weekend was the perfect mix of
excitement and relaxation
(Although I was not nearly as "productive"
as I had hoped I would be.
But who really needs a clean house anyways?)

Friday evening, Todd and I headed out
on a double date with dear friends.
Dinner and music, The Wood Brothers,
which was a most fabulous show.
I certainly got my groove on...
We came home to some not-so-happy kids
(and a not-so-happy babysitter)....
Oh well.
At least it was worth it for a night on the town.

Saturday morning Todd brought home
the best French pastries and a rice milk latte.
The sun was out and spring seemed to be
in the air.
Finn and I roamed the neighborhood
and noticed buds beginning to form
and bulbs pushing their leaves
out of the ground.
A trip to the park
because we couldn't stay away from the sun,
and then I headed to a baby blessing
for my dear friend Heidi.
Delicious cupcakes, wonderful conversation
and a lovely wet-felted wall hanging
for the mama-to-be.
I came home to good wine and Italian dinner
(thank you hubby),
as well as to a cranky 4 year old who went to bed at 6:30.
A movie and some knitting,
a little bit of reading,
and ended the night snuggled up with Miss P.

Sunday morning, we got up and
headed to the coast!
I was so in need of the ocean
and the soothing sound of the waves.
The dogs ran wild,
Finn dug and built,
and a crawling Phoebe realized that she was
not so fond of sand.
On the drive home both kiddos slept.
Mama was happy and knit the whole way back.
Back in Portland
it felt like spring
Warm and sunny
and people outside everywhere.
Dinner on the grill,
the boys watched the superbowl.
And I enjoyed a few moments of silence
before the start of a hectic week.

A Year Long Adventure: Month 10: Reducing Consumption of Processed Foods

2012-02-04T19:42:00.000-08:00

For the past 9 months, I have been trying to find ways that I can reduce my family's impact on the earth. For February, I am going to be focused on reducing the amount of processed foods that we eat. Not only are these foods not so great for our bodies, they are also taxing on the earth... processing food takes lots of water and energy, causes the food to be transported, and also necessitates increased packaging. All things that are harming the environment.
The problem is, my family (and most of our society) is addicted to these types of foods. Although we try and choose more natural snacks, we eat a lot of corn chips in this house. We also keep stashes of crackers for Phoebe to gnaw on and granola bars on hand to grab as we run out the door. With busy lives, these foods are convenient snacks, and something that I have become a bit too reliant on. I don't plan to eliminate processed foods from our home (I am not crazy), but I would love to reduce what we consume.
This month, I am surely not going to swear off processed foods, but I am going to make an effort at buying less of them. This mean replacing some of those quick and easy snacks that we are accustomed to with homemade snacks. Eating more fresh fruits and veggies instead of crackers and granola bars.This means more work and planning on my part, but I think it is do-able. Hopefully I will find some new and exciting recipes that I can share here.
If anyone has some great recipes for some easy homemade snacks, please pass them along. My family will thank you!

This Moment...

2012-02-03T06:44:00.000-08:00

Sharing the Love....

2012-02-02T07:04:00.000-08:00

This month, Green Mama Design, my etsy shop, will be donating 20% of my sales to Whatchagonnado.org, an organization that helps families of children with cancer. So, check it out and spread the word!

Yarn Along

2012-02-01T07:35:00.000-08:00

Joining in with Ginny over at Small Things for another Yarn Along. I have had one of those weeks where I just want to cast-on new projects and don't seem to be finishing anything....
I am really almost done with Phoebe's dress now. I have finished the dress and blocked it, and I have also knitted the flowers I am going to add to it. But, for some reason, I just can't make myself actually sew the flowers on. I am also almost done with Phoebe's pixie hat. I probably only have 6 rows left and then I need to stitch it up, add the band and block it. But, I made a little mistake, and one of my rows is offset. I don't think anyone can tell except for me, but of course it is all I can look at, and it has made me less motivated to finish it up. I also started this knit monster for Finn for a Valentine's present. And, I also started knitting up a little present for a baby-to-be, which I won't share here just in case.. I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise. So, as I said, lots of casting on. Hopefully, next week I will have lots of finished things to show you!
I started reading Snowflower and the Secret Fan, which I was actually inspired to read after I watched the movie last weekend. I found the movie to be just so-so, but the topic seemed interesting and I wanted to learn more. I figured (correctly) that the book would have much more detail. I also just picked up The Big Thirst from the library. It correlates pretty well with what I am teaching in class this term, so I figured I would give it a go.
What are you reading? What are you knitting?

Reflections on a Cleanse

2012-01-31T07:22:00.000-08:00

As some of you know, I began a cleanse the second week of January- no gluten, processed sugar, meat, alcohol, or coffee. I ended up cutting it down to a 10 day cleanse. Not because I couldn't hang (I was actually doing quite well) but because Phoebe was sleeping terribly and all I could think was that my milk did not have the same calorie or fat content during the cleanse.
Well, ending the cleanse did not seem to help Phoebe's sleep habits. While she hasn't had any nights where she wakes up every 20 minutes since I ended the cleanse, I still have not had more than 2 hours of sleep in a row. Oh well. I think my body is just adjusting to a new level of tired now.
Anyways, I thought I would share with you how my cleanse went and tell you what I would do differently if I were to do one again. First off, if I were to plan a cleanse again, I think I would choose to start with 10 or 14 days. 21 days for my first cleanse was a bit ambitious. I also think that I would choose a different time of the year to do my cleanse... This time around, I was very conscious about not cutting calories (as I am still nursing)..but without any of my normal gluten staples to turn to, I found that I was still hungry, even after eating lots of fruits and veggies. So, I ended up lots of gluten-free cereal, corn chips, and other processed non-gluten foods, which, I guess was good at cleansing the gluten out of my system, but I wasn't exactly the picture of health. I have a big sweet tooth and since I couldn't eat dessert, I ended up eating a large quantity of spicy corn chips on an almost nightly basis in order to curb my craving for sweet.
I feel like a cleanse should also be about eating lots of raw foods.... but since we try and eat locally, eating raw in Portland's winter is pretty limited. I ate lots of apples and pears (as well as citrus) and I ate at least one salad a day, but most of what I ate was cooked. And had cheese on it! The next time I cleanse, I will choose the summertime, when I can focus on eating more exciting salads, lots of fresh fruit, and raw veggies.
Now that I have been back to eating sugar and gluten again, I have been noticing how terrible these things make me feel. Especially gluten. After taking a break from it, I could notice how I did feel once I reintroduced it..... and it makes me very sluggish and also, just gives me a slight bit of nausea, like my body is working really hard to break it down. So, have I been avoiding it? Sadly, I love bread and cookies way too much, but I have definitely cut back my gluten intake quite a bit, and have been making many more gluten-free choices. I should eat what makes me feel great, and obviously, gluten is not one of those things.
As for now, I am enjoying indulging in coffee, alcohol. bread and dessert.... and after a cleanse, thse things really do feel like an indulgence!

Weekending....

2012-01-30T06:49:00.000-08:00

Joining in with Amanda from Habit of Being for a weekending post....

On Saturday...
A trip to the river-beach to take the dogs (and ourselves) to run and play and sit in the sand.
It was beautiful and frozen, the sky a pale colored pink.
We watched the frost turn to dew while we enjoyed the morning
And I documented it all in photographs.
We ran a few errands, I cleaned the car
And mama and daughter had some one-on-one time
while dad took Finn to a birthday party.
Dinner was Thai take-out
Eaten while watching Winnie the Pooh,
And dishes were magnificently minimal.
Todd and I finished up the evening watching an adult movie,
(enough Pooh for us for one day)
while I knitted away, of course.
On Sunday....
I dragged my tired self to the gym
And while Finn helped his dad move into his new office,
which, I must say, is pretty fantastic,
Phoebe took a nap
And I had some time to myself, which, was spent prepping for my class
(and sadly not doing anything fun).
Then a family trip to the Chinese Gardens
to watch the lion dances
and celebrate the Chinese New Year.
A little time sewing, stocking up my etsy shop,
And a dinner that was cooked on the grill
while rain pitter-pattered on the windows.
After bedtime and dishes,
Me, and my glass of wine, headed for the couch.
A pile of yarn and a book by my side.

So much was done, yet it seemed too short.
How was your weekend?

And, I must apologize for the mass of photos. I recently got a new camera, and I have been a bit trigger-happy, to say the least.

This Moment...

2012-01-27T06:35:00.000-08:00

My Extremely Shy Guy?

2012-01-26T09:05:00.000-08:00

So, I have been a bit worried about Finn lately. As a wee child, he was boisterous and outgoing, and then shortly after I became pregnant with Phoebe he became more shy; he started to become a bit timid when doing things without mom or dad, avoided conversation with strangers, and sometimes even avoided other children at the playground. I assumed it was a stage. A reaction to my pregnancy. Or just being two and a half. Or whatever. But something that he would soon outgrow.
As time has gone on, however, this "stage" has continued, and he has become even more shy. I would actually describe him as extremely shy in certain situations. So much so that it is in fact affecting his "success" in interacting with the outside world and he doesn't always act appropriately in social situations. Sometimes, if he feels uncomfortable he may run up and kick me or make a loud noise in someone's face, and I can tell it is because he is just not sure how to act. However, his extreme shyness seems to be somewhat random, where one moment he can't deal and acts completely inappropriately, and then the next he is an outgoing chatterbox and will strike up conversations with complete strangers.
Let me give you a couple examples to show you what I mean... We signed him up for a soccer class when Phoebe was just a few weeks old and he had 3 other friends in the class. I was sure he was going to love it. Instead, I found that each day, when asked to go with the group, he would cry, refuse to look at the instructor, and then sit down in the middle of the gym and scream for me. Needless to say, he didn't participate much. However, several times after class, he would wander up to the coach and start telling him these long stories and not stop talking. Go figure, right?
For the past couple months, we have had Finn in swim class with his best friend. Each day, he is reluctant to go over with the group and refuses to look the teacher in the eyes. The first day of class, he actually threw a bucket at the teachers face when he wasn't sure how to react. That was quite embarrassing for me. But, by the end of each class, he is splashing around and having a great time, but then 2 days later, when we are back, he once again doesn't want to get in or even look at the teacher. It is like we have to start over and warm up to the teacher every time.
He also refuses to go to the potty at school. Which is at his best friend's house. He will go if I go in with him, but not if I am gone. The whole idea of it overwhelms him. And some days we will go to the park and he will make a new friend and play for an hour. Other days he will come running to me if another child even looks at him.
Is this normal behavior for a 4 year old? I know that kids his age get moody and have "off" days, but this behavior is consistently inconsistent. If it is 'just' a phase, it is certainly a long one, because this first started almost two years ago.
It has crossed my mind to wonder if he could have some form of autism, but aside from these strange social interactions, he seems totally normal. He has many friends that he is not shy with at all, he likes to be social and interact... he just needs it to all be on his terms and I can't seem to get him to break out of his shell on a regular basis.
Has anyone dealt with something similar to this? Any advice? Any good books to read?
Part of me thinks that this is just a long phase of him starting to become his own person, and someday he will eventually learn how to act appropriately in 'new' social situations. But then, if he doesn't, I feel like I will have lost all of this time when I could be helping him address his fears.
Do I continue to sign him up for classes to 'push' his limits and help him get more used to dealing with different social situations, or should I ease back and give him some time to socialize only in situations that he is comfortable in? I was really shy as a child (and still am somewhat today), but I would never have thrown a bucket at my swim teachers face, or refused to look at an adult when they asked me a question. So to me, it seems problematic, but maybe I am just worrying too much. My husband think I am crazy, but yet, he isn't the one who takes him to soccer or swimming or the park, so he doesn't see what is happening first hand.
I am toying with the idea of making an appointment with his doctor, but wonder if I am just an overly concerned crazy lady. The latter is probably at least somewhat true, but I just don't know how to deal with my child. I obviously want the best for him, and in order for him to reach his full potential he needs to be able to interact with the outside world. I am just not sure how to help him.

Yarn Along

2012-01-25T07:36:00.000-08:00

Joining in with Ginny over at Small Things for another Yarn Along. This week I am almost done with Phoebe's jumper. I am using this pattern, but I decided to knit it in the round and have made some alterations. I just have to finish the neckline trim and I was also thinking about adding on some knitted flowers. I am not sure how to do that, but I am thinking I could figure it out! I had intended this to be a present for Phoebe's first birthday, but since that is still 5 weeks away, we'll see if I can wait that long to give it to her.
I also started another pixie hat for Phoebe. She had outgrown the first one I made her and they are just too cute, Plus, I was feeling like I wanted to knit something really colorful and cheery to bring me out of the dreary Portland gloom....
And, in the reading world, I started Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and am loving it. If I had more time to read I could probably finish it all at once.
What are you reading and knitting?

Collapse: A Review

2012-01-24T07:30:00.000-08:00

I finally finished reading Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond. It took me over a month to get through this book-- not because I didn't like it, I did, but man, it is intense. For one, the book pretty much reads as a series of essays. The writing is not dry, but, the subject matter is historical fiction and science, so its not exactly an action packed romance either. The subject matter is also pretty depressing. Important, extremely so, but depressing nonetheless. I found that most days my brain just couldn't handle more than 20 pages or so.
The first section of Diamond's book discusses several ancient civilizations that have collapsed (including Easter Island, the Maya, the Greenland Norse and several others), and discusses reasons for their collapse. The second section discusses modern societies that are either on the brink of collapse or at least having some major issues, including Rwanda, Haiti, China and Australia. The last section talks about why societies make mistakes that lead to their failures and how this relates to our modern day world. He relates our current day world to an ancient society before a collapse happened, and shows that we are at a turning point where we either need to fix ourselves and our planet before it is too late, or we will be destined to suffer the fate of the many ancient civilizations that have fallen before us... except this time it will be on a global scale, not just the loss of a single island-based civilization.
Diamond makes some convincing arguments and basically scared the pants off of me. Even for someone like me, who teaches these same depressing issues to college students, the points he made were pretty depressing.
However, on a good note, Diamond is a self-pronounced cautious-optomist and based on his research, he doesn't think that things are too late for us yet. Do we need to make some serious changes and revisions in the ways that we choose to live? Yes. Do we need to rethink our management strategies for our natural resource use? Yes. We have some serious work ahead of us, but all is not yet lost. But, as Diamond says, if we don't start to choose to make changes to the way we are living, and to live more simply, than the Earth (through global warming, pollution, resource depletion, etc.) is going to start to make those changes for us. And, it seems to be like we would be better off in control of our own destiny and not just waiting to see what changes lie ahead of us.
This is a great read that I would recommend to all. But, give yourself time to read it in and process is. This stuff is too intense for a simple skim-through.

2012: Year of the Dragon and A Couple of Fun Crafts

2012-01-23T06:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Chinese New Year! The past few months I have been reading a lot of Chinese-american literature and watching a lot of movies set in China (including the phenomenal BBC Wild China series that you can instant view on Netflix). So, anyways, I guess you could say that I have China on the brain and this year, Finn and I decided to make some crafts to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
We made some quick and easy paper lanterns and a dancing dragon. We found instructions for both crafts here. We had fun making them, and Finn has been parading his dragon around the house for days.
Hoping the Year of the Dragon brings you much luck and happiness!

This Moment...

2012-01-20T07:06:00.000-08:00

Right Now....

2012-01-19T11:04:00.000-08:00

.....I am listening to the rain falling madly outside my windows

.....I am watching Finn look out the window watching the rain puddle up in our yard (I am pretty sure he is wishing that the rain was more snow, and, truthfully, so am I)

.....I am enjoying chocolate chip muffins, the first gluten and processed sugar I have had in 10 days. I decided to end my cleanse halfway through, as Phoebe is still sleeping terribly, and all I can think is that is has something to do with my diet shift.

....I am glad that this week of teaching is over and that the weekend is nearing. I am ready for some family time.

What are you doing?

2012's First Snow

2012-01-17T07:14:00.000-08:00

Portland doesn't get much snow, but we usually see a couple of storms each winter, some (much) bigger than others. We had our first snowfall (OK, dusting) of 2012 on Sunday, with a little more snow today. Most of it melted as it hit the ground, but it did have a nice ambiance. I miss the days of snowy Colorado and Montana winters and I am envious of all of the folks that had a chance to head up to Mt. Hood and play. Todd gave me 2 day passes to go snowboarding this winter... now I just need to make plans to use them!
There is the possibility of more snow this week. I know that I would love to have a snow day... how about you?

This Mama Needs Some Sleep!

2012-01-16T07:56:00.000-08:00

I have been exhausted this past week. Delirious actually. I haven't slept for more than 2 hours in a row for over a week. Somehow, my sweet little baby who used to get up two or three times a night to nurse now wants to nurse 5, 6, 7 or heck, even 15 times a night. Sometimes she wakes me up every 20 minutes, sometimes I am "lucky" enough to get a 2 hour stretch. How can something that is so cute and sweet all day be wreaking such havoc on my mental and physical health?
I feel like I have been transported to the tiredness that happens when you have a brand new baby... except that I am working and no one is bringing me dinner or offering to do chores around my house. Phoebe just seems to need mama (and mama's milk) and nothing else seems to suffice.
During the past week Finn has also wet the bed 5 out of the 7 nights (and he still wears a pull-up; wetting the bed just means he peed in his diaper so much that it overflowed). That meant that either Todd or I was up changing him and his bed in the wee hours and the laundry cycle has been endless. And, if you remember, I started my cleanse last week. Which means no coffee in the morning to lift me out of the fog, no glass of wine at the end of the night to take the edge off and help me fall asleep, and no chocolatey goodness to treat myself to after a long day. And once I had to stop eating gluten for my cleanse, I realized how much I really did subsist on bread products....especially for snacks. It feels good to cut these things out, but I also find myself to be always hungry. And super tired plus hungry equals cranky mama.
Anyways, I am hoping that this is just a phase. A short phase. Anyone have any tips? Words of encouragement? This mama needs some sleep!

This Moment...

2012-01-13T07:28:00.000-08:00

Sibling Love

2012-01-12T07:45:00.000-08:00

It is so sweet to see how much Finn love Phoebe; he helps pick her up when she falls over, brings her toys to play with, and talks to her in a sweet, sweet voice. And Phoebe, of course, just adores Finn. She spends most of her day just taking in his actions and emotions. I know that soon enough there will be sibling rivalry, but for now, we are enjoying our sibling bliss....

Yarn Along

2012-01-11T08:59:00.000-08:00

Joining in with Ginny over at Small Things for another Yarn Along. I am getting a bit of a late start writing this as I have had several nights of nearly no sleep in a row and I am a bit delirious.
This week has been a productive knitting week for me. I finished Phoebe's mittens on a string, and even made her a matching hat with ear flaps (that she can't pull off! Ha! I win!). I also finished the fern lace cowl that I made for myself (see the terrible self-portrait below)...and, it did stretch more and would have fit perfect except that I bound it off too tight. The pattern said to bind off loosely, which I thought I did, but I think I needed to bind off VERY loosely. I guess I am a tight knitter. I can put it on, but I literally have to force it over my head. Once it is on it is fine, but getting it on or off is sort of silly. I am disappointed, as it the first thing I have made for myself in over a year, but I love the yarn and I don't want to start it over. So, I will make it work. I just starting knitting Phoebe a pullover dress for her first birthday (which is March 1st already!) and I am using this pattern but I am modifying it quite a bit because I want to knit in the round instead of having to sew up seams at the end. Hopefully I won't mess it up. I chose an aqua blue with brown trim (I am not doing any striping).
I am still reading Collapse, which really, I am enjoying, but it is intense and I am having trouble reading more than a few pages at a time. It has also gotten pushed down in the ranks because I started The Night Circus, which is marvelously imaginative, and I have been sucked in.
What are you reading and knitting?

Food, Inc.: Medel to Monsanto- the Promises and Perils of the Biotech Harvest: A Review

2012-01-10T07:39:00.000-08:00

Food, Inc.: Medel to Monsanto- the Promises and Perils of the Biotech Harvest by Peter Pringle is a book about genetically modified foods (GMOs) and how they have changed the world's agricultural systems. The book has no relation to the 2008 film Food Inc. (at least as far as I can find), but does discuss many of the same concepts. This book was published in 2003, so it is a bit outdated, but I found that it gave an excellent summary of the history and development of GMOs. At the start of the book, the author claims to present an unbiased account of GMOs, and while he does do a fairly good job of presenting both the pros and the cons, his arguments still seemed to lie heavily on the "against" side.
The book starts out discussing the beginnings of genetic modification, including the technological challenges and the motivation behind this engineering. It also delves into the regulations behind GMOS (which are very minimal mind you) and how they fall into a category called GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe), essentially because the GMOs look similar to their non-GMO counterparts. A big part of the book is discussing the myriads of patents that have been placed on GMOs. (Funny how they are similar enough to non-GMO food to not be required to be tested for safety, but different enough to put a patent on it, isn't it?). Pringle also talks about several of the independent safety studies that were conducted, and the crazy politics behind them. He also discussed contamination of GMO seeds into the worldwide food supply, which may have potentially harmful effects on insects, wildlife, plants and us!
Pringle leaves us with the thought that GMOs are probably not going to cause the destruction of the world, like many anti-biotech groups seem to plead, but they are also probably not the innocent bystanders that the seed corporations claim them to be. The fact that this book is several years old becomes evident at the end, when Pringle claims that because people are concerned with the safety of GMOs and don't want to be fed them, they will soon loose their place in the market and will soon be a thing of the past. However, what we have seen in the past few years has proven otherwise: most people are ignorant about GMOs, more and more acres are planted with them each year, and companies like Monsanto still hold a large share of the seed marketplace. Individual states (like Oregon) have put measures on the ballot to try and eliminate sales of GMOs, but have failed due to huge financing against the measures by pro-GMO corporations like Monsanto.
It is interesting to see how the future really will pan out for GMOs, but, at this rate, it seems like they have found their place amongst an innocently unaware public.

A New Year's Cleanse

2012-01-09T06:59:00.000-08:00

Awhile back, I decided that I wanted to do a food cleanse. Not a super-intense cleanse, as I am still breastfeeding, but just enough that it could sort of re-set my body and my eating habits. In general, I don't eat much meat and I eat lots of fruit and veggies. But,.... I also eats lots of white flour and I do tend to have dessert almost every day, even if it is only a square of dark chocolate. I couldn't possibly have given up these things during the holidays, when food is constantly on my mind, but now that a new year has arrived, I am ready to begin.
So, for the next 3 weeks (if I can hang), I will be abstaining from gluten, meat, processed sugar, coffee and alcohol. I am hoping that I will have more energy and just feel better and cleaner. I am also a little hopeful that going gluten-free my help to improve my asthma (and also a little nervous about it doing so, which would mean I would need to give it up permanently). I am a little anxious about what I am going to eat for snacks (I tend not to get filled up by just a piece of fruit), but I think (hope) that after a few days my body will adjust. I am envisioning a lot of salads in my future....
So, wish me luck! Here is to a cleaner me in 2012!

This Moment...

2012-01-06T06:43:00.000-08:00

A Year-Along Adventure: Month 9: Volunteering

2012-01-05T06:53:00.000-08:00

Last May, I started a year-long adventure to reduce my impact on the Earth. Some months we have made some changes that we have managed to merge into our permanent routine, and other months have not gone as well.... In December, for example, my goal was to reduce our consumption of "stuff". And, with Christmas and the holiday season... well, we didn't do so well. Even though we didn't go overboard on presents for the kids, we still did get them plenty... more than they needed. I plan on continuing to try to reduce my family's consumption in 2012, and maybe that will be easier without any holidays looming.
My goal for January is to spend some time volunteering, particularly for environmental causes. Since January is already a few days underway, I need to start looking for some volunteer opportunities pronto! January does tend to be one of the coldest and wettest months in Portland, but I think there should still be ample volunteer events happening. I hope to volunteer once or twice this month and then once every month or two after that. I think that volunteering, especially with your children, sets a great example for them to be future stewards of this Earth. Now I just need to motivate myself....

Yarn Along

2012-01-04T07:25:00.000-08:00

Joining in with Ginny over at Small Things for the first Yarn Along of 2012!
Since I didn't finish Phoebe's Christmas stocking in time for Christmas, I set a goal to finish it before 2012. And, I finished up on New Year's Eve (yup, I am that lame..... I stayed home and was knitting on New Years Eve!). I decided that I would wait until next year to felt it, so right now it looks incredibly huge! Below is a picture of Phoebe in the stocking!!
Right now I am knitting a cow for me (Hooray!), which is only the second thing I have ever knitted for myself. I decided it was about time. I am using a free pattern from ravelry, the fern lace cowl, and I am using this lusciously-soft tan-colored alpaca yarn. I am in love with this yarn. Seriously. My only concern is that this cowl seems like it might be too narrow, even though I am following the pattern. (At least I have a second skein of this stuff just in case !). And, although the cowl is easy to knit, it is a pattern that you have to pay close attention to, and I already managed to make a couple of mistakes. Hopefully they won't be seen in the end. I also casted-on for a pair of mittens on a string for Phoebe. I am not using a pattern, but I think I can manage to figure this out on my own.
I am still reading Collapse by Jared Diamond. It is excellent, but very dense, and slow going. I am also reading Food Inc. by Peter Pringle, which is all about genetic modification of food. I am really enjoying this one so far.
What are you reading and knitting?

Hello 2012!

2012-01-02T07:21:00.000-08:00

2011 was a year full of excitement and joy, but was also a year full of transitions. Finn went from being an only child to a big brother, and our family's roles shifted as we welcomed our new addition. We struggled with schedules, became accustomed to traveling with two children, and remembered the amazement that comes with watching a baby grow.
It's hard to believe that 2012 is already here, and with it a year full of new hope and adventures!I love the feeling of a new year starting... it seems like everything is possible again. A chance to start anew without any restrictions. A chance to dream big and accomplish those dreams. I am a list person and make lists for everything, so I, of course, made a list of new years resolutions. I won't bore you with the details, but included on it are using up my fabric and yarn stash (which has gotten quite out of control), getting our puppy to behave like a respectable dog (read: stop jumping on people and licking kids in the face), and taking more time to just be. But, I won't lie. My list is long. Every year I set myself up for failure. Why? Am I a self masochist? Do I think I am failing as a person? No, not really. I think it is mainly because I am such a perfectionist, and always feel that I can do more and do it better. But honestly, I can't do much more unless I either give away my children or stop sleeping, neither of which are going to happen. But, I guess writing down resolutions is a tradition, a time to re-focus my energy and decide where I want to grow during the next year. A way to remind myself who I am striving to be and to at least get myself on the right path.
So, here is to 2012! A year of love, life and laughter!
Happy New Year!

This Moment...

2011-12-30T07:42:00.000-08:00

The Last Mountain: A Review

2011-12-29T07:32:00.000-08:00

Todd and I watched The Last Mountain last night and it almost brought me to tears. Even my dear hubby, who normally gets sick of my pro-environment documentaries, announced how much he liked it, and then immediately went to the film's website and tweeted about it. That's a good sign.
The film is about big coal and how the greed of the coal mining industry is endangering both human health and the environment in West Virginia and beyond. The documentary shows the fight to save the last mountain in the Coal River Valley, and shows how mountain top removal has devastated the surrounding area.
Brain tumor clusters are found near the mined areas, with 6 brain tumors in one mobile home park. A local elementary school backs up to a surface impoundment, which holds tons of concentrated mining wastes that are poisoning the students and teachers alike. Air quality is terrible and the water is polluted beyond belief. The removal of vegetation of the top of the mountains has caused sever flooding in the valleys below.
And why? For greed. The coal industry claims that they are providing jobs and giving us energy. Yet, in recent years, they have cut over 40,000 jobs and instead have added machines to do the work of people. And yes, coal is providing 50% of electricity in the US.... because they are supporting politicians who will make it stay that way!!! Renewable energy is available! Solar and wind is real, but if big coal keeps paying off the government, that change is never going to happen.
The citizens of Coal River Valley are trying to save their last mountain and instead of mining it, turn it into a wind farm.. if they can stop the progression of mountain top removal.
Interested? Watch the film and then take action!

Yarn Along and a Christmas Sweater

2011-12-28T06:51:00.000-08:00

Joining in with Ginny at Small Things for the last Yarn Along of 2011! So, this week I am still reading Saving Fish from Drowning and Collapse, both of which I have been stuck on for a couple of weeks. Somehow, amidst the holiday scramble, I just haven't had much quiet time to myself in order to read. Imagine that, eh?
And, apparently I haven't had ample knitting time either because guess what I am knitting this week? Phoebe's stocking. Yes, Christmas is over. Santa already came (and I used a back-up stocking for her). But, she is not even a year old and I can guarantee she won't hold a grudge against me for this one. I am about halfway done with this monstrosity of a stocking (which I will felt when I am done knitting). I know if I put it away until next Christmas, it will be pretty hard to re-motivate on a half-knit stocking. So, I am trying to stick it out and finish it so it is already finished when Christmas 2012 rolls around. But, there is no pressure anymore (since I already missed the deadline), so I am hoping I can make myself finish in a timely matter. My only real push is that I am telling myself that when this stocking is done, I am going to knit something for myself (isn't that a novel idea?).
However, I do have some good knitting news which is that I managed to finish Phoebe's new sweater in time for Christmas! It is the Debbie Bliss dufflecoat pattern, except I left the pockets off of this one in hopes of making it look a bit more girly. I am happy with the way it turned out and also happy that it is a wee bit big. That means she will hopefully get a lot of use out of it!
What are you reading and knitting?

Merry Merry

2011-12-26T18:40:00.000-08:00

The past week has been filled with preparations, anticipation, wonder, excitement and exhaustion. Since we did not travel anywhere over Christmas, we had time instead to spend with our local friends and with one another. Last week brought lots of baking and making. Some favorite moments included:

Making (and tasting) a gingerbread house (from a kit, mind you, which was still harder than I anticipated!)

Decorating gingerbread cookies with Finn's dear friends

And making a fabric wreath when we found ourselves with a spare moment. We found a lovely tutorial here.

Christmas eve was a special dinner with friends, while we tracked Sant'a progress across the Atlantic. I think I may have been more excited than Finn for Christmas morning to arrive... and sleep eluded me for most of the night.
Christmas morning was filled with heaps of gifts from near and far, a yummy breakfast, a walk with the dogs and some time skyping with family far away.

Today we tried to re-enter the world of reality, but it was not an easy transition. Schedules are off, and less sleep (for everyone) means that we are all a bit cranky and not our best. Hoping to re-find our rhythm as we enjoy our last week of 2011!!!
Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T20:25:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas!

This Moment...

2011-12-23T07:31:00.000-08:00

Happy Solstice

2011-12-22T08:23:00.000-08:00

Wishing you light and warmth on this shortest day of the year.

Happy Solstice!

The Elf on the Shelf

2011-12-21T05:33:00.000-08:00

Have you guys heard about the Elf on the Shelf? We got it as a present last year, and it has proved to be a great one. Basically, each night while your children are sleeping, your elf flies to the North Pole to report on the naughty and nice behavior of your child and when he arrives back at your house, he hides in a different location for your child to discover.
So, the first thing Finn does each morning during the month of December is jump out of bed to find Muga (that is our elf). He has a blast and it has become a lovely morning ritual.
The problem is having to remember to move the elf each night after the kids are asleep. It seems easy, right? But some days leave me physically exhausted and brain-dead (I think that is in the job description for "mom", right?), and some nights I am ready for bed as soon as the kids are down. Moving an elf just isn't on top on my to-do list. Now that we are 3 weeks into December, I have a pretty good routine going, but during the first couple of weeks there was more than one occasion where I woke up in a panic the middle of the night remembering that I needed to go and move Muga... and we have had at least one or two close calls where we had to move him in the morning without Finn seeing.
Anyways, I had no clue how popular the Elf on the Shelf was until I started reading other blog posts and facebook posts about it. And then I started finding out about some moms who apparently have no trouble remembering to move their elf and in fact find the time to create entire elf-scenarios while their children are sleeping. If you are in need of some pee-in-your-pants laughing during the hustle and bustle of the holidays, then check out this blog post making fun of over-achieving elf moms. Sorry if any of you are one of these moms.. I actually think many of these ideas are terrific and would be so fun for Finn... if I didn't have to cook, clean, work or sleep.
But, we love our Muga and love this fun tradition that we have begun.
Do you Elf on the Shelf?

Finn's First Sleepover!

2011-12-20T07:17:00.000-08:00

Friday night, Finn had his first sleepover. It made me a little emotional, because he suddenly seemed so grown up. A sleepover! Isn't that what big kids do?! He is only 4, so I don't think this will be a regular thing, but it just gave me a glimpse of the years to come.
The cutest thing about this sleepover is that the whole thing was totally initiated and organized by my husband. He chose a night when I had plans to go out with the mother of Finn's friend, set the time, planned out dinner and activities, and by the time I got home at 10:30 the kids were (just barely) already asleep. I honestly think Todd might have been more excited about the sleepover than the kids were.
But things went great. Todd made xmas quesidillas (he came up with that all by himself, folks), made sure to have a special dessert planned out, and even brought home donuts the next morning. I tried to get him to do a guest blog post all about it, but, well, I got DENIED.
Anyways, this whole event was just too cute not to share!

Kill-A-Watt

2011-12-18T20:48:00.000-08:00

OK, first off, I have to say that the Portland Public Library is awesome. I recently found out that you can check out an electricity monitor called a kill-a-watt that lets you see how many watts different devices use while plugged in to your power outlets. Needless to say, I borrowed it and the thing is pretty sweet. You can compare the power usage of different appliances to one another and also see how much electricity devices use while plugged in but NOT turned on (this is know as a vampire charge). I was happy to find that my cell phone charger did not use any electricity while plugged in when my phone wasn't attached but was shocked to find out the our double-strand of Christmas lights use about 10 times the wattage as our table lamp! I have been making sure the holiday lights get unplugged before bed each night now that I now what an electricity drain they are..... I know I should get the LED kind, which use much less electricity, but they make me crosseyed and feel like I am going to have a seizure.
If you ever come across a kill-a-watt and have a chance to bring it home (check your local library!), it's pretty neat to see and compare the power usage around your home. It even turned into a betting game of sorts for us. Now that I am more acutely where of what devices are using the most power, I am making better decision in powering things down when not in use.
Have you ever used a kill-a-watt?

This Moment...

2011-12-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

Handmade Holiday

2011-12-15T07:07:00.000-08:00

Well, my 2 big projects I was hoping to finish in time for Christmas are still on my needles: a hooded sweater and a felted stocking, both for Phoebe. In the meantime though, I have been busy creating a few other handmade holiday gifts:

felted acorn ornaments:

the idea for these came from Rhythm of the Home's tutorial for acorn necklaces. I just made the string a wee bit shorter so that they were the perfect size for ornaments. And I sort of suck at making felted balls, so mine don't look quite as nice.. ;)

A set of 12 hand-dyed play silks for Finn. I dyed these (with my friend's advice) using water colors and they came out great. It was definitely a messy project, but they look pretty sweet!

A "Be Merry" bunting. I actually made this to sell in my etsy shop, but haven't yet been able to get a presentable picture of the whole thing. It may be a little late at this point!

Some kimono xmas PJs for Miss P. I used the same pattern as I did for these, but just made the arms longer.

And, of course, we have been busy making cookies. On tomorrow's agenda are a couple of batches of saltine toffee, my favorite holiday treat. You can find my super super special recipe for them here.

Hope all you crafty mamas are getting your holiday gifts finished up in time!

And the WInner Is..

2011-12-15T07:04:00.000-08:00

The winner of the last-minute holiday ornament giveaway is.....

........wait for it.........

Kimberly over at The Wyatt Zoo!!

And, if I am not mistaken, it is also her birthday today, so it just seems fitting.
Thanks to all of you who entered!

Yarn Along and a Giveaway Reminder

2011-12-14T07:24:00.000-08:00

Joining in with Ginny over at Small Things for another Yarn Along. I haven't made nearly as much progress (on my reading or knitting!) as I would have liked since I last joined in yarn along 2 weeks ago. I have been doing much more sewing and socializing (which is good), but it hasn't left much time for reading or knitting.
I am still reading Saving Fish From Drowning and am about halfway through. I also just got Earth from Above and Collapse from my local library and I am eager to dive into both of those.
In the knitting world I am still working on Phoebe's second sweater (Debbie Bliss' dufflecoat). I am getting there, but the hood seems to be taking forever. I have barely made any progress on Phoebe's stocking, and the pressure is seriously on now! Only 11 days left! Do you see all those balls of yarn in the photo? That is how much I need to knit up in the next week and a half. Yikes.... not sure if I will complete both of these in time. At least she is only 9 months and won't really know if her stocking was done in time for the holidays or not... right?
What are you reading? What are you knitting? Are you under any holiday time lines?

My last-minute giveaway for a holiday ornament closes tonight! The winner will be announced in the morning. Hope you join in....

Giving (And the Sweetest 4 Year Old)

2011-12-13T06:50:00.000-08:00

This year we have been trying to instill in Finn that the true meaning behind Christmas is not just getting presents, but giving presents, sharing what you have, and spending time with family and friends. Since he is only 4, we decided that showing him this, through actions, would speak much louder than words.
So last week, the family headed out for a trip to buy some canned goods and some toys to share with those less fortunate. We brought the toys to our local fire station where they were having a toy drive. And, lucky for Finn, he was able to get a tour of the station when he dropped off the toys! We brought the food to a local emergency center that helps those in need. When we get there, there was a huge line waiting for handouts of food. It was awesome for Finn to get to see us bringing something for others and seeing the actual people who were going to receive it.
We also talked about Heifer International and how they help families in need by providing them with animals (this was spurred by a catalog full of pictures of animals that we got in the mail. What 4 year old could resist that?)... Finn decided that he and I would pool some money and buy a family a share of a goat. We each took $5 from our savings (Finn's from a money jar that has about $12 total and my "savings" was actually my credit card). It was so sweet to see him get excited about this and I hope to make it a yearly tradition.
To top it off, the next day my sweet sweet boy told all of his friends at school that Christmas is not really about getting presents but about giving things to others (his teacher told me this when I picked him up). Is that not the cutest, sweetest thing you have ever heard? I mean, no doubt that when he wakes up Christmas morning and finds that Santa has been to our house, he will be ecstatic. Honestly, I am so excited to see him find his presents that I feel like a kid again! But to know that my little boy is so willing to share makes me happy beyond belief. At least I know I have done something right in terms of parenting.. (maybe that negates my threats about Santa not coming if he doesn't start listening... ?).
I have good memories of always participating in toy, food and coat drives when I was growing up and I am glad I am finally getting a chance to pass those memories along.

Tomorrow is the last day to enter my last-minute giveaway for a holiday ornament!

Weekending

2011-12-12T06:52:00.000-08:00

Joining in with Amanda from Habit of Being for another weekending post....

This weekend had some ups and some downs...
A Friday night call to the emergency room
after Phoebe woke at 11 o'clock with a flushed face
and a temperature of only 95.4 F!
Fevers I am used to, but a low temp was a mystery...
still not sure why it dropped so low...
and the worry has not completely disappeared.

Saturday was the day we planned on volunteering
together, as a family, to do some planting.
However, with Phoebe's scare the night before,
plans changed
and we made our way to a holiday film instead.
We made the best ever snowflakes
for the second year running,
And took the dogs for a jaunt in the park.
Some sewing, some knitting, and some last minute shopping
also made their way into the day.
I finished the night with some knitting in bed
while netflix documentaries were filling my head.

Sunday morning was quite lazy:
A leisurely breakfast, a walk with the dogs.
Some cleaning, some sewing, some ornament making.
After lunch came an adventure:
A holiday train with a few of Finn's friends!
There was garland and lights and holiday tunes
And... someone special was there,
his name starts with S and he dresses in red.
I bet you can guess who it is!
The train adventure was followed by
a dinner disaster at a Mexican restaurant.
Back to the house for
bath time and jammies
and 2 tuckered kids all tucked in their beds.

How was your weekend?

P.S. - Don't forget to enter my last-minute giveaway!

Last-Minute Holiday GIVEAWAY!!

2011-12-09T13:55:00.000-08:00

Whoooo's ready for the holidays?!? Since we have been trying to teach Finn that the true meaning behind Christmas is giving (and not just 'getting'), I thought maybe I should do some of that giving myself. So, I want to offer one of you lucky folks a hand-made recycled-felt holiday ornament. Just go to my etsy shop and check out my 2 ornaments and come here to leave a comment telling me if you would prefer a penguin or an owl. (If you choose an owl it may not be the exact one pictured here... I have been using different fabric for each of the wings). I will use a random number generator to select a winner!
Comments will close at midnight PST on Wednesday the 14th so that I can get it shipped to the winner in time for Christmas! Please make sure you include your email address if you are a no-reply blogger. Thanks!

And I am still looking for a couple more mamas to participate in a book exchange! Please join in! It will be so much fun!

This Moment...

2011-12-09T06:43:00.000-08:00

Some Christmas Cheer and Not-Your-Average Christmas Tree

2011-12-08T07:17:00.000-08:00

This past week we have been busy as beavers adorning our little home with lights and holiday cheer. Finn is so excited by every decoration that we put up and seeing the smile that lights up his face is definitely the true meaning behind the holidays.
Anyways, we had a bit of a Christmas tree dilemma this year. My asthma got horrible while I was pregnant with Phoebe, and has not returned to pre-pregnancy levels (and it seems unlikely that is ever will- bummer!). Last year, I had a terrible time bringing a live tree into our small home, and it made my asthma flare up (bad enough to warrant a trip to urgent care even). So, since my asthma is still horrible, we decided that bringing a live tree in probably wasn't the best idea (plus, it isn't exactly the most environmentally friendly thing to do either). I started to research other options, but there weren't many. Did I really want to pay hundreds of dollars for a fake plastic tree (that is definitely not eco-friendly either) and then have to store this monstrosity for 11 months out of the year in our already tiny home... nope. I thought about a teeny-tiny fake tree, but I knew that wouldn't be the same for Finn; we wouldn't be able to put lights or real ornaments on it... no presents would sit beneath it. Every other option I found seemed a bit kooky- wall decals, metals poles. Nothing seemed right.
Well, about a month ago, a huge branch from our neighbor's maple tree fell into our yard during a windstorm. At the time I was annoyed, because it could have hurt someone (like our ducks). This is a tree that is much too big for the city lot it is in, and it shades several backyards out almost entirely during the summer so we are not able to grow food back there. The maple leaves and seeds cover our yard for a good portion of the year, and although I love trees, this one is a bit unruly and needs to be trimmed. It's just not safe. Our next door neighbor has talked to them several times, to no avail, and it seems like someone will need to actually be hurt before they will take action. Anyways, it suddenly came to me that maybe this branch that fell into our yard could be our holiday tree. Sure, it didn't have any leaves, but it did have a sort of tree shape to it. Plus it was free and we were going to have to figure out something to do with it anyways. Behold, our Christmas tree.
My husband was skeptical at first, and Finn kept whining and telling me he wanted a real tree. But, once we brought it inside and decorated it with lights and ornaments, everyone was please with the results. Our free, eco-friendly, asthma-friendly, re-purposed tree. Maybe it will become a new tradition. p.s.- All of the pictures I have taken of it are horrible, as without leaves there is a lot of distraction from our cluttered house!

Handmade Holidays

2011-12-07T06:27:00.000-08:00

I have been finishing up some handmade holiday gifts over the past few weeks....

Some cute-critter felt ornaments :

A few field bags (from SouleMama's new book The Rhythm of Family) for some of the children on my list:

Some personalized onesies and travel bags:

And, of course, Finn had to make some salt dough ornaments for friends and loved ones to join in the hand made spirit (can you find the one ornament that is not holiday themed? If you guessed the mustache, you are correct! thanks dear husband for your lovely participation):

Our recipe for salt dough ornaments can be found here. However, this year, I mixed food coloring into the dough before we cut out the shapes. It was quite hard to get it mixed in, but I think it was less messy for Finn.
I still have a few projects that I am trying to finish up before Christmas, but with busy schedules, holiday parties, the end of the term, and the millions of other things happening in our lives.. I am not sure if they are going to get done in time or not. I am trying to work on just accepting that for now...

If you are scrambling for holiday gifts and want to give hand made (you know you do!) but don't have the time, check out the Handmade Holiday Directory where you can find hand made treasures by mamas, like myself!

What are YOU making for the holidays?

Who Loves Getting Books in the Mail?!?

2011-12-05T19:51:00.000-08:00

Ivey over at Durango Mom got me involved in a children's book share. It is basically like the chain letters I have tried to avoid for most of my life; however, this one seems pretty darn awesome. Basically, you send a book to the first person on the list, and (if everyone participates), your child(ren) will get 36 books in exchange! Even is there is only 50% participation, 18 new books in the mail is pretty sweet for a youngster. Especially the surprise and anticipation of not knowing which books they will be or when they will arrive. Sounds fun, right?

So, I am looking for 6 4 mamas to participate- send out one book and get a bunch in return. Easy peasy.

If you are interested, leave a comment with your email, or email me directly at: tarynoakley(at)gmail(dot)com

Hope you decide to join in!!

Weekending....

2011-12-05T06:51:00.000-08:00

Joining in with Amanda from Habit of Being for my first weekending post....

This weekend was full of Christmas spirit
And lots of family time too
Hanging lights and Christmas cheer
Making salt dough ornaments (and a mustache too)
We finished up gifts to wrap and mail
Saturday breakfast out on the town
and a wee break from dish duty for mom
A walk through our favorite park,
A birthday party for Finn's dear friend
And a date night to a Christmas party....
(A fabulous night, with lots of moments to be left unsaid)
Sunday brought a slow morning
A bit of sewing, a few photos too
In the afternoon, a brisk and sunny walk to the library,
with cookies shared on the walk home.
A pot of soup to warm the bones
A tree brought inside (more on that later)
And adorned with lights, decoration and love.
A quiet evening with some yarn
and a moment to take a deep breath.

How was your weekend?

Reducing My Impact: A Year Long Adventure. Month 8- Reducing Consumption

2011-12-03T07:45:00.000-08:00

For the past 7 months I have been trying to reduce my impact on the Earth, with a different focus for each month. For the month of December I will be focusing on permanently reducing my family's consumption of stuff. And the timing is pretty fitting if I do say so myself.... the holidays tend to be times of complete over-comsumption, and I hope that I can change that just a wee bit.
I am not going to forgo buying anything, or claim that I will never buy a new item again, but I want to re-focus the way my family and I think about buying things. About needs versus wants. And about quality. Before bringing something into the house, I want to make sure it is something we need, not just something we want. Is there a space for it? What is it's purpose? Do I like it enough to keep it until it is no longer useful? Also, deciding to buy high quality items that will last a long time instead of having to continuously replace things. For example, last year we bought Finn a $20 pair of rainboots which had holes in them 2 months into the winter. This year, we splurged and bought a $50 pair from a local shop, but we know that they will make it through this winter and it is likely that Phoebe will be able to use them and then we can pass them down again. So, in the long run we are probably saving money, and we are using fewer resources in the process. Plus, in buying local, we were able to keep the money circulating within our own economy.
We are also trying to indulge more in experiences instead of 'things'. For Finn's birthday we asked for memberships to the local children's museum and science playground... so instead of more stuff to store and take car of, he could have access to somewhere fun and exciting on a rainy day.
We already do try to make or buy a lot of what we need used, but I do sometimes get lazy or buy something as a splurge, so there is definitely room for improvement.. trying to be more prepared for things like birthday or holiday gift giving, for example. This year I am not going to be able to make as many handmade gifts as I had hoped because (once again) I did not leave myself enough time. I really do need to start preparing next summer! And keeping my eye out at the second-hand shops for things I will need in the future, instead of waiting until the last minute, not finding what I need, and having to buy it new.
Lastly, in terms of food, I want to reduce what we are purchasing, by using everything we buy and letting nothing go to waste. We are really good at forgetting stuff in the back of the fridge, which ultimately means that we need to buy more food to replace what we lost.
Yesterday, Finn actually said to me "mom, our house is really tiny (which it is), so I think we need a bigger house". I asked him why he thought we needed a bigger house and his response was "so that we can have more stuff". This launched me into a deep discussion (with a 4 year old, mind you) about needs versus wants and how we really didn't need anything. It made me realize that the best way for him to learn this is through watching his parents make good choices.
For more on the environmental impacts of your "stuff", check out my previous post on The Story of Stuff.
Do you have any good tips for reducing consumption?

This Moment...

2011-12-02T05:52:00.000-08:00

9 Months...

2011-12-01T06:49:00.000-08:00

Today my little gal is 9 months old! She is completely different from Finn at 9 months. He was very mobile.....crawling and rolling everywhere, and always just wanting to stand and bounce on your legs. Phoebe on the other hand, is usually content to just sit and watch the world go by. She hasn't shown any interest in getting anywhere, and is just my mellow baby who is living in the moment. It seems appropriate for this time around as I am really trying to soak up and enjoy these baby times and I am in no hurry for her to grow up. Happy 9 months Miss P!

Yarn Along... Again? Already?

2011-11-30T06:50:00.000-08:00

Wow! Where has the past week gone? It's already time for another yarn along? Joining in with Ginny at Small Things to share what I am knitting and reading.
I am still working on Phoebe's dufflecoat, which is going much slower than I anticipated. I think it is because I have been doing a lot of sewing lately, which hasn't left much time for knitting. I also just cast on for Phoebe' felted stocking. I made Finn a felted stocking last year, so I thought it was only fair that I make one for Phoebe as well. My to-knit list for the holidays is ever-growing, so I want to cast on for about 5 different things.. however, I am making myself stick to 2 at a time.
I just started reading Amy Tan's Saving Fish from Drowning. I just finished up Shanghai Girls a couple days ago.. I guess I am on a Chinese-American literature kick.
What are you reading? What are you knitting?

My Advent Owls: A Month of Family Togetherness

2011-11-29T07:07:00.000-08:00

Finn loves advent calendars. Who doesn't right? Isn't the anticipation usually as much fun as Christmas itself? We have a wooden advent calendar with doors that open into tiny cubes that I found at Goodwill a few years back and I normally put a small candy or sticker in the cube for each day. But this year I started to wonder if Finn really needs a treat every day for 25 days? I decided what we really needed was to spend more together time as a family. Not just in each others presence, but actively enjoying the company of one another. Even though we are all together for parts of every day, sometimes we are so rushed with preparing dinner, cleaning up, getting the kids to bed, etc. that we don't actually take the time to "be" together.
And so my owl advent idea was born. These were certainly a bit time consuming to make, but I think they came out well. And I even finished in time! I am actually hoping to get them up on my etsy shop next winter.... Although I think that I need to get some smaller clothespins to hang them from.
The pocket in front is where each day Finn will get a piece of paper that will include a family event for the day. Some will be more extravagant than others, depending on schedules, but having a least a small time together each day where we are focused on being together will be wonderful.
I was really excited about this idea... until Finn got a Lego Star Wars advent calendar as a birthday present. I admit, it does look super cool, but as my husband said "who cares about felt owls when you have legos?". So, hopefully this will still be fun for all involved. The lego guys can come too.
Here are my ideas for the 25 days. Most of them are not yet in the correct order, but I still have time for that!

write a letter to santa
make paper snowflakes
go out to a movie in a theater
make cookies to deliver to friends
watch a holiday movie at home
take a nature walk
walk down peacock lane (infamous in Portland for super decked-out houses at Christmas time)
play in the snow (which will likely require a drive to Mt. Hood)
listen to a holiday record
make a gingerbread house
decorate or tree (or tree alternative-- more on that later!)
drink a cup of hot cocoa
go ice skating
make salt-dough ornaments to give to family
volunteer together
go out to breakfast
gather of box of canned goods to donate to the food bank
take the bus downtown to see the city lights
go out to dinner
take the holiday train ride
watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas
watch the holiday ship parade
go on an adventure
read The Night Before Christmas
Spend Christmas day together!!

Do you have family plans for this month?

Vanishing of the Bees: A Review

2011-11-28T06:31:00.000-08:00

I had a chance to watch Vanishing of the Bees over the weekend, and I loved it. I have read and seen quite a bit on Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), but this film does a great job of putting it all together, and is the best I have seen on the subject as of yet. I am planning on showing it to my environmental science class next term.
The film goes into some details on what CCD is and how it has affected our agricultural system. Then the film dives into possible reasons behind this mysterious disorder.. and why most of them are likely not valid. The reason that the movie suggest to be the likely culprit is pesticides. But not the spray-on pesticides that have been used for generations. Instead, the problem is likely the new systemic pesticides which work from inside the plant.
These pesticides are not killing the bees on contact. And, in fact, that is what is so mysterious about this disorder. Very few dead bees are actually discovered. So, it's not like the fields were sprayed with pesticides which instantly killed many bees. That would be obvious. Instead, these bees are visiting plants with sub-lethal doses of systemic pesticides in them and bringing pollen (with systemic pesticides in it) back to the hive to feed the brood. The results are not immediate, but instead start to appear about 6 months later (during the winter), when the hive is relying on this stored pollen as its food source.
So it is not the pesticides that kill the bees directly. Instead, it is thought that these chemicals weaken their immune system and make them more susceptible to viruses, limited genetic variation or other problems that have been labeled as potential causes of CCD. The overall collapse of a hive may take several generations, which is why it is so difficult to show a precise link between these pesticides and bee deaths.
France had their own version of CCD happen there about 10 years ago, and after eventually figuring that it was linked to systemic pesticides, they were banned throughout the country and are now banned throughout many parts of Europe. Yet we are still using them in the US. With a vengeance.
The US follows an "innocent until proven guilty" method, where chemicals are usually approved for use unless it can be shown that they are dangerous. The problem with this is that the way this is regulated is that the EPA requires chemical companies to do their own tests to determine chemical safety. Hmmm, sounds fishy, right? So, if the pesticide company says it is safe, then it must be? Bayer, one of the makers of systemic pesticides, did test these chemicals on bees. But, they gave them high doses and watched them for 3 days. When they found no bee deaths, they deemed the pesticides to be safe. We now know that CCD happens over a longer period of time, and that it affects multiple generations (not just the bees who ingest the affected pollen). But Bayer says that they don't need to test that because no one is requiring them to. It's a crazy world that we live in.
To me, the most depressing aspect of all of this is that if bees that come into contact with systemic pesticides are seeing their entire civilizations die off within a generation or two, what is going to happen to the humans who are ingesting food with systemic pesticides? Are our children never going to be able to have children because of the affects of these chemicals? I think that we should take this as a warning. If the bees are suffering tremendous consequences from these systemic pesticides, don't you think we will as well? It may take a generation or two, which for humans is many many years, but if we wait that long to fix the problem, it will likely be too late. Let's save the bees and save ourselves.

A Thanksgiving Adventure

2011-11-27T08:24:00.000-08:00

We spent the week before Thanksgiving in Texas visiting some friends and my husband's side of the family. We met new babies, saw new places and enjoyed spending some time with familiar faces and places as well. It was only the second time that Finn has met his Texas cousins and they were inseparable.
We flew home on Thanksgiving day, but, unfortunately, I had come down with the flu the night before. Let's just say I was very glad when we finally walked in the door Thanksgiving evening. I was asleep by 6:30!! I am finally starting to feel well again, however, the kids are still on Texas time so the entire house is now waking up at 5:30 am. Makes for some long days....
Here are a few pictures from our adventure:

This Moment...

2011-11-25T07:48:00.000-08:00

Hope you all had a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving!

An Almost-Thanksgiving Yarn Along

2011-11-23T06:06:00.000-08:00

Joining in with Ginny at Small Things for yet another yarn along. We are in Texas visiting my husband's family. I was certain we would be doing copious amounts of sitting around and so I brought several books to read and a (very) LOT of yarn to be knit. Just like my home life though, things come up, babies need attention, and what seems like a day with no plans turns into a fun, yet exhausting, day with little time to myself. I did manage to finish up 1Q84 and started reading Shanghai Girls by Lisa See for my mama's book club. Quite a bit different than the surreal 1Q84, but so far I am liking it.
I have managed to make a bit of progress on Phoebe's dufflecoat. I finished up the back panel and am about halfway through one of the front panels. I thought that I would for sure finish the sweater while I was here and now I will be surprised if I even make it halfway through. Isn't that how it always is though?
Stop on by Small Things to see what others are reading and knitting this week!

Feeling Thankful

2011-11-22T07:18:00.000-08:00

Today, I am feeling thankful that our cat, Flash, has returned home! We are out of town visiting family, and our pet sitter called yesterday afternoon to say that Flash, who normally goes outside for about 10 minutes at a time, hadn't been seen for 24 hours. As yesterday afternoon turned to evening, and he still hadn't been seen, I had begun to feel fairly grim. Not coming home for more than a day is completely unlike this cat, and I started to imagine all of the possibilities that could exist for his fate.
Since we are nowhere near our home, I was feeling pretty helpless in the search for him. We had already alerted the local shelters and our neighbors. I had updated his microchip information. We couldn't do much but wait by our phones and hope for good news.... And, late last night, as I was in the process of making a "Lost Cat" flier for our pet sitter to hang around the neighborhood, our lovely pet sitter called us with the welcome new of his return.
Flash has been a part of my family for 12 years, ever since I took him in as a foster cat at 3 weeks old (and never had the heart to bring him back to the shelter), and the two of us have always had a special bond. I am giving thanks a few days early for his safe return home... even though I won't get to see him until Thanksgiving Day. Welcome home Flashy!

This Moment...

2011-11-18T06:46:00.000-08:00

The Truth About Fluoride?

2011-11-17T06:55:00.000-08:00

This past summer Finn went to the dentist for the first time. The entire experience was miserable, and although I could write an entire ~~rant~~ post on that, I will just say that he was extremely scared/overwhelemed/freaked out, and there was absolutely nothing positive about his experience. However, while there, we did find out that Finn has defective enamel on all four of his back molars. Essentially what that means is that the enamel is splotchy, and doesn't cover his entire teeth; hence, about 50% of each molar has no protective coating on it and 3 or those 4 molars already have cavities on them. The dentist recommended not even bothering with filings, as with no enamel, he will continue to get cavities. Our current plan of action is to hold out until he has pain, and then put a crown on the painful teeth, and hope that he does not have defective enamel on his permanent teeth when they come in. Yikes, right? And, I happen to have the world's worst teeth anyways. No amount of flossing/brushing has seemed to prevent me from constantly needing dental work done. It is unpleasant and so expensive, and I can only hope for Finn's sake that he has better teeth luck than I.
So, the point to this long story is that the dentist recommended doing fluoride treatments every 6 months and brushing Finn's teeth with a fluoride toothpaste. Before going to the dentist we had avoided any toothpaste that contained fluoride as I had heard some negative things. I asked the dentist about the risks of fluoride; he looked at me like I was crazy, said it is perfectly safe, and that it is very important to maintain tooth health.
Portland does not fluoridate our public water supply. I however grew up in a town that did, and I had a slew of cavities the first time I went to the dentist. Plus, I always used toothpaste with fluoride as a child and apparently it did me no good. So, to put it lightly, I am not convinced of how much it helps... Doing some web base research resulted in many sites that claim the complete safety of fluoride. However, more than a few sites had a lot of negative things to say about this chemical that seems ot be present everywhere.
Several websites said that fluoride is extremely toxic; more toxic than lead and only slightly less toxic than arsenic. Some of the risks associated with fluoride are: acute poisoning, cancer, birth defects, depressed immune systems, formation of brittle bones, lowered IQ, and gastrointestinal problems. Several websites also talked about how prominent fluoride is, and that come companies are even adding it to infant formulas and other products geared towards children. Hmmmmm.
How can something that is said to be so toxic be everywhere and be allowed to be in my child's water, food and toothpaste? And why am I supposed to be taking him in for mouthfuls of it twice a year? But if I don't give it to him will he have teeth problems for the rest of his life?
I guess I am still fairly torn about this. Since we had that terrible dentist visit in August, I have had Finn brush his teeth with fluoride toothpaste only at night, and the other daily brushing are with a paste that does not contain the chemical. I always make sure he spits it out at night, but I have to wonder how much he is actually swallowing... I don't want his teeth to get any worse (of all people I know how horrible dental pains can be) but I would also rather see him need dental work than get cancer. I don't think I will bring him back for another fluoride treatment anytime soon, but then start to wonder if I am being neglectful.
What are your thoughts on fluoride? Do you give your child fluoride toothpaste or take them in for fluoride treatments? Did you have fluoride as a child?

Yarn Along

2011-11-16T07:01:00.000-08:00

Joining in with Ginny over at Small Things for another Yarn Along. The past couple of weeks I have been doing more sewing than knitting (I finished up the first thing I sewed from a pattern last night!), but I have managed to crank out a couple of gnome hats for the kids, and I started a second sweater for Phoebe! This is another Debbie Bliss pattern, the dufflecoat, and since it only goes up to 12 months, I decided that now is the time. Miss P is already 8.5 months, so hopefully I can get this thing finished before she gets too big. The pressure is on! And, I realized I am on a green yarn kick. I bought the same colorway for the kids hats and Phoebe's new sweater (at different times), plus some more for Phoebe's stocking (which is on my to-do list).
In the world of reading, I got Haruki Murakami's brand new book, 1Q84, from the library last week and only have 10 more days before it is due. And, it is huge. 925 pages. Luckily, like everything Murakami writes, it sucks you in to the surreal story, and it goes by quick. Hard to put it down. I am about 550 pages in, and am hooked.
What are you reading? What are you knitting (or yarning, as Finn likes to say!)?

Handmade for the Holidays

2011-11-15T10:09:00.000-08:00

My friend Heidi, who blogs at Under the Humble Moon, is putting together a handmade holiday directory, a list of etsy shops where you can buy handmade presents for your family and friends for this holiday season. Buying handmade supports individuals instead of big corporations, is better for the environment, and the stuff is way cuter! If you have an etsy shop and would like to participate in the directory, click on the button above and talk to Heidi. If you are looking for some great places to buy some awesomely fantastic gifts, check out the directory and find some down-home mama-made goodies. Now if only I could find some time to stock up my shop.....

Playful Learning: A Review

2011-11-14T06:21:00.000-08:00

I recently had a chance to read through Playful Learning: Develop Your Child's Sense of Joy and Wonder by Mariah Bruehl. This book came highly recommended to me by Finn's preschool teacher (who is also my dear friend), and I am so glad that I read it. I actually enjoyed it so much that after I had to return it to the library, I immediately put this book on my wish list (and am hoping that I may find it under my Christmas tree this year). We own a lot of books at our house, and I get tons of hand-me-down reads from my mom as well. Almost everything I read comes from the library or was given to me by my mom. For me to actually want to purchase a new book means that I really, really liked it.
This book is geared towards either a homeschooling family, or families who want to spend time nurturing their child's educational development. The activities are developed for the 4 to 8 year old range. Bruehl breaks the book into chapters, each of which is a school subject: writing, reading, math, science, art, geography, and conflict resolution. Within each chapter she includes games and activities that teach aspects of each of these topics.... but in ways that are both interesting to the child and relevant to the real world. There are no boring worksheets or 'scenario' situations. The focus is on hands-on exploration and in sensory learning. Along with each activity comes a list of "books to inspire"; additional reading that relates to the learning activity.
This book is so well put together that I can't wait to put it in action in my own home. I don't homeschool Finn, but I do strongly believe in nurturing his learning, and try to include "educational" activities whenever I can . I put "educational" in quotations as I believe that almost everything a child does is truly educational, but I also want to encourage his learning in the traditional school-based subjects as well. Anyways, as soon as I ever find some time, I plan on doing some organizing and setting up several of the activities that are included in Playful Learning. Once I get a system down, I can rotate through, and offer different activities during different weeks.
If you have not yet gotten your hands on this book, please do! I would say to borrow it from your local library, but I am guessing that you will love it so much that you will want a copy of your own. I know that I do!

This Moment...

2011-11-11T06:55:00.001-08:00

Quick Tip: Freezer Compost

2011-11-10T06:26:00.000-08:00

A few months back, Caroline, over at The Feminist Housewife, gave me a wonderful composting tip. She told me that she keeps her compost in the freezer to help eliminate odors and bug problems. We have big gnat and ant problems in Portland, so I was game to give it a whirl. We have been keeping our food scraps in our freezer for the past few months and I have been quite happy with the results. Since there is no smell or bugs, we only have to take it out to the compost bin once or twice a week, and when I dump the compost into the bin, it comes out in this nice frozen puck (without any oozing composting juices--ewww-- that always seemed to be created when our compost stayed at room temperature). The only downside is that is takes up valuable real estate in the freezer, but so far we have made the system work for us.
Do you compost? Where do you keep your compost before you take it to the bin?

The Rhythm of Family: A Review

2011-11-09T06:22:00.000-08:00

I am sure that most of you have already read Amanda Soule's newest book, The Rhythm of Family : Discovering a Sense of Wonder through the Seasons. I, however, waited patiently on the library's hold list for several months before I got my hands on this one, so I just finally had a chance to read it a couple of weeks ago. And, like all of her other books, it is wonderfully creative and has many sweet ideas.

This book is broken down by months, and the things to make and do are seasonally related. There are some I can't wait to try out, like the nature field bags and field notebooks, as well as her beeswax bobbles and her flower essence lotion. A few seem a little beyond the capabilities of a normal household, or at least WAY beyond my family's capabilities (like making wood-carved leaf stamps) and a few are on the very basic side (like how to pack for a picnic). But, Amanda always has lovely ideas that inspire not only to try out some of her creation, but to create my own ideas that work for my family as well. I just don't know how she manages to mother 5 children, write books, craft and bake a zillion things, and never ever seems like she is stressed out. I need some of her mama-zen!
As with all of Amanda's books, I would highly recommend giving this one a peek (that is, if you haven't done so already!)

Happy 4th Birthday Finn!

2011-11-07T07:06:00.000-08:00

Four years ago today I had my first child. He surprised me, arriving 3 weeks before his due date. Looking back now, the signs that he was coming early were obvious, but I think my mind was sort of in a state of denial and I had no idea. Mentally, I don't think I was quite yet ready to be a mother. I still needed a few more weeks (or months) to process how my life was going to change.
Oh, but this baby of mine was determined from day one, and was coming regardless of my readiness. And since this day, four not-so-long years ago, he has taught me so many things. He has taught me how to be a mother, he has taught me how important patience is, he has taught me how to find happiness in the simplest things and how to view my surroundings with innocence. He has shown me that four years, which used to seem like quite a while, can fly by in the blink of an eye before you have time to look back. He has taught me to take in as many moments as I can, and store them in my mind for a rainy day. He has taught me love. The I-love-you-more-than-I-love-myself-and-would-do-anything-for-you-love. And he has give me so much love back.
It is so amazing to watch a child, your child, grow and change and become a person. And even on the days when I think it can't get any worse, I go to bed with a full heart because I have this little person who I love beyond words.
Today, my little baby, my teacher of life, turns four years old. He has grown into such an amazing little guy and I am so happy to be on this journey with him
Happy birthday, to my favorite little man!

Almost 4 and Pirates Galore

2011-11-05T17:44:00.000-07:00

As Finn's 4th birthday is on Monday, we opted to have his birthday party today, on Saturday, so that more people could attend. Finn really wanted to have a party outside and at his favorite park. In Portland. In November. Although we so far have had a pretty mild fall, the rains set in a few days ago and today was cold (40 degrees) and lightly raining. Nonetheless, Finn and his fearless friends braved the elements to come out and celebrate at Finn's Pirate Party.
We kept it pretty simple, as the park and nature were the main entertainment, but mama did do some crafty preparations to spice things up. I made Finn a pirate crown, which I needle felted a jolly roger onto. I also made him some pirate flag shorts (which of course he had to wear long johns under today!). For decorations I made a pirate banner, and although decorations didn't do much for the picnic shelter, the banner as well as a couple of pirate flags are now adorning his bunk bed in his room. The pirate spirit lives on! For party favors, I whipped up some pirate-themed fabric bags and filled them with some eye patches I sewed from felt, as well as a few stickers, pencils and small toys.
Find had a great time and I think most of his friends did too, although everyone was a bit cold and ready to head home as soon as it ended. I think next year I will talk Finn into planning something inside.....

This Moment...

2011-11-04T06:38:00.000-07:00

Reducing My Impact: A Year Long Adventure. Month 7- Reducing Packaging

2011-11-03T07:22:00.000-07:00

November is already underway, but I haven't had a chance to blog about my November goals for my reducing my impact project yet. November's focus will be to reduce the amount of packaging my family consumes. Some aspects of this have already been tackled (or, at least, I have started to tackle them) in previous months. For example, reducing my use of plastics has also helped to reduce packaging (I have been using package-free bar shampoo and buying more items in bulk). Supporting local has also helped, as local items often have little or no packaging because they are not being shipped far. But, this month, I will try to reduce even more of the packaging that I seem to be met with on a daily basis.
Some of my specific goals are to become even better friends with the bulk section at my store, making sure to either bring my own bags or to reuse the bags the store provides. I do really well with beans, lentils and rice, but I oftentimes opt for the prepackaged bags of flour, sugar, etc. because they seem to be less messy in my kitchen. I am just going to deal with the mess and get more organized. I have a bunch of containers for these baking items, so really, I just need to start putting them to better use. I am also going to focus on buying more used goods, which usually have zero packaging (in fact, I just picked up a used bike for Finn's upcoming birthday present! Don't tell!). And, as the season of consumption is nearing, I am trying hard to make as many of my holiday presents as possible (yarn and fabric have very little packaging involved!). However, I know that I don't have nearly enough time to make something for each person on my list, so I will have to do some store shopping as well.
I am also going to try to buy less packaged snacks, crackers, and bread, which means making more of my own (yum!) but which is also way more time consuming. And I have no idea how to make crackers. However, I know there is a limit to what I am able to give up due to time constraints and bodily cravings (aka, there is no way I am giving up my red hot blues addiction. Sorry Earth). But, I can do better. I never buy pre-packaged cookies or muffins, so I think making a batch of crackers and some loaves of bread every couple weeks should be manageable. Anyone have any great cracker recipes?

Do you have any great tips on how to reduce packaging?

Yarn Along and A FINISHED SWEATER! (woot-woot)

2011-11-02T07:19:00.000-07:00

Joining in with Ginny at Small Things for this week's yarn along. So, my awesomely spectacular news is that I finished my sweater for Phoebe! My first sweater EVER, and it was done on size 2 and 3 needles, so even though it is little, it took a long time. This was my first time picking up stitches, sewing on sleeves, and adding trim. I learned a ton. In the end, I thought it came out pretty darn well. I forgot to decrease on one of the front flaps, which made the right shoulder seam a little bunchy, but hey, if that is my worst complaint about this thing, I'll take it. The bad size is I made the 9-12 month size. Phoebe just turned 8 months yesterday, and it is already a bit snug. Apparently these weren't sized on chubby babies. Anyways, I plan to squeeze her into it for as long as I can. And now I am sweater-addicted and want to make her many more!
This week I have been knitting a simple hat for Finn... mindless and on size 7 needles, which feels like a world of difference from size 2's! I am addicted to that color green and actually bought more of that color yarn today. In books I am still reading Dragonflight, which I started a couple of weeks ago. I have read quite a few things in between, but have been taking my time on this. I am not quite hooked yet, but have made it halfway and hope to polish it off in the coming days.
I took a trip to the yarn store today and stocked up for my next few knitting projects. I'll give you a clue: One is for another sweater (already? yes!) and neither will be on needles smaller than a size 7!!

Our SUPER Halloween

2011-11-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

When Finn decided he wanted to be Batman for Halloween (despite never reading a Batman comic or seeing a Batman movie), we decided that the whole family should be superheros. Todd was Robin, and me and Phoebe were just plain ol' nondescript super-heroes: I dubbed us Supermom (yes, finally!) and Super Phoebe.
Hope you all had a wonderful Halloween as well. Finn is already talking about plans for next year... I am just glad I am done making costumes for a while!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T06:35:00.000-07:00

We have been busy around here getting ready for Halloween. Our pumpkins are carved, decorations are hung, costumes are made, and trick or treating plans are set. Someone I know is very, very excited!
In the holiday spirit, I made some pumpkin shaped grahams crackers and pumpkin flavored ice cream last week. Yum. Here is my pumpkin ice cream recipe (for your ice cream maker):

1.5 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar
2.5 cups heavy cream
1.5 Tbl vanilla
1 can pumpkin
pumpkin pie spices as desired

Wishing you all a fantastic Halloween! And I can't wait to see pictures of costumes tomorrow!

Buying Local: An Update

2011-10-30T12:04:00.000-07:00

For my Reducing my Impact project for the month of October, my focus has been to choose local. I did really well while grocery shopping, selecting produce, dairy and eggs all from the northwest (which I have tried to do for a long time), and I also did almost all of my grocery shopping this month at the local organic market, New Seasons. However, my sticking to local pretty much ended with food. I partly think that October was a hard month to buy local because we have been making Halloween costumes and preparing for Finn's birthday party. I needed things like plan onesies and tees, and fabric and craft supplies. I never realized how much I rely on corporate stores until I tried to think of a local business where I could buy these things and was stumped.
Of course I could buy used, but when you are looking for particular things in particular sizes and colors, I just don't have the time to search at every thrift store in Portland until I find the things that work. So, I ended up going to Target and Joann to get what I needed. I picked up my asthma medicine and Fred Meyer and once again realized my reliance on these corporate entities for my daily breathing. Is there such a thing as a local pharmacy?
I guess if I completely did not want to support these chain stores I would have to plan my Halloween costumes around what we could buy locally (or what we already had).... and not everyone in my family would have been happy about that. As far as my asthma medicine goes, I haven't a clue. Everything about a prescription scream corporate support.
If nothing else, this month has been a wake-up call to me on how much I do utilize non-local shops to get basic things that I need. I do plan to continue to support local shops when I can (and hopefully I will do better next month), but I am still left to wonder where one can buy basic goods locally. Maybe it is better to source out an internet-based company that is located across the country but where the goods are made in the US? I guess this is some food for thought for me.
And now I am happily off to the local toy store to pick up a few things for Finn's party next weekend!

This Moment...

2011-10-28T06:07:00.000-07:00

Living Downstream: A Review

2011-10-26T20:44:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was lucky enough to see a screening of the movie Living Downstream by Sandra Steingraber. Sandra wrote a book by the same title which I read for an environmental science class during my undergrad (about 12 or so years ago.... yikes!). The film documents Sandra, an ecologist and cancer survivor, and discusses the relationships between our environment and the incidence of cancer.
The film is like many movies about environmental pollution, however, this one really personalizes it. Sandra entwines her personal story of living with cancer with the cancer research she has done, and puts a face to the statistic.
The film is informative, yet, like many environmental films, depressing. How can we let this happen to our environment? How can we let companies and farmers put chemicals into the environment that will lead to people dying from cancer? How can we think any of this is OK?
For me, 2 moments stood out above all of the rest. The first is when Sandra is speaking to a room full of people and shows them a jar of breast milk. She discusses all of the magical aspects of breast milk, like the fact that it has antibodies and brain-building materials. And then she mentions that it is full of toxic compounds, from pesticides to plastics, endocrine disruptors and the like. At the time, I was seeing this move in a theater on the campus I teach at, and was breastfeeding Phoebe. I almost started to cry.
The second moment that really hit home was the last scene. Sandra again is speaking to a room of people and says that in her heart, she knows that our generation will be the last that is allowed to freely dump cancer-causing chemicals into the air and water. We now look back at slavery and think it was completely unthinkable that we ever allowed that to happen. Sandra hopes that her children one day look back at the chemicals we spew into out environment and think that that is also unthinkable. I actually did start to cry at this point. I hope she is right.
I thought this movie was well done and recommend it to anyone who knows anyone with cancer (yes, that is you). Check out the Living Downstream website for screening locations and more information.

P.S.- the book is definitely worth checking out as well!

Loving Fall

2011-10-26T06:45:00.000-07:00

We have been so very lucky and have had a lovely fall in Oregon. Many sun-filled days with cool crisp air. That may seem like a normal fall to most of you, but Portland often has lots of rain and fall seems to be gone in the blink of an eye.
We have been taking advantage of the weather and enjoying the great outdoors. On Monday we made it to Oxbow Park with some friends. Saw a bald eagle, saw fish (presumably salmon) jumping out of the water, and saw a whole lot of mushrooms. We even brought a few mushrooms home and made some spore prints (however, we did it on white paper and all of the caps except one had off-white spores!).
Mostly though, we have just been wandering around our block, noticing the differences from our last visit. I love this time of year because things change so quickly that we can walk our same street every day and find new changes each time.
We have been collecting things on our walks, bringing them home and using them for art projects. Keeping them as reminders of my favorite time of year.
Before I know it, winter will be here and these sunny days will be few and far between. Until then, we will continue to roam the neighborhood, to take in the changes surrounding us, and to enjoy this oh-too-short season we call fall.

180 Degrees South: A Review

2011-10-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

A couple of nights ago, the hubby and I stayed up watching an excellent movie entitled 180 Degrees South. It's mainly an adventure film that depicts Jeff Johnson's excursion to a remote area of Patagonia, where he does some extreme surfing and ice climbing with several well known climbers. In addition to the breath-taking scenery and the extreme athleticism, this film also does a wonderful job of incorporating environmental concerns into Jeff's adventure. The film touches on population growth and resource consumption, global warming, pollution, and several other "hot" environmental concerns. While the film is still mainly focused on the adventure, I love how these environmental tid-bits are trucked in. It connects the environment to the "real-world", showing those who are not scientists how everything is connected.
I would recommend this film for all! The only downside: it totally made me want to jump on a plane to patagonia (not so great for my carbon footprint)!

The Tastes of Fall.....

2011-10-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we went apple picking, and followed that by a trip to the pumpkin farm where we got 20 pounds of pears. So, I spent a lot of time these past couple of weeks processing fruit. We made apple sauce, apple butter, apple fruit leather, apple pie, apple muffins, pear sauce and pear fruit leather. I am glad that all of that cooking and canning is over with, for now, but I do miss the smell of fruit cooking on the stove.
I have been craving fall foods though, and want winter squash, kale and sweet potatoes for every meal. And I just made a batch of pumpkin ice cream for tomorrow's pumpkin carving extravaganza!
What have you been eating this fall? What are your favorite fall recipes?

this face is a "I have pear leather stuck in my teeth" face!

A Seattle Adventure

2011-10-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

We spent Friday and Saturday in Seattle visiting some friends, seeing some music, eating wonderful food, and exploring new places. The weather was mostly rainy, but it was light enough that we still had plenty of outdoor time. As always, it was fun to get away for a couple of days, and (as always) was nice to return to the comforts of our own home.

This Moment...

2011-10-21T06:29:00.000-07:00

Things I am Loving Right Now

2011-10-20T06:33:00.000-07:00

The cool, crisp fall morning air

The smell of apples, pears and pumpkins baking in my kitchen

Enormously fat, chubby baby rolls

That Finn's new favorite breakfast is oatmeal topped with parmesean cheese (eww, right?)

Lemony chickpea stir fry (find the recipe here)

The simple joys, like a pile of leaves, that an almost-4-year-old discovers every day.

What Are You Loving These Days?

Yarning Along

2011-10-19T07:39:00.000-07:00

Joining in with Ginny over at Small Things for this week's yarn along.
So, I still haven't finished Phoebe's crossover sweater yet.. I just haven't had much time to knit. I have finished both front pieces and the back piece, and have started the first sleeve. Each week I think that I will have it done for "next week's" yarn along.... but I have been working on this for many (many) weeks. I also started knitting a pirate crown for Finn's pirate birthday party that will be in a few weeks. It is a little bit easier to transport than a sweater, so I thought I could maybe get some on-the-go knitting done. ;)
In the book department, I finished The Historian, which I loved (and is why I haven't done much knitting), and couldn't decide what to read, so I started reading four books at once. Whew! I picked up All That the Rain Promises and More: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms from the library in hopes that Finn and I would have some time to do some mushroom looking (and hopefully spore prints) in the next week or to. This book came recommended to me by a naturalist friend and is, so far, great. From the looks of the cover I could have sworn it was from the 1970's, but it was actually published in 1991. I am also browsing through Warm Fuzzies: 30 Sweet Felted Projects which has some darn cute stuff in there. If only I had a bunch of old wool sweaters and a whole lot of time. Some of the projects are really cute though, like the ornaments, cupcake pincushion and a robot sweater. I may get inspired to try at least one of them out before I return this back to the library! I finally got my turn at Playful Learning by Mariah Bruehl and am so excited to read through all of the projects. I will share some of what I learn after I finish! Lastly, I am reading Dragonflight, the first in Anne McCaffreys' Dragonriders of Pern series.
Maybe I will actually have that darn sweater finished by next week? Wish me luck!
What are you reading? What are you knitting?

Homemade Baby Food (and some sneaky vegetables)

2011-10-18T06:35:00.000-07:00

Phoebe is at the age where she can eat purees, so I have been making big batches of homemade baby food and freezing them in serving-size portions. So far she is not a huge fan of my cooking and much prefers jarred. Boo.
Anyways, my friend Wintry gave me a great tip... when she makes baby food for her youngest, she makes big batches and sneaks these purees into food that she cooks for her older child. Finn is actually a pretty good eater and isn't super picky (most of the time anyways)... but what kid couldn't use a few more veggies? So, I tried Wintry's tip and it totally worked.... just make pasta and add a few cubes of veggie purees, top it off with some cheese and you have super-duper mac and cheese (p.s.- this even works for the boxed kind!). For some reason, if they can't see the actual vegetables, there never seems to be an issue. I am hoping to get a freezer full of these little cubes and plan on just throwing them into whatever Finn is eating.
Do you ever sneak veggies into your kiddos food?

Pumpkin Patch and A Trip to the Farm

2011-10-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

We had a busy weekend filled with a trip to the pumpkin patch on Saturday and a field trip to a farm with Finn's preschool on Sunday. We were incredibly lucky that the weather held out for us both days (and we even had some blue sky). Today's trip to the farm was cool and foggy, giving it a mysterious, very autumn-y feeling.

How was your weekend?

This Moment...

2011-10-14T06:44:00.000-07:00

Please check out Monday's post on Killing It With Kindness and help out if you can! Happy Weekend!

One Straw Revolution: A Review

2011-10-13T07:06:00.000-07:00

One Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka has been on my to-read list for a long time.... over 2 years. When I finally picked it up to read it, I wondered why on earth it had taken me so long. This book was captivating, easy to read, and was much more than I expected it to be.
One Straw Revolution is a book about natural farming. I was expecting it to be more of a hands-on technical type book (which are often slow reading), but in fact it was quite spiritual and philosophical. The author, Fukuoka, uses natural methods to farm his land in Japan. And by natural, he does not mean that he uses organic compost and fertilizer... he actually follows what nature would do, planting nitrogen-fixing legumes in rotation with his rice crops, and also putting the "waste" straw from his rice harvest back onto the field. He uses almost no added nutrients, does not compost, and does not worry about pests. His pests change from year to year, and his expectation are that he will lose a small portion of his yield to pests. Not fighting against the pests allows the natural cycle to take place, and rarely do losses from pests become large.
Fukuoka talks about how the modern system of agriculture is not sustainable, and how it is destroying our environment. He believes that one day we will all have to use his methods of natural farming because we will not have the resources left to continue our current farming practices. The most amazing thing about all of this is that this book was published in 1978, before anyone was really aware of the destruction that our agricultural methods were causing. I take that back, obviously some people, like Fukuoka were aware, but for most of us, the move away from conventional farming is just now starting to happen (and many people still don't have a clue how much damage modern agricultural practices are creating). However, this movement towards "organic" and "natural" farming here in the US is not what Fukuoka is talking about. Organic is obviously better than non-organic, but according to One Straw, it still causes environmental destruction and it wastes time and energy. Fukuoka laughs at how organic farmers take crop residues, compost them, and then return them to their field (I guess he is laughing at me because this is what I do!). The crop rotation he has going allows him to just leave residues on the fields, and he grows alternating sets of crops that are not affected by the pests of the last crop. So, by the time a crop gets rotated through again, any pests that would affect it have been long gone. It is a magical system, I must say.
Interspersed through all of this talk of farming is talk of the power of nature and the spiritual side of growing food and sustaining oneself, which makes the book seem much more poetic than simply a book about farming. The downsides to this book are, well, of course, I don't live in Japan and I am curious how the system he uses would work where I live with the crops that I eat.. it seems like such a simple set up, yet how simple would it be to recreate it here, with the crops that grow where I live? Also, the end of the book goes into this mini-rant about how food should be simple. How dinners don't need to be fancy, how we don't need seasonings, and how food should be enjoyed with its natural flavor. I do agree that over-seasoning something or over-processing things can really detract from the flavor as well as the health benefits, however, I love eating deliciously prepared and seasoned food. He says that salt is the only seasoning that should be used.... Why? Seasonings are herbs, which are also plants and they make food taste wonderful. So, he may be a master farmer but it sounds like his palette could use a little pick-me-up.
Anyways, this is a great read and one that I should have read long ago!

Homesteading Disasters (Or I've Been Weeviled)

2011-10-12T07:16:00.000-07:00

So, some of you may remember a post where I talked about dehydrating blueberries, and despite going way longer than the dehydrator instructions, I wasn't completely convinced they were dry. I had a great suggestion to put the dried blues in the freezer, in case they weren't 100% dry. But, sadly, by the time we got home from California, they had already started to mold. This almost brought tears to my eyes. Luckily though, since this was my first time using a dehydrator, I envisioned that something like this might happen. So I only dried about a pint of the blues and either froze or ate the rest fresh. So, at least I didn't lose my whole harvest and next time I will know that they need to go longer. Much longer.
In other garden news, in August I posted about saving seeds from my pea plants. Well, yesterday I decided to check in on them and this is what I found:

Ewww, right? With a quick google search I found out that they are cowpea weevils, a type of beetle that eats pea seeds. Awesome. I guess I will be buying my pea seeds next year. They are pretty fascinating though, because you can see the holes where they ate their way out of the seed. My question is how the heck do I prevent the weevils from getting into my seeds? And was I eating them when I ate my fresh snap peas? Yikes. Anyone have any experience with these pesky guys? I am obviously going to toss these seeds, but I would like to be able to save (pest-free seeds) in the future. What am I doing wrong?

Finn's Birthday Countdown

2011-10-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

Finn will be turning 4 in a little less than a month! He has requested a pirate party (and he wants it outside, which is a little crazy for a November birthday in Portland) and preparations are officially underway! In order to give him a sense of how long until his birthday, I made him a birthday countdown. It's a buried treasure; each day he will remove a grain of sand and be one day closer to his special day!

Killing It With Kindness

2011-10-10T06:07:00.000-07:00

My fabulous friend Wintry, who blogs at Mama Wintry, lost her sweet niece Tuesday in 2009 to a rare form of childhood cancer. Since her passing, her family has started whatchagonnado, an organization that raises money to help ease the burden of families who have a child struggling with cancer.
Whatchagonnado is teaming up with etsy sellers to raise money for their cause. Each month, one or more artists will be donating 20% of their sales to whatchgonnado. This month, my wonderful friend Heidi, who blogs at Under the Humble Moon, is donating sales from her etsy shop, Humble Luna. She makes fantastic dragon tails (just in time for Halloween!!) and other lovely children's items. I will be donating 20% of sales from my etsy shop during the month of February (don't worry, I will remind you all again then!!).
So, how can you help! First off, make sure to check out Humble Luna this month. Also, whatchagonnado is looking for more etsy artisans to commit to a month! If you have an etsy shop and would like to donate 20% of your sales for a month, please either let me or Wintry know. You would be helping a wonderful cause (and it is great free advertising for your shop!). Don't have an etsy shop but want to help? Spread the word! Feel free to grab the whatchagonnado button and put it on your blog! Share this post on your blog or on facebook! Ask your talented friends if they would like to join in to "kill it with kindness". The families they help will surely thank you for it!

Apple Picking

2011-10-08T20:26:00.000-07:00

Fall has arrived and we have the apples to prove it. Today we headed to Hood River to pick apples and to enjoy a day of sunshine! We were also surprised by strawberries that were ready to pick...In October! So we picked, we ate, we conquered. I think I know what my next few days have in store..... I will keep you posted on what these apples get turned into!

Ivy Pullin'!

2011-10-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

Today I brought my students out to do some volunteer work instead of the typical field trip we do on Friday mornings. We headed to a section of Forest Park (with an employee who works for the city of Portland there to lead us) and we helped to demolish as much english ivy as we could in an hour and a half.
English ivy is a terribly invasive species in Portland. It spreads by seeds and by roots, and the mild winters here allow it to thrive and continue growing all winter long. It is everywhere. We helped to restore a small part of the Forest Park ecosystem back to its native plants. It felt really good to spend my morning getting rid of a pile of the invasive ivy, and it made me want to make volunteering a more regular thing. I think Finn, who is almost 4, is probably old enough to come along on some volunteer adventures, and would probably learn a thing or two as well.
Do you have invasive species where you live? Do you and your family find time to volunteer?

This Moment...

2011-10-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

I Love Dirt and The Kids Nature Book: Two Reviews

2011-10-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

I Love Dirt is a cute little book that gives ideas for kids activities during each of the four seasons. The ideas are all wonderful ones, but I found that, at least for our family, they were much too basic.... things like going outside at night and looking at stars, or listening and watching for birds in the spring. Those are great things to do with children, no argument there, they are just things we already do and don't need a book to be inspired for that. However, I am guessing that there are many families out there who don't get out into nature much, and the simplistic ideas in this book would inspire them. I found the ideas all wonderful, but I was looking for a book that would provide fresh ideas for exploring in nature, but I didn't find much here. One idea that did stand out, however, was called Handy Plants. It talked about putting an old sock on, walking through some tall grass or other area and letting the seeds stick to the sock. Then putt the sock in a pot, water it, and see what grows. That definitely sounds fun to me! So, in my opinion, this book won't be of much help to those who get out into nature regularly, but may be just what the less adventurous need.

The Kids Nature Book is a book that is broken down into a calender of sorts, with an idea of something to do or learn about each day. Unfortunately, many of the days adventures require being either at the coast or in the dessert, or somewhere that it is snowing, so no one could actually check off each day's project unless they were flying across the globe. But, the book does have some great ideas. Most of them are for grade school kids, so things that are above Finn's comprehension, but there were still a few ideas that I loved: Making a connect the dot with constellations, making your own weather vane and wind chimes, leaf printing, and making an Indian corn necklace. This one is worth checking out, especially for you home-schoolers looking for some new projects with nature.

Yarn Along.... sort of

2011-10-05T06:39:00.000-07:00

Joining in with Ginny over at Small Things for this week's yarn along. This past week we took a family vacation to California. It was marvelous; the weather was gorgeous, the kids were well behaved, and it was loads of fun. Knitting, however, was a disaster. I decided not to bring along the baby sweater I have been working on, for fear that something might happen to it along our travels. So, I decided to bring the yarn I bought to make matching winter hats for Finn and Phoebe. We got to the airport Friday morning and I pulled out my yarn to knit and.... I brought the wrong needles and spent 5 days not being able to knit. It turned out OK in the end.. I did more reading, slept more and probably paid more attention to my kids... but absolutely zero knitting progress since last week.
I did start reading The Historian for my mama book club. My library hold came in the day before we left on our trip. I am a couple hundred pages in and very wrapped up in the story and can't wait to read some more!
What are you knitting? What are you reading?

Blueberries and Adventures in Dehydrating

2011-10-04T06:45:00.000-07:00

Last week we were lucky enough to go to a friend of a friend's farm and pick some blueberries for free! Blueberries for the picking at the tail end of September is something pretty magical if you ask me... just as the local berries are almost all gone and we have turned to apple and pears, we have now been inundated with blues again! yay!
So, we made muffins, snacked out a bunch, froze some and I also decided to break in the dehydrator I got last year as I Christmas gift and dehydrate some blueberries. As soon as I started, I realized I had no idea what I was doing. The manual said to quickly blanch the berries before starting to dehydrate, but that just made them sort of messy. Then it said to dry between 10 and 16 hours, but 18 hours later, many were still big and juicy. A couple hours later, I discarded the ones that didn't seem to be drying and stored the rest, but I have no idea if I dried them enough.
Anyone have any tips on this? I thought that dehydrating would be super easy, but without any experience of what they are supposed to look and feel like, I am not sure if I succeeded.... I guess if they start to mold we will know I should have kept them in longer...

Simplicity Parenting: A Review

2011-10-03T07:04:00.000-07:00

Simplicity Parenting, by Kim John Payne is hands-down the best parenting book I have read. The ideas are simple (things you probably already think about) and there aren't lots of gimmicks, systems, or rewards. This book advocates involving your child in a simpler life. A simpler life is less stress for the child, less stress for the parents, and a happier family overall.
Payne separates the simplification into four major areas: environment, rhythm, schedules, and the adult world. I was sold in this book halfway through the chapter about simplifying your child's environment. Payne suggests that the abundance of toys (books and clothes too) are stressing our children out because they just have too many. Decisions are hard when too many choices are present, and often their minds become overwhelmed and just sort of turn off. Payne cites several cases where a child has been temperamental, acting different, or having characteristics of ADD, and simply by reducing the number of toys and clutter in the child's environment, these symptoms have drastically decreased or disappeared all together.
We have been having some issues with Finn's behavior lately, so before I even finished the chapter on environment, I did a huge purge of Finn's toys. Now, mind you, I was already in the purging mood and had purged a LOT of stuff from our house, so I was sort of on a roll. We have a tiny house (800 square feet) so we don't actually have an overwhelming amount of toys. But we do (did) have way more than we need, and things were constantly cluttered. So, I removed about 1/4 of the books and about 1/3 of the toys from the house and put them into "storage" in the garage. (As you can imagine, the noise-making and plastic toys were the first to go!) I am going to keep them for a couple of months. Toys that he asks for can become a toy library (to exchange for toys in the house) and the rest will be donated. I was sure that Finn was going to throw a fit when this happened. Before he walked in the house, I explained to him what I did... "I rearranged your room and put some of your toys into the garage for now". He saw his room and was instantly mesmerized by toys that had always been there, but maybe he didn't notice because there were too many choices. Ever since I made this change he has been engaging in solitary imaginative play for about one to two hours a day! And, he has only inquired about a few missing toys (and didn't even want them, he just wanted to make sure they were still in the garage). And maybe it's my imagination, but in general, Finn has been much more pleasant to be around as well. So far, I am so happy with the results. Now I just need to figure out how to make sure he doesn't add too much to the clutter with his birthday and the holidays right around the corner.
The other chapters focus on making sure your family has some sort of routine or rhythm that you children can rely on, reducing schedules (mainly for older kids) so that children still have ample free time each day, reducing screen time, and reducing the children's involvement with adult issues (politics, money, etc.). Everything Payne said made perfect sense and I have already been putting it into practice at our home.
Simplicity Parenting is basically a call to live a more simple life. You children will become happier, and you will become happier. I recommend that everyone with children read this book. I am certainly glad that I did!
Have you read this book? What were your thoughts?