Going Green Mama

Pimp my pooch

2012-01-28T08:01:00.002-05:00

Last year, $51 billion was spent pampering our pets. Seriously. I'm sickened about it, especially in a time when so many - two-legged and four - need our help.

Today at the Green Phone Booth, I'm pitching an idea: Take one tiny piece of excess that you would have spent on your pooch (or yourself) and use that $5, $10, or $20 to make a difference in this world. Report back!

Cancer sucks.

2012-01-27T17:40:00.001-05:00

My daughter is six, and she knows too much about cancer.
She knows that people who get it die.
She knows a friend’s grandfather, a schoolmate’s father and now her great uncle got cancer. And died.
How do you explain death – and hope – to a child?
That sometime’s it’s explainable – like Uncle Kenny smoked for decades – and sometimes it’s not?
How that Grandpa smokes too but cancer might not be his curse?
How you can do things to prevent cancer, but that it’s not a given?
How sometimes cancer takes lives and sometimes people survive?
It’s something I’ve struggled with – a lot – the last few weeks, as we went from having a full family at New Year’s to having a hole in our lives. And both my kids struggle too. While their uncle was hours away, he was there.
And now my children hear the word “cancer” and ask questions about death. Ones I’m not quite prepared to discuss.
Or they say prayers to Uncle Kenny. Or tell me things like “When I go to Heaven, I’m going to run up and give Uncle Kenny a big hug.”
Or say in the dark, tucked into bed, that they worry one day we might get cancer too.
I so desperately want to break that cycle. To tell them there are things we can do. Things we can do to take care of ourselves. Things we can do to support others. Things we can do to care for our water, our air, our food, our planet. Things to take action, and not just pray and wait.

Making a smarter smart phone choice

2012-01-21T08:45:00.002-05:00

I''m breaking down and ditching my "dumb phone" after two years. As I search for a smart phone, I'm trying to find a solution with the best cost, functionality and use - not to mention, least risk from radiation. Check out what I learned today at the Green Phone Booth.

And if you're not hunting for a phone? The Environmental Working Group has some ideas on reducing your exposure:

Text instead of talk, as it emits less radiation (and data use).

Use headsets or speakers.

If you have fewer bars, limit your use, as it takes more radiation to make it to the tower!

Limit children's cell phone use - ideally to emergencies only. Is Angry Birds really worth it?

Green and healthy lunch box ideas

2012-01-09T04:57:00.003-05:00

Packing a healthy school lunch is tough enough, but when everything seems to be out of season, it feels far more challenging to pull together something fresh and healthy.

Still, you're not reduced to serving "fruit" snacks or bleached baby carrots as your only options. Here are some fast solutions for fixing school lunches that are as easy to pack as to manage at school.

Main dishes
The main event doesn't have to be a boring peanut butter on plain bread sandwich. With a little flexibility you can easily shake up your "sandwich" into something more creative.

Choose homemade breads, flat breads or crackers.

Even serve almond butter on banana or applesauce bread for something different.

Go 'round by creating wraps.

Slice cooked chicken or cheeses into strips.

Serve chicken or ham chunks, cheese and small veggie chunks as as "kabobs" on toothpicks.

Don't forget your thermos. Just a few hot meals packed in a thermos, and you'll come out ahead of hot lunches. My daughter has enjoyed spaghetti made with homemade - and homegrown - pasta sauce, and lo mein and other dishes are easily packed for a fun menu choice.

Winter veggies and fruits
It takes mere minutes to slice carrots into coin shapes or sticks, yet it's a far better alternative than bleached baby carrots. And if you can get some locally grown carrots - yes, even in January - you're in for a better treat!

If you have a salad lover, grab some winter lettuces; just pack your salad separate from the dressing, or your child could have a soggy mess by mealtime.

For an easy dip, drop the bottled ranch dressing and substitute dressing mix mixed with plain Greek yogurt.

And dont forget your seasonal fruits, which are suprisingly hardy (good for those of us whose children routinely whip those lunchboxes around!). Think apples, oranges, tangerines, tangelos, and pears. You could even add some homemade honey-yogurt dip for a fun option. Dried fruits tossed with nuts help meet that sweet tooth too.

What other options do you like for an easy - and healthy - school lunch alternative?

This post is part of the Healthy Child Network carnival on green and healthy lunch ideas.

Dreaming of spring

2012-01-07T07:44:00.004-05:00

Looking at my trees and blueberry bushes, it's hard to believe it's January. I'm seeing the beginnings of buds everywhere.

This weekend, instead of dodging snowdrifts, we're taking advantage of some 50 degree temperatures to play outdoors, take long walks and work in the garden. Yes, you can work in the garden in the winter. I'm sharing some quick tips that can save you some time when you're itching to garden this spring on today's Green Phone Booth.

Reducing food waste in our home

2012-01-02T09:23:00.007-05:00

Food. For six weeks or more each fall and winter, it's all we can think about. Thanksgiving. Holiday parties. Christmas dinner. New Year's Eve parties. And then parties for bowl games and the SuperBowl. It's a lot of calories consumed, not to mention a lot of leftovers wasted. All at a time when our county food pantries are seeing a 25 percent jump in need compared with last year.

And we're not immune in our home. Cooking specialty dishes, coupled with lousy weather, meant far more cans, packages and normally compostable items going into our trash can the last few weeks.

For one week, in our post-Christmas haze, I focused my attention on eliminating much of the food waste in our own home, to see how much unnecessary food waste we could stop among us four. What I found is it's a lot harder to keep on track without a plan.

On typical weeks, we have at least humble attempts at meal plans, but with a fridge half-full with Christmas dinner leftovers and a stomach bug floating through our home, our plans went by the wayside. Instead of planned meals, we had humble fixings, turning instead to simple sandwiches to use up extra meats and breads, cheese and crackers, or other small-plate meals. We did a lot less heavy cooking (fine by me) but often failed to remember to make our meals balanced. It's too easy to forgo a veggie dish if you don't have sliced veggies in hand in the fridge and everything else is a 2-minute prep time.

But the self-imposed pox on food waste made for interesting meal options, too. My leftover eggs from baking, garlic chive butter from Christmas meals, and some sad-looking shitakes and green onions made for a fabulous morning omelet for one. Our leftover veggies made for good low-mein and stirfries, and this morning we're using the last of our breads and eggs for French toast. Our trimmings we redoubled our efforts in piling back on our compost pile, and we made no processed goods.

In all, a week after Christmas, our only things tossed were some gravy, a small bit of roast beef, a bit of cranberry sauce that my kids eschewed, a small plate of leftovers my husband had fixed for work then forgotten (a miscommunication for us both), and the cheesy corn dip from a New Year's Eve party that had to be tossed due to being out for six hours.

I don't believe you can completely eliminate food waste, but you can certainly considerably reduce what ends up in your trash can. It will take a little more planning but well worth it. If it saves me money, saves me time, saves landfill space and saves resources that could be used to feed others, what's not to like?

***

Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you
can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival
participants:

(This list will be live and updated by afternoon January 10 with all
the carnival links.)

Make your own
moisturizer! — Megan at boho mama whips
up a winter skin-friendly moisturizer.

Cold Water Only — Brittany at
The Pistachio Project talks about how you do not need hot
water to wash laundry.

Family Cloth... Really?? — After lots of
forethought and consideration, Momma Jorje finally decides
to take the plunge with family cloth.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle : 5-5-5 Things A Day
— Luschka from Diary of a First Child writes about
decluttering her home in an attempt to create a gentler living space. She
takes on a new project where she sets a goal of reducing, reusing and
recycling every day.

Pros and cons of family cloth — Lauren
at Hobo Mama would love to continue replacing paper
products with family cloth … if she could only get over how damp she
feels.

Craftily Parenting
— Kellie at Our Mindful Life finds that crafting
makes her a better parent.

Changes — Laura at Pug in the
Kitchen couldn't choose just one area to experiment with, so she
wrote a long post about all the fun changes initiated in her life!

Life without Internet: Not all it's Cracked up to
Be — Adrienne at Mommying My Way tries
to go a week without the Internet, only to realize a healthy dose of
Internet usage really helps keep this stay-at-home mom connected.

My Progression to Raw Milk — Kerry at
City Kids Homeschooling shares her natural parenting
progression all the way to trying raw milk.

mama's new little friend. — Sarah at
Bitty Bird tries a menstrual cup to "green her period,"
and is pleasantly surprised when she falls in love with the product!

Before you throw it out, try homemade laundry
soap! — Jennifer at Practical OH Mommy
shows visual proof that homemade laundry soap is cheaper, easier, and works
better than the store-bought chemicals!

Oil, Oil, No Toil, No Trouble — K from
Very Simple Secret talks about her foray into the
oil-cleansing method.

I Need a Hobby — Amanda at Let's
Take the Metro couldn't decide which experiment to run, so she did
them all.

7 days of macrobiotics for a balanced family
— The Stones make a [successful] attempt to release the "holiday
junking" with 7 days of macrobiotic meals to balance their bodies and
souls. Elisabeth at Manic Mrs. Stone includes an
explanation of macrobiotics.

Chemical Free Beauty Challenge — Jenn at
Monkey Butt Junction turned to natural alternatives for
her daily beauty and cleaning routine, with great results.

Greening my Armpits!? My Green Resolution
— Shannon at The Artful Mama talks about how she
decided to give up her traditional antiperspirant and make the switch over
to crystal deodorants and definitely isn't looking back!

Going Raw (for a
while) — Jenny at Chronicles of a Nursing
Mom shares her family's experience with raw food.

Do we get to eat gluten
today? — Sheila at A Gift Universe has
been trying to figure out if her son does better with or without gluten in
his diet … but it's really hard to tell for sure.

Hippies Can Smell and Look Fabulous Too! — Arpita of Up, Down And Natural details her experience of going shampoo-free and overhauling her cosmetics to find the
balance between feeling beautifully fabulous and honoring her inner hippie.

Our cupboards are full...but there's nothing to eat — Lucy at Dreaming Aloud takes on the challenge of chomping through the contents of her storecupboard rather
than going shopping — but there's something that she just can't bring
herself to do …

Elimination Experiment 3.0 — MudpieMama recounts the messy adventures of her baby daughter trying to be diaper free.

Family Cloth Trial — Amyables at Toddler in Tow talks about making and using family cloth wipes in the bathroom for the first time.

Taking a Hiatus — Amy at Peace 4 Parents shares how her experience of much less internet interaction affected her family and how it will change her approach in the
future.

Trying Out the Menstrual Cup — Lindsey at an unschooling adventure ditches the tampons and gives menstrual cups a try.

Managing Food Waste in Our Home — Tired of the holiday waste, Robbie at Going Green Mama takes a weeklong focus on reducing food waste in her home and learns some lessons that can take her through the new year.

Going Offline, Cloth Tissues, and Simplicity — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama muses over her time away from blogging and social networking. In addition, she shares her
newfound love of cloth tissues and simplicity.

The Oil Cleansing Method — Erica at ChildOrganics explores an easy, organic and natural way to tackle skin care.

Experiments in Natural Family Living - Natural Toys! — Lani at Boobie Time enjoys the silence of natural toys and being more present with her son.

Discovering a New City and Organic Foods — Amy at A Secure Base describes her family's switch to and search for organic foods for one week.

My Experiment in Homemade Bread — Crunchy Con Mommy tried — and loved — baking her own homemade bread.

Menu Planning: Stop the Excuses — Gaby at Tmuffin stopped the excuses and started planning her weekly meals, drastically cutting her grocery budget and stress level and improving the quality of foods she fed her family.

My First Menstrual Cup — Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children was pleasantly surprised with her first experience using a menstrual cup.

My Natural Beauty Regime — Christine at African Babies Don’t Cry shares the results of banishing cleanser and soaps from her bathroom, as well as a couple of natural homemade recipes that have worked well on her skin.

Unplugging and Creating a Rhythm: Our Experiment in Natural Family Living — Dionna at Code Name: Mama focused less on gadgets and spent more time with her family to create a healthy rhythm for the new year.

Experiments in Natural Family Living: 5 First Steps Toward Preparing for a Natural Birth — Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama discusses how she tackled the pressing matter of how to begin preparing for a natural birth.

All you need is...vinegar! — Kristen at My Semi-Crunchy Life learns that one household product can replace all the cleaners in her cabinet.

Nope Nada Ixnay Negative Pass Decline — Zoie at TouchstoneZ finds out what shakes loose if she says, "YES!!" to anything anyone asks of her over the space of 10 days.

Reducing our exposure to toxins found in plastics — Syenna at Gently Parenting Twins throws out the melamine and BPA plastics which have been
hanging around the kitchen for too long.

Duh! — Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment shares how she began the process of helping her 2-year-old son stop physically acting out.

Experiments in Natural Parenting: Starting, Stopping, and Gaining Perspective — Melissa at Vibrant Wanderings explains how pregnancy brain interfered with her attempts to complete an experiment, but how she gained some interesting perspective as she started and stopped several.

From Experiment to Lifestyle — Abbie at Farmer's Daughter shares her experience avoiding processed foods for a month, and deciding to make it a permanent lifestyle change.

From Disposable Paper to Reusable Cloth – AGAIN! — Terri at Child of the Nature Isle stops flushing trees down the toilet and switches to the softest ever butt-wiping material: cloth.

Extra! Extra! Water Heater Turned Down, Mom Doesn't Notice! — Thomasin at Propson Palingenesis finds an energy-saving experiment that's so easy she
didn't even realize it was happening.

Worm Tea — CatholicMommy isn't sure how successful her worm bin will
be, but she's having fun anyway.

Miles to Go ... — Rachael at The Variegated Life learns that when it comes to sleep debt, she's in real deep.

My Month With Water Kefir — Paige at Baby Dust Diaries experiments with a new fermented probiotic drink homemade in her own kitchen.

OMG Mom is Home... All Day Everyday: A Week-Long Experiment in Connecting — What a difference a week makes! Ana at Pandamoly is afforded a week off from work and takes the chance to reconnect and reattach with her 16-month-old son through an experiment in simply being there.

Creating Healthy Family Recipes — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now shares her experiment with healthy, gluten-free recipes and a chocolate muffin recipe that was created during the experiment.

Adventures in Alternative Haircare: No 'Poo — This guest post at Natural Parents Network from Amy at Anktangle chronicles a months-long journey into the
world of no 'poo.

My Experiment in Natural Family Living: Natural Family Planning —
Birth control options are seriously limited for those of us trying to live a little closer to the earth, so Mama Psalmist experiments with natural family planning.

Stained-glass cookies

2011-12-17T12:43:00.000-05:00

Stained-glass cookies are a Christmastime treat that I recall having as a child but hadn't reattempted until recently. They are a great way to use up the last of those Halloween candies, especially leftover lollipops.

Stained-glass cookies
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups flour
crushed candies, sorted by flavor/color

Cream butter and sugar; beat in egg until mixed, then vanilla and salt. Add flour until blended. Divide the dough in half, flatten each into a disk and cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or place in freezer for about 20 minutes.

Remove dough. let warm slightly, and roll to 1/4 inch thickness.

Preheat oven to 375. Cover baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray. Cut out cookies with larger cookie cutters, then with smaller cutters (or a clean top to a soda bottle) cut shapes within each.

Place on cookie sheet and sprinkle candies inside.

You will want to make sure the candies all are inside the centers, or they will melt into the cookie. (Read: If you want a perfectly "unstained" cookie, this may not be the part for helpers!)

Bake 10-12 minutes. Let centers cool thoroughly before removing from the pan.

Gifts for the gardener or locavore

2011-12-17T12:33:00.002-05:00

Looking for a good read? Today on the Green Phone Booth, I'm checking out books that are great gift options for the gardener or locavore.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-14T17:53:00.000-05:00

Enough

2011-12-10T10:09:00.002-05:00

Holiday shopping is stressful enough, but balancing a birthday in the mix can cause a bit of mommy guilt along the way. Today at the Green Phone Booth, I share my challenges in celebrating the birth of Christ and the birth of my son in the same week.

Advent season: Slowing down

2011-12-08T06:18:00.002-05:00

Advent was a season I had never given much thought to in years past. Beyond the candles burning at Sunday masses, an evening reconcilliation service and the promise of a Nativity scene, Advent didn't really register to me.

Until I started to slow things down.

First, I cut out a lot of clutter around the holidays. Over the years, I've worked most of my Christmas shopping to where my gift buying was completed over months, not weeks or days. Instead of a mad scramble to find something that "fit" the person on Black Friday, I slowly discovered gift ideas over the seasons. Come this Thanksgiving, I really only had a gift or two left to purchase, December birthdays included.

Further slowing my life down was my husband's unemployment/underemployment the last few years. Suddenly dinners out and shows seemed like unnecessary extravagances. Would I like to see Transiberian Orchestra? Of course. And some year it may happen. Just not this one. Instead I've begun searching for Christmas activities in our community that don't necessitate a $100 outlay. Like community Christmas tree services. Or a visit to Santa. Or the free day at the holiday trains at Garfield Park. Or the Nativity show at our parish.

Putting a focus on the Christmas season has helped our family put it back in the right focus. This year, I've made an ardent effort not to schedule non-Christmasy things on our calendar. Yes, we missed Scout night at the circus, and stayed home and played games and watched Rudolph. And other than a small family dinner and treats at the daycare, my son's birthday will be celebrated with friends after the Christmas business dies down. I don't know that either will be missed.

Instead of being stressed about errands, I can focus on my family. We can bake a batch of cookie if we want. Or read Christmas stories from around the world from the library. Or bring out more Christmas decorations. Or take them to play at the park for hours on a warm day without thinking about the "I need to do" list. Or (gasp!) even focus on cleaning our house for our Christmas company.

Is it tough to make a conscious choice to slow down during the Christmas season? You bet. But trading off the calendar items, the unneccessay errands, the stressed shoppers and children, it makes it all worth it. And I hope my family is happier for it.

Ferret fun

2011-12-07T06:08:00.007-05:00

Seventeen Daisy Girl Scouts and three ferrets. You'd think it would be the recipe for trouble.

But our first-grade Scout troop couldn't get enough of these furry little creatures at our monthly meeting last night.

As part of our journey (patch series) this year, we invited two speakers from the Ferret Rescue and Halfway House in Martinsville to share about how they care for ferrets abandoned by their owners. The group, located southwest of Indianapolis, rescues as many as 400 ferrets each year.

Personality wise, ferrets seem to have a lot in common with my 3 year old son: energetic, can't sit still, don't want to be held for long, but sometimes relishing a quiet place to hide from the crowd.

The girls were captivated by the three ferrets crawling about the room, but they absorbed many fun facts about the ferrets and their care in the process. They loved learning about how the ferret was trained to do tricks for Harry Potter, seeing how their small bodies can stretch and bend, learning how they ate bugs and other facts. I'm sure it will be on one of those meetings they will be talking about for a while -- and I apologize to any parents whose kids suddenly ask Santa for a ferret!!

This is part of a recurring series sharing ideas from the Daisy Girl Scout patch series 5 Flowers, 4 Stories, 3 Cheers for Animals! journey. You can read the previous installment here.

Stretching your holiday giving

2011-12-04T11:20:00.000-05:00

Helping others in need is one of the greatest signs of the Christmas season, one that I worry is getting ignored more and more.

So many organizations and people need help. So many in fact, that it seems people turn a blind eye anymore to the "noise" of cries for help.

This year, the first in my decade at my work, my department opted not to adopt a family for Christmas. I know for a few, money was an issue, though with some creative efforts and a small sacrifice of a lunch out, we could have pulled together something for a family in need. It breaks my heart; this was one thing that we truly did as a team, and one that touched little children's lives. How would you explain to your child that he or she was overlooked by Santa on Christmas Day?

The reality is, we all have a lot of gifts to bear. Many of them in our own homes, if we choose to look beyond the clutter, to really look at the unloved toys and things among our excess.

This year, we are still tight on budgets as we are working to rebuild after three years of my husband being out of full-time work. But a little creativity is going to help a single mom of two, who's in college and looking for work, this Christmas.

All in all, I spent $1.25 out of pocket for two little girls. Seriously. Here's how we did it:

We looked at gifts that were given but never used by our children. That included two PBS-themed plush puppets, two travel Etch-a-sketches that were used once and then ignored, and a stuffed dog from the Grinch.

We looked at what was outgrown but still in pristine condition. That included two children's cookbooks (a Sesame Street story/cookbook and a duplicate Princess and the Frog cookbook), two stashed-away but unused children's winter plates, a Dora fleece blanket and a stack of outgrown Halloween costumes and dress-ups.

We looked at our excess. We knew the mom needed many of the basics for everyday living, so we packed a reusable shopping bag with toiletries that we'd bought with register rewards and coupons. We can always watch for future sales and replenish.

The $1.25? Spent on a pair of cute pants on clearance for the toddler.

What do you have that you are blessing others with this Christmas season?

Local Indiana food gifts

2011-12-03T06:17:00.000-05:00

Holidays and hometown foods just make sense. When it comes to Christmas gift giving, a taste of home can be a good thing.

For our family, a decade out of Kansas City, there's the Strawberry Hill povitica we used to get each year. Or the Velvet Creme popcorn that my in-laws send that the kids will just dive into a tub from. Or, of course, bottles of Vignoles or Tailgate Red from Holy-Field Winery.

But finding Indiana concoctions has taken some time for me to find. I still vividly remember years ago asking a friend what Indiana was known for for food, since a visiting friend wanted to try it. I got a blank stare.

Recent years have led me to some great treat ideas. And as I started shopping for an old college friend, with whom I still exchange fun treats each Christmas season, I thought local is best. And I wasn't disappointed in my search.

Here are some of my favorite food finds in Indiana, some of which I'll be sharing this holiday season:

For the sweets fan

Try funky artisian marshmallows from 240Sweet in Columbus. We discovered these treats at a winter market a few years back, and the kids are always itching for tastes! These come in crazy flavors for every palate, from Bourbon Sugar Churro with Cajeta to Chocolate Hazelnut Swirl to Bacon Maple Toffee.

Carmel lovers will be thrilled with the homemade chewy goodness from Abbott's Candy in Hagerstown. Our graphic design agency shares these with us each Christmas season, and they disappear. Quickly.

Chocolate lovers will like the Indiana-made Endangered Species Chocolate (dark chocolate is fabulous!) or the artisian Chocolate for the Spirit, a new chocolate company out of Shelbyville I discovered at last weekend's Carmel Winter Market. Let me just say "Wow." If you haven't heard of them, you will soon. They were featured in yesterday's Indianapolis Star, and their Mayan Spirit Bars were selected among the top 5 favorites at NY Chocolate Show by gourmet magazine, "The Nibble."

For the wine lover

Locally, I love to visit Mallow Run Winery in Bargersville, but a new favorite for me may be Simmons Winery's Vignoles wine, which I found much drier than the Vignoles I'm used to from Holy-Field in Kansas City.

For the cook

Cooks may want to tap into oils, flavored sugars and spices from Artisano's Spices and Oils in north Indianapolis (also at the Carmel and Indianapolis winter markets). My sister-in-law quickly squirreled away the blueberry-flavored sugar last Christmas, and a good friend and I can just spend an afternoon snacking on bread with their fabulous flavored oils.

You might also check out a cookbook from Daniel Orr from FARMBloomington. We love to dive into his FARMFood cookbook, which focuses on seasonal eating year-round, and I understand he has a new Carribean-inspired cookbook as well.

Sometimes, a taste of home is well worth it this holiday season.

Carmel Winter Farmers Market

2011-12-01T06:26:00.003-05:00

Hamilton County now has its first Winters Farmers Market in Carmel. Open Saturday mornings, the new indoor market tucked away behind shops at Carmel City Center, not far off of U.S. 31 in Carme,l could grow into something great.

Still a small market, it had a friendly atmosphere yet still room for me and my children to move around, something that's a growing challenge in the ever-packed Indianapolis Winter Market downtown. So I was excited to make the drive to check out a new market and explore options last Saturday. And if I hadn't been running errands on a warm Saturday morning, I would have grabbed some meats as well.

This time of year, you expect fewer and fewer produce offerings and more produced items, which was the case here. I had great conversations with a Mennonite farmer as I perused the lettuces, broccoli and brussels sprouts, all cold-weather crops. My kids eyeballed the apples from the fall harvest and slurped up tea samples from a Carmel tea company.

And if you're looking for holiday treats, you wouldn't be disappointed. Greek vendors, a chocolatier from Spirit of Chocolate in Shelbyville, and holiday desserts abounded.

The Winter Market at Carmel City Center is open 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays through March 17 (with the exception of Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve). The Winter Market will be held in a storefront at 719 Hanover Place on the interior of Carmel City Center, on the southwest corner of City Center Drive and Rangeline Road. Follow the signs for parking.

Snowman kits

2011-11-29T06:20:00.003-05:00

Winter weather on the way means my kids will be begging to build snowmen in the dark tonight!

It's time for us to dig out our snowm an kit we received as a gift years ago, but it's simple to put one together for gift-giving or to have ready for eager children. Check out simple ways to convert unused items into a fabulous, frugal Frosty.

Living my 80/20 rule

2011-11-28T06:11:00.003-05:00

It's easy to get swept up into a green lifestyle, or any lifestyle for that matter. But keeping that momentum up and letting it be a blessing, not a curse, is not the easiest thing to do.

Bake your bread. Grow your garden. Drink organic milk. Make your laundry soap. The list goes on and on--and if Itracked and tried every little green thing I could do, I might go insane.

There are only so many hours in the day. About 10 are lost to work, driving my children to school, and my commute. Another eight to sleep. If my math serves me right, I'm left to cram the most living in my life in a meager six hours a day. That's six hours of making meals, of playing with my kids, of doing laundry, of trying to have a great relationship with my husband, of making time for prayer.

Six hours to squeeze in any other green bits that might possibly extend my stewardship of God's resources.

I can certainly devote my day to breadmaking, or gardening, or learning to make soap, which I still think would be fun to try. But I don't have the time resources or the financial investment to try all things. And if I focused on that, then I might miss out on those magical moments making trash trucks and giraffes out of Legos, going for walks in the park with my family, sharing moments with my daughter as a Girl Scout leader or simply sitting in solitude early in the morning.

So these days, I make more careful investments. I buy laundry soap from the man at our farmers market. I grow what I can and buy locally next. I've just resigned for a produce delivery service, as our city's primary winter farmers market is 30 minutes away and packed most weekends, tough to take children to. And I'm left in the day with a few mninutes to savor the miracles of the season.

As Stephanie at Simple Organic writes:

There will always be ways that I could be healthier and greener, and much as I may want to, I simply won’t be able to make all of those changes. No one can do it all and live the “perfect green life” because I’m pretty sure it doesn’t exist (and if it does, I don’t think I want to know
about it).
Letting go of perfectionism in natural living is one of the things that has most freed me to continue to do what I do, without guilt, without obligation, and with a whole lot less stress.

Peanut Butter Coconut Clouds

2011-11-26T18:45:00.003-05:00

This flourless cookie was a huge hit with my brother and kids--though having three helpers for this project was a bit much! Based off of an old kids' cookbook my mother had saved from my childhood.

Peanut Butter Coconut Clouds

1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp. vanilla
dash salt
2/3 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. unsweetened flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 325 and lightly spray cooking sheets.

In small mixer bowl, beat egg whites, vanilla and salt on high speed until soft peaks form (hint: tips curl over). Gradually add sugar (do not just dump it in), beating until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight.)

Melt peanut butter, about 30 seconds in microwave. Fold in peanut butter and coconut into egg whites. Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.

Bake 15-17 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool for a few minutes before removing from pan. Makes about 2 dozen.

A Thanksgiving Tale

2011-11-22T06:21:00.004-05:00

An oral history, as told in the back seat by "Star Dancer" and "Laughing Sun."*

This is what happens when a 3 year old and 6 year old learn American history. It started when my son starts sharing abut the history of the first Thanksgiving.

"The boys with feathers, they had naked bellies."

"All the Indians wear mocassing, and Pilgrims wear tennis shoes," my 6 year old corrected. "They were always black. The boys would wear tennis shoes which is all there were in the olden days. The girls would wear high heels.

"Then they sailed to America. There was a storm. When it got to winter, some of the Pilgrims died. Like three Pilgrims."

"We don't know how many Pilgrims died."

"I do. Only 10 of those Pilgrims. One hundred minus 10 equals 90. There were 90 Pilgrims. And after 84 days, they were back to 100 Pilgrims. And the Indians were so happy they celebrated Thanksgiving for three days."

And thus, we eat well each November, to celebrate the spontaneously reproducing Pilgrims wearing black tennies.Who knew?

* Wondering about the names? These were the Native American names their teachers had picked for them this week. If you know my children, the names fit so well!

Overheard

2011-11-18T06:09:00.002-05:00

"Go tell it on the mountain...'cause I'm getting nothing for Christmas."

Yet another reason why I love my child.

(Sometimes, you just need to start your day with a smile!)

Battling bugs

2011-11-18T06:06:00.003-05:00

Mucinex. Benadryl. Antibiotics. Dinatep. Ibuprofen. Even honey I think I've tried it all the last two mnonths in trying to put an end to my daughter's cough and congestion. She's tired of her cough, tired of not sleeping well and tired of the kids' comments in the classroom.

Yet I admit being nervous about natural remedies, particularly untested ones and use in children.

Today at the Green Phone Booth, I'm seeking answers. Are there any safe remedies for kids that work?

Pasta carbonara with leeks

2011-11-14T06:37:00.000-05:00

Bacon pasta. That's how you sell pasta carbonara, a fancy name, to a three-year-old... My husband loves eating leftovers for breakfast!

This is adapted from a recipe published years ago in Cooking Light.

Pasta carbonara with leeks
1 lb. spaghetti, cooked
1 c. parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs + 2 egg whites
1 cup chopped bacon
5 cups sliced leek (Speed tip: Trader Joes sells these sliced in a package in the freezer section)
3 tbsp. minced garlic

When cooking pasta, reserve 3/4 cup cooking water when draining. Let it cool somewhat.

Combine cheese, pepper, salt, eggs and egg whites in a bowl. Gradually add the reserved cooking liquid to egg mixture, stirring constantly.

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove from pan, reserving drippings. Cook leeks in the pan drippings about 4 minutes. (Note: Depending on the amount of grease in pan from the bacon, you may want to drain somewhat to reduce the overall fat in the recipe.) Add garlic and saute another minute.

Ad d pasta, cheese mixture and bacon, reduce heat and cook one minute, tossing to coat. Serve immediately.

Christmas wishes

2011-11-12T07:39:00.002-05:00

Today at the Green Phone Booth, I'm writing about the challenges of drafting a wish list without emphasizing the getting of stuff. Check it out.

3 Cheers! Daisy Scout Journey - Our Adventure

2011-11-10T17:35:00.001-05:00

3 Cheers for Animals – and 3 cheers for surviving our kickoff meeting!

This year, I’ll be sharing some of our Daisy Girl Scout troop’s experiences with the new 5 Flowers, 4 Stories, 3 Cheers for Animals! journey. For those of you who haven’t sold a cookie in awhile, journeys seem to be the new name for badges.

Our first-graders, as we’re wrapping up our Daisy petals, are turning our attention to animal care for the rest of this year. Our challenge is that our troop meets monthly, so we’re trying to condense what can be a very unique, robust 10-session program into six or seven meetings. (The 10-session program, outlined in the Girl Scout’s leader guide, is great, but there are a lot of extra activities, snacks, etc., that aren’t required to complete the journey.)
This month’s meeting focused on the kickoff for the journey. Our group of 17 girls makes it challenging to incorporate some of the activities, such as a team mural (creating one animal element each meeting) or the team paper mache birdbath. If you have a larger troop like ours, you can do what we did, and stagger other projects in rotation. Our girls worked on a few service projects – creating shoeboxes for St. Vincent de Paul and completing a few welcome cards for each of the 18,000 anticipated hotel visitors for this year’s SuperBowl in Indianapolis – a huge initiative that many Indiana schools and troops are participating in.

The girls, who are early readers, loved getting their companion books and eagerly thumbed through the colorful pages. I’m sure my daughter and I will be reading often from the selection of stories at bedtime in the coming weeks.

Our toughest challenge so far? Other than the revolving stations of activities – not in itself a bad thing – narrowing down our guest speakers. Session 2, our December meeting, is to feature a speaker on some element of animal care, and we were at no loss for ideas: veterinarians, Humane Society, even a recent high school graduate/4-H’er who helped expand her father’s cattle business into locally grown meats featured at our local farmers market. Our final decision? Ferret rescue. Quirky, yes, but I can’t wait to see the girls’ reactions!

Santas in shoeboxes

2011-11-09T17:34:00.000-05:00

Santa isn’t just a chubby old man with cold feet and a warm heart. In our home, we stress that we are Santas for other people, regardless of time of year.

I never want my children to forget that they have an opportunity, in fact, a duty, to be there for other people and share the resources they’ve been given. And I’ve been humbled time and again how they have held up to their part.

My children offer outgrown shoes to “Haiti” (actually a fundraising sale for a mission there). They offer well-loved toys, even ones they still play with often, to share with others. They proudly share the few coins they have to Faith Filled Fridays at school or other drives. And they are an example to me. One I should pay attention to more.

Each winter, for as long as I can recall, the preschool class at my daughter’s school does a shoebox drive for the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry at our church. I suppose it is much like Operation Christmas Child, only on a much smaller scale.

The children wrap a shoebox (top only or the full box) and include a gently loved toy, book, a few candies, apple and orange, and a note of hope for the holidays. These are distributed to young children in families helped with food baskets and other Christmastime support at the church.

It’s such a simple thing, but I love that it’s grown beyond the preschool, stretching to the Moms group, the Girl Scouts and other volunteers who’ve learned about it. A Santa in a shoebox. That’s what Christmas is about.

Find me on Facebook

2011-11-08T18:24:00.000-05:00

You can now follow Going Green Mama on Facebook. (I know, a long time coming, but I wanted to wait until I could devote more time to this again!)

Clutter-free Christmas Gifts for Grown-Ups

2011-11-06T18:34:00.000-05:00

The best Christmas gifts are meaningful or useful. And while I'm all about fun, sometimes, having a clutter-free home counts too.

I don't know about you, but I'm drowning in t-shirts from my alma mater, supplies for my scrapbooking, holiday decorations from craft shows, bottles of lotion, and other things. What I need is a clutter-free Christmas. Who knows if I will get it.

If you're looking for painless ideas for gift-giving this year, here are some helpful, clutter-less gift ideas.

Tickets for movies, sporting activities, shows or other events. It doesn't have to be the best seat in the house, and with Groupon and other discount sites, you might find it fairly budget-friendly. Particularly if you're a parent, the dual cost of activities and babysitting can damper plans.

Even better? An offer to babysit!

Local wines, beers or coffees, particularly if the "local" is from another city.

Treats from local vendors

Certificates for a local/organic food delivery service

Gift cards to a home improvement store. As fewer people are buying homes, the need to maintain or improve one's home they live in is more important than ever!

Make a meal. My sitter loved the fact that instead of a kitchy present, I got her a kitchen one: Dinner to go! (Simply put, it was salad, dressing, pasta, a fancy sauce and French bread. But it took the pressure off for one evening!)

Find out what needs to be replaced or repaired. In tight times, sometimes needed repairs are being held off.

If you know someone who's returned to school, a gift certificate to Amazon or another online book store can go a long way!

Finally the gift of time is something not to be shrugged off. Get off line and share some time with a friend you've been meaning to see!

What other clutter-free solutions do you have for holiday gift giving?

Seeing Green at Black Friday

2011-11-05T06:24:00.003-04:00

Black Friday and green consumerism don't seem to go hand in hand. But holiday shopping can be more about the deep sales.

I can't remember a year when I didn't spend part of Thanksgiving Day pouring over the Black Friday ads--and only one year when, pregnant and miserable, I just stayed home.

Everything about Black Friday, on its surface, is about more, more, more. More sales. More early hours. More lines. More stuff that you didn't know you needed. More waiting in lines and driving circles around the parking lot. I can see why it turns a lot of folks off.

But my Black Friday shopping has evolved in recent years, particularly since my family has grown. I've transitioned more out of the "buy everything...now" mentality to using it as an opportunity to buy things my family did need at a deep discount. Like replacement items, winter clothing or tools for the home.

But recent years and my shift toward being more sustainable have cut my Friday-morning sales even more.

By planning better, I'm able to find gently used clothing and books for my children throughout the year at a fraction of the price of even those fabulous Black Friday sales. Are they new? To them.. (I admit I can't always find what I need at a resale shop or sale, but it helps dramatically.) And my daughter, a new "chapter book reader," as she calls it, is getting a shoebox full of animal books for Christmas, bought for just a few dollars.

By listening more, I've found great ideas for gift-giving, instead of just buying something so that I can check that person off the list. My brother? Desperate to figure out how to landscape his shady scrap of land. I found the perfect book on shade gardening, at a library sale. I doubt I would find it if I'd waited until December, even on Amazon. My brother-in-law, a new dad? Literally wants a nap. So I'll give him free babysitting time during their visit.

By sharing more, I will have helped others and my family. We have always adopted someone for the holidays, no matter how tight things are. But the last few seasons, instead of racing to buy things, I've gotten more creative in my gift-giving there too. Last year, our daycare adopted a family with a little boy my son's age. I'd just gotten a huge bag of train tracks and accessories at the used children's store, and divided them up among my son and this boy. Sure, the boy got a new Thomas too, but it was a way to stretch my resources and bring more joy. My son never missed what he didn't have. This year, the daycare is adopting two little girls whose mother is a college student but can't find work. I posted on our employee classifieds that we're looking for clothes in their size, and people are coming through. And my children, bless their hearts, have always come through with my requests to "be a Santa" and donate an outgrown toy to a child in need.

This year, I suspect my shopping outlay will be even smaller than before. Many of my gifts this year have leaned on the practical, spiritual or creative sides. And I've encouraged my family, whom I still know will buy the toys, to subsidize experiences for my children this year.

Will I still go out for Black Friday? Yes, and here's why. My mom and I have, since I was little, created a tradition of early-morning (I said morning, not middle of the night) shopping followed by breakfas t and a few other mixed errands. I'd miss that one-on-one time too much to go without it. But maybe this year, I'll leave my wallet at home.

Posted at the Green Phone Booth Nov. 5, 2011

Calla math game - and it's compostable!

2011-11-03T06:08:00.004-04:00

Wanting to help my daughter's confidence and math skills, we made the decision she could join her school's math club again this year.

The kids do bimonthly meetings where they practice math and strategy games in preparation for the city's annual Math Pentathlon. Last year, she participated for part of a year, only after begging. A lot. (And then more begging on the part of mom to let her join so late!)

I'm fortunate that my school supports these costs 100 percent, as I learned quickly during the parent orientation session that the games can be costly. (Not more costly individually than the average board game, but an expense I was still unprepared for.)

Instead, I found an option that worked in our home, one that didn't cost me anything but a few minute's of time and some unused supplies in our home. The deceptively simple Calla game is a great strategy game and quietly teaches the kids basic math skills as well. My daughter has become more and more interested in it, though the small piece sizes are an occupational hazzard in our little house. (Our Yahtzee pieces lasted all of a month before being scattered about!)

Our solution? A makeshift board game for her to practice the concepts. Our first attempt was a fully compostable one - made from a long-leftover paper bag and dried chickpeas that have admittedly been in our pantry far too long.

Unfortunately, it didn't lie as flat as we'd like, so we created a more permanent solution using the bottom of a reusable bag (which never seem to stay with the reusable bags!).

We now have the flexibility to play whenever we want, and any misplaced pieces can easily be replaced with a few dried chickpeas. Is it as nice as the original game? No, but it works for us.

What simple solutions have you come up with to replace a child's "want"?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-02T06:24:00.003-04:00

Halloween is over...Now what?

2011-11-01T07:06:00.002-04:00

Halloween costumes may seem worthless on Nov. 1, now that the Halloween parties are over and the candy wrappers are stacking up.

But this year's costumes don't have to be doomed. Here are just a few ideas on what to do with your "last year's" costumes.

Princess, cheerleader and other "dress-ups" in good condition can be shared with little girls in need. In our house, we've collected a bag of "dress-up" clothes and costumes that are going to two little girls our day care has adopted for Christmas. (You can always pair them with accessories from the clearance isle, if desired.)

Store and trade your costumes in for nearly new ones on National Costume Swap Day 2012, held in mid-October.

Donate or sell them to a resale shop, particularly if they're individual items like pants or shirts in good shape. Even period pieces can find a reuse.

Those "bloody" shirts your teenager created? Bring them back to a new life as rags to use around the house.

What are you planning to do with this year's costumes?

Frogs and the pond

2011-10-28T17:35:00.000-04:00

A story by the Green Eyed Monster, age 6

I went to the Children's Museum to see the frogs. Once I dressed up as the blue dotted poison frog and it was fun.

Little poison frogs are my favorite frog in the whole world.

This frog is the funniest frog I've ever seen.

This frog looks like a leaf. Can you find it?

I like the tomato frog best because it's awesome to me.

{Mom's note: The frog exhibit at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis is well worth the trip!}

Heirloom Guilt(y)

2011-10-27T07:23:00.000-04:00

Heirloom guilt. I'm guilty 100 percent.

Somehow an item passed along carries an emotional weight. The table you spent Christmas dinners around. The painting your grandmother lovingly painted (even though you have eight others.) For those items, I struggle with their future.

I love the term heirloom guilt. It's just so right.

The box of paintings that I've yet to find a home for after five years in this house mocks me every time I enter my son's room. The stupid wooden ducks that do little but collect dust on top of our bookcase stay, year after year, because they're among the few things my husband has from his family. I have no idea from whom it came. But they stay.

Worse yet, I caught myself imparting this on my 3 year old the other day. The well-worn blanket that somehow made the return trip home from Kansas City? It's my husband's 37-year-old cuddle blanket. And it came home. And has joined my son in his bed.

It's easier to cope with items when they have a purpose. Like several of my grandmother's paintings. Or a quilt my husband's grandmother made. Or my grandma's dining room set, destined to pinch tiny figures, which later found a new home at my brother's house after a furniture swap.

For others, I struggle with the clutter they impart and the memories they represent. The box of photos and smaller paintings my grandmother made - which have taunted me to do something with them for five years now - doesn't diminish the love she had for me or the work she created. Quantity of things doesn't replace the quality of love.

Herb harvest

2011-10-22T10:20:00.001-04:00

Threats of frost kicked my preservation into high gear. Today at the Green Phone Booth, I'm sharing a few ideas for quickly using up the last of the season's herbs.

Kelsay Farms open for the fall

2011-10-20T06:57:00.000-04:00

Kelsay Farms, a dairy farm located just south of Greenwood, opens its doors each fall for a festival. My kids have been begging to visit again after a summer-time field trip with their day care, so this was a great opportunity to get out and enjoy some fall weather.

The place was packed with activities, including the mandatory hay to climb on and corn maze to weave through, dairy tours (which we missed), more dairy products than you could ever eat (how we managed not to get milkshakes or ice cream was a miracle!), and a traveling magician -- who did an impromptu performance in a corn pit!
While the kids enjoyed the magician, the stars of the day were the cows, of course, particularly these 21-day-old calves.

My little guy loved showing off the "grown-up" cows too!

It was a cute afternoon, and our kids, who are in preschool and early elementary school, were just the right age for a visit. They're still celebrating on weekends through the end of October.

Homemade chive butter

2011-10-19T10:10:00.004-04:00

I'm trying to beat the clock before our first frost or freeze, so this morning the chives are coming down! Chive butter looks to be a great option for baked potatoes, French bread or at Thanksgiving dinner.

Chive butter
1 stick butter, softened
2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
2 small cloves garlic

Mix well. Refrigerate or freeze.

Happy birthday to me

2011-10-17T07:37:00.003-04:00

The last time I really celebrated my birthday? I was 21 years old.

Birthdays, instead, have evolved to a day I spend with my loved ones, keeping it simple in a hectic life. So I was surprised the other day, when, while having cake with my department, someone asked me what I was doing for my birthday.

My husband was scheduled for work that night so I have kid duty, I explained.

Silence. As if there was something wrong with me for that remark.

Finally someone ventured, "Take the kids someplace where they eat free."

But I realize I would be outnumbered during the witching hour, and setting the expectation of perfect behavior in a booth just wasn't my idea of fun. Strangely enough, I'm more than content to make the salmon I've been meaning to cook from my freezer and let the kids enjoy their life.

So, yes, I have no major plans to celebrate #37. But I'm OK with that too. Because my favorite people will make it a party, in their own quirky kid ways.

Being Buggy

2011-10-15T08:06:00.002-04:00

Four weeks, two rounds of antibiotics and more sinus and cough medicine than I care to count. I'm ready to be healthy again.

Early bedtimes and less than normal energy has taught me a few things this last month.

1) That sometimes life is out of your control. (Apparently I needed that refresher.)

2) That its OK to ask for help at times, or to say "enough."

3) That you don't have to be Supermom to be a super mom. Sometimes slowing down your schedules is what your family needs most.

Are Girl Scouts Greener – Or just in the Pocketbook?

2011-10-13T17:30:00.001-04:00

Being a Daisy Girl Scout troop co-leader this year has been an eye-opener in many ways. Fundraising is the biggest one of all.

I’m not naive enough to think that dollars magically float from the air, but the way the Scouts are approaching the fall fundraiser is a big disconnect from their messaging that they are “always greener” and from their emphasis on recycling, etc.

Girls earn not one but four stackable participation patches: One for selling magazines (Interestingly, only print editions are for sale. My retired mom wants digital subscriptions.). A second for selling a certain quantity of chocolates and nuts.

A third is for loading up a website with a dozen email addresses of their closest friends and family members to receive requests from. And the fourth for completing a mailing booklet (assuming to the same people) with addresses to send two print mailings to.

I am a mass marketer. My six year old is not. But I’m further bothered by the fact that families and friends receive multiple print mailings for this fundraiser. And parents will be encouraged to turn those in as well, as I’m told each troop makes $2 per completed booklet, on top of a percentage of sales. Shouldn't we be about reducing waste instead?

For an organization that is purporting to be “always greener,” this practice flies in the face of what we’re encouraging girls to be.

Second-chance gardening

2011-10-08T07:43:00.001-04:00

While my neighbors have sadly ripped up their gardens and mourned a bad growing season, I'm back for more. Today at the Green Phone Booth, I'm sharing what's starting to grow in our fall-season garden.

Homemade basil oil

2011-10-03T17:30:00.005-04:00

Basil and other herb-flavored oils have always been on my wish list, always tried in specialty shops but never purchased or attempted. The reason? Storage. While I hate to "waste" flavored oils on "ordinary" meals, the last thing I want to do is to hold on to them until well past their prime. So rather than enjoy them, I've held off.

Until I ran across a comment in an eating-fresh cookbook that said the flavored oils freeze well. My problem solved: My muffin tins easily hold 1/4-cup servings, easy enough to make flavored oils and store in small quantities until I'm ready to use.

So this weekend, I attemped my first flavored oil to good success. My basil oil is currently in my freezer and ready to pull out for the "right" pasta dish.

Basil oil
based off of a recipe from Farm Food

1/2 cup fresh parsley
1 3/4 cups fresh basil
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Blanch herbs then shock in cold water. Squeeze most of the water out of the herbs and put in a blender. Blend with oils and pepper, about 2-3 minutes, until well-blended. Season to taste. Freeze in 1/4-cup servings or use immediately.

The Harvest Prayer

2011-10-01T10:55:00.000-04:00

Anonymous 17th Century Sermon

Please be gentle with yourself and others.
We are all children of chance,

And none can say why some fields blossom
While others lay brown beneath the harvest sun.

Take hope that your season will come.

Share the joy of those whose season is at hand.
Care for those around you.
Look past your differences.

Their dreams are no less than yours,
Their choices in life no more easily made.

And give.
Give in any way you can.
Give in every way you can.
Give whatever you possess.
Give from your heart.
To give is to love.

To withhold is to wither.

Care less for the size of your harvest
than for how it is shared,

And your life will have meaning
And your heart will have peace.

DIY Halloween Costumes

2011-10-01T08:58:00.003-04:00

Halloween costumes don't have to be costly, nor do they have to take much time. Today on the Green Phone Booth, we're sharing quick ideas for do-it-yourself Halloween costumes.

No clutter for Christmas

2011-09-29T10:59:00.004-04:00

Christmas gifts for my kids have thankfully never been a problem. I'm blessed with pretty generous children who don't ask for much, and at home we've stuck with the three-gift rule from us. (Santa and siblings are the exceptions.)

This year, I have our "birthday-Christmas" gifts fairly well planned out, and truthfully they lean on the practical side this year. My son, who turns four five days before Christmas, will be getting more than his share of clothes, a "big boy" booster seat, a lunch box for all-day preschool next fall (he likes to pack a "lunch" for daycare too), and a few fun items, like a small stash of Cars toys. My crafty daughter is being blessed with jewelry-making supplies and a book, some books and clothes, and tickets to the princess Disney on Ice show in January. Santa, knowing the kids' interest in lacrosse, is splurging on a kid-size lacrosse set for the pair.

But when it comes to gifts for the kids from family members, I'm always searching for ideas. The truth is, we don't have a lot of room for large toys, or little things that clutter the space up, for that matter. We've worked hard to purge cuddle friends and other outgrown toys, and we're working on workable systems to store the rest when not out in use.

I'm thankful that my kids are more interested in experiences than stuff. I get fewer complaints about a friend having toy X than not getting to attend Girl Scout camporee or ice skating or trying out tae kwon do at the parks department, for example. But when you factor in a family of four, even going out adds up quickly. A $15 per person trip to the Children's Museum is suddenly a large chunk of your grocery budget.

Not that I'm one to say "no presents under the tree," but given high shipping costs and long distances, perhaps the gift of experiences is a far better deal than anything else. If you're looking for ideas this holiday season for your loved ones far away, you might consider giving gift certificates or memberhips for the family to experiences like:

art classes

a day at the zoo or aquarium (or a special event)

children's museums

sponsoring a scout or Camp Fire activity

contributing toward athletic activities like a class or team at the parks department (Great for burning off energy in the winter!)

tickets to a sporting event - even the "cheap seats" or the minor league team are thrilling to a kid!

What are your great ideas for clutter-free gifts for kids?

Fast food without the fast-food costs

2011-09-26T18:26:00.002-04:00

Here is my confession: In four day’s time, my family ate three dinners of pizza. Blame it on one part laziness of a mom expecting company while getting ready for a business trip that same weekend, one part dealing with a sick husband, and one part $4 Papa Murphy’s pizzas. Toss in some veggies for a side dish, and we rode that pepperoni pizza wave.

On most days though, I’m hesitant at best about putting fast-food in my family’s mouth. It’s costly, often laden in salt and fat, and frankly isn’t nearly as good as what I can make at home.

Not that we don’t suffer from our chaos. The 30-minute window between getting the kids home and when we leave for soccer or scouts seems to fly quickly by. Sometimes, there doesn’t seem to be much time to even whip up spaghetti or quesadillas. But we do it anyway.

Taking the long route to putting food on the table may not be easy, but for almost all Americans it remains a choice, and if you can drive to McDonald’s you can drive to Safeway. It’s cooking that’s the real challenge. (The real challenge is not “I’m too busy to cook.” In 2010 the average American, regardless of weekly earnings, watched no less than an hour and a half of television per day. The time is there.)
- Mark Bittman, New York Times, Sept. 25, 2011

Yesterday’s New York Times asks “Is Junk Food Really Cheaper?” and answers a resounding no. Bittman cites the costliness of his local McDonald’s, where a meal for a family of four could easily top $28. Here in the Midwest, take the simplest of meals, the kids’ meal, for each of us, and I’m out $12 to $15. That buys me on the busiest of days a rotisserie chicken, a package of microwave rice, and veggies to steam, with room for a gallon of milk. (Cooking time: Five minutes.) And there's likely leftovers for lunch, as well as the makings of chicken broth later.

Sure, my children clamor for the thrill of Happy Meal toys, but they know that eating out is a treat, not a right. It’s reserved for special occasions, and we leave it there. As Bittman writes:

Children, after all, are born without bad habits. And yet it’s adults who must begin to tear down the food carnival.

Avalanche of apples, now what?

2011-09-24T11:02:00.002-04:00

Apple picking was on the agenda for Labor Day weekend. I pulled into the packed Anderson Orchard in Mooresville, and the children dutifully picked up their bags and a list of which varieties were ready.

I naively thought that the bags were the smaller size ones like the kids had received on their field trip to Apple Works last year, but I was wrong. As we tossed the first apple into the bag, I watched as the little bag unfolded into more than double in size. Whoops. And I figured we paid by the bag.

Watching my 3 year old go through four apples (and fisting two more as we walked to our car), I assumed we would still be done in no time. I was wrong.

Two weeks later, I'm down to about half, even with apples packed in the lunch box each day. Lesson learned.

Instead, we've been on the hunt for great apple recipes to race through this stash as quickly as possible. I've already been instructed not to make more applesauce by my husband (I had already made two batches a few weeks before.) I already have apples chopped and frozen for Christmas apple streudel making with my brother. I suppose I could make apple cobbler - or "apple priss" as my daughter colorfully called it last fall. Or apple ladybugs (though my kids are burnt out on the suggestion of raw apples at this point.)

But this is where my repertoire ends. I'm on the hunt for new ideas. This morning I tried a baked breakfast sausage and apple recipe, however, I still have plenty of apples to use up. So, post great links to your favorite recipes here. Thanks for your help!

Created a monster

2011-09-24T08:55:00.003-04:00

What I thought was a great idea has meant more clutter in my household. How my mom's Happy Meal habit is leading to a pre-Halloween headache is my topic at today's Green Phone Booth. I do have to say, she means well...

Wanted

2011-09-20T07:06:00.002-04:00

Wanted:

Two escapees, last seen Saturday morning. Fat and dressed in green with black stripes. Apparently chewed their way out of their cage in a desperate attempt at freedom. May be hiding in a small brownish tubelike crysallis.

Here's hoping we find those caterpillars before they find their end! (Yuck!)

When hunger can't wait

2011-09-19T06:54:00.003-04:00

It's so easy to dismiss news from across the globe as being a world away. But what if you could do something simple to make a difference in the lives of others? Today, guest blogger Sarah Lenssen from #Ask5for5 shares her ideas on how a few dollars and a few friends can make a big impact:

A hungry child in East Africa can't wait. Her hunger consumes her while we decide if we'll respond and save her life. In Somalia, children are stumbling along for days, even weeks, on dangerous roads and with empty stomachs in search of food and water. Their crops failed for the third year in a row. All their animals died. They lost everything. Thousands are dying along the road before they find help in refugee camps.

At my house, when my three children are hungry, they wait minutes for food, maybe an hour if dinner is approaching. Children affected by the food crisis in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia aren't so lucky. Did you know that the worst drought in 60 years is ravaging whole countries right now, as you read this? Famine, a term not used lightly, has been declared in Somalia. This is the world's first famine in 20 years.12.4 million people are in need of emergency assistance and over 29,000 children have died in the last three months alone. A child is dying every 5 minutes. It it estimated that 750,000 people could die before this famine is over. Take a moment and let that settle in.

The media plays a major role in disasters. They have the power to draw the attention of society to respond--or not. Unfortunately, this horrific disaster has become merely a footnote in most national media outlets. News of the U.S. national debt squabble and the latest celebrity's baby bump dominate headlines. That is why I am thrilled that nearly 150 bloggers from all over the world are joining together today to use the power of social media to make their own headlines; to share the urgent need of the almost forgotten with their blog readers. Humans have the capacity to care deeply for those who are suffering, but in a situation like this when the numbers are too huge to grasp and the people so far away, we often feel like the little we can do will be a drop in the ocean, and don't do anything at all.

When news of the famine first hit the news in late July, I selfishly avoided it. I didn't want to read about it or hear about it because I knew I would feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable. I wanted to protect myself. I knew I would need to do something if I knew what was really happening. You see, this food crisis is personal. I have a 4-year-old son and a 1 yr-old daughter who were adopted from Ethiopia and born in regions now affected by the drought. If my children still lived in their home villages, they would be two of the 12.4 million. My children: extremely hungry and malnourished? Gulp. I think any one of us would do anything we could for our hungry child. But would you do something for another mother's hungry child?

My friend and World Vision staffer, Jon Warren, was recently in Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya--the largest refugee camp in the world with over 400,000 people. He told me the story of Isnino Siyat, 22, a mother who walked for 10 days and nights with her husband, 1 yr-old-baby, Suleiman, and 4 yr.-old son Adan Hussein, fleeing the drought in Somalia. When she arrived at Dadaab, she built the family a shelter with borrowed materials while carrying her baby on her back. Even her dress is borrowed. As she sat in the shelter on her second night in camp she told Jon, "I left because of hunger. It is a very horrible drought which finished both our livestock and our farm." The family lost their 5 cows and 10 goats one by one over 3 months, as grazing lands dried up. "We don't have enough food now...our food is finished. I am really worried about the future of my children and myself if the situation continues."

Will you help a child like Baby Suleiman? Ask5for5 is a dream built upon the belief that you will.

That something I knew I would need to do became a campaign called #Ask5for5 to raise awareness and funds for famine and drought victims. The concept is simple, give $5 and ask five of your friends to give $5, and then they each ask five of their friends to give $5 and so on--in nine generations of 5x5x5...we could raise $2.4 Million! In one month, over 750 people have donated over $25,000! I set up a fundraiser at See Your Impact and 100% of the funds will go to World Vision, an organization that has been fighting hunger in the Horn of Africa for decades and will continue long after this famine has ended. Donations can multiply up to 5 times in impact by government grants to
help provide emergency food, clean water, agricultural support,
healthcare, and other vital assistance to children and families suffering in the Horn.

I need you to help me save lives. It's so so simple; here's what you need to do:

Donate $5 or more on this page (http://seeyourimpact.org/members/ask5for5)

Send an email to your friends and ask them to join us.

Share #Ask5for5 on Facebook and Twitter!

I'm looking for another 100 bloggers to share this post on their blogs throughout Social Media Week. Email me at ask5for5@gmail.com if you're interested in participating this week.

A hungry child doesn't wait. She doesn't wait for us to finish the other things on our to-do list, or get to it next month when we might have a little more money to give. She doesn't wait for us to decide if she's important enough to deserve a response. She will only wait as long as her weakened little body will hold on...please respond now and help save her life. Ask 5 for 5.

Thank you on behalf of all of those who will be helped--you are saving lives and changing history.

p.s. Please don't move on to the next website before you donate and email your friends right now. It only takes 5 minutes and just $5, and if you're life is busy like mine, you probably won't get back to it later. Let's not be a generation that ignores hundreds of thousands of starving people, instead let's leave a legacy of compassion. You have the opportunity to save a life today

Derail the TRAIN Act

2011-09-17T09:18:00.000-04:00

Imagine this scene: Some maniacs have tied your children to a train track–then hopped on the train, released the brakes, and sent a mighty engine roaring down the track. Right for your children.

That’s what’s going on in Washington DC right now.

The train is, literally, the TRAIN Act of 2011, and next week, the House will vote on a bill (HR 1705) that was designed to cripple Clean Air Act regulations and intimidate the Environmental Protection Agency. The TRAIN Act requires a committee of cabinet secretaries to re-analyze the costs of public health protections. That’s right: RE-analyze. For a third time. Because when a bill is introduced, its costs are analyzed during the comment period, and again by the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Learn more about the TRAIN Act, and then write your legislators to help derail it!

Killer cantelope and arsenic in apple juice: What's a mom to do?

2011-09-17T07:49:00.001-04:00

The news is depressing -- and it's not just from the political debate!

This week alone, I've come across three major news stories involving food-borne illnesses and health crisises in what's supposed to be "healthy" food. And that's with very little interaction with the media.

So how can you, as a parent, help prevent food-borne illnesses? Check out today's post at the Green Phone Booth for simple steps you can take to keep your families safe.

Cleaning out the fridge: Mac and cheese with cauliflower

2011-09-12T17:45:00.002-04:00

Whoops. Carrying in two armloads worth of farmers market finds on Saturday, I realized I had no room to put anything - and worse, plenty of things I should have already fixed in the fridge.

That's where a little inspiratio n struck. I tweaked a recipe for Rachel Ray's Mac & Cheddar with Broccoli and came up with an acceptable surprise for lunch. It was not the originally planned sausage and portobello pizza, but the end result was a few less cauliflower and several half-used packages of cheese from the fridge.

Mac and cheese with cauliflower

1 lb. pasta shells
2 1/2 c. cauliflower (about 1/2 head)
1 T. olive oil
2 T. butter
1 small onion, chopped
3 T. wheat flour
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 t. smoke paprika
3 c. skim milk
1 c. chicken stock
3 c. grated cheese (used a mix of sharp cheddar, taco cheese and colby jack)
1 T. dijon mustard

Cook pasta in boiling water, 5 min. Add cauliflower and cook additional 3-4 min. or until cauliflower is just tender. Drain well and return to the pot.

Meanwhile, melt butter with olive oil in pan, at medium heat. Cook onions 3-5 minutes. Raise heat, whisk in flour and spices. Whisk until roux bubbles and cook 1 minute more. Add milk and stock and raise the heat a bit higher until it bubbles. (Be careful to continue stirring, or you may have it scald on the bottom.) Drop heat and simmer 3-5 minutes or until sauce thickens.

Add cheese and stir to melt; add mustard and salt and pepper. Pour over pasta and cauliflower; stir to combine.

Spicy but good!

Green Phone Booth: A Time of Need

2011-09-10T08:50:00.003-04:00

As a parent of a first grader, I've struggled with a balance of staying informed with the news and opening my daughter to the reality of 9/11 and the questions I'm sure will follow. Rather than marking the 10th anniversary beyond what's said at our church on Sunday, we'll quietly remember it in our hearts and follow my child's lead if any questions arise.

One thing that has stuck with me this week is a comment I heard on the radio on turning 9/11 rememberances into a time of forgiveness. Others have talked about a time of prayer or a time of good works. All are remarkable ideas - turning our small sacrifices of a way to remember those who sacrificed their lives on that day.

Today at the Green Phone Booth, I'm reflecting on the anniversary and how it makes life's hassles seem so small. Join the conversation.

Fragile

2011-09-06T22:03:00.000-04:00

Today I was reminded again and again just how fragile life can be.

I turned on the news to see a good friend's town engulfed in flames. I wasn't able to reach anyone until nearly 10 p.m. my time, when I finally reached her sister. Thankfully she is well, and her home is located between two of the shelters in Bastrop, Texas, so it appears to be out of harm's way.

Then I arrived at work and learned that a priest I'd known for years had passed away unexpectedly during the weekend. Fr. Ruta was such a friendly soul, and such a good servant of God.

And finally I learned tonight that a friend's mother has been diagnosed with cancer.

No matter the good times or bad, they can change in an instant. And that is why we have to have hope that things work out, in this world or the next.

Green Phone Booth: Putting my son out of work

2011-09-03T07:33:00.002-04:00

Today at the Green Phone Booth, I'm writing about how to cut my 3 year old's career prospects. Check it out.

Organizing kids' clothes: A way to Excel at it

2011-09-01T19:17:00.004-04:00

Garage sales, hand-me-downs, resale and other sources for kids' clothes have gotten us through the last few years. The challenge is keeping tabs on my finds.

Whether it's my daughter tearing apart diaper-size boxes of clothing in her closet out of boredom or my accidentally stockpiling 20 (yes, 20) short-sleeve T-shirts in a size for my son, remembering what you've acquired can be a challenge.

My solution? It's a simple one: Creating a spreadsheet to track numbers.

I track each kids' clothing pieces by size and type, and I have it uploaded so that family members who are Christmas shopping or hitting sales to splurge know what we have. My hope is it keeps us from wasting money and space, and freeing us from having more than we really need.

Want to start this simply? Create an Excel or Google Docs spreadsheet with a column for size and a row for each clothing type. For example:

uniform shirts
uniform skorts or pants
sweater
sweatshirt
fall/winter weight PJ's
spring/summer weight PJ's
jeans
yoga/dance pants
t-shirts (long-sleeve and short-sleeve)
sweat pants/athletic pants
winter coat
swimsuit

I could expand this to include shoes I've picked up (such as at clearance or soccer cleats from garage sales), but those for now are much easier remembered.

I update the spreadsheets after purchases, and reprint the well-folded sheets as needed. It's an easy reference at a garage sale and has kept me from at least one unneeded purchase.

Super Undies cloth overnight training pants review

2011-08-29T07:47:00.003-04:00

Cloth overnight pull-ups: Were they our answer for our bedwetting boy? Absolutely.

Fed up with traditional pull-ups that leaked through each night (even with buying the overnight varieties), three months ago I decided to check out whether cloth alternatives were out there. We'd had success with cloth diapers, and even in a working home, found it was a manageable and more financially friendly option for us.

The challenge was finding a pull-up alternative. After some research, I checked out Super Undies, which was a little more expensive than some other varieties but sold definite "overnight" varieties. I ended up purchasing three cloth overnight pull-ups and what they call "soaker pods"through the company.

Three months into it, I've more than made my money back, and I have a more confident boy. He happily wears his "super boy undies" and "potty pads" (when I know he's had a lot to drink at night) each evening, without complaint. I really believe that having the cloth on has made him more aware at night - and we're having more and more incidents of "dry" mornings!

I love the fact that I don't have to do a bedding change each morning, that the Super Undies washable and dryable (though I've more than broken the rule on no fabric softener!), that my kid is comfortable using them and putting them on without mom having to help.

Yes, the cost gave me pause at first; but if you do some research, you may be able to find "seconds" (often returns, which they can't resell at full price). And if you factor in the cost of disposables - and of washing and rewashing laundry - it was well worth the investment. While I'm hoping to be through the bedwetting phase before he outgrows these, I'd comfortably reorder the next size if needed!

Disclaimer: I received no discount, payment or any other renumeration for my Super Undies, though I did my cloth seconds.

Dear home association

2011-08-27T14:34:00.003-04:00

Dear home association,

Today I received a letter from you stating that we were once again in violation of our shrub count on our property.

My 3 year old knows that 10 bushes and four trees on our little lot far exceed the minimum eight bushes and two trees required by our agreement. All of my bushes are indeed alive, though they've taken a toll by our harsh summer. (I for one, would have loved to have had my blueberry bushes produce, but the hailstorms followed by the heat meant we got fewer berries than could fit in my hand.) Others are currently obscured by the fact that my black eyed Susans shot up to unforseen heights.

Before you waste my HOA fees again to mail me a letter, please visit my property when I'm here and actually pay attention. Or take kindergarten math. Your choice.

Sincerely,
Homeowners at lot 425

Farmers market report

2011-08-27T14:29:00.003-04:00

Today, I'm posting the final farmers market report of the summer at the Green Phone Booth. We had a chance to explore beyond our usual haunts today and came up with a few finds.

I'll be the first to admit that this season has been disappointing at best. My personal garden - and many farmers I've spoken with - have suffered this season due to the extreme weather. But I stay optimistic - especially as we embark on fall planting!

Chinese Red Noodle Beans: A Great Find!

2011-08-25T17:14:00.000-04:00

Purple beans, yellow beans, grean beans. Now we're happily adding red to our mix.

After last year's happy discovery of asparagus beans (which strangely enough the wasps happily hung out at all season), we opted for another variety of long beans this summer: the Chinese Red Noodle Bean. An heirloom variety, the red long beans easily grew more than 18 inches long, and the vines taller than myself.

The red noodle beans took little more than bamboo poles to climb and water to grow - no extra care or skill required - are still producing in this heat when other plants - my purple bush beans included - aren't.

I found this interesting tip from rareseeds.com: Harvest by thickness not by length, but take caution not to wait so long that the seeds bulge, which means the beans are too fibrous.

If you're looking for ideas to try these with, most recommend a stirfry, often with garlic or chilis, or try this recipe for glazed long beans from the Food Network.

Lunchbox Love: Chocolate-covered banana chips

2011-08-24T07:51:00.000-04:00

Chocolate-covered banana chips were one of those happy accidents, and an easy treat for my daughter's lunchbox. Not the fanciest, nor possibly the prettiest dish, but a great addition for her to munch on!

We had purchased some banana chips from a natural food vendor, which didn't fare so well for my children. These weren't the usual fried and salted variety, so they were a bit bland for their liking.

Instead, we shook things up by melting some chocolate chips in the microwave and letting them dip the banana chips into it. (An easy enough task that even my 3 year old could happily help.) We let them cool overnight before packing. It's the fastest those banana chips have ever been eaten!

Sew what? Stuffy and the Sandwich Bags

2011-08-23T07:59:00.003-04:00

Last weekend I was excited to have scored both a "grown-up" and a kids book on sewing at our local library's Friends sale. To which my very own mother retorted, "Will your daughter learn to sew first or will you?"

First off, I can sew. And my sewing machine? It's been lovingly packed in its box since I got it...11 Christmases ago. (Of course, I was in graduate school and working full-time, then in the middle of a move, then became a parent...blah blah blah.)

Last year, I decided my first dive into actually using it as a sewing machine instead of a potential first step for my son in his closet would be making reusable sandwich bags for school lunches. I had the chance to review a few last fall, and realized that they are fairly simple contraptions...if you have the time to make them!

So with the best of intentions, I picked up nylon scraps and velcro at a fabric store...last fall. Summer passed, and I realized that I really could use a few more sandwich or snack bags, but was hesitant to pay for more cloth wraps (or for their plastic counterparts).

So this weekend, armed with $4 worth of materials, the fabric from my beloved pink wrinkle-free Coldwater Creek shirt that ripped after four years, and a hovering six year old, I went to work. Without a pattern. Or reading the instructions for the sewing machine!

My daughter, to her credit, made felt finger puppets patterned (loosely) after those in her kids sewing projects book. And that's when I learned a few things:

1. My daughter doesn't like directions any more than I do.
2. Imperfect is OK too.

For a few hours' of work, four dollars and minimal swearing, we wound up with two sandwich bags, two snack-size bags (great for crackers or the dried mango she loves), and Stuffy and Floofy (her names) finger puppets.

For two girls who don't listen, I don't think we did bad work! And, thankfully, I have up to another year to convert my other ripped wrinkle-free shirt into blue baggies for full-day pre-K. (Oh, and mom, I guess you could say it's a tie. And I could use a few more Coldwater Creek wrinkle-free shirts for my birthday.)

Putting plastic out of schools

2011-08-22T07:44:00.003-04:00

"Plastic is good," my daughter announced to me one afternoon on the way home. I think my eyes bugged out of my head.

What I didn't realize until we talked further is that that my recycled toothbrush-toting child had interpreted a plastic recycling message into "It's a good thing" after her Earth Day lessons.

But what if our kids were really taught that plastic is a good thing? That's what may be happening in San Francisco, and it's a scary thought. There, the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the plastic lobby has influenced children's textbooks, adding statements like plastic bags are convenient to use and use less energy than paper bags. (Yes, and they hold one to two items, have to be doubled up because they constantly rip out before even one use, and will still be here for generations to come!) You can read other edits the American Chemical Society proposed and were incoporated into school textbooks on the Chronicle's website.

If you live in California, stand up about this interjection into your children's education by signing this petition.

Hot dog! The holidays are coming!

2011-08-21T07:41:00.003-04:00

Christmas lists in my household are remarkably short. I've always been impressed that my children have yet to come up with long wish lists of gift ideas.

Recently my sister, ever the planner, asked for our Christmas lists for the kids. My daughter struggled and then said nail polish. (Maybe there's an eco-friendly version?)

My son? Well, that's a different story. He requested:

a hot dog pan

a "quacker" to turn the hot dogs

a hot dog grill

and, as if it needed to be said, hot dogs.

The lesson? Feed that boy first!

Aunt B? I'll send a list of needs soon!

Local produce that's not

2011-08-20T07:32:00.003-04:00

South Carolina peaches at an Indiana farm stand? It just seems out of place - and that it breaches that unsaid promise of locally produced (or at least grown in the state) produce.

Today at the Green Phone Booth, I'm writing about my confusion of local farmers who sell really non-local produce at their markets.

Bringing out the blessings

2011-08-19T06:23:00.002-04:00

The next phase in my story of stuff....

The summer months are an awkward time when it comes to the accumulation of "stuff." It's a time of compiling - birthday presents, school supplies, new shoes and socks, the right size of uniforms. Not to mention produce to be "processed" for the freezer for the winter, the smattering of seeds drying all over my kitchen and other tell-tale signs of summer.

But this summer, our story of stuff took a somewhat different turn. It was regifting our blessings that have gotten us through the last few years.

I've been reading FlyLady off an d on for a few years, and I admit very little has actually stuck into process (as evidenced by my office.) But the one concept that stuck with me was that our unused items can truly be a blessing for others. Maybe it's the idea of Christian stewardship. Maybe it's because so many helped us in small ways in those three years of immense need. Maybe it's simply time to pass things on.

But doing so means breaking free of worries - and in a sense, letting God take control. What if I get pregnant and need those boxes of baby items stashed in my closet (and surprisingly not yet being climbed on by my precarious three year old)? Then hopefully the right garage sale or hand-me-down will materialize.

What if I don't see that toy again? It's SPECIAL (though unplayed with), my children will cry. That too is mitigated, by sharing with a younger neighbor friend, our daycare, or baby cousin.

But those kind of mindsets take time to change. So slowly, box by box, bag by bag, items have disappeared from my house. Outgrown clothes are boxed by size and put on "sale" - dirt cheap - on our employee classifieds, helping everyone from grandmas now raising their grandkids to foster parents-to-be.

Sets of snowsuits and boots went to a garage sale this weekend, blessing my neighbor with a less expensive winter expense and me with funds to do more damage at the farmers market.

The last of the girl clothes were divided into a box for my sister (wrapped, so she can't return a holiday gift!) Those few items in unneeded sizes went next door to our expectant neighbor.

The cloth baby burp rags and blankets? Being boxed this week for our crisis pregnancy and adoption center.

My well-worn work clothes that I struggle with parting with? Getting picked off, one by one, for Goodwill.

In the end, those things that got us through the tough times might help another through their's. And it's a good feeling.

Fresh tomato soup

2011-08-15T07:07:00.000-04:00

This fresh tomato soup recipe is my happy accident. I had full intentions of testing this tomato sauce recipe from an Eating Well cookbook, except I had to change one ingredient...then another. (In retrospect, it hardly resembles the original recipe much anymore!)

My daughter tried the sauce and said "It tastes just like soup. It's making me dance." She was right. Now I'll have great soup for the winter!!

Fresh Tomato Soup
8 c. fresh paste tomatoes, chopped
2-3 T. olive oil (a few splashes around the pan)
2-3 heads garlic, chopped, depending on preference
3 c. chopped onions
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. dried oregano
1 T. dried basil
1/4 c. burgundy wine
1 T. balsamic vinegar
pepper to taste

Heat oil over mediu m heat. Add garlic, cook, stirring constantly about 2 minutes. Add onions and salt, stirring, cook 10-15 min. or until golden.

Add spices, burgundy wine and vinegar, simmer 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and turn heat down to keep it simmering; cook 1 hour or until tomatoes are thick and color is a deep red-brown.

Remove from heat; cool; blend with hand blender or in blender until smooth.

At the Green Phone Booth...

2011-08-13T16:18:00.002-04:00

Now that I've wrapped up nearly four hours of chopping and sauce-making, thought I'd pass along my market finds at the market report at the Green Phone Booth. No surprise: Ten boxes of tomatoes topped the list...

Really?

2011-08-11T18:21:00.003-04:00

Saw this posted on on a relative's Facebook page today:

Just saw a commercial at a gas pump that said to live greener -- buy heavy
duty plastic silverware so you can wash it again and again.

Is this the dumbest green push you've ever seen, or have you read worse?

Talking school lunches

2011-08-10T08:11:00.000-04:00

Coupons littered my living room floor this weekend, spurred on by my husband's insistence that we actually do something with them rather than just collect them from the Sunday paper.

Trying to enlist my soon-to-be first-grader to help me sort just brought on new challenges as she created her own shopping list.

Sponge Bob yogurt.
Dora yogurt.
Granola bars.
Disney princess fruit chews (though the fruit part is questionable.)

I could have simply said no. Instead, we spent a good part of the afternoon having a conversation about what makes a healthy lunch for school. We talked about the need to add fruit or vegetable. To drink milk (hopefully the white variety). To enjoy things like chocolate pudding cups in moderation. That there are healthy foods and sometimes foods.

After last year's concern with not eating enough, I've been hesitant to put on too much pressure when it comes to what she eats - quantity, that is. But she certainly can be enlisted to make healthy choices along the way.

I'm thrilled that she wants to take on packing her own lunch each day, though I wonder how long that will in fact last. She'll be happy to make peanut butter sandwiches...but for how long? Just to prepare, I'm expanding her options by buying a stainless steel thermos (hot pink trim, of course) for her to pack hot lunches on cold winter days and stocking up on a few more reusable containers for her to pack berries in.

Needless to say, I'm still on the lookout for some fun, easy-to-assemble ideas for making lunches. Have a great idea? Share them below!

Daisy Girl Scouts and Our Farmers Market Find

2011-08-09T19:07:00.003-04:00

Year two of Daisy Girl Scouts is almost upon us, and I've found myself in the somewhat unplanned role of co-leader with four other moms. This year, the leaders with experience suggested we take on an animal badge, which includes of all things, talking with a farmer, veterinarian or person who otherwise works with animals.

And so crossed an unlikely resource: One of our farmers market discoveries. A local high school senior had begun selling beef at the local market this spring as part of her 4-H project. She's young and a woman - both of which will appeal to our city-slicker girls. Can't wait to here what she has to share this fall!

Not my cooking disaster

2011-08-08T19:01:00.003-04:00

I snuck outside this evening to drop in a few quick pea seeds before the next batch of rain. What I didn't realize was my garden helpers had once again abandoned me.

I found them at our kitchen table, eagerly working on their "dinner." Having talked their babysitter into ponying up a tomato before they left, they had sliced it in half and squeezed it like an orange to juice it - as a dressing for her fruit salad of apples and ground cherries. Apparently it was an epic fail.

"I washed it out," my six year old confessed. "It got badder and badder; it was disgusting."

Instead, they opted to make a second dressing of orange juice and water, "and then we stopped. By our 15th bite, it got badder and badder with every bite."

I suppose I could have talked her out of her fruit salad idea in the first place. But to succceed at anything, sometimes you need a few stumbling blocks, too!

Backpack Blues

2011-08-06T08:24:00.003-04:00

No new backpack this year. You'd think this small thing wouldn't have caused a big stink.

Other than her name scrawled in pen across the front - the result of boredom one day in after-school care - my daughter's backpack is in reasonably fine shape and can stand another year's abuse. First grade is not particularly challenging in terms of bookload or backpack weight, one would think, so I think we'd be fine for another year with our $5 used kid store find.

But no. When I picked up my daughter for daycare this week, I announced she needed to bring her back home to wash it, so I could see what shape it was in for school.

"But I NEED a new backpack!" she said. "Mine has my name on it! It's a mess!"

We talked about choices - it certainly wasn't mom's writing on the front - and that we didn't need to replace something that wasn't broken. I don't know that she's convinced. But truthfully, the thrill on Aug. 17 will be on seeing friendly faces she's not seen all summer, not whether the Tinkerbell backpack is back for round 2.

Saving bok choy seeds

2011-08-03T06:32:00.003-04:00

Bok choy (or pak choi) is a great discovery for our Chinese food-loving family. The challenge is finding it just right. The stores offer huge, foot-long bok choys; the farmers markets on rare occasion offer small ones with more flavor, but they also aren't bred to sit on your refrigerator shelf.

So this year, we decided to try our hand at growing baby bok choy from seed from one of our heirloom catalogs. The problem? With our rainy spring, we started too late, and they bolted quickly.

It took a lot of research to find out anything about harvesting these seeds. If you're interested in saving seed, you have to wait until these little pods that form turn brown, then you can harvest them.

You'll want to split the pods in half - which you can easily do by hand - and both sides will likely have tiny balls of seeds covered with a small film. Reminds me of "ants on a log." Just peel the film back and dump into a container.

The seeds I've found are very prolific and easy to harvest, though it does take time. It's great if you love bok choy! In fact, once this heat wave passes, I'm excited about a fall planting.

Interested in trying bok choy? I have so many seeds that I'd love to share. Leave a comment if you are interested in some seeds!

Funky sheep and burping monkeys: And how was your weekend?

2011-08-02T07:35:00.007-04:00

This weekend, we took the rare road trip to Evansville, Indiana, to see my parents. It's a rare treat for my children, as my remote-loving father has his gadgets far too close to the ground and my mother's scrapbook room is packed with tempting toys for the children to attempt art with. (In other words, it's far easier on them to keep the kids on our turf and for them to come visit.)

What to do when it's too warm to get outside much and you have excited children? Sometimes, you bite the bullet and run them off.

Saturday, after reading my lament at the Green Phone Booth that the kids wouldn't go marketing that weekend, my mother had stumbled onto a few "market" ideas. We found a Saturday morning market in Newburgh (by reading the paper), hit a farm stand (air-conditioned building, horray!) and a fourth-generation orchard that tempted me with rows of boxes of peaches, the last of the season.

But the greatest memories for my kids weren't food-related at all. No, it was jumping on grandpa's spare bed, not to mention the funky sheep and burping monkeys.

Be careful what you tell your kids.

We hit the Mesker Park Zoo, one of the oldest zoos in the country, early Sunday morning. As all kids are at that age, it's see the animal, and what's next? Until we saw a sign for the burping monkeys.

Yes, apparently as part of their socialization, belching means friendship. I started laughing about it, and of course, that is what they remember. Not the cheetahs they wanted to see for two hours. The burping monkeys.

The same goes for our stop home. We stopped at Lincoln's boyhood home, which the kids had grabbed a sheet about at the visitors station. (Incidentally, they have kids' days every other weekend in the summer.) My 3 year old was ticked that Lincoln was nowhere to be seen, but finally settled into going to see his house and the living farm. Not impressed by that. My 6 year old loved the attempts to carve wood pegs (which I'm sure impressed her woodworking grandfather!). But then, I heard these words: "Let's go see the funky sheep."

Funky? I have no idea what prompted that particular adjective.

Yep, you can try to teach your kids history, try to teach them about animals, try to teach them about eating local, and they'll just remember about burping monkeys and funky sheep!

Time to put on our big boy/girl pants

2011-07-27T05:57:00.003-04:00

The last three years we've been through a roller coaster, and my credit has paid the price. Sure, I've paid my bills all on time but my debt to meet living expenses has piled up too.

So what have we done? We've found ways to trim our expenses. We cook (and grow) more fresh foods. We save by buying resale clothing or gratefully accepting hand-me-downs. We don't buy what we don't need. We track religiously any in-kind donations (something we previously didn't do) for taxes. I weigh heavily short-term versus long-term costs - everything from repairs to cloth pull-ups for my preschooler. And as our income increases, we've used those dollars to pay down our bills, instead of splurging on meals out, trips or extra "stuff". And eventually we will pull ourselves out of our crisis.

So why can't our government do the same? Why can't our legislators put on their big boy and big girl pants, play in the sandbox, ignore what "team" they're on and truly work together to solve this debt crisis?

There are few times I've been as disappointed in my government leaders as I am now. As for us, it's time to hop off the fence, write your representatives and tell them to work together for a long-term solution!

A Uniform Exchange?

2011-07-24T19:56:00.004-04:00

Uniforms save you money on clothes, my mother used to remind me.

Except have you priced them lately? Thirty dollars for a skort. Twenty for navy slacks. Fifteen for a polo. And these babies don't go on sale.

Uniforms are noticeably void from the back to school sales each year. Easily I could rack up more on costs for my growing girl than I could for one in public school. And I doubt somehow I could get away with the deals I found last year.

So I brought up to some moms I know from the school a simple idea: Why not create a uniform exchange? Those teflon plaid skorts could be traded to smaller girls, closets get cleaned and families are helped. Then I posted it in our parish bulletin: A no-strings exchange of uniforms, simply email the needs and I'd match them up with a family.

I have exactly four takers. And I have a bag full of kindergarten-sized clothing waiting to be picked up from the mom who said weeks ago she was interested.

Is there a stigma in wearing second-hand uniforms? It's hard to tell. For me, I'm surprised that parents wouldn't want to save a few dollars on their August expenses, not to mention eliminating the need to travel to various stores searching for navy slacks.

Sure, we want our kids to look good, but doesn't one wear qualify an item as "used?" And, even if you didn't want used for yourself, what's the harm in helping others?

Virtual Bible School

2011-07-21T19:38:00.003-04:00

Vacation Bible School is a great idea - unless you're a working parent.

It's tough to tackle carpools, cranky not-old-enough siblings and schedules. Yet, most churches around here do daytime sessions.

A church en route to my work was offering an evening Vacation Bible School this week, one my preschooler could even attend. Yet I did the math.

5:30 leave office
6:00 arrive at daycare
6:30 arrive at VBS
8:30 pick kids up
8:45 home
9:45 battles continue over bedtime...
7:00 am fight over wake ups

(repeat)

Of my 30 minutes between pickup and VBS, every minute would be spent commuting. Which meant that we'd be eating takeout or cheese and crackers in the car, neither of which are appealing. Coupled with a forecasted excessive heat watch this week, and my husband and I did something I never thought we did.

We ditched the church. And went online.

Earlier this summer, I'd signed up for a virtual Vacation Bible School based on the recommendation of another blogger. I thought it would be at the very least an option for activities during the week.

Instead of plays and group games, we watched videos online and did coloring pages. Instead of baggies of goldfish crackers and juice boxes, we had cooking activities that tied in with the day's lessons. Instead of being constrained to a five-day period, we've dropped in activities as interest arises. Crafts are coming, as are the rice krispy treats that are part of "Day 5" activities. (Not sure about the theological aspects of marshmallows, but what the heck.)

Yes, I miss the idea that my kids will miss out on the camaraderie of being at a traditional Vacation Bible School. But with $3.79 gas, a heat wave and overly tired children, I'm glad to know there are alternatives out there, too.

Crispy

2011-07-19T19:30:00.002-04:00

A week ago I was worried about how I would get rid of my produce. I was swimming in snow peas, buried in purple beans and desperate to find any possible way to whip up zucchini.

And then summer really hit.

I don't believe we've had rain since our storms that included a few rounds of hail a few weeks back. Coupled with the fact it's hotter than Hades, things are getting crispy.

My zucchini plants have yellowed and withered, despite my best attempts at watering. My pea plants, which I admit lasted longer than I'd ever thought, browned and gave up. My beans gave up literally two days' worth of beans, then seem to have quit. My radishes never seemed to have a chance.

Not that it's all bad. My garlic needed harvesting anyway. My bok choy long ago bolted, and I'm waiting for the seed pods to cure.

But in the meantime, the only thing seeming to grow much are the weeds. Despite my watering, my beds are cracking, my plants are wilting. And I'm just glad we don't have things worse.

Bringing on the baby food

2011-07-17T07:39:00.000-04:00

Hey sis,

It's hard to believe your little one will be ready to eat soon! I'm glad you liked the book on making your own baby food that I brought down, but I know you had some questions too. I'll try to answer them the best I can:

What to make: The best advice I can give you is to follow the flavors your family eats. (Realizing that's a bit tricky with what your husband doesn't eat, we'll work around that.) If you like zucchini, blend it up. If you can't live without plums, give it a whirl! It's much easier to introduce flavors that are an extension of your regular palate. Kids in other cultures are introduced to spices and herbs at an extremely early age; it doesn't hurt to add spice to your baby's plates!

The best thing is with your growing seasons, you're fortunate that you'll be able to offer up fresh food for a long time.

On recipes: I'll admit with our first kid I followed that cookbook faithfully, mushing up mixtures according to prescribed guidelines. That's all well and good, but I'll be honest that by #2, you tend to roll with things a lot more! It's very easy to modify something you're already cooking into something more baby-friendly. (Oh we're having zucchini or carrots? Let's nuke it a little more to soften and mush it up. Having a complicated dish? Pick out one or two elements and prepare it for the baby.)

Fitting it in: And being a working mom, cooking that extra meal does take some extra effort. What I tended to do was make up a small batch of vegetables or fruit from whatever was in season, proportion it out in small containers (no fancy baby food tubs), freeze and use when needed.

The great thing is, unlike just a few years ago, you have more options for organic and natural baby food. Six years ago (is it that long?) you struggled to find anything. So even if you don't have time to make everything, or you don't want to cook up something, you may be able to find alternatives at the store.

Growing into it: As she gets older, she'll want more complicated flavors and more "people" like food. She may let you know just by grabbing and gumming. Before my kids were a year, they were knawing on roasted asparagus, sucking out the insides!

And about teething: Whatever you do, shy away from those store-bought biter biscuits. I looked at the nutritional information - and with the sugar and fat, they're virtually candy bars! Instead, it's easy to make your own. That simple step probably saved me the cost of that cookbook.

Good luck with making the baby food! And don't get discouraged. No matter what you prepare, something will eventually make her mouth! :-)
Robbie

Unplugged

2011-07-16T07:17:00.002-04:00

The last few weeks have been hectic. Company many weekends. Parties. Projects. A car wreck. Hail damage on our home. Home projects. Work projects. And kids.

Amid our frustrations an unwelcome thing occurred. Our phones and internet from Comcast have been on the fritz for the last several days. No checking something online. No quick calls (it's like playing roullette as to whether you'll get through.) No voice mails to be grabbed - as they don't go through.

But even with these headaches I've appreciated the quiet. I hd a welcome break from my late-night catching up on work emails. I've resisted the urge to "check one thing" on the computer. No phone calls interrupted our family at bedtime or dinner.

What did we do instead? Enjoyed family time. Evenings at the pool, playing in the sprinkler while mom weeded, long walks to the park. Kind of what summer should be about: slowing down.

Spiced Zucchini Bread

2011-07-09T09:35:00.000-04:00

Spiced zucchini bread is a recipe based on Emeril's Farm to Fork cookbook. I swapped out some all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour, dropped the nuts and upped the spices.

I never thought I would like zucchini bread until my mother brought up a loaf she'd baked last summer. I never did get her recipe like she promised, but this one has quickly become a family favorite.

Spiced Zucchini Bread
3 eggs
3/4 c. vegetable oil
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 c. grated zucchini
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 325. Grease two bread pans.

Beat eggs until foamy in mixer. Add oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla. Mix well. Add remaining ingredients and mix until well-blended. Divide the batter evenly between the bread pans. Bake 55-60 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

Free at last!

2011-07-07T07:16:00.003-04:00

After our trip to 100 Acre Woods the other day, we made a surprising discovery: Hermie had hatched! It's truly amazing to watch the first flutters of a butterfly's wings, as it tries to dry off. The kids were anxious to see the first flight, cheering it on ("Fly, butterfly, fly!"). But eventually as the rains picked up, it left its comfortable cage for a new adventure.

One chrysallis down. Two to go.

Beach party birthday cakes

2011-07-06T07:08:00.000-04:00

Our birthday beach party was a success! At the peak we had 34 happy kids playing games in the yard to celebrate my daughter's and a neighbor's birthdays. (We had some party crashers.)

The beach party theme was a bit downplayed due to the number of guests. We didn't decorate as we kept the kids outside, but my daughter's cakes stuck to the theme.

Her cake to blow out the candles was a simple one-layer 8-inch round cake, decorated with a flamingo that matched the napkins and plates. Not bad for someone who can't draw!

The cupcakes were decorated with paper drink umbrellas, with a little bit of sprinkles underneath for sand. (We are drowning in orange sprinkles thanks to my mother-in-law, and I'm glad they finally got some use!)

For daycare though, we took a safer option. With the Wrecking Crew (my son and his buddies), we didn't want to risk anyone poking each other with the toothpicks on the umbrellas. Instead, we took advantage of a few packs of strawberry marshmallows that came in a goodie bag from the other party we attended that weekend:

Sure, I could have bought cupcakes from the store that were more icing than cake, but making your own (especially if it's from a box) is amazingly simple! And it's so easy to personalize it too.

Shade vegetable gardening?

2011-07-05T06:38:00.003-04:00

Growing vegetables in the shade would be a huge triumph for me. I'm cursed/blessed to have half my yard be shaded due to the direction of my house. Cursed for gardening; blessed because my kids have a shaded area to play outdoors!

And as I continue to push the boundaries of my raised beds, the idea of gardening in the shade has greater appeal. Apparently I'm not alone. From what I'm able to see, the general consensus is leafy vegetables like lettuce, seem to be ok.

Root Simple has tried other veggies with some success:

New Zealand spinach

cucumbers

tomatoes (not as much growth as in the sun, but they are fruiting)

Swiss chard

dandelion greens

raspberry (Really! I had just purchased another bush...)

Colleen Vandereim from organicgardening.about.com puts this rule of thumb forward:

Basically, a good rule to remember is that if you grow a plant for the fruit or
the root, it needs full sun. If you grow it for the leaves, stems, or buds, a
little shade will be just fine.

After checking out this list of shade-tolerant vegetables, maybe I need to rethink my planting for this fall, as my flowers begin to die back. I see possibilities ahead!

Sweet start to a life

2011-07-03T10:58:00.000-04:00

For the last two springs, we've had a nest in a tree in our front yard. This weekend, we were able to see an amazing sight: the first haphazard attempts at a first flight. The baby bird took off and tumbled, jostling, to the ground.

My daughter took pity on the baby, and after I explained we shouldn't touch the baby bird, she came up with another way to show kindness. She plucked a strawberry from our garden and presented the berry to the bird so it would have something to eat. It's those little bits of kindness that just make me love her!

I have a baby bird

2011-07-02T15:07:00.003-04:00

A song by the Green Eyed Monster....

I was six and I still have a nest in my tree. And in the tree there was a nest and the nest in the tree and the tree in the hole and the green grass grows all around, all around. And the green grass grows all around.

And in the nest there was an egg, the prettiest little egg that you ever did see. And the egg in the nest and the nest in the tree and the tree in the hole and the hole in the ground and the green grass grows all around, all around, and the green grass grows all around.

And in the egg there was a bird, the prettiest little bird that you ever did see. And the bird in the egg and the egg in the nest and the nest in the tree and the tree in the hole and the hole in the ground and the green grass grows all around, all around, and the green grass grows all around.

(Whew! Mom's hands are tired from all this typing!)

Salmon with snow peas and dill

2011-07-02T10:31:00.002-04:00

Snow peas freshly picked from the garden. There are few things better. And that's the reason I snuck home early before getting the kids yesterday to harvest some: The snow peas would have never made it to the plate otherwise!

We wound up feasting on a makeshift dish that took advantage of not only the snow peas, but also some dill that has cropped up unexpectedly in our garden. Simple, one pan, and happy kids with clean plates!

Salmon with snow peas and dill
8 oz. salmon
3 c. snow peas, trimmed
2-3 T. olive oil *
1 T. fresh dill

Chop salmon into 1-inch squares. Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat, cook salmon until mostly cooked through. Add dill and snow peas (additional olive oil if necessary) and cook through.

*We probably used a bit more olive oil than would normally be needed because of the pan we used.

(Hidden) Raspberry Devil's Food Cupcakes - A recipe for cheaters

2011-06-30T06:19:00.003-04:00

Rule No. 1 about making treats for school or daycare. Waiting until the last minute typically does not work, unless you're running through the checkout line.

I had great intentions about my daughter's cupcakes for daycare today. Planned a baking night for last night. Talked it up with my girl, down to how we'd decorate. And then reality hit: Later dinner than originally planned, stopped to chat with friends along our walk, need to scrub stinky cow smell off my kids (they went to a dairy farm for a field trip), and meltdowns thereafter.

The end result? Me waking up at the unholy time of 5:30 a.m. to crank out some cupcakes.

And it was with the best of intentions. I was prepared with my box mix and frosting picked out at the supermarket (I cave when it comes to daycare treats; the boxes are more tangible to my girl than a bunch of cocoa powder and powdered sugar!). I grab the eggs, the cake mix, and search for the vegetable oil.

And search. And search.

And we're out.

At this point I have two choices: Make a frantic run to the store, losing another half-hour, or run with it.

I ran. After all, you can always sub out applesauce, right?

Except I had no plain applesauce. I had blueberry pomegrante and raspberry acai. Not for the faint of heart! I reason that with enough frosting, no child will care, and I grab the raspberry acai, which in the container has a powerful flavor. (There's no "hint" of raspberry there.). I mix one 1/2-cup container raspberry applesauce with the cake mix, 3 eggs and 1 1/3 c. water and baked according to directions. Turned out beautiful. No strong raspberry taste to it.

I think we can celebrate after all!

Cloth pull-up connundrum

2011-06-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

Cloth diapers were officially retired in my home a year ago. We were down to naptime/nighttime accidents, and I thought, surely it won't be long now.

As the cloth diapers were outgrown, they weren't replaced. But the reality is no two children are alike, and my first child's potty training successes weren't perfectly replicated in her brother.

A few weeks ago, I conceded defeat. Not that I think my child won't get through bedwetting, but that he will do it on his own time. And after loads of loads of morning washing of bedding and PJs, I figured something had to be done. I could continue to invest in overnight pullups, with modest success, or I could try a new tactic.

Cloth diapers worked well with my wetter, wasn't there a "big boy" option?

The reality is, while the web world may be abuzz about cloth diapers, there isn't much of a peep when it comes to its older pull-up cousin. It's like we don't discuss the challenges of bedwetting, even among preschoolers who may still be in daytime pull-up land. While you can find a few "potty-training" options, these are typically larger versions of cloth diapers in look and functionality (side snaps, etc.) And as we're keen to prove we can keep up with the 10 year olds on the block, that just wasn't going to cut it. Nevermind that the closest thing to a nighttime option was just layering in more bulky inserts, creating extra bulk, an issue as we approach summer.

Yes, we're in a cloth pull-up connundrum. I searched off and on for a few weeks on the internet. Most options were on small mom vendors and most cloth pull-ups were designed for day (or non-heavy bedwetter) use, but I was able to finally find few overnight alternatives to check out. (Happy Heinys and Super Undies were on the short list.)

After researching options on a few mom sites, I settled on a purchase of some overnight Super Undies. (Truthfully the deciding factor was after contacting the business and finding out they had some returned items, which saved us on our purchase.) And the other day, a box was waiting at our front door. Addressed to the little guy, who's always wanting the brown truck to deliver a box to him. We opened it up, and looked at the picture of the cool "big kid" who was in pull ups and a "super" cape and talked about his new pull-ups. While he didn't get why the kid wanted to wear his cape, he proudly put the pants on that night, talking about his "Batman" pull-ups. (Whatever works.) And he slept soundly, really soundly that night, a far improvement from the accident-prone evening the night before from a disposable product sample that failed.

Was the cost of cloth pull-ups worth it? Time will tell. While they did cost more than my cloth diapers, they weren't considerably higher than the price of the all-in-ones I bought before. Given that you can easily spend $30 a month on overnight pull-ups/diaper solutions for preschoolers if you're not catching sales or couponing, I figure I'll make up the difference quickly. And if it saves me from a few loads of laundry or extra bags of trash. all the better!

Great gourds

2011-06-25T07:31:00.005-04:00

Grabbed a few fun snaps at the farmers market we visited in Memphis. These are just plain fun!

Birthday blues

2011-06-23T22:02:00.003-04:00

I'll admit to having had a lot of anxiety this week over birthdays. Namely, my daughter and a neighbor's. And I feel at times like a big party pooper.

It all started innocently enough. My neighbor, a good friend of ours, innocently brought up the idea of a joint birthday celebration. It's summer, many of his friends' sisters play with my children, and it kind of made sense. We'd split the food, have a relatively relaxing evening and God willing, the weather would cooperate and the kids could go outside.

And then reality hit. My idea of "friends and family" and hers weren't exactly the same. The world is her friend, and I prefer smaller get-togethers of a few closer friends. Add in that only one of my daughter's school friends could attend, and I was starting to have major anxiety. The last thing I want is for my daughter to feel left out on "her" day.

A coworker suggested I just buy her more little presents from the dollar store to make her feel like she has something to open. I disagree. No matter how much or how little we have in life, I want to emphasize quality, and appreciation, not quantity.

Instead, she and I talked about how great this was going to be that she'd have a few special friends, and we adults started planning age-neutral games that we could do outside. The fact my daughter wanted a "beach" theme opened the doors to creative outlets for their energy. My sitter even chipped in with a limbo pole that had been bought with great intentions years ago. At least it was getting used.

The treats for guests? A combination of found items - leis and inflatable beach balls, leftover from a months-ago community event and destined for the trash when our co-workers finally got motivated to clean the storeroom. I encouraged my co-hostess friend to pick up water guns, which would at least get used by the neighbor kids in our July heat, instead of a bag of crappy little rings and such, and I hope we can come up with some creative non-plastic baggie packaging.

Twenty-four hours ago, I admit I was anxious, losing sleep about whether my daughter would enjoy her big day. Today, with a little planning, a little creativity, and realizing I have the best daughter ever (who wanted to invite a pal for her baby brother!) I think we'll be just fine.

Oatmeal cookie peach cobbler

2011-06-21T07:11:00.003-04:00

An oatmeal cookie peach cobbler was mentioned a while back on one of the myriad of travel-food shows my husband likes to watch. And after I was blessed with $18 worth of Carolina peaches from our stop at the Nashville Farmers Market, I had to come up with something to enjoy it!

Since I couldn't find anything similar to an oatmeal cookie peach cobbler in any of our cookbooks (and our PC was down), this was a take on the peach cobbler and oatmeal cookie dough recipes found in a cookbook. Worked out great, and I'm going to argue that there's a weak possibility of it being a healthier version of this summertime treat!

Oatmeal Cookie Peach Cobbler
1/2 c. wheat flour
1 1/2 c. oats (regular)
1 stick butter
1/2 cup packed plus loose (not packed) 1/3 c. brown sugar
5 c. sliced fresh peaches
4 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. water

Preheat oven to 400.

In medium saucepan combine 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and water. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add peaches. Heat through.

In bowl, mix flour, oats, butter and remaining brown sugar until crumbly.

Pour peaches into 8x8 pan. Add oatmeal mixture on top.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Serve warm or cold.

Harvesting Hermie

2011-06-18T09:38:00.004-04:00

We made a suprising discovery when I came back from our trip.

Upon checking our garden for peas to harvest, we found a friend or two. Nestled on our carrot leaves were two caterpillars.

"It's Hermie! It's HEERRRMIEEEE!" screeched my 3 year old. "Sissy, it's HERRRMRIIIEEE!!!"

Luckily the kids had gotten bug boxes for Easter, which meant my food containers weren't at stake this season. So we rustled up some carrot leaves, gathered the two caterpillars and brought them inside.

Those poor things are lucky to be alive.

In the last few days, they've been dropped. Bounced around by the kids at day care. Nearly starved to death as some of the leaves withered when we forgot to take the box home.

Still this morning, after replacing with fresh carrot leaves, I checked on the caterpillars a bit later. The larger of the two had managed to move the door and escape to the box's handle.

Maybe we should rename our Hermie Houdini.

Staycation or not: Finding age-appropriate activities that won't break the bank

2011-06-17T19:07:00.000-04:00

Recently we had the challenge of planning a trip to visit my sister and her family, nine hours away. That is, nine hours of uninterrupted driving. Factor in a family, and you know it's a much longer journey than that.

Planning that kind of road trip poses unique challenges. What are good things for the kids to do to burn off energy? What is age-appropriate? What will let them have some fun without breaking the bank?

Here's what worked for me:

Local chamber/state travel websites. Often they included agritourism information, so if we wanted to stop at a u-pick stand or farm along the way, we could. (A great way to work in a snack or meal too, without having to hit fast food or make another peanut butter sandwich.)

Scout council websites. We were able to find several age-appropriate activities by checking out the scout council websites that covered our travel route, and searching for her age group. Ideas ranged from museums to horseback riding. I felt it was far more efficient than the tourism websites.

State/national park sites. I contacted one national park site by email to clarify about a program's approrpiateness, and I received a response within a few hours. They were extremely helpful, and enjoying our national and state parks, no matter how obscure, is a great reminder of God's creation!

Local parenting blogs. Often they have tips about great options (often free) and resources in the area (great parks, etc.)

On the road, don't overlook rest stops, which have green spaces. Bring along a ball or something to work off some energy.

What works for you with travel planning?

Roasted Asparagus Salad with Strawberries and Pecans

2011-06-14T14:54:00.001-04:00

I got this recipe from a vendor who sells pecan oil for cooking at a farmers market in Memphis this weekend.

Yes, we are probably the only people who travel, visit farmers markets and bring home food. But being the foodies we are, I figured it was an interesting treat. (And we needed oil anyway.) The recipe she gave me though might be the bigger treat. Will need to track down some asparagus and berries this week to find out!

Roasted asparagus salad with strawberries and pecans
4-6 slices hickory smoked turkey bacon
1/4 c. plus 1 1/5 tbsp. pecan oil, divided
1 tbsp. orange marmalade
2 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
30 asparagus spears, tough ends removed
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. strawberries, sliced
6 tbsp. crumbled goat cheese with peppercorns
1 c. chopped pecans
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper

In a medium skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon from skillet and drain on paper towels. Drain bacon grease from skillet. Do not wipe skillet out.

Add 1/4 cup pecan oil and marmalade to skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until marmalade is melted, loosening brown bits from bottom of skilet while stirring. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread asparagus in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle asparagus with remaining pecan oil, tossing gently to coat. Sprinkle with salt.

Bake until asparagus is barely tender 5-10 minutes. Divide asparagus among plates. Stir strawberries and pecans into marmalade mixture, tossing to coat. Spoon strawberry mixture evenly over asparagus. Top evenly with bacon, feta cheese and pepper. Serve immediately.

Serves up to 6.

Travels through Tennessee: Green with Envy

2011-06-14T10:06:00.003-04:00

This weekend we were fortunate to visit our sister's family in Memphis. Meeting our niece was the good news.

The bad news? 101 degrees plus humidity.

The high temps - you worked up a sweat walking at 7 a.m. - meant our excursions were largely limited to indoors activities. Except one.

My sister, who possibly knows us too well, asked us if the kids would want to go to the farmers market.

That's like asking other kids if they'd like to play their Wii.

So Saturday morning we got to check out their "bigger" farmers market (as opposed to the "one vendor" one). My sister apologized for the 20-minute drive in advance.

The "inconvenience" was so worth it. This market spanned buildings. Rows and rows of plants, dozens of herb varieties (I contained myself and only bought a Kentucky spirament, and not the banana and strawberry mints too.)

My son stood amazed by the shelling machines and couldn't contain himself with the excitement over the produce. I bribed him with a box of okra, which we won't get in Indiana for about another month. I sighed over the boxes of blueberries, blackberries and peaches, which we won't see until later in the summer here. And frankly, I'm jealous of any farmers markets that sell seafood!

On our way home, we planned a stop at the Nashville Farmers Market, a good halfway point to run the kids around and get them a snack. The Nashville Market, an easy drive from I-65, reminded me a lot of Kansas City's City Market. Even on a Monday afternoon, the main building was filled with large baskets of fresh fruits and vegetables. We splurged, stocking up on a basket of peaches and some broccoli and cauliflower. Coupled with what has cropped up in my garden the last few days, I'm covered until Saturday's market at home.

Tonight we're dining on cornmeal-fried okra and homemade oatmeal peach cobbler. If only my husband had picked chicken up from the store, we'd have the trifecta of Southern food!

Farmers Market Update

2011-06-04T10:58:00.002-04:00

Today at the Green Phone Booth, we're checking in to see how our local markets are going. It's late spring here, and I feel like spring didn't happen. First it was wet - really wet - and unseasonally cool, not we're unseasonally hot. It feels like we jumped straight to summer.

We're still in plant mode at our local market. I was tempted to buy lettuce, one of the few actual foods available, but as my husband is working during most family meals the next few days, I worry that we won't use it all up. (Plus I'm cleaning out the last of my freezer.)

My best finds this week?

Heirloom tomatoes and peppers for $1

Garlic scape (5/$1 for those who don't grow garlic)

Herb plants for $2.25 (The great thing is I know this vendor will have them much of the summer, so as I pull out my peas, I can always replace them with herbs.)

But I'm ready for things to actually start growing so we can enjoy our summer harvest!

The no-so-active activist me

2011-06-03T07:21:00.003-04:00

I have my mom hat. My employee hat. My wife hat. My faith hat. My friend hat. My blogger hat. And in my mess, I probably have a few more. Do I still have room on my shelf for the activist hat?

Time is always a premium in my life. My mom schedule keeps me hopping for two hours before I walk out the door until nearly 9:30 or 10 each night, and by then,our bedtime battles leave us worn out. My husband's work schedules and our budget mean I don't have leeway for sitters to attend events or volunteer outside the home without helpers. Does that make me no longer an activist?

I'm certainly not alone. Today at the Green Phone Booth, Abbie shared her concerns about how motherwood and work often took priority over being an environmental activist.

The truth is, while I may no longer be a card-carrying member of the Sierra Club or out on a visible level, I am an environmental activist. It's just that my audience is much smaller. But much more influential.

My pint-size audience knows we recycle and reuse and whenever possible buy resale. My pint-size audience loves to enjoy nature, to hike, to check out bugs and birds. My pint-size audience reads books from the library about nature and soaks them up like a sponge.

My audience of two may be small, but they will grow. And so will their influence. And I'm OK with that.

Good dirty fun

2011-06-02T15:47:00.002-04:00

(Or how we turned Camp Mom upside down)

This week was filled with great intentions. A week without daycare meant a much-deserved and even more-delayed week off with my children. Considering the last time I took more than few days off work was maternity leave with my 3 1/2 year old, even a week at home felt like a treat.

I had great intentions. Accumulated a stack of activity ideas, with themes even (not type A or anything), planned for play dates and managed to draft a menu for the week.

Only that sometimes life doesn't go as planned. A crazy campout, two sick family members, delayed playdates and obscenely hot (90-degree) weather for this time of year meant that the best plans were put to rest. As in, sometimes, you just rest.

And other days you make up for it.

We've dug in our garden. Weeded, dug up my Thai beans that were sprouting (thanks...), hunted down bugs and worms for our bug boxes.

We've maxed out our library card and have cranked out summer reading program points reading about insects, volcanoes (go figure), dinosaurs and fiction.

We've made pathetic attempts at recreating another blogger's ladybug cookies (note to self, next time just use your grandmother's sugar cookie recipe rather than an unknown as the cookie base), made yogurt parfaits using leftovers from the camping trip, sneaked marshmallows and stayed up too late.

We've played at the state park, spending hours at the playground, picking daisies (despite mommy's admonitions), watched the horses and coated ourselves in dirt in the process.

Sometime, our summer fun might include a trip or 10 to our pool, a visit to the zoo, a weekend to grandma's or other traditional fun. But for now, we'll settle for our uneventful, but good, dirty fun.