I am currently nursing the sweetest, sickest little spider monkey.
She's almost got two new teeth in, canines this time. First ones were the bottom incisors, now fangs. I tell her that we should have named her Bella.
Teething wasn't so bad the first time around, but these new ones must hurt her more. She's also got her second-ever cold; I brought her in on Wednesday because I was worried it was RSV, but no dice. We've been dealing with fevers, fountains of drool, spit-up/vomiting, viral rashes, stuffy/runny nose, hacking thick cough...plus two teeth coming in, so associated pain and symptoms with those.
AAAUUGGHGHGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!
There, I feel better. I wish there was more we could do for Lydia. Poor thing. She smiles through the sneezes, though, and has enjoyed getting out for walks in the sunshine with the weather being nicer this last week. Charlie and I are hanging by threads, but she's mostly happy (when she's not crabby and tired). Last night I got a cumulative two hours of sleep, the night before was four. No naps during the day, I have stuff to do!
And oh my lord, she wiggles. wigglewigglewiggle. She doesn't have an off switch. Breastfeeding has become WWE at our house, with kicking, flailing, perfectly-landed right hooks...she is always moving. Her energy never ceases to amaze me, one of the reasons summer can't get here fast enough. I laid claim to our community garden plot last night, a 5'x30' strip of soil out by the pool, along with many others. Pretty sure I'm wicked excited to load up the wagon with Lydia and garden stuff for an afternoon of tending veggies and flowers.
Oh, I'm sleepy and I need to stop writing. Tonight she went down without a hitch, and Ima gonna go change our sheets and crawl into bed myself. I hate seeing my baby so sick :( but this too shall pass. Any ideas to make this tough time any easier for all of us?
Friday, April 29, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
the ins and outs of organic
Buying organic can be tough these days, I'll admit. There are days where I look at my grocery receipt and try to come up with ways I would have rather spent the $15-20 I'd have had I not bought organic. On average I'd say we spend $30 more on organic than conventionally raised produce per month, but we also know what products are most important to buy organic and ones we can let slide.
There are many reasons to buy organic foods. The USDA Organic label tells you that fruits and veggies weren't raised using manmade chemical pesticides, fossil fuel- or sewage-based fertilizers or genetically modified seeds. On meat, the label indicates that the feeds provided met those same standards, and that the animals weren't administered hormones and antibiotics. Bottom line: "Organic" is more sustainable and healthier -- for the environment and farm workers, certainly, and often for you and your family. How is organic healthier? It's healthier because some studies suggest that organic produce has more nutrients than its conventional counterparts, probably because the soil is left in better condition after repeated plantings, and healthier because you avoid ingesting any harmful pesticide residues left on conventional produce.
I'm sure you've heard of the "dirty dozen" and the "clean fifteen." Both adjectives, clean and dirty, refer to the amount of pesticide residues on the fruits and vegetables we buy. Not all of us can afford to buy organic 100% of the time, but we can focus on avoiding foods with the heaviest amounts of pesticides, additives, and hormones. People tend to think of organics as mostly associated with produce, when in reality we can choose organic just-about-anything...you name it, it's been made or produced organically--meats, eggs, seafood, processed foods such as frozen meals and tator tots.
Here's a list of foods you really should try to buy organic if possible (there's more than a dozen on the dirty list, apparently it got revised!):
There are many reasons to buy organic foods. The USDA Organic label tells you that fruits and veggies weren't raised using manmade chemical pesticides, fossil fuel- or sewage-based fertilizers or genetically modified seeds. On meat, the label indicates that the feeds provided met those same standards, and that the animals weren't administered hormones and antibiotics. Bottom line: "Organic" is more sustainable and healthier -- for the environment and farm workers, certainly, and often for you and your family. How is organic healthier? It's healthier because some studies suggest that organic produce has more nutrients than its conventional counterparts, probably because the soil is left in better condition after repeated plantings, and healthier because you avoid ingesting any harmful pesticide residues left on conventional produce.
I'm sure you've heard of the "dirty dozen" and the "clean fifteen." Both adjectives, clean and dirty, refer to the amount of pesticide residues on the fruits and vegetables we buy. Not all of us can afford to buy organic 100% of the time, but we can focus on avoiding foods with the heaviest amounts of pesticides, additives, and hormones. People tend to think of organics as mostly associated with produce, when in reality we can choose organic just-about-anything...you name it, it's been made or produced organically--meats, eggs, seafood, processed foods such as frozen meals and tator tots.
Here's a list of foods you really should try to buy organic if possible (there's more than a dozen on the dirty list, apparently it got revised!):
1. Meat. Organic meats should be purchased because of many reasons. Pesticides show up in beef and pork fat. Animals are fed cheaply processed foods laced with additives, antibiotics, and hormones for faster growth. To meet USDA organic standards, the animal must have been fed organic feed, and have not received any hormones or antibiotics.
2. Milk. Pesticides are showing up in milk too. Organic dairies can't let their cows eat non-organic grains, nor can they treat cows with rGBH or rbST.
3. Coffee. Many countries don't regulate the amount/type of chemicals they use to ensure a successful crop in a steadily inflating market.
4. Celery. It doesn't have a skin or peel to protect it from the chemicals used to keep it beautiful for stores.
5. Peaches. They're treated with pesticides and insecticides multiple times before harvest.
6. Strawberries. If purchased out of season, they may come from a country with less regulation than the United States.
7. Apples. They're typically grown with the help of toxins to prevent fungus and disease in the trees. The chemicals are hard to wash off of an apple's skin.
8. Blueberries, the dirtiest berry on the market. 59 pesticides have been documented on them.
9. Nectarines. 33 different chemicals have been found on their skins.
10. Bell peppers. They're usually sprayed multiple times with insecticides to protect their thin skins.
11. Spinach. It can be laced with over 30 different chemicals by the time it reaches the store.
12. Kale. Like spinach, it can have over 30 different chemicals on it.
13. Cherries. Apparently the US-grown cherries may have over 3x the amount of "cides" on their skins than imported. Check the label to see where they were grown, and wash them well!
14. Potatoes. They can be treated by up to 37 different pesticides before reaching the market.
15. Grapes (this includes wine, dammit!). Imported grapes are at the highest risk of being treated by pesticides at varied stages of growth. The residues sink into the grapes' thin skins and can't be washed out in any way. Wine should also be purchased organically, or, at the very least, domestically. Support the USA in your evening glass of red!
16. Leafy greens (salad greens, bagged or not). They can be contaminated by some of the more potent pesticides used on foods because of their vulnerabilities to so many pests.
Now for the good news. There are foods you can buy without having to worry too much about what's on their skins or in the product itself:
1. Onions aren't very threatened by pests.
2. Avocados have thick skins that protect the fruit inside from pesticides.
3. Sweet corn. Buy organic if you're worried about the types of fertilizers used to grow it, but don't worry about insecticides or pesticides on the kernels.
4. Pineapples also have thick, inedible skins that protect the fruit.
5. Mangoes are protected by a thick skin, but you'll still want to wash them first.
6. Asparagus, like onions, isn't too high on the insect delicacy list. Eat away!
7. Sweet peas are the vegetable least likely to have "cide" residue on them. Sweet!
8. Kiwi peels provide protection; wash them first, though!
9. Cabbage doesn't require lots of spraying to grow, so there isn't too much residue on the leaves.
10. Eggplants are among the least likely to be contaminated.
11. Papaya, like mangoes, have thick skins; wash first.
12. Watermelon. Thick rind. Enough said.
13. Broccoli doesn't have too many pest threats, so it's sprayed less.
14. Sweet potatoes. Yay!
So there you have it. The ins and outs of organic. The USDA website has a ton of info about organics; get on Google and check out other websites too!
2. Milk. Pesticides are showing up in milk too. Organic dairies can't let their cows eat non-organic grains, nor can they treat cows with rGBH or rbST.
3. Coffee. Many countries don't regulate the amount/type of chemicals they use to ensure a successful crop in a steadily inflating market.
4. Celery. It doesn't have a skin or peel to protect it from the chemicals used to keep it beautiful for stores.
5. Peaches. They're treated with pesticides and insecticides multiple times before harvest.
6. Strawberries. If purchased out of season, they may come from a country with less regulation than the United States.
7. Apples. They're typically grown with the help of toxins to prevent fungus and disease in the trees. The chemicals are hard to wash off of an apple's skin.
8. Blueberries, the dirtiest berry on the market. 59 pesticides have been documented on them.
9. Nectarines. 33 different chemicals have been found on their skins.
10. Bell peppers. They're usually sprayed multiple times with insecticides to protect their thin skins.
11. Spinach. It can be laced with over 30 different chemicals by the time it reaches the store.
12. Kale. Like spinach, it can have over 30 different chemicals on it.
13. Cherries. Apparently the US-grown cherries may have over 3x the amount of "cides" on their skins than imported. Check the label to see where they were grown, and wash them well!
14. Potatoes. They can be treated by up to 37 different pesticides before reaching the market.
15. Grapes (this includes wine, dammit!). Imported grapes are at the highest risk of being treated by pesticides at varied stages of growth. The residues sink into the grapes' thin skins and can't be washed out in any way. Wine should also be purchased organically, or, at the very least, domestically. Support the USA in your evening glass of red!
16. Leafy greens (salad greens, bagged or not). They can be contaminated by some of the more potent pesticides used on foods because of their vulnerabilities to so many pests.
Now for the good news. There are foods you can buy without having to worry too much about what's on their skins or in the product itself:
1. Onions aren't very threatened by pests.
2. Avocados have thick skins that protect the fruit inside from pesticides.
3. Sweet corn. Buy organic if you're worried about the types of fertilizers used to grow it, but don't worry about insecticides or pesticides on the kernels.
4. Pineapples also have thick, inedible skins that protect the fruit.
5. Mangoes are protected by a thick skin, but you'll still want to wash them first.
6. Asparagus, like onions, isn't too high on the insect delicacy list. Eat away!
7. Sweet peas are the vegetable least likely to have "cide" residue on them. Sweet!
8. Kiwi peels provide protection; wash them first, though!
9. Cabbage doesn't require lots of spraying to grow, so there isn't too much residue on the leaves.
10. Eggplants are among the least likely to be contaminated.
11. Papaya, like mangoes, have thick skins; wash first.
12. Watermelon. Thick rind. Enough said.
13. Broccoli doesn't have too many pest threats, so it's sprayed less.
14. Sweet potatoes. Yay!
So there you have it. The ins and outs of organic. The USDA website has a ton of info about organics; get on Google and check out other websites too!
Monday, April 25, 2011
new discoveries
Okay, so this isn't so much a green post (that's coming tomorrow morning) but rather a little picture post. I just figured out, in the last three minutes, how to connect my phone to my Macbook via Bluetooth in order to send over all my phone photos. I take more pictures with my cell than my regular POS, oh sorry PAS-point and shoot, because my cell's always at the ready and sometimes it takes better pictures. I downloaded all of them (over 200) in less than 30 seconds, testament to the technological advances in communications I never knew possible until tonight. I had turned on my Bluetooth to print some pictures over at the drugstore's photo kiosk, and my computer automatically connected to it when it read that my Bluetooth was still powered on. So cool.
All of the pictures were beautiful to me and fun to scroll through, but a few caught my eye. I don't do just photo blogs much...some blogs just do photo essays and family catch-ups and aren't so writing-oriented, and I love looking through their incredible pictures...but these little gems made me want to do a photo post :) so without further ado...my baby.
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| Grandma Nature and Lydia in deep conversation at Easter |
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| 5 months, helping in the kitchen |
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| 5 months, out like a light |
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| :) bathtime |
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| learning to crawl with Daddy |
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| mmm blanket spaghetti |
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| dancing with Daddy |
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| bouncing in the sunshine |
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| hoppy Easter, little bunny! |
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| helping Mommy get dressed for Easter |
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| Lydie and her buddy Collin |
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| opening her Easter basket |
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| going on a little walk before church |
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| Gramma Gaylene's carrots and parsnips were the best! |
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| cheesing for the camera |
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| just born. 2nd night together |
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| blahhhh. 2 months |
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| :) 2 months |
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| first ever smile...she did it for Grandma Paula! |
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| sweet little grins :) |
Friday, April 22, 2011
today is Earth Day!
In honor of Earth Day, I'll be doing a few Think Green posts, ranging from recycling-reusing-upcycling-reducing to green cleaning and green baby products.
I try to stick to being more than green here at our home. We eat lots of as local and organic food as we can get, and I yell at Charlie every time he spins out his tires :P The cool thing about starting to become more environmentally friendly is that there are tons of easy ways to incorporate green living into your everyday routine. Taking baby steps into green living is key to success...it's easy to get overwhelmed with all the options regarding products, food, construction, home appliances/decor, clothing and more. I'll see if I can't break down at least a few of these options over the next few posts. We certainly could be doing more to be greener around here, but I'll highlight some options that really work for us and are easy to manage if you're thinking about being more environmentally conscious.
Way back in the day, when I was maybe a sophomore at SMSU (glory days!), I had a habit of making tea in my Nalgene water bottles. I'd sip on hot tea all through my classes, stopping at either Java City or the little convenience site in the middle of campus to add hot water to whatever tea I was drinking. One day my friend Kayleigh caught me as I was heading off with a full bottle of tea goodness, and she called me out on it, saying that the hot water would leach toxins from the #7 plastic into my tea. I was incredulous and interested, and went straight to the library to do some research.
She wasn't far off the mark, and from then on I went with a glass-lined travel mug or stainless steel. Actually, there are many, many ways that plastics give our bodies a hard time these days, depending on the plastic number and how you choose to use them. In light of what I have found in reading about plastics I've done a good job at getting rid of them in our house. Some things you really can't avoid, but the daily use plastics (tupperwares, Glad containers, most of Lydia's plastic toys, plastic bags) have gone away.
Across the board, plastics are energy-intensive to manufacture. Making them uses non-renewable resources such as petroleum, and CO2 (carbon dioxide) is emitted during processing. Interestingly enough, they are also difficult to recycle, even though plastics make up a major portion of total items recycled in the United States. Usually they're down-cycled into a less useful type. And if they're not recycled at all, they're sent to the landfills, oceans or incinerators where they can leach chemicals as well.
If you look closely at either the plastic product itself, or its packaging, it will have a number that tells you the type of plastic it is. Each type of plastic is made of mostly the same ingredients, namely petroleum and surfactants, but the ways in which plastics are processed differ depending on their designated use. The surfactants and chemicals used to produce plastics are toxic to human and animal health, but they vary in degree of severity according to the different numbers. I found a really useful break-down of the types of plastics and their associated concerns in a Natural Home magazine not too long ago:
#1: PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) Also known as polyester. Typical uses include water/pop bottles, salad containers. They're intended for one-time use. The plastic can break down and host bacteria, and they have the potential to interfere with reproductive hormones.
#2: HDPE (high-density polyethylene) Think milk and laundry soap jugs, shampoo bottles, and cereal box liners. These have a low risk of leaching.
#3: (danger danger danger!) PVC (polyvinyl chloride) These guys are bad news, and unfortunately the most used. Plastic wrap, cooking oil bottles, toys, plumbing, insulation, window/door frames. Known as the toxic plastic; can cause endocrine disruption, reduced sperm count, testicular atrophy and liver cancer.
#4: LDPE: (low-density polyethylene) Not known to leach chemicals. Think plastic wrap (you'll have to look on the box to see which type, 3 or 4, it is), plastic bags, sandwich baggies.
#5: PP: (Polypropylene) Yogurt/butter tubs, microwavable meal trays, carpet fiber, vehicle upholstery. Hazardous during manufacture but not known to release chemicals.
#6: PS (polystyrene) Typical uses include styrofoam cups, clamshell containers, foam meat trays, plastic cutlery. Eye, nose and throat irritants, stored in body fat, can cause cancer in production workers, harmful to marine life.
#7: PC (polycarbonate), PLA (polylactide) or other plastics not mentioned above. Baby bottles, some reusable water bottles (yes, Nalgenes!) and stain-resistant food containers (Glad/Tupperware). The problem with #7's is mostly due to BPA, which has been greatly limited in plastic products these days. BPA causes (not CAN cause, but CAUSES, wow!) endocrine and reproductive system disruption, impaired neurological functioning, cancer, cardiovascular system damage, obesity, early puberty and chemotherapy resistance.
I'd hate to know how much BPA I have stored in my system. I drank a LOT of tea in college and only recently Nalgene pulled all of its wide-mouth containers and started replacing their Nalgene water bottles with BPA-free plastics. But I feel better when I can remove plastics around here, even though they are doggedly pervasive and hard to get out of the house completely. In closing, here's a few easy ways to avoid using plastic:
1. Buy and store food in glass containers.
2. Try not to buy items in plastic packaging, and always use your reusable market bags.
3. Avoid PC drinking bottles with BPA. BPA-free is always mentioned on the packaging label.
4. Most canned food liners contain BPA. Support companies that go BPA free in their canned goods.
5. Don't give plastic teethers or toys to infants or young children (easier said than done, I know).
6. Avoid storing fatty foods such as meat and cheese in plastic.
7. Never heat food in plastic containers. The "safe to microwave" just means it won't fall apart, not that it's safe for human health.
8. If you do use plastic containers, don't put them in the dishwasher. Handwash them gently with nonabrasive soap.
I try to stick to being more than green here at our home. We eat lots of as local and organic food as we can get, and I yell at Charlie every time he spins out his tires :P The cool thing about starting to become more environmentally friendly is that there are tons of easy ways to incorporate green living into your everyday routine. Taking baby steps into green living is key to success...it's easy to get overwhelmed with all the options regarding products, food, construction, home appliances/decor, clothing and more. I'll see if I can't break down at least a few of these options over the next few posts. We certainly could be doing more to be greener around here, but I'll highlight some options that really work for us and are easy to manage if you're thinking about being more environmentally conscious.
Way back in the day, when I was maybe a sophomore at SMSU (glory days!), I had a habit of making tea in my Nalgene water bottles. I'd sip on hot tea all through my classes, stopping at either Java City or the little convenience site in the middle of campus to add hot water to whatever tea I was drinking. One day my friend Kayleigh caught me as I was heading off with a full bottle of tea goodness, and she called me out on it, saying that the hot water would leach toxins from the #7 plastic into my tea. I was incredulous and interested, and went straight to the library to do some research.
She wasn't far off the mark, and from then on I went with a glass-lined travel mug or stainless steel. Actually, there are many, many ways that plastics give our bodies a hard time these days, depending on the plastic number and how you choose to use them. In light of what I have found in reading about plastics I've done a good job at getting rid of them in our house. Some things you really can't avoid, but the daily use plastics (tupperwares, Glad containers, most of Lydia's plastic toys, plastic bags) have gone away.
Across the board, plastics are energy-intensive to manufacture. Making them uses non-renewable resources such as petroleum, and CO2 (carbon dioxide) is emitted during processing. Interestingly enough, they are also difficult to recycle, even though plastics make up a major portion of total items recycled in the United States. Usually they're down-cycled into a less useful type. And if they're not recycled at all, they're sent to the landfills, oceans or incinerators where they can leach chemicals as well.
If you look closely at either the plastic product itself, or its packaging, it will have a number that tells you the type of plastic it is. Each type of plastic is made of mostly the same ingredients, namely petroleum and surfactants, but the ways in which plastics are processed differ depending on their designated use. The surfactants and chemicals used to produce plastics are toxic to human and animal health, but they vary in degree of severity according to the different numbers. I found a really useful break-down of the types of plastics and their associated concerns in a Natural Home magazine not too long ago:
#1: PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) Also known as polyester. Typical uses include water/pop bottles, salad containers. They're intended for one-time use. The plastic can break down and host bacteria, and they have the potential to interfere with reproductive hormones.
#2: HDPE (high-density polyethylene) Think milk and laundry soap jugs, shampoo bottles, and cereal box liners. These have a low risk of leaching.
#3: (danger danger danger!) PVC (polyvinyl chloride) These guys are bad news, and unfortunately the most used. Plastic wrap, cooking oil bottles, toys, plumbing, insulation, window/door frames. Known as the toxic plastic; can cause endocrine disruption, reduced sperm count, testicular atrophy and liver cancer.
#4: LDPE: (low-density polyethylene) Not known to leach chemicals. Think plastic wrap (you'll have to look on the box to see which type, 3 or 4, it is), plastic bags, sandwich baggies.
#5: PP: (Polypropylene) Yogurt/butter tubs, microwavable meal trays, carpet fiber, vehicle upholstery. Hazardous during manufacture but not known to release chemicals.
#6: PS (polystyrene) Typical uses include styrofoam cups, clamshell containers, foam meat trays, plastic cutlery. Eye, nose and throat irritants, stored in body fat, can cause cancer in production workers, harmful to marine life.
#7: PC (polycarbonate), PLA (polylactide) or other plastics not mentioned above. Baby bottles, some reusable water bottles (yes, Nalgenes!) and stain-resistant food containers (Glad/Tupperware). The problem with #7's is mostly due to BPA, which has been greatly limited in plastic products these days. BPA causes (not CAN cause, but CAUSES, wow!) endocrine and reproductive system disruption, impaired neurological functioning, cancer, cardiovascular system damage, obesity, early puberty and chemotherapy resistance.
I'd hate to know how much BPA I have stored in my system. I drank a LOT of tea in college and only recently Nalgene pulled all of its wide-mouth containers and started replacing their Nalgene water bottles with BPA-free plastics. But I feel better when I can remove plastics around here, even though they are doggedly pervasive and hard to get out of the house completely. In closing, here's a few easy ways to avoid using plastic:
1. Buy and store food in glass containers.
2. Try not to buy items in plastic packaging, and always use your reusable market bags.
3. Avoid PC drinking bottles with BPA. BPA-free is always mentioned on the packaging label.
4. Most canned food liners contain BPA. Support companies that go BPA free in their canned goods.
5. Don't give plastic teethers or toys to infants or young children (easier said than done, I know).
6. Avoid storing fatty foods such as meat and cheese in plastic.
7. Never heat food in plastic containers. The "safe to microwave" just means it won't fall apart, not that it's safe for human health.
8. If you do use plastic containers, don't put them in the dishwasher. Handwash them gently with nonabrasive soap.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Why I'm deleting my Facebook
Because I'm nauseous about the sheer idea that FB won't be a part of my life anymore.
Because I've spent way too much time on it since Lydia's arrival.
Because I've spent way too much time on it, period.
The mere thought that I'm deleting my FB page (or at least deactivating my account) raises a lump in my throat, a swelling in my chest, bubbles in my stomach. I dread it. I dread not being able to check it, read the news feed and comment on all the pictures I see and make snarky comments on links I like. I'm scared to lose friends by doing so (as if I didn't know how to keep in contact with loved ones BEFORE FACEBOOK). I'm freaked that I won't hear about major milestones, new loves, marriages, babies...all things I love reading about online.
I joined Facebook when it first came out. I remember watching my friend count rise with each new add, grinning when I topped 100, then 200, until I hit 1000 friends. Some were really, really amazing friends, some were new acquaintances, some were people that added me (or I added them) just because they looked cool or I'd seen them in school. Some were people from long ago. I used Facebook to check homework stats with fellow students, get some gossip, and as a self-esteem boost. I'm not afraid to say that at one point in my life I used my friend count like a self-worth meter.
And it's served its purposes well. I have to hand it to the creator of Facebook on that rampart. Aside from the constant barrage of new changes to the layout and endless applications in which I have no interest in participating, I have been happy with Facebook.
Addicted even, you might say.
So that's why I'm deleting it. I think that in doing so I'll create a more fulfilling life for myself and others by communicating via a medium that isn't so...easy, I guess. It's so easy to just creep on someone's profile and "like" a picture, or comment on a status update. But is that intentional, deliberate communication? Am I fulfilled by staying in touch through status updates? For me, I need something more. I love letter-writing, and I could have written millions of them with the time I've spent on Facebook. I love getting in the car and going to see friends; with the energy I've spent on Facebook, I could have driven around the world. My email works just fine, and yet the only emails I get these days are from Baby Center, the Sioux Falls Zoo, REI and a few other spams that hit my inbox.
I will miss it, probably even shed a few tears over it. It's hard to let go of something I've cherished for almost a decade (YIKES). I'll miss the constant interactions, the photos of loved ones at my finger-tips, and the ease of communicating online as we do on Facebook. Please, please, drop me a message with your phone number, your email, your snail mail address...any way that you want to keep in touch. I text and call, and have excellent penmanship when it comes to written notes. My emails are usually laden with emoticons :) but if you can get past that, I'll email you too.
And hey, I pay $75/month for my @*$@#$^$@) Verizon phone bill. The least I want out of this is to get my money's worth for the thing. :) :)
Because I've spent way too much time on it since Lydia's arrival.
Because I've spent way too much time on it, period.
The mere thought that I'm deleting my FB page (or at least deactivating my account) raises a lump in my throat, a swelling in my chest, bubbles in my stomach. I dread it. I dread not being able to check it, read the news feed and comment on all the pictures I see and make snarky comments on links I like. I'm scared to lose friends by doing so (as if I didn't know how to keep in contact with loved ones BEFORE FACEBOOK). I'm freaked that I won't hear about major milestones, new loves, marriages, babies...all things I love reading about online.
I joined Facebook when it first came out. I remember watching my friend count rise with each new add, grinning when I topped 100, then 200, until I hit 1000 friends. Some were really, really amazing friends, some were new acquaintances, some were people that added me (or I added them) just because they looked cool or I'd seen them in school. Some were people from long ago. I used Facebook to check homework stats with fellow students, get some gossip, and as a self-esteem boost. I'm not afraid to say that at one point in my life I used my friend count like a self-worth meter.
And it's served its purposes well. I have to hand it to the creator of Facebook on that rampart. Aside from the constant barrage of new changes to the layout and endless applications in which I have no interest in participating, I have been happy with Facebook.
Addicted even, you might say.
So that's why I'm deleting it. I think that in doing so I'll create a more fulfilling life for myself and others by communicating via a medium that isn't so...easy, I guess. It's so easy to just creep on someone's profile and "like" a picture, or comment on a status update. But is that intentional, deliberate communication? Am I fulfilled by staying in touch through status updates? For me, I need something more. I love letter-writing, and I could have written millions of them with the time I've spent on Facebook. I love getting in the car and going to see friends; with the energy I've spent on Facebook, I could have driven around the world. My email works just fine, and yet the only emails I get these days are from Baby Center, the Sioux Falls Zoo, REI and a few other spams that hit my inbox.
I will miss it, probably even shed a few tears over it. It's hard to let go of something I've cherished for almost a decade (YIKES). I'll miss the constant interactions, the photos of loved ones at my finger-tips, and the ease of communicating online as we do on Facebook. Please, please, drop me a message with your phone number, your email, your snail mail address...any way that you want to keep in touch. I text and call, and have excellent penmanship when it comes to written notes. My emails are usually laden with emoticons :) but if you can get past that, I'll email you too.
And hey, I pay $75/month for my @*$@#$^$@) Verizon phone bill. The least I want out of this is to get my money's worth for the thing. :) :)
Sunday, April 17, 2011
cleaning and nurturing
Now, I'm not much of a clean freak. We leave clothes on the floor, there's dust an inch thick on the top of our headboard, and for the love of God, don't look under my couches. However, with the advent of beautiful weather (until recently, anyway), I have gotten the most convincing wild hair up my butt to do some spring cleaning.
Some moms I talk to have a system of doing the most cleaning they can, as fast as they can, leaving no holds barred as they scour their house spotless in a day. Yeah, that's certainly not me. I read articles in Good Housekeeping and Real Simple about both maintaining and quick-deep-cleaning one's house and get slightly jealous that people are actually able to pull it off. Take Real Simple's guide to a ten-minute cleaning of the bathroom (all numbers are the minutes from 1 to 10):
0-1: Take all materials off surfaces; spray all of them down with a green all-purpose cleaner (we LOVE Mrs. Meyer's basil-scented cleaner)
1-5: Put toilet cleaner in the toilet, let it soak; wipe down all surfaces and replace materials
5-6: Scrub out the toilet
6-7: Take out trash
7-8: Pull everything on the floor in the bathroom out; spot mop
8-10: Clean mirrors and replace the stuff you pulled out to mop.
What they fail to mention is obviously the interruptions you'll have while doing all of this:
0-1: Put baby in her bouncer and put some organic sweet-potato puffs in the little food tray
1-2: Take most materials off surfaces. Soothe crying baby because she inhaled all her puffs in 30 seconds and wants more. Distract her with her shiny toy.
2-5: Finish spraying surfaces and put the toilet cleaner in. Pick up baby that just threw up all her puffs, change her clothes, and put her back in the bouncy seat.
5-6: Somehow, by the grace of God, you manage to wipe down all surfaces.
6-9: Retrieve the shiny toy that got flung across the bathroom and rinse it off; do this 16 times as your little one brilliantly discovers the concept of cause and effect relationships. "I throw, Mommy gets it."
9-10: Scrub the toilet. Make funny noises for the baby while doing so.
10-11: Take the trash bag out of the can and rinse out the can. Let the baby look in the empty trash can.
11-16: Take trash and baby outside to put the bag in the dumpster. Stand outside with baby to watch the birds in the tree for a few minutes. Bring content baby inside.
16-19: Console formerly-content baby after you tried putting her back in the bouncy chair that she's now obviously bored with. Put her on the floor with toys instead.
19-22: Pull everything out of the bathroom to mop.
22-60: Nurse baby because you've taken way too long to clean the bathroom and she's gotten hungry in the last 20 minutes from all her bouncing.
60-61: Give up on mopping and make your husband drag everything back into the bathroom; you can spot-swiffer the floor later.
:)
Charlie and I started Weight Watchers together in the last couple of weeks. I've been doing awesome with it, while Charlie uses the food points to see how far he can blow his limit out of the water. Men. Anyway, it's been cool, I've lost 5 pounds in the last two weeks, which is a good pace for both making sure I'm getting enough nursing calories and keeping the weight off...no crash diets here! I've also eliminated most caffeine and alcohol, and I'm trying to get the added sugar out of my diet too. Just need to eat some whole foods, quinoa, bulgur, rice, lots of veggies, fruit, yogurt, etc. to get our systems spring cleaned too. It feels good to eat good food.
I've been doing a lot of what I've thought of it as 'conscious nourishment' in all realms of life lately, physical, emotional and spiritual. I won't leave my family's health by the wayside, that won't get us anywhere. I wish the three of us could get more family time, which of course would make the nourishment thing a little more possible, but I 'll take what I can get, a few Sundays and evenings here and there. Lydia's so big and strong, pulling herself up while we hold her hands and all over our furniture; it feels so good to know that we are helping her with love, nursing, nutritious food, family time and boundaries. And in taking care of each other and our home together, we can really get down to the heart of the matter...which is of course our number one priority, our family. We won't have any other chances to lay on the rug playing airplane with Lydia, or lingering over way too many pancakes before heading out to the park for a walk or taking out the recycling. With Charlie and I working as much as we can, the time we have as a family is precious :) I know that many other families out there can relate.
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staying clean |
Some moms I talk to have a system of doing the most cleaning they can, as fast as they can, leaving no holds barred as they scour their house spotless in a day. Yeah, that's certainly not me. I read articles in Good Housekeeping and Real Simple about both maintaining and quick-deep-cleaning one's house and get slightly jealous that people are actually able to pull it off. Take Real Simple's guide to a ten-minute cleaning of the bathroom (all numbers are the minutes from 1 to 10):
0-1: Take all materials off surfaces; spray all of them down with a green all-purpose cleaner (we LOVE Mrs. Meyer's basil-scented cleaner)
1-5: Put toilet cleaner in the toilet, let it soak; wipe down all surfaces and replace materials
5-6: Scrub out the toilet
6-7: Take out trash
7-8: Pull everything on the floor in the bathroom out; spot mop
8-10: Clean mirrors and replace the stuff you pulled out to mop.
What they fail to mention is obviously the interruptions you'll have while doing all of this:
0-1: Put baby in her bouncer and put some organic sweet-potato puffs in the little food tray
1-2: Take most materials off surfaces. Soothe crying baby because she inhaled all her puffs in 30 seconds and wants more. Distract her with her shiny toy.
2-5: Finish spraying surfaces and put the toilet cleaner in. Pick up baby that just threw up all her puffs, change her clothes, and put her back in the bouncy seat.
5-6: Somehow, by the grace of God, you manage to wipe down all surfaces.
6-9: Retrieve the shiny toy that got flung across the bathroom and rinse it off; do this 16 times as your little one brilliantly discovers the concept of cause and effect relationships. "I throw, Mommy gets it."
9-10: Scrub the toilet. Make funny noises for the baby while doing so.
10-11: Take the trash bag out of the can and rinse out the can. Let the baby look in the empty trash can.
11-16: Take trash and baby outside to put the bag in the dumpster. Stand outside with baby to watch the birds in the tree for a few minutes. Bring content baby inside.
16-19: Console formerly-content baby after you tried putting her back in the bouncy chair that she's now obviously bored with. Put her on the floor with toys instead.
19-22: Pull everything out of the bathroom to mop.
22-60: Nurse baby because you've taken way too long to clean the bathroom and she's gotten hungry in the last 20 minutes from all her bouncing.
60-61: Give up on mopping and make your husband drag everything back into the bathroom; you can spot-swiffer the floor later.
:)
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gotta keep those pretty blues healthy |
I've been doing a lot of what I've thought of it as 'conscious nourishment' in all realms of life lately, physical, emotional and spiritual. I won't leave my family's health by the wayside, that won't get us anywhere. I wish the three of us could get more family time, which of course would make the nourishment thing a little more possible, but I 'll take what I can get, a few Sundays and evenings here and there. Lydia's so big and strong, pulling herself up while we hold her hands and all over our furniture; it feels so good to know that we are helping her with love, nursing, nutritious food, family time and boundaries. And in taking care of each other and our home together, we can really get down to the heart of the matter...which is of course our number one priority, our family. We won't have any other chances to lay on the rug playing airplane with Lydia, or lingering over way too many pancakes before heading out to the park for a walk or taking out the recycling. With Charlie and I working as much as we can, the time we have as a family is precious :) I know that many other families out there can relate.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Our noisy wallpaper
Lydia's got some toys. Most of them are plastic, a few require batteries, one is a wind-up caterpillar. She has played with each one for approximately five minutes and 32 seconds, except for her string of sea-green fake pearls...for some reason costume jewelry's her favorite. We spent $20 on an awesome Eric Carle inspired butterfly toy at the MN Arboretum on our family trip a couple weeks ago, and she'd much rather play with the $3.50 caterpillar. *headslap* We've got a baby laptop, balls (baha), bells, whistles, stuffed animals, a little wagon with beach toys, plastic chains...and she's bored. I've tried rotating her toy buckets so she's not playing with the same toys every day, and she's totally onto me. Kitchen utensils are her new favorite, as are whatever objects happen to be in our hands at the time. Cell phones. MY laptop. The remote controls. Forks (yikes!). I don't think any of her toys are really above her developmental stage, yet she's totally disinterested and I can tell she gets exasperated with me when I set her down with a toy box so I can get a load of laundry done.
With the weather being so #*&@^$ gorgeous lately, playtime has been a breeze. We've been outside, in the stroller, in her bouncy thingy, on a soft blanket in the grass, or wrapped in fleece and laid next to me napping in the sunshine...toys were totally unnecessary at the beginning of this week, and I relished it. Now with the less than favorable weather, we're cooped up inside with only so much patience. And so begins my discussion of noisy wallpaper, i.e....our TV.
We have a TV, and we use it. I'll shamelessly admit I like catching what happened on Top Chef, or anything on the Food Network or Animal Planet. And I like watching the news in the morning over a piece of toast and coffee. But here's the catch. Lydia's starting to watch it too. That's not something I like. With the American Academy of Pediatrics recommending that all children under the age of two "avoid" [that's their word] TV, and kids 2 to 6 years old watch only one or two hours a day, it's hard for me to condone Lydia's attention being focused on the blaring box. The percentages around TV and kids are staggering to me [all statistics can be found in Pediatrics, the AAP's medical journal].
There are many concerns I harbor over over-exposure to media at such a young age. Children can most certainly live, and dareIsay thrive, without television, yet we're plugging in more times throughout the day than I can count. We're surrounded by all kinds of media now, and it truly is noisy wallpaper. It distracts us from learning through observation, interactions face-to-face, and leaves little room for peace and reflection in a home. As viewers we may be more informed, but I think there is a toll on our physical, mental, and emotional health. Negative effects of exposure to media, namely TV in the study I was reading, include obesity, smoking, sexual risks, eating disorders, and substance abuse. A direct correlation between violence in media and feelings of anxiety, fear, aggressive behavior, academic and attention problems and poor sleep has also been proven.
But what about educational programming? It may be better for older children, but there's no such thing as positive education via the TV for children under two. Their brains simply aren't developed enough to learn from a screen. They may find something interesting while watching and try to imitate or get excited, but true learning, connection of the synapses, is not taking place. Interestingly enough, even baby videos may contribute to cognitive delays, take that Your Baby Can Read!
I plan on draping our TV with a pretty piece of fabric, and fully ignoring it this summer. We already keep it off during meals, something I enacted in our home months before. I hope all of Charlie's bonding with Lydia over fishing can be done out at Lake Shetek, and that I can hold out on finding out what happened on Top Chef until it reaches the internet in the morning. I really hope that I can continue putting together days for Lydia that involve options for imaginary play, creativity and physical activity. That's what she needs, not a TV in her room, or to be plunked down in front of something as innocuous as Planet Earth, or to watch Dora until she's running around the house screaming Spanish. I'll be blogging on something else I'm really interested in, free play vs. structured, later on.
With the weather being so #*&@^$ gorgeous lately, playtime has been a breeze. We've been outside, in the stroller, in her bouncy thingy, on a soft blanket in the grass, or wrapped in fleece and laid next to me napping in the sunshine...toys were totally unnecessary at the beginning of this week, and I relished it. Now with the less than favorable weather, we're cooped up inside with only so much patience. And so begins my discussion of noisy wallpaper, i.e....our TV.
We have a TV, and we use it. I'll shamelessly admit I like catching what happened on Top Chef, or anything on the Food Network or Animal Planet. And I like watching the news in the morning over a piece of toast and coffee. But here's the catch. Lydia's starting to watch it too. That's not something I like. With the American Academy of Pediatrics recommending that all children under the age of two "avoid" [that's their word] TV, and kids 2 to 6 years old watch only one or two hours a day, it's hard for me to condone Lydia's attention being focused on the blaring box. The percentages around TV and kids are staggering to me [all statistics can be found in Pediatrics, the AAP's medical journal].
- 74% of children in the US have watched TV before the age of two.
- 43% of children under two watch TV every day.
- 51% of homes have TV on most or all of the time during the day (EEK!).
- 33% of children under 6 have a TV in their bedroom.
- 63% of families in America that leave the TV on during meals. I'm stunned that families are that involved with their televisions.
There are many concerns I harbor over over-exposure to media at such a young age. Children can most certainly live, and dareIsay thrive, without television, yet we're plugging in more times throughout the day than I can count. We're surrounded by all kinds of media now, and it truly is noisy wallpaper. It distracts us from learning through observation, interactions face-to-face, and leaves little room for peace and reflection in a home. As viewers we may be more informed, but I think there is a toll on our physical, mental, and emotional health. Negative effects of exposure to media, namely TV in the study I was reading, include obesity, smoking, sexual risks, eating disorders, and substance abuse. A direct correlation between violence in media and feelings of anxiety, fear, aggressive behavior, academic and attention problems and poor sleep has also been proven.
But what about educational programming? It may be better for older children, but there's no such thing as positive education via the TV for children under two. Their brains simply aren't developed enough to learn from a screen. They may find something interesting while watching and try to imitate or get excited, but true learning, connection of the synapses, is not taking place. Interestingly enough, even baby videos may contribute to cognitive delays, take that Your Baby Can Read!
I plan on draping our TV with a pretty piece of fabric, and fully ignoring it this summer. We already keep it off during meals, something I enacted in our home months before. I hope all of Charlie's bonding with Lydia over fishing can be done out at Lake Shetek, and that I can hold out on finding out what happened on Top Chef until it reaches the internet in the morning. I really hope that I can continue putting together days for Lydia that involve options for imaginary play, creativity and physical activity. That's what she needs, not a TV in her room, or to be plunked down in front of something as innocuous as Planet Earth, or to watch Dora until she's running around the house screaming Spanish. I'll be blogging on something else I'm really interested in, free play vs. structured, later on.
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