Enter Contest At Glad Rags

Win gift certificates to purchase reusable feminine hygiene products from Glad Rags! Why do that? Reusable feminine hygiene products are much better for the environment, cost far less than purchasing disposable products monthly, are far more comfortable, and are much better for your body! Once you switch, you'll never go back. Skeptical? So was I! But I made the change years ago, and would never consider using disposable products again. For more information on some all natural reusable feminine hygiene products, please see my post by that name HERE. I really should do a follow-up post. That is fairly outdated now. Back then I was just trying things out. I know more about them now. But shoot any questions my way. I'm happy to respond.

To enter this contest please click HERE

Green Your Pets

I am the proud new owner of two 8-week old kittens. Now before you say, "What the hell were you thinking??" let me quickly say that they have so far been a joyful addition to our home. They have been here for five days. The kids enjoy them, they enjoy the kids (mostly) and my husband and I have our quiet time with them after the kids go to bed. That being said.....

I am trying to live a more holistic lifestyle. So of course any being who moves in with me is going to feel the effects of that process. And that means the cats. They are using a combination of two eco-friendly cat litters, and eating "natural" and also organic cat foods! Their litter box is made from recycled paper, and is 100% recyclable. Their water (as of today) is filtered. There blankets are washed using soap nuts, and have been dried in the sun. And of course they live in a home which has no harsh, toxic cleaners of any kind.

So. The particulars? Sure!

The cat litters:

I did an online search on "green" and "natural" cat litters, and aside from making my own (a cool idea, but really, who has the time?) these were the top two favorites.

World's Best Cat Litter: The bag reads: Pet and People Safe: Because World's Best Cat Litter is 
made from all-natural ingredients - with no added chemicals - it's 
totally safe for cats (and the whole family.) There are no toxins in 
case it is ingested. And unlike clay litters, there's no silica dust 
for you or your cat to breathe." It goes on: Planet Friendly: WB Cat 
Litter isn't minced, drilled or artificially produced. It's precisely 
milled from renewable whole-kernal corn and 100% biodegradable. And 
because it disperses in water, it's also septic safe and flushable!"

Feline Pine:Feline Pine. The bag reads: Chemical- 

free: Feline Pine Scoop uses the odor-fighting power of 100% natural 
pine instead of harsh chemicals or synthetic perfumes found in other 
litters. When your cat grooms, you can feel assured that he isn't 
ingesting any chemical additives."

Another popular one is called sWheat (made from wheat, obviously) but many complained of the smell when it got wet. I have seen this one at Pet Smart and at the grocery store, so it's easy to find. The others seem to be, also.

The food:

I am waiting to speak with the kittens' new vet on Friday to see what he/she recommends food-wise, but I'm kind of in favor of Newman's Own organic canned cat food. The cats have been eating another kind, and heck, I can't think of the name. I'll add it later. But they ate the one can of Newman's I bought for them to try, so that's what I'll get until I'm told otherwise. I also bought them some dry food called By Nature, which appears to be pretty good. But I'll update on the foods after we've been to the doc. It does appear that there are others like me out there, enough of us that there is a market for healthy, balanced, organic pet food. Awesome. 

The litter box:

I did not buy the litter boxes from this company, but this shows a picture of the kind that we use: Scuse the enormous link here, but I didn't feel like typing it! (copy/paste doesn't work for some reason...)

http://www.petco.com/product/9960/Kitty's-WonderBox-Disposable-Cat-Litter-Box.aspx?cm_mmc=CSEMGooglebase-_-Cat-_-Kitty's%20WonderBox-_-770272&mr:trackingCode=0408EC15-8381-DE11-B7F3-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA


More later...

Worm composting - They're Here!!

At long, long last, the worm compost bin has become a reality. After finally getting our bin together, complete with drilled air holes (thanks, hubby!) we attempted to get red wiggler worms from our local bait shops. They informed us that they are also trying to get their hands one some. Funnily enough, when I mentioned that we wanted them for composting, one bait shop guy responded, "I know, I know." Ha! Guess we're not that odd around here after all. Anyhow, I went online and ordered 500 red wigglers from Uncle Jim's Worm Farm in Spring Grove, PA. I realized that once I had placed the order, I really had to get things together for this thing!! I put our bin out and collected all of our appropriate table scraps in it (fruit and veggie left-overs, but no citrus, etc.) Then we waited....

They arrived today. Here's what the package looked like:

The first step in preparing a worm composting bin is to find a bin with a lid. The size will depend on you. Ours is a former bird seed box cum rock holder. It's clear, which I love, has a lid that opens 1/2 way, and has a carrying handle. Perfect!

The first thing we did was to hand-shred a bunch of newspaper. There's no accounting for taste, but the worms allegedly love it! 

We filled the bin about 3/4 full.

My daughter went out to the back yard and collected a handful or two of both soil and sand, and a few leaves.

Add the soil mix and mix it into the newspaper.

The worms! 500 red wigglers heading for their new home.

Nature girl!!

We watered down the newspaper/soil mix. It really lowered the stuff way down. Once we placed the worms on top, we shredded some more newspaper and gently placed it on top. We then made a space in one corner of the box, and added our collected kitchen scraps. They are getting a lovely mix of cantelope melon rinds, celery, and other good stuff. I have read that we can add coffee grounds, which we have plenty of in this house. I also read that we should have usable rich soil in about 3-4 months. 

I promised to bring this bin to DD's school, and now I want to keep it! But I get it back at the end of June when school ends. I think I'll keep it for a few days, anyhow. =)

Clyde. The first worm to be named. (grin)

Advertise My Stuff through HMN? (sewing)

Crazy Daisy is thinking again. Uh-oh. I am a member of the Holistic Moms Network, a nation-wide group of, well, holistic minded moms. Every year, this group has a big conference in NJ. I have never been to it, but am very hopeful to be able to attend this fall. I have been receiving emails about it recently. One such email listed ways for people who sell items that might appeal to the holistically minded to advertise their businesses. There are a few ways, but one particular one got my brain moving. A person can pay ($75.00) to have certain items placed in the "goody" bags that each participant at the conference will receive. Now because these folks are environmentally minded, no paper (including business cards) is accepted. (How cool is that?) But people can put logo items in, such as pens, magnets, and so forth. And that got me thinking that I could do something like that with my shop's email address on them. And of course that would mean that I would have to stock the shop with something that such minded folks would be interested in. And THAT got me thinking about ideas such as........ a Go-Paperless Kit. I would, I figure, have to stock the shop with kits that cost something. I'm not going to be able to repay myself for the up-front costs if I'm selling individual items at a low cost. That would take a lot of sales. But if I put together kits that maybe cost $50.00 each, or a variety of kits, ranging from $25.00-$50.00 or more, perhaps I could make it work. Hm. Am I nuts? There is something to lose here. For one thing, money. I could lost the cost of having the items placed in the bags. I would have to order them, of course, and mail them, too. Then if I had any sales, it would take a few to break even, then start to earn. And so forth. So it's a bit of a risk. However, I also have the regular Etsy shoppers to market to. And I have ways of promoting my shop around too. I dunno. It's also a lot of time commitment, and history has definitely shown that I lose interest in making the same item over and over again. However, that is what I had planned to do with fleece hats for a fall craft show anyhow. So. Hm. Maybe the thing to do is to take a month or two, make up a couple of kits, and see how easy it would be to make a bunch up before October. Or maybe I'm overdoing it. Maybe I should make a kit or two and see how they fare in the shop, before I invest a bunch of money in advertising something that won't sell. That feels like the place to start. I've got time. If they do well, I can proceed from there.

It keeps me moving.

2010 - April Plan- RESULTS

Purge Plan: Kitchen Purge #2 - Glass purge

During the month of April, I purged NOTHING from our glass stash. On May 5th, I have pulled a bunch of spice bottles (glass and plastic) out of the cabinet, combined some, and simply got rid of some that we've had for a bunch of years.

Green Plan: (From Easy Green Living by Renee Loux)

>Get a low-flow toilet, or make your existing toilet low flow:

Already had.

>Don't be a drip - fix leaky faucets and toilets:

Hm. I have one to fix. I'll call today.

Holistic Moms Green Plan: Breast feed. Whelp, I don't need a month to work on this. I have been nursing for 5 1/2 years, and we're still going strong. =)

I haven't done well in the area of PURGE in April. Perhaps I can renew my efforts for May. Hmmmm...

All Natural Reusable Feminine Hygiene Products

I wasn't sure I wanted to post about this, but I feel that it goes along with my journey in general, and others may want to know about this stuff. I will share my experiences in this area without sharing too much! ;)

Cloth Menstrual Pads:

About half a year ago I switched completely from using disposable feminine hygiene products to using cloth menstrual pads. I can't imagine going back. The reasons are many. They are more comfortable (nothing on them to stick to your clothes....or you,) they snap on so they don't shift around, much less expensive over time (usu. about $4/pad, but that varies, plus I am able to make my own, which reduced the cost even more,) more interesting to look at as you can use or buy whatever fabric prints you want, etcetc. They are as easy to care for as your regular laundry, and are discreet between washes as you just fold them up on themselves and snap them closed. Easy.

For those interested, check Etsy out. Lots of folks make them for very reasonable prices. (http://www.etsy.com) Check out also Glad Rags. I'm sure there are loads of other places. Do a search online. I've never seen them anywhere but online, but those on the other coast may have....

Sea Sponge Tampons

I haven't had any interest in trying any of the internal feminine hygiene products as they just seem weird. People swear by them (testimonials I have read online, I don't know anyone personally who has shared that kind of information with me) including the Diva Cup (popular with folks on the Holistic Moms Network) and sea sponge tampons. I believe there are other options as well, but I just don't know. So a few days ago when my daughter started pestering me to go swimming, I simply said that I couldn't at the moment. Does a 5-year-old give up that easily? Anyone who has one or has had one knows the answer is NO! Anyhow the long and the short of it is that I went to our local natural food store and inquired, and was given Sea Pearls Sea Sponge tampons. Here is some info about them. This was taken from the brochure enclosed with the tampons:

I don't know if this is readable, but I'm happy to share any information I have.

Although I don't really feel like drawing out the details of my experience with these tampons to share with all the world, I will say that I today I had a very positive experience with them. They're easy to use, easy to care for, and all natural, biodegradable, reusable, and come from a renewable source. I will answer any questions anyone has about my experience, and I will share another blog post I found on these tampons which helped ease my mind before using them myself: LINK This person is not as shy as I!

Soap Nuts - Allergic To Them?? - Trial

For the past several months, I have been reacting to something on the first floor of my home. I sneeze a lot!! I occasionally get a scratchy throat. I feel sinusy. I fear it may be the soap nuts. Everything you find on soap nuts says that using them will eliminate allergy symptoms. I may be the 1 in a million who has allergy symptoms because of them. Yay me. I will be testing my theory over the next week or two.

Step 1: Obtain an alternate all natural laundry detergent.

Done. Trying Planet 100% biodegradable hypo-allergenic detergent for HE and standard washers.










Step 2: Eliminate soap nuts from the house.

Done! I put all of the stuff in the garage.

Step 3: Use the replacement detergent for one week. Keep track of sneezing, sinus pressure, throat.

DAY 1: I sneezed in the living room this morning, and in the kitchen while typing this. Why? Who knows. I have post-nasal drip, which effects my throat. My son complained, for the second day in a row, that his throat feels funny. Hm. Bug? Or allergy? I am now doing laundry with the new detergent, but have quite a bit of laundry to be folded that was done with soap nuts. DS sneezed in the kitchen while having a snack. I sneezed late this morning while cleaning the stove with castile soap and baking soda....... If the soap nuts trial doesn't prove that soap nuts is the problem, castile soap will be the next item to test. The problem definitely seems to be focused in the kitchen/living room area. One random sneeze upstairs this afternoon. No other sneezing since this morning, and I've been home for a while.... could it be that simple? I've been doing laundry today, too. With the new stuff, of course. Hm.

DAY 2: Sneezed this morning while folding laundry. The clean at this point is a mix of that done with soap nuts, and that done with Planet detergent. I sneezed out in the garage while playing with DS. The soaps are being stored in the garage. I also felt my throat getting scratchy and my nose got itchy and runny. It's evening now and it's been sneezy throat scratchy day. ??

DAY 3: I have been sneezing all morning. It's still early, but I am definitely reacting to something. What the....

DAY 4: Sneezing and feeling like crap when I'm in the house, which has been all day today. Kinda looking like soap nuts are not the problem. I guess I'm glad about that... But I'll continue the test for a day or two more to be certain. I've been doing tons of laundry, so the majority of the stuff has been done in Planet I think...

DAY 5/6: Not sure I'm feeling any better while at home. I guess I'll continue to do laundry with Planet for a couple more days, then bring the soap nuts back in and see if I have any reaction to it. I'll follow up in a week or so.

UPDATE: Ok, this post seems to get a lot of attention, so I will update. It is now August (oops!) and I have been using soap nuts again for some time. I am convinced that it was NOT the soap nuts that were causing me to sneeze. Probably essential oils, and definitely our new kittens. And dust, and who knows what else. But I'm confident that soap nuts are not the problem, and are likely a GOOD thing to have, considering how sensitive I have become to environmental stuff.

2010 - March Plan - Results

March Plan Results!


Purge Plan - March: Linens (anything cloth!)


3 baby blankets given to a friend for her kitty, who is preggo. =)
A few random things chucked...
Hubby has given me a few of his shirts to use as fabric to make other things

One bag of clothing to be donated to a local community center. It took the month ending for me to get moving with this. 


Green Plan: 


*Use unbleached coffee filters for a dioxin-free cup o' joe


I have used a plastic reusable coffee filter for years. My plan is to sew some reusable filters out of unbleached muslin to eliminate the plastic. But here it is April, and I haven't even bought the material yet. Sighs...it's a process.


*Install a water filter


We have one on the fridge that broke a long while back. We have a pitcher water filter, but the water was tasting bad with the last filter, so we've been drinking tap water..... I put another pitcher filter in, and that's what we're using for now.


Holistic Moms Network Resolution #3: Get a New Bag  

"Want to help save sea turtles and reduce dependence on oil at the same time?  Then commit yourself to using nothing but reusable bags - not just at the supermarket, but at the mall, the convience store, the farmer's market, and everywhere you go and shop!"

I've been using cloth bags for a long time, but I often, almost always in fact, forget to bring them. HMN suggests having cloth bags everywhere...in your car, your purse, etc. I think this is a good idea and will work in that direction.

I did actually put more bags in my car, but I'm not sure it has helped my brain to remember to bring them in the store more often, but I continue to try, and I often will refuse plastic bags even if I've forgotten my cloth bags, so ....

Overall this month was not as productive, purge-wise, as I had expected and hoped, but life just gets in the way sometimes. As always, I can continue to purge linens in April even though my main focus will be else where. I am getting rid of things, and ultimately, that is the goal. So, progress, progress, progress!

Essential Oils - Peppermint for Constipation and Gas - Trial

I have a friend who is presenting with constipation, pressure in the lower abdomen, and gas. You know me, any opportunity to try out my new batch of essential oils.... I asked and was given the ok to try peppermint essential oil on this person. Peppermint oil is supposed to aid in digestion, and can be taken in tea, or 1-2 drops can be placed on or beneath the tongue. This person opted for the drops on the tongue. Two drops.

Tick tick tick.....

Not even 15 minutes had passed when I got the report that the person was no longer constipated. Hm. That's awfully quick. As always, I'm not quick to believe in something right off the bat, but would like to test it a few more times.... I will also ask this person as the day goes on if any symptoms remain.

I'll report back. In the meantime, here's a link to some information on essential oils, specifically peppermint, and how they/it aids digestion. This link came from a google search on "How to take peppermint essential oil for digestion" and it was the first link in the list. Link

This if from http://www.YLessentialoils.com:

Constipation

Single Oils : Ginger, Peppermint, Fennel, Tarragon, Anise seed
Blends : Di-Gize

Solutions for Constipation:

Constipation is usually a consequence of inadequate fluid and fiber intake. Start taking one Life 5 before going to sleep at night. Life5 builds and restores core intestinal health by providing five clinically proven probiotic strains including three advanced super strains to enhance intestinal health, sustain energy and improve immunity
You can ingest the oil or blend of your choice by mixing 1-2 drops with at least 4 ounces of rice milk 2-4 times daily.

Earache

I have a double earache. Not too bad, but there, and irritating.

I have always had very sensitive ears. My ears hurt in the wind, unless the wind is very warm. If I get a sinus infection or any kind of bug in my head, my ears are effected. Much of the time I can just tell that there is fluid in my ears. I'm kind deaf, and my ears pop a lot. Once in a while, it hurts a little. Like now. So what better opportunity to play around with all-natural treatments? ;)

Trial 1: 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of warmed olive oil with one drop of lavender essential oil and one drop of tea tree essential oil. A small piece of knit fabric (in place of cotton balls, which I don't have) soaked in this blend, and placed in the ear. I did each side of 15 minutes.

Results: Hm. About 3 hours later I noticed my ears feeling irritated again, so I guess I can say this didn't really work. Or if it did, it was pretty short-term. Hours later my ears were still leaking oil - bleh.

Trial 2: I read about this online. I made some garlic-infused olive oil. The drops are placed in the ear, and according to this website, it works great for relieving the pressure that causes earaches. I postponed using it a day because we had some friends over. Although I was dying to try it, I thought it might be socially unacceptable to walk around with garlic-smelling oil oozing out of my ears. (grin) As soon as my ears start to irritate me again today, I'll put the oil in. They don't ache this morning, but they are fluidy and popping still, so I figure the additional discomfort will come. I'd like to make it a fair trial by waiting until I have something to compare, ya know? If I don't get aching at some point today, I'll go ahead with the trial and see if it makes a difference with pressure.

Well, I guess I'm grateful that my ache has not come back today. I put infused oil in one ear with a fabric plug for about 20 minutes. I can't say I've noticed a big difference either way. So really, I can't say whether this trial has been helpful or not. I don't know whether the treatments have been helpful or not. My ears are not back to normal, but they could be a lot worse, so................ we'll see how it goes. If they get worse again, I'll try the treatments again.

I did end up putting more oil in both ears. This time I used more. I could feel it. I don't know what difference it made, but my ears feel pretty good tonight.

Next morning: No pain, no pressure. Icky, itchy and generally blik, but no pain. I'll take it. =)

Safety in Personal Care Products

A friend sent me a link to this neat website. It lists the ingredients and relative safety of loads of personal care products. She specifically sent me a link to information on Desitin, as I have been trying to replace it with safer alternatives for diaper rash. (see Essential Oils - Lavender For Diaper Rash - Trial) I could spend all day plugging in various products and worrying about it all. (sighs) I checked out "lavender essential oil" and it came up with the study linking the oil to prepubertal breast development in boys, for example. I'll have to check other oils....... Anyhow, it looks like a great resource. Check it out.

Essential Oils - They're Here!!!

Earlier this month I made the decision to purchase some essential oils. I have never used essential oils before, at least not on purpose. I have just run into them again and again as I research ways of living a more holistic, healthier lifestyle. So I got curious. And my old friend, S, uses them and feels they have been beneficial to her and her family. So out of pure curiosity, I splurged (a good word, they were not cheap) on a starter kit of oils and a "every day" oils package.

The company I ordered from, recommended by S for their purity, is called Young Living. It is a pyramid-type company, meaning you can become an independent seller of Young Living products, and when you sell some to others, you receive benefits, such as a reduced cost of supplies for yourself. In any event, I ordered using S's seller #, thus giving her benefits of some kind.

In addition to the oils, I ordered a couple of books about oils, a bottle of "carrier" oil (a base oil to mix essential oils in to produce a diluted oil or oils) and three empty dropper bottles to keep my mixtures in. Basic supplies.

And now to open the box (dun-dun-DUN.....)....

Two boxes, very tidy. So what's inside?

Ooo. Ok, so the box on the right is the "Start Living" kit, which comes with a membership of any kind in the Young Living company. You then choose the oils package that you feel you'd like to begin with. I chose the "Everyday Oils" package. (The box on the left)

The "Start Living" box contents. There is also a thick packet of paperwork in the same folder. My homework! If you can't read the bottles, there are 3 NingXia singles. The oils are Peppermint and Lavender.

The contents of the Everyday Oils package. Along with a small booklet describing the use of each oil were the following oils: PanAway, Purification, Peace & Calming, Peppermint, Thieves, Lemon, Lavender, Frankincense and Valor.

I bought these separately after reading a little in one of the books I bought. Sweet almond oil is supposed to be a good carrier oil, especially for children. That is, it is used to dilute the essential oils for various uses. The bottles are for putting my own mixes in.

My plan is to systematically learn what each of these oils is used for, and when possible, to test them out. I will blog about it all. I figure in the very least, I can get my money's worth by sharing the information with all of you! And it will be fun for me. I'm excited to get started. But the books, what little I have read in them so far, make it clear that it is important to know what you are doing with essential oils. Like anything, they can be used improperly to ill effect. So I will diligently do my reading, and will be safe and cautious with the oils. To the books!

Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford

I have a feeling I will be blogging a lot about food in the future. I bought myself this book with the hopes of gaining a better understanding of how food effects our moods and our health. The book is huge, and when I first saw I figured I probably wouldn't end up spending a lot of time with it. Two nights ago, during my evening "break" I picked it up and started reading. I spent 45 minutes at it. Wow. Interesting stuff! For example:

Magnesium: "...(An) attribute of foods concentrated in magnesium is their ability to strengthen the structural aspects of the body to counteract conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, and osteoporosis. ...Excellent research suggests that absolutely no calcium enters the bones without adequate magnesium..." Magnesium rich foods include beans, soy products, peas and lentils.

Milk: "...Dairy with its fat removed may not support the absorption and utilization of the fat-soluble vitamins D and A, which are necessary for maintaining and laying down new bone mass. Thus, calcium may go primarily into the soft tissues rather than into the bones in those who persist with reduced-fat dairy products."

Wow. Food for thought-lol!

2010 - February Plan

February Plan and (eventually) Results:

Purge plan for February:

Kitchen purge #1 Get rid of all cooking items that aren't currently being used (pots/pans/small appliances).

Rusty tins, cleansers we haven't used in years, assorted other stuff - BYE-BYE.


Plastic soda can holder, knives, ceramic bowls, heading to DD's school after the winter break. Whoo-hoo!


Rusty nut cracker in the garbage. Coffee travel mug up for donation along with some plastic food storage containers that we don't use. A neighbor just claimed these two items plus a glass that we don't use.

Random things found in the kitchen cabinets...

More random unused stuff. 

All of our coated pots and pans and lids are being donated to DD's school. We are replacing this bunch of purge stuff with a new set: 6 pots and pans and 4 lids. Total reduction: 13 pieces out, 10 in = 3 gonegonegone. =) And we're upgrading...no more coated pots and pans. We're now going with a safer stainless steel set. 














Green plan for Feb:

3. Choose natural personal care products and cosmetics


We use Burt's Bees hand salve and lip stuff. I am hoping to find an alternative to Aquaphor that my skin will accept. I use natural shampoos for myself and the kids most of the time. Our soap bars are transitioning from Dove Sensitive skin to Dr. Bronner's castile soap bars. I am hoping to find a way to keep my skin outbreaks under control without using steroid creams. I currently use a very small amount of steroid cream nightly. I haven't used cosmetics of any kind for years.


I bought California Baby's Calendula Cream yesterday - an attempt to replace Aquaphor for our hands. For me, it failed after one use. I could feel my hands drying out after using it. That happens with every lotion whose first ingredient is water. Hopefully I can use it for something, because 2oz of the stuff cost over $12.00. Sheesh. Oh, and the packaging is very disappointing, too. Plastic bottle and cap, with a plastic "disc" over the top when you open it, sealed by more plastic around the top of the jar. The jar is recyclable (#5) but the rest is trash that won't decompose. Yuk.


I have purchased a bunch of essential oils, and am gradually finding ways of using them, blended, in our home. I have been using oils for diaper rash (if successful this would eliminate Desitin and similar ointments from our house.) I am hoping the oil blends can replace a number of personal care products in our home. I've been using Sweet Almond Oil (organic) on the kids after the bath instead of Aquaphor much of the time, with good results. DS has some eczema rashy spots, which I am paying special attention to, but they seems to be pretty manageable. They're not going away, but they're not too bad either....

4. Go for recycled, naturally bleached toilet paper, paper towels, and tissues


Progess:


I do not use paper towels, and we nearly always out of tissues. My kids use cloth wipes for their noses. I don't like them much when I'm sick, but I try to compromise. 

I purchased toilet paper this month that was made from recycled paper. It's more expensive, and we'll likely go through it more quickly than the 1000-sheet roles, but I will try to be more conservative...Actually it seems to have a lot of sheets like the others we've gotten. It seems to be lasting as long...Duh, there it is right on the package. 1000 sheets. Yeeks. :P

Holistic Moms Network Green Plan:

This month's resolution is an effort to simplify and to focus on what matters: eat whole foods.  Eat foods in their whole, natural state.  Look for foods that are the same as they come out of the ground or in their most natural, simple form.  Organic - great!  Local - fabulous!  But whole is our primary resolution.

Progress: 

I have already signed up for CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) for this year's growing season. We have joined the same farm in the past. It is organic, and wonderful. Each week we pick up a share of the farm's produce, which varies from week to week, depending on what is ready to harvest at that time. The food tastes amazing (picked fresh as opposed to picked early and shipped), it's organic which I love, and it encourages us to eat veggies we may not otherwise try. I love it.

I am trying to be more cognizant of serving raw fruits and veggies as well as cooked with most meals. This is a tough area for me. But the kids LOVE fruit and veggies too, so I just have to HAVE them.

Exercise:


Walk in the 'hood: 5
Wii fitness workouts - 15 minutes most nights
Swimming with the kids: 3

From Jan plan: I gave away a bunch of kids' books to friends. The remaining books will be donated or tossed (some are in poor shape.) 


4 books given to Children's Museum (brought 1 home)

I've decided to move the cookbooks, and since I was going through them anyway, I decided it was a great time to PURGE. A bunch more stuff thrown out, recycled and donated!