Top Green Kitchen Essentials

The indoor recycling station Nick installed in our house

#1 Nix the plastics.  I cannot say it enough.  Many kitchen plastics contain BPA and other cancer causing nasty chemicals that you do not want in your food or your body.  Instead, opt for glass, bamboo,  or stainless.

#2  Go organic.  Better for your health, you, and the environment.  I will take my bananas pesticide free please! Make sure it has the USDA Organic label on it. 

#3  Clean green.  Kitchen cleansers are laden with ingredients that you usually can't pronounce.  Those "un-pronounce-ables" are usually toxic.  Why would you want to put your food on a toxic surface?  Instead, opt for some green cleaners. 

#4 Skip the non-stick coatings. Those chemical coatings that you can't pronounce and are eating are not good for you.  If you don't know what it is OR what it does, chances are you do not want to eat it. 

#5 Join a CSA or grow your own.  CSA = Consumer supported agriculture.  Farmers markets and Saturday markets are always a great place to meet your farmers and learn a a bit more about the local food movement in your community. 

#6 Shop local.  Skip the air/drive time that it took to get your food from Mexico (and who know's what your food has come into contact with!), it limits emissions and your food will taste better! 

#7 Compost & recycle.  This is crucial, and so freaking easy.  Where I live the soil is total crap, but since I have started composting I am able to use that rich soil that is created and really bring my garden to life (without the use of pesticides!).  AND almost everything is recyclable today, if you are not recycling you're a jerk.  So do it already. 

#8  Energy efficiency.  Your refrigerator can be of the biggest energy drains in your house.  Nick and I just bought a new energy star fridge 7 months ago for $500 bucks.  It using far less kWh than your traditional fridge and still has plenty of space.  Also, chances are you have already switched your lights in you home to CFL's, but you can also change the light in your fridge to an LED and maximize your savings. 

#9 Buy in bulk.  You can save lot's of $$$ by buying in bulk and you will reduce the amount of packaging that comes with your traditional purchases.

My first cavity

Tomorrow is going to be a big disappointment of a day!  8 AM tomorrow I will be getting my first cavity filled.  I can't believe it.  I have always been so proud of the fact that I didn't have any cavities.  Dentists have always praised my dental hygiene and I've always left my appointments smiling (mostly because I was excited to get the H out of their office). 
Two weeks ago I went in for my cleaning and films.  Lo and behold I had developed a nasty little cavity on a tooth waaay in the back of my mouth in a place that I don't think my toothbrush can even reach.  And tomorrow I am going to pay for it.
I'm so nervous, I don't think I'm even going to be able to sleep.  I have a bit of a phobia of the dentist.  It's been that way since I was little.  I can remember walking into the dentist and my knees would start to shake while waiting in the reception area.  Even the smell of the dentist office still makes my stomach hurt.
I know that you are never supposed to wish away time, but right now I am just so excited for it to be 5 PM tomorrow and for my dentist appointment and work day to be over. 

Our Story

                   Footage from our rehearsal dinner and wedding. 

BABY FEVER!

photo courtesy: http://www.elizabethtelegaphotography.com/baby.html

I have a bad, and I mean BAD case of baby fever.  What makes it even worse... so does my husband.  This is very unfortunate because we can't have a baby yet.  Financially we are in no position to bring another life into this world and care for it.  Nick and I sat down today and decided that we are going to sell whatever we can in order to get ahead of our debt and to start our family.  Car, engagement ring, nothing is off limits.  We're selling any and every thing of value we own.  Our goal is to be able to start trying to have a baby next year! 

I had my IUD removed on Tuesday.  That was an unpleasant experience to say the very least.  I actually yelped at one point.  Poor Nick held my hand while I cried the whole time.  The good news is that is was all over in less that 10 minutes.  Typical IUD removal are very easy, mine however was slightly different.  My IUD strings had been tucked up in my cervix and had to be retrieved using a dilator and a hook.  All in all, it was worth it.  My IUD served it's purpose while I needed it, and now I am ready to chart my body's natural cycle and prepare for a baby. 

My hope is that by this time next year I'm pregnant! 

IUD Removal Day.... tomorrow!

I'm getting my IUD removed tomorrow afternoon.  I tried to get it removed last month, but the doctor couldn't locate it so I had to reschedule and am getting it removed with a retrieval device.    I made the terrible decision to watch the procedure on youtube to prepare myself.  The video did the opposite of calm my nerves.

All I can think about is the agony I experienced with having my IUD placed 2 1/2 years ago.  I've been told that having it removed isn't even close to as painful as having it put in.  I really hope that is true.

I will give you an update tomorrow to let you know how it went! 

Married Life Update

It's been over a month since the wedding and things are just now finally starting to calm down.  It's unbelievable how excited I am just for things to be "normal" again.  I can wake up in the morning and not have to think about centerpieces or floral arrangements (Or the endless thank you's to be sent.)!  Thank you Jesus. 

Picture from our wedding photo re-shoot day. 

To sum it up in one word, married life is AWESOME.  There has been some unexpected and not so wonderful moments (mostly involving the bringing together of other important people in our lives), but overall Nick and my relationship with each other is awesome.  We are happier and more comfortable than we have ever been before.  We have a whole new level of love and trust for one another since saying "I DO".  Also, we have discovered that the trying moments only make us stronger.  Any insecurities that Nick and I had before we said I do have been heavily evaluated in this past month.

People keep asking me if I feel any different since saying I do. The answer to that is a big YES!  Suddenly I feel all grown up.  Keep in mind I'm only 24, graduated from college 2 years ago and got my first real job, and was living at home with my parents 4 years before that.  It really makes me realize that life happens so fast and I just want to soak up as much of it that I can.  I want to be with the people I love and doing what makes me happy.  That being said, my internal ticking time clock that tells me that I have to have babies right now has somewhat slowed down.  I realize that this may be the only time that Nick and I have (these next couple years) that will be just the two of us.  We want to enjoy this time that we have to the fullest.  And here is our goal... we want to celebrate our first wedding anniversary without a baby, or even a bun in the oven.  I think it is a good goal, it reminds us to slow down and smell the roses.  After our first anniversary we will re-evaluate.

Spanking your child

To spank or not to spank, that is the question! 

image from corruptct.com

I recently had someone tell me that they were going to start spanking their child when they reach 15 months.  For a little background information, this child I am referring to is currently 13 months, and still not speaking.  This child doesn't even have the benefit of being able to ask what it is that she has done wrong.

Dr. James Dobson recommends using an object to spank your child with (as opposed to your hands).  Do we really think our children are so dumb that they cannot recognize that the object is simply and extension of our hand?  And even an extension of our own anger?  A person spanks.  A spoon does not.  It's very easy to try and rationalize an ugly act, or to place the blame somewhere else.  I don't think that 15 years down the road the kid is going to blame the spoon.

Here is my list of reasons why we should NOT spank our children:

 1. We don't teach our children to hit others when they've done something wrong
 2. As adults, we do not hit others
 3. If you hit your child, they are more likely to hit
 4. Think of when you were spanked as a child & how it made you feel.  Chances are you remember those moments, and not fondly.
 5. Our hands are supposed to be loving, a safe place for our children.  We are supposed to protect our children, not harm our children.  Using a spoon or belt does not make spanking any better.  Kids realize that you (mom or dad) are the one that is operating the weapon. 
 6. There are other and (what I believe to be) more effective & less emotionally scarring forms of discipline.  Ever heard of a good ole' timeout?  Stare at the wall?  Take away something privileged?
 7. Spare the rod, spoil the child.  Do people really still believe this?!  I don't think that not hitting your child is going to be what ended up spoiling them.  Buying them every video game on the market and letting them drink soda at 8 p.m. on a school night might though. 
 8. Do we really want our childen to fear us?
 9.  Is spanking really a means or discipline OR is it just a fed up parent releasing their anger & frustration on their child.  Our children are not our own personal punching bags.  Maybe some parents could use a good time out.
 10. Last, but not least, I have spanked before.  No, it was not a human, but I did spank my dog Arlo when I was at my wits end with him and he simply wasn't listening to anything.  I got fed up and I spanked him right on the rump.  I will never forget the look on his face right after I did it either.  I immediately felt complete remorse.  Arlo remembered for a while too.  Any time I would raise my voice he would tuck his tail and look sad for a solid month after.  What's more, Arlo didn't change his bad behavior because I decided to give him a good whack.  Yes, Arlo is a dog.  BUT, I think science has taught us that animals are not so different than us.  They have feelings and emotions and are capable of love. 

No, I am not a parent and I am sure that anyone who reads this blog will let that fact alone disqualify my opinion.  What I can say is that I was a child once and I got spanked, not often, but enough to remember.  Being that I am not a parent, I do not know what it feels like when your child has been fussy and misbehaving all day and you cannot seem to catch a break.  What I do know is that I am a good person plan on raising a kind-hearted and loving human being.  Children learn their behaviors at an early age.  Are we not role models for our children?  My parenting style will be to lead by example.  To each their own, but I deeply hope that the human population can show a little bit more compassion, especially if you are going to call yourself the "superior species"... we need to start acting like it.