Well, it may be obvious to some, but not all, and wasn't to me.
I'm talking about using the typical household ingredients for typical household cleaning.
I was born into and have been raised in the era of "bigger is better". What that has equated to is the prettier smelling cleaners, the "strongest fighting" cleaners. Well life lesson Camille; bigger is not always better. Here's how I came to my realization, and I'll share my new tried and true recipes!
My littlest one has had breathing issues since the day of birth. With out going into the nitty gritty of details, we were so desperate, we were beginning to evaluate every little detail in his environment to try to stop the wheezing, coughing and swollen eyes. As I began to do research on environmental factors that could cause asthma like symptoms in children, I read over and over again about how sensitive children with breathing problems are to household cleaners. "Aha!" I thought. "That's it, I need to stop using all these chemicals all over my house!". I went a little overboard, I'll admit. I tossed all products we had under the sink before even finding replacements that I knew worked. But, in my defense I was a worried mama bear trying to protect her baby. With no cleaning products and a dirty house I was on a quick fix mission to find cleaning recipes that were non-toxic, safe, and effective. I'll admit, not all of them worked. But here's the ones that I now use every day in my house that work great!
Hand Soap
• 6 ounces water
• 1 Tsp – Tablespoon Lavender Castille Soap (you can adjust this amount to how much soapiness you prefer)
• 8-10 drops of sweet orange essential oil (I haven’t added this, just because I don’t have it)
• Shake gently, the end. (You’ll want to give the bottle a brief shake before each use to remix the oils evenly… nothing crazy just a one, two shake will do it)
Nontoxic floor cleaner
one cup white distilled vinegar per gallon of hot water. For extra strength, use ½ cup borax (like vinegar, a natural disinfectant) and 2 gallons of water, plus 1/4 cup of any liquid soap.
Fabric Softener
½ cup white vinegar to load of laundry. May take several loads to build up softness.
No-Streak Glass Cleaner (This was the MOST impressive recipe I found, it works so well!)
For sparkling mirrors and windows, combine 1/4 cup undiluted white vinegar, 1 tbsp cornstarch, and 1 quart warm water. Mix in spray bottle. You can re-use until it's all gone. For a lint-free shine, wipe dry with a sheet of crumpled newspaper or a coffee filter.
Tile and Grout Paste
1 cup water and 3 cups baking soda mixed into a paste works great for cleaning tile and grout. Use a toothbrush to scrub the paste into grout.
So, there was some planning ahead that I had to do for this. For the home made hand soap I bought Dial foaming soap to use up so I could use the soap dispenser over again. You could buy foam dispensers from Amazon or something (but I didn't know what kind of plastics they were so decided against it). And, for the spray bottles it actually took me 2 tries. First I bought the $1.00 special spray bottles from Target. Sounds great right? Well, then when I got home I saw it wasn't labeled with a recycling number which meant anything could be leeching from that plastic. My conscious got the best of me and I went to McDaniels and replaced it with #2 recyclable plastic bottles that I knew wouldn't leech bad toxins into my product. Read here about how to know what are good and bad plastics to buy.
Here's some other notes on the use of household items that can be used for cleaning. Yes, I researched this and typed it up. Don't laugh at me, I'm a dork and I admit it.
Natural Cleaning Product Tips:
• Baking Soda. The cleaning powers of baking soda reach far beyond it’s role as a fridge deodorizer…
Baking soda works as a non-abrasive scouring cleaner on countertops and ovens, and in bathtubs and sinks. It also rids clothes of perspiration odors when used in conjunction with laundry detergent in the washer.
o The next time you do laundry, try adding 1/2 cup to a cup to your load.
o Before you vacuum, sprinkle it on your carpet as a deodorizer.
• Washing Soda. Also known as sodium carbonate, washing soda is a caustic cleaner that is far safer than other solvents. Wearing gloves when you use it, however, is still recommended.
o Washing soda is great at cutting grease, getting wax or lipstick out of clothing, and neutralizing odors.
• Lemon Juice. The acid in lemon juice neutralizes hard water deposits, dissolves buildup and dirt on wood, and tarnish on silver.
o White vinegar can be used in place of lemon juice. The infamous strong smell dissipates as the vinegar dries.
• Antifungals/Disinfectants. Grapefruit seed extract and essential oils such as lavender, clove, and tea tree oil have antiseptic properties and operate as natural fungicides.
o To keep mold at bay, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of essential oil to 2 cups of water in a spray bottle, or 20 drops of grapefruit seed extract to 1 quart of water.
Remember my hand made laundry detergent? It uses some of these ingredients and after about 9 months of using it, still works like a charm and is easy on the wallet! ALL of these are easy on the wallet.
I will admit, I do still have clorox wipes in the house. We use them for sanitizing the bathroom, doorknobs, and stuff like that that is just touched a lot. I like using wipes in general, so use Seventh Generation wipes around the house alot, which I love.
Maybe some of you will read this and say, "duh, I already knew that". Maybe some of you won't. I just hope someone else has an aha moment like me. I'm sure my grandma would just say, "duh!" cuz this was how it was done back then when things were just a bit simpler.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Making baby food
The day Landon (my youngest) turned 6 months my husband went out and bought rice cereal because he was "technically" old enough to eat solids. I had every intention of holding off until he was 8 months, but nooooo. Peter (my husband) wanted to feed him "just this once". Right. Well, the wee one ate three bowls of rice cereal that "one" time, so was obviously a natural and was more than ready to begin his journey of solids. So began my quest to make baby food.
FUNNY video of the first time he ate solids. Don't mind the boob comment, it was a jab at my husband for feeding him solids when I didn't want to.
My little Landon has at least one allergy we know of; he is allergic to dairy. Doctor said chances are there will be more allergies so we knew we needed to proceed with caution on introducing foods. So, we started with basics that had least chance of allergic reaction, then moved on from there. We introduced one a week to be cautious.
Foods we've made thus far:
Pear. Apple. Pear/Apple. Banana. Blueberry/Banana. Sweet potato. Butternut squash. Sweet Potato/Butternut squash. Carrott. Carrott/Sweet Potato. Broccoli. Carrot/Brocoli. Cauliflower. Cauliflower/Chicken. Chicken/Sweet Potato. Avacado/Banana. Sweet Potato/Rice. Apple/Rice. Rice/Apple. Rice/Squash.
Actually, we've mixed rice cereal with all of them because he really likes that. Plus, I like doing that for him to ensure he gets all the iron he needs.
What is so amazing about making my own baby food? Well, here's a just a few reasons.
1.) It is SOOOO cost effective! One 5lb bag of carrots at Trader Joes are .79 and that makes about eight small jars of baby food which costs anywhere between .89-1.00 EACH!!!! at the grocery store. Hello! How can that savings be denied! (We'd saved all jars from when we bought baby food for Morgan, knowing we would plan on making baby food for Landon).
2.) I can contribute to my local economy by buying local produce. I buy as many things as possible from local vendors or at the farmers market. There's this guy who sells 10lb bags of apples or pears for $6 out of a truck by my house. He's an old timer from the Wenatchee area where my grandparents made a living with apple orchards. I enjoy shooting the breeze with this guy, and feel in some small way like I'm making a difference for his life and allowing him to continue his farming. He is my regular supplier for applesauce.
3.) Morgan, my older one eats it too! I just mix his up to toddler texture in a separate batch. He also likes the baby food mixed in with greek yogurt. My newest thing is mixing pureed veggies (technically the baby food, but don't want to put it THAT way since we're all eating it) into other foods we're eating. For example, adding pureed cauliflower with pasta before dumping on the marinara sauce. Makes it so creamy and delicious, not to mention added nutrients and sneaking in a veggie serving for everyone.
4.) I know exactly what is going into what they're eating, because I'm making it. Because of Landon's dairy allergy and other unknown allergies, this is very important to me.
Tips for making baby food.
1.) If you steam the produce rather than boil it, more of the nutrients will remain in the produce.
2.) If you steam too long, the nutrients will begin to come out of the produce. When ever you see the water the color of the fruit or veggie, that is bad. That is all your nutrients floating in the water!
3.) When you puree the fruit or veggie, use the water from the pan you steamed them in to thin the texture.
4.) Try mixing lots of different things! Try fruit with veggies, rice cereal with fruit or veggies, meat with rice....the sky is the limit.
5.) When babies are born they have enough iron stored up in their bodies to last up until they are about 6 months of age. From then on, it is important for them to get iron in their diet. For this reason it is important to ensure that they are getting foods that are iron rich. Meat for example, is iron rich and safe for babies to eat after 6 months when pureed VERY well (this works best with lots of water and mixed with other foods like rice cereal or sweet potato). Cereals and formula are also fortified with iron, both which can be mixed in with baby food. It is also important to know that in order for a body to absorb iron, they must also have foods that contain vitamin C. Sounds tricky, but it's not. Some foods for babies that have vitamin C are kiwis, citrus, cantaloupe, broccoli and berries.
You may be thinking, "I don't have time to do that". Really, it doesn't take as much time as you would think. You basically have everything you are going to make together. Anything that needs prepped, (like apples cored and peeled) I do the night before after kids are in bed. The next day I load the oven with everything I can cook, then blend away through out the day as I can. Once things have been cooked, they can sit on the counter a long time until you can get to them.
Anyone have any great ideas for baby food they've tried, or would like to try? Do share!
FUNNY video of the first time he ate solids. Don't mind the boob comment, it was a jab at my husband for feeding him solids when I didn't want to.
My little Landon has at least one allergy we know of; he is allergic to dairy. Doctor said chances are there will be more allergies so we knew we needed to proceed with caution on introducing foods. So, we started with basics that had least chance of allergic reaction, then moved on from there. We introduced one a week to be cautious.
Foods we've made thus far:
Pear. Apple. Pear/Apple. Banana. Blueberry/Banana. Sweet potato. Butternut squash. Sweet Potato/Butternut squash. Carrott. Carrott/Sweet Potato. Broccoli. Carrot/Brocoli. Cauliflower. Cauliflower/Chicken. Chicken/Sweet Potato. Avacado/Banana. Sweet Potato/Rice. Apple/Rice. Rice/Apple. Rice/Squash.
Actually, we've mixed rice cereal with all of them because he really likes that. Plus, I like doing that for him to ensure he gets all the iron he needs.
What is so amazing about making my own baby food? Well, here's a just a few reasons.
1.) It is SOOOO cost effective! One 5lb bag of carrots at Trader Joes are .79 and that makes about eight small jars of baby food which costs anywhere between .89-1.00 EACH!!!! at the grocery store. Hello! How can that savings be denied! (We'd saved all jars from when we bought baby food for Morgan, knowing we would plan on making baby food for Landon).
2.) I can contribute to my local economy by buying local produce. I buy as many things as possible from local vendors or at the farmers market. There's this guy who sells 10lb bags of apples or pears for $6 out of a truck by my house. He's an old timer from the Wenatchee area where my grandparents made a living with apple orchards. I enjoy shooting the breeze with this guy, and feel in some small way like I'm making a difference for his life and allowing him to continue his farming. He is my regular supplier for applesauce.
3.) Morgan, my older one eats it too! I just mix his up to toddler texture in a separate batch. He also likes the baby food mixed in with greek yogurt. My newest thing is mixing pureed veggies (technically the baby food, but don't want to put it THAT way since we're all eating it) into other foods we're eating. For example, adding pureed cauliflower with pasta before dumping on the marinara sauce. Makes it so creamy and delicious, not to mention added nutrients and sneaking in a veggie serving for everyone.
4.) I know exactly what is going into what they're eating, because I'm making it. Because of Landon's dairy allergy and other unknown allergies, this is very important to me.
Tips for making baby food.
1.) If you steam the produce rather than boil it, more of the nutrients will remain in the produce.
2.) If you steam too long, the nutrients will begin to come out of the produce. When ever you see the water the color of the fruit or veggie, that is bad. That is all your nutrients floating in the water!
3.) When you puree the fruit or veggie, use the water from the pan you steamed them in to thin the texture.
4.) Try mixing lots of different things! Try fruit with veggies, rice cereal with fruit or veggies, meat with rice....the sky is the limit.
5.) When babies are born they have enough iron stored up in their bodies to last up until they are about 6 months of age. From then on, it is important for them to get iron in their diet. For this reason it is important to ensure that they are getting foods that are iron rich. Meat for example, is iron rich and safe for babies to eat after 6 months when pureed VERY well (this works best with lots of water and mixed with other foods like rice cereal or sweet potato). Cereals and formula are also fortified with iron, both which can be mixed in with baby food. It is also important to know that in order for a body to absorb iron, they must also have foods that contain vitamin C. Sounds tricky, but it's not. Some foods for babies that have vitamin C are kiwis, citrus, cantaloupe, broccoli and berries.
You may be thinking, "I don't have time to do that". Really, it doesn't take as much time as you would think. You basically have everything you are going to make together. Anything that needs prepped, (like apples cored and peeled) I do the night before after kids are in bed. The next day I load the oven with everything I can cook, then blend away through out the day as I can. Once things have been cooked, they can sit on the counter a long time until you can get to them.
Anyone have any great ideas for baby food they've tried, or would like to try? Do share!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Being married to a firefighter
There are many pluses and minuses to being married to a firefighter, some are obvious, and others not so much. Some obvious pluses: Hubby always looks hot in work uniform. There are certain bragging rights that come with being married to a firefighter, because you are so proud of what he does. He is off work more days of the week than not. He always knows how to handle household emergencies and medical emergencies because that's the kind of stuff he's trained in.
There are also some benefits to the job that are not so well known. Like, they wash their work clothes at work=less laundry for me. There is one caveat to this, and that is the few days a year he trains at the fire academy but I don't mind the few times a year addition to my laundry pile. The smell of the fire and sweat totally turns me on as I envision him in that uniform. Plus, the pride swells up inside because I know he was off doing something that positively impacted the lives of youth of this country. Another bonus is that he cooks, cleans, and picks up at work; it's part of his job description. Why is this good? I KNOW he knows how to do these things and he knows it is simply not "woman's work". These men are responsible for keeping the fire station probably cleaner than most homes because it is seen as a direct reflection of the department when they get the public through. So, they mop, scrub, wipe down, disinfect, and tidy up their home away from home aka: the fire station. I often times think my husband doesn't see the clutter in our home. But, when I go to the fire station it is always so tidy and clean, and that IS the expectation. So, I know he knows what the difference is between tidy and clean. I can say, "honey, can you please help me tidy the house" and he knows exactly what I mean. And speaking of clean, my husband is the king of clean, I think much accredited to his job duties. So, thank you fire station for your cleanliness requirements, because it has instilled a clean quality in my husband which our house greatly benefits from.
Another really cool plus? Our son, who is obsessed with trucks and basically anything with big tires gets to see fire trucks up close and personal basically any time he wants. Man he loves it!
By the way, did you know firefighters spend 1/4 of their life at the station? This means that these people become like family, another less known fact about fire fighters. You gain another family in the department.
Then, there are the minuses to being married to a firefighter. The obvious ones: He is at work at least 24 hour shifts at a time. Each time he goes to work, I worry just a little bit, despite the fact that he works at a slow department. Any wife would. Anytime my husband doesn't answer his phone when he's at work, I immediately wonder if he's on a call and worry then too. Any wife would.
It can also be a minus that he has to cook dinner at the department every third shift. He rarely remembers before the morning of, and it is a real pain in the ass to come up with dinner plans for three men at 6am when you're flat on your back halfway asleep! My goal is to learn at some point to just plan ahead for him so we don't have these 6am panics. I always feel like his dinner and lunch is somehow a reflection on me, and feel like I didn't feed him or them well if his lunch and the dinner suck ass.
The not so obvious minuses of being married to a firefighter. Being a firefighter doesn't exactly pay as well as it should, considering they are willing to give their life every day to save someone elses. This means most firefighters have a second job which means they aren't really home all those "days off". This equates to hubby gone a lot. Also, added on to the 24 hour shift is commute time (like anyone else who works) but there is also the morning shift change coffee talk time. While my husband does not discuss this with me, I've learned over the years it is there. He gets off work at 7:30am and if I have not told him about some pressing reason he has to rush home, he will typically hang out at the station for about 45 minutes after his shift is over. If I call during that time, I hear all the guys chatting. Shift change coffee talk. This equates to 26 hours out of the home which often equates to me really ready for a break from the kids. But I feel that he probably needs that decompress coffee talk time too, so it's ok and I pretend like I don't know.
Being married to a firefighter inevitably means you spend holidays at the fire station and you (or the hubby) miss out on family events. I can't count on both hands how many holidays and family events my husband has missed over the years because of work. But, that is how those firefighters and their families become family. When you're spending Christmas, or Thanksgiving, or Easter together at the fire station, you become close. So, it isn't that bad. We always have a good time there. It is a family sacrifice we all make. Being married to a firefighter means being a hero in the shadows because we give up parts of our lives, for them to give theirs.
All in all, it is a good life and I am so proud to be married to a firefighter.
There are also some benefits to the job that are not so well known. Like, they wash their work clothes at work=less laundry for me. There is one caveat to this, and that is the few days a year he trains at the fire academy but I don't mind the few times a year addition to my laundry pile. The smell of the fire and sweat totally turns me on as I envision him in that uniform. Plus, the pride swells up inside because I know he was off doing something that positively impacted the lives of youth of this country. Another bonus is that he cooks, cleans, and picks up at work; it's part of his job description. Why is this good? I KNOW he knows how to do these things and he knows it is simply not "woman's work". These men are responsible for keeping the fire station probably cleaner than most homes because it is seen as a direct reflection of the department when they get the public through. So, they mop, scrub, wipe down, disinfect, and tidy up their home away from home aka: the fire station. I often times think my husband doesn't see the clutter in our home. But, when I go to the fire station it is always so tidy and clean, and that IS the expectation. So, I know he knows what the difference is between tidy and clean. I can say, "honey, can you please help me tidy the house" and he knows exactly what I mean. And speaking of clean, my husband is the king of clean, I think much accredited to his job duties. So, thank you fire station for your cleanliness requirements, because it has instilled a clean quality in my husband which our house greatly benefits from.
Another really cool plus? Our son, who is obsessed with trucks and basically anything with big tires gets to see fire trucks up close and personal basically any time he wants. Man he loves it!
By the way, did you know firefighters spend 1/4 of their life at the station? This means that these people become like family, another less known fact about fire fighters. You gain another family in the department.
Then, there are the minuses to being married to a firefighter. The obvious ones: He is at work at least 24 hour shifts at a time. Each time he goes to work, I worry just a little bit, despite the fact that he works at a slow department. Any wife would. Anytime my husband doesn't answer his phone when he's at work, I immediately wonder if he's on a call and worry then too. Any wife would.
It can also be a minus that he has to cook dinner at the department every third shift. He rarely remembers before the morning of, and it is a real pain in the ass to come up with dinner plans for three men at 6am when you're flat on your back halfway asleep! My goal is to learn at some point to just plan ahead for him so we don't have these 6am panics. I always feel like his dinner and lunch is somehow a reflection on me, and feel like I didn't feed him or them well if his lunch and the dinner suck ass.
The not so obvious minuses of being married to a firefighter. Being a firefighter doesn't exactly pay as well as it should, considering they are willing to give their life every day to save someone elses. This means most firefighters have a second job which means they aren't really home all those "days off". This equates to hubby gone a lot. Also, added on to the 24 hour shift is commute time (like anyone else who works) but there is also the morning shift change coffee talk time. While my husband does not discuss this with me, I've learned over the years it is there. He gets off work at 7:30am and if I have not told him about some pressing reason he has to rush home, he will typically hang out at the station for about 45 minutes after his shift is over. If I call during that time, I hear all the guys chatting. Shift change coffee talk. This equates to 26 hours out of the home which often equates to me really ready for a break from the kids. But I feel that he probably needs that decompress coffee talk time too, so it's ok and I pretend like I don't know.
Being married to a firefighter inevitably means you spend holidays at the fire station and you (or the hubby) miss out on family events. I can't count on both hands how many holidays and family events my husband has missed over the years because of work. But, that is how those firefighters and their families become family. When you're spending Christmas, or Thanksgiving, or Easter together at the fire station, you become close. So, it isn't that bad. We always have a good time there. It is a family sacrifice we all make. Being married to a firefighter means being a hero in the shadows because we give up parts of our lives, for them to give theirs.
All in all, it is a good life and I am so proud to be married to a firefighter.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Sometimes you just don't know
Today I managed to luck out and have both kids sleeping at the SAME time! This rarely happens. I almost always have one or the other, or both up. It was glorious the first five minutes. Then, I was like, "what the heck do I do?" Cleaning I usually can't do with them up but don't want to do when my husband is home? Sit on my duff and do nothing but FB and read because I CAN? Do I work in my garden? Napping wasn't an option since there was a kid in each of our only 2 bedrooms (as much as I really wanted to just do that).
I started off by fixing myself lunch and actually sat down to eat it. What a simple thing, sitting to eat. And yet, something this mommy just doesn't seem to get much of. I still found myself rushing through it, giving myself indigestion because I was afraid they would wake up before I could finish.
Then I moved on to updating our medical emergency sheet since our kids' medical issues seem to be ever changing. An important thing to do, but one that takes time I just don't seem to have much of these days. Half way into the editing Morgan wakes up after 45 minutes of what is usually a 3 hour nap. "He can sit and hang out in the crib a while" I think to myself as I finished what I was working on. He didn't fuss too much...just started talking and making his usual animal noises. When he began to really cry I begrudgingly went to get him.
I went from being unhappy with him to feeling like the WORST mommy in the world as I felt his REALLY wet cloth diaper. Man oh man! Did I felt guilty! Then, as I began to change his diaper I saw the man size poop! Poor little guy had woken up wet and poopy and I had let him sit there by himself for like 20 minutes in it! Bad mommy! Bad! I felt so guilty.
He does sign language and signed "milk" to me which indicated to me that he wanted a glass of milk and to go back to bed. "Well that's good" I thought, "I can have more quiet time" then immediately felt guilt again for being selfish and thinking of my needs before his. I rocked him with his milk and he snuggled as far into my arms as he could get. I think he would have crawled into my skin if he could have. I was feeling even more guilty now, getting all this love after sitting in wet poopy diaper, and me secretly wanting him back to sleep so I could have more quite time. He really layered on the guilt even further as he blew me my kisses when I laid him back down, and they kept coming all the way until I closed the door.
Well, obviously there was no freakin way for me to know why he woke up so early from his usual nap. His brother got paybacks for him though because soon after laying the older one back down, the younger one woke up. Sigh. See, I knew it was too good to be true.
At least I got a lunch break today. When you're a stay at home mom with an infant and a toddler, there are usually no such things as lunch breaks. I sure don't get to call in sick, and obviously I'm not working enough hours to earn vacation either because I rarely if ever get that. Obama, is healthcare reform going to provide any types of benefits for the position of full time exempt stay at home mom? I think I need a mental health day (or two) to recover from the constant guilt and exhaustion that wracks my brains and body.
I started off by fixing myself lunch and actually sat down to eat it. What a simple thing, sitting to eat. And yet, something this mommy just doesn't seem to get much of. I still found myself rushing through it, giving myself indigestion because I was afraid they would wake up before I could finish.
Then I moved on to updating our medical emergency sheet since our kids' medical issues seem to be ever changing. An important thing to do, but one that takes time I just don't seem to have much of these days. Half way into the editing Morgan wakes up after 45 minutes of what is usually a 3 hour nap. "He can sit and hang out in the crib a while" I think to myself as I finished what I was working on. He didn't fuss too much...just started talking and making his usual animal noises. When he began to really cry I begrudgingly went to get him.
I went from being unhappy with him to feeling like the WORST mommy in the world as I felt his REALLY wet cloth diaper. Man oh man! Did I felt guilty! Then, as I began to change his diaper I saw the man size poop! Poor little guy had woken up wet and poopy and I had let him sit there by himself for like 20 minutes in it! Bad mommy! Bad! I felt so guilty.
He does sign language and signed "milk" to me which indicated to me that he wanted a glass of milk and to go back to bed. "Well that's good" I thought, "I can have more quiet time" then immediately felt guilt again for being selfish and thinking of my needs before his. I rocked him with his milk and he snuggled as far into my arms as he could get. I think he would have crawled into my skin if he could have. I was feeling even more guilty now, getting all this love after sitting in wet poopy diaper, and me secretly wanting him back to sleep so I could have more quite time. He really layered on the guilt even further as he blew me my kisses when I laid him back down, and they kept coming all the way until I closed the door.
Well, obviously there was no freakin way for me to know why he woke up so early from his usual nap. His brother got paybacks for him though because soon after laying the older one back down, the younger one woke up. Sigh. See, I knew it was too good to be true.
At least I got a lunch break today. When you're a stay at home mom with an infant and a toddler, there are usually no such things as lunch breaks. I sure don't get to call in sick, and obviously I'm not working enough hours to earn vacation either because I rarely if ever get that. Obama, is healthcare reform going to provide any types of benefits for the position of full time exempt stay at home mom? I think I need a mental health day (or two) to recover from the constant guilt and exhaustion that wracks my brains and body.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Trying to dechemical our world, one sippy cup at a time
Holy heck! I've entered the land of hazardous materials that are going into my kids rapid fire! I've got to stop it now! Let me start at the beginning.
To help my 30 minutes of exercise fly by when I'm at the Y, treadin that treadmill on my 5.5 incline, 15 minute jog (that part is embarrassing, but whatever) I typically hit the magazine rack. I've recently discovered this wonderful magazine donated by some kind soul called, Mothering (www.mothering.com). It is a wonderful host of sound advice, and natural alternatives to everyday living with kiddos. Being the greeny I try to be, I naturally love it. I've found wonderful products by scouring the adds in the magazine, and have obtained great advice from the articles. One article in particular that I read about three weeks ago has changed my life forever. To read THE article, you can go to http://www.mothering.com/green-living/natural-selections .
This article really focused on what chemicals are harmful for humans in general, but children in particular, and even more specifically, what commonly used children products these harsh chemicals are in.
The three main chemicals the article targeted, and I'm now hypo-aware of are bisphenol A (BPA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and phthalates. Let me put it simply. There is staggering research that proves these chemicals have harmful effects such as cancer, negative effects on reproductive systems in males and females, such as decreased fertility rates in females, early breast development in females. Studies have even found that exposure to these chemicals can lead to negative behavior alteration in children.
One leading reason why children are so susceptible to the effects of the chemicals is that a lot of the products that are used solely for children, more specifically infants, have these products in them. Until recently, most bottles were made with BPA, PVC and phthalates. Many still are. What is more, many of the formula containers are lined with this stuff. You hear that people? That means every ounce of food babies who are formula fed have the potential to be poisoned with this stuff! If that isn't enough, these chemicals are being found in teething rings, sippy cups, bibs, baby silverware, dishware, bathing products, and more!
16 other industrialized countries such as Greece, France and Japan have banned phthalates and PVC since 2005 due to the undeniable harmful effects it has on children, and yet, it is still legal here in the US. What this tells me is that these other countries are getting it, listening to the research, and our country just doesn't get it [yet] (I hope). The FDA hasn't even come up with what they would consider a "safe" amount of BPA exposure, so there are therefore NO regulations. Bottom line: Don't buy anything that has these plastics in them because there are no regulations for them to help keep your child safe.
This can be a difficult thing to do because it all seems so confusing, and hard to know by looking at something if it has harsh chemicals in it. Well, the easiest way to determine if it's safe or not is to look at the bottom of the container if it's plastic. A basic rule of thumb is #1 (PETE or PET) #2 (HDPE), and #5 (PP) are safe. If it has a #1, #2 they are not known to leech any products that release chemicals which cause cancer or disrupts hormones. #5 is hazardous while in production but is not known to leech any chemicals that are harmful. #5 plastic isn't accepted in recycling in as many places as #1 and #2 which is a bummer.
#3, #4, #6, #7 are all BAD. Don't go near them. They all leech toxic chemicals into our foods. Last week, as I was going through as many plastics in my kitchen that I could think of, one of the biggest shockers was my pretty pink Starbucks sports water bottle that had a #7 on it. Tossed. So sad. It's not like we have disposable money to replace everything I tossed. So, we will just go with out until we slowly build back stock of what I DID toss. Which, was anything remotely unsafe for our family because I couldn't live with the guilt of feeling like I was knowingly slowly poisoning any one of us. Dramatic, I know. Just kinda how it is in my mind.
And so, I've used three great websites to help me navigate my way through all of this.
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/which-plastics-are-safe.html
This website gives detailed yet easy to understand explanations of the different numbers of plastics that you find on the bottom of all plastic products you purchase (unless it says Made in China, and for that, I have no idea how safe it is; anyone have a clue let me know..PLEASE).
www.safemama.com
This website is amazing for anyone with children. It lists items children commonly use, (sippy cups, bottles, binky, teethers, toys, shampoo, lotion, sunscreen, bugspray, forks, bowls, etc) and then brands that are BPA, PVC, and phthalate free. The website is easy to navigate through, and gives easy to read lists of safe brands for each product. There are also great links to other websites that have further reading.
http://www.thegreenguide.com/
This website has a wealth of knowledge, and for that reason can be intimidating because of the pure volume of material. The section of the website I've found most helpful for, and return to regularly is the link at the very bottom called "buying guides". In this link there are easy rules to follow about how to purchase sustainable and safe products for the entire household. Anything from paint, to cosmetics, to household cleaners. Ladies, seriously, check out the "personal care" section. What I've done is typed up easy to follow guidelines for myself and put it in a wallet size piece of paper and keep it in my wallet for whenever I'm buying stuff at the grocery store. Too much to remember all the time.
The last thing I want to share is that I've read that there are retailers out there who are beginning to commit to selling PVC and phthalate free direct-to-mouth products (such as teethers, binky, bottles) for children under age 3. Some of these retailers are Target, Sears, Wal Mart and K Mart. There are also lots of companies beginning to commit to not only eliminate BPA, but also PVC and phthalate such as Chicco, (who are most commonly known for their car seats) Sassy, Brio, Evenflo, Lego, and Gerber.
It seems virtually impossible to protect our children from all of these things all the time. But, as with most large tasks, a strong commitment and marathon approach will work wonders. I'm just beginning my marathon battle against these nasty hazardous materials! Please join me in my marathon, because as I see it, two heads are better than one, and so on.
To help my 30 minutes of exercise fly by when I'm at the Y, treadin that treadmill on my 5.5 incline, 15 minute jog (that part is embarrassing, but whatever) I typically hit the magazine rack. I've recently discovered this wonderful magazine donated by some kind soul called, Mothering (www.mothering.com). It is a wonderful host of sound advice, and natural alternatives to everyday living with kiddos. Being the greeny I try to be, I naturally love it. I've found wonderful products by scouring the adds in the magazine, and have obtained great advice from the articles. One article in particular that I read about three weeks ago has changed my life forever. To read THE article, you can go to http://www.mothering.com/
This article really focused on what chemicals are harmful for humans in general, but children in particular, and even more specifically, what commonly used children products these harsh chemicals are in.
The three main chemicals the article targeted, and I'm now hypo-aware of are bisphenol A (BPA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and phthalates. Let me put it simply. There is staggering research that proves these chemicals have harmful effects such as cancer, negative effects on reproductive systems in males and females, such as decreased fertility rates in females, early breast development in females. Studies have even found that exposure to these chemicals can lead to negative behavior alteration in children.
One leading reason why children are so susceptible to the effects of the chemicals is that a lot of the products that are used solely for children, more specifically infants, have these products in them. Until recently, most bottles were made with BPA, PVC and phthalates. Many still are. What is more, many of the formula containers are lined with this stuff. You hear that people? That means every ounce of food babies who are formula fed have the potential to be poisoned with this stuff! If that isn't enough, these chemicals are being found in teething rings, sippy cups, bibs, baby silverware, dishware, bathing products, and more!
16 other industrialized countries such as Greece, France and Japan have banned phthalates and PVC since 2005 due to the undeniable harmful effects it has on children, and yet, it is still legal here in the US. What this tells me is that these other countries are getting it, listening to the research, and our country just doesn't get it [yet] (I hope). The FDA hasn't even come up with what they would consider a "safe" amount of BPA exposure, so there are therefore NO regulations. Bottom line: Don't buy anything that has these plastics in them because there are no regulations for them to help keep your child safe.
This can be a difficult thing to do because it all seems so confusing, and hard to know by looking at something if it has harsh chemicals in it. Well, the easiest way to determine if it's safe or not is to look at the bottom of the container if it's plastic. A basic rule of thumb is #1 (PETE or PET) #2 (HDPE), and #5 (PP) are safe. If it has a #1, #2 they are not known to leech any products that release chemicals which cause cancer or disrupts hormones. #5 is hazardous while in production but is not known to leech any chemicals that are harmful. #5 plastic isn't accepted in recycling in as many places as #1 and #2 which is a bummer.
#3, #4, #6, #7 are all BAD. Don't go near them. They all leech toxic chemicals into our foods. Last week, as I was going through as many plastics in my kitchen that I could think of, one of the biggest shockers was my pretty pink Starbucks sports water bottle that had a #7 on it. Tossed. So sad. It's not like we have disposable money to replace everything I tossed. So, we will just go with out until we slowly build back stock of what I DID toss. Which, was anything remotely unsafe for our family because I couldn't live with the guilt of feeling like I was knowingly slowly poisoning any one of us. Dramatic, I know. Just kinda how it is in my mind.
And so, I've used three great websites to help me navigate my way through all of this.
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/which-plastics-are-safe.html
This website gives detailed yet easy to understand explanations of the different numbers of plastics that you find on the bottom of all plastic products you purchase (unless it says Made in China, and for that, I have no idea how safe it is; anyone have a clue let me know..PLEASE).
www.safemama.com
This website is amazing for anyone with children. It lists items children commonly use, (sippy cups, bottles, binky, teethers, toys, shampoo, lotion, sunscreen, bugspray, forks, bowls, etc) and then brands that are BPA, PVC, and phthalate free. The website is easy to navigate through, and gives easy to read lists of safe brands for each product. There are also great links to other websites that have further reading.
http://www.thegreenguide.com/
This website has a wealth of knowledge, and for that reason can be intimidating because of the pure volume of material. The section of the website I've found most helpful for, and return to regularly is the link at the very bottom called "buying guides". In this link there are easy rules to follow about how to purchase sustainable and safe products for the entire household. Anything from paint, to cosmetics, to household cleaners. Ladies, seriously, check out the "personal care" section. What I've done is typed up easy to follow guidelines for myself and put it in a wallet size piece of paper and keep it in my wallet for whenever I'm buying stuff at the grocery store. Too much to remember all the time.
The last thing I want to share is that I've read that there are retailers out there who are beginning to commit to selling PVC and phthalate free direct-to-mouth products (such as teethers, binky, bottles) for children under age 3. Some of these retailers are Target, Sears, Wal Mart and K Mart. There are also lots of companies beginning to commit to not only eliminate BPA, but also PVC and phthalate such as Chicco, (who are most commonly known for their car seats) Sassy, Brio, Evenflo, Lego, and Gerber.
It seems virtually impossible to protect our children from all of these things all the time. But, as with most large tasks, a strong commitment and marathon approach will work wonders. I'm just beginning my marathon battle against these nasty hazardous materials! Please join me in my marathon, because as I see it, two heads are better than one, and so on.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The joys of siblings
When my youngest was born, my oldest was only 12 months. Certainly not old enough to have any real outrage towards his new sibling taking over some of the attention; at least I didn't think so. I think having that formed opinion that things WOULD go well has payed off, to be honest. We were asked many a time, "SO.... (I could hear the cackle in their heads) how has Morgan (the oldest) adjusted to a new brother?" and we were always happy to reply, "great!". He really has done great! We've made every effort, very intentionally, to refrain from correcting any negative behavior he does exhibit towards his brother, in a negative way. So if he's being rough (read hitting) we will say, "Morgan, use gentle touches on Landon (the youngest)" instead of just saying, "no, don't hit". Then, we'd show him HOW to touch him gently. Not that I'm against the -n- word, I think you HAVE to use it sometimes. But I also believe the less we associated anything negative with his brother, the better off things would go.
We're now 5 months into it. Things are going so well! Morgan dotes on Landon. He brings him toys, snuggles his head in his lap, ask for him in the mornings if he's not in his crib (they share a room and it looks like I have twins because we have two cribs in there) and he reaches for him when we're holding him. If Landon is laying down on the ground, Morgan will more often than not join him. If Landon is in the Johny Jump Up, Morgan will stand by him for 20 minutes straight just patting his head. How is that for attention span for a 17 month old! All for the L-O-V-E of Landon. The latest skill Morgan has learned is how to blow kisses and who do you think gets the majority of blown kisses? Why Landon of course.
This is not to say my child is perfect. Of course we always have to monitor them together, and step in from time to time when Morgan is being too rough. Like yesterday morning when Morgan tried to sit on Landon and ride him like his rocking horse while saying, "neigh Lada, neigh". Lada is what Morgan has taken to calling Landon, and has fondly became his family nick name as well.
At any rate. Morgan is teaching me that I may have more control over my child's sibling rivalry than I'd thought. Morgan has taught me how important it is to always demonstrate what I expect of my children. And damn it, that even means I have to stop swearing (yes, you can laugh Kristen!). Mostly, Morgan and Landon have already shown me that having them so close together is something they're really enjoying, which gives me great pleasure and satisfaction as a parent.
I reserve the right to eat my own words as they get older, by the way! But am hoping I don't have to.
We're now 5 months into it. Things are going so well! Morgan dotes on Landon. He brings him toys, snuggles his head in his lap, ask for him in the mornings if he's not in his crib (they share a room and it looks like I have twins because we have two cribs in there) and he reaches for him when we're holding him. If Landon is laying down on the ground, Morgan will more often than not join him. If Landon is in the Johny Jump Up, Morgan will stand by him for 20 minutes straight just patting his head. How is that for attention span for a 17 month old! All for the L-O-V-E of Landon. The latest skill Morgan has learned is how to blow kisses and who do you think gets the majority of blown kisses? Why Landon of course.
This is not to say my child is perfect. Of course we always have to monitor them together, and step in from time to time when Morgan is being too rough. Like yesterday morning when Morgan tried to sit on Landon and ride him like his rocking horse while saying, "neigh Lada, neigh". Lada is what Morgan has taken to calling Landon, and has fondly became his family nick name as well.
At any rate. Morgan is teaching me that I may have more control over my child's sibling rivalry than I'd thought. Morgan has taught me how important it is to always demonstrate what I expect of my children. And damn it, that even means I have to stop swearing (yes, you can laugh Kristen!). Mostly, Morgan and Landon have already shown me that having them so close together is something they're really enjoying, which gives me great pleasure and satisfaction as a parent.
I reserve the right to eat my own words as they get older, by the way! But am hoping I don't have to.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Time Away IS a Good Thing
I've recently had some long awaited time away from my kids. Way too long awaited, and looking back, I set myself up for for how long it took.
Sure, I've got an hour here and there to do things like go take care of my horse, run to the grocery store, go to a hot yoga class, or go to the YMCA to work out. But, because I always feel guilty for ever asking whoever agrees to watch them (usually my mom when it's that short) I'm always rushed to get back home, and there is not a leisure, casual enjoyment about it. Because I always feel guilty for asking anyone to ever watch my kids, I also tend to underestimate how long they will be watching them, always hoping I'll be back sooner for their sake. Hense the rushing back part. I honestly don't know why I do this, because it's not like my kids are terrors or anything. And, people always have the option to say no if I ask. I guess it just goes back to that guilt thing for asking.
Plus, from September til the beginning of February we were making weekly trips down to Children's Hospital for both children. Both of our children have had some pretty serious chronic medical conditions that has required close medical monitoring. It was not uncommon for us to have several appointments in one week on different days. Of course, this required us to ask people pretty regularly to watch one or the other of the kids when one would have to do appointments where the other couldn't be there, like for radiation (which unfortunately both of them had to do quite a bit as a diagnostic tool). So, when we were asking folks (those few we trusted) to watch the kids so much already, I felt pretty bad asking them to watch the kids any more just for my sanity sake. Looking back, I really should have and don't know how I survived that time of our lives; it was so aweful and stressful.
Another reason I didn't make it out before now: Most people have this impression that because my husband is a firefighter and has a schedule of two to three 24 hour shifts a week, he's home all the rest of the week and is just chillaxin at home with me and the kids. NOT the case. We typically get a half a day a week where we're all there at the same time. What most people don't know is he has 2 other jobs that keep him gone long hours, and most days he's "home" from the fire department he's out at those jobs fixing fire trucks and ambulances. It's the price we've chosen to pay for me to be able to stay home. So, this false impression I think led many people to believing that I didn't need help.
Nursing the little one has also made leaving the house a challenge for me. I''ve always worried that he'd suddenly starve if I was gone too long, and was extremely hesitant to move to bottles at all, in fear that he'd begin reject nursing in favor of bottles.
Well, three weeks ago all excuses were forced aside and I pulled some long ass 12 hour days away from home. Low-and-behold, he took the bottles (and my boob that night) just fine. I'd worried that I would miss them so much my heart would burst and low-and-behold, I did just fine. I did better than fine. I really, really, enjoyed it! I found myself more patient and engaged with them when I got home those evenings! I'd also worried that my husband would not do well having both of them alone that long since he hadn't done it before. Low-and-behold, he did just fine as well! Shocking! Not to discredit his abilities, he's an excellent hands on dad. He'd just been playing it off until then that 2 was too much for him, I think just to avoid the stress of it. At any rate. Lessons learned:
1.) Do not feel sorry for asking for help; people CAN say no
2.) Schedule the time away regularly; they will survive with out me
3.) My own sanity benefits from the separation
4.) I look at them with fresh eyes when I return
5.) Landon (the little one) will take a bottle, and still loves the boob!!
6.) If anything, over-estimate the time I'll be gone, so I can relax and enjoy it, even if it's doing
simple things like grocery shopping
7.) My husband does just as good a job with 2 as he does with 1 and even if he doesn't do it
MY way, he still does it well (note to self: let go control freak)
8.) Time away IS a good thing
Sure, I've got an hour here and there to do things like go take care of my horse, run to the grocery store, go to a hot yoga class, or go to the YMCA to work out. But, because I always feel guilty for ever asking whoever agrees to watch them (usually my mom when it's that short) I'm always rushed to get back home, and there is not a leisure, casual enjoyment about it. Because I always feel guilty for asking anyone to ever watch my kids, I also tend to underestimate how long they will be watching them, always hoping I'll be back sooner for their sake. Hense the rushing back part. I honestly don't know why I do this, because it's not like my kids are terrors or anything. And, people always have the option to say no if I ask. I guess it just goes back to that guilt thing for asking.
Plus, from September til the beginning of February we were making weekly trips down to Children's Hospital for both children. Both of our children have had some pretty serious chronic medical conditions that has required close medical monitoring. It was not uncommon for us to have several appointments in one week on different days. Of course, this required us to ask people pretty regularly to watch one or the other of the kids when one would have to do appointments where the other couldn't be there, like for radiation (which unfortunately both of them had to do quite a bit as a diagnostic tool). So, when we were asking folks (those few we trusted) to watch the kids so much already, I felt pretty bad asking them to watch the kids any more just for my sanity sake. Looking back, I really should have and don't know how I survived that time of our lives; it was so aweful and stressful.
Another reason I didn't make it out before now: Most people have this impression that because my husband is a firefighter and has a schedule of two to three 24 hour shifts a week, he's home all the rest of the week and is just chillaxin at home with me and the kids. NOT the case. We typically get a half a day a week where we're all there at the same time. What most people don't know is he has 2 other jobs that keep him gone long hours, and most days he's "home" from the fire department he's out at those jobs fixing fire trucks and ambulances. It's the price we've chosen to pay for me to be able to stay home. So, this false impression I think led many people to believing that I didn't need help.
Nursing the little one has also made leaving the house a challenge for me. I''ve always worried that he'd suddenly starve if I was gone too long, and was extremely hesitant to move to bottles at all, in fear that he'd begin reject nursing in favor of bottles.
Well, three weeks ago all excuses were forced aside and I pulled some long ass 12 hour days away from home. Low-and-behold, he took the bottles (and my boob that night) just fine. I'd worried that I would miss them so much my heart would burst and low-and-behold, I did just fine. I did better than fine. I really, really, enjoyed it! I found myself more patient and engaged with them when I got home those evenings! I'd also worried that my husband would not do well having both of them alone that long since he hadn't done it before. Low-and-behold, he did just fine as well! Shocking! Not to discredit his abilities, he's an excellent hands on dad. He'd just been playing it off until then that 2 was too much for him, I think just to avoid the stress of it. At any rate. Lessons learned:
1.) Do not feel sorry for asking for help; people CAN say no
2.) Schedule the time away regularly; they will survive with out me
3.) My own sanity benefits from the separation
4.) I look at them with fresh eyes when I return
5.) Landon (the little one) will take a bottle, and still loves the boob!!
6.) If anything, over-estimate the time I'll be gone, so I can relax and enjoy it, even if it's doing
simple things like grocery shopping
7.) My husband does just as good a job with 2 as he does with 1 and even if he doesn't do it
MY way, he still does it well (note to self: let go control freak)
8.) Time away IS a good thing
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