Week of 7/8/12 through 7/11/12

So it's delayed. But.. but...but... welp, here it is.

I was gone for two weeks. I went to my mothers for a week so that they could see Sister Bear. They take Brother Bear for a week every month. It's his time with MawMaw and PawPaw {See, we all have bear names around here!}. It was a nice visit that turned into a really nice visit when Papa Bear came and joined us for the second week.  So yes, I'm behind. But I'm back. So here's what's going on in my world.

Our car broke. Boo. Prayers please that today it gets fixed easily without any damage to our head gasket. Our radiator house blew on our way back from Maw-Paw's house. But thankfully my cousin and her boyfriend came to our rescue that night. Tonight it will be fixed, hopefully. I've let go, and let God take this one. He knows we need to have it fixed. It's our livelihood.

So here's the lists.

To-Do List

1.Canning. I was given some yummy fresh blackberries and they need to become a few jars of jam.

2. Bake a Blackberry Pie from my cousin Chelle's birthday. I won't share how old she is, she might hit me! ;)

3.Fix Car. {See Above.}

4.Finish tagging car. Apparently we thought our Personal Property Tax was more than it was, they send the check back. So it'll be paid by the end of the week and the car will be fully legal!!

5. Purge the children's play room. With a birthday came more toys. I need to get some of their old ones out of there!

6.Blogging, of course! I'm working on a blog about why we choose to not vaccinate. {Just for you Sabrina!!}

Bible Study

Ruth

I'm also suppose to be doing one with KP, but she hasn't got back to me on what it is....

Pantry Clean Out Meal Plan

Breakfast 

Granola Bars

Breakfast Bites

Oatmeal & Berries

Bacon & Eggs

Eggs & Oranges

Pancakes & bacon

Lunch

Tamales

Chinese Noodles with Garlic and Soy Sauce & Veggies

Tuna Salad & Carrots

Leftovers

Sandwich & Chips & Fruit

Noodles & Vegetables

Dinner

Chicken Breast with Carrots & Stuffing

Salmon & Asparagus & Pasta

Pork Chops & Corn & Mashed Potatoes

Brisket & Fried Taters & Green Beans

Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes & Corn

Chicken & Rice/Gravy & Peas

Snacks

Veggies

Fruit

Chips

Leftovers

The reason this is called Pantry Clean Out Meal Plan is because I am trying to get rid of all the random cans and stuff that we've been avoiding eating because we don't eat it normally. I can't fathom giving it to a food pantry when we can easily eat it. So I'm making one bad week where we clean it all out and eat. Then the following week I will be doing a juice fast. That's going to be hard. Yikes! I'm still nursing so some people will claim that I shouldn't do it, but the verdict is out. I know that she's old enough she won't starve if there is something she doesn't like the taste of. Plus, toxin rich breastmilk is still better than formula any day of the week. So I'm kind of on the fence. We'll see how it goes. Plus there is stored milk in the freezer, I think. It's buried by all the other junk in there! 

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 We are also in search of a family motto. This was inspired by another friend. I'd love to use her family's but, our family's are not the same. So though it would work, it's not my family's motto. I'm in search of it. For some reason  I've had Proverbs 22:6 stuck in my head as well though. It could because our downstairs neighbor quotes it all the time. But it's really been influencing me lately. 

Proverbs 22:6

Train up your child in the way he should grow,

Even when he is old he will not depart from it. 

I want to focus on training or raising our children correctly. Which is so hard in our world today. It's hard fighting the fast, mainstream world. Even harder when you've been a part of it for so long and you are trying to remove yourself from most of it. I'm going to continue praying on it. I'm sure I'll find a motto that fits our family. We've been loosely using this one from Carl Bard.

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new beginning, 

Anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending."

I'm working on my brand new ending. How's yours coming?

{Hollea}

 

 

 

I'm tired of the "Mom Enough" battles

It will never end, will it?

What is it you ask? What's driving me to the world's end with exhaustion?

Put simply, it's the, I am a better mom than you attitude. The "Mom Enough". The mommy wars.

I'm done, I'm over it and I no longer care what you think of my parenting style. And I no longer care how you parent (unless you're downright being a neglectful or abusive parents, then I care.), how you raise your littles.

I care less if you vaccinate or not, I care less if you eat whole foods or not, I care less if you circumcise or not. You're the one who has to make decisions based on what's best for your family and their goals. If you need to do any or none of the above, fine.

So why do we succumb to these mommy wars. Why are we so competitive in nature?  Is it really about the other person, or is it about ourselves?

I truly believe it's personal. When we attack someone based on what works for their family, we're not really upset with them. Maybe we're hurt from a decision we made. Or maybe we wish we could be as wonderful as we see them.

Like routine infant circumcision. My son was circumcised. Do I regret it? Regret is too hard of a word for me to use. Do I wish I would have learned more about it at the time. Do I wish that instead of them asking if I wanted it, they would have provided me with unbiased information to make an informed decision? Yes. But that is my burden. My weight. So I find those who are extremist in on area are often dealing with guilt or anger in some area. It might be you circumcised your son and you regret it, so you're now spear heading the intact organization. That's terrific. But please, don't attack another mother because of it.

I don't vaccinate. That's my decision. To tell me that I'll learn when my child dies that I should have vaccinated. Or that my child shouldn't be allowed to take my child in public. You don't know what research or reasons I have for not vaccinating my child.

I breastfeed, you may not. Just because I'm super pro-breastfeeding doesn't mean I'm against you personally for formula feeding. I may be against formula. That doesn't mean I hate the moms who have to or choose to use formula.

See, this list can go on and on. But often the mommy wars start because someone gets upset with what they see others doing because they personally have an issue. Maybe it's jealousy, anger, disappointment or sadness. But it's personal.

We need to remember that.

So let's stop hating. on each other and work on our own personal issues. Let's not judge. Let's teach our children tolerance. No mom is better than the other because her educated decisions vary.

Remember that before you leave a rude or hurtful comment on the next persons post. There is a difference between education and hatred. Statistics and fear mongering. Don't play into the mommy wars. We all want whats best for OUR children. But my children are not your children and your children are not my children. We live different lives with different purposes and convictions.

Help me end the mommy wars. Let's be supporters of each other, no matter our educated decisions.

Keep trucking Green!
{Hollea}

6/17/12-6/23/12

I have been slacking. Seriously slacking on blogging. I've been so busy with everything going on that I'm needing a serious schedule overhaul. Of everything. Part of my goal is to post my weekly menu, to-do list, Bible studies planned and more.

I feel that by putting everything down here, I'll be more accountable for the things I need to get done.

I will now be blogging on Sunday's, Wednesday's and Friday's.
Sunday's will be my week beginning, Wednesday's will be the FSC, and Friday's will be whatever I'd like them to be. {So if you have a request, please comment here or on my Facebook page}.

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So let's get started, it is Sunday after all.

Bible Study for this week is focused on Titus. 

I know, I know.. it's a small Book. I could easily take on another. But the point of this is to obtain, not set myself up for failure. I think really getting in depth with Titus along with my daily devotionals, will put me right where I want to be.  

To-Do List.

{It's a long one this week. But it has a lot of good coming out of it.}
1. pay personal property tax
2. license car
3. insurance
4. take the tabe test so that I can start CNA training.
5. follow up on children's headstart program.
6. finish enrolling in school for the fall.
7. donate plasma.
8. decorations for Sister Bear's 1st birthday party!!!!
9. bake bake bake bake bake for the party!
10. prepare gift bags for the birthday party!

Like I said, a ton! I know that I can find the strength.

Weekly Menu

Breakfast:

Oatmeal and Fruit

Farmer's Egg Scramble

Bacon, Eggs and Toast

Cereal

Lunch:

Vegetarian Chili w/ Cornbread x2

Vegetable Lo Mein x2

 Chicken Tortilla Soup x2

Sandwhich and Vegetables

Dinner:

Goulash

Beef and Bean Burritos

Hamburgers w/ Pasta Salad and Fresh Veggies

Roasted Whole Chicken w/ Mashed Potatoes & Gravy; Corn

Super Duper Salad {Salad with all the fixings we want- I do avocado and mushrooms and turkey and olive oil...and more.. }

Broccoli Stir-fry

Chicken Enchilada's

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The kids will be sending out pen pal letters this week. If you want your child to receive a picture, please let me know. 

So this is my week ahead. Tell me what's coming up for you!

Your boobs are meant for what?!

There have been a lot of celebrities in the news lately for breastfeeding related issues. Whether they are breastfeeding in public or giving advice to other new moms, it's garnering a lot of attention for the breastfeeding community.

You'd think nursing your baby wouldn't be something that would catch world wide news, I sure know that when I nurse Sister Bear, no one cares except the old woman at the grocery store who get offended by me not using a cover. (THEY can put a cover over THEIR head!) But it's hard to not understand why they get attention when they say or do something that is wrapped with so much controversy in America.  Here's a few of my favorites....



Thank you Kendra Wilkinson for your sound advice on what to do if you find yourself without a pump. You may have just made yourself truly look like an idiot while setting back breastfeeding by at least a century! Really.. you might have to *suck it out yourself* if you don't keep a pump with you at all times!? Apparently you've never heard of nursing pads to absorb and prevent those unwanted leak marks. Thank you for those lovely remarks you made, not only was it crude.. but it makes it look like an inconvenience to women.


Nicole Richie understands what it's like for the millions of us mothers who have to remove our favorite foods from our diets. While nursing her adorable daughter Harlow she had to remove things like milk, tomatoes and lettuce. She knew that what was best for the babe was her milk and didn't just jump on the "formula wagon" because she didn't want to give up the foods she loved. 


Kourtney K-Dash who is probably my most favorite celebrity of all, responded to her sister Kim's tweet about a woman breastfeeding without a cover on a blogpost. Standing up saying if "My attitude is, if someone sees a little somethin' somethin', don't look if you don't like it."  Did I mention I love Kourtney? Because this might have just made me fall in love with her more! The fact that she is real, and open, about breastfeeding is a step in the right direction. All woman should feel empowered like this to nurse how they choose and when they choose.


Isla Fisher shows the humor that most mom's who breastfeed past a year have! She caught some flack for breastfeeding until her daughter Olive was 2 years old and returned it by saying "I"m only going to stop when Olive goes to University." Now truth be told she isn't, but this is the idea most Americans get when you say you're still nursing your child past the common six months to a year mark. The fact that people think this kind of thought shows how behind we are on what's healthy, normal and common for infants and toddlers. 

Tori Spelling has experienced the inability to produce enough milk. She too thought it was something that just happened, that there should never been an issue. These are common thoughts in our world. Even breastfeeding mothers look down on others who say they can't. The education on both sides of this topic isn't there. I think she shows that no matter who you are, you can never learn enough! She also shows that just because you aren't able, doesn't make you any less of a mother!

And lastly,
Salma Hayek! She has been a champion in the breastfeeding world when she made history for nursing a malnourished infant in Sierra Leone. This is one of the greatest nursing stories in the world! It shows that nursing and love knows no bounds. If I could personally thank her for doing this I would. Because she had more compassion than most. She new what she had could help that baby, and she did it. And the fact that UNICEF supported her with the backlash of it (which there shouldn't have been any) shows that they truly are an organization that cares about the people it helps.

I bet you thought I'd mention Beyonce, Christina Aguleria, or Angelina Jolie. Yes, these are all great woman who have done service to breastfeeding. But so have Jennifer Garner, Naomi Watts, Julie Bowen and the countless other celebrities who have done what's best for their babies! I am really thankful for the trendsetting celebrities who are bring a positive light to breastfeeding and showing America that there is nothing wrong with it! We shouldn't just look at a woman for sexual purposes. A woman in Hollywood who is paid for her looks and talent is no different than you or I breastfeeding. Just because someone is beautiful doesn't mean she shouldn't be allowed to breastfeed. Our breasts were created for function. They can serve dual purposes and still be wonderful!

So now that my rant is done, who's your favorite breastfeeding celebrity?

My Upcycling Adventure (Otherwise Known As The Wrap Carrier)

So it's here.. my long ago promised post about how I turned an old fitted sheet into a wrap-style carrier! Let me begin by saying I use this atleast 3x a week and it's held up still. I have no worries about my seam breaking, because I double sewed it. (I am unsure what a "French Seam" is, so I did it my way!)

Here are the tools I used. Simple and easy. An old fitted jersey knit sheet, a standard needle, thread and scissors. I use a tape measure to make sure it was 18 inches wide, but you don't have to do that. You can eyeball it.

As everyone knows, fitted sheets have elastic around the edges to well, make them fitted. I cut closely to the edge, not really worried about how straight it was. I like a "rough" look personally. But if you wanted you too you could make a straight line down the long sides. I also took the seam out of the corners to get more length. in the main part. (I forgot to take a picture.)

I took the big panel left and cut off the edge  to make it completely even. I then folded it in half so that it was equal. (Here is where I used the measure tape to get my 18 inches across.) After I had it equal I cut that in half so that I have two equal pieces. 

Next, I lined up two of ten ends so that it was going to be even when finished. I overlapped the ends by 6 inches. You could do this or you could do a French Seam, which is what most tutorials recommend. I did this way to give her more padding on the back (this will be the part that comes up and holds her) and so that I knew my seams wouldn't give it out. If one did, the other one had it's back. I then pinned them in place so that I could sew them. 

I sewed on all four sides so that it gave me the seams I needed. I did mine by hand because I do not currently have a sewing machine. I crisscrossed the entire way down and back around on all four sides. 

Up close picture of the stitching. I stitched diagonal all around and then did the opposite diagonal coming back to make sure that my stitches would hold up. (Didn't want Sister Bear to crash and boom while wearing!) It took me maybe an hour and half to do the whole project. But, I did it by hand. 

The completed wrap with Rowan in it! I might now have to do a tutorial on how to wrap. ;)

AND JUST BECAUSE.......this is so cute. Brother Bear wanted one, so with the leftover fabric scraps I made one for him to use. Bear-wearing at it's finest!

Come on legs.. you can keep up!

If you could see my bucket list you might think I'm a little crazy. There are things on there that sane people wouldn't even dream about and crazy people wouldn't even consider! But somewhere on that list is to run a 5k. Now.. I should be fair and tell you, I'm not in any shape to be running. I'm not a runner. It's never been in my DNA, but I figure when I put my mind to something, no one is going to tell me no.

I have an Android, thank the heavens, otherwise I wouldn't be good at this interval training at all. But I looked and found a C25K program (Couch to 5k) that was 1) free and 2) loud enough that it wouldn't get lost in my music. I also found a program to track my route so I have visual progress of how proud of myself I am. *I'm a show-off by nature and wanted to be able to put the fancy status updates on my Facebook page.*

So I just finished week one of my training. I know longer feel like I"m going to die, but I don't feel like I'm anywhere near a 5k. I am doing 14:30 minute miles, which isn't great, but for a beginner, I'll take that I'm going to cover 4 and some change miles in an hour. I can honestly say that I am feeling stronger, leaner *in a week, I know*, clearer and like I can do this! I can make my goal. So for added motivation I've gathered a group of friends and set the date for the 5k we are going to run and can now not give up. Not that I wanted to. It's my kid and spouse free time. Where my mind can clear itself, my aggressions can be released, and I can prove to myself and my body that I am worthy. It's my type of reflection on my goals in life, for myself, for my family and for my children. It's were I can realize my potential is never ending and not a single person can tell me "no". I won't hear it. I know better.

I may only be one week into 8 weeks of training, but I know this time, I won't be giving up. I won't decide in a week or two that I'm not longer going to reach my goal. And not just because I have a half dozen people there to keep me in check, but because I'm there to keep myself in check. I have made up my mind that I want my children to see what a healthy body looks like. I don't ever want Sister or Brother to have weight issues. I want them to know what to put in there bodies, what to do to take care of their bodies and that if you do what your body desires, you'll never have weight issues. You'll be healthy. I want them to know that healthy isn't a size or a number. We threw our scale out! I joined in with a few moms on one of my favorite pages FitPsychology and Fitnessmom and I'm using the tools and inspiration they provide to keep myself on track, but not to be a size 2 or a certain number, but to be healthy. To never have to count calories again! Freedom! And I love it! I love the mindset I have finally gained and the love I have for myself.. and yes.. my legs can *and will* keep up!

Keep it green!

Hollea

Cany bars, paper towels and other things the green mom worries about...

There were a lot of things that went into my thought process this week...whether we were meeting my goals for going green this year or not, whether our diet was on par with what I have designed for us, and whether or not allowing that occasional candy bar was okay or going to be the end of the world. I have come to the conclusion that I need to make a list of our weekly goals and our monthly goals to just keep myself organized (and from going insane).


So here's the top five goals I want to work on over the next week to month.

1. Eliminating the paper towels. I figure we're currently out anyway, so now's a good time to buy some quality fabric and make some un-paper towels. So this week will be spent looking for the best fabric to use, one that can with stand stains as I am often cleaning up after small children. 


2. Writing up my proposal for a community garden and why I think the city should let me use the land. It's just sitting empty, so if you have any good ideas or links, I'd greatly appreciate them.


3. Resisting that stinking can of Coca-Cola. Especially considering the news article that just came out about them changing the formulas because of the fear of a cancer warning being printed on them. (My soap box here, even though I do partake, is we know it causes cancer but we still allow it in schools, in our bodies, and purchasable on food stamps. *sigh*


4. My fitness routine. I am doing it, but not really pushing myself. I could be pushing myself-and should. So I want will force myself to wear myself out every single night, except Sundays. 


5. And the last big one.. is that candy bar really going to hurt my son? I say yes, dad says no. I just can't fathom purchasing it and feeding it to him knowing all the yucky neurotoxins and ingredients in them. I am very much open to finding an alternative recipe that I can make and freeze for when he *thinks* he needs one.


Of course, in the big scheme of things these may be simple little stepping stones..but isn't there an old saying that goes along the lines of baby steps before you leap...? Maybe I'm confusing my isms. Either way, these will be our baby steps. We've implmented the Sunday bread making, which to the relief of this momma, DH said tastes WWAAYY better than store bought bread any day. Point! *excited, we did it dance here* It won't be long before I have him convinced that family cloth is amazing too....... ;)

What It's All About

This blog is about myself and my family's journey towards a crunchier lifestyle. Along the way it will be littered with things I love, learn and find important.