strawberries

The other day when I went to Home Depot the nursery to pick out my plants for the garden, I ran into a friend that works there. She has worked there for what seems like forever, but I never run into her because I usually go to ‘the other’ Hope Depot in my neighborhood. (closer, less traffic etc) But on this day, I needed a big ole honkin’ bag of vermiculite and ‘my’ store was out. So we made the trek over to the other store to pick up my soil amendment and get some plants.

The instant I saw Mrs K, we both just locked eyes and I immediately made my way to her and we hugged in the longest hug I’ve shared in a very long time. We go way back. She kept both of my kids in mothers day out and we used to go to the same church. She also used to baby sit my little guy for me while he was sick so I could grocery shop, since I couldn’t take him with me. And she had my girl in MDO when she got the tip of her finger slammed in a door (another little kid closed it on her..no negligence on the school’s part) and it cut off her finger print. I frantically arrived at the school to find Mrs K holding my screaming, flailing girl with her blood all over the both of them. I reminded her of that the other day…good times. : )

But anyway, as we got ‘caught up’ chatting among the plants, we quickly discovered  that we are both on a journey to remain healthy. She has stayed the course for a long time and at 62 is proud to say that she doesn’t take any medications. Because of her healthy lifestyle choices. And since I am a slow learner, I am navigating this world AFTER a major illness, unlike her. But we both excitedly chatted about what we do, what we eat, how much we enjoy it…and how much we wish others could see what their toxic choices are doing to them.

She later commented on my basket of transplants and said I should have lots of good food. Among other things, I got 2 varieties of strawberries, two plants each. And it has nagged me ever since. So a couple of days ago, I went back to the store (to her store..and chatted with her some more) and got two more strawberry plants (yet another variety) and planted them too.

Yesterday I went to a farmers market she told me about and they had early strawberries so I grabbed a small basket. I told the girl about them and instructed her to eat SOME of them for lunch while I went to the gym. When I got home, she told me she ate all “the big ones”.

Gee thanks, kid.

Makes me glad I got those extra two plants. ; )

Maybe a need a couple more.

the garden

I have never gardened before. Well, I take that back, I did attempt to dump chemicals all over some tomato plants in an effort to get some home grown tomatoes one year. And it worked. Until I got tired of going out in the hot weather. And the plants finally died.

So as you can see, my experience with gardens is very limited. But we did have a garden when I was a kid for a few (lean) years. And my grandparents had a garden for as many years as I can remember until their health was too poor for them to actively work the garden the way they would have liked. So I guess it’s in my blood. At least a little bit.

But even though I can find some decent organic stuff at the grocery store and other stores that are out of the way, it can still be a bit spotty. And a lot expensive. So I began to research gardening.

I knew I didn’t want it to take up the whole yard and I didn’t want it to take up a lot of space. And I knew I wanted it to be organic. So after much searching, I came upon the concept of Square Foot Gardening and decided this was the plan for me.

It is simple and it doesn’t take up the entire yard with rows and the useless space in between them, because everything is contained in a box. I can walk around the box to tend and harvest. And all the squares are solid growing space. Thus the garden doesn’t take up half my yard. Pure genius. OK…genius so far. I have planted a lot of stuff inside (seed) and outside too.. a few seeds and lots of transplants.

So without further ado, behold….the garden. Square foot style, of course!

Beds A and B. Containing cabbage, broccoli, onions, two varieties of kale and red lettuce.

Beds C and D. Containing 3 varieties of strawberries, spinach (seeded under plastic), rosemary and parsley.

I have empty slots because 1) I got a late start for my planting zone 2) some things will go in a bit later…and 3) I am learning and reading and planting as I read through the square foot gardening book. So in other words, I’m flying by the seat of my pants.

I also have red bell peppers and two varieties of tomatoes growing from seed inside the house. My cat doesn’t know what to think about all of this. ; )

Stay tuned for updates as things grow. Or die. Hoping for the first.

Sparkly Green Earrings

Y’all. I have been waiting. And waiting. And watching the calendar to see when Melanie’s new book was coming out.

And then I read on Boo Mama’s blog that she had seen it on the shelf EARLY at Lifeway where she lives. And I became on woman on a mission.

With a coupon.

I called Lifeway and they said they had two on the shelf. So I was on my way. When I got there I looked all the places I thought it was going to be, but couldn’t find it. So I asked about it. And the guy said he had a box full in the back for the Dot Mom conference so he just went back there and got me one. I was so excited.

I immediately dove into reading. But I struggled because I wanted to inhale it but I also wanted it to last forever because it was that good! But I managed to find a happy medium and stretch it out over a few days.

And y’all…it is so good! It’s not a bunch of recycled blog posts and I was thankful for that. It’s fresh and new, but it reads exactly like the voice we’re used to “hearing” on her blog. It is sweet and touching while being laugh out loud funny at the same time. A joy from beginning to end.

It doesn’t matter whether you are early on in your mothering or have a bunch of few years of parenting under your belt like me, you will love it.

In the immortal words of Larry the Cucumber…”I laughed, I cried. It moved me, Bob.” I know I’m old, but I can still quote Veggie Tales.

And we all know that’s one of the lesser known skills of being a mother.

In other words…buy it. Read it. You’ll be glad you did.

The end.

Please click here to see the trailer for the book. It is just precious and a must see, in my opinion. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out how to make it show up even though I got the html imbedded. So I had to add the linky. Sorry. : )

a bubbly day

Today I switched my end of the week grocery run around a little bit. I have been going to Kroger lately. I am LOVING all the organics and ‘crunchy’ stuff they are carrying now. Saves me many trips to the health food store that is miles away.

But they are re-arranging my Kroger. And it is utter chaos in there right now. I asked and they are supposed to be finished tomorrow. But I just didn’t have it in me to fight that for yet another grocery run.

So I switched my routine out and did Walmart and the big health food store. I needed a bucket load of lots of odds and ends anyway. I did the health food store first and had a lot on the belt. The lady started checking me out and commented that I was bubbly and perky.

HUH?! But I smiled and said thanks. But then I realized that I was bubbly and perky. And I felt like I had crazy insane energy.

So on the way home, I called my trainer to laughingly tell my story of being told I was bubbly and perky. My story wasn’t met with surprise. Not in the least. I was a bit taken aback. I knew we had wrecked my routine and shuffled everything around and that I had gone from a total beginner that could barely move her arms over her head with any weight at all, to a girl that can really exercise.

Granted I am at the beginning of all the new things we’ve started. But I am beginning to make progress. I can tell that I am stronger and have lots more stamina. And I can carry those groceries in the house like nobody’s business.

But the point is…my trainer knew this was going to happen. And that because I am working out and pushing my body harder, I was going to feel it. Not just in aches and pains (which are minimal by the way) but in feeling great. And having boundless energy.

Well if this is what pushing extra hard at the gym makes me feel like, then woot. Score for me.

So if you’re feeling tired and having a hard time getting out there…push yourself a little bit. You’ll be glad you did.

I am. : )

a sweet note to my girl

Dearest Daughter,

You do not have to get a new plate when you go to the stove for seconds.

This is not Golden Corral.

Love,

Your Mom aka “the one who does the dishes”

diet vs lifestyle

The new year brought with it many posts on Facebook of different illnesses.

And many of them are caused by eating unhealthily.

And now I see people on “diets” and I get so sad.

Because a diet in our country is seen as something temporary “to do” until a “problem” is “fixed”.

Forgive my overuse of “quotes”.

But it just makes me sad. I really wish people would realize what they are eating is killing them. And that what is needed isn’t a flash in the pan approach, but a total overhaul of everything they consume.

Because to me, healthy eating is not a “diet”. It has to be a way of life…a lifestyle…from now on. A week or two, or even a couple of months of doing some crazy fad are not going to be enough for me to maintain my health in the long haul.

And it’s not going to work for anybody else either.

So please, people…get healthy the smart and healthy way. By making permanent changes for the better and cutting out all the junk and chemicals. Your body will thank you for it.

*stepping down off my soapbox now*

“Carry on!”

Oops sorry…I used quotes again. ; )

a roundup of sorts

I have had the idea over and over to write a post about many of the changes that I’ve made that involve staying away from toxins in every day life. But it can be overwhelming to say the least.

So I started a list. And it’s pretty mind blowing just how long it is. And I know it’s not an exhaustive list…I’m sure I forgot something. But here goes. Forgive me for not adding links and pictures and making this post more fun looking but that takes gobs of time. And if you’re interested in a product, it’s easy to do a search and find out where it’s available in your area and what stores carry it.

I know I blogged about getting new plates. Corelle Ware. They replaced very old ceramic stoneware plates we have been using for 20-plus years. Gah.  And I still love them. Healthy food looks so pretty on them!

I wanted to replace my old coffee mugs with glass but I could never find what I wanted. So one day I was at the thrift store and found a cute set of two mugs. They are a little bit retro and I love them! And they are glass.

I replaced my drinking cups with Copco cups from Bed Bath and Beyond. They come with a lid and straw and they are BPA FREE. I also got the girl a Tervis Tumbler for her every day drinking glass and it’s BPA FREE also.

I use vinegar water in a spray bottle to clean off the kitchen counters instead of Lysol kitchen cleaner. And baking soda and Dr Bronners to scrub out the kitchen sink and bathtub instead of some sort of bleach scrub cleaner. I have made a concoction of Dr Bronners, some washing soda, water and maybe some vinegar to wipe down the bathroom counters. I just use my kitchen spray of vinegar/water to wash mirrors, instead of Windex.  On a related kitchen note, I use gloves when I handle raw meat and put the knife I use to cut open the package straight into the dishwasher, the meat in the pan/dish and the meat container and the gloves in the trash…so there is no raw meat cleanup in my kitchen. If something unusual happens and I need to clean up after raw meat, I go ahead and use bleach spray (and I follow it up with the vinegar solution to get rid of any residue), but try not to get it on my hands. But that is very rare.

I used to use All laundry detergent. And sometimes Purex. Usually the “free and clear” stuff because fragrances bother me. But now I use Ecos. I first found a monster huge bottle at Sams. I loved it except for the very huge size of the bottle. Hard to handle when it’s full. But then they stopped carrying it at Sams but I noticed it at Walmart. And it’s about $10 for a still very large bottle and it lasts forever since it’s very concentrated. It comes in a natural lavender and the free and clear, which is the one I am using.  I still use Bounce free and clear…I hate static cling. I keep thinking about trying those dryer ball thingies but haven’t done it yet. Have any of you tried them? Do they work?

I have used several brands of body wash over the years. But now I use Every Day Shea in lavender scent. It comes in vanilla mint which also smells nice. And unscented, which doesn’t smell like much of anything. I love this product because it lathers well and has a nice scent that doesn’t linger forever…and it’s a fair trade product, so I can feel sort of good about buying it. And it’s got a very short list of ingredients as well. I will say that although I love the body wash, I did not enjoy using the shampoos or lotions. But they are all a steal at around $10 for a huge bottle that lasts forever. Score.  On a side note, the shampoo left my hair feeling heavy, and using the conditioner of the same brand didn’t help. So currently I am using the shampoo to wash my foobs every morning. It’s a good thing to clean things with, just not my hair. And the lotions are ‘ok’, but if you’ve got dry skin at all, it’s just not enough. I could get by with it in the summer for body lotion, but not in the cooler months. And strangely the coconut variety that is for extra hydration is worse on my skin than the shea.

I’ve used every shampoo under the sun as well. And to be honest I am still searching for the perfect natural alternative. (I gave up on the vinegar/baking soda routine..over time it seemed to strip my hair) I have used Burts Bees for hair…meh..it sort of weighed it down. I am using Alba Botanicals now and I like it. Not very toxic and it works well. I also just bought a small bottle of Hugo Naturals styling gel. So far so good. When I run out of the Alba stuff, I want to try Hugo Naturals for other products…they have everything from bath gel to shampoo. Would be interesting to try some more of their hair care line.

I haven’t settled on the best thing ever for body lotion, so right now I’m using a more natural line of Johnson’s baby. Works great and doesn’t smell much at all. I also use Yes To Cucumbers for hand cream. It works very well and has a light scent.

I have never been much of a scented candle kind of girl, mostly because of having asthma. But now I rarely, if ever use them. (I got one for Christmas that I have burned for a few minutes a few times.) Instead of Oust, I use Pure Citrus if I absolutely feel like I need to spritz a trash can or the air. It’s natural and smells like oranges. YUM.

I used to use mainstream toothpaste and mouthwash, but now I use Trader Joe’s toothpaste, without fluoride, and Spry mouth rinse.  The toothpaste tastes funny, but it seems to do the trick.

I know I did a post early on about using Crystal deodorant. I still love it and that’s saying something after using through a hot Texas summer. Enough said on that one. ; )

I used to use a Walmart brand knock off for Cetafil face cleaner. And then for a while I used Yes To Cucumbers brand face cleaner. I also use Yes to Cucumbers face moisturizer, which I LOVE. But lately, I have been using a mixture of olive oil and castor oil to wash my face, and believe it or not, it works great. And my skin is super soft and I’m not breaking out. Score.  You can do a search of “oil face cleaning method” and find a good explanation of this.

I used to use Ajax dishwashing soap but now I use a natural dish washing liquid. I’ve used several. And they all work very well. I have some Ajax under the sink because its antibacterial, in case I ever need it, but so far I haven’t. I also use the natural dish soap in my foaming soap dispensers throughout the house and it works great diluted in those.

I used to use run of the mill drug store makeup…Almay, Maybelline etc, but now I am enjoying using Sheer Miracle. It works great and feels nice on my skin. I bought some Burts Bees tinted lip balm to give my lips a little bit of color when I’m wearing makeup. I threw all of my old makeup in the trash. Good riddance.

I used to keep antibacterial wipes in the car for after pumping gas or after I came out of a store etc. But lately I have been trying to stick with Purell type stuff. I am a germ freak and especially during cold and flu season, I really want to wash my hands when I get in the car after each leg of an outing. So I’m trying to stay away from the wipes.

Whew…that is all I wrote down, but I will probably remember something after I post. Ha, isn’t that always the way.

***I know you know this, but all of these opinions are mine and nobody gave me anything or is sponsoring my words in any way…bla bla bla.***

Having said all of this, I daily think of new ways I could do more. I think it’s a never ending evolution really.  There is always something new to do/try in this journey. And you know I’ll tell you about it when I do. LOL

But just step back and look at all the toxins I’m not subjecting my body to with just these changes. When I think about that, it’s mind blowing. And I’m so thankful I’ve made some changes.

I have made some simple changes for the girl too, to try to keep her away from a lot of chemicals. I bought her new make up also. She uses the same deodorant and I got her hooked on a youth line of Burts Bees products and she is doing pretty well with those. I knew for her to use them, they would have to have a more mainstream feel etc, so I’ve kept it simple for her. (she won’t be washing her face with EVOO and castor oil any time soon…) But I did get her a bottle of Every Day Shea body wash and a poof and she’s happy with the results. So score, cuz it’s cheaper than Burts Bees.

If you know of any natural products, please be sure to pass the info along…I’m always interested. : )