Looks Good in Polka Dots

I have found there are some stand bys that we must keep on hand at all times for our daughter’s GFCF diet.  Here are our must haves!

Vanilla Soy Milk

Plain Soy Milk

Tofutti Cheese Slices

Corn Tortillas (super cheap as well!)

Delimex Taquitos

Tater-tots (read the labels, some have wheat in them!)

Fresh ground peanut butter

All Fruit Jelly

Organic Baby Carrots

EnviroKidz Organic Cereals

Enjoy Life Cocoa Loco Bars

EnviroKidz Krispy Rice bars (in PB or Chocolate, they don’t like the Berry ones!)

Ener G wheat free pretzels

Rice Pasta (Penne and Spaghetti)

Enjoy Life Double Chocolate Cookies (for treat days at school)

Lots and Lots of fresh fruits and veggies

Wheat Free Tamari (Substitute for soy sauce)

Rice (we buy it in 50 lb bags)

Cornmeal (great for hot cereal, corn cakes and corn bread)

Bob’s Red Mill Creamy Rice Hot Cereal

Organic juice boxes

Chicken breasts and Ground Turkey

Soybean Margarine

Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

Lil’ Critters Gummy Vites

Lil’ Critters Calcium + D

Lil’ Critters Immune C

(Found out we don’t like the Lil’ Critters Fish Oil/Omega 3, kids think they taste nasty!)

Nordic Naturals Fish Oil Strawberry Capsules

We could probably manage to feed her on the above list alone… although we do buy other items labeled “Gluten Free” after carefully reading the labels to ensure it doesn’t contain any dairy.   We haven’t found a mac and cheese… so I am using rice pasta, and making a sauce out of nutritional yeast flakes and soy milk to top it with…. the other option is just melting a slice of the Tofutti Cheese over the noodles and mixing it in.  K3 seems to like both… but then she really isn’t a picky kid!

I couldn’t believe it when I read that we needed to avoid Rice Dream Products.  I thought these products were designed for someone with K3’s kind of diet… little did I know there is a malt in a lot of them!  Yikes!  I also discovered that a lot of the non-refrigerated soy milks also have a malt, so we are sticking with Silk. 

I would love to hear what everyone else keeps on hand at all times!  We are looking for ways to branch out our diets!

I know these people.  Their baby was born 10 weeks early.  She has had a lot of complications and is still in the hospital at 12 weeks of age.  There will be a fundraiser for the family… check it out.  There is also a link to their blog with update on the little angel.  Please keep Abigail Rose in your prayers.  http://jacobyfundraiser.googlepages.com/home

 Stolen from Jenefur… that girl finds the best MeMe’s!

I definitely didn’t have a privileged childhood prior to 9th grade.  In High School most of my classmates thought I did.  It definitely wasn’t a silver spoon upbringing.  My bio parents were exceptionally poor.  My father had substance abuse issues and my mother didn’t make enough to support the family.  My father was abusive to his children and his wife.  At 14, I moved in with my Aunt and Uncle.  They lived in the Middle Class world.  I received nice gifts for birthdays and holidays… didn’t have to worry about having clothes to wear or food to eat.  We did take vacations occassionally, usually driving ones.  I put myself through college (and will be paying for it forever!).  I never reflected on if I was privileged or not, however I know that my upbringing has a drastic impact on the way I raise my children.  I want to do everything right, but I realize that is impossible.  Sometimes I over-extend myself trying to give them what they want (Ballet, T-Ball, Swimming, Soccer, etc…) but I don’t want them to grow up and think “I couldn’t ever do what I wanted to as a child”.  My own Father always said no.  I don’t want to be that person.   My children are well cared for, even spoiled on occassion.  They won’t have trust funds paying their way… but hopefully we can provide a substantial start for them to build on.

Funny how a simple MeMe made me reflect that much.

Bold the true statements.

1. Father went to college

2. Father finished college

3. Mother went to college

4. Mother finished college

5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor.

6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers.

7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home.

8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home.

9. Were read children’s books by a parent

10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18

11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18

12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively

13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18

14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs

15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs

16. Went to a private high school

17. Went to summer camp

18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18

19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels

20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18

21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them

22. There was original art in your house when you were a child

23. You and your family lived in a single-family house

24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home

25. You had your own room as a child

26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18

27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course

28. Had your own TV in your room in high school

29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college

30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16

31. Went on a cruise with your family

32. Went on more than one cruise with your family

33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up

34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family

From What Privileges Do You Have?, based on an exercise about class and privilege developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. If you participate in this blog game, they ask that you PLEASE acknowledge their copyright.

So, I came across this article on MacDailyNews… one of my all time favorite spots to catch up to the minute news about Apple products.   Evidently, Mindset Media has released a Mindset Profile of Mac users.  Here is an excerpt, “The study, with a robust sample of 7,500 respondents, revealed that people who are highly open-minded or, in Mindset Media parlance, “Openness 5’s”, are 60 percent more likely than people in the general population to have purchased a Mac. These purchasers are also more liberal, less modest, and more assured of their own superiority than the population at large.”

I am definitely confident… does that correlate to a feeling of superiority?  Not so much.  I am fairly modest and not at all liberal.  Although I am Green… in a true sense of the word.  You won’t find me chained to a tree or marching for animal rights with PETA.  I will spread the word about living Green… and I will do my part to raise my family in that mindset. 

We are a mixed Catholic Christian family.  We attend both church services.  We are Republicans.  We recycle everything possible.  We buy all natural, organic and as often as possible, local products.  I don’t walk around my house undressed or cavort in public nudity.  I have an above average IQ and have a low tolerance for ignorance.  I married a man that is at least as smart as me (if not more so).  He calls himself a short haired hippy.  Maybe we are.  I am against abortion, I believe in large families, I believe in a greater good and that starting in my own little corner is the best way to create change. 

Do I fall into the Mac profile?  Perhaps not.  I do, however, adore my Macs and all Apple products. Read the entire article here: http://www.macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/16101/

I am interested in your Mac Profile.  Who buys a Mac?

So Hubby has been gone for 6 days… with 9 to go.  I am not sure that we will survive this!

Little Critter has decided that turning three entitles her to constant fit throwing.  Everything in her hands (which is usually a lot as she carries around stuff constantly) hits the ground… little feet stomp… little lip goes into full pout mode… head tilts toward the floor.  Then the WAILING starts.  Full on tears and crying for 20 minutes at times.  Just because Mommy said to put your boots away. 

I have NEVER had to deal with this kind of attitude with my other kids.  K3 was definitely a screaming fit thrower… but when she wasn’t in fit mode, she listened pretty well.  The older two never did the fit throwing (maybe its that oldest child thing) and I didn’t have to deal with it when TeenGirl was a toddler as she still lived with our Mother and I was not in the same house!

Little Critter doesn’t listen… EVER.  It’s like she hears nothing.  She throws fits when things don’t go her way.  She pouts… she cries… she fights with her siblings.  She is a perfect angel when Daddy is around.  Maybe he should become the SAH Parent?!!!  (That’ll NEVER happen).

Today is one of those days when I am VERY glad I didn’t give in to the urge to have another baby. :) 

Stolen from Jenefur

Copy it to your own blog and leave a comment.

Aprons - Y/N? If Y, what does your favorite look like?
Yes… the super cute ones that look like they came straight from a catalog for a 1950’s housewife… I am making a new one out of black and red cherry fabric.  Hubby feels really lucky if the kids are gone and he comes home to find me in the apron and red high heels… and nothing else.

Baking - Favorite thing to bake
I adore baking…my absolute favorite “cooking”.  Especially cakes, I have been known as “The Cake Lady” at my last several jobs.  MMMMMMMM.

Clothesline - Y/N?
No.  High Efficiency steam washer and dryer, YES. (http://us.lge.com/products/model/detail/home%20appliances_laundry_washers_WM0001HTMA.jhtml)   Hanging the thongs out for the neighbors to see is not my idea of a grand time.

Donuts - Have you ever made them?
Yes indeed. Both baked and fried ones… and GF ones.  Yummy.

Every day - One homemaking thing you do every day
Pack lunches for the whole crew, including little love notes.

Freezer - Do you have a separate deep freeze?

Oh yes…. with a family of seven we would never be able to store enough food without one!

Garbage Disposal - Y/N?
Absolutely.  I hate nasty sinks.

Handbook - What is your favorite homemaking resource?

The internet.

Iron love it or hate it? Or hate it but love the results?
Adore the fresh pressed look and smell of linen waters… detest actually doing the ironing myself.

Junk drawer - Y/N? Where is it?
One in the kitchen, one in the bathroom, and several little bins above the washer and dryer.

Kitchen - Color and decorating scheme
Light Maple Cabinets, Dark Green Countertops (about ready to be replaced), plans include dark almost black granite… Floor is currently light, neutral but becoming dark, slate tiles.  Walls are white and offset walls are chocolate.  The up and coming “theme” is French Bistro.  We have a fabulous, rubbed, black wine hutch and matching table set.

Love - What is your favorite part of homemaking?
Being the Mommy/Wifey that everyone wants to come home to.

Mop - Y/N?
Hands and knees with a bucket and cloth.

Nylons - Wash by hand or in the washing machine?
I wear stockings vs. nylons… They aren’t the grocery store variety (and cost a pretty penny) so, I care for them gently.  Stockings and all undergarments are washed by hand or on the delicate cycle in a mesh wash bag.

Oven - Do you use the window or open the oven to check?
Opening the oven while baking/cooking disturbs the balance.  Flip the little light on and peek through the window.

Pizza - What do you put on yours?
Cheese (and lots of it), Mushrooms and maybe ground beef.

Quiet - What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?
Work on photo organization ( I am way behind), read, attempt to finish one of my million sewing projects, scrapbook… take a bubble bath.

Recipe card box - Y/N? What does it look like?
I have a book… it is a Mary Englebreit.  I adore it.

Style of house - What style is your house?

Uncluttered!  Northwest colors (creams, dark greens, rust, burgandy, browns)… modern but classic.

Tablecloths and napkins - Y/N?
For the holidays yes.  Otherwise we don’t do tablecloths.  Cloth napkins are much more enviro-friendly so we like them!

Under the kitchen sink - Organized or toxic wasteland?
Organized and chemical free

Vacuum - How many times per week?
Every day… sometimes twice a day.  It’s a tragedy really.  I cannot wait for the hardwoods to go in.

Wash - How many loads of laundry do you do per week?
I am estimating 21 on an average week.  I generally wash at least 3 loads a day.  We have seven people… and Heaven help me when its linen washing time!

X - Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off?
I always try for the lists… I usually end up leaving the house without them… or losing in to one of the kids many little notes around the house.

Yard - Y/N? Who does what?
Hubby does yard.  I do flowers.  We have an acre so there is often work that requires both of us.  Controlling briars without chemicals is proving trying!

Z - What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?
Organizing everyones backpacks/coats and putting their lunches in the fridge, laying out clothes… so that everyone has a smooth go in the morning.

Tomorrow is the big day.  The day I turn in my resignation to transition full time WAHM instead of full time corporate Mom.  I am excited… although a bit nervous. 

I am soooooooooooo looking forward to not getting up in the wee hours of the morning to treak over the hill and into work.  Heck, if I want to come to work in my jammies… I can.  Yay!  There is concern about balancing enough dedicated work time with the constant noise and chaos that is my house with five children, a dog and a cat.

Feeling confident that everything has come together thus far and will continue to.  This transition has been months in the making and it has been incredibly hard to keep a lid on it!   February 1 will be my last morning of getting up early… staying up late and functioning on less than five hours of sleep. Two more weeks of mind boggling juggling to obtain a decent work/life balance that is nearly impossible to find.

Maybe this venture will provide me with more time to do the things I want to do… like finish that book and become witty and charming.

We put Oregon Dad on a plane out of PDX yesterday afternoon.  Around 3 PM our time today I received an email from his Blackberry saying he was on the ground.  It was 7 AM Friday Morning there.  That’s one long flight. :)  I am always relieved when his feet are on the ground again.  I couldn’t sleep last night because I knew he was somewhere over the Pacific Ocean as a guest of Singapore Airlines.

Before long, I will be in dreamland and he will be enjoying Asian hospitality… which generally includes vasts amounts of alcohol.

Next time, I’m going with!

I’m not sure what to think about it.

Clorox has long been known for producing chlorine bleach and other non earth friendly products (though Clorox proclaims that bleach is Earth Friendly). Recently, we have heard noises about the company vowing to become more green. I was a bit amused… how would this corporation sugar coat their products to make them appear more earth friendly.

Frankly, I was a bit surprised with the answer.

Clorox has launched a line of natural cleaners called greenworks. So far there are five products in the line up, including: natural bathroom cleaner, natural glass & surface cleaner, natural all purpuse cleaner, natural toilet bowl cleaner and natural dilutable cleaner. (Notice that nothing is capilized… so many companies feel that they must set apart their natural products by not using capilization… perhaps they think green = uneducated? Personally, I think green = educated.)

Here is the definition of “natural” from the company website… www.greenworkscleaners.com

“Currently, there is no industry standard definition for natural cleaners. To create Green Works™ natural cleaners we set ourselves a very stringent standard. The ingredients must come from renewable resources, be biodegradable and free of petrochemicals. Green Works™ cleaners are at least 99% natural. In certain cases we had to use synthetic ingredients, like the preservative and green colorant. But we’re working hard to develop natural alternatives so the entire line can be 100% natural.”

Why couldn’t Clorox skip the preservatives and the green colorant? Especially the green colorant! It’s not necessary… so why not leave it out and bridge that gap between 99 and 100% natural? Just a thought from a green mom. (FYI, green doesn’t imply COLOR.)

I happened upon green works by accident in the regular cleaning aisle at my local Fred Meyer (Kroger) grocer. I was meandering around in search of the kitty litter we are in love with (Natural Harmony, pelletized plant fiber litter) when I saw them. It was like a little light bulb went on in my head as I made the connection with the recent articles I had read about Clorox going green. Fred’s had them on sale 2 for $5.00 which I felt was a great price for a natural product. Obviously, I felt compelled to road test the products. I brought home the natural glass & surface and natural bathroom cleaners. I couldn’t bring myself to purchase the ones that were colored green.

Guess what? They work remarkably well. My bathroom mirrors are shiny and streak free. My kitchen counters are just as clean as they are with any other product and the bathroom cleaner worked nicely on my large, soak tub.

The ingredients follow:

natural bathroom cleaner-

Coconut-based cleaning agent (nonionic surfactant), glycolic acid, essential lemon oil and filtered water. Contains no phosphorus. Contains no bleach.

natural glass & surface cleaner-

Coconut-based cleaning agent (nonionic surfactant), corn-based ethanol, filtered water and fragrance with essential lemon oil. Contails no phosphorus. Contains no bleach.

Why I think these products just might be okay.

They are made from plant and mineral based ingredients. *from their labeling

They are made from biodegradable ingredients. *from their labeling

They are not tested on animals. *from their labeling

They work really well. *labeling says as good as traditional cleaners… I agree.

Why I have some concerns.

The company itself is not green. They continue to produce products that are harmful to our environment and use processes such as animal testing which is NOT GREEN. Simply introducing a “green” line doesn’t make the company better… it is simply a tool to reach out to a market Clorox wants to make money on.

This corporate giant makes claims on its website that bleach is “perceived as harmful for the environment”. The site then goes on to state that the product degrades “rapidly and completely”, however if you read on you will see that there is still about 5% that isn’t broken down into salt and water. These leftover unnamed by-products “are effectively treated by municipal wastewater treatment plants or septic systems.” Huh… so maybe it isn’t so great after all. And how about chlorine bleach causing more calls to the poison control center than any other household product. Kudos Clorox, your product is poisioning America’s children. Contrary to Clorox ads that state, “Essential for a healthier home”… we know this product isn’t necessary and may prove detrimental to our healthy homes. Also, kindly keep in mind… Clorox as a corporation has a history of animal testing. So, perhaps they are cleaning up their act… or maybe only their new line isn’t animal tested. We must really ponder if we are willing to purchase products from a company that is only pretending to be green in order to grow its bank account.

To sum things up. This product is a better alternative than traditional household cleaners. It is less damaging to the environment and is relatively cost effective, so it might reach out to those who haven’t previously used natural products. I will not continue to use this product after my two road test bottles are used up. My feelings are strong that being green goes far beyond one product, we have to address the whole picture and I don’t feel that Clorox as a company does this. These are the same reasons I will not purchase Burts Bees prouducts any longer. Now that Clorox owns that company it just doesn’t fit into my view of being green and being socially conscious.

Yes, this appears to be a decent product that works well. Yes, the Clorox name will probably help it reach consumers. Wake up America. This company isn’t green by any stretch of the word.

Geeze Oh Pete… Apple has done it again.  For those of you who don’t personally know me.  I am a true Macsturbater.  I adore everything Apple.  Even my seven year old son and daughter have green and pink iPods…   I do not like computers with Windows OS.  ( I will kindly refrain from saying “I don’t like PC’s”, because it has been brought to my attention that Apple Computers are still PC’s… Personal Computers… its just a whole different experience in a personal computer.)

Steve Jobs and Apple, Inc.  continue to amaze me… EVERY SINGLE DAY.  Call me what you will.  I love that guy.  I love that company.  I love their products.  Maybe I will get that t-shirt that says “MacGirl” on it. For I truely am.  I believe most smart people are.  *Disclaimer… please notice I said MOST, calm down*. (Sheesh)

Have you seen the new MacBook Air?  (Run Quick Look… http://www.apple.com/) How could you NOT LOVE THIS COMPUTER?  It’s 3/4 of an inch at its thickest.  It weighs next to nothing (3 lbs!)… it’s sleek, beautiful, stylish (a total chick magnet, heads up guys YOU MUST BUY ONE NOW).  The ability to put a disc in another computer and install programs wirelessly is AMAZING.  (And of course the video shows this being done together with a Windows based PC because, Macs are smart.)  I am definitely getting one.  As is Hubby. Now we just have to decide if the solid state drive is worth the price difference.  I mean, of course it’s worth the price.  The real question is… do we want to spend the money to get the solid state drive.  My laptop primarily stays at home… so for me it may not be that big of a deal.  Now for Hubby who travels all over the world, it will probably be a very smart investment.

Seriously.  I am drooling. Apple products are almost as good as sex.  Don’t be jealous… just visit the Apple store near you.  :)  It’s a fine place to be.