Looks Good in Polka Dots

Today is the LAST DAY to enter to win the BACK TO SCHOOL PACKAGE. Contest closes 12:01 AM PST August 1, 2008.

I’m always on the lookout for ways to be a little greener, more Earth Friendly, a little wiser… a fan of true innovation, of thinking outside of the box, of looking for a better way. What do I do when I stumble across something new and exciting? Why, I share it with you.

We have seen examples of corporate innovation over and over again, with products like Preserve (personal products, tableware and kitchen essentials made from recycled yogurt cups) and Greenware (plastic ware made from corn). Every time I stumble across something, I get a little tingle of excitement.

I’m the lady waltzing through high end malls, where the median household income is 85k annually while carrying a bright green minus one reusable bag from Whole Foods. I’ve shamed cashiers who start to throw the bag away when they are quicker than I and we have to unbag my goods and transfer them to the tote. The purpose of leaving the bag behind is to save it for someone else, not to send it to an early death in the landfill. When I forget my tote, I have been known to carry out my goodies at the grocery by the armful, waving my receipt at the employee posted to monitor the door. Innovation or just crazy? You decide.

This past weekend, we had a discussion at a gathering of friends, people were complaining about the possibility of implementing a bag tax locally and how hard it is to remember their reusable totes. I heard comments about how much they HATE the bottle deposit (which increased recycling rates in Oregon to 90% versus the non-deposit states average of 28%). The reasoning was that these people ALWAYS recycled their bottles/cans/bags/etc… I explained that while a few of us do recycle regardless of deposits and taxes to provide the incentive, the mass doesn’t and that’s why we need these regulations. Seriously, how hard is it to carry a reusable tote around? I often forget mine in the car, which simply means a little extra exercise while we (meaning Oregon Dad) dash out for it prior to checking out. It’s a simple matter to get a couple of those tiny totes that fold up into mini pouches, carry them in your pockets or handbags. I think if we start getting taxed for the bags we take out of the store, more people will get in the habit of bringing their totes and will realize its not hard.

During this conversation, I brought up this nifty little plastic bag used at The Body Shop.

This tote is unique because it decomposes, that is returns to, well, DIRT within 12 months. Plastic takes 700 years to begin to decompose in the landfill. 700 years to 12 months? Now, that’s innovation.

Of course, bringing up this tote brought a new twist to the bag conversation. If The Body Shop can do it, why can’t EVERY store? I pointed out the cost factor (every one of the people in this conversation have college degrees, many post-graduate degrees and work with costing every.single.day, so I shouldn’t have to go there.), stores do not want to absorb the cost of producing a more expensive bag, and of course, if stores did provide these kind of bags the cost would be passed on to the consumer in other ways. Why would most corporations go to that expense when they can pass the buck by pushing their reusable totes. I would LOVE to see more biodegradable bags in malls, shopping centers, grocers and quick marts. Plastic bags often litter our seashores and pose a real threat to animals and the beauty of our planet. However, I do not feel that is a realistic theory.

What can you do? Think outside of the box (or the bag). Carry reusable totes EVERYWHERE. I have started grabbing a canvas tote or grocery tote no matter what errand I’m on, even if I don’t plan to purchase anything. They are great for carrying my library books, kids snacks, beach toys, things to drop at the donation center, etc… for an everyday outing, I will toss my handbag and Klean Kanteen inside along with a granola bar and fruit leather.

One grocery tote can hold as many groceries as 3-4 plastic baggies, and you don’t have to worry about the tears and spills. They sit nicely in the trunk or on the floor board, so you don’t have to go fishing under the seats for lost items.

When you do bring home store bags, reuse and recycle them. Plastic bags clog the standard recycling systems, so take them back to the stores to be recycled or simply use them again and again until they wear out, then recycle them. Do NOT throw plastic bags in the trash or in your curbside recycling (unless your recycling program specifically states it is okay.) Paper is NOT better than plastic, it has a whole different set of issues… so select the bag that you are most likely to be able to use and use and use some more.

For large shopping trips, consider a reusable box-type tote. These can also be left in the back of your car to hold your grocery totes in an orderly manner. I love having a large tote in my car that I can use for groceries, fill up with yard sale finds or fill with my drop off donations.

Shop at stores who are doing something to make a difference. The Body Shop, while far from perfect, goes beyond these nifty plastic bags. They are against animal testing and have introduced a line of paraben/preservative free products. You will often also find products that benefit a specific issue, such as AIDS.

Now, you might be wondering how I (of all people) ended up with a plastic tote from The Body Shop. Well, that’s quite simple. I was chatting with the sales lady about the new paraben free products and purchasing a couple of lip balms for AIDS benefit, while indicating that I wouldn’t need a bag. The cool saleslady then whips out her bag and proceeds to tell me all about it. I was like, “oh, cool… well, I will take a bag today then so I can blog about it.” And that my friends, is the story of how I ended up with a plastic store bag.

If you are looking for fun, unique bags that compliment your personality here are some ideas:

Alchemy Recycled Ad Bag

b. happy bags

For the Guys… how about a BYOB tote?

*Sigh* Isn’t it lovely?

I won this beautiful artisan necklace over at Rocks In My Dryer. The necklace was provided by the Vintage Pearl, owned by Erin Edwards (Mom, Wife, Designer).

It’s probably not the best idea to decide you need some gluten free flours for a few baking projects you plan to undertake and drive the 15 minutes to the store. Nope.

You just might strike up a conversation with yourself over which flours to bring home and the young (and possibly hot) guy next to you will look at you strangely… then he will notice the blue medical band still on your left wrist and assume you escaped from the mental institution.

Definitely do not decide to run through the drive up window at McD’s because you are dieing for some nasty Mcnuggets. This will be the ONE time the nuggets are super fresh and hot… and the lady will tell you to park your GIANT Bad A@@ truck in the tiny spot obscured by a big, bushy tree to wait for them. You won’t be able to see crap as you (in your doped up state) park to wait. Backing out could result in a minor collision with said tree and the curb. Luckily no damage is done.

The drive home might prove even more fun than the drive into town. You could end up behind the crew painting the white and yellow lines on the Highway, for oh, about 8 miles. You might end up transfixed by the flashing lights and bold words proclaiming, “Wet Paint, Stay OFF lines.” And you could end up swerving onto the yellow lines several times. Remember… they can track those yellow tire prints to your drive way.

Those aforementioned baking projects… let’s just say, making homemade marshmallows while still slightly looped on Versed and Fentanyl… not the best idea.

Under NO circumstances should you let your children convince you to participate in a Wii Fit Hula-Off. Falling on your rear (while infinitely better than your face) is not a great example for your children. They will laugh at you, remind you (and everyone within hearing range) of it daily.

When your nurse calls later in the day to check on you, do NOT admit to doing any of the above. She will scold you like a little child. You will deserve it, but still.

Most of all, DO NOT BLOG ABOUT ANY OF IT. That drug they gave you? Versed… it causes AMNESIA. So, you won’t remember any of this tomorrow. Unless you blogged about it.

Don’t forget to enter to win the Back To School Package. Contest ends 12:01 AM PST August 1, 2008.

Sunday night we visited a family friend’s farm and plucked a couple large bowls full of Blackberries and a giant bowl full of lush, green apples. Mmmmmm.

We came home and made our first batch of Blackberry jam, now nestled quietly on the shelf next to Junes strawberry preserves.

Oregon Dad squeezed and squashed to get just the right amount of fruit pulp through the cheesecloth, every surface in our kitchen was covered with red juice and seeds. He and I are getting better at this jam making business, considering no splatter burns occurred.

Once the jam was finished and turned upon their lids to seal, I embarked on a new endeavor… Blackberry Cornbread Muffins. Oh My.

I wanted to make simple blackberry muffins, however, every recipe I came across called for fine ground cornmeal. At present, I only have a bit of coarse ground cornmeal in the pantry that I use for grits and polenta. I could have kept searching or simply made my own recipe that didn’t use cornmeal. But, I’m only somewhat adventurous and I improvised.

Out came a package of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Cornbread Mix. To the mix I added 12oz (1 and 1/2 cups) Lite Coconut Milk, 3 Tbs. Organic Evaporated Cane Sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp GF Vanilla, 2 Extra Large Eggs at room temperature and 1/3 c. Canola Oil. I mixed this all together by hand using K3’s Ratatouille mixing set (which was a Birthday gift and has since become our dedicated GF set). Once the ingredients were well incorporated, I gently folded in 1 cup of the fresh blackberries. Then I scooped the batter into the muffin pan lined with baking cups using a 1/4 cup measuring scoop and sprinkled the tops with a bit more organic evaporated cane sugar. Into the oven which had been preheated to 350 degrees F for about 19 minutes (I started with 15 minutes, checked doneness and increased in two minute increments).

These muffins were suppose to be for breakfast. I chomped into one for the sake of testing the flavor and texture. After a couple nibbles, Oregon Dad rushed the kitchen and came back with two muffins on a plate topped with butter and drizzled with honey.  (Side note… these are also great with agave nectar or a glaze made with powder sugar and rice milk.)

Oregon Dad is anti-gluten-free eating, so if he likes them… they must be good! (How he scoffed at the idea of blackberry CORNBREAD muffins.)

I have recipes laying in wait for those fabulous green apples. Stay tuned!

Today’s Green Tip- Use fresh, local produce whenever possible. The food is more nutritious because it reaches your table much quicker. Consider these berries, they went straight from the vine, to my sink for a rinse, then into our food. Our jam recipe flash boils the berries quickly, so the fruit retains more of its nutrients. We also know that this food was produced without the use of harmful chemicals.

Be Well.

Remember to enter to win the Back To School Package. Contest Ends 12:01 AM PST August 1, 2008.

Over the last couple of months, I have been lusting after the method omop ALL FLOOR CARE KIT at Target. I often find myself staring at the lovely compostable, bamboo + recycled fiber packaging and drooling over the washable, microfiber mop pad. At $24.99, it’s not the price standing between me and this wonder of a floor cleaning system.  I’m in dire need of a new mop , so its not like I want to buy this one just because its pretty. (Although, it is pretty.)  Let’s quickly revisit a simple thought, buying green products is not being green if you don’t need the product.  Being green is about reducing our consumption.  ‘Nuff said.

Finally, I broke down and brought one home. I’m not sure what made today the day. Maybe it was the employee in the aisle who shared the need for new batteries for her walkie talkie with me while I was lusting over the package or possibly the laundry basket full of school supplies tucked under my right arm. Whatever it was, I started to walk away from the aisle, as I have on the last several visits… but this time, I went back.

Those who do not know me well, may not know that I am a bit anal retentive in regard to cleanliness (and many other areas of life). I want my house clean, tidy and orderly. I want it now. I want it to stay that way. Did I also mention we have five kids in the house and two cats? Needless to say, my sanity just might depend on this mop kit.

Once home, I opened the package (enjoying all the funny quips on the packaging) and prepared for a fabulous floor cleaning. I do not like the floors in my house and I am counting the days (weeks, months, years) until the budget allows for flooring upgrades. Then I will have beautiful, sustainable, easy to care for flooring. Until that day arrives, I will continue to scrub in a valiant attempt to make this linoleum sparkle.

Being a firm believer in team work and teaching kids to help out, I had TeenGirl start out by sweeping the floors. Normally, I would follow the sweeping with the vacuum hose to get all the nooks and crannies that the broom misses. Today, I didn’t worry about that because I have SUPERMOP the microfiber mop pad.

Here’s what I LOVE about this system. I just squeeze the bottle of fabulous yellow liquid (non-toxic, biodegradable, good stuff) all over my floor… then I mop it up. No sinks or buckets of gunky water. No constant rinsing of the dirty, nasty mop. Here’s what I LOVE even more. That little bottle of fabulous yellow liquid… REALLY WORKS. My floors are clean and shiny. I almost even like them today. Did I mention the fabulous yellow liquid smells like GINGER LEMON? No… shame on me. It’s lovely. My suggestion to method? Name this yellow stuff… fabulous yellow liquid.

I also enjoyed being able to remove the pad, rinse it out and then use it to get the dingy corners (off the mop handle)… It worked remarkably well combined with a couple squirts of the fabulous yellow liquid.

The microfiber cloth also managed nicely to pick up any little animal hairs lurking around on the floor and leftover bits the broom hadn’t swept up.

What I’m not so sure about… maneuvering was a bit difficult, especially until the mop pad was fully saturated with liquid. Once everything was all wet, it was much easier to use. I am sure this will get easier as I grow accustomed to this system. At first, I managed to pop the handle off the base, oh about three times.

Also of minor concern, The nifty bamboo + recycled fiber COMPOSTABLE package this kit comes in is in fact compostable, but if you read the fine print, it is “compostable under industrial compost conditions. Appropriate facilities may not exist in your area.” I am wondering what will happen if I merely throw the box over the hill with my food scraps… will it break down? This is when those COMPOST WORMS would come in handy. Wait, do worms eat Bamboo paper?

The kit includes three nifty (but disposable) sweeper dusters. You know, those things Swiffer made famous? Sure, these are corn based instead of the plastic-y ones Swiffer makes. Which means I could throw them into my food scrap/compost pile and eventually they will become dirt. However, they are still disposable. Do we really need anything that is disposable? I think not. How about tossing in an extra microfiber mop pad or even a couple thinner microfiber static cloths that are washable and reusable instead? I use static cloths for dusting, window cleaning and just about anything else you can think of. Why can’t I have compostable/biodegradable one time use products you ask? Thats simple. It takes energy and resources to make stuff (like those sweeper dusters). If I use something once and throw it out (even if it goes back to dirt) I still have to replace it which means more energy and more resources used to make another one. If I can buy something that I can use several hundred times before sending on to its next life, doesn’t that make more sense?

I have been considering the fabulous yellow liquid. My initial thought was that I would use the bottle that came with the kit and then simply use the mop and pad with my own cleaner (combination of water, vinegar, castile soap, sodium carbonate, and lemon or tea tree oil.) After using this fabulous yellow liquid today, I am very tempted to continue its use. It worked GREAT. Maybe I will alternate… use my cleaner daily and use the fabulous yellow liquid for my weekly deep clean.

While at Target today, I also purchased a laundry basket for $1.99. We REALLY needed this little guy. He was cheap… and a super cute green. I carried all my purchases out in the basket. (I only went in to pick up prescriptions and left my tote in the car with my post office packages in it!) How’s that for double duty?

Remember to Enter to Win The Back To School Package… Contest Closes 12:01 AM PST, August 1, 2008.

The Polka Dot Household is constantly on the search for a great Gluten Free pizza crust. Cost is a BIG factor as is ease of preparation. If I want to spend an hour making pizza dough… I will make it from scratch and know its TASTY.

Enter Ian’s Wheat Free/Gluten Free Pizza Kit. This large canister is a bit misleading… I was under the impression it would make four pizza crusts, so the $5.00 price appeared reasonable. In actuality, it made one large pizza crust (or four servings of pizza).

The kit includes the flour mixture, yeast packet, seasoning and sauce. We added cheese, ground beef and sliced mushrooms.

Because the crust is made from rice flour, it is VERY white. Preparing the dough is a STICKY process. I added some sorghum flour while smoothing the dough out to limit sticking to my hands.

The end result was quite good. The texture was chewy, different than a regular gluten containing crust… but definitely tasty. Preparation took about 50 minutes (including rise time), for that I can prepare my own quick pizza crust.

This kit is great for those who are new to GF diets, or who haven’t yet developed their own feel for baking. The flavors are simple, I am beginning to enjoy the more complex flavors obtained from combining several flours. K3 is very happy with these simple ingredient foods. That makes sense, as Ian’s is marketed toward children.  During the beginning months of our gluten free lifestyle, K3 has enjoyed several foods by Ian’s.  Now that I am about to embark on the diet as well, we are developing some more “grown up” and yet kid friendly menu items.  I will continue to keep a small box of chicken nuggets or fish sticks in the freezer for those quick meals.

For smaller families, prepared foods such as Ian’s are a great way to eat natural, gluten free foods.  With a family of seven, its not cost effective to feed everyone with these products.

Be sure to reuse your pizza kit canister.

The clock is ticking, be sure to enter to win the Back To School Package. Contest ends 12:01 AM PST August 1, 2008.

My diet over the last few weeks has been over-loaded with gluten foods. Yes, I feel like crap. But they taste so good. I’ve done this intentionally. I wanted to pay attention to foods and effects more closely and I wanted to ensure my body had plenty of gluten in it to be flaring for my endoscopy on Tuesday morning.

I’m officially off gluten at 7PM Monday night. My bloodwork was probable for Celiac. That should be enough for me. For some reason, in this quest for knowledge, for an answer, for a reason… it’s not. My primary sent me to a GI specialist, who took a history and reviewed my tests before proclaiming that a biopsy was called for. I already knew that would be the outcome of the visit. So, I’ve had four weeks to load my body with the poison.

I used to blame the milk in my cereal for hurting my belly. Now, I realize that I can have ice cream or even drink a glass of chocolate milk with no problem (or only minor distress if I really gorge). However, when I pour a bowl of my favorite cereals such as Golden Grahams or Life… my belly goes wonks. It hurts. For the sake of your mental health, I won’t go into the gruesome details… let’s just say I’ve spent more time in the bathroom this past month than I usually do.

My biopsy is scheduled for 7am Tuesday morning. I cannot eat for 12 hours prior, so dinner Monday will be my last nibble of gluten for at least a few weeks. There is a chance that my Doctor will see the damage to my intestines before he even sends the biopsy off. If that’s the case, I will have my answer Tuesday. If he cannot see any visible damage, we will have to wait for biopsy results. I expect them to be positive, if they aren’t… how I feel on the GF diet while waiting for the results will determine how I go forward.

Here is a breakdown of all my possible Celiac related symptoms that I have experienced during my lifetime-

GI - FREQUENT ( And most severe/noticeable issue previously referred to as IBS)

Infertility - undiagnosed possibly related to PCOS which is linked to pre-Diabetes which is linked to Celiac

Anemia

Fatigue

Failure to Thrive (in childhood, checked for need for growth hormones)

Short Stature (5ft 1/2in while rest of family is at least 5ft 4in)

Joint Pain (Growing Pains)

Mouth sores (similar to canker sores)

Irritability (boats of depression and anxiety)

Why oh Why can’t I have the weight loss?

Now I find myself looking for Celiac everywhere… it is highly undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. The symptoms are there, something we often learn to live with even when it really messes with our life. I have been really sick this year. I try to go on as normal as possible. I have five kids to take care of… until February I also had a full time job. There was a period of time while working that I would be incredible sick, usually in the morning hours. I blamed it on my coffee. I started paying attention and noted that the creamer I loaded into the coffee was dairy and lactose free, but I did enjoy a giant bagel with it. Is it any wonder than an hour or so later I’d be running for the restroom? I am tired. So tired. I wake up feeling like I haven’t slept, even when I’ve spent 8 hours or more in bed.

Right now, I’m hoping for an answer. Even if that means a major dietary change. At first, I started thinking about all the foods I would miss… and how HARD a GF diet would be. I was being dramatic. It’s really not going to be that hard. I will simply replace my cereal with Rice Chex and GF Oatmeal, which are my favorites anyway, I will order my Dungeon Burger on a bed of lettuce and enjoy lots of stir fry. Yes, I will miss the occasional Krispy Kreme (very occasional mind you), more so, I will miss bagels and english muffins. I will miss my favorite lunch… a good old peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Those are small sacrifices to make. My daughter doesn’t miss these treats so much, because she enjoys them with GF bread and enjoy life bagels… somehow, I can’t convince myself to enjoy these GF items. I would rather just give it up. At least for now. I’m on a mission to improve my health, this seems like a small price to pay.

Be sure to enter the Back To School Give-Away, contest closes 12:01 AM PST August 1, 2008.

A MeMe from Tenille.

1. Who is your love?
Oregon Dad

2. How long have you been together?
Two Years

3. How long did you two date?
12 months

4. How old is your love?
35

5. Who said “I love you” first?
He did… first time while boarding a plane flying home from Asia, face to face took a couple weeks longer.

6. Who is taller?
Oh Oregon Dad is definitely taller… I’m a tall 5ft 1/2in and he comes in at 5ft 11in. I always thought I was 5ft1in, evidently I’m already losing height.

7. Who sings better?
Now that’s a scary thought. He thinks he can sing… I say he can carry a tune, but that doesn’t make him a singer. Me? Oy, the kids plug their ears.

8. Who is smarter?
Oregon Dad is at least as smart as I am, if not smarter… but in very different ways. However, he is the first one to jump all over me and tell me I’m wrong. Which I HATE. I have lost 5 IQ points since having children…

9. Whose temper is worse?
I can’t say that either of us have much of a temper… we are more of the silent, stewing type.

10. Who does the laundry?
100% ME.

11. Who takes out the garbage?
Oregon Dad… but he always forgets to put the bag back in, so that’s my job.

12. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?
When in the bed, I’m on the right… if you are facing the bed, he is on the right.

13. Who pays the bills?
Oregon Dad

14. Who is better with the computer?
We are both pretty good with computers. He probably couldn’t write a banner ad or set up a blog and I need his help with certain drivers or plug ins… its a fair trade.

15. Who mows the lawn?
Oregon Dad… unless I get tired of looking at it. Then he comes home and is all “who mowed the grass?” and proceeds to redo it.

16. Who cooks dinner?
Me.

17. Who drives when you are together?
Oregon Dad… he is a bad bad passenger.

18. Who pays when you go out?
Oregon Dad

19. Who is most stubborn?
Oregon Dad…

20. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong?
He’s NEVER wrong. And I’m never right… so guess that’d be me.

21. Whose parents do you see the most?
My Mother

22. Who kissed who first?
He kissed me… about five minutes into our first date.

23. Who asked who out?

We agreed mutually… he planned.

24. Who proposed?
Didn’t do the traditional proposal thing… we knew we were getting married since early in our relationship. I knew when he had purchased the ring… It was a forgone conclusion.

25. Who is more sensitive?
Oy, that’s me.

26. Who has more friends?
Hmmmmm… that’s pretty close. Oregon Dad has several work friends, so all parties and get togethers are with his friends usually. My friends are PTC, Church and ‘Mommy’ friends.

27. Who has more siblings?
I have four biological siblings ( 2 brothers and 2 sisters), I also have 3 adopted siblings (who are my cousins by biology), 2 sisters and 1 brother. I have also had 2 step sisters and 1 step brother, that ended in divorce. Oregon Dad has 1 sister… so I win hands down!

28. Who wears the pants in the family?
Oregon Dad… because he doesn’t believe in compromise.

29. How did you meet?
Online…

Who’s next????

July 25, 2008… K2 is 8 years old.

The last couple of weeks have been hitting me with new and overwhelming feelings. This is my first born child. The child I never thought I would have who was conceived with massive amounts of help from white lab coats.

Today I look at this little girl and realize, she isn’t little anymore! She is gaining independence, she is amazing, funny and responsible. I can see in her parts of the woman she is growing into. It scares me. It delights me. I look at her, and I am AMAZED and AWE-STRUCK. This little lady is MINE. It’s like being punched in the chest and being unable to breath for a few moments.

Our tradition has been to spend the actual Birthday one on one with Mommy. We do something special. In the past this may have included an outing to McDonalds and Build A Bear. This year, K2 has declared she wants to go shopping… at the mall… YIKES. This is already happening?

The eighth Birthday marks another milestone in our life. K2 will be gifted with her American Girl Doll. The girls all have Bitty Babies, but that actual AG Doll doesn’t arrive until the girls reach 8. The past year has been spent talking about which doll and accessories, etc… K2 decided she wanted the Girl of the Year, Mia. I ordered her a couple weeks ago, as a complete starter set and we ordered matching PJ’s for K2 and Mia. The package arrived nine days ago… I carefully opened all the boxes and gazed at the wonders within. I cannot imagine anything harder at this point than having that package hiding in my closet while I am dieing with anticipation of giving it to her. Being able to give my daughter this doll is better than receiving one myself, and I am quite a doll collector. Growing up, I was not able to have such precious things, so this AG Doll represents many things to us. She will be getting the doll first thing in the morning so Mia can accompany us to the AG Movie, Kit Kittredge before lunch and shopping.

Happy Birthday Princess!

Today, let me just reiterate how much I LOVE free stuff. That’s why I’ve started hosting Give-Aways right here. Currently, we are still running the contest for a FABULOUS RECYCLED BACK TO SCHOOL PACKAGE. Click, comment, WIN?!?!?!?! (You must comment on the ACTUAL PRIZE POST to be entered to win.)

Stay tuned for more contests… I am partnering with a wonderful store to bring you the BAG EVERY WOMAN will want. Check back often.

I can’t wait to tell you what I just won…  When it’s in my hot little hands, I will share.

Be Well!