Wordless Wednseday: Crazy Hair!

ME... Green/Crunchy??

One of the Forums I frequent, recently asked us to fill out this survey....

1. Do you recycle? Yes! Anything & everything I can!

2. Do you do anything to reduce the amount of waste you and your family produces? How about reducing the amount of resources you use? I hardly run the lights during the day, and try to keep things turned off as much as possible.... Have changed most of our light bulbs to Compact Fluorescent... Hang some stuff on the clothesline as an alternative to running the dryer.... Use reusable grocery bags... Clean using natural ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, etc... EC & cloth diaper (also make/use reusable wipes)... Donate/FreeCycle to pass on items we no longer use or need... Have/use an water ionizer instead of buying bottled water... Reuse glass jars & bottles for drinking & storing water... Buy my clothing second hand... instead of getting my license, I either walk, carpool or just don't go... (I also just got a bike & trailer, so now I can get around that way, too!).... and we hardly use paper towels any more (only for dog/poop messes!)... next to never use paper plates. (we still do use some napkins - but I want to buy some cloth & make some reusable ones - paper is just so convenient!!)....

3. Do you reuse anything to save money or waste? We have reusable grocery bags... we have a reusable coffee filter, instead of using the paper ones... we reuse glass jars & bottles for drinking & storing water.... and I try to use tupperware-type of storage, instead of plastic bags/foil/etc., as much as possible!

4. What is your ecological footprint? Do you think it has changed for the better in the last year? Don't know what it is, but I know it's changed for the better!

5. What kind of impact do you feel the "reduce, reuse, recycle" philosophy has on our lives, if any? On my life, personally, or society in general?? Society in general has become disturbingly blasé about it... but is starting to become a little more aware, as this whole "going green" movement has come about. - Personally, I feel it encourages us to be more prudent & economical with the resources of which we are blessed to have!

...and while reading other peoples responses, and I couldn't believe how many people were so blasé about the subject! Not that I believe in global warming and some of that such nonsense... but because I feel we ought to be more prudent & economical with the resources of which we are blessed to have! God has given us this beautiful earth to live on... and I feel we ought to be better stewards of and take more responsibility for it's care! 

The more I thought about it, the more the others' answers really started to bother me - until I stopped & began to think it through...... If you would have asked me a few years ago what my lifestyle would be like now, I would have never categorized myself as being green or crunchy.... A domestic goddess, yes (lol)... an attachment parent, most likely... but crunchy? uh, yeah, what's that?.. a hippie? heh, right.... However, that attitude is really actually quite funny, considering that (without the label)... I was pretty much raised by a AP & crunchy mom. From early on, we were taught the importance of recycling, not littering, good stewardship, frugality, living debt free, living simply & having a strong family unit. We were homeschooled, and taught to cook and sew simple items from a young age. Much of my wardrobe consisted of handmade or hand-me-downs, as Marmee always stressed the importance of $$ and how to stretch a dollar. She wore & breastfed every one of us, and made sure we all knew the benefits of eating a well-balanced meal. We even had times (depending on finances & stages of life) where we did all, most of, or (at least) some of the following:  ate completely healthful & organic.... shopped  exclusively at health food stores rather than  the reg. grocery stores... juiced... made our own bread.... used herbal/natural remedies (pretty much always did that, regardless of our financial state)... used only reusable item (like grocery bags)... and even managed an organic produce coop (and did so for a long time)! 

But even though I was naturally implementing many of the things I was raised with (cooking vs eating out, recycling, shopping second-hand, cutting coupons, not spending a lot of money on extravagances, etc.)... I never saw myself as anything more than the average young adult... who was newly married, trying to get on our feet. Then (almost two years later) I got pregnant, and began going the birthing center, to see a midwife for my care. It all went uphill from there. I guess the saying "When you have a baby is changes the way you see the world" is more true than I realized. Throughout my pregnancy, I was reminded of all the wonderful benefits of cloth diapering babywearing, & cosleeping... given some awesome tips... and even learned about some cool new things, like Elimination Communication & some not-so-known methods of wearing your baby - like a wrap or a Mai Tei! Then, after the beautiful homebirth of our daughter, I started attending play groups, LaLeche League Meetings, babywearing groups, & EC meetings... where I found myself being enlightened on issues much deeper than milestones, breastfeeding, ring-slings & having a diaper-free babe. I was being encouraged to research what's in things, and the impact they have on our daily lives. From shoes to plastics - cleaning to health... I have had an increasing conviction & interest in living more eco-friendly, and am finding (even a year later), the education is endless if you're willing to listen & learn!

And now, as I proceed down the road of this incredible journey... I am on a quest to discover even more practical changes (read: not extravagant - though I hope to be able to make the switch someday.... right now [unfortunately] we can't afford all new Energy Star appliances or a new, hybrid vehicle) we can make, to adapt our lifestyle to not only being economical, but also more healthful. - Some of the things I would love to begin using/implementing are: Cloth napkins, Frequenting more of the local fruit stands, starting our own vegetable/herb garden & compost pile, Get a machine & start sewing a little (things like cloth napkins!), begin regularly making our bread (& maybe even pastas - that would be cool!), and using even more alternative & healthful ingredients when cooking & baking.

"Just because everyone else is doing something doesn't make you a bad mom. Just because they do something that you don't agree with doesn't mean they are bad moms. You will know if something is wrong simply by being attentive and educating yourself. Have faith, you can raise children without a doctor. It's better than having to try and raise them in spite of one."

~ MrsPil

A little background on us & no-vaxing....

The non-vaccination decision was pretty much a "no brainer" for us. Technically, we are both second-generation... but while B is totally with me and backs me 100% (it was most definitely a mutual decision!)... he really has no interest in actively seeking/researching any information, beyond that. They are bad... that's good enough for him.

A little history... DH had some vaccinations before his mom began reading, researching & learning about vaccinations. After that he didn't have any more. - his brother & sister were never vaccinated.

My second born sister (Christina) has an autoimmune disorder (like celiac disease), that reacted with her vaccinations, and caused her to now be [thankfully only mildly] autistic. Not knowing what was going on, mom started researching the vaccinations (and the connections between the two), and stopped all further vaccinations on the both of us. My other three sisters were never vaccinated! Since then, we have come to learn that my youngest sister (Becca) also has the disorder.... and after much studying and know further knowledge of what she didn't know with Christina.... it hit mom that according to Becca's tendencies, etc... she would be just like Christina (if not worse) had she been vaccinated. (talk about getting hit with a load of bricks!) So, in a nutshell, one of my reasons (among many) for our decision not to vaccinate, is because autoimmune disorders have an hereditary influence, and close relatives (especially first degree relatives, such as children, siblings, and parents) have a higher risk of being affected with the condition. Why risk it with something that isn't necessarily going to work anyway?

Multi-Racial dolls...

Someone recently asked the question: "Does/will anybody have dolls of other races for their LO's to play with? We don't want our DD to just have "white" dolls and toys. We want her to be exposed to different races and have multi-racial toys too. I grew up in a very multi-cultural city and want the same for her."

Here is my response...

Growing up, I know we had at least one black doll that someone gave us, and my sister LOVED it! However, I don't think having dolls of other races, really either helps nor hurts the racist issue. Personally, I wouldn't set out to specifically buy a muti-racial doll for KB.... if a doll was gifted to us, I would definitely let her have it, and use it as an opportunity (when she gets older) to talk about the blessing of adoption. On racism.... I believe the best way to teach a child to get along with all races, is to expose them to people of other races from a young age, without making it into a big deal. (for example, we have a few families in our church who are from Haiti... and one of them have an almost 2yo little girl who loves KB!) On the flip side, however.... while I have no problem talking to, interacting with, or having friendships with people of other races... I do believe there is a line as to what extent races should unify, marry or reproduce. I do not & will not judge other people who are in or the product of a bi-racial relationship, but personally would not enter into one, nor encourage my daughter in that direction, either.

8 month milestones

1. How old is your baby? Will be 8 months of Friday

2. Is he/she crawling? Yup! - has been since 6 months.

3. Can he/she stand up? Yup - she has been pulling up since right b/f 6 months (she pulls up on *everything*!!), and is now trying to let go!! She is also on the verge of surfing along the furniture! And will walk across the house, if she has someones fingers to [barely] hold on to!

4. How much does he/she eat (formula)? (baby food)? Breastfeeds often (every 3 hours), LOVES organic puffed brown rice, and gets bites of table food (within reason) at meal times.

5. How many hours a night does he/she sleep through? I can't really say, as we co-sleep... so when she starts stirring, I just roll over, latch her on, and go about sleeping. But she "wakes up" approx 1-2 times a night [to nurse].

6. Has your baby gone through the seperation anxiety stage when someone leaves the room? If so, how do you deal with this? Is there anyway to make it easier? Kinda sorta, not really.... she is very attached to me, but also easy to distract (unless she's really tired!)

7. How many teeth does he/she have? She just started popping through her first one today!

8. How much does he/she weigh? About 14lbs. (our postal scale says 14lbs 4 oz) - she's a peanut!


***** any other milestones your baby has hit?! She just started signing the other day. She can do "more" (if she wants more rice puff, etc.) and "milk" (to nurse). --- She waves -- She has the pincer grasp figured out! -- She is trying very hard to talk., and says "MaMa", "Dada" (though not often! - drives DH crazy!), "MymMym" (my mom or more), "AAaaahh!!" (My sister Ashlee), "Hi", and a few others. -- I think that's it....