How To: Homemade Chicken Stock

A few months back I made my first batch of homemade chicken stock. I felt so proud and upon the first taste (made into a soup, of course) I could just feel myself getting healthier. And then one time when some bones went to waste, I was devastated. I love to use this stuff in all the soups I make, brown rice, lentils, etc. If you don't already know, homemade chicken broth is one of the best things you can put in your tummy. Here are a few benefits:

1. Promotes healing: successful in treating gastro-intestinal disorders, including hyper-acidity, colitis, Crohn’s disease, and infant diarrhea.
2. Digestive aid: Aids in the digestibility of grains, beans, legumes, vegetables and meats
3. Macro minerals: Contains highly absorbable forms of the calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, sulfur and fluoride as well as trace minerals
4. Gelatin and Collagen: rich in both; promoting bone and joint healing in addition to supporting digestion
5. Protein: adds easily digestible protein to your diet
6. Amino acids: Glycine, proline, hydroxyproline, and lysine are formed, which is important to detoxification and amino acid production in the body
7. Joint support: Glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and hyaluronic acid are produced and present for additional muscle and joint support
8. Immune system: Promotes the assimilation of vitamins and minerals and thus supports the immune system
9. Delicious and nutritious: use as soup, cooking liquid, sauce or as a tea.
10. Synergy: Finally by initially healing the GI tract, broth creates an environment for all of the nutrients being taken in, whether by food or supplementation, to increase their bio-availability to your body.

-From Lance Roll, CEC, HLC1,  The Flavor Chef

"So why can't I just go pay $2.50 at the grocery store for it?" you ask. Well, unfortunately it's just not the same. Most store-bought stock-in-a-box is full of MSG, "natural flavors" and other undesirable ingredients, and void of the nutritious gelatin you get from making it yourself.

"Wait, there's jello in your chicken soup?" Not exactly. Gelatin (as you'll see in the last photo down below) is probably the best part when it comes to homemade stock, and comes from the bones.

  

"Gelatin was found to be useful in the treatment of a long list of diseases including peptic ulcers, tuberculosis, diabetes, muscle diseases, infectious diseases, jaundice and cancer. Babies had fewer digestive problems when gelatin was added to their milk. The American researcher Francis Pottenger pointed out that as gelatin is a hydrophilic colloid, which means that it attracts and holds liquids, it facilitates digestion by attracting digestive juices to food in the gut.

The gelatin in homemade bone broth helps the lining of the intestine. Many of us today have leaky gut, diverticulitis, Crohn’s and other intestinal problems. By helping to strengthen the gut walls, this also supports immunity. It also strengthens digestion which helps you absorb more nutrients.Gelatin also helps people digest milk and dairy products.”

-From Sally Fallon, "Broth is Beautiful" 

"Ok, so how is this done?" Well, take a little walk with me to my kitchen...

I usually just use a whole chicken which I cook in the crock pot. We eat whatever we want off of it, put the bones on a plate, and when we're done with dinner I pull the rest of the meat off the other bones and use it the same week for another meal or two. 

There's usually already a lot of natural juices that came out of the chicken during cooking, which I use in making the stock as well. So, I've got my bones all separated from the meat. 

 They're in separate bowls because after pulling all the meat and bones out, I poured what was left in the crock pot in another bowl. Ok, so next you want to place a steamer basket into the crock pot you used to cook the chicken in the first place. No need to clean the pot first, it's all the same stuff you just cooked and you don't want any of it to go to waste!

Then you just put all your bones back in there. You can do this without a basket but it's just easier with it, because then you don't have to separate everything from the liquid with a spoon when it's done. After the first time doing this the hard way, I went out and bought one. It's totally worth the $7 or whatever.

 Next you want to add some carrots, onion and celery (if you have them, otherwise don't worry about it... it'll still be chicken broth). And a bay leaf.

Now top it all off with the chicken juices and enough water to fill up the pot. If you're using a huge stock pot instead, just put as much as will cover the bones and veggies. Then add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.

You'll probably notice that I put the vinegar in before the water (just this last time on accident) but it's probably best to do it after the water so that it mixes in better. Oh well. Ok, so put the lid on and let it sit for an hour.

Set your timer for 12-24 hours (I usually do 18 and it's done the next afternoon) and turn your crock pot to low.

When it's all done, just pull the steamer basket out and do whatever you want with the bones and veggies. Feed them to your dog, add them to your compost (actually I'm not sure if you should do that), throw them away... I usually go with that last one. 

If you want to really get a kick out of this, take one of the bones between your fingers and crush it. See? All the good stuff that was in there before is now in your stock. So much yummier than a calcium pill.

Alright so now you have this pot full of chicken stock. You can use it right away to make soup, or you can store it in jars. 

See how greasy it looks? That's the kind of fat that's good for you. And probably what turns into gelatin later. I'm not an expert, can you tell? I just know grandma knew what she was talking about when she told you to down some chicken soup when you were sick.

I end up with 8 cups on average, ranging anywhere between 6 and 10. You'll probably want to wait a little while to let it cool off so you don't burn yourself pouring it all in and handling the hot jars.

Don't put them in the freezer right away, even if you know you won't be using it this week. Let it cool in the fridge first so the jars don't burst. I used a quart the next day for dinner then put the rest in the freezer. It thaws pretty easy in a sink full of hot water.

Alright so the next day, you can look at your jars and see how the gelatin has formed and risen to the top: YAY!

So when you go to use this stuff, don't throw out the gelatin! It's like pure medicine right there in your dinner.

Ok, so try it out and let me know what you think!

One Hundred Posts! Go ME!

I did it! Woohoo!

Now what?

More blogs, of course. =)

It occurred to me this morning while brushing my teeth (or was I putting my contacts on?) that I need to go back and reply to some of your comments! Rest assured that I DO see them (email notification) so forgive me if you were expecting a response and didn't get one. It's on my list for sure. =)

After I get caught up on that, I have many more posts floating around in my head...

like, The Story of Riley and Me, Life According to my iPhone, Homeschool?, Is Your Body More Important Than Your Soul?, Fit For A King, I Have a College Degree In Marriage, Fun At The Park, Movie Reviews, How To Make Your Own Chicken Broth, and more giveaways!

Don't worry, they won't all come at once. It might even take all summer. And it's still spring.

Anyway, thank you so much (as few as y'all may be) for taking the time to read my blog! I enjoy writing when I can do so without interruption (ha! HAHA!) and it's so nice to know that my thoughts are actually going somewhere. I hope you'll stick around!

It's fun to stay at the...

...
Y-M-C-A!

Sorry, I just had to.

For the record, I don't know any other Village People songs. At least, I don't know any that I know are theirs. I'm really bad at knowing who sings what.

Ahem.

So, I have a gym membership at the YMCA just outside our neighborhood.

Let me back up a bit... when we lived at our last apartment in Bedford, I went to the 24 hour fitness a few minutes down the road. It was alright. I did the machines some, but mostly walked the treadmill to train for a 5k that I never actually went through with. The childcare was free but I never knew if they were going to be full and therefore have to go back home, which was a pain in the rump.

Then when we were about to move we tried to figure out where we wanted to work out. There was a 24hr 10 minutes from our new house, the Y we go to now, and some other one that was quickly eliminated from the running. We decided to go with 24hr. It was the really nice kind that they don't have very many of. Like, they really are open 24/7, have tons of classes, indoor pool, outdoor family pool and lap pool, sauna, childcare that always has room for your kids, a zillion machines, you get the picture.

But it was a drive especially during rush hour, and I just got into a phase where I plain ol' didn't want to go workout. Riley wasn't going either. So long story short, we decided to switch to the Y when they had an $11 enrollment fee special going on at the end of January. It's cheaper than 24hr, takes 2 minutes to get to, and the kids really enjoy playing there.

So why am I so excited about a gym? Don't I hate to exercise?

Well, the thing is, I finally found what works for me. I go twice a week, either before lunch or after 4 (the kids area closes from 1-4, which is fine because Josiah naps after lunch). It's not as big and fancy as 24hr but it's got exactly what I need, which isn't overwhelming like the other place was.

Here's what I do: 40 min cardio (mostly treadmill, sometimes I bike 1-2 miles for the first 10 min), then they have these 2 rows of machines that I go through in about 25 min. I skip a few that annoy me (guess I can't figure out how to adjust them properly, oh well). All the major muscle groups, bam bam bam DONE. Love the machines, they're so easy, and I know they are working because I've been able to increase the weight on a lot of them so I must be getting stronger! I've gained 5-10 pounds in the last few months so maybe it's muscle? I hope so.

Anyway, so simple, and I'm really glad that I've finally found a workout program that fits me. And fun, now that I finally put some songs on my phone! Listening to music really makes everything go by super fast.

OH and another good thing is that they have a break area with couches, tables, chairs, coffee and vending machines. Not that I care about the vending machines, actually it's ridiculous for a health-oriented facility to sell sodas, but I digress. There has been at least one or two occasions where I've just dropped the kids off, walked over and sat down to read a book or magazine, crochet, whatever. It's grand! And I refuse to feel guilty about it =)

They have classes that I haven't tried, but if I get bored with my current routine I'll probably try them out. Oh, and when the pool opens at the end of this month, you better believe I'll be spending a lot of time (alone and with the kids) there!

We just added the downtown Y to our membership for $9/mo which will allow Riley to do indoor lap swim before or after work or on lunch. That's his cup of tea!

And now, we're signed up for a 5k on May 28. Super excited! Who knows, maybe we'll even do a 10k later this year! Walking though, of course. Running's just not my thing, at least right now.

Ok, so for those of you who hate the gym or can't leave your kids with strangers, I have a recommendation! My friend Dr. Cindy is the new owner of Stroller Strides Arlington/Mansfield/Hurst! I haven't tried it out but many of my friends have and say that it is awesome! A great workout that you can do with your kids in tow, and have fun with friends at the same time. So you should definitely check it out =)

How To: Rain Gutter Bookshelves

Over the past 3 years our children's book collection has grown exponentially. And boy am I glad. Julia loves to read and be read to! Josiah is more interested in playing with trucks at the moment, but he'll get there.

Although we have always felt very blessed with to have so many books, for a long time it was a big challenge trying to figure out how to store them. I don't even remember where they were at our first apartment. At our last one, we had them stacked on the fireplace hearth. I tried to find "sling" bookshelves like you see at doctor's offices, classrooms, libraries, etc. but never came across anything affordable.

Then one day not long before closing on our house, I don't even remember where, I came across rain gutter bookshelves. Huh? You mean those things that run along the roof of my house? Yessiree.

I'd never heard of anything like it. I looked around at more pictures online and just KNEW it was exactly what we needed! I immediately put it on our list of things to do for our new home.

The books take up absolutely no floor space, don't fall off and everyone can easily see which books are which. It looks great on the wall too! I suppose you could paint them if you wanted, or decorate them some other way as well.

So, how do you get this? You go down to Home Depot/Lowe's and get a 10 ft rain gutter. White vinyl. Decide how many shelves you want to split it into, and get end caps (right under the gutters on the same aisle) for each shelf. Haul the gutter over to the cutting section (unless you can fit the gutter in your vehicle and do it at home) and saw away. Or try to talk an associate into doing it for you! We used some special scissors they had there, I forget what they're called, but the people there will know what to suggest. We divided ours into three 40-inch pieces.

You'll need some heavy duty screws to support the weight of the books. It's also a good idea to secure them into as many studs as possible. Just for reference, there are 60 books on ours right now, so you can see how many you will need.

I situated mine onto the wall so that the kids would have access to the bottom shelf, and put enough room between each so that tall books would fit anywhere. You can stack them, put one on each wall, one in each child's room, stagger them... lots of options!

Alright, how good of a deal is this?

10 ft rain gutter: $4.99
3 pairs of end caps: $17.97
(Of course, if you decide to do fewer or more shelves the price will be affected because of the number of end caps needed) 
12 Screws: already had some ($0)

Total cost including tax-----------$24.85 =)


Now I dare you to show me some bookshelves for $25 that are as great as these!

"There Was This Black Guy"

Before I begin, let me apologize for the lack of a photo. I just couldn't find anything appropriate, non-cheesy, or un-biased. There was one of a baby with the caption "arrest black babies before they become criminals" but I don't want to give the wrong impression. Besides, I'm not certain what message it is meant to convey.

Moving along.

Sometimes I need to vent. This is one of those days. As you can all see from my picture on the left, I am White/Anglo/Caucasian/European-American/whatever. If that matters.

I have this pet peeve, see. When someone (non-black) is telling me a (true) story about something that happened to them or that they saw, more often than not, if a Black/Negro/African-American person is part of the story, they are going to specify the race.

For example,
"I was walking down the street and these 2 black guys stared at me as I passed them"...
"This big black lady at the grocery store was my cashier and she was so rude"...
"We went to the park this morning and this little black kid pushed my kid off the swing"...

You get the point.

I have to bite my tongue because I always want to say, "Um, does it really matter that they were black? If not, why did you mention that fact?" Maybe I should sometime. I just don't particularly enjoy putting people on the spot. Usually.

Why is it, that people feel the need to tell me that the person in their story is black? I almost feel like it's pretty safe to assume they are white unless I am told otherwise. Now, of course, sometimes Asians and Hispanics are mentioned too, but never in my life have I heard (at least from a non-black person) "So I was driving down the highway, looked over at the car next to me and this white guy flipped me off." No, they're just going to say, this jerk, or this dude, or the like.

Grrr!

Does this mean that people are trying to prove that blacks are more [insert adjective] than non-blacks? I don't get it. Does it really matter in your story that the person you are telling me about is black? Do you think it would make me feel differently about the person if I assumed they were white?

Forgive me, because I just don't understand. I'm not jumping to conclusions that these people are racist, it just makes me wonder WHY people have to unnecessarily include race in their descriptions of events. As if they think I need to know that the person was black so that I can perpetuate whatever mindset I have toward that race.


So, I ask you (whether you consider yourself racist or not):

Should race always/never/sometimes be indicated? Do you find yourself doing this? Should it only be mentioned when absolutely essential? Why or why not?

7 Minutes to a Clean House

Most people, if you're like me, enjoy having friends and family over! Spending time with those you love (or are getting to know) is one of the simple pleasures in life.

I don't know about you, but I get really excited the days/hours leading up to the time someone is supposed to arrive. BUT, something that can really squeeze the life out of that excitement is a dirty house.

Now, don't get me wrong: Our goal should be to bless, not to impress. We're not talking perfection here, just a place that makes people feel welcome. I for one am more relaxed when my house is in order. If it's not, I just can't get comfortable.

For those of you who have a bad habit of procrastinating, or have the occasional short-notice visitor, I've come up with a 7-minute quick clean-up so your home can be company ready!

Let's say your guest is coming at 2:00.

1:53-- Grab your laundry basket, do a quick walk around and pick up all the stuff in each room that doesn't belong. If your laundry basket is full, put the clothes back in the dryer. If the dryer is full, put them on your bed.

1:54-- Return as many of those things as you can to their home, then place the basket in a closet to do the rest later (don't forget to finish after they leave).

1:55-- Move all the dishes from the sink to the dishwasher. If the dishwasher is full, stack the dishes in such a way that you can place a large cutting board across the sink for a cleaner look.

1:56-- Put some music on and/or light a candle.

1:57-- Check the bathroom they might use. Do a quick wipe/scrub of the toilet and floor if needed, and make sure there is enough toilet paper.

1:58-- Clear off your kitchen table and set with snack plates and/or cups.

1:59-- Sit down, wipe the sweat off your brow, close your eyes, and say a prayer that it would be a time of refreshing and encouragement for everyone! Ask God to use you to bless them in some way while they are in your home.

2:00-- Knock, knock! Enjoy your time together =)

My Favorite Things Giveaway!

Well, it has taken me almost three years but I'm so excited to be on the cusp of 100 posts! What does that mean? GIVEAWAYS! They will all be a few of my favorite things (that money can't buy), and I'm really looking forward to sharing them with you. =)

First up, is the greatness that is called Bare Fruit Cinnamon Apple Chips. I started buying these at Sprouts a while back and it was love at first chomp. Riley never gets any because they just don't last till he gets home. Poor baby. One time I actually polished off a whole bag (each one contains 5 apples, mind you) solely on the 17 minute ride home. Although I may have shared one or two with the kids, hehe. They also come in Fuji Apple and Granny Smith, but I like the cinnamon ones best!

So. Anyway! I found them online by the case, for less than what I was paying before. If I don't share, they'll be all gone in no time. Being the bighearted girl that I am would like to be, one of you is getting half the case! That's six 2.6 oz bags of this delicious treat. You can thank me as soon as the last chip is devoured. Oh, and these aren't your run-of-the-mill chewy apple rings you find on every corner. They are crunchy and sweet (but not overly so) and will leave you and your friends/kids/spouse begging you for more. I really need to audition for their first commercial, don't I?

The best part (besides being so yummy) is that they are 100% organic, bake-dried and the only ingredients are apples and cinnamon. That's it. No sweeteners, preservatives, GMOs, trans fats, MSG, common allergens, gluten-free, and manufactured in a nut-free facility. What's not to love?

Ok, so here's how you can win:

Leave me a comment stating your new favorite snack!

And for extra entries (winner will be chosen via random.org):

~Surf through my blog, find a post you like, comment on it, come back here and leave another telling me you did so.


~Post the link to this giveaway on Facebook, leave another comment.
~Tweet this giveaway, leave another comment.
~Blog about this giveaway, leave another comment.

You must leave a separate comment for each entry in order to increase your chances of winning! All comments must be left here on the blog (not on FB) to be valid. Make sure your name is included somewhere.

You've got till 3pm Central time (US residents only) on Tuesday 4/26 and the winner will be announced later that evening.


Ready, Set, GO!

20 Easter Egg Treats Sans the Sugar Rush

The last couple of months I've been thinking about Easter coming up and the imminent surge of candy that it typically brings, i.e. egg hunts and baskets!

While I love to watch my little girl find those colorful little eggs and open up her basket, it would be so nice if we could avoid all the junk! Don't get me wrong, I love candy and so do my kids. But it's just not good for them, especially in such large amounts!

All I could come up with on my own to put in Easter eggs was miniature raisin boxes. Exciting, I know.

So naturally, I googled for ideas.

I found some really great ones that I'd love to use! If you're like me and want some candy alternatives without having to forgo the fun, try filling your eggs with these instead:

1. Coins
2. Marbles
3. Stickers
4. Dice
5. Top
6. Hairclips
7. Beads
8. Squeeze ball
9. Seashells
10. Polished rocks
11. Lip gloss
12. Whistle
13. Nail polish
14. Jewelry
15. Temporary tattoos
16. Small plush animals
17. Playdough
18. Silly Putty
19. Mini bottle of bubbles
20. Confetti

* Obviously some of these could be choking hazards so be careful with little ones and choose only things that won't end up in their throat!

Have fun! 





Credit: http://specialchildren.about.com/od/holidays/qt/easteregg.htm
Photo: http://www.pbc.org/events/93064

My growing Hunkaboo

I started writing a status update on Facebook about "little" Josiah, then realized it was turning into a blog post. So here you go!

The prince of the house is 20 months now, well closer to 21. What's new:

~ He's been walking up and down the stairs for a few weeks now. One day I just noticed him doing it and was like, whaaaa?! He usually says "ats" though if I'm close by because he wants to hold hands while going down. Doesn't really need it, but how could I object? It's so sweet.

~ Just started climbing out of his crib 2 days ago at naptime. So far, he stays in there to sleep then just gets out when he wakes up at the end of nap or in the morning. *I'm hoping it stays that way!*

~ Still pretty picky about veggies but everything else he devours... especially fruit and meat! If he's all done and I get him out of his chair (or he takes his own tray off and climbs out, haha) and Julia leaves the table and there's food left on her plate, he climbs up to her seat, sits on her stool and snatches it all up. Watch out girlfriend!

~ He used to give me kisses after every nursing session but then he got too old for that I guess. I was sad! But now he's giving them again, except now he actually makes the kissing sound! Happy momma =)

~ Loves to clean! This is refreshing because it takes some real skill to get Julia to pick up after herself. But this boy, oh my, he wants a napkin for his hands after he eats; if he spills something, he finds a towel and wipes it up; when I sweep/mop/vacuum, he grabs another from the pantry and joins me; when I'm doing laundry he helps put the clothes in. It's pretty awesome! I'm already thrilled for his wife ;)

~ I can tell he understands a lot because he follows instructions really well. But he doesn't say much yet, although I hear that's the norm for boys. Here's his vocabulary:

   ah-puh: diaper
   a-ee: daddy
   ap: cup or up
   at: outside or light
   ats: hands
   ah-mun: i don't really know, one time he actually was talking about almonds but he usually just says it when he wants something... maybe he means mommy? ;)
   beep: when the oven beeps
   ar: car
   baby/beebee: his stuffed monkey
   af: off
   no: oh no
   ba-ba: bye-bye
   ups: chips
   ith: outside or cheese

I think that's it.

~ He's really starting to get independent... doesn't want to stay in the sling as long, and hits the ground running anytime we go outside!

~ If you're wondering, NO signs of potty-training.

~ If you're wondering, still nursing (Julia stopped at 21 months but Josiah will probably go till 2 or later).

~ For close to 2 months now, he's been MUCH better about going to sleep on his own. I still nurse him at bedtime but it doesn't take near as long because once he's done I can put him in his crib whether he's asleep or not. This is huge!

~ He's grown a little attached to his stuffed monkey, which he started calling "baby" or "beebee" while we were on vacation in San Antonio last month.

~ Loves going outside. Like it's the first thing he wants to do in the morning, even before breakfast. I usually make him eat first but the whole time he's pointing at the glass door to the backyard.

~ He can take his cup (no lid) with one hand, and push the spigot on the filtered water container on the island, and stop before it spills.

~ Does pretty much everything Julia does, which gets them both in a lot of trouble! For example, pushing the chair into the kitchen, climbing up and pulling out whatever he thinks is cool and trying to cook.

~ Can take his own pants off for bathtime, and if he ever doesn't have pants on any other time of the day, the diaper comes off pretty quick! Ooh, maybe it IS time to potty-train! Maybe after his birthday.

~ Record time for going without me is 22 hours. Will be doing that or a little longer next month!

~ If he knows you have an ouchie, he kisses it. So precious.

~ I can't remember who got it for him for Christmas, but he loves his "scoot-n-zoom"... rides it all around the house, takes it outside, carries it up and down the stairs. Great gift!

~ When we sit down to eat dinner as a family, he holds his hand out to me before we pray (and I caught him closing his eyes last time!)

Okay I guess that's enough for now. Love that boy!

This is actually the first time he's ever fallen asleep in the highchair, which was always a frequent occurrence with his big sister!

Motherhood is a gift

As I rocked my baby girl to sleep tonight, I was reminded of the tremendous privilege it is that God chose me to be her mother... her teacher, her ouchie-kisser, her chauffeur, her cook, her maid, everything.

She is so infinitely precious to Him and He entrusted her life into my hands. It was no small decision, either. Of all the women on earth, throughout all the thousands of years past and future, he knew her, picked ME, formed her in my womb, knowing every single mistake I would make in raising her. And I've made a lot.

It blows my mind. It's overwhelming yet encouraging at the same time.

How can I take that for granted? Or have any sort of disdain for the responsibility?

No matter how hard it gets at times, I choose now to remind myself what a blessing it is to have such a sweet, sensitive, caring, funny, beautiful, intelligent, helpful adventurous, curious, creative daughter!

Out of nowhere she tells me she loves me. She asks the most amazing questions, and tells me the most brilliant ideas that I have no idea where they came from. She shows compassion for those that are hurting. She takes care of her little brother in ways she's seen me do without me even having to ask. She loves to learn and help and cracks me up on an hourly basis. Almost every morning after getting out of bed and dressing herself, she comes into my room and gently wakes me up. We sit outside together while Josiah naps, and enjoy a cup of water or a smoothie and enjoy the sun or chalk on the patio or new bubbles. She more than exceeds my expectations when we go through her preschool workbook. She loves to run but would watch movies all day long if I let her! She giggles when I tickle her then says "uncle!" She dances her own dances and sings her own songs.
 
She will be 4 in less than 8 weeks and I'm in for it! Another great year, that is =)

I love you so so so much, Julia Brynne. The past 201 weeks have been the best of my life!

I control my little world!

Do you ever get the feeling that your every move is like pushing the buttons on a remote control?


For example, you take a pregnancy test and then voila! The next day you get your period.

Or, you mop the kitchen and BAM! Somebody drops a glass of milk on the floor.

One of my personal favorites is when I lie down in bed, find the perfect position, get the covers just how I want them, sigh and just when I'm about to sink into sleepyland...WAAAHHH! One of the kids needs me.


What about you? Somebody please tell me I'm not alone, weird and watched "Click" one too many times.

To Snip or Not To Snip?

As all parents will admit, we make a lot of mistakes. I make them every day. One of the ones I regret the most happened when Josiah was a mere 11 days old. We paid a doctor to permanently amputate a perfect, functional, healthy part of his tiny little body.

Why? I really don't know. Cultural tradition, religion, preventative health...  several bad excuses we could choose from.


The problem is, well, there are several problems.

First of all, it shouldn't have been our choice. There was nothing at all wrong with his foreskin. It was not medically necessary. No parent should have the right to subject their child's body to cosmetic alteration. He had no choice. Had he had the choice, I have no doubt what he would've chosen. That's why they have this thing called the circumstraint.

Most babies that are breastfed really like to nurse. It satisfies their hunger along with calming mental/emotional/physical discomfort. Josiah refused after the procedure. I could immediately tell he was traumatized. Had I had my brain turned on before the procedure, I would've taken one look at that room, snatched him up and taken off running.

But I didn't, and I will always regret it. Someday I will apologize to him and hopefully he will forgive me. In the meantime, I fully intend to try and inform people who are still under the impression that routine circumcision is the right thing to do, that it is by all means NOT.

Here are a few facts:

~In the US, an average of 117 baby boys die every year from complications to circumcision.
~Circumcision is the most commonly performed medical procedure in the US, so of course there is money to be lost. Think about it.
~Were it to be left intact, a baby boy's foreskin would grow into 12-15 square inches of adult skin.
~The circumcised infant penis actually requires more care than the intact one. A natural, intact penis requires no special care, beyond gentle washing while bathing.
~The American Academy of Pediatrics says on their website that "circumcision is not essential to a child's health." No professional medical association in the United States or the rest of the world recommends routine neonatal circumcision.
~It's not a birth defect! The foreskin has many purposes: keeping contaminants from entering the urinary tract; sexual pleasure due to the thousands of nerve endings contained therein, and natural gliding.
~Circumcision as it is routinely performed today is not a mere snipping of some extra flap of skin. It has to be sliced and pulled off.
~You wouldn't circumcise your baby girl (it's illegal, as a matter of fact), so why the double standard?
~Some statistics claim that the percentage of boys now being circumcised is only one out of three.
~Most medically advanced countries leave their boys intact, and people throughout the world are appalled to hear that American doctors routinely remove part of a boy's penis shortly after birth. 
~Most men in the United States are circumcised, but our STD rates are as high as or higher than those in countries where circumcision is rare.
~Even if they don't remember, that doesn't make it okay.  Experiences not consciously remembered later in life still contribute to a negative or positive effect on each individual.
~Studies have shown that boys who are circumcised have a lower level of pain tolerance later in life.

And the #1 most important reason you should not circumcise your son:

"Because children should be protected from permanent bodily alteration inflicted on them without their consent in the name of culture, religion, profit, or parental preference. Under accepted bioethical principles, parents can consent to surgery on behalf of a child only if it is necessary to protect the child's life or health. "Routine" circumcision fails this test because it painfully and permanently removes a normal and healthy part of a boy's penis, does not protect the child’s life or health, and in fact creates new risks. Removing the foreskin is no more justified than removing a finger or any other healthy body part."

I'm amazed at all the controversy there is around this subject. It might even rival vaccines and spanking. Anyway, for me it all comes down to this: most boys are born with a foreskin that has absolutely no problems and were it to be left intact would most likely never have any medical reason to remove it. Most medical doctors will tell you that routine circumcision is purely cosmetic. Only the person whom the body part belongs to should be able to consent to any kind of modification. I'm not saying that if your son has a real issue with his foreskin, that you shouldn't be able to get a doctor to take care of it. Neither am I condemning the practice of, after much prayer and scripture-searching, taking your son to a mohel to have him perform a biblical circumcision (nothing like the kind they do in hospitals today, rather a simple nick to draw a drop or two of blood).

We fully intended on having it done on the 8th day with a rabbi, although we didn’t really do any research on the subject. Plus Josiah was born 2 weeks early so we didn’t have a chance to arrange it as we had hoped, although we did refuse it in the hospital. Obsessing about getting it done on the 8th day, we quickly tried to make an appointment with somebody to have it done but the soonest we could get was the 11th day with an MD in an outpatient facility. I had no idea how or where to hire a mohel. If I had known at the time that it was completely different, I most definitely would've waited until we could figure it out and do it the better way. The good thing is, God is gracious and like one of my favorite songs says, "I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way He loves us!"

If any of you still think signing your son up for a typical infant circumcision is a good idea, I strongly encourage you to go watch this video and see exactly what you would be putting your son through in the name of whatever reason you think you may have.

Now before you start writing me hate mail, let me say this: I am not out to condemn or judge anyone who has allowed their son to be circumcised. After all, I did it too. What I am after, is for people to be better educated about the truth behind this awful practice, so that one or a hundred or a million less boys have to suffer the way our sons and brothers and fathers and husbands have. While many circumcised men have no complaints or angst toward their parents for getting them circumcised, it doesn't change the fact that they were robbed.

If you're interested in reading more, my friend Heather (aka Mommypotamus) has posted two great blogs about circumcision, you can find them here and here. Another friend, Dr. Cindy has a really good one here.

Credit: intactamerica.org, mothering.com.


PS- nothing against my tattooed friends, y'all know I love you! I just couldn't resist that pic ;)

Ratatouille and Pearsnip Loaves

I've been feeling adventurous in the kitchen the last couple days, and successes have come forth! That's always nice, especially when I have to face the mountain of dishes once the last bite has been devoured.


So, here are two completely unrelated things I've made: (sorry I don't have pix... just trust me, they're delicious!)


First off, last night's dinner-- Ratatouille! (We watched the movie yesterday so I was inspired, and I happened to have a recipe for it in my Williams Sonoma Vegetable Cookbook) Here it is, my own version because I didn't have everything it called for:

1 zucchini

5 T EVOO

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper

5 cloves garlic

1 can diced tomatoes (or 3/4 lb fresh + 2-3 tsp tomato paste)

1/8 t dried thyme

1/2 T dried parsley

4 fresh basil leaves, finely torn

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Cut the zucchini into 1/4" slices. Lightly sprinkle with salt. Let sit for about 30 min, then wipe with paper towels to remove excess salt.

While those are sitting, heat 2 T of the EVOO over medium heat (assuming stainless steel). Thinly slice the onion, then saute until almost softened, about 5 min. Seed and dice the bell pepper, coarsely chop the garlic, add half the peppers and half the garlic to onions and cook over low heat until peppers are softened, about 7 min.

Return pan to medium heat and add 2 T EVOO. Add zucchini slices and saute until they are golden, about 4 min.

Add the remaining garlic, tomatoes (and paste if using), and herbs to the pan and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return pan to low heat and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 min.

Remove from heat and stir in the last T EVOO. Serve hot, at room temp or cold. Goes great with roasted chicken! Makes 4 servings, 65-70 min total prep/cook time.

And then today, I made Pearsnip Mini Spice Loaves! Yummy. We get organic produce through a local co-op and parsnips came in Saturday's delivery. I'd never eaten them before, and didn't really know what to do with them, so I treated them like their cousin, the carrot. Steamed and added cinnamon, turned out ok. Decided I wanted to do something a little different today. I'd heard of apples and carrots together making baked goods, so I thought parsnips and pears being similar, they'd be a winner too! I found a recipe online, changed it up a bit and here's mine:


3 parsnips, shredded
1 large pear, shredded
1 cup pecans
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
2 large eggs
3/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Preheat oven to 350°F and place rack in center of oven. Grease loaf pans.
 

Toast the pecans about 5 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant (while oven is preheating). Let cool and then chop coarsely.
 

Combine parsnips and pear in a large bowl and set aside. In a second large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. Stir in pecans and raisins. Set aside.

In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, oil, milk and vanilla extract. Fold egg mixture and parsnip mixture into flour mixture, stirring just until moistened and combined. Bake until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaves comes out clean, about 35 min. Cool on a wire rack.

So there you go! What new dish have you discovered lately?

My mom heart matters!

I went to a conference last weekend called, "Your Mom Heart Matters." The main speaker was Sally Clarkson, author and mom of 4. It was so encouraging and inspiring. I came in with a burden, and left without it. You know the one... where you hear about what you should and shouldn't be doing as a parent, and just feel worse because you already know some of those things but now it's rubbed in?

I went with several moms from my bible study group, and we all talked this morning about a little bit of what we got out of it, so that those who weren't able to attend could be blessed. So, I thought I'd share here as well, a few of my notes and nuggets that I took away from the weekend...


* Of all the women in the world, God chose ME to be the mother to my children. With all my flaws and weaknesses and sinful tendencies, he decided that I was the #1 choice for them! I've had days where I've felt like they'd be better off with someone else, but God does not make mistakes. He gave my kids to me, not to the perfect mom


* Many of the things that I knew in my head that I should be doing better as a mom, got into my heart. So now, instead of feeling guilty for not living up to those standards, I feel encouraged and empowered to act on my convictions, even when they are very challenging. Probably every mom out there wishes to be more gentle and patient, and I can see it coming through me a little more now. Not that I'm perfect by any means! But God isn't looking for perfection, he's looking for our hearts.

* My kids' hearts are treasure chests, and I am a gardener of their souls.

* Life is hard so put some good music on when you wash dishes!

* Live according to the beauty around you, not the mess.

* What kind of woman do you want to be in 10 years? It will only happen if you are intentional and have a plan!

* The expectations of a perfect soldier actually hindered David from doing what he was supposed to.

* Don't let someone else's laws control how you feel about your life!

* God might not fix the kinks how you'd like him to, be he always provides a solution!

* Jesus chose discipleship as a means to change his world. Treat your kids like Jesus treated his disciples.

* You are either growing or dying in your spiritual walk.

* If you want to speak to the heart of a child, you have to invest time into it!

* How do you build an estate? One brick at a time.

* If you only live by what you can accomplish yourself, you'll be stuck in works for the rest of your life. Live by faith-- you have to try things you can't do yourself! God is not limited by anything except our faith.

* Don't wake up TO your children, wake up FOR your children.

* If you want to clothe yourself with dignity, you have to cultivate contentment-- no whining!

* You can't control what people do to you, but you can control your bitterness.

* When YOU take the leap of faith, you are launching your children! Do you leave a trail of faith for your kids, or spread anxiety? Faith isn't taught, it's CAUGHT. You have to model it.

* Pass on the knowledge of the Word-- memorize scripture, have devotionals, speak the Word morning, noon and night.

* God really does have a plan for my children! They aren't just mine, they're HIS.

* You can only teach your children what you know. Treat the Word like food-- you need it multiple times a day!

* Use character qualities to praise you kids. For example, instead of saying, "Great job!" Say, "Wow! You were so diligent to study, I wonder what God is gonna do with that diligence someday!"

* Take advantage of the time you have them under your roof. Then trust them to God! He won't let your investment go to waste.

* Peter was given to us an an example-- God gives a lot of freedom for personality, even when we don't show 1st time obedience!

* When you are squeezed, what comes out?

* If an angel came to you in the night, are you prepared to believe? Mary told the angel, "Be it unto me according to your word" Jesus said something similar shortly before his death on the cross. I wonder if he heard his mother say things like that his whole life?

* Identify what enriches your soul-- types of music, art, colors, scents, and cultivate that. If you aren't full, how can you pass that on?

* God meant for us to walk with people. We are most like Him when we initiate love.

*Traditions give kids a sense of identity. They are like anchors in the years.

* We must get outside to know the soul of God. Gen 1:1-- He created.

* My greatest need is not to be a excellent mom or virtuous wife, but to KNOW JESUS. So empty myself of me, fill me up with Jesus and let His excellence shine through!

* It is God's kindness that leads to repentance-- I should treat my kids with the same kindness.

* I'm not the perfect parent, but I belong to the perfect parent.

* Just because my child disobeys doesn't mean I'm doing something wrong and God is displeased. My kids display the sinful nature they were born with. Likewise, when they obey, I'm not more righteous. Train your child out of obedience to Christ, not to win approval.

* The world says our kids need lessons, clothes, computers, etc. God says they need our time, attention, validating their heart, letting them share with you, laughing, believing in their dreams, building a relationship with them.


All that being said, my son is awake from his nap now so I'm gonna go do my best to live what I learned!

Who am I?

Alternate title:

My Identity Is All Over The Map

Do you ever have days where it just hits you in the face, I don't really know who I am?

I certainly have. I know in my head that I'm a child of God, rescued by his son Jesus, who so graciously redeemed my life from the pit. I know that being a wife, a mom, a friend, a writer, an artist, a dancer, a food-lover, and everything else I can describe myself as, are just secondary. But I feel like I'm still waiting for the day when it sinks down into my heart that the most important thing that defines me is that I am my beloved's and He is mine. Where all the other priorities in this earthly life line up underneath my relationship with God.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I should abandon all my duties and desires to lock myself up to do nothing but talk to God all day. I just mean, I get caught up in all the things I need to do and want to do that sometimes I forget who I really am. Maybe I don't even fully know yet!

It's especially difficult when I'm reminded that in the course of my life, I've been:


~The youngest child, the only child, the oldest child, and probably the middle child somewhere in there too.

~The teacher's pet, and the girl who got caught shoplifting.

~The straight-A student, and the girl that slept through/skipped class.

~The girl that never gets asked out, and the girl that can't get rid of her baby's daddy.

~The girl that's the only virgin left in the group and plans to stay that way until marriage, and the girl that got pregnant barely 6 months after meeting a guy.

~The girl that's super-organized, and the girl that wants to hire a professional organizer because the clutter is just too much to handle.

~The girl that has to make every penny count because there's only $5 a week to work with, and the girl that has everything she needs and a lot of what she wants.

~The girl that wants 8 kids, and the girl that gets rid of everything baby-related because she feels DONE after 2.

~The candy addict, and the crunchier-by-the-minute food snob.

~The girl that wants long hair so bad, and the girl that is so over long hair and keeps cutting it shorter.

~The girl that's so bored out of her mind with nothing to do, and the girl that would kill for a day back then.

~The girl that wants to be a teacher, a waitress, a beautician, a model, an astronaut, a nurse, a surgeon, a dancer, a missionary, and the girl that doesn't want to be anything other than "just a wife and mom."

~The girl that had been to 6 different countries in 3 years, and the girl that hasn't left the country in 6.

~The girl that stays up late and gets up early to study the Bible, and the girl that can't remember the last time she picked it up.


So, I choose to say, "Lord, I turn my eyes toward you. I just want to love you more. Show me who YOU are and help me shed the false identities that I've attached myself to through the years. Live through me to make me more like you, and remind me each day that I am yours, and everything else is just accessories."

Ode to Katiebug

Several weeks ago I had the privilege of spending SEVEN hours in the same chair at the same coffeehouse in uptown Dallas, across from my bff that I've known for over 12 years. Today is her birthday!

This is her... are those not the most gorgeous brown eyes you've ever seen?!

Seven hours sounds like a long time but if you average it out over time (we very rarely get to see eachother) it is a drop in the bucket. But it was lovely. I drank chai tea for the first time, and it was super yummy. I've been missing out all this time. Who knew hot tea could be sweet and creamy?! So now I can feel cool at Starbucks when I get something besides apple cider or passion lemonade. w00t.

We talked about everything. I planned on spending a couple hours there and then coming back to ftw to relieve Riley from daddy duty, but he kept telling me to stay and enjoy. Isn't he wonderful?!

Katie's in her last semester of law school, so I may not get to see much of her until after the bar exam in July, but hey, it wouldn't be the first time we've spent months w/o talking.

We have been through a lot together. We've been through a lot separately. But every time we reconnect, nothing's changed. Well, you know, of course, a lot has changed, but our friendship still seems so young at heart. We went to school together (met our 1st semester at cfni then she moved in with me and my roomies the 2nd semester), spent 3 weeks in India together on a mission trip after graduating 10 years ago, bared our souls to each other with almost every man-related heartache...

We've never seen each other naked. I know that's random and maybe tmi, but a lot of bff's have so whatever. Her subway sandwich of choice was always veggie delight and mine is turkey on wheat.

I always thought her wedding would happen before mine, but it didn't turn out that way. I might be even more eager than she is for her to join me in the married club. ;)

We've always gotten along so well, although there have been times where we've hurt each other. One time she forgot my birthday and instead asked me to take one of her friends who I didn't even know, to work at 6am that morning. One time we almost ended our friendship because we had plans to hang out but then neither one of us wanted to make the 30 minute drive. I was a terrible friend and didn't go to her 30th bday party because I had already made other plans but totally should've canceled.

She's funny and kind and carefree and stylish and pure and intelligent and I just love her to pieces. It's a shame we don't keep in touch more often. She sent me flowers the day I told her I was pregnant out of wedlock. Even though we don't get to hang out very much, when we do, she's so present, if that makes sense. I feel like I'm all that matters to her in that moment. Ok, that sounds so self-centered, but that's just what an awesome person she is. We take turns talking and listening and there's no rush and no awkward silence and we just laugh and confess our less-than-holy experiences and give each other the ok instead of any judgment whatsoever.

Katie must be a better friend than I am because she's been a bridesmaid in so many weddings. Everyone adores her. And it's easy to see why.

I'm incredibly proud of her. When we were roommates she worked 1-12 after going to school 8-12, and still managed to graduate, moving up the corporate ladder. She then got her bachelor's degree while working full time, and is now about to be a full-fledged lawyer. Woah. I hope I'm not embarrassing you Katie!

I don't think our friendship is the typical one that you see between BFFs. We both have lots of other close friends and idk if we've ever really consistently labeled our friendship the way others do. I've been jealous of her other friendships in the past (that may be true for her but idk so i doubt it) and we've gone through seasons where we were totally uninvolved in each other's lives. But I think I've gotten to the point where I feel safe and happy with who we are to each other and no matter how far apart we ever live or how seldom we connect, she'll always be "the bestest friend i ever wanted!" (quoting my very young niece) *yes, riley is my best friend but you know what i mean*

So of course I had to dig out the old 35mm photo albums and give you a little taste of our friendship!

This is us at cfni where we first met.

Saree shopping in India:

 Young summer fun:

Katie's graduation from DBU:

 

At my new apartment in 2004:

 

One of my bridesmaids:

At some friends' wedding when I was pregnant with Julia:

 

Holding my firstborn:

 

At the State Fair a couple years ago:

 

Fast forward to 9 days ago at our roommate reunion:

 

Some warm memories:

*working in some lady's garden while reciting Princess Bride word-for-word.

*singing "Yesu-raja-vanderickiya" on a stage in south India in front of a sea of people. Wait I do have that pic...

*trying on hideously cute vintage outfits at a thrift store in Arlington.

*waking up at 7:53 and swiping in by 8:00.

*making lasagna with a homemade sauce that took 3 hours to simmer.

*painting our toenails outside our apartment while listening to Louis Armstrong.

*going ice-skating at the galleria (she bought me socks because I was wearing sandals!) for my bday.

*having her in the room when i was in labor for the first time, she rubbed my feet and sympathized for my agony and held Julia so sweetly afterwards.

*canceling her plans at the last minute to come over and give me a shoulder to cry on right after a breakup.

*watching a marathon bollywood movie one night at her place.

*i still have cute magnets and keychains she's given me as souvenirs from many places she's traveled to.

*she told me "why don't you just marry [riley]?" early on when many of my friends totally disapproved of him. she was so right!


Katie is a great listener, always encourages me and convinces me that I'm funny. We wear the same size jeans but for different reasons... kind of weird in a sisterhood-of-the-traveling-pants way. Her family is small and mine is big, but there's still so much in common there.

Her only flaw EVER was that she was always late... but worth the wait! And now she's only sometimes late ;)

I love you Katie and your friendship means the world to me! I hope you had the best birthday ever! AND... Let it be known that it was I and I alone who first donned you Katiebug! ;)


Pokeyjo

Start My Own Business?!

I'm toying around with the idea of opening an Etsy shop or just a Facebook business page that I can sell through. See, I have this obsession with crocheting baby blankets (aside from being generally crafty when the occasional whim hits), and I get really giddy when I find a new yarn that is soft and thick and comes in lots of great colors. I've gotten in the habit of making them for my expectant friends, but they just aren't popping out the little ones fast enough.

I've thought for a while how nice it would be to make a little extra income doing something I love, without having to leave my kids. But, I haven't felt confident enough that there would be much demand for my creations, despite some hints from friends and family that I should do it.

However, I was encouraged by the recent success of my friend Kathryn and her new business, Baby Buttons Designs. She and her mom make the sweetest, most fabulous hats and booties, for all ages!

So, I think it might be time to just give it a whirl! I'll also be looking into donating some to NICU babies, due to a great suggestion from a couple friends.

I do scarves and diaper cakes as well, and am trying to get good at leg warmers, but the main thing will probably be blankets, at least starting out!

It would be really cool to to do a jumpstart giveaway soon too, either through this blog, or maybe on a friend's. So stay tuned for that!

Alright, so what's in a name?!... I need votes and/or suggestions. Here's my list so far of ideas: (some variations that were already taken have been eliminated...be honest but don't laugh!)


Sweet Snuggles
Sweet Little Snuggles
Cozy Little Snuggles
Little Baby Cuddles
Little Baby Snuggles
Little Cuddles
Little Snuggles
Cozy Petite
Cozy and Sweet
Cozy Cuddlebugs
Sweet Cuddlebugs
Cuddly Petite
Pookie Petite


I think I prefer the 2-word names for simplicity sake, but I want something that's catchy and cute without being cheesy.

It will probably take a little while to set everything up, what with samples and pictures and pricing and sizes and colors and kinds of yarn, etc... but I've been analyzing and calculating that lately anyway  so I have a starting point to work with.

Ok friends and family... now it's your turn... opinions? suggestions? advice? words of wisdom/encouragement?

Out of the mouths of moms

Many a laugh has come from the things our kids say, but every once in a while, our own words bring about a chuckle or two. Here are a few things that in no way definitely slipped past my filter recently, which I just laughed at and thought how embarrassing it would be if someone, besides my gracious children, had been there to witness it. So, naturally I have to expose my lack of eloquence here to you all!


~ "I'm sorry, but we just can't put your baby in your tummy while we're driving."

~ "Momma gotta poop, momma gotta poop, momma gotta poop right nooow" to the tune of "Dinah won't you blow your horn"

~ "Mmmm, sweet boy... You smell like lip gloss!"




Now it's your turn: What have you caught yourself saying lately?

Honeyboo-isms and Hunkaboo-ese

Josiah doesn't say much, so this is really all I have to report:


Baba = bye-bye

Ba-puh or da-puh = diaper

That's it. Don't worry though, I'm sure he'll learn more soon enough!



And now for Julia--


Flitball = football. She can say it right, but thinks it should be pronounced flitball, "because they flip the ball"

Because = so (let me explain, she'll be talking about something and gets it backwards, e.g. "I'm hungry because I need a snack")

Ok I'm drawing a blank, so she only gets two too. Of course, she's pretty articulate and most things come out exactly as they should! (except for the occasional "losed" instead of "lost" and the like)


Stay tuned for some things that come out of MY mouth =)

We were meant to be... =)

Alternate title: 11 weird facts about Riley and me.

(Preface: Riley and I did not meet until 2006)


~ Growing up, his family had a cat named Tux and mine had one named Zedo. Think about it.

~ We say the same thing at the same time to such an extent that it's kind of creepy.

~ When I was 16 I worked at a grocery store with a guy named Brad. At that same time, Brad's sister Crystal was in the choir with Riley at college 3 hours away.

~ We do it almost every night. Snuggle, that is.

~ Someone compared us to Beauty and the Beast one time. It was meant as a compliment.

~ He drives 99% of the time we go anywhere together. We both prefer it that way, for different reasons.

~ We can both sing the ABC's backwards really fast.

~ Our favorite show is The Office, and our favorite movie is the Princess Bride.

~ Wedding facts: We got married on a Monday, 391 days after we met. In his vows, Riley referred to me as the jelly in his triple decker PBJ sandwich. The song for our first dance was "Walk the Line".

~ We usually pick out our own presents, but I'd like that to change.

~ On his birthday this year, we will have been married 1500 days.

Love ya babe! You're the bestestestestest <3

Belated New Years Resolutions, er, To-Do List

I've never been one to seriously make New Year's Resolutions. I guess I'm just too idealistic, or maybe realistic, or maybe pessimistic, I don't know.

But that doesn't mean I don't have desires or goals for myself. I just keep them running in my mind throughout the year and don't mentally put them off till January 1. Instead, I put them off till the morning. Or the evening. Or Monday. Or Saturday.

Oh well.

Most things I want to be done yesterday, but that's just not how things fly around here, and I'm learning to accept that and give myself and my family grace. So, I'm giving myself aaaallll year to get these done. Some of them are actual plans, some are goals, some are in-my-wildest-dreams-but-maybe-sometime-this-life.

So without further ado...

* finish reading all the books in my stack!
* get regular pedicures in the spring and summer (not like every 2 weeks, mind you, more like every 5-6)
* organize the closet in our study
* organize Riley's side of the master closet (haha, some of these goals are for HIM!)
* organize the garage
* teach Julia how to read
* go on a 5 day trip with Riley for our 4th anniversary in May (I'm thinking the beach!)
* help Julia learn how to stay dry at night
* improve the consistency of our daily/weekly routine
* make meal plans every week, with one new dish each time.
* throw lots of parties: Superbowl, Purim, Julia's B-day, Riley's B-day, Josiah's B-day, End-of-Summer Cookout, maybe a baby shower?
* go on a date with Riley twice a month
* have a playdate at least every other week
* have time out of the house alone, not running errands, by myself or with a friend, once a week (same for Riley)
* take the kids to the park and storytime more often
* maintain a clean home more often (here's my ideal plan: every weekday I do 4 things-- a load of laundry, a weekly chore (vacuum upstairs, steam mop, wood floors and play room, kitchen, bathrooms), dishes, and picking up clutter. It sounds so simple but it's not.
* exercise I'm not going to throw that in there just because everybody else does. Because I really don't feel like it. I've convinced myself that I get enough just keeping up with 2 toddlers all day. But, I'll probably join the Y right outside our neighborhood anyway, because they have a special going on right now.
* get the 1599 pictures off my phone and saved into our computer.
* blog more often
* visit Riley's sister and family in Midland
* visit my mom and family in Novice
* have a consistent bible reading/prayer time
* dance more
* sing better
* finish our taxes by february 1.
* (maybe) get pregnant later this year --ok, ok, that's totally not a goal, especially now that the last several months of baby fever finally broke, but I'd be okay with it.
* do something about our broken stairs
* decorate the outside of our house for Christmas
* plant an organic food garden
* start a vermicompost
* learn how to sew
* sell/give a bunch of stuff
* learn how to crochet something really good, besides my usual blankets and scarves
* go to bed and hour and a half earlier and wake up before the kids so I can get a few things done
* spend less time on the computer and more time with my kids
* make some new family traditions
* learn my way around our Mac
* convince Riley to get Josiah's hair cut
* plant a holly bush and flowers in our front bed in the spring
* hang my living room curtains (that have been sitting under the end table for several months now)
* update the kids' baby books
* stay within our food budget
* get free laser hair removal so I can stop shaving my legs (one can dream right?)
* do the 40 Days of Christmas again (or maybe just 12 or 25)
* take the kids to see their great-grandparents more often
* go to the Mom Heart Conference in February
* learn how to play violin? (still thinking about this one)
* get Julia swim lessons this summer
* take the kids to Sea World this summer
* visit my friend Dollface in Austin
* grow my hair out a few more inches
* finally hang pictures in my house
* have people over for dinner more often (at least once a month... who's next?)
* make a big extra house payment to start our 5-years-early payoff plan
* get a massage or 12.
* do more homemade gifts vs storebought
* eat at some local restaurants that serve real, healthy food

Woah, that's a lot! Can't wait to look back at the end of the year to see how I did! Alright well, I guess I better get started on the laundry. {sigh}

Our post-Christmas family gift

Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink...

You need to check out this series by my friend Heather, on all the icky stuff that's in our water and what to do about it!

We didn't win the giveaway, so we decided that come tax return time, we'd use some refund money to splurge on one of these! I really didn't want to wait 2 months to have good water, but since it wasn't a true emergency, taking money out of savings wasn't an option.

Little did we know, an unexpected check was headed our way! We received some Christmas money last week so we were able to buy the Big Berkey earlier than planned. YAY! I'm so excited, to say the least. No more driving to Bedford for RO water and lugging the jug around, no more hoping my fridge filter is better than tap, no more buying cases of plastic bottles that leech chemicals and take up room in my recycling bin.

So, in a few days it should be delivered to my front door! Can't wait =)

I talked to the Berkey guy (Jeff Gleason) on the phone a couple weeks ago during the 40 Days of Christmas (prizes for answering bible trivia on Riley's facebook page). He so generously donated a Sport Berkey Bottle for the giveaway, without having even purchased anything from him. How cool is that?! I'm so glad I get to support his business now, and get an amazing water filter system for our family! Plus it will match our other stainless appliances. OOOOHHHH...!

The Berkey system is the best choice for filtering your water! It's cheaper per gallon, more eco-friendly, and better at purifying than bottled purified water, brita pitchers and even reverse osmosis. So, definitely take a looksie at Mommypotamus' articles on water, and put the Berkey on your shopping list!

Christmas Questions

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Totally depends on the gift. If it's in a box, definitely wrapping paper. If it's weird shaped and I have a bag that fits it, bag. (I can't remember the last time I actually bought any bags, because I reuse them) I buy one or two rolls of paper each year though.

2. Real tree or Artificial? We have a tiny artificial one right now, because that's what we bought our first Christmas together when we didn't have room for a big one. Growing up my family had real ones a few times.

3. When do you put up the tree? ASAP after Thanksgiving!

4. When do you take the tree down? Newyears-ish.

5. Do you like eggnog? Idk I can't remember the last time I tried it, if ever. Will be adventurous this year if given the opportunity!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I got some really great things while growing up, but the first thing that popped into my head is the Dual tape deck CD player huge stereo that I wanted really bad! I think my sister has it now, she bought it from me when I moved to Spain. Ok that's so off the subject but anyway it's still in the family! Also I remember a phase where I was obsessed with teddy bears and my mom got me a ton of teddy-bear type stuff.

7. Hardest person to buy for? Nobody really anymore. Kids are easy, Riley just tells me what he wants and we get it (I know, not fun at all!), and adults in the family do a chinese exchange so that takes the pressure off!

8. Easiest person to buy for? Julia!

9. Do you have a nativity scene? No, but we do have a couple figurines that have Mary Joseph and Jesus.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Snail mail! I know email is so much cheaper but who doesn't like to have a bunch of Christmas cards to deck their halls with every year?

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Hmmm, I must've blocked it out of my memory.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Elf and It's a Wonderful Life

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? November.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Probably.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cookies! Of course that goes for any time of year.

16. Lights on the tree (colored or clear)? Clear. At least that's what we have this time.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Baby It's Cold Outside (ok I know that's not really about Christmas but still) and O Come All Ye Faithful.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I've only traveled away one Christmas and that was when we went skiing at Red River, NM. So I guess I prefer staying at home!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph!

20. Angel, star or ribbon on top of tree? Star, at least this year.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One on Christmas Eve and the rest in the morning!

22. Favorite children's Christmas song? I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas!

23. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Everyone wishing "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas". Hello... everybody knows the 25th is called CHRISTMAS. Also right up there is making Santa more important than Jesus, and everybody obsessing over gifts. Don't get me wrong, I love to buy gifts, but when it gets to the point of stress, the point has been totally missed.

24. Favorite ornament theme or color? We don't have a theme, we just have different ones that we've collected or been given over the years.

25. Turkey or ham on Christmas day? Turkey! I can enjoy a little ham though.

26. What do you want for Christmas this year? Boots, skinny jeans to go with said boots, some socks I saw at Kohl's that were thermal on the outside and super soft on the inside, real peace in the family, a day at the spa, a trip to Ireland/Italy/Caribbean, a sewing machine, and a Big Berkey Water Filter System. Is that too much to ask? ;)

27. Does anyone in your family dress up as Santa? No.

28. Age you discovered who Santa was? I never really remember believing in Santa. My parents did a really good job of telling us the truth, while we did know who Santa Claus WAS.

29. Eggnog, hot chocolate, or apple cider? Hot chocolate and apple cider!

30. Traditional colors (red and green) or other colors? I usually decorate with the traditional colors, but I love the winter blues.

31. Do you have any Christmas decorations on your roof? Nope.

32. What is your favorite holiday treat? Hmmm I like them all but I always go overboard on my mother-in-law's White Trash. Yum!

33. How does Santa get into your house? Riley and I both own keys to our house. He goes in the front door and I go in through the garage.

34. Do you prefer gifts or gift cards? I like gifts, but gift cards are fun too!

35. Favorite children's Christmas Cartoon? Oh I don't know, Frosty?

OK, now its your turn!