so i'm having some ideas based on Oprah's Earth Day show from last week....
but also, a couple of awesome links to check out:
http://www.terracycle.net
http://www.to-goware.com
and go to http://www.oprah.com and click on the Green Day coupons tab to find out all sorts of things....
Terracycle is an awesome company that basically takes our trash and turns it into other things. I could register with them and they'll send me boxes/postage to collect things like: Capri Sun/juice drink pouches, chip bags, yogurt containers, etc. etc. and ship them to them for use in their products....rather than throwing them all away and/or recycling at the curb (which we now know those things don't always end up recycled, which is infuriating).
I know there are people who read my blog who aren't registered to comment....but I'm asking you---if I were to do this, to register for this....would you bring me your items to recycle in this way? I've got to start somewhere, even if it's just mine and my closest friends' juice drink pouches. Who knows where it might lead. If you can't comment on my blog, shoot me an email and let me know what you think or if you'd like to do this with me (erinlynn76@aol.com).
Monday, April 27, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Dirty Little Secrets from Otherwise Perfect Moms
If you haven't heard of or read this book by Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile, you haven't lived. It's beyond hilarious, and so true. These friends interviewed hundreds of real-life moms who dished on all their secrets of getting by. Some of my favorites:
"I had to use my toddler's potty chair on the side of the road when I was stuck in traffic. I just couldn't hold it."
"I skip whole chunks of my daughter's bedtime stories. Poor thing can't tell the difference."
"Last night I wanted to read my book so I let my three- and five-year-olds watch reruns of Roseanne."
"When I'm at Safeway I buy a Nordstrom gift card and charge it with the groceries. I can justify it that way."
"My rule is a beer at lunch, wine at 5. Wine at lunch feels like I have a "problem," but beer just seems okay."
"Some nights when my husband and I go to bed, I roll over and "play dead." All I can think is, "I just can't handle it if one more person pokes me today."
"Note to husband: Dinner? Don't even ask. There is no dinner. There will never be dinner. Just stop coming home hungry. Unless you have a plan, there will be no plan. And by the way, I'M HUNGRY, TOO!"
"My kids yell because I yell at them."
"I do my son's homework just so we can get through it faster. I grab his pencil and he just looks at me like I've lost my mind."
"I had to lock myself in my car to make a conference call while my kids screamed and banged on the window outside."
"I look at every mother and assume they're much better mothers than I am."
"The one thing I wish I had is a wife."
"I had to use my toddler's potty chair on the side of the road when I was stuck in traffic. I just couldn't hold it."
"I skip whole chunks of my daughter's bedtime stories. Poor thing can't tell the difference."
"Last night I wanted to read my book so I let my three- and five-year-olds watch reruns of Roseanne."
"When I'm at Safeway I buy a Nordstrom gift card and charge it with the groceries. I can justify it that way."
"My rule is a beer at lunch, wine at 5. Wine at lunch feels like I have a "problem," but beer just seems okay."
"Some nights when my husband and I go to bed, I roll over and "play dead." All I can think is, "I just can't handle it if one more person pokes me today."
"Note to husband: Dinner? Don't even ask. There is no dinner. There will never be dinner. Just stop coming home hungry. Unless you have a plan, there will be no plan. And by the way, I'M HUNGRY, TOO!"
"My kids yell because I yell at them."
"I do my son's homework just so we can get through it faster. I grab his pencil and he just looks at me like I've lost my mind."
"I had to lock myself in my car to make a conference call while my kids screamed and banged on the window outside."
"I look at every mother and assume they're much better mothers than I am."
"The one thing I wish I had is a wife."
Friday, April 24, 2009
jazzercise
jazzercise is offering a 4-week program appropriately called, "Buts and Guts." it lasts throughout the month of May. i'm really nervous about trying it---i don't want to be one of the freak shows in the back row who can't cut it. but i admit it sounds awesome and i'm definitely interested in trying. it's only $50...but perhaps would be nice if i could sample/try a class to make sure it's something i can handle!
in other news, i think the girls are finally giving up naps.
nearly every day has become a battle and izzy typically gets up several times before finally settling down an hour or so later. if the nap lasts too long or goes too late, then we're screwed at bedtime because no one is really tired enough. we'll see what happens, but i may end up just trying to take the nap away except on days when they really appear to need one.
i have been experimenting with Twitter lately and have a lot to learn. it's fun, although i haven't quite figured it all out yet. i almost feel like i don't belong there b/c it appears to be more of a business/networking thing, and since i'm a lowly SAHM, it's not like i can push my products or score new clients. yet it's always fun to meet new people and make new friends!
we area flying home to NOLA in June. it's my dad's 60th birthday and it's been too long since we were last there (busy spring with moving into the new house, plus no direct flight to/from there exists right now). the girls and i will be staying a full week, while dan will be there only 4-5 days. he is playing in a golf tourney here in KC the latter part of that week, so i'm risking it all and flying back alone with the girls so he can have a fun guys' weekend. again. i'm SUCH a nice wife!
finally, i am in lllluuuurrrrve with Orla Kiely, uber cool designer of hip things---particularly infatuated with her notebooks & stationary, as her clothing is expensive and i am also ultra-conservative when it comes to dressing. she also makes fab coffee mugs/plates with neat patterns (i'm partial to the flowers and fruit prints). Target and Anthropologie carry some of her things and i've been salivating. must make first purchase soon!
i was thinking my blog might be more attractive if i actually knew how to do web design/HTML stuff. alas, i am not computer savvy! oh well. a girl can dream...
in other news, i think the girls are finally giving up naps.
nearly every day has become a battle and izzy typically gets up several times before finally settling down an hour or so later. if the nap lasts too long or goes too late, then we're screwed at bedtime because no one is really tired enough. we'll see what happens, but i may end up just trying to take the nap away except on days when they really appear to need one.
i have been experimenting with Twitter lately and have a lot to learn. it's fun, although i haven't quite figured it all out yet. i almost feel like i don't belong there b/c it appears to be more of a business/networking thing, and since i'm a lowly SAHM, it's not like i can push my products or score new clients. yet it's always fun to meet new people and make new friends!
we area flying home to NOLA in June. it's my dad's 60th birthday and it's been too long since we were last there (busy spring with moving into the new house, plus no direct flight to/from there exists right now). the girls and i will be staying a full week, while dan will be there only 4-5 days. he is playing in a golf tourney here in KC the latter part of that week, so i'm risking it all and flying back alone with the girls so he can have a fun guys' weekend. again. i'm SUCH a nice wife!
finally, i am in lllluuuurrrrve with Orla Kiely, uber cool designer of hip things---particularly infatuated with her notebooks & stationary, as her clothing is expensive and i am also ultra-conservative when it comes to dressing. she also makes fab coffee mugs/plates with neat patterns (i'm partial to the flowers and fruit prints). Target and Anthropologie carry some of her things and i've been salivating. must make first purchase soon!
i was thinking my blog might be more attractive if i actually knew how to do web design/HTML stuff. alas, i am not computer savvy! oh well. a girl can dream...
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
and i just bought a set of these for the girls...
http://www.lilypadbaby.com/lilypad_lunchmates.aspx
Dan and I already use cloth napkins at all of our meals, but the girls are always grabbing ours. Now they can have their own fun ones!
Dan and I already use cloth napkins at all of our meals, but the girls are always grabbing ours. Now they can have their own fun ones!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Earth Day is tomorrow....
and found some good stuff in today's paper to share:
Why Keep Harping About Plastic Bags?
Because we keep using them. Don't have to. Some countries and cities have banned them or apply a surcharge for using them.
1. Plastic bags are a petroleum product and a waste of a non-renewable resource. Americans use 100 billion bags a year, requiring 12 million barrels of oil.
2. They don't biodegrade. They photodegrade, becoming bits of plastic dust, a contaminant, and even that takes many, many decades.
3. They are rarely recycled (only about 1 percent) and become litter pollution. They sully streams and clog roadside drains. Plastic bags are a top debris item encountered during coastal cleanups.
4. They endanger wildlife, particularly sea life. Animals become entangled in them, get suffocated by them or ingest them. Every square kilometer in the ocean contains an estimated 18,000 pieces of plastic.
What to do:
1. Bring reusable bags to the store (AND NOT JUST TO THE GROCERY STORE--EVERYWHERE!!!). If you only have one or two items, don't use a bag.
2. Choose paper instead? NO WAY! Manufacturing paper bags creates water and air pollution and uses lots of energy.
3. Recycle or reuse your plastic bags.
Why Keep Harping About Plastic Bags?
Because we keep using them. Don't have to. Some countries and cities have banned them or apply a surcharge for using them.
1. Plastic bags are a petroleum product and a waste of a non-renewable resource. Americans use 100 billion bags a year, requiring 12 million barrels of oil.
2. They don't biodegrade. They photodegrade, becoming bits of plastic dust, a contaminant, and even that takes many, many decades.
3. They are rarely recycled (only about 1 percent) and become litter pollution. They sully streams and clog roadside drains. Plastic bags are a top debris item encountered during coastal cleanups.
4. They endanger wildlife, particularly sea life. Animals become entangled in them, get suffocated by them or ingest them. Every square kilometer in the ocean contains an estimated 18,000 pieces of plastic.
What to do:
1. Bring reusable bags to the store (AND NOT JUST TO THE GROCERY STORE--EVERYWHERE!!!). If you only have one or two items, don't use a bag.
2. Choose paper instead? NO WAY! Manufacturing paper bags creates water and air pollution and uses lots of energy.
3. Recycle or reuse your plastic bags.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
the birds and the bees
I am watching an Oprah I dvr'd from earlier this week that focuses on talking to your kids about sex.
All I can think is, "Oh my God."
They showed this one mom giving her 10-year old daughter "the talk" with the help of a professional sex therapist...and of course I imagined myself having to do the same thing in a few years.
This episode recalled lots of whispering at slumber parties about the birds & the bees, the "bases," getting your period, etc. My mom gave me some books when I was very young (perhaps too young, but after all, my brother Kevin was born when I was almost 6 and apparently I asked a lot of questions about how he came to be!). They featured these goofy looking cartoon characters. one book was called,"Where Did I Come From," and the other was, "What's Happening to Me?" It doesn't take a genius to figure out what these were about. I brought the former one to school with me and showed all my friends at recess. Mom got a call from my teacher; she had no idea I'd stuffed the book in my backpack and taken it with me to school!
I think it's funny how little I really knew/understood about everything despite these books and having had talks with my mom. I never had serious boyfriends until I was a senior in high school, and never had sex until I was in college. but seeing kids these days---it seems like they're growing up much younger now (does that make sense?). And that's scary to me. I want to arm my girls with as much information as they need, but I hope I can do it in an effective way. I also hope they will be smart about sex. Perhaps if I have a drink or two before our "talks," things will go smoothly. Ha!
All I can think is, "Oh my God."
They showed this one mom giving her 10-year old daughter "the talk" with the help of a professional sex therapist...and of course I imagined myself having to do the same thing in a few years.
This episode recalled lots of whispering at slumber parties about the birds & the bees, the "bases," getting your period, etc. My mom gave me some books when I was very young (perhaps too young, but after all, my brother Kevin was born when I was almost 6 and apparently I asked a lot of questions about how he came to be!). They featured these goofy looking cartoon characters. one book was called,"Where Did I Come From," and the other was, "What's Happening to Me?" It doesn't take a genius to figure out what these were about. I brought the former one to school with me and showed all my friends at recess. Mom got a call from my teacher; she had no idea I'd stuffed the book in my backpack and taken it with me to school!
I think it's funny how little I really knew/understood about everything despite these books and having had talks with my mom. I never had serious boyfriends until I was a senior in high school, and never had sex until I was in college. but seeing kids these days---it seems like they're growing up much younger now (does that make sense?). And that's scary to me. I want to arm my girls with as much information as they need, but I hope I can do it in an effective way. I also hope they will be smart about sex. Perhaps if I have a drink or two before our "talks," things will go smoothly. Ha!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
starting something new....
last week i started having fat free cottage cheese with fresh fruit for breakfast (instead of cheerios/oatmeal/english muffin----> loads of CARBS)...and raw almonds for snacks. i am going to try and start making small changes in my diet little by little so that gradually the whole picture will become more healthy. cottage cheese has zero carbs and lots of protein, plus calcium, and it's low in calories. the fresh fruit = vitamin C + fiber, etc...and almonds are also high in protein and fiber, low in carbs/sugar....smart snacking. i have to have little snacks throughout the day or my blood sugar crashes and i get shaky and sweaty in a matter of minutes. i can usually feel it coming on, and if i don't have a snack handy i'm in trouble. i bought a few bags of almonds and stashed some in my car and some in my purse. so i have no excuse not to snack well!!!
i got a mani yesterday with my cool friend Anne and it was a lovely morning treat after a hellish week. i am going to get a pedi later this week. i enjoy getting the two together, but it spreads out the pampering if i can enjoy them separately!
i am going to try a rachel ray recipe i tore out of a magazine from the vet's office the other day (shame on me!)----meat pies made with ground turkey and using that Pillsbury pizza dough. needing easy/fast/semi-healthy dinner ideas!
i got a mani yesterday with my cool friend Anne and it was a lovely morning treat after a hellish week. i am going to get a pedi later this week. i enjoy getting the two together, but it spreads out the pampering if i can enjoy them separately!
i am going to try a rachel ray recipe i tore out of a magazine from the vet's office the other day (shame on me!)----meat pies made with ground turkey and using that Pillsbury pizza dough. needing easy/fast/semi-healthy dinner ideas!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
i bought some of these today!
http://www.ecobags.com/Our_Products/Loofah-Art-Scrubbers
on sale at Anthropologie...too cute! and very green of me!
(lots of tres cool stuff on this site besides the loofahs, though)
on sale at Anthropologie...too cute! and very green of me!
(lots of tres cool stuff on this site besides the loofahs, though)
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
feeling sorry for myself
i am at home, the girls are at school, and i feel like a truck's run over me.
friday night we were unknowingly exposed to the stomach flu...(we had dinner with friends Lucy & Lola since their daddy was also out of town)
and by sunday afternoon abby started vomiting. my girls haven't yet had enough
experience puking, so they don't know to run to the toilet. fortunately my new nickname has
become, "The Vomit Catcher," or "The Vomit Anticipator." I have become quite good
at both of these jobs...but unfortunately I've also succumbed to the literal interpretation of the former nickname, as I have caught the vomit virus myself. Izzy remains healthy, and I hope she escapes it altogether, but I'm not getting my hopes up. There's something about cleaning vomit chunks out of the barrel of the washing machine that takes motherhood to a whole new level.
i am achy and cold and my stomach and head hurt. i am on the couch watching "The Truth About Cats and Dogs," one of my all-time favorite movies. i am marveling at the size of the cordless phones in this movie--it's hilarious. i love the character of Abby (played by Janeane Garofalo), whom I completely identify with...it's a classic.
time for a nap and/or a bath. i am disgusting and need to recharge.
friday night we were unknowingly exposed to the stomach flu...(we had dinner with friends Lucy & Lola since their daddy was also out of town)
and by sunday afternoon abby started vomiting. my girls haven't yet had enough
experience puking, so they don't know to run to the toilet. fortunately my new nickname has
become, "The Vomit Catcher," or "The Vomit Anticipator." I have become quite good
at both of these jobs...but unfortunately I've also succumbed to the literal interpretation of the former nickname, as I have caught the vomit virus myself. Izzy remains healthy, and I hope she escapes it altogether, but I'm not getting my hopes up. There's something about cleaning vomit chunks out of the barrel of the washing machine that takes motherhood to a whole new level.
i am achy and cold and my stomach and head hurt. i am on the couch watching "The Truth About Cats and Dogs," one of my all-time favorite movies. i am marveling at the size of the cordless phones in this movie--it's hilarious. i love the character of Abby (played by Janeane Garofalo), whom I completely identify with...it's a classic.
time for a nap and/or a bath. i am disgusting and need to recharge.
Friday, April 3, 2009
the latest
so, Dan is in Naples, Florida with his high school cronies. an annual trip they take together filled to the brim with booze, poker, golf, Totino's pizzas, and all sorts of other debauchery I'm probably not privy to. meanwhile, i'm at home with the kids, doing the same old thankless jobs---breaking up fist fights over toy cell phones, plunging clogged toilets, bribing the girls with promises of sugar-laden snacks, and cleaning up all the dog crap from my yard. am i jealous that Dan is with his friends, basking in the warmth of the southern sun, drinking cold beer and doing all the things he loves best?
i'd be a big fat liar if i said no.
however, there are a few things i can be happy about:
1. christy and bret welcomed their first child yesterday, a daughter they named "Caroline." she is beautiful!!!
2. my glasses came in and i picked them up today. it will be an adjustment, but it's nice to have a good optometrist who has given me an option besides contacts (which i've been wearing since i was 12-13).
3. i have made it to jazzercise 4 times this week so far!
4. i treated myself to some new Boden clothes. everything was 25 % off...and although I spent a fair amount, i typically return half of everything i buy because it doesn't fit/look right.
5. i am taking the girls out to dinner tonight, meeting my friend Shelly & her twin girls. Shelly's dh is out of town as well, so since we're both in hell we decided we may as well share in the joy.
6. i bought the girls jellies from Target today---remember those? i had some when i was little and to me they epitomize the essence of girlhood....i got them pink ones, just like mine were. will post pics if they work out.
Happy Friday, everyone!
i'd be a big fat liar if i said no.
however, there are a few things i can be happy about:
1. christy and bret welcomed their first child yesterday, a daughter they named "Caroline." she is beautiful!!!
2. my glasses came in and i picked them up today. it will be an adjustment, but it's nice to have a good optometrist who has given me an option besides contacts (which i've been wearing since i was 12-13).
3. i have made it to jazzercise 4 times this week so far!
4. i treated myself to some new Boden clothes. everything was 25 % off...and although I spent a fair amount, i typically return half of everything i buy because it doesn't fit/look right.
5. i am taking the girls out to dinner tonight, meeting my friend Shelly & her twin girls. Shelly's dh is out of town as well, so since we're both in hell we decided we may as well share in the joy.
6. i bought the girls jellies from Target today---remember those? i had some when i was little and to me they epitomize the essence of girlhood....i got them pink ones, just like mine were. will post pics if they work out.
Happy Friday, everyone!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
