My friend has written another post on NFP, also known as Natural Family Planning. It has to do with a new tool available to those who want to follow NFP. It makes me want to go out and get a smart phone! Just passing it on for those who want the information.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Saturday, June 4, 2011
The Green Thing
Found this on facebook today and wanted to pass it on.
The Green Thing
The Green Thing
In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bag because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.
The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."
The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. The former generation did not care enough to save our environment."
He was right, that generation didn't have the green thing in its day.
Back then, they returned their milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.
But they didn't have the green thing back in that customer's day.
In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks.
But she was right. They didn't have the green thing in her day.
Back then, they washed the baby's diapers because they didn't have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts - wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
But that old lady is right, they didn't have the green thing back in her day.
Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house - not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn't have electric machines to do everything for you.
When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, they didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
But she's right, they didn't have the green thing back then.
They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water.
They refilled their writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.
But they didn't have the green thing back then.
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances.
And they didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.
But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful the old folks were just because they didn't have the green thing back then?
Author Unknown
Friday, May 27, 2011
Happy 2nd Birthday
Today is my daughter's 2nd birthday.
It's a day full of many emotions.
This is true for many parents on their child's birthday, but for me and my husband, it is even more so.
When i was 20 weeks pregnant we had a routine ultrasound to find out our baby's gender. It was at that appointment that we learned our daughter (we did not know she was a girl until after she was born) had no amniotic fluid and we later learned this was caused by cysts in both her kidneys (She had Bilateral Multicystic Dysplastic Kidney Disease, a form of Potter's Syndrome). Because of this lack of fluid her lungs never developed and we found out that she would not live after she was born, and there was the possibility that she would be stillborn.
Our daughter was born at 32 weeks and lived for 15 minutes after she was born. She was a beautiful beautiful little girl. She weighed 2lbs 14oz and was 16 inches long. She surprised us and had a full head of her father's hair. She was beyond precious.
It's a day full of many emotions.
This is true for many parents on their child's birthday, but for me and my husband, it is even more so.
When i was 20 weeks pregnant we had a routine ultrasound to find out our baby's gender. It was at that appointment that we learned our daughter (we did not know she was a girl until after she was born) had no amniotic fluid and we later learned this was caused by cysts in both her kidneys (She had Bilateral Multicystic Dysplastic Kidney Disease, a form of Potter's Syndrome). Because of this lack of fluid her lungs never developed and we found out that she would not live after she was born, and there was the possibility that she would be stillborn.
Our daughter was born at 32 weeks and lived for 15 minutes after she was born. She was a beautiful beautiful little girl. She weighed 2lbs 14oz and was 16 inches long. She surprised us and had a full head of her father's hair. She was beyond precious.
I could share hundreds more pictures but there is no time.
So happy birthday special girl. Mommy and daddy and your little sister love you so much. As always we hope you have a great day and enjoy being with your family and friends. Thank you for everything you've done for us and the love you share. We're sending so much love right back to you in heaven.
Happy Birthday!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
The problem with sheep
Hello hello!
Yes, it's been a little while but i think i mentioned that my life has been a bit busy.
But i'm alive and here and about to let off a little steam.
So i've had many "people" out there complain about me sharing information about things i am passionate about or find interesting. Most of the time it stems somehow around others not agreeing with my point of view.
And this is FINE.
I do not expect every human being in the world to agree with me. It would be a very boring world if that became the case. BUT i do expect people to do their own research. I have a big issue with people who just follow blindly like sheep. They may think they have all the information but they are just going with the flow and doing what they think everyone else is doing and what is best because that is just what the world does. They become sheep.
Wanna know something i've noticed about sheep? (seeings as my family owns a herd) They will be out grazing and everything is good. Then one sheep gets ahead of the rest. The sheep behind her think "WOAH, i must be missing out on something, i need to get ahead!" So that sheep runs ahead. Well, not to be outdone, the other sheep start trying to get ahead and before you know it the whole herd is in a full blown run up the dirt road headed to nowhere!
What does this have to do with the "people" you might ask? Well, like i said, i feel many times people follow blindly. They see someone doing something and they decide to do the same thing, or even try to one-up them without even knowing the reason why they are doing it in the first place. (other than they *think* it is the right way to do things, only because they know NO other way) Soon they are running full speed to no where and they have no idea why.
Life is a journey, and it should mean something!
And this is FINE.
I do not expect every human being in the world to agree with me. It would be a very boring world if that became the case. BUT i do expect people to do their own research. I have a big issue with people who just follow blindly like sheep. They may think they have all the information but they are just going with the flow and doing what they think everyone else is doing and what is best because that is just what the world does. They become sheep.
Wanna know something i've noticed about sheep? (seeings as my family owns a herd) They will be out grazing and everything is good. Then one sheep gets ahead of the rest. The sheep behind her think "WOAH, i must be missing out on something, i need to get ahead!" So that sheep runs ahead. Well, not to be outdone, the other sheep start trying to get ahead and before you know it the whole herd is in a full blown run up the dirt road headed to nowhere!
What does this have to do with the "people" you might ask? Well, like i said, i feel many times people follow blindly. They see someone doing something and they decide to do the same thing, or even try to one-up them without even knowing the reason why they are doing it in the first place. (other than they *think* it is the right way to do things, only because they know NO other way) Soon they are running full speed to no where and they have no idea why.
Life is a journey, and it should mean something!
Please do NOT be sheep!!
I feel in any part of your life, whether it be education, religion, health, parenting, etc etc, you should not just follow someone else, or take someone else's word. Take a little time and do a little research (and researching both sides of a subject is always best to get the whole picture) and decide what is best for YOU.
Do something because you actually feel is is the best thing in your life, not because you're trying to make a point. People like that just make me think of the teenager who is rebelling against their parents just because they don't want to listen to their parents. They don't even take into consideration that their parents may be more experienced in that certain subject and *might* just might know a better way. All they think about is 'there is NO WAY i'm gonna listen to my parents' and off to nowhere they run (or off the cliff lol). Sure, i rebelled against my parents but it doesnt' mean it was the smart thing to do!
I am constantly learning new things and changing my mind about things i thought i'd never do. Before i had children i thought that we would have hospital births (natural of course), breastfeed for a year, have a nursery, use disposable diapers, let baby 'cry it out', circumcise, use a stroller and other things.
Then my sister planted a seed in my mind that i am forever thankful for. She mentioned things she was hoping to do with her future child. When she first started to share them i literally though 'YOU ARE NUTS!! Your child is going to turn out so spoiled, you're putting their life in danger and i just can't believe you'd do this!!!'. But instead of stopping at that thought i instead took things further. I checked out some books from the library and started to do some reading on the "other side" of things.
I am forever thankful for those seeds my sister planted, and for the common sense i had to research things for *myself* because you know what? I pretty much turned around 180 degrees in my views about parenting. Sure, once i started parenting for myself i'd probably figure out how i thought i would do things was not really working for our family, but how long would that would have taken? And how happy would i be during that time? I am so thankful i learned about different ways to do things before!
I've had this same experience happen with many other parts of my life. If my entire viewpoint in life can change about so many things when why can't yours? Are you really sure you want to do things they way you think you want to do them? Are you really sure you want to public school? Are you really sure you'd never consider that religion? Are you really sure you would never consider going green?
How can you know if you have never really seen the other side of the story?
So please, take some time and consider the choices in your life very carefully. Go pick up a book and do a little reading. Has someone mentioned something that you think is crazy? Go look it up and do a bit of research and see how truly crazy it may not be.
Do something because you actually feel is is the best thing in your life, not because you're trying to make a point. People like that just make me think of the teenager who is rebelling against their parents just because they don't want to listen to their parents. They don't even take into consideration that their parents may be more experienced in that certain subject and *might* just might know a better way. All they think about is 'there is NO WAY i'm gonna listen to my parents' and off to nowhere they run (or off the cliff lol). Sure, i rebelled against my parents but it doesnt' mean it was the smart thing to do!
I am constantly learning new things and changing my mind about things i thought i'd never do. Before i had children i thought that we would have hospital births (natural of course), breastfeed for a year, have a nursery, use disposable diapers, let baby 'cry it out', circumcise, use a stroller and other things.
Then my sister planted a seed in my mind that i am forever thankful for. She mentioned things she was hoping to do with her future child. When she first started to share them i literally though 'YOU ARE NUTS!! Your child is going to turn out so spoiled, you're putting their life in danger and i just can't believe you'd do this!!!'. But instead of stopping at that thought i instead took things further. I checked out some books from the library and started to do some reading on the "other side" of things.
I am forever thankful for those seeds my sister planted, and for the common sense i had to research things for *myself* because you know what? I pretty much turned around 180 degrees in my views about parenting. Sure, once i started parenting for myself i'd probably figure out how i thought i would do things was not really working for our family, but how long would that would have taken? And how happy would i be during that time? I am so thankful i learned about different ways to do things before!
I've had this same experience happen with many other parts of my life. If my entire viewpoint in life can change about so many things when why can't yours? Are you really sure you want to do things they way you think you want to do them? Are you really sure you want to public school? Are you really sure you'd never consider that religion? Are you really sure you would never consider going green?
How can you know if you have never really seen the other side of the story?
So please, take some time and consider the choices in your life very carefully. Go pick up a book and do a little reading. Has someone mentioned something that you think is crazy? Go look it up and do a bit of research and see how truly crazy it may not be.
Is there anything in your life that you have changed your mind about once you did your own research and learned more?
Friday, April 22, 2011
Video: When A Baby Dies
This was shared on facebook today and i just could NOT repost this. It is a very emotional video, and you will probably cry, but, i feel it is good to watch since it might help you to understand how someone feels who has lost a child. I know that i could and can say everything that was shared in this video. I have felt all of it.
May 27th marks our daughter's 2 year birthday. I miss her every single day. We have a second daughter now, but that doesn't mean my pain has gone away....it helps in ways, but it also hurts.
Please, just take 5 minutes to watch this video...maybe you will understand me better....
May 27th marks our daughter's 2 year birthday. I miss her every single day. We have a second daughter now, but that doesn't mean my pain has gone away....it helps in ways, but it also hurts.
Please, just take 5 minutes to watch this video...maybe you will understand me better....
Thursday, April 21, 2011
I'm sorry i haven't posted in a while. We are in the middle of packing up to move and so life has just been a bit hectic for me to write anything super indepth.
so, instead i'll post the 3rd article written by me friend about Natural Family Planning
so, instead i'll post the 3rd article written by me friend about Natural Family Planning
Educate Yourself: Natural Family Planning and How It's Healthy
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Greening Up
For a while now i've been wanting to "green up" my life when it comes to my beauty products. The more i've been reading about the toxic things in our beauty products (what am i saying, in pretty much everything around us...) and the effects it has on our health the more i've been saying NOT FOR ME. If you want to know what i'm talking about, i suggest this article:
Chemicals In Cosmetics: What You Need To Know
I think the first step i took in trying to "green" myself up was when i found out i was pregnant with DD2 i decided i was not going to paint my nails anymore (EDIT: now that i think about it, my first step was to stop using traditional menstrual products and get a cup, but that is another post!). There are some nasty things in nail polish (as you can probably tell by the smell). You can read a bit about it here:
Toxic Nail Polish
Pretty nasty sounding isn't it? I didn't want to be putting that stuff on my nails for my body to absorb to be passed on to my growing baby. So i haven't painted my nails in over a year now. And honestly, i don't miss it too much. Yeah...it was fun to have hot pink or lime green nails in the summer, but at what cost?
My next step was to stop using so many toxic things in the shower. The first to go was shaving cream. This was easy because i just stopped shaving. Yep, you read that right, since the beginning of the year i have not shaved once. And i don't think i will anymore. 1. it's a pain in the underarms for me (i get HORRID ingrown hairs), 2. i barely have time to wash my body let alone shave anymore, 3. my legs aren't that hair anyways and my husband thinks they are soft even when i don't shave, so what's the point, and 4. why should i have to? I have given myself permission that if i feel the need, i'm allowed to trim my underarms, but no shaving this year at least :)
Then after giving up the shaving cream i decided that next to go is my shampoo and conditioner. Now this is where most people think i have really gone nuts. Sure, they could let the no nail polish go with no problem, and shaving...well, that's not too horrible either. But not using shampoo or conditioner!?! Oh how will my hair ever be clean???
Easy.
For one, just water and my hands will get most of the grime out of my hair. But for now i'm washing my hair using baking soda and apple cider vinegar. You see, washing your hair with a detergent all the time (which is what shampoo is) strips away all the natural, GOOD oil from your hair. This oil works on a supply and demand basis. The more you wash it away, the more it makes (works the same as breastfeeding). So if you stop stripping the oil away and instead try to work *with* your body, your hair will (in most cases) make only enough oil to keep your hair healthy.
I am already a person who doesn't wash her hair regularly. Yeah, that's right, i only wash my hair maybe once a week! And it's NEVER been overly greasy :) So i figured making the switch to not using any shampoo would be easy.
So i decided to start after i had a procedure to get a mole removed from my scalp, since i wouldn't be able to wash my hair for a while anyways. The day before i washed my hair for the last time and then went 2 weeks before ever actually using anything on my hair. This was because my scalp was VERY tender around the stitches site and i didn't want to use anything that would irritate and such. So for 2 weeks i just rinsed my hair with water and i used a washcloth to kinda pet my hair in a downward motion to distribute the oils to the rest of my hair. And that worked fine. Then after 2 weeks i finally did my now normal wash routine. I took one tablespoon of baking soda and rubbed it into my scalp and then rinsed it. I then took one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and slowly poured a bit at a time on my scalp and rubbed it into the roots and shaft of my hair. Then i rinsed and that's it, done.
When i got out of the shower and towel dried my hair it was SO SOFT!! My hair has never been that soft before! All day i couldn't stop running my fingers through it. I think DH was getting tiered of me saying 'i can't believe how soft my hair is!!!!'. It's now been over 3 weeks since i've last traditionally washed my hair and i've done 2 of these "treatments" and my hair is still doing great. I'm tossing my shampoo and conditioner and never looking back!
Not only is this so much healthier for me, but it's also healthy for my wallet. I mean, how expensive is baking soda and vinegar??? Awesome i know!
If you want to learn more about this "crazy" topic, read the articles below:
All about 'No Poo'
The No Shampoo Alternative- No Poo
What is No Poo?
Don't use shampoo again!
How to No Poo
The no poo do
So this is it for now. My next step is body wash, then toothpaste and then deodorant. Then we'll see where i go from there.
What about you, what are things you've done to "green up" your beauty routine?
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