Waiting For Wednesday… March 5, 2008

Waiting for Wednesday…My stomach doesn’t hurt enough, pain always is the sign….  I’m waiting for Wednesday…No proof of mine exists so I don’t have to take it back…

Lyrics from a Lisa Loebsong.  I always thought it was a funny song.  Talking about breaking up with your boyfriend but waiting to make sure you start your period first.  Ummm… that doesn’t sound like fun to me.  The main reason I listened to Lisa Loeb was because people thought we looked alike.  Maybe 40 pounds ago. She’s pretty cute. Actually looking at the photo on her site I’m thinking so a bit.  Anyway, totally not the point of my current ramblings.

I’m waiting to start my period.  Any minute now.  It’s Wednesday.  I got my Diva Cup in the mail early last week.  Is it wrong that I’m so excited about using something, cheaper, reusable and environmentally friendly for my ummm…you know.  The Diva Cup is an alternative to the same old nasty pads and tampons that we’ve all been using for years.  It creates less waste in the landfills, less environmental impact to produce and it’s just downright better for your body.    Tomorrow I’m going to post my first ‘article contribution’ from another author who has been journaling her first experience with the  Diva Cup to contribute to ‘Momstinct’.  Make sure you come back for that!

So, the other wrench in the plan.   I do research studies as often as I can, so last month I was so excited to be included in the perfect study.  My husband and I were going to get paid for sex! Nothing dodgy.  We were given a supply of condoms for a month and were to journal our ‘opinions and experience’.  Totally appropriate.  We’re married.  Best job I’ve ever had.  Free condoms for the month and $125! Now, the concern is that one other couple  got a little more than the $125.  Two lines on the pee strip, if you know what I mean.  They’re great parents and make gorgeous kiddos.   Number 5 sounds like it’s very welcome!  As for me, I was waiting for Wednesday… still waiting.

Wouldn’t be a bad thing.  We’re certain that our family needs a #4.  We’ll revisit the issue after than and see what God wants us to do. I don’t see myself having 10 like my mom, but who knows?  My sister is on 6 and clearly not done.

  I already have an OB lined up for my VBA3C (That’s a vaginal birth after 3 c-sections. YES IT IS TOTALLY DOABLE!  (Click that link right there.)  I just had the ‘intentions’ to lose some weight first.  I decided this morning that I’m going to rejoin Weight Watchers, but now I don’t want to start until, well… I start. Now that I think of it, last time I ‘decided to rejoin’ was the week we found out we were expecting with Lucas.  Obviously, I didn’t join…oh now that’s funny.  Hadn’t thought that one out yet.

And of course, I’m over focused, just for the fun of it.   Every time I go to the bathroom I think, “Am I peeing more than usual?” Always the first sign for me.  Wait, was that a cramp I just felt, or a little gas?  Silly,  I’m certain I will start tomorrow or Friday, my body holding out with it’s typical sense of irony.  And then I will be able to use my wonderful Diva Cup!!

For the moment, I just accidentally drank Margo’s tea instead of mine. Yikes, good thing I can’t get pregnant from drinking after her, right? She’s finding out tomorrow what her bun-in-the-oven is.  Wow.  The cheese factor of this post is off the charts.  I’m going to go give the whole brood a bath. In the meantime, tune in tomorrow to read!

Gotta love the Grocery Score! March 5, 2008

Going to the grocery store will all three bambinos can be a daunting task.  I say that with all humility, fully aware that 3 kids is actually not a lot.  Still, it’s my a lot for now. 

I did most of my grocery shopping last week on payday, but Kroger has grapes for $.99 a pound.  I’m a sucker for grapes ( I ate 38 lbs of grapes when I was pregnant with Selah!)  yet I refuse to buy them when they are more than $1.19.  So, happy momma waltzed in with the whole tribe in tow, just for grapes.  To my delight the first thing I saw in the door was peaches on sale for $.99 a pound, too!  Oh happy day.  Selah was ecstatic!  Wait, it gets better.

The organic/health food section is right there next to the produce and a treasure chest (cart) overflowing with orange stickered items was right there in plain view just begging me to take a peek.  Did you know that Travis is actually embarrassed to look through those carts?  Is that normal?  I, personally was thrilled.  In the cart I found organic pasta, instant oatmeal, fruit leather, apple sauce, Cocoa Vive bars, sandwich cookies and Rice Cereal (great for making More rice milk).

So here’s a photo of my score. 

• 120 Fruit Leathers
• 40 servings or instant oatmeal
• 5 Cocoavia bars
• 2 jars apple blueberry sauce
• 8 boxes organic angel hair pasta
• 2 boxes of sandwich cookies (saved me from making something for Selah’s tea party with a friend today)
• 4lbs rice farina for rice milk  (should make about 5 gallons)
• 5 1/2 lbs of grapes
• 4 1/2 lbs of peaches (the children absconded with them before the photo)

everything was organic except the Cocoavia and the fruit. 

GRAND TOTAL AFTER TAX $34.64 

 (total value estimate, $120.00)

I spent only about 20 minutes in the store total, including checking out and the obligatory trip to the bathroom with the kids.  They won’t leave a store without seeing the restroom.  So, in less than 1/2 an hour I made  $85.36 on didn’t buy one food that wouldn’t be used.  OK, so we didn’t need the Cocoavia bars, but it was the ones with almonds!!  I’m content with that being taken out of my Mom Wage. 

Yep,  I’m a proud  clearance cart scavenger. 

Back To the Rice Milk Recipe March 2, 2008

I just updated my Rice Milk Recipe.    I realized that I completely forgot that you add a little oil to emulsify and thicken it.  While I was down there I added a bit more detail on how to blend it. Thought that it may encourage some more people to try it for themselves.  Try it and comment!

FREE Child’s Tableware set from Mott’s March 1, 2008

PBS KIDS Sprout is pleased to partner with Mott’s for Tots® and KidsHealth to bring you Sprout Smart. Below is a brief survey for busy families like yours. Your answers are important to us, so as a thank you gift we’ll send your family a FREE child’s tableware set — with bowl and lid, juice cup, fork, and spoon — from Sprout and Mott’s for Tots!

Limit one per household, please. While supplies last.

http://www.sproutsmart.com/SPROUT/smart/offer.aspx

Go be a Diva! February 24, 2008

The Diva Cup!

No it’s not gross.  It’s actually really convenient, better for your body and for the environment.  The Diva Cup is, in my opinion, the easiest way to deal with ‘Aunt Flo’.  It saves you money which racks up your “Mom Wage”  and  you never have to worry about running out of tampons or pads again.   And it’s one easy step towards being green.

So here’s your link  Diva Cup on sale for $17 plus shipping!

 This is the best price I’ve ever seen it sold so it’s the perfect time to try it for yourself.  Women under 30 who have never given birth will need a model 1.  Women who are over 30 OR have given birth vaginally or by c-section should get model 2.

Here’s some more info from their website:

Winner of the 2007 Silver Award of Excellence from Alive!
 Feminine Hygiene’s Latest Innovation in 50 Years! Not a Tampon! Not a Pad!The DivaCup… not a tampon… not a pad. Finally a better way! The DivaCup is a leading edge redesign of a proven menstrual solution concept first introduced in the 1930’s. Used by women worldwide for decades, it is now available nationwide! The DivaCup offers ultimate freedom to enjoy your daily activities including sports such as swimming, as well as traveling with no messy “leaks” or the expense and inconvenience of buying and carrying supplies in all shapes, sizes and absorbencies.

The Ultimate in Feminine Protection - The DivaCup™ offers women convenience and peace of mind. Worn internally, The DivaCup™ is positioned low in the vagina for a secure fit and easy removal. Designed to hold up to one full ounce, one can swim, run, backpack, travel and even wear it overnight without ever worrying about leaks.

No More Hassle - The DivaCup™ eliminates the need to spend time searching for a bathroom, hiding tampons or pads in pockets, or constantly worrying about leakage and unpleasant odors. It works for light as well as heavy days. Also, there is no more guessing as to which kind of products to use on certain days or nights.Convenient - With nothing to buy and nothing to throw away, the DivaCup™ is convenient and worry-free.

Easy-To-Use - The DivaCup™ is the most convenient way to deal with menstruation. It only requires emptying 2 to 4 times a day depending on flow and can be worn for an entire cycle up to 12 hours at a time, even overnight.

Design - The innovative DivaCup™ design features easy-grip ridges, convenient flow measurements and a soft, flexible stem for comfort and easy removal. Designed to hold one full ounce (30 ml), The DivaCup™ is capable of accommodating even the heaviest flows (an entire average cycle is 3 to 4 ounces or 90 to 120 ml).

Health and Safety - The DivaCup™ holds the U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) 510k Medical Device Number and the Health Canada Medical Device License. Diva International Inc. is also ISO 13485 Certified, which ensures the highest quality in production, packaging and distribution of The DivaCup™.

Toxic Shock Syndrome- The serious and sometimes fatal Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) is caused by toxin-producing strains of the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium and has been linked to the use of conventional, rayon-based tampons.

Eco-Friendly- In 1998, 7 billion tampons and 12 billion sanitary pads and their packaging were disposed into landfills and sewage systems in the U.S. alone. With landfill and pollution problems on the rise, The DivaCup™ will reduce the serious eco-footprint of feminine hygiene.

Da Junk…mail, that is… February 21, 2008

Junk mail sucks.  Really.  It wastes trees, it wastes energy to produce and deliver. And it wastes my time to go get it from my mailbox.  I have to say, I hate days that I walk out to the mailbox to find nothing but junk in the…box…hmmm.  Last month there was a great article with tips to cut back the Junk in your  box. 

http://www.wsbtv.com/money/15023481/detail.html?rss=atl&psp=money

On the other hand, I’m a ‘Waste not to the max’ kinda gal, so I try to reuse as much as I can.  What I don’t use I recycle. Here are some reusing tips from an email I got.

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I know that most people hate getting junk mail on a daily basis. But I love it. There are so many things that you can do with junk mail that you get. 

•  Envelopes that come in junk mail. You can reuse these. Write your grocery list on the back of the envelope and put your coupons inside the envelope. So when you are at the grocery store you do not have to search for a coupon for 5 minutes in your coupon organizer.
• Use the envelope to put all of your Christmas receipts in and mark the back of it Christmas Receipts.
• If you are dropping a check off to someone who isn’t home put the check inside the envelope and tape it to their door.
• Put a label over the address already printed and send out your bills or letters, this way you do not have to buy envelopes. 
•  Colored paper that comes in junk mail. Shred all the colored paper that comes in the junk mail. Use this paper in gift bags instead of buying tissue paper. Use this paper for your children’s Easter baskets instead of buying the expensive grass. Use this paper when you are mailing something to take up extra space in the box so that your contents do not move around.
• White paper that comes in junk mail. If there is nothing on the back of this paper: Let your kids use this paper for any drawings or art work that they do instead of wasting computer paper. Cut this paper into small squares and staple them in the corner, then use this paper as a scratch pad.
• Believe it or not some junk mail is good. Yesterday we received a survey in the mail from a company that was wanting us to fill this 10 pages survey out and send it back to them. Enclosed was a brand new dollar bill. So be careful before you pitch your junk mail. If anyone else has any ideas for junk mail please post it. I am all about reusing stuff.

Chrissy

Rice Milk February 21, 2008

It is so easy to make Rice Milk, yet it’s ridiculously expensive to buy.  Because we avoid  dairy in our house and soy has some side effects that aren’t the safest, I’ve been making my own rice milk.  Here’s how I do it.

RICE MILK- one quart

• 1 c. cooked brown rice (still hot is best)
• 4 c. warm water
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 t canolla or coconut oil
• 1 t. vanilla
• sweetener ( I use agave nectar or honey)

I start with the  rice and just enough water to cover it in the blender.  It needs to blend for quite awhile to get it as pureed as possible, and as it thickens I will add water a few splashes as a time.  Let it stand for 5 minutes so that the silt and left over pieces can settle at the bottom before straining.  I’m sure it’s done better through cheesecloth, but I use a small strainer because that’s what I have.  I strain it into my pitcher, then reprocess the left over ’silt’ a bit with a little more watter.  Add as much water as you would like to get the consistency you like.  One cup of rice makes one quart the way I like it

Chocolate Rice Milk add 1 tbs. powdered cocoa and make sure you use sweetener.  I add it half way through the blender time.  Yummm….makes a special treat once in awhile.

 Banana Rice Milk  add 1/2 a banana and no sweetener.

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I keep it in a jug identical to this, but from Walmart for $4.98.  I couldn’t find it on their website, but this one from Target costs three times as much. Take a look and go get it from Walmart.

http://www.target.com/Chiller-Glass-Lid-64-oz/dp/B000HDKI52/ref=sc_ri_1/601-7422909-5238543

I buy organic short grain rice in a 25 pound bag for $19.99.  It lasts us about 6 months.  At only $.80 a pound, I can make rice milk for about $.20  per 1/2 gallon.  So,  if Rice milk costs about $8 per gallon, I make about $7.50 in the 20 minutes worth of work it takes (not including the stand time).  I usually just make it from left over rice after a meal so I’m not making more dishes, wasting energy and all that jazz… 

Go try it and come back to tell me what you think!

EDITED TO ADD: Below there is a comment from the owner of this blog.  I haven’t checked it out yet but thought it looks interesting.  While I’m not a gung-ho anti-dairyist..ahem… There is some truth to milk not being the healthiest for human consumption.  Check it out for yourself.

http://themilkblog.blogspot.com

Some Friday Freebies February 15, 2008

Here are a few freebies I thought I’d share.  I stick to the more healthy stuff.  Hope someone can use them.

Aveeno

http://www.aveeno.com/ageless/signup-special-offer.jsp

 Free Ecover Laundry Detergent Sample (bottom right hand side of the page)

http://www.its-ecological.com

Fiber One Sample

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/FiberOneCereal/captureAddress.iphtml?item=25046&source=408&raf

Walmart.com has several samples listed today

http://walmart.triaddigital.com/Free-Samples.aspx 
Enjoy!

Crunchy Granola February 11, 2008

So, I guess you can call this my recipe.  I tried a few and then mixed them all together to get to something that we love.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

In a large bowl toss together:

1 c. coconut

1 c. chopped almonds or Brazil nuts

2 c. whole wheat flout (we use spelt)

1 c.wheat germ (or more spelt if you’re us)

6 c. rolled (not instant) oats

1 c.  raisins

Now in a smaller bowl stir together:

1/2 c. water

2 t. vanilla

1 c. honey (or agave nectar)

1 c. oil

Pour the liquid over the dry and mix until it’s all even.  Spread it out on 2 cookie sheets and bake at 325 degreed for  1hour 15 minutes.  Be sure to ’shuffle’ it around on the cookie sheets with a  spoon a few times so that it gets crispy uniformely.   It should smell like heaven and have a beautiful golden color when it’s done.  when you pull it out be sure to shuffle it ’round one more time. Let it cool completely before putting it in airtight containers. 

One batch usually fills two of my 1/2 gallon jars and will feed all 5 of us for about 8-9 mornings mixed with yogurt or keifer.  Recipes for those two later…

The Most Important Meal… February 11, 2008

I’ve gotta say, I just hate it when they call it that.  Sure it is, but what mom really has time for breakfast?  And what mom doesn’t struggle with how to get a healthier one for her kids that doesn’t have the morning wrecked or her waking up at the butt-crack…you know.

I’ve got my kids used to the idea that the main purpose for food is that it is nourishment.  Fuel for their bodies to keep them going, and tasting great is a lovely side effect.  They know better than to beg for something else for breakfast, because they get what they get.  I do often give them an option between two things, but it’s off of a pretty short list.  A list that is simple, healthy and easy for me to maintain.

So, my breakfast list is mostly like this

• Homemade Granola
• Homemade grapenuts
• Frozen Spelt Waffles ( I make 40 at a time and freeze them)
• Some kind of bar I’ve got made up (right now they are Carrot Honey Squares)
• A boiled egg and a piece of toast
• Oatmeal
• On a rare occasion, scrambled eggs with spinach or something

Now, you’ll notice that I don’t ‘cook’ breakfast.  Mornings can get pretty harried around here.  I think most households are that way. My kids wake begging for their breakfast and the world could fall off it’s axis if they have to wait for me to cook oatmeal or scramble eggs. On the occasions where I sense an unexpected undercurrent of patience I play with fire… or the stove, I guess. 

We do buy cereal once in a while.  And when I do it’s a big stock up.  We pretty much only buy Cheerios and Raisin Bran.  I will wait until they are buy-one-get-one-free and even then only buy if I have coupons for $1 off or something, bringing the cost down to about what it would cast me to make my cereals.  I’ve been known to walk out with eight boxes of cereal for $5.  That was a happy day.

Over the next few days I’m going to post the recipes for my breakfast stuffs. They do take some time.  I think I took 3 hours the other day to make enough to last for 3-4 weeks.  But not too bad of a time investment in the long run, if you consider what a pain it would be to spend 30 minutes every morning making something. Or settling for feeding them Pop Tarts… don’t they wish!