Hazen and I have been very bothered by produce bags. We've made the effort to buy reusable cloth bags for our grocery shopping, but unfortunately didn't know what to do about the plastic produce bags. It seemed counterproductive to use cloth grocery bags but then fill those with plastic bags.
Thankfully, the wonderful girls on www.mommygossip.com were able to direct me to www.reusablebags.com which sell reusable organic cotton mesh produce bags. They're a bit pricey, so the cheap person in me is searching amazon and ebay for cheaper alternatives. So far the lowest price I can find is 3 for $9.99 which seems ridiculous since my big grocery bags were only $.70 a piece. I guess if that's the cheapest I can find, it's worth it for the environment, right? If anyone reads this and knows of any brick-and-mortar stores that sell cloth or mesh produce bags, I'd be very interested in knowing about that.
I also have a complaint about Whole Foods. We bought our reusable bags from the commissary for, like I said, $.70 a bag. We went to Whole Foods and saw what seems to be the EXACT same bag other than saying WHole Foods rather than Commissaries selling for over $2 a bag! We loaded up at the commissary so we don't need anymore, but the price increase is ridiculous! I don't mind paying a little extra for my organic foods, but I think it's really pushing it to up the cost of a reusable bag by nearly 300%. That's just greed...
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Great day at the park!
Since Hazen had the day off, I wanted to find somewhere new to take Ian. I looked online and found what looked like it would be a great park to go play at for awhile. So we loaded up the kid with sunscreen and headed out.
Unfortunately, apparently I'm very bad at directions because we never found it. Thankfully, in our expedition, we did manage to find another park while we were lost. It turned out to be a really great park with HUGE slides going down a hill, and a water sprinkler area for the kiddos. The toddler park wasn't very good--the stairs went really high and they didn't really have any kind of rail. I could totally see Ian falling down there (and getting seriously hurt--it really was HIGH) so I was paranoid and stayed on it with him.
Ian had a really good time, especially with the sprinklers. The park we were looking for didn't have a sprinkler area, so we weren't prepared for it. We ended up taking off his shirt and shoes and letting him run through it in his shorts. He was so shocked everytime the water hit him, but he always recovered and ran right back in.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Musings from a newly "green" chick
We've been doing the "green thing" for about 6 months now. We started slowly enough--adding organic fruits and vegetables to our diet. We replaced our lightbulbs with energy efficient ones, unplug appliances when they're not in use, open a window instead of turning on a/c (when possible!), use reusable grocery bags and decline bags completely when we only have an item or two, replaced our traditional cleaners with more natural ones (for example, instead of Pledge we now use vinegar and water and it works just as well if not better--plus, it's cheaper!), reduce our waste, etc. It's actually VERY easy to make changes that are good for the environment, and it bothers me a little that more people don't make the attempt. The only effect it has had on our lives is that we feel better about ourselves (a combination of doing better for the planet and putting healthier foods into our bodies).
Well, what got me thinking more was this: today our power went out. An inconvienence, but not something that is life or death. But it did it during Ian's naptime, when I get the chance to sit in front of the TV or on the computer, or as I was going to do today, clean the bathroom. Big bummer. Well, Hazen has been talking about getting a little windmill or something when we live in Montana. And I couldn't help but think of how wonderful it would have been to have that windmill at the moment I was cleaning my bathroom by candlelight (but hey, I was saving more energy!). Then i got to thinking about the actual financial cost of doing the right thing, and it's upsetting.
We don't buy organic meats because they are waaaaay out of our price range. Unfortunately, our single salaried household's budget only stretches so far, and leaving our Costco bulk chicken...it can't happen. Then I thought about Hybrid cars--a GREAT thing. But they cost a bit more than their traditional counterparts. Sure, the cost difference is made up in a few years by the lowered cost of fuel, but when you're living paycheck to paycheck, that doesn't help. All that matters when you're living like many American families is "how much is my payment going to be this month" rather than "yeah, I pay an extra $100, but I'll get it back in gas savings". The now is more important than the later when you don't make a lot of money, and it's sad. Sad that better alternatives are available, but that they're only available to those who make enough money. It's our planet we're talking about!!! So then you think, so don't drive so much, save gas that way. Good thought, but in a lot of areas that also is not an option. In Vegas, there are stores within a couple of miles that I could get frisky and walk to with the stroller. But, then there is the issue of traffic, and the lack of sidewalks and crosswalks. The effort and danger that it would involve to get there isn't worth it. Vegas is promoting it's "walk or bike to work" thing, but it's simply too dangerous to even consider attempting here. So ride the bus--okay. But again, you've got to get to the bus stop and when you do get there, there's the fear of being shot (it happens more often than you like to think).
I don't know. It seems that our communities need to do a lot more to help people understand the importance of making environmentally friendly choices, and then follow that up by actually making those "choices" a reality for the majority of people. Maybe I'm just trying to think too much about the big stuff and should focus more, at least for now, on the smaller things that I CAN accomplish. I just want to do as much as I possibly can to be sure that my contribution to the earth is good rather than a landfill full of garbage and wasted natural resources.
Oh--TLC has a sister station or somethign come out that will have green programming. There is a preview of a couple of the shows Saturday night on TLC--i'm going to check them out. Hopefully they'll give me more ideas of things I CAN do so I don't have to feel so guilty about the things that I can't.
Well, what got me thinking more was this: today our power went out. An inconvienence, but not something that is life or death. But it did it during Ian's naptime, when I get the chance to sit in front of the TV or on the computer, or as I was going to do today, clean the bathroom. Big bummer. Well, Hazen has been talking about getting a little windmill or something when we live in Montana. And I couldn't help but think of how wonderful it would have been to have that windmill at the moment I was cleaning my bathroom by candlelight (but hey, I was saving more energy!). Then i got to thinking about the actual financial cost of doing the right thing, and it's upsetting.
We don't buy organic meats because they are waaaaay out of our price range. Unfortunately, our single salaried household's budget only stretches so far, and leaving our Costco bulk chicken...it can't happen. Then I thought about Hybrid cars--a GREAT thing. But they cost a bit more than their traditional counterparts. Sure, the cost difference is made up in a few years by the lowered cost of fuel, but when you're living paycheck to paycheck, that doesn't help. All that matters when you're living like many American families is "how much is my payment going to be this month" rather than "yeah, I pay an extra $100, but I'll get it back in gas savings". The now is more important than the later when you don't make a lot of money, and it's sad. Sad that better alternatives are available, but that they're only available to those who make enough money. It's our planet we're talking about!!! So then you think, so don't drive so much, save gas that way. Good thought, but in a lot of areas that also is not an option. In Vegas, there are stores within a couple of miles that I could get frisky and walk to with the stroller. But, then there is the issue of traffic, and the lack of sidewalks and crosswalks. The effort and danger that it would involve to get there isn't worth it. Vegas is promoting it's "walk or bike to work" thing, but it's simply too dangerous to even consider attempting here. So ride the bus--okay. But again, you've got to get to the bus stop and when you do get there, there's the fear of being shot (it happens more often than you like to think).
I don't know. It seems that our communities need to do a lot more to help people understand the importance of making environmentally friendly choices, and then follow that up by actually making those "choices" a reality for the majority of people. Maybe I'm just trying to think too much about the big stuff and should focus more, at least for now, on the smaller things that I CAN accomplish. I just want to do as much as I possibly can to be sure that my contribution to the earth is good rather than a landfill full of garbage and wasted natural resources.
Oh--TLC has a sister station or somethign come out that will have green programming. There is a preview of a couple of the shows Saturday night on TLC--i'm going to check them out. Hopefully they'll give me more ideas of things I CAN do so I don't have to feel so guilty about the things that I can't.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Father-son day, and some good news
Today, my wonderful husband took my son out for a few hours and gave me some much needed R&R. I fell asleep on the couch, and woke to my son patting me on the hip and found that the kitchen had been cleaned, the husband had gotten dressed, and the kid was about to be gotten ready to head to the mall with his daddy--without me. As soon as they left, I got back in bed and finished my book. It was sooo nice to be able to read without worrying about what the baby was getting into or if he was going to wake up from his nap during a critical point in my book.
Hazen also got a call from Lewis and Clark county on Tuesday. I didn't post about this, but all the jobs in the Helena Police Department were filled in the last hiring cycle, leaving Hazen without a job when he leaves the Air Force. It was very stressful and scary. But thankfully Lewis and Clark county called and let him know they have a position open in Helena and Augusta. They have sent him an application for Helena, and we're really praying he gets this job. If all goes well, he will begin his academy in September.
At this point, I will be moving back to Montana the end of June and Hazen will be joining us in early August (if he does actually get his 60 days of terminal leave, which he has been told he will). Hazen will stay home with Ian while I hopefully begin a new job, and that will also give us another month to find childcare that works for our family before he begins his job in September. Again, we're so relieved to have gotten that phone call, and now we just have to wait and see how it turns out for us. We're definitely a step closer than we were a week ago.
Hazen also got a call from Lewis and Clark county on Tuesday. I didn't post about this, but all the jobs in the Helena Police Department were filled in the last hiring cycle, leaving Hazen without a job when he leaves the Air Force. It was very stressful and scary. But thankfully Lewis and Clark county called and let him know they have a position open in Helena and Augusta. They have sent him an application for Helena, and we're really praying he gets this job. If all goes well, he will begin his academy in September.
At this point, I will be moving back to Montana the end of June and Hazen will be joining us in early August (if he does actually get his 60 days of terminal leave, which he has been told he will). Hazen will stay home with Ian while I hopefully begin a new job, and that will also give us another month to find childcare that works for our family before he begins his job in September. Again, we're so relieved to have gotten that phone call, and now we just have to wait and see how it turns out for us. We're definitely a step closer than we were a week ago.
Friday, April 18, 2008
20 months
Ian is now 20 months old. He is so unbelievably busy. Right now his big thing is that he needs to have some sort of utensil whenever he eats. Even if I grab him some crackers or something similar as a snack, he runs to the utensil drawer and pulls out one of his spoons or forks. He's getting pretty good at using forks, but spoons still require just a little too much coordination.
The "terrible 2's" are in full force. The child throws tantrums over EVERYTHING. There are some days I just want to disappear onto some tropical island for a month. He throws things, he hits, he screams, he tosses himself onto the floor, he kicks. It's all I can do to not throw a fit right back sometimes! But somehow, despite the tantrums, he still manages to be so sweet. Last night he found a bag and was walking around putting things into it: his Play-doh, some shoes, a calculator. He was very proud of himself and it kept him busy (and quiet!) for awhile. He did this while watching Ultimate Fighter with Hazen (Hazen is so proud that he likes it already...yay...).
We got him a potty this week. We have had absolutely no tinkles or poo-poos on it, but he does enjoy sitting on it. I think it makes him feel like a big boy, even though he doesn't seem to really get what it's for. We know he's aware of "pottying" because he announces to us when he has "poo-poo'd", but I don't know that he understands enough about the potty yet. I'm on the lookout for a good book for him and for me. He's only had it 2 days, so I'm not concerned that he's not using it. We don't really expect to fully potty-train him, we just thought it would be good for him to have a potty so he gets used to it and he can sit on it when he wants to. He actually grabbed my hand and brought me to the bathroom so he could sit on it yesterday. :)
He's still being a good sleeper for me--I'm so thankful! He stayed up later than usual last night (he was just too busy to go to sleep), but he's still sleeping now at 8:20, so it's alright. He actually woke up at 7, so I got up to take a shower and by the time I got out, he had fallen back to sleep. So now I'm clean and bored.
I think I'm going to look for something productive to do...
The "terrible 2's" are in full force. The child throws tantrums over EVERYTHING. There are some days I just want to disappear onto some tropical island for a month. He throws things, he hits, he screams, he tosses himself onto the floor, he kicks. It's all I can do to not throw a fit right back sometimes! But somehow, despite the tantrums, he still manages to be so sweet. Last night he found a bag and was walking around putting things into it: his Play-doh, some shoes, a calculator. He was very proud of himself and it kept him busy (and quiet!) for awhile. He did this while watching Ultimate Fighter with Hazen (Hazen is so proud that he likes it already...yay...).
We got him a potty this week. We have had absolutely no tinkles or poo-poos on it, but he does enjoy sitting on it. I think it makes him feel like a big boy, even though he doesn't seem to really get what it's for. We know he's aware of "pottying" because he announces to us when he has "poo-poo'd", but I don't know that he understands enough about the potty yet. I'm on the lookout for a good book for him and for me. He's only had it 2 days, so I'm not concerned that he's not using it. We don't really expect to fully potty-train him, we just thought it would be good for him to have a potty so he gets used to it and he can sit on it when he wants to. He actually grabbed my hand and brought me to the bathroom so he could sit on it yesterday. :)
He's still being a good sleeper for me--I'm so thankful! He stayed up later than usual last night (he was just too busy to go to sleep), but he's still sleeping now at 8:20, so it's alright. He actually woke up at 7, so I got up to take a shower and by the time I got out, he had fallen back to sleep. So now I'm clean and bored.
I think I'm going to look for something productive to do...
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
A realization
I have lived in Las Vegas for almost 5 years. In that 5 years, I haven’t done all the "fun" "cool" stuff, I’ve just gone day-to-day living (that’s what you do as a "local" though). I will be leaving Vegas in a couple of months, and have started to realize I haven’t done or appreciated anything. So, from now on, my camera will go everywhere with me (within reason). I will be posting more pictures of my surroundings (be on the lookout for a Red Rock album--we just went this last weekend). I hadn’t taken pictures of the Strip, I dont’ have enough pictures of my friends (sorry friends, this means you should be camera ready anytime you see me), and I haven’t done all the things I want to. Next on the list is the Titanic exhibit at Tropicana--I’ve wanted to see that since it first came years ago and haven’t done it yet. At least I finally got to Madame Tussauds.
In all honesty, I don’t love Vegas. I hate the crime, the people, the drivers, the heat, the smelly air. But, I also have to admit, that I’ve had some good times here. I got married, I had my fantastic little boy, I’ve made some great friends, and I’ve gotten to see things I wouldn’t have otherwise--Mamma Mia! and Phantom will always be favorites. And it made me appreciate little ol’, boring Montana more than I ever would have if I hadn’t left it.
Anyhow, the point is that I should work harder to find the good in the things I dislike. For the next two months, I am going to LOVE Vegas (or at least try my hardest).
In all honesty, I don’t love Vegas. I hate the crime, the people, the drivers, the heat, the smelly air. But, I also have to admit, that I’ve had some good times here. I got married, I had my fantastic little boy, I’ve made some great friends, and I’ve gotten to see things I wouldn’t have otherwise--Mamma Mia! and Phantom will always be favorites. And it made me appreciate little ol’, boring Montana more than I ever would have if I hadn’t left it.
Anyhow, the point is that I should work harder to find the good in the things I dislike. For the next two months, I am going to LOVE Vegas (or at least try my hardest).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)