Happy these days, even with a few disappointments.

This post is a bit scattered . . .

So we didn't win the cutest baby contest. I feel okay about it though because I did everything I could to try to get people to vote for Mary. And certainly she doesn't have to win a title for me to know that she is a cutie. My Mom and good friend Sara told me they just really don't like these kinds of contests. I get that. But for me it was just for fun.

I was telling Beckie, Jennifer, and Sara this week that I just like to get what I want and I do everything in my power to get it until I have exhausted all possibilities. Like the class at the library that Mary didn't get into . . . I talked to at least 4 different librarians about it (and prayed lots) to try to get her in. It was important to me. But after everything, I couldn't make it happen. If I can bargain for something or compromise to get part of what I want, I do. It actually has driven Jeff crazy from time to time.

The other disappointment from this past week was that I invited 50 (yes, 50!)people to come to my Arbonne party on Friday and only one person besides my sisters, Beckie and Jennifer, showed up - just 2 people shy of getting $100 worth of product for free.

Jeff gave me permission to throw this little party only if I didn't involve anyone in his family.

I get it. I truly do. A lot of people hate these kinds of parties where you have to go and hear a sales pitch. People are busy or tired or on vacation or just not interested. I've been there. I have felt that way too. So I certainly understand and wouldn't dream of being mad about it.

The thing is though . . . Arbonne is a really good product. And if I could buy it at Target, I would.
Arbonne is . . .
- vegan (no animal byproducts with those hormones to get into your system. Also you are getting more concentrated product because animal byproducts aren't being used to expand it)
- without petroleum (mineral oil and such things probably won't give you cancer, but I still like the idea of something natural on my skin and my baby's skin)
- is without Phthalates (is pronounced "thalates")! Phthalates are disguised on product labels under words such as "parfum". In order for products to keep those perfumed scents, they have to add phthalates which are being tied to early puberty onset for girls and genital issues for boys and probably other things too.
- is a European product. Did you know that there are ingredients in US products that would be illegal to put into European ones? 1,100 of them to be exact. They are *illegal* there!


Think about it. How many products do we put on the largest organ of our bodies? Things like the birth control patch and nicotine patches are all absorbed through the skin.

Also disturbing is the fact that no one regulates the personal care product industry here. They are regulating themselves much like BP was (wasn't) doing.

So anyway, I was disappointed. But even with those minor disappointments, I just wrote an email to my Mom telling her how happy I was right now. Lots of exciting times are ahead.

Also, I have lots to be grateful for . . . Mary, Jeff, the gospel of Jesus Christ, family, health, relative prosperity, etc. etc. etc. I don't get everything I want, but it is probably better that way. I like the words of Sheryl Crow . . . "It's not getting what you want. It's wanting what you got." I hope I can always remember that and realize how much I truly do have.

How do ya like them apples?

So since it has been winter the last few days (I had to resort to turning on the heat last night because Mary kept waking up in the 62 degree house) - I decided to make Mary some warm, comforting applesauce yesterday.
Early this spring my Mother-in-law (MIL), Ellen asked me if I would like a BEABA. It is the greatest thing to make babyfood with. (If you don't have one - you can always use a steamer basket and a blender/food processor.) I of course accepted her generous offer and have been making Mary's baby food since. I had bought some jars of baby food before I had really planned on making it from scratch. And I used them up early on. But since then, I had decided to try to make it myself.
This past week, I hadn't been able to make more yet - even though it is very easy and not that time consuming at all. Still, there is always plenty on my to do list and I just hadn't gotten to it. I thought in the mean time, I would pick up a few jars of baby food until I could make more.
Well, that day, Jeff sent me an article that found that unsafe levels of lead (actually any amount is not considered safe for kids and babies) were recently found in tons of kids foods and baby foods - brands like Gerber, Langers, etc. Mostly, they were found in juices and canned fruits. It made me so angry!
So, that day at the store, even though I knew which ones to avoid, I just couldn't really buy any baby food. And I also looked at the labels - carrots, apples, peas - and knew that I could totally make all these myself. I just needed to do it.
So I have yet to buy baby food (though I am sure I probably will again at some point). But the whole experience just reiterated what I've always been taught - that prepackaged things are never as good for you. And especially when it comes to Mary - I want her to be safe and healthy.
Here is the link to the article:

kids foods may contain lead

Anyway, I have made lots of foods for Mary - winter squash, bananas, apples, pears, peas, blueberries and bought food this week to make carrots, sweet potatoes, and apricots.
Here are some pictures of the Beaba in action!

The apples are steaming in the basket.

After the steaming is done, you put the apples in the bottom part of the Beaba and blend away.





Delicious applesauce with cinnamon and allspice! Oh! And this is Mary's new highchair we got this weekend. We really needed it because she was just in the Bumbo on the counter before this. I love the Bumbo - but I was really getting nervous that she might wiggle out of it soon. Here is what she was in before. . .



My fuzzy cutie bear

Take THAT - you stinkin' allergies!!!

June hit and with it came the familiar itching in the back of my throat and ears (and sneezing too - but that I can usually handle - except of course when I was pregnant last year and had THE worst attack of my life. Seriously! I sneezed for like 8 hours straight.)

I called the pediatrician to see what I could take while I was nursing. I was relieved to find out I can take Claritin instead of the coma inducing Benadryl. I went to the store to buy some - and I have it now. But that night last week, I still really didn't want to have to resort to drugs if I could get rid of it naturally ESPECIALLY since I'm nursing. So I broke out my trusty NETI pot (aka nasal cleansing pot) and used it and I haven't had to break open the Claritin yet!
I highly recommend the Neti pot if you haven't tried it and have a cold or have allergies!

Tonight we were outside. Jeff was pulling weeds and Mary and I sat in the grass. I think it was only a few minutes and that itching came back. It drives me crazy. After putting Mary down for the night - I went straight into my bathroom and used my Neti pot and now I have sweet, sweet relief!

Trash Talk

I was thinking today about how much I enjoy recycling. We just switched trash companies and with it, we are starting a trial period of recycling. I love it, but Jeff doesn't love the space it takes up in the garage. So we'll see (we could easily rearrange a few things and/or finally break open that grill that we got as a wedding gift almost 11 years ago).

But anyway, this trash company does recycling right. First off the recycle bin has a lid unlike the other companies. Those others bins just blow over too easily and then trash is spread throughout the neighborhood. Also, in addition to paperboard, cardboard, glass, aluminum, etc. - this company takes plastics 1-7! That is more plastic than our last trash company.

It is like a little treasure hunt! My sister Beckie agrees (we discussed this at my last visit to her house). I love to look at my finished plastic strawberries crate, or lotion bottle, and discover the little triangle below telling me that this too can be recycled.

I like the fact that I am helping out our environment in a small way. Our huge bin is halfway full from one weeks worth full of recyclables. And speaking of that . . .
I have a little pet peeve when it comes to trash. If possible, I think people should put their trash in a can that has a bag. Otherwise, on trash day, when the trash is emptied into the trucks, lightweight string cheese wrappers and potato chip bags don't blow out of the can and spread throughout the neighborhood and eventually to our oceans (anyone see that Oprah where they showed the huge amount of trash as big as the state of Texas in our oceans?).
It is like the talk recently given by one of the general authorities (someone tell me who). The GOOD, BETTER, BEST one. GOOD to throw away your trash. BETTER to throw it into a bagged trash can, BEST to recycle or reuse it if you can!