The Clothesline Challenge Is Over

Today is the last day of July - the end of Gift of Green's 2008 Clothesline Challenge.  I signed up for Intermediate which committed me to dry at least 50% of our laundry on the line rather than in the dryer.  I was striving for Advanced which is 90% and up.  Advanced is hard.  I had hit advanced there for a bit I believe at the end of June, but then it started getting rather rainy and I had to get ready for vacation where I was pressed to do a lot of laundry in a little time so I dropped.  I'm ending the challenge at 73% which I don't think is too shabby.  It's crazy to know that since the beginning of June (because I joined the 3 month challenge 1 month into it) that I have done 98 loads of laundry!  That is crazy.  I never before really kept track of how much laundry I do.  I knew there was a lot, but wow.  Out of those 98 loads I have air dried 72 loads.  Pretty nice. 

This challenge has made me really enjoy line drying so much so that I am looking to get a couple retractable lines to put upstairs so that when it is too cold or rainy that I can air dry inside.  I already have a small drying rack that I purchased at Target originally for drying my wool.  I never used it too much until this challenge.  I have now found that that small rack can be quite convenient.  I can hang an entire load of diapers (washing every other day) on that rack which is nice because they take longer than normal wash to dry so they don't tie up my line all day.  And I can air dry them no matter the weather.  I also found that it is wonderful for socks and underwear.  It is tedious to hang each of them on the line so instead I can do it while sitting on my couch.  Lazy, perhaps, but it is much nicer.  And if suddenly it rains it doesn't take as long to pick that up and bring it in as to pull dozens of socks off the line.  I'm quite fond of my little rack.

So although the Clothesline Challenge is over for this year, it will not stop me from continuing on with my line drying.  Thank you, Amy for this challenge as without it I'm not sure I would have really gotten hooked on it as much.  Because you know everything is more fun as a challenge.  ;) 

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A Challenge for August

It really bothers me the amount that we eat out and especially eat fast food.  First there is the reason that it is so dang unhealthy.  When we eat out E-Man eats chicken nuggets and K-Girl eats a burger, period.  Talk about good for you.  Then after that there is the fact that there is so much waste - talking fast food in particular here.  I just cringe when the meal is over and I have to throw that big ole bag of trash into the garbage.  And the last big reason is the cost.  I would love to know, scratch that, I really don't want to know how much money we spend on food out of the house. 

I remember when I was a kid there was something special about McDonald's and other places to eat out.  It wasn't an every day thing.  It was a special treat that we got excited about and it was not close enough that we just went and got it and brought it home either.  K-Girl is spoiled.  She expects it.  This is no one's fault other than The Husband and mine.  So it is up to us to fix it. 

Last night The Husband and I were talking and I said I would love to eat healthier, to make less processed food, get rid of the soda and everything "diet" to rid us of all the artificial stuff, and biggest to STOP EATING OUT!  This is not as easy for me as I am such a picky person, but I do really want to change that.  I'm going to put forth a good effort to start trying different things and trying them over and over to try to get some better things into my food repertoire.  Now we all know that everything is more fun as a challenge so I said perhaps it would be fun to make it a challenge and focus on something for a month and go from there. 

Our first challenge - August?  No eating out.   For this whole month we are going to try eating in.  Now The Husband asked me what we would do with regards to days where we go away and are not home to eat.  I said if we are gone for just lunch we could possibly pack our lunch, but if we are gone all day we might have to eat out.  However, if we need to eat out it cannot be fast food.  So August is eat at home and ABSOLUTELY NO FAST FOOD.  I'll keep you guys posted on our progress and struggles, but I'm excited about it.  I'm looking forward to eating a bit healthier, having less waste, and more money in our pockets.

Anyone care to join me?  Feel free and if you do let me know how you are doing with it.

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Slow down, you move too fast

Days like today don't happen nearly enough.  Granted I didn't get to sleep in, but it's productive and not rushed.  Those two things almost never happen, especially together.  The Husband had a foot doctor appointment so he had left right before I had to get out of bed with the kids.  K-Girl came over and told me she was up so I urged her to join me in bed and turned on cartoons.  It didn't last though.  Less than 5 minutes later E-Man started crying so I had to pull myself out of bed.  We did the morning routine and not too much later The Husband returned frap in hand.  What a guy!  :)  Together, we all got the upstairs picked up and I got some wash started.  Then what started as just a repositioning of the sofa lead to the entire rearranging of the play room.  Good stuff.  Next there was a biting incident which landed E-Man in time out and K-Girl with ice applied to her nose.  Yes, he bit her in the nose...and left a mark.  I was not witness, but The Husband saw it all.  Poor K-Girl.  Now E-Man is up for nap.  I got the wash hung out on the line and K-Girl and The Husband are working outside cleaning up and whatnot.  Tonight we are heading down to the inlaw's house as there are fireworks getting set off after the carnival down their way.  Since we missed fireworks for the 4th we thought we'd check these out.  What is even better is that we have no plans again tomorrow.  Seriously, I cannot tell you the last time we had a down weekend and were able to just do as we please and leisurely work around the house.  Perhaps come Monday my house will look better than Friday instead of resembling the path of a tornado.  Now if only I could get E-Man sleeping again.  He was up 4 times last night.  ~sigh~  We were doing so well before our Canada trip.  Ah well.  We'll get there. 

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"Molly, go for a ride?!"

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Today I decided that I'd share a picture of Molly.  I snapped this picture right before we left to take her to the kennel before our trip to Canada.  Like most dogs, when you say "ride" and many other words she knows exactly what is going on and gets so excited.  She was just on cloud 9 to be going in the car.  Now granted at that time she didn't know that she would be heading down to the kennel for a week long stay.  But honestly I use the term kennel loosely.  This place is more like a Wyndham resort for dogs rather than a kennel.  You can pick camps and they take her out to play however many times you want them to.  We always go with 2, but there are people that pick even more (or less).  They take them out for potty but in addition depending on if you pick camps they get to go play in the play yard where there could be a kiddie pool if it's hot and other toys or play frisbee or ball.  They also take them for walks back in the woods.  I like to feel that she is enjoying her time as much as we are our time away.  So she doesn't mind going to the kennel, but she was loving the fact that she was about to go for a ride.  I think it shows in her face. 

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Stubby the Wonder Squirrel

This is our "pet" squirrel, Stubby.  Pardon the poor picture quality as it was taken in digital zoom through a screen.  He always runs when I try to open the door to get a better picture.  I always thought that squirrels just roam around, but he's been with us all summer.  I'd just like to know what ever happened to his tail.  Although he is really cute without it.  I think I'm in the minority because I always enjoy watching the squirrels at the feeder.  However, I think we should get a second feeder so that the birds can get a little eating in as well.  The poor birds will sit up on the hook just waiting for our pigs squirrels to finish. 

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Free baby carriers anyone?

I happened across a link to this giveaway on another blog in my travels today and I thought I would share with you.  Who wouldn't like a free baby carrier let alone all of these!?! 

Win the Essential Babywearing Stash from Along for the Ride (one Beco Butterfly, one Hotsling baby pouch, one BabyHawk Mei Tai, one Zolowear Ring Sling, and one Gypsy Mama Wrap)

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Cleaning swap?

Could I interest anyone in a cleaning swap?  You come clean my bathrooms and I'll do your wash, dishes, vacuuming, heck anything else you want.  I hate cleaning bathrooms.  Hate it!  Although at the moment I need to tidy up the rest of the house that the kids have trashed before I can start on that lovely chore.  Did I mention, I've got cookies?  Granted they aren't from scratch, but we baked them.  Chocolate Chip and very yummy.  Although you better hurry if you want to have them...they are going quick.   Oink!

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Pegalicious

I meant to share this when it came, but life got crazy and I forgot.  So here it is. 

Isn't it cute? 

Amy over at Gift of Green had a drawling for those taking part in her Clothesline Challenge (check out my little bit on the side bar) and I won!  The peg bag is from Nini Makes and I must say it's great!  It is really well made and it's cute to boot.  Thank you so much, Amy! 

The clothesline challenge is almost over, but I will continue to air dry.  I had been running at just around 90% but the beginning of the month was quite rainy and then before vacation I was so rushed that I was cranking out load after load and picked the lazy way of the dryer.  So I'm down to 70% again but it's climbing.  We had a few gorgeous days that were just perfect for line drying.  I would like some more of those.  But I'm caught up on my wash so I guess other than diapers I'm good for a bit. 

I am so glad I decided to take part in this challenge.  I really can't imagine how much I have really saved our family.  I need to get the bills out and see if I can tell.  To date I'm up to 60 loads of wash that would have otherwise been thrown in the dryer (Since the beginning of June!).  That has got to speak for something.  Thanks again, Amy, for such a wonderful idea of a challenge.  :)  If you do it again I'll be sure to be participating...and hopefully running more of the time at advanced. 

My next idea?  Retractable clothes lines upstairs to not only be able to air dry outside, but indoors as well.  I'm giddy at the possibilities. 

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"Green" as far as disposables go

Before my trip to Canada I knew I was going to have to break down and buy some disposable diapers for the time we were away.  At just about that same time a friend on a message board spoke of these biodegradable sposies that she was planning on using on her new baby until she was ready to start in with cloth.  I checked out the link and decided they were perfect to give a try for the trip. 

The diapers are called Nature Babycare Diapers.  They describe their diapers as...

The diaper is soft, thin, comfortable and with perfect sizing. It’s performance is as good as the best ”traditional” diapers. It has an exclusive 100 % chlorine free absorbent material and the material against the baby's skin is based on corn instead of plastic like traditional diapers, 100% compostable, breathable and extremely kind for the baby. The packaging is 100 % compostable and based on corn.

I had yet to meet a sposie that was supposed to be better for babies and the environment that was as good as a Pampers or Huggies, but I must tell you - these are.  E-Man was in Nature Babycare diapers from Saturday to Saturday and he did not have a single leak.  He wore them over night and no problems at all.  We even had no poopy explosions.  These diapers did perform as good (if not better) as any traditional diaper I have ever used. 

 So how about some pictures?  I personally like to see the product that is getting raved on...

This is the package...

And this is what the diaper actually looks like...

How about some action shots?

So they aren't as cute as cloth, but I won't be too judgmental.  ;)  As far as sposies go I give these diapers two thumbs up.  I'll buy them if there is a next time that I won't be able to use cloth on E-Man. 

A few things I like about them other than the obvious eco-friendly aspects: 

The tabs are stretchy which give you the ability to get that good fit around top,  Your little one will not wake in the morning with those nasty gel beads stuck to their heiny as there are none of them in this diaper.  On either side of the absorbent center there are gussets which keep the poop in.  This is something that a lot of the big brands have but some of the value brands I've tried lack.  And last is just the softer feeling and knowing that they breathe. 

I ordered E-Man's diapers from Diapers.com and I have to say that I am very much impressed.  First of all they were here within two days of ordering them.  However, when I opened the box I was greeted by the wrong diapers.  I immediately called customer service and the woman who I spoke to was friendly and helpful.  She arranged for delivery of the correct product and pick up and return of the wrong product.  The very next day UPS came and picked up the wrong order - all I had to do was close up the box.  And the day after that the correct diapers arrived.  Everyone screws up now and then so I don't hold that against them.  In my opinion it is more what happens when an Oops occurs and with that they were great.  Diapers.com has cheaper shipping than I was able to find elsewhere for these diapers and they do offer free shipping on orders over $49.  And if you are ordering from them you can use my referral code (MXMM7597) and get $5.00 off your first order (I get $1.00 credit each time it is used). ***EDITING TO TELL YOU THAT - I was just told that when you use my referral code you get $10.00 off not $5.00! Even better!***

I almost forgot.  You're probably wondering how much these diapers cost.  The cost for a single pack is $11.99 (size 3 - 34 diapers) at Diapers.com or a case of 4 will run you $44.99 ($11.25 per pack).  A pack of Huggies Supreme which is what I would have bought in mainstream diapers cost $10.99 (size 3 - 35 diapers).  So would you pay $1.00 more for something that is so much better for everyone?  I would, have, and will again. 

So if you're a sposie user please check out Nature Babycare for a diaper that is friendlier to your baby and the environment that WORKS. 

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Because I'm a slacker

I never did share E-Man's 1 year and K-Girl's 4 year pictures.  They were only taken like a month ago now.  The ones with watermarks were taken at Picture People and without were taken at Portrait Innovations.  Enjoy.  :)

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Went missing again

You may be wondering what happened to me again.  If so, I just got home from Canada.  We went to visit my sister and her family.  We left last Sunday morning and just got back home very early this morning (2:30am-ish).  It was nice to see the family again as it is typically just once a year or so that we see them.  This time it has been just 6 months as we decided that we shouldn't plan the trip for winter anymore.  It seems every time we do the trip the weather is a major factor.  Last trip we were stuck in a hotel for the entire trip due to near blizzard conditions.  We've smartened up and as a result were able to play at the park and splash pad, go to the zoo, take a day for shopping, and other actual activities.  It was nice though, aside from being in the car way too much - especially when it came to the actual trip up and back which both were 13+ hours. 

I have yet to actually check my camera, but I should have some pictures to share here soon. 

And a side note - We got a Wii!  We have wanted one for a while but with the fact that every time we have actually looked into getting one we could never find one it just never happened.  Well we found a few of them in Canada and gave into our impulse.  We now have a Wii.  The Husband is unpacking it as I type. 

And one more side note - E-Man is no longer a crawler.  He found his legs in Canada.  He only crawled maybe two or three times today.  It's all about walking.  And he is into EVERYTHING (which is exactly why I was quite content with a crawler). 

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Photostory Friday #3

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

It's nice to be back.  I'm glad that it's Friday and time again to share with you one of my photos and the story behind it.  Make sure to click the link above to share in the fun and (or) visit other participants. 

Last month we went "up home" to visit my family.  We do this entirely too seldom.  It was a nice trip up and when we were at my grandparent's house my grandpa decided to take E-Man outside with him (and K-Girl too).  The big deal here is that E-Man will let VERY few people hold him let alone leave me behind and go.  He didn't protest.  He had a look of "Oh my gosh, what are you doing???" however he did not cry.  The three of them went down to look at the neighbor's sheep through the tree row.  They visited the chickens in the coop.  You know those chickens put up a pretty good show to urge you to leave them alone.   It was then that E-Man decided best to put his trust in Great Grandpa and hold on for dear life.

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I love her

Speaking of Ani DiFranco at the moment. 

Do you love her too?  If you know her and you don't, well I can't be friends with you any longer and if you don't know her, please educate yourself.  ;)

Yesterday, Ani played a show at The Mann Center in Philadelphia.  Regina Spektor opened for her.  The entire concert was awesome.  The Mann Center is really quite a neat venue as it is open air.  It was slightly humid but comfortable.  It was slightly echo-y which made understanding (especially Regina Spektor) a bit difficult at times, but none-the-less was fantastic. 

I have seen Ani 3 times now and this was my favorite.  She played an awesome set of both older and newer songs.  Just a great show. 

Only gripe was alcohol.  I find when a venue sells alcohol there are always those idiots who like to get wasted and bother everyone around them.  We had two directly in front of us two rows up.  "Sky and Kellie with an ie" They were completely gone and made it very hard to enjoy Regina Spektor.  Luckily though they had an idea to go exploring or something or other after the first song Ani played and were escorted out.  *insert cheers and applauding here*

For those of you that may be interested here is a short video first of Regina Spektor and then of Ani DiFranco.  And if you haven't check our her tour schedule.  She is amazing to hear recorded, but it does not compare to Ani in concert. 

I cannot wait until the next time...

...and Devon, you are coming along whenever that may be.  :)

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The Hello Kitty & Chococat Party

K-Girl's birthday party theme was Hello Kitty & Chococat and we had the party Sunday June 29th. There was originally going to be 41 people (including adults) but luckily we had 3 kid no shows, 1 cancelled last minute, 1 got sick and then you count in all the parents that those kids belonged to and it got the number down to a much more manageable group. So in the end I was happy with the turnout. I had been freaking out just a tad beforehand. It went well if I do say so myself.

I made the cakes (bought the cupcakes). Favors were Hello Kitty/Chococat folders that I got at Target with coloring pages that I printed online and a sheet of stickers. I wrote their name on it and put in the flower for the game and the candy sacks for the pinata. When they came in they colored (or played with toys). Then we played Pin the Flower on Hello Kitty and Hot Potato which was played with a Hello Kitty kick ball. The pinata was next. I decided to get one that you hit rather than a pull string due to terrible selection. I made little bags out of white paper lunch sacks and printed off a picture of Chococat and attached that to the side of the bag. I wrote the names on it so that when left laying around, they would be able to find their own treats. The other food was just fresh fruit, cheese, crackers, cheese balls, and these pudding cones ( http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/puddin-snow-cones-56668.aspx ) which were a HUGE hit and super yummy. And then I made a pink punch. For prizes I found some Hello Kitty activity books and whatnot at 5 Below and for those that didn't win the game they got a small snack pack of M&Ms so no one felt left out. I believe that's about it so on with the pictures?

Here you go...

Cake table:

The cakes:
I made the two kitty cakes - K-Girl saw the cupcakes at Sam's and had to have them. I figured it was better than having to make more myself.  I was quite pleased with the way Hello Kitty turned out.  I used jelly beans for her eyes, nose, and flower and black gel icing for her whiskers.  Chococat came out well other than the gel icing I got for his ears wasn't as yellow as I was looking for.  With it being last minute I had to settle though.  His eyes are Oreo cookies halved and a little circle taken out that I filled with chocolate icing.  His whiskers are the same gel as I used on Hello Kitty and I used Wilton icing color I had left over from E-Man's monster cake to color Chococat's collar.  If you would like to make one of these cakes there are super helpful templates over here - http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/cartoons/hellokitty/cake.htm

Other yummy goodies:

Playing "Pin the Flower on Hello Kitty":

Playing "Hot Potato" - K-Girl was the first out:

Oh the pinata! *LOL* The kids all took a whack at it with blindfolds and then without and we gave up because it wasn't looking like it was going to happen. So big daddy *ROFL* steps up to the plate...

And smashed the thing to hard that candy hit the house. *L* He said that had he not broken it he would have never heard the end of it. So he made sure to do it.  There were a few casualties (ie. smashed beyond belief lollipops).

The kids were just happy finally to have candy...

Then it was time for cake. K-Girl chose to have the candle in Hello Kitty...

Presents followed...

And she's getting the rest of her present from us (we were too busy to wrap it, but I figure it wasn't any different than opening a gift bag. *L* Ah well. This was her Hello Kitty SIGG bottle. She was so excited!

It's a good feeling to be done with parties for another year. 

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2008 has not been kind behind the wheel

First there was the incident on the way home from Borders...

Next there was an unfortunate meeting of my tires and a squirrel...

Next was the parking lot mishap - back of my car met another car...much damage to my back hatch

And just this morning I took out a groundhog.

*cry*

Before this year I have only had one accident and that was within the first 6 months of driving and I have killed three birds also within the first say yearish of driving. And I don't feel as bad for birds because well they are birds! Fly a little higher you stupid thing. But I feel so bad about the squirrel and the groundhog. Both times there was nothing I could do. The squirrel (no, he was not a local squirrel) was as I was going through this wooded area and he ran down the embankment and bam. I didn't even have a moment to process or react. And today as I was coming to the top of this little blind hill there he was crossing the yellow lines coming right onto my side. I swerved onto the burm to try to miss him but it was too late.

*cry*

I'm sorry little animals. I truly am.