Discovering new music...

These guys sent me a friend request on myspace, and being curious, I checked them out. I like the sound, and am currently looking out for more videos. I thought I'd point them out to you!

Still Sick

I'm still pretty sick....Blogging from the comfort of under my covers. Having to take the kids to school when your head is exploding, and your lungs are desperately sucking air stinks. I feel like my head is going to pop off if I sneeze one more time, and all of my joints hurts so much that it's even hurting to type right now. My mom would say "So stop typing!" So I'm going to. Just wanted you to know I'm not dead. I have to say, also, automatic posts are awesome. Did you see the music video? Those guys are really nice....even gave me about an album's worth of their music free.

Hopefully, I'll feel better soon, and I can start posting for real. watch out for that damn swine flu. Gees!

Thursday's Thoughts

Today's thought:

If you would persuade you must appeal to interest rather than intellect. - Ben Franklin

Yet another week where I discuss the new mission I find myself in. If it seems like I'm obsessing, maybe just a little. Anyhow, the soldiers, being humans like the rest of us sometimes loose their reason for marching on. The quickest way to get them back on line is often to simply pay attention to what they want from the army and get them pointed into the right direction.

Plus anytime I get to work a quote from Mr. Franklin into my week is a big plus. Have a great week.

Friday Fill-ins

1. I must ___travel abroad__ before I die.

2. You can't stop ___time from moving on__.

3. I wish I never had to buy _gas____ again.

4. _The army, certianly____ has helped me change my life.

5. I know the song __"I like big butts"___ by heart.

6. If I weren't so afraid, I would _bungee jump____.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _another awesome hummus recipe____, tomorrow my plans include ___organizing my room, I think__ and Sunday, I want to _Watch a new desperate housewives____!

Boredom Finds Funny Things On Internet

'Nough said. *giggle*

Earth Week, Day Six

Some tidbits you may not know:

Billions of diapers a DAY are thrown into landfills...Cloth diapers may take a little more work, and are a tad expensive to start out, but a billion times better than a plastic diaper! I've done a little bit of research about biodegradable diapers, only to find out that they really don't have any benefits for the environment if they are thrown out with the trash. There are some diapers that are supposed to be flushed down the toilet, but that just doesn't make a lot of sense to me, when you can just as easily wash a load of diapers and reuse them! You can find cloth diapers on ebay, etsy, and www.diaperswappers.com

Did you know that you can buy recycled toilet paper? I've used the Seventh Generation brand, and it works just as well as my other go-to brand (the cheapest, in the 24 pack, yikes paper for the bathroom is expensive!) I have also found great deals for such paper on http://www.amazon.com/ if you want to get into bulk buying, which in this economy is a plus, considering the amount you can save if you do the math!

Jay and I recently discovered biodegradable trash bags, and though they may be a bit more expensive, if you want to do a bunch of little easy things, this is one of those changes that won't cause you any extra work, and it does help. The website we found, which is a great site for a lot of the things I've been talking about is : http://www.greenerdaze.com

Another thing that I like to do is use recycled paper. I squeeze every bit of use I can, and at http://www.givesomethingback.com/newleaf.html you can purchase a TON of paper for your printer/fax/copier that is made with 100% post-consumer waste, and processed chlorine free. For extra awesome, use the backs of already used paper to make notebooks for notes, or to print homework on, or to make your grocery lists.

Each year, Americans throw away 84.000 tons of alkaline batteries. Google rechargeable (AA,AAA,D,C Etc) and you will see that they are about the same price as throw away batteries. Now it just makes sense to buy them....save the planet, save some money!

I heard this on Regis and Kelly the other day : a lady suggested that we take Tupperware to restaurants to avoid having to use Styrofoam containers for doggie bags. Great idea!

Also, if you take your own travel mug to a coffee shop, a lot of them will actually give you a discount if they fill yours up instead of one of theirs!

Have you ever been faced with a pile of old cans of paint, and not know how to get rid of them? Well, you can actually donate unused cans of paint to habitat for humanity! How cool is that?

And lastly, for today, a couple of things that will help both your budget and the planet. Instead of throwing away old clothes and shoes, donate them to Goodwill, The Salvation army, or Am Vets (they used to have thrift stores...but it's been a while since I've seen one. I've been in BFE for twenty years, lol.) When you aren't getting rid of stuff, take the time to actually shop in these stores. The money goes to great causes, and if you dig in a bit you will find huge savings, and if you are lucky enough to have a great Goodwill like in Clarksville, Tennessee you will find awesome name brand stuff. Don't forget that Goodwill is where I found that China set! I'm not ashamed to say that the majority of stuff I use is from either goodwill, ebay, or consignment shops. My husband IS a soldier after all, and they don't pay us enough to shop for clothes at the mall! (not that I really would anyway. I HATE the mall!!!!)

Also, you can check out www.freecycle.com to find or get rid of things for free. Awesome website! Just be darned careful about meeting people alone in your/their house. ALL meetings should take place in public for your safety!!!

Earth Week Day Five

I'm feeling a little ill today, which is why this post is just going to be about where you can go to educate yourself about earth related stuff, and to learn interesting facts. After this, I'm going to try to sleep off the migraine that has been threatening since three this morning. Complete with nausea and light sensitivity. Don't know what I'm going to do when I have to go get the girls from school in the 80 degree weather and startlingly bright sunshine!

A list of websites that Jay found for me, all earth-week related. Have fun!

http://www.stumbleupon.com/earthday/ (someone will plant trees for you)
http://www.seql.org/100ways.cfm (100 ways to save the environment)
http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/ (Find out your carbon footprint with a cool interactive quiz.)
http://www.breathingearth.net/ (Fascinating info about birth/death rates, and our co2 emissions)
http://planetsave.com/ (blog 'bout saving....you guessed it, the planet)
http://www.treehugger.com/gogreen.php (great ideas)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/magazine/20wwln-lede-t.html (Witty and interesting article/site. We have to start somewhere, b/c if EveryOne decided to wait around for someone else to start, no one ever would....)

Thursday's Thoughts

The thought for today:

It does me no injury for my neighbor to say that there are twenty gods or no god. - Thomas Jefferson

My new job has me working with some retired soldiers that have been contracted to the Army to teach the job that they worked many years doing. One of them in particular is very adamantly a conservative from the religious right. As you may have predicted this has caused more than a few discussions of opinions already. Our talk today covered, among other things, the intentionally secular nature of our constitution. Since the topic shifted with him still unconvinced, I did a little research, and this quote, from arguably the greatest founding father stood out amongst quotes from many others as the most blatant. Our country was founded in order to protect the rights of the smallest minority so long as those rights did not infringe upon the rights of anyone else. This is perhaps something we should all reflect upon as we go throughout this week.

Bummed From Rene'

Random Survey - just for fun!
1. First thing you wash in the shower? hair

2. What color is your favorite hoodie? grey, with the names of all the major newspapers written all over it.

3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? Of course!

4. Do you plan outfits? nope

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? bored

6. What's the closest thing to you that's red? The stones on my squash necklace.

7. What was the last dream you remember having? I haven't slept well enough to have a good dream in a while.

8. Did you meet anybody new today? Ya, the idiot at Miah's school who insists on telling me the exact thing every damn day. I wanna choke her, but instead I lectured her about assuming.

9. What are you craving right now? quiet

10. Do you floss? When I think about it

11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? Eggrolls

12. Are you emotional? errr...some people would say so.

13. Have you ever counted to 1,000? Yes

14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? lick it, unless it's on a spoon.

15. Do you like your hair? sometimes.

16. Do you like yourself? Yes, I do.

17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? only if I could watch him choke on his pretzel.

18. What are you listening to right now? water falling

19. Are your parents strict? Not anymore lol

20. Would you go sky diving? Possibly, if I could train extensively.

21. Do you like cottage cheese? occasionally

22. Have you ever met a celebrity? Yes, actually. And quite a few politicians. Yay, army life.

23. Do you rent movies often? Blockbuster mail is awesome!

24. Is there anything sparkly in the room in which you are? Do my beads count?

25. What countries have you visited? Mexico... *Sigh* just this one.

26. Have you made a prank phone call? Yar, duh!

27. Ever been on a train? Yes! I love trains!

28. Brown or white eggs? They both taste the same....But I like the look of the brown ones.

29. Do you have a cell-phone? Yes, even though I no longer really need it.

31. Do you use chapstick? not really

32. Do you own a gun? Yuppers.

33. Can you use chopsticks? yes!

34. Who are you going to be with tonight? My husband and kids.

35. Are you too forgiving? Not if I can help it.

36. Ever been in love? Still am...

37. What is your best friend doing tomorrow? I have not a clue....but she could email and tell me!

38. Ever have cream puffs? Yes

39. Last time you cried? I don't remember.

40. What was the last question you asked? What do you think you are doing???

41. Favorite time of the year? Spring

42. Do you have any tattoos? Yes

43. Are you sarcastic? NEVER! Ha HA Ha

44. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect? Yes, and it was interesting.

45. Ever walked into a wall? Not that I recall. I have done similar silly things though.

46. Favorite color? Toss up between green and red

47. Have you ever slapped someone? Yes, many times. I'll do it again too.

48. Is your hair curly? Only if I let it be.

49. What was the last CD you bought? I think it was adele, or possibly the twilight sound track for Laurel Loo

50. Do looks matter? no. Cleanliness and personality do however!

51. Could you ever forgive a cheater? Forgiving isn't really in my arsenal. I do fine though.

52. Is your phone bill sky high? Not too bad.

53. Do you like your life right now? Yes...except I'm starting to get a little bored. I'm not really cute out for this staying at home thing.

54. Do you sleep with the TV on? Ya, I got into the habit while Jay was gone. I need the distraction now.

55. Can you handle the truth?Yes. Though people lie so often, how does one know when one hears it?

56. Do you have good vision? Nope. And my hearing is shot too!

57. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? not at this very moment. I'm sure that will change.

58. How often do you talk on the phone? Hardly ever.

59. The last person you held hands with? Jay

60. What are you wearing? Jeans, and my favorite hoodie

61. What is your favorite animal? If I said chickens, would you think I was odd?

62. Where was your profile picture taken? At a beach front restaurant in Maine.

63. Can you hula hoop? nope, never actually tried.

64. Do you have a job? I'm a mom, enough said.

65. What was the most recent thing you bought? A pair of soft star shoes! http://www.softstarshoes.com/ They are the best shoes ever!!

66. Have you ever crawled through a window? Yes, I have. But not illegally. :)

Earth Week Day Four

Happy Earth Day!



Thanks to GMA for today's cool idea. I haven't done this yet, but I am definitely going to check it out! http://www.terracycle.net/index.htm

Today I want to give you a list of household cleaners that you might not have thought of as "cleaners" before, and also some alternatives to feminine products that will reduce our landfill mass.

First the cleaners:

Baking Soda (as a paste with water) to clean and polish water faucets and other chrome fixtures, counter tops, appliances, to soak pots and pans in, red wine and coffee stains, to kill mildew, and a mixture of baking soda and vinegar chased with boiling water ( one part vinegar, one part baking soda {after the fizz is done}) to clean out your drains.
Vinegar cuts grease and deodorizes, cleans built up lime scale, washes windows, and the same baking soda and vinegar mixture will clean a toilet!
Borax is a great laundry soap that comes in powder form, which you use just as you would your regular laundry soap.
Castor oil cleans and conditions leather.
Cornmeal cleans up grease stains. Rub it on, then wipe off.
Lemon juice works on lime scale, and can also be mixed into your baking soda pastes to add a pleasant smell, and also, if you place a lemon peel into your garbage disposal while it is running, it will get rid of nasty smells.
Olive oil takes finger marks off of stainless steel, and also when mixed with vinegar (one part vinegar to three parts oil) makes a great floor polish (add some of that lemon too)
And we all know Soda water works on carpet and laundry spills.

The Feminine Products:
Fair warning, to use these you need to be fairly comfortable with your own bodily functions. As a mom, I have no more issues with "ewwies" (to quote Miah) I've used the Diva cup for years, thanks in part to my friend Sara (don't remember how THAT came up!?!?) and I'd never go back. You may want to stick to disposables for young women that may not be responsible enough to use the washable pads, however.

From www.divacup.com

Women around the world are increasingly aware of how they can make a significant, positive environmental impact by switching from disposable tampons and pads to The DivaCup. This simple change is as significant as switching from plastic to canvas bags!

The DivaCup is reusable and made from silicone. This makes it an important, environmentally responsible feminine hygiene choice!

Women, on average, experience a lifetime menstruation span of 41 years (11-52). From use of disposable feminine hygiene, an estimated 12 billion sanitary pads and 7 billion tampons are dumped into the North American environment each year (1998). More than 170,000 tampon applicators were collected along U.S. coastal areas between 1998 and 1999. Our revolutionary, reusable product is a modern, viable alternative to disposable tampons and pads.

Most tampons and pads contain surfactants, adhesives and additives. In addition, most pads contain polyethylene plastic whose production is a pollutant. Also, dioxin, a known carcinogen, is a by-product of the bleaching process of tampons containing rayon. In landfills, many of these substances can leach into the environment (groundwater, streams and lakes) causing serious pollution and health concerns.

Although not all women can afford to purchase an energy-efficient hybrid car or convert their home to solar energy, they can reduce dangerous landfill waste by choosing to use a reusable, silicone menstrual cup. When considering the pollution and volume of waste that is inherent in the use of disposable tampons and pads, replacing one’s feminine hygiene with The DivaCup makes good environmental sense and manifests in a positive eco-footprint every month!

www.divacup.com


If you are to squeamish to use the Diva cup, there are other alternatives. I however find the diva cup much easier to use and clean. Other things I have used and like are cloth pads:
http://manymoonsalternatives.com/ This site has a lot of great items!
http://www.treecitydiapers.com/store/product/8880/HH-Mama-Pads-Regular/ These are really good ones, with built in snaps to keep them folded, and double as "wings". This site also has REUSABLE NURSING PADS.
And of course, www.etsy.com and www.ebay.com are both great places to find these sort of things. And if you feel crafty, you can even make your own!


Any questions, hollar at me!

Army Wives!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are back in business June 7th!! I can't freaking wait!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What, my blog?

I happened upon this today, and it got me to wondering who exactly IS reading all this meandering? Do me a favor, leave a comment, even if you just found me accidentally, and let me know who/what/why you are reading. I'm just curious!

({[<Not that I feel this way, about anyone, just got me wondering>]})

From: http://www.blogherald.com/

EGOMANIACS: Friends, acquaintances - dare I say enemies - who want to see if I’m writing about them. They also want to get the inside track on what I’m up to for their own personal gain.

COMPETITION: They visit the blog to see what I’m covering since they
desperately lack creativity.

IDENTIFIERS: These folks feel like they ‘know me.’
They comment on every post, send e-mails with leads and can be considered ‘#1′
fans. It’s nice…but a little scary.

ANONYMOUS: They come, they go. If they
return, it will likely be by accident.

DROPPER-BY: This person stops by every few
weeks. They’ll occasionally comment. They like your blog, but not enough to
visit every day or become actively involved.

IP LOOKUP FREAK: Just because
you attended fourth grade with someone apparently gives them license to ‘find
you.’ They search high and low, discovering your blog while making a concerted
effort to find you.

GOLDILOCKS: In my opinion, the best of the bunch. This
reader is not too hot, not too cold; they maintain a nice balance. They pledge
their allegiance to your blog but have a life beyond it.

Earth Week Day Three

Every day, the average American produces four and a half pounds of trash-75% of which is recyclable.
Recycling is much easier than it used to be....You used to have to sort your paper products and keep out any glossy papers, and make sure there were no paper clips of staples still attached. Now, as long as you don't try to recycle anything with food stains, or plastic coated plates or cups, or books (send to Goodwill!) you are good to go! Even if you don't have to motivation to recycle ALL of your trash, just recycling your paper products helps.

The big thing I want to talk about today is composting. We just recently started doing this officially, but for years now I've done a sort of half hearted version (I.E. using the far back corner of my yard to break down animal waste, old leaves, and things like banana peels and coffee grounds) to supplement the cruddy dirt in front of my house to grow my roses. I've decided to get serious now, and cut my families trash in half by composting our food scraps. Here is the info:
There are several different kinds of composting bins, but this is the one we thought would work for us best (easily cleaned and broken down for moving)
http://www.4seasongreenhouse.com/garden-gourmet-gallon-composting-p-1660.html

I also have a kitchen sized version for less trips to the bin (have to walk down two sets of steps)
http://www.4seasongreenhouse.com/kitchen-compost-pail-gallon-p-2203.html


Why compost?

Using compost can reduce the need for water, fertilizers, and pesticides. Composting also keeps organic items from clogging up landfills, helping them to last longer. In addition, as yard wastes decompose in landfills, they generate methane gas and acidic leachate. Methane is a colorless, explosive greenhouse gas that is released as bacteria decompose organic materials in landfills. If methane is not controlled at a landfill, it can seep underground and into nearby buildings, where it has the potential to explode. Yard wastes also contribute acidity that can make other waste constituents more mobile and therefore more toxic. Composting what would otherwise be useless material, and using them to fertilize your garden can only be a good thing. Not to mention that it's much cheaper, and safer for your plants than chemicals and store bought fertilizer.
Composting is also very easy. Basically what I do is place veggie peels, egg shells, coffee grounds (and also the filters, if you don't use a reusable one like I do. http://www.alwaysbrilliant.com/products.aspx?SC=98629&PID=623&PD=42430&AG=392361360&kw=reusable%20coffee%20filters&cr=1794811310&cs=S&st=&gclid=CPyT6-
yUgpoCFRCdnAodcXZ3Pw)
tea bags, and myriad of other things (there are some things you cannot put in the bin, but the book that comes with it will detail them for you.) into the kitchen bin. When the bin is full I take it down the the larger bin, and dump it in. I then add an equal amount of yard waste (leaves, grass clippings, etc.) then top with a bit of soil. Every once in a while you stir it up, and keep an eye on it to make sure it is damp. The great news is that if you have done everything correctly it DOES NOT SMELL, and after 6 months or so, you have beautiful new fertilizer with which to supplement your garden soil. I've always had an abundance of tomatoes and huge roses. As a matter of fact, I plant cherry tomatoes, only to have them grow to the size of a regular large tomato!

"Pink"

Just for fun!

Earth Week, Day Two

Today's save the Earth suggestion is just as easy as yesterday's. Forget the paper towels! I use cloth napkins for the dinner table:ww.tablelinensforless.com and microfiber towels for kitchen cleanup. I'd suggest going to http://www.amazon.com/Zwipes-Microfiber-36-Pack-Cleaning-Cloths/dp/B000XECJES/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1240180357&sr=8-1 for the best deal I've found.

Go Green Quickies:

Wash laundry in cold water. I have for years, it doesn't hinder the cleaning of clothes at all. Not even Jay's dirtiest uniforms.

Use natural cleaners (more on these later), so that you can recycle wash water to water your flower or vegetable garden.

Install water-saving devices such as displacement bags in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water needed to flush the tank. Super easy!http://www.changeforgreen.com/Niagara_Toilet_Tank_Bank-details.aspx You can save at least a half gallon of water per flush for a little more than a dollar!

Save those wine corks to make craft items. Try out http://www.blogger.com/www.crafterslovecrafts.com/wine-cork-crafts.html

A Birthday Surprise!

Where could we be going this weekend?Here?

NO!

Here?

No! We drove all the way to Philly for this once, remember? There IS no Tut mummy in this display! What a rip off!Not here either...Nor the Coke Museum,And definitely not here...

Here!

The big Birthday surprise! We got up this morning, ate breakfast at some strange chicken and biscuit place (where is that McDonald's, anyway??!) and spent the next four hours ogling Titanic artifacts, and (Miah's baby word for fish) Shu-Shu's at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta!

We stopped at the entrance:and got tickets at the info desk for the Titanic Display.And saw this crazy turtle:There had to be a million people there! I found myself being forced to parent other people's children several times....No one teaches their children how to behave anymore! One huge group of children actually hindered an older lady's ability to leave an area in her wheel chair, for pete's sake!Miah was hugely excited about finding almost all of the fish from Finding Nemo. And Jay loved the Sharks the best. Watch out Fish!!

The whale sharks were enormous!Miah learned about sea anemones. I got to tell her about my dissecting one when I was her age. (really cool)


One of Miah's favorites was the Jelly fish. Some dufus told his kids these change colors, and Jay had to explain to Miah four times that he was full of it, and that they were different colors because of the lights in the tank changing!

A very nice lady let me take a photo of her very cool necklace! Wish I could remember the artist's name!!!!!
The main floor was really cool, with music and strange lighting.
These spiny crabs were twice the size of Miah's head!The Grumpy Ron Fish:Piranha!!!The girls posing on either side of a huge bottom feeder. See it? The Beluga Whales were my favorite.









These whackadoo things are actually fish:We had a good laugh over our choice of lunch fare:
But ended up here instead (thank God) and I had my first rootbeer float in years, YUM!

It was a great day...