Tuesday, March 20th, 2007
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12:10 pm - The Announcements
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I had to laugh this morning when I went to Bible study and discovered what kind of anxiety I was causing among my friends. So, without further delay, here is Announcement #1:
I have a new blog!
That's right, folks. After three years, this blog is moving. I will update this location once or twice more in the coming weeks just to remind folks who've forgotten to change their links or feeds. But for the most part, this blog is now coming to an end.
Now, for Announcement #2, you'll need to hop on over to my new blog (it's worth the effort, I promise):
Simply Serina
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| Saturday, March 17th, 2007
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11:51 pm - home again, and things to come
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1.) We're home! Jason's safely home from a mission trip to Jamaica with students, and I safely drove 16 hours round-trip alone with two little girls. It helps that our family strategically located themselves all over the state of Michigan, so that I never had to drive more than five hours at one stretch. But folks, we did a LOT of driving. It got so that whenever I was going to put Ellery in her car seat, she would say, "I don't want to get in my car seat any more. Pease, Mommy?" Ellery had a grand total of three birthday parties, so now we have to gently escort her back to real life, where there aren't presents and sweets every day.
2.) Two exciting announcements to come! Stay tuned...
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| Friday, March 9th, 2007
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3:48 pm - Ellery is TWO!
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Today is my darling baby's birthday. It's hard to describe how quickly time passes when you have children. It's also difficult to write in words how much I love my children.
To see what Ellery (and Maya) is up to, hop on over to her blog.
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| Thursday, March 8th, 2007
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6:15 pm - eczema update
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Maya's eczema is improving. The lanolin was the only thing to help--sticky, gooey, difficult-to-apply, lanolin. But even this only slowed down the spread. So, we started the steroid cream a couple of days ago. We will treat it until it's nearly gone, then stick to lanolin only.
Too bad lanolin's so expensive! We need a sheep around here...
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| Tuesday, March 6th, 2007
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1:00 pm - dirt cheap diapering
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Things are looking up. I was hit by the worst cold I've had in a long time, but I'm on the mend. Thank God!
Interested in cloth diapering, but don't have the money for it all up front? Check out Fern and Faerie's Frugal Diapering pages. Great ideas for recycling/repurposing things to make diapers!
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| Friday, March 2nd, 2007
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8:42 pm - a break
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Hello there!
I'm taking a little blog break because my sinuses are crowding my brain. And, for some reason, I find it hard to type when I can't breathe for all the snot dripping out of my nose.
And with that, I bid you good night.
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| Tuesday, February 27th, 2007
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1:36 pm - eczema
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Anyone have any natural remedies for eczema to share? Maya, for the first time in over three years, has a nasty case of it all over her legs. Mostly her upper legs/thighs, but it's spread to the front of her knees, back of her knees, and ankles. She had eczema on her chest/trunk as a baby (nine months), but hasn't had anything since then. So weird.
She has no known allergies (did an allergy poke test when she was a baby). We've been giving her vitamin C (sodium ascorbate), probiotics, and flaxseed oil daily. We've slathered her skin with straight shea butter, olive and canola oils, and rich natural oil-based lotions.
I took her to the pediatrician today and got a prescription for a steroid cream, if it comes to that. I'd like to avoid it for as long as possible.
What I'm going to try today: coconut oil (topically, though taking it internally might help, too) and lanolin (sticky--wish me luck).
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| Friday, February 23rd, 2007
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1:49 pm - alternatives to fasting
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I was thinking more about Maya's pledge not to eat salt during Lent. It's actually a very inspired idea. As someone who has been pregnant and/or nursing for the past five years, typical fasting is either difficult or downright dangerous for me. But a salt fast--I could do that. Imagine a day, or a week, or an entire Lenten season without salt (and/or sugar, gratuitous seasonings, condiments, etc.). One would be forced to learn to appreciate the natural flavor of food (which is very difficult during the winter, with lots of produce out of season). Also, the return of salt on Easter would certainly add to the celebratory nature of the day!
What are some other ways for pregnant/nursing women to "fast?"
I can think of a few:
-Fasting for one meal
-Fasting from a specific food/food group (e.g. bread, sweets, sugars, meat, dairy)
-Fasting from media/communication devices (phones, radio, TV, computer)
Other ideas?
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| Wednesday, February 21st, 2007
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8:01 pm - maya's lenten sacrifice
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I explained to Maya (age four) again today what Lent is about. I tried to focus more on Christ's sacrifice, and less on figuring out what to give up, so that she would understand that she can participate in Lent by either abstaining or giving something to God. I also explained that we would be doing family devotionals each day, and that will be a big way for her to participate. She pondered it for a few hours. Then, we had this conversation:
MAYA: [very seriously] Mommy, I think I know what I'm going to give up for Lent.
SERINA: [surprised] What's that, honey?
MAYA: Salt. I'm going to give up salt.
SERINA: Wow. I know how much you love salt. Sounds like you thought about that for awhile.
MAYA: Yes, I did. But this means I can't have eggs, because I can't eat eggs without salt.
SERINA: Well, suppose you tried eggs with just pepper and herbs? It would still taste yummy.
MAYA: [thinks and thinks and thinks]
MAYA: Yeah. Lots of pepper, though. But not cayenne. Just black.
SERINA: [nods solemnly]
And, hours later:
SERINA: [measures out herbs and spices for chili]
MAYA: Mommy, you're not putting salt in it, are you? Because remember, I'm not having salt during Lent.
SERINA: Right. We won't put salt in yours.
MAYA: You know that I'm not eating anything with salt in it, right? Not just not sprinkling salt on things, but I'm not going to eat anything with salt in it at all.
SERINA: [pause] Umm....well, that's really devoted, Maya. But that might not leave you with a lot of options. How about we say no salt sprinkled on food, and I'll try not to add extra salt to our family dishes until after yours is dished out?
MAYA: [considers] I guess we'll have to see.
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7:46 pm - ash wednesday
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It's Ash Wednesday! Lent has officially begun. What will you be doing to remember Christ's sacrifice more fully this season?
I've decided on a couple of things. I may add more, but for now, I'm giving up all daytime television (that's anything that's not primetime) and white sugar. They may not seem like much, and perhaps it's not enough...but I'm quite hooked on this one (awful in every conceivable way) show that's on during naptime. (I got hooked when I was nine months pregnant with Ellery, miserable, and had nothing else to do while Maya napped.) The sugar thing is mostly to address my need for sugar when I have coffee. I don't really use it for much else, but I'm a pretty regular coffee drinker. Hopefully, giving up these things will help me to remember Christ and/or pray every time I crave them.
I'm considering a limit/moratorium on the evening television I watch, as well as limiting more foods. I should decide soon.
I really wanted to go to the Ash Wednesday service at church this evening--I've never been to one--but it wasn't to be. For one, I'm actually quite tired of going to church alone with the girls. It's not that they're difficult--they're actually quite good sitting through long services--it's just that it takes a lot of energy, distraction, and hat tricks to keep especially the little one occupied. Without another adult to trade off with, it gets to be a bit much. This would've been the third "alone" service in three weeks. Besides all that, Ellery didn't nap long and Maya decided not to nap at all, so I figured it was best for both them and other churchgoers if we just stayed home and went to bed early.
I'm actually looking forward to an evening of refreshing relaxation. With the kids in bed and evening chores complete, I might just finish the book I've been working on for a few weeks!
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| Monday, February 19th, 2007
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8:35 pm - little hands
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| Friday, February 16th, 2007
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2:43 pm - rwwfl summary, and reality
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Thanks for all of your interest in the Real World Whole Foods Living posts. I'm still learning, but I love to share as I go. Ask me again in a few months how things are going!
(Ooooh, and once May/June hits, we'll be lovin' our food. It'll be CSA season again, when all menu planning goes out the window, and you eat whatever the farmer gave you that week! I actually love it!)
I have to share an awesome blessing: turns out, we live close to a bakery from which a local CSA farm usually buys bread to share with its subscribers. We are being given the opportunity to deliver the bread each week to the CSA for a rebate of our costs, giving us the chance to earn our whole CSA share for FREE! Praise God! We were hoping and praying for a way to keep produce costs down this season, and this was a direct answer to our prayer. I'm overwhelmed by gratitude.
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In other news, Ellery had her first episode of willful, calculated disobedience today. It was so obvious, and Jason and I exchanged sad looks as we realized what she was doing. It's like the shattering of babyhood. We couldn't let it just slide unaddressed. She was so very, very sad--not because she was sorry, but because she didn't want to change her heart and obey. In the end, she changed her attitude and did the melting-into-Mommy-in-tears-because-I'm-so-sad-about-what-I-did thing, and I was relieved. But it hurts me to realize (*duh*) that she's a sinner, just like Jason, Maya, and I. Of course I knew that, but it becomes more glaringly obvious as a baby ages. This day had to come.
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| Monday, February 12th, 2007
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8:24 pm - real world whole foods living, part 2
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Sample Day 1
- Breakfast
- Scrambled eggs + cheese
- Homemade organic sourdough toast + organic butter
- Organic milk, or coffee + cream + sugar, or water
- Lunch
- Kids: Picky Plates - slices of various foods for each girl to choose from, including free range cheese, organic apples/carrots/bananas, homemade crispy almonds, organic sourdough bread, organic tortillas, organic corn chips, organic store-bought non-homogenized or homemade yogurt, misc. leftovers
- Jason: leftovers frozen from a meal weeks ago, reheated in the (gasp!) microwave on campus
- Serina: Salad + chicken + favorite dressing of the day
- Snack
- Kids: whatever they didn't finish at lunch, organic fruit leathers, organic o-shaped cereal, organic pretzels, misc whole grain crackers, homemade cookies, etc.
- Serina: chips + salsa, chunk of cheddar cheese
- Dinner
- Homemade chicken rice soup
Sample Day 2
- Breakfast
- Soaked and cooked whole grain cereal, like creamy millet + butter + salt; girls like maple syrup
- Fruit
- Organic milk, or coffee + cream + sugar, or water
- Lunch
- Kids: organic shells + cheese (from a box), sometimes + organic frozen veggies mixed in
- Jason: cheap Asian food at a restaurant with a student
- Serina: chicken rice soup leftovers
- Snack
- Kids: whatever they didn't finish at lunch, organic fruit leathers, organic o-shaped cereal, organic pretzels, misc whole grain crackers, homemade cookies, etc.
- Serina: dark chocolate
- Dinner
- Hamburgers (from our grass-fed beef, sometimes times with store-bought buns, sometimes with homemade)
- Chips or homemade baked fries
- Salad (everyone but Ellery will eat this)
Notes
- I didn't give a lot of details. Please ask questions. I'm not withholding information; I just didn't know how much you wanted to know. I can post brands/specifics/recipes, if needed, as well.
- We do eat out sometimes. We try to avoid greasy fast food and stay away from trans fats and fried stuff. Qdoba and Panera are favorites.
- Jason and I snack more than I listed above. I figured you weren't interested in the sordid details. If we snack on something we don't want to kids to have, we try to do them the courtesy of waiting until they're asleep so they don't feel left out.
- As you can see, we're not perfect. While some snack items are organic, they're still more processed than I like, and anything with grains that I didn't cook was probably cooked at high temperatures (not good for digestion and nutrition). Some snacks have white or (non-whole wheat) wheat flour.
- Yes, our kids eat mac & cheese from a box. It's organic, but still, I know. They love it, and it's cheap and easy.
- The most important thing, to me, is that we have one healthy family meal together a day. I try to make breakfast or dinner high quality, without compromises, so we're setting good standards for the family.
- "High quality" does not necessarily mean expensive. We eat a lot of rice and beans, and variations thereof. When the grains/beans are properly soaked, then cooked slowly at low temperatures with homemade chicken stock, it's very good for you.
- I'd like our family to eat more fermented foods. Kimchi is our favorite, due to my ethnic heritage. But there's more to explore.
- I do bake most of our bread. I also don't mind buying a loaf or two a month, if I'm busy.
- We used to make our own water kefir, and are getting back into it again.
- We almost never buy soda. That's pop, for you Michiganders.
- We get raw dairy once in a while, but the drive makes it inconvenient. I'm working on getting it more. Right now, the cows aren't milking until spring.
- We don't have a microwave, by choice.
- I make homemade chicken stock every week, sometimes more, and I don't pay a penny extra for it. I cook with it all the time, and it's super nutritious. Bones/carcasses + veggie scraps + 6-24 hrs simmer on the stove = yummy stock. Add apple cider vinegar and salt if you have it.
I will stop there. Again, ask questions. If you want to know more about our grocery shopping, or budget, or compromises, or recipes, just ask.
ETA: See the comments for more information about vegetable stock, chicken stock, whole wheat bread, rice and beans, and more!
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| Friday, February 9th, 2007
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2:28 pm - real world whole foods living, part 1
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The past five years have seen a lot of change in my thoughts about eating and cooking. It started with seeking out the best foods during my first pregnancy. Then, finding the same for my little Maya when she was ready to eat solids. I didn't really know where to begin, but I knew I wanted to feed my family the healthiest food possible. But what did that mean?
I started with organic baby food. Since organic produce wasn't readily available where I lived, but organic baby food was, Maya was fed a lot of jarred organic baby food. Jason and I went on eating the Standard American Diet (SAD)--though I do think we made better choices than we give ourselves credit for. We would eat separate food from Maya. That only worked for a little while. By the time she was two, she was ready to eat just about anything we were eating--and, most importantly, she wanted to eat just like us. What kind of example was I setting for my daughter? "Here, honey, you eat sprouted whole grain toast with organic cheese and an organic apple on the side; Daddy and I will be over here, having the frozen pizza bought for $2 at the local grocery store--on sale!" (By the way, have you noticed that most frozen pizzas have very little actual food in them? Yick.) I told myself that Jason and I were eating the SAD to save money so we could afford organics for our little girl. And that was the absolute truth. But this system was no longer sustainable.
So I learned, slowly, what it meant for a family to eat well. I'm still learning. I started by getting familiar with my local health food store--which actually did have a small selection of organic produce! And I found a food co-op with organic bulk foods. That led to discovering the summer farmer's market, and then--an organic CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)! I stumbled upon this organic farm during their first year doing a CSA, and we were so blessed. We paid money up front, and then made weekly pickups at the farmer's market. Everything was fresh, seasonal, local, and organic--the best of everything. Most of our produce was harvested the day we picked it up. We even started buying organic free range eggs along with our veggies. It really solidified my commitment to eating well. And I loved supporting the farmers directly, saving money and doing my part to keep small farms alive.
Now, our whole family eats well, most of the time. Our income changed drastically almost two years ago, which made healthy living even more of a challenge. But I'm getting there. We still buy two sets of eggs--organic free range for the girls, conventional for us--and assorted other things that are just really expensive. And we still eat out from time to time. But for the most part, I'm learning what it means to feed our family well, even on a budget.
Here are my commitments, not necessarily in order of priority:
1.) Organic food.
2.) Pasture-raised/grass-fed meat and dairy.
3.) Local.
4.) Seasonal.
5.) Fresh.
6.) Budget-minded.
7.) Kid friendly.
8.) Traditional foods.
Here are some resources that I use regularly to help define eating well:
*Local Harvest - find a CSA and/or farmer's market near you. You might be surprised to learn how available local, fresh produce is!
*Eat Wild - learn about the importance of pastured meats and dairy, and find a rancher/farmer near you. This is how we found our local farmer, from whom we directly purchased 1/4 of a grass-fed cow last fall. Mmmmmmmmmm! Our kids still talk about how cool it was to see the little farm, meet the farmer, and see cows just like the one we're now eating. Can't get that from the grocery store.
*Nourishing Traditions - the ultimate cookbook/nutrition book.
*Weston A Price Foundation - good articles on traditional eating. Find a WAP chapter near you, and usually the WAP folks know about sources of local foods that are hard to find.
*Real Milk - learn about raw milk, and find some near you.
*Mothering.Com's Traditional Foods Forum - great place to "meet" others and learn.
*Sue Gregg Cookbooks - healthy, accessible recipes for families. She's discovered traditional eating in the past few years and is slowly revising all of her cookbooks to reflect new priorities, such as soaked/sprouted grains and beans, pastured meats, and the importance of good fats. I have a complete set, and they're wonderful. I make changes (soaking grains ahead of time, etc.) as necessary. Lots of options for the budget-minded.
*The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook - this great resource helps us fill in the gaps, as we usually only eat meat twice a week for budgetary reasons.
*The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book - the definitive guide to whole grain baking. I mean it, this is it. You will need no other book. And you'll be able to bake and enjoy things you never thought you could with whole grains, such as scones and biscuits.
I've made some of these book recommendations before, and I know some of you have purchased them. I'd love to hear how the books are working out for you. Anyone wanna post their own review in the comments?
NEXT TIME: See how a real family (us!) striving to eat well on a budget really eats. I'll be posting a couple days of menus, the good and the not-so-good.
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| Tuesday, February 6th, 2007
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9:12 am - baby, it's cold outside
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(I love that song, don't you?)
According to one of our local news station's weather website, it's currently -1 degrees here. And that's the balmy temp before the wind chill factor, which I'm told brings us down to -10 to -20!
Some have inquired about how we're doing through all this cold weather. Thank you for thinking of us, and thank you in particular to one kind friend who offered to have us over to her (warmer) home so that both of our furnaces weren't running non-stop. (I may yet take you up on that!) We seem to be doing fine, though we're a bit chilled around the edges. Ellery, who finally started sleeping all night about two weeks ago, has continued sleeping all night through the cold (though her little hands are like ice in the morning)! I should take a picture of all the clothes I make her wear to bed at night. Our poor overworked furnace ("efficient" in 1988) has been running nearly all day and all night, with breaks in the sunny late afternoons and whenever I get the courage to turn the thermostat down again. I do worry about our bill. We're wearing lots of clothes, piling on the blankets at night, and trying to be active. (Did you konw that vigorously vacuuming your house can make you feel nice and toasty?) Our pipes have not frozen, thanks in part to the fortuitous placement of our kitchen sink on an inside wall during our remodel. I'm so grateful for this, as I've never had to deal with frozen pipes, and I'm not entirely sure what I would do.
Come to think of it, I'm grateful for more than just running water. I can't stop thinking about those who are homeless or in (literally) freezing homes. I can't get my mind off of little Nyia and the horrible way she left this earth. I wept for her. My baby is her age.
So, thanks for inquiring. We're doing fine. In fact, God has used this cold spell to focus my mind on the suffering of others, in lieu of my own. There is more that I can do to alleviate that suffering, and I hope that spring showers don't wash away my concern.
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| Friday, February 2nd, 2007
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3:32 pm
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| Tuesday, January 30th, 2007
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8:15 pm - maya's reading!
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It's amazing to me that Maya is learning to read. Amazing. I'm an impatient person by nature, and the thought of homeschooling my children was, to put it mildly, daunting. I knew that homeschooling was something we were going to try wholeheartedly, and commit to, on a year-by-year basis. But the actual application of that knowledge scared me to death.
When Maya turned four in October, it occurred to me to see if some phonics might be up her alley. (And to see if homeschooling might be up mine.) I have a philosophy of age-appropriate learning, as well as one of letting children be their age (instead of being perpetually encouraged to grow up faster), so it surprised me that we were doing this. I thought we'd start some official "school" when Maya was closer to six. But her readiness was through the roof, and I felt as though I was doing her a disservice by keeping her from feasting on literature with her own eyes.
So, in December, we plunged in. And she sailed through the short vowel sounds and consonant sounds as if she already knew them. (I'm not ashamed to admit that she knows the poems for the short vowels and the consonants better than I do.) But when we hit actual reading a week or so ago--that is, putting two letters side-by-side and smooshing their sounds together to make a whole different entity (a word)--there was a road block. I got frustrated, she got frustrated, and after a couple of days, we took a break. No phonics for a very long weekend.
And then, in true Maya fashion, she sad down for her phonics lesson yesterday (with Jason, who subs for me from time to time) and became a little reader. She sounded out each word slowly, didn't get frustrated, and said each word. Little words turned into little sentences, and then (very) little stories. My baby can read!
If you've never had the pleasure of watching a brand new reader stumble through her first words, you're missing out. Look forward to it. Keep it as your prize when the phonics lessons are tough and your child isn't getting it. When Maya sounds out a word (b-a-t, for example, saying each sound individually, over and over), and then the lightbulb comes on ("Bat!"), it feels like fireworks in my chest. Seeing her *get* something that I want so desperately for her to get--because I love her so much and know what worlds reading can unlock--makes me whoop for joy and love being a mom.
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8:06 pm - kyle david miller
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Please go to Jody's blog and help her spend some money for a good cause--and perhaps learn something new that will keep your kids safer. After that, go to the Kyle David Miller Foundation and learn about how this special boy's passing is helping to educate (and maybe even save) countless families around the world.
Via Owlhaven.
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| Saturday, January 27th, 2007
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1:18 pm - large family
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Have a large family? Come from a large family? Want a large family? Wonder why on Earth anyone would want a large family?
Read this. Bring tissues.
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| Friday, January 26th, 2007
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3:47 pm - hannas
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We are just lovin' our Hannas around here! The girls received the following for Christmas:
-Playdress set (dress, leggings, two pair socks) in Mango/Berry Bloom for Maya
-Sweatpants in blossoming pink for Maya
-Striped long sleeved boxy tee to match sweatpants, for Maya
-Tank camisole in white, for Maya
-Set of three Hanna Unders, for Maya
-Wiggle pants in French Blue, for Elly
-Striped long sleeved boxy tee in French Blue/grey to match pants, for Elly
-Zipper in white with horse print, for Elly
They just love wearing them! A few comments:
-Hanna sweatpants are made of steel, I think. These are the most durable sweats I've ever felt--and they're so soft, too! I was astounded by how thick the fabric was, especially after the first washing. Wow.
-Do not buy big. No kidding. I bought a few of Maya's things in 120cm instead of 110cm because of availability during the big sale, and they're huuuuge. I expected that, and wanted it, so she can get her main use out of the stuff next year (she has enough clothes for this season). But heed their advice when buying for your kids: use height as your primary measurement for sizing, and do not order big.
-Hanna Unders are very modestly cut--high waist, low legs. I love them. But if your kid has lots of low-cut jeans, these undies will stick out the top. Try their hipsters instead.
-The camisole is a great undershirt for layering. It's nice and long, which is great under all of Maya's shirt. She has a long torso, and they usually show her belly. We need more of these tanks!
-Zippers are adorable. Elly loves hers so much that I can barely sneak it away to wash it.
-Wiggle pants are terrifically cut for cloth diapered bottoms. They also look fine over disposables.
Anyone else's kids get Hannas for Christmas? I'd like to hear about it!
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