FF: When Frugal Isn’t Best
February 29, 2008 | 5 Comments
Chele from Moms Love Shopping asked me to come back on her show to talk about what I see as a negative side of the CVS shopping “system”. As I said on the show, it was with much caution that I wrote about this. If you haven’t read it yet, go read my post on CVS and the natural mom.
One of the points that I made on the show is that we vote with our dollars. We make a statement with our purchases. And our non purchases. When we buy lots of single use products that pollute our environment and our bodies, we’re telling manufacturers to create more of these cheap disposable goods with unhealthy ingredients. We’re telling them that cost is the most important consideration for us. (When it should only be one consideration.)
We’re also getting caught up in the culture of spending, the culture of consumption. That’s a bad habit that leads to more of the same.
On the other hand, when we buy quality products that are built to last, that are reusable and not wrapped in multiple layers of plastic, we are also sending a message. To both the marketers of these products and our children.
There are better ways to be frugal in my opinion. We can make our own natural skin care products, we can use cloth menstrual pads or other alternatives. We can use cloth diapers. We can clean with natural home cleaning products that we make ourselves. And there are a million other ways to save money.
We can also buy products that last. For example, buying toys from family owned companies like Heirloom Wooden Toys so that our kids can pass these along to their own children.
Some other great related blog posts about when frugal isn’t best:
Get Rich Slowly: Shopping leads to more shopping
Being Frugal: When buying on sale isn’t frugal
So what do you think? When is the frugal choice not the best choice?
WFMW: Homemade Hot Cocoa
February 27, 2008 | 8 Comments
I don’t know that I’ve ever bought a box of cocoa mix. Why would I, when homemade is almost as easy, much cheaper, and healthier too?
Case in point: A box of Swiss Miss cocoa mix contains the following:
sugar, modified whey, cocoa (processed with alkali), hydrogenated cocnut oil, nonfat milk, calcium carbonate, less than 2% of: salt, dipotassium phosphate, mono- and diglyderides, artificial flavor, carrageenan
Hmm… some of those things I just don’t want my wee ones to eat. Plus, all that packaging… with the cardboard box it comes in plus the individually wrapped servings, it just seems so wasteful.
So, I thought I would share my Homemade Hot Cocoa recipe for this week’s Works for Me Wednesday. It’s a slight adaptation of the recipe that appears on the side of the Hershey’s Cocoa containers.
Firstly, grab a medium sized saucepan with a heavy bottom. Put about a half cup of water in it and place it on medium/high heat. While the water starts to boil, add:
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 1/2 cup Rapadura or Sucanat
- a dash of sea salt
Let the mixture boil for a couple of minutes and stir it constantly. Then, turn it to low and add:
- 4 cups organic (I use raw) milk
- 1 tsp. all natural vanilla flavoring
Let that heat until it’s as warm as you like. I usually dip out two cups for the girls right away while it’s just warm, then let it heat up a minute longer for the boys and me. The whole process from start to finish takes LESS than 5 minutes.
You can also add a dash of cayenne to the adult’s cups if you like. And, did you know that a cup of hot cocoa has more antioxidants than most people eat in two days? One more thing: If you like to drink Mochas, you can use a tablespoon of the cocoa/sugar mixture to a cup of strong, freshly brewed coffee, then add hot milk and skip the trip to the fancy coffee shop.
Just when you thought I was done talking about chocolate. LOL!
Natural Moms Podcast #75
February 27, 2008 | 1 Comment
This week on the show I am joined by Cheryl Wenzel of New Mom Central. Cheryl aims to provide support and information to new moms to help them ease the transition to new motherhood.
Often, there is a big disconnect between what a woman envisions and what her postpartum experience is actually like. This can lead to feelings of surprise and let down. Cheryl shares her own personal experiences during the early months - as a mother of twins no less! - and shares some valuable advice to help women prepare as best as they can for becoming a mom.
We also discussed the many facets of postpartum depression and how pregnant moms can take steps now to have a healthier entry into motherhood.
Mom’s groups are becoming more popular and they can help new moms connect and get out of the house, but there is also a danger that Cheryl refers to as “culture of motherhood” in which moms are scared to be honest about their struggles.
You can listen on the site or download the mp3 here.
Salad Saturday!
February 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Each Saturday I’ll post a free salad recipe from my new salad cookbook. It ha
s over 365 recipes, so you can either buy it now or just hang around here for the next 6 years. LOL!
Adreana’s Greek Pasta Salad
1 pound rotini
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 stalks celery — chopped
1 red bell pepper — chopped
2 1/4 ounces black olives — sliced
4 ounces feta cheese — drained & crumbled
3 green onions — finely sliced
16 ounces all natural Italian salad dressing
Cook chicken in water to cover with 1 bay leaf. Bring to boil and cook for 30 min. or until juices run clear. Cool and remove skins. Or, you can cook chicken in frying pan until cooked through. Cut into bite size pieces.
Cook noodles and drain. Add all ingredients and mix well. Serve warm or cold. Serves 6.
Work at Home Mom Success Tips
February 22, 2008 | 9 Comments
I wanted to pass along this interview that I did with Christina Lemmey for MommysPlace, an excellent work at home Mom resource website.
If you’re considering starting an online business or are new to the internet marketing/wahm world, you might find it inspiring at least and helpful too. I talk about:
- The journey from my first website to full time wahm
- How I decided to target the natural mom niche
- Some of my early mistakes marketing online
- Tips on finding your niche
- Support - finding it and leveraging other’s wisdom
- My biggest obstacles (this one will surprise you)
- The internet and passive income (this is great for moms!)
- Advice for those who are discouraged
To The Young Mother at Wal-Mart Today
February 22, 2008 | 15 Comments
First, a bit of background.
Today my Mom decided to go to Wal-Mart. My Mom doesn’t drive much, so I drove her. First I dropped her and the kids off (brave woman she is!) there and went down the road to Curves to grab a workout while she shopped.
When I went back in the store and caught up with her, at least 35-40 minutes had passed. I heard a young toddler (maybe 10 months to 15 months) screaming. The sound hit me like a brick across the head almost as soon as I entered this large Super Wal-Mart. It was disturbing and distracting, so much so that I had a difficult time even concentrating on what I was doing (finding my mom and children).
When I finally caught up to my party, my Mom looked rather shell shocked. Not by my kids mind you - by the screaming tot.
“That baby has been screaming since we got here. It’s making me sick. Can’t she just pick the baby up?”
Now, the screaming was already getting to me and to have been listening to it for 40 minutes must have been too much. Even my kids were talking about it.
The screaming came closer, and I said out loud to my kids,
“Sometimes, the baby just wants to be held.”
Yeah, I admit it. I said it a little too loudly, hoping you would hear and feel some shame. Because I don’t think you’re cool. I don’t think it’s peachy that you’re “showing that baby who’s boss!” or some other parental b.s. that must have been running through your head.
And then it became obvious that you were making no attempt to comfort your child. You slowly saunter by the row where I’m standing, stop and say:
“You’re being rude. You try doing this alone.”
And that’s where your assumption would be wrong litle missie, because my reply was:
“Actually, I DO do it alone. And I have FOUR. And they’re not screaming.”
Another day, I might have responded differently. What I should have done is offer you some assistance. I should have approached you and said something along the lines of:
“You must be having a hard time. Is there anything I can do to help? I know what it’s like. I’m a mom too.”
It’s just that when you let your baby cry for over 40 minutes and make no attempt at all to comfort him, my compassion and empathy for your helpless young child overrided the part of my brain responsible for rational thought.
My mammalian/reptilian brain took over. The momma bear in me came out. You’re lucky I didn’t give you a big swack across the head with my big momma bear paw and run off with your cub.
You see, I have this instinct that runs as deep in me as the blood that courses through my veins (as you might have guessed, I think I inherited it from my mother. My big sis, also a mom of 4, inherited a similar affliction). When I hear a baby cry, it’s like a bolt of electric shock being applied to the base of my spine. I have to get up and DO something to comfort that baby.
And at the very least, I wouldn’t take an unhappy/sick/overtired/hungry baby into Wal-Mart and then ignore his cries. If it was an emergency, that’s one thing. But you weren’t acting like that. You were acting like you just couldn’t be bothered to attend to his needs. The fact that it was so obvious that your baby’s feelings didn’t matter was what bothered the rest of us so.
Of course, maybe I’m assuming too much.
Maybe the baby was sick. Maybe you were there waiting for your baby’s prescription to be filled and that’s why you were taking your sweet time sauntering through the aisles for 40 friggin minutes like you were on a jolly holiday waiting at WalMart. Maybe your baby has some neuorological issues that cause her to scream like that. Maybe you don’t have anyone you trust to watch your child while you fill this prescription for said life saving medication.
But I doubt it.
Because if any of those things were true, you would have said that in your defense. Instead all you could come up with was that I was being rude.
p.s. Today I was leaning into the ”I don’t care what you think” continuum of motherhood styles. Maybe it was because the topic of people who shouldn’t breed was on my mind after co-hosting Mom’s Morning Show today, in which Kelly spoke about a young couple who were telling their hospitalized tot to shut up and were fighting like cats and dogs. Kelly handled another, similar situation far better than I did.
What about you? When you see negligent or bad parenting in action, what do you do?
Tell Me Thursday
February 21, 2008 | 4 Comments
This picture was snapped by my nephew when we were visiting them over a year ago. This is my youngest but she’s changed so much since this pic!
For one, she got hair.
Secondly she’s talking, walking, going potty… she “a big gurl”.
Anyway, in the picture she is trying to catch Psycho Kitty. She was all over that poor cat the whole time. Kitty beware!
EcoWednesday - Teflon pans and sea animals, freshen air naturally
February 20, 2008 | Leave a Comment
1) Hat tip to GreenDaily for posting another reason not to use Teflon pans.
2) Air fresheners are so very toxic, but if your house or car smells less than fresh, what can you do? Plenty.
According to Wikipedia,
“… some air fresheners actually anesthetize the nose.”
(Uh, no thanks. I don’t want something coating my nasal passages and taking over my bodily functions.) And… “A Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) study of 14 common household air fresheners found that most of the surveyed products contain chemicals that can aggravate asthma and affect reproductive development.”
How to freshen your indoor air naturally (and quickly):
- Boil apples, cinnamon, cloves or vanilla in water on the stove.
- Place open dishes of vinegar around the kitchen
- Place open dishes of baking soda around the kitchen
- Ditto for your car (on the baking soda, too much chance of the vinegar spilling in your car)
- Put a couple of drops of lemon, vanilla or peppermint essential oil on cotton balls and distribute them in stinky places.
- Sprinkle baking soda or borax in the bottom of laundry hampers and trash cans.
Now breathe easy. 
WW: Cat Be Careful!
February 20, 2008 | 6 Comments
Tuesday Tidbits: Cloth pads for African girls, Beef recall
February 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Tuesday Tidbits is where I publish little bits of news and info that doesn’t seem to fit anywhere else. If you want to play along, grab the code for the graphic (I host it and all cause I’m cool like that) on the right sidebar.
1- Barbara of Mom2Mom Lounge interviewed me asking questions about working from home and enjoying passive income while raising your kidlets. There’s some valuable advice in there so go check it out.
2- Have you talked to your kids about the choking game?
3- Have you seen those Proctor and Gamble ads encouraging you to buy their tampons so that African girls can get free tampons? Don’t do it. Crunchy chicken has a MUCH better idea. Tampons, waste incinerators and voodoo=bad. Washable absorbent cloth pads=good. Ok?
She’ll be featured on the show in a few weeks so stay tuned, but in the meantime see what awesome nonprofitness she is doing for these girls who often miss school during their monthlies. Rock on sista.
4- The U.S. has announced the largest beef recall in history. This is so sad, considering the meat was earmarked for use in public schools. I’m thankful that sitting in my freezer are organic grass fed beef, pork and chicken from a small Tennessee farm who does monthly deliveries to Atlanta. I feel much safer knowing the people who handle my meat.
Ahem. Seriously folks, organic meat is worth the added expense. If you haven’t found a source of safe meat yet, try EatWild or LocalHarvest.