Sacrifice

I've spent a lot of time thinking and praying about what I should give up for Lent this year. I'm a Methodist and giving something up isn't actually required but I always like to do so anyway. In my experience, fasting from something is always good for me and is a good spiritual exercise as well. Last year, I didn't give anything up because I was pregnant and felt that I'd already given everything up (wine, beer, sleep, caffeine, comfort, etc). (And he was worth every sacrifice I made, trust me.) I was beginning to think I might not be giving anything up this year either, but then it came to me last night - I'm going to give up buying anything that isn't necessary.

This is certainly an odd sacrifice but I feel it's the one I'm being called to make. Since I'm staying home with A now, I need to back a bit. I'm very focused on this in some areas but I still find myself making small, frivolous purchases. Recent ones include snap pliers (for several craft projects I have), a glass water bottle, a book for my Kindle, an extra pair of jeans and some cloth diapers I found for a steal of a deal. Now, none of these are crazy expenditures and the total of all of them was about $100. But that's not the point. I don't NEED any of them. I need very little and so many people in our world have very little. Hopefully this exercise will make me more aware and more wise by Easter. This blog will serve as my accountability tool. This should be interesting.

Baby, baby

Babies are nothing short of amazing.  I am reminded of this as I watch my own baby grow and change with each passing day.  It's fascinating to watch him absorb the world around him and react to it. His own reactions vary but we're really beginning to see his personality.  Stalking our dogs and plotting to get the remote or our phones are among his current favorite pastimes.  He has also learned to fake cough, which I find absolutely hysterical. He'll do it, then look at me, usually smiling and wait for my reaction. When I tell him he's ridiculous he giggles and giggles.  If I fake cough, he'll laugh and imitate me. I'm obviously very entertained by his fun game (probably more entertained than he is, truth be told). He's also rolling and half-army crawling to get into everything while da-da-da'ing all the way there. At just seven months old, I am constantly asking myself where my baby has gone? Like most moms, I'm sure I'll ask myself this question for the rest of my life.

When you have a baby, everyone tells you that babies grow up so fast, but I never really understood what they were saying until I had my own child.  Even in those first few weeks when he was growing and changing by the day, hormones and exhaustion made it easy to miss the big picture. But it is crystal clear to me now. I am sure it will be even more apparent as he learns to walk, talk and becomes more independent. For today, I will try to absorb all the snuggles and baby giggles (and fake coughs) that I can.

How green are you?

I've always thought of myself as a little "crunchy". You know, just little bit hippie but not too far down the spectrum. Now, I'm finding myself questioning how far I want to go on the crunchy path. Many of my friends purchase some organic foods but most don't think about the hazards in their daily life, from their moisturizer to their Clorox wipes.  I cloth diaper my baby and most fellow Springfieldians look at me like I have three heads when this subject is raised. Yet, I've met different women online who use family cloth (like reusable toilet paper) and Diva Cups (click here if you really want to know, brave soul). These things are a bit much for me, but I say good for these folks for their commitment to re-use; I'm just not quite that dedicated.

Part of my motivation recently has been spurred by a book I've been reading at the suggestion of a friend. Healthy Child, Healthy World: Creating a Greener, Safer Home discusses some of the common household hazards most of us encounter on a daily basis and what we can do to create a healthier home. It's an excellent book that I would recommend any parent or expectant parent read. It's interesting for non-parents as well, although much of the focus is on making your home safer for pregnancy and children. I also read various crunchy blogs and see ideas and contemplate a bit. All of these things are making me think about where I fall along the the crunchy line. Now, one can obviously drive themselves crazy worrying about everything all around them. But being the frugal mama that I am, I am also up for doing things that will save money and be easier.  So, I'm currently pondering what I can do myself that would be healthier for my family and easier. What could you change that would improve your family's health and save you a little cash each year? Or what could you do that would have a positive environmental impact?

I hope to write future posts on a few of the things we're currently doing in our home and will try in the coming weeks/months.  What are you currently doing in your home?

Hello world!

For quite a while, I've thought about blogging. I've always loved to write but between underwriting commercial loans for a living and working on my Master's degree, I had little desire to write in my spare time for the past few years. But those ships have sailed, so here I am!

Just a bit about me...I love to cook, dream about photography, am a movie fanatic and am currently on a mission to detoxify our home and simplify our lives as much as possible. Anyway, I envision this blog to be about of all of the randomness that my life is from week to week. From my cloth diapering obsession to a meatless recipe to a new craft or home project, hopefully something I post about will be interesting to you at some point.