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Preparedness

I'm always thinking ahead. What will be my next project? When do we go on a trip next? How should be plan the garden for the upcoming summer? If I;m finishing this, then when can I start that? Well, I'd like to think this is to my advantage (although, possibly this is a disillusion :)). One way I believe it came to my advantage is when we were shopping a fun and learning store in the area. All the products the store sells are learning toys, and also they have a lot of "natural" products. Products made with wood and non-toxic paint, rather than plastic. While we were there, we spotted on display a cute kitchen set up for a child. It was completely wooden (eco-friendly rubber wood) and was on display with some wooden foods that can be cut. Although Flora is only 4.5 months old, I was thinking ahead. How awesome this would be for her to learn and grow with! If this were the right sale price, we should get it now and give it to her a few years from now. I turned the corner and there was one in a box, never opened, and about 40% off the original price! What a deal! However, it was still a bit too expensive. So, I asked if they'd be willing to sell the display item, which was in great condition and no assembly required. She would, and for over 60% off the original price. Sweet! So, we now will have a kitchen set for Flora, along with some fun food to cut with it. The extra bonus is that when we decide to give it to her, no shopping needed for that birthday or Christmas :) Call me a geek, but I love thinking ahead, and being frugal about it :)

Eating a radish.

My food nemesis was my lunch hour. I would run out and grab something quick - a sandwich, burger, whatever. Now I don't take a lunch hour, so I am responsible for bringing my own lunch if I plan to eat. I have a rubbermaid storage box with several goodies in it. It keeps me stocked with healthy choices when I need a snack. What's in it? Walnuts, our own dried apples, Kashi bars, tea, dried pears and organic instant oatmeal. I certainly need a bit more variety than this, so we decided we'd start doing some heavy shopping in the produce section. Tim has been eating PB & Jelly sandwiches every day at work lunch for the 5 years I've know him, so it would be healthy to get him some variety too. We buy whatever looks fresh and delicious in the produce section. We keep organic and local in mind as much as possible when making our buying decisions. We bring the produce home, wash it really good, and then bring a variety to work each day. Usually it will be a mix of cucumber, green pepper, mushrooms, carrot, apple, etc. Today I had something new in my lunch....radishes. I'll be honest, I'm not sure I ever had a radish before, but something about these little red guys appealed to me at the store. I put 3 radishes in my lunch today. Crunch, crunch, crunch. What yummy, crispy little things. I did a little research and it turns out that these radishes are good for fiber, folic acid, potassium, calcium, and iron. I also learned that if you like sprouts, radish sprouts are great for using the sprouts in salad and give a little different taste than the basic bean sprouts. Having this little something different today gives me excitement to try other new things. And, it also encourages me to research growing some of these goodies in our garden rather than sticking to the staples. It doesn't hurt to try a plant or two with something different. Any recommendations? Happy fresh eating!

Quiet Moments

The work week always seems difficult for me as a mommy. I am blessed that I can do my 40 hour work week from Monday - Thursday, giving me a 3 day weekend to focus on being a mommy, and of course, get stuff done around the house, errands, etc. However, because of my Monday - Thursday, I only see Flora for about 1 hour each of those days. When I leave in the morning she's still sleeping, and then she goes to bed about 1 hour after I get home in the evening. This morning I was fortunate enough to have a few extra minutes so instead of my quick checking on Flora and giving her a gentle sleeping hug, I sat next to her while she slept and I ate my breakfast quietly. It was a peaceful and loving way to start the day, and even though she probably never knew I was there, it helped me get my mommy time in. I foresee getting up a little earlier now so I can have my breakfast with Flora. :)

Get well.

For three days now I have been attempting to fight a really bad head cold. I came down with it on Sunday morning and as of Tuesday, still feeling it pretty bad. I didn't go to work for the past two days, and being home by yourself is really boring...even when you sleep half the day away. Being sick makes you realize the freedoms you have when you are healthy. For instance, the freedom of physical contact. Even though I'm living in the same house as my excellent husband and wonderful daughter, I haven't been touching either of them in effort to keep them germ-free. I feel physically neglectful. It's amazing what physical touch can mean to your body and mind. The only cuddling I have is with my furry pals - Quigley and Cora. Another freedom when healthy is being awake :) I have slept so much in these past three days I feel like a lump of uselessness. I have been doing everything natural that I know to get well. Taking my all natural immune booster pills, elderberry for anti-viral, sleeping, drinking hot tea with honey. Either I'm missing something, or this bug is extremely resilient. Next, blending kiwi with orange juice...a Vitamin C kick in the butt to this cold! Any other solutions? Help!