Daily Photo: Where in The World Is EcoMeg?

In case you doubt I live in the countryside, here's a view from my run today.  It's a beautiful, crisp day, perfect for a nice, long run.

So... armadillos, vultures, fire ants, coyotes, roadrunners, freakishly large insects... What state do you think I live in?  A complimentary StumbleUpon for the first blogger who guesses correctly.

Daily Photo: 15 Vultures And An Armadillo

I debated about whether to post this since it's a bit graphic, but Halloween IS tomorrow...

I live in the southwest. This is a scene from my street. An armadillo was hit by a car and before the city could come and scoop it up, 15 vultures descended.  I had no idea there were so many in our area. It was like a scene from the movie The Birds. Gruesome.

Happy Halloween!

If Your Child Won't Knowingly Eat Broccoli or Spinach, Try This

My toddler refuses to eat his green vegetables.  I always put them on his meal tray so has an opportunity to eat them plain and he knows they are a regular part of our diet, but I also cook, puree and hide them in his pasta sauce, grilled cheese sandwich, mac & cheese, under the cheese on his pizza, in muffins (see my carrot, pumpkin and zucchini muffin recipes), etc.  Tonight I thought I'd try another way.  I'd never tried hiding them in a yogurt fruit smoothie before.

I steamed a 1/2 cup of frozen broccoli in the microwave, then ran cold water over it, grabbed a small handful of baby spinach, and threw these into the food processor with the ingredients for a "regular" smoothie (1 cup whole milk organic vanilla yogurt, 1 cup fruit juice, 1 cup frozen strawberries, 1 banana, 4 ice cubes - blend until smooth).

Success!  I tasted it and could not detect the vegetables.  The color was not even that far off.  Sure enough, my toddler loved it.  Give it a try!

Daily Photo: Thankful Thursday

In the push and pull of everyday life, it is easy to lose sight of how fortunate each of us is.  No matter our circumstances, there is always a reason to be grateful.

The photo, above, is one of the many ways in which I am fortunate:  I have two amazing children who adore each other.  Here they sit holding hands.  

Buyer's Remorse

This morning, I mentioned to my husband that I'd love to get a Wii system for Christmas.

"Why? So the kids can play video games?"  This was a trick question.  I know he hates the idea of our kids ever playing video games.

"No," I said, "because I've heard Wii Fit is a fun way of exercising." 

"Hmph. Grumble grumble."  He was wearing the same expression my Dad always wore whenever we asked him for spending money when we were kids.

He said, "I was just thinking about that StairMaster we bought." Uh oh.  I knew where this was going.  We bought a StairMaster shortly after baby #2 was born so I could work off the baby weight.  Lately, my now two-year-old spends more time climbing on it than I do, having learned to scale the baby fence I put around it. "EBay should have a category for things that people buy that they rarely use but can't return to the store because they've owned them for too long.  The category could be called Buyer's Remorse."

I couldn't help but chuckle.  "I think that's the unofficial overarching category," I replied.

Daily Photo: Too Much Rain

I know I should not complain about rain, given I live in the southwest.  But seriously.  Too much rain.  My garden is beginning to resemble a mushroom farm.

25 Great Green Ideas

There are so many great things I'd love to do to make my home greener.  For a variety of reasons, I haven't done them all yet, but they remain on my list and I hope to get to them eventually.

Here are 25 Green Ideas you might also consider:

1. Composting - this is the next thing I'll do.  A composter tumbler is a must for easy composting.
   
2. Tubular skylights - I can think of at least 5 places I'd put one of these in my home.  Seriously awesome idea.
3. See if radiant barrier foil makes sense - we installed this in the Summer of 2008 and our house was noticeably more comfortable this past summer.  We also get an annual tax credit for the enhancement.
4. Solar landscape lighting - I bought a bunch of solar lights this past Spring for our front yard.  While they are not as powerful as corded lights, they enhance the evening appearance of our home and provide critical path lighting.
   
5. Explore solar roof panels.
6. Consider a wind turbine - we live in a very windy part of the country.  Right now, our city doesn't allow them, but I can hope!
7. Install a programmable thermostat - we've got one and it's really useful  Along those same lines, try to tolerate warmer in-home temps in the summer and colder temps in the winter.  This saves energy and might even be better for our health.
8. Collect rainwater from our roof in rain barrels and use it to water our lawn later.  This might be our second project, after the composter.
   
9. Bathe the kids together to save hot water.  I've got two small boys so it works for now. 
10. When doing dishes, scrape pans and scrub dishes with the water faucet turned off, rather than letting it run.
11. Grow organic fruits and vegetables in the backyard.  It saves money, provides fresher produce, and reduces environmental impact.
12. Install energy-efficient motion-sensor floodlights above your garage and in your backyard.  They use less power (you don't leave them on for any longer than you need them) and they might scare off intruders.
13. Use homemade non-toxic household cleaners.  I've been doing this for a while and love it.
14. As old light bulbs burn out, replace them with more energy efficient ones.
15. Get rid of plastic food storage containers in the kitchen.  Plastic leaches toxins into food.  Replace plastic with stainless steel or Pyrex.
16. Cook with cast iron, not non-stick pots and pans. 
    
17. Get rid of plastic in kids' meals.  Use stainless steel whenever possible.  Need ideas? Click here and here.
18. Maintain the lawn and garden organically to keep kids, pets, wildlife and beneficial insects safe.
    
19. Have a bug problem?  Deal with it organically.  Don't want to make your own solutions?  Here's an online guide to organic products you can buy.
    
20. Recycle when you can.  
21. Sell or give away things you don't want - post them on freecycle.org or craigslist, or give them to Goodwill.
22. Avoid some of those dry cleaning chemicals by learning how to wash dry-clean-only clothes.  Better yet, vow to buy fewer dry-clean-only clothes.
23. Drink tap water rather than bottled water, but make sure your tap water is healthy.  If it is not what you would like it to be or you worry about it, consider installing water filtration.
    
24. Use less paper.  Remove yourself from mailing lists - click here to do that.
25. Don't just clean the home - keep it tidy and organized.  This facilitates figuring out what can be discarded (see #21) and using possessions more efficiently (thereby avoiding unnecessary purchases).  Green living and good organization go hand-in-hand.

Do You Find This Disturbing, Too?

When I was a little girl, there were a few books that had a particular impact on me - books that I remember to this day and associate with my childhood.  One of them was What Color Is Love? by Joan Walsh Anglund.  I thought it was a charming book. 

So when I had children of my own and was busily stocking their library, I tried to track it down but found it was out of print.  Instead, I bought a copy of Babies Are a Bit of Heaven, also by Joan Walsh Anglund.

Last night, as I was reading it to my children for the first time, it struck me.  I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed it before.  None of the babies or children have noses or mouths.  They don't have mouths, but the adults do.  Is this supposed to mean something?  Am I the only one disturbed by this?

TechnoMeg: LinkWithin - Related Posts with Thumbnails

 

Every once in a while, I come across a blog that has a really nice feature and I do what I can to incorporate it in my blog, too.  Last week, I noticed folks adding Related Posts with Thumbnails, by LinkWithin.  It pops up below each blog entry, pointing readers to other posts of interest.  This is certainly a nice feature to promote longer visits on a website.  It's really easy to add it to a Blogger blog.  I can't speak for other blog platforms.  Just visit the website and follow the instructions.  It doesn't involve manipulation of HTML - you just add a widget.

Happy Blogging!

Quick, Delicious Asian Stir-Fry

I recently added a few dishes to my repertoire that are low-carb - that just focus on vegetables and protein.  This is one of them.  It's quick, easy and incredibly tasty.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Vegi & Protein
1/2 medium red pepper, cut in narrow strips
1/2 medium yellow pepper, cut in narrow strips
1/2 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/2 cup water chestnuts
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced carrots
8 cups chopped bok choy
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 lbs thinly sliced pork, chicken, beef, seafood or tofu (we enjoy thinly sliced center cut pork chop or boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

Stir-Fry Sauce - whisk together:
1/2 cup sesame oil
4 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

Put 2 tbsp sesame oil into a wok or (10"-12") saute pan at high heat.  Season with a touch of salt and pepper and quickly cook your protein to 165F (no higher or it may dry out - use a thermometer).  Should only take a few minutes if it is thinly sliced and you stir frequently.  Remove protein and set aside.  Drain oil from wok or pan.

Immediately proceed with the vegetables.  Add 3 tbsp sesame oil to the wok or pan at high heat.  Add all vegetables except the bok choy (you add this toward the end so it doesn't brown).  Stir-fry 1-3 minutes, then add the bok choy and stir fry another minute or so, tossing frequently.  Pour in the stir-fry sauce and toss for another minute.  Remove from heat.  Add the protein and toss again.  Serve.

We've eaten this alone and it's quite filling, but you could also serve it over rice or as a side dish.

This recipe makes about five servings.

It is absolutely delicious.

I've Received A Best Blog Award!

Wow - what a week! I've received my second blog award.  Many thanks to Jenny at Southern Institute for Domestic Arts and Crafts!  If you haven't checked out her website yet, you should - it's a great blog about arts and crafts, cooking, sewing and kids.

The Blog Award Rules are as follows:

In order to accept the award, please post it on your blog with the name of the person(s) who gave awarded it, including the link to the blog. Pass the award onto 15 other blogs that you have newly discovered and think are great.  Remember to contact the bloggers and let them know they have been chosen for this award.

So, the awards go to (drum roll...)

1. Finding Trinity http://findingtrinity-michele.blogspot.com/ (Michele, I know you just got one, but I couldn't help but think of you!)
   
2. The Suburban Jungle http://thesuburbanjungle.blogspot.com/ 
3. Mission Mommy http://snipsandsnailsboutique.blogspot.com/ 
4. Mommy Words http://www.mommywords.com/ 
5. Matthew's Puzzle http://matthewspuzzle.blogspot.com/ 
6. The Obnoxious SAHM http://theobnoxioussahm.blogspot.com/ 
7. Six Feet Under  http://sixfeetundersite.blogspot.com/ 
8. Zen and the Art of Motherhood http://zenandmotherhood.blogspot.com/ 
9. Musings of a "Cheesed Off Haus Frau" http://cheesedoffhf.blogspot.com/ 
10. Strawberry Seeds http://www.strawberryseeds.net/ 
11. King Max cried "Let the Wild Rumpus Begin!" http://kingmaxcried.blogspot.com/ 
12. Lululu At Home http://www.lululuathome.com/ 
13. We Have Cupcakes http://wehavecupcakes.blogspot.com/ 
14. Rylee For Life http://ryleeforlife.blogspot.com/ 
15. Iva Messy http://www.ivamessy.com/

25 Healthy Snacks for Kids

Each family in my 5-year-old's Montessori class is asked to assume morning snack duty for a few weeks during the school year.  The school has a few ground rules: no nuts, no sweets, and all natural whenever possible.

My philosophy is that snacks are an opportunity to get some additional "good stuff" into kids -- fruits, vegetables, fiber, protein and/or calcium.  Snack should also be tasty, filling and all natural.   This is really not as hard as it sounds.

Our snack duty starts this Monday, so I compiled the below list of the snacks I typically make and created my menu from this list (I chose the ones that fit the ground rules and travel best).  I ran it by my 5-year-old and got the thumbs-up.  Can you tell we love muffins?

(** = my kids' absolute favorites)

1. hummus and baby carrots **
   
2. organic drinkable yogurts and grapes or half bananas (peel on - kids like removing peels) **
   
3. big, beautiful strawberries
4. organic cheddar or meunster cheese and multigrain crackers
5. blueberry mini muffins **
   
6. banana mini muffins (skip the nuts for school!) **
   
7. turkey and spinach pinwheels (take an all natural soft tortilla, add a bit of organic mayonnaise, one slice of organic turkey and a few leaves of organic baby spinach, then roll and slice in 1/2 inch pinwheels -- it's a very flexible concept - you could do it with ham, cheese, cream cheese, chicken...)
   
8. carrot mini muffins
   
9. cantaloupe cubes **
   
10. hummus and multigrain crackers **
    
11. carrot or zucchini silver dollar-sized pancakes (I use Arrowhead Mills Multigrain Pancake mix, add an egg and some finely grated peeled carrot or zucchini)
    
12. zucchini mini muffins **
    
13. pumpkin mini muffins **
    
14. chunky, mild guacamole and all natural tortilla chips **
    
15. Health Valley organic cereal bars ** (my kids devour these)
    
16. raisins and organic "cheesie bunnies" as my toddler calls them (Annie's Cheddar Bunnies)
17. watermelon cubes (only when in season - out of season watermelon just doesn't cut it) **
    
18. peeled organic, sweet, crisp apple slices (toss them in lemon juice to prevent browning if you're preparing in advance) and organic unsalted popcorn **
    
19. fruit salad (apples, bananas, kiwi, pears, cantaloupe, grapes - whatever fruit is in-season, in a flavor combination you think the kids will like; toss in some lemon juice to keep things from browning)
20. raisins and unsalted peanuts (not for school!) **
    
21. peanut butter and jelly mini sandwiches (not for school!: we enjoy Oroweat Double Fiber bread, Arrowhead Mills organic crunchy peanut butter and organic, fruit-sweetened strawberry preserves) **
    
22. unsalted trail mix (not for school!; mixed nuts, raisins, sunflower seeds, granola chunks) **
    
23. fruit smoothies (doesn't travel well to school :); can hide a multitude of goodies such as probiotic powder, pureed baby spinach, etc.)
    
24. kefir smoothies (doesn't travel well to school :); slightly tart taste, so the kids really need to love yogurt to enjoy this - my toddler loves these)
    
25. cream cheese toast ** (doesn't travel well to school :); my toddler asks for this every day - I use all natural cinnamon raisin bread and Organic Valley cream cheese -- it's the best cream cheese we've ever tasted)

Carrot Muffins

My five-year-old's favorite vegetable is the carrot.  If he could, he'd eat carrots at every meal.  Cooked or raw, he loves them.  So when I bake this carrot bread (kids love it in the form of mini muffins, too), he is very enthusiastic.  Even my toddler, who would never admit to liking carrots, devours this.

Carrot Muffins

Ingredients:

• 4 organic eggs
• 2 cups organic sugar
• 3 sticks organic butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups peeled, grated carrot
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups all purpose flour (you could do 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 all purpose flour)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Cream together eggs, sugar and butter.  While mixing, add vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda, salt.  Add grated carrot and blend.  Mix in the flour.  Fold in nuts (optional).
Pour into well greased 9x5x3 loaf pan, 4 mini pans, or paper-lined muffin tins.
Bake until toothpick comes out clean.  (50-60 min for large loaf, maybe 25 min for mini loaves, 15 min for mini muffins -- check frequently and don't overcook!)

Yummy Fruit Smoothies

My kids love smoothies, especially when it's hot outside.  These are great for a snack.  Add a bit of organic vanilla ice cream and you've also got a rich, delicious dessert. 

Ingredients (you can easily find organic versions of all of these ingredients):

2 cups frozen fruit (strawberries, blueberries, peaches, whatever you enjoy)
5 ice cubes
1 cup vanilla lowfat yogurt
1 large banana
1 cup juice (cranberry, orange or apple are best)

Blend in a food processor until smooth.  Enjoy!

Tip: you can enhance the nutritional/health content by "pureeing/hiding" any of the following in this: baby spinach, ground flaxseed (easiest if you're including something seedy like raspberries or strawberries), cooked sweet potato or powdered probiotics.

Guacamole for Kids - No Cilantro, No Onion, No Tomatoes

My kids like things simple.  My older one does not like spicy food.  I am allergic to raw onion (gives me a headache).  But I LOVE guacamole.  How do I make it?

Ingredients:

• 2 whole avocados, mashed but chunky 
• 1 minced (or pressed) clove of garlic (you can use garlic powder if need be)
  
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
  
• salt and pepper to taste 

Directions:

Combine.  Enjoy with chips, rice and beans, a fajita or a burrito.

Hummus - One of Our Favorite Snacks

I was first introduced to the delicious dish called hummus in college, when I dated an Iranian who often took me to Middle Eastern restaurants.  It quickly became a favorite.  Years later, I introduced my children to it and they absolutely love it.  And I mean L-O-V-E it.  We use it as a dip with carrots or pepper strips (orange, red, yellow or green!) -- really, any raw veg, with pita wedges, crackers or even tortilla chips.  My husband loves it, too.

I frequently buy it, but it's certainly cheaper and just as delicious to make it at home.  I found a great recipe on YouTube, believe it or not (great resource, people!).  To see the author make it, click here.

Hummus

Ingredients:

primary ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), rinsed (cans are typically 15 oz. or so)
• the juice of one lemon
• 1/4-1/2 cup of tahini (sesame seed paste) -- don't forget to stir it up before you measure it out!  Start with 1/4 cup and add more to taste
• 2 cloves garlic (mashed in a mortar with 1/2 tsp salt)
• 1/4-1/2 cup plain yogurt (improves the texture, so it's not lumpy - start w/ 1/4 cup then add more as needed)
• 3-4 leaves fresh mint (gives a subtle taste)

garnishes:

• 2 tbsp minced parsley (if you like it - we don't)
• ground paprika
• extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Combine all primary ingredients in a food processor.  Blend for 2 minutes.  If the texture is stiff and lumpy, add another 1/4 cup of plain yogurt.  Blend again until smooth.  Taste.  Does it need more lemon?  More salt?  Adjust to taste.  Spread in a dish and sprinkle with parsley (if you like it) and paprika.  Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil.  Serve.

Yummy!

Zucchini Muffins

My kids LOVE muffins.  Particularly mini muffins, so I make a wide variety.  I use them as a tasty opportunity to get fruits and vegetables into them.  My mother-in-law gave me this recipe for zucchini bread, and my kids love it.

Zucchini Bread (or muffins!)

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 2 cups dark brown sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups peeled, grated zucchini
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 2 cups all purpose flour (you could do 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 all purpose flour)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Cream together eggs, brown sugar and oil.  While mixing, add vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and baking powder.  Add grated zucchini and blend.  Mix in the flour.  Fold in nuts (optional). 
Pour into well greased 9x5x3 loaf pan, 4 mini pans, or paper-lined muffin tins. 
Bake until toothpick comes out clean.  (50-60 min for large loaf, maybe 25 min for mini loaves, 15 min for mini muffins -- check frequently and don't overcook!)

Pumpkin Muffins

Ahhh.  Pumpkin season!  We love pumpkin!  It's an appropriate time to share my favorite super-delicious, moist, healthy pumpkin muffin recipe. 

Pumpkin Muffins

Preheat oven to 400F

1. Sift together:
1 cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup white flour
½ cup ground flaxmeal (adds Omega-3 and fiber)

2. Add:
1/3 tsp salt
½ cup sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon

3. Stir until mixed well

4. Add:
3 eggs (this recipe also responds well to egg-replacer but as eggless bakers know, they don't keep as well, so eat them right away)
2 tbsp organic butter
1 cup organic whole milk
1 15 oz can 100% pure pumpkin
optional: 1 cup applesauce and/or 1/4 cup prune juice -- this will make them denser and moister

5. Mix well with fork or beaters/blender, then pour into muffin pans.

6. Bake until the toothpick comes out clean.  Mini muffins might take 15 minutes, larger muffins might take 25 minutes.  Check frequently so you don't overcook!

"Proud to Be Me" Day

Last year at my 5 year old's Montessori school there was a Fall Festival (code for Halloween party).   This year, instead of the Fall Festival, they are celebrating International Month.  Each child must come to school with a "Proud to Be Me" poster explaining their cultural background.

We have a very diverse student body, so this exercise should be really interesting for everyone.  Though I'm sure they'll miss not wearing Halloween costumes to school (I haven't broken this news to my son yet - I anticipate some shock and maybe some tears).

The responsibility for putting together this poster fell to me.  Each of my child's four grandparents has/had a distinct heritage, so the poster included grandparents' names, what countries their ancestors immigrated from, a few of their cultural traditions and facts about their countries, pictures and stickers of those countries.  I spent a lot of time on it and it looked awesome.

Though my son has told me repeatedly that he would like to be a Transformer ("Mom, I don't think that when you wish on a star the wishes come true because I'm not a Transformer yet!"), I know he is proud to be him, just the way he is, a genealogical hodgepodge.  That makes me very happy.

Is Water Fluoridation Necessary, Or Even Good for Us?

Our family is very careful about what we put in our bodies.  We eat a largely organic diet and minimize our exposure to toxins. 

• I make my own all natural cleaning supplies.   
• We bathe our kids with all natural, organic shampoos and use only the safest sunscreen.  
• Our fruits and vegetables are mainly organic.  Our dairy is always organic.  Our meat and poultry is organic, or at the very least, vegetarian-fed and free of antibiotics and growth hormones.  Our organic diet allows us to avoid artificial colors and flavors, as well as high fructose corn syrup.
  
• We have all but eliminated plastic from our kitchen, cook with cast iron and store our food in Pyrex or stainless steel containers.  
• We don't drink bottled water because of chemicals that may leach out of the plastic bottles (and most of it is tap water anyway) and use stainless steel bottles when we're out and about.
  

But I'm becoming increasingly concerned that all of this effort is being offset by chemicals that may be lurking in our drinking water.  I've written about this before.  I thought I'd resolved my concerns and settled on drinking our tap water.  But I've been thinking more about the studies that point to the presence of sex hormones, mood stabilizers, anticonvulsants and antibiotics in municipal drinking water.  See this article, or this one or this one.  Is this why children are going through puberty earlier, has it contributed to health problems, is this one reason autism is on the rise?  Maybe what I'm doing now to protect my family isn't enough.  I haven't found any home kits that test for the presence of pharmaceuticals and my city doesn't test for them, so I have to go on faith that our tap water won't harm my family over time.  Hmm. Not feeling the faith.

Just about the only element of municipal drinking water that has kept us from installing a reverse-osmosis filter is fluoride.  But I wonder: is water fluoridation really necessary, or even good for us?  My kids get fluoride treatments from their dentist twice a year and I brush their teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.  Do they really need it in their drinking water, too?

So I took the opportunity to ask the dentist today at my kids' semi-annual cleaning/checkup whether fluoridated water is necessary.  She said that having systemic fluoride (i.e., from drinking water) is important for developing teeth more than for the teeth that have already broken through (since these can be cleaned with fluoride toothpaste and given fluoride treatments).  So I asked her if she thought it would be okay if I started using reverse osmosis for our drinking water once the kids' adult teeth started coming in, and she said yes.

I'm still wondering about it, though.  How much damage might these chemicals do to my family in the three years until my younger child starts losing baby teeth? 

What would you do?

Mama!

At midnight last night, my toddler woke up screaming and crying, "Mama!!! Mama!!!"  I ran to his room and found him kneeling on his bed, facing the wall.  He was very upset.  "Don't let them bite my fingers!"

I touched his shoulder and said softly, "Mama's here, don't worry.  Everything is ok.  It's just a bad dream.  Mama's here."  He immediately stopped crying and turned his cheek for a kiss.  "You can lie back down now.  Everything is ok.  Mama's here."  I gave him a kiss, then tucked my sweet baby in and smoothed his hair.  He went right back to sleep.

It never ceases to amaze me that my children are so comforted just by the sound of my voice, by my presence.  Puts a lump in my throat every time.  My sweet babies.

(The beautiful painting, above, is by Mary Cassatt, titled Mother & Child - 1890s.  Mary Cassatt painted so many wonderful scenes of mothers and children.)

Cesar Millan, Human Whisperer

There was a fascinating article in Sunday's New York Times, titled "Cesar Millan, Whispering to Rottweillers, and to CEOs."    I'm not a dog person - I am allergic to pets and like clean floors.  But the title grabbed me.  I encourage you to read it.

The article explains Cesar Millan's philosophy and career progression.  What an amazing success story.  Even more interesting is how his philosophy about dogs can be used with similar success with humans. 

One of the most interesting excerpts from the article:

"(Dogs) accept you as who you are - one leg, two legs, no eyes, no problem," he says.  "But they won't be around unstable energy.  That's how much integrity they have."    Not so with humans.  "One of Cesar's favorite sayings," says Jim Milio, a partner in MPH, which produces the show out of a mini-mall in Burbank, Calif., "is that humans are the only animals who will follow unstable pack leaders."

His mantra is "exercise, discipline and affection."  These elements, when applied to dogs, will make dog owners successful pack leaders.  Applied to yourself, they will also make you more stable, more confident, more in-balance.  So, even people who are not dog owners can apply these elements in their lives to improve their relationships in the workplace and with their families.  Stable, confident, strong, compassionate people attract other people.  So, be fit, be disciplined, offer friendship/affection/love (as appropriate) and people will want to follow you, be around you.  That makes total sense to me.  I was able to explain this to my husband in two minutes and it made sense to him, too. 

So I plan to post Cesar Millan's mantra (with some elaboration) in my kitchen to remind everyone in my household what they need to do every day to be strong, confident, stable and warm:

Exercise - get your heart rate up every single day
Discipline - practice this across all facets of life - sleep, eating, budget, emotions, respect, work, time management, family time
Affection - everyone needs to show everyone in the house affection every single day

I'm going to see how this works out for us over the next two weeks and I will report back here.  Now excuse me while I go do a Shred.  Hopefully, my toddler won't try to sit on me while I'm doing crunches.

Hair Clippers - Maybe My Quickest Payback Ever

Wrangling two squirmy, impatient little boys into the children's hair salon (salon might be overstating it) once every few months isn't what I would call fun.  The wait is sometimes quite long, the toys in the waiting room are grimy and inevitably there is some kid with a hacking cough showering my kids with the virus du jour.

So about a year ago, I bought electric clippers and started giving my kids haircuts in the kitchen.  $30 for the clippers with all of the accessories, including a short instruction manual and a cape.  I just turn the TV on for distraction, plop them in a chair and trim away.  After one or two haircuts they got used to the sound and vibration of the clippers.  Cleanup is easy - just keep the vacuum handy.

My husband complains that I cut my kids' hair too short (I like it tidy), so I'm working on improving my repertoire to include something more fashionable.  YouTube has a lot of how-to videos for cutting hair at home.  I also recently took the kids back to the salon for haircuts and got a tutorial from an unsuspecting hair stylist. 

A lot of green ideas are beneficial on many levels - they might have less impact on the environment, use fewer resources, be less toxic, might save money.  And many of them are less convenient and take a bit of time.  Hair clippers are MORE convenient, take LESS time, don't require gas to get us to the hair salon and cost us less.

I can't think of many things I've bought that have delivered 100% payback within a day.  $30 for clippers versus $26 (plus tip) for two kids' haircuts at the salon means that the clippers just about paid for themselves after cutting both of my kids' hair myself just one time.  Not bad.

Oh, and one other tool I've found useful for dealing with very thick hair: thinning shears.

Dad, you're for...

My husband put our 5 year old son to bed tonight.  After books and songs, he bent down to give our son a kiss.  And that's when our son gave him a lengthy explanation about why his Dad can't kiss him anymore.

"Dad, you're for playing in the tree fort and when I stand on the bed and I jump and I'm not looking and then you catch me before I fall, or for doing the "Six Flags" tricks (when Dad spins him around), and for bath time, for playing in the pool..."

And my husband said, "But you let Mommy kiss you all the time."

"Yeah, I do."  And that's all he said.

I know that my husband and I will be different things for both of our children at different times in their lives.  But right now I really enjoy the cuddles.

One Reason I Love My Mother-in-law

My mother-in-law, about her kids: "You can tell your kids what to do but then they just do whatever they want."

Turning to me, "Good thing I can't tell my daughter-in-law what to do, right?"

Me: "Well, you could try."

My mother-in-law: "Hey, I come here and eat good meals, I know better than to tell you what to do!"

Makes Me Think Twice About Eating Burgers

The featured article on the front page of Sunday's New York Times is titled "The Burger That Shattered Her Life."  It is about the risk folks run eating hamburger meat.

There were several takeaways from that article, in my opinion.

1. You can avoid many food-borne illnesses by properly cooking your meat - use a thermometer!
2. Keep your hands and countertops clean when you're cooking.  E. coli cells double every 45 minutes in a warm kitchen.
3. Hamburger meat can be comprised of a whole lot of odds and ends, sourced from different suppliers in different countries.  And here I thought it was from one cow.  Good grief!  But leaner is better, and not just because of the lower fat content.
   
4. Some components of some types of ground beef are treated with AMMONIA to kill bacteria.
5. Costco is one of the few big producers that tests for E. coli before grinding.
   

My conclusion: go organic or go vegetarian -  but if you must eat meat, USE A THERMOMETER TO COOK IT.

That's Right: It's A Stainless Steel Straw!

My children LOVE straws and could therefore go through many of those plastic ones every day.  Tired of the waste, uncomfortable with the notion of using them on warm drinks and really uncomfortable with the idea of glass straws, I found these Stainless Steel Straws.  They are AWESOME.

Also check out these wide straws - great for smoothies.

Daily Photo: Full Moon

Though not as large as some full moons we've seen here, this one is impressive nonetheless.  One of the perks of living in the countryside.

Will you get the swine flu vaccination? (originally posted 9/18/09, updated 10/2/09)

On the one hand, I've read that one of the vaccine's supposed ingredients, squalene (an element added to stimulate the immune response), may have been responsible for Gulf War Syndrome.  And there is worry of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a serious neurological disease that was associated with the swine flu immunization of 1976.

On the other hand, my children's pediatrician says the H1N1 vaccine is not much different from our annual flu vaccines (only the flu strain addressed by the vaccine is different) and we shouldn't be afraid of it.  And it will be available in a preservative-free formulation, which is the only one her office will carry.

At the risk of attracting the ire of anti-vaccine activists, I'll state that I've had my children vaccinated as scheduled (though I always requested and received the preservative-free formulation), including their annual flu shots.

I'm on the fence on this one, though.  Can someone help me untangle this debate?

Update 10/2/09:
NOT getting it.

Autumn: The Season of Disco

I was in 8th grade the year that "disco died."  I have strong memories of roller skating on Friday evenings at the rink, disco ball glittering, Donna Summer singing "Last Dance," hoping to see whichever boy I was crazy about at the time but never had the courage to speak to.  Even though I moved on to Pat Benatar, Tina Turner, The Police, David Bowie and others in the early '80s, Disco remains very close to my heart and can get me moving like no other music can. 

Autumn is my favorite season.  The first snap in the air completely rejuvenates me - I literally feel 10 years younger.  I felt that first snap this morning.  Made me actually put on makeup and fluff my hair.  I can't help but associate autumn with going back to school, so when I feel that snap, smell that Fall aroma, I am instantly thrust back to my youth. 

So, my selection this morning during the drive to my son's school?  Barry White's You're The First, The Last, My Everything.  When my kids saw me dancing in my seat, they started dancing too. 

I've decided that if Disco makes me feel this good, I need to have it in my life all year long.

Here are some Donna Summer lyrics I hope will make you feel great all day:

Last dance.
Last chance, for love.
Yes, it's my last chance,
For romance tonight.

I need you, by me,
Beside me, to guide me,
To hold me, to scold me,
'Cause when I'm bad,
I'm so, so bad.

So, let's dance, the last dance,
Let's dance, the last dance,
Let's dance, this last dance tonight.

Daily Photo: It's Only Fair

When my 5 year old saw the fun photo I posted yesterday of my toddler, he insisted he have one too.  Because it's only fair.

One Turkey Sandwich, Hold the E. coli

My husband never throws away food that languishes in the refrigerator.  Conversely, I may be too quick to throw away food.  I am very afraid of my family falling victim to foodborne illness, so I tend to toss leftovers first and ask questions later.

This morning, my husband asked if I might make him a sandwich with the leftover roasted turkey we had for dinner last week.
"Uh, er, grf, zwff."
"No, you did not throw it away!"
"Of course I did.  We ate it last week.  It is now Thursday."

So now I must justify my action with some facts.  Ok, folks, here they are, straight from the USDA's website.  No need to thank me for saving your stomach honey!

Daily Photo: Halloween Is Coming!

Both of my little ones are already dressing up in costumes almost daily and have decorated baby pumpkins.  If last year was any indication, the excitement should reach an absolute fever pitch by October 31 and the costumes will be threadbare!