Teaching the kids how to fish!

I decided that a picture post of what we have been doing works just as well!! I think it's really important for our kids to know where our food comes from so along with having a garden I am teaching te kids about other sources of food!

We all caught at least one fish and brought home 5, the kids had fun and we learned how to clean up the fish!!

Next step into minimalism...

I have decided that it isn't that WE are outgrowing our home, our STUFF is outgrowing our home, thus crowding us out! I have been packing up boxes (originally because I anticipated to move) and storing them in our closets and guess what? I don't miss it, don't want it and don't even remember what it is! So it's time for it to go, so far two cars full to the goodwill, more on the way, as well as clearing out baby stuff and handing it down in the family. We don't plan on anymore kids!

Also we have totally cut out canned foods, they have BPA lining in the cans and it seeps into your food, I am just being blunt here, they hide so much junk in our food it's not even imaginable. So it's on to fresh produce for us! And a new way of cooking!

Going greener!

I have decided to make my own produce bags, and bags for the bulk bins at places like natural grocers, and whole foods. I plan to do that as a way to cut back on trash, as well as eating cleaner and healthier. Not to mention the support it gives the organic farmers!! It's even a win for mother earth!! So my next trip down to the store will be trash free! I have been reading this blog as an inspiration:

http://zerowastehome.blogspot.com/

Cilantro pesto!

I have been trying to create meals that you would find ingredients at the farmers market, so here goes!

Ingredients:

5 oz of cilantro ( I used 1 bunch)

2/3 cup toasted nuts of any kind I used raw sunflower seeds, I toasted them for a few min.

2/3 cup of olive oil

3 medium cloves of garlic roughly chopped

2/3 cup parmesan cheese (i did not use any)

salt and pepper if needed

Put it all in the blender except for cheese, be sure to stop and smush it down until it's done!! Mix in cheese!  It will oxidise but you can put a thin layer of oil over top to help!

Reasons why you should throw out the microwave...

So my microwave crashed on me, but I have gone without one before and prefer that there isn't one in the house and here's why:

1. You learn to cook so that you have nothing to re-heat unless it's easily reheated on the stove... So your not wasting leftovers... I know I throw out  fair amount because it wasn't eaten.
2. It's healthier for you to cook your meals rather than buy them pre made.
3. It saves some energy, every little bit counts.
4. There has been studies that using a microwave can cause the food to alter.... depleteing your nutriens by a lot, and other things we will discuss another time!!
5. Clears up counterspace (for the minimalists)
6. Your not buying all kinds of microwavable foods that make a lot of trash!
7. You learn to savor your food. The flavor, smell, sounds, even the texture while you eat! It really connects with more of your senses....
8. And lastly, your not tempted to eat all day long which no offense to anyone but the convienence has made much of america fat, just saying....

Just an update...

I have cleared out about 15 boxes worth of stuff just cluttering my home!!! I plan to not let it back in, that saves on money as well as the consumerism... I am making better plans for next years Homemade christmas!

My journey continues...

Ok everyone I am posting about how I have been keeping green with a new baby around!
1. I am using all my oldest daughters clothes for the new baby girl :)
2. I trade clothes and baby gear like swings, jumpers and so on with family members and friends.
3. My wonderful mother in law shops goodwill and brings in awesome finds for cheap and used clothes!
4. I kept all toys, so I have plenty of play things for the little crawler!
5. Lastly for now I use glass bottles bpa free nipples and I try to go with organic formula when I can!

Also I wanted to mention Happy New Years!!!
Want to be green? Here is a few tips for your new years celebration!
Shop local, and get bulk foods
Get finger foods, less mess, less waste
Compost and recycle, have clearly labeled bins for glass, cans ect...
Go veggie! You don't meat to spice up a party, some homemade hummus and veggies make a great snack, we also like to make roll ups, cream cheese and olives spread on a tortilla with a sprinkle of powdered ranch, them slice into pieces and you have a mighty fine appetizer!! For vegan Ideas go to vegangal.com!

Well hopefully I will have some new recipes for you all soon :) Until then, take care!

Hello everyone~! A few holiday tips!

It has been a long time!! But here are few tips to help you thru the holidays :) I will update you all next time, hopefully tomorrow!

1. Use newspaper to wrap gifts, kids love decorating it! Fun for adults too!
2. If you must buy new, go for quality and wooden if possible they last longer so that more children can enjoy them especially if you recycle and donate :)
3. Homemade gifts in my opinion mean more!! I have a christmas tree full of them and I wouldn't have it any other way!
4. Get a fake tree so that your not using up resources every year. Even special farms for growing christmas trees are still using vital nutrients from the soil and are not being replenished!!
5. Lastly I urge you to watch (found on netflix) Dirt, foodmatters, fat sick and nearly dead, also Forks over knives, they all educate you on food and the status of our farms.

Happy holidays to each of you!

Reasons why you don't want an epidural:

Take it from someone who has been through this, 4 times now.... UHG

So when I had my first daughter I was 19, and scared. I didn't know nearly as much as I do now about things. But anyways I opted for an epidural when I first went into labor. Everything was fine, and went normal. Sounds great right??? NOT. The many things that can happen, and all the risks including signing a form stating that you may die! Yup I signed that.

4 years later here I am in labor with my second daughter, I labored all but 1 1/2 hours of it without any medication, completley natural. First off when your in so much pain and it's readily available, your more likely to use it, so here I was in transisition begging for something. Unfortunately I caved and they gave me another epidural, what I didn't know was that the anestesioligist had to do it twice beacause he messed up the first try. I labored and gave birth to my daughter and was fine, until the next day.

The headache began, it wasn't so bad until they released me the next day, I cried for almost 24 hours. The pain was unlike anything I had experinced. I found myself in the emergency room, to see what the heck was happening to me. After being stuck up and down my arms because they couldn't hit a vein for an IV, they gave me morphine and then continued on to tell me that they needed to do a blood patch. No big deal right, wrong again. They basically have to do another epidural and inject your own blood into the hole. So thats what they did. They told me that because of the first two epidurals in the previous days that I was leaking spinal fluid causing my brain to have less, which pulls on your tissues and makes your brain hurt literally.

I had one day pain free, to enjoy my new family.... Thankfully I got to be pain free on mothers day.

The next day I was back in the ER. Same amount of pain. They cannot do another blood patch although in some cases they will. Another IV and shot of morphine, they sent me home with a bed rest protocall and said if it doesn't go away in a week, to see my doctor.

Finally after three days sobbing and taking perkaset, it went away.

This whole experience was totally unnatural, and I regret not being able to wait out the last 1 1/2 hours. I never want to experence anything like this again, and if I so happen to have another child, I pray that I can birth at home, the way birth should be.

I hope you can all take something from this.