when the bees sting

I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad:

Washing my face with plain ol' buy at the grocery store SEA salt.

My new trim treads that I wear around the house and feel sore the next day so it's like a version of doing nothing to exercise that actually works....maybe. I have only had them for a week but my calves are killing me!!

The perfectly funny book about momhood called When Did I Get Like This, which is how I feel my blog would be like if I wrote a book and had lots of different experiences.

Thinking about getting dreadlocks again...

Being more green: You probably already know that I don't buy paper-towels, haven't for about 8 years and I always use paper napkins. I've also given up dryer sheets and I am happy to report that I haven't purchased ANY household cleaning products for 2 years. I keep a cutesy spray bottle of vinegar water in each bathroom and use that for all sorts of spills: carpet stains, pee on the floor, juice puddles left in the bathtub, strawberry jam stuck on the couch pillow and found months later, boogers stuck to the wall...you know, all the stuff around the house. For the bathrooms & kitchen I use microfiber cloths.
Recently I gave up wipes, you know like, those little disposable diaper wipes people use on their kids all the time. I bought a set of these cuties and I keep a couple in the car, a few in my purse, they are great for runny noses and I always have water on hand so I can wet them and use them if I have a sticky popsicle to clean up after. I'm never buying wasteful wipes again- this pack of 20 will wash and wear through the next 10 years.
For eco-friendly lunch packaging I bought some silicone cupcake holders for our bento box snacks- zip lock baggies are OUT!
While I'm at it with the linky-love I must say that we've put these popsicle molds to frequent (near daily use) for months and I have never had a broken or stuck popsicle! Juice is so much simpler than individually wrapped, dye filled popsicles and the kids are equally eager for the handmade version of the icy treat.

I must admit I love the cutesieness of things and then I appreciate them more; I think I might use and enjoy things more when they are cute so I make an effort to take a cute path when going green and that makes things not only better for the Earth but also better in my house- which is a plus.


And catching up with Brandye from Okinawa today! She's totally cute.

Please share what you've been loving lately!

braces for billie

I know I haven't been keeping up with our blog. But really, you don't want to be friends with us at the moment. We've had a cranky week...or maybe it's been a month...I'm in a crank-fog and I've lost all track of time. Have my children ever been kind or helpful in the past? I don't recall anything like that. I'll try to think of three good things to write and keep it at that.

1. Cort takes naps. That's good. He's really sweet when he's asleep.
2. We have a roof over our heads and plenty of Kix cereal. That's good.
3. I have nice handwriting. That's good.


So, there. I did it.

Apart from Billie and Jackson's NON-STOP bickering and my constant complaining about said bickering we have a very nice life.

At least there's
free bowling on the horizon.

























And Sloane's new haircut is cute.

Billie is growing up some...she has braces now but still wears her shirt backwards sometimes. I hardly ever wear my shirts backwards these days thankyouverymuch.

These lights will make you feel brand new

We had this really amazing trip to NYC- it was a while ago but what to do when there's not much fun stuff going on around here? Recall good times; A walk in Central Park with Uncle Ted

Cort carried this dagger all over for weeks and weeks. He slept with it every night until he lost it. This worked out well at Disneyworld because all the boys are dressed as pirates, or have a lightsaber on hand...the girls walk around in princess gear...it's magical. But now we're in NYC and visiting relatives with our two year old who just happens to carry a knife with him at all times. It's a little less appropriate in Central Park to run up to strangers pointing your dagger in their face and saying "I A PIRATE!" lots of people are disturbed adn I'm constantly explaining 'heh heh, it's just rubber! it's his favorite toy, he's harmless really, he just likes to threaten people, he never hurts anyone so that's practically acceptable, right? It's just that he's our 4th child...we give him anything he wants and right now he's into knives. Anyway, what kind of person are you? Threatened by someone wearing pink sparkly shoes with light up hearts. Really!'

Billie, Sloane and I got to ride the subway. Sloane was the only person in NYC wearing this hat because I KNIT DAT!

Then we went to a Broadway show. Possibly the best night ever and we are still dancing around on couches at least once a week here to the new version of Practically Perfect and Billie's favorite: Brimstone and Treacle. This spurred Billie to read all the books in the Mary Poppins series and the weekly singalongs have pushed Jackson's tolerance of our performances over the edge. Billie has resorted to headphones on her I-pod. Each time he's out of the house for an outing with friends or family we are staging our own musicals.