Win a Thermos Foogo!

http://www.ecobabymamadrama.com/2011/10/thermos-foogo-review-giveaway.html#comment-form

Giveaways!

I want to win liver, coconut oil, and krill oil!  You can enter, too!
http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2011/03/11/win-liver-coconut-oil-more-in-the-radiant-life-giveaway-5-winners-over-80-each/

TV Free Week

Last week was declared TV Free Week in the house.  I had a few reasons for this, most of them negative.

First thing Marin would ask in the morning (like the very first thing uttered out of her mouth) was "Can you put cartoons on?"  During the day it was wanting to watch The Jungle Book over and over and over and not do anything else.  At night she was needing the TV on to fall asleep -- a habit that took me a long time to break.

But it wasn't just Marin.  It was me.  I was sucked into HGTV like it was nobody's business.  I would switch it on once Marin fell asleep at night.  I would skip over a magazine or book I've been wanting to read and choose TV instead because it seemed like less effort.

Worst of all, I was disturbed every time I saw Autumn's eyes become fixated on the bright lights of the screen.  Oh, the sensory overload for her poor 3 month old brain!

I'm not totally against TV watching (except for babies).  If I was, we'd have to get rid of every set in the house.  But it can get out of hand sometimes.  And besides, I just plain old miss how it was BEFORE Marin started watching cartoons at home.

It was just over a year ago...  I was taking on more transcription during the day while Ben watched Marin.  When he didn't have her out of the house, she was always trying to get to me in the office.  TV was the perfect distraction.  But before then, everyday it was me and Marin playing on the floor, listening to music, going to the library, getting outside for walks and to play.  It was great!  I miss that quality time.  It made the days much more enjoyable.

And thus TV Free Week began.  With explanation the night before, Marin understood.  First morning when I wouldn't put Arthur on immediately upon waking I heard, "But I LIKE cartoons."  Then she spent the next two days naming all the shows we wouldn't watch, but surprisingly with no protest.

As for the adults, the first evening was tough without the news and weather and our nightly dose of Seinfeld.  Music promptly took its place.  I then became happy to not be bogged down by news and endless episodes of house hunting shows on HGTV.  However, I could tell from the light shining on our dusty TV screen (I dislike dusting very much) that my "TV Free Week" sticky note had been moved a few times.  I think there was some renegade news watching in the early morning before Ben left for work ;)

Results?  By day 4, Marin didn't even mention any shows.  We played a lot more, while Autumn was content to sit on my lap and watch.  Ben even mentioned about downgrading our cable service, although little did he know that basic cable does NOT include ESPN, so no-go on that one.  And I've found that catching up on magazines and resuming my current read, In Defense of Food, to be less mental strain than watching the tube.

Reflecting on the week, I think it was good for all of us to have this break.  We'll probably put our beloved shows back on soon enough, but hopefully it will be for occasional entertainment and not just to pass the time.  TV Free Week has officially ended, but I think I'll keep the sticky note up and see what happens tomorrow.  If given a choice between watching the toons or playing with mom, I think Marin would choose playing with me any day!

Blog Revival #2

My track record for blogging is not stellar.  Part of the problem, I believe, is that I wish it was better organized and more readable and enjoyable for my followers.  Well, I have not the mental energy to make this happen.  At least not anytime soon.

So back to the purpose of this blog -- it's a journal.  I don't recall writing a certain way in my journals as a child so I shouldn't worry about it now.  If it's only for my own stimulation to look back on in years to come, then that's great.

Here we go.  Blog Revival #2...

http://www.babysnazz.com/contest/

Grocery savings/Closet update

Closet Update

And now my closet looks like this...

:)



Grocery Savings

I realized just how much food I actually have in this house when a visiting friend yesterday needed to put some groceries in my freezer. It was not easy!

And that's just my freezer. The bottom shelf of my lazy susan is sagging because of all the food sitting on it.

It's the saver in me that wants to keep a good stockpile of food around. I mean what would happen if we were stranded in the house during a snow storm for a month? Okay, that probably will never happen.

My biggest downfall is figuring out what to do with all this stuff. I do use it occasionally, but not enough to make a dent. Then I buy more stuff when it's on sale, and again, I get the pileup like my closet.

My goal for this week (and one week every month) is to plan as many meals as I can using my stockpile. I'll cut my grocery allowance (I give myself $75 a week for groceries) down to $30 for that week to buy fresh produce and things for Ben's lunch. I know I'll never deplete my stores because I'm always picking up stuff when it's a good deal.

I'll post this week's menu when I figure it out. I have a feeling we'll be eating a lot of beans this week!

Closet of Horror

Storage space is somewhat limited in this house. It's there, but most of it has been in use since we moved in. My main storage areas include this closet, a little crawl space also in this room, and the space under the basement steps.

This is my junk closet. Anything that doesn't need urgent attention gets thrown in here. When I need to quickly straighten up the house, the pile grows.

It usually gets cleaned once a year when I'm doing my taxes. Well, I'm about 6 months behind on that project now, so now is the time.

This week is pretty busy with fun plans and work, but I think I can get it done by next weekend. I hope the next picture will be prettier :)