I hate the holidays.
I hate the holidays.
I HATE THE HOLIDAYS.
Before you lynch me, hear me out. After I'm done talking, you can discuss amongst yourselves if I am still worthy of lynching (but my writing will be so witty, by the time you are done, I'll have such a head start you won't be able to catch me).
I hate the ads that tell you to get a 2nd mortgage to afford all the gifts your little precious "deserves".
I hate the commercials shilling the latest and greatest unnecessary item as needs or the one thing that will make you happy.
I hate the obligatory "well, we know them, so we should get them something even though we only talk once a year" gifts and the expectation that said gift should be reciprocated whether you afford it or not.
I hate hearing people talk about how they are going to only go into a "little" debt for Christmas.
I hate Christmas music. HATE IT. (Some is very beautiful when done right, and done once.) And I hate that it is played from October through January, because it makes people buy things. There are only so many renditions of "Ruldolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" that can be tolerated in 10 minutes (same goes for that crappy Mariah Carey song).
Most of all, I hate the fact that our biggest holiday celebrations center around food. Food and I do not have a good history, and the pressure to eat everything offered that goes hand in hand with the holidays in our culture is enough to drive me to hide out in my bathroom until it's all over. I know that there are a lot of other people out there who also have problems with food and feeling a lack of control over it and the holidays, so I thought I would write down my own ways of getting through this sucky time of year in the hopes of helping someone else get through without killing themselves or someone else.
*Disclaimer: I am not, and will never be, advocating that absolutely NO eating should be going on as part of a control strategy. While I am going to try to gear this towards all eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia, over-eating, EDNOS, etc.), the only experience I have is with anorexia, so it may lean that way. I am trying to write for everyone who struggles though. I strongly, strongly encourage anyone reading this to keep eating healthy meals throughout the holiday season. These are just how I stay sane around all the food ridiculousness.
1. Keep it simple. If you are in charge of the cooking of the meal, it is not obligatory to have a huge spread for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. One main course and 1 side plus salad and dessert if you feel like it is more than enough. It's not obligatory to have a huge spread for either one, in fact. Granted, if you have 20+ people coming over, there will be a lot of food. I would recommend passing the responsibility of hosting and cooking to others, and taking a pass yourself, if that is going to be the case. In fact, even if there is only going to be 5 people, if you feel safer and more in control of the situation by handing off those responsibilities, DO IT. And you are under no obligation to explain to anyone your reasons for doing this other than you just don't feel like it this year. If your family knows your situation, by all means, tell them that's why. If they don't, let them think you are lazy for bringing store-bought rolls or soda. What they think does not matter; your happiness and sense of self does. If you feel you can do it, you can always have a simple dinner at home with your significant other (if you have one) and kids (if you have them), and join the family party later, after most of the food has been eaten and hopefully some of the pressure to eat is off because everyone is passed out in front of the TV.
2. If your family is toxic and a big reason you have problems with food and you know that they are going to do/say things to trigger your eating disorder, STAY AWAY. It is perfectly okay to do that. Tell them that your boss is making you work, tell them you are sick, tell them whatever you want, just stay away. You are never under any obligation to be around people who hurt you, whether they are family, friends or some creepy dude on a subway. Your safety, sanity and happiness is much more important. If you need someones' permission to do this, you have mine.
3. Remind yourself every day that you are in control. Not food, not your parents, your spouse, your dog. YOU. Write it on every mirror in your house so that you see it whenever you look at one. Add to it "I love you". Say it to yourself. You feel like an idiot, but no one is watching you, and it does help. In fact, I recommend doing this year-round.
4. Eat slowly, but eat until you are full. No tricks to make it look like you're eating when you are not. You know what I mean. This is one way to learn intuitive eating. Really try to enjoy what you are eating. If you look at your plate and there is food left yet you know you are done, then stop eating. If you want to eat something you normally don't "allow" yourself to eat, give yourself permission to eat it. And remember, you do not have to clean your plate to be "polite". You do not have to take seconds (unless you want to). Basically, eat when you are hungry and stop when you aren't. If someone gets insulted by you doing this, then that is their problem. Your priority is you and how comfortable you are. (*NOTE: This can be EXTREMELY hard to do. If you are just starting on your recovery journey, be gentle with yourself and take baby steps. Skip this step all together if you need to.)
5. EAT.
6. If you have a support group, therapist, or someone who knows your situation and can be your support, use them. Use them, use them, use them!!! I can not stress how important this is. If you feel you do not have any one, I suggest the web board Something Fishy. The link to their forum is here and the link to their home page is here. While I am not currently active and haven't been for quite sometime, this board has been a huge help to me in the past. Also, if you know me, I am more than happy to try and be your support, though I will say now that if I think you need more than I can give you, I will let you know. I will also try to help you find that help.
7. BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELF. The holidays can be some of the worst times of the year to have an eating disorder, whether you are years in to recovery or just starting out. The pressures can be, and are, huge. Just do what you can, but DO NOT cope by digging deeper into the eating disorder. I believe that step number 3, reminding yourself that you love yourself and that you are in control is one of the most important things you can do to get started and keep going. Even if that's "all" you can do, it is a first step in the right direction of taking control back, it's huge, and it's something to be proud of.
Here's hoping we all get through this as unscathed as possible. Happy Holidays.
P.S. I am not, by any means, perfect at following these steps. My dad has to follow a special diet, and when he doesn't follow it exactly for one reason or another one day, he just starts again the next day. Take it one day at a time, try not to worry about what you are going to be doing tomorrow. Also, trying is perfectly valid. Screw Yoda.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Just Because
Ten Things I Love About BabyCakes:
1. She always dances to the song "Clean Up" and rarely to anything else.
2. She fake laughs.
3. She will draw a straight line and call it a slide.
4. She will draw a "circle" and call it anything from a happy face to a goat.
5. She loves rocking chairs.
6. She runs circles around the dining room table with a very serious look on her face when she is happy and content.
7. She loves the library, reading, and being read to (over and over and over and over...)
8. She gets super excited when The Man comes home from work.
9. She plays in the freezer.
10. She makes her stuffed animals kiss the dogs and the cats.
1. She always dances to the song "Clean Up" and rarely to anything else.
2. She fake laughs.
3. She will draw a straight line and call it a slide.
4. She will draw a "circle" and call it anything from a happy face to a goat.
5. She loves rocking chairs.
6. She runs circles around the dining room table with a very serious look on her face when she is happy and content.
7. She loves the library, reading, and being read to (over and over and over and over...)
8. She gets super excited when The Man comes home from work.
9. She plays in the freezer.
10. She makes her stuffed animals kiss the dogs and the cats.
Monday, November 5, 2012
She's So Heavy
Life has been weighing on me lately. Greatly weighing on me.
HUGELY.
GINORMOUSLY.
Some of you know about it, as I have talked a bit about it, but no one knows everything going on in my burnt-out little brain (yes, that is smoke, and no, it's not because I'm thinking. Not this time anyway).
So much has been going on emotionally for me since this spring. And it's really been building up. And of course I'm going through this massive shift during POLITICAL SEASON. Now that's a season that really needs a hunting license. And I haven't been talking about it because it's so hard to put it into words. It's so draining. And it feels like no one gets it. I hate changes that make you feel utterly alone when you know you are not. But I'm going to try and get some of this off here.
Raising a kid the way I want to is hard. RIDICULOUSLY hard. I'm not saying that raising your kid different than the way I'm trying to isn't also hard, I'm just shocked at how much mental work goes into it. I want Baby Cakes to know that just because she is female does not mean she is lesser than a male. I want to teach her to think outside the box, rather than just do as she's told. She's young enough now that she knows what she wants, and I don't want her to ever lose that, or second guess that feeling. I want her to always go after what she wants, while flipping the nay-sayers the bird. I want her to trust her instincts and to follow them, because doing that is what keeps us safest and happiest. I want her to know that her sexuality is a beautiful and powerful thing, but that her sexuality is not her only power. That there is more to her than how young, pretty, or thin she is. That she can be just as good at math and science as any boy. And that it's okay to enjoy them. I want her to know that no matter what she does, she is always worth something and that she should never listen to anyone who tells her otherwise. That her opinions and ideas are worth hearing. I want her to believe in herself and to know how to think for herself and make her own decisions. I want her to decide for herself what her role in this world will be, not what some man says her role should be. I know painful things are going to happen to her, and while my painful experiences have shaped me, I want to keep her from ever experiencing any pain, character be damned. I want her to be a feminist, I want her to see that people deserve to be helped, that it's better to assume that they are trying and struggling rather than assume they are lazy and only looking for a handout. I want her to have the peace that I'm still struggling to find. I DON'T want her to have the horrible experiences in life that I did. I don't want her to have the issues with food that I have. I want her to know that food is just food, it holds no power over her to make her feel bad, happy, fat or thin (I want ME to know that). If she wants to eat a family sized bag of Cheetos in one sitting, that's okay. If she wants to be a vegetarian and only eat organically grown food, that's okay too. I want her to look out her window and know that there is a better world out there for her than is portrayed in the media. I want her to know that everyone struggles, and they all deserve to be treated gently because of it. I want her to make her own way in this crappy, dark world, and of course at the same time, I want to keep her here with me, because she makes my world so much brighter.
I look at all these parent blogs that preach certain ways of raising kids and sometimes all I can think is "Is that even possible for me?" And I get bogged down in which way is the "right" way. I read political blog posts and Facebook posts and all I can think is "Why is there so much hatred? Does no one realize that they are talking about humans with feelings? Why is there so little respect for others opinions? Why is it ALWAYS 'My way or the highway'?" And I start to feel sad at the divisiveness. I read about women being treated like children, children being cast off, men being indoctrinated with and spewing forth sick ideas and I feel helpless to fix our incredibly broken world.
Religiously, I ask the age old question "Can't we all just get along?" Why must people believe in a god who commands the death of other people (who are supposed to be his children too) just because they are the "wrong" religion? (This question goes for more than just Islamic jihadists. Christians do it too.) Why can't we acknowledge the spiritual experiences of everyone and recognize them as valid and just as real as our own, be they Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, atheist, pagan, or whatever? Why can't we just let people find their own spirituality and support them in that search and finding, no matter where it leads them?
WHY MUST EVERYBODY BELIEVE THAT THEIR WAY IS THE ONLY WAY????
And the worst part is, I can't get away from it. It's everywhere. I just want to veg out on the inter-webs and even the joke websites are posting political crap, or trying to get me to change my way of thinking. I was oblivious to all this 15 years ago, and I want that back. Because this world is going to crush me.
Sorry this is so depressing, but it's a huge reason why I haven't been posting. I've wanted to, but sheesh, who wants to hear this all the time? I know I don't, and it's in my head on a loop.
HUGELY.
GINORMOUSLY.
Some of you know about it, as I have talked a bit about it, but no one knows everything going on in my burnt-out little brain (yes, that is smoke, and no, it's not because I'm thinking. Not this time anyway).
So much has been going on emotionally for me since this spring. And it's really been building up. And of course I'm going through this massive shift during POLITICAL SEASON. Now that's a season that really needs a hunting license. And I haven't been talking about it because it's so hard to put it into words. It's so draining. And it feels like no one gets it. I hate changes that make you feel utterly alone when you know you are not. But I'm going to try and get some of this off here.
Raising a kid the way I want to is hard. RIDICULOUSLY hard. I'm not saying that raising your kid different than the way I'm trying to isn't also hard, I'm just shocked at how much mental work goes into it. I want Baby Cakes to know that just because she is female does not mean she is lesser than a male. I want to teach her to think outside the box, rather than just do as she's told. She's young enough now that she knows what she wants, and I don't want her to ever lose that, or second guess that feeling. I want her to always go after what she wants, while flipping the nay-sayers the bird. I want her to trust her instincts and to follow them, because doing that is what keeps us safest and happiest. I want her to know that her sexuality is a beautiful and powerful thing, but that her sexuality is not her only power. That there is more to her than how young, pretty, or thin she is. That she can be just as good at math and science as any boy. And that it's okay to enjoy them. I want her to know that no matter what she does, she is always worth something and that she should never listen to anyone who tells her otherwise. That her opinions and ideas are worth hearing. I want her to believe in herself and to know how to think for herself and make her own decisions. I want her to decide for herself what her role in this world will be, not what some man says her role should be. I know painful things are going to happen to her, and while my painful experiences have shaped me, I want to keep her from ever experiencing any pain, character be damned. I want her to be a feminist, I want her to see that people deserve to be helped, that it's better to assume that they are trying and struggling rather than assume they are lazy and only looking for a handout. I want her to have the peace that I'm still struggling to find. I DON'T want her to have the horrible experiences in life that I did. I don't want her to have the issues with food that I have. I want her to know that food is just food, it holds no power over her to make her feel bad, happy, fat or thin (I want ME to know that). If she wants to eat a family sized bag of Cheetos in one sitting, that's okay. If she wants to be a vegetarian and only eat organically grown food, that's okay too. I want her to look out her window and know that there is a better world out there for her than is portrayed in the media. I want her to know that everyone struggles, and they all deserve to be treated gently because of it. I want her to make her own way in this crappy, dark world, and of course at the same time, I want to keep her here with me, because she makes my world so much brighter.
I look at all these parent blogs that preach certain ways of raising kids and sometimes all I can think is "Is that even possible for me?" And I get bogged down in which way is the "right" way. I read political blog posts and Facebook posts and all I can think is "Why is there so much hatred? Does no one realize that they are talking about humans with feelings? Why is there so little respect for others opinions? Why is it ALWAYS 'My way or the highway'?" And I start to feel sad at the divisiveness. I read about women being treated like children, children being cast off, men being indoctrinated with and spewing forth sick ideas and I feel helpless to fix our incredibly broken world.
Religiously, I ask the age old question "Can't we all just get along?" Why must people believe in a god who commands the death of other people (who are supposed to be his children too) just because they are the "wrong" religion? (This question goes for more than just Islamic jihadists. Christians do it too.) Why can't we acknowledge the spiritual experiences of everyone and recognize them as valid and just as real as our own, be they Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, atheist, pagan, or whatever? Why can't we just let people find their own spirituality and support them in that search and finding, no matter where it leads them?
WHY MUST EVERYBODY BELIEVE THAT THEIR WAY IS THE ONLY WAY????
And the worst part is, I can't get away from it. It's everywhere. I just want to veg out on the inter-webs and even the joke websites are posting political crap, or trying to get me to change my way of thinking. I was oblivious to all this 15 years ago, and I want that back. Because this world is going to crush me.
Sorry this is so depressing, but it's a huge reason why I haven't been posting. I've wanted to, but sheesh, who wants to hear this all the time? I know I don't, and it's in my head on a loop.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Drowning, But Not As Seriously As That Sounds
Is it so bad of me that I want to crawl into a hole somewhere and hide right now? Maybe a nicer hole than Saddam Hussein ended up in, but a hole where no one could find me unless I wanted them to would be nice. My brain and emotions are just swimming, barely, in everything that is going on right now in my life (which I don't feel comfortable talking about here yet) and in society. I long for the days when it was okay for me to not care about politics or media or if I was reading/doing/believing the "right" things. I especially hate the atmosphere of "I'm right and you're wrong unless you absolutely believe me 100%" that has become prevalent. I'm tired of being afraid of being judged if I do something or say something I know most of those around me wouldn't agree with. I'm tired of that holding me back from finding out more of who I am. I'm tired of the black and white thinking. I'm tired of feeling caged up.
The world has never been LESS black and white than it is now. And I just want to hide. I want to curl up with some terrible book (probably Twilight), watch terrible movies (probably Hot Rod and Cry Baby) and play amazing video games (that's still in the air, but probably Lego ones) (but not Farmville. Please, are you kidding me? I'm a SERIOUS gamer-girl, damn it).
And since I haven't done one in a long time:
More Things About Me You Never Wanted to Know!!!!
What book has made the biggest impression on you so far?
I can honestly say I don't know. I read a lot, but I don't tend to read Life Changing Tomes of Great Heaviness. I don't even have a favorite author. Heck, I usually don't remember the authors name, if I bother to look at who wrote the book. I did like The Blue Castle (thank you Wisp!) and I'm really liking the Sookie Stackhouse novels right now. And I'm trying to get through The Scarlet Letter, but not having much luck (of course, that could be because I only read it on the toilet). I just don't read books meant to leave big impressions. I find those books very hard to read - they seem so full of themselves sometimes.
The world has never been LESS black and white than it is now. And I just want to hide. I want to curl up with some terrible book (probably Twilight), watch terrible movies (probably Hot Rod and Cry Baby) and play amazing video games (that's still in the air, but probably Lego ones) (but not Farmville. Please, are you kidding me? I'm a SERIOUS gamer-girl, damn it).
And since I haven't done one in a long time:
More Things About Me You Never Wanted to Know!!!!
What book has made the biggest impression on you so far?
I can honestly say I don't know. I read a lot, but I don't tend to read Life Changing Tomes of Great Heaviness. I don't even have a favorite author. Heck, I usually don't remember the authors name, if I bother to look at who wrote the book. I did like The Blue Castle (thank you Wisp!) and I'm really liking the Sookie Stackhouse novels right now. And I'm trying to get through The Scarlet Letter, but not having much luck (of course, that could be because I only read it on the toilet). I just don't read books meant to leave big impressions. I find those books very hard to read - they seem so full of themselves sometimes.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
How to Make A Reusable Swiffer Wet-Jet Cloth
Look! 3 posts in 3 days! I'm on a roll!
Several months ago, I did a post on how to refill your Swiffer Wet-Jet cleaner thingy. One of my friends asked for a post on how to make a reusable pad thingy. Well, here it is!
WARNING: My finished product does not look remotely professional. So no laughing.
First, you'll need one of those "prefold" burp rags OR 7-8 pieces of some absorb-able fabric like toweling or flannel about10.5 inches wide and 4.5 inches tall; 2 10 inch long pieces of the loop side of velcro (mine was 3/4"); thread (duh).
If you're using a prefold, tri-fold it so that it's about 4.5" tall, measure 10.5" long, mark, and cut. If you're using regular fabric, just stack them.
Pin the fabric together.
Sew it together. Use a zig zag stitch to avoid unraveling.
Pin the velcro loop on.
Sew it on using any stitch you want.
Slap it on, and you're done!
Now go mop that nasty floor.....
Several months ago, I did a post on how to refill your Swiffer Wet-Jet cleaner thingy. One of my friends asked for a post on how to make a reusable pad thingy. Well, here it is!
WARNING: My finished product does not look remotely professional. So no laughing.
Now go mop that nasty floor.....
Friday, August 3, 2012
Beauty Tips from Someone Who Rarely Wears Makeup
I may not wear makeup, but I do shave my legs.
Sometimes.
Anyway, did you know that you're supposed to exfoliate you legs before you shave? Neither did I, until I read this post over at One Good Thing. So I tried it today, using the recipe on the post. Can I just say, AWESOME!! My legs feel nice and moisturized, they don't look like they've been sprayed with flocking, and they feel AMAZING. I can't stop feeling them, and I can't wait for The Man to come home so HE can feel them. I think after not shaving for 2+ weeks, he'll appreciate it.
Here's the recipe!
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil (or baby oil, or apricot oil, or sunflower oil, or whatever oil you want to use that will moisturize your skin)
3 Tbs citrus juice (lemon or lime)
Mix everything together. I recommend putting it in the bottle you're going to use and just shake it up (and I recommend using a squeeze bottle so that water doesn't get in to it if you choose to use it in the shower, but a glass jar with a lid would work too).
To Use: soak in the tub for at least 5 minutes, or if you're showering, then at least shampoo and condition your hair. Apply the mixture to your legs and rub it in until the sugar is pretty much gone. The abrasiveness of the sugar rubs off all the dirt and dead skin, the lemon juice works as a mild skin peel, and the olive oil penetrates deep into the skin to provide moisture. After rubbing the mixture in for a few minutes (rinsing optional, I didn't), shave, rinse, and repeat. That's right, do it again. Trust me, you want to.
Enjoy your sexy, smooth legs!
Sometimes.
Anyway, did you know that you're supposed to exfoliate you legs before you shave? Neither did I, until I read this post over at One Good Thing. So I tried it today, using the recipe on the post. Can I just say, AWESOME!! My legs feel nice and moisturized, they don't look like they've been sprayed with flocking, and they feel AMAZING. I can't stop feeling them, and I can't wait for The Man to come home so HE can feel them. I think after not shaving for 2+ weeks, he'll appreciate it.
Here's the recipe!
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil (or baby oil, or apricot oil, or sunflower oil, or whatever oil you want to use that will moisturize your skin)
3 Tbs citrus juice (lemon or lime)
Mix everything together. I recommend putting it in the bottle you're going to use and just shake it up (and I recommend using a squeeze bottle so that water doesn't get in to it if you choose to use it in the shower, but a glass jar with a lid would work too).
To Use: soak in the tub for at least 5 minutes, or if you're showering, then at least shampoo and condition your hair. Apply the mixture to your legs and rub it in until the sugar is pretty much gone. The abrasiveness of the sugar rubs off all the dirt and dead skin, the lemon juice works as a mild skin peel, and the olive oil penetrates deep into the skin to provide moisture. After rubbing the mixture in for a few minutes (rinsing optional, I didn't), shave, rinse, and repeat. That's right, do it again. Trust me, you want to.
Enjoy your sexy, smooth legs!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Score!!!
Good grief it's been a long time. It sucks going through crap that you can't talk about online. Sigh.
In other news:
12Created by OnePlusYou
139,544 PeopleCreated by OnePlusYou
44%
In other news:
12Created by OnePlusYou
139,544 PeopleCreated by OnePlusYou
44%
Monday, June 25, 2012
A Sea of Bubbles
Finally, a post!
A post about fluff and nonsense!
Okay, just fluff. My posts are never about nonsense.
Baby Cakes loves bubbles. She also has long hair. She also loves to rub jelly covered hands in that long hair. While bath time is not a total horror, it is pretty terrible trying to comb her hair out with all that food in it so we can shampoo it without causing even more tangles than are all ready in it. She cries a lot. It is very sad for The Man (bath time does not, thankfully, involve my input). He is very much wrapped around her finger.
ANYWAY. We quickly discovered that bubble bath is a more than sufficient distraction to the pain and agony of being cleaned every night. We also quickly went through our small stash of bubble baths. Being the cheapskate that I am, before shelling out my husbands hard-earned money for off-the-shelf bubble bath, I decided to see if I could make my own.
Google is my friend.
I found this website that got her recipe from childfun.com (though I can't find the recipe on there, not that I tried super hard). It's easy, and super cheap to make:
Homemade Bubble Bath
1/2 cup shampoo, any type
3/4 cup water
1/4 tsp table salt
Combine the shampoo and water in a bowl and mix gently until it's well combined. Then add the salt and stir until it thickens slightly. Use a funnel to pour it into your choice of container.
BINGO! I got cheapo Suave shampoo and now Baby Cakes has bubble bath, for $0.94. If my shampoo wasn't clarifying, I would have just used that, but I was worried it might dry her skin out, and her skin is already dry enough thankyouverymuchhardwater. You could use any shampoo that you want, from Burt's Bees to Biolage to homemade, I'm sure. Mine didn't make a ton of bubbles (though I may not have put much in), and they seemed to go away pretty quickly, but they aren't totally gone and she's been in the water for 20 minutes now.
I know, I know, I'm amazing. You're welcome.
A post about fluff and nonsense!
Okay, just fluff. My posts are never about nonsense.
Baby Cakes loves bubbles. She also has long hair. She also loves to rub jelly covered hands in that long hair. While bath time is not a total horror, it is pretty terrible trying to comb her hair out with all that food in it so we can shampoo it without causing even more tangles than are all ready in it. She cries a lot. It is very sad for The Man (bath time does not, thankfully, involve my input). He is very much wrapped around her finger.
ANYWAY. We quickly discovered that bubble bath is a more than sufficient distraction to the pain and agony of being cleaned every night. We also quickly went through our small stash of bubble baths. Being the cheapskate that I am, before shelling out my husbands hard-earned money for off-the-shelf bubble bath, I decided to see if I could make my own.
Google is my friend.
I found this website that got her recipe from childfun.com (though I can't find the recipe on there, not that I tried super hard). It's easy, and super cheap to make:
Homemade Bubble Bath
1/2 cup shampoo, any type
3/4 cup water
1/4 tsp table salt
Combine the shampoo and water in a bowl and mix gently until it's well combined. Then add the salt and stir until it thickens slightly. Use a funnel to pour it into your choice of container.
BINGO! I got cheapo Suave shampoo and now Baby Cakes has bubble bath, for $0.94. If my shampoo wasn't clarifying, I would have just used that, but I was worried it might dry her skin out, and her skin is already dry enough thankyouverymuchhardwater. You could use any shampoo that you want, from Burt's Bees to Biolage to homemade, I'm sure. Mine didn't make a ton of bubbles (though I may not have put much in), and they seemed to go away pretty quickly, but they aren't totally gone and she's been in the water for 20 minutes now.
I know, I know, I'm amazing. You're welcome.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Friday I'm In Love
I hate cooking. With a firey, burning hatred that would consume many worlds if allowed to. It stresses me out so much that I get back pain, especially if it's something that I've never made before and/or I'm running late. Because of this hate I have for cooking, I am constantly on the search for easy, quick meals. And because of The Man's job change, they also have to be extremely cheap. I have found many blogs about eating cheaply, and even eating healthy cheaply. But still, our grocery budget was way more than I was comfortable with. The only things I buy for breakfast is cereal and bagels, and lunches are always leftovers or sandwiches. I would still spend over $100 some weeks on food for dinner. Until I found Grocery Shrink. The blog is good, and she posts a lot on how to do things cheaply. A few weeks after discovering this website, she announced that she was going to offer a menu planning service (similar to E-Meals or Relish) for 5 dollars a month called Grocery Shrink Plus.
Now, I tried E-Meals. While I loved loved loved that I didn't have to plan a menu, I wasn't thrilled with the actual meals. Because I only needed enough food for 2 people, with E-Meals, I only got 5 dinners a week. No other meals, and I had to come up with 2 more dinners every week (if you need 4 or more servings, you get 7). For 5 dollars a month, it's still a pretty good deal. Except that the meals are made easy by using A LOT of processed and pre-made foods. There was very little in the way of fresh vegetables or fruit, or even seasonings, and almost nothing was made from scratch. Because of all the processed food I had to buy, my grocery budget didn't change at all. So I canceled it. I also DO NOT recommend it to other people.
But Grocery Shrink Plus (click on the link to see a sample menu) offers so much more than that, for the same price, that I just had to try it. I get breakfast, lunch, dinner (including sides) and snacks for 7 days a week. The menus are based on what she calls pantry shopping: you use what you already have. She includes recipes for making mixes and seasoning blends from scratch that you will be using that week, as well as recipes for making any bread items, like hamburger buns or tortillas. And she includes either directions for how to make a meal gluten or dairy free, or links to websites or recipes for how to make a specific item gluten or dairy free. She includes as much nutrition info as she can, as well as how to eat these meals when you are trying to lose weight, without making the rest of your family starve. She frequently uses the crockpot, which makes everything easy, and includes step by step how and when to make things. And you get the amounts for 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 servings. And a shopping list. And bonus recipes like granola and restaurant style black beans. And my favorite thing: she says that it's okay to use premade stuff if that makes it easy for you! So, no guilt if I don't make homemade hamburger buns or focacia bread!
It's still a new service, so there are some kinks that she is working out, but they are mostly spelling errors, or sometimes directions on how to do something or where a certain extra recipe is, isn't super clear. But there is a facebook group that you can sign up for where she posts fixes, and you can let her know when/if you find a mistake. She also doesn't offer a vegetarian option (yet!), but I think most meals could easily be made vegetarian, if that's what you want to do.
The best thing of all: my grocery budget has shrunk! I only use the dinners right now, because we don't need the other things, which of course will help with the spending, but I haven't spent over $40 dollars a week on groceries in over a month, and that's including getting things that aren't necessarily food items, or part of the menu. I also spend much, much less time shopping (down to 1 hour tops from 2 hours minimum) because my shopping lists are so incredibly short! And we aren't missing out on any fruits and vegetables, and we are eating way less processed crap. Even the amount of garbage we throw out is lessening!
This service is probably the first time that I've bought something that I can say paid itself off the first week I had it, and I highly, highly recommend it to everyone who might possibly read this. At least give it a try.
Now, I tried E-Meals. While I loved loved loved that I didn't have to plan a menu, I wasn't thrilled with the actual meals. Because I only needed enough food for 2 people, with E-Meals, I only got 5 dinners a week. No other meals, and I had to come up with 2 more dinners every week (if you need 4 or more servings, you get 7). For 5 dollars a month, it's still a pretty good deal. Except that the meals are made easy by using A LOT of processed and pre-made foods. There was very little in the way of fresh vegetables or fruit, or even seasonings, and almost nothing was made from scratch. Because of all the processed food I had to buy, my grocery budget didn't change at all. So I canceled it. I also DO NOT recommend it to other people.
But Grocery Shrink Plus (click on the link to see a sample menu) offers so much more than that, for the same price, that I just had to try it. I get breakfast, lunch, dinner (including sides) and snacks for 7 days a week. The menus are based on what she calls pantry shopping: you use what you already have. She includes recipes for making mixes and seasoning blends from scratch that you will be using that week, as well as recipes for making any bread items, like hamburger buns or tortillas. And she includes either directions for how to make a meal gluten or dairy free, or links to websites or recipes for how to make a specific item gluten or dairy free. She includes as much nutrition info as she can, as well as how to eat these meals when you are trying to lose weight, without making the rest of your family starve. She frequently uses the crockpot, which makes everything easy, and includes step by step how and when to make things. And you get the amounts for 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 servings. And a shopping list. And bonus recipes like granola and restaurant style black beans. And my favorite thing: she says that it's okay to use premade stuff if that makes it easy for you! So, no guilt if I don't make homemade hamburger buns or focacia bread!
It's still a new service, so there are some kinks that she is working out, but they are mostly spelling errors, or sometimes directions on how to do something or where a certain extra recipe is, isn't super clear. But there is a facebook group that you can sign up for where she posts fixes, and you can let her know when/if you find a mistake. She also doesn't offer a vegetarian option (yet!), but I think most meals could easily be made vegetarian, if that's what you want to do.
The best thing of all: my grocery budget has shrunk! I only use the dinners right now, because we don't need the other things, which of course will help with the spending, but I haven't spent over $40 dollars a week on groceries in over a month, and that's including getting things that aren't necessarily food items, or part of the menu. I also spend much, much less time shopping (down to 1 hour tops from 2 hours minimum) because my shopping lists are so incredibly short! And we aren't missing out on any fruits and vegetables, and we are eating way less processed crap. Even the amount of garbage we throw out is lessening!
This service is probably the first time that I've bought something that I can say paid itself off the first week I had it, and I highly, highly recommend it to everyone who might possibly read this. At least give it a try.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Coming Out of The Closet
No, not that closet. These thoughts are very rambly. Read it anyway.
I am a feminist. I'm not a new one; I think I have always noticed women's issues, but I have not really gotten into studying and learning about feminism and women's issues until recently. So my being conscious of it is new.
First, let me reassure you that I don't hate men. I don't believe that men are the epitome of evil. I do not wish to be a man. If I were a man, I would not have been able to experience the power of pregnancy and birth, the power I share with God in creating life.
But my beliefs in the roles women have to play in this world have changed dramatically. I no longer believe that a man, any man, is capable of deciding what I need to hear, feel, do, or be as a woman.
I no longer believe that Heavenly Mother is a silent figure, nor do I believe that Heavenly Father wants Her to be. I believe that the reason we know nothing about Her is solely because our society is a male-centric society and men do not, and can not, understand the importance for women to know about Her. As such, they don't ask the questions necessary to learn about Her. I no longer believe that God is Heavenly Father alone. I believe that God is the Godhead. And I believe Heavenly Mother to be a part of that Godhead. The scriptures state that a man and a woman must become one flesh (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:5, Mark 10:7-8, Ephesians 5:31). I now believe that Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother are more literally one flesh than we (or at least me) can possibly understand, which to me means She is a part of the Godhead. I am certain that She has a voice in how God helps us in our lives, how we are to be blessed, what we need to be taught and how we are taught these lessons. And I believe that someday, we are going to know more about Her in this life.
I believe that just by being female, I have an inherent power over our world. And that power extends far beyond my family and home. I am seeing more and more around me sexist attitudes about women, especially in the media. And sadly, I am seeing so many people either not notice it (probably because it is so prevalent), laugh it off as silly and inconsequential, or just quietly sit by, believing that they can do nothing to stop it. A great example: The Man got a gaming magazine in the mail yesterday. The front cover was for Halo 4. On the back (the front and back covers were one big picture), it showed Cortana (the computer generated helper who is also a female); she's naked. The only way you can tell that she is supposed to be computer generated is that her body looks like it is made of circuit boards. But is is most certainly naked. There is even a hint of nipple. When The Man saw it, he was rightly disgusted. In the first game, she was glitchy and see through. There was no hint that she might also be naked. But he said that with every game she has gotten more solid, and more sexy. Because apparently the only way you can get a man to buy a game is to put a naked woman in it. I'm sorry, but I personally believe that my husband thinks about more things that sex and naked women (he will probably still play the game though, because he loves the series).
I do believe that men and women are different enough that they have different spheres of power (think of the yin-yang symbol), different roles to play in how the world is shaped. I do NOT believe, however, that that means women's roles are only dealing with the home and children. Our society would never imagine telling a man that the only job he would truly be happy in is as a banker, and that all men must be bankers, must stay in their banks taking care of the bank and the money in it, and making sure that they are a place of rest for their hard-working wives when they come to the bank. No, men are told that they can be anything they want, and that there are many different jobs that they can be happy in as a man. Women are told that they are called by God to have one job: Wife-mother-homemaker. I say bull. If a man is not expected to be happy in one job, than we should not expect all women to be happy being mothers and homemakers. I, personally, am very happy staying at home. But I know many women who are not/would not be. I believe it is important that a parent be home when the kids are, but I no longer believe that it has to be the mother. I know that Jesse would be much happier if he could be the stay-at-home parent (probably better at it, too); if I were career-driven, I would be all over that. And I will no longer place myself as the superior parent just because I am the mother. Many times the fathers are just better at it.
Our world is so incredibly out of balance right now. Women are not respected as they should be, and neither are men, or children. I see our world as in a very defensive stance, and it saddens me. We all believe that someone is out to get us, someone is trying tear us down. So we must tear down everyone else first, hurt someone else before they hurt us. We are understanding less and less it seems, how God works, how they want us to be. The first and second great commandments are being thrown away in favor of judgement and condemnation of those who do not believe as we do. We need to love our Creator, whether you believe that to be God, Mother Earth, the primordial soup and some lightening, or all of that. And we need to love EVERYONE the way WE want to be loved ourselves. If we want respect, we must respect others first. We can not force others to respect us through scare-tactics or threats or by virtue of our place in society. That is not true respect.
I know that someday that balance will come. I just hope that I will be around to see it.
I am a feminist. I'm not a new one; I think I have always noticed women's issues, but I have not really gotten into studying and learning about feminism and women's issues until recently. So my being conscious of it is new.
First, let me reassure you that I don't hate men. I don't believe that men are the epitome of evil. I do not wish to be a man. If I were a man, I would not have been able to experience the power of pregnancy and birth, the power I share with God in creating life.
But my beliefs in the roles women have to play in this world have changed dramatically. I no longer believe that a man, any man, is capable of deciding what I need to hear, feel, do, or be as a woman.
I no longer believe that Heavenly Mother is a silent figure, nor do I believe that Heavenly Father wants Her to be. I believe that the reason we know nothing about Her is solely because our society is a male-centric society and men do not, and can not, understand the importance for women to know about Her. As such, they don't ask the questions necessary to learn about Her. I no longer believe that God is Heavenly Father alone. I believe that God is the Godhead. And I believe Heavenly Mother to be a part of that Godhead. The scriptures state that a man and a woman must become one flesh (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:5, Mark 10:7-8, Ephesians 5:31). I now believe that Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother are more literally one flesh than we (or at least me) can possibly understand, which to me means She is a part of the Godhead. I am certain that She has a voice in how God helps us in our lives, how we are to be blessed, what we need to be taught and how we are taught these lessons. And I believe that someday, we are going to know more about Her in this life.
I believe that just by being female, I have an inherent power over our world. And that power extends far beyond my family and home. I am seeing more and more around me sexist attitudes about women, especially in the media. And sadly, I am seeing so many people either not notice it (probably because it is so prevalent), laugh it off as silly and inconsequential, or just quietly sit by, believing that they can do nothing to stop it. A great example: The Man got a gaming magazine in the mail yesterday. The front cover was for Halo 4. On the back (the front and back covers were one big picture), it showed Cortana (the computer generated helper who is also a female); she's naked. The only way you can tell that she is supposed to be computer generated is that her body looks like it is made of circuit boards. But is is most certainly naked. There is even a hint of nipple. When The Man saw it, he was rightly disgusted. In the first game, she was glitchy and see through. There was no hint that she might also be naked. But he said that with every game she has gotten more solid, and more sexy. Because apparently the only way you can get a man to buy a game is to put a naked woman in it. I'm sorry, but I personally believe that my husband thinks about more things that sex and naked women (he will probably still play the game though, because he loves the series).
I do believe that men and women are different enough that they have different spheres of power (think of the yin-yang symbol), different roles to play in how the world is shaped. I do NOT believe, however, that that means women's roles are only dealing with the home and children. Our society would never imagine telling a man that the only job he would truly be happy in is as a banker, and that all men must be bankers, must stay in their banks taking care of the bank and the money in it, and making sure that they are a place of rest for their hard-working wives when they come to the bank. No, men are told that they can be anything they want, and that there are many different jobs that they can be happy in as a man. Women are told that they are called by God to have one job: Wife-mother-homemaker. I say bull. If a man is not expected to be happy in one job, than we should not expect all women to be happy being mothers and homemakers. I, personally, am very happy staying at home. But I know many women who are not/would not be. I believe it is important that a parent be home when the kids are, but I no longer believe that it has to be the mother. I know that Jesse would be much happier if he could be the stay-at-home parent (probably better at it, too); if I were career-driven, I would be all over that. And I will no longer place myself as the superior parent just because I am the mother. Many times the fathers are just better at it.
Our world is so incredibly out of balance right now. Women are not respected as they should be, and neither are men, or children. I see our world as in a very defensive stance, and it saddens me. We all believe that someone is out to get us, someone is trying tear us down. So we must tear down everyone else first, hurt someone else before they hurt us. We are understanding less and less it seems, how God works, how they want us to be. The first and second great commandments are being thrown away in favor of judgement and condemnation of those who do not believe as we do. We need to love our Creator, whether you believe that to be God, Mother Earth, the primordial soup and some lightening, or all of that. And we need to love EVERYONE the way WE want to be loved ourselves. If we want respect, we must respect others first. We can not force others to respect us through scare-tactics or threats or by virtue of our place in society. That is not true respect.
I know that someday that balance will come. I just hope that I will be around to see it.
Friday, March 30, 2012
How To Refill Your Swiffer WetJet
Or, How To Stick It To The Man.
I found this out while surfing the World Wide Webs a while ago, but only just recently had a chance to try it. It was a roaring success, so I'm sharing it here. And with pictures! Wow!
First, you'll need pliers
and your old, empty Swiffer WetJet bottle (I had already refilled mine when I realized pictures would be good).
Using the pliers, twist the cap until it starts to turn on it's own. Remove the cap. (Action shot!) (Also, after the initial removal of the cap, you shouldn't have to use pliers again the next time you need to refill it.)
Fill with your favorite floor cleaner (I recommend vinegar and water. Cheap, efficient, disinfects, and it won't kill the kiddies).
Put the cap back on, tightly. Put it in your Swiffer WetJet.
And you're done! You're now all set to make your floors look like no one lives there (at least until you let the dogs in. Or your daughter spills something. Or your husband. *Sigh*).
I found this out while surfing the World Wide Webs a while ago, but only just recently had a chance to try it. It was a roaring success, so I'm sharing it here. And with pictures! Wow!
First, you'll need pliers
and your old, empty Swiffer WetJet bottle (I had already refilled mine when I realized pictures would be good).
Using the pliers, twist the cap until it starts to turn on it's own. Remove the cap. (Action shot!) (Also, after the initial removal of the cap, you shouldn't have to use pliers again the next time you need to refill it.)
Fill with your favorite floor cleaner (I recommend vinegar and water. Cheap, efficient, disinfects, and it won't kill the kiddies).
Put the cap back on, tightly. Put it in your Swiffer WetJet.
And you're done! You're now all set to make your floors look like no one lives there (at least until you let the dogs in. Or your daughter spills something. Or your husband. *Sigh*).
Monday, March 26, 2012
Participation in France's National Sport
I made a pork stew tonight that was surprisingly delicious, considering one of the ingredients. It was supposed to be beef stew, but pork stew meat was several dollars cheaper, so that's what I bought. Having never had pork stew, I was wary about how it would taste, but it turned out great. It has a subtly sweet taste to it, but was still quite savory. So, I thought I would share the recipe. It's from an old cook book (it still has the 4 food groups in it, if that says anything) titled "The Starving Students Cookbook" by Dede Napoli. My variations are in red.
1 lb lean beef (pork) stew meat
4 carrots, cut in chunks
2 onions (I used 1 large one and it was more than enough), cut in chunks
2 stalks celery, cut in chunks
1 can (15 oz) whole tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup minute tapioca (Jello makes one) (important)
dash of thyme & oregano (I used considerably more than a dash. Probably between 1/4 and 1/2 teaspoon)
pinch of salt (again, I used more than a pinch)
1 heaping teaspoon instant coffee (not something I had on hand, so I skipped it. I'm not going to buy coffee for a teaspoon of it. But if you have it, throw it in, and let me know how it tastes)
1 beef bouillon cube or 1 teaspoon instant beef bouillon/soup base
Preheat oven to 250* (I used my Crockpot on low)
Dump all ingredients in a large oven proof pan (or your Crockpot). Cover.
Cook in 250* oven for 7 hours, or a 300* oven for 5 hours. Stir a couple times if you get a chance. (I cooked it on low for 8 or 9 hours, and it turned out fine. I wouldn't do less than 7 on low though, just to be sure everything got cooked. And I didn't stir it until I was getting ready to dish it up.)
It makes 2 large servings or 3 small ones, so it's perfect for those with no kids, college students, and swinging singles (I'm looking at you, Wisp). It could also easily be doubled or tripled, without it getting super pricey.
Enjoy!
1 lb lean beef (pork) stew meat
4 carrots, cut in chunks
2 onions (I used 1 large one and it was more than enough), cut in chunks
2 stalks celery, cut in chunks
1 can (15 oz) whole tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup minute tapioca (Jello makes one) (important)
dash of thyme & oregano (I used considerably more than a dash. Probably between 1/4 and 1/2 teaspoon)
pinch of salt (again, I used more than a pinch)
1 heaping teaspoon instant coffee (not something I had on hand, so I skipped it. I'm not going to buy coffee for a teaspoon of it. But if you have it, throw it in, and let me know how it tastes)
1 beef bouillon cube or 1 teaspoon instant beef bouillon/soup base
Preheat oven to 250* (I used my Crockpot on low)
Dump all ingredients in a large oven proof pan (or your Crockpot). Cover.
Cook in 250* oven for 7 hours, or a 300* oven for 5 hours. Stir a couple times if you get a chance. (I cooked it on low for 8 or 9 hours, and it turned out fine. I wouldn't do less than 7 on low though, just to be sure everything got cooked. And I didn't stir it until I was getting ready to dish it up.)
It makes 2 large servings or 3 small ones, so it's perfect for those with no kids, college students, and swinging singles (I'm looking at you, Wisp). It could also easily be doubled or tripled, without it getting super pricey.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Herman's Hermits: Seers of the Future
Or any day, in our house. Baby Cakes' body doesn't like dairy.
We have struggled for most of her life with diaper rash. Really awful diaper rash. The kind that would crack and ooze (no bleeding though, thank goodness). I know a lot of people thought it was because we use cloth diapers instead of disposables, but that never made much of a difference. It would get slightly better when we used disposables only because we were able to use zinc based diaper rash cream, which you can't use with cloth diapers. Even so, her rashes would never completely go away. And there were many times that she would load her diaper, and just start crying and screaming because she was so sore. Times when she wouldn't sit down in her bath because the warm water stung.
My poor baby.
But, all is sunshine and roses in our home, because her rash has gone away. We discovered dairy was the source of her rashes when we ran out of milk for a couple of days, and it almost immediately cleared up. We had been giving her milk pretty much non stop because she doesn't register on the charts for her weight at all, and her pediatrician was concerned. So, lots of cheese, whole milk, and butter on everything. She loved the taste, but her body obviously didn't. The thought never occurred to us that she had a problem with dairy, even though I had heard from multiple sources that constant diaper rash can be a sign of a food intolerance/allergy. And now I've got Mom Guilt that I didn't figure it out sooner.
I'm not entirely sure what exactly she has, whether an allergy to dairy all together, or if she is just lactose intolerant. Looking up the symptoms, an allergy would cause her immune system to go into over drive, and she would have some kind of a immune response, like massive mucus production, or hives, or swelling. Intolerance usually shows as just a digestive problem, like nausea, constipation, or diarrhea (her particular symptom). BUT, the intolerance symptoms can also be allergy symptoms. *frustrated scream*
So she doesn't eat cheese, or anything with it, butter, or milk right now. She can eat baked goods with dairy in it, so that makes it a little easier. And I heard from a friend that yogurt can be eaten if you are lactose intolerant because it has the live and active cultures in it. So we might try that, if I can find some other resources backing it up.
Personally, I'm leaning towards a lactose intolerance because she had one symptom: diarrhea (at least that we know of. If her stomach ever hurt, we could never tell. She's not a fussy baby. And if she had gas from it, well, she's always been great at farting and burping, so that wouldn't have been any different). No hives, no mucus, no swelling. The only way to know for sure which she has is to get her tested, which we aren't going to do in the near future. Removing dairy has worked for us, and for now, that's good enough.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
(This Post Will Not Be) Breaking The Sound Barrier
I've been avoiding posting much here for a couple of reasons.
1) I feel like all I want to post is political stuff, and my views don't seem to be commonly held by most people I know. I try pretty hard to not talk about political stuff with anyone that I don't know if they will agree with me, just to keep the peace. Plus, I find a lot of it very confusing, especially when I'm bombarded by people who are very enthusiastic about politics trying to change my mind. I'm not good at arguing my point, especially to people who aren't actually willing to listen with an open mind, but rather to listen so they can show me where I'm wrong. I get flustered very easily. I base absolutely everything I do and believe in on how it makes me feel. I do realize that doing that makes me extremely open to falling for bullshit spin-doctoring, but if something I previously felt good about suddenly (or not so suddenly) makes me feel less than thrilled, it is put aside to either figure out which is true for me (truth is pretty subjective sometimes), or I cast it aside because it is no longer important for me to really hold any sort of opinion on it. Also, my politics, religious, and life views are going through a major shift right now, and I'm not really open to talking about it much, though that may change in the near future.
2) My life is incredibly boring. Seriously. And I think most parents understand this, especially the ones that stay home. I mean, The Man comes home and I get all excited to tell him about how I actually managed to get away from my computer long enough to walk to Smiths, and how, once again, I was amazed at how good it felt to get outside, even though I think my ears turned to icicles it was so cold. Or that I scooped the dog poop in the backyard. Or vacuumed. Thrilling stuff, let me tell you.
But, I'm trying people. I do want to keep writing stuff, because I'm funny and clever, and I need to share that with everyone in the world.
So, what's going on in my life right now?
Well, I'm mourning the fact that Baby Cakes is now down to once a day breastfeeding, and no longer needs me to rock her to sleep, at least for her naps. I'm not sure about at night, because her room is pretty dark, and I have crappy crappy vision in the dark. I think she's usually pretty awake though. There is a huge part of me that doesn't miss that her only comfort was my boob, but it's hard giving up getting to hold that sleeping baby. Thankfully, I think she would be pretty upset if I just stuck her in her crib, so I still get to cuddle her and rock her a little bit. I'm still breastfeeding her at night before she goes to bed, because I still can, and it seems to soothe her so much. But that will probably also soon go the way of the Quagga, and I think that's part of what makes me so sad. Nursing is so bonding, and was such a huge part of my life, and hers. Her weaning is her taking one more step away from me and one step closer to independence.
Good gravy, I never thought I would be saying or even thinking something like that when she's not even a year and a half old.
Also, flopping your boob out every 2 hours is not nearly as liberating as you might think, though not wearing a bra for most of the day is certainly more comfortable.
I'm also working hard on figuring out how to make a lot of our own convenience foods, like cake mixes, soup mixes, snacks, etc. The Man stepped down from his supervisor position at work because the stress was killing him, and so he could go to school, but he's taking a massive pay cut in the process. I'm hoping that we can get on food stamps, because otherwise we will have to eat ramen and hot dogs. And not the good hot dogs either. Me getting a job is out of the question, for various reason, though I'm hoping to figure out a way to motivate myself to crochet stuff to sell. It won't be much, but I might be able to make myself enough money to keep myself in my yarn addiction, at least. I've been finding tons and tons of websites dedicated to being fugal though, and so if I can just wrap my head around all the information I'm reading, I think I'll be able to manage keeping us fed with goodish food.
It's now time for........
Stuff About Me You Never Wanted to Know!!!
What TV show or movie do you watch when you really need to calm down and come back to yourself?
The answer to that question really varies. It depends on why I'm wound up. If I'm depressed or super stressed, a really funny show does it for me. I'm partial to British comedies like The I.T. Crowd and Red Dwarf. I also like Arrested Development and Better Off Ted. I have yet to find a really funny movie that I want to watch over and over again, though Kung Fu Panda came really close (I think The Man ruined that one, since he watches it on repeat when he's sick).
If I need to mellow out because I'm angry, I will watch something like Bones, Lie To Me, or various British detective shows and/or Dramadies (Doc Martin being my current favorite).
And of course, no matter what mood I'm in, Across The Universe just makes me feel all hippie inside, and I love that. And that movie. You should all watch it. Right now. Just do it. You know you want to.
1) I feel like all I want to post is political stuff, and my views don't seem to be commonly held by most people I know. I try pretty hard to not talk about political stuff with anyone that I don't know if they will agree with me, just to keep the peace. Plus, I find a lot of it very confusing, especially when I'm bombarded by people who are very enthusiastic about politics trying to change my mind. I'm not good at arguing my point, especially to people who aren't actually willing to listen with an open mind, but rather to listen so they can show me where I'm wrong. I get flustered very easily. I base absolutely everything I do and believe in on how it makes me feel. I do realize that doing that makes me extremely open to falling for bullshit spin-doctoring, but if something I previously felt good about suddenly (or not so suddenly) makes me feel less than thrilled, it is put aside to either figure out which is true for me (truth is pretty subjective sometimes), or I cast it aside because it is no longer important for me to really hold any sort of opinion on it. Also, my politics, religious, and life views are going through a major shift right now, and I'm not really open to talking about it much, though that may change in the near future.
2) My life is incredibly boring. Seriously. And I think most parents understand this, especially the ones that stay home. I mean, The Man comes home and I get all excited to tell him about how I actually managed to get away from my computer long enough to walk to Smiths, and how, once again, I was amazed at how good it felt to get outside, even though I think my ears turned to icicles it was so cold. Or that I scooped the dog poop in the backyard. Or vacuumed. Thrilling stuff, let me tell you.
But, I'm trying people. I do want to keep writing stuff, because I'm funny and clever, and I need to share that with everyone in the world.
So, what's going on in my life right now?
Well, I'm mourning the fact that Baby Cakes is now down to once a day breastfeeding, and no longer needs me to rock her to sleep, at least for her naps. I'm not sure about at night, because her room is pretty dark, and I have crappy crappy vision in the dark. I think she's usually pretty awake though. There is a huge part of me that doesn't miss that her only comfort was my boob, but it's hard giving up getting to hold that sleeping baby. Thankfully, I think she would be pretty upset if I just stuck her in her crib, so I still get to cuddle her and rock her a little bit. I'm still breastfeeding her at night before she goes to bed, because I still can, and it seems to soothe her so much. But that will probably also soon go the way of the Quagga, and I think that's part of what makes me so sad. Nursing is so bonding, and was such a huge part of my life, and hers. Her weaning is her taking one more step away from me and one step closer to independence.
Good gravy, I never thought I would be saying or even thinking something like that when she's not even a year and a half old.
Also, flopping your boob out every 2 hours is not nearly as liberating as you might think, though not wearing a bra for most of the day is certainly more comfortable.
I'm also working hard on figuring out how to make a lot of our own convenience foods, like cake mixes, soup mixes, snacks, etc. The Man stepped down from his supervisor position at work because the stress was killing him, and so he could go to school, but he's taking a massive pay cut in the process. I'm hoping that we can get on food stamps, because otherwise we will have to eat ramen and hot dogs. And not the good hot dogs either. Me getting a job is out of the question, for various reason, though I'm hoping to figure out a way to motivate myself to crochet stuff to sell. It won't be much, but I might be able to make myself enough money to keep myself in my yarn addiction, at least. I've been finding tons and tons of websites dedicated to being fugal though, and so if I can just wrap my head around all the information I'm reading, I think I'll be able to manage keeping us fed with goodish food.
It's now time for........
Stuff About Me You Never Wanted to Know!!!
What TV show or movie do you watch when you really need to calm down and come back to yourself?
The answer to that question really varies. It depends on why I'm wound up. If I'm depressed or super stressed, a really funny show does it for me. I'm partial to British comedies like The I.T. Crowd and Red Dwarf. I also like Arrested Development and Better Off Ted. I have yet to find a really funny movie that I want to watch over and over again, though Kung Fu Panda came really close (I think The Man ruined that one, since he watches it on repeat when he's sick).
If I need to mellow out because I'm angry, I will watch something like Bones, Lie To Me, or various British detective shows and/or Dramadies (Doc Martin being my current favorite).
And of course, no matter what mood I'm in, Across The Universe just makes me feel all hippie inside, and I love that. And that movie. You should all watch it. Right now. Just do it. You know you want to.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus
I agree with this 100%. Actually, let's make it 1,000%. (Cliche, I know, but it's true.)
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