Connections

Operation NICE

2008-10-10T10:46:00.004-05:00

I came across a blog that I thought was worth sharing. It's a place where people can talk about something nice that they did or something nice that was done for them. I'm sure that we have all been the recipient of kindness from strangers. Whether you call them angels or just people that were there at the right time, it's something positive to think about in a world that can be pretty negative. So, as the election heats up and both sides are slinging mud, here is a little sunshine.

Operation NICE

Have a wonderful weekend!

Giving

2008-10-02T13:41:00.003-05:00

The next Parents Night has been scheduled!

Thursday, October 23rd
6:30pm
Italian Cafe
4622 NASA Rd 1
Seabrook, TX 77586-5414
Phone: (281) 326-1618

Italian cafe welcomes wine drinkers, but asks that you bring your own. So, grab your favorite bottle and share with a friend!

Please let me know if you can make it so I can make sure we have enough room for everyone. As always, children are welcome, but not required.

On another note, although life has gotten back to normal for most people, others are still dealing with the aftermath of Ike. I have come across some opportunities to help, if you are able:

*There is an immediate need for many items for students at Seabrook Intermediate School (2401 E. Meyer St, Seabrook, 281-284-3100). Over a third of the kids at this school lost their entire home or all the contents inside their home had water damage. Please donate these items to the front office at Seabrook Intermediate: Shoes-tennis or running type size 4-11, standardized dress code shirts, shorts, pants; toiletries, air mattresses, pillows, sleeping bags, school supplies such as back packs, binders, etc., books, First Aid items, bug spray, socks, new underwear.

*Needs at Bay Elementary (1502 Bayport Blvd, 284-474-5541): Boys' and Girls' socks, Girls' pajamas, girls' & boys' underwear, girls' shoes size 8 ½, boys' athletic shoes child sizes 3-8, boys' pants sizes 8 - 14.

I read something on another blog about giving that really spoke to me and I wanted to share it with you:

[giving]..is unique because it's a lot like stone soup. While a carrot and a stalk of celery and a potato all held separately can't make a pot of vegetable soup, when you dump them together, you get something delicious. And while a single person may not have the means to give all the vegetables necessary for soup, a single carrot, stalk of celery, or potato is rarely missed.

The point to this type of giving is not to dig deep into your pockets when you have so many needs yourself. The point is to donate what you won't miss--the books you would have sold at a garage sale, ad space on your blog, points you weren't using. And the magic is that all of these things come together to fulfill someone else's need.

Well said. I hope you all are doing well!

Welcome Back

2008-09-23T15:41:00.002-05:00

Hello, everyone. Just quickly checking in. I hope everyone is ok and has gotten back to their homes. We will be rescheduling the baby food night and, of course, Italian Cafe night soon. I believe that Seabrook is still under a curfew, so I will check on that.

In the mean time, if you need any help or know someone who does, please let me know. It's been a hard few weeks and I am very grateful that we're all ok.

Be well.

Parents Night 8-21

2008-08-24T15:03:00.003-05:00

Parents Night #2 was a success! We met a Fuddrucker's and had a wonderful time.

Yan and Abby made an appearance

Abby showed us how to accessorize

Sandra showed us how to grind baby food

....and Buzz just smiled!

We also had two new people come and we hope to have even more next time. I don't have a date yet, but I am thinking Italian Cafe for next time. (I'll try not to schedule it on BAMOM night.) We are also going to have a baby food making night and Sandra has kindly volunteered to host it. Even if you aren't interested in the baby food, we hope you will come for the company and the wine.

As a follow up to the last post, Stephanie I. sent me a video that talks about what happens to our garbage. It's a great video and really makes you think. Click here to watch it.

I hope you have noticed the awesome new header! Teal very kindly made that for this blog and it looks great!!

Have wonderful week, everyone!!

Green with Confusion

2008-08-09T17:11:00.002-05:00

When I became a parent I decided that I was going to do my best to keep things green, organic, and simple. (I can hear you all laughing right now.) I'm not going to lie and say that I am 100% organic granola mommy, but I try my best. One hurdle I came up against was the glut of information, much of it contradictory, about organic products. If it says natural is that the same as organic? What is organic, anyway? Is anyone regulating this? In the interest of passing on information, I put together a few bits of what I found to be the most helpful information.

What does it all mean??

100% Organic - product contains only organically produced ingredients. They can contain added water and salt

Organic - Must have at least 95% organically produced products.

Made With Organic Ingredients - Must contain at least 70% organic ingredients, but cannot use the USDA organic seal.

Free Range or Free Roaming - Poultry must have outdoor access, but this can also mean limited space or a fenced in area. (Wouldn't you always put a fence around chickens??)

Natural - Cannot contain artificial ingredients or added color and should be minimally processed. That means that the raw form of the product cannot be fundamentally altered.

No Hormones - Something I did not know is that you are not allowed to use hormones on pork or poultry at any time, so watch out if you think that a company is trying to market "hormone free chicken" It's all hormone free, organic or not. Beef, however, can contain hormones that are used on the cattle.

No Antibiotics - This applies to beef and poultry. They have to provide documentation that no antibiotics were used.

What about produce? I always thought that I should buy everything organic. That can be very pricey. As is turns out, some fruits and vegetables have a natural barrier to pesticides in the form of thick skins.

Lowest in Pesticides (after being washed):
Onions, Avocados, Pineapples, Mangoes, Asparagus, Kiwis, Bananas, Cabbage, Broccoli, Eggplants

Highest in Pesticides (consider buying organic, if possible):
Peaches, Apples, Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Nectarines, Strawberries, Cherries, Lettuce, Grapes (imported), Pears, Spinach, Potatoes

Want some more information? Follow the links below!

The Organic Center

USDA Organic Program

Organic Authority

Source: Clean Eating Magazine: Organic Chemistry
Summer 2008, pg.64

Nice To Know

2008-07-31T14:28:00.004-05:00

I've been a mom for about 22 weeks now and I am just beginning to feel as if, you know, I know everything. I have it all down. Right? This morning as I did my usual check of blogs, I came across one that told the story of a scary car accident. The dad telling the story mentioned that he was going to have to replace the car seat now that the current one had been in a wreck.

I did not know that. After all, you don't replace your car (usually). You just get it repaired, right? So, that was a nice piece of information to have. Thanks, Matt.

Now I'm off to give my baby some peanut butter and orange juice. There's nothing wrong with that, right?