in search of persimmon pulp

We are going to hit on a topic that is near to my heart today… waste.

The average school child who brings their lunch to school generates 67 pounds of lunch related trash each school year. That is PER CHILD. The average American school generates more than 18,000 pounds of waste each year. 18,000 pounds!!! And that is just one school.

Wow. That’s pretty impressive, right? It’s downright scary!

So, what can we, as parents, do to help cut down on the amoung of waste generated by our kids? Well, we can start by packing a lunch for our kids - that’s the healthy part - but make sure that we pack it into a container that will not generate waste!

I know, you walk through the grocery store and you see all of those easy, single-serve packages of stuff that your kids beg to have in their lunch, and it’s tempting! Believe me, I know the temptation! But I have found that with the right lunchbox system, I can make sure that my girls are getting a healthy, balanced lunch and cutting down on the waste!

What’s the secret?

First, I made sure that they have lunchboxes that either have compartments for everything, or that they are able to hold the containers I can re-use.

Our favorite lunchbox is the Laptop Lunchbox. I like them so much that I got one for my hubby too. They come with 2 large and 2 small containers, a mini container with a lid and a fork and spoon. One of the large containers has a sealing lid, so you can send “wet” things in there - applesauce, yogurt, etc.

laptop lunchbox

Yes, they are plastic, but they are tested to make sure that it is food safe. Laptop Lunches was started by 2 moms who wanted to cut down on waste and find a better alternative.

One thing that I love about them is that I feel this sense of obligation to put something healthy into each container. This helps me make sure that I get a good, balanced, healthy meal each day to send with them.

We picked up a couple of fabric bags that they carry them in each day, and we toss in a cloth napkin and a milk or their Sigg water bottles for a beverage.

Happy Balloon Bento Box

The other lunchboxes that we use come to us from Asia. I found some adorable bento boxes at Daiso for a few dollars each and the girls love to use them. The ones we use most are 2 levels with a lid for each. I put the sandwich in on e level, and put the rest of the goodies in the other. Ours have a strap that keeps them closed, but there are many styles that are self-locking. A fun thing about these in particular, is that they have a space set aside for the matching chopsticks to just fit inside the lid. My daughter loves anything Chinese (well, Asian, actually!) so this just made her day.

If you look online or have an Asian market nearby, there is a plethora of fun little things that you can use in a bento box - the Japanese use them daily, and they get quite creative with some of their lunches. As you can see above, these small boxes can hold quite a bit of food.

Now that we have the container squared away, what do we put inside? Think bulk. Think homemade. I buy a large jar of applesauce (or make it) and put it into smaller containers to send to school. I buy a large container of plain or vanilla yogurt and add some fruit to it in a smaller container to take to school. I buy lunchmeat and portion it out for the week - then freeze the rest for another week. I bake bread once a week, and occasionall bake muffins or cookies. I make granola. I slice up farm fresh veggies.

Each day they get a sandwich, some veggie sticks and dip, a treat - cookie, yogurt, applesauce, poki stick, etc - and either milk (that doesn’t have to be refrigerated) or water in their Sigg’s. I will usually toss in some fresh fruit too. All of this goes into their lunchbox, the box goes into the bag with a napkin and drink, and they are good to go! The only thing that goes into the trash is their milk carton.

On the rare occasions that I use a “traditional” lunchbox, I have some small Tupperware containers that everything goes into. Snack cups and sandwich keepers work great, and I have yet to have either of the girls forget to bring something home. They remember to put everything back into the bag, and their school has a big bin outside each classroom for lunchboxes to go into.

When I figure that our school lunch program increased the cost to $2.75 per student, per day this year, I figure that I am saving a few dollars, and my kids aren’t eating chicken nuggets and pizza every day. Fortunately, the split is about 50/50 between kids that bring lunch and kids that are “hot lunch” so they don’t feel weird about being the only ones eating a cold lunch.

Is this what we really want them to eat?

So, skip the individual sized packages and send reusable containers with your kids to hold their lunch. Get creative with it! You may just surprise yourself with what you find to use! Just don’t fall into the ziploc bag rut now that you have cut out wasteful packaging… that would be a bit redundant, no?

And I don’t mean the presidential elections!

I stopped over at MomDot.com this morning to see what’s going on, and lo and behold, I have been nominated for Miss Congeniality in The Dottie Awards!

I am amazed… dumbfounded… flabbergasted… you choose the adjective. I am also touched and honored. I think this is the first time I have been nominated for ANYTHING online, and I have to say, it’s pretty cool.

Miss Congeniality is the award that is generally given to the contestant that is most liked and respected by her peers. “The current definition of the award is that it ‘reflects the respect and admiration of the delegate’s peers, who voted for her as the most congenial, charismatic and inspirational participant.” - according to wikipedia.

Wow… this is a big honor to even be nominated!

Again, I am rendered *almost* speechless!

So, why am I sharing this with you (besides the fact that I am still slightly in shock)? So that YOU can go vote!

I’m seeking votes to win this thing, I will freely admit it! Yes, the honor is in being nominated (and it really is!) but to win would be so totally cool!

I Want YOU To Vote For ME in The Dottie Awards!

Just head over to MomDot.com and place your vote for me, Jennifer Hudson, keeper of the Design-my-handbag.com blog as Miss Congeniality! Hurry! Go Now! The voting ends Sept 22nd!

Oh, and tell all of your friends…

And, of course, THANK YOU!!!

Yes, I found another thing to sign up for (it’s a good thing Eric never reads this!)

But THIS one is really useful! Really!

Compacting: The Compact has several aims more or less prioritized below:
- To go beyond recycling in trying to counteract the negative global environmental and socioeconomic impacts of disposable consumer culture and to support local businesses, farms, etc. — a step that, we hope, inherits the revolutionary impulse of the Mayflower Compact.
- To reduce clutter and waste in our homes (as in trash Compact-or).
- To simplify our lives (as in Calm-pact) .
(Copied from Mama’s on the Compact)

Well, I’m signing up to try this out for the next 4 months… yes, just in time for back to school and Christmas. ugh. It shouldn’t be too hard though, right?

Well, here goes. My Pledge.

I pledge (starting on Aug 1, 2008) to not buy anything new from a big box store for the next 4 months - through Jan 1, 2009.

If we need something, we will utilize freecycle, craigs list, goodwill, 2nd hand shops, etc.

I also pledge to donate un-used items through the aforementioned channels.

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Some exceptions:

As I have a business to run, I can purchase NECESSARY items for that - thread, notions, printer paper, etc. No fabric shopping sprees though. I really need to use up what I already have!

As the hubby has some projects that he wants completed by the end of Summer, we are allowed to purchase mulch and blocks to build the terraces in the back, although I will post to freecycle to see if there are any available there first.

In the event that we do not have enough canning jars left (after giving them away last year - filled, of course!) we can purchase some new ones - or find them on freecycle! I will need to purchase new seals though.

Christmas…
Christmas gifts will be handmade wherever possible. In the event that we do not already have everything necessary to complete a project, we can purchase the needed items provided that we already have 75% of the needed supplies, and there is no way to work around the missing supplies (like foam for that certain gift…)

Christmas Gifting can also be purchased through Indie/small businesses to help support my fellow independent crafters. Etsy is a good thing!

Back To School…
After looking over the supply lists, I think we have 95% of what is required. As I don’t have the tissue boxes & glue already on hand (and they want new ones for that!) I will need to buy new. New purchases will be on an absolute MUST HAVE as required by the school. No “oh Mommy, but I WANT it!” purchases.

As per tradition, Eric can take the girls to get 1 new outfit each. It’s just a Daddy thing. HOWEVER, I will be making a trip down to Others Mothers to trade in old clothes, and get clothes appropriate for school!

Before purchasing any new fabric for clothes, I will use up what we already have. There should be plenty for the next couple of years!

Shoes. As their feet are growing, we will need to get more shoes. HOWEVER, we do not need to buy 5 new pairs each! They can each have 1 pair of running shoes and 1 pair of dress shoes.

Tights. There really isn’t a way around this one… they need new ones, and 2nd hand ones just don’t seem to exist. I’ve looked, a lot.

Part of this pledge extends to school lunches. They each have a Laptop Lunchbox, and a bento box. We do not need to purchase plastic baggies for lunches. I will NOT do it! They will take their lunch each day, and they will be filled with wholesome, homemade food. No pre-packaged junk! This worked well last year, although I did have a couple of slip-ups.

Books.
We will utilize PaperBackSwap.com for new books.
This will help with cleaning out some old books too - a pleasant by-product.

Software.
Unfortunately, there are a couple of programs that we do need, and as we have funds, we can purchase those. No games though.

Flowers.
As per a prior agreement, Eric is allowed to buy flowers for the kitchen. Actually, he is allowed to buy flowers for any reason at all! ;~)

Music.
Electronic purchases are allowed. They don’t end up in a landfill somewhere, and are one of the few things that Eric spends $ on - and it isn’t excessive by any stretch. HOWEVER, we need to continue weeding out the CD’s we no longer listen to.

Birthdays.
We can purchase “specialty” ingredients to bake birthday cakes. We have wrapping paper, bags & tissue, and should have plenty of decorations. We can use regular dishes instead of paper plates. Invitations can be handmade. Gifts can be purchased from Indie shops or handmade. Even for the gents…

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Outside of these exceptions, we will re-use, recycle or do without. It should help on the financial front too. Honestly, Target is my biggest downfall. It doesn’t seem to matter what I go in for, I end up spending around $100 somehow. It’s frustrating.

For food, we should be set for a while.
- We get our veggies from a CSA farm weekly, and that lasts into October.
- We purchased a 1/4 of a pig, so we have meat for a bit.
- The currants are coming in, so we will have jam made to last for a few months. I need to go pick some berries though.
- Once the apples are in we can make some applesauce.
- I pledge to make bread at least once per week. It’s cheaper, and I know what is going into it.
- The herbs are doing well, and are drying now for use until next Summer.

I also pledge to not purchase any new plants during the next 4 months. If I really want something, I will see if someone else has a start for it. This will be a hard one! Anyone have Lemon Balm? How about Basil? I will trade Oregano for it! Or Lavender! Please?

I pledge to use cloth napkins and towels rather than paper. We have some paper napkins on hand that we can use for camping. We were doing this, but the girls found the stash & went back to paper.

Unless something vital breaks (a possibility!) we will not purchase new. Vital: the oven, washing machine, etc. The car already broke, so that’s no longer an issue!

Well, I think thats just about enough loopholes, don’t you?

If you have kids who love to color and write thank you notes, I have found the contest for you!

Tiffany over at Naturemoms is doing a contest for a free art kit from Stubby Pencil Studio! What do you need to do to win? Well, head over before Tuesday, June 16th and leave a comment on her blog. Yep, it’s really that easy.

This is a blog that I love to read - she reviews products that are good for the environment, and passes on the info to her readers. She also began homeschooling her son this Summer, and is sharing those joys as well.

I hope you enjoy reading as much as I do!

well, I couldn’t title it Happy New Year - that’s too much like everyone else!

2008 is officially here - everywhere now.  2007 has past, taking with it it’s own set of high’s & low’s - here’s hoping ‘08 will be filled with a few more high’s!  

The start of a new year is a harbinger of a chance to start over - a fresh slate, if you will.  People look at the past & decide what they need to change to bring about a better future - and once in a while they actually stick! 

What are my resolutions? 

1 - get over this cold - grrrrr it arrived at 2:00 am - the time that some form of disease seems to descend upon our house each Jan 1.  This is one that I can keep! ha ha

2 - clean  house  - take down all of the Christmas decor, fold the mountain of clean laundry, find a sparkling, clean sink somewhere in the kitchen, and de-clutter the house.  This will make the Mr. MUCH happier.  Well, once he gets over HIS cold it will…  

3 - Keep the clutter at bay - tough -I’m a pack rat, and admittedly, I’m just lazy.  Add 2 young girls into the mix, and you have a recipe for disaster - hurricanes & tornadoes look to have blown through with regularity, and they start with A & M  

4 - find a place to donate all of this excess STUFF - when we moved, goodwill knew me by car.  We donated soooooooooo much junk (complete set of James Bond anyone?) BUT - most unfortunately - we still have half of a garage full of boxes.  ugh.  I haven’t found goodwill up here 30 minutes from anywhere, however I think there is a kids clothing place.  That will help!  

5 - become active in PaperBackSwap again - this requires going through the extensive library - again - and finding new homes for many dear friends - and a few mere acquaintances.  Haven’t heard about it yet?  Well… check it out below!

6 -  Continue with the healthier diet that we have begun.  We eat mostly vegetables with some chicken.  I just need to find a local CSA farm.  The drop for our old one is over 30 miles away - not quite eating local is it!

7 - cut down on the amount of STUFF that we bring in the house.

8 - reduce - reuse - recycle - reduce waste, reuse things as much as possible, and recycle everything that we can.  We already have the smallest trash can that WM NW offers, and we recycle 3 times as much as goes into it.  I also want to get the compost pile REALLY going.

9 - plant the vegetable garden.  we already have raspberries & red currants, but we need to add in the other veggies - carrots, long beans, sunflowers, garlic, potatoes, etc.  I have a ingenious thought on the potatoes - I’ll share more about that later.  It requires some straw…

10 - do what I can to help others realize just how much they consume and throw away.  We are a nation of consumers - wasteful, over-spent,  greedy, and blind to the world around us.  We don’t want to do anything that changes our cushy existence, or makes us stop for even a second to think about the effects of our actions.  

We need to wake up and look at the world.  We are destroying it.  

We are cutting down trees at an alarming rate, cutting down mountains to get the fuels that are located inside.  We pollute our water sources with toxins and poisons, throw away plastics at an alarming rate - plastics that float around in the waterways and oceans, and are consumed by animals that don’t know better.  

We fill the products that we bring into our homes with toxins - and wonder why we are a nation of people that are always sick.  Cancer is rising - and those diagnosed are getting younger & younger.  We inject our children with metals disguised as immunizations and cause more diseases.  

Why is it that the USA thinks that we need to alter the food that God created for us?  If farmers would husband the land rather than destroy it with chemicals, they wouldn’t have the problems with too many pests.  

How is it that humanity survived for millennia without altering the chemical make-up of food and filling everything with corn, yet we are told that if we don’t do these things humanity can’t survive?  There is a difference in taste between fresh, natural, organic food that the mass-produced junk that fills our grocery store shelves.  And don’t get me started on the HFCS and hydrogenated oils and MSG that food factories fill everything with.  Gee, I wonder why our kids are so obese.  We fill them with sugar & fat & corn and sit them down in front of a TV or video games or computers for hours on end.

Get outside and enjoy nature.  Once you have an experience in nature - away from technology and cities - and truly look at the world around you, how can you NOT want to save it?

We are stewards - we need to take care of the planet that God created and told us to take care of.  At this rate, we will have to start colonizing other planets just to support humanity - or allow a massive war to kill half of the population.  Oh, and wipe out technology so we have to re-learn how to exist at a simpler level.

All of this is done in the name of progress.  Are we really progressing?  Or are we causing a huge problem that we cannot fix? 

Just remember, today is the first day of the rest of your life - make the most of it! 

If you have read the about me page, you have been warned.  If not, consider yourself warned (go and read to see why)

I recently read a post over at the Natural Family Living Blog  that got me to thinking…I consider myself to be a republican… after all, I believe in God - that Jesus was born to a virgin girl and died to take away every sin that was ever committed - provided that the sinner accepts Him as their Savior. I also do not believe in big government handouts - I think that the welfare system is a huge joke.  Just because someone has a different color of skin than the “majority” is no reason for them to get free money.  However, I am also an environmentalist.

I believe that our society (and that of other “developed” countries) is destroying our earth.

I believe that humanity was given stewardship of this planet - the authority to oversee everything in the absence of the owner (that would be God, in case you are wondering) and the responsibility for what happens while under our control.

People, we are failing miserably.

We are spewing out noxious gasses at every turn.We are filling our bodies with garbage (gee, I wonder why we are ALWAYS SICK!!!)

We are filling our oceans with plastics that will NEVER go away

Our government is more concerned with the almighty dollar than with the people it is supposed to protect.  If this was not true, then we would not have frankenfoods being hidden in the ingredients lists of 95% of the products available at your local grocery store.  If this was not true, then we would have alternative fuels available to power cars - bio-fuels, electricity, etc. The USA has become a giant test lab.  

Imagine with me for a momnet…”Let’s see, if we change the bioligical make up of corn to make it resistant to bugs, we can sell more & make more money!” “But do we know yet what effects that will have on the people that are eating it?”  ”Who cares? What they don’t know won’t hurt them!  Besides, we will make 3 times the money!” “But what if they find out?”  ”No one listens to those environmental freaks anyway - we’ll just spread an ad campaign that everything is OK.”

Did this conversation ever actually occur?  No, but it does help to point out what is certainly LOOKS like from the consumer’s prospective.

Why does our government throw money at genetically modified foods and ignore the small farms that are trying to grow a healthy, natural, poison free, BETTER alternative?  

Actually, our gov’t takes it a step further… they are trying to keep the small organic farmers OUT of the market.  They are trying to turn them into the large industrial farms that are KILLING US & OUR CHILDREN.

The farm bill was up for a vote again this year.  Did you know?  Do you care?  Guess what… corn got more money thrown at it, organic farmers got ignored.  Why do big farmers in Iowa get to have $250,000 per ear paychecks for growing crap while small family-run farms are being run out of business?
There is a new movie out called “King Corn” It’s about 2 east coast guys who decided to see what it would be like to grow corn… and it was life-changing for them.  They got some GM corn seed and an acre of prime Iowa land… and them followed their corn through the production line to see where it goes.  Our diet truly consists of corn, corn & more corn.  Find out where it is showing & go see it!

While I am on a rant, what about Maryland trying to force us to vaccinate our kids?  Do you really think it is good for an infant to have metal injected into their blood stream?  Poisonous metals?  Guess what is in vaccines… and flu shots.  The government should not have the right to tell me that I have to fill my kids full of garbage just because it keeps the hospitals open and fills the pockets of big pharmaceutical companies.

I’m not saying that we all have to go live in a cave & walk everywhere & live on nuts that we can grow.   What I AM saying is that we need to take a look at our own families and see if there is anything that we can do to be a better steward of what has been entrusted to us.Here are some ideas: My daughters school recycles plastic bags.  If there isn’t a school near you, I’d be glad to take in your clean, used plastic bags and get them recycled into other products rather than see them fly around in the air & end up inside the belly of a sea turtle. I personally use a fabric bag when I go to the grocery store.  It is re-usable, and if it gets dirty, I can just toss it into the washing machine and it’s as good as new.  Another benefit to bring your own bag - if I know that I only have 1 or 2 bags with me, I don’t buy as much at the store because I have a pretty good idea how much will fit into my bags & I don’t want to use plastic.  And my grocer gives a 5 cent credit for each non-plastic bag used.  And if you buy your bag through Mimsi Bags, you will be helping to support a Work At Home Mom who is trying to be at home with her kids.

Does your power company offer wind power?  Can you purchase carbon credits?  These are small ways that your family can help offset the fuel used to power your home.

Do you carpool to work?  Can you?  I understand that this in not an option for many - we can’t.  My husband works far enough from our home that he has to drive, and his hours are odd enough that no one wants to wait around for him.  But if you can, you should.  Many large corporations offer free vanpools for their employees, and others offer free or reduced cost bus passes.

Letting your kids ride the school bus is another way to cut down on the amount of driving that you do.  If you have to drive your kids to school & pick them up, keep in mind that 10 seconds of letting your car idle takes more gas than turning it off & re-starting it when you are ready to move.

If you are in the market for a new car, look into cars that are more environmentally friendly.  Most diesel engines can be converted to run on vegetable oil, which you can get used from many restaurants & filter.  Yes, this is a larger investment up front, but it’s cheaper than paying $3.50 per gallon!

If you are close enough, walk or ride a bike.  It not only helps the earth, but it will get your body in better shape too!

Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup & hydrogenated oils like the plague - they really are! And you will be surprised what they show up in…

Turn off the lights when you aren’t in the room, unplug your cell phone charger when you aren’t using it, and the TV for that matter.

Pack a lunch for your kids - the Laptop Lunchbox is a great tool for that!  We have 2, and the girls LOVE them.  AND, I know that they are getting a healthy lunch instead of the microwaved crap that the school dishes up. Pack a lunch for you too… you will save money and eat better food than McD’s offers.  gag.

Join a CSA farm - Comunity Supported Agriculture.  I’m currently looking for a new one, so when I find a nationwide directory, I will post a link! 

These are just a couple of ideas.  I’m sure if you stop a moment and think about it, you will come up with MANY more ways!  

Well, having spent Monday at the hospital with me eldest, I am glad to report that she was only recommended to take 1 medication - daily. I think the Dr. got the general impression that she would NOT be going back on some of the useless/dangerous meds that she had been put on - and made her sick.

Then today I was emailed the following cartoon - and I just had to share! (just click on it to read)

www.artmargin.com © Emma Holister 2005

There are lots of other great ones that seem so fitting - and quite true…

If you want to take a look, head over to http://www.artmargin.com/doctoringcolversion.htm

All in all I have to say that I am generally very pleased with our Dr - I ust be if I’m willing to drive 35 miles each way when there are others just around the corner. She is very good about looking at alternatives to “drugs” and using diet to help solve issues.

So now we just wait to see if allergies are the cause of all of this coughing after all… meaning that the nasty steriods were pointless (as formerly suspected..)

This is so spot on in so many ways… I simply HAD to share it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxT5NwQUtVM

Head over and take a look…

and if you don’t get it, you don’t have kids in school, teenagers, OR you just have perfect children!

I recieved this from my beutiful Sister-in-law today… and it was too cute not to share with everyone!

Prettiest Moms on my Friends list! Once you have been hit, you have to hit 15 pretty Moms. If you get hit again, You will know you are REALLY pretty!

So hit 15 pretty moms on your friends list to let them know they are pretty

Before I was a Mom I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.

I didn’t worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom - I had never been puked on.

Pooped on.

Chewed on.

Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.

I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.

Or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn’t want to put them down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn’t stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom - I didn’t know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

I didn’t know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn’t know that bond between a mother and her child.

I didn’t know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom - I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn’t know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

Send this to someone who you think is a special Mom. I just did!