Goal: Living Naturally

One of my new goals this new year is to live more naturally.  For me, this means making things when possible, not using harsh chemicals when possible, eating healthy, and other things like that.  I would love to try not to buy things at big chain stores when possible, but unfortunately, the state of our financial affairs makes it so that we have to find the best price possible.

One thing I am trying to do, is to cook more at home.  I am trying to make my own products when possible instead of relying on pre made items.  I am trying eat healthier too.  When I shop, I am trying to make sure that I only shop the outside perimeter of the store.  I am trying to plan my meals in advance so that I am not wasting food.  planning in advance and not wasting foods are 2 things that I really need to work on.

I have been cloth diapering since my twins were 6 months old.  They are now going to be 3.  Thankfully we are getting to the point of potty training and then we will be done with diapers (hopefully).  A couple of months ago, I decided to start making my own "mama pads".  I was a little afraid that I would be grossed out or that my husband would be grossed out.  After talking to another twin mom friend, I decided to try making my own.  Turns out, my husband is extremely supportive of this and I am on my 3rd cycle of using them and am really happy that I made the switch.  Unlike cloth diapering, if I am traveling I will use disposables.  My goal, now, is to refine my pattern and make better pads.  Pretty sad, but I am really excited about making the switch!

I am trying to not use harsh chemicals in my house.  I love how clean things get with bleach, but am not a fan of the smell, or having it around with little ones.  My goal is to only use it occasionally and I plan on using white vinegar and baking soda more often.  I have used both of these products depending on what I am cleaning and I have been happy with the results.  I now need to get some recipes and find natural way of making an anti-bacterial cleanser that is not bleach.  I also need to get organized (which is another goal) so that I am cleaning on a schedule (I hate cleaning!!).  I am also trying not to use harsh chemicals in my health and beauty products.  Again I am trying to stay away from buying pre made items in stores when possible and make my own from supplies!

I would love to make my kids clothes and even my own.  My problem is that I am not that good at sewing clothes and I don't have a ton of time to practice.  I try to use hand me downs for the kids so that we are not always buying new.  I am trying to plan on making toys and learning experiences for them instead of looking to the store to get what I want.  My next book to get is:

"Fabric-by-Fabric One-Yard Wonders: 101 Sewing Projects Using Cottons, Knits, Voiles, Corduroy, Fleece, Flannel, Home Dec, Oilcloth, Wool, and Beyond"

I am also trying to up cycle when possible.  We try to donate unwanted clothing, but I would love to try to use it to make things instead of just giving it away (also a way to save money and not rely on stores all the time).  I am using old receiving blanket for cloth wipes and my "mama pads".  Again, this way I don't have to buy new material and spend money after throwing away perfectly usable cloth!  My next goal is to go to a thrift store and actually buy clothing for cheap that is totally outdated and try to update it and make it current.  I am totally inspired by http://www.newdressaday.com/ and would love to be as creative and thrifty!

Hopefully I can really start to work on these goals and make it so that I can feel good about doing what I can for my health, my family's health, and the environment!  I think that, for me, it is good that I am writing this down so that a) I see it in black and white, and b) there are people who read my posts and hopefully this will make me more accountable.

Amy

Life

I am working really hard to get back to where I want to be with regards to my beliefs!  My beliefs such as: making gifts instead of just going to a department store and buying them, eating healthy home cooked meals, being active, using alternative means to having a healthy life, being as green and eco-friendly/conscious as I can.

I am planning on sewing a couple of things for my sister's baby shower and I finally planned her blanket.  I was going to make an actual quilt, but then I thought about time and whether or not it would actually be used.  I decided to make a ribbon quilt.  It will be an actual quilt, but small and with ribbons that my newest niece will hopefully enjoy playing with.  I want it to be used and loved, not just folded away some where.  I am also planning on making a couple of burp cloths to match the quilt.  I did buy the diaper bag that was on my sister's registry as well as some little things to go along with it, but I absolutely for certain wanted to make something for my newest niece.  I spent Friday night drafting the ribbon quilt for my niece.  I am hoping that it will look great.  I hope that it won't be too over done.  My sister decided to go with the monkey theme, so I have monkey and jungle material with coordinating fabrics to go along with it.  I am really excited to start working on it.  I also decided to do a couple of traditional quilt blocks called the monkey wrench.  I hope it some out the way I planned it!  Then I will be off to draft my kids' quilts!  I am hoping to use non-traditional patterns for theirs and make the boys coordinating and Eva Rose's coordinating too, but add something girly to it also.  I am planning on having them in the same room for quite some time, so I might as well coordinate all quilts with the space theme that we had decided on for the boys!

I am trying to really get back to eating healthy.  I have started to have at least 1 green smoothie a day.  I would love to move up to have more and decreasing some of the solid foods that I eat.  How healthy would it be to have more fruits and veggies in your diet and be able to drink them and get all the nutrients that you need.  I still ahve a long way to go to fully be where I want to be, but again this whole life style is a balance.  I don't have to be all or nothing.  I can make small changes and hope that as I increase the amount of small changes, it will add up to big overall changes!  As long as I keep moving in the right direction, than I am happy with that.  I have started to decrease the amount of sugar that I give the kids and me and my husband.  I am trying to get the adults away from as much meat as we have been eating, but not really the kids.  I was hoping to do more with a raw foods diet for the summer months, but I don't seem to be there yet.  I also keep trying to get way from gluten and gluten containing foods as well as dairy!

Tom and I hae been trying to walk on average every other day to every day depending on the weather and our schedule.  We have been walking 4 miles and I am finally seeming not to have aches and pains like I did when we first started 2 weeks ago.  I really want to start doing yoga!  I have all these thoughts, but I just don't seem to find the time to actually do it!  I am hoping the yoga  will help me physically and also mentally, dealing with stress in my life.

As for using alternative means to a healthy life, I want to learn more about herbs and aromatherapy and how to incorporate that into my life.  I would love to learn enough to start a career with  this.  I also consider nutrition as an alternative means of living a healthy life.  By nutrition, I don't mean following the latest fad, I mean eating a healthy diet that may actually even go against what mainstream society tells you to eat.  I also want to include yoga and other things like qi gong in my practice.  I would love to add some of these things to anactual career, but I think my husband would kill me if I changed my career from social work to something else!  I think it's because I had just gotten my MSW/LCSW right before I had children.  Maybe some day, I'll actually get supervision and get enough hours to get my LICSW and then I can practice social work and do therapy how I want to, not just traditional psychotherapy!

I just want to continue to recycle and reduce my contribution to any negative envornmental impact.  I would love to re-use instead of always using new items.  Someday, I'll get to a thrift store and start to use/re-use otehr peoples things especailly in new and creative ways instead of always buying new, even material.

God this was a long post!  If anyone is reading this, this was another post to help remind me of my goals, not to preach.  Any thoughts are always welcome!

Amy

This Weeks Goals

I have a few goals that I want to complete for this week.  The first is actually following my menu plan.  I pretty much have this week planned, now I just need to go shopping.  Unfortunately, I will have to take my 3 kids along for the ride, so I'll be making a couple of trips.  Some day, I'll get myself to a point where I get my meal plan done and I can go by myself on the weekend.  So far the meal plan looks pretty healthy and I think I can deal with it for now.  I was hoping to start the anti-candida diet, but these meals are certainly not on that diet plan.  I'm sure that I could finagle them to fit an anti-candida diet and I may just do that for me and leave it the normal way for the rest of the family.

I just started the couch to 5K program today.  I got an app for my phone and the first day went well.  I may need to buy some exercise clothing for the spring weather.  I ran in my sleeveless shirt and shorts today and while I didn't freeze, I wasn't exactly as comfortable as iI could have been.  I think I really just need some long sleeve shirts and can wear my shorts, but I may get some capri length running pants to go along with it.  I am really hoping to stick with the couch to 5k plan and really hope to run a 5k this summer, maybe with another twin mom friend.

I went to the twins sale this week to get some spring and summer stuff for the kiddos, but foolish me thought that I was meeting up with another twin mom to shop with her first, but she had meant the night before and I didn't realize it.  So, I didn't end up buying some things I need like Easter outfits.  So, my plan is to make a dress for Ms Eva Rose and then make ties for the boys.  Hopefully the material I picked out with coordinate enough to look really cute.  As much as I feel bad that the boys will be in ties, I think they are going to look adorable.

I have long wanted to shop the thrift store in the area, not that I really know of a ton, execpt for The Salvation Army on Route 1.  As much as I would love to be like the author from the blog, http://newdressaday.com/, I am totally nervous about going to the Salvation Army.  I don't know why, I think I have some mind block about going to a Salvation Army for clothing, but I am so inspired by that blog, that I just want to try it out.  My friend Chantal has done some great things with pieces that she has gotten from there, and I am toally inspired by her and all the things that she creates.

So, to recap, my goals are: 1) follow menu plan, 2) keep up with exercising, 3) make eater outfits, and 4) get to the Salvation Army to get some cheap ethings to re-do!

Amy