52-Week Challenge - Week 16

How did the getting more grains challenge go for everyone?  We had a new grain in our house - quinoa.  And what yumminess it is!  Other than that, I perused our pantry and confirmed what I already knew, that we do a pretty good job of getting whole grains in our diet.  I did buy a new cereal for Ronnie to try, Post's version of Honey Bunches of Oats, and I picked Fruity Cheerios over Froot Loops for the kids due to the sticker.  So yeah, all is good, but of course it could always be better. 

On to this week, which is all about having a good laugh.  I love the way I feel after I've had a belly-aching laugh.  It's almost as if I've run 5 miles or gotten a good nap in. 

There is all sorts of upsides to laughter including stress reduction, blah blah blah.  But really, it's just fun to laugh. 

I dare you to try not to laugh or giggle or break a smile

So, get a good laugh in this week.  The kind that leaves your sides hurting and you out of breath.  Even better if you are crying afterwards :) 


Other resources:

The book we're following: http://www.amazon.com/52-Small-Changes-Healthier-ebook/dp/B0056J4ER0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325722556&sr=1-1

Jenn's blog: http://thewoogies.blogspot.com/search/label/52%20Small%20Changes

Photo Friday

** Every Friday, I will post a picture from our life.... enjoy! **

Lotus Lantern Festival, Seoul, Korea, May 2010

Taking advantage of everything Korea had to offer while we were there, we participated in the Lotus Lantern Festival that celebrated Buddha's birthday!  It was a wonderful time, and one that we repeated in 2011.  Take a look at all the pictures here and the blog post here. 

For Buddhists around the world, the celebration of Buddha's birthday is considered the holiest of days.   The parade is basically neighborhoods, schools, and temples from all over dressing up in their very best and bringing lanterns to light up the temple.  The ladies above are dressed in a traditional hanbok, with the colors coordinated to signify the neighborhood/school/temple they are representing.  The parade is a sight to see and the atmosphere buzzes with positive energy and joy.   And we were lucky enough to have experienced it...   

52-Week Challenge: Week 15

Did you take a step or two to go greener in your homes/lives?  I bought myself some new microfiber cleaning cloths (found them at the commissary for $5) and made sure all my wool dryer balls were in the dryer.  Really cut down on the drying time for my heavy blankets I washed last week.  My friend Jenn had a really good pointer on her blog (you are reading her stuff too, right?).  She suggested to start looking for the certified eco-friendly labels from EcoLogo or Green Seal.  Too smart - and such an easy trick to remember for while you are out shopping.

This week's focus is on eating more whole grains and aiming for three or more servings per day.  So much of our modern foods have the nutrition processed right out of them, in the form of using non-whole grains.  Refined grains only have one part of the grain in them, whereas a whole grain also includes the bran and the germ which is where the anti-oxidants, fiber, and vitamins are found.

Again, this is where reading the label and the box will come in handy.  There is a handy dandy little seal that you will find on products that have 8 g or more of whole grains in them:

How neat is that?    There are tons of ideas out on the internet on how to integrate whole grains into your diet - actually, this month's Cooking Light "12 Healthy Habits" challenge is all about whole grains. 

Other resources:

Cooking Light "12 Healthy Habits": http://www.cookinglight.com/healthy-living/healthy-habits/what-are-whole-grains-00412000070590/

Mayo Clinic - Whole Grains: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/whole-grains/NU00204

The book we're following: http://www.amazon.com/52-Small-Changes-Healthier-ebook/dp/B0056J4ER0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325722556&sr=1-1

Jenn's blog: http://thewoogies.blogspot.com/search/label/52%20Small%20Changes

San Juan Islands

The back half of our Spring Break was fantastic!  On Thursday, we headed to my grandma's house to visit and spend the night.  Again, I can't express how excited I am that the girls get to spend time with their great-grandma. 

Friday morning, we got up bright and early so we could catch a ferry boat.  How fun is it that we live in a place that has a ferry system?  Well, it is super fun!  Plus, that was how we got to our mini-vaca on the San Juan Islands.  The San Juan Islands are a cluster of islands between the Washington and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada and lie in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. 

We got to the ferry terminal in Anacortes early enough so we could play on the beach a bit before boarding.  After playing for 20 minutes, the announcement to "start your engines" came.  We boarded the ferry, parked/secured the car, and settled in on the passenger deck for the hour long journey.

 

The journey there was rather uneventful.  We watched as the skies cleared up a bit and enjoyed a snack.  Finally, we arrived at Friday Harbor.  Remember that bit about it being uneventful... yeah that was just the ride, not the arrival.  Here, I'll just let you read about it  www.komonews.com/news/local/146455105.html

Because an adventure isn't an adventure without a SNAFU.  The girls and I disembarked and left Ronnie to ride back to Anacortes, park the car, and ride back with our bags. 

But we made the most of it.  Walking to our hotel, we smelled the loveliest of smells: hickory, mesquite, and meat.  Following our noses we found a great hole in the wall BBQ place.  We  quickly filled our bellies and pressed to drop our backpacks at the hotel and get to exploring Friday Harbor. We played at the park, walked up and down the waterfront, enjoyed some ice cream, and browsed the local shops.  Ronnie finally arrived (about four hours later), we walked around Friday Harbor some more, found some dinner, and then went back to the hotel for a swim. 

Saturday morning brought us clear blue skies and something I was looking forward to:  our whale watching trip.  The San Juans are famous for the pods of orca who call it home.  But several transient pods also enjoy visiting the area.  When we got to the boat for the trip, the naturalists were very excited as there had been a pod spotted in the area.  We set out for our three hour tour and made a beeline for the area where they were spotted. 

About an hour later, the skipper slowed the engines.  And there they were!  A huge pod of orca with several babies swimming with them!   It was awesome to watch them swim...   alas our hour was gone and we had to head home.  On the way back to Friday Harbor, we stopped to see some California sea lions, Stellar sea lions, mountain goats, and bald eagles.  It was an amazing tour! 

Sunday morning was Easter and we headed back to my grandma's house for Easter lunch - no ferry boat issues this time.  On our way to her house, we drove through Skagit valley to get a glimpse of the tulips in bloom.  Not many were out, but the daffodils were!  Again, what a treat! 

 

 

Springing It Up

Now that they are back to school, I can write about all the fun we had last week on Spring Break.  The girls did really well understanding that mommy still had to do her own schoolwork, even though they didn't have any to do.  We also got to fit some fun in. 

Monday, we headed for the Tacoma Children's Museum.  To my surprise, it was a rather nice day (forecast called for overcast and drizzly).  Monday's are member only days at the museum and after we waded through the sea of toddlers, the girls settled in to the "big kid" activities.  At lunch time we decided to walk down to the market and grab a sandwich -- it was too nice outside to not walk you know...   All in all, we had a great time playing. 

Tuesday, the girls let me get some homework done in the morning, followed by an afternoon of planting.  We picked up some tulips at the store and put them out on our porch to enjoy.  What's not to love about a splash of color?   Wednesday, we headed to the movies and saw The Lorax in 3D, their reward for letting me get some homework done in the morning. Our local movie theater does free 3D showings during the week and we took full advantage of it.  

Thursday was more homework for me and then we packed up to headed to my Grandma's house.  The other half of our spring break will be in another post, but suffice to say we had a great break and got to enjoy a lot of fun activities. 

Photo Friday

** Every Friday, I will post a picture from our life.... enjoy! **

Getting a free cookie at Publix, Jacksonville, Florida, July 2011

One of life's simplest pleasures is getting something for absolutely free.  Especially if that something is a cookie of your choice.  Publix always gives a free cookie to good boys and girls if you go over and ask nicely.  I introduced my girls to this small pleasure this past summer, but a funny thing happened: Holly didn't believe me.  Here's the conversation:

Me: Girls, I bet if you go over to the bakery and ask for a cookie with your best manners, they'll give you one. 

Sarah: SWEET!

Holly: No they won't.  Why would they do that?

M: Because, Holly, they reward manners that they see in good girls and boys. 

S: Yes they do Holly.  And I'm getting a cookie.

H: They Do NOT have FREE cookies just for asking nicely, mom. 

M: Fine, when you ask nicely for one and they give it to you, then you have to give it to me. 

H: Deal!  Because they don't do it. 

Of course, we go up to the bakery and they give the girls free cookies.  This picture was taken while Holly was saying "Mommy is right, Holly is wrong." 

52-Week Challenge: Week 14

Go Green!  No that's not a cheer for a team...  it's the theme for this week's healthy living challenge.   But first, how was last week for everyone?  Did you get your Wheaties in?  I did a pretty decent job at it.  I still can't eat as soon as I get out of bed -- momma NEEDS coffee first.  But I did get breakfast in by 9 am every morning.  Except for one... that was the one that Ronnie let me sleep in :)  So this week I will still be working on it.  I want to want to eat, but just don't know if I can be that person.  We shall see.  

This week the focus is on using greener products in our homes and lives.  The research is out there, so I'm not going to get all preachy on you here.  I'm just going to say there is a LOT of information available in my area because of our proximity to salmon breeding grounds and wetlands.  We have taken some steps to be greener, but mostly because they are also more cost effective than their chemical brothers.  Here is what we do:

Laundry:  I started using vinegar as a odor neutralizer a LONG time ago (anyone at Osan can attest to how strong the chlorine is at the pool).  But the great thing is vinegar is also a fantastic fabric softener.  Go figure!  Personally, I could never use normal fabric softeners because I'm allergic to the scent of the traditional ones and Holly is just plain allergic to it and their dryer sheet cousins.  So, fabric softeners have been out of our lives for many many years. Until I found the vinegar trick.  Next time you go to the store, go ahead and price out a gallon of vinegar versus a gallon of fabric softener. 

I also was inspired to make my own laundry soap.  Seemed pretty easy and very very cost effective.  Again, the green offshoot here is washing soda and Borax are very eco-friendly.  And I'm getting laundry soap at 10% of my original cost. 

Kitchen:  I switched to a earth friendly dish soap to replace my Dawn a few weeks ago.  I picked up a bottle from our local co-op for $2 (25 ounce bottle).  Big thing: I haven't noticed a HUGE difference between the two, plus my earth friendly one is lavender scented (heavenly!).   I did put it in my Dawn foaming bottle because I like the foam :) 

Now, I also changed out my dishwasher powder to a homemade version.  Again, it's all about economics for me: you mix Borax and washing soda with citric acid (ie unflavored lemonade).  My new powder does a FANTASTIC job and I use vinegar as a rinse aid.  

So those are a few of the things we are doing.  What can you do to go greener in your home?  Below, I'll post some more info where you can find more information. 


Other resources:

Make your own Homemade Solutions:  http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/homemade-solutions


The book we're following: http://www.amazon.com/52-Small-Changes-Healthier-ebook/dp/B0056J4ER0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325722556&sr=1-1

Jenn's blog: http://thewoogies.blogspot.com/search/label/52%20Small%20Changes