Well, my birthday has come and gone. I know that when you get older your birthday becomes less of a big deal, etc. etc., but it seems that each year my birthday just gets more and more depressing. Not because I'm getting older, but because my husband just sucks.
This year, despite putting it on the calendar, setting an alert on his phone and verbally reminding him the night before, he managed to forget my birthday. Not only did he forget my birthday, he went out of his way to make it suck. He took my car, leaving me stuck at home with 3 kids for the day. I had to make my own birthday cake. I had to cook my own birthday dinner and it wasn't until I told him (again) that it was my birthday that he realized what I was saying and then hastily ran to the store to pick up a sale bouquet of 4th of July flowers.
He was grumpy ALL night from bringing a co-worker in that had broken his leg and apparently wasn't thankful enough for the ride. I didn't do all of the housework like I normally do, hoping that the kids or him might pitch in and run a load of dishes or something HAHAHAHAHA, that didn't happen, so I was behind on housework all weekend. No, I wasn't being subtle about it either - I told him that's what I was hoping to happen. He ignored it. I flat out asked him to do the dishes and he just pretended like he didn't hear me, then asked when dinner would be done and went outside, leaving me with the baby and both of the kids while I was trying to cook.
He justified being a jerk by saying I didn't want anything for my birthday and that I didn't want to do anything for my birthday. Actually, I've been telling him I wanted to go to the lake or the drive-in for my birthday. He didn't want to go to the lake, so naturally that didn't happen (he kept finding excuses - it's too hot, it's too late and will be crowded, it's this, it's that) and we couldn't go to the drive-in because it was going to "probably be sold-out already" and besides, I hadn't made anything to bring for dinner. Maybe on Sunday night, he said.
Today is Sunday and he's off in another state buying a lawnmower that he doesn't need. His mom is helping him pick it up, so that means I get to entertain my mother-in-law when they get here. Wonderful! Looks like we won't be doing anything fun today either. Then, his car will be in the shop tomorrow, so I will be without mine again while he's at work, over an hour away.
I know there are people with bigger problems in the world than me and I know I only post when my husband is being a real idiot, but just once I'd like to have a nice birthday. Or a nice weekend. Anything other than the unfortunate series of events we've been experiencing lately.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
7 Ways to Go Green and Save
Going green is something a lot of people are interested in these days. Besides helping the environment, going green gives a sense of contentment and peace since many green practices are simple and help remove people from the hustle and bustle of a technology and convenience packed world. Read on for 7 ways you can go green and save money at the same time.
1.) Learn how to use your blinds.
You'd be surprised how many people don't know how to use their blinds or just don't have them in their windows to begin with. If you really don't like the way blinds look, you can put curtains over them and raise the blinds all the way up when not in use, but I definitely wouldn't skip them.
When it's hot or cold, you can use your blinds to help create a comfortable atmosphere in your home and reduce your energy costs. During hot days, lower and close the blinds when sun is coming through the window to prevent it from heating up the room. You can use light filtering blinds to still get the brightness you crave without the excess heat. When the window is in the shade, open the blinds to let natural light in. Sure you'll have to adjust your windows throughout the day as the sun moves, but that gives you an excuse to get up and get moving.
When it's cold you can also use your blinds to save on energy. Just keeping them down and closed at night will add another layer of insulation to the windows to block drafts and keep air from escaping. Pair them with insulated curtains and you'll really reduce your heating costs.
2.) Use a clothesline
Your grandmother used a clothesline and had the benefit of having the sun dry her clothes without using any excess energy. Bring this frugal practice back to dry blankets, towels and sheets each week without running the dryer. Not only will you save money on electricity, you'll also have fresher smelling linens.
You can also hang pillows on the line to kill dust mites using the sun. If it's a particularly bright day, bring out your whites for some all-natural sun bleaching.
3.) Use vinegar more often
Use vinegar instead of expensive fabric softener to get soft clothes without the cost. Don't worry about the smell - it goes away on the line or in the dryer. As a bonus, if you're line drying your clothes, vinegar helps prevent them from getting as stiff.
You can also use diluted vinegar to clean countertops or in your carpet shampooer instead of expensive specialty formulas to clean pet stains on the carpet. Buy it by the gallon for the best price.
4.) Make your own iced coffee
I say that when the weather warms up, it's time to put the Keurig away and bring back the classic coffee pot. Every morning make a full pot and refrigerate whatever you don't drink for cheap DIY iced coffee. If you grab a reusable cup, you can bring your iced coffee with you when you leave the house rather than stopping at the coffee shop.
This same principle works for iced tea as well. Make a big batch whenever you're having the hot variety and refrigerate the rest for later use.
5.) Grow some food
You don't need to have a full garden to enjoy the benefits of growing your own food. Even if you just plant a small bed of strawberries, you'll get plenty of fruit to last you a while. As a bonus, you won't have to spend money on the pesticide-laden variety at the grocery store. Strawberries, lavender, rosemary, oregano and mint are all perennials. Lettuce and tomatoes can be grown in containers on your deck and several types of potted herbs are known to repel mosquitoes.
6.) Compost
When you start growing vegetables, you'll have some waste from the plants and unusable parts of the vegetables. Compost the bits along with anything else you find in your kitchen like coffee grounds, egg shells and peels to get rich soil to use in your home garden. Get a handy lidded compost bin like the one shown above (I purchased it at Whole Foods several years ago) to easily dispose of scraps in the kitchen. Then, simply empty the bin when it's full into a larger compost bin in your yard. Turn it regularly and you'll have soil in no time.
7.) Release your inner farmer
Raising livestock isn't for everyone, but if you have the time, space and energy, raising a small flock of backyard chickens can be a great hobby with an excellent yield. Pictured above is our young rooster, Elvis and a brown Easter Egger. Backyard chickens require very little care - give them a coop to sleep in, some chicken feed and water and they'll be happy. Chickens are known for eating bugs, including mosquitoes and ticks. They also lay eggs and are quite entertaining to watch.
A word for the wise - chicken feed is expensive, so don't think you'll be saving a ton of money by raising your own flock. However, fresh, free range eggs and a significant bug reduction is definitely worth the time and expense in my opinion.
By the way, chicken sexing is only accurate about 93% of the time, so even if you buy all pullets, you may get a cockrel. That's what happened to us! We picked up 6 chicks and one wound up being a rooster. That's ok though, we're embracing it and we are thankful the rooster was one of the buff orpingtons which are known for being friendly (and slow).
You'd be surprised how many people don't know how to use their blinds or just don't have them in their windows to begin with. If you really don't like the way blinds look, you can put curtains over them and raise the blinds all the way up when not in use, but I definitely wouldn't skip them.
When it's hot or cold, you can use your blinds to help create a comfortable atmosphere in your home and reduce your energy costs. During hot days, lower and close the blinds when sun is coming through the window to prevent it from heating up the room. You can use light filtering blinds to still get the brightness you crave without the excess heat. When the window is in the shade, open the blinds to let natural light in. Sure you'll have to adjust your windows throughout the day as the sun moves, but that gives you an excuse to get up and get moving.
When it's cold you can also use your blinds to save on energy. Just keeping them down and closed at night will add another layer of insulation to the windows to block drafts and keep air from escaping. Pair them with insulated curtains and you'll really reduce your heating costs.
Your grandmother used a clothesline and had the benefit of having the sun dry her clothes without using any excess energy. Bring this frugal practice back to dry blankets, towels and sheets each week without running the dryer. Not only will you save money on electricity, you'll also have fresher smelling linens.
You can also hang pillows on the line to kill dust mites using the sun. If it's a particularly bright day, bring out your whites for some all-natural sun bleaching.
Use vinegar instead of expensive fabric softener to get soft clothes without the cost. Don't worry about the smell - it goes away on the line or in the dryer. As a bonus, if you're line drying your clothes, vinegar helps prevent them from getting as stiff.
You can also use diluted vinegar to clean countertops or in your carpet shampooer instead of expensive specialty formulas to clean pet stains on the carpet. Buy it by the gallon for the best price.
I say that when the weather warms up, it's time to put the Keurig away and bring back the classic coffee pot. Every morning make a full pot and refrigerate whatever you don't drink for cheap DIY iced coffee. If you grab a reusable cup, you can bring your iced coffee with you when you leave the house rather than stopping at the coffee shop.
This same principle works for iced tea as well. Make a big batch whenever you're having the hot variety and refrigerate the rest for later use.
You don't need to have a full garden to enjoy the benefits of growing your own food. Even if you just plant a small bed of strawberries, you'll get plenty of fruit to last you a while. As a bonus, you won't have to spend money on the pesticide-laden variety at the grocery store. Strawberries, lavender, rosemary, oregano and mint are all perennials. Lettuce and tomatoes can be grown in containers on your deck and several types of potted herbs are known to repel mosquitoes.
When you start growing vegetables, you'll have some waste from the plants and unusable parts of the vegetables. Compost the bits along with anything else you find in your kitchen like coffee grounds, egg shells and peels to get rich soil to use in your home garden. Get a handy lidded compost bin like the one shown above (I purchased it at Whole Foods several years ago) to easily dispose of scraps in the kitchen. Then, simply empty the bin when it's full into a larger compost bin in your yard. Turn it regularly and you'll have soil in no time.
Raising livestock isn't for everyone, but if you have the time, space and energy, raising a small flock of backyard chickens can be a great hobby with an excellent yield. Pictured above is our young rooster, Elvis and a brown Easter Egger. Backyard chickens require very little care - give them a coop to sleep in, some chicken feed and water and they'll be happy. Chickens are known for eating bugs, including mosquitoes and ticks. They also lay eggs and are quite entertaining to watch.
A word for the wise - chicken feed is expensive, so don't think you'll be saving a ton of money by raising your own flock. However, fresh, free range eggs and a significant bug reduction is definitely worth the time and expense in my opinion.
By the way, chicken sexing is only accurate about 93% of the time, so even if you buy all pullets, you may get a cockrel. That's what happened to us! We picked up 6 chicks and one wound up being a rooster. That's ok though, we're embracing it and we are thankful the rooster was one of the buff orpingtons which are known for being friendly (and slow).
Friday, June 13, 2014
MSPI-Friendly Banana Bread
Anyone who's ever attempted an MSPI diet for their infant has probably come across the same road blocks as me - it seems like EVERYTHING has dairy or soy in it. Cooking dinner and heck, even drinking something more exciting than a glass of water is a bit of a challenge these days.
Fortunately, I immediately sought out substitutes for commonly used ingredients, rather than trying to eliminate those items from my diet all together. Instead of milk, I buy almond milk. Instead of butter, I've picked up a margarine stick and a margarine tub that are marked parvae. Using my alternatives, I was able to make a pretty awesome banana bread. Here's how:
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup MSPI-friendly margarine
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed rip bananas
1/2 cup almond milk + 1 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Directions:
Heat the oven to 350. Move the racks so the top of the loaf pan will be in the center of the oven. Grease a large loaf pan with canola spray.
Mix the sugar and butter. Stir in eggs. Add bananas, milk mixture and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Pour into the baking pan.
Bake the 9-inch loaf pan about 1 1/4 hours or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 2 minutes. Wrap tightly and store for up to 4 days on the counter or 10 in the refrigerator.
Fortunately, I immediately sought out substitutes for commonly used ingredients, rather than trying to eliminate those items from my diet all together. Instead of milk, I buy almond milk. Instead of butter, I've picked up a margarine stick and a margarine tub that are marked parvae. Using my alternatives, I was able to make a pretty awesome banana bread. Here's how:
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup MSPI-friendly margarine
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed rip bananas
1/2 cup almond milk + 1 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Directions:
Heat the oven to 350. Move the racks so the top of the loaf pan will be in the center of the oven. Grease a large loaf pan with canola spray.
Mix the sugar and butter. Stir in eggs. Add bananas, milk mixture and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Pour into the baking pan.
Bake the 9-inch loaf pan about 1 1/4 hours or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 2 minutes. Wrap tightly and store for up to 4 days on the counter or 10 in the refrigerator.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Where Have I Been?
I don't think that I have any faithful blog followers, but just in case I'm wrong, I thought I'd post an update as to where I've disappeared to.
My son (who is 8 weeks old now) has been having some digestive issues. Over Memorial Day weekend my mom fed him a bottle of formula and he immediately began projectile vomiting. The vomiting lasted for about 1/2 a day and everything he ate came back up. After that, he was as good as new. We figured it was a bad reaction to the formula and I made a note to mention it to his pediatrician at his next well visit, which would be about 2 weeks later.
Fast forward a few days and the vomiting returned in the afternoon, just before the pediatrician's office closed. This time, he hadn't eaten any formula and nothing was different. Concerned, I called the pediatrician's office literally as they were getting ready to go home and spoke with the nurse. She said to keep an eye on it and if it doesn't improve, bring him in. It didn't improve, so I brought him in the next morning.
They tested his stool and it was positive for blood. That meant he most likely has a dairy and soy allergy. They told me to stop eating dairy and soy, then she gave me a sample of Nutramigen formula in case I need to supplement. On top of that, the pediatrician noticed something strange about his stomach. She sent us that afternoon to the hospital to get him an ultrasound.
The radiologist found what the pediatrician had feared - pyloric stenosis. If you're not familiar (we'd never heard of it before), it's when the muscle between the stomach and the intestines thickens, making it impossible for food to pass through. That's why he was vomiting so much - food could go in, but had no way out except for the same way it went in. On top of the vomiting, he also had sulfur burps and excessive amounts of mucus.
As soon as the ultrasound was over, a call was placed to the pediatrician. I spoke with her on the phone and had to choose a hospital to bring him to. We were told to go immediately. We went home, packed a bag and got grandma to watch the older kids.
When we arrived at the hospital, they started him on IV fluids and took some blood samples to determine his level of hydration. Fortunately, he wasn't very dehydrated - we had caught the problem early. The pediatric surgeon at the hospital looked at the ultrasound results from the afternoon and agreed that pyloric stenosis was the issue. My son was booked for surgery the next morning.
Between the time we checked into the hospital and the following morning he was not allowed to eat. At the time, he was 7 weeks old. Babies that young don't understand why they're not allowed to eat. It broke my heart to not nurse him and provide comfort. Leaving him in an unfamiliar hospital crib, hungry, hooked up to an IV and in pain was hard. We stayed in the room with him and comforted him when he'd wake up. I pumped every 3 hours throughout the night to maintain my supply for him.
Thankfully the night wasn't as bad as we imagined it would be. The IV kept him hydrated and he's a pretty good sleeper, so he would suck on a pacifier and drift off after a few minutes. It was probably harder on me to not feed him than it was on him.
The next morning he went in for his surgery. I was a wreck. The operation took an hour and we were allowed to see him as he was waking up from the anesthesia. We held him, rocked him and thanked God that he was ok. He didn't have any interest in eating, which is good because the surgeon wanted us to wait 4 hours before attempting anything.
Once the 4 hours was up, the nurse tried to get him to take pedialyte. He refused. Through trial and error, we found that he only likes breastmilk and sweeties (sugar water). I was a little smug that even through everything he'd been through, he still wanted my milk.
We spent 4 days in the hospital total. It took 2 days after his surgery for him to completely stop vomiting. The projectile vomiting stopped immediately, but he would still bring up most of the food he ate. The surgeon also prescribed Zantac, but we noticed he vomits after taking it, so it's on an as needed basis. Fortunately, by the time we left the hospital, the vomiting had stopped. We've been home for almost 2 weeks now and he has only spit up minor amounts (like a normal baby) 3 times. I'd say the surgery was a success!
A follow-up visit with the pediatrician showed that there was still blood in his stool, so the dairy and soy allergy is still an issue. Because of this, I'm beginning a dairy and soy elimination diet to try to be able to continue breastfeeding him. It's a struggle to not be able to eat cheese, but I don't mind almond milk and I grew up eating margarine, so that's not a stretch either. Learning to read labels is tough and I find that avoiding soy in processed foods is nearly impossible, so we're having more homemade items than before. Between the surgery and his follow-up appointment, I noticed soy seemed to have more of an impact on his poo and his mood than dairy, so he may just have a problem with soy. Time will tell, but for now I'm avoiding both items to give him some time to be comfortable and happy.
My son (who is 8 weeks old now) has been having some digestive issues. Over Memorial Day weekend my mom fed him a bottle of formula and he immediately began projectile vomiting. The vomiting lasted for about 1/2 a day and everything he ate came back up. After that, he was as good as new. We figured it was a bad reaction to the formula and I made a note to mention it to his pediatrician at his next well visit, which would be about 2 weeks later.
Fast forward a few days and the vomiting returned in the afternoon, just before the pediatrician's office closed. This time, he hadn't eaten any formula and nothing was different. Concerned, I called the pediatrician's office literally as they were getting ready to go home and spoke with the nurse. She said to keep an eye on it and if it doesn't improve, bring him in. It didn't improve, so I brought him in the next morning.
They tested his stool and it was positive for blood. That meant he most likely has a dairy and soy allergy. They told me to stop eating dairy and soy, then she gave me a sample of Nutramigen formula in case I need to supplement. On top of that, the pediatrician noticed something strange about his stomach. She sent us that afternoon to the hospital to get him an ultrasound.
The radiologist found what the pediatrician had feared - pyloric stenosis. If you're not familiar (we'd never heard of it before), it's when the muscle between the stomach and the intestines thickens, making it impossible for food to pass through. That's why he was vomiting so much - food could go in, but had no way out except for the same way it went in. On top of the vomiting, he also had sulfur burps and excessive amounts of mucus.
As soon as the ultrasound was over, a call was placed to the pediatrician. I spoke with her on the phone and had to choose a hospital to bring him to. We were told to go immediately. We went home, packed a bag and got grandma to watch the older kids.
When we arrived at the hospital, they started him on IV fluids and took some blood samples to determine his level of hydration. Fortunately, he wasn't very dehydrated - we had caught the problem early. The pediatric surgeon at the hospital looked at the ultrasound results from the afternoon and agreed that pyloric stenosis was the issue. My son was booked for surgery the next morning.
Between the time we checked into the hospital and the following morning he was not allowed to eat. At the time, he was 7 weeks old. Babies that young don't understand why they're not allowed to eat. It broke my heart to not nurse him and provide comfort. Leaving him in an unfamiliar hospital crib, hungry, hooked up to an IV and in pain was hard. We stayed in the room with him and comforted him when he'd wake up. I pumped every 3 hours throughout the night to maintain my supply for him.
Thankfully the night wasn't as bad as we imagined it would be. The IV kept him hydrated and he's a pretty good sleeper, so he would suck on a pacifier and drift off after a few minutes. It was probably harder on me to not feed him than it was on him.
The next morning he went in for his surgery. I was a wreck. The operation took an hour and we were allowed to see him as he was waking up from the anesthesia. We held him, rocked him and thanked God that he was ok. He didn't have any interest in eating, which is good because the surgeon wanted us to wait 4 hours before attempting anything.
Once the 4 hours was up, the nurse tried to get him to take pedialyte. He refused. Through trial and error, we found that he only likes breastmilk and sweeties (sugar water). I was a little smug that even through everything he'd been through, he still wanted my milk.
We spent 4 days in the hospital total. It took 2 days after his surgery for him to completely stop vomiting. The projectile vomiting stopped immediately, but he would still bring up most of the food he ate. The surgeon also prescribed Zantac, but we noticed he vomits after taking it, so it's on an as needed basis. Fortunately, by the time we left the hospital, the vomiting had stopped. We've been home for almost 2 weeks now and he has only spit up minor amounts (like a normal baby) 3 times. I'd say the surgery was a success!
A follow-up visit with the pediatrician showed that there was still blood in his stool, so the dairy and soy allergy is still an issue. Because of this, I'm beginning a dairy and soy elimination diet to try to be able to continue breastfeeding him. It's a struggle to not be able to eat cheese, but I don't mind almond milk and I grew up eating margarine, so that's not a stretch either. Learning to read labels is tough and I find that avoiding soy in processed foods is nearly impossible, so we're having more homemade items than before. Between the surgery and his follow-up appointment, I noticed soy seemed to have more of an impact on his poo and his mood than dairy, so he may just have a problem with soy. Time will tell, but for now I'm avoiding both items to give him some time to be comfortable and happy.
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