Thursday, April 18, 2013


So far in our move towards greener living, we have accomplished the following:

Goals for June:
  • Line dry clothing
  • Stop buying packaged foods (cut back on disposable items)
  • Cut out use of paper towels
  • Buy locally made peanut butter
  • Tortillas
  • Tortilla Chips
  • Tomatoes
  • Potatoes
  • Garlic
  • Makeup (foundation)
  • Bread (more often)
    • Sandwich
    • Bagels
    • Pizza Dough (freeze)
    • Pie Dough (freeze)
    • Bread crumbs (save up the ends of bread in the freezer until you have enough to make a batch of crumbs or croutons.  For the breadcrumbs:  Lay bread heals on a cookie sheet and bake until dried but not burned.  Put them through the food processor and back into the freezer for storage.)
  • Preserve our own food:
    • pasta sauce, jelly, salsa, syrup, pears, apples, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, zucchini

Good news: We finally invested in a vacuum sealer so we can keep our freezer food in tip top condition.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

April 2013

Good news! We found our own dehydrator, ice cream maker, and kitchen aid mixer at a garage sale! So far in our move towards greener living, we have accomplished the following:

Personal Products:
  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner
  • Facewash
  • Soap
Household Products:
  • Laundry Detergent
  • All Purpose Cleaner
  • Floor Cleaner
  • Furniture Polish
  • Glass Cleaner
Cooking:
  • Jerky
  • Taco Seasoning
  • Onion Soup Mix
  • Bread (sometimes)
  • Ice Cream
  • Jam
  • Cheese (cut our own)
  • Eggs
  • Ducks
  • Chickens
  • Chicken Stock
  • Brownie Mix
  • Hummus
Other:
  • Bird House
  • Compost
  • Chicken House
  • Rain barrels
  • Hydroponics
Pending:
  • Yogurt
  • Granola
  • Tortillas
  • Tortilla Chips
  • Tomatoes
  • Potatoes
  • Garlic
Growing our own vegetables/fruits:
  • Onions (yellow and red)
  • Carrots
  • Cucumbers
  • Radishes
  • Lettuce
  • Spinach
  • Peas
  • Beans
  • Peppers (hot)
  • Peppers (bell)
  • Strawberries
  • Blueberries
  • Raspberries
  • Blackberries
Tried but didn't like:
  • Toothpaste
  • Dish Detergent (now half and half)

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Goals for March 2013


Personal
-Finish Why Christianity Must Change or Die: A Bishop Speaks to Believers In Exile by John Shelby Spong and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
-Finish my quilt.
-Focus on one habit. This month is to stop nail biting.
-Reprint my family scrapbook and finish college scrapbook.
-Reduce paper use. {Try to use cloth napkins and wipes instead of paper towels.}
-Work on solutions to blocks to happiness. 
Marriage
-Go on one weekend trip. {We are planning to go to Cinci for the Paris Prom}
-Go on one date night.

Friendships/Family
-Write at least two handwritten notes every month to encourage someone.
-Get-together with a friend at least bi-weekly.
-Call G-mom and Papa at least weekly.

Teaching/Work
-Keeping strict Office Hours for lesson planning/writing time each day. "Work" 4-6pm M-F

Financial
-Spend only $100/week on food/entertainment
-Save up for a vacation.
-Keep up the green lifestyle

My blocks to Happiness


I recently subscribed to Aish.com emails and received one this morning about introducing yourself to yourself. Part of the process was to look at your blocks to happiness and find solutions for them. Overall, I'm a generally happy person, but I do have a few negative traits that pop up every now and then that cause me grief.

Problem:
  • I procrastinate when I’m not sure where to start or when I think something will take longer than I would like it to.

Solution:
  • Make a plan of where to start and estimate the amount of time something might take. Break it into smaller sections (a little bit every day, with grading, for example).


Problem:
  • I am selfish when it comes to sweet food and being taken care of.

Solution:
  • Make healthy foods to share with others (take care of others).


Problem:
  • ·      I am lazy when I am tired, stressed, or have too much free time.

Solution:
  • ·      Exercise to keep moving when I’m tired stressed, or have too much time.


Problem:
  • ·      I am impatient when waiting on someone or something.

Solution:
  • ·      Always have something else to do to pass the time: read, watch a Ted talk, do dishes, laundry, etc.

Problem:
  • ·      I get defensive when someone close to me criticizes the way I do something.

Solution:
  • ·      Expect the criticism and use it to improve.


Problem:
  • ·      I become jealous when it appears that someone has something I don’t have that I would like to have (physical or personality-wise).

Solution:
  • ·      Be thankful for the things I do have, identify what is a need and what is a want, and think of the jealousy instead as motivation work towards the things I want.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

52 Lists: Greatest Comforts



My husband’s hugs and kisses
A long, hot bath with lavender bath salts
Listening to Nora Jones
Watching movies with a warm blanket and my closest friends or family
Listening to Jack Johnson
Chocolate chip cookies
Listening to Bob Marley
Chocolate
Oreas and a class of milk
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Layers in winter
Sitting next to the fireplace with a blanket and a mug of hot chocolate
Listening to the Moth Radio Hour
Laughing until my abs hurt
Spending an entire day curled up reading a good book
Old family photos
Shopping for new clothes, when everything fits
Painting my toenails
A long hike in the Gorge
Grandmom’s mashed potatoes
Being taken care of when I’m sick
Papa’s ham and beans
Being organized and planning
Traveling to new places
A long chat with a best friend
Laying on my mom’s lap (never too old)
Snuggling our cat Layla and our dog Loki
A hug from one of my students
A nice email or phone call from a parent
A good workout
Handmade quilts
Having a certain amount in savings
Romantic comedies
Retelling the story of how my parents met
Homemade Soap
Warm towels right out of the dryer
Listening to live music
Photography
Dancing
Jodi Picoult’s books
Tea, honey, and milk
Happy endings

Sunday, August 12, 2012

I just entered the 100 follower Giveaway at 6th Grade All-Stars


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