Homemade Lunchable Practice 1

I did purchase the lunchboxes for the kids next year.  They were very excited to learn they'd have the ability to build their own homemade lunchable every day.  We use plates that have a similar design for food separation for our practice meals.  The other day we had this: PB&J stars, grapes, cucumbers with ranch dressing, and wheat thins.

They loved it!  Success!  And now I am only even more motivated to get more practice in.  School resumes in 4 weeks.  More posts to come!!

Getting Kids to Exercise!

Tip 1: Challenge them to a dual.  If you say "Hey Johnny! I bet you can't do more pushups than I can." If you can't do any pushups, learn. Or you can try jumping jacks. Compliment your child on his/her effort no matter what the outcome. Building kids' self confidence is important! If they feel uncomfortable exercising now they'll likely have the same attitude in the future.

Practice Makes Perfect

School is out for the Summer!  My kids are home, bored, and hungrier than ever.  This is the perfect time for me to practice making their lunches for next year.  I MUST do better about sending their lunches.

This past year I had one in Kindergarten and one in First Grade.  At first it was all okay.  I was managing to have their lunches made every morning.  I had known I was expecting since 2 weeks before school started.  I did not know how it would start effecting my ability to keep it all together until about halfway through the school year.  I started letting my kids buy lunch at school.  I did it because it was convenient.  It doesn't make it okay.  In fact, I feel worse about it because I used that as an excuse.  It makes me feel like a terrible mother.  It goes against the food values our family shares.  It cannot happen next year.

I wanted to share a couple of resources as I attempt to begin my Lunchbox Adventure Test Run!

Easy Lunchboxes!

Primal Kitchen

GDiapers for a Green Baby Booty

Baby has arrived.  I vowed to myself that I would do things right this time ... meaning as all natural as I possibly could.  Let's be honest.  The tyrants with their hooks in the industries today make it pretty hard to do.  I however am fighting for my right to choose a better lifestyle for my family. 

GDiapers.  I have blogged about them before, but had never had the opportunity to use them. I do now and let me tell you they rock!  I thought to myself that even the biodegradable inserts that can be flushed down the toilet would be a hassle.  That is not the case.  The GDiapers are easy to use and very cute!  My husband refuses to mess with the poo diaper inserts but let's face it ... he is a man.  No offense guys!  You act tough but when it comes to dirty diapers and spit up you show your wussy side.

What is the cost??  Well depending on where you buy your little Gpants they can run from about $12-$20.  The disposable inserts are about $10 a package, which by the way, is the same as a package of Pampers.  The cloth inserts run about $20 for a package of 6.  Although it seems expensive you must take into consideration that you are reusing the cloth inserts.  It saves you money in the long run.  Try and see the big picture!  No dirty diapers resting in a landfill.  No chemicals on your darling baby's bum.

Let's get right to it.  It seems like a lot of work, right?  Of course it is!  It's a baby!!  It wasn't supposed to be convenient.  Unfortunately, the things that are best for us are not easy.  We are a lazy society, myself included.  I am resisting the temptation to continue this vicious cycle of laziness and get back on track.  I have recently FAILED on my all natural adventures but I am not ready to give up yet.  A new baby.  A new beginning.  A reason for change.  Join me!  Start with GDiapers.  They are essentially dummy proof and even provide you with how-to videos.  Check them out!

Fair Farm Food Quiz

I took the Fair Farm Food Quiz on the Food and Water Watch website.  I have to admit that I was being a little overly negative and sarcastic when I answered some of the questions and to my surprise, I got them right.  Good news??  No, no, no.  This is very bad news.  I am learning new things everyday that can be utterly depressing.  What's even more depressing about it all is that most consumers just do not care.  We care about fancy cars, clothes, and other materialistic things.  Yet, we do not care about the food we ingest.  It's a bit sickening to say the least.  As I am feeling a bit pessimistic today I will go ahead and assume not many readers will take the quiz themselves.  So, I decided to post the questions and answers here.

1. FOR EVERY DOLLAR YOU SPEND ON GROCERIES, HOW MUCH DOES A FARMER GET?
A $0.91
B $0.66 
C $0.19
D $0.36

That's right. Less that 1/4 of what you pay goes to the farmer.  Does that sound fair to you??  It doesn't to me.

2. HOW MANY FLOWERS DO BEES HAVE TO VISIT TO MAKE ONE POUND OF HONEY?
A 200
B 2000
C 200,000
D 2,000,000

Two million!  Wow, that's a lot of flowers.  It sure does put a new meaning to the term "busy bee".

3. HOW MANY TIMES A DAY IS A COW MILKED ON A FACTORY FARM?
A Once, just like a regular cow
B Two, just like a regular cow
C Two, which is more than a regular cow
D Three, which is more than a regular cow

I assume the hormones and antibiotics these cows receive aids in the increase in milk production??  But what does it do to the quality of the milk.  My family prefers organic milk due to taste and this is no lie.  Organic tastes better.  I dare you to test it out for yourself.

4. HOW MANY EGGS DOES A FACTORY-FARM CHICKEN LAY IN A DAY?
A NONE -a chicken lays eggs only once every few days
B Just One
C Two
D Five - chickens are amazingly productive!

So, I am not a farmer and I am not 100% about how many eggs a chicken living in natural condition will lay... but I believe this is pretty normal.

5. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE A COMMERCIAL CARROT TO GROW? 
A Three weeks

B Four weeks

C Eight weeks 

D Twelve weeks

It takes a carrot (grown under natural conditions) at least 3 months to grow fully. 

6. HOW LONG DOES THE AVERAGE FACTORY-FARMED CHICKEN LIVE?
A Six Weeks
B Three Months
C Six Months
D One Year or More

Six weeks!!!!  Naturally a chicken should take about 20 weeks. We're forcing a naturally occurring process to speed up for money.  A form a virtually non-existent trade measure. Good things will not come of this.

7. HOW MANY INGREDIENTS ARE REQUIRED TO MAKE BUTTER??
A Just one - cream
B At least 2 - cream and salt
C Several - cream, salt, and some stabilizers
D It's not butter if it doesn't have a few ingredients I can't pronounce

Now just for grins and giggles, go check your butter box/tub and see how many ingredients BESIDES cream are listed.  Ew.  Gross, right??  What is that you think you are eating??

8. WHAT DOES A "FREE-RANGE" LABEL ON A PACKAGE OF EGGS MEAN??
A Just what it says - the chicken is allowed to go wherever it wants on the farm
B The chicken must spend at least three hours a day outside
C The chicken must have access to go outside at least six hours a day, if it wants to
D It means absolutely nothing.  There is no government standard for what "free-range" means, so the company can define it for themselves

Have you ever scanned the price differences on eggs?  I have. I do.  I buy USDA organic eggs with the seal that tells me the product I am buying is regulated and worth the extra cash.  "Free-range" means the company gets "free-range" on how much more they can charge you, even if their chickens are not allowed roaming.  It sickens me.

Money, money, money!  Greed!  If you think buying the products that aren't labeled organic or all-natural will save you in the end, you are wrong.  You are still putting your money into the pockets of these mass producing tyrants.  They aren't worried about whether we have enough food to feed America.  We eat too much anyhow (68% of Americans are overweight or obese)!!  They are worried about having enough money in their pockets to live their lavish lifestyles while your bodies pay the ultimate price.  Think about it.  Start thinking about what you eat.  There is only one thing you can take with you throughout your entire life and that is your body.  Why wouldn't you want to take care of it???