Our healthy living journey... part 1

So, awhile back I made a promise to share some of our "healthy" choices with you. Let's just pretend that wasn't way back in February! Ok? Though some of what I'm about to share was already touched on, I'm going to start at the beginning for a brief overview of the changes that have taken place in the last few years.

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Two and a half years ago, when my oldest was born, we took a little baby step that would prove to be a giant leap in the end. With his birth (why not before I don’t know, but stay with me here) we said good-bye to partially hydrogenated oils. Being sick through much of my pregnancy I had a lot of time to read. Friends of ours were the “healthy types” and I’d heard this and that about them. We knew enough about their food choices to be able to make a meal for them that wouldn’t compromise their convictions. Now that I had all this time for research, I dove in and started asking questions. I had a little one’s health to think about now, after all.

This wasn’t an easy decision to implement. Of course it’s easy enough to read labels and toss the bad stuff, but some of those things were well loved, and hard to replace. I’d grown up on Country Crock and cash register candy bars. Still, I was nursing, and once our kids were old enough to notice, we wanted them to be noticing good examples from their parents.

I kept reading. Not long after cutting PHOs (partially hydrogenated oils), we added MSG and high fructose corn syrup to the list of no-nos. This wasn’t a decision we entered into lightly, nor one we made overnight. We started to learn of the health effects, especially on children. We discussed and discussed and discussed, then finally made the decision to stop buying them.

We began buying whole wheat flour, then making our own bread. It’s funny really, but we never before used our bread machine because I don’t like the shape it makes the bread. Then I read the same thing from someone else online and how they use the bread machine on the dough cycle and bake the bread in a bread pan in the oven. What an Ah-ha moment that was for us. I’ve been making all (eh, except when I drop the ball and run out of time) our own bread, buns, and whatnot ever since.

Then Tammy and Crystal talked about their grain mills and I started dreaming of getting one for our family. I was pretty sure my husband was going to oppose this one as “over the top”, so I kept it to myself for a while. Then I started mentioning it. I was right… he didn’t jump on my band wagon. Over the next 4-5 months though, he started coming around… for his own reasons. Before long, he was ordering a Family Grain Mill with hand crank and bulk grain from a local natural food store. Now all the bread I was making was made from home ground flour. We loved it, and after a while, he even ordered the electric attachment so I wouldn’t have to hand crank everything (a huge time saver for a woman with a toddler and a newborn).

To be continued...

Labels: Healthy Living, In the Kitchen

posted by ~Babychaser~ @ 1:24 PM 1 Comments

Just the 2 of us...

...and about 20 others. Saturday was the "World Wide Photo Walk" through Scott Kelby's blog. I really didn't much care one way or the other (I'm more distracted by the fact that I would be away from the kids a bunch that day), but My Beloved likes that sort of thing, so we signed up. But we didn't just sign up for one, but both of the walks in our area. And I'm so glad we did!

Many of you know our stance on being the ones to raise our children, but I find that my husband needs just me from time to time, and you know what... turns out I need him too. It was such a fun day!! We try to use babysitters only when business dictates it, but that means that we haven't spent any relaxed time away from home away from our children in a very long time! Sure, we get to spent evenings together after the kids are in bed, but many nights that is down in the greenhouse or folding laundry or policing a bedtime that isn't going smoothly. We do often get to sit and watch a movie together, but that isn't quite the same thing.

Saturday we got a sitter (though I wasn't feeling great about it) and I spent the day devoted to my husband alone! We had so much fun! We took pictures. We walked around town. We met new people. We held hands. We didn't correct or discipline anyone. We didn't worry when we turned and couldn't see a kid or when a car was coming. It was a very relaxing day.

As we walked around Walmart that night with kids in tow, we reflected on what a wonderful day we'd had. What a joy it was to be together and how that joy continued even now... walking around Walmart... with the kids.

It is important to be the ones to be with our children, but it's also important to be the one with my husband!

Labels: Prince Charming

posted by ~Babychaser~ @ 11:34 AM 2 Comments

Weekend Report

Well, the weekend went well. The kids did great, the babysitters actually thanked us for letting them come stay with the kids, the wedding was lots of fun, and our wedding consultation (Sunday) resulted in a new wedding on the books and a hefty deposit! This last bit is a huge blessing as there are some expenses sitting on a nearby shelf waiting until the money comes... some business and some personal! And now we can officially afford last weeks mechanic bill! Isn't God good?... all the time!

This week my every (almost) moment is spent processing Saturday's wedding. I am so thankful we limit the number of weddings we do each year! It's a lot of work... and so not my priority these days. But until it's done, it's my "acting" priority as much as possible.

Blessings!

Labels: As it happens...

posted by ~Babychaser~ @ 3:03 PM 0 Comments

Busy, unmotivated, and leaving town

The first and last are somewhat linked. Is it just me, or does leaving town make life crazy for the rest of you too? There are so many things to do... especially since we're leaving our little ones behind. That's right, and not with a little family either. They were unavailable. And grandma?? Nope. College girls. I trust them completely and know they will do a great job, but that hasn't stopped me from mapping out just about every hour for them on paper. Not to mention the menu/meal info and the activity idea list and I'm already close to 4-5 pages single spaced. Hmmm.

No, I don't care that they stick to our schedule. I'm not that crazy. And no, I don't expect them to do everything just the way we want them to we would. I just figure that for 2 college girls (sisters) to have 2 toddlers for 36 hours, it may be helpful to have some idea what we would do. I have, after all, had 2 1/2 years to build up my defenses against the little things... 2 1/2 years experience with them and lots of trial and error to work with. Why make them trial and error through all the areas I've already traveled. That's all I'm saying. Still, I may be a little crazy.

And where are we going? New York... my first official time there (not counting the 2 times we've driven through on our way somewhere else.) And no, sadly, there won't be any time for seeing Niagra Falls. Even though we will be like an hour from them.

My Beloved and I will be shooting a wedding Saturday morning. That makes for a whirlwind trip. Travel tomorrow afternoon. Meet with the couple and check out good places to shoot in the evening. Wedding in the morning. Portraits, reception, and in the car by 4 for the 5ish hour trip home. Hopefully we'll be back between 9-10 Saturday night. We'll see what kind of road conditions the predicted thunderstorms bring.

Add to all this my lack of blogging motivation and you understand why I just haven't been around. On the plus side... I've had my computer off a lot this week (except for the business I need it for) and my house is doing great! Someday I may feel caught up! :)

Have a great weekend!

Labels: As it happens...

posted by ~Babychaser~ @ 8:48 PM 0 Comments

Free Resource for Teaching Shapes to your Preschooler

I've mentioned before that I am a regular over at CurrClick. Each week they give away a freebie resource and each week for the last two and a half years or so I download and file away some homeschooling resource. I have tons already and figure that by the time I need any of them I'll have quite the eLibrary of resources for teaching my children. Woo hoo!

It isn't often that they have a resource I can use right away, but this week (only) they are giving us an ebook for teaching shapes to our preschoolers (or toddlers if your little ones are as ready as mine is.) Click on over here right away to sign up and download your ebook!

Labels: Homeschooling my 2 Year Old, Passing it On

posted by ~Babychaser~ @ 1:08 PM 0 Comments