First harvest of 2011!

Today, we enjoyed our first garden grown meal- salad! Even though we didn't have much this time around (this batch was grown in a pot next to our garden), it was quite tasty, and made me very happy to get to eat something from our own backyard! I have a row of salad planted in the garden, so hopefully we'll have more tasty salads to come (as well as many other home-grown veggies!).

Intriguing article

Motherhood has changed me. To claim otherwise would be lying. It has made me question things I otherwise would not question, ponder things that I wouldn't have slightly cared about before. And, while in the midst of parenting two children under age 3, I have also opted to work with children under the age of 3. I go into their homes, and I have the opportunity to see how other parents operate their households. I have gone into developmental hyperdrive. So many children, so many different developmental levels, personalities, and temperments. Nature vs. Nurture crosses my mind about a hundred times a day. Does a child's diet affect his behavior? Are certain children predisposed to be the way they are? Just how much TV is ok? How much outdoor activity does a kid need? Is the amount of chemicals they are exposed to a factor in their development? All of this developmental thinking goes hand in hand with my recent hippie push. I'm seeing more and more benefits to natural, home-based living everyday. I'm a huge advocate for breastfeeding, cloth diapering, reducing the chemicals we are exposed to, and parents stepping up to actually raise their children. I find this very empowering. If you are a loyal blog reader, you may remember my review of the book Radical Homemakers. The perspective that feminism and motherhood can go hand-in-hand is absolutely fascinating to me. I recently came across this article. I don't necessarily agree with 100 percent of what the author says, but I'm intrigued by her message. I requested her book from the library. A review is sure to follow.

Inspired to garden!

My new rain barrel

Spring has sprung!

In the Spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.

- Margaret Atwood

Hippie Hair- an update

I was a bit unsure of myself in October when I decided to stop using shampoo. I had read a lot of websites and many accounts of people who swore that ditching shampoo did wonders to their hair. I liked the idea of using fewer chemicals on my hair and ultimately making my hair more natural. I liked the idea of spending less money on hair products. And mostly, I liked the idea of being able to go more than a day in between washing my hair and not having my head look like an oil slick. I decided I would give it a try- I chose to use baking soda wash with an apple cider vinegar rinse (BS/ ACV). I alternating using this combination daily to every other day. I experiemented with the amounts of BS/ACV. The first few weeks were... well, rough. They weren't kidding when they said my hair would go through a transition phase. I spent the entire month of December battling my hair. How could it be possible for my hair to be greasy and staticy at the same time? I almost gave up on numerous occasions. But, since I had read that everyone goes through the transition phase, I decided to stick with it. I knew my scalp trying to rebalance the amount of oil it needed to produce. My poor scalp was used to being completely stripped everyday since I was little. I've determined that this process of eliminating shampoo is a bit of trial and error. I have a handful of different items that I use to clean my hair, but none of them are conventional shampoo. I still do BS/ACV about once a week or so. I was amazed by how well ACV detangles my hair. Who knew that something typically used for cooking would make my hair so silky? I also occasionally use a natural shampoo bar that I found at a health food store near my house. But, I think my favorite shampoo substitute is Dr. Bronner's. It's made with a combination of oils- coconut, jojoba, hemp, and olive oil. You can use Dr. Bronner's for pretty much anything- you can dilute it and use it as a household cleaner, you can use it as soap, shampoo, and even toothpaste (I have not used it as toothpaste, and probably won't anytime soon). I also have Dr. Bronner's in foaming hand soap dispensers by all of my sinks. Another thing I like about Dr. Bronner's is that it's a fair trade product. I wish there were more fair trade products! I recently read that the company caps their executive pay at five times what their lowest paid employee makes. Can you imagine if more companies functioned this way? Once you get past the cooky sayings on the bottle, Dr. Bronner's is quite a product. For those of you wondering if I stuck with it- yes!- no more Garnier, Suave, Pantene, or Redken for me. And what a relief- fewer products, fewer chemicals, and healthier, natural hair!

I'm still here!

Back to work, so much less time to post! But fear not, I am still experimenting with new hippie stuff everyday! I just need to find some time to post about my endeavors! Stay tuned....

Hippie Holiday dilemma: Real or Artificial Christmas tree?

I grew up in a family that took annual trips to the Christmas tree farm to find and cut down the perfect Christmas tree. We hunted and selected a tree that we all agreed on (usually), cut it down, brought it home, decorated it, and discarded it after the holidays. My new hippie alter-ego began to worry this year as the holidays approached: certainly this practice of tree murder could not be considered good hippie practice, could it? I began to consider the other alternative: the artificial Christmas tree. Being raised in a 'real tree family,' I know I am already biased against artificial trees. They don't smell nice, they look the same every year, and you miss out on the tradition of selecting a yearly tree with your family. But what about the benefit of not murdering a yearly tree? Are artificial trees more eco-friendly? One family can purchase one artificial tree and use it for years and years, saving many trees. But, what about the material? Most artificial trees are made of plastic, and likely made in China. So, made of an oil based substance, manufactured in a far-off land, and shipped here using fossil fuels. Hmmm, starting to sound less and less eco-friendly. And what about the fact that every one of those artificial trees will end up in a dump? Fortunately, the local tree farm answered the question for me. "These trees are grown especially for you. If it weren't for you, the trees would not be planted at all." Unlike tree lots, when you cut a tree down from a tree farm, the only trees being cut down are the ones that are used. I also learned that for every one Christmas tree cut down, three more are planted at this farm, and that these trees were planted in fields in which the soil can't support other crops. Neat! Not to mention real trees are biodegradable and/or recyclable. Many communities offer pick-up services after the holidays. They take your tree, and chip it to be used for mulch. No landfill- woo hoo! Oh, and one of my favorite points is that cutting down a tree helps to support local business. Instead of purchasing an oil-based plastic tree made in a Chinese factory and padding the wallets of the Walton family (or some other corporation) a little more, I chose to support Tree Farmer Brown (no that isn't his actual name). Oh, and I get to keep up the family tradition. Not to mention that wonderful Christmas-y smell. That reminds me- time to go water my tree! Happy Holidays!

Hippie Read: Radical Homemakers

Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture by Shannon Hayes "Mother Nature has shown her hand. Faced with climate change, dwindling resources, and species extinction, most Americans understand the fundamental steps necessary to solve our global crises: reduce driving; consume less; increase our self-reliance; buy locally, eat locally, rebuild our local communities. In essence, the great work we face requires re-kindling the home fires. Radical Homemakers is about men and women across the U.S. who focus on home and hearth as a political and ecological act; who center their lives around family and community for personal fulfillment and cultural change. It explores what domesticity looks like in an era that has benefitted from feminism; where the choice to stay home is no longer equated with mind-numbing drudgery, economic insecurity, or relentless servitude. Radical Homemakers nation-wide speak about empowerment, transformation, happiness, and casting aside the pressures of a consumer culture to live in a world where money loses its power to relationships, independent thought, and creativity. If you ever considered quitting a job to plant tomatoes, read to a child, pursue creative work, can green beans, and heal the planet, this is your book." This book is definitely an interesting read. It looks at how the role of a Homemaker has gone from a lucrative, skilled profession to one that is not even considered a legitimate career option. At one point, a homemaker was required to know how to manage and maintain a household. She (or he) knew how to be completely self-reliant and self-sufficient. But today, thanks to modern conveniences, the role of a homemaker is defined by consumerism. A homemaker is no longer required to grow food in a garden, make foods from scratch, or sew clothing. A typical day in the life of a homemaker now revolves around shopping and driving kids around. And as the homemaker's role has evolved from specialist to shopper, it has become more and more mundane, and women feel oppressed by being forced to remain in such a situation. And so, many women in today's society choose to work, which places families on vicious earning/ spending/ working cycles. Families have become forced into double-income lifestyles. By having both adults working, families must pay others to complete tasks that they could easily do themselves if they had the time: childcare, cleaning the house, lawn care, etc. They work more hours to make more money to pay for more conveniences to allow them to have more time to work. This book focuses on Homemakers across the country who refuse to fall into this vicious cycle. They opt to live with less in order to truly enjoy the important things in life. This book is definitely worth the read. Check it out at the library. Or, if you know me personally, you are welcome to borrow my copy. "For national and social disasters, for moral and financial evils, the cure begins in the Household." - Julia M. Wright, The Complete Home, 1879