what an honour!

A little while back I was asked to become the "green spokesperson" of sorts for my home state, Tennessee. I had joined a great site, The Green Parent, and Jenn Savedge, its founder, asked me to put together some resources for being in Tennessee. I just found out that my information was published to the site. Check it out here. Please spend some time taking a look around the fabulous blog and consider joining the fantastic network of green parents!

busy bee...

Sorry I have been away from your blogs for so long...I am going to take some "me time" and get caught up soon.

I have had a very excuse though. Over the last week or so, I have been functioning in "Mama Bear" mode. We have been waiting for our lackluster neurologist to notify us of Matilda's MRI and vision test results. After relentless pushing, we received an "official" diagnosis for her - Joubert Syndrome - which is more accurate than her Dandy Walker Syndrome working diagnosis. While it seems odd to say, I am so thrilled and relieved to have a name to put with what we have been going through as a family. Now we are able to fully take advantage of the wonderful support systems and information available to the families of Joubert Syndrome children.

I am currently working on a new blog "Matilda Matters" dedicated just to our journey thus far. It will also share her day to day activities. I thought it appropriate to create a separate blog because the nature of it will be so different from this blog. I hope you will visit this other blog, too.

Until then, take care and have a fabulous week!

An Eco-Friendly 4th! :)

During my hiatus from blogging, Fiona turned 4! For her birthday, we splurged and went on a family holiday to Disney World with some of our closest friends, The Katzmans (more to come soon). Though we had a blast celebrating, Fiona still really wanted to have a gathering at the park with her friends.

We decided to keep it low key and simple. Fiona's past birthday parties have taken place at a local park and at Ijams Nature Center. This year, she wanted to go to a park we had been frequenting more and more lately, Anchor Park. When asked what "theme" she wanted, she chose one of her favourite things - kitty cats.

As we began planning for the party, we knew we wanted to make it earth friendly. We started with the invitations... rather than purchase the invites, we made them from art supplies that Fiona already had. The invitations became a project for the whole family complete with assembly line precision. While I would really love to get to "present-free parties" (children these days simply have too much!), I didn't think Fiona was quite old enough to understand the concept. So instead, we talked to her about doing a project that would help someone else. After much discussion, we came up with the idea of collecting cat food for the homeless kitties at our local Humane Society. We added to the bottom of the invitation "please bring a bag of Purina brand cat or kitten food to be donated to the Humane Society".

After we distributed the party invites, we began on the "nuts and bolts" of the party. Paper plates, napkins, decorations, etc. create most of the waste at any party. So instead of items that would clutter up the landfill, we worked hard at finding earth-friendly alternatives.

For plates, I found a great option...VerTerra's biodegradable palm-leaf plates! The plates were a great conversation piece and looked beautiful on the tables!

VerTerra's plates:

* can be used in the microwave, oven and refrigerator
* made from 100% renewable plant matter - fallen palm leaves (not even harvested!)
* no chemicals, dyes, or waxes
* completely biodegradable and compostable - they will biodegrade in 20 - 60 days
* are made by a fair labour company that treats its workers with respect

For cups, I purchased Preserve's recycled tumblers... The tumblers are made with 100% recycled plastic, study and reusuable, BPA-free, and able to be recycled wherever #5 plastics are accepted.

For napkins, I bought Seventh Generations's recycled napkins and stamped them with kitty cat faces. We didn't need cutlery as our menu consisted of all finger foods.

The park has pretty strict guidelines about no banners, signs, etc. but we managed to delicately hang up a simple homemade banner. The banner was inspired by Lucie's blog.

The park itself always provides enough entertainment - kids just love being outdoors - but we planned a few activities. First, we decided to give each guest their own birdhouse to decorate and take home. (My friend recently decorated a birdhouse with her daughter and she told me that after they hung it up, they found 11 little eggs in the house!) We thought that the bird - cat relationship tied in loosely with the theme. Next, we created a "pin the tail on the cat" board for each guest to see who could come closest. Both activities were well received as seen in the pictures below. I couldn't believe how dilligent all the guests were with decorating their birdhouses.

The birthday girl

Friend, Olivia, creating a masterpiece

A house any bird would be proud to inhabit

Mid-game - before the victor had been declared

Refreshments consisted of typical kiddie fare - organic fruit & vegetables, cheese & crackers, juice, and pizza. Instead of a store bought cake, Fiona asked me to make her cupcakes again this year. I tinkered with the idea of a kitty cat face, but decided to do a simple paw print made with Cadbury chocolate buttons (from England - one of Fi's favourites) and chocolate chips.

one batch of cupcakes

For goody bags, I ordered reusuable linen drawstring bags I found online. Each guest received a Yummy Earth organic lollipop, a couple of Endangered Species chocolates, a cute little Buzzy Seeds sensitive plant that I found in the $1.00 bin at Target (again, a stretch with the cat theme but a kind of "cat nip") and a reusuable cat-themed cloth napkin, made by Fiona's "Gigi" (my Mom).

the goody bags were a huge hit!

After the festivities were over, the children continued to play together - enjoying the beauty of the day and the park's beautiful environment. The party ended on a high note with a train racing by blowing its whistle.

skipping stones at the lake was a favourite, unplanned, activity!

here are just a few of the guests who loved being close to the water

It was another fabulous birthday celebration for our Fiona. From the beautiful weather, to the outpouring of support for our cat food collection, and sweet compliments on the party being both original and environmentally-friendly - a good time was had by all! I will soon post pictures of Fiona delivering the donations to the Humane Society. Until then, I hope you will consider incorporating earth-friendly ideas and products into your next gathering.

If you would like to learn more about green parties, please visit the links below.

Eco Child's Play blog

Not Quite Crunchy Parent goodie bag ideas

Nature Moms eco friendly birthday party

Little Star Creative Parties

Kiwi Magazine Birthday Party Ideas

Future Hope Project

Sorry I have been away so long...I will get caught up this week with some great blogs to come - our holiday in Disney, Fiona's eco-friendly 4th birthday, etc. But first, a very important project I MUST share with you.

My friend, GinSpaghetti, is an amazing woman involved in some life saving and awe inspiring projects. I have learned so much and grown by simply reading her blog. She recently shared with her readers a great drive to help mothers in Uganda provide the essentials for their babies, The Future Hope Project. Individuals, schools, and church groups are encouraged to collect care packages.

Items to be collected:

3 cloth diapers
6 diaper pins
2 plastic diaper covers
1 receiving blanket
1 small travel size baby powder
1 pacifier
1 bar of baby soap

All you need to do to participate is the gather the items above and put them in a gallon size zip lock bag, include $5.00 to help with shipping charges. To learn more about the organization please visit their site. I whole-heartedly support their efforts and will be taking both of my girls to purchase items to help.

As if you need any other incentive, both Gin and her friend, Abbie, are running contests to encourage participation. By promoting the project and participating, you can be entered to win a $25.00 Barnes and Noble gift card and/or a wonderful item created by the women in Uganda.

I hope you will participate. What a better way to honour your mother or the fact that you are a mother than by providing for a woman in need?

'quackers' for consignment

As environmentally friendly as I try to be, I have to admit I was a bit prejudice about used clothing. My dear Lucie has always had good luck at thrift stores. Her place is mostly furnished with great finds. Yet, whenever I would go into a charity shop, I only managed to find outdated clothing that always seemed to smell. Plus, I never really had patience for "digging". Don't get me wrong, I have always donated clothing but I just never 'closed the loop' and purchased used items. Alas, I have seen the light!

What made me see the error of my clothing snobbery ways? Duck Duck Goose! For those who are unfamiliar with DDK, a little background... Duck Duck Goose is a nation-wide "upscale" consignment sale of new and gently-used baby and children's items including clothing, toys, books, shoes, etc. The sellers receive 70% of the sale price of their item. Most events have a 1/2 day on the last day. DDK is extremely well organized and the organizers are selective of the items that they allow to go into the sale.

Here in Knoxville, the event is held each spring and fall. The sale has gained popularity and beginning last year, Duck Duck Goose was able to fill an abandoned grocery store - 25,000 square feet of items! A friend of mine is working the event this year and told me that I simply had to see it to believe it. On Thursday afternoon, I dropped the kids off with Marcus and I headed out to the old Food City to see what all the hype was.

I was overwhelmed by the site that greeted me! (photos above courtesy of DDK facebook site.) As far as the eye could see, racks and racks of clothing all nicely arranged by size. Toys that looked like they had never been played with! Boppy pillows, Baby Bjorns, jogging strollers, crib sets...you name it, they had it! All in perfect condition!

I first meandered over to Matilda's size section and dug in straight away. I could not believe the bargains I found. Gymboree, Gap, Old Navy, Lily Pulitzer, Strasberg, all the name brands were on the racks and at a fraction of their retail price. Now I would never pay Gymboree prices but a $5.00 dress? Not even Target can beat that! Again, the items were in mint condition! Here is a picture of some of the bargains I found.

I next ventured over to Fiona's size but unfortunately, the selection dwindled here. It makes sense though as older children truly play and are harder on their clothing. I did still manage to find a couple of Gap dresses for her.

Then over to the toy section where I scored big time! I found a Fur Real grey and white 11 inch kitten for $2.00. Fiona is crazy about her little Fur Real cat so I was so excited when I found this long hair grey model. Similar models of this cat retail for $59.00 and I snagged it for $2.00 with batteries!!!

Four hours later (yes, I am a lot more patient after having 2 children and "digging" was actually cathartic!)... I walked out with 19 items having to only part with $85.00 - not too shabby, eh?

Consignment just makes sense...

* Children grow out of clothing so quickly, why pay full retail? It makes good economical sense!
* When you consign, you keep items out of the waste stream.
* Buying items at consignment reduces our impact on limited resources.
* Shopping at consignment and thrift stores supports your local economy.
* Many of the used clothing stores do support very worthy charitable causes.

So as you can see, I am a changed woman and am now singing the praises of consignment! I only wish I had known about it when I had Fiona. I could have saved a lot of money by outfitting the nursery and getting all the 'essential' baby gear.

Before you head out to the mall or big box store, why don't you try your neighborhood consignment or thrift store. The National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops allows you to search for shops in your area here. Happy (re) consuming!

Fi says the darnedest things

Not too long ago, Lu and Amber gifted me with a fabulous book where I have captured some of the inciteful and downright silly things that Fiona has come out with. My friend, LeeAnne, has a great section on her blog devoted to the "wit and wisdom" of her 4 year old, Maggie. Fiona has really started sharing some hilarious things that are on her mind lately so for today's post, I thought I would share. I hope you get a giggle out of them as well. Happy Hump Day!

* When asked whether to give her friend the Cars birthday card featuring Lightening McQueen or the Spiderman card, Fi pointed to the Cars card and exclaimed "That one, John McCain!" (even funnier because we are strictly Obama household!)

* When Daddy told her that she had to follow directions when they got to Ijams Nature Center and no negotiating to stay longer, "No, Dad-dy Negotiator" (to the tune of the Priceline Negotiator jingle).

* As Mummy was driving (apparently too fast) on 640 through the construction ups and downs, "Mummy, this is just like the elephants at Dollywood!"

* This morning when she noticed a worm crawling toward a puddle of water "Mummy, it's like the wormie is going to the beach!"

* Imitating her Daddy's British accent, "We say banana and Daddy's says "Baw-naw-naw", We say "water", Daddy's says "wawter". Daddy calls ladybugs, ladybirds!"

* "Do we ride an escalator up to Heaven or a baligator (elevator)?"

* We now have a jar with a tin foil top with two black ants in them because as mentioned before "ants are our friend" and we can't just have one ant because he would get lonely.

"God is the boss of us because he is beigger than everyone. We have to do what he says. When the hand on God's watch is at the 5, it is snack time."

I would love to hear some of your children's funny sayings, so please share!

prize winning pig :)

I got some great news today...I received my first blog award! Sweet LeeAnne bestowed this fine honour on me and I couldn't be more chuffed. So to keep the love going, I will follow the rules and pay it forward. First, I will sharing 7 things I love and then follow up by passing the award to 7 folks whose blog I enjoy reading.

1) My family. Okay, so that seems a given but I this had to be the top of my list. My life has taken some unexpected turns and I have had some rough times along the way but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Though my husband sometimes drives me mad (like when he leaves the lights on all over the house), there is no one on this planet that is better suited for me. He is truly the "yang" to my "yin". Marcus is the most patient and most loving husband and father and I am so thankful for him. I adore my two girls and can't imagine life without them. I love that they are the best (and sometimes worst!) parts of Marcus and myself. Both of them constantly make me laugh, cry, and have every emotion in between. I had always wanted to be a mother but I never imagined it would be this fabulous. I just wish time would go by more slowly so that I could enjoy them even more.

2) Reading. Though it has become harder for me to make time to read since having children, I still enjoy escaping to far off lands, learning about another culture, or growing as a person while reading a good book. I find myself reading more autobiographies and non-fiction these days but every once and a while I will come across some good fiction. Fortunately, Fiona also loves books. We curl up every night as a family (Tilly included) and read at least 4 books to Fiona. If she has an opportunity to have a "treat", she usually picks a book. I even catch her "reading" to her fuzzy friends (stuffed animals) in her room.

3) African culture. I became interested in African art work and culture during my university days studying cultural anthropology. I had several friends who were in the Peace Corps who sent me beautiful batik pieces and jewelry. I love the bright fabrics, the zest for life as displayed through dancing and song, and the diversity of languages and traditions. When I met Marcus and he told me he was born in Nigeria and had lived in several African countries including Ghana and Sierre Leone, I knew we were destined to be together. Our home is a myriad of our two individual collections and includes masks, carvings, and other art work. I love African music also. Marcus and I have gone to see Ladysmith Black Mambazo, one of our favourite "groups" several times. Someday I hope to travel to Africa to see the beauty for myself.

4) Dancing. There is nothing more exhilirating than just letting loose and dancing! I don't care if I am good at it, I just like to do it. It is a great stress reliever and surprisingly good exercise. I am usually one of the first folks on the dance floor at a party. I love dancing around the house with the girls. This apparently is another thing Fiona gets from me as she loves to dance also. I caught her by herself doing the "Alex dance" the other morning while she was watching Madagascar. Yes, she likes to "move it, move it" too!

5) Traveling. Perhaps traveling is "in my blood". I grew up in a military family where we moved around a lot. Until I went to high school, I had not been to the same school twice! I have lived in every part of the United States and have probably traveled to the rest of the states. I also had the fortune to live in Spain and England also. I think traveling is very important for people. It gives you great empathy and insight and helps us understand those who are "different". It is hard to be prejudice when you have seen another person's plight. You also quickly learn that we are more alike than we are not alike. This is another Marcus and I had in common when we met. He grew up moving around also and he shared the opinion that our children should be well traveled. Already Fiona has traveled to Canada and England as well as several other countries during several cruises. She adapts well to her environment and is willing to try new foods. Hopefully, Matilda will be this way as well.

6) Friends. As a military brat, I had always dreamed of having long lasting friendships. I wanted to meet those people that you go on vacations with, that your children grow up with, and with whom you can just be yourself. Unfortunately, where we live the city is very 'insular' - if you aren't born and raised here, it is hard to 'fit in'. A lot of people are also focused on "keeping up with the Joneses" and work hard to impress. While we had met some people, it just never really "clicked". Plus, it is amazing to see that no matter what age you might be, some women have not really grown out of the high school mentality of two is company, three is a crowd. I don't want just one friend, I want a variety of friends from different backgrounds from which I can explore different sides of my personality. After several years, we have finally met some great friends - nice families where the husbands get along, the wives get along, and the children get along smashingly! (I use the plural because yes, more than two can get along without petty jealousy and feeling threatened.) Those kind of people who you can count on in a heartbeat to be there. The kind that can drop in unexpectedly and you don't care if they see the hair tumbleweeds blowing along your floors because you know they won't judge you for it. Friends that you can tell your most initimate secrets to and know they won't repeat it. It is refreshing to have them in our lives.

7) Outdoors. I love the environment. I love sitting on my front step and watching a line of ants crawl up the porch. I love hearing the woodpecker in the tree. I love collecting pine cones and walnuts with Fiona. I love feeling the wind on my face. I love the crispness of the air. It does something for your soul. The most miserable I have ever been in my life was when I had my most recent job. I was stuck in a grey walled cubicle with no windows or access to fresh air. My friends and I would take our lunch outside and soak every ounce up that we could. We even snuck out for walks just to feel alive! We have been given the most beautiful gift of all - this beautiful planet and all the life contained in it. I hope that both of my girls will have the same opportunities I have had to enjoy it.

So now that I have rambled on about my loves...here are the folks to whom I bestowed my Kreative Blogger award.

1) Ann - Ann makes me laugh like no other. We "met" via our common interest in the environment and our live of Barack Obama. She has a gift with her storytelling. When I need some cheering up, I can pop over and see the hilarity of the every day. Plus she throws a mean Virtual Girl's Night Out!

2) Shannon - another "crunchy mom" whom I learn from every day. She is a mom of two who is trying to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle also. Though we haven't met in person, we have a lot in common. She loves books, is a transplanted Southern girl and has even lived in England!

3) Ginspaghetti - one of the neatest women on the planet! I somehow found my way to her site and can't miss a single posting! Not only does she work in non-profit but she is a true activist in her personal life. I have learned about some fantastic charities from her blog. She is a great "mom" to her dogs and to some children in far off lands. I know she will raise the best children when she has her own family some day. I am a better person for knowing her.

4) Jen - where do I begin? Jen is so talented it just isn't fair! Not only does create masterpieces from recycled goods but she has some of the most beautiful photographs you will ever lay your eyes upon. Again, she is a guru when it comes to green living and raising an eco-friendly family. She truly "walks the walk" and I hope that I can be 1/10th the mother she is to her wonderful children.

5) Dawn - such a compassionate soul! She has given me support with her uplifting and encouraging words. Another talented photographer whose pictures transport me to sunny lands far away. I look forward to getting to know her even better!

6) Lucie - Lu is my cousin-in-law of sorts..she has been dating my cousin for several years now and I absolutely love her! Lu was the person that got me into the blogosphere. Lucie is a talented artist and one of the most fascinating young women you will ever meet. She is originally from France and has a zest for life like no other! She has been learning more about compassionate and sustainable living and has even taught this old dog a few new tricks.

7) Lu 'n Am - this fab site is run by Lucie (mentioned above) and Amber. Amber and Lucie have been friends for a while as Amber dates Lucie's brother. I have had the pleasure of meeting Amber in person and she truly lights up the room with her beautiful spirit. Though I am a bit partial to this site since the authors asked me to be a guest writer, the blog dedicated to sustainable, creative, and green living is one of the best out there. These young women work hard to bring their readers information on how to reuse and recyle. They are both so crafty and creative that I often shake my head at their pure genius. I am a forever fan!

If you see your name above and want to play along, please pay it forward. Write a blog entry about seven things you love, and award seven friends whose blogs you love reading. Don't forget to provide links to the blogs!