Mom Life

Green Grouch

October 20, 2010 by Tonya · 5 Comments 

Tonya shares her ‘dirty laundry’ about going green.

I’m not perfect…gasp!  In a world with air-brushed models and perfectly manicured lawns, it’s hard not to feel the pressure to be perfect.  I’ve decided it’s time to break out of my shell in order to share my struggles in being a green Mom.  It’s not always easy and my mind whirls thinking about all the stuff I “should” be doing to be eco-friendly:  food safety, natural cleaning, recycling, the list goes on.  Now, I must say some days I feel easy breezy and going green is natural and effortless.  Lately, it’s been the complete opposite.  Read on for my green gripes! Read more

My Cup Runneth Over

October 6, 2010 by Tonya · 2 Comments 

Certain Mom memories are priceless and sometimes it’s okay not to say stop, go get the camera!  A lot of the time I’m trying to run and get the camera when little one does something amazing.  Mostly, the moment passes without pictures being captured.  Last night was one of those nights.

After a long day of travel for fall break, including a couple of tantrums and whine sessions, we made it to our destination and headed out for dinner.  It had been such a tiring day, I was beginning to wonder ‘why did we go on this trip?’  I was quickly reminded why and then some.  There was a musician playing at the restaurant and our daughter started swaying to the music; she kept saying “go see guitar please” in the sweetest voice.  After a dinner I took her to “go see” and she loved it.

If I had a picture, it would not do this memory justice.  Absolute contentment are the words that come to mind.  My long day of travel was washed away and I was filled with the love and wonder of a child.  She confidently walked up to the man playing guitar and danced like no one was watching.  Her eyes filled with excitement as her arms swung to the music.  In times like this I realize I’m not the only one learning; she’s teaching me way more than I could have imagined.  Find what makes you happy and do it!  Who cares if the world is watching you.  Someone will always be there to pick you up if you fall. After a few songs it was time to go and little miss was such a hit she got her first guitar pick.

So many times I try to preserve memories and I don’t stop to enjoy them.  If I had run to get the camera I wouldn’t have been a part of the memory, but rather the outsider taking pictures.  Here’s to all the sweet memories we have with our children even if they aren’t recorded in baby books or videos.  My daughter and I had a precious, timeless moment and no one can ever take that away.

My cup runneth over.

Chattanooga is for Lovers Too!

September 27, 2010 by Tonya · 6 Comments 

Seems like lately we’ve been going to Chattanooga for family fun, but this past weekend my husband and I found that the charming city is great for couples too!  We left little one with grandparents for the night and packed in as much fun as possible!  With fall coming, it’s a great time to get outdoors for a weekend getaway.    I know we both needed some time together to rekindle our romance and I think it was good for little one too!  Here’s some of the fun we had in Chattanooga:

Cumberland Trail:  We drove up to Signal Mountain and enjoyed beautiful views of mountains (hubby loves) and water (I love).  See pics.  We also did a few miles of hiking which was awesome.  It’s been so long since we’ve been hiking together; it was a lot of fun.  And it gave us a great opportunity to talk about a lot of things.  I always think better when I’m in nature!  After that, we had worked up an appetite for a late lunch. Read more

Postcard From The Gulf

September 6, 2010 by Mecca · Leave a Comment 

Mecca visits Gulf Shores, Alabama for the first time since the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

 
It’s been four and half months since the Deepwater Horizon oil well in the Gulf of Mexico exploded, killing 11 people and sending oil spewing into the gulf.  An estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil gushed into the ocean before the August 3rd static kill that halted the oil flow.  It is the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history.
 
I had never been to the Alabama coast before meeting my husband.  Growing up in Texas, Alabama was just a drive-through on our way to Destin, Florida.  But the first time he brought me to Gulf Shores I fell in love.  The giant twisted oaks giving way to sand dunes and grass, the white sand and crystal clear water – Gulf Shores still possessed a natural beauty and feel.  After the explosion and subsequent months-long oil spill I kept track of the news alternating between resigned (of course this was going to happen) and enraged (how could we let this happen?).
  Read more

Natural Microwave Cleaner

September 3, 2010 by Tonya · 2 Comments 

Tonya tries out a homemade cleaner for the microwave

While I know some greenies are against the microwave, I haven’t been able to kick my habit.  It’s a quick and easy way to reheat foods.  Anyway, I digress.  In reading through my copy of Healthy Child, Healthy World I came across a tip to “E-lemon-ate Your Dirty Nuker”.  This caught my attention since I always forget to clean the microwave.  As a busy Mom, I’m doing good to get the floors cleaned and dust.  According to the book, just microwave a bowl with 8oz water and lemon slices for 3 minutes.  Let sit for three more minutes and then wipe down the inside.

This must be a joke!  All those pieces of dried-up, stuck-on food are just going to easily wipe clean?  I put it to the test to see for myself.  I followed the directions exactly and when I opened the door to the microwave after the 3 minute wait period, it looked exactly the same.  I was disappointed thinking it would automatically look different just from microwaving the lemons.  But, I hadn’t gotten to the last part of the instructions:  wipe down the inside of the microwave.  I quickly grabbed a cleaning rag and literally three quick wipes and all the weeks (ok, let’s say months) of crusted food came off in a jiffy!

The verdict:
So quick and easy!  I would definitely recommend this method.  And I didn’t have to break a sweat scrubbing and cursing the crusted-on food.  Lastly, I couldn’t just throw the lemons away, so I used the juice to clean and deodorize my kitchen sinks.  My kitchen had that lemony clean smell; and no artificial fragrances involved.

Do you have any green cleaning tips?  We’ve loved to hear from you. 

Recovered-Wood Necklaces and Magnets for Green U

August 23, 2010 by Mecca · Leave a Comment 

Join LGB’s Tonya and Mecca this Saturday, August 28th, at the Huntsville Botanical Garden for Green U where we’ll have recovered-wood necklaces and magnets in the children’s area. 

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