Office supplies + too much time =

Look familiar?

Interesting comparison

In their defense...my recycling is a "community" recycling bin for my cubicle mates b/c the office recycling is too far away....

laundry...

...always an area of discussion at our house. I do all the diaper laundry. DieselDaddy does the other laundry (supposedly).

We definitely have different theories on laundry.... I do all the laundry. It might not get folded or put in the proper drawer, but it's all clean. DieselDaddy waits until he's almost out of 'roos and then does just what he needs ('roos, socks, etc). He actually went out and bought me more underwear b/c I kept asking him to do laundry b/c I was almost out of 'roos. He will always fold it, but never put it away. It annoys me immensely. I need my work clothes cleaned every week. Not when there is a big pile. 1) i don't have that many work outfits. 2) doing that much laundry is such an overwhelming task.

When I started using cloth diapers, I became more conscious about what I was washing with. A lot of conventional detergents contain "extra" ingredients (brighteners, enzymes, fragrance). I also switched to using plant-based surfactants vs petroleum based products.

I realized that you do not need a ton of suds to actually get things clean (this took a while for me to grasp...i love suds). I recently read an article about how much laundry detergent we actually waste... Is this a conspiracy from the manufacturers? why do they have 3 marking levels on the cup when they say level 1 will get your clothes clean? why is the top mark not at the top of the cup? why are the markings so difficult to read unless you tilt the cup while holding it up to the light? they know people mindlessly fill those cups. we are filling our cups waaay above the mark that will actually get our clothes clean. washing away our money as we do. Our clothes are not getting as clean if we have tons of suds that just re-settle on our clothes along with the dirt. No wonder we need "brighteners" in our detergent.

I will admit that I still glance in the washer and look for suds. I often get the urge to pour in an extra bit of detergent just to get the bubbles.

One more reason to know what you eat...

We have been eating these Simply Fruit "roll-ups". The other day, I purchased some Fruit by the Foot b/c in purchasing it, I actually got my Fiber One bars cheaper (buy 3 get $3 off).

Anywho...I was grazing the other night, so I thought I'd try one. I remember loving them on the rare occasion that my mom bought them.

OMG..blech! They were the most bland "snack" I've had in a long time despite being so colorful. I would have thought that with all the extra (un-pronounceable) ingredients that the flavor would have been enhanced (?). We will definitely be eating the Simply Fruit ones from now on. The FbtF have already been given away.

Simply Fruit:

Apple Juice Concentrate, Dried Apples, Strawberry Puree, Canola Oil, Fruit Pectin, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Blueberry Juice Concentrate, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), Natural Flavor, Sodium Sulfite Citric Acid

FbtF:

Grapes from Concentrate, Sugar (at least not HFCS), Maltodextrin, Corn Syrup (oh...wait...), Pears from Concentrate, Carrageenan (?..oh seaweed...natural), Citric Acid, Acetylated Mono and Diglycerides (?), Sodium Citrate, Malic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Locust Bean Gum (yummy!!), Natural Flavor (shouldn't this be in ""?), Potassium Citrate, Color (Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1) (yummy)

darn you formatting...i had this in nice columns to compare, but the formatting got all wacky....

R.I.P. Sadie

Group hug!

even though I am not a "dog person," you won me over with your gentle nature. you graciously shared your "babies" with me and let me sleep on your couch.  

we will always love you.  

deodorant

I bought a crystal deodorant more than a year ago while looking for something aluminum-free to keep me stink-free. I have found it to be cost-effective. I bought a little travel-size stick because i figured if it didn't work I wouldn't be out too much. Over a year later, with daily use, I still have at least half the stick left. I can't believe how long it has lasted. In the same amount of time, I would have bought 3-4 conventional deodorant/anti-perspirants.

When applying, the armpit needs to be wet so i put it on right out of the shower. It's not a quick "swipe swipe" like other deodorants. I usually rub it on for 10-15 secs. I figure it takes a little bit for the water to melt (?) the salts for them to be applied.

This is NOT an anti-perspirant. I still sweat, but I find it is not as much as I used to sweat even with conventional deodorant/anti-perspirants, and the sweat doesn't smell.

I found there was a "detox" period when I started to use this deodorant. I think it took my pores several days to get the yucky gunk out, to be receptive to the crystal. After those initial days (used over a long weekend), I have not noticed a stink. I often have my husband or close friend to do a smell test because I have always had a fear of being "the stinky girl".

I HIGHLY recommend the crystal deodorant.

compliments...

I like to complain.

(DieselDaddy might say I love to bitch). 

People seem to have no problem complaining, but rarely give compliments.  I have been trying to give more compliments (who couldn't use a pat on the back occasionally).  I've sent emails to:

- Kashi - love their GOLEAN Honey Almond Flax cereal, it doesn't get mushy in milk.

- Keen - I love my Seattle shoes.  I have worn them (almost) everyday for almost 3 years. I had to check Zappos to see when I ordered them (4/07).

- GudonyaToo - love their deodorant and Salty Dawg shampoo. (deodorant review to come....)

- BioKleen - love the dishwasher detergent. it smell fresh and clean and actually cleans the dishes!

- CVS - this was actually a complaint.  they never have sale items stocked (errr!) and there is a checker who is a real jerk.  One night he refused to give me a bag. I had to carry two 2L of Coke home in my arms as I walked thru the park.  Last night he refused to let me use a coupon that Cocoa-Cola mailed me for a free 12-pack. 

I'll add more as I send 'em....

Bubbles, bubbles, darn you bubbles....

I have been trying to use products that are better for the environment and me (free of parabens, SLS and petroleum-based ingredients, no animal testing, biodegradable).

A few months back, I found a great deal ($7.99 for 32 oz) on Nature's Gate liquid soap in a refreshing scent-Pomegranate Sunflower. I love the way it smells. I love the way it lathers. So does DieselBaby. He loves all the bubbles it makes for him to play with. That should have tipped me off that something was not right. This morning in the shower, I was looking at the bottle and noticed that the front says "Paraben free" but there were lots of hard to pronounce ingredients on the back. Looking it up on cosmeticdatabase.com, this soap has a rating of 5! That's the same rating as the Lever 2000 that I made DieselDaddy stop using! Granted, the Nature's Gate is never tested on animals and it is biodegradable and the Lever 2000 has lots of hard to pronounce ingredients, but I had expected a better rating than that Lever crap.

I'll finish my bottle, but I will definitely make sure to look at the back of the bottle before I buy in the future. Any good soap recs?

Cold weather rant...

So... it's FREAKIN' cold here (I know...I'm always here to give the breaking news). I walk to work every day (by the time I walk to the bus stop, wait for the bus, stop-and-go to my stop and then walk to the office I could have already been at work.) Here are a few things that irk me:

1) to the hoochie girls i've passed on my walk: it's minus a bajillion degrees out. you are wearing your big poofy coat and current season UGG boots. why do you have your ear muffs strategically placed under your perfectly coifed hair? put a damn hat on!!!! no one cares what your freaking hair looks like when it is this cold out (or dare i say...we never care what your skunk-striped, over-processed locks look like.) This is said by the woman wearing a ski mask, earband, and thermal hat.

2) to the man who rides the elevator with me twice a week: it's minus a bajillion degrees out. I'm standing in front of the (outdoor) elevator. the red light is on indicating that i've already pressed the UP button. why do you have to push me out of the way to push the button not once, but twice??? do you really think i'm standing here b/c i like the cold??? no. i'm waiting for the elevator. like i do every day.

rants over.

Baby belugas....

DieselBaby is obsessed with belugas. He loves watching/listening to "Baby Beluga" or reading his "beloo beloo" book that we got last time we went to the Shedd. The moment I walk in the door, all I hear is "beloo beloo" (so cute, but easily annoying).

The Shedd Aquarium has a special deal (probably in honor of their newest beluga). Buy an adult ticket and get one free child ticket! This is running thru March 12th so plenty of time to see the new guy.

Soup's on....

I love love love the corn chowder from Au Bon Pain. I'm sure it's laden with fat and clogs my arteries just thinking about it. We bought some organic frozen corn when we went to Costco, so I decided to try my hand at making chowder. I found a recipe at Epicurious.com and modified it. (Have I mentioned I don't follow instructions/patterns? no wonder my Architecture instructors hated me.)

I nuked 10-12 red potatoes for 5 mins until tender. Meanwhile, I melted 1T of butter in our large Le Crueset and added my minced onion (only had 1/2 an onion in the house would have preferred more onions). When the onions were translucent, I added 1/2 red pepper and a few diced carrots. Then I added 1T flour and cooked for a min. I added 3 cups boiling water and chicken bouillion, the tender potatoes that I cut in 4s, and a few shakes of thyme. Brought this all to a boil for ~10mins. then I blitzed (love my Bamix! it is the one my mom bought in the early 80's. if that's not EF....). I added 3 bottles (yes, DieselBaby's bottle) full of frozen corn, several carrots (diced), 2 ribs of celery, the other 1/2 red pepper (small dice), and 1/3 cup cream. I had no chicken in the house (and ABP's chowder doesn't have chicken in it). I added a dash of paprika, a couple glugs of Worchesterchire sauce, fresh ground pepper, and salt (kosher...of course!). Simmered for 10-ish minutes while my biscuits baked. can you say Carb-olicious?

I prefer my veggies a little al dente (DieselDaddy does not), which is why I added them towards the end. This was surprisingly good. I think the Worchestershire sauce added some nice flavor. DieselDaddy begrudgingly ate it. DieselBaby ate it (between bits of biscuit he shoved in his mouth). I will be eating it all week for lunch.

yummy (semi-quick) b'fast

i purchased a couple Pillsbury crescent roll packages a few weeks back, thinking i would make them with one of the crockpot meals. this morning i was craving a pastry, so i thought about making the rolls with some chocolate chips in the center (yummers). then i found a recipe for cheese danishes (knowing DieselDaddy would prefer cheese to chocolate). I modified the recipe slightly.

i opened the roll and cut it into 11 rounds (using thread to neatly slice). i smooshed the center slightly then added some filling. i used 1/2 the recipe for the filling (with some leftover). i put some preserves in some as well. it took about 18 mins to bake (longer than i had expected). once semi cool, i put some icing on mine.

they were very yummy and may become a staple of my weekend menu. also, not too caloric (used low-fat rolls, low-fat cream cheese, and low-fat sour cream)