Beyond You

Have you ever thought that buying organic meats and produce goes beyond you? The thought was in my head this morning when I thought of all the folks who simply don't buy organic because they don't know anything about it.

When you say "organic" the only thing that comes to their mind is "more expensive." But do you know that sometimes it's not? Have you really compared, or do you just "think" it is? And while we're touching on the subject of "expense," what expense do you think your children or grandchildren are going to pay for a more polluted earth just so that you could save a few cents on buying, for example, the regular celery instead of the organic celery? What are their lives going to be like in the future? Do you consider that? Or do you just think about the here and now and what is best for you? Buying organic not only makes for a healthier body but makes for a healthier earth, which is a legacy that I personally would like to leave behind to my children and my grandchildren and all of their children.

I frequently find that I can get organic produce at a completely reasonable cost if I just do a little searching. Our local health food store regularly carries organic produce at amazing low prices. It continually rivals Safeway's non-organic produce. I'm not saying that ALL organic produce can be found for a reasonable price. I frequently struggle with getting organic broccoli in the winter from the store that is not more than $2.00/lb. It has been known to be up to $4.00/lb in our area- which is just ridiculous. I now grow a winter hardy broccoli in our winter garden just because of this. But for those of you who don't have the room for a garden, you can then choose other seasonal produce that would not carry such a high price tag.

So please take a moment to think about it. Think about your health, the health of your children and their children. Think about leaving the world a little better than it is now. Look into it for yourself, do a little research, shop around. See what you can find. And for the love of Pete, GO ORGANIC! :)

Going on Vacation!

I may not be exactly going on vacation but my Etsy shop is! I temporarily closed my shop up to spend some time this winter hibernating with my family and my sewing machine. I have about 6 new quilts that should be out when I re-open in late February! I have a few more in mind but we'll see how all that goes. The whole point of vacation is to take a break so I don't want to be pushing myself to do too much.
Thank you so very much to everyone who helped to support my shop in 2008, from purchasing items, to including me in treasuries, to featuring my quilts on their blogs, and on, and on. You all have been fantastic and you are each so very appreciated!
I can't wait to see what 2009 brings!

Do you love handmade?

I obviously do. And I love handmade items for my kids. ToysR'Us won't see me coming through their doors any time soon. But there is one problem- starting February 10th 2009 there is a law going into effect that will change everything that we love! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE read about it here (or read below.) Visit their web site and you can sign the petition. They even make it SUPER easy for you to contact your state Senator or Congressmen via email! A pre-typed letter is available if you don't want to (or have time to) write your own!

The issue:
In 2007, large toy manufacturers who outsource their production to China and other developing countries violated the public's trust. They were selling toys with dangerously high lead content, toys with unsafe small part, toys with improperly secured and easily swallowed small magnets, and toys made from chemicals that made kids sick. Almost every problem toy in 2007 was made in China.

The United States Congress rightly recognized that the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) lacked the authority and staffing to prevent dangerous toys from being imported into the US. So, they passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) in August, 2008. Among other things, the CPSIA bans lead and phthalates in toys, mandates third-party testing and certification for all toys and requires toy makers to permanently label each toy with a date and batch number.

All of these changes will be fairly easy for large, multinational toy manufacturers to comply with. Large manufacturers who make thousands of units of each toy have very little incremental cost to pay for testing and update their molds to include batch labels.

For small American, Canadian, and European toymakers and manufacturers of children's products, however, the costs of mandatory testing will likely drive them out of business.

A toymaker, for example, who makes wooden cars in his garage in Maine to supplement his income cannot afford the $4,000 fee per toy that testing labs are charging to assure compliance with the CPSIA.

A work at home mom in Minnesota who makes cloth diapers to sell online must choose either to violate the law or cease operations.
A small toy retailer in Vermont who imports wooden toys from Europe, which has long had stringent toy safety standards, must now pay for testing on every toy they import.

And even the handful of larger toy makers who still employ workers in the United States face increased costs to comply with the CPSIA, even though American-made toys had nothing to do with the toy safety problems of 2007. The CPSIA simply forgot to exclude the class of children's goods that have earned and kept the public's trust: Toys, clothes, and accessories made in the US, Canada, and Europe. The result, unless the law is modified, is that handmade children's products will no longer be legal in the US.

If this law had been applied to the food industry, every farmers market in the country would be forced to close while Kraft and Dole prospered.

More Pictures!

Time for Christmas picture overload #2! Enjoy!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Well, I took some photos at our home this morning to share. I forgot my camera when we went to my in-laws but promise to take it tonight to dinner so that I can share more.

The kids LOVED their Christmas gifts this morning. Their Auntie Leah got them some really cool stuff! I made Timbers Christmas gifts this year (you'll be able to tell which ones those are!) Please excuse all the blueberry juice on Layton's face!

Two Boys and a Princess

I am so thankful that I had Timber. Our house seriously needed another girl. Don't get me wrong, I ADORE my sons and personally love being outside and getting dirty. I've never been much of a princess myself, only really wearing dresses if the occasion demanded it. And not to brag or anything, but when I was in Jr. High, I was always one of the first ones chosen when we would pick teams for flag football in P.E. - from the girls or boys. But once in a while my little inner princess comes out and I like to be girly. I needed Timber, otherwise I'd probably just end up wearing dirty jeans, a stained t-shirt and my old boots every day of my life, fitting in with all the other testosterone filled bodies in my home, like these two............

Thank gosh for Princess'!!

Who Wants Free Soap????????

ME ME ME!!!!!! But I bet you do too, so feel free to check out mi amiga Mandi's blog and enter yourself in the free bar o'soap give away! You'll get two things in one- something for free, which is always good, and sweet smelling armpits! Yahooooo!

http://www.longwinterfarm.com/blog

Party Like It's 1999

Here are a few pics from Layton's little birthday party. Other than spitting all over the cake when he went to blow out the candles, he did a great job! :)

Helping Others

If most of you are like me, you have a warm home and food to eat. It's a normal part of daily life. It doesn't matter if it's sunny and 75 or rainy and 35, you're comfortable.
There are people in this world, in our nation, in your town that aren't as fortunate as you and I. We recently had a Crescent City homeless woman die out in the cold the other night. It was about 32 degrees that night and she was sleeping in the bushes. They found her the next morning. It just breaks my heart that there are folks that have no shelter to come in out of the cold.
A local ministry here in Crescent City has rented out a large room at the fairgrounds and has offered it to anyone needing shelter, a warm shower and a place to sleep until December 31st. I can only imagine the cost of all of this. I can only think, also, of all the lives that may possibly be saved by this kind gesture.
Would you like to help? You can! Even if you can't donate your time, you can help by donating funds. Even $5 is helpful! Their web site is: http://www.dailybreadcc.org/ and you can easily donate money through PayPal.
Please think this winter of all of those less fortunate than we are and help out in any way you can!

Blonde Roots

Um, so I went to the store today and thought to myself, "Mmmmm, popcorn sounds like a good snack." So, I went ahead and bought a box of microwave popcorn, only to get home, take it out of the bag and then realize the problem...................
We don't have a microwave. Oops. Sooooooo not smart.

Two Today

I can't believe that my little boy is two years old today. Two years ago, at this very moment, the Dr. was prepping me for my emergency c-section. My how the years fly by. I know I'll be saying that same thing after I turn around 2 more times and he is 18!

Here's a little time line in photos....

Happy 2nd Birthday my big boy Layton!!! I love you so very, very much!