CityMama™

Blog Action Day: The Big and Small Picture (Now with coughing!)

I had planned to post on Blog Action Day but I didn't plan on my cold of last week to sideline me for so long. I seem to have that strange illness that give you glimpses of feeling good one day, then slamming you the next.  I felt pretty good yesterday but woke up today feeling crappy again.

So, instead of what I had planned to blog, I'll just say that in some ways it's perfect that MOMocrats (the political action blog I helped to found) was featured in the New York Times today.  Calling us (paraphrasing) "an interesting development" on the Democratic side, Katharine Seelye mentions us on the The Caucus, the Times' political blog.

In supporting John Edwards for president, I feel like I'm doing my part to support the environment from the top down. Big picture. (He was recently endorsed by leading environmental group Friends of the Earth Action.)  This is what Edwards had to say—quite eloquently, in fact—about Al Gore's Nobel Peace prize win.  If only Gore would now endorse Edwards!

And as far as the smaller picture goes, what we're doing largely parallels what Danielle of Foodmomiac is doing with her family. In addition to using totes and using my Brita along with reusable water bottles and using fluorescent light bulbs our family does the following:

• uses glass- and ceramic-ware instead of plastic dishes (bento boxes excluded though I do have an awesome stainless bento kit)
• recycles large plastic containers and glass jars as fridge food storage containers
• recycles our garbage
• pays a little more per month to purchase power from renewable energy sources (our city offers this alternative)
• uses cloth napkins 90% of the time (I still can't ween myself off of my beloved paper towels, though. Working on it!)
• has only one car (Though right now we have two since we are "exchanging" cars. Car #2 is up for sale soon.)
• keeps our car serviced
• lives close to work to avoid "commuting polluting"
• rides our bikes whenever possible. Bunny even rides to and from school with us.
• carpools whenever possible
• buys local, organic food whenever possible
• uses mostly non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning products

These are small, manageable things we can do.  We are by no means hardcore.  Would we like to do more? Yes.  We're working on it and I think that's all anyone can do.  What about you?

Continuing the tour of Asian cold remedies

Spicy ramen with kimchi Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Ramen menu

A thing of beauty Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Miss out

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Huevos rancheros at the farmer's market

Breakfast of champions. Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Good Housekeeping magazine, November 2007 issue, featuring me!

This weekend I'm celebrating my first published article ever!  It's in the November issue of Good Housekeeping (the one with Meredith Viera on the cover and all the yummy Thanksgiving recipes on the inside.)

On page 203 you'll find the "Blogs" section and in it, they feature my letter to our unsold Portland house. That period of my life was probably the lowest ever. They were dark times. We had just moved back to San Francisco from Portland, our house wasn't selling, we were juggling two monthly house payments, we were struggling and stressed, and we never would have made it if it weren't for my parents. (Thank you, Mom & T., I really don't know what we have done without you.)

The article has been weirdly edited, and the article makes it seem like it only took two weeks (if only!) for our house to finally sell. It took months and months, but two weeks after writing that letter and listing it to rent (again) on Craigslist, we received our offer.

Even though our yellow house belongs to someone else, I still think about that house every day. You can never forget the places you lived when your children were babies. Never ever.

Friday Link Love—10/12/07

It's a rainy day in the San Francisco Bay Area. We're all recovering sickies so it's nice to be able to stay cozied up inside...until we have to make a giant Costco run later. I love you, Costco.  Say, what's your favorite Costco item? (Me: Garofalo pasta, wild seafood, bulk meat, fancy cheese, vat o' hummus, and, of course, books!)

Right now the gals are having a playdate which affords me a bit of a break. (Hello, laptop and coffee!) It's nice to have school friends (with little sisters who can play with Wallie) who live close. I've said it before and I'll say it over and over again: I love the 'burbs.

Now onto the lovin':

• I am total "scholastic" literary geek and go nuts for everything from book orders to our beloved Highlights High Five magazine.  Tessy and Tab is another company that teaches kids to love words early.  It's more than just a magazine, it's a fun reading club that teaches literacy skills in a fun way. Bunny likes that mail arrives for her about every two weeks, and I like that there is a parent guide that comes in advance of its arrival via email.
• Getting us through this change from summer to fall are Huggalugs, funky leg (and arm) warmers that come in an array of patterns.  They can be worn under and with anything, and when the girls get too hot, off they come.  Bunny wears hers when she rides to school in the morning.
• The MOMocrats are seeking Iowa MOMocrats who support John Edwards for President.  Are you one?  Do you know one?  If so, please email momocrats (at) gmail (dot) com. We want to talk to you!  We are also seeking contributors. Want to write for us? Lemme know!
• Contest alert: Go Green with All. Join their mission to find the greenest elementary school in the country.
• Blogs I'm diggin. Put Your Flare On (I wish I could write like her), So What Do You Do All Day (love the blog design), and the inimitable Bossy.

And coming soon:

Project: Life Change round-ups (remember to tag your posts "Project Life Change" so we can find you) and the tagline winner!

Have a great weekend everyone!

I'm now a Daisy troop co-leader and J. is an assistant soccer coach.

We're both entranced by the commercials for the new 2008 Chrysler Town and Country. You know, the one with the seats that swivel around to face the "game table?"

I think we may be taking this 'burbs thing a little too far.

Creamy Brussels Sprouts

When Mary Tsao mentioned the creamy brussels sprouts the first time, I sat up and took notice. When she mentioned them a second time, I knew I would be making them ASAP.

ASAP was last night. I cooked up two pounds of sprouts and Bunny, my five-year-old brussels sprouts freak, ate about a pound and a half of them. Next time I think I'll double the recipe and that'll be dinner along with a loaf of crusty bread.

They were creamy and cheesy and nutty and in a word: gooooooooood.

Pumpkin muffins made by two little pumpkins

Last weekend we took our girls to "Grandpa's" pumpkin patch down the street. It's your basic pumpkin patch/bouncy house/carnie-run affair.  Bunny had lost some privileges so she wasn't able to participate in the bounce action (maybe this weekend), but she seemed content to look for pumpkins, especially since her little sister was too scared to jump in the bouncy house.

After wandering around the pumpkin patch for a bit, she turn to face me with a bright idea.

"Let's make pumpkin muffins!" she squealed. "Can we?"