photo love | by kristen on 30.Apr.07 | 1 comment
If you’d like to see all of the pictures I am taking, you can subscribe to the RSS feed of our flickr or subscribe via email. I haven’t had time or energy to fuss in photoshop, but I need to stop treating my camera like a point and shoot and get the white balance under control and shoot in manual. Someday…
photo love | by kristen on 28.Apr.07 | 4 comments
Kate, upon seeing her finished product, at MCAC Imagination Festival
sponsored | by kristen on 28.Apr.07 | 0 comments
bellydancebaby requested that I review their site and I was happy to oblige, since they sell many brands of baby products we use and love! Their baby division is newer, but do know some people who have ordered from their maternity division, bellydancematernity, and were very pleased.
Pedipeds are really cute soft-soled shoes, we have one pair that I can’t wait for Lexi to grow into. Kate wore them briefly and she and I both loved them. I really wanted to get Lexi some Trumpette Mary Jane socks her first winter, but just never did. They are so adorable on! They have some really hip clothes for boys and girls from brands like Tea Collection. (more…)
photo love | by kristen on 27.Apr.07 | 0 comments
in the news | by kristen on 26.Apr.07 | 3 comments
parental ponderings, photo love | by kristen on 25.Apr.07 | 16 comments
Kate had an accident today. She tried to climb up the dresser that has our TV on it and pulled the dresser and TV over. She knocked out one of her front teeth and the other is loose.
It was scary. I watched it as I walked into the room from doing laundry, and rushed to lift the heavy TV off her face as she squirmed out from under the dresser. If our bedroom was larger and the fall had been cleaner, she would have suffered very severe injuries, and very likely could have died. Our bookshelves and some of the dressers are bolted securely to the wall, this dresser is not flush with the wall (it forms a 45-45-90 triangle with the corner) and was not secured, for lack of creativity. I was able to remain calm and Kate was very calm and brave throughout the ordeal and was perfect at the pediatric dentist’s office. Our sweet neighbor helped me get the kids ready and followed me down so she could watch Lexi in the lobby while I stayed with Kate for her exam and x-rays.
I am very thankful that her injuries weren’t worse, but I mourn the loss of her front teeth. A piece of her childhood is gone forever, and the vanity motherhood brings will miss them, forever. I will tear up as I prepare her soft food and clean her bruised and bloodied face. I will cringe when people ask me about them. But I know that she is beautiful and life goes on.

general | by kristen on 24.Apr.07 | 2 comments
TCL Reading Challenge
Are some lives worth more?
WFD update
Flickr links
Baked Ziti recipe
photo love | by kristen on 24.Apr.07 | 3 comments
photo love | by kristen on 23.Apr.07 | 10 comments
I got a new camera last week and the lens I’ve been wanting came while we were gone. We should be posting a lot more to the family flickr account now, but here are a few pictures from today just because…



being green, family life | by kristen on 22.Apr.07 | 1 comment
We traveled north this weekend for a lovely wedding and a short visit with the clan. It’s always wonderful to spend time with my family, and I got a bit of relaxation in (tooling around in the convertible, pedicure, etc.) We were glad to get to share in Ryan and Susan’s day and see lots of old friends. Then we raced home today to make it to church this evening so we could take our membership vows.
If you were inspired by my post this weekend to consider buying some reusable bags, I know of a chicobags coop, drop me an email if you are interested.
being green | by kristen on 20.Apr.07 | 18 comments
Every year, 500 billion to a TRILLION plastic bags are consumed worldwide. You know, those plastic bags they give you for “free” when you go to the grocery or big box store. Like diamonds, plastics are forever. They don’t biodegrade. They photodegrade and ruin the soil. Not to mention the extreme litter they create worldwide and the threat to sea life when they are dumped in the oceans. Paper bags are better in some ways (they biodegrade) but require a lot more energy to produce. Recycling costs much more than original production and very few bags worldwide are ever recycled (even if they are collected to be, sadly.)
One of the simplest ways you, dear reader, can be a little more green is to bring your own bags. Some stores even give you a credit for bringing your own bags ($.05+ a bag), as well they should since they have to pay for the bags they give out for “free” to consumers.
If you’d like, you can get some of those tote bags you are imagining in your head right now, they work fine. I splurged on some neat bags from Reusable Bags when I had a 20% off coupon code. We got a bargain shopping set they are not running any longer that had three different types of bags. I highly recommend the Acme Workhorse (they fold up REALLY small and you can keep them in your purse) and the Acme Earthtote. They are the size of a standard plastic and paper bag respectively, but hold much more than their disposable counterparts as they are built much tougher. It’s amazing how many fewer bags I use per shopping trip. I have heard good things about Chicobags, too. So bring your own bags, friends. And work to reuse and retool the disposable ones you end up with as packing material, planters, and whatever else you fancy. It’s an easy way to be green.
in the news | by kristen on 16.Apr.07 | 1 comment
Remember VT, students, faculty and parents tomorrow in your prayers. I can’t believe this even happened. The worst mass shooting in US history.