Sunday, January 31, 2010

eye opening...



In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.
Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield's Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms' Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.
Learn more about these issues and how you can take action on Takepart.com

Here are 10 simple things you
can do to make a positive change!


1. Stop drinking sodas and other sweetened beverages.
You can lose 25 lbs in a year by replacing one 20 oz soda a day with a no calorie beverage (preferably water).

2. Eat at home instead of eating out.
Children consume almost twice (1.8 times) as many calories when eating food prepared outside the home.

3. Support the passage of laws requiring chain restaurants to post calorie information on menus and menu boards.
Half of the leading chain restaurants provide no nutritional information to their customers.

4. Tell schools to stop selling sodas, junk food, and sports drinks.
Over the last two decades, rates of obesity have tripled in children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years.

5. Meatless Mondays—Go without meat one day a week.
An estimated 70% of all antibiotics used in the United States are given to farm animals.

6. Buy organic or sustainable food with little or no pesticides.
According to the EPA, over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in the U.S.

7. Protect family farms; visit your local farmer's market.
Farmer's markets allow farmers to keep 80 to 90 cents of each dollar spent by the consumer.

8. Make a point to know where your food comes from—READ LABELS.
The average meal travels 1500 miles from the farm to your dinner plate.

9. Tell Congress that food safety is important to you.
Each year, contaminated food causes millions of illnesses and thousands of deaths in the U.S.

10. Demand job protections for farm workers and food processors, ensuring fair wages and other protections.

(this information was taken from the food inc. official website)

Go check out this amazing documentary, as well as their official website:

http://www.foodincmovie.com/index.php

To search for sustainable, organic, local foods in your area go to:

http://www.eatwellguide.org/i.php?pd=Home

This movie has totally made me want to change the way I live, the way I eat, and the way I feed my kids. It was amazingly eye opening to me, and I hope that you will take the time to watch this film and read and learn more about these important conversations we need to be having. For a long time I have wanted to make these changes, but because of ignorance and laziness have not... but it's time, at least for me and for my family, to make a real commitment! I'll keep you updated with the changes to come at our house. Let me know if you decide to make a change at yours! Please, Please, Please, watch this film!

Thursday, January 28, 2010

seeing...

Seeing what we have right in front of us, is one of the most difficult things to do isn't it? It's easy in retrospect to look back at what we should have done, or what we miss, but it's so hard to enjoy the moment. Recently I was talking to a friend and she said she heard the birds singing for the first time, that she ever remembers. Isn't that so true. We hustle around, sometimes shuffle along, looking, searching, hoping for something, that we are too busy to see... what's right in front of us. God's bounty. His Grace. His blessings that he pours upon us daily. Family, love, friendships, blue skies, fresh air, green trees, birds in the sky. Simple things. Things we all take for granted everyday..........

Lately, I've been in a bit of a funk. A bit inside my own head... not stopping to enjoy the simple things. The sweet and wonderful things that sit right in front of me. Today I woke up with a different attitude, and a bit of a new purpose. For the most part it worked. Trying hard to ignore the loud sounds, and listen harder to God's whispers. It is there where I find my peace... It is in putting my weaknesses and struggles in his hands, rather than trying to take care of everything on my own that I feel free. Letting him sit in the drivers seat is not always (ever) the easiest thing to do, but when you change that outlook from needing all of the control, to handing it over to him, is when you start really seeing.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

hmmm...

Hm mm, it seems I just haven't been too into blogging lately. In actuality, I have been thinking about giving this blog of mine up. I read other blogs and they have all of these followers, and comments, and people that read, and I just can't seem to get that going here. I have problems feeling motivated - especially lately to know what to write. Life has been busy, but somewhat underwhelming lately, if that makes any sense at all. I have just been going with the flow of life, getting swept up in it's mundane parts that don't always seem to be the most pleasing. These things aren't really what I want to write about or remember here, so there in a nut shell is why I haven't been writing too much as of late.

The last month has been a bit of a challenge. Potty training is tiring, and on top of that we have been traveling. The whole family to California, which totally got the girls off their routine, and then a few days later I left for Seattle, which further upset the apple cart (so to speak). Now I'm home and just trying to get everyone back onto schedule and routine, without too many tears or melt downs along the way. Potty training is going about the same, and I'm remembering how challenging the age 3 can be. When Bella was this age I remember thinking to myself, "man 3 seems harder than 2"... I am finding it to be true all over again.

Today has been a challenging day...
Trying to keep up with a tremendously crabby, fearless, strong minded, and energetic girl, is challenging me to my very core today. Maybe I'm more tired than usual. I'm not really sure, but I feel as though someone has pulled my plug - and my battery is dead. I hate when I have no energy to be nice. It's not the mama I aspire to be, but I'm human, what can I say? Hoping that tomorrow will be brighter, and that a good nights sleep will bring me fresh new beginnings. As far as blogging goes, I'll try to come up with something more upbeat to share soon.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

M.I.A.

OK, OK, I realize it's been a while... I have good excuses I promise! The last two weeks has been far busier than any in December, that's for sure! We've been potty training at our house! Yay. Finally. We are having 99% success with tinkling on the potty, but are still filling our britches with the other... yuck. Not sure which is worse, dirty diapers or dirty undies... but we are getting there. With a BIG dose of patience, and lots of love! Next was getting Christmas all torn down at the shop, which I swear is almost a bigger job than decorating for Christmas, but maybe it's just that the decorating is oh so much more fun! Then we were off to California to visit our new nephews, which by the way, are sweet, and cute, and oh so precious! Just got home, and am just getting through all of the laundry, and unpacking, to get me packed again to go to Seattle. So, just in case you were wondering, Yep, I'm still alive, just busy. I'll be back soon, I promise... maybe even with some pictures!

Saturday, January 2, 2010

sometimes...

Sometimes we hear something or read something that we need to hear with more need an importance than even we know until it hits us...

This hit me right straight in the eyes right when I needed it. Maybe you need it to?



I know your deeds.
See, I have placed before you an
open door that no one can shut.
I know that you have little strength,
yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
Revelation 3:8
Simply put, bloom where you are planted.

Friday, January 1, 2010

it's a new year!

newyearsgirl5
it's a new year...
a new day...
what will it bring?