I confess, I was a tea totaler for the longest time.  That was until I graduated from college and was working at Oxford Health Plans with a great Medical Director.  When I mentioned to him that I was a tea totaler, he taught me that studies have shown individuals who drank red wine moderately lived longer than tea totalers.  I have since expanded my drinking horizons to include coffee and various wines.

Now that I am trying to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle, I am trying different organic drinks as well.  I have recently tried Jims' Organic Coffee.  This organic company makes great USDA Organic Certified Kosher coffee roasted in a 100% renewable energy plant.  Basically, they practice what they preach and really support eco-friendly living.  I tried the Wonderbrew coffee.  The rich Arabica coffee bean flavor fills the room before you even taste a sip.  The taste is very rich with a faint trace of sweetness.  The bold flavors surprisingly leaves no bitter aftertaste.  It really wakes me up in the morning.  In Costa Rica, their coffee supplier is part of a 40,000 acre eco preserve.  You can learn more about their products at www.jimsorganiccoffee.com.  

It started out innocently enough.  Just like I usually do, I offered different fruits as a dessert option for my kids. However, a few weeks ago, my boy said that he just wanted a banana.  I was thrilled because bananas are very inexpensive and nutritional.  However, he's been eating banana as his only fruit for a few weeks now and the banana rut has spread to me.  No one is eating the other fruits.  I hate to see good fruit go to waste but as all moms know, one of the greatest mommy sins is "finishing up food that no one else will eat."  So, I resorted to buying just bananas for a while.  I need to really get everyone out of this banana rut.  


Any suggestions?

I can be the greatest stress ball, especially with the chaos from the holiday season.  I've turned to heavy retail (shopping) therapy in the past, but the happiness from the shopping spree lasts until I exit the store.  I've recently really gotten into taking warm salt baths using just generic epsom salt.  It forces me to be in the moment and to just unwind. Also, without the potential chemicals from bubble baths, I'm proud to recycle the salted water into the garden (Geesh, my garden is beginning to sound like a garbage dump for recycled water, but it's true... it's what I do...)  According to the Epsom salt packaging, the salt is good for body sprains, bruises and as a plant food supplement.  (Hooray, so I am not maliciously torturing my plants).

Like all things (good and bad), my kids have taken a strong passion towards baths as well.  However, the baths are just an occasional treat for them (because really our garden doesn't need that much salted water).

Do you have any eco-friendly tips for stress relief?  If so, please share with the rest of us!

It's so hard teaching my young children that they are not the center of the universe.  However, as they gradually learn this difficult lesson, I have also learned that I am no longer their center of the universe either.  I dropped off my son at a winter camp today and I assured him that I will pick him up early so that I can make sure he likes the camp.  He insisted that I pick him up on time like the rest of the older kids.  I was heartbroken yet proud at the same time.  


The American Association of Pediatrics and other authoritative entities mentioned that kids entering elementary school begin to expand and focus on their school/friendship circles.  Unfortunately, despite my volunteer efforts at the school, I am just a minor part of his school/friendship circles.  Knowing that he is confident makes me happy but also leaves a feeling of emptiness inside of me.  I guess that is why we have another child. Unfortunately for me, I feel that the affection/love of each child cannot be substituted or replaced.  I can only look at my younger one and say, don't grow so fast.  But you can't stop time.

I am not a pet lover.  Although I find dogs and cats very cuddly and cute, I don't even like the idea of cleaning poop up after my toddler.  Even cleaning cat litter boxes is not for me.  So, we have a really nice fish tank because fishes are low maintenance and beautiful to watch.  I notice that the water tends to evaporate and requires replenishment every week. So, I confess that whenever I have left over water from rinsing my fruits and vegetables, I am sometimes too lazy to dump the used water on my garden plants.  Instead, I walk to my nearby fish tank and dump the used water in.  At first, I felt really guilty about it but then I realized that fishes are resilient.  Besides, if you have ever been on one of the boat rides (the one through the greenhouse) in Disney's Epcot Center, you'll find that they have a fish tank below their gardening plants and the water goes from watering the plants down to the fish tank below.  I guess great minds think alike.  

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As part of my 365 Days of Change, I've decided that I will not light up my Christmas tree or decorate my house with lights this year.  Of course, I was immediately known as the party pooper and my dear husband decided that my environmental friendly ways have gone too far.  So, we compromised.  Basically, the lights can stay on for 30 minutes max each night.  
On the subject of real vs. artificial Christmas tree, we've had our artificial Christmas tree for over seven years so we feel good that it's been with us.  I don't think we will change it anytime soon.  
Our goal post Christmas is not to splurge on post Christmas decoration sales this year (we went overboard last year, who really needs all those Christmas wreaths?)