Blogging Hiatus

9/17/14

 

Dear Friends,

It’s been a few weeks since my last post. That was intentional. I’ve been busy with Back-to-School/Work, the yoga studio, etc. While it’s nice to get back into a routine, it’s just a reminder of how quickly time continues to fly. My baby girl turned 8 last week. She started 3rd grade and absolutely loves her teacher…so do I! It’s going to be a good year for her.  I’ve heard from several friends and colleagues how significant 3rd grade can be. I think it has a little to do with being able to remember more from that year. It was very memorable for me. I don’t have much recollection of anything before 2nd grade….but 3rd? I remember my wonderful teacher Mrs. Pahoundis, the ice cream scoop book report chart, the reading cave in her classroom, my best friend Carissa (who is still my best friend!), my first crush, and a trip to Colombia. I also think that the step from 3rd to 4th is huge…I see it in the kids I teach now. There is something still so innocent and young about the 3rd graders, but as the year progresses you see so much growth…physically, intellectually and emotionally. It’s hard to believe, let alone accept, that my little one is growing up….

All Summer I anticipated writing this post. Last year was so busy for me that I think I stretched myself too thin (almost!). The reality hit me within the first couple days of vacation. When I realized that I had to almost force myself to relearn how to relax, I knew something had to change. So as I basked in the California (hottest!) Summer sun, I vowed that this school year would be different. I don’t want to forget what’s truly important. I don’t want to lose the beautiful connection I have with my baby girl. I don’t want to miss a single beat. I’ve been grateful that the school she started at this last year has been a good fit for her, but I do miss our days of homeschooling, taking field trips and running errands together. The days seemed longer then. I still do hold on to the idea of homeschooling again soon, but for now things are working out the way they are.  I am super proud of her….this year she has joined the Dance Company at her dance school. She is so excited that they will be performing at a 76ers half time show! It’s everything to me to see her face light up when she tells whoever she can. lol. I want her to flourish and be all that she can be and never lose that positive energy and confidence she has. I know that in order to support and guide her I need to make sure that I am truly available to her. So, for now, it means setting aside quality family time, reprioritizing, learning how to say no, and taking a little more time for me.  After all, I don’t want to lose myself either.

So I take this time to thank all of those who have spent a few minutes reading my posts. I truly appreciate the support. I have had an amazing time sharing my thoughts, reviewing products so I can report back, and connecting with other moms out there that are also busy trying to juggle it all for the love of our families. I appreciate all of the opportunities and while blogging has been a fun outlet, many of you know that it can also be very time consuming. Therefore, the time has come for me, not to say goodbye, but see you later. Wishing you all health, love and happiness!

Until next year,

~Dee

 

DIY Summer Spruce-Up

As my vacation comes to an end, I already feel the anxiety of getting back to a dusty home and the back-to-school craze.  I’ve been a student and a teacher practically my whole life, making September a  month of new beginnings for me. Now with a school aged child the end of Summer and beginning of Fall continues to be my New Year and Spring Cleaning rolled into one.  I like to call it time for my “Summer Spruce-Up.”

Last Fall I began experimenting with several different homemade cleaner recipes. After much trial and error I found that all you really need is water, baking soda, vinegar and your favorite essential oil for scent. So as you clean out those rooms and closets to prepare for a new school year and scrub those floors after a Summer of trekking in pool water and mud, consider making your own eco-friendly household cleaners. This step-by-step easy guide to making your own cleaners from www.brightnest.com will help save you money and protect your family and the environment from toxins and chemicals found in conventional cleaning brands.

Smart Irrigation Month

I’ve been visiting family here in my home state of CA this past month and temperatures have been very high! The idea of slip and slides and running through sprinklers have not been more appealing since childhood. Yet, just taking a few extra minutes in the shower makes me feel guilty. You see, on every major freeway you’ll find the lit up signs announcing the severe drought taking place here. It compelled me to look into the major causes and also share ways we can all pitch in and conserve water.

This isn’t just a problem in CA. Surprisingly, I learned that in the US  we have one of the highest averages of water use per person. Not surprising, I also learned that July is the peak month for water use. Through a campaign started in 2005 by the Irrigation Association it is now also considered Smart Irrigation Month. To learn more about how you can be involved and help support this cause visit their website: www.smartirrigationmonth.org.  You can also visit the EPA website and learn about the WaterSense program and products.

The Benefits of Yoga

As a yoga instructor, I often get asked what the best type of practice is and if yoga really “works.” With such a variety of styles and levels, it can be a bit overwhelming for a beginner. While people look to yoga for different reasons, some for flexibility, others for weightloss, and some just to de-stress, it’s no secret that the physical and mental benefits are abundant. Recently, the Huffington Post published the infographic below “How Yoga Transforms Your Body”. It does a great job of breaking down the many immediate and long-term benefits of Yoga. It’s no wonder why it continues to be the number one form of exercise for all ages, with many adopting it as a lifestyle. Yoga has been around for many years and continues to grow in popularity, showing no sign of slowing down.

This article originally appeared on the GreenDeals Go Green Blog.

5 Tips to Green Your Summer Celebrations

Grilling season is here! With the excitement of picnics, parks and parties, it can be easy to overlook that your Summer celebration may be creating more waste. The sales of paper plates and napkins, plastic cups and utensils, bottles and cans of beverages go up in the summer and so does the amount of waste in our landfills. Understandably, dragging your finest china and cloth napkins to the beach or park is not as convenient. However there are some other easy and effective ways you can green up your BBQ festivities. In no particular order, here are the Top 5 reasons and ways to green up your grilling:

Gas Grill or Charcoal: Natural gas or propane is the more eco-conscious of the two.  While eco-friendly charcoal exists, grilling with gas is still considered to be better for the environment and your health, particularly if you are the chef! You will want to prevent you and your guests from inhaling carbon monoxide and other toxic chemicals released by charcoal briquettes and lighter fluids. Don’t forget to cook with the lid down as much as possible to preserve energy.

Shop Local and Sustainable: When shopping for meats, veggies and fruits for your celebration, hit up a local farmer’s market, if possible.  At the store, look for meats and produce that are organic, sustainable and have not traveled too much of a distance. By supporting local farmers and green businesses you are helping support the local economy, reducing negative environmental impacts, and adopting healthier habits through eating more naturally.

Make your own beverages: Instead of juice boxes, bottled waters and other beverages, why not bring a couple of pitchers? You can fit a nice sized pitcher or two in a cooler, or make sure you have enough ice, and serve up some refreshing homemade lemonade, sangria or even just water! If you plan to serve beer, look into a keg instead. You can bring enough recyclable cups for your guests and provide them with name labels so they won’t lose their drink.

Avoid plastics and other disposables: If you don’t mind reusables, which really are most cost effective and eco-friendly, bamboo utensils and plates are great. Another, more unique option is to use reusable, cloth place mats instead of paper or plastic plates. Once guests are done with their meal, they can even wipe up with them instead of paper napkins…two in one! If you really feel you must purchase paper or plastic products, find those that are biodegradable, recyclable, made without bleach or dyes, etc. Whatever you do to lessen the carbon footprint you make will help in some way.

Lastly, bring a separate container or bags: preferably in a different color, and encourage all your guests to help take care of the Earth by recycling!

~This article was originally featured on Green Deals.org

 

Easy Compost Tips

I have always wanted to start a compost, but just assumed it would be messy, stinky and too much work. When I ran across the following infographic, I realized I was being silly. RiverbendHome.com does a great job of breaking composting into 5 easy steps and I had to share. No more excuses! I am finally convinced and ready to start my own organic compost pile. Even better, by this time next year, I have high hopes my compost pile will help provide a beautiful organic garden.

Reflections…

Happy Anniversary!

You registered on WordPress.com 3 years ago!

Thanks for flying with us. Keep up the good blogging!

I received the message above in an email yesterday. It made me realize a couple of things and somewhat inspired me to write and share a more personal post. For starters, wow, time flies! So much can happen in such a short amount of time and certain things seems like a distant memory. Still, when looking back, I can’t believe how fast time is flying. Someone make it stop!  Just last year, at this time, I was getting ready to finish up my 2nd year of homeschooling my daughter. Today, I’m in shock that her first year in a “traditional” school is almost over. I was so torn about having to go back to work and send her off to school. However, as usual, things have a way of working themselves out. I mean, landing a gig as the Spanish Teacher at her school was a pretty damn good sign that I was doing the right thing….for now. 🙂

She loves her school and has had a great year making new friends and learning new things. I would still do anything to be able to homeschool again…and I still keep that option open for the near future. But for now, I am so comforted in seeing how things have just fallen into place over the last few years.  Seeing her become an even more beautiful and bright little lady is what motivates me to keep working hard to realize my dreams. This way, I hope to inspire her and help her make her own dreams come true.  So now, with the month of May basically here, I count down the days for the school year to officially end. You can be certain, however, that the learning won’t stop!

As I get ready to finish up my Postpartum Doula Certification, I will also make sure to set aside some time for the little and I to do some “Summer Homeschooling.” I think it’s important to review a little during the Summer months to reinforce and help kids retain what they have learned. You can do this in so many different ways, from reading books to visiting parks, zoos and museums. I am especially excited because I was recently introduced to a special online program designed for elementary school students and had to share with you….

K5 Learning has an online reading and math program for kindergarten to grade 5 students. I’ve been given a 6 week free trial to test and write a review of their program. If you are a blogger, you may want to check out their open invitation to write an online learning review of their program.  Once we get started on it , I’ll make sure to report back on how it went! Thanks for taking the time to read this post. 🙂

Going Green with Social Media

 

I ran across this infographic from Recyclebank the other day while doing a little research and felt compelled to share. With so many people on social media today, it really is amazing to see that with just one small gesture we can help protect the environment in major ways. Who would think that pinning “green” ideas on Pinterest or shutting down Twitter for just one hour would have such a huge impact on the Earth? You can make everyday Earth Day by just practicing a few, or even one, of the following social media tips.

Have a Green Easter

Easter is around the corner and you may want to consider some safer, healthier alternatives for your kids. While conventional Easter egg kits seem convenient and easy, they are loaded with toxic chemicals that are harmful to your family. The following infographic from Door t0 Door Organics shows just how simple it is to create a variety of dye colors using simple and natural ingredients.  Think of it as an art and cooking lesson all in one! For more ideas on how to make your Easter safe and fun, check out my article from last year Happy Eco-Friendly Easter. Enjoy your holiday!

Your Child’s First Pet

What Should Your Child’s First Pet Be? (Guest Post)

It has been said that giving your child a pet to take care of will help him or her learn what being responsible is about. As a first time mom to this kind of parenting, it may be quite difficult to match your child to the right pet. The ideal age for a child to own a pet is 7 years old and up. However, starting at age 5 or 6 can be also be okay, as long as you know what you are up for! Caring for even the littlest of pets requires supervision from adults.

To help you with the decision making process, here are some ideas and tips for each potential pet:

Dogs

We all know that canines are the most popular animals to own as pets. Man’s best friend indeed, because it is a companion pet which your child can interact with. Before owning one, you need to know first if your child can be counted on to do tasks for his pet such as feeding the dog and filling up its water supply. Dogs need high maintenance because they need daily exercise, toilet training, and a lot of caring. The best dog breeds to own as pets are Beagle, Golden Retriever, Maltese, Pug, Shih tzu, and Poodle, to name a few. If you live in a smaller house or in an apartment, it would be best to choose smaller breeds. Be careful when considering breeds known as being aggressive, such as Rottweiler and Doberman. They may not be suitable for young children.

Cats

Compared to canine, the moody domestic feline is perfect for a nurturing child who does not really mind being ignored every now and then. The best breed for household cats are the Persian cats, Abyssinians, Burmese, Birmans, Manx, Ragdolls and Somalis. Stray kittens that are usually of multiple breeds could grow up to be a very good companion and a pest controller too.

Birds

Consider the Myna birds. My neighbor used to have one, and it was a main attraction especially for kids who passed by. Myna birds pick up people’s voice as well as intonation and expressions. Birds are perfect for children who are keen observers of animal behavior. If you decide for a pet bird, you need to be sure that you and your child are prepared for the commitment because birds can possibly live a long time. Finches and canaries are simple to maintain and could be fascinating for your child. These types don’t care much for human attention and interaction, so it would be better to get several to provide them company. Parakeets are known to develop a strong connection with their owners and can learn to talk too. My uncle has one and does not put it in a cage. He just lets it fly around but it eventually comes back to him some time before sunset.

Goldfish

Goldfish as pets may look easy to maintain because they don’t need toilet-training and walking, but the biggest challenge is to keep them alive! The germy waste-filled bowl or tank needs to be regularly cleaned and maintained. You also need to regularly supply aerated water. Fish are best for first time pet owners.

Small Mammals

Small mammals like hamsters, guinea pigs, and rabbits are popular pet choices. They are known for their cuteness, being harmless and clever. Pocket pets like these are ideal for families that spend most of their time outside the house. If you think that you and your child are not ready yet to take care of a cat or a dog, then having this type of pet is a good compromise for kids who are excited to have animals in the house.

~Ghezzi is a full-time work at home mom. She is a contributor at pregg.net, a blogazine for newbie as well as experienced parents. Pregg.net believes that parenting is something you never stop learning. Ghezzi is mom to her 5 year old daughter who is doing quite well in school. They both love to dine out and watch animated films.