Help out victims of Typhoon Ondoy

*these images are courtesy of IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) 


Known as "Typhoon Ondoy" in the Philippines, Typhoon Ketsana, the worst tropical storm in Philippine history, hit central and southern Luzon provinces this past Saturday. According to PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geological, and Astronomical Services Administration), 341.3 mm or roughly 13.4 inches of water, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. They estimate that 240 people have been killed. 

My cousin is an active member of the Babae Organization in San Francisco and is asking for donations. They've requested that you make donations to local grass roots organizations, like GABRIELA, so that the monies received will go directly to helping out the communities affected. 

I know economic times are tough, but there's no greater gift than helping out our fellow man. Please pass this information to your families, friends, and community. Thank you and please pray for those affected by this storm. 

On the road

Micro has been having fun spending time with his East Coast family. We are coming to the end of our trip. The weather has been beautiful and I got a chance to relax with Mr. Fliz sans the baby. I'll be back in the Bay Area soon and post some more. For now, we're just enjoying the last few hours with family before boarding a plane. Another trip down for Micro. He's quite the travel junkie.

Coming Soon--dunt, dunt, dunt--The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

No, no, no. That's not Harry Potter before his Hogwart's Days. That's my husband's little league pic back in the day. I mean waaaaaaayyy before Harry was conceived. I need to get in touch with J.K. Rowling, because he may very well have been the inspiration for young Harry. 


Check this out Harry Potter fans. That's right! Set to open during Spring of 2010. 

Breaking News! Breaking News!!

No, we didn't win the lotto. Our precious Micro took his first steps yesterday afternoon. It started off with a little show-stopper action for Mama, by standing up all by himself, and not clinging onto anything. How he did it, remains a mystery to me. I just looked up from my magazine and saw him standing nearby with a huge grin on his face. Jaws dropped, the magazine fell to the floor, and a piercing scream exited my mouth. That event to be followed up by his latest milestone of taking two steps towards Daddy. 

Micro: Hey, I can't just put the show on for Mommy. Daddy gets perks too.

Daddy was the lucky parent to witness firsthand, Micro's momentous undertaking. I ran in time to see him take another few steps. The rest of the evening was peppered with moments of him taking a few tiny steps here and there. It was exciting! We are so very proud of you Micro.

Volunteer with your kids

This Saturday is the 25th California Coastal Cleanup Day. This is a great opportunity to do with your friends and family. Here is the link for Alameda County for those interested in signing up. 

My husband and I volunteered back in July at the Alameda Food Bank handing out food to those who need it. It was a great time and we had fun meeting new people and helping others. We could have brought Micro with us, but fortunately got his Lolo (grandpa) to babysit a few hours. But the opportunity was there and it would have been nice for him. I'm sure it would've brought some smiles to the hundreds of people we gave food to that day. We plan on doing it once a month, but have yet to go back because our summer schedule got filled up quick. There are many volunteer opportunities around our area and in our neighborhoods. Just keep your eyes and ears open. 

VolunteerMatch is a great resource to begin with. At the Eat Real Festival a few weeks ago where I volunteered, there were women who were pregnant and one even had her baby in a Bjorn, helping out. So don't shy away from exposing your children to helping others out. It's a great learning opportunity and better yet, one where you meet new people. If there are any particular volunteer organizations you are part of, or feel strongly about, please leave a comment and I'll put those links up in a future blog post. 

Traditional Filipino Dances

Back in elementary and high school, my girlfriends and I performed traditional Filipino dances. We performed such common dances as tinikling and singkil (oh my gosh I remember the amount of eyeliner we had to wear for this dance, I couldn't stand it). We danced during our culture nights and at community sponsored events. It was a great opportunity to do something with friends and learn about the multi-cultural aspects of what it means to be Filipino. I was proud to don the traditional outfits, that were often handmade, and may have even saved some in the hopes that one day, my children will follow in my footsteps. I'm sure there were several of you that participated in your school's or community's events honoring Filipino heritage.  


I hope one day Micro will take it upon himself and partake (at the very least, once) in learning a traditional filipino dance. If you've participated, or your children have, please feel free to email me photos of them and I'll share it on the site. 

I found an ad in the East Bay Express for Children's Philippine Folk Dance taught by Jay Loyola for $150 a quarter. On selected Sundays (you'll have to call), from now until December 31, he'll be teaching kids to dance. The hours of practice are from 1-3 p.m. at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. 510-637-0455

Flu season is approaching

This past weekend cast gray skies over Oakland and most of the Bay Area and we got some much needed rain. Check this cool photo out. 

I also fell under the cast of those gloomy skies and came down with a slight fever and cold. My first cold in a long time. Of course this was Micro's gift to me for the weekend. He had a fever last Thursday night and had been cranky for most of the days prior to it (perhaps he's finally teething--of course I've been saying this since he was 4 months old). Unfortunately, being a rookie mom, thought he was just being fussy and hadn't taken his temperature to see if it was out of the ordinary. He hadn't felt very hot and we were hoping that he wouldn't fall to any sickness in his first year. Lame thinking, I know. 

He had received his flu shot and is getting another one for the swine flu. According to my pediatrician, flu season in the East Coast has already begun. Best to get your kids and yourself vaccinated this season. I know there are some of you out there that don't feel it's necessary to get a vaccinated, but you don't want to pass something onto your kids, even if they did get a flu shot. I just say, "better safe than sorry". My friend last year failed to get a flu shot out of sheer laziness and ended up getting sick (and she was pregnant, which I was surprised that her doctor didn't tell her to get one). We all know it's never fun to feel crappy and take care of your kids.  


Remind them (and yourselves) to wash their hands often, cover their mouth when they cough, and eat healthy. 





 

It pays to be cute

Happy Friday everyone! It's been a short work week for most of you and I know you're looking forward to the weekend. The above picture has nothing to do with today's post, except that I like it. It's Micro and his cousin "Noe". Isn't she super duper cute? Wouldn't they make awesome movie stars? I think so. Wouldn't your cuties make awesome movie stars? Ok, ok, I'm not trying to be a stage mom or anything, but check out this link from an ad on my blog (does that I mean I just paid myself? I hope so). 

Imagine it, your wee ones, or those you know, could be in the next "Sex and the City" (hey, I'm a fan of the series) and get to keep their wardrobe. Better yet, if you know of any multiples, forward this post to their mom, and you may be looking at the next mega-millionaires (move over Ashley and Mary Kate).


I know there are some of you that had your precious one(s) try out for Baby Gap's model contest and I hope you haven't given up. Because I think they deserve to be models. Not to mention the really cool duds your kid would be sporting for free! I won't lie, I planned on enrolling Miles in a cute kid photo contest, and I really would have, except mommy-brain kicked in and I forgot to submit it. Shame on me, shame on me, that may have been my 'lotto' ticket.  

*Today is Patriot Day. Let's not forget to honor our fallen heroes and angels everywhere. God Bless!  

Bring baby to the movies

If I was allowed to bring Micro to watch "Twilight" (oh yeah, that's right, I'm a fan of the book series--please, please let "New Moon" be 30x better!) when it premiered last November, I would have. Yikes, bring a baby to the movies! Yes, it's possible! Select local theatres around the Bay Area sponsor such things. When Micro was three months old we had heard of Baby Brigade at our now-closed Parkway Theatre in Oakland. Every Monday night, the first two evening showings were reserved for parents and babies (under 1) to view current movies. It's a great and novel idea. If your baby cries, you won't be alone. You can also stroll them in the back to put them to sleep with others by your side and feed comfortably in the dark (so long as you're discreet if nursing).


Unfortunately, Micro, Mr. Fliz, and I, never managed to take advantage of that and hope to find other locations that offer something similar. And I did find some! Maybe I can take advantage of it while Micro's still eligible. I just don't know if I'll get a chance to watch the movie comfortably or if I'll be running around in the semi-dark trying to keep him out of corners he shouldn't be crawling to.

Below are links to theatres around the Bay that are outings for Parents and babies for when Netflix and Blockbuster just won't cut it:


http://www.hkinsf.com/4star/presidio.html

http://www.peerlessentertainment.com/VT%20Web%20Home.htm

http://www.cameracinemas.com/diaper.shtml

If you know of more places, please share with us mommies in the comments section. If anyone has gone to one of these, please let me know how it went and what you liked or didn't like. I'll make sure to create a post if and when I go to one.

Giving Back

You probably wouldn't equate the name Tim Tebow with Filipinos. And he's not one. But he was born there. In fact, if you're a football fan, especially, a college one, you'll know his name instantly. Apart from being the Florida Gator's winning quarterback, being the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy, and many other outstanding accolades, he's a missionary. Not quite the picture of the jock quarterback is it?
Born on August 14, 1987 in the Philippines, he was a "miracle baby". His mother Pam, while working as a missionary with her husband in the Philippines, was struck by a life-threatening infection that put little Tim's life in danger, so much so, that doctors told her she should abort the fetus. But Pam, being of Christian faith, decided to carry the baby to term. And so she did, successfully. 

Years later, the young star has garnered world-wide acclaim, and not merely for his athletic talents, but for his family's missionary work in the Philippines. BTEA (Bob Tebow Evangelical Association), located on the island of Mindanao, started an orphanage, that now boasts home to 50 kids. To this day, he continues to make annual trips to the Philippines with his Dad to preach the word of God.


In light of the holiday season that is coming, this serves as a reminder of the good work that's being done for those less fortunate. And, try to include your kids as part of your good deeds towards others. You'll teach them about 'giving' and the rewards that come with it. It's never too early to start thinking of the blessings (be they tiny or large) that we are bestowed and to pass those on to others that need it more so. There's always a little more of ourselves we can give, a little more we can squeeze out of our pocket to give, and a lot more gratitude for what we do have.  

Cool places to bring your little crawler

Finding a place for my "expert crawler" to enjoy is hard to do. Being a stay-at-home Mom means finding activities that will allow my littlest dude to exert his energy, perfect his crawling techniques, captivate his imagination, and challenge him, all this in the hopes of making my life with him much easier and more enjoyable. He's now 10 months old and his crawling days are numbered. He is cruising all around our apartment, which can only entertain him so much. So, I've decided to find a few places that are nearby that are great places to bring pre-walkers to, without them having to be "run over" by walking toddlers. 

It's not easy to find such places. There are plenty of activities to preoccupy toddlers and bigger kids, but not much in the way for babies that are mobile, but not yet walking. Studio Grow in Berkeley is a great, clean, and upbeat environment for children from 0-6 years old to play in. There's a "crawl room", that is equipped with plush toys, vinyl-covered foam mats, books, a bucket for dirty toys, and a small sofa. The much larger-sized "run room" is for both active crawlers and bigger kids. It's full of vinyl-covered mats that create a play center, a pool of balls baby can play in, and much more. You can also bring in food to eat as long as it's eaten in the lunch area. Mommies looking to rest or nurse have a private room to do so. 

Sadiedey's Cafe in the Temescal neighborhood of Oakland is a good place for baby and you to relax and enjoy. There is a tiny area for crawlers to explore and play, and allows Mommy or Daddy (or both) to grab a bite to eat or enjoy a cup of joe. It's a great location for Mother's groups and meetups. The only drawback is that they don't allow you to bring in your own baby food. If you do have a young one that is already on solids, you must purchase food for them from the cafe. Something I'm not too happy about, as some babies are picky (thankfully, not mine) and makes it harder and more expensive for parents to deal with.They do provide a private area to nurse if you want.


Children's Discovery Museum in San Jose is a great space that ignites wonderment, fosters creativity, and provides challenges to the minds of our young ones. It can be over-stimulating to tiny tots. We went here for the first time for my goddaughter's 3rd birthday to enjoy the Curios George Exhibit. It's a really small exhibit, but fun for its tiny fans (but where was George?). The museum was packed full of families. Though it's only two levels, there were plenty of interactive stations for young ones to enjoy. On the upper level, we found a crawl room for those under the age of 1 or unable to walk yet. It's cozy and Micro met some cute friends. He truly enjoyed the shallow stairs to crawl up and down on. We had to pull him out of there before closing time. They are good about making sure the space is strictly for pre-walkers and ask parents who allow their "walkers", to remove them, therefore creating a safe and comfortable space for babies. 

Micro enjoying time at CDM

Monday nights just got a little bit better

Calling all football-loving mommies! Football season is upon us, and last year I didn't partake in a fantasy football league, due to becoming a new mama. But this year, since I'm a "pro" at this whole mommy thing (LOL!), I was hoping my old coworker would be hosting one again. To my dismay, he was unable to secure enough players.

(this is my son as a newborn and his "Uncy J" got him that outfit--see they're a Redskin-loving family)

I got into fantasy football purely "by force". I've always enjoyed watching the game. Growing up during football season, my dad made sure we went to the earliest Mass on Sunday morning and that our weekly grocery trip was done in haste, to make sure we made it on time for when the 49er or Raider games were on. Even car trips became a haven for football. Tuned into the AM station, we'd all sit in the car listening to the play-by-plays. Sometimes it felt like football season lasted forever. I couldn't wait til my sister and I had control of the t.v. again. But football was meant to be a part of my life.

My husband is an AVID football fan (along with the rest of his family). He is a Redskins fan who truly bleeds burgundy and gold. He has been doing fantasy football for the past eight years. I'm talking serious fantasy football. Once a year, come mid-August, he and his bazillion college buddies go to a chosen location, usually within the U.S. (they did go to Montreal one year), and for a weekend, behave like frat boys and perform an actual football draft. Yeah, you heard me right. They do a "mock" draft of football players for their "fantasy football team". Shhh...they even hire draft girls to put the players that have been drafted on a draft board. Did I use the word 'draft' enough? The winner gets the cash, bragging rights, and the coveted, cheap-looking, engraved trophy. This is serious stuff ladies. Lots of planning goes into this yearly event. And the excitement on my husband's face is akin to a 12-year-old boy looking at a dirty mag for the first time. 

And once the season is over, there is a sadness that laments in our household, until those fantasy football magazines start popping up on newsstands, and the excitement builds. I'm talking strictly about Mr. Fliz. Anyway, when I first learned of these elaborate draft weekends, I couldn't help but laugh my a$$ off. I mean, they actually spend major mula and time on this. My husband creates excel spreadsheets. You heard me, spreadsheets. And he's not alone, that's the scary thing. Many men are afflicted with this. But I shouldn't be one to judge, because fast forward a few years later, and I'm hooked.


Mr. Fliz and I had just started dating (we met at work) and we got invited to join a fantasy football league by one of our coworkers. I had a vague understanding of it at the time. Of course, not wanting to be rude, I responded, "Sure. Maybe." What? Call me noncommittal. My coworker had set a date and time for the "draft". Well, one unfortunate (or was it) afternoon, after having spent a long day at work, I went to Mr. Fliz's pad (he was my boyfriend then). I was ravenous. As I patiently waited for him to change out of his work attire, he came out with his laptop in hand. "We don't have time to check email right now. I'm super hungry. Let's eat, " I said. He responded, "Aren't you doing the draft? You said you would. It's going to start in like five minutes."


I said, "I was just being polite. I'm not really joining the league." He refused to go and eat until I did the draft. Mr. Fliz, being so conniving, and knowing that food is my weakness, promised me he'd take me anywhere I wanted to eat so long as I took 10 minutes to do the draft. What can I say? I have my weaknesses. That year, I won. The rest is history. 

So began my love affair with fantasy football. I became addicted. It's also helped that I've won twice since my first time five years ago. During that time, I've learned a lot about football and the players. I even got into reading The Sports Guy, and am a huge fan of "Hard Knocks". Now, I'm not a die-hard fan and paint my face when I attend Raider games or know the stats of my favorite players (sorry Jerry). But I am happy to accommodate my husband's wishes of going to church on Saturday evenings (unless the Redskins are playing), and having Sundays (though it maybe a beautiful, warm day) spent indoors watching nothing but football all day. That's what the second tv is for; so I can remove myself from the constant bombardment of hearing, "five yard penalty, first down!" 


The other day, in an effort to cheer me up since I was having a rough morning with Micro, Mr. Fliz sent me this from SFGATE.com. I was cracking up reading it.

Are there other football-loving mamas out there? If so, let me know. If by next year there's still no league for me to join, I'm starting my own.

 

The evolution of conversation between Mommies

Pre-Baby: ('C' is my best gal pal)


C: Hey what time you off work today? Want to go shopping and then have dinner after? 
PN: I don't know. I'm still here and it's almost 3. I still have to finish logging in these errors for the trade log. But I will take you up on dinner and shopping. 
C: Yeah, Nordstrom's half-yearly just started today. I can't stand my job, I want to quit. I could really use a margarita tonight.
PN: I hear ya. Me too. I want to quit. Oh the sale starts today. Let's swing by and see what they have.
C: Oh cool. 
PN: Did you see the news this morning? Awful. (talk a bit more about local news and politics)

C: Hey did you hear the news, Brad and Jen broke up.
PN: What? Are you serious? Where'd you hear that?
(more lame, gossip talk continues)


Post Baby (Micro is 3 months old):

PN: Oh my gosh. I hate today already. He's spit up everywhere. I've changed him FOUR times already!! I don't think I can do this.
C: So sorry to hear that. Don't worry. You're fine. He's just a "spit-up" kind of guy. He'll grow out of it. Have you tried holding him up after nursing for awhile? 
PN: Yes. I'm soo frustrated. I haven't even showered. I'm so gross. How are you?
C: Ugghh. 'E' didn't sleep well again last night. We tried moving her to her own bed, but she keeps coming to ours. Her foot was in my back the entire night. I didn't sleep. Today sucks and I too haven't showered. I can't stand myself.

PN: Sorry. One day she'll want her own bed. You're doing good. Try to sneak in a nap when she does. 
(more talking about what our kids are up to and comparing other mom's parenting styles--yeah..we bad)

Post Baby (Micro is 6 months old)


C: Hey. How are you?
PN: Ok. Micro slept till 9am this morning. I couldn't believe it. I didn't know what to do with myself. I couldn't go back to sleep once Fliz (my husband) left. I was too worried Micro would wake up any minute. So I actually watched some t.v.
C: Ooohh. Lucky you. I stayed in the bathroom for a total of FIVE hours yesterday. Hang on. (in the background I hear: 'E' get off the counter. Put that down. No, put it down now. Right now. Little girl, did you hear me?)

PN: what?
C: I was in the bathroom every few hours hoping 'E' would go pee pee in the potty. She didn't. I spent the entire day sitting with her and reading to her. After two hours sitting on the potty, she gets up and pees on the floor. Aiya!! 
PN: That sux. Sorry. She'll get it one of these days. I promise. At her own pace. You're doing great. Keep it up. Wait, hang on a sec. (in background I say: Micro please don't do that. That's not a toy. You'll hurt yourself. Back away sweetie. No, we don't pound on the wall like that)

C: Thanks. But we've been doing this for two months and I'm soo tired. I swear Micro will potty train before she does. ('E', what did I say? Get down. Get down NOW!)

PN: (laughing) He's crawling everywhere and he's super speedy. I have to start baby-proofing. Hey what are you having for lunch today? I still have to shower if I ever plan on getting out of the house today.
C: SHOOT. I gotta go. 'E' has decided to jump on top of the counter. 


Post Baby (Micro is 8 months old)


PN: Hey, what'cha up to? 
C: Nothing. 'E' is watching t.v. and 'Squid' (her other daughter) is in my arms. 
PN: Aww (begins to sing "Precious Moments"). Micro has decided that our dog is a step stool this morning. Hey did you hear about Jon and Kate? (Micro, please don't chase the dog. He's scared of you. No, don't throw that at him. That's mean!)

C: Yeah. I've been watching the marathon episodes and I think they're separating. That's what I think anyway. I mean what else could be "big news". My hair is so "uck". I badly need a haircut. (Little girl, stop and put away your markers, coloring books. Put the caps on all the markers and you can have some ice cream. No, I mean now. There's still some I see under there.)

PN: Wow, really?! Oh they were fighting a lot on the show last time I saw. Anyhoo, I need a haircut too. I can't stand how thick it is right now. What's for lunch? (meanwhile my son screaming in the background as he chases our dog)
C: (still scolding daughter)
PN: Ok, I better let you go. I'll talk to you later.



**notice we talk less and less about meaningful things. Half our conversations are talking to our kids. In fact, when we do get together and have our kids, we barely remember what we even talked about. We spend the entire time scarfing food down and watching our kids. Welcome to motherhood!

One "G" at a time

This is the last post in my series entitled, "Baby Steps into becoming a more 'Green' Mom". 

I've offered quite a few, really easy steps we moms can take to incorporate into our everyday life and do our part to leave the earth in a better state than it is now. Our children will thank us.


Being a first time mom, I had much to learn and adjust to (still am) in those first few months. During my pregnancy, my husband and I discussed how would we handle the diaper situation. I'm not talking about who has to change the poopy diaper. I'm talking about the great diaper debate--cloth versus disposable.

Now, I'm not going to get preachy on what you should do. Rather, I'll let you know what we're doing and why. We wanted to be able to use diapers that were 1) easy to use, 2) were not expensive, 3) environmentally-friendly as much as possible, and comfortable for our baby. Handling a tricky transition from just plain wife, to mother, and CEO of the household was way too much for me to absorb (no pun intended). Our answer, a combination of disposable and G diapers. This is something we're doing now.

In the beginning, when the baby came, I couldn't fathom the idea of using cloth diapers. I just thought cloth was way too hard, and the convenience of using disposables when you're out and about, was just too tempting. I was raised in cloth diapers. Back then it was the only thing that was affordable and available growing up in the Philippines. 


But as time wore on, I was disappointed in how many disposable diapers I was chucking away in our diaper champ, and I knew would take a millenia to break down and were clogging our landfills. I really wanted Micro (that's our baby boy) to enjoy our earth and its beauty. With the more travel we do as a family, our thoughts now turn to, "I hope MG will get a chance to see this in his lifetime or learn about it somehow." 

So my husband got proactive, researched alternative diapers to use, and chose G diapers. There is a wealth of information that other mommy bloggers have posted about the diaper debate and some are worth reading for educational purposes. Click here for more info on G diapers. We use G diapers at home mostly, and use disposables when we're out. I have yet still to make a full transition to using G's 100% of the time at home, but slowly getting there. MG has been fine in them and shows no discomfort. I like the cool colors they have for the outer shell, the ease of disposing it, doesn't give him any diaper rash, and it's affordable if you buy and subscribe to it on Amazon (you can cancel the subscription anytime).
 

Again, I'm not here to judge or be sanctimonious about those who use disposable only. I just want to share what worked for us and is currently a comfortable method. It's our way to being a bit more 'green'. 
We can all take a step or two, and they need not be HUGE ones, to becoming a more 'green' mother. I especially like this website for information on products that are environmentally friendly and non-toxic. Feel free to share with me your thoughts on this topic in the comments section. 

More tips on becoming 'green'

I'm fortunate to live in the Bay Area, am walking distance to BART, AC transit lines, and a ferry that can take me to nearby Alameda or San Francisco. In fact, when I worked full-time, BART was my main mode of transportation, and it allowed me to get some serious shut-eye (even if it was brief) on my way to and from work. So it goes to follow that my next tip in becoming more 'green', is to drive less. 


Easier said than done right? Driving affords me the opportunity to take off in my car whenever I want and please,allows the ease of popping the car seat in and out of the car, storage space, and it puts my baby to sleep for a nap while he listens to Baby Einstein music (used to work for me, but not much nowadays). It's much harder relying on public transportation to be on time and efficient. Though it is worth the time to evaluate your options. As with the pros stated above, there are cons to driving. Such as, price of gas, parking (plus the steep price you pay for in urban cities), traffic,the increased wear on your car, there's a higher chance of being in an accident, and of course, the more cars on the road, the higher your carbon footprint is and you create more pollution. 



So how do I remedy this? I do a combination of the two. I drive less and use public transportation. It's better than always driving. In addition, my son has the chance to experience commuting in varied forms, I'm helping reduce my carbon footprint, and I'm not sitting in traffic. As a stay-at-home parent, it's easy to use the car as our "getaway" from the madness at home. You can still do that, by either taking the baby out for a long, leisure walk in the stroller, or grab a bus map, hop on a line and explore where it can take you. You may discover a cool, new park just blocks from a bus stop, or find a hole-in-the-wall eatery that you and your kids will enjoy. I researched a bit and discovered that some of my favorite baby-friendly shopping areas are minutes away from a BART stop. And the bonus to all this, is you get exercise.


If you must drive and insist on it, and can't afford to fork over money to buy a hybrid car, then designate two or three days during the week where you can run most of your errands. Structure meetings and appointments accordingly. In doing this, you'll use your time wisely, and become more efficient in handling your day-to-day tasks.  


On the heels of the above advice, buy less so you consume less. This is much harder to achieve since we are a nation of consumers. I'm still trying to abide by this tip and am continually improving my consumption habits. I don't want to be a wasteful consumer. I've purchased so many non-essentials in my life and realize the impact it has is more frustrating than productive. Naturally, I love to shop. But, with economic times being the way they are, and our environment suffering tremendously, I wanted to become more conscientious about how I spend my money and time. Do I really need that third diaper bag? Or will it just take up space in my small apartment (and I'd have to take time to rearrange stuff just so I have somewhere to store it--as if I live in a 25-hour cycle)? What value does it add to my life? Believe it or not, these are questions we should be asking ourselves anyway.



By buying only what we need and when we need it (be careful when evaluating 'when' you need things; if you notice you go through several rolls of toilet paper in a week, it might be more efficient and wise to purchase bulk when it's on sale), we'll be kinder to our pocketbooks, increase our organizational and time management skills, and reduce clutter. All in doing so to become more 'green'. 


For all those items you realize you may not need or want, sell it on Ebay or Craigslist. Other alternatives are to donate them or use Freecycle.