Sally's Random Ponderings

I'm getting old. Yep, I just realized that.

I've been thinking a lot lately about ways I want to improve our life. Some of this is possible, and some of it is not. But because the word pondering means simply to THINK about and not to actually DO, I feel like I can ponder here to my hearts content. And then maybe, just maybe... I'll ponder enough to do something about some of these things. What's scary is this is not ALL of the pondering I'm doing... I've got lots more... oh so much more.

FOOD

1) Eating healthy. This does not mean non fat, processed, icky diet food (anyone remember pot cheese?). This means REAL FOOD. Whole Food (not necessarily the store). I want my kids to get to where they taste the real thing and think YUM and not eeeeeeeeewwwww... Whole Grains. no white flour. Fruit. Vegetables. Hummus. Cheese. Peanut Butter. okay, I have to stop... getting hungry.

2) To do this, would mean limited access to these items: Potato Chips (I've not bought them all month!), crackers, granola bars, fruit bars, etc. You know, the kind of stuff my kids can just help themselves to. Also, instant anything (mac & cheese, rice meals, frozen meals, my beloved lean cuisines, etc).

3) Also, I want to force myself to make my own Chicken Stock (do I have to touch a raw Chicken?), Chicken Broth, Cream of Mushroom soups, mayonaise.

4) More honey, less sugar. NEVER pretend sugar... ever, ever, ever (good bye, Diet Dr. Pepper, oh how I've loved you on occasion)...

5) Basically not shopping the center aisles at the store. Just the produce, meat, cheese & dairy sections. Wouldn't that make for a better grocery bill? While doing this I also want to avoid processed meats.

6) Intentionally freezing fruits & vegetables in the summer for the winter months.

EXERCISE

This I've actually embraced. I'm lap swimming & doing water Aerobics 2 days per week. I'm running at least 1 day per week and doing EA Fitness on the Wii 3 days per week. Some days (like today) I'm getting in a bonus run instead of doing the Wii which is not only ideal, it's the BEST! Endorphins... I love you so.

My dream is to join the YMCA. But at the low low price of just around $800/year, that's simply not going to happen. But a girl can dream, right?

Why the Y? Then in the evening instead of leaving my sweet husband here to take care of the kiddos, they can come with us! Finley can go to the childcare center while Spencer and Hudson swim with Daddy or Hudson can go to childcare while Finley & Spencer swim, etc. Or Kent can put them all in childcare and he can work out too. I think a lot about how embracing exercise could build such a great foundation in their young lives about the importance of taking care of their bodies.

Or maybe it just needs to stop raining and the sun needs to come out so we can do this exercise stuff outside?

MONEY

Ack! Not my favorite subject. But something I'm suddenly not feeling completely powerless with. Why? Couponing... I finally got bit by the bug. I now have a lovely 3 ring binder that accompanies me to the grocery store. If I see something is on sale or has an in store coupon, I can instantly comb through it and see if it's something we use and if it's close to free (or a great deal). If so, I buy it. I've learned about great scenarios where I've actually got products for free (gasp!) and/or made money just by paying attention! How? There are already so many fine ladies on the internet doing the research and posting the deals for me. How sweet is that? See my sidebar... as the gals update their blogs - their great deals appear.

FARM

I want to buy a farm. Why? I want chickens so we have farm fresh eggs and I want property where I can open the back door and the kids have tons of space to run and dig and play and get dirty. I want muddy pants to wash and grass stains to get out of their clothing. I want them to play so hard outside that they have holes in their pants that I have to patch. But that's not going to happen. Why? Farms are freaking expensive! So instead, we're going to join Mustard Seed Farms this year. You basically pay a small fee (like so small that you think it must be a misprint small) and you work. You bring the kids and you pull weeds and hoe and work and do what you can to help the farm run. What do you get in exchange? Food... vegetables, fruits, berries. YUM! As for the eggs? I'm going to buy them from my friend Denise... she has chickens and feeds them organically and takes care of them so I guess I don't really NEED the farm.

TIME

I want us to spend our time together intentionally. Hiking, exploring, playing - enjoying each other. I feel like we spend many a weekend doing house "stuff" and before we know it the weekend is gone! I want our children to remember their childhood not as one where they watch TV while Mom & Dad do stuff around the house... I want them to remember camping and trips to Champoeg park to run around. I want them to remember family bike rides and great adventures. There are things I want them to remember other than their favorite Little Einstein episode or Super Hero.

HOUSEWORK

This brings me to housework. It's funny... I sound really lame when I say that my Mom checklist I bought on the internet has changed my life. But it kinda has. For example, my Mother In Law is coming today to take care of the little boys while I go to school with Spencer. Normally, I would be running around the house right now, trying desperately to clean in preparation of her arrival. Yes. I do that. Not this time, because I've been doing most of the things on my list - the bathrooms are clean, the laundry is caught up, and the carpets are not horrifying - I've even dusted! That feels good. Our Master Closet is a MESS, but guess what? That's on the list for today... Yep, I'm giddy about my list. My gradual, little at a time list. It's a good thing.

ESSENTIAL OILS

I want to learn about them. I hear they are awesome. But that's all I've got to say about that.

BOOKS

I want the book Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingslover so I can start to ponder some of the above. I also want the book Great Food, Good Medicine by a local doctor who Sarah went and saw just the other day and who I've heard speak before. Awesome stuff. And I want more books that teach me about that stuff. I know. I want I want I want. Sally has a major case of the I wants.

So that concludes my ponderings for the day. I gotta get... if I'm going to get my brain around any of this!

I'll leave you with this photo. In case you were wondering... this is what happens when you're blogging, not paying attention and you leave your 6 year old with the Crayola Washable Markers. Yep. Click on the photo to see it good and big and get the full effect of the photo.