July 16, 2008
What life is all about
We spent the evening at a nearby lake sitting on the grass and playing with Eliot. It was absolutely gorgeous outside and I could have stayed there forever. There are certain rare moments in my life where I feel completely present and peaceful and everything outside of the moment just melts away. That's what happened tonight.
July 15, 2008
Great Customer Service from AnkaBabyStore
We received our highchair on Monday but after opening the box and looking at it, I quickly saw that it was cracked where the leg was attached to the seat. I was very disappointed, to say the least. I'd been waiting to use the chair so I could clean up pureed baby food from all surfaces of our kitchen and dining room... I called AnkaBabyStore and to my surprise, received absolutely fantastic customer service. I don't mean to be cynical but great customer service isn't the norm. Their representative apologized for the situation and put a new highchair in the mail immediately and arranged for FedEx to pick up the broken chair the next day. We'll get it on Thursday. I can't remember the last time I had such great customer service.
July 11, 2008
A Plague of Plastic be upon your home...
I...feel...a little bit guilty. Sick to my stomach guilty, like this:
As you know, we've resolved to not purchase anything made of plastic unless it's our only alternative. Well, this is a very, very difficult thing to do when you're used to buying whatever you want regardless of what it's made of. I could list a million examples of how we're breaking our resolution every day, but this one example is really bothering me. Last night, we were out and about running errands and we stopped to grab supper at Leeann Chin. The food was ok but between me and Jason, we used about 8 pieces of plastic that ended up in the garbage after only 15 minutes of use. Our plates, lids, silverware, cup - everything was plastic! So this doesn't make any sense to me. All the resources (water, electricity, etc.) used to make those plastic items which are used for about 15 minutes if they're lucky (the guy next to us ate in about 3 minutes!) and then they're tossed. Is it worth it? And we're contributing to the problem. Well folks, we're a work in progress - we are not even close to perfection. This change is hard! There are restaurants that offer quick food which do not require you to use disposable plastic - Chipotle is the first that comes to mind. The burritos are wrapped in paper backed foil, the burrito bowls are a paper product and their cups are paper, also. As long as we don't use utensils, it's an entirely plastic-free option. I'll need to try and come up with a longer list of options for us so that in a pinch, we can make a good choice.
Now, so of you may be thinking to yourselves as I often do, "Aren't there more pressing issues to feel guilty about? Like genocide in Darfur, the AIDS crisis, the healthcare crisis in America, etc., etc.?" The answer is yes and I feel just as strongly, if not stronger, about those issues. But that doesn't negate the seriousness of the problem of plastic. Keep in mind that the plastic currently existing in our world will NEVER go away. NEVER. It doesn't degrade. It only becomes smaller and smaller molecules of plastic which are filling our landfills, our lakes, our rivers, our oceans, our forests, our children's bodies and on and on. Hence, our resolution.
Beth Terry from Oakland, CA has taken this about 1000 times farther than we have and is doing an amazing job eliminating plastic from her life. Take a look at this list she compiled on her website (http://www.fakeplasticfish.com/) of ways to stop using plastic. We will continue to try and slowly make these changes and hopefully be more successful than we were yesterday. What's your take on this issue? Are you doing anything to eliminate unnecessary plastic in your life?
As you know, we've resolved to not purchase anything made of plastic unless it's our only alternative. Well, this is a very, very difficult thing to do when you're used to buying whatever you want regardless of what it's made of. I could list a million examples of how we're breaking our resolution every day, but this one example is really bothering me. Last night, we were out and about running errands and we stopped to grab supper at Leeann Chin. The food was ok but between me and Jason, we used about 8 pieces of plastic that ended up in the garbage after only 15 minutes of use. Our plates, lids, silverware, cup - everything was plastic! So this doesn't make any sense to me. All the resources (water, electricity, etc.) used to make those plastic items which are used for about 15 minutes if they're lucky (the guy next to us ate in about 3 minutes!) and then they're tossed. Is it worth it? And we're contributing to the problem. Well folks, we're a work in progress - we are not even close to perfection. This change is hard! There are restaurants that offer quick food which do not require you to use disposable plastic - Chipotle is the first that comes to mind. The burritos are wrapped in paper backed foil, the burrito bowls are a paper product and their cups are paper, also. As long as we don't use utensils, it's an entirely plastic-free option. I'll need to try and come up with a longer list of options for us so that in a pinch, we can make a good choice.
Now, so of you may be thinking to yourselves as I often do, "Aren't there more pressing issues to feel guilty about? Like genocide in Darfur, the AIDS crisis, the healthcare crisis in America, etc., etc.?" The answer is yes and I feel just as strongly, if not stronger, about those issues. But that doesn't negate the seriousness of the problem of plastic. Keep in mind that the plastic currently existing in our world will NEVER go away. NEVER. It doesn't degrade. It only becomes smaller and smaller molecules of plastic which are filling our landfills, our lakes, our rivers, our oceans, our forests, our children's bodies and on and on. Hence, our resolution.
Beth Terry from Oakland, CA has taken this about 1000 times farther than we have and is doing an amazing job eliminating plastic from her life. Take a look at this list she compiled on her website (http://www.fakeplasticfish.com/) of ways to stop using plastic. We will continue to try and slowly make these changes and hopefully be more successful than we were yesterday. What's your take on this issue? Are you doing anything to eliminate unnecessary plastic in your life?
July 7, 2008
Eco-friendly High Chairs
Eliot is now eating solids and is ready for a high chair. Since we have resolved not to buy any plastic unless it's our only option, a plastic high chair was out of the question. However, there are lots of nice wooden high chairs on the market, so it wasn't difficult to find an eco-friendly and baby safe alternative. These three were our favorites.
Stokke Tripp Trapp
Chair Price: $229.99
Cushion Price: $39.99
Before we started researching high chairs, we thought that this would be the one we would choose. Both the seat and footrest of this high chair are adjustable so it can be used for kids 6 months of age through adulthood (it holds up to 300 lbs). It's ergonomically designed and made of cultivated beechwood. It meets US and international safety standards and has a five-point safety harness. It's JPMA certified. There are 9 different wood finishes to choose from including nice bright colors. A cushion can be purchased separately and there are 7 color/pattern options. There's a 7-year warranty on all wooden components. A really nice feature of this chair is that it is meant to be pulled up to your dining table so that your child can eat with the rest of the family. But there is no option for a separate tray, which was something we wanted. Overall, we found it to be a very well designed and attractive chair. It was also the most expensive option.
Kuster K2
Chair Price: $175.00
Cushion Price: $24.99
This new high chair from the UK is adjustable and can be used for kids 6 months of age through 6 years old. It's ergonomically designed and has a simple folding mechanism which makes it easy to store. It has a removable tray, a five-point safety harness, a basket for storing things like bibs (very handy!), self levelling feet and a completely adjustable tray that is removable and dishwasher safe. The chair comes in 4 different finishes and there are 3 cushion options (purchased separately). This chair is made of sustainable beechwood. We really liked the look and function of this chair but ultimately we decided that we wanted something that was made entirely of wood. Additionally, we weren't sure whether the tray was made of a safe plastic, so we chose the final of our three options, the Anka, by Svan. To be fair, I'm sure that we could have confirmed the tray material by contacting the manufacturer.
Anka, by Svan
Chair Price: $169.99 (Cushion included)
Extra Cushion $39.95
This chair was exactly what we were looking for. It's well designed and well priced, attractive, environmentally friendly and baby safe. The chair is made entirely of sustainable wood, except for the tray cover, which is made of phthalate and bisphenol A (BPA)-free plastic. The included chair cushion is made of PBDE-free foam. The tray is removable so it allows us the option of having Eliot sit at the table with us or use a tray of his own. It can be used as a high chair or a booster seat (through 5 years old or 50 lbs). By the time Eliot is 5, he should be able to sit at the table with us on a regular dining room chair. This chair has an ergonomic design with an adjustable seat and footrest which provides good support and it folds for easy storage. The tray cover is dishwasher-safe and the chair cushion is machine-washable which should help with cleaning! It comes in 3 different finishes and there are five cushion colors. It meets both US and international safety standards and is JPMA and ASTM certified. We really love this chair and can't wait to start using it. After we get it set-up and use it for a while, I'll post again to let you know how it's working for us. Also, if you were just dying to know: the strawberry rhubarb pie that I made for the 4th tasted fantastic, including the crust!
Stokke Tripp Trapp
Chair Price: $229.99
Cushion Price: $39.99
Before we started researching high chairs, we thought that this would be the one we would choose. Both the seat and footrest of this high chair are adjustable so it can be used for kids 6 months of age through adulthood (it holds up to 300 lbs). It's ergonomically designed and made of cultivated beechwood. It meets US and international safety standards and has a five-point safety harness. It's JPMA certified. There are 9 different wood finishes to choose from including nice bright colors. A cushion can be purchased separately and there are 7 color/pattern options. There's a 7-year warranty on all wooden components. A really nice feature of this chair is that it is meant to be pulled up to your dining table so that your child can eat with the rest of the family. But there is no option for a separate tray, which was something we wanted. Overall, we found it to be a very well designed and attractive chair. It was also the most expensive option.Kuster K2
Chair Price: $175.00
Cushion Price: $24.99
This new high chair from the UK is adjustable and can be used for kids 6 months of age through 6 years old. It's ergonomically designed and has a simple folding mechanism which makes it easy to store. It has a removable tray, a five-point safety harness, a basket for storing things like bibs (very handy!), self levelling feet and a completely adjustable tray that is removable and dishwasher safe. The chair comes in 4 different finishes and there are 3 cushion options (purchased separately). This chair is made of sustainable beechwood. We really liked the look and function of this chair but ultimately we decided that we wanted something that was made entirely of wood. Additionally, we weren't sure whether the tray was made of a safe plastic, so we chose the final of our three options, the Anka, by Svan. To be fair, I'm sure that we could have confirmed the tray material by contacting the manufacturer.
Anka, by Svan
Chair Price: $169.99 (Cushion included)
Extra Cushion $39.95
This chair was exactly what we were looking for. It's well designed and well priced, attractive, environmentally friendly and baby safe. The chair is made entirely of sustainable wood, except for the tray cover, which is made of phthalate and bisphenol A (BPA)-free plastic. The included chair cushion is made of PBDE-free foam. The tray is removable so it allows us the option of having Eliot sit at the table with us or use a tray of his own. It can be used as a high chair or a booster seat (through 5 years old or 50 lbs). By the time Eliot is 5, he should be able to sit at the table with us on a regular dining room chair. This chair has an ergonomic design with an adjustable seat and footrest which provides good support and it folds for easy storage. The tray cover is dishwasher-safe and the chair cushion is machine-washable which should help with cleaning! It comes in 3 different finishes and there are five cushion colors. It meets both US and international safety standards and is JPMA and ASTM certified. We really love this chair and can't wait to start using it. After we get it set-up and use it for a while, I'll post again to let you know how it's working for us. Also, if you were just dying to know: the strawberry rhubarb pie that I made for the 4th tasted fantastic, including the crust!
July 3, 2008
Summer Goals (and goodies!)
Three of our goals this summer were: (1) to have a successful garden, (2) to set-up a rain barrel for outside watering needs and (3) to begin composting. All three goals accomplished! Actually, we'll need to wait and see how well our garden grows...but so far, so good! Take a look at how it's doing today. The beans are up (under the peas stick?!) and they need to be thinned out in a couple of days.
Next to the beans are two heirloom tomato plants. Our raspberry bush is growing well and it looks like we may have a few berries this summer...I wasn't expecting any until next year.
The cucumbers have started to thrive and should hopefully crawl up the lattice instead of laying on the ground - this should make them easier to pick.
We've already picked the basil twice for pesto and pasta - so nice to have fresh basil whenever you want it! The green peppers are doing well and the cherry and Beefsteak tomato plants seem to grow inches every day!
And here's our patio tomato plant, also thriving.
The rain barrel is set-up (thanks Jason!) and ready to go. Now we just need some rain! Does our set-up look correct? I was wondering if we needed some type of screen over the opening?
The compost bin is also set-up (thanks Jason, again!) and we're using it daily. I don't mind composting for the most part, but the one thing I really hate is the flies when I have to open the lid to add new waste. Ick! So gross!
Now for the goodies...tonight I baked two pies from scratch! We had tons of rhubarb that was ready (no picture because I had already cut it), so I baked strawberry rhubarb pies. This was my first attempt at making my own pie dough and I think it turned out quite well. I tried to make two little flowers and a leaf on the top - you can't really make it out in the picture. It looks nice in real life - I'll have let you know if it tastes good, too.
Next to the beans are two heirloom tomato plants. Our raspberry bush is growing well and it looks like we may have a few berries this summer...I wasn't expecting any until next year.
The cucumbers have started to thrive and should hopefully crawl up the lattice instead of laying on the ground - this should make them easier to pick.
We've already picked the basil twice for pesto and pasta - so nice to have fresh basil whenever you want it! The green peppers are doing well and the cherry and Beefsteak tomato plants seem to grow inches every day!
And here's our patio tomato plant, also thriving.
The rain barrel is set-up (thanks Jason!) and ready to go. Now we just need some rain! Does our set-up look correct? I was wondering if we needed some type of screen over the opening?
The compost bin is also set-up (thanks Jason, again!) and we're using it daily. I don't mind composting for the most part, but the one thing I really hate is the flies when I have to open the lid to add new waste. Ick! So gross!
Now for the goodies...tonight I baked two pies from scratch! We had tons of rhubarb that was ready (no picture because I had already cut it), so I baked strawberry rhubarb pies. This was my first attempt at making my own pie dough and I think it turned out quite well. I tried to make two little flowers and a leaf on the top - you can't really make it out in the picture. It looks nice in real life - I'll have let you know if it tastes good, too.
Happy 4th of July!
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