I’ve been told that I can find the silver lining in most clouds.   The last few weeks have personally been challenging for me.  Our family has been battling winter illnesses (colds, sinus infections, and the likes) and we are still today coughing and hacking.  Thankfully you can’t catch it from reading this…but I wouldn’t want to step into my house today.  Which reminds me, I think I’m going to hire a maid for a very DEEP cleaning of the entire house and I need to go buy everyone new toothbrushes.  Isn’t it funny what you think about after you get sick? 

Anyways…in addition to all the germs floating around my house I’ve received some scary news about the health of others in my family.  But like most people, we will learn to accept the cards that we have been dealt and treasure the moments we have today.  I know..I sound like a cheesy Hallmark card…but sometimes life gives you so much that there is nothing else you can do but look for that silver lining.  Take a step back and remember what matters most in your life.  It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and focus all your energy on work, extra-curricular activities for the kids, and other daily activities…but what really matters most in life is relationships with those you love. 

Last week I received an email from Erin, an editor at the Southern Living Magazine, and asked if she could feature me as their Mama Blogger of The Week.  This came on the same day as some pretty scary news.  I was all excited and giddy as I sat there and read her email over and over again.  I went and read about some of the past Mama Bloggers of the Weeks and I feel honored to be among these other great mama’s.  Thank you Erin for all your kind words and for the recognition.

So…go check it out.  Go visit the Southern Living, Live Healthy blog and see what it’s all about.  There are great articles about health, wellness, and the environment.  Leave me your comments over there so next time I have a bad day I can read your kind words and remember why I continue to write.  To build relationships, to help one another through these tough times, and to share my passion with the environment with everyone.  

Thank you for continuing to support me.  It’s gonna be one tough year…but I’m ready with my blender to make some lemonade (or maybe a margarita)!  Anyone else thirsty?

Last weekend I spent some time away with my parents, my kids, my brother and his family. I love my sister-in-law and I’m so excited that they are close by finally. They have always lived several states away so it’s nice to have them 2 hrs. away!

The talk quickly turned to blogging and cloth diapering. Because I don’t think it’s possible for me NOT to bring those two subjects up in a conversation.

My SIL actually tried cloth diapers with her son (now three) for a short period of time but stopped because of the poop!

Poop? Yes, all babies poop! She revealed to me a strong dislike for poop. Not a normal ‘poop is gross’ dislike…a very extreme dislike.

She brought up the biodegradeable diapers and how she thought they offered a better benefit to most people than cloth…still good for the environment. Hmmmm…she must not know much about how these diapers degrade. I mean they need ideal conditions in a compost pile before they can begin to degrade. You can’t just send them to a landfill in the trash bag and expect them to degrade. Did you know that??

After a brief lesson in biodegredation I asked her more about this poop factor. Was she willing to let poop sit in her compost pile in her back yard? No! she would just prefer to send it away. Her fear of poop goes even farther…she doesn’t want poop in her washer. She said it was gross to think about poopy water and clean clothes. It’s really just an image of poop really since you flush the poop before you wash it (unless it’s breastfeeding poop that is water soluble).

So I continued to question her…afterall we’ve all experienced disposable poop-plosion haven’t we? What did she do when poop got on his baby clothes?? Want to know her answer?

She threw those clothes away!! That’s how extreme her poop issues are!! She wouldn’t even wash poopy clothes in the washer. I was just in shock! I was at a loss for words.

Nothing I could do or say would shine a positive light on poop. There is nothing I could do or say that would change her mind. It’s a great reminder that cloth diapers may not be for every parent…but it’s a great story to share.

I personally don’t care about poop…I’ve had poop on my hands! It’s just a part of parenting and I’m ok with that. What about you? Does poop bother you? How do you deal with poop?

From my iPhone so please excuse any typos!

As I lay here in bed typing away on my iPhone, too scared to pull out the laptop in fear of waking the wee ones, I am pondering the weekend that has appeared.

Today will be spent at the Little League field with the Opening Ceremonies. It’s going to be a little different this year since the hubs and I aren’t coaching. Instead I have a new role, recycling coordinator!

The past 6 months I’ve worked to implement recycling at the fields. The only element that I didn’t finish is the signage. I’m out of printer ink so posters will have to wait. I just hope people are smart enough to realize that the trash can next to the recycling bin is where the trash goes! Seems like such a simple concept, right??

The rest of the weekend?? Recovering from a round of colds. Designing our bathroom remodel. And whatever else comes our way. Maybe I’ll even find some time to pull out the laptop and write.

For now, the iPhone is being set aside as I hear the babbles from Lil B.

What are your plans for the weekend?

How was your Valentine’s Day?  Mine was very low key and relaxed.  I’ve been battling a cold for a few days and have lost my voice, can’t breath through my nose, and am generally pitiful. 

Hubby and I don’t normally exchange big gifts on Valentine’s Day but he always does something special.  Today was really cute and unusual.  He got me a candy bouquet in a small white vase.  Each ‘flower’ is a different hard candy in red, pink, or white wrapper.  He also sent me a tweet and a Facebook message at midnight so I would see it when I woke up.  He knows me so well.

I am such a slacker (that combined with the way that I feel) that I didn’t even get him a card.  But I did make breakfast for him…his favorite…grits, eggs, and bacon!  He didn’t seem to mind that there was no card or Hallmark inspired gift.

My son got some wonderfully yummy chocolate treats.  While I am very eco-friendly around the house our food selections don’t really follow suite.  I only buy organic food on rare occasions, I don’t really care about high fructose corn syrup, and I’ve never feared artificial colors.  However, I do understand the reason for concern.  I tried some really yummy organic candies recently by Surf Sweets that are organic and natural.  I didn’t expect them to taste nearly as good as my favorite gummy bears but to my surprise they were really delicious.  I saved some for my son to try but I managed to eat most of them all by myself.  It’s a good thing that our local Sweet Bay also carries them because I have found my new favorite indulgence…and I can feel good about giving it to my son.  I should get some for my best friend too since the are vegetarian and vegan snacks (with the exception of the gummy bears and worms).  If you become a Fan of Surf Sweets on Facebook during February they will donate $1 to The Ocean Project on your behalf.

If I was feeling better this week I would have gotten a little more creative and tried some new recipes from POM Wonderful.  I received 4 bottles of POM Wonderful 100% pomegranate juice recently and I only got a sip of one of them.  My husband took them to work with him everyday until they were gone.  He doesn’t normally reach for the healthy drinks but when he saw that medical research has shown to improve prostate, cardiovascular, and erectile function I don’t think I had to sell him on the goodness that was in the bottle.  Isn’t it funny what men pay attention to?  Look at these fabulous cupcakes that are made using POM Wonderful and pomegranates.  Now…to see if I can find fresh California pomegranates at our local grocery store here in Florida. 

In past years hubby has been a regular shopper at the store with the little turquoise box (my absolute favorite jewelry). 

I have a few pieces that I wear regularly mixed in with a few feel good pieces.  I wrote a few months ago about the Andean Collection and Zulugrass which both support women, families and communities in impoverished areas around the world.  My favorite piece of feel good jewelry still remains my zulugrass bead bracelet set.  It is so durable and the blue/green colors go with the majority of my wardrobe.  On days like today when I pull out the red I only have a few pieces of jewelry with red in them so my Hands Up Not Hand Outs (HUNHO) wrist wrap in red and black is a nice addition.  These wrap style bracelets tie around your wrist with a satiny ribbon and are made by Palestinian women in the Qalandia Refugee Camp near Jerusalem.  I love that all of the proceeds go back to support the artisans and their local communities.   

What do you do to celebrate Valentine’s Day?  Did you get anything extra special?  I’d love to hear about it. 

Are you curious about the products I talk my views and the products I talk about?  Be sure to read my disclosure and privacy policies.

One thing that I don’t talk about often is my art background.  As a child I was heavily involved in all things artistic.  I was an oil painter at age 10 and continued to pursue my passion through college.  In college I was studying to become a graphic designer.  At the same time I was working my way through college as a sales associate at the local art supply store…making a whooping $7/hr.  You might have guessed by now that I didn’t finish my degree in art…instead I attended a different university my final 2 years (actually more like 4 more years…LOL!) and now hold a Bachelor’s degree in Biology.  I decided that graphic design was very competitive and I wasn’t a competitive person.  That plus all of my coworkers at the art supply store all had their degree in graphic design and were still working 9-5 at the art supply store! 

I recently received a beautiful piece of artwork from Lillunia, a collection of artwork by Laura Hill and Eve Gianni Corio.  The piece is Ashley’s Bears, a giclee print of the original watercolor painting of three polar bears snuggled up to their mother trying to stay warm.  A giclee is simply the process of making fine art prints from a digital source using ink-jet printing (Thanks Wikipedia!).  Each print is hand numbered and signed by the artist (Deborah Bassino). 

The artwork on Lillunia is all nature-inspired and is perfect for a nursery or child’s room.  You can buy one piece or you could buy a collection (or mosaic) of work.  The mosaics are different sized pieces of the same animal in different poses.  I’m not sure which animal is my favorite…the polar bear, giraffe, monkeys, ducks, zebras, or dolphins.  I’d have to say the dolphins, but that would be the water lover in me.  

All prints can be customized with your child’s name and date of birth to make this an extra special keepsake.  The pieces can be shipped either matted or custom framed.

As a fellow art lover I was drawn to the Lillunia collection.  Maybe because it is so similar to the type of art that I used to paint.  I really should make time to get back into my artwork.  I still have all of my supplies in a box in the garage along with my easel and art desk.  It’s a part of me I never really let go…even if I don’t practice. 

Buy It Now!  Whether you like original watercolors or prints Lillunia can provide you with quality work for your child.  Prices are very reasonable; an 11 x 14 print of Ashley’s Bears is priced at the low price of $95.  Don’t forget each piece is signed and numbered by the artist and comes complete with a Certificate of Authenticity.  Lillunia is located in New York.

My husband and I have a great relationship but like all spouses we pick on each others weaknesses when we get frustrated. This weekend he picked on my green weaknesses so I decided to turn it into a blog post. (Love you huney!)

Whether you are green-minded or not you will appreciate knowing that I’m not perfect and I don’t claim to be. While I am The Eco Chic that doesn’t mean that I am always living the perfect green life. I am human and there is no way that I will ever be 100% green. Our current lifestyle just does not allow for me to do everything to the greenest level possible. Like most parents out there I have real life responsibilities such as a career, a family, kids, house work, church, extra curricular activities, and so much more to juggle each day…being green is just one aspect of my life.

Five Things I Don’t Want You to Know About Me:

1. I’m a lazy recycler and I don’t recycle everything. We pay to have our recyclables picked up once a week where we live. I am guilty of letting the recycling gather in the garage until it’s overflowing. I usually wait until my husband decides to take it out to the road. Unfortunately they will only pick up plastic and aluminum. I really let the cardboard accumulate in the garage…for over a month! And hubby will usually get sick of looking at it and take it across the road to the drop off center. Glass…gets tossed because there is no place local to recycle it (easily).

2. I don’t compost. I’ve tried…I made a redneck compost bin from chicken wire 2 summers ago with all the intentions of composting our kitchen scraps. This failed because I never turned the compost bin…so essentially it has become a leaf bin and is overgrown with weeds.

3. I don’t have a green thumb when it comes to gardening. I’ve tried that too…and failed. I expect the garden to be self sufficient and it’s not.

4. I’m not a vegan and I don’t eat organic (all the time). I tried the vegan lifestyle in college for a few years and did ok with it. Then I married a meat and potatoe man. Just adding green beans to a meal is a chore! I do try to buy organic when the prices are competitive and I usually buy apples organic. Hubby doesn’t understand the whole organic craze, nor does he believe the claims. Don’t tell him…but I sneak in several meat-free meals all of the time and he never complains!

5. I use plastic. Even with my understanding of BPA and plastics I still use plastic food storage containers and I allow my children to play with plastic toys.

Why am I telling you all of these things? Because I don’t want you to think I’m a hypocrite. I’m just a human being trying her hardest to be green. While my life may be greener than most it’s certainly not as green as it could be. My goal is not to shame or guilt anyone into changing their lifestyle…my goal is to educate you of your options and provide you with small steps you can take to change your life.

What is your green weakness that you don’t want me to know about you?

Today we celebrate the day that our baby girl blessed our family!  About this time last year I was welcoming her to the world and introducing her to our family and friends.  Our lives have not been the same since!

Today we not only celebrate her first 365 days but we also celebrate our first year of cloth diapering (almost a whole year at least) and 365 days of breastfeeding! 

I thank the Lord everyday for all that you have brought into our lives!  Happy Birthday Lil’ B!

Weddings? Why am I talking about weddings? I’ve been married for almost 9 years and have no plans on leaving my husband or remarrying! 

Hubby and I have always talked about renewing our vows at a beach ceremony with our friends and family for our 10 year anniversary.  See back in 2001 we ran away to Vegas and got married at the classy Little White Wedding Chapel (wish I had some digital pics from those days but we still used film…I’ll have to scan some later!).  It was actually a very nice ceremony and we had about 13 guests there.  I wouldn’t have done it any other way! 

But we’ve always wished we had gotten married on the beach.  He’s actually started a savings account for 2011 so that we can do whatever we like for our 10yr.  As much as I’d like to do a beach vow renewal we’ve also talked about running away to some exotic location for a week.  We’re thinking maybe Greece or Fiji…exotic enough for you?  As long as there is crystal blue water (and my darling hubby) I know that it will be perfect. 

One of my friends (and fellow eco-junkies) just got engaged and I’m curious as to how green her wedding will be.  Since I haven’t planned a wedding in quite some time I didn’t realize all the cool wedding favors that are on the market these days.  I found a cute website; Hanson Ellis; that offers some amazing eco-friendly wedding favors and bridal shower favors.

Oh, if I could do it all over again…

…maybe I will, we’ll see in 2011!

*This post was sponsored by Hanson Ellis but all of the content is orignial and true!

Wishing you all a safe and Happy New Years!

The family and I are just spending a quiet (haha) night at home!

The baby was cranky and crashed before 7pm.

Played (and lost) monopoly with hubs and the boy. Ate junk food and tweeted while watching the festivities on tv!

Tis’ an exciting life as a parent of two!

Welcome 2010! I’m excited to see what you have in store for us!

So here I sit typing my very first iBlog! I cracked the screen on my PDA yesterday and had to get it replaced! Can you tell that blogging will never be the same again? I have a feeling that on the go posts will appear more often now! Ok…now to see what other fun things I can do with it! More later.