First World Problems?

I'm getting my hair cut later this week. I keep thinking I'll just get a trim.....I like having long-ish hair so I can do all the trendy hairstyles like side braids and sock buns. But then I see my friend S, who has short, wavy hair that looks fabulous, and I think how easy short hair would be.....with short hair, I could just run my fingers through my hair each morning and be ready to go.

Then I think about how slowly my hair grows, how it would take me a year to grow my hair back to shoulder length.....

And then I read this beautiful post from Wild and Precious...perfectly timed for my week.

I urge you to check it out, too, and find out how Blair is using her lovely locks to help rescue women from the sex industry.

Treed

We thought we escaped unscathed from the severe storms of May, until our lawn guy corrected this misconception. We have a very deep, half-acre lot, and the back of the lot is a tangle of brush, shrubs, and trees. The planty chaos didn't look any different when we observed it from our civilized fenced area, but lawnmower man informed us that we had lost a sizeable tree. The felled wood combined with a tree lost in the winter to make the back of our lot inaccessible. So no real damage, but some inconvenience.

Last Sunday afternoon I was enjoying the calmer rain brought by June. I had just put both boys down for naps, and I was reading a magazine while listening to the gentle thunder of the summer storm. Suddenly -- CRACK! Uh-oh. I knew that sound from when the maples at my childhood home succumbed to ice storms. Yep, we lost another tree.

This tree, instead of falling harmlessly on the back of our property, decided to take out part of our fence and position itself over my son's swingset. Not good, tree, not good.

To add to the fun, this was a weekend when Paul was in Texas for family and business, and he wouldn't get back until late Monday night.

My parents came over to the house on Sunday night and helped me patch up the fence with a screen and lumber to make sure the dog wouldn't get out. I called the fence guy to come out and give me an estimate for repairing the fence. Paul started making tentative plans to find a chainsaw and some guys to help him move the tree after he got home.

Then a great blessing fell into our laps. Alan Murdock, relief coordinator extraordinaire, posted on our neighborhood listserv that some volunteers were in town to help people with storm cleanup. Their planned cleanup site already had enough help, so they needed a new place to work. I let Alan know that we could use some help.

Monday afternoon, a cleanup crew got to work on our yard. They cut up the tree that had crashed through the fence, stacked the wood neatly in our yard, straightened the fence, and proceeded to clean up the fallen trees in the back of our yard as well.

The volunteers were so kind and helpful, working hard despite the 90-degree heat (and despite the fact that they were Red Wings fans).  Without their help, we would have taken weeks if not months to accomplish all of those tasks. Now we probably won't even need to have the fence repaired. During what is already a crazy month, the help from the volunteers was an amazing blessing that took a lot of stress out of our lives.
Have you been gifted with help from a stranger this week?

March for Babies

I've joined Itty Bitty Becca's Team for the March of Dimes March for Babies this year! 



I didn't know much about the March of Dimes until my friend Nancy had her sweet baby Becca at only 28 weeks gestation. Since then, Nancy has been a tireless advocate of the work that March of Dimes does to ensure healthy babies and healthy mommies in all pregnancies. Their research into prenatal care, prematurity, and birth defects is saving babies, like Itty Bitty Becca, every day.

In the past year March of Dimes has become even more important to me. I went into pre-term labor at 17 weeks and ended up on bed rest for five months while waiting to bring my youngest son into the world. Happily, he was born at 39 weeks, healthy and vibrant. However, we discovered he has a tethered spinal cord, a birth defect related to spina bifida. The work of March of Dimes helps babies like my David make it to full term and supports families who are dealing with NICU stays or birth defects.


In addition to my own experiences, I am thankful for what the March of Dimes has contributed to the health of Itty Bitty Becca and others like her. My tiny friends Lydia and Penny are lovely twin girls who also were born at 28 weeks, and I am thankful for the research that is helping them flourish and grow. 


So this year, I am joining the March of Babies and walking on April 17 to support March of Dimes. If you want to support my walk, you can visit my March for Babies page (or click on the bar on the right side of my blog) and contribute to March of Dimes. Your gift will help March of Dimes strive toward their goal of healthy babies and healthy families! Thanks!

A Christmas Prayer

Some friends sent me a Christmas card featuring this prayer. I don't think I've ever read it before now, but I like it and wanted to share it with you.

A Christmas Prayer

By Robert Louis Stevenson

Loving Father, Help us remember the birth of Jesus,
that we may share in the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,
and worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children, and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake.   Amen.

Source: http://www.prayerguide.org.uk/christmas.htm

Help for High-Risk Pregnancies

During this bed rest journey, I am so grateful for the many resources available to help families experiencing high risk pregnancies. This is a hard road for many reasons; for me, finding support means finding sanity. I thought I would list a few of the resources I have found helpful and invite you to list things that may have helped you during a similar time.

Babycenter Boards -- Much to my surprise, the specialized boards on Babycenter have been an amazing support for me. In addition to my "January 2010 Birth Club" group, I am a member of groups for Cervical Disorders and Bed Rest. The fellowship on these boards remind me of when I would go out to dinner with a group of women every week. This is a great place for me to turn late at night when I'm feeling discouraged.

Inspire -- Nancy told me about this site, which has another set of support groups for sharing specific issues. From what I've seen, this has a little bit less idle chatter than the Babycenter Boards and more of a focused feel.

Sidelines -- This organization specializes in providing support to women in high risk pregnancies by pairing them with a mentor who has been through a similar situation. I have an email buddy who was on long-term on bed rest with an incompetent cervix, and she's quick to offer encouragement and a listening ear when I need it. Sidelines always has helpful articles and a list of books, including books for older chlildren experiencing a mom on bed rest.

Parents Reaching Out -- I'm just starting to learn about this organization, but it seems to be a local Nashville group that provides peer counseling for high risk pregnancies and parents with NICU babies.

Mommy Blogs -- Nancy and Mollie are two bloggers who are very inspiring to me during this journey. I've found some other helpful blogs by googling my city and "bed rest" and other key words. It may sound silly, but hearing similar stories from moms who live near me helps me escape the isolation I sometimes feel.

Books -- I just read Days in Waiting, and it has some great tips for surviving long-term bed rest. I wish I had read it 2 months ago! The book also has advice on being an advocate for yourself during hospital bed rest. Nancy lent me Preemies: The Essential Guide for Parents of Premature Babies in case I end up needing it, and I've already found the information in there useful as I wonder what to expect.

Unexpected Blessings -- Of course, sometimes one never can tell from whence strength for the next day will come. Tonight I was reading a book that quoted the hymn "O Let Your Soul Now Be Filled with Gladness," and somehow that was exactly what I needed to hear.

~~~

In addition to listing some things that are helping me through my pregnancy, I also wanted to note that October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Month. To all the brave families out there who have suffered a loss in their lives -- your babies are not forgotten!

Please feel free to share with me what helped you through difficult time with your pregnancy, loss, or infertility.

Bits & Pieces

-When growing tomatoes, I highly recommend pruning the plants throughout the summer rather than waiting until the end of the summer to do battle with monster tomato plants. Just, ya know, in case you were wondering.

-I'm testing two more products as a BzzAgent. One is Got2B's Smooth Operator hair smoothing serum. I have grown into quite a fan of this product; it is a great 30-second quick fix to smooth my frizzies. I have run out of the sample product, and I think I might have to buy some more. I'm also trying CoverGirl's LashBlast Mascara, and I have been pleasantly surprised! It doesn't run or smudge or flake off, which is saying something considering I'm an emotional pregnant woman dealing with 90-degree heat. I still prefer my Clinique Lash Power since it comes off with warm water, while the LashBlast needs makeup remover. (Disclosure: I received free products and coupons from CoverGirl and Got2B for reviewing their products. And if you want some coupons, let me know in the comments and I'll try to send them to you.)

-(Warning: kinda sad bullet point) I was reading an article about a woman's childbirth experience and came across a quote referring to a group of home birth extremists think that a baby who cannot be born at home should instead die since he or she would not be evolutionarily strong. I may be a little biased, considering my background, but that makes me unspeakably angry.

-And now that I have informed you of that dreadfulness, here is a much happier thing to brighten your day. This video is the best thing on the internet.

Conservation Observations

So here in Nashville we're supposed to be using as little water as possible. Originally the mayor asked us to cut usage 50%, but our reserves are now low enough that we need major conservation efforts.

Sam Davidson wrote a great post on some good ways to cut back our water use, and I encourage you to read it.

Here are a few other ideas:


HYGIENE

• Paper diapers for the kiddos. If you are a cloth diapering family, switch to paper for now so you don't have to wash the diapers.
• Shower alternatives. Skip some showers, or take a baby-wipe bath. I've been using Olay's pre-moistened cleansing cloths on my face.
• Dry shampoo. I haven't washed my hair in several days, and it is getting gross. I am thinking about buying some dry shampoo to keep me feeling human. My friend Annie recommends Tresemme's dry shampoo.
• Don't flush. Flush your toilet as little as possible. That's a lot of water going down the drain!

COOKING/DISHES

• Reduce dishes. Find meals that require few dishes. Pizzas are great. I'm experimenting with roasting everything on a foil-lined cookie sheet and then eating straight off the pan. This has resulted in the discovery that I love roasted broccoli.
• Switch to plastic. Use plastic cups and plates that you can recycle instead of wash. I have to battle against my conservation tendencies for this one. I keep trying to wash the plastic knives!
• No pasta. Avoid meals that require lots of water. Pasta, rice, etc. may not be the best choices right now (got that one from Lesley!).
• No H20. In our house, we're saving water for Ian and the pets. Paul and I are drinking juice and soft drinks. Those extra calories are worth saving the water!
• Find what works for you. I had to put masking tape across our dish cabinet because I kept forgetting to use paper bowls for my morning cereal.

Side note for those of you washing baby bottles: I emailed Sonia Harvat with Metro Water to find out the most efficient way to wash baby bottles. I had been hand-washing the bottles one at a time, but this is what Sonia said:

      "If you have more than just one or two dishes, it is best to wash a FULL load in the dishwasher on the shortest setting. The best method would be to use disposable dishes and baby bottle systems that use a sterile liner such as the Playtex bottles."

Apparently newer dishwashers actually use less water than hand-washing several dishes. But remember, the best solution overall is to use the disposable bottle liners.

OTHER

• Use a rain barrel. I don't know how long these water restrictions will last, and I was hoping to start a garden this spring. My only hope for being able to water it will be the water I collect in a rain barrel. I've heard that rain barrel water can also be used for flushing toilets -- just pour it into the bowl.

Okay, I KNOW y'all have some good water conservation tips, so please feel free to leave them in the comments!

Contribute 2009

As pointed out by Nashvillest, this weeks is Contribute 2009, an effort to encourage consumers to support local businesses. If 100,000 people spend $50 at a local business this month, that's $5 million going into small businesses across the country!

Sounds like the perfect excuse for Castrillo's Pizza and Pied Piper ice cream to me. And I did hear about a new chocolate factory about a mile from my house....

For more info on Contribute 2009, visit Scentsy.

News

This stinks:
Canada Allows Killing of Over 500 Narwhals
I really like narwhals. On my awesome list, they are right below cats, otters, and owls.


This is cool:
More Than 1,000 Participate in Project Homeless Connect

Let's Be Neighborly

When I worked downtown, I used to wish I had a card with a list of resources for people down on their luck. I didn't want to give money to panhandlers, but I did wish for ideas to help people who needed a way out of their situation.

Two years later, I found out that such a resource does exist.

It's called Where to Find Help in Nashville, and it's a pamphlet compiled by the Metropolitan Homeless Commission and the MDHA. The pamphlet lists organizations that can help people with shelter, food, medical care, clothing, and many other services. It's a great resource for churches and non-profits to have on hand, but I also recommend it for individuals.

If you frequently find yourself wishing you could help someone who clearly needs a place to stay or a way to eat, print out a few of these pamphlets and keep them with you as you go about your day.

WHERE TO FIND HELP IN NASHVILLE [PDF]

I also did some work with East Nashville Cooperative Ministry to help them compile an East Nashville and downtown-specific pamphlet. Several churches on the Eastside asked for a list of helpful organizations within walking distance of the Main Street/Woodland Street area, so we obliged. The pamphlet does contain a few places that aren't in walking distance, since there are some organizations that don't have an equivalent on this side of the river.

WHERE TO FIND HELP IN EAST NASHVILLE [PDF]

P.S. -- Yeah, I think I'll ask for your money again today. If you have some extra cash and you're wondering what to do with it, consider giving to ENCM. They do awesome work in the East Nashville community, including a food box program, thrift store, and lunches for the homeless. You can donate through GivingMatters.com.

Show and Tell

Got two fun packages in the mail recently.

First, my sis-in-law Becca sent me SOAPS OF AWESOMENESS.

Actually, they're from Hydromissions, a company working to provide clean water in developing countries. Proceeds from the soaps fund their mission.

Not only is the soap funding a great cause -- it's also great quality, made from fair trade shea butter, goat's milk, honey, and other natural ingredients.

Thanks, Becca, for my super-cool random gift!


Second, I received my BzzKit for Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion with SPF. (As a Bzz Agent, I get free samples of certain products so I can try them and tell people about them. I have to be honest about the products, though, even if it means trashing them.)

I was so excited when I signed up for this campaign. I love Aveeno products, but I hardly ever buy them .... I have a hard time splurging on myself (despite the fact that most of their products are under $10).

Extra points to Aveeno for including a full-size bottle of the moisturizing lotion in the BzzKit. That made me feel pretty special, although I know I'm just one of hundreds of BzzAgents.

But look, there's more! Aveeno also sent me trial sizes of their moisturizing lotion with SPF, so if you want one, let me know. Two catches -- you have to be somebody I know in the Nashville area (no shipping this time, I'll give it to you when I see ya) -- and you have to tell me what you think about the product.

I love mailbox treasures. Especially unexpected ones. They really brighten my day.

Pressing Questions

I've been working on a simple website for a local non-profit. They didn't have a web presence, so I threw together some HTML and made a small site, 5 or 6 pages. It works for now and is a decent way to communicate the basics: history, services, hours, location, etc. The problem is that someone needs to know HTML and be able to upload files via FTP before they can update the site.

Now that I've given it some more thought, I'm wondering if I should set up a site for the organization on Wordpress. The director of the organization wants to post info about upcoming events. I thought perhaps I could make the events page a blog, and use Wordpress static pages for the rest of the site. That would make the site fairly easy to maintain for anyone.

I thought about setting up a PHP site to allow easy updates, but I really don't have the time or expertise for that. Wordpress seems like a good option that is fast and free. However, I would love to hear from some of you who use Wordpress before I commit to it. Is Wordpress a good solution for a small site that is easy to update?

What say you, bloggy world?

Saving the World, One Haircut at a Time

So, the awesome peeps at Cognito Salon have a "Fun Friday" event each week. Sometimes they have a particular theme, sometimes they order lunch from a cool restaurant....

I just got this e-mail from them about this week's event:

For our Friday fun this week at Cognito, we're holding a canned food drive. We'll be accepting cans the rest of the week and then donating it to Second Harvest Food Bank. Feel free to stop by and drop off a donation even if you don't have an appointment this week. Also, visit www.secondharvestnashville.org and learn how you can help make a difference! Just click on the picture above to take you to their website! ***The “most needed” list includes canned vegetables, canned fruits, canned meats, canned/dried beans, rice, macaroni & cheese/pasta, and peanut butter***

This is why I love Cognito. That, and the fact that they are fabulous hairstylists. Stop by if you want to donate or need a new look.

East Nashville Ministry Needs Food!

East Nashville Cooperative Ministries needs your help!

Eat Nashville Cooperative Ministires is a neighborhood ministry created to help people in their time of need. They partner with Second Harvest Food Bank and Nashville's Table to provide food boxes to families and boxed lunches to the homeless.

However, they are running low on food!

ENCM needs non-perishable items appropriate for boxed lunches, such as canned pork & beans or Lunchables (no items that require a can opener, please). The boxed and bagged lunches are given to the homeless Monday through Thursday, 12pm-12:30pm.

Additionally, ENCM needs non-perishable boxed and canned foods for the food boxes.

Please bring donations to the East Nashville Cooperative Ministries storefront at 807 Main Street (37206). The hours are 10am-12pm and 1pm-2pm, Monday through Thursday. They would be happy to give you a receipt for your donation!

Thanks for helping!

10 Ways to Go Green AND Save Money

Just wanted to pass along this handy post from Wise Bread. I was familiar with a few of these suggestions, but some of them (#4 and #8, especially) are new to me.

10 Ways to Go Green and Save Money at the Same Time

Me wants it!

Over on Keetsa! Blog I just found this nifty under-the-counter recycling sorter. I have been wanting something like this.....I had considered asking the Home-Ec 101 ladies if they could recommend efficient ways to store recyclables that wouldn't be too unsightly in my kitchen. This looks like a great solution to me.

So here it is, from Simple Human:

Now I just need a good sorting solution for our rec room. No counters there...

Purses for Africa!

Okay, so my title is a little tongue-in-cheek, but this is a great event.

Check it out:

It's in the Bag
Second Annual bags for blood: water mission Sale
Totes, purses, handbags, backpacks, etc.

The sale is this Saturday, June 2, from 9am until 2pm in East Nashville. All proceeds go to provide clean drinking water in Africa.

For more information, visit the It's in the Bag info site.

The organizers of this awesomeness have been collecting donations of purses and bags all year, so the sale is sure to be a treasure trove of accessories. Last year I found an amazing purse for $4!

Displaced

Sis-in-law Amy just called me from the quad on Tulane's campus.

She's in a cardboard box.

Amy is taking part in Displace Me, a project designed to call attention to the 1.5 million Ugandans who have been forced from their homes by the war in their country. Here's a snippet about the project from InvisibleChildren.com:

"The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has abducted thousands of children, subjected them to torture or sexual violence and forced them to fight in a violent guerilla army for 21 years—making it the longest running war in Africa. In hopes of providing protection from this rebel militia, the Ugandan government forcibly evicted its Northern citizens from their homes—giving them 48 hours to relocate into camps. Today, more than 1.5 million Northern Ugandans remain far from secure, suffering nearly 1,000 deaths per week due to inhumane living conditions in the camps.

“Displace Me” is the nationwide event giving Americans the chance to respond.

By traveling to one of our 15 camps and gathering together, the strength of our size will make a visible statement to our government and media that the citizens of the U.S. demand action in ending the war in Northern Uganda, in order to send the Acholi people suffering in the camps and the abducted children back home."

So thousands of people across the U.S. are spending tonight in makeshift camps, with cardboard boxes and sleeping bags as their shelters. The women have to bring water to the camps, and the men gather the food -- saltine crackers. This mimics, in a small way, the conditions in the camps.

Amy lives in a "compound" will several other students from her seminary. She and her boxmate, Tiffany, scrawled slogans on their box:
"Aid is not enough"
"We know what it means to miss home"

I hope someone is listening.

Yay for Nashville Cat Rescue!

Thanks to the Nashville Cat Rescue for taking in a homeless kitty found by my sister-in-law. I contacted many other organizations, and all said they didn't have any room. However, Kim with Nashville Cat Rescue called around until she could find a foster mom. Thanks, Kim!

Another thing I love about Nashville Cat Rescue is that they take particular care with special needs cats. Kitties that other shelters would deem "unadoptable" finds homes through the care of this awesome organization.

You can see cats from the Nashville Cat Rescue at the 100 Oaks and Cool Springs Petsmarts in the Nashville area. A few times a year the shelter holds special needs adoption days, when you can find kitties that are blind, diabetic, or FIV-positive who will be grateful for a forever home.

If you have enough felines in your home and heart already but would like to support this awesome organization, you can donate by going to Network for Good.

[blink]

[yawn....]

[sleepy look]

Wow....has it really been that long since I posted? Gosh....

Today is my birthday, and it has been a really terrific day. In honor of my terrific day, here is a list of things for which I am thankful (just a partial list, though):

1) Family
2) Old Friends
3) Husband
4) Cat
5) Dog
6) Christmas and birthday gifts! MP3 player, DDR Supernova, etc.
7) My awesome sisters-in-law who give me cute things like "snail mail" stationery and Hello Kitty guitar picks
8) My House
9) My 'Hood (East Nashville)
10) New Friends
11) Courage
12) Blankets