kapachino

Author: Kathleen

  • A Competitive Sport

    Over the weekend David and I found ourselves discussing our respective domestic chores. Since we were left with nothing but applesauce, hummus, and pickles in our fridge, it was time to go shopping. After a brief discussion about what we needed David said to me, “You’ve let us run out of some things lately.”

    Feeling an assault on my wifely skills, I immediately responded on the offensive. “Who do you think cleans the house and does your laundry? Who is planning this week’s meals and is going shopping?”

    He came right back with, “Who cleaned the floors the other day? And you may go on a big shopping trip once every two weeks, but I buy a lot of little things that we need in between.”

    Realizing that the direction the conversation was headed wasn’t ideal, I swallowed my pride and said, “It’s not about who does what. We’re a team, love.”

    He responded, “And I just want to make sure you know I’m the better teammate.”

    IT’S ON.

  • How We’re (Eventually) Going Green

    Number 85 on my 101 in 1001 list says: Make an achievable plan of steps to take to have a more environmentally friendly life. Since today is Earth Day, I figured now is a good time to make that list!

    But first, here are some things we already do:

    -Recycle cardboard, paper, aluminum, plastic

    -Drive a hybrid vehicle

    -Use cold water for laundry & dishes

    -Minimize use of electricity & use energy efficient bulbs

    -Use cloth bags for groceries

    -Drink out of reusable mugs for coffee

    -Water lawn at night

    -Buy used when possible

    Now for the list:

    Holidays

    -Put up a real, locally grown tree each year

    -Make my own cards

    -Buy energy efficient outdoor LED lights

    -Choose experiential gifts like show tickets, spa gift certificates, etc.

    -Use homemade wrapping paper like paper bags, magazines, or newspaper

    Home

    -Make our own cleaning supplies

    -Ditch paper towels in favor of microfiber cloths

    -Keep the amount of “stuff” we own to a minimum (we don’t have a lot)

    -Reuse, donate, or recycle anything we don’t need

    -Stem the tide of junk mail

    -Turn off the power strip to the TV when not in use

    -Call electric & gas companies to ask about alternative energy sources

    -Buy used: everything from gadgets to clothing to furniture

    -For future appliance purchases, consider energy-efficient models

    -Install low-flow faucets, showerheads, and low-volume toilets

    -Start harvesting rainwater

    Food

    -Start composting

    -Start shopping at farmer’s markets for produce

    -Find a source of local meat, and eat less of it

    -Buy organic when possible

    -Buy in bulk to reduce packaging waste

    -Cook at home more often, and cook just enough

    Personal

    -Shop thrift stores for clothing

    -Take good care of clothes and wash them sparingly

    -Use less products

    -Buy organic products from companies whose philosophy I believe in

    ***

    There are so many more ways than this in which a person can live an environmentally friendly life, and for a comprehensive guide I suggest you visit this website. However, the above are the things I feel are achievable for us. There are some ideas I’m just never going to get behind (anyone heard of the “selective flush”?), and some that just aren’t feasible (like building our own, entirely green home).

    Some of the items on my list will be easy, and others will take time and effort. But if we can get to a place where we’ve basically achieved them, I’ll be proud.

    Tips, links, and advice are always welcome. I’d love to hear about what works for you. :)

  • randomness

    Today, however, if I don’t do it this way it’ll be Friday before I post anything. I seem to be quite busy lately, so here are some things going on.

    >I decided to jump on the bandwagon and try out the 30-day Shred. I probably won’t be able to do it 30 days in a row due to days I work 12-hour shifts, but I’m going to try. So far I’ve done three days and I’m walking around like an old lady all stiff and jerky. Seriously, I am sore all over it hurts to sit on the freaking toilet. I knew I let myself get soft, but this is ridiculous.

    >Megan and I saw In the Heights last night as I mentioned, and it was great! My brother said he’d burn me the soundtrack and I can’t wait. I usually fall even more in love with musicals after I have a chance to memorize their songs. One day I’ll put together my top five, but I want to become more of a connoisseur before then.

    >I donated blood today for the first time since before I got pregnant. I wouldn’t have been surprised if they denied me due to low iron, but I was right at the cutoff. There was a bad moment when the screener asked me the birth date of my last child (because I had to answer ‘yes’ when I was asked if I had ever been pregnant). I don’t feel that people should assume that just because a woman has been pregnant it means she has a child. It really made me sad for some reason.

    >Only me and one other person are going to make it to our book club meeting tonight, so instead of our usual dinner at Cafe Express I’m going to her apartment to have Boston Market, brownies (I think since I gave blood I deserve a little something sweet), and watch Dancing With the Stars.

    >Almost forgot – anyone have any links to recipes that are healthy and not too complicated? My husband and I are pretty picky when you put us together, so it’s hard for us to find healthy meals we’ll both eat. We’re fine on snacks, but I really need some dinner ideas that will give us meals other than cereal & sandwiches.

    >I feel like I barely have time to be online these days. I don’t know how my days got so packed. I’m working a lot (I picked back up the contract job giving chemo on my days off from my other job that I did before I was pregnant), and seem to have a lot of social engagements as well. At home I’m trying to keep the place clean, change our eating habits, exercise every day, and handle our crazy dogs. I’m going to need to slow down soon!

    Gotta go, love you all. :)

  • Friday Things: To Look Forward To

    I find it essential for my state of mind to have some good things to anticipate, no matter how big or small. Here are a few things I’m currently excited about!

    ***

    This girl (the one on the left), one of my absolute best friends, is back in town after 7 months in Scotland! I spent the afternoon with her and my soul feels more at peace. She’ll be moving to Nashville this summer, so I’m going to try and see her as much as possible before then.

    ***

    I’m on a total musical kick lately. In the Heights is in Houston for a few more days and Megan (see above) and I are going to see it on Sunday. I can’t wait; I’ve heard amazing reviews of it.

    ***

    Let's get cozy together!

    I’m excited about participating in Her Cozy Swap! Just a fun way to make someone happy, and a reason to get my creative juices flowing. Click on the picture for details, and to sign up. :)

    ***

    It may sound masochistic to say that I’m looking forward to donating blood, but the truth is that it was a part of my regular routine for a long time before I got pregnant and miscarried. I’m finally going back on Monday, and it makes me happy because not only am I helping save lives, but it means my body is strong again. Now I just hope my iron levels are high enough!

    ***

    What are you looking forward to?

  • waiting & learning

    I never intended to write publicly about my quest to have a child. I thought it would be easy to get pregnant, but it wasn’t, and it isn’t. When I finally took the scary step to see a doctor, I thought the hard part was over; she’d give me some medication and life would be good. I did get pregnant–without the medication even!–but it ended in loss, putting me back at the beginning. No, before the beginning. I now find myself in an extremely long and complicated process, and I haven’t even started fertility treatment yet.

    Bear with me as I share a little bit about this whole thing.

    After I miscarried, part of me wanted to start trying again right away. It took me weeks to internalize the fact that I wasn’t pregnant anymore. But at the same time, I knew I had to let my body recover. I went through a lot that month, so I tried my best to rest and relax. During that time I went through more psychological states than I have ever experienced in my life. I went from seriously considering seeing a psychiatrist to complete elation and everything in between. For someone who stays relatively calm and even for 90% of my life, this was a difficult turn of events. Stupid hormones.

    Lately I’ve been feeling much more like myself in all areas of life. My moods have regulated, I started working out again (which means I feel strong), I am generally enjoying life, and I’m hoping & planning for the future. I still feel sorry for myself probably too often, certain things are still quite hard for me, and my heart does ache. The farther out I get from my miscarriage, however, the better perspective I have. I never would have been able to see the silver lining before, but now I am realizing how ignorant I was of my own body, health, and pregnancy. Instead of viewing this as something taken away from me, I’m trying to see it as a gift of time.

    Infertility issues don’t get solved overnight, I’ve come to see. I had to wait two months for a new cycle to begin just so I could have some blood tests done, only to find that as of now the lab has no record of them. In the meantime, my husband is dealing with his own health issues that are kind of putting any treatment on hold for awhile. I’m being forced into patience, so I might as well make the best of it.

    I look forward to eventually getting (and staying) pregnant again, but there are some things I would like to do first. For starters, I want to get truly healthy. To that end, I’m having my wisdom teeth removed (something I’ve been putting off for close to ten years), finding and getting a physical from a primary care doctor, and seeing a chiropractor/nutritionist. I’m starting up my exercise routine and working on a better diet.

    I also want to make our house a home. Our house looked great when we bought it, but it wasn’t our style. There is a lot of work to be done to make it into a place where we can walk through every room and sigh with happiness. We need to paint, buy furniture for, and decorate every room except the living room and kitchen.

    Although there are so many other aspects of my life that are a work in progress, those are the two that, in an ideal world, I want to happen before I have a child. Of course, if I got pregnant tomorrow I wouldn’t complain. :)