Oops!

Well I'm pretty sure we are now closer to 6 months than 5, but I forgot to post these pics. If you can't tell I was at work when Jake took the pics, and he also played stylist. We may have a baby trekkie on our hands. Resist the urge to say "beam me up Scotty"... can you do it? It's nearly impossible. 

I will get you little dog!

At five and a half months Jameson is loving blowing raspberries and eating his socks. He is a pro at navigating his exersaucer and somehow magically wiggles to wherever he is trying to go, but I wouldn't call it crawling. He frequently wakes up from a nap on his belly and loves to try new foods (some more than others). My best guess is that he weighs close to twenty pounds. He is still nursing but he is quickly becoming too interested in his surroundings to settle down for too long. And he's really great at screaming as loud as he can for a good laugh and he wants to touch and feel everything!

We can check another first off our list. Last weekend Jameson had his first visit to the church nursery. He has become so vocal and talkative that he no longer sits quietly through the service. I think he had fun and although he was tired and fussy when we showed up I think it will be a lot of fun for him to hang out with other little guys and gals his age. Pretty soon I'm sure he will be begging to go!

No one can do everything, But everyone can do something

Isn't it amazing how a child can suddenly spur you to action? I've been taking baby-steps for years and very half-heartedly attempting to be more eco-friendly. Buying organic infrequently at best, occasionally opting for my re-usable water bottle versus my overstocked refrigerator full of plastic ones.  I am the biggest sucker of pretty packaging and would frequently refer to myself as a "product junkie" needing to test out every new product I saw on the shelf. What a waste of time, money, and resources. Worst of all, I gave up collecting our recyclables and driving them to the nearest bin about 3 miles from our house because it seemed extremely inconvenient. Shameless, I know!

Regardless, this year I've been working on turning my lazy baby-steps into much more active ones. Now, don't expect to see me in a hemp skirt and dreads anytime soon (or ever), but thanks to the help of Pinterest and mommy blogs, it is now easier than ever to do a little thing here and there to make my home healthier, and the world happier step by step. And please note, that I am documenting this all here not to guilt-trip anyone (remember my recycling story?) or to pat myself on the back, but just to help remind myself of the progress I've made.

My first goal, which is still a work in progress, is switching out my store-bought chemical-laden home cleaners for more natural, healthy, yet still effective options. First I switched out our laundry detergent for a homemade laundry soap (found here) and here are the reasons why: All the packaging can be recycled (you can use 7th Generation brand "oxyclean" which comes in a cardboard box). Second, all the ingredients cost me less that $20, which is great because I have given a ton of it away to friends and family and still have a ton left for myself and I haven't even put a dint in it. I expect to use this batch for about a year or more so less non-recyclable packaging is being put back into the environment over time. But here's my confession. I did add a bottle of Downy Unstoppables, to boost the fragrance, which come in a plastic container and likely carries chemicals that are harmful to the environment, but I will be better next time (maybe try some essential oils). Baby-steps.

How many half bottles of all-purpose cleaner do you have sitting under your sink? If you're like me, probably too many to count. I love the Method brand cleaners, which are environmentally friendly and non-toxic, and the bottles are made from recycled plastic. All of this is great, but in my free time I decided to try to whip up my own all-purpose cleaner, just for the sake of knowing exactly what I am cleaning with and hoping to reduce my carbon footprint by using things I already have on hand, versus buying something. I used the all-purpose cleaner recipe found here and hope to also make the bathroom scrubber as soon as my comet runs out. So far I am happy with it and may continue to play with the recipe some to get it just right.

My most recent switch was personally a big one. I ditched all of our plug-in air fresheners. First off, they do much less freshening that we think and are a HUGE fire hazard. Thanks to my new favorite website I now know what I have long suspected:

"Known toxic chemicals that can be found in air fresheners include camphor, phenol, ethanol, formaldehyde, and artificial fragrances (which contain their own mix of toxic chemicals). These chemicals can cause symptoms like headaches, rashes, dizziness, migraines, asthma attacks, mental confusion, coughing and more. Some of the substances in air fresheners are linked to cancer or hormone disruption." 

Yuck! And this is just the tip of the iceberg. So I tried this quick and simple recipe. Now, definitely not the strong overpowering scent that I am used to, but I am adjusting. I used lavender essential oil and though you don't notice it immediately, I do catch whiffs of it that are not too overpowering. Definitely an adjustment, but I am sure my wallet will appreciate it when I don't spend $10-15 on a new freshener every few months.

I am hoping that my few small changes add up and that Jake and I can leave Jameson with a thriving environment and raise him in a safe one. Please share your thoughts and ideas and maybe some things you have tried. Hope to check back in with you soon and you all can hold me accountable for putting my extra money saved toward buying that dang recycling bin! 

Nashvegas

Good morning friends! We are back from a weekend rendezvous in Nashville, TN, our old stomping grounds. It's always great to get back to the south and it's even sweeter that we have such wonderful family and friends to visit when we go. We didn't get to visit with everyone and those we did get to see it was just too short, but it's comforting to know that we will be heading back in a few more weeks for airshow at the airport Jake used to work at.

We also got to celebrate the marriage of my close college friend, Jacie. It was a beautiful wedding and it was great to be reunited with my friends, but like I said too short! And of course, I got in trouble for not bringing the baby to the wedding, but there was no way my aunt Kiki would have let that baby leave the house with me that night. I can't say we didn't enjoy ourselves and I know Kiki, Mimi and Jameson were all happy to be spending time together.

Jameson is becoming quite the pro-roadtripper. Of course it takes a little bit longer to get to wherever we are going, but he does great. He is also just a little wiggler these days. Gone are the days where diaper changes don't include rolling and trying to bring his toes to his mouth. My favorite thing is how he smiles when I open a book to read to him and I can only hope he has a lifelong love of reading. I am definitely counting the days until he is old enough to read my favorites together, most specifically Harry Potter :) I think his favorite is "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" which Jake had never read... WHAT? Ohhh and his hair!! It's so blonde. I just love it and it is getting thicker as he slowly grows from a baby, to toddler, to little boy.

If you haven't been to Nashville I would highly suggest it. There is so much to do and so much to see. We are always finding something new. And who can resist some good ol' southern hospitality, and even better, the southern cooking!

Ready to hit the road!

Working on my driving skills at Sonic!

Well hey there Packman!

Home already?

When Mom is away...

The boys will play!

Getaways

Hi friends! So, it's been awhile, but we hope this post finds you all enjoying the lovely spring weather. We had a big family milestone a few weeks ago, when Jameson had his first sleepover at my parents house. I can't say I was quite ready to leave him for the night, but I don't think any mama is ever ready for that. On the way home Jake commented that he couldn't really remember what it was like not having the baby around to entertain us, and I agreed. I definitely felt like I had left a part of my heart behind. I can't say we necessarily lived it up or anything, since we both had early mornings the next day to get ready for, although I am sure in a few more years I will be more eager to let him go. Right now though, I am thinking he will not be allowed to go to college :) We recently spent a weekend at the cabin which is always a nice little getaway. We did some mushroom hunting, and riding the four wheelers a little movie watching and napping. This weekend I was at work, so the boys spent a quiet weekend at home. It was defnitely a quiet Easter. We are gearing up for a roadtrip to Nashville for a wedding and a visit with Kiki. Jameson is spending less time napping and more time playing. He isn't too sure about the new foods I've been introducing (mostly the peas) but he has become such a big boy. I even spiked his hair one day last week and he looked so grown up. He is extremely interested in his feet and spends a good amount of the day working to put them in his mouth. He has yet to succeed, and definitely enjoys trying. He is still wearing 6-9 month clothes and weighs about 18 pounds last time I checked. He usually takes two spoon feedings a day and nurses 4 times a day. He still sleeps from about 7-8pm to about 8 am.