Life and Loves

*Disclaimer*
For those of you who are friends or family of mine that lovingly check my blog on occasion to see what’s up in the Carpenter-Greb household please be advised that this post is not for you. Please check back at another time for an update on said household.

This is to all the Haters; those of you who stalk my blog hoping to find my unhappiness or to report back to my idiot ex-husband about how I am bashing him.

In case you are remiss as to the purpose of a blog or it’s definition, I have provided it here for you courtesy of dictionary.com:

Main Entry: blog
Part of Speech: n
Definition: an online diary; a personal chronological log of thoughts published on a Web page; also called Weblog, Web log
Example: Typically updated daily, blogs often reflect the personality of the author.
Etymology: shortened form of Weblog
Usage: blog, blogged, blogging v, blogger n

It is here at my personal blog, that you will find my personal thoughts. (Who would’a thunk it??) I normally do not share these personal thoughts with my children, so feel safe knowing that I do not “bash” my ex-husband to my children. I am, however, honest with them when the situation calls for it, keeping in mind that they are impressionable young children and “bashing” their father would only hurt mine and my children’s relationship and of course they themselves.

SO, please find another way to occupy your time rather than stalking my blog. Really? I didn’t think it was that interesting… Especially since I don’t talk about Patrick much unless he is messing with my life or my children, which would be under the heading of “online diary”. Believe me, the less I have to think about him, the happier I am. :o)

ight now there is a tiny kitten sleeping on my lap. He gave up exhausted after not being able to find a nippie. ;o)

Right now I’m the good kind of tired after contributing this week to the family finances and also being productive at home.

Right now I’m anticipating the few weeks that the kids will be gone in which Jason and I will take a road trip and I’ll hopefully find time to work my butt off, take a few knit lessons, guitar lessons and not miss my kids too terribly.

Right now the Big Idea is churning around in my head and will hopefully come to fruition by next Summer.

Right now I’m patiently waiting the few minutes until the kids will be in bed and Jason and I can watch The Blindside (Love me some Sandra Bullock).

astile soap and vinegar. What!?

I mentioned earlier that I was gonna try the “no poo” method and stop shampooing my hair with such harsh chemicals. I ran out of regular shampoo and had a choice. I could use the castile or I could use Jason’s 2-in-1 Pert *gag*. I opted to use the castile. I purchased a mini size to try it out in Lavender. I don’t wash my hair very often, about once every 3 days or so, and I concentrate on cleaning my scalp the most. I have longer hair that gets tangled easily and did I mention I am really tender headed? I went ahead with it anyway.

Castile soap is mild and organic and way in the green for the Skin Deep test. Dr. Bronner’s is all I know of at this point. I have been using it for about two weeks now. My hair is certainly feeling different and kinda freakin’ out. I know it’s clean, but I can’t say I love it. Also, to help with the tangles I have been using apple cider vinegar, which really works, but smells like…err…vinegar. XoP I discovered that Giovanni is a brand that is in the green and at a level I can deal with, so I decided to use their conditioner. I also looked up a recipe for making my own shampoo and tweaked it a bit. It’s mostly water, baking soda and the lavender castile soap. I’m toning it down, knowing that the mixture will do the job. I’m thinking pure castile on my scalp is a little overboard and not to mention expensive, which is counterproductive.

Today, I also used it on my floors. I used vinegar and water with a few drops of castile and it worked beautifully. I feel so good about cleaning the house when I know it isn’t hurting us in any way. What I’m learning about myself through this whole learning process is that I care about my and my family’s body. I care about the earth and taking care of what little I have control over. It’s a hard process to not just go for the easy convenient products that also happen to be cheap, especially when you are on a budget, but I’m learning to make smart choices a little at a time. It helps to have a supportive, yet realistic husband and a friend in the same boat. I have to be able to stand firm in what I believe in to show my Hamburger Helper man that their are better choices we could be making for our bodies and our environment. I’m not too gung-ho just yet, though- baby steps.

It’s hard to start a little at a time because I’m a “go big or go home” kinda girl, but I’m learning that it doesn’t always have to be that way. Some would call me impulsive. ;o) I happen to like that about me. What I’m really into right now is veggies. I’m trying to find fresh local and hopefully organic vegetables without paying an arm and a leg. That’s difficult here in Florida, unless I want to live off of oranges and strawberries. I’ve discovered a farm up on the Northside and I’m trying to weigh which is more important, local or organic? I can get organic produce from Venezuela which was probably nutritious a week ago or produce from the same state with lots of nutrients (and taste), that has used pesticides. I can also grow my own, but I’m just not there yet. As far as meat is concerned, I’m gonna have to buy in bulk and not from the grocery store in order to go organic. For one, because it is too expensive at the grocery store and two because it’s the worst cuts of meat. That decision will come later. What I really need is a working oven! I’m threatening to stop cooking until Jason fixes it. Hey, I could eat Beef’s five nights a week. ;o)