One Small Change: February

In January, I posted about the One Small Change project.  This is my February report.

In January, I pledged to start feeding my family more local food.  Turns out that January is not the most ideal time of year to  make such a change.  No farmers markets open, not much being grown locally, and my family was out of town nearly half the month.  I did sign up for the Basket a Month (BAM) program through the Central Arkansas Farmers Market, but due to weather and lack of production, the January basket was cancelled.  So, in the end, while I do have some local food scheduled to come my way via the BAM, my family and I have not increased our local food intake.  hum.  My short-term solution is that I’m planning to put together an order from either the CAFM online market or Petit Jean Farm.  I’m not sure which because I have a head cold that is making it hard for me to think about food.  I also have a plan to meet with fellow Arkansas blogger, The Park Wife, who runs a Farmers Market.  I’m hoping she can help me out with resources and tips.

For FEBRUARY, my One Small Change is that I plan on getting back into using my cloth diapers more on Callen.  Somehow, with all the travel, the cold temps that discourage me from getting them out on the clothes line, and just the general fast-fastness of life, I have not been using my cloth diapers as I should.  So, for February, less disposable and more cloth!  Hopefully this is one change that will become defunct by the end of this year because we won’t need ANY diapers.  A mommy can dream, anyway.

Nicole!  Are you out there cleaning something with homemade cleaner?  Post and let us know how your January One Small Change turned out.

 

There’s a Word for That

Greetings all.  Sorry I missed my “There’s a Word for That” post last week.  One of my recent blogging hurdles is that I spent a week in a location where internet access was VERY expensive, and I am too cheap to shell out the big bucks for things I think should be free.

The Little Mermaid and Scuttle, the bird

Anyway, on with the show.  I loved all the comments with your thoughts on the definition of the word Scuttle.  Here I thought I was going to be original in my association of the word with the bird in the little Mermaid movie.  I guess we children of the 90’s (and moms of the 00’s) all think alike.  My other “personal” definition was to move like a crab, which many of you mentioned as well.

So, it turns out that Scuttle is a pretty diverse little word, and even though all of the comment definitions were correct, there are even MORE uses for Scuttle.

Meriam Webster has FIVE definitions for Scuttle:

A paint scuttle

Noun:
1 : a shallow open basket for carrying something (as grain or garden produce)
2 : a metal pail that usually has a bail and a sloped lip and is used especially for carrying coal

Noun (2):
1 : a small opening in a wall or roof furnished with a lid: as a : a small opening or hatchway in the deck of a ship large enough to admit a person and with a lid for covering it b : a small hole in the side or bottom of a ship fitted with a covering or glazed
2 : a covering that closes a scuttle

Noun(3):

A boat scuttle

1 : a quick shuffling pace
2 : a short swift run

Verb(1):
1 : to cut a hole through the bottom, deck, or side of (a ship); specifically : to sink or attempt to sink by making holes through the bottom

Verb(1):
1: to scurry

Wikipedia gives us a much more manageable list of uses:

Scuttle may refer to:

• Scuttling, deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water in
  

  A shaving scuttle

• Coal scuttle, a bucket-like container for coal
• Shaving scuttle, a teapot-like container for hot water
• Scuttle, a fictional character in Disney’s The Little Mermaid
• Scuttle software, web-based collaborative bookmarking software (GNU GPL)
• Scuttle, a fight between rival territorial gangs in Manchester during the 1860s to the 1890s.
• Scuttle shake, a phenomenon experienced in some convertible cars

I wonder which one of these Ariel’s winged friend was named after?

Word Origin: Middle English scutel, from Latin scutella drinking bowl, tray, diminutive of scutra platter. Date: 15th century

By the way, Jill, I could do a whole new post on the word Scuttlebutt, but I won’t.  Briefly, it can mean anything from a flask of water kept on the deck of a ship, to a drinking fountain, to a rumor.

 

MOMcation 2010

Heifer Ranch

As I mentioned in my last post, there have been a few things preventing me from keeping up with my blog ramblings.  One of those items is something that I am quite proud to announce here – MOMcation 2010!  MOMcation 2010 is a retreat for moms – a chance to get away from the daily grind, connect with other moms, learn a few new things, and most importantly, relax. Heifer Ranch, located near Perryville AR (about 45 min. NW of Little Rock), will be the location of the retreat. You can visit the website to learn more:

http://momcation.org

The idea started with my own MOMcations (MOM vacations).  On a MOMcation with my friend Kristen, I hatched the idea of creating a series of retreats for women and families.  Several of my friends have asked me to include them in my next MOMcation. So, MOMcation 2010 was born.  Luckily, I have a great group of moms who have volunteered to be the planning committee, and hubby has put in tons of hours to make the website functional.

I’m very excited about this new project, and hope all you mommies within traveling distance will come out and join us for a weekend of fun and relaxation.

 

There’s a Word for That

When I first decided to start doing these posts every Wednesday, I really did not think they would be my only posts.  However, the last couple weeks have presented some interesting blogging roadblocks, which you’ll have to hear more about later.

So, this week, we’re going to try things a little differently.  I’ve got a word, and I want you to leave a comment with what that word means to you.  You might have multiple definitions for it, but they all have to be yours.  No fair copying from Webster’s Dictionary.

The word is…

SCUTTLE

Looking forward to reading your comments!

 

There’s a Word for That

What are you eating?  Apparently that depends on when you are eating.

At mealtime, Craig and I often discuss if we are eating lunch, dinner, supper, and so on. Do you know the difference?

Wikipedia says that “Dinner is the name of the main meal of the day. Depending upon region and/or social class, it may be the second or third meal of the day. Originally, dinner referred to the first meal of a two-meal day, a heavy meal occurring about noon, which broke the night’s fast in the new day. Eventually, the term shifted to referring to the heavy main meal of the day, even if it had been preceded by a breakfast meal. In some usages, the term dinner has continued to refer to the largest meal of the day, even when this meal is eaten at the end of the day and is preceded by two other meals. In this terminology, the preceding meals are usually referred to as breakfast and lunch.”

Wikipedia’s definition of supper is a little less confusing. “Supper is the name for the evening meal in some dialects of English – ordinarily the last meal of the day. Originally, in the middle ages, it referred to the lighter meal following dinner. “

If she wakes up when her lunch arrives, is it breakfast? or dinner?

So, essentially, at least for our family, our evening meal is our dinner, and we don’t usually eat supper, although I  occasionally “sup” on a bowl of cereal and milk after the kids go to bed.  I guess Taco Bell should be marketing their “4th Meal” as supper, really.

Lunch is simply a midday meal (which also could be called dinner, and if you eat a REALLY big breakfast, lunch might be your supper.)

Breakfast is the first meal of the day, as you are breaking the fast.  But, don’t forget, if it’s the biggest meal you eat that day, it’s dinner!

Word Origins

Dinner – from the Old French (ca 1300) disner, meaning “breakfast”, from the stem of Gallo-Romance desjunare (“to break one’s fast”), from Latin dis- (“undo”) + Late Latin jejunare (“to fast”), from Latin jejunus (“fasting, hungry”).

Supper – from the French souper, which is still used for this meal in Canadian French, Swiss French and sometimes in Belgian French. It is related to soup. It is also related to the German word for soup, Suppe.

Lunch – The abbreviation lunch, in use from 1823, is taken from the more formal “Lunchentach,” from 1580, as a word for a meal that was inserted between more substantial meals. In medieval Germany, there are references to nuncheontach, a non lunchentach, a noon draught— of ale, with bread— an extra meal between midday dinner and supper, especially during the long hours of hard labour during haying or early harvesting.

Breakfast – I could not find and origin for breakfast, other than the basic explanation of breaking the fast that I mentioned above.

What will you call your next meal?

Whatever it is, I hope it is healthy and that you enjoy it.

 

There’s a Word for That

Many bloggers do a post every Wednesday of only pictures.  They call it “Wordless Wednesday”.  That seems sort of sacreligious for a writer-type, so I’ve decided to try something a little different.  I want to spend Wednesdays thinking about special words and phrases, some real and some pretend, and about what these words and phrases are used for, and how they came to be.  So….

What word do you use for the act of skipping forward on your pre-recorded DVR shows?

Craig and I say “Schwink it.”  Carina shouts, “Push the yellow button!”. I’m not really sure how schwink it came to be, but it is very singular in its meaning (at least in our household) so it works well.

Please leave a comment with what you say, and why, if you know.

Note: Ok, loyal readers, I need all five of you to support me on this post by leaving a comment… ; )

 

One Small Change

I just learned about a great blogger movement called One Small Change.  The basic concept is that between now and Earth Day (April 22, 2010), each participating household makes one change to be more earth friendly and blogs about each month’s change, so that by the time Earth Day rolls around everyone has made four changes and shared those changes with others.  I love this idea because it gives me a way to FOCUS (That’s my word for the year.  More on that later.) on greening our household, and also prompts me to do more blogging about environmental topics, which I’ve been wanting to do.

I’ve actually already told you about the first change for our household in my post about resolutions.  The first change will be to eat more local foods.

I would love it if you would join me in this adventure.  Check out the One Small Change webpage, and post about your change on your blog.  If you don’t have a blog, you can leave a comment on this post saying what your January change is.  Then, when I post in February, you can comment with your February change, and so on.

I’m headed over to the Certified Arkansas Farmers Market website to see about placing an order through their online market!

 

Supporting a Soldier (or two, or three…)

I recently sent a care package to my old high school buddy, Travis, who just started a year-long tour in Iraq.  I had never sent a care package before, and it turned out to be an educational project.  It’s a great project if you have middle school and older kids, too.  It gets them thinking about what everyday life is like for the soldiers, and of course there are the lessons in geography and politics to be had, too.

If you don’t know anyone stationed overseas, you can still send a letter or care package to show your support.  AnySoldier.com will match you up with a member of the military who could use some love from home.  If you do want to send a care package, they will help you figure out what to send.

In my case, Travis had a specific request for healthy food.  He works nights searching cars at a military checkpoint and misses breakfast and lunch because he is sleeping. Healthy food that ships well to a hot place is hard to find, but I finally settled on these items:

• dried fruit
• protein bars
• cereal and fruit bars
• granola
• Horizon’s single-serving, organic milk.  (These are great because they are ultra-pasturized and don’t require refrigeration)

All these items turned out to be pretty heavy once they were packed – almost 10 pounds. I expected the shipping to be around $30, but it was only $14.  However, the postal clerk informed me that you can use the USPS flat rate shipping boxes to send items to military addresses.  When you use those boxes, the most you will be charged is $11.95 for up to 70 pounds  (that’s a lot o’ mail!).  The boxes are free and available at the post office or on the USPS website.

One other thing to note: You’ll need to fill out a customs form when sending a package to an overseas military address.  The post offices have them sitting out with all the other shipping forms, so you can fill it out before you get up to the clerk.

So, brightening a compatriot’s day is not as hard as you might think.  It might make your day a little brighter too.

 

Resolutions: Eat, Play, Write, Play Some More

The first day of the new year is coming to a close.  We’ve already said goodbye to 2009.  I hope that you are as excited as I am about the promise of this new year. As that Semisonic song goes, “every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”

Normally I am not one to put big stock in New Year’s Resolutions.  However, this year I have some very real goals that I plan to make good on.  I think having this blog to write these goals in actually helped me to think harder about what my goals should be.  Plus, I recently learned that you are 10% more likely to reach a goal if you share that goal with someone else.  So, now you can all hold me accountable.

Buy More Local Food – This year I will make it a priority to utilize local resources for my family’s nutrients.  In addition to providing fresher food with fewer preservatives and other ingredients that I can’t pronounce, locally grown food is better for the environment because fewer resources are used for transportation and processing.  After watching Food, Inc. and listening to Joel Salatin talk, I also feel it is my duty as a consumer to put my “vote” behind real food instead of mass-produced, chemical laden junk.

In addition to the local Farmer’s Markets, Central Arkansas has a great resource for accessing the local food market: ArkansasFood.net.  This website offers two wonderful programs.  First, the basket a month program is a subscription program that provides members with a basket full of locally grown food such as produce, meat, eggs, cheese, milk, and rice. The cost is $180 per three months.  The second program is the Online Market, where you can choose which products you would like to receive and order them online each week.  Two amazing services, really.  Before we moved here, I had never heard of such a thing.

Basket a Month Baskets

Spend More One-on-One Time with My Kids – This is the “gimmie” of the bunch.  Carina will be starting official preschool this week. Her hours will be different than Callen’s Parent’s Day Out, so it will give me an opportunity to spend time with each of them separately each week.  The important part will be making sure I fill this one-on-one time with activities that are important to each child. For Carina: arts and crafts, cooking and baking, and playing with puzzles and blocks (Callen eats her crayons and markers, is very dangerous in the kitchen, and is all about scattering puzzle pieces and toppling block towers). For Callen, basically, anything where he doesn’t have to share or take turns, since that is so hard for a person his age to have to do all the time.

Submit My Writing Once a Month – For over 6 months now, I’ve been saying that I’m working on “getting my freelancing career started.”  The problem is I’ve spent a huge amount of time researching freelance writing and very little time actually writing.  I’m sort of famous for that.  So, this year, I will submit my writing for publication or competition at least once per month.  My research tells me that actual publication will be few and far between, but it will be a huge learning process and a step in the right direction.

Back in the Day

Compete in a Triathlon – You can’t have a New Year’s Resolution list without a nod to fitness, right?  Callen is coming up on two years old, and while I feel pretty happy with the way my body has recovered from childbearing, I still have about 5 pounds of flab flabbing around my mid section.  For those of you who didn’t know me pre-kids, I used to compete in sprint distance triathlons. This is a hobby I miss greatly.  So, two negatives are coming together to make a positive goal here.  Fitting in the necessary training will be a challenge, but I know I can do it.  Anyone want to join me?

Happy New Year to all of you!  Do you have any resolutions?

 

Keep Tabs on Yourself with Google Alerts

Wouldn’t you love to know who is talking about you?  Online, it’s easy to keep track of references to not only yourself, but any other person, place, or thing that can be labeled with a proper noun.

Google’s alert system allows you to set up alert notifications so that anytime any of your chosen alert words appear on the web, you receive and email with a link to said appearance.  So if someone mentions you on their blog, or mentions your company in a forum post, you can be in the know.

For example, in an interview with a local newspaper, my husband mentioned that he is Asian-American.  We knew that the article would be published both in print, and online.  What we did not know is that this little tidbit about Craig would be picked up by another website called AsiansVote, which published a thumbs up to Craig for “outing” himself as an Asian American.  If Craig wouldn’t have had a Google Alert set up for his name, he would never have known.  Craig has been featured in several articles and tv news stories for his work in mobile dental care, but this little snippet is one of his favorite clips still to this day.

Google Alerts are quick and easy to set up.  Go try it out.