I am putting this post in a variety of categories because it's kind of silly but I'm kind of serious, too. I would like to believe that in this very complicated world, my actions truly do make a difference, even in unexpected metaphysical ways. Purple is my favorite color. At this point in my life, … Continue reading The Power of Purple Is Real!!!
A Day as Mama and Data Manager
Welcome to the March 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Day in the Life This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have given us a special glimpse into their everyday. *** There are three main things I do … Continue reading A Day as Mama and Data Manager
Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake
This recipe was in the cookbook that came with Daniel's grandmother's food processor, decades ago. Daniel and I bought a used food processor shortly after we began living together 19 years ago, and when his grandmother heard about this, she insisted that we look through her recipes and copy some we'd like to try. Next … Continue reading Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake
Two Affordable GMO-Free Cereals
I don't trust genetically modified food to be safe for our health or environment. About five years ago, I realized that several of our favorite breakfast cereals contained corn, and I'd been reading that most corn grown in the United States that isn't organically grown is now GMO. We gave up buying those cereals routinely...but … Continue reading Two Affordable GMO-Free Cereals
Get Up and Eat: 3 Years of Replenishment
Today is Ash Wednesday. Three years ago on Ash Wednesday, I wrote this article about the renewal we can experience during Lent. I had no idea what was coming my way! You may have heard of the idea of choosing one word as a theme for your year. You're supposed to place this word around … Continue reading Get Up and Eat: 3 Years of Replenishment
What I Read Recently: Adult, Tween, Baby, and Architecture Books
I've only read two books to myself in the past month, but I've been reading to both of my kids, too, and looking at some floor-plan books, so here are two book reviews in each category. Books I read to myself: The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards begins during a snowstorm in 1964, when … Continue reading What I Read Recently: Adult, Tween, Baby, and Architecture Books
How to Get Kids to Behave in Church
Welcome to the February 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Do It Yourself This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants are teaching us how to make something useful or try something new. *** By the time my first … Continue reading How to Get Kids to Behave in Church
A Robot’s Cookbook, Chapter 1
I decided that this text requires its own post to really do it justice. It started as an extremely lengthy spam email received by my ten-year-old Nicholas, who immediately turned it into a bizarre modern entertainment experience by having the computer read it aloud. Then he wanted to post it as a comment to one … Continue reading A Robot’s Cookbook, Chapter 1
Things Not to Do: Ingredient Chopping Edition
Don't give up on using the kitchen tool that is really appropriate for the job because the baby is sleeping in the dining room. Don't make the series of mistakes that made our dinner an hour late!
Oh, all right. But they didn’t Book my Face!
More than three years ago, I explained why I was boycotting Facebook. Yesterday, I joined Facebook. My intention was to join as The Earthling's Handbook, but Facebook immediately responded, "You have to join with your real name! I'm the only book allowed here!" so I joined with my own name but used The Earthling's Handbook … Continue reading Oh, all right. But they didn’t Book my Face!
Four Weeks of Pesco-Vegetarian Dinners (winter, with a baby)
A pesco-vegetarian is someone who eats no meat except fish. That’s what we do when we’re at home and most of the time when we eat in other places. Our 8-month-old daughter, Lydia, is abstaining from cow's milk until after her first birthday, because I have some family history of dairy allergies that may have … Continue reading Four Weeks of Pesco-Vegetarian Dinners (winter, with a baby)
Squirrel Appreciation Day
It's a real holiday! It's today, January 21st. Keep an eye out for squirrels as you go about your day, and appreciate their resourcefulness, climbing ability, and cuteness. (Photos are from http://squirrelworld.lincatz.com , a site for squirrel appreciators.) I live in a solidly urban area of a major city, but even so, the neighborhood where … Continue reading Squirrel Appreciation Day
Books I’ve Been Sharing with My 10-Year-Old
I wrote Great Chapter Books for Kids when Nicholas was four years old, thinking I'd add to it later or make it the first post in a series...and I keep meaning to get around to it...but meanwhile, I'm going to use the Quick Lit Linkup as motivation to write about what I've read to Nicholas, … Continue reading Books I’ve Been Sharing with My 10-Year-Old
The 4-Day Laundry Plan (How to use cloth diapers and have a job without losing your mind)
Welcome to the January 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Household Chores This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared stories, tips, and tricks on tackling household chores. Please read to the end to find a list … Continue reading The 4-Day Laundry Plan (How to use cloth diapers and have a job without losing your mind)
Flexican Cornbread Pizza
This recipe has a history. It started with my mom's trusty recipe for Mexican Pizza. Then came my serendipitous discoveries that (a) it can be adapted to a non-Mexican-flavored version, which my family loves just as much as the Mexican version, and (b) it can be baked in a toaster-oven. More than a year ago, … Continue reading Flexican Cornbread Pizza
Top 10 New Articles of 2014
One of the interesting things about writing a handy guidebook for this planet is that what Earthlings want to know doesn't vary all that much from year to year. The 10 most-viewed articles this year were first published between 2008 and 2013 (though they've all had updates), and that blood-type article alone has been read … Continue reading Top 10 New Articles of 2014
28 Book Reviews!
For some reason, growing a new life makes me want to read books I've never read before. Starting last fall during my exhausted queasy phase and continuing up until now, when Lydia is seven months old, I've reread only a few books and read many more that were new to me. Only a few of … Continue reading 28 Book Reviews!
The Nutcracker: music for the imagination
Ah, December, the month when the days are getting shorter and shortest as we try to pack in shopping, parties, preparations for hospitality or travel, and tranquil spiritual contemplation along with all our usual activities! It makes a kid who persistently wants attention all the more annoying. The December my son Nicholas turned two, I … Continue reading The Nutcracker: music for the imagination
Our Green Christmas Tree (now with photos!)
Back in 2007, I wrote about the little tree Daniel and I, with the help of former housemate Bill, made for our first Christmas together, back in 1996. Made mostly of repurposed materials, this is a great alternative to cutting down a real tree or using a factory-made artificial tree. It's still going strong! I'm finally … Continue reading Our Green Christmas Tree (now with photos!)
DIY Instant Oatmeal: Ditch the Packets!
I love oatmeal. It's nutritious, with plenty of fiber and minerals and Vitamin B1, and has many health benefits. It's filling. It can be seasoned any way you like. Quick-cooking oats are really easy to make--I don't even bother cooking them in a pot, just mix them with boiling water in a bowl--and very low-priced, … Continue reading DIY Instant Oatmeal: Ditch the Packets!
The Earthling's Handbook 