As a professional data manager, I still don't get enough information to pore over, so I sometimes spend my lunch break delving into the WordPress stats page that tells me how people find The Earthling's Handbook. One of the more interesting features is the list of phrases typed into search engines that brought people here, … Continue reading What Earthlings Want to Know
The Common Cold and the Common Cup: Does Communion spread germs?
I'm an Episcopalian. In almost every service at our church, we receive Communion this way: The priest tears a morsel off of a round, flat bread and places it in the palm of your hand, and you eat it. The chalice-bearer holds the silver cup of wine as you sip from it, then wipes the … Continue reading The Common Cold and the Common Cup: Does Communion spread germs?
One Brave Girl
This article from The New York Times was reprinted in my local newspaper. In Afghanistan, a mullah who raped a 10-year-old girl in the mosque was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Most Americans would agree that anybody who rapes a child is a horrific criminal for whom 20 years is a light sentence, would … Continue reading One Brave Girl
Knock Out a Cold Quickly and Naturally!
Last Wednesday, I felt like I was coming down with a cold: runny nose, itchy throat, ominous heavy feeling in the middle of my head. The typical cold lasts 7-10 days. Bummer. Today is Tuesday. I'm still having an episode of sneezing and nose-blowing every few hours, but otherwise I feel great! I've been feeling … Continue reading Knock Out a Cold Quickly and Naturally!
Things Not To Do: Fiction Writing Edition
Well, I was really hoping to write a nice long post for the What I'm Reading series at Modern Mrs. Darcy, where Anne and her readers talk about the books they've read recently, on the 15th of each month. I've read a whole lot of new-to-me books this year, because having viral bronchitis for the … Continue reading Things Not To Do: Fiction Writing Edition
Easy Dental Health Tip for New Moms
When you're taking care of a little baby, it can be hard to get around to doing basic things like brushing your teeth--you seem to always have your hands full, and then when you finally get a moment, you forget or you're too tired! One thing I have learned is that I am more likely to do something if I can reach it quickly when I get a moment to set down the baby. It feels like a big deal to go do something several rooms away or on another floor of the house. Keeping supplies near me makes me more likely to use them.
Tetrazzini
This rich, filling casserole is a wonderful comfort food for chilly days! It's made with real ingredients--no canned soup--yet it's fairly easy to put together. Turkey Tetrazzini is traditional, but my family usually doesn't eat meat other than fish, so we most often make Tetrazzini with canned Alaskan salmon. We've also made it with cubes … Continue reading Tetrazzini
Is email better for the environment?
Paperless systems are very popular these days. Paper is made from trees, and although trees are a renewable resource, they take a long time to grow compared to the amount of time we might use a sheet of paper. Recycling paper uses a lot of chemicals, energy, and water, although it is still less wasteful … Continue reading Is email better for the environment?
Cloth Diapers: What Works for Our Family
Our first child was already out of diapers when I wrote about why we use cloth diapers and all the details of our cloth diapering equipment and procedures. Some of the specific products we'd used were no longer being made even when I wrote the articles, and others have changed or become unavailable since then. … Continue reading Cloth Diapers: What Works for Our Family
Roasted Tomatoes
Late last summer, we took a tip from our CSA farm's newsletter and converted some of our surplus tomatoes into roasted tomatoes, which we froze and later used in a spaghetti sauce. This year, when I'm not pregnant and feeling weird about food, I am even more excited about delicious roasted tomatoes, and some experimentation … Continue reading Roasted Tomatoes
My 9-Year-Old Architect
I love drawing floor plans--even though I failed to become an architect--so I looked forward to illustrating my article about how we rearranged our home to make space for our new baby Lydia. I thought this also would be a great opportunity to learn to use TouchDraw, a drafting app I'd bought for my iPad … Continue reading My 9-Year-Old Architect
Why I’m Sleeping in the Dining Room
Welcome to the September 2014 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Home Tour 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 opened up their doors and given us a photo-rich glimpse into how they arrange their living spaces. *** … Continue reading Why I’m Sleeping in the Dining Room
DIY Deodorant
I am reblogging this because the iPad makes it much easier than pinning it on Pinterest, and I realized I have never "reblogged" anything and don't know how it will look.... I have never tried making deodorant or using homemade deodorant, but I keep thinking it's something I will try someday. Let's see if putting … Continue reading DIY Deodorant
This regular bra works as a nursing bra!
I bought all my nursing bras from Target, and I hate them all. Target makes great nursing camisoles (with shelf bra) which I was wearing all the time on maternity leave earlier this summer and will wear as undershirts when the weather gets colder; if you are small-busted, they have adequate support and are very … Continue reading This regular bra works as a nursing bra!
Green Ribbon Lentils
Almost two years ago, I saw this recipe for Garlicky Lentils and Tomatoes, which is very flexible. We have tried it several different ways, and this variation has become a favorite. This recipe is easy, cheap, and pretty quick! It is vegan and gluten-free. It has lots of fiber, vitamins, protein, and iron. It can … Continue reading Green Ribbon Lentils
5 Tips for Green Lunch Packing
It's back-to-school season! If your child brings a lunch to school, now is the time to think about how to pack that lunch. If you bring your lunch to work, this is a great time of year to rethink what you're packing, too. Choosing the right lunch-packing habits can make a big difference in how … Continue reading 5 Tips for Green Lunch Packing
The Internet of 20 Years Ago
I just happened upon this article from Wired magazine, which is undated but appears to be from right around 1994--the era when the World Wide Web existed but many major corporations still had no clue about what this Internet thing was, and when most people who did use the Internet still knew what a "shell … Continue reading The Internet of 20 Years Ago
9 Things I Forgot to Bring After Maternity Leave
Lydia is three months old now, and I went back to working outside the home last week, back to the same job I had while I was pregnant. In fact, I still do basically the same work as I did when Nicholas was a baby nine years ago (although we have moved office buildings since then), and Lydia is going to the same conveniently-located home childcare as Nicholas did, so my daily routine is very much the same as it was then. You'd think that would make it easy to remember what stuff I needed to bring to use at work and what stuff I needed to pack for the baby. Apparently, it wasn't easy, because by noon on my first day I'd made a list of SEVEN things to bring the next day . . . and I'd already noticed the most important forgotten item when I arrived at childcare . . . and when I picked up Lydia, her sitter informed me of yet another thing she needed! That's NINE things I forgot!
Simple Tip to Ease Confusion with a Ring Sling
I love carrying my baby in a ring sling. (Mine is a Maya Wrap.) It is very comfortable, balances baby's weight well, and can be adjusted very precisely to fit anything from a tiny baby to a big toddler, awake or asleep, in several positions. One problem, though, is that it can be difficult to … Continue reading Simple Tip to Ease Confusion with a Ring Sling
Refreshing Herbal Iced Tea from Loose Leaves
In this hot weather, it's important to drink plenty of water...but plain water gets boring. Soft drinks and juices are expensive and bad for your teeth, unless they are sugar-free and sweetened with weird chemicals. Here is a calorie-free, caffeine-free drink that tastes great without any sweetener and even has health benefits! I make herbal … Continue reading Refreshing Herbal Iced Tea from Loose Leaves
The Earthling's Handbook 