I used to wear makeup. From age 12 to 16, I added more types of makeup to my daily routine each year, and I went through that daily routine even if I wasn't planning to leave the house. I continued for a while into college before I realized that the insanely stressful life I was … Continue reading I don’t wear makeup.
Things Not To Do: Temporary Shoplifting Edition
By "temporary shoplifting" I mean "walking out of a store with merchandise you have not paid for, then realizing and voluntarily returning to the store to pay for it." Everyone makes mistakes, of course, but here are some Things Not To Do if you want to avoid the risk that this almost-crime will get the … Continue reading Things Not To Do: Temporary Shoplifting Edition
A Different Party Favor–thrifty and earth-friendly!
Our seven-year-old Nicholas recently had a party. He also has attended several kids' parties this year and has come home from every one of them with a bag or bucket of items that he considers treasures and his parents consider crap--you know, cheap plastic toys made in China and low-quality, over-packaged candy and gum. We … Continue reading A Different Party Favor–thrifty and earth-friendly!
Kirn Family Kale
More than three years ago, I posted many ways to eat kale, beginning the article with an acknowledgement that many people think it's just a garnish and that, personally, I grew up knowing kale as a notorious vegetable used by my maternal grandmother’s family, seasoned with cloves and cayenne pepper and cooked “until the wallpaper peels,” to … Continue reading Kirn Family Kale
Get Rid of Ragweed and Grow Your Garden!
Organic gardener Ben Stallings explains how pulling up ragweed before it blooms reduces allergy suffering and provides a rich source of green matter for sheet composting.
I drew the Earthling symbol for nothingness.
If you found this site by searching the Web for the phrase, "I drew the Earthling symbol for nothingness," please post a comment explaining what you are seeking. I am fascinated. This phrase turns up at least once a week, sometimes several times a day, in the list of search terms that have brought people … Continue reading I drew the Earthling symbol for nothingness.
Three Weeks of Vegetarian Dinners for Late Spring
I've previously posted four September/October weeks and four January/February weeks of my family's pesco-vegetarian menu, including a few seafood meals among the vegetarian ones. In these three weeks in May and June, we did not include any seafood in the meals we made at home, so this meal plan is vegetarian. However, we ate in … Continue reading Three Weeks of Vegetarian Dinners for Late Spring
How We Survive Without Air Conditioning
Today's Works-for-Me Wednesday lead article is about staying cool in the summertime. The author lives in Texas, where it is a lot hotter right now than it is here in Pennsylvania--but we do get hot weather here, we've had several 90-degree days already this year, and we know a lot of people here who think … Continue reading How We Survive Without Air Conditioning
Public Transit and Summer Fun (Plus tips on vacationing in Pittsburgh!)
Warm weather is here, and I'm looking forward to summer! We won't be taking any big vacations; most weekdays, I'll be going to work in my office as usual, and our seven-year-old Nicholas will be attending art and natural history day camps at the Carnegie Museum while his dad works from home. I take a … Continue reading Public Transit and Summer Fun (Plus tips on vacationing in Pittsburgh!)
What’s inside your smartphone?
Let me begin by saying that, although I do not own a smartphone or any kind of cellphone, I do own an iPad, and I know it contains many of the same components as an iPhone. Let me say also that I am not attacking Apple Computer in particular; the article to which I'm linking … Continue reading What’s inside your smartphone?
Change diapers in bathrooms.
When our child was wearing diapers, Daniel and I found it very easy to stick to this simple rule that teaches the child good habits for the future, simplifies clean-up of your hands and anything else that's soiled, is more courteous to the people around you, minimizes the spread of germs, and is respectful of … Continue reading Change diapers in bathrooms.
Our Favorite Publisher of Affordable Books
I recently had a birthday and was very pleased to be given three books from Dover Publications. Daniel knows that I can never get enough floor-plan books, and Dover prints gobs of great ones! They also have a wide selection of nonfiction, classic fiction, children's books, coloring books, how-to-draw books, clip-art collections, puzzle books, nature … Continue reading Our Favorite Publisher of Affordable Books
Saint Maybe
This week, Modern Mrs. Darcy is hosting a carnival in which writers link to their articles about The Book That Changed My Life. Check it out to find some great new things to read! I, of course, can't pick just one book but linked to my list of Books That Blew My Mind. However, there's … Continue reading Saint Maybe
Morning Conversation (starfish and princesses)
The scene: Our dining room, 7:00 a.m. Nicholas is eating a Grape-nuts Smile. Mama is eating Tomato Toast and reading the newspaper, wherein she discovers some facts that might interest a 7-year-old. MAMA: Did you know? The starfish is not really a fish. Also, it has no brain and no blood. NICK: Did you know? … Continue reading Morning Conversation (starfish and princesses)
How our thrifty, green lifestyle makes it easier to cut ourselves some slack
Longtime readers may have noticed that I haven't written much lately and didn't write an article about what I learned during Lent like I have most years. Well, that's because this year, I was pregnant for Lent. No, of course that wasn't the Lenten discipline I planned! It was a surprise (not a mistake--we all … Continue reading How our thrifty, green lifestyle makes it easier to cut ourselves some slack
The Singing Earth
A little late for Earth Day, I'm linking to this wonderful video that has entertained and motivated me many times since I first saw it when I was five years old. I can't say that it was this singing Earth who first inspired me to care about the environment. My parents set a pretty good … Continue reading The Singing Earth
Breastfeeding While Working Outside the Home
My only child weaned 5 years ago this month, and I've been meaning to write this article ever since! I finally got inspired by a recent magazine article arguing that the whole concept of breastfeeding being any kind of good idea is A PLOT TO KEEP WOMEN DOWN!!! and supporting this argument by quoting outdated … Continue reading Breastfeeding While Working Outside the Home
Win a FREE e-book with over 800 helpful tips!
UPDATE: Both give-away copies have been won, but you can still buy the e-book by clicking this button: This isn't really a blog, and I've never run a give-away before, but I can't resist the opportunity to give away two free copies of the new e-book That Works For Me! This book compiles the best … Continue reading Win a FREE e-book with over 800 helpful tips!
FREE computer game: Hall of Heads
My partner Daniel joined a group of computer game programmers who wrote 38 interactive fiction (text adventure) games in tribute to the 20th anniversary of Apollo 18, the They Might Be Giants album with 38 tracks. Each game has the same title as one song on the album. Daniel wrote "Hall of Heads". That is, … Continue reading FREE computer game: Hall of Heads
The e-book That Works For Me!
If you've ever clicked on one of the links that say, "It works for me!" in many of my posts, you've found the wonderful blog carnival Works-for-Me Wednesday, where every week about 200 writers each link an article about something that works for them. (Here are the instructions for participating in Works-for-Me Wednesday.) This delightfully … Continue reading The e-book That Works For Me!
The Earthling's Handbook 