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 and supporting this argument by quoting outdated … Continue reading Breastfeeding While Working Outside the Home
health
Important Information on Blood Types of Parents and Children
There are two important facts about the blood types of parents and their children that are not widely known. One of them caused an unexpected health problem in my family, and the other could have caused a much more serious problem but didn't. Please read the facts in red text, and click on the red … Continue reading Important Information on Blood Types of Parents and Children
Do you have the right to know if your food is Genetically Modified?
If you live in the United States, right now you do NOT have any way of knowing whether the food you buy contains genetically modified organisms (GMOs). These are plants or animals whose DNA has been manipulated in a way that does not occur naturally, usually combining genes from two or more species. More than … Continue reading Do you have the right to know if your food is Genetically Modified?
Don’t Save Room for Dessert!
One habit I am very grateful my parents taught me is this: When you finish your dinner, stop eating. If you get hungry again before bedtime, you may have dessert. In my childhood home, "dessert" was often canned fruit in syrup, homemade yogurt with jam, tapioca pudding, fruit crisp, a bagel, or something else that … Continue reading Don’t Save Room for Dessert!
Are you pregnant and dizzy?
[UPDATE: Editing this article to fix a link, I cannot prevent it from being re-publicized on Linked In, so I want to reassure readers that at this time (February 2014) I am pregnant. Dizziness and low blood pressure have been less of a problem for me this time around, probably because I followed my own … Continue reading Are you pregnant and dizzy?
Staying On the Ball at Work
This is an historic moment for The Earthling's Handbook. Almost 15 years after we started this Website, almost 5 years after we set up blog software so that I could write articles on my lunch break and post them easily, we have never posted any photographs. I've explained my reservations about photos but also said … Continue reading Staying On the Ball at Work
Raisin Bran Bread, Revised Recipe
Two years ago, I developed a recipe for Raisin Bran Bread to use up a bulk purchase of raisin bran cereal whose flakes were so big and hard and rough that it was painful to eat! We love the bread, so I actually bought more of that aggressive raisin bran whenever Costco issued a coupon, … Continue reading Raisin Bran Bread, Revised Recipe
Explaining Addiction to a Young Child
You might think that addiction is a topic that wouldn't come up until children are in late elementary school, going through whatever passes for drug education in their school. You might be right. Then again, your child might ask questions at a much earlier age after noticing that someone you know or a television character … Continue reading Explaining Addiction to a Young Child
Thrifty All-natural Anti-bacterial Moisturizing Face Wash
A lot of skin care products contain scary ingredients and are pretty expensive. Totally organic facial cleansers are really expensive and sometimes go bad before you can use the whole package--and a surprising number of them ignore organic-ness in packaging and put the stuff in a vinyl tube that slowly saturates it with carcinogens and … Continue reading Thrifty All-natural Anti-bacterial Moisturizing Face Wash
Great lunch kit for school!
Nicholas will be starting first grade in three weeks, so we've got some shopping and organizing to do, but one thing we don't need to do is buy a new lunchbox! The one he used for full-day kindergarten is still in great shape for this year and likely for several years to come. [UPDATE: He … Continue reading Great lunch kit for school!
How to use old tofu and turn ramen noodles into a full meal!
The trouble with tofu is, if you don't use the whole block in one meal, you're supposed to store it in a container of water and change the water every day. That is pretty annoying! It's easy to forget it for a couple of days. Then, when you remember, it doesn't smell so good. I … Continue reading How to use old tofu and turn ramen noodles into a full meal!
Homemade Frozen Shredded Vegetables
Like reusing glass jars, this is an idea I've mentioned before that has increased its importance in my day-to-day life to the point that it deserves its own article! When you have more of a vegetable than you can eat before it goes bad, clean and shred the extra all at once, put measured portions … Continue reading Homemade Frozen Shredded Vegetables
Glass Jars Galore!
Glass jars are much better for food storage than plastic containers! We save the jars from peanut butter, salsa, spaghetti sauce, etc., and use them over and over again.
Fruit Labels, Jar Labels, Six-Packs, Environment, and Health
You know those annoying little stickers that are on most fruits you can buy individually in supermarkets? The ones that are so thin and so well-glued that they're often impossible to remove without gouging a hole in your fruit? Yeah, I always knew they were evil. In addition to being annoying on edible-skinned fruits, if … Continue reading Fruit Labels, Jar Labels, Six-Packs, Environment, and Health
Homemade Electrolyte Replenisher (Sports Drink)
UPDATE in 2016: This trusty recipe has now carried me through seven summers, another low-blood-pressure pregnancy, another two years of breastfeeding (which increases the risk of dehydration), and several digestive illnesses! Today I've updated some references in this post and linked up with Real Food Friday, where my recent post on using up the vegetables … Continue reading Homemade Electrolyte Replenisher (Sports Drink)
Great source of nutrition and food-safety information!
One of the weird things about being an Earthling these days (at least, in many regions of Earth) is that there are many, many choices of food available and many people talking about what they eat and why and how. It's very confusing! That's why I'm glad the Center for Science in the Public Interest exists.
Things Not To Do, Hair Care Edition
Do not wash your hair with coffee grounds. I don't care if you read on the Internet that doing this will give your brunette hair beautiful softness and luster, in addition to making use of something that otherwise would be garbage. This is not a good idea. Here's why: The process of applying coffee grounds … Continue reading Things Not To Do, Hair Care Edition
Balancing on the Ball
We've had an exercise ball for a couple of years now--one of those large, inflatable balls strong enough to hold an adult's weight, which can be used for lots of exercises. Daniel and I both love it. (Our five-year-old son loves it, too, but less for exercising than for rolling recklessly around the room and … Continue reading Balancing on the Ball
7 Lessons from Lent
It's 7 Quick Takes Friday at my favorite religious blog, and while my takes might not be quick, I'd like to share 7 things I recently learned: 1. I really, really hate flossing my teeth, and I do not get used to it. The reason I decided that my Lenten discipline would be flossing my … Continue reading 7 Lessons from Lent
We Eat This. 8 Unusual Nutritious Foods
My mother has taken several trips around Japan, visiting many ordinary people and not just the tourist destinations. She says she's often been served an interesting food and asked what it is, only to get the reply, "We Eat This." Translation: "We don't know enough English and you don't know enough Japanese for us to … Continue reading We Eat This. 8 Unusual Nutritious Foods
The Earthling's Handbook 