Monday, January 26, 2009

Eat This...Not That

So last week while I was making my usual Target run a.k.a. spend 200$ and having nothing to show for it, I saw this book. So I picked it up and glanced at it. Interesting premise I thought. So I added it to my cart full of junk.
On Friday while my husband worked until 9pm (!!!!!!!!!) I started reading this little beauty. It was full of interesting little tidbits about product placement in stores, different cuts of meat and their nutrition factors, more info on organics, etc. One would think after working in a grocery store for some 6 years that I would have a better knowledge of this kinda stuff but I think I was too busy drinking Dr. Pepper and eating Bugles and CornNuts.
So a few months ago I embarked on a new way of eating in our family. I think we adapted fairly easily. There definitely some nights when Abigail would absolutely refuse to eat what I had cooked because it was 'gross'. Then she would take 1 bite and then she would smile and say "Mom I think.... I LIKE IT!!!!".
Shocker. I mean it's not like I was feeding her fish or mutton.
And there were and still are nights when she doesn't eat her dinner.
Guess what.
I don't care. MEAN MOMMY!
I will not make a separate meal for her or him.
I leave the plate on the table. If they are hungry they will find their way back to the plate.
The kids would often ask for fruit snacks. To which I would hand them a fruit leather. Jack would kinda balk at first but if I pretended to eat it, he would scream and devour it in .5 sec.
Joseph never really complained about the 100% whole wheat bread but if we went to Costco together he would often put potato rolls into the cart.
Fine. ok. Whatev.
I'm mostly the one responsible for what he eats anyway so the rolls would often go to waste.
The switch from ground beef to turkey was easy.
No one knew but me.
SCORE.
And I should be completely honest.
I love junk food.
I always buy myself a candy bar or icecream while at the store.
So we aren't like some freak household.
I still cook my greenbeans with salt pork.
I am southern.
But I feel like we have made some really good habit changes.
I have enough cancer in my family that making these changes is necessary.
So back to the book. It goes through an entire store section by section and compares products. WITH PICTURES!
It was interesting to see that certain things that I thought were 'good' for us were definitely on the 'NOT THIS' list. And vice versa.
So my final review is that this book is great so that you understand your grocery store better. It's not a diet book AT.ALL. Just informs you about food additives, how to shop, foods/brands that are better for you than others AND WHY.
Def. worth the 15$.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Friday, January 2, 2009

Gone

Benjamin Ward Towne
July 17, 2005-December 30, 2008

Ben passed away on Tuesday morning after fighting a valiant battle with neuroblastoma. He was such a sweet little boy who preferred to play golf and tennis over the more brutal sports. He favored 5:30am wakeups much to his Mothers chagrin. He loved Lightning McQueen more than anything or anyone. He was such a sweet boy. He will be missed. It is such an awful thing to see someone you love so much bury their child. A child who is the same age as your own child. I am flying to Seattle this coming week to be with his Mom and family/friends.
Love and miss you buddy.
God be with you till we meet again.
XO

Christmas wrap up

Christmas this year was wonderful. I love being in my own home at Christmas. I'm not sure if I ever want to travel for Christmas again. It's just so nice to sleep in your own bed, eat your own food, not have to pack or lug gifts around with you, etc. I love being home. This year my Mom came up and stayed for Christmas Eve and part of Christmas day. It was nice to have her around. When my Mom arrived on Christmas Eve she was talking to Abigail and asked her what she wanted for Christmas, Abbey replied with the same reply that she gave everyone- a Barbie car (Powerwheel Jeep), dolly and a dolly carseat. Then she said and if Santa doesn't bring it "I am going to cry". *huh?!* We ended up staying up WAY too late putting stuff together. *annoying* Christmas morning was so fun. The kids had entirely too many gifts to open and poor Jack lost interest b/c he just wanted to play with whatever he had already opened. So we took some of his gifts and put them away for his birthday in a few weeks. We hosted a delicious Christmas dinner and Abbey requested that we bake a cake for Jesus' birthday (very thoughtful of her) but all I had was a Halloween cake with black and orange icing. And I thought that was weird so we didn't do it but we did sing Happy Birthday to Jesus before bed. I love the Christmas season, a wonderful chance to reflect on the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ and his dear sweet Mother. Now that I am a Mother myself the selflessness and goodness of Mary has become more apparent to me. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday.

before the madness begins
Her Barbie Car!

Trains, cars and trucks. Finally some boy toys, hooray!