Have you ever tried to do too much?

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I think I'm there right now, but I won't admit it. That is okay being here, because I can already see my way out and the end is near and clear. I have a tendency to try to do too many things at one time and usually am pretty successful, but it’s the meantime, while in the moment that makes my head spin. In a peculiar way, it’s pretty cathartic having a list of things to do. I’m sure if analyzed by a professional, their analysis of me would be much different from mine.

In the last two months, I have been preparing for Green Aware Fair, which is being hosted by our company. I have also been blogging over there too, which has totally “messed up” my blogging schedule at LGS. Writer’s block (or should I say blogger’s block) is a cruel state to be in. My day of relief will be Sunday, August 24, the day after the event. I’m looking forward to the fair, but, “Oh my goodness!”

I also launched my new blog Homeschool Roster, which is already a lot of fun, but again GAF keeps creeping in. Organization is the key to success. This will be our first”official” year of homeschooling and I will be journaling/blogging about our experiences, homeschool issues, and topics of raising your children. This will also be a great resource to me when my children are grown, moved away, and I’m wondering where all of the time went and how it went.

As I mentioned, we’re homeschooling, well, I have to plan, organize, and figure it all out. This is actually a lot of fun because there is so much to teach my children, but there is only so much time in a day, week, or month. So, I’m doing the best I can to plan what we will be studying and learning. Having already had a practice year, I’ve learned that planning one month (and sometimes that is too far) ahead, is plenty for me.

Oh yeah, and then there is the family. The days have become a blur and I must admit that there has been a little more television watching and as long as I can hear them, I figure they’re alright. I have been able to break away to push one or two in a swing, create something, and read a few books.

Where is the summer going? I’ll let you know when I find out. Right now, my daughter's picture pretty much sums it all up.

Try Walking In My Shoes (dm)

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I own three pair of shoes. I’m not making a green statement or promoting frugal living or suggesting that if you own more, then you need to immediately clear your closet. I'm just stating a fact. Actually, I do have more, but only three that I wear on a regular basis and at least one of those pair needs to be thrown away. When the treads on the bottom of a pair of running shoes is non-existent and the fabric holding the shoe together is doing the best to keep its original form, I believe that it is time to toss them out. Not only can damage result while running from not having proper support, but it doesn’t fair well for my “cat walk” stride when I do the weekly grocery shopping and decide to wear them as accents with my sweat pant outfit. Since my family is running together now, I am taking my running shoes more seriously, so I will be buying a new pair of shoes.

The luxury of affording a new pair of shoes is probably not something you think about everyday. Our shoes become worn and pushed to the back of the closet to make room for their shiny, new replacements. If you donate your old or “gently used” shoes, then that is great. If not, then consider this a lesson in sustainability and an opportunity to help others who wouldn’t mind “walking in your shoes.”

The mission of Soles 4 Souls is simple, “to impact as many lives as possible with the gift of shoes.” They are “Shoe People Helping the World™.” In less than five (5) years, Wayne Elsey’s Soles 4 Souls has managed to provide more than three million shoes to victims of natural disasters like the 2004 Asian tsunami (the event that birthed this charitable organization), Hurricane Katrina, and just people in need. Through donations received from "footwear companies, retailers, churches, nonprofit ministries, civic groups, schools, and individuals" of new and “gently used" shoes, Soles 4 Souls not only aides people abroad, but doesn’t forget about the people in need here at home. Just last week, during Barefoot Week, they provided more than “130,000 shoes” to disaster victims in Atlanta and New Orleans.

The organization has also started a running team called SolesInMotion™. If you are not a runner, then don’t worry because walkers, slow runners, and anyone interested in supporting the mission as well as getting in shape are invited to participate. Some of the perks for being a team member are personalized marathon or half marathon training (you may surprise yourself at what you can do) and the satisfaction of knowing that you are improving the life of another while also meeting a personal goal of getting in shape.

There are several ways to donate and help as well as many drop-off locations throughout the country making it easier for you to make shoe donations. We will be collecting shoes around our house and heading to our local drop-off location; my running shoes are headed to the trash (our donations will offset). It is a great way to make a positive difference, another opportunity to teach my children about sustainability and helping others, and clearing clutter and making more closet space isn’t too bad either.

Making Wheat at Micheli Farms

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We, along with some fellow homeschoolers, spent a day at the Micheli Farm. The site we went to boast 300+ acres (and that is only one of the family farms). “Farmer Mike,” as he is so affectionately called, his wife Mary, and their four children farm this branch of Grandfather Micheli’s farms where they grow prunes (shown in the picture to the left) , peaches, rice, pomegranates, walnuts, and wheat. Our field trip was to learn about how wheat is processed before it leaves the farm where it is grown. The Micheli Farm has 44 dedicated acres to the growing of wheat. For a visual, imagine 44 American football fields of wheat (I missed that picture.). That is a lot of wheat of which we walked completing around to get to the heart of their wheat processing system.

Harvest reaping was just a few days away for this wheat that was planted around Thanksgiving. The end of a long preparation process completed before the seeds were even planted. Soil preparation includes plowing the fields to pass the surface of the soil which allows moisture to better penetrate the ground where the seeds will be planted. Farmers also use plowing to rid the field of weeds. Can you imagine pulling weeds,
by hand, from 44 acres? I have a difficult enough time pulling weeds from my flower bed. The seeds are planted using a drill that drops the seeds and covers them in soil.


A farmer has to really love what he does because growing wheat is alot of HARD work which may explain why wheat farming can be traced, for generations, in one family. Growing wheat is a family tradition. It is said that a wheat farmer is "land and equipment rich, but cash poor." To a wheat farmer, the stalk that Farmer Mike is holding, may be "the icing on the cake" or the "butter on the bread."

The wheat was going to be watered a few more days using a hand built watering system that was powered by a John Deere tractor.
They planted the wheat on a slight incline which allows the water to flow across and over all 44 acres.

Micheli Farm's harvest is used by major food corporations. The next time you open a can of peaches, suck on a prune, crack a walnut, or slice a loaf of bread, you may be enjoying the hard work of a third generation farming family.

In case you're wondering, Farmer Mike is wearing a car racing sweatshirt (Shootout).

I Will Never Buy a New Toy Again

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Toys are fun, but toys can be expensive. With three young children, toys are a must. We have even dedicated a room for just play, toys, fun, etc. Our children play more hours of the day than they sleep. They enjoy the few toys they have and I truly get my moneys worth because they play regularly with them. Price, practicality, and space help me determine if it’s time to purchase a new toy.

I know consignment sales are not a new concept, but I was used to finding racks of clothing that showed their wear and tear and were some what over-priced for a used item. I never bothered looking for toys because there were always too many missing parts, cracked pieces, and again wear and tear that showed a child had really enjoyed the toy in its heyday.

I recently went to a Just Between Friends (JBF) consignment sale. The company started as a small business by two moms (I love supporting mommy businesses.) and has grown into a franchise opportunity. Under one roof, moms bring their ‘children’s gently used clothes, furniture, equipment, toys, and even maternity’ to sell. The consigner, preps, prices, and stages their items and JBF does all of the rest with the consigner receiving a check a few weeks after the sale.

I had no intentions of buying anything, but instead planned to look around. I managed to make it through the first two days of the sale while watching well conditioned clothes and toys pass through the check-out aisle. The “penny saver” 50% off day did me in. I spent $20 and got about $80 retail worth of toys. I already have plans to attend the fall sale and consign the same toys I bought, and maybe some others items too, so I can afford to buy "new" toys for my now one year old. I found great prices, a variety of well conditioned toys, and left with no good reason to buy another new toy. There are also a lot of shopping/discount perks for volunteers, first-time moms and grandparents, and teachers too (homeschoolers included).

A great green concept - consignment sales can save on manufacturing, packaging, shipping, and promote recycling, reusing, and reduce landfill accumulation. This is definitely eco-friendly.

Planning to shop a consignment sale/store, then here are a few tips:

1. Check recalls.
2. Make a list of what you are looking for. You can go directly to the product area. (periodic sales - I missed out on a great castle for my daughter.)
3. Carpool with friends.
4. Get there early.
5. Clear your clutter and consign some items. You can make some money and/or pay for what you buy with your earnings.

Online consignment:

Apple Blossom Baby
2 Chicks
Christabelle’s Closet
The Conscious Child
Etsy
U and I trade