Wordless Wednesday

Avoid Pesticides in Your Produce

I've been learning a lot about food lately, much of it courtesy the book The Omnivore's Dilemma. What I've been learning has been causing me to reexamine many of my shopping and eating habits.

This convenient little list from the Environmental Working Group highlights produce containing the highest (The Dirty Dozen) and lowest (The Clean 15) levels of pesticides. Organic produce can be expensive, so I appreciate anything that helps me decide whether the extra cost is worth it. Topping the Dirty Dozen list are peaches, apples, pears, and celery. Some of the lowest in pesticides are onions, avocados, and sweet corn.

You can download the list here (you have to enter your email address): Shopper's Guide to Pesticides

Chocolate, Tea Bags, and Tampons

Lately I’ve been receiving unsolicited advice from a lot of unlikely sources. There seems to be a trend lately to Dove Promise-ize your product, so that your consumers not only get their intended purchase, but also a little bonus wisdom for their day! It’s sort of strange. Do the makers of my tea think that I have so little personal direction that I’m searching at every turn, including on the paper tag of my tea bag? According to Jason, it’s a marketing ploy by companies to turn their product into an “experience.”

Here are some examples of the wisdom I’ve received lately:

• “Be a good listener to your friends.” Received via a Dove Promise
Dove Promises are probably the inventors of “let’s put happy sayings on our stuff,” after fortune cookies, but they used to be promises. You know, inspirational, motivational, warm fuzzies? Something like “Friends are the true joy of life,” or “You deserve this fifth piece of chocolate.” But my last Dove Promise was a little preachy for my chocolate tastes. Maybe it was because it was an Almond Dove Promise, not regular-type. Instead of a warm fuzzy, now I’m just paranoid that I’m not listening well enough.

• “It’s not life that matters, but the courage that we bring to it.” Received via Yogi Green Tea
OK, I don’t even know what that means. Maybe that’s why I’m not a yogi. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure life does, in fact, matter.

• “No distractions, just pure concentration.” Received via a Playtex Sport tampon
No, I am not kidding. Apparently this particular box of tampons was created to help sporty girls (which I am not, but they were on sale) get psyched for a game, or practice, or something. However, given the situation where one is actually reading a tampon wrapper (aka in the bathroom), this just struck me as completely hilarious. I actually giggled aloud, so good thing I was in a private restroom. Other wonderful bits of wisdom that sent me into hysterics included “You’ve got the power!,” “Focus on the goal,” and “I’m on your team.” Um, what?

Have you had any similar experiences? A famous quotation on your butter? Sound advice on your toilet paper? Perhaps tips for success on a bottle of shampoo? I’d love to hear any “wisdom” you’ve found in unexpected places!

Update: The Greatest Clock Ever

In case you missed it, I received the world's most amazing and multi-talented alarm clock as a birthday gift from Jason.

Well, on the flight back from Denver last weekend, I was perusing the SkyMall catalog. I love to see the latest completely unnecessary, yet so tempting products available to me while I fly. And nestled in between the adult-sized footie pajamas and the in-car seat belt for dogs was MY CLOCK!! So now I can pretend that I am one of those people who actually buys stuff from the SkyMall catalog.

Feed your addiction

If you are a design nerd like I am, or a lover of type and fonts, you will LOVE this game. Test your knowledge of fonts, and perhaps discover a few new ones. It is super-addictive, let me tell you. Spending my time at work playing a font game is work-related research, right? Just kidding. ;-)

Deep Font Challenge

I'm off to swoosh down the slopes in Keystone this weekend, wahoo! Have a wonderful weekend!
b

Mocha the Menace

Stuff the Cat Has Eaten (that he shouldn’t)
Whole wheat bread
Store-brand oreo cookie
Honey-wheat bagel
Marshmallow Mateys
Granola
Oatmeal banana cookies

Last night was the most recent in a string of carbohydrate binges, stealthily carried out in the dark of night by our cat. It was partially our fault for forgetting Mocha's penchant for baked goods. We left a plate of cookies on the counter, covered in plastic wrap. Jason was the lucky one to discover the mess this morning.

Mocha has never torn through more than plastic wrap, but I'm afraid he'll turn into something like the psychotic squirrels at my friend Christi's house, that chewed through tupperware to get at some cookies. Bread items really seem to bring out some kind of obsession in him. Clearly we can't keep anything on the counter anymore!

This is exactly the kind of thing that I find hilarious and annoying at the same time. I like having a cat that does weird stuff like playing fetch, falling off the bed, and eating cookies. Jason maybe doesn't appreciate it quite as much. ;-)

My New Ride

Last weekend we bought a new car! On Valentine's Day we went to the Walser Hyundai dealership, where we found this cute, zippy Elantra, almost new! It's fun to drive, nice interior, love the color. It has an iPod jack, which is state-of-the-art technology for someone who's been driving a car from 1998. It also has 6 airbags, and is VERY SAFE, for any moms out there. :-)

And now it's snowing for the first time in several weeks, so looks like I get to test out the tires on the way home. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Surprise, you've been eating mercury!

Last week, a study was released showing measurable amounts of mercury in many of the foods that you and I eat every day. The study tested over 50 foods made with high fructose corn syrup. Mercury is toxic in any amount, and especially dangerous for children and babies.

The worst part? The FDA knew about this for years, and did nothing. While Americans have been slowly poisoning themselves with trace amounts of mercury in their Coke or PopTart, some people have been sitting idly by. This is completely unacceptable.

I meant to write a full post on this, but I can already feel my blood boiling, so I will let you read another very well-written post over at Small Notebook:
Mercury Discovered in High Fructose Corn Syrup at Small Notebook

Also, you can read the full report of the study here: Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

I would encourage you to contact your elected officials to let them know that you want something to be done about this issue. In the meantime, perhaps we should all eat a bit less (or no) high fructose corn syrup.

R.I.P., Camry

For those who have not yet heard, I had a little “incident” the Friday before last, in which I slid into the back of a truck with my car. I am totally fine, and was probably only going 15-20 miles per hour at the time—just fast enough to completely derail the rest of my (and Jason’s) afternoon. The truck I hit was virtually undamaged. I spent the next hour or so chatting with a 16-year-old gas station attendant, and using the store’s phone as my personal office (of all the days to forget my cell!). The 16-year-old gas station attendant was pretty good company, as he regaled me with stories of his “huge/sweet/awesome Chevy truck” and all the tickets he’s gotten for reckless driving. I think he was trying to make me feel better?

Anyways, long story short, the damage was just enough to total my Camry. Being that it’s a 1998 model, the cost of the parts to fix it exceeded the value of the car itself. And so, on Friday afternoon, I said goodbye to my wonderful car. It’s going to the salvage yard in the sky. I’ll miss that car...tear....

On a brighter note, I was able to get a much better deal with the insurance company than originally offered, and we’re pretty satisfied with the outcome. And so, we will be shopping for a new (used) car in the very new future. Woo! We may simply get a newer Camry, or we might branch out. Some other options we’ve thought about are the Toyota Matrix, Pontiac Vibe, Hyundai Sonata, and Honda Accord. Any recommendations?

The Greatest Clock Ever

My birthday was this week, and my very sweet husband got me the ultimate in wake-up experiences: The Peaceful Progression Wake-Up Clock. If you know me very well, you know that I am not a morning person (some might say that’s putting it mildly.) My morning thought process goes something like, “Dangit, it’s time to get up? Maybe I can press snooze one more time… do I really need to shower before work?”


So I’ve always thought it would be nice to have an alarm clock that wakes you up peacefully, slowly, gradually… kind of like when you’re camping. “Light, and the sound of the outdoors…ahhh, I think I’ll get up! What a lovely day! It’s only 5 am? No matter!” This is how I pictured myself waking up with such a clock. Probably with flowers and birds and happy music.


The wonderful, fancy, spaceship-shaped clock that Jason gave me wakes you up gradually over 30 minutes, using light, sound, and aromatherapy. At the end of the 30 minutes, a buzzer goes off. We’ve had three days to try it out so far, and this clock is obviously smarter than we are. I hope for much smoother wake up experiences in the future, but this is how it’s gone so far:


Morning 1: After much debate about whether the “alarm time” meant “actual time we get up” or “time that the 30-minute cycle beings,” we chose wrong, and were awakened at 6:30 instead of 7 am. Jason immediately woke up to our chosen combination of light, “birds chirping,” and “Stress Relief” (scent). I however, didn’t wake up until the buzzer. I stumbled out of bed, reset our trusty old alarm clock (sitting next to the new one) and went back to be for half an hour. Fail.


Morning 2: The clock was set correctly this time, and we both woke up more or less peacefully, and laid in bed listening to our digitized chirping birds, as the smell of Stress Relief wafted through the room. However, we had accidentally set our old alarm clock as well, which has a much more piercing sound. All of our peaceful progressions were ruined by the sound of the old alarm. Fail.


Morning 3: Clock set correctly: check. Old alarm turned off: check. I woke up peacefully to light, sound, and aroma, and merrily hopped out of bed at 7. (Or, stumbled less angrily.) Success! This clock is fabulous, once we got past the learning curve.

Holiday Recap, Part I

Well, I’ve been terrible about updating our blog lately, but that just means that we’ve had a full past few weeks. Now that Christmas and New Year’s are over and done (except for our upcoming Christmas visit to Newtown!) I hope to share some photos and highlights of our holidays.


Christmas was fantastic! We celebrated a record-breaking four times in four days (in four different locations). It was tiring, but fun. Here are the highlights of our Christmases so far:


Christmas Eve: We celebrated at Mom’s house, with Swedish meatballs and our favorite Christmas cookies. The food was delicious, as always. We also played the traditional game of Scrabble…. How I love Scrabble! It's a good thing my sisters are as obsessed with it as I am.


Christmas Day: It was a new experience for Jason and I to wake up in our own house on Christmas morning! We enjoyed cinnamon rolls and coffee, and watched the cat get high on his Christmas catnip. Later, Mom and the girls came over, and we had a relaxing afternoon. We crocheted several hats to send to newborns in developing countries, as part of the Knit One, Save One campaign. It was a cozy afternoon by the fire, and Theresa and Emily spent the night at our place.


Day After Christmas: Jason, Theresa, Emily, and I drove up to celebrate with Dad’s side of the family. We ate lots of food, saw lots of relatives, and sang “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” among other things. We also had a visit from Santa, who is kind enough to visit our family in person every year!


Saturday After Christmas: We spent the day celebrating with Dad and family. Jason and I went snowmobiling, which was a lot of fun… except the part where Jason ran out of gas and spent an hour stranded in the middle of a corn field! He was a little bit scarred from the experience, but made the most of it by singing and attempting to build a snowman.


That’s the latest on us. More to come soon!

It's Snowing!

In the grand tradition of this blog, I have to note that today is the first REAL snowfall in Minnesota for the winter! (I'm not counting the slushy stuff from a few weeks back.) Yay! Let winter begin!*





* Guess who wrote this post, Becky or Jason.... ;-)

I'm Way Behind

So, I just noticed that in 2006 and 2007, I posted on this blog 27 times each year. Not much for a year, but this year, 2008, I am only up to five. I need to catch up (just in case anyone still reads this thing... i don't know....)!!

So, here's a couple pictures of BJ, the biggest NASCAR fan I know, hanging out with her favorite racer, Darrell Waltrip (as well as everybody's favorite country music star). Way to go, Beej!

Color Me America

Yes, I am a cowgirl, but ten points for you if you can guess more specifically what I am for Halloween! Hint: our Missouri friends and family might have the edge on this one... especially if they vacation in one of the state's most popular spots.....

Any guesses??

The Olympic Spirit

I heard a joke last week about how they should put "normal people" into each event of the Olympics, to give everyone watching at home an accurate comparison to the real athletes. I've been giggling all week, imagining some random guy pulled from the crowd, participating in synchronized diving, gymnastics, or track.

Well, we have the next best thing right here! Check out Jason and I as we tear it up in Rhythmic Gymnastics! I think we do a pretty good job. :-)

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Hey, look, an update!

So, I know we (meaning I, Becky) haven't updated our blog in FOREVER. But at this very moment, I am uploading all kinds of photos documenting the last month or so of our lives. It's taking a while, but soon you will see some of the fun things we've done so far this summer! It's been a busy one, full of house-ness, traveling, and get-togethers, and there's still plenty of it left!

Here are some photos of just some of the great stuff that's happened this summer:

Jason's birthday weekend at the cabin

Our weekend in Newtown

Mom, Theresa, Emily and spent a weekend together in Chicago

Enjoy!

Planes, Trains, and Snowmobiles

Last weekend we went up to Wadena to visit Dad, Loni, Eliah, and Danny, and what an exciting weekend we had! It was full of new experiences, and fun times with family. Here are the highlights:
• We flew in a 4-person airplane, and even got to fly it ourselves for a bit! Dad is working on his pilot's license, and the three of us and the flight instructor spent over an hour in the air on Saturday. Although I was terrified at first, it was fun! And if we are are ever on a plane and someone comes running out of the cockpit yelling "Can anyone fly a plane!?!?" we can say yes! Well, sort of... if it has a propeller in the front....
• Another new transportational experience: our first trip on snowmobiles! I am a bad Minnesotan for never having ridden one before, but I can finally say I have done it. Snowmobiles are great! I'm trying to convince Jason that we should get one, and I can ride it to work.
• This was a new one for Jason: watching a live hockey game. Danny's team creamed their opponents on Saturday, and Danny even scored two goals. We both really enjoyed watching 2nd and 3rd-graders on the ice!

Yes, We're Still Around...

I know, I know, we haven't posted in FOREVER. There's been a lot going on, and we are just enjoying our very full lives! I (Becky) have been swamped at work—the only reason I have time to post right now is that I'm waiting on Quark to finish an operation (surprise, surprise).

So what's new? Too much to mention in the span of 5 minutes, but here are a few things, in no particular order:

• Our church small group recently finished the book "Questioning Evangelism" by Randy Newman. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to know how to share their faith with others in a respectful, conversational way. A few weekends ago some of us had the opportunity to attend an apologetics conference at the U of M, where Randy himself was one of the speakers! The conference was very informative and thought-provoking.

• Jason and I are taking a trip to London in March! We will be traveling with my dad and sister Emily, and seeing my cousin while we are there. We are SO excited!

• We recently traveled to Des Moines for a weekend to reunite with some of our closest college friends. It was a very relaxing weekend, and great to reconnect with everyone.

Hmm... that's all I can think of for the moment. Back to work—and we'll try to post more often!

b

Ay Carumba!

I originally intended to make something with a Christmas theme... but I couldn't pass this one up. Enjoy!

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It's snowing (again)!!