Uncategorized

Being Silent Isn’t An Option

The systemic racism that has yet again reared its ugly head is sickening, despicable and cruel.  Can I say I’m embarrassed to be an American?  No, I wouldn’t go that far.  But, leadership is vacant, silent and ineffective in this fight for equality.  Silence on the part of leaders as well as bystanders is NOT AN OPTION.  Silence implies complacency and many times approval of this abhorrent behavior.

So, what can we do?  Participate in PEACEFUL protests (don’t be a part of the problem with destruction and violence); have a conversation with family, peers, children about what is going on and how inclusiveness, kindness and compassion matter; donate to organizations focused on combatting racism and its hateful effects; AND VOTE

EVERY VOTE COUNTS THIS FALL.  VOTING IS A RIGHT.  USE YOUR VOTE TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE.  We live in a country with roughly 50% voter participation, one of the lowest in the world.  We cannot complain if we don’t vote for change.

Resources for Speaking With Children About Race and Racism

 

Organizations to Consider Donating To

 

Uncategorized

States Re-Opening; Social Distancing & What This Means for My Family

I know I’ve said before that I won’t push my agenda too much, but I’m going to put that soft rule aside for this one because it hits too close to home.

As states are beginning to re-open, we are testing the waters on how these actions will impact infection rates not only within states and the U.S., but globally.  Schools are slowly re-opening in places like Germany with students being required to take Covid swab tests regularly.  Various business are re-opening with required social distancing measure hopefully in place.  So, does this mean we are going back to normal?  NO.  NO.  NO.

Life is not going to return to normal for quite some time.  I am not trying to be Debbie Downer, just realistic based on facts from respected medical professionals.  A few points to consider:

  • Other than practicing social distancing measures, we have no proven medical treatments formally approved to treat the corona virus; yes, there are treatments having some impact on potentially minimizing the duration of the virus, but no vaccines are anticipated to be widely available and proven for maybe 12 – 18 months;
  • Specifically in the US, corona virus-related deaths have NOT peaked in most, if any states;
  • Still a dramatic shortage of testing kits, PPE and other required equipment to accurately represent who has been infected and open up economies safely;
  • While antibody tests are starting to become available, doctors are not sure the presence of antibodies in your blood proves you are immune from the virus (to note, in Asia certain patients have tested positive after having recovered from a first infection);
  • Many people can be carrying the virus and not know it – they can be asymptomatic. And let’s be clear – asymptomatic individuals can spread the disease just as easily as symptomatic carriers

So, why are certain states re-opening?  As you can fully understand, people need income and need to get back to work.  Also, people have cabin fever and want to reintegrate with society.  People need money to support themselves and their families.  A one-time stimulus check of around $1,500 is not sufficient to provide even basic necessities to people for the duration of this situation.  And, there are others that feel it is their right to move about freely and not be told by the government to shelter in place any longer.

I’m calling BS on people who think this is over or feel that because they’re healthy its completely fine for them to be out and about in society again.  BS.  Here’s why:

  • Myth:  we’re getting through this now, the curve is flattening, and we’re heading back to normal.  BS.  This virus is not gone.  We have no treatment or cure for it. Respected and high ranking medical professionals, including Dr. Fauci, are anticipating a tough Fall and Winter with a resurgence of the corona virus;
  • Myth:  I’m young and healthy, so even if I get the virus, it will be mild.  BS.  Even if you are young and healthy, you can get very, very sick.  While maybe the death rate % of this population category isn’t as high as older folks and those with pre-existing conditions, there are countless reports of younger people dying from this disease;
  • Myth:  I feel great, so what’s the big deal?  I just want to get back out into society!  BS.  You could be an asymptomatic carrier and infect more people and not even know it.  This is where it parallels certain anti-vaxxers views…what’s wrong even if I do get it?  That’s my right.  Counter argument – you’re hurting others.  If you are carrying the virus, you will most likely infect others – children, elderly, those with pre-existing conditions, etc.  This isn’t just about you.  This is about potentially infecting countless others by your actions.

Here’s my view – while states are re-opening, and I continue to see bad behavior in terms of no social distancing, crowding beaches, not wearing masks, etc. I will stay at home with my children.  I cannot control what others do, but I can do everything in my power to keep myself and my children safe.

While we are not through this by any means, please focus on what’s important – safety and health of you and your family.  If this means sheltering in place for longer, please do it.  If you absolutely have to leave your house, do so with a mask on and practice social distancing.

Maybe you haven’t known someone who has this virus, but I do.  It’s brutal, it’s not like the average flu, and it can be destructive.  When someone you know has had it, it hits a lot closer to home.  I do not want to make this a political debate, rather a factual one based on science and recommendations from top medical professionals.  We are all in this together, and we need to act together to ensure we minimize the toll this virus has on society.  Let’s look out for each other and do the right thing.  We are resilient and will make it through this.

Stay safe; stay smart; stay informed.

The Almost Green Mom

 

Fun & Games

Summer is Coming!

So, I’ve been trying to figure out things we’ll need for the summer ordering them before they run out – specifically focusing on fun things for the girls.  While some states are opening up slowly, I still believe we’ll be spending a lot of time at home this summer, still social distancing, with our kiddos.  At least I know we will be.

I’m somewhat cringing at the thought of not even having virtual school to provide structure to our days.  Also, with several of our summer camps being canceled, it’s added a little more pressure for me to figure out activities now and buy things we need before things are out of stock again.

So, here are a few of the things I’ve thought of for my kids:

  • Inflatable pools.  I went a little crazy on this one and bought 2 with a few bells and whistles.  We inflated one of them a week or so ago, and it may just be the talk of the neighborhood right now…This first one – the Intex Rainbow Ring Inflatable Play Center –  is better suited for toddlers (not babies) and has a little slide.  The second one – the Intex Surf ‘N Slide Inflatable Play Center –  is definitely for older kids (and parents!).  And there’s always the tried and true Slip’N Slide we all grew up with (which they’ve now made a million times better) – who remembers sprinting and sliding, and then either you bruised your butt from the bumpy lawn or got grass burn from flying off the side / end?  Classic memories.  For the smaller kids, there are always splash pads and various fun sprinklers.  And, you can always just use the tried and true basic sprinkler, which is much more economical!  And, btw, I just saw the prices listed – they have easily doubled since we bought ours a month or so ago, so act quickly either on these or another option.  Crazy.  

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  • Water balloons. You can go the super snazzy way with the popular Bunch O Balloons – these let you fill dozens of balloons at once and they self seal (life saver for your fingers), but at a price! I’ve also found them at Target, Walmart and other places – prices seem to be consistent at all places, so chances are you won’t find these on sale often.  There is also a knock-off brand I recently round – Tiny Balier Water Balloons – still not cheap but this pack has 440 balloons for about $30 (and rated the #1 new release in the category on Amazon.  Then there’s the tried and true bag of balloons with a hose adapter – Water Sports Water Balloon Refill Kit – much more economical, but your fingers will hate you after tying all of these!

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Separately, we’ve also ordered a few trees to plant to mark the year 2020.  The girls and I will plant them soon and watch them grow over the years.  I’ve used a few online nurseries that deliver high quality product directly to people’s homes.  I’m not compensated for these nursery recommendations – I have personally used Jackson & Perkins for roses and perennials; I am awaiting a delivery of aspen trees and a maple from Cold Stream Farm.  Something fun to do with your kids, and something that will be almost like a time capsule to capture this moment in time.

While I know most, if not all of us, are under a lot of stress during these times, please remember your children will remember these times for the rest of their lives.  Trust me, I know it’s not easy.  I personally am trying to focus a lot on how my children are perceiving my actions and emotions – they are looking to me for guidance through these strange times.  I am also aware that I won’t have this much time with my children again, so I’m doing everything in my power to remain positive, supportive, gentle, understanding and flexible.  I encourage you to do the same.

The Almost Green Mom

 

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Fun & Games

Games to Keep Everyone Busy

Was anyone else’s week a little like mine?  My youngest dumped pee from her little potty all over our carpet; my oldest told me she didn’t want to do online school anymore and instead it was my job to teach her everything; and, meds that I chose to have shipped from a local pharmacy ended up in Sioux Falls.  Yahoo!

But, during all of this adventure, I tried to get creative (not easy for a non-creative, right brain creature like me) and come up with some fun games to keep us all busy.  Also, we tried to do a “no technology Saturday” as recommended by her school.  We made it half a day, but during that half day we had so much fun – played with toys we hadn’t played with in a long time, did a ton of arts and crafts and got outside.

Here are some of the games we played that everyone seemed to enjoy:

  • Indoor scavenger hunt – for my oldest I drew out a map of where she could find hidden items in the basement.  After that, both girls got little buckets and I told them things like “find something red,” and “find something small and soft,” etc.   It was very interesting to see what things each of them picked out, and it got them using their creative minds a bit
  • Keepy Uppy – my oldest learned this at a summer camp last year.  Pretty simple – blow up a balloon and hit it around and don’t let it touch the floor.  Sounds basic, but it provides a ton of entertainment for longer than you think
  • Page Printouts – there are a lot of free coloring pages, mazes, connect the dots, etc. online.  I printed out at least half a dozen for each child
  • “Cooking” – if you don’t mind parting with a few pieces of produce, this seems to get younger kids really excited.  Each child gets a banana / apple / stalk of celery, etc. and an age appropriate tool to cut it up.  That in itself is fun for them.  Then, they can choose what to make with it.  My oldest decided to make a salad by cutting up lettuce leaves, cabbage, green onions and celery and putting it in a ziplock for me to eat later.  My youngest just cut up a banana with a spoon and ate it.

And believe it or not, both kids sat still yesterday for a half hour of story time.  I read a chapter book to both kids outside on our swingset.  They brought their water bottles and a snack.

Hope everyone is finding fun and creative things to do with your kids during these times.  I’d love to year what your ideas are!

The Almost Green Mom

Food / Drink

Snack and Meal Ideas

Ok, so another week is almost over, I guess.  I don’t even know what day it is anymore, but I feel like we’ve been in this shelter in place since 1999.

#MomFailOfThe Week:  so I couldn’t find boxed pasta anywhere.  I was so excited to have finally found it on Walmart.com, but I had to buy a case of 10 boxes.  I figured I’d just give extras to some neighbors.  When it arrived, it wasn’t 10 separate boxes, it was 2, 10 POUND BAGS of pasta.  So, if you’re in the Denver area and want some (or 10 pounds) or pasta, let me know.

SNACKS

I don’t feel like meals have been as hard as snacks.  I don’t know if it’s because everyone is hoarding and/or stress eating, but snacks are elusive on Amazon and other sites.  There’s a reason certain snacks are available – because they’re the gross ones no one wants.  Also, we’re at the whim of Amazon Fresh and our local grocery wrt fresh produce, so that’s also a crapshoot.  Here are some things we’ve done to get creative with what we have on hand:

  • Banana Bites:  Put one rectangular graham cracker in a ziplock, seal it and let your kid whack the heck out of hit with a spoon until it’s basically powder.  Put a sliced banana in the bag and shake it (like old school shake n bake).  Voila!
  • Decorated Grahams.  Can you tell we have graham crackers?  I set out a line of things like peanut butter, raisins, mini marshmallows, jam, sprinkles, etc.  If you are lucky enough to have Nutella, add that to the line-up.  Spread whatever on the bottom and load it up with toppings.
  • Pre Packed Snacks.  When things start going sideways, I literally launch snack packs at my kids.  I really wish I had one of those t-shirt launcher guns at the college and NBA basketball games.

 

MEALS

Breakfast is typically fast.  Lunch and dinner are a little more planned out (if possible) and for these 2 meals I try to include fruit and veggies on each plate along with the main.

  • Breakfast.  My oldest child has virtual school during the week, so breakfasts need to happen before then.  We rely on staples like frozen waffles, pancakes, cinnamon raisin toast, yogurt drinks, smoothies (almond milk, whatever fresh fruit is getting too ripe, frozen fruit), etc.  The simpler the better.  On the weekends we sometimes go crazy and make homemade pancakes (watch out).
  • Lunch.  Again, it mainly depends on what we have on hand.  Of course, with the bulk pasta we have that’s always an option (butter & salt, pasta sauce & parmesan, add on a meatball, etc.); grilled cheese sandwiches, PB&J, “fried rice” (pre-made brown rice added into a scrambled egg, frozen veggies (whatever is on hand), low sodium soy sauce and teriyaki sauce); bean quesadillas in the toaster, turkey sandwiches, etc.
  • Dinner.  I’m a huge fan of not always making a huge “to do” about dinner – it could be a “breakfast for dinner” night (i.e., French toast, omelet, chicken apple sausage & scrambled eggs).  But, when I do feel like making something, I go to some of our fail safe go to’s:
    • BBQ chicken – drumsticks or breasts in an ovenproof glass container, smothered with your favorite BBQ sauce at about 375 for 40ish minutes (until at least 160 degrees with a meat thermometer)
    • Pasta – surprised?; we will also sometimes make lentil pasta, but brands really vary in terms of taste and texture so that can be a risk with my kids
    • Burgers on the grill – veggie / ham burgers (I’m vegan, my youngest isn’t a huge meat eater and my oldest would probably eat a live cow if she could)
    • Veggies on the grill – simple coating of olive oil and salt / pepper.  I was also told about these Urban Accents Veggie Roaster spice mixes recently which are really good (thank you, Amy P).  I got mine off Amazon (there are 3 envelopes in each pack, and each pack is for 1 pound of veggies)

    • Garbanzo Wraps.  This is a pretty close copy of the wraps you can buy at the Mediterranean chain, Garbanzo’s.  We use a whole wheat tortilla, smear hummus on top, and then pile on cucumber & tomato salad (diced cucumber, diced tomato mixed with a Greek dill dip / dressing – we us Oladipity but there are others), cut up chicken breast and kalamata olives
    • Homemade Mini Pizzas.  I get the unrefrigerated, small pizza crusts from Target (once open, refrigerate them), top it with pre-made pizza sauce (we like Classico) and then whatever toppings you want – we are fans of mushrooms, olives, tomato slices and whatever veggies we have on hand (great way to use up veggies that are getting ripe).  I get the mini crusts so each child can put on her own toppings – also so I can put them in the toaster oven instead of the gigantic regular oven.  Again, you can just line up the toppings and let the kids go to town.  10 minutes in the oven, and it’s done.
    • Select Recipes.  As a single mom of two young kids, I don’t have a ton of time to follow recipes (one of my best friends, who is almost my Aunt, told  me  she receives recipes in her inbox that are supposed to be quick and easy with things you have on hand, but some of them require cardamom seeds and gorgonzola?!  Umm, not really what I have stock these days.  Hilarious).  Another one of my best friends, Michelle, turned me on to an amazing cookbook that is simple and fast.  And I’m probably the last person to get it as it is a #1 NY Times Bestseller:  Skinnytaste Fast and Slow.  We made the chicken pizza roll-ups the other night and both of my kids loved it.

 

I hope this simple blog today is helpful.  I’m off as my kids have yet again dumped boxes of things all over the living room so I need to dart off.

For those of you celebrating Easter, have a wonderful holiday.  In Denver, we are supposed to get snow on Sunday, so the Easter Bunny better be able to get inside and hide eggs in our basement.

 

The Almost Green Mom

 

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