Friday, October 31, 2008

happy halloween!

this year, breaking with tradition, curtis and i are letting our kids trick or treat & spend the night with friends, and we are going to a halloween camp out! sounds fun, right? but let's review:
  • i hate cold, and our overnight low is 36
  • i hate camping
sounds dire! but on the other hand:
  • it is backyard camping, and there will be indoor bathrooms
  • it is backyard camping with some of the greatest people we know
  • i am promised there will be a large firepit, meat on sticks, and kahlua for my hot chocolate
with enough kahlua, anything is possible! :)

Thursday, October 30, 2008

sorry it took so long!

man, a week can fly by, huh? here are some more good gifting ideas...

  1. www.ulta.com - ecotools... bamboo handles and hemp fibers, these are great makeup brushes! for the diva on you list... :)
  2. www.joshjakus.com - recycled placemats with built in napkin rings... very fun!
  3. www.worldvision.com - give some ducks or a goat, clean water or pay for the education of an aids orphan, teach a woman a trade or buy a share in a whole farm! i say this every year, but this is the best way to give!!
  4. www.btcelements.com - very cool organic and recyled gifts - including fruit bowls made from potato chip bags collected from the streets of nepal!
  5. www.amazon.com - 'worldchanging' is a book that covers nearly every environmental base, offering tips on how to go green, as well as teaching about the newest eco-technology!
  6. www.ecoist.com - how cool are these??!? genuine vinyl records, repurposed as coasters! (and cruise the site for more cool things!)
  7. www.rainbowgifts-usa.com - ha! elephant poop! who knew??

Monday, October 27, 2008

the bird debacle

i know you remember the bird debacle - The Girls traipsing home from 3 weeks at mimi's with a cage & 2 zebra finches. they were a surprisingly pleasant addition to the household, until a couple weeks ago, when fezzik (of 'the princess bride' frame) began plucking the feathers from inigo "you-killed-my-father"'s head! poor inigo! he is almost totally bald! and let me tell you - a bald finch is not a pretty sight. the back of his head looks not unlike lord voldemort. *sigh*

so i did a little research... and it's either:
  • a cage too small
  • stress - from any number of mysterious sources
  • territorial
  • sexual frustration (we do not have a mating pair, only 2 boys)
  • boredom
  • over-stimulation
we are going to try to address these issues, even though some of them contradict each other! starting with a bigger cage & more cat-prevention. i will let you know how it goes.

poor inigo...

ps.... over on breezy's blog, re: politics, religion & race ... "I despise when people throw around what's "Christian" and what is "not Christian"...honestly I think it makes me look like I fall into their ignorant group because I am a Christian...but I'll tell you this, I'm not one of THEM." i couldn't agree more.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

a week to make a difference!

in the upcoming spirit of christmas, for the next week i will posting lists of unique, eco-friendly, fair-trade or sustainable gift ideas! woot! check them out - i promise something for everyone, and something for every budget! it's my christmas present to you! :)

  1. www.suubiafrica.org - 100% hand-rolled paper, made in uganda, these pieces provide consistent income for ugandan families. styles for men & women!
  2. www.uncommongoods.com - there's a lot to choose from here, but these are reclaimed tin ceiling tiles made into gorgeous photo frames. this is a fun site to cruise!
  3. www.wishingfish.com - another site that offers so much! but this 'apple-tree-to-be' kit is fabulous!
  4. the ethical travel guide - with the big idea that tourism should always benefit local people, this guide has resources for 60+ destinations.
  5. www.lumens.com - an 80 page sketchbook that has 4x6 cutouts in the center to accomodate pictures! for the artist you love...
  6. www.thegreenloop.com - a watch made from recycled footballs! go team!
  7. www.sourcingmap.com - a very cool wooden LED alarm clock! i have no idea how it works, really, but it is very interesting!
  8. www.simpleshoes.com - (thanks, mamie, for the idea!) these are eco-friendly & vegan shoes - super cute, super friendly for the world! made from a variety of materials, ranging from recycled inner tubes, bike tires and milk bottles, to felts, organic cotton & coconut!
that's all for now... more to come!

Friday, October 24, 2008

chaos theory


"Whatever You're doing inside of me/It feels like chaos but I try to believe"

Monday, October 20, 2008

i don't mean to be vague, but...

reading a new book ... thinking about some things... trying to grow up a little... trying to forgive...

Thursday, October 16, 2008

early voting

Curtis and I are in the interesting position of following the election very closely, but not having a say! How frustrating! :) But even tho we don't, you do. And no matter what happens, November 4th will be one of the most influential days in recent history. This will mean that on that day the polls will be flooded with voters.

However, did you know that in North Carolina we can start voting on October 16th (today) through November 1st at one-stop early voting?

There are several advantages to voting early:
* It will only take ~5-10 minutes of your time compared to what will certainly be hours in line on November 4th.
* If you have not yet registered to vote, you can do so during one-stop-early voting by showing a valid id with current name and address.
* You will help alleviate lines on Nov 4th which may, ultimately, dissuade voters from casting their ballot.
* Most importantly, your vote will count the same as voting on November 4th.

During one-stop-early voting, unlike on November 4th, you will not vote at your specified precinct, rather you can vote at several locations scattered throughout your county. Below, I have provided these locations as well as the times for Orange county and Durham county citizens. You can also go to: http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/content.aspx?id=17 for sites and times for other NC counties.

Another helpful web resource provided by NC board of elections allows you to see if you are correctly registered: http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/VoterLookup.aspx?arrivedFrom=VoterInformation&Reason=noURLReferrence

Orange County
Orange County Public Library Conference Room
300 W. Tryon St., Hillsborough
Oct. 16-Nov. 1
Mon. - Fri. (9:00am - 4:00pm)
Sat., Oct 18 & 25 (9:00am - 4:00pm)
Sat., Nov. 1 (9:00am - 1:00pm)

Northern Human Services Center
5800 NC HWY 86 N., Hillsborough
Oct. 16-Nov. 1
Mon. - Fri. (12:00pm - 7:00pm)
Sat., Nov. 1 (9:00am - 1:00pm)


Robert & Pearl Seymour Center
2551 Homestead Rd., Chapel Hill
Oct. 16-Nov. 1
Mon. - Fri. (12:00pm - 7:00pm)
Sat., Nov. 1 (9:00am - 1:00pm)


Morehead Planetarium
250 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill
Oct. 16-Nov. 1
Mon. - Fri. (9:00am - 4:00pm)
Sat., Oct 18 & 25 (9:00am - 4:00pm)
Sat., Nov. 1 (9:00am - 1:00pm)


Carrboro Town Hall
301 W. Main St., Carrboro
Oct. 16-Nov. 1
Mon. - Fri. (9:00am - 4:00pm)
Sat., Oct 18 & 25 (9:00am - 4:00pm)
Sat., Nov. 1 (9:00am - 1:00pm)


Durham
All sites have the same schedule:
Oct. 16-Nov. 1
Mon. - Fri. Oct. 16-Oct 29 (9:00am - 5:30pm)
Oct. 30-Oct. 31 (9:00am -7:00pm)
Sat., Oct. 18 (9:00am - 5:30pm)
Sun., Oct. 19 (12:00pm - 3:00pm)
Sat., Oct. 25 (9:00am - 5:30pm)
Sun., Oct. 26 (12:00pm - 5:30pm)
Sat., Nov. 1 (9:00am - 1:00pm)

706 West Corporation St.
Durham, NC 27701

North Regional Library
221 Milton Rd., Durham

NCCU Campus: Parish Center Meeting Room
1400 S. Alston Ave., Durham

East Regional Library
211 Lick Creek Ln., Durham

Forest View Elementary School
3007 Mt. Sinai Rd., Durham

Southwest Elementary School
2320 Cook Rd., Durham

Duke University Campus: Old Trinity Room, West Union
114 Chapel Dr., Durham

Cast your vote on my behalf! :)

progress


i have graduated! no longer am i merely a lowly elementary school Field Trip Mom! now i am "we-need-3-dozen-cookies-for-the-bake-sale-and-can-you-come-sell-them-at-our-volleyball-game-after-school-today" Mom!

woot! woot?

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

ahhhhh

i can't believe what happened tonight.

there was no pressure. no homework. no crying. no stress. no panic.

just swinging in the hammock. and reading. and bathing. and brownie making. and laughing.

a long-needed deep breath in the mulder household. i am grateful.

Monday, October 13, 2008

fresh starts

so.... fresh starts.

as i mentioned, i started going to the gym. i have my goals, and a plan to reach them - but it's going to require some intentional energy and time!

it occurs to me that i have been a lot more intentional about creating a plan to get into my favorite jeans than i have been about creating a plan to get my heart into a good place - and when i'm thinking straight i know that my heart is what matters, not my pant size. i need to have intentional energy and time to make my inner life as beautiful as i'd like my outer life to be. and so i have a goal:

"(You) will be like a shelter from the wind
and a refuge from the storm,
like streams of water in the desert
and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land." (isaiah 32:2)

that is who i want to be... for curtis, for The Girls, for my friends and peeps... and with a little grace i might just get there...

Saturday, October 11, 2008

ban "mandatory"


this is the story of my life!

Thursday, October 09, 2008

i wanna be like...


well, it's thursday and nothing exciting or noteworthy is going on over here in my world. no good books, no new ideas, no major traumas (thank goodness!) and no major victories. but...

... i did join a gym. and have been going for a week now. and i am clearly on my way to be buff like 'tomb raider' angie! ha! (but with posh spice's hair, obviously...)

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

how fantastic is this?!?!


we just signed our family up for the terracycle inc drink pouch brigade! Every year BILLIONS of drink pouches end up in dumpsters and landfills across America. TerraCycle, Capri Sun and Honest Kids are working together to put an end to this awful loss of resources. As an eco-friendly innovator, TerraCycle is going to convert the used drink pouches into unique fashion bags, tote bags, and pencil cases for kids and adults!

TerraCycle will mail out 4 prepaid collection bags to your address. Once a collection bag is filled at least 100 drink pouches you just seal and drop off the filled bag at a UPS drop off location near you. The Capri Sun & Honest Kids Drink Pouch Brigade™ program allows almost any organization or individual to save drink pouches from taking up space in our landfills. Capri Sun and Honest Tea will donate $.02 per Capri Sun, Kool Aid and Honest Kids drink pouches and $.01 per other drink pouch you collect to the charity of your choice. If you don't have a charity currently in mind, you may choose from a list of existing charities! There are no signup fees whatsoever. and you can also do it with cookie packages! and wine corks!


so sign up! spread the word! eat more oreo's & chips ahoy! switch to capri sun, kool aid or honest kids in your lunch box! at the very least, bring your drink pouches to us, and let us recycle them for you! let's save the world one thirst quenching beverage at a time! :)

lewis... again

it is important to realize that there is some really fatal flaw in you: something which gives the others just that same feeling of despair which their flaws give you. ... (we ought to) abstain from thinking about other people's faults... and think of one's own faults instead. ... of all the awkward people in your house or job there is only one whom you can improve very much. that is the practical end at which to begin. and really, we'd better. the job has to be tackled someday: and every day we put it off will make it harder to begin.

that clive staples. he didn't mince words, did he?

Saturday, October 04, 2008

lust


say what you will about vicky beckham... how much do i love her hair! i think i could rock that hair, what do you think!!?

Friday, October 03, 2008

friday time waster

because, let's face it, who wants to be productive on a friday??

www.stumbleupon.com - see where the web can take you! :)

happy friday!

Thursday, October 02, 2008

things of beauty

isn't fall beautiful? i mean, we aren't into the glorious leaves yet, but the air... the open window air. it's gorgeous. i can tell it's fall here when the light changes... it takes on a different quality and lights the rooms of my home with rays that skim rather than shine... everyone snuggles down into the blankets at night, pulling them up over ears and noses while the chill air creeps in through the open windows and you wake up to cold toes and the smell of coffee and leaves.

not everyone has the luxury of a warm bed, though. maybe we all ought to think about getting a couple of these blankets and keeping them in our backseats - then we'd have something to give the man on the corner, holding a sign & asking for mercy. i think that would make God smile... and that is a beautiful thing, too.