recent findings, (in)conclusions

• I do not, nor possibly will I ever, enjoy brown rice.
• Same goes for whole grain pasta, although I *might* give it another chance.
• Until then, I plan to fully enjoy my nutritionally valueless refined pastas and rice. Yum.
• Most of the other grains I eat are whole, with no HFCS. I know too much to eat differently, anymore.
• It’s very difficult to find hot dog buns without HFCS. Even from the grocery store bakery, you still might not find them.
• Antiperspirants make my underarms hurt (random? or is it), so I’ve switched, as an experiment, to all-natural deodorant.
• I’ve tried two different kinds, and one works just fine, although it’s not summer yet. If you know what I’m saying. My underarms felt much better.
• The other kind totally still make my underarms feel weird, and I swear that it made my boob hurt, too. A lot.
• Just because you can’t google the pain, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
• I’m kind of lucky that I don’t sweat much, though.
• Not exercising aids this issue. There’s a positive. Of not exercising.
• Although, I did exercise twice this past week. For the first time in forever.
• Organic Braeburn apples are stop-in-your-tracks tasty.
• Costco is still the most convenient place for me to buy produce. Even if it’s mostly not organic, and definitely not local.
• Whatever. It’s like, wherever and whenever possible.
• I love dark chocolate, a whole lot.
• Farm-fresh eggs? Yes.
• Pure & Natural soap smells really good and comes in a container with baby’s breath seeds in it. You can plant the container, for real, and thusly enjoy the plant.
• However, despite its Pure & Naturalness, it still makes me break out.
• Aveeno soap remains the only soap that doesn’t make me break out. Fragrance or fragrance-free, doesn’t matter. Aveeno, thumbs-up.
• J.Lo hates the Mrs. Meyer’s dish soap I bought, which is rhubarb-scented. Upon further examination, I don’t blame him. Will probably donate said dish soap to a better cause.
• The glass and countertop cleaners, however, are not not as offensive. And, they work.
• I still use bleach to clean the bathroom, occasionally. Don’t foresee this habit changing. Mainly because it works. Kicks the shit out of some mold and germs.
• Are you still listening? I totally don’t blame you if you aren’t.
• Actually, I’m not sure we have a substantial blog audience anymore, anyway.
• Everyone’s on Facebook, or else living their “offline lives,” or whatever.
• And that’s fine. I’m glad that, in addition to a Facebook account and a life offline, I still have a journal.
• And a space that is just Pen & M’s.
• However, if you are still listening, we love you.
• I can’t think of anything else to say. And it’s bedtime.

Penelope out!

nature vs. not

Recently, I have:

*Read In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan.

*Perused two other “real food” books, one by Marion Nestle, and one by Nina Planck, until I basically overdosed on seriousness and needed to step back a bit in my pondering.

*Visited the local co-op, decided for the most part, it wasn’t worth it when considering cost, convenience, and selection. Wished I felt otherwise, but it’s true. Maybe for a few items here and there.

*Signed petition re: food and politics, hoping to do my small part in supporting BETTER FOOD in America. Posted said petitions to Facebook profile like crazy person. Oh, btw, sign it already!

*Watched “King Corn” on Netflix. Decided, yes, they really are subsidizing cheap crap filler for our food. And they don’t care to stop it because…well, don’t get me started. That’s not the point of this post.

*Eliminated as much high-fructose corn syrup from company fridge and cabinets as possible—until the point where I was vetoed by rest of staff. Now consume HFCS in very small, discriminatory amounts. Husband thinks I’m weird and/or nuts; is possibly correct.

*Started eating a lot more fruit. Fresh and dried, no sugar added, when there is a choice.

*Naturally begun greening the cleaning as well, wherever possible. Will probably still use up cabinet full of non-green products so it’s not a total waste? And don’t foresee axing things like ammonia and bleach for heavy-duty cleaning needs.

*Downward spiraled a bit into Green. I am (and this is the point of the post here) no longer sure where to draw the line on some things. I guess it’s a “wherever possible” thing? An “increased awareness” thing? I don’t know. Because obviously truth is so nebulous today, who is to say whether any of this green & natural stuff really matters. I think it does, it has to some, but to what extent. I’m not ready to jump on 100%.

Because, here is the thing. Some products were created as a cheaper, easier-to-produce alternative, the long-term effects of which were not considered, or else were ignored. Are ignored. Other items, however, were created to meet a true need, and who is to say  whether those products aren’t actually better? Science doesn’t tell the whole story, or answer so many of the questions, but to completely discount it feels wrong. Like, for instance, when I take my Bug to the doctor with a raging ear infection, and she’s better in mere hours, thanks to those wonderful antibiotics. Thanks to science. (Thanks, science!)

So, when examining products to determine their value, their safety, their risk, how does one really decide. For foods, fewer ingredients are generally better, as well as ingredients one recognizes. Pesticides and non-sustainable agriculture = bad, but seriously, I’m still going to buy the waxed, perfect apple. Because that’s what available, and you know what? It’s still an apple.

What about cleaners? I recognize BLEACH, but that doesn’t make it a good thing—or something I’m about to stop using to scrub down the bathrooms and door handles after a bout of the flu. I also recognize TALC, which is supposedly not too great either, and that one’s in my baby’s diaper cream. The tried and true diaper cream that has worked like a charm for both of my kids, and that I continue to use. But is it carcinogenic, because of the talc, or anything else it contains? I can find information that tells me yes, and also information that tells me no, don’t worry about it.

Maybe I’m getting too nitty-gritty.

But, I still don’t know whether it’s worth it to change out the diaper cream.  I’m left to sort of throw my hands up in the air, wondering to dismiss the issue altogether because hey, it’s a mainstream product, so it can’t be bad… but HFCS is also mainstream, and my gut says that’s not good, that it’s totally a sham. Diaper cream is applied daily, for two years or more, directly to skin. The “natural” diaper cream I’m guessing doesn’t work as well, and is like, $10+ for 2 oz., no exaggeration there.

What to do, what to do. Maybe think about something else. Eat something, clean something, change a diaper. Oh wait…

More thoughts about the earth

Feeling encouraged by comments on the last post (m and I always feel encouraged by comments, period, right m?), I thought I'd add a few more things we do that I forgot about, and some more that I'm aspiring to.


*J.Lo rinses his razor in rubbing alcohol, a tip from clarkhoward, which extends the life of the razor... amazingly. Since Mach 3 razor replacements are tres expensivo, even if we buy them at Costco, this is a super-cool trick. It's the water and air that degrades a razor's sharpness, not the actual use, so rinsing in alcohol dries the razor quickly and completely. We have the alcohol in a little tupperware container, so we don't waste that, either.


*I did, after writing the last post, find a recipe for homemade granite cleaner, which I'm kind of excited about.

*Sometimes, I reuse foil, and every time I do, I think about my Grandma reusing foil, because that's just "what they did" in the Depression. I also will reuse ziploc bags if they're not dirty from the first use.

*When I say I buy certain things "as needed," I mean it. It takes a concerted effort to wait until we've really and truly have almost run out of something, as stockpiling is apparently in my blood.

*I'm seriously considering making my own Brita pitcher refills, as suggested by g. Or figuring out some way to refill our refigerator filter, because those bad boys are super-expensive, and I hate buying them just on principle.

*Someday, I might start using cloth napkins on a regular basis, and nix the paper ones.


*I'm getting better at (with, ahem, certain exceptions) getting the laundry clean, so fewer clothes are wasted. It's all about soaking. And frankly, regardless of the money factor, this recent revolution is kind of a relief. I hate it when I can't get a stain out, and I'm a pretty messy girl.


*I buy powdered Gatorade instead of the pre-made.

*We drink from 2-liter sodas instead of cans, even though it's much less exciting, and yes, the fizz does disappear after awhile.

I feel like there's more, but well, you get the picture for now.

Not that I don't love the earth

We've been pinching pennies lately, for several reasons: debt consolidation, lack of overtime hours, and oh, the fact that we have two children now. Gets expensive. So here are the some of things I've been doing that in another life I might have considered... fussy, boring, overly-involved, obsessive, over-the-top, impractical, plain old can't-be-bothered-with-it, etc. A lot of these make it sound like we're all Going Green with Al Gore, but no, we're just cheap bastards.


*I have severely cut our paper towel usage. Paper towels will be used only for things like... cooking bacon. For cleanups, I purchased a pack of microfiber cloths ($8.99 for 12, found in Target's automotive section) and throw them in the laundry when they're dirty. They wash well, although they tend to cling to the other clothes like velcro, which is a little weird. They do clean up better than paper towels, however, which I'm very impressed with.

*Items we really go through, I buy in bulk. Items we wouldn't go through if we have a half-ton of it around, I buy as needed. I'm very judicious about this fund allocation, and I do find more and more items switching over to the bulk list, because I am also getting very strict about finishing everything we buy.

*We use the front and backs of scrap paper, especially for K.Lo's art projects.

*We eat leftovers for lunch. Or sometimes, if I don't think we'll make it through the leftovers before they die, I put them in the freezer for a whole nother dinner.

*Nearly all of the kids' clothes are hand-me-downs or gifts. Every once in awhile I can't restrain myself, but I do try.

*I bought the light bulbs that last 7 years. But I won't use them in the fixtures I know will burn out long before the 7 years is up.

*Unless I take a trip, I only fill up my own car with gas maybe once a month. Because I never go anywhere far. (This one's sort of a lucky accident.)

*I use the aquarium water on the front-porch plants...which are dying because I need to water them in between, too, but that's another story.

*We wear a lot of clothes (pants, pjs, some shirts, not underwear for heaven's sake) more than once to cut back on laundry, only wash what's really dirty... which N.Lo helps along faster than we'd like. Babies are so messy.

*I make most of my own cleaning products. The only thing I don't make (yet) are laundry detergent and dishwasher cleaner. And furniture polish, but I'm really thinking about it. Oh, and granite cleaner, I probably will not make that, unless I find a good recipe. I have 2 multi-purpose sprays that also happen to be non-toxic. Dust repellant spray, shower cleaner, and general bathroom cleaner. I also use various product concoctions to clean the toilet and also the drains. I use straight vinegar to clean the coffee pot and also instead of Jet Dry in the dishwasher. I haven't had to make a glass cleaner yet, since I still have some store-bought on hand, but I will eventually.

*I downgraded our cable/internet package--oh wait, no, I upgraded it. Because it was actually cheaper to get the faster internet service, go figure. And that price is locked in now for 2 years, won't change even when everything goes to HD.

*We have the cheapest possible price plan for our phones, and never go over our minutes, and do not excessively text. Actually, the whole street could probably use our minutes and we still wouldn't go over, because I, as previously discussed in some other blog post of the past, am not a Phone Person, and we have rollover out the yang.

*We just switched trash companies, thanks to a hot tip from erinhjones. Servicetrash.com, baby. Ten bucks a month.

*We only give the kids baths once or twice a week. Oh wait, maybe that's just laziness. But seriously, too many baths dries out their skin anyway.

*And when I do give K.Lo a bath, I just plug the drain when I start the water running, and then mix it with the hot to get it the right temp, rather than wasting all that water at the beginning. I'm also considering (will I go this far?) getting a bucket and collecting unused water from the shower, like when you're waiting for it to heat up? But I don't know, it seems very hard core. But I could maybe use that for the fish tank, and the dying plants so maybe they'll live again.

*I never throw out gift bags, unless they're torn or whatever... and thusly never have to buy a gift bag. Same with tissue paper. And mailing envelopes/boxes.

*I also buy cards in bulk. Or at the dollar store, where incidentally, they cost less than a dollar.

*I buy books and music with gift certificates only, and otherwise they'll be used, like at the famed Library Book Sale, or on Amazon Marketplace. Or I don't buy a book at all, if I can get it at the library or borrow. Or burn, for music. And movies, I'm trying to not buy those at all, for the time being, and just rent from Netflix or ask for it for Christmas. Except with Dan in Real Life, I totally caved on that one, but it was my birthday we were celebrating.

*And, as you probably already well know, I am the bargain shopper. When it comes to pretty much everything.

So, welcome to my nerdy, cheapskate life. I share this list not to brag, or complain, or make you feel compulsive about your own life (god, please don't), but more just to catalogue our efforts? Because we are. Making an effort.