Get Outside: It's Earth Day, for crying out loud.

OK, so while I try to take steps in my everyday life to improve the environment, and I oh-so-enjoy spending lots of time outdoors, I'm not a huge fan of special Earth Day activities. This is very cliche, but every day should be Earth Day, so please don't make so much of an effort today, that you're too tired to do anything the rest of the year!

So yes, talk about green stuff today with your little chippamunks, take them outside on a lovely nature adventure, but seriously think about one or two changes you can make in your everyday life that will spread the joy all year long. That's what it's really all about.

Here is a list of some things that my family does in our everyday life to green it up. Now, we're by no means perfect, but we do make a conscious effort, so maybe this will offer a little inspiration (and just a note, we do live on a tight budget, so it isn't always super-expensive to think earth-friendly):

-We have a compost pile for kitchen scraps
-We grow our own herbs, and several varieties of vegetables
-I try to can and freeze our own harvest, and also locally purchased fruits and veggies when in season
-I buy from the local farmer's market
-I buy organic when I can
-We only eat meat or fish 2-3 times per week (this is a huge cost saver!)
-We use cloth bags at stores, including mesh produce bags (not just the grocery store, the drugstore and others too.)
-We try to walk and bike when possible, and plan our car trips efficiently
-We purchased our vehicles with gas mileage in mind
-Our chippamunk wears cloth diapers, line dried when the weather allows (gets out the stains better anyway)
-This one is tough, but we try to pay attention to packaging, and avoid excessive packaging when possible.
-We have a programmable thermostat
-Our ornamental garden is mostly native plants -- they don't need to be watered or fertilized
-We've planted much of our lawn in native prairie to reduce the need to mow
-We recycle (duh). We're lucky, our city has an easy and thorough recycling program. However, they just stopped accepting #5 dairy tubs. We're not going to stop eating yogurt, so I discovered that Whole Foods will accept these containers as part of their 'Gimme Five' program.
-If we need to get rid of something that can't be recycled, we do our best to find it a good home or donate it
-If we need something new, we try to find it used, if appropriate (especially for kids' stuff! They go through it so fast!) Sometimes this one is hard...my husband hears me grumble everytime I take out our standard stroller -- the newest designs are so stylish!

Make a small change today, and every day will be Earth Day.

Now go outside,
Anna

Get Outside: Feed the Birds

Feed the birds, tuppence a bag...
- Mary Poppins

Well, I have no idea how much a tuppence is, but it's money well spent if you're feeding the birds. Feeding backyard birds is a great activity -- you and your chippamunk will have an opportunity to observe feathered friends up close and personal, with the right bird feeder and seed.

Although wintertime is the most common time to feed birds, spring is great too. Birds are getting ready to nest and will appreciate the extra calories

It's an easy and inexpensive activity, but it's worth knowing a few basics. Certain types of birds like certain types of seed, and certain types of feeders.

• The simplest set up that attracts the most variety of birds is a hanging feeder that accomodates black oil sunflower seed. Cardinals, chickadees, titmice, finches, woodpeckers, and many more love black oil sunflower seed. If you're going to have one feeder and one type of seed, this is definitely it.
• A hanging feeder specially designed for tiny niger thistle seeds will attract all sorts of finches.
• A suet feeder will attract woodpeckers, chickadees, and more. Suet is especially beneficial in the wintertime, when the birds need the extra fat. You can make your own suet, or spread peanutbutter on a pinecone, or in holes partially drilled in a board.
• A platform feeder or a tray feeder near the ground filled with a seed mix including millet will attract juncoes, doves, sparrows and other ground feeders. Caution, many bird seed mixes contain lots of millet as a filler. Unless you're specifically trying to attract these ground feeders, stick to mixes with mostly black oil sunflower seed.
• Safflower seed attracts cardinals and grosbeaks.
• Blackbirds love corn
• Jays love peanuts
• You can get a special feeder that hold sugar water and will attract hummingbirds.
• Orioles will dine on oranges sliced in half.

Take care, and keep your feeder clean. Check for mold, and occasionally wash down with hot, soapy water. Rinse well. If the feeder was very dirty, or you've noticed sick birds, wash down with 1 part bleach to 9 parts water.

'hopper' feederhanging feeder

Here are a few of the most common backyard birds:
Downy woodpecker

Goldfinch

Tree sparrow (you are free to call any little tiny brown stripey bird a sparrow)

Chickadee

Cardinal

Now go outside!

Anna

Artsy

My husband and I are notorious for not hanging anything on the walls, and it's a real shame. I go to friends' houses, who have chosen beautiful pieces of art, or photographs, or whatever to decorate their home, and it's wonderful. It fills up those blank walls, and brings so much of their character to their home.

So at our local art fair, there is this incredible artist who does paper cutouts. Her name is Carol Menninga, and she does amazing things with paper and a pair of scissors. Here is her web site http://www.paper-cutouts.com/.

Most are inspired by nature, and some are touched with coffee stain or water color. You can purchase them in lovely frames, or unframed. One of my favorites, that is perfect for baby's room or as a shower gift for a good friend is 'Hey Diddle Diddle'. It is inspired by the nursery rhyme, and is just adorable!

Now go outside!
Anna

Shape up Mama!

Do you know Google Pedometer?

I love this Google innovation! It allows you to zero in on your city, neighborhood, or vacation spot, draw a route, calculate the distance, and then save it!

I discovered this site during my maternity leave, and it allowed me to explore different areas of my neighborhood, and know exactly how much distance I had covered. I live in an area that has multiple adjacent subdivisions. It's fun to explore and look at the different houses, but (a) I have a terrible sense of direction, and (b) with a tiny new chippamunk, I never wanted to be super far from home base.

So enter Google pedometer! Each morning, I'd plot a circuitous, multi-mile walk in our neighborhood, print out the map, and stuff it in the stroller. I got lots of exercise, and I never got lost!

Now go outside!
Anna

Cheap and Easy

I'm not talking about that girl you knew in high school (or were YOU that girl in high school? No matter, we're not judging.) I'm talking about dinner.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
Ingredients (for family of four)
2 largish boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 can diced tomatoes and chiles
pinch of cumin
1 clove of garlic, diced or pressed
salt and pepper
dash of oregano
optional additions: handful of frozen corn, can of black beans, rinsed and drained
tortillas
assorted taco toppings

Place chicken breasts in slow cooker, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and chiles (with liquid), cumin, garlic, oregano, and any optional add-ins. Turn slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4 hours.

Before serving, shred chicken with two forks. Serve in tortillas with cheese, cubed avocado, sour cream, or whatever. Good, healthy, easy, and cheap.

Now go outside,
Anna

Get Outside: Migration

It's that sometimes ucky time of year when it's kind of getting warm on some days, but is still toe chillin' on most, and every day is muddy. Now, I don't mind a little mud, but muddy AND cold is a combination I do not appreciate. So what's a chippamunk to do if he wants to get outside?

On a kind of warm, not so wet day, head out for a walk or into your yard and look for newcomers. Early March is when the birds begin heading in from their southern retreats, and you can see new arrivals each day.

There is the classic robin -- her cheery red chest and chipper call dress up a cloudy day. They love the rain, as it brings their favorite snack (worms) to the surface. Even if you don't go outside, look for this dapper gal hopping around your yard.

Here come the geese! Their amusing honking signals you to look up, where you can see the distinctive V formation. Now there's a lot of geese that stick around all winter, but you will still see greater goose traffic this time of year.

And for those of us in the northern central US, you are lucky enough to see and hear my favorite spring party-goer, the sandhill crane. They have a sound like no other, kind of like a big prehistoric pigeon. Look for them in natural areas or in farm fields. They have red caps, and are typically gray, but may look rusty early in the season.
Now go outside!
Anna

Shape up Mama!

My new favorite fitness video is Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. It's a less than 30 minute workout that combines toning, cardio, and ab-work in a circuit style. These are simple, no nonsense moves; I'm talking jumping jacks, lunges, military presses and running in place. There are three different workouts on the video.

You do 3 minutes of toning (light handweights are needed), 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of abwork. You repeat this circuit three times. It is a great workout, and it is very easy to fit in while your little chippamunk is napping. Really, no excuses!

Now if you don't care for Jillian's in-your-face style on her show, The Biggest Loser, don't discount this tape. She's actually pretty chill -- it's like working out with a really athletic girlfriend at the gym. And the two other gals on the tape are quite inspiring to look at, in a Greek goddess/athleta sort of way, not a starved supermodel way.

Some extra cardio (and a healthy diet) will still be needed to shed those extra pounds, but this is a workout you can do everyday. It gets you moving, meets your basic toning needs, and you feel great because you worked out!

Now go outside! (after you do this workout)
Anna