promoting

In February, I'm going to blog about things I love. Anyone care to join me?

One of things I love is DIY. Do it Yourself! Maybe because in an alternate reality, my family would've been pioneers on the prairie. Why buy anything that you could make? with stuff you already have? I've always had to be thrifty, so that feeds into it, too. In fact, I think a lot of what is considered all that is "green" is actually just plain ol' thriftiness.

So anyway, I sew stuff, make stuff from scratch, reuse and repurpose stuff. Obviously I can't do everything, because I have two kids and limited time. So I pick and choose as I can.

I was excited to see this book making its rounds in blogosphere last year, and I finally got my hands on it with my Christmas money. Though for approximately $7, it's not prohibitive at all.

Make Your Place: Affordable & Sustainable Nesting Skills

It's a book about making whatever you need for keeping house using natural, non-toxic ingredients, with sections for health and first aid, personal hygiene, home cleanliness, and gardening.

I'll admit, I get bogged down by more complicated homeopathic stuff. But this is presented really clearly so that someone like me who doesn't know much more than to put aloe on a burn can really benefit and learn a lot.

Then there's recipes for any cleaning product you could possibly want to make, using all non-toxic ingredients. And we do try to keep toxins at a low around here.

It's a very practical no-nonsense guide for keeping house.

I really the perspective that the author brings:
"I came to realize that my skepticism about the importance these acts was based on a cultural belief that the domestic sphere is somehow less important than the public sphere. Which, of course, is such a load of crap... Chief...is the idea that DIY is about making even the tiny bits of our lives intentional: we focus our energy on what we know is right for us, rather than what is dictated by a market or culture." (pp2,7)

I can't wait to try stuff.

I do love my alma mater. I think I had a pretty good Christian college experience. As a four year liberal arts school, I got a fantastic education that more than amply prepared me for grad school. (And I tried out almost every major before I finally settled on two...and a minor.) It wasn't too fundy, basically the only major rules that affected my daily life were no drinking and smoking during the school term, go to chapel, and observe open dorm rules (and then I think there was the part about not returning library books late, but since I lived in the library, that only affected me a little bit). I made friends for life. I still keep up with a few profs. It really felt like the ideal experience. (And yes, it's on top of a mountain.)

I like telling people about Covenant College. If that's the kind of place you're looking for, then I hope you go there, because I don't think you'll do much better! At least...I think so. Truth is, I'm not sure. I've been kind of out of the loop. Their periodical news magazine reaches me every few years (despite the fact that I've only had two addresses since I graduated eight years ago). Sometimes I get postcards about new buildings. I definitely get phone calls and letters requesting money. And usually I'm happy to give even $10, because at the end of the day, it's the percentage of alumni giving that carries the most punch. These are two things I do to support Covenant College, an occasional (and I mean to make this more regular!) financial gift (no matter how small!) and telling people about it, so that they go there, too. (Like my little sister. *grin*)

Anyway, so good institutions grow and change. The economy forces them to make hard decisions. And gradually I start hearing weird things about Covenant, like huge faculty lay-offs and huge athletics boosts. It sounds strange to me, like I'm not looking at MY college. The important things to do when you start hearing weird things is to research and to talk to people who know more than you do.

I am so thankful for the people who have taken the time to talk to me during what is a very busy time on the academic schedule. At the end of the day, I feel like I know...not much more. But I do have reassurances from people who know more than I do that the College is not veering from its historical mission. I'm glad for these.

As I continue to talk to people, I find that things are more complicated than I thought at first glance. Things still don't line in my head as much as I would like, so a couple of friends and I thought we'd create a safe, constructive place to address the powers that be and to talk to other alumni. Hence, the Covenant College Alumni Round Table. This is NOT a place for a Vent Fest or for accusing. It is a place of collaboration and inquiry. We all have the good of the college and its people at heart. If you're a Covenant Alum, I'd encourage you to visit there. You may also be interested in signing the letter that we will submit to the leadership in a few days.

I think it's important for the alumni to stay connected (at least a little bit) with the major growths and changes of the college, since we are a little bit invested. On a personal note, one of my current fascinations is the changing nature of higher education in general. I'm excited to see where Covenant will go with that.

Today is February 10. The day in which the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act comes into orbit. If you recall, this is the hastily written law that didn't take into considerations the thousands of small business, crafters, and artists when it created steep lead-testing standards.

But our country is great, and voices can be heard. The fight to Save Handmade is still going strongly. There's a one-year stay on enforcement of the law, while they sort out the details.

The law is a good idea. The presence of lead and phthalates in toys in concerning, and I'm glad Congress is finally doing something about. I've been concerned about letting my kids play with too much plastic/certain kinds of plastic. I'm not insane-o about toys when we're out and about, but I try to minimize them at home, not that we don't have our Legos or anything. Bad plastics are scary, though. Eeew. So buying toys and children's products from small companies and handmade sellers is a great alternative!

So, please, folks, don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

I spent several hours this afternoon cutting out fabric for handmade gifts. It's no secret around here that I love making things and value handmade things. So it is with great shock that I came across this information jeopardizing the local handmade toy industry in our country. (ht to kristen)

In 2007, large toy manufacturers who outsource their production to China and other developing countries violated the public's trust. They were selling toys with dangerously high lead content, toys with unsafe small part, toys with improperly secured and easily swallowed small magnets, and toys made from chemicals that made kids sick. Almost every problem toy in 2007 was made in China.
...
The CPSIA simply forgot to exclude the class of toys that have earned and kept the public's trust: Toys made in the US, Canada, and Europe. The result, unless the law is modified, is that handmade toys will no longer be legal in the US.

If this law had been applied to the food industry, every farmers market in the country would be forced to close while Kraft and Dole prospered.

what can we do? contact your elected officials. It's actually very easy. I've never done it before until now. But there's a handy-dandy little form and you just submit your letter electronically. Kind of makes me wonder how many bazillion letters they must get. But that's what the staff is for, right?

from the internet buzz out there, the crafting community is very concerned! understandably!!!

You can watch the documentary, The Business of Being Born, free-streaming online: here.

I've already written about it. But I thought I'd put in an extra plug. Upon rewatching it, I'd highly recommend it to women are pregnant for their first time (or any time!) or wanting to become pregnant, because it really goes into the choices you have and gives clear information that your doctor might not be as forthwith about (like about Pitocin and stuff).

My two cents.

Anyway, I rewatched it this weekend hoping it would be a little pep rally, but it wasn't really. I'm trying to take each day at a time.

Reminding myself that weeks of prelabor will probably hold me in good stead at the end. In the meantime, I'm very tired. And thankful for all the graciousness friends and family are bestowing upon me.

It seems that everyone in blogosphere is reporting the invasion of the snot monster into their homes. Thankfully, we seem to be avoiding coldiness (knock on wood).

I wanted to put in a plug for something we use when the snotties visit: Warming Vaporous Rub, which I happened to find at Whole Foods--though I'm sure it's not hard to find a basic rub like this (or even make your own). It's a rub containing pine, peppermint, lavender, thyme, and yarrow essential oils. We used this a lot when E was a baby. It smells so nice and really brings a lot of relief for average snotties. (Something else you could do is just put a few drops of eucalyptus oil in the vaporizer or bath.)

Here's to babies who can breathe better!

This afternoon Chris and I went to see a showing of the documentary I mentioned a little while ago, The Business of Being Born. It actually was a little better than I thought it would be. I knew it would be polemical and emotional, and it was those things--how could it not be? childbirth is a powerful, emotional experience. It was also informative, balanced, and moving.

The film opened with some shocking statistics: did you know, for instance, that of all countries in the western, developed world?
* the U.S. has the second worst infant mortality rate
* the U.S. has a 30% C-section rate (read 1 out of 3 women) compared to other western country's 5%
and
* and in other western countries 1/3 of births are homebirths, compared to the U.S.'s 1%

The film followed the pregnancies and births of a few women, included conversations with OBs, midwives, and midwifry celebs like Ina May Gaskin and Michel Odent, and incorporated a brief history of OB practice in America.

American women simply don't have good information about childbirth, and that is what the film really addresses. An intervention-free, natural childbirth is going to be safest for mother and baby in 90% of pregnancies. But the average American woman doesn't have the information of what she can do and is instead fed fear. For the remaining percent for whom intervention is necessary, the film has a beautiful, moving section that incorporates that, but the decision for intervention was a very well-informed decision. The film was about the need to have good information, and not to let insurance companies or doctors who are trained surgeons or the fear of litigation to get in the way of what millions of women having been doing for thousands of years.

Netflix will release the DVD on Feb. 26, and I highly recommend putting it on your queue. It was a beautiful film. (And a good pep rally for me as I'm feeling a bit down in the doldrums of mid-pregnancy.)

as seen at in process

The new documentary film, The Business of Being Born, looks very interesting. I hope it will raise awareness in our country of the many ridiculous birth practices that are so unnecessary most of the time (umm..convenience C-sections!? routine pitocin?!), of the incredible, SAFE thing called giving birth.