Eco-Resolutions

..I always tell JJ how I'd like to start being more Eco-friendly but don't know where to start, until I got to researching and came across this list which I totally agree with and think it's VERY doable by all of us..it's something we all will eventually have to start doing to keep our Earth clean and live able so why not start now! I understand this all may be overwhelming to someone who doesn't know where to start but pick a couple things to start out with..I especially love the idea of re using your grocery bags OR buying the reusable ones for $1 at Walmart. Another good one is donating your gently used clothing and shoes..those are def. a good start!
I know most of us say well, what's a difference going to make if I don't do it...well it makes a huge difference and I highly encourage you all to start looking into ways to help our environment!

1. Take reusable bags on all shopping trips, not just for groceries – Nicole Richie and Jennie Garth love these ones.
2. Take your shoes off at your front door – why bring that outdoor road gunk inside (lead included)?
3. Clean the greenest way possible and get rid of all your household chemicals – Gone Shopping offers the Eco-Me home kit.
4. Don’t buy unnecessary and un-NEEDED toys for your children…and watch for pvc, lead, phthalates…why are they in our toys in the first place? Read Slow Death by Rubber Duck to learn more.
5. Turn the water off while brushing your teeth…there is NO reason why this can’t start happening today!
6. Make sure your tires are properly inflated – just ask how to check at your next service call if you don’t know how.
7. Don’t chew aspartame (ick!), and certainly don’t give artificial gum to your kids – try Glee Gum.
8. Do not give out conventional invitations when throwing your next party (I do hope you have a lot to celebrate) – try this instead.
9. I’m hoping that you’re excited knowing that this next point was checked off your list ages ago - NO PLASTIC water bottles…disposable or reusable…use a Klean Kanteen or a glass bottle.
10. Try packing a waste-free lunch–Oprah, Martha Stewart and Rachel Ray all agree.
11. Be an Agent of Altruism TM. Nothing will make you feel better than doing a random act of kindness. Check out Boom Boom Cards to get started.
12. Avoid canned foods – the same scary BPA made famous in baby bottles are in those can linings. – Eden Organics cans of beans are BPA free and a healthy choice too!
13. Try a little alternative medicine – consult a naturopath and avoid putting synthetics in your body that are harmful in production, to your body and when you pee it back out and it goes into our water system! Women take note: FemMed has a solution for everything!
14. Source one new and very safe personal care item…maybe mascara, toothpaste or a shampoo…wondering why only one? I know once you get started, you’ll keep going. Try Green Beauty or your local health food store.
15. Donate something – recycle stuff you don’t use and give it to someone who needs it.
16. Inspire your school or organization to run an eco-friendly, intelligent fundraiser like this one.
17. Don’t idle your car, and ask those that you see idling to cut their engines too.
18. Use an eco-friendly ice melter/traction control – where do you think it all goes once you dump it on your walkways and driveways? Aside from our water system, it travels to our interiors (think cars, landscaping, pets and our children), and it gets taken into our schools. Home Depot has multiple options.
19. Spend a few minutes on the Canadian food inspection website and sign up for their alerts via email. This will be the quickest way to convince you to buy as local, as fresh and as organic as you can…melamine? Listeria? Oy.
20. Admit it, there’s something gross about rubbing germs around and getting a chemical to kill them on your hands (where do you think the chemical is going?). Alcohol kills both bad AND good bacteria and synthetic antibacterials (Triclosan as an example) has shown it can lead to super germs…ick!. I tote around Clean George, now available in Canada!
21. Watch Garbage Revolution– you’ll learn the acceptable kind of “trash talk”.
22. Join a few free campaigns that allow your small actions to be part of something bigger! Take a look at TakeOutWithOut. Fill your stomach and not our landfills!
23. Ditch the tea bags (who need the string, staple, bleached bag and wrapper?) and get into brewing loose leaf tea – nourishtea has a wide variety!
24. Make something with a foreign-to-your-kitchen ingredient. Kale Chips? Quinoa? Gogi Berries? It’s good to try new things – you’ll surprise yourself!
25. Give up plastic one step at a time! Get a glass straw that is so durable they offer a lifetime guarantee! And, while you’re in the kitchen, recycle all of those plastic containers, especially the ones without matching lids! Instead invest in glass containers with lids.

Focus on the positive impacts your eco-reSOLUTIONS will have and remember that every decision you make does have an impact, whether negative or positive…so inform yourself and make decisions wisely.

Non Essisential baby items

..So I've been asked numerous times throughout the years what I've boughten for my kids and what I thought was just a complete waste! So I'll write a list on my personally experiences with my own children..

Bassinet- They may be conveient and easy to be able to move room to room BUT your baby will outgrow it fairly fast and then you'll have to get him/her use to sleeping in a crib..I think it's better to just start them out in the crib and save your money.

Changing table- We had bought one for Taylor when she was a baby but honestly we probably used it a total of 5x..it was just a hassle to bring her to her bedroom every time we needed to change her, I do however recommend a diaper pad..you can get one at Walmart for $20 or less and they come with washable covers.

Wipe and bottle warmers- come on! For one, if you have a fussy baby you simply can not wait that long for a bottle to warm up. And for the wipe warmers, it dries up the wipes, also do you plan to bring the warmer with you everywhere you travel...no! Just get the business done and put a diaper on her toosh, she won't hate you because you used a cold wipe! sheesh!

Diaper genie-I don't care if it holds in smells or that it has perfumed garbage bags..that's just gross and pure laziness keeping 10 diapers in a pail! Put the dirty diaper in a grocery bag, tie it up, and throw it in the garbage.

Baby monitor-Unless you live in a castle these are totally not necessary...I got a set with each baby and never used them..heck, Piper's is still brand new in the package..I should return it, it's $40 to go to something useful.

Lots of cutesy infant clothes- I admit I LOVE to buy all those cute little newborn outfits but seriously your baby may not even have time to fit into all of them..I know my kids didn't. I have tons of newborn clothes with tags still on them..I think you need about 6 newborn outfits tops..they really grow out of them FAST!! Same goes with infant shoes, and onesies. Be careful with how much you buy!



It really just depends on your baby and his/her interest...my oldest lived in her vibrating chair, but my youngest would not sit a minute in hers!

The swing has always been a lifesaver with both of my children!

I absolutely think the Bumboo seat was an excellent invention, even if it's just a big whole thing of foam! However I do suggest you not pay $40 for it brand new and try to find one in a consignment shop.

I can't think of anything else at the moment but I will edit and add more as I continue to regain thought about my own personal experiences....

There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction.

..I posted a status on facebook a month ago stating bad news..well obviously that was dumb on my behalf..I had everyone asking what was going on and I couldn't tell ANYONE! I mean, I could..but I just felt like a failure, soooo let down, and depressed, and basically just didn't want anyone to know the news.

So, December 15th, it was a Tuesday..it was 12:21pm, I remember the time because I was watching "The Wendy Williams Show" and looked at the clock when I heard the door open..it was JJ, I just thought to myself yayyy! he's home from work early! Thinking that a machine went down because it does happen but this time it wasn't the case.
I asked him why he was home early, what machine went down?!
He said "think of the worst thing you can think of".....my heart sank, I knew immediately what that meant. He was fired. Considering that he kept pretty cool..I on the other hand bawled..went in to panic mood. What were we going to do?!
The company JJ works for is with the Union, which can be a bad or good thing, in his case it turned out to be a VERY good thing..the Union "fought" JJ's company to get his job back...he got the call on Wednesday, exactly a month later!
So we went an ENTIRE month with no income, besides his second job but that covers just enough for his cigarette's and gas money..seriously. I have noooo idea how we made it through this month, plus he was let go during the holidays, it couldn't have came at a worser time! But we made it and now things will be back to normal, well kind of! ha!
As bad as we needed him to go back to work I was REALLY hoping he wouldn't get his job back..I know that sounds shallow and selfish on my part BUT I thought this was the perfect opprutinity for us to start fresh! I wanted to move out of Minnesota, knowing it would be sooo hard being away from family but I just feel like we need to explore a little...my first thought was Maine..I've always wanted to move there! So, I started searching homes and jobs for JJ and I...I came across this BEAUTIFUL home to rent in a small town, Waldoboro, ME. I found a job for JJ..I mean, I was quite serious about this all!!! I talked it over with JJ and he said "no way!"
Fine whatever, I understand it would be a huge adjustment so then I brought up moving to the cities, there's no where in our area that pays as much as JJ's job does, he probably couldn't even find that up in the cities anywhere either for starting wage..but he didn't even want to look! I don't know why he insists on staying in this small town..all that's here is family, which is a big deal..but we're a family of our own now, it's not like we still depend on our parents!

UGH, Well now he goes back to work this Monday...I'm grateful for that, did I mention how he got his job back?! The Union guy, Joe called him on Wednesday and said "you go back to (blank) on Monday, 6am!" Basically his job really liked his work ethic and pretty much the company screwed up on the point system that JJ goes by in order to keep his job or not..it's quite confusing if you don't know the whole system..but really it was NOT JJ's fault for getting fired!

Now, I decided it's time for me to go back to work so we can be more financially stable..basically my income goes to all our luxeries! So I've put my resume in at a few places here in town..fingers crossed!

The tooth fairy will make a visit shortly!

..Awwwwww, my little oumpa..AKA Taylor got her first loose tooth!
She had a dentist appt. back in November and the dentist had said that her two bottom central incisors were loose. Well ever since then Taylor has been soooo proud and kept saying "I'm gonna lose my teeth!" Well we couldn't feel them loose, although the dentist had stated they were..well sure enough they would be loose shortly! She woke us up yesterday morning to make her big announcment.."MOM, LOOK MY TEETH REALLY ARE GONNA FALL OUT, THEY'RE LOOSE!" She's been playing and wiggling it ever since! I never thought losing a tooth would be as big of a milestone as it is but it is quite exciting!!!! My youngest is getting in her teeth, while my oldest is losing her's....FUN!!!
Also, about 3-4 weeks ago we noticed Taylor was getting her 2 bottom adult teeth right behind her baby teeth...it is soooo weird looking! I freaked out, seriously. Me, the research guru that I am..I googled it and turns out it is actually quite common, it's called "shark teeth." In most cases the adult teeth just push the baby teeth out of the way, which is probably why her bottom ones are loose. I just hope it doesn't mess up her teeth, we should probably just start a fund for the Orthodontist just in case! LOL.

Home alone on a Saturday night..LOSER!

...Alright, so I finally gave in and let my little Piper go to my mom's house and spend the first night ever in her 16 mos. of life! :P

Taylor goes to JJ's parents every Saturday night over night..which I would like to stop but it's caused soooo many problems fighting with this issue, I just need to accept the fact that they are obsessed with my daughter, I FORBID them to take over Piper like they did with Taylor..I blame it on the fact that I was a teen mother and I moved in with them when I was pregnant so they were they "helping" me raise my daughter. I guess I have never explained to anyone really my situation back then, so here's the chance to do so!

JJ(Joshua John) and I met in school(ALC) the end of my junior year, we started dating May 24th, 2003. Due to calculations and my grandma telling us we conceived Taylor on Halloween(like she knows! pssshhh! LMAO.) she was conceived in October sometime, I had nooooo idea I could have been pregnant, honestly, I still to this day do NOT know how it happened, well..I do but it was quite a shock! Eight weeks later, December 12, 2003 my mom brought me to the Dr. for a "checkup"..skiping the details, the Dr. later walked in, didn't even sit down..I don't think she even shut the door, she just stood in the doorway and said "you're pregnant" in a very disgusted voice. My mom broke down bawling and said "I'll meet you in the car." Wow, I still remember the exact feeling I had..I was frozen..mixed emotions. And I still felt this pregnancy was impossible to have happened but it was a very blessed mistake.
Granted I was young and still needed to finish school, I NEVER once thought about abortion OR adoption. My mommy insticts kicked in immediately..I quit smoking that day! So..after getting in the car, my mom drove right to my school, went in and pulled JJ out of class and said "Court's pregnant" and walked out and left. UGH. So JJ and I left school for the day, drove around for hours discussing our plans and what we need to do to raise this baby. I felt soooo bad about letting my mom down, I know it was killing her..I was following right her in footsteps, as she got pregnant with me at 17..we got pregnant the same time, the same age, WEIRD!
Well not even a week later and my mom is out baby shopping buying the baby things and trying to be happy and proud, although inside she was ashamed of me, I know. I think her biggest fear was that her and everyone else didn't think I would graduate high school, but I did..and went off to college afterwards to Cosmetology school but then later dropped out, beauty school dropout..I just lost interest, it wasn't what I wanted, and it was definately hard going to school with a newborn.

Five years later, here we are TRUELY blessed with a gorgeous, sassy, daddy's little girl..Taylor Jo Radsek! I honestly believe God gave her to me at such a young age for a reason, to keep me out of trouble, and to settle down. I lost a lot of friends becoming a mom, I just matured and had a lot of responsibility, PLUS everyone else went off to college..it was hard having to grow up soooo early and fast but looking back I would NOT have changed anything. Taylor has made me the person I am today, sometimes I think I am too much of a mommy, if that's possible?! I always felt sooo guilty going out with friends and leaving my daughter behind..I remember on my 21st birthday I went out with a bunch of my friends and just bawled, saying I guilty I felt leaving her at home with daddy while I was out drinking, and doing a selfish thing..I know it's unhealthy for mother's to not get a break but it's hard not being there for my kids at all times..
IDK..back to the beginning..so here I am home alone..no kids, waiting for my buffalo wings to get here..LOL. Then I don't know what I will do!? Watch a sappy love story, paint my nails & toes, finish reading "LA Candy" and wait for JJ to get home to have a romantic evening, if we can remember how to do that! LMAO. I told him I would make him shrimp scampi when he got home from work at 9pm but thats too late to wait to eat, I've only had a bagel and a chai tea today...I'm starving!!!
Perfect timing, my wings are now here...mmmmmm! Til next time...love y'all for reading! (:

Family arguments

..Family arguments SUCK! SUCK! SUCK!

I'm not going to get into much detail for respect of my family but I just need to vent about this and hopefully my sister's are reading this and know that I am not on ANYONE'S side, honestly.

Earlier today, my mom sent me a text of her hand with a big diamond ring on it..at first I thought maybe it was a joke and wondered why she didn't call me to tell me the news, so I call her and come to find out, she is indeed engaged! I'm happy for her! But let me explain why I am a little hesitant with this situation..

My mom, Tianne has been with Mike(her now fiance) for almost 3 years. He is a good guy, owns his own cooling/heating business and has two boys, whom honestly are the most well behaved & disciplined kids I've EVER met! Also, he's from Utah and comes from a very religious background as a Mormon. So he has good morals and values. My younger sisters Lindsay(20) and Tessa(13) along with the entire family really approves of him and is happy to see my mom so happy and in love, until just recently.
They bought a house together this past June but then things started to get a little rocky..they were constantly having this petty little arguments over the sillest things, I am not kidding..it was just sooo childish! It got so annoying and unhealthy for my mom and sisters to continue living there, so they moved out in November...well my mom and Tessa. Lindsay resides 40 mins. away at college.
To sum it up..he's been chasing her, begging for her to come back, and then it leads up to today...HE PORPOSED! My sister's are FURIOUS and neither will talk to my mom, they think she chose him over them. I understand both sides, I really do. I see why my sister's are so mad..they're sick of seeing/hearing them argue all the time. And I know why my mom is giving him another chance...LOVE. My sister's are too young to understand the meaning of love and what it's like to have a special someone in your life. Nobody can wake up one more and stop loving and forgetting a person, it takes a lot of strength.
Now my older sister, Lindsay won't talk to me because she thinks I'm teaming up with my mom..I told my sister.."I know you don't accept this and it hurts you but please be happy for mom." She didn't say anything back, and has avoided me ever since, well it's been 2 hours. psshh.
And I'm the one stuck in the cross fire..in my family I am the ONE that everyone goes to for being the first to know family secrets and all the 411..I mean, it's a good feeling knowing that my family appreciates my trust and support but it's hard keeping secrets..which can lead me on a whole nother topic but I won't get into that one on here!
I just hope we can get this straightened out..now my mom wants to give the ring back to Mike because Tessa and Lindsay won't talk to her..I feel bad for the guy, seriously..I hope it doesn't lead to that! I just wish Mike and the girls could talk and develop the relationship they had together..he is a good guy for the family and more so for my mom, she needs him, emotionally.

Happy 2010

..So, I'm not one to have a new year's resolution...because it always ends in failure. But this year I decided I was going to make one and stick with it. As much as I need to lose weight and get fit again my goal was not that. My resolution this year is to be more positive and non judmental. IDK what it is but I've caught myself being quite the Debbie Downer lately and talking about people and being negative about things. I want to be that happy positive person again! I swear I have seasonal depression..I know a lot of people hate winter and get all "depressed" about it...but it's different for me..I haven't been outside in two days, yes I have NOT gone anywhere in two days! I guess I can also blame that on the frigid weather we're having..-20 degrees, who wants to leave the house anyways!? Today I am breaking that stretch and getting outta the house..we're heading over to the In Laws, and then grocery shopping afterwards to get ingridents to make Taco Chili, Annalisa made it for our NYE party...it was awesome and the whole family loved it too!
So back to NYE..we laid low this year...had Annalisa and her boyfriend, Aaron over. It was nice..we played games, watched the NYE festivies on TV, ate a lot of yummy food, and caught up on some much needed details! :D
It's been 3 yrs. since I've gone out for New Year's to celebrate, but in all honesty I think I'd rather spend NYE at home with my family bringing in the new year then to be out at a bar...going out to the bars in general is just a "no no" for me anyways. A little off subject BUT the small town we live in and I see mothers out at the bar every weekend, while their kids' are with the babysitter, it's just sooooo trashy and it really goes to show they were not ready to be parents. I understand parents need a break but go out to the movies, out to dinner, a play..whatever..but not the damn bars every weekend! GRRRRRRRRRRRRR..I have major issues with this subject but I'll keep my mouth shut and stick to my resolution to be positive! :D