Better late than never
May 15, 2008
Posted by CindyW in : Opinions & Thoughts , 11 comments
Ding Dong! My door bell rang. I opened the door.
“Hi, I am Scott,” the young father-to-be extended his hand
“Hi, I am Cindy. Come on in.” I swung open the door all the way.
Scott walked into the guest room and examined the pieces carefully. “Awesome. My wife will be so happy.” He handed me a stack of $20 bills.
A deal has been closed. Scott was taking away the crib, the dresser, the mattress, beddings, and blankets that my kids went through. I got $500 in return.
For a few seconds, I was very excited about having cash in hand; for some reason, plain cash still had its unique appeal, as compared with a check or a credit card.
But wait, we paid $2,000 for the crib/dresser set five years ago. So basically it has depreciated 75% of its value, not considering the inflation rate. Then I looked around our garage – a baby jogger, used fewer than a dozen of times, a baby backpack, never used, a twin bed, slept on for less than two years, a pack-n-play, used 5 times at best. Then there were a couple of walkers, a tricycle, a small bike, a run bike, a three-wheel scooter, a Razor scooter, and on and on.
All of them have a depreciation rate greater than the crib (I checked Craigslist), i.e., they are worth a few bucks here and there. My past few of years of frequent Target acquisitions flashed through my mind. Those clearly have a depreciation rate of 100% - junk to junk.
Standing there, I was shocked at how unwise I had been as a parent. Had I been as smart as Scott, my kids’ 527 education funds would have been so much more endowed. Instead I have a garage full of nothing to show for.
Watching Scott load the furniture pieces into his truck, I wish that I had wised up much sooner than a year ago. If Scott and his wife can use the crib and dresser set for 5 years and give it away for free, they will still only lose $500, instead of $1500+ in my case. I have always thought that I was financially responsible – 401K, savings, blah, blah. Guess the first-time-parent excitement got the better of me.
I suppose I can take comfort in my late-but-better-than-never embracing of a non-consumer centric life. At least the unnecessary buying stopped a year ago.
A couple of days ago I was at REI exchanging my Nalgene bottles for BPA-free ones, I fought every urge to buy random gear, shoes or clothes. If you think Target is bad, REI trumps Target as my shopping pitfall any day. But I walked out of REI with no more than two exchanged BPA-free water bottles.
Better late than never, I comforted myself as I waved Scott good bye.
CindyW at Organicpicks
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Plain & Simple
May 14, 2008
Posted by CindyC in : Opinions & Thoughts , 8 comments
I was listening to some radio banter yesterday about how vastly different California communities are. One DJ said that if you think of California as a bowl of granola, Nor Cal would be ordinary granola sprinkled with raisins whereas So Cal would be granola infused exotic mangos, papaya and flecks of gold. Although tongue-in cheek, it got me thinking about our trip last week.
During our Disneyland extravaganza, we took a break to see our friends living in the area. The weather was stereotypical So Cal: sunny, slightly breezy, temperate and perfect for outdoor activities. However, rather than hanging out at the parks or famous beaches, we drove 45 minutes and met our friends at an outdoor shopping mall called The Grove. We had lunch at a trendy restaurant, walked around the Farmer’s Market (which has now become more of a tourist attraction), browsed upscale stores and (the kids) played on a grassy patch, in front of a Las Vegas inspired water fountain, smack in the center of the mall. After the “exhausting” afternoon, we drove 45 minutes to another part of the LA region, had a huge dinner and then piled into our separate cars to drive another 45 minutes home.
Don’t get me wrong. I had a great time relaxing, catching up with friends and staring at B-list celebrities. But why is it that on a nice day, no one thought anything about spending most of our waking hours in a man made environment that promotes excessive consumption. Or driving hours just to have lunch, dinner and do a bit of window shopping. They say that in LA, every destination takes at least 45 minutes to reach and I no longer doubt that saying.
To be fair, my friends often plan trendy itineries for us visitors and we have gone to parks, beaches and even museums on other trips However, we always had to drive long distances, fight for parking and wait in long lines. I recognize that the Bay Area isn’t perfect. We too have congested freeways, excessive spenders, and insufficient public transportation but at least we seem more willing and able to find a good restaurant within walking distance, even in the suburbs.
I guess I am happy being just plain granola.
CindyC at Organicpicks
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Make way for ducklings
May 13, 2008
Posted by CindyW in : For Kids , 11 comments
On a usual Sunday morning, I roll out of bed, make my coffee and head out to walk our dog. It’s quite pleasant just strolling in the neighborhood parks and open space. But last Sunday my kids decided that they had to go with me because it was Mother’s day and their perpetual presence was obviously the best gift to me. But that really meant that I had to answer to “what’s this” and “mommy, look at this.” every two minutes. Signing to myself, I helped them with shoes and jackets. How could I reject my gifts?
As we entered a neighborhood park, my 5-year old, the natural born treasure hunter, spotted something in the middle of the grassy field. “It’s moving,” she announced. When we all stopped yakking, the early morning quietness allowed us to hear waves of chirps. We tiptoed a little at a time, as lightly as possible. We were about 50 feet away from “it”. There they were – not one, but nine little ducklings waddling behind the mother mallard duck who quacked occasionally to guide them.
My normally very muted motherly instinct took over. What if the neighborhood dogs chase them? What if the cats hunt them? What if the hawks, which perched on the nearby treetop, snatch them up? What if they get run over by a car? We decided to follow them.
Someone must’ve called the neighbors. More kids showed up with their parents who tried their best to curb their kids’ exuberance. So they did not all run up and scare the ducks. Yes, we saw ducklings following mommy ducks on TV, in movies, and in magazines. Still, the recently hatched squabbling bunch captured every child’s heart.
Momma duck knew exactly how much waddling the fuzzy ones could handle. They rested in the ivy for 10 minutes. And off they went again, searching for their new home. But where? A phone call to the local wild life rescue returned a strange answer – momma duck apparently had a plan. Best to leave her alone to lead the bunch. A plan? Including crossing big streets and open fields where cars and predators could make them all disappear?
Quite a few kids there demanded that the parents escort the ducks. On a perfect Sunday morning, in a quiet neighborhood, a dozen of people, big and small, followed a momma duck and her nine chirping ducklings to who-knew-where. It was a strange sight to say the least.
The ducks finally settled into someone’s hedge, perhaps for the hour or for the day. A thoughtful girl wrote a note “baby ducks in your hedge. Please put out a bowl of water.” and left at the front door of the lucky neighbor. We all reluctantly left the ducks alone.
Within an ear shot, I heard a boy ask his mother whether they could bring back a video camera and follow the ducks to make sure they get to a safe nesting spot based on momma duck’s “plan”. I made a mental note to check back with the mother.
Perhaps that was how we connected with nature – for almost irrational reasons, we cared about what would happen to the mallard and her offspring. For the rest of the day, my kids spoke about the ducks to willing and not so willing audience.
For me? What gift can be better for a Mother’s Day than following a momma mallard duck and her waddling ducklings with my kids? We witnessed “make way for ducklings”.
*all pictures are courtesy of a thoughtful neighbor who never parts with his camera.
CindyW at Organicpicks
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Eat Your Salad
May 12, 2008
Posted by CindyC in : Green Journal , add a comment
In honor of me and National Salad Month (yes, there is one), my husband and daughter made an awesome seasonal salad for Mother’s Day Lunch. Rather than the boring iceberg or romaine, they adapted a recipe that uses seasonal produce from the farmer’s market: asparagus, spinach, mixed baby greens and snap peas. The result was delicious; so if you are looking for ways to add variety of greens to your diet, give this a try.
Grilled Asparagus, Mixed Greens and Peas Salad
1 ½ lb trimmed asparagus
6-7 ozs baby spinach
6-7 ozs mixed seasonal greens
Large handful of snap peas
7 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of Dijon mustard
2 tbsp of cider vinegar
4 oz blue cheese
¾ cup of walnuts
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
1. Peel the lower half of asparagus stems (if they feel stringy and still a bit tough). In a medium bowl, toss asparagus with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and set aside.
2. On medium-high, heat a flat pan and add the asparagus to cook. Turn occasionally until tender for about 8 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, crumble and crush half of the cheese with a fork. Mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons of water and the mustard to thin out the cheese. Stir in the vinegar and whisk in the remaining olive oil. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.
4. Add spinach, mixed greens, snap peas and handful of walnuts into the dressing and toss to coat. Divide the greens among 6 plates.
Cut asparagus spears into 2 and arrange on top of the greens. Finish by topping the salad with the remaining cheese and walnuts.
I would have included a picture but it was all gone by the time I thought of it…..
CindyC at Organicpicks
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We’re Back!
May 8, 2008
Posted by CindyC in : Opinions & Thoughts , 2 comments
After a long car ride yesterday, we are back from our whirlwind trip to Disneyland. Although not my destination of choice, I have to admit that it was great fun for child and the adults.
Quite a bit has changed since the last I visited the theme park. The area that was once a parking lot is now California Adventures; the submarine voyage is now the Nemo Submarine ride; Pirates of the Carribean now features Johnny Depp and Ariel’s Grotto is now available to feed both hungry stomachs and little girls’ fantasies of meeting the famous namesake and her beautiful friends. The weather was pleasant and the lines were short (this is apparently the lull before the summer rush) so we couldn’t have asked for better conditions. During our time at the park, I realized that it probably is one of the happiest places on earth because everything is so unrealistically perfect. The children laugh and sparkle as they see their favorite characters come alive. Flowers and greenery surround us as if there’s no shortage of water supply. Idealized worlds like Fantasy Land, Tomorrow Land and Toon Town have no sadness or disappointments, just happy endings.
As an adult, I appreciated the brief escape from the real world, though I did cringe every time I saw plastic water bottles thrown into the trash instead of recycling.
The one real disappointment for us was the closure of It’s A Small World, my favorite childhood ride. Officially, the ride is closed for renovations to repair the wear-and-tear endured over the years. However, local friends told us the main reason for the year-long closure is to accommodate the increasingly large population, not in numbers but in weight. Average Americans are now 25 pounds heavier than we were back when the ride opened (in 1964). The boats routinely bottom out under heavier weight and get stuck in the narrow turns. For quite some time, the ride operators were told to leave empty seats in boats with heavy riders to combat the weight issue until park officials finally gave up and closed the ride for a permanent fix. At first, I was amazed that our nation has gotten so fat. But then, I looked around and noticed that many folks on the mechanized scooters were not disabled or elderly and appear to have no ailments other than excessive weight or laziness.
I guess there are some problems that even a place meticulously built to satisfy fantasies can’t stay immune to. If you are planning a trip to Disneyland, you better go soon before other rides need to close down for the same problem.
CindyC at Organicpicks
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P.S. Thanks for all the suggestions to my last minute travel panic. We survived both drives with the treasure bag and some books. We did pull out the DVD player, only once, on the way down when we were stuck in the infamous LA traffic.
Copyright 2007 Organicpicks
Do we really have to stop again?
May 7, 2008
Posted by CindyW in : Green Journal , 7 comments
My kids’ school is about 4 miles of driving distance from our house. Luckily we also have a more direct 3-mile bike/walk trail that is mostly separated from car traffic. Going to school on bikes is pretty much out of the question, since we rarely manage to get there on time in the morning even on a good day. However I’ve always been meaning to come home on bikes with my girls, but just haven’t for one lame excuse or another – the weather, swimming, gymnastic, blah, blah, blah.
Since May is the National Bike Month and Green Bean had me think about biking too, yesterday I was shamed into trying it for the first time since I thought about it 3 months ago. The logistics was a bit complicated. Aside from their regular backpacks, lunch boxes and knick-knacks, I dropped off a bike for my 5 year old and two helmets at the school.
It was 70 degrees, cloudless and lightly breezy (Is that why we pay $$$$$$$ for a 50 year old house?) when I picked up the girls. Homebound we went:
Okay, so our trail is not nearly as breathtaking. Nonetheless, how can anyone complain about a pleasant biking path like this:
The 3 miles took us one and a half hours: stopped for and stalled by a lizard, some flowers, a humming bird, a marble some kid must have lost, a dry creek, etc., etc., you name it. Whenever I started muttering, “I could’ve walked 5 miles already”, I tried to remind myself to take it all in and see everything through the eyes of my children.
What I have seen is the reason why we ought to ride home every week if not everyday. Green Bean is right on – this isn’t about being green, it is about seeking pleasure and enjoying life.
CindyW at Organicpicks
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Holey underwear and Mottainai Grandma
May 6, 2008
Posted by CindyW in : Opinions & Thoughts , 11 comments
There was a bit of panic in my household last night. Over the weekend, my 3-year old girl managed to bruise her arm while climbing up a play structure in our friends’ house and scratch her chin when falling on a rock with a sharp edge.
Kids learn physical skills through activities which may cause injuries now and then. As long as we as parents take proper precautions to prevent serious hurt, normal bruises and scratches are a inevitable part of growing up. At least that is my humble opinion.
When my husband picked up the girls yesterday afternoon, he was grilled by one of the teachers at school on how these bruises happened. Now my 3 year old has definitely gone to school with your typical scratches and bruises quite a few times. We’ve never gotten interrogated before. What caused the sudden alarm?
A pair of underwear with a dime-sized hole.
Relieved that my husband’s account of the incidents corroborated with my daughter’s retelling, the teacher proceeded to inform my husband that she HAD to throw away my daughter’s underwear because it was inappropriate to wear underwear with holes. It was not as if she pranced around in her underwear all day. She had long pants on. Nonetheless, “They are inexpensive. Please buy her new ones,” she sternly lectured on.
Did the holey underwear, on top of the bruises, triggered the abuse red flag? While I adore the teachers and am sincerely glad that the school watches child-abuse vigilantly, I can’t help but wonder how her un-mended underwear could possibly become a part of the equation. My motherly failure at noticing and mending the hold aside, when did wearing slightly torn clothes become a symbol for lack of caring?
I took out all my kids’ underwear and examined potential abuse-triggering holes. If I stitch up the holes, will they be more acceptable? Will mended underwear still put me in a danger zone? I remember Green Bean wrote about her son’s teacher not appreciating his repaired lunch box (sorry, GB, can’t find that post).
(picture source: New Statesman)
As I put my pathetically unprofessional stitches through the tiny holes, I recalled a story I heard a while ago. A Japanese mother wrote a book - Mottainai Grandma because her 4-year-old son didn’t comprehend the meaning of “waste”. Loosely translated as “Don’t Waste Grandma“, the book has sold more than 400,000 copies. What does Mottainai Grandma do?
“Mottainai!” she says to her grandson, who is brushing his teeth. “One cup of water is enough!”
“Mottainai Grandma also has a compulsive need to wring every bit of usefulness from an object. Crumpled paper? Make a dinosaur. Leftover pencil stubs? Draw a rainbow!”
I can’t read Japanese; I wish there was a translated version, though the humor would undoubtedly be lost in translation.
I decided to volunteer for a parent-taught session at my daughter’s class – on waste. Watch out teacher X, here comes Mottainai Grandma. You asked for it 
CindyW at Organicpicks
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Public transit lightweight
May 5, 2008
Posted by CindyW in : Green Journal , 9 comments
This past weekend, we went to visit friends at Berkeley, about 50 miles from our home. Normally we just get in the car and head out. But inspired by arduous, the new public transit convert, I decided to follow suit. My irrational fear about public transit is getting off the wrong station and missing an important appointment. Well it was Saturday and arriving at our friends’ house on time wasn’t exactly critical.
My local train station is about a mile away from home. Our friends’ house is also about a mile away from the arrival station. After a bit of debate about how long it would take our 5 and 3 year olds to cover the 4 miles to and fro, we decided to drive to the starting point.
If you live in the San Francisco bay area, 511.org is a fantastic planning tool for public transits. After I put in starting and ending address, it showed which trains to take and where to connect.
The first leg of our train ride was beyond exciting for my normally car-bound kids. Not being able to modulate their voice, the kids were talking and singing with such enthusiasm that it made fellow passengers wince. “Push the mute button”, they must be muttering to themselves. My husband yelled at the kids to pipe down every two minutes, while I was busy chatting about San Francisco with an old couple from Spain, in my broken Spanish and their less than fluent English. Moments like this made me want to travel the world that much more. One chaotic hour went by pretty fast.
The second and third legs of the train ride were 30 minutes each. We played animal alphabet game in which we took turns to spell out animals in alphabetically order.
My 5-year old: “A is for armadillo”
I: “B is for buffalo”
My husband: “C is for Cheetah”
My 3-year old: “D is for Zebra”
By the time we got to Z, we stepped off the last train and walked into the sunshine of Berkeley.
Surprisingly, the one mile walk was a breeze, as Berkeley streets on a Saturday morning showcased a plethora of fascinating characters. Before the kids could utter “are we there yet”, we were at our friends’ front door.
It took us about 2.5 hours and $29 (for two adults and two kids) to get to our friends’ house. On the way back, we got a little smarter (so we thought) – borrowed a couple of kids books for the return trip. Turned out we should have borrowed books for us; the kids napped more or less the whole way. We were pathetic public transit novices
Will we take public transit to visit these friends again? Occasionally. We were at our friends’ house for 4 hours, but we spent 5 hours on the road. That being said, it all depends on one’s perspective. If I (as my kids surely) regarded the train ride and the walking as a part of the totally experience, then we had 9 hours of great family and friends time.
It is however fairly expensive for a family to take public transit. The totally cost was close to $60 for the 4 of us, much more than if we drove our car. Then again, the way my kids are still talking about their train rides and the statue of liberty mime on a street of Berkeley has convinced me that it was money well spent.
Note to self #1: bring books for both adults and kids next time.
Note to self #2: It’ll be a quite while before I can become a public transit black belt. But there is hope.
CindyW at Organicpicks
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Last Minute Travel Panic
May 1, 2008
Posted by CindyC in : Opinions & Thoughts , 5 comments
I started packing for our trip yesterday when I realized that I completely ignored the entertainment long car ride. Yikes! How are we going to keep our five year old entertained for 7 hours in the car?
In a panic, I made a quick dash to Target to find toys to keep her busy.
While at the store, I started to look things like plastic slinky, squishy ball and other small random toys. I stopped my senseless shopping when I almost put a small videogame in the cart. Looking at my shopping cart, I realized we already had a couple of the toys, perhaps just in different colors. What was I doing? Did I really need all this plastic junk and a $70 electronic toy to keep her occupied? Slowly, I put everything back and went home to look for my lost sanity and creativity.
Once home, I dug through my daughter’s toy bins for small forgotten toys like the squishy ball and slinky (that I almost bought again). I also found a small etch-a-sketch, magic doodle, paper dolls, magnetic puzzles, pipe cleaners (to make something), coloring books and stickers. I couldn’t believe the bounty of free stuff, all courtesy of the slew of birthday parties from just this year. Taking my mom’s advice, I wrapped a few of the toys in newspaper and put all of my finds in a bag. Although numerous, the items all fit into a book bag so it’s easy to carry and doesn’t violate Rule #5 from my travel list. I figure whenever my daughter gets bored, she can dig into the “treasure” bag for something “new” to play with.
My mom also reminded me that the best car games are ones that stimulate kids’ senses and requires no props. Old time favorites like I Spy, Find 100 (of something) and 20 Questions were all my childhood favorites.
Of course, when all else fails, we’ll just have to find some park and let my kid run off some energy.
By the way, thanks for all the well wishes. Despite the Disney princess frenzy, I’m pretty excited to spend a few days in a fantasy world.
CindyC at Organicpicks
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My Travel Checklist
April 30, 2008
Posted by CindyC in : Green Journal , 6 comments
Despite my best efforts, my 5 year old is being held captive by the marketing geniuses at Disney. So for our last off-season family vacation (before she starts kindergarten), we are headed for Disneyland. To offset this fun but rather commercial destination, I searched around for some simple travel tips and found a couple of good lists ( here and here). I used these ideas and compiled our own green check list that my family agreed to obey.
1. Stay near Disneyland so we can just use the free shuttle and avoid the hassle of driving and idling while looking for parking.
2. Turn down the thermostat before we leave.
3. Unplug unnecessary electronics like our computers and TV.
4. Pack our own toiletries, water bottles and snack containers (so we refill snacks from large bags and avoid convenience plastic ones).
5. Avoid the urge to over pack so we can take our smaller and more fuel efficient car.
6. Turn down the AC and use the “do not change linens daily” option at the hotel.
7. Try to dine-in at restaurants, rather than eating on-the-go with styrofoam and plastic containers.
8. Only a limited number of useful souvenirs (like a sweatshirt or hat) are allowed. We even made our own autograph book so we don’t have to buy one.
We’ve already complied with the Rule #1. The rest of items seem fairly easy to do, though Rule #8 will take some restraint and discipline. So we’ll see how we fare on this trip.
CindyC at Organicpicks
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