Mother...there is no other...like mother.

Mothers Day is coming up and I wanted to join Mr. T in reminding everyone to treat her right...treat your mother right!



Take care of mother...you only get one.
Mr. T is one wise bub.

PS - Thanks to Jordan for this one. Classic.

You're a Kook!

If you have been around my parents for more than 10 minutes, you will hear the word kook. This isn't, however, the kind of kook I'm talking about. It just so happened to buy the latest album from The Kooks. I was only going to buy a few songs, but I couldn't decide, so I just ended up with the entire thing. I'm not suffering from buyers remorse either...this one is good from start to finish. I am probably going to get suckered into their EP as well. It sounds pretty stellar.

PS - Thanks to John Robert for telling me about them before they were popular.

Happy Birthday to you...two.

April 9th was Tiera and Ethan's birthday. I got a bit crazy with the decorations - which should come as no surprise. I tried to surprise Tiera when she came home, but she just laughed at me instead. We decided the decorations should never be taken down. Walking into a room of balloons and streamers can't help but put a smile on your face. Julia, Adria, Trina and the other birthday bub Ethan all came over that night for cake and singing. It was a chill little party.

Yes, the cake is leaning. I've never done three layers before... oh well. And yes, there are enough candles for the both of them. I'm surprised the fire alarm didn't go off. Seriously, I should check the batteries in that thing. Happy Birthday, bubs!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

I've put this off long enough, but I've decided to start living a more eco
friendly lifestyle. My first change is the most obivious (and perhaps the easiest)... recycle. It's going to be a little tricky living in a condo, but there are still options. Another problem is that most places (including Cougar Town) only take #1 and #2 plastics. Rude. I'm going to have to start acting like a senior citizen and keep my yogurt containers.

Since I've decided to 'go green', I've become much more aware of what I buy in a store. Now I always go for the least amount of packaging. If it is packaged, I try to only buy what I can recycle. It doesn't hurt to buy in bulk either - which is also tricky when you're shopping for one person. I don't think I'll be able to eat a gallon of potato salad before the expiration date. I'm also in the market for some reusable grocery bags. I'll probably just buy them from Sig Pro. We have a surprising amount of earth friendly/organic/whatever else to choose from - and I can probably get a deal from the owners.

Next is my transportation. The radiator in my car blew up (funny story, by the way) and I figure I should buy a new car before my poor sub kicks the bucket for good. I want to buy a scooter. It's one of the most fuel efficient things out there. Their retro style (if you buy the right one) doesn't hurt either. I will probably have a normal car as well, but what's the point of using all that gas if it's just me driving around? Answer: none. Solution: Scooter. The trouble is, my family thinks a scooter will result in my untimely demise...but I'm not bothered by that. At least I'd go out in style. Whatever I do end up with will guzzle less gas and not only help my pocketbook, but mother nature too. Woot!

In addition to the few things I've mentioned, I try to unplug my appliances and electronic junk. Turn off the computer and lights. I would like to go the whole nine yards and buy a new fridge, washer/dryer, dish washer, etc...but that's not going to happen any time soon. The few adjustments I am making aren't anything huge, but they're a step in the right direction. If you want to join in, here are a few websites to check out.

If you want to stop getting junk mail, here is a good place to start.

This guy saved all his garbage for a year. Random and a bit gross, but I think he's done something good.

I love Real Simple Magazine...they had some good articles for green newbies.

::: S : O : S :::

In Sunday School, we were taught about being prepared for an emergency. Our teacher had some useful information, but he started out using scare tactics. Kind of funny, but apparantly it worked because during dinner, I brought it up with the fam and we decided to prepare "every needful thing." The LDS church website is obviously the best place to start. They have all the guidelines and resources you need. As a family, we are going to try to do a little bit every week to better prepare ourselves. If you have any suggestions, let me know! I'll be keeping you updated...and if the flood comes, don't say I didn't warn you.