Here we are again

Well hello again internets.  Whew!  Well, I guess 4 years is long enough for some spring cleaning!

A lot sure has changed since 2011 when I stopped posting here.  Here is a quick recap:

We sold the house and moved to the PNW where we rented, rented, bought, rented, sold, and bought a house.  We changed vehicles more times then I want to count.  We are now a family of four and soon to be five.  We have new chickens, a new top bar hive, and a two box garden that we hope to enlarge next year.  Morgan is still an ICU nurse and I am now a helicopter and airplane pilot about to start with the airlines.

We are still vegetarians, gardeners, beekeeper, and tree huggers, but we are far more private about our day to day lives now that we have children.  We are protective of their privacy, both online and off. And we are the "weird" parents that won't let friends and family post pictures of our kids on social media.

I have thought about this page off and on for the last few years and I am looking forward to once again using it as a space to clear my mind.  

Cheers to you!

Spring Cleaning Time

Oh man! I can't believe how long it's been since I've used this site.  Blogger was a great tool for me several years ago that really let me develop just who I was and wanted to be.  Then, one day, I was done.  Blogger had gotten me to a point and it was no longer needed.  So without so much as a goodbye, I jammed it in the way back corner of my internet closet and forgot about it.  Now years later, it's time to blow the dust of of it and give it new life.  

Let the Spring cleaning begin! 

Bulk foods on Amazon

Did you know that you can now buy bulk foods on amazon.com? So far we have purchased, the gluten free pizza mix we like and the Yogi brand tea that I drink in the afternoons/evenings.  Not only are you able to save by buying in bulk, you can save more if you subscribe to the items.  Right now we are subscribed to buying 6 pizza mixes every 3 months and 6 boxes of tea every 6 months.  Through you Amazon.com account, you change/manage your subscriptions.

I haven't worked out the environmental benefits/hurtfulness of shopping this way but as soon as I do, I will be sure to share what I find.  


In the mean time, be sure to check out our farm blog, www.Fireflyskiesfamilyfarm.com to stay updated with our farm progress.

Grist makes link between Girl Scouts and Orangutans

This afternoon I read an interesting article on Grist.org titled, "Are Girl Scout cookies killing Orangutans?" 

The article states that Girl Scout cookies are made with palm oil and that palm oil is:

"the No. 1 culprit behind deforestation in Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia and Malaysia." 

 The Grist article goes on to say that the Girl Scouts can switch to canola oil which is more environmentally friendly and healthier as well.  The next part of the article is what I found most interesting.  Apparently, the Girl Guides of Great Britain use olive and rapeseed oil instead of palm oil and are offering to help the Girl Scouts and Girl Guides Canada switch as well.  This little tidbit comes from the blog, "Please do not tap on the glass" 

I didn't understand why the Girl Scouts don't change oils until I read that they need palm oil to keep the chocolate chips from falling out of the cookies!  Fair enough.  However that excuses flies out the window when your sister organization comes to you and says, "Hey sis, we found another oil that works and guess what? Its more environmentally friendly and healthier then how you are currently making cookies!

So why don't the switch? Cost.  We Americans demand cheaper prices on everything which in this case leads to deforestation which leads to a lost of Orangutan habitat. 

So are the Girls Scouts helping to kill Orangutans with their palm oil filled cookies?  Yes they are.

Who else is helping? Everyone that buys the cookies.

Remember, you can always:

 

Straight Razor

 

Image from here

I think I'm finally ready to make the switch.  For the past few years I've really been bothered each time that I throw away a disposable razor.  We tend to use the mid price razor so I get a few good shaves on it but most of the time, it rips my face apart.  It's gotten to the point where I only shave in the mornings if I know the razor is still new, otherwise, I shave at night so my face has time to heal before the morning.

  I've thought about using a straight razor for some now but I guess I've been a little afraid to try it because I don't want to accidentally slit my throat.  I've gotten over my nervousness and I'm ready to give it a try.  Last night I read a great article on Mother Earth News simply titled, "How to use a straight razor."
  
The above article gives a good overview of how to shave with a straight razor, what to look for when buying a razor, and how advice on sharping storing the new razor.


I want to use a straight razor because I am tired of throwing away the disposable razor all the time.  I'm thinking that once I learn how to use the razor, it will be a win-win for me and the environment.


Let the search began!

Wordless Wednesday - Hawaii's Big Island