March 17, 2008
Bits and Pieces of Bloggy Stuff
I know I haven’t really been blogging much the last few days, and I apologize for leaving you all hanging. I’d like to give you an amazing excuse, but I don’t have one. Yeah, I’ve been busy. But everyone is busy and they still find time to tell their pals they are alive.
The weekend has been filled with non-stop cleaning and picking up after Doug and Dawson. I’m not thrilled about this at all. Every day I vacuum and clean up the house, and every day one of those persons with a penis leaves more stuff for me to put back where it belongs. Is this what I’ve become? An obsessed, clean-freak wife and mom? I hope not. That would drive me crazy.
On Friday, Doug allowed me the privilege of time away from the three-year-old to go shopping and get a hair cut. I ended up bringing Dawson along because I didn’t have the patience to deal with his screaming fit. Twenty minutes later, in the car, Dawson fell asleep. I went to the bank and then turned around and dropped Dawson off at home.
My hair is short. I’ll post a picture very soon. I promise. And if I forget, will one of you please remind me?
Saturday I went to the gym and worked out for an hour while the Doodlebug stayed home with Doug. I’ve been diligent the last few weeks in making certain I work out on the elliptical for 30 minutes, five times a week. I think I’ve lost four pounds, but my scale is old and possibly broken, so who knows what the right number is. Yesterday it said I weighed 139 pounds and I almost passed out. I weigh much more than 139 pounds. Try 490. Heh.
Yesterday, I went to a supper club called Wander Inn with my sister, brother and parents to hear my uncle Mikey’s polka band, The Paper City Sounds, play music from 2-6 p.m. Dawson came along, too. He loves polkas and his Great Uncle Mikey. It was fun. I love watching the adorable old couples bopping around the floor. They look so much in love after all those years and it makes me smile.
I got a cute video of Dawson dancing a waltz with my father. It’s so sweet, and it reminds me of when I was little and loved dancing with my daddy. I think I might post it for your viewing pleasure.
Which brings me to today. I’m twenty-nine today. Twenty-freakin-nine. Years old. I have to say it over and over again, just to make sure I believe it myself.
I thought I would be more freaked out than I am, but surprisingly I’m not. Yet. It could still happen. I’ve been freaking out about getting older since I turned twenty-six. I don’t know why. I know it’s stupid. I’m still young. Right?
Nothing else to report quite yet. Alleluia! Dawson is officially potty-trained. I started the training boot camp at the end of December and you may remember my frustrations. January was rough. He had a few accidents. February was better, he still wore a pull-up for most of the day because I didn’t want to clean up messes. And now the boy has moved to underpants all day and pull-ups only at night. Can I say how much I love not changing diapers? I LOVE NOT CHANGING DIAPERS! My new gripe? The words, “Mommy, I need you to come wipe my butt!”
Yeah…that’s not my favorite part. But I’ll take that task over diaper changing any day.
Well…I’ve got deadlines and things that need doing, but I promise a real, coherent, interesting blog post tomorrow. (And if I don’t deliver, y’all can kick my ass!)
March 14, 2008
Product Review: Horizon Organic Milk
When I was invited to try Horizon Organic Milk Plus DHA, I was very excited. I had been trying to incorporate healthier, organic foods into my family’s diets, but with a very picky toddler and a husband who isn’t keen to trying new things I wasn’t sure where to begin.
Thankfully, Horizon Organic has a wonderful website that offers facts and resources for people like me. I learned that DHA isn’t just an ingredient in baby formula.
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) is a type of Omega-3 fatty acid, a nutrient that has been studied for its role in heart, brain and eye health. Although it is found in most tissues throughout the body, the highest concentrations of DHA are in the brain, nervous system and the retina of the eye, and it helps support normal development in these areas. DHA has also been shown to help promote heart health.
One excellent benefit to Horizon Organic milk is that it’s produced with no antibiotics, no added growth hormones and no dangerous pesticides. Their cows eat only organic feed and have access to clean water, fresh air, organic pasture and exercise.
All of the milk is pasteurized, homogenized and fortified with vitamin D and has added vitamin A, and Horizon Organic produces whole, reduced-fat, low-fat, fat-free and Milk Plus DHA flavors.
Another bonus is that family farmers have been at the heart of Horizon Organic since the very beginning. Today, 80% of the milk comes from their growing community of organic family farmers across the country.
All of this sounds great, right? But how does it taste?
When our sample of Reduced-Fat milk arrived, I called the toughest critic in all the land to the kitchen to do a taste-test: the picky three-year-old. Dawson had the first glass and he didn’t seem to notice it was any different than the 1% store brand I regularly purchased.
Then I had a glass myself and honestly, it tasted like milk. Glorious milk! Actually, I believe it tasted better because I knew we were getting added beneficial nutrients in our bodies. I’ve used Horizon Organic milk when making scrambled eggs, and I’ve poured it into our healthy cereals, too.
Horizon Organic milk is a winner with my family. Even my husband was willing to try it, and he’s pretty set in his ways. I highly recommend trying Horizon Organic and you absolutely must visit their website. I especially loved the article on Raising Organic Kids, as well as the Organic Earth resources. For more information about Horizon Orgnic, visit the FAQs.
I have three coupons to giveaway for free samples of Horizon Organic milk. Please leave a comment with a valid e-mail address. Three winners will be chosen at random.
Posted by Dana
7:14 am •
Dana Reviews •
Voila, A New American Dream
Eight years ago, if you had asked me why I love politics, I would have replied with many wonderful reasons.
I would have told you that if you never vote, you have no right to complain about the state of our country’s government. I would have said that we are responsible for changing the things we dislike about government. I would have encouraged you to vote and help others get out and vote. I may have even talked about the American Dream, and the dreams my great-grandparents brought with them on their way to Ellis Island from the war-torn country of Poland.
Ask me the same question today and the answer would be completely different. As time has gone by, I’ve loved politics less and less. I’ve become cynical about our government, the politicians who claim to serve “We the people”, and the motives of the Democrat and Republican parties. I don’t know if I believe in “the American Dream” anymore.
As a lifelong Republican, I have looked at this country through a different lens than most others, and over the years I’ve become disheartened with every broken promise, every scandal, every downright lie that has been told to the American people. I can’t entirely blame George W. Bush, for he has Congress and advisers pushing and pulling him in various directions, but I do believe that his priorities have been mixed up.
When the United States first entered this war in Iraq, I was upset. My reasons were selfish. I didn’t want my brother and sister, members of the National Guard, to be sent to the Middle East. I didn’t want them, or anyone else, to risk their lives for what I believed was an impossible cause.
Yet, I was angry that terrorists claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 innocent people on September 11th. As a Catholic, it pains me to confess that I believed that Osama bin Laden needed to punished, killed even.
And so, I looked away. We sent thousands of troops overseas, far away from their families, and I convinced myself that we were on the right path, that soon this war would be over. It was so naive to think that way.
As I watched the news, day after day, seeing reports of more innocent military men and women dying in a useless war, I became sad. I felt remorse. I felt ashamed. Even though I was so honored by and proud of our troops, the ones who have acted selflessly for this country, I was sickened for even thinking we were doing the right thing.
I watched as this war went from being “The Avenging of 9/11″ to “The Obsessive Hunt for Saddam Hussein”, and no longer about ending terrorism. I began to wonder what the hell our troops were doing there in the first place. I felt lied to; by President Bush and every member of Congress that voted in favor of sending our troops to Iraq.
Inevitably, my brother Nathan was deployed to Kuwait for 17 months. Even though he wasn’t on the front lines, I worried about his safety every single day. When he finally returned home, he was no longer my little brother.
He was a man. He grew up. He became hardened by the things he experienced.
He was a man who served for… I don’t know what. Our country? Our government? Me? You? Iraqi freedom? Honestly, what are the troops fighting for?
When my son grows up, will he ever be in a war? I pray to God the answer is no. But how do I know? There’s no way to answer that question.
As a mother, I look at my son and I think about the world he has to grow up in. A world filled with tragedy, violence, poverty. A world of uncertainty. What does the future hold for my children? Will my son have his own American Dream?
With the 2008 Election progressing every day, I’ve been immersed in the issues of foreign policy, the War, the economy, health care, immigration, abortion, education, poverty, the environment, maternal rights, domestic violence, and more. My list is endless. And each time I think about it, I think of the future and what problems my children will inherit.
Will troops still be stationed in Iraq twenty, thirty, or fifty years from now? John McCain admits this is a possibility, almost a certainty. He’s prepared for 100 years in the Middle East.
Will women finally be paid fairly and equally for doing the same jobs as men? Hillary Clinton assures us she will fight for this important issue.
Will our country find hope and inspiration, and trust in the government again? Barack Obama pledges to bring Americans together for the greater good.
Will Americans finally receive the health care benefits they so desperately need? Will all human life be respected and protected, even the unborn? Can Democrats and Republicans work together to make the government work for everyone?
In spite of all the unanswered questions and uncertainties, I believe it’s imperative that we work together. We must stay abreast of political issues, and come together to turn this country around. This is the most important issue.
Together, we can make America the great country that it once was, a country we are proud to live and work in. This is my new American Dream, and it’s the reason I’ve fallen in love with politics again. What is your American Dream?
———-
Dana Tuszke, traditional conservative Republican, spends her mornings catering to a 3-year-old and her evenings navigating through political headlines. She recently crossed party lines in the Wisconsin Primary when she voted for Barack Obama, and the anticipation as to which candidate will be the Democratic presidential nominee is killing her. She writes about life and motherhood at The Dana Files, and dishes politics from The Right at BlogHer.
