Mushrooms

Yesterday I decided to take a walk in the afternoon with my two little ones and look for pine cones and acorns to make fairy hats and christmas trees for decorating. we walked up the hill behind our house, up an old fire road lined with ucalyptus, shrub oaks, blackberry brambles and pine trees. We found lots of ucalyptus which would work fine for fairy hats and chairs and some pine cones for making trees and funny animals for Christmas decorations.
When we got up the hill and I had pulled them up the side to the top where there was a little park we walked further up a narrow path and we saw the m ost amazing sight! It was a bright red ball with white spots on it, and as we came closer we saw that it was a toad stool very much in the nature of a fairy toad stool! I’ve read that red mushrooms with white spots can be quite poisonous, so I warned the kids away, but could not help but to take a few pictures with my camera phone. As we looked further, we saw there were quite a few fungus types growing nearby so we took photos of those as well. What we are wondering is if anyone knows what types of fungus these are??

Deflation?

Well there are two things that have declined in price recently. Houses and Gasoline. People are asking why gas has declined, and many consider it a plot by the oil companies. They were all messing with us by raising prices. Well, consumers have significantly reduced their use. Not only are people driving less, but companies are producing fewer products. The products we use that use petroleum in the manufacturing process are too numerous to list. Everything is in recession and yes, spending is being slashed by almost everyone. Perhaps we’ll see now who the truly rich are. Even the billionaires are talking about costs and how much money their friends have lost.

Deflation will enable us to continue to buy products that we need, I can only hope. I read an article recently that the cost of healthcare is what is rising while the companies who provide care for their employees can not risk passing on the cost to their customers through price increases. The reason their costs went up? They added a few older/mature employees to the company and it adjusted their basis. This is scary because it will begin to make mature, experienced people unemployable. Not only will we deny them health care, and employment, we will move them from their homes by way of property taxes and tell them they must live off a social security paycheck that won’t even cover a rental unit. It’s a disgusting disregard for our elderly and a twisted social message.

We need, as a society, to change our culture. I don’t think everyone working for the government is the answer. Reworking the way companies are structured and how they do business is where it should start. Insurance companies are a major influence on the cost of things in this country. It is misleading to look at the cost of health care as the problem. It is the middle men, the insurance companies, the unions, and other such entities that are undermining the flow of money. This affects so many people in our country.

You can say spending is out, but the cost of living is a true cost. Shall we destroy the basis of this country by creating an environment where creativity is untenable? Perhaps people should pay more attention and rebel against the idea that we are a throw-away society? Perhaps there are better ways to recycle? I recently had a conversation with a man who started a company with the idea of making biodegradable plastic bottles. They would biodegrade in 27 days and were made from corn products. I generally do not agree with using our food for making garbage. I suggested that we use glass vs plastic and have the companies who provide the products to pick up their glass back at the store and re-use it. He and his wife told me there was no way people would do that because we’re a throw-away society. I pointed out that this was what needed to change and that he was a capitalist just like the other plastics companies. That did not go over well, but I stick by my point. The attitude needs to shift.

There will need to be an answer to the question of how to adjust to bills and obligations where the value of the obligation was based on an inflated value. That is where the bail-out on the part of consumers comes in. The government bailout or TARP is the worst thing the government could do. It is subjective and not fair and it has undermined the over all economic market/environment. It screws shareholders and tax payers simultaneously. And reflects the good-ole-boy Washington attitude. This will have long term consequences to the country.

Super Cleanse

I decided to try Adina Niemerow’s Super Cleanse again.

The last time I tried it for a few days I felt fantastic and stopped drinking coffee completely. I weaned myself onto it by cutting out dairy first, which cut out the coffee since I was drinking about 1/3 a cup of pure cream or Half & Half (whichever was available) every day with my 2/3 pot of very strong coffee.  Then I cut out wine and started cooking dinner earlier which made my family much happier. I wrote the goal of 6PM on my refrigerator blackboard for dinner and it’s moved dinner from 7:30PM to between 6 and 6:30PM. This was also a move from summer late sunsets and later eating in general.

This time with the cleanse, I did the One-Day Wonder Cleanse. It involves the least amount of work in my opinion. I did not feel as good this time and had a headache most of the day. I had green juice for breakfast, the Blissful Blend Broth for lunch and the Satisfy-Me Broth for Dinner. I also had a salad as a snack. I felt myself detoxing when  went to bed by sweating a lot and woke up very early. The next day (yesterday), I continued with other cleanse menu items. I had the Rush Hour Coconut shake for breakfast, then a Beauty smoothie as a snack. I still had a headache though. For lunch I had some butternut squash soup I bought at the market. By dinner my headache had  not subsided, so I decided to eat some of the brown rice and eggplant I was serving everyone else. After that my headache went away.

I realized when I did this last time I was doing cleanse foods all day, and then eating a conservative, limited meal with dinner. I felt great, so I will try that for the next few days.

Today, I again woke up early and I have to say, my skin looks fantastic. And I do not have a headache! There really is something to the skin and body revitalizing through simple foods. We are healthy eaters in my family, but I have a tendency to cook a lot of grilled proteins whether they are chicken, red meats, fish or shellfish. I feel much better with lighter fare.

Risk vs. Opportunity Cost

Everything is a risk and has a cost in life. There is an opportunity cost for people who are unwilling to take investment risks, and that is the loss of the opportunity to make money. This is most easily applied to business and makes more sense for most people vs applying it to stocks. In business you have the possibility of making it more successful or less and if you do not take certain risks, such as spending money in advertising or hiring more people, etc. then you run the risk of not succeeding, but you also run the risk of failing and losing money if you do take the risk. So you have to weigh it out, because you can’t stay stagnant.

As for the economy, the current problem is the direct result of unchecked greed and poor laws. It was very evident early on that this was an untenable situation. People should not buy what they can’t afford it’s true, however, the current situation was created by banks and people who saw an opportunity in the change to lending laws. They created a ponzi-like scenario that stretched lenders who agreed to lend because they could sell off derivatives of the loans they issued, therefore removing themselves from danger, or so they thought.

Let me note also that there are people who, in fear, sold out of their retirement and savings accounts only to find that inflation has devalued their money as much or more than the market. The problem with inflation, it rarely goes the other direction whereas the stock market tends to rebound.

I recall a conversation I had a few months ago with a fellow. He told me rather gleefully and smugly how he had just received a call from his investment advisors assistant inviting him to a seminar to talk about investing in turbulent markets. He sarcastically asked the poor girl if she was going to show him how to make 30%? Of course she did not kow what to say in response and then he launched into his reasoning of how the market had lost 30% in the last year and since he had his money in cash, he actually made 30+% in comparison. On hearing this, I knew he was more the fool than I thought him to be. For one thing, I knew he had been in cash for the last 5 years, and had lost out on all the opportunities that others had made money at. He had also scored a big negative in terms of the inflation battle, so he really lost money all the way around. His logic though, was his biggest losing point. He operates from a fear position and that will cost him many opportunities. We must remember that thought there are many people in pain right now, alot of those same people made a lot of money in the past couple of years and may own several homes, etc.

The biggest thing in investing is to manage fear and temper greed. If you can do those two things, as well as be patient, you will succeed.

Understanding “Me” Time

I mentioned in some previous comments that I’m always amazed and how people get fixated on “me” time as if it is some selfish thing that we are doing or should not need. As I ponder this, I wonder is it because it has the word “me” in it? We are not allowed to think of ourselves as anything but mothers, wives and, as in the case of my writer, workers. I’m born first an individual, if I’m lucky enough to have a husband than I can add the title of wife to that, and if we’re lucky enough, we have children and can call ourselves mothers. It’s important to nurture all of ourselves, because it makes us happier individuals with more to offer our families, our jobs and our friends. Our better education offers more to our children and families. People who fail to continue to educate themselves and develop themselves, often find themselves at a loss when their children grow up and they look in the mirror or into their spouses eyes.

In this thought process, and to make it less offensive, should I change “me” time to “personal” time or self-development time, or…? It’s all semantics folks, call it whatever you want. What it is, is time to think or do something for some period of time without an interruption every five seconds. (Some of us could accomplish this by stopping our TV watching…ha ha, commercial, commercial, commercial). There is a way for everyone.

The premise is this, we all need to revitalize ourselves. When we exercise, meditate, read a book, contemplate a cup of coffee or tea, we regroup and refocus so we can put our best foot forward. Every one needs personal time whether they want to admit it or not….and most likely those in denial of it are getting by some other means anyway.

And then there are those of us who think our children are so well behaved that we don’t need personal time. I wonder, are they raising robots? Or are they so consumed with the child, doing their homework, and driving them to activities, that they are reliving the childhood they left behind? I’d rather have the fire of a child who has opinions, personality and energy than a child who acts like a mini adult going along with the program….and believe me, I’ve seen both. A child is not an adult and should not act like one. Rebellion is part of learning and will determine your childs drive for whatever they decide to do in life. No drama, or as I interpret that, disagreements, is a strange family indeed. I prefer real humans who challenge me as a mom and as an individual. And I’ve got that times 6 when you add my husbands and my kids combined, and I’ve got nothing bad to say about it because they are all great and I’m blessed to have kids who have values and ethics.

Work from Home

Home-Office

The ideal home office and childcare arrangement. I’ve never seen this, but I have a fantasy that I would have multifaceted help that could double as a nanny and a secretary…perhaps this could be a reality for someone, but like I said, mere fantasy for me.

The ideal home-office is one that is insulated from family noise and from little helping hands. I’ve had the fortunate experience of having tried several locations in our house. At one point I had the office in the baby’s room which worked okay when the baby slept a lot and wasn’t crawling or running around. My husband built me an office outside the house, which ended up being the best room of the house because it was well insulated and quiet. Currently, since the outside office in the transition area for the tail end of our construction project, I am working from the guest room. The guest room has the advantage of allowing me to be near and hear the kids as they play outside as well as throughout the rest of the house.

Inside Your Ideal Home-Office
Essentials for a home-office include:
1.    Computer
2.    Printer/copier/fax machine hopefully with a scanner.
3.    Filing cabinet and a system to keep it organized.
4.    A good-sized desk that allows you to spread out your work.
5.    Book shelves for reference material and relevant information.
6.    Storage for office supplies
7.    Phone, although many people just use their cell phones now

Raw Diets or Cleanse?

Yes, my husband would not eat a raw diet or do a cleanse unless his life depended on it and maybe not even then! As for the kids, and I have 4, they will eat the salads in Nadina’s book. Try the watermelon salad, it’s quite tastey. There are some bases in the book also that I plan to try on the family. They are bean/grain combinations like millet and garbanzo beans, with spices and are called kitchari. I thought the kids might like them, and I’ll let you know if mine do! Just thinking of ways to integrate new food ideas and habits….always a slow process, but worth it.

warmest regards~zoe

Organization, Your Time Management Tool

When you’re a mom and you’ve got a home office, the efficiency with which you manage your time is paramount. When we think of time management for moms, it’s not just work time, but kid time, family time, personal time, chores, errands and schedules.
Find Your Fit
My at home work schedule has varied over the years, based on the ages of my children and the particular work I was doing. For example, when I did freelance graphic design, I often worked in the mornings while the kids where at school since they were six and eight then, and in the evenings after they went to bed. I always stuck with a strict 8:00 PM bedtime, which gave me 2-3 hours of work before I went to bed. This also gave me time for a family dinner, homework and other errands after I picked them up from school.
Get Peace of Mind
Scheduling and routines are important for your own peace of mind, and because people, especially children need and respect routines. These routines set up good practices for them later in life as well.
Get Organized
Organization has a significant effect on your time management. In fact it is your time management tool. When I think of organization, I look around at the machine I call home. I think of my business, my time, my refrigerator and pantry, my kid’s schedules, doctor’s appointments and personal time. Organizing these basic areas creates more time for other things
It’s as Basic as This
Stock your pantry with the basics such as tomato sauce, rice, pasta, tuna, and spices; the freezer with meats, fish and some frozen vegetables; and the refrigerator with milk, juice, yogurt, cheese, salad, vegetables and fruits. You will create more time for yourself, better family meals, fewer dinners out, and weed out those last minute runs to the store. If I keep my store or farmers market visits to twice a week (since I have 4 kids) just to get fresh items, and do big shopping once or twice a month at Costco or another large chain I save myself hours. When I buy in bulk and separate down to family sized portions and freeze, I save time and money.
More Time to Grow Your Business
With all this extra time, it’s easier to keep things filed, return phone calls, and pay bills. Your mind is then free of clutter, more relaxed and better able to focus on work and handle the variety of surprises family presents in a state of calm serenity.
Plan Ahead
Plan the kids and appointments three to six months out. This way all calling can be done in one day, items put in the calendar and you can move on. It’s difficult to concentrate when being interrupted by issues other than work while you’re trying to focus on work. Being organized with your time enables you to plan ahead and reduce the stress presented by trying to get last minute appointments.
Don’t Forget About You
If you’re not feeling your best or getting personal time, your work will reflect that and so will your family. I set aside the same time every day to just do something. It could be a workout, a walk or just a moment to breath or read a book. Keeping the same time works better than trying to follow different schedules every day. Lately I’ve been getting my workouts after I put the kids to bed at about 8:30 or 9:00 PM. This has been working very well for me as well as enabling me to sleep better. Whatever your choice, make sure you keep a little aside for yourself.

Eating Healthy Starts with the Pantry

Eating healthy means keeping a well-stocked pantry. Despite the increased awareness of organic foods, sustainable living and healthy lifestyles, many people still find it a challenge to prepare healthy meals at home on a regular basis. I blame this on in part to not having a well-stocked pantry and therefore not leaving the option of cooking at home open. Our hectic schedules and busy lifestyles often send us home to an empty refrigerator, pantry or both. Knowing this awaits us; many pick up the “organic” prepared or frozen meals at the local market on their way home from work. While this may work in a pinch, I haven’t found anyone who can tell me in a convincing way that it really tastes all that great on a regular basis. There is no substitute for a home cooked meal.
I stand by my assertion that a pre-made meal with the family is better than none, but there are ways around them and they are actually far less trouble than going to the store. This starts with a well-stocked kitchen/pantry and freezer. It doesn’t need to be overflowing with food, but the staples will take you a long way. The staples have built countries, but today it seems there is a generation that doesn’t even know what they are. Yikes!
First of all, an extra freezer is a must for busy people who don’t want to go to the grocery store every day or even every other day. We bought one a few years ago, used for $25 and it’s been a lifesaver. They are only about $200 new and will save you many times that in food, spoilage and eating in.  Running a busy household means I need to budget my time. I do want to run to the grocery store every day. Three times a week is often more than enough, and when I keep it to once or twice I am happy.
I use the freezer as a back-up system and freeze fresh juices, milk, bread and butter as well as meats. With four kids in the house, they can go through a lot of this stuff and would have me running to the store daily.
In the kitchen pantry I always have:
Dried goods
Rice
Pasta
Beans
Grains
canned tomatoes
chicken broth (either canned, dried or frozen if home-made)
and lots of spices.
Other items I keep in stock are
Onions
garlic and
potatoes

All of the above items are slow to parish and easy to use as the base of a meal. The fresh items are what I pick up at the store regularly. These include seasonal fruits and vegetables. I’m not going to talk about condiments because they are particular to the user, but rest assured I keep plenty, as they are great to use for sauces, etc. The only frozen fruits and vegetables I keep are peas, corn and blueberries. These last a long time and are good for a number of things, esp. when you missed a store run and need a vege for dinner or a fruit for breakfast. I do not buy canned fruits or vegetables. They are expensive, do not taste good and provide the least nutritional value of any form of food preservation in my humble opinion.
When I organize my shopping, I do all my bulk shopping at the least expensive place, which in my area is Costco. The quality of the meat is good, consistent and fresh as well as significantly less expensive than other markets. Since the packages are larger I go straight home and separate everything into family meal-sized portions, zip lock and freeze. For example, I might buy 10 lbs of ground beef and divide into 1-lb portions and then freeze in small Ziplocs. I will also take a large fish fillet and cut in half and freeze. I will even freeze more delicate fish like wild petrale sole. I place the fish in single layers between parchment paper and freeze. Each bag will still contain a family meal sized portion. If you’ve got a local butcher near you, use them. They are a dying breed and probably have the best quality meats.
It’s smart to label your freezer bags and I actually try to go through the entire stock/batch of an item before I restock. I don’t want to end up with freezer burned food a year later and wasting it when I have to throw it out. For example, if I freeze 10, 1-lb bags of burger, we use all of it before I restock that item. My bulk shopping is done every two weeks or sometimes three weeks. That is for a family of six without guests or parties.
Always having a protein, vegetable, and grain/starch at your fingertips will feed your family healthier. I do not recommend canned fruit or vegetables with the exception of tomatoes. Canned tuna, chicken and salmon make a quick balanced meal a snap. On those rushed late nights a family meal of tuna or chicken melts offers vegetable, grain, protein, fat and dairy. If you want, add a cup of tomato or vegetable soup or sliced fresh fruit. I can assure you that it is most filling and only takes about 15 minutes to prepare.
I am not obsessed with organic foods, but if you can get them, great. A fresh vegetable or fruit will last 3-5x as long in your refrigerator than something that has traveled and sat in the back room of a large chain supermarket. This is also another reason to eat in season and fall into the natural rhythms of the season.
My philosophy on snacks: Do not keep many prepared foods around at all. With a nation of growing obesity, health issues related to over consumption, and inability to navigate the kitchen, you will serve your family well to enable them to prepare their own food and steer clear of sodas, crackers, cookies, chips, “fruit” snacks (where’s the fruit?), go-gurt (try Yogurt), breakfast bars, etc. Home made cookies are a lovely treat, so what I am saying here is that whatever keeps them crunchy or soft is best to stay away from. Also, these easy access calories are real appetite killers, aside from not being healthy. They destroy your efforts in the kitchen. As my aunt Mary always said, “The Hungrier the Crowd, the Better the Food!”

About Me

My name is Zoe Sexton and this is my idea for helping people manage their households, and push myself to get on with my writing life.
I am a mother to four children still at home ages 16, 15, 4, and 2. There is great humor and some moments of frustration in that, but I am the type of person who doesn’t dally around with what was or what could have been. I always deal with what is and enjoy being an analytical problem solver—the primary job of any mom!
I grew up in rural Northern California; at least it was when I lived there. Now such visitors as Price Charles and his lovely mistress, Camilla, have dignified it. It has also become a well-known name in organic foods, from vegetables, to meats, poultry, cheese and flowers. If you haven’t guessed, the place is Point Reyes. Growing up, we were on the poor side, with artists for parents and mostly without a very stable living situation until I was in junior high. We lived in other people’s garages and had a nursery school in our house.
I did manage to get into a private high school with the support of my mother and my grandparents, and things shifted mentally for me from there. I graduated from UCSB, and two kids later, as a single mom, picked up an MBA.

What am I doing here? Well, it’s inherent in my nature to puzzle things out and I figure there has got to be a balance in every household between eating healthy, living the fullest life you can, staying organized without going insane, or making critical sacrifices. I look around and I see the sacrifices people make in the name of their families, which really do more harm than good and cause more problems in the long run. Eating late, buying processed (even organic processed) foods, not spending time, getting going too fast with schedules that are too full. I’m here to say, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be and there is another way. 

So keep checking in with my website as I bring in more writers, articles, art, recipes, menus, suggestions and communities that will help you find your way in balancing your household, family, relationships and lifestyle.