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So, I’ve boycotted Walmart. I haven’t shopped there in a couple of weeks. Actually, I think the last time I stepped into a Walmart was the weekend before last. You have to understand how this proves difficult in our area before I continue. You know all of those local grocery stores that you guys have around town? Well, we don’t really have those. We have two “grocery stores” nearby that we can shop at, but otherwise Walmart Supercenter and Super Target pretty much rule the roost here. One of our grocery store’s prices are about three times the price of Super Walmart, Super Target is just a bit higher than Super Walmart and the other grocery store just about breaks even with Super Walmart except on some items.

When we were in California, I saw about 8 different grocery store ads spread out over my husband’s parent’s table and I was in pure shock! I’ve never seen such a thing. I had no idea one city could have THAT many different options to buy groceries. I have to admit, I was really jealous. Do you know how long it takes to make a “quick run to the store” here? At least 45 minutes. Because you have to park 10 miles away from the front door of the Super Walmart and then walk through crowds of people, stand in line forever, not to mention, walk around the gigantic store just to get to the milk. Ugh.

So anyway, a friend of mine works at Walmart as an over night stocker and I have heard horror stories left and right from her about how they treat their employees. Ridiculous things like the managers telling the employees they HAD to come to work, even if they were sick. WHAT? Do they not know what spreads the flu and other illnesses?? GERMS. FROM SICK PEOPLE. So how does that make you feel? Knowing that some joe schmoe who has the H1N1 flu is stocking your baby’s formula or your cold medicine in the pharmacy? Ugh. Sickens me. Also, said friend had a horrible flu and then fell down a flight of stairs and they reprimanded her for MISSING WORK. She even showed them the bruise covering half of her back from the fall and they just blew it off and still reprimanded her.

Also, have you seen this movie? I’ve only seen about 3/4 of it and it made me want to puke.

So anyway, we have boycotted Walmart. We are shopping at the local grocery store and if there are things we can’t find, then I guess we’ll live without it. There are only 2 things that I will HAVE to go into Walmart for and that is my shampoo (because their salon sells it, but luckily I have about a year’s worth in my cupboard) and possibly Zoey’s baby formula because I think we’re going to switch to Parent’s Choice Organic formula to help save some $$.

So besides those couple of things, I am not going to be shopping at Walmart. I’ll do without anything else I can’t get at other stores. I’ll keep checking back in to make sure I’ve kept my word and not shopped there.

Candy :: Oct.15.2009 :: Shopping :: 4 Comments »

Zoey will be 6 months old on Wednesday and I figured it is time that this little girl had a taste of the good stuff. She has been staring us down intently when we eat with spoons or forks. She tries to grab at our cans or bottles when we’re drinking. She has even gotten a little upset while watching us eat or drink and I just knew it was time for her to try solid foods.

I stripped her down to her diaper (It’s pink, you might get a sneak peak in a picture or two) and put this bib on her that we had bought at Downtown Disney when we were in California. I got a yellow one that says “I heart French Fries” and Gene picked out the ice cream one! I was asking her repeatedly if she wanted to try some real food and she thought that was sooo funny.

The first bite went in and I was surprised that she knew to open her mouth. She didn’t open it wide but she did crack it a little. I don’t know why I’m surprised since anything that goes near her mouth goes INTO her mouth, hee hee. Oh and I guess I should mention that her first solid is a fresh avocado, smooshed up with a fork. Perfect consistency and any little pieces just melt in your mouth!

She made an awful face but I think it was directed more at the texture and the idea of this weird substance in her mouth than anything. She continually opened her mouth for subsequent bites so I don’t think she hated it.

She eventually decided that she could do this soooo much better than Mom could, so she grabbed the spoon out of my hand and stuck it in her mouth. She thought that was pretty funny and was pretty proud of herself.

This is exactly how she reacted after she put the spoon in her mouth all by herself. Look at that adorable pink diaper!

We washed down the avocado with a little water from a sippy cup. She had a little trouble at first trying to figure out how to suck from the sippy cup spout but she eventually figured it out and LOVED it. I took it away so that I could give her the rest of her bottle and she threw a fit!

Is my baby really big enough to be eating real food already?? I can’t believe it! After I got the kitchen cleaned up, I cooked a bunch of apples and made up 3 ice trays of homemade baby applesauce. It’s in the freezer tonight and tomorrow I need to grab some freezer bags from the store so I can store them in the freezer. I am probably going to make carrots tomorrow.

Candy :: Oct.10.2009 :: Baby, Baby Food, Zoey, Zoey's Firsts :: 4 Comments »

This little girl pulls on my heart strings. I’ll always look at this picture whenever she is screaming or being fussy just to remind me that she can be sweet too, lol.

Candy :: Oct.06.2009 :: Baby, Zoey :: 3 Comments »

It’s been said a thousand times before. At least here on my blog it has, heh.

I figured what better time to start a diet than right before a holiday where candy and chocolate are the main focus and upcoming holidays where butter, heavy cream and PIE are abundant. Right, Jen? Hee.

So this morning I am starting my diet. I’m drinking some coffee with fat free creamer and sweet ‘n low. I’m going to eat a Jimmy Dean D-Lights breakfast sandwich and I’m going to try to keep my portions down. This evening I’ll go on a short walk (still have to take it easy with my back ‘n all) with Gene and Z.

Baby steps, ya know?

I have to do this for myself. For my husband. And more importantly, for Z.

I’ll weigh in every Tuesday (I always start diets on weird days, what is up with that?) and post my stats on the sidebar.

Candy :: Oct.06.2009 :: Diet :: 4 Comments »

It’s nearly 2 AM and I finally dragged myself out of bed after 2 hours of unsuccessfully trying to fall asleep. Between my left hip aching and burning and my mind wandering, I just can’t seem to drift off. I stopped a really bad nail biting habit 3 years ago and somehow in the last 2 hours, I managed to bite off and really, completely demolish the nail on my right thumb. It stings and typing is only making it worse. But what else am I to do? Everyone is asleep and I am sipping on some chocolate milk in hopes that my blood sugar will skyrocket and send me off into dreamland.

Tonight my heart is heavy. While I was laying in bed, trying to take my mind off of the pain in my left hip, I started to think about Grandma and Grandpa. I started to think of all of the holidays ahead and how even though Grandma wasn’t with us last year, we at least had Grandpa. And this year? They are both gone. And I’m wondering how my heart will be able to handle it? I guess with it being Z’s first Christmas, it will help lighten the mood a little. I mean, it’s the circle of life, right? So she is just starting the next round. But it’s hard to teach your heart to remember but not dwell.

I never wrote a tribute to Grandpa. Not on paper (or computer, however you want to look at it. Who uses paper these days?) anyway. I’ve written about a thousand of them in my head, late at night when I can’t fall asleep. I’ve told him how much I love him, I’ve talked about all of the great times I had with him as a kid and even as an adult, I’ve spoken of what a fantastic man he was and I’ve written things like “When I think about how I will never get to see his face again my heart feels like it is being suffocated with plastic wrap” or “If you could see the way Grandpa smiled at his Grandkids, your heart would explode with love.” But I haven’t typed it up and formed coherent sentences. Why? I don’t know. I’ve tried. I’ve come here time and time again and I just can’t get it out like I was able to with Grandma. Like I said before, my relationships with Grandma and Grandpa were different. They were both special in their own ways. I guess this one is just hard to articulate?

There are some things about Grandpa that I am going to miss the most and here are a few:

• How he used to always say “Boy, you sure are windy” whenever I would blabber on and on about any and everything when I was a kid. I’m so sad that Zoey will never get to experience this signature phrase of his.
• How he would click his tongue and pinch my sides to make me giggle.
• How much he loves his Grandkids (& Great Grandkid!). He could be in the grumpiest of moods but when he saw his Grandkids playing, you could always catch him smiling.
• Our fishing trips! We did a lot of fishing together, just Grandpa and I, when I was a kid and those are some of my best memories!
• Popcorn! Grandpa made the best air popcorn with REAL butter. He would then cut down a paper sack and make me a little “bowl” for my popcorn.
• There is obviously a lot more. I could go on and on.

You know, when you are a kid you don’t really think much about death. You may know about it, you may have ideas about where we go after we die, but you don’t really think too much about it. When you’re a kid, you don’t question your or anyone else’s mortality. In a kid’s eyes, your parents, your grandparents, your friends and the people you love will live forever.

And as naive as it sounds, I was completely devastated when my Grandma passed away because all of this time, I thought my Grandma and Grandpa would live forever. And even after Grandma died, I never really thought about Grandpa dying. I guess it’s just your mind’s way of coping with things. To just kind of put those negative icky-death thoughts on the back burner. Because if we lived fearing death every day, what kind of life would that be?? Not living at all, I’d imagine.

So, in conclusion, I hereby suggest that we start a Grandparents Immortality rally. Because I think Grandparents make life sweeter. They help create memories for children all around the world. They love like no other. So we should keep ‘em around, ya know? Who’s with me?

And just one last tidbit.. Here are a few things that I do in my life to help keep the memory of my Grandma & Grandpa alive:

• I toss a jug of water and tea bags out into the warm afternoon sun on a summer afternoon because my Grandma always had sun tea brewing!
• I use crocheted dish cloths to wash my dishes because my Grandma always had one draped over her sink.
• I use old vintage pyrex dishes to mix up recipes because my Grandma always had one out on her counter in the kitchen when she was cooking or baking.
• I make Gumdrop cookies from time to time because my Grandma always had some made for me whenever I came to visit because she knew how much I loved them!
• I sit on my back patio with my daughter in the metal chairs that used to reside in my Grandparent’s back yard. Listening to the wind blow in the trees, just like I used to do at my Grandparent’s house. Life can move so much faster in a big city, so it’s nice to take time to relax and slow down from time to time.

Candy :: Oct.06.2009 :: Family :: 1 Comment »