Category: Family Life

Herring family adventures, Jeep life, organic living. Karie Herring, Jeep aficionado, organic advocate and chef, details life as a reformed corporate woman, wife and motherhood to her twins and tween.

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Pumpkin Decorating Ideas

Kids and parents want more flair with their pumpkins and why not? Halloween is but one day, once a year, and who doesn’t like to play dress up. Dress up your pumpkin, our pumpkins should be much the same as dress  up. Fall is upon us, well if you live anywhere but Phoenix Arizona where we still crest into the high 90s and we are all begging for cool weather to wear some fashionable boots. Oh I digress. With Halloween not that far off, the kids are all anxious to start cutting into pumpkins and today’s pumpkin is not the pumpkin of yesteryear with the traditional triangle cut eyes and triangle cut scary mouth.

halloween, pumpkin decorating, pumpkinsWhat I like to do is find out what the kids want for their pumpkin picture, whether the picture is of a witch on a broom, swirls, or any other picture of choice, print that picture and tape it to your pumpkin.

From there you can carve out the picture simply by stabbing the lines with a sharp paring knife or you can use a push pin and tap all along the lines so it dots out the picture on the outside of your pumpkin. After you have traced out the picture on the pumpkin the carving can begin. Cut off the top to create a lid like a standard pumpkin carving, scrape out the innards, saving the seeds if you so desire for a great fall snack and then begin cutting out your creation.

Place a small tea light candle inside and you are ready to showcase your creation and your pumpkin for all your trick or treater’s or as a party display. Don’t be afraid to dress up your pumpkin, choose something creative or out of the ordinary. Pumpkin decorating ideas can be found all over the internet and Pinterest.

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A Kids Point of View – Week 1

This will be a post every Monday to jump start the week. I was inspired to do this weekly post when I found that my kids had gotten hold of our Sony Cybershot Camera and needless to say there are some very incriminating, informative, and even down right hilarious and frightening photos that my children have captured. I hope you will enjoy these brief moments in time, captured by my children when they thought no one was looking.

In honor of Halloween this month these will be some spooky and even frightening photos. Enjoy!

 

Frightening Photo of Neighbor Friend Dropping a Deuce in Our Bathroom

Your photographers are:

Grant – eight years old

Seth and Sara – three and a half years old.

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Why is my Poo Green

Why is my poo green? Or tan? Or dark brown? And why in the name of everything that is holy and divine are we discussing the topic of shit. Seriously, poo, dookie, shit, turds, pellets, and the like are mentioned in my home more than I care to divulge. Maybe some weird prerequisite of being a parent to collectively talk shit as a family. Now I mean literally, talking shit. After all the talk I feel like I need to light a match.

For some odd reason though my husband parents are concerned about the health and nature of their children’s deuce. Honestly, I don’t give a shit about shit, if it comes out without issue, SCORE! However, my household in particular, and this spans many generations I have found after a lenghty commentary with my now senior mother and her more than senior parents about the discussion of the “number two.” I digress, so yes the parental concern about the movement.

Bowel movements are a way to excrete the waste but for parents its all about the science I suppose, dissecting the shape, apparent texture as it floats in the porcelain, and of course like any good gem; cut, color, and clarity. But let’s focus on the color since green poo seems to be the odd misnomer of shit in my house. Green poo in my house would mean calling our poor neighbor who is a PA and asking him his professional opinion, at which time I crack open a beer for him out of the pity to listening to concerns regarding a young child’s fecal matter that resembles the off color of seaweed.

You see as a mom we look stupid on the outside. Oddly we are fucking cerebral ninjas, fully aware of the happenings and goings on, zen with our home and child. We know that the green poo was generated by the injestion of some fruity colored pebble breakfast meal, fruity colored O’s meal, Jello of the odd color, Popsicle maybe, and or an entire bag of gummie bears or combination of all the above.

Shit you not. Pun totally intended.

Green poo has been proven to be the result of the god damn marketing of rainbow colored, sugary goodness. If you don’t believe me….try it yourself. $10 says you will be checking out your next dump.

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Family Recession

The news has sensationalized and down played the truth and reality that is the economic recession. Her effects, downfalls, triumphs, gripes, and how the recession has affected this family amongst the many that struggle each day to survive, maintain their home and not live on the streets, in their cars, or worse.

Our family became afflicted by the recession when DH was laid off shortly after the twins were born. Luckily he had another job lined up before the layoff, however, this was a large reduction in pay. While a job, the position was a struggle and a struggle for our family as we had to learn to scale back when our family was expanding as were our expenses.

But as we began to get traction again, we had yet another blow and The Chad was impacted yet again, and after a few months of struggling we began to find some solid ground. Yet, as with any restless waters, we began to feel our ship sink again when another blow came to us just a few short months ago.

The recession has been a learning experience and has been a tried and true gauge of my testament of love and marriage. Stress levels seek all new highs and lows during a financial crisis. Emotional levels are taxed to their very limits. Evil lurks in the depths of one’s mind and they begin to question their own faith in love and marriage, they doubt their partner and their position in the union, and eventually you feel like checking out. But the truth that has withstood the seams coming apart at their ends is love, truth, family. Without those I know our family would have not been able to weather this storm, on a couple of occasions.

I find solace in knowing I am not alone, but the evil comes in and I feel shame. Shameful for reasons I am not sure about. Maybe because I feel I cannot provide for my children the way I want to. Maybe because I feel I need to be more accomplished for my family. Maybe for the lack of adult time The Chad and I get to share with one another. So I wonder where will life go from here. I wonder how many share in my stress, my concern, who have been impacted, who have survived, and with my wonder I find solace once more. I am at peace to know I am not alone, but also fear no confirmation of having others share in my experience.

Pity too I have become a story I read when I underwrite a file at work, I share in these strangers stories of loss, heartache, stress, and fear. I can sympathize and empathize all at once and I cannot help but to ponder how many of my blog brethren share in my situation. How we hide something so common, but yet we feel so shameful and I think of how many have experienced the recession and lost something even greater than just a job and income. How has life changed for you if at all? What losses have you experienced?

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Battling Summer Boredom

We are just a mere month into summer and already my kids are whining of the dog days of summer. Bored. Stiff. Endless hours by the pool, swimming to their hearts content, camping, and family outings just do not seem to foot the bill for a child’s endless imagination and entertainment.

Summer is a great time to encourage children to let their imaginations soar. School schedules can sometimes be demanding and time for less structured, imaginative activities is often scarce. The freedom of summer gives children large blocks of uninterrupted time to create projects of their own choosing that can last several days or even longer.

Here are 10 ideas parents can use to keep young minds active during the summer months:

1. Boredom Buster Jar: At the beginning of the summer, sit down with your family and brainstorm a list of activities that can be done alone or that you can enjoy doing together. Next, write everyone’s ideas down on slips of paper and as a group decide which ones should go in the jar. Anyone in the family can pull any idea out of the jar to fight the summertime boredom blues.

2. Stories Alive: It sounds too simple, but reading is one of the most important ways to keep young minds engaged during the summer. Make reading even more fun by finding ways to bring the stories to life.

3. Art Start Box: You’ll need to gather basic art supplies–child safe scissors, glue, markers, tape and construction paper. Put them in a special box along with empty oatmeal boxes and paper towel rolls, colorful magazines and bits of aluminum foil. Occasionally add a special surprise like chalk, stickers, or stamp pads so there’s always something new for the children to find. Even if you normally have these supplies around the house, it‘s fun for children to know that the Art Start Box is just for them. They’ll probably have some good ideas of other household items that can be recycled to fuel their creative energies.

4. Family Performances: Break out old clothes or costumes and encourage children to make up characters and create a play to act out. They are the directors, actors, and producers. They can also make musical instruments out of pots/pans, wooden spoons, empty canisters and have a parade; or everyone can play along to your family’s favorite songs. Record or video the performances, and enjoy the replay. You’ll also be capturing a bit of family history everyone will enjoy for years to come.

5. Family Dance Party: Crank up the music and encourage your entire family to boogie down. Dancing gives children a great outlet for self-expression through their own motion and helps build self-esteem. It also enhances motor and coordination development by incorporating skills like jumping, landing and leaping. Dancing is a great activity that can involve the whole family and doesn’t take very much preparation.

6. Fort Building: Children love to build all kinds of structures–from small towns to large towers. Constructing forts or tents is an activity that can keep children focused and problem solving for hours. All the items you need can be found around the house–some chairs, cushions, blankets… and of course adult supervision.

7. Cookbook Fun: Have you ever shared your favorite cookbook with your children? Take it out and ask your children to choose a recipe to try. Measuring can be a fun and easy way to keep math skills fresh.

8. Summer Scrapbook: All you need for this project is a spiral notebook. Encourage everyone in the family to draw pictures of favorite activities and collect mementos from special events throughout the summer. Children love to go back through scrapbooks and albums and tell about what happened at each occasion. They will also be building their storytelling skills at the same time.

9. Camping Out: Pretend to campout in the backyard. Plan a meal, pack a backpack and set up a campsite. You might even decide to spend the night!

10. Scavenger Hunt: Make a list or picture cards of common household items and have your children find the items on the list. Invite friends or neighbors to join in the fun to make it a competition.

While these are just a few great ideas, also look into your local newspaper and or community and recreation center for free or low cost activities. Zoo’s, museum’s, and other venues offer plenty of free activities and fun for your children to enjoy.

For more great ideas on beating summer boredom check out www.DrZandFriends.com or www.primroseschools.com

THIS IS A SPONSORED POST ON BEHALF OF PRIMROSE SCHOOLS, MY OPINION AND KNOWLEDGE REGARDING CHILD BOREDOM IS BASED ON MY OWN EXPERIENCE WITH  MY OWN CHILDREN. HOWEVER, SOME SUPPORTING INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED ON BEHALF OF PRIMROSE SCHOOLS.

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Dawn of the Dead

Yes the title of this blog is a direct reference to a movie surrounding zombies. The Chad and I are huge fans of horror flicks and zombie movies are some of the best (*cough…worst) movies around. I mean anyone who is anyone has seen a B rated zombie movie and laughed, or you got hooked on the A&E series, or maybe your kids talk about zombies with their video games (*cough…not my house).

But there is one thing that I will attest to with zombies, despite their total non-existence, is that I know they are attracted to noise. Lots of loud, obnoxious, even just muffled noise, zombies are attracted to noise like a moth to a flame. So I am going to ask you of a large favor in the event that one day our world were to ever become overrun with brain eating, flesh munching, scavenging zombies.

But let’s look at this noise issue. Seriously my kids are prime zombie dinner. I kid you not, from the moment my Seth-en-stein is awake his lips are a running and he is on his way to verbally vamoosing you, honestly the words leave his mouth so fast you can hardly answer the first question he vomited your way let alone the next. Up next is Little Bitty who is the house manager and has a shrilling scream that would break the most finest of crystal if the right pitch allowed, so come on zombies….we are just sitting ducks waiting for you just on these two alone. Finally we have The Boy and The Dog….mind you the dog snores worse than any human. In fact someone asked me what the rumble was….I had to confess it was my English Bulldog snoring…no rumble. I am left now with the boy who if you asked him to be quiet would argue the art of being quiet just for sake of debate.

In the event of a world zombie domination

AVOID MY HOUSE!

Yes, avoid my house because my family will be the first victims because my children cannot shut the fuck up for more than one point one milliseconds. The fighting, screaming, whining, crying, carrying on is going to be a zombie magnet and we can guarantee to be zombie dinner. Thank you and best wishes.

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Choosing Childcare, Preschools

Upon the birth of my first child Grant I was a mess for weeks scrambling, literally, at the last minute attempting to arrange and interview child care centers and preschools. My poor son, at the ripe age of five weeks with a neurotic mother, scared sick about leaving her child with anyone else but his parents. Even the sole time my mother watched Grant so that The Chad and I could attend a work dinner was sheer horror for me. I was breastfeeding and it was time away from my baby.

However, my fears were lessened as I began to research schools and childcare centers. I read articles online about credentials the centers had yielded, affiliations, complaints and where to find those complaints (which will vary by state), I researched whether they were part of a food program, the security measures they had to keep my children safe from predators and while in their care, and the staff to children ratio.

Who would have dreamed that childcare considerations were so in-depth, labor intensive, and quite frankly a science?

I had no idea. In fact when I first began seeking out childcare for Grant I went off of the brand name centers that were familiar by sound. Later I found I was unimpressed, annoyed, and rather disdained by the level of service these “brand name” childcare and preschool centers offered. The treatment was comparable to walking onto the sales lot of an auto dealership, vultures, waiting to pluck at their prey when they are most vulnerable, pushing for a “tour” based on their schedule and not yours, more concerned with enrollment and cash flow than the needs of my child and myself. One center had the audacity to advise me that they would not let me visit the center unless I had an appointment, needless to say I felt this organization had something to hide if I could not just drop in as I felt my schedule allowed, they were discounted and removed from consideration.

My research and extensive notations about the various facilities soon became a bullet point checklist:

  • Accreditation – was the school accredited in the state, nation, how were they officially recognized as a facility and learning institution.
  • Safety – was the facility safe for my child (now children with the twins), keypad entry, camera’s viewing the classrooms, licensed facilitators and caregivers.
  • Convenience – was the center convenient to my hours, schedule, location, were they accommodating to my needs and those of my children.
  • Curriculum – did the center provide a curriculum of learning and or child interaction no matter the age to aid in the development of my child.
  • Cost – the nitty-gritty is that cost is a huge factor in choosing a childcare and or preschool. Even if the cost is low, do the other bullets add up in the equation regarding curriculum or learning, safety, and accreditation, the same can also be said for the higher priced “brand name” and or boutique childcare centers.
  • Happiness- is my child happy here, am I happy they are here, do the staff interact with my child in a fun and loving fashion, yet educational and assertive to establish healthy boundaries.

While each parent’s decision in choosing a childcare facility and or preschool may vary, the fact of the matter lies in that as parents we choose what is best for our child, children, and our families. Each family varies with their needs, whether they be a special needs learner, a child with allergies, and or our children need a level of interaction to stimulate their learning and childhood experience, the choice in a childcare facility is not one to be made hastily.

Be sure to weigh in on all of the factors when choosing a childcare center, and furthermore, rely on your instincts. While the consideration may sound hooky or even mystical in nature, a parent has a form of sixth sense when considering care, welfare, and well-being of our children. Choose a facility that will work with you, your family and especially your child. For more information, visit your local department of health services to research a childcare facility and their operations and visit Primrose Schools to read about the various options to weigh when researching a childcare facility.What are some considerations you look to when choosing a childcare facility? What sticks out as a sore thumb or red-flag in your decisioning?

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Primrose Schools. While I was compensated for this post, in no way has my opinion, experience, or knowledge been influenced and or biased, but purely an informational post.
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Not easy being Green

USDA Organic, organic, Karie Herring, thefivefish.comMom’s and folks galore find the most amazing topics in life to argue about. Stout opposition. Blatant bullshit. Mindless minutiae. But let’s get to the brass tax of some largely misunderstood and widely misrepresented information. The Green Movement. Even more so, the whole organic movement and the stout opposition to HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) among mommy bloggers.

But a lot of folks are mislead or are completely uneducated about organic, certified organic, certified free trade, USDA certified organic, heirloom and the like. The business and marketing about organic is confusing to the layman and its marketing and a lifestyle choice to those who fully embrace, understand, and know the true meaning of going green and choosing organic. Let’s place a bit of fact or fiction regarding organic, buying organic, what organic really means, and exploring the full realm of the Big O and what the general public is probably not fully aware surrounding our friends at the USDA.

FACT  or FICTION? : The top foods you should buy when buying organic are milk, meats, produce, and grains.

FICTION.

Organic is a lifestyle. PERIOD. Much like dieting, smoking, drinking, whatever your vice, choosing to purchase USDA Certified Organic foods is a LIFESTYLE choice. Suggesting to buy specific items is sheer bullshit. However, you can find a fantastic list of items that are believed to be the dirtiest (riddled with pesticides and considered high on the GMO list) in your produce section on this article by CNN and you can also read it on the great not for profit site. Furthermore, take a good look at organic and standard produce. If you love your California avocados and are willing to buy them at 2 for $1.00 when in season, by all means. But don’t stray away from your organic either. Take a gander, are the prices comparable? If so, then the investment is worth the small price difference.  But if the price difference is rather considerable, then hold off until the item is in season or buy standard. Again a pure choice. Organic is reasonably priced due to the fact that the items are harvested when they are in season, much like when your flowers bloom and based on the location of the farm with the season. When in doubt though, buy US produce as the cost will be a bit less due to the fact less travel was associated with the delivery.

FACT or FICTION: Milk should always be bought organic because of all the hormones?

FICTION

Again a matter of lifestyle. However, many dairy farmers are pushing that they are not using hormones or are hormone free because of the startling study found by researchers that these hormones are being carried into more than just milk. But into our bodies and our children which is believed to induce premature puberty in young girls and androgyny in some of our boys. Furthermore, with the recent events in Japan, be wary of your “California Cows” or those from the Pacific area since radiation is first found in milk of cows from the grass they eat….that goes for Organic too. Moooo-ve on over Pacific and Pacific Northwest.

FACT or FICTION? : There is only one organic.

FICTION

The truth of the matter is that everything is organic. *gasp! Yes, we are all “organic” material, made of matter and the like. CERTIFIED Organic, the big green you see above, is delegated into several different categories and let me just paint the picture so you understand how each applies to just a few of the different delegations of the “organic” umbrella:

  • Certified Organic – this can be QAI and USDA certified. Both of these require rigorous and in depth investigation of the farms, the product, the water source, the cleanliness, the soil testing. Not a stone goes unturned in these certifications. However, the USDA is rather more intense requiring a farm to be clean for a minimum of five years during review. The soil, water, produce, the entire farm is tested to make sure it is clean of pesticides, hormones and additives. A farm generally has to be clean longer than this time in order for the life cycle of pesticides to die off, if they ever. Furthermore, rigorous maintenance and fees are applied for being USDA certified. Not to mention the handling on these farms is not your standard handling which is why the costs may be realized to be higher. But you are what you eat right?
  • Heirloom – I could live and breathe heirloom if allowed. Heirloom is exactly what it sounds like. These are seeds and produce passed down from generations. You will see a good portion of EU (European Union) countries have heirloom produce. Native Americans here in North America have heirloom seeds and produce. Heirloom produce is open pollinated and are a hybrid. By hybrid, these seeds have naturally cross pollinated and albeit evolved through the ages. They are generally pesticide free and are not what a layman may consider a perennial or annual. These beauties are tasty, gorgeous, and unique all their own. What people do not realize is that seed producers and sellers generate seeds that only germinate once or maybe more but after that the fruit/produce becomes bitter due to the genetic engineering of these items. Which makes heirlooms all the more in demand.
  • Organic – just about anything can be called organic. It just cannot be called “certified” or you start getting into an ugly marketing and disclosure issue with the feds. Organic is a way of farming, period, and again everything is organic matter/material. So items can be considered under the “organic” umbrella in a range anywhere from 70 to 99% organic depending upon the ingredients and the way the ingredients are grown. However, in order to slap the old green seal of approval onto the foods you eat, those foods must have passed the rigorous testing of the USDA and the Organic Program which certifies that the farm is still an active clean farm from the water, the soil and the environment in which it operates. See all my aforementioned regarding the cleanliness of these farms and you can find more at the USDA Organic site.

Just know that Organic truly is a lifestyle. No one will look down their nose at you for the food choices you make, and if they do, well maybe they ought to look at their own lives before passing judgement on yours. Life is all about choices and as parents we try to make the best choices we can in life and as long as you can say you are doing what you can for your children and they are healthy, happy, productive people then what else can we ask for as parents. Like Kermit the Frog always said, “It’s not easy, being green.” Nor is life easy as a parent, when we brought our special packages home we were never given a manual for handling them, so we make our own rules and manual up as we go along all the while learning from our mistakes, because if we were all perfect, we would never know to learn.

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Staycation – Retreat on a Budget

Admittedly the Southwest Airlines commercials speak to me. You know the slogan right? “Wanna get away?”

My rhetorical question in return is “Does the sun rise in the East?”

staycation, hotels, hotels.comAs a mother, adult, and former traveler extraordinaire, I love to get away. But who says you have to reach the far ends of the Earth, comb the beaches of the Caribbean or peruse the boutiques of Europe to consider being on a retreat or to enjoy a vacation. Let’s revisit the first word of this paragraph which will segue into my explanation for a retreat. Mother. Yes, I have child or children in my case, which can often cause a serious reduction in travel. Why? You ask. Well my main reason for a reduction in travel is due to the birth of my twins. You see traveling with two infants and the entourage of gear required for their care could be equivalent to a domestic safari of sorts. However, now that they have evolved into walking, talking, and may I add talking again, little people travel has become less cumbersome. Nonetheless difficult though when you are now the minority and children are the majority.

Additionally, taking trips sans kids can also be difficult. Finding adequate care takers and or family willing to assume your children for a day, week, or even a few hours can be a rather disheartening to the couple wishing to have adult relations outside of the home where they can once again enjoy the company of their date. I know the hubs and I daydream of what life was like without children when we traveled and literally those memories are now daydreams for us.

But we are not letting the days of whine and runny noses get us down! In fact, my mother was so kind to gift us for Christmas gift cards for a weekend or night away from home. When we opened the gift and read the note, the feeling was much like letting the crazies out of the asylum to run the streets for the night. We could taste sweet freedom once again. In fact we got so caught up in getting away we couldn’t decide where the hell to go!

Have no fear though, the hubs is a resourceful geek of sorts. Bless him for having a Hotels.com account where he has been booking almost all of his travels for business, since he travels every other week he has become a domestic expert of travel accommodations. When the time came for us to book our retreat away from the kids, we looked at all the local resorts and spas within the Phoenix metro and downtown area. Finally we found a resort, spa, and casino close to home and even better, the price was right! So the hubs booked us a night at the Radisson Ft. McDowell Resort and Casino.

I was leery to say the least since the resort’s casino was known for being less than favorable. However, after reviewing the beauty shots of the resort on Hotels.com I was put more at ease and looking forward to our night and almost half day away from the kids to reconnect. I was put at even more ease when I saw the total cost of our sans kids retreat. $89 a night! With a sleep number bed, hot meal where I wasn’t required to cut anyone’s food but my own, no fighting kids for my own bed and pillows, and no worries of who would drive home due to the fact we both had some juicy alcoholic beverages. We just walked from the resort’s restaurant to the elevator and then to our room, a most pleasant evening, to which we retreated to enjoy additional quiet time as adults, reconnecting. Furthermore, we got up early enough the next morning to drive home but detoured for some breakfast at a local cafe.

Needless to say I was stoked we were able to get away and even better, Hotels.com helped us to stay on and within our budget, but were able to stay in a five star resort all  the more. Have you ever thought about a stay-cation when you cannot always get away for an extended vacation? Do you have the same struggles of child care when wanting to go on a date night?

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Mom Sells Weapons of Mass Destruction

Recently I found a new calling in the employment realm. This has been a truly liberating change in fields and needless to say I rather find living on the edge to be totally sexy and intriguing. My new job, in addition to all my other career paths, is as an arms dealer. Yes. I kid you not. I deal with weapons of mass destruction.

You see these two WMD’s are probably the safest on the market as well. You can keep them in your home without permit and their expiration happens at around the age of 18. You avoid the whole fallout issue as you would with standard nukes, the 10 mile safety radius, cancer, however, these two do not come without a price. Their side effects include headache, exhaustion, sleepiness, irritability, agitation, the uncontrollable urge to curse, this is all the effect on you….but if you want to clear a room or destroy one, these two are the weapon of choice.

In fact, they are so powerful, we had to keep them behind bars.