What kind of world are you buying?

Written for young people, this book is a fabulous resource for consumers of all ages. From clothing to chocolate to electronics Mara Rockliff discusses the environmental and human impact of our conspicuous consumption habits. With an attractive, accessible format this book provides resources for action and talking points along with its damning assessment of world wide mass production. Readers are empowered to change the world through their power as consumers and examples are given of young people making a difference. A comprehensive list of films, books and websites allows for further research and suggestions are made for grassroots actions. For example, the chapter on chocolate describes the conditions of child labors, gives options for buying fair trade and suggests activism through reverse trick-or-treating. (This involves passing out information and fair trade samples at each house as you trick-or-treat. Genius!) There are only a few must-purchase books in this world, but I am adding this one to my list!
http://mararockliff.com/getreal.thebook.html

Don't Worry!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while! I took a week off for screen-free week, and then my darling son dumped a glass of water on my laptop. So... my typing ability has been impaired. I will be back at it full steam as soon as I can! Happy Spring!

Pay it down!

I've read a few books about debt. This one is more moderate than some others I have seen, but seems realistic and shares some valuable ideas. The premise here is that by finding an extra ten dollars a day and applying that money to your debt you should be able to get out of debt and begin to save for the future. This assumes, of course, that you do not acquire any new debt. 

The first point that caught my eye deals with credit card debt. The author tells us that on average, each credit card transaction ends up costing us $82 additional dollars. Every transaction. If that doesn't make you want to cut up your cards, nothing will! 

The author suggests making a budget, finding that extra $10 a day, and then paying down credit card debt first, starting with the highest interest rate. This makes good financial sense, since the highest fees are paid to that card. Once the first card is paid, take the amount that you were making in payments and apply it to the next card. 

Another suggestion that I liked, was using electronic bill pay from your primary account and depositing money for additional expenses in a second account. If you never touch the main account, you won't go off budget. Once it is all set up it should pretty much handle its self. 

For any budget, getting organized and making the plan take a while, but once you get started seeing your efforts pay off they money saved and peace of mind will be its own reward.

http://www.jeanchatzky.com/

Raising Freethinkers

This book is exactly what I why I started this blog! Resources like this are too good not to share! So many parenting books focus on religion as a means of moral and ethical instruction, rather than encouraging natural development of empathy and questioning a means of exploring values. This book explains and gives equal weight to a philosophy of parenting that allows for children to find their own meaning and to explore multiple world views. Children will learn what is right and just through experience and observations if they are encouraged to ask questions and to be freethinkers. Believers in a higher power don't have exclusive rights to morality even though we are sometimes presented with that message. By giving our children the opportunity and the right to question all the wonders of the universe they are more likely to retain what they learn than those who learn belief through indoctrination and morality through fear. Fairness, peace and justice follow logically when we learn to look from multiple points of view.
This book contains wonderful resources for teaching the science of the universe, religions of the world, tolerance and understanding. There are also suggestions for building a community of freethinkers, something that can be difficult if you, like me, live in a conservative, religious area. This is one of the resources that I, as a parent, will return to again and again as my children grow and their needs change. It is so nice to know that there are others raising religion-free children with values and to be assured that despite outsiders fears to the contrary, it is possible, even probable, that my children will become moral, kind, and just adults with out the rules imposed by religious doctrine.

http://www.parentingbeyondbelief.com/

Made From Scratch

For some reason, before I started this book I thought it was a about crafts. I was mildly disappointed to find it is a memoir, but only for a minute! I soon discovered that the author Jenna Woginrich is someone I would love to have as a friend. She started out with window boxes and and progressed to a farm house with chickens, rabbits and gardens. She did this by herself while working a full time real job. I would guess that she didn't intend to be a roll model for young women, but anyone as successful as she, especially under the age of thirty, is doing just that. I enjoyed her sense of humor and individualism and I even tried her bread recipe. (Its in the oven now!) I plan to follow her blog too, I am sure she has more to share.

http://coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com/

I really want some chickens!

Now, I know that these "For Dummies" books are kind of cliche, but I really thought that this one was useful. It covers ever thing from choosing chickens and getting zoning approval to housing, anatomy and butchering. This book is written for the beginner backyard hobbyist and is probably too basic for someone with chicken experience, but I think that the comprehensive information would be invaluable for me especially as problems and questions would arise. (They always do!) I plan to keep this handy as I start my chicken raising adventure; I have the feeling I'll need it!

Take Action!

If you are looking for a place to fight back in the war on moms and families, check out momsrising.org. Some of the issues addressed through this website are heath care, breastfeeding, family leave, toxins, child care and fair pay. They offer information on current action, contact forms for elected officials, information on these marginalized actions and support. If you have wondered if you are the only one wishing for a system that is supportive of families instead of working against them, then look no further. Sign up and let your voice be hear!

http://www.momsrising.org/

The War on Moms

Until recently, I had never heard of Phyllis Schafly. Then her name came up in two books that I read in quick succession. She has been a powerful force over the last 40 years in the war against moms. Ironically she is a working mother herself who has campaigned against equal rights for women every step of the way. The work that she and other conservatives have done to counter the women's rights movement has successfully sidelined the Equal Rights Amendment, limited access to reproductive healthcare and branded anyone who supports subsidized childcare or paid parental leave as a dangerous socialist. 

If that is news to you, you need to read this book. I knew that the cards in the United States were stacked against mothers, but it isn't something that we talk about. The war on moms is fought quietly and under cover of misleading language. Looking at the systems that other countries have in place to support parents really illustrates the disparity between our sink or swim set up and places where paid maternity and paternity leaves are followed by flexible work schedules and high quality subsidized child care. Get ready to get angry, then go out and do something about it! Write some letters, call your congressmen, our children and families deserve to be the number one priority.

http://sharonlerner.com/index.html

Mini-Farming

I really enjoyed this book! It has the large size and beautiful pictures of a coffee table gardening book paired with sustainable suggestions and a focus on economic viability. The author is a practicing mini-farmer sharing his expertise and  recipe for success. He defines a mini-farmer as a gardener with an emphasis on economics. It is easy to develop gardening as a very expensive hobby. This book suggests practices that can turn the costs into profits. By starting your own seeds, planting the maximum amount per square foot and not wasting resources a family of four can raise up to 85% of their food needs on a quarter of a acre. With a little more it is even possible to grow enough to sell or share. In addition to gardening the author also discusses raising chickens for eggs and meat as well as proper preservation methods. If you are interested in raising your own food and saving money doing it, this is an invaluable resource!

http://www.markhamfarm.com/

Unschooling

I am a public school teacher. I believe in public schools and support them completely. There is a part of me, however, that is always looking at options. Just because our schools are vitally important doesn't mean that there aren't other choices for learning that could work. I toyed with the idea of homeschooling my own children and that's when I learned about unschooling.
Unschooling is the ultimate in child centered education. Children are given free choice in their activities and parents must trust that they will learn from those activities. We are naturally curious creatures. In an unschooling model that curiosity is encouraged and expanded upon as children wish to discover more about a topic. I think the hardest part is for the adults to let go and allow the children to just explore. At first it may seem that they are learning nothing, but the desire for information will come. Ownership of the learning process ensures retention and a plethora of connections.
The commitment by parents and children to unschooling must be strong. Without it education could look a lot like vacation. But really, have you ever forgotten the things you saw on vacation? It really is all learning. For my family, public school is the way to go, but I try to look at our entire lives through unschooling eyes. Planning our weekends and our family events I encourage my children's interests while finding ways to expand what they know and show them how everything is connected. Teaching my kids to ask questions and seek answers, to absorb information and to look at the world in new and different ways will help them to become life-long learners both in school and out.
http://www.marygriffith.net/Site/UH_page.html

Wild Things

I have two little boy wild things of my own. They are so sensitive and boisterous, loving and physical it can make my head spin! When I started to read this book, I was wary of the Christian overtones, but I soon found myself laughing out loud and reading to my husband the anecdotes about the authors' sons that were so similar to my own.
I love the way the authors combine structure and concrete thinking with emotional support and nurturing for all ages and stages of development. They advocate setting limits and expectations while building a strong emotional relationship with your son. So often the emotional needs of boys are underestimated because they tend to act them out in physical ways. The authors address the underlying causes and provide suggestions for helping boys to express their emotions in healthy ways.
Difficult topics are addressed with specific suggestions for discussing each, but the overarching message emphasizes the importance of having the conversations. Talk to your boys. Listen to them. Ask questions and find out how they really feel. Share your emotions and you will teach them to share their own. Start young and never stop. A parent that works to build this attachment will raise a man who is able to connect to his own children, and that is a beautiful thing.
http://www.stephenanddavid.com/home.html

No Impact

I recycle. I wash my sandwich bags and use them again. I hang my clothes on the line in nice weather and I cloth diaper. I compost, buy local and eat vegetarian. My family of five generates about one big bag of garbage per week, and I think we are pretty green, but we are certainly not no impact. Colin Beavan along with his wife and young daughter spent a year striving to have zero impact on the environment. No garbage. No carbon emissions. No waste. They turned off the electric and bought bikes. They stopped buy packaged food and only bought local. They even, toward the end, stopped using toilet paper. Now, that's a little far, in the grand scheme of things, but it could be done. Especially if you are already washing diapers! Now I doubt that you are interested in a completely impact-free lifestyle, but if you are interested in making some changes and challenging your consumption then I highly recommend this book along with its companion film and website. The Beavan family illustrates how much difference one family can make and what a great impact on your life no-impact living can have. 

http://noimpactproject.org/

Are you ready to garden?

My seeds are started in the window, and the ground is starting to thaw out and turn to mud. We have had a few days where the sun was warm and we wanted to be outside for more than 15 minutes. Its this time of year that I start to get anxious for my gardens. Unfortunately, around here its not really wise to plant before memorial day, so I have a while to go. As I wait, I read.
When I came across this book, the format appealed to me right away. It includes gardening tips and suggestions for the whole year so there is always something to do, with out being too specific about dates. Every thing is based off the date of last frost (or at least the average date) and can therefore be adjusted to match various climates. The book is meant to be used as a workbook or journal, and has places to record your own dates as well as sections for taking notes. The authors provide planting suggestions for a variety of vegetables as well as information on common pests, diseases and soil conditions. They also cover tools, food preservation, and putting the garden to bed for the winter, something that many gardening books neglect. This book is not meant for a master gardener or a large scale grower, but rather for the backyard hobbyist looking for simple techniques and organization. It seems like one that could be turned to year after year as a resource and a record of progress.
http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781603426947

House

Although this book is non-fiction, it reads like a novel. The author follows the construction of a house from design to completion from the perspective of the architect, builder and homeowner. Its not so much a how-to manual as it is an homage to the process. Each of the people involved pours something of him or her self into the building, and through the ups and downs the house takes on a life of its own. As in any group project, no one ends up completely satisfied, but each party feels connected to one another and the building. Tracy Kidder describes the emotional commitment involved in building a home and the satisfaction felt in making it your own. I first read this book as we were building our home, and looking ahead it encouraged me not to abandon the process, but instead to incorporated the process into the character of the house itself. Being a part of the construction ties me to the house. Our history is one and the same, the walls can not speak of anyone else. 

http://www.tracykidder.com/index.php

Total Money Makeover

"If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else." Dave Ramsey has built a very successful business teaching money management. He has books, a radio show and computer software all designed to help people get out of debt and stay there. At first, I thought it might be a scam, like those TV infomercials since he uses a lot a catchy phrases and sounds like a motivational speaker. When you really break it down though, what he is teaching is common sense. Debt is not a tool. Only spend what you have. Make a budget and stick to it. Pay down debt before you save. We know that these things are true, but how many of us actually do them? The real benefit of this book, is that it can give you the jump start you need to really look at your finances. He doesn't promise that it will be easy, but he does promise that if you will follow what he says,  you can be debt free. That sounds good to me!
First he recommends saving one thousand dollars in a emergency fund. Since you will not be using credit ever again, you might need this for emergencies. Next, write a budget and begin a "debt snowball". The idea here is to begin by paying off the smallest debt first. Even if you have others with higher interest rates, the satisfaction of crossing off that first debt will be motivating and will encourage you to continue. Then you take the amount that you had been paying toward the first debt and add it to your payment on the next lowest debt, creating a snowball of debt payment. Once all debt has been payed, then pay yourself! Build up a larger emergency fund and a retirement fund. Now you can take a vacation (payed in cash)!
It seems so logical. We have been trained to believe that we need debt to function, but the truth is the debt needs us. Banks need borrowers. They aren't doing us any favors and wouldn't it be amazing to buy your next car with cash?

http://www.daveramsey.com/home/

Parent Talk

You may have noticed that I tend to be concise in my writing. No beating around the bush for me! I talk the same way, and I have had to work at being tactful and conscious of the way I sound. Mostly, I think of this as a asset and I have come to enjoy using and understanding semantics in various contexts. Since this doesn't come naturally to me, I underestimated the power of phrasing and tone in parenting. 

If you have ever spent time in a preschool classroom you will notice that the best teachers have a particular way of speaking. At first I thought it was strange that "feet on the floor" was better that "no climbing" and "no hitting" was replaced with "please use gentle hands". It felt like too many words and not enough direct action. As I have learned more about early childhood education, I have learned that too many words can be calming and that children tend to miss the words "no" or "don't" before a command, sometimes resulting in an increase of the behavior. Even if, like me, you sometimes don't realize how you come across, using the suggestions in this book can increase the likelihood of your child hearing what you actually mean.

Once I learned how to talk to toddler without a power struggle or tears, I realized how much more relaxing daily life can be. It works so well, I often use the same tactics with my middle school students. The language is a little different, but the intent is the same. Rather than expressing anger, describing the problem and explicitly teaching the more appropriate behavior is more effective and keeps your blood pressure down! 

Instead of yelling at a classroom of noisy students, I have learned to say, "In this classroom we need to be sitting quietly in our seats, ready to learn when the bell rings. Susie, can you show us what that looks like please? Carlos, tell me what you will do when you come into the classroom tomorrow. Thank you! Lets all practice this right now." This takes longer than " QUIET!" but it is more effective and sets a much better tone for all the interactions that follow. I worried that older children would feel patronized by my "early childhood language", but I have found that the opposite is true. They appreciate a calm and rational request and the opportunity to self correct.

Parent Talk gives a series of commonly used parenting phrases, both useful and harmful and elaborates on the effectiveness and rationale for each. Every page gives another example, making this an easy to read resource that can be returned to again and again. Anecdotes are used to describe the reason for the specific phrase and its impact on the parent, child and family relationships.The author shows how mutual respect and clear expectations can build a child's confidence and strengthen the family bond. 

http://www.chickmoorman.com/

Affluenza is going around

"Affluenza, n. a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more."
This classic book, based on the film of the same name is not only an overview of the social, emotional and financial complications that arise from the current American standard of living; but also a prescription for a cure. The authors outline the symptoms, causes and treatment for this all pervasive condition in three sections. Section one describes the various signs and symptoms of affluenza including excessive buying and debt, mcmansions and urban assault vehicles, 80 hour work weeks and environmental destruction. It also tackles the less tangible but more disturbing effects of nature deficit disorder, marketing to children, loss of community and the oppression of impoverished workers to provide low cost stuff.
In the causes section the authors give the historical precedent for over consumption along with the parallel desire for simplification. It seems that humans (at least Americans) have participated in an unending search for balance between comfort and excess, meaningful work, back breaking work and sloth. Citing the work of Marx, Thoreau and Sitting Bull the authors illustrate the origins of our discontent. Next they show the move into the "age of adfluenza" and the corporate influence. Marketing and lobbying are two of the biggest industries in our country today!
Least you become discouraged, the final section provides comprehensive treatment including a self-test to determine the extent of your own case of affluenza. (I was diagnosed "affluenza-free", but just barely!) As a cure, the authors suggest reassessing your finances and getting out of debt and scaling back your lifestyle. This means buying less and consuming less, but also saying "no" more often and slowing down the hectic pace. This can seem like sensory deprivation and there are definite withdrawal symptoms. To counter those, we need to find connections. Spending time in nature, becoming part of a community (in real life, not on line), and becoming involved in social and environmental activism can fill the void left when consumption ends.
If we all were to take steps to cure "affluenza" our country and our economy would change radically and I believe our "happiness quotient" would rise astronomically. Think about what you really value, I would guess your "values" aren't things.