SortaCrunchy

Tidying Up

From nine in the morning to nine at night, yesterday was a wonderful day of fellowship and fun with friends.  Fun!  So I didn't have a chance to mention that Part One of Two in the Karen's Nip Cancer in the Bud series is now up!  Go by and check out these helpful and informative insights in cancer prevention.

One of the few things I enjoy about packing for a move is the opportunity to sort through stuff and simplify.  I'm on a mission to "Simplify or Die" (as the bumper stickers I have seen around town so gently suggest (which are, by the way, especially effective when slapped on the back of a monstrous SUV)), and I am using the guidelines set forth by Amanda Blake Soule (also known as SouleMama) in The Creative Family (more on this later).

(I like parentheses.  What of it?)

I would also like to do some simplifying and tidying up around here, and I would like to start with the blogroll.  If you have minute, can you help me with this?

If you are on the blogroll and would like to stay, please email or leave me a comment on this post.

If you have been hanging around here a while and are not on the blogroll but would like to be, please email or leave me a comment on this post (and please don't be shy or feel awkward about it!  I sometimes just lose track of updating and I would hate to leave you out!)

If you are on the blogroll and would like to be removed (for whatever reason, you need not explain) please email or leave me a comment on this post.

I'll make the changes on or around Thursday, May 29th. 

And some of you are staying on the blogroll whether you want to be on there or not!  (muhahaha)

Wow.  I think I have just exceeded the number of times any blogger should use the word blogroll in an entire year.  But it's got me thinking - what do you think about blogrolls?  Do you actually look at the links a blogger lists?  Are they becoming trite, passe', a thing of the past?

In Case You Were Wondering

First of all - thank you for the fabulous feedback on whether or not to go shampoo-free.  I do believe I am going to try it, but I think it's pretty imperative I get a haircut first. 

(Confession: My last haircut was one week before AJ was born.  She rolled over the big eight months today.  Yes, I should be writing and posting her eight month letter today, but I'm not.  I'm an awesome mom like that.  And I am not so great with the haircare like that, too.)

Anyway, Sister is coming into town this weekend and will be distracting the girls for a few minutes so I can pop in somewhere and get this dried-out, yucky length cut off.  After that, we'll let the experimenting begin!

Okay, but more importantly than that is this - there's been some great discussion on the concept of commenting today.  I'm gonna send you two places to read some great insights.  It all started with Beth (I Should Be Folding Laundry) sharing her thoughts in On Leaving Comments.  My sweet friend and bloggy rock star Megan (FriedOkra) followed up with her thoughts, which I think are equally important for you to hear. 

Both of these posts echo what I have been trying to say in various ways to various non-commenting friends and family (ahem, Sister) - you have to search far and wide to find a blogger who is not thrilled by comments.  I would go so far as to say that the bloggers who don't want you to comment are the bloggers who have (for various reasons) disabled comments on their blogs.  If comments are enabled, Blogga wants to hear from  you.  Yes, you, non-blogger.  Yes, you, reader who is afraid TypePad is just kidding on the comment form about your email only be visible to me and if you do leave a comment then other readers are going to snag your email and start sending you spiritual blackmail chain letters insisting you forward them if  you love Jesus.  And yes, you, faithful reader who never comments because you are afraid you don't have anything of import to say.  Heck, even if you wanna say, "Hi, you're an idiot.  You're about to be a greasy-headed idiot" I'll still appreciate it and probably won't delete it because at least you said something!

I do love comments.  I try to reply back through email in a timely way.  I get behind sometimes and don't follow through the way I would like to, but mostly I really do respond to your comments.  Like Beth wrote, comments really are a little payday for me.  My pockets are deep, and so is my need for approval (heh).  Know that your feedback is always, always welcome here.

You're Invited!

(Click the button for all the fun details!)

Week in Review

It's as though I just barely had a chance to breathe in April, and now here we are at the end of it and I don't feel quite ready for May. 

I sometimes feel as if all I do here these days is post pictures and share link love.  Ya'll, this is so unbearably trite but so exceedingly true - there just aren't enough hours in the day for me to do all that I want to.  So I focus on what I need to, and carve out time for the rest when I can.

Anyway, can you handle a few more links?  A few more pictures?

Two women I admire and respect are each about to launch separate but equally exciting new ventures and I want to make you aware of them:

Lis Garrett, of both woolgatherings and Lis Garrett: Silver Tongued Writer, is launching a new online web site called Root and Sprout.  Get a little preview of the sort of content Root and Sprout will offer here to find out why I am so looking forward to her launch.  I know some of you are amazing writers - this may be just the opportunity you have been looking for!  She also has information available if you are interested in advertising at Root and Sprout.

Another writer I absolutely adore is Megan of Velveteen Mind.  (She had me at Victor Vito.)  I am quite excited about her upcoming roll-out of Blog Nosh Magazine.  (Nosh.  Delish.)  Even though my feedreader and blogroll and email subscriptions are already way more than I can ever manage, I still love to discover new-to-me writers who are putting great content out there.  (She's looking for posts and channel editors - think you might be interested?)

One post I came across this week has spoken to me deeply and I keep rolling it around in my mind, like a mental wine tasting, breathing it in and savoring the top-notes and nuances in each sip:  Ann Voskamp's Breathe.

I don't usually read keeping awake, but Karla shared this in her reader this week, and I am so thankful - if you have a minute, go check out Boothe's thoughts on the question, "What if better doesn't come?"

AND ohmygosh I almost forgot this one!  I have to tell you about one of my new favorite blogs - Small Notebook.  They don't come much cooler than Rachel.  To begin with, she's a Texas mama (with tops out the cool meter right off the bat), and not only that, she's all about living green in the city - complete with compost bin, herb garden, and clothesline.  She buys gently used clothes for her darling daughter and I just adore how her blog is a collection of amazing photography, sweet ink drawings, and helpful, practical insights.  Go see her.  Enjoy.

OKAY.  I feel so much lighter.  Thanks for indulging me.

SO.

I think about five or six of you commited to mentioned you'd be up for sharing some poetry on Wednesday in honor of the (now almost over) National Poetry Month.  If I can figure it out, I'll do a Mr. Linky.  Let's have a good old-fashioned-hippie-beatnik poetry read!  Roll out your original verses or share your favorite lines from your favorite poets.  I can't wait!

Wait!  Before you go. I have pictures.

D celebrated Earth Day by glorying in both nature and pink.  Because pink's awfully earthy, right?

(these were shot through the window screen as I was trying to catch her unaware)

(which lasted about as long as one camera click)

(and then the silliness started)

(and the posing)

And can you believe AJ started with the finger foods this week? 

And finally, as you know and I am sure you are sick of hearing about, I haven't slept a whole lot in the past week.  And so here's my mothering tip of the week - when you are smooth-runnin' exhausted but your preschooler is abounding with energy, I can't think of a much more relaxing, mama-doesn't-have-to-move-or-even-get-out-of-her-chair activity than letting little one loose with the face paints.

Behold.

I so wanted to photoshop those dark circles away.  But that wouldn't have been very truthy of me, right?

WEDNESDAY.  POETRY.  BE HERE.

Of Earth and Poetry

Happy Earth Day everyone!

What will you do to celebrate? 

Sometimes the idea of going green or saving the planet can be a little overwhelming.  Sometimes it seems too big, and it's much easier to just be content to let others make the changes.  (And I can be Queen of the It's Too Hard, so I am speaking primarily to myself here!)

But there are lots of little things we can all do to make little changes.  And you know what?  Lots of little changes can motivate you to make some big changes.

Here are some little changes we've been working on:

* Almost 100% kitchen cloth use instead of paper towels and paper napkins.  One roll of paper towels (that I use primarily for wiping up meat juice messes) lasts for weeks and weeks and weeks around here.

* Switched to  Country Save detergent.  It's the best stuff I've ever used - safe for cloth diapers and safe for the earth!

* FREECYCLE - we've been known to nearly fill a dumpster after a round of spring cleaning or pre-move decluttering.  Now I try to list any and everything we want to get rid of on Freecycle.  It is uhMAZing what people will be happy to take off your hands for you!

* And one BIG, HUGE change we are about to undertake - getting rid of the plastic water bottles!  Yes, ya'll, I think we are about to take the pledge.

Want some great ideas on how to celebrate Earth Day as a family?  Go visit Crunchy Domestic Goddess's Making Earth Day a Family Day for an excellent list of ideas.

*********************************************************************************

Now, on a slightly different note . . . did you know that April is National Poetry Month?  Yes, it is indeed.  I was wondering . . . would anyone want to join me in celebrating?  I thought maybe we could do a bloggy poetry read-along next Wednesday, April 30th.  You could share your favorite poem(s) either on your blog or in the comments.  Self-composed poetry would be welcome, as well as favorite poems from your favorite writers. 

Anyone? 

If there's enough interest, I might try to do the Mr. Linky thing, so let me know if you would want to play along!

Heads-Up

If you are new here via Blissfully Domestic or Megan's super fab Havin' It Made In Your Shades post at Chic Critique - please know that I really do post content, sometimes ever regularly.  I'm just keeping it low-key this month as I work on some things around here.

This here little post was actually going to be much more involved, but I was up for quite literally most of the night with a sickly Little Sister.  (Here's your freebie parenting tip o' the day: If your seven month wakes up in the middle of the night with a 104.3 temp, don't - just don't - Google "seven month old 104 fever."  You're not going to find what you are looking for, but you will find a whole bunch of info that will scare you into not going back to sleep.  Just go ahead and call the 24 hour nurse hotline number your pediatrician office gives you.  The sweet and comforting RN you talk to will assure you that unless your baby's temp gets up to 105, you probably don't need to take her into the ER.  Good to know, yes?  You're welcome.)  So I'm a bit groggy.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know I'm gonna be playing along with the Spring 2008 round of Bloggy Giveaways.  It starts Monday morning and I've got my giveaway all planned out and ready to roll, so be sure to check back then.  And of course, you'll want to check the plethora of other giveaways happening next week, too!

One last heads-up - my delayed vaccination schedule article and the first in a series of babywearing articles are up over at Blissfully Domestic.  Feel free to pop over there and check them out!  In fact, there are all kinds of great articles that go up daily over there, so make sure you get your daily fix.

See you Monday!

Notes

I'm doing my best to lay low, what with the spring cleaning and all. 

*snort*

As of today, the only thing that has gotten a good spring clean is this little not-really-real home of mine.   I have finally gotten my blogroll, crunchy resources, and top posts pages up.  Finally!

Go ahead and take a look at those pages and let me know . . . are you missing from my blogroll?  Are you on there but would like to be removed?  (It's possible!  Just thought I'd ask!) Any links I need to add to my crunchy resources?  Did your favorite SortaCrunchy post make the favorites list?

Let's see, what else?

Laura and I are cookin' along on our writing project.  I'm very excited about it.

Oh yeah - my first article (Make Your Own Baby Food) went up at Blissfully Domestic last weekend!  I am thinking of putting together a series on babywearing.  Any other suggestions on natural parenting topics I could write about?

I know I owe AJ her seven months letter.  She's been very busy keeping me very busy and I just haven't had time to write it all up yet. 

And this pretty much sums up life with D at this moment:

And I know I owe memes to a few of ya.  I'll get there.  I promise!

I'd love to hear what's up with ya'll.  Link me up to any excitement you have going on that I haven't gotten a chance to read about . . .

Sorta Closing to Spring Clean!

It's ever so lovely and spring-y here in the heart of Texas.  That's a real live iris in full-bloom in my woefully neglected flower bed.  Oh, the joy of perennials.  You gotta love reaping the bounty of someone else's labor, right?

Well, I am going to have to do something kind of drastic.  I feel like every area of my life right now is in desperate need of a good, thorough spring cleaning.  My house?  Yes.  Always.  Additionally, my reading list is burgeoning with great stuff (check out my new Shelfari widget in the sidebar!  Thanks, Miss!) and there are a ton of little projects awaiting my attentions.  More significantly than those things, I am about to burst with a desire to work on my writing project.  So although it pains me to do so, I have got to take some time off from blogging.  I'm sure I'll pop up again every now and again with some pictures and links and anecdotes. 

Oh, but before I forget, I am thrilled to announce I'm one of the newest contributors to Blissfully Domestic!  Soon and very soon, you'll see some sorta crunchy articles in the mix over there.  If you haven't already been reading Blissfully Domestic, hie thee hither and get in on some blissfully helpful and inspiring good stuff.

One more thing . . . Check out this darling little blog button Jo-Lynne of DCR Design whipped up for me:

Isn't that just the cutest thing?  I needed one for the Blissfully Domestic homepage and she put that together for me pronto.  (She's really fab if you're lookin for a new 'do!)

So. As The Bard hath said, "April hath put a spirit of youth in everything."  May your April be full of  youthful energy, blue sky inspiration, and hope reborn.

So here's the deal

I have been struggling, ya'll.  Struggling.  Struggling to keep up on reading all the blogs I love to read.  But here's the thing - when I am caught up on my blog reading, it generally means my house is a wreck, there's nary a bite to eat in the house, and my children and I may or may not have gotten dressed for the day.  Flip-flop that and you know if you drop by my house and my girls and I are dressed with teeth brushed, food in the tummies, dinner in the crockpot, and the housework is sorta done - well, I haven't read a single blog all day. 

'Cause I can't just stop at one.  Nope.  I peek at one and that reminds me I wanted to get over to another and next thing I know I've spent way too much time reading and way not enough time doing my job(s).

So here's the thing.  I have cut and trimmed and narrowed down as best as I can.  I now have seventy feeds in my Google Reader.  I just can't cut another one.  So I have divvied those seventy into seven neat lil folders of ten.  I figure I can feasibly make it by ten blogs throughout the course of the day.  That's reasonable, right?

And so, if days and days go by and you haven't heard from me, please know I'll get by your place just as soon as I can.  I promise.

Sooooooooooo.

Anyone wanna see some pictures?

Mama Reads

I so don't have time to be on here, but I came across two items I wanted to share, and if I don't do it now, heaven knows I'll forget! 

It's because of the momnesia.  (thanks, Gretchen, for the link!)

Also, Mama-Mentor-to-All Ask Moxie posted earlier this week on doing things The Right Way.  I know you'll appreciate it.

Okay, back to the last-minute-oh-my-gosh-they're-going-to-be-here-in-five-hours company preparations.