Hey followers this is just a heads up that I've moved my url to www.mamamermaid.net so please update your bookmarks! 

A Note

I know things have been quiet on the blog lately but that's because we are quite busy with the move! I will no doubt be back to writing soon enough so stay tuned. I have some big plans underway for this space and can't wait to share in the very near future. 

See y'all around! 

Reality Check: Do We Just Like the Idea of Going Green?

Awhile back I remember reading an article on a new housing project in Portland. It was a building that was going to provide small rooms within a home that would rent individual rooms out at affordable prices. The development was close to all major transportation hubs as well so it was ideal for commuters. So what was the problem? Protesters complained that it decrease the availability of parking spaces.

What I find so interesting about this is that here is a city renown for their environmentally-friendly initiatives. Portland has an excellent public transportation system, to include plenty of bike lanes and sidewalks all promoting a decrease dependency on personal cars. And yet when something comes along to threaten the convenience of having a car, people resist.

It made me wonder: Do people like the idea of going green more than the actual practice of it?

Obviously it is a bit of a general question. There will always be factions that resist an idea even if most people are on board. 

But I think environmentalism is a particular subject where most agree that something needs to be done to improve the environment. However the actual process of improving things requires changes that may feel uncomfortable at first. 

Another example would be how we shop for food. I think grocery stores are fascinating because they truly are an example how the consumer holds the power. We dictate what the produce buyers are going to stock their stores with. After all, they don’t have the money to spend on things that will perish because they aren’t being bought.

We as consumers could choose for our stores to have only “in-season” produce. This would cut down on the carbon footprint of importing fruits from South America (that aren’t even fresh anyways) and help focus on boosting our local economies. But we like the convenience of having all our fruits year-long to the point that there is no such thing as ‘in-season’ any more.

I think if any positive change towards a more environmentally-conscious culture is going to happen we are going to need to accept the minor inconveniences that come with making those decisions. Because the bottom line is our culture’s level of resource consumption isn’t sustainable. The ticket to a cleaner planet isn’t going to come wrapped in a pretty bow either. It is sort of like wanting to get in shape but protesting the thought of working out and eating healthy, you can’t get results without making the effort. Same goes for building a more sustainable environment.  

Moving: The Hustle and Bustle of a Military Family’s Life

“How do you do it, how do you deal with the changes?”  A friend asked me once in regards to being a military family and the upheaval that comes with this lifestyle. It’s a bit of a silly question because the answer is simple: You do it because it’s part of the deal. If you choose this life, you choose the challenges that come with it. Being in the military myself probably gave me a healthy lesson in adaptability (semper gumby as the cliché goes) going into this but there are certain things that you have to accept will never get easier. Like when the news comes that Stephen’s training schedule has changed and he has to leave on sudden notice and we can’t go with him. Basically we are going to be in “deployment mindset” until we can all be reunited in Corpus Christi in May. Only a few weeks shy of the baby’s due date.

Strangely after the initial shock I find myself now feeling like I can handle it. Denial? Maybe but I genuinely feel everything will move along smoothly (and it helps to be positive!).

In the mean time I am slowly taking pictures off the walls, deciding what will go to storage and what will go in a suitcase. I’m organizing donation piles/garage sale items. It’s kind of a bittersweet process. For as much as this old house has given me headaches, we’ve made some sweet friends living here and it was the home where our family first started.

How do you do it, how do you deal with the changes?

On second thought maybe the answer isn’t just you get used to it. Maybe part of dealing with the surprises is looking forward to not just new places but new experiences, new happy memories. For all its challenges, this life is unique. It tests our bonds and strengthens them.

I take the art work made by tiny hands down from the fridge and remind myself of this one simple truth: A house is just four walls, a roof and a few empty rooms. A home, however, can be built anywhere that love exists.

My Inspirations Lately vol. 1

1. Pastel pink shoes. 

2. This little dinner set in all my favorite colors. 

3. Lotion bars with intricate bumblebee designs on them. 

4. Japanese fabric with kawaii little critters. 

5. Faerie gardens. I think this would be a fun little project to plan for the Spring with Rosie. 

That's all for now, have a wonderful day & enjoy your weekend. ♥♥♥

Go Green with this One Simple Way

With Hawaii looking to be the first state to ban plastic bags, I thought there was no better time to talk about this very simple step you can take towards cutting down waste.

Reusable grocery bags. Use them, love them and always have them with you! Make it your personal pact to keep a few in the car at all times. This is such an easy way to help the environment that requires next to no effort. Besides, are you ever really going to use all of those gazillion bags forming a colony under your sink? Who needs that kind of clutter anyways!

And if you are trying to be frugal, a lot of stores will even give you an itty bitty discount for bringing your own bags (read: a few cents, but still an incentive right?) And that concludes my PSA for today. I’m glad to see Hawaii taking this step and I hope for more states to follow suit.  

Pretty Little Dresses

One of the benefits of having another little girl on the way is that as far as clothes go she is very much set! I've been pulling out boxes of Rosie's old things and sorting through those itty bitty onesies and hats, trying to fathom how my almost 2-year-old ever fit in them to begin with. Uncovering my favorite baby outfits has been so much fun, it's been a bit like shopping without having to spend the money on new things haha. Although I admit on the subject of shopping, I did buy one new (new to us, that is) piece for the wee one recently:

It is from the 1950's and absolutely the prettiest shade of mint.

I also have been stocking up on new cloth diapers for the little one, branching out from our BumGenius collection with a few new Alvas. It is silly to get so excited over freaking diapers but I almost squealed when they came in the mail the other day. They are lovely!

And that's all for now!
xo nicole lauren

ps; our orders finally came in, the count down to the move begins!