Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson *

EDIT: THERE IS SOME CONTROVERSY OVER WHETHER MR. MORTENSON EMBELLISHED ACCOUNTS OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED AND SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ACCOUNTING AT CAI. I have researched BOTH sides, and while I feel neither one can fully back up their arguments, I feel it is important to use CAUTION here. Feel free to read the book and let it motivate you to do great things in your community! But please be leery of donating to this organization CAI, it's safer to donate to a group that shows you how they spend your money and has not had any questioning about the truth of their stories. And feel free to research these claims yourself and come your own decisions! ALSO, PLEASE CHECK OUT SOME OTHER WONDERFUL ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU CAN DONATE TO IF YOU WANT TO HELP OTHERS DOING WONDERFUL THINGS:

Next Generation Nepal

Cheetah Conservation Fund

Show Hope

Feed My Starving Children

      Three Cups of Tea is a book I HIGHLY recommend reading! This is a book about a man who started off attempting to reach the summit of the world's 2nd tallest mountain, and ended up creating an organization to build schools and other needed buildings in Pakistan and Afghanistan. I am sure that there are those who are anti both places, but you needn't be lumping the whole of these people into one group of terrorists. They are not all out to kill and destroy us. Most of the people there are peace minded, which shows in the book. Through this book you not only get the amazing story of how this organization came to be and has helped so many, or completely motivated to help however you can. You also get to see a different view of the people in these countries, one many times we do not think of learning about. These are impoverished people who want nothing more than the best for their villages and their children. These are people who desperately want schools, and whole heartedly believe that education can change their worlds. I have to agree - schooling and education can make a huge difference in the lives of children. It's a perspective many people don't see, or don't choose to see, and it's incredibly humbling.

      Greg Mortenson is the author, and we get to follow his journey in building schools, providing ways to water and food, homes and medical buildings for so many villages. Through him we can learn about other countries in need, and why it's so important for us to help. Americans are extremely spoiled, wasteful, materialistic and selfish. I know I have been most of my life! Reading Three Cups of Tea gives you a chance to be different, and to see what putting others first can do. It's amazing how a man with no money and no means of building a school in this foreign country, beat the obstacles to do just that - and go on to do so much more! This book can provide us much needed motivation to start impacting the lives of others however we can. You can let this book motivate you to find ways to make an impact yourself. You can raise money for organizations that are important to you, or even create your own! Let this book spur you on to change the lives of others in need for the good, and to stop living a useless life of materialism and waste. Instead of buying expensive coffee drinks, a new lipstick, new shoes, a new game system, a new blender, or some ridiculous vacation, consider giving to people who need it more than you do! And trust me, you do not need those items as much as these people need medical assistance and schools! These are very poor people by our living standards. Even the poorest in our country is richer than them by tenfold. So please keep that in mind when you are about to purchase some item you really don't need. It is so much more important to help others than it is to buy a drink, another pair of shoes or sunglasses, or buy a game system. "To know that even one life breathed easier because you have lived - that is to have succeeded." — Ralph Waldo Emerson This should be the moto of each of us, as we strive to be help at least one other life breathe easier!

      For those of you, like me, who feel the importance if inspiring our children to be better and do greater, there is a young readers version of this book available here: Three Cups of Tea (Young Readers Edition). With this version you get an interview with the daughter of the author, and she shares insight that most adults I've met don't have! One of my favorite quotes of hers is, "Here (America), it's like we live to eat, and there it's like they eat to live." I couldn't think of anything more true! We have made eating here go beyond just sustenance, or eating to live. We eat just for the heck of it while people all over the world have so little to eat. It makes you think twice about wasting food and about money wasted on food in ways it doesn't need to be. For those who teach children or who have kids who'd love to do a fundraiser for a good cause, look into local fundraising ideas you can do with your kids. My daughter created a donation box necklace she takes with her to raise money for saving cheetah's. You can have a bake sale and make animal shaped cookies, do a car wash, and more! It's a great way to get kids involved in helping others! :0)

      Please take the time to check out the books! Get inspired to change lives! :0)

The Business of Being Born DVD Review

     The Business of Being Born is a great movie that gives you a look into births in America. This movie shows you a lot about hospital births many of us do not know. In many ways it seems our country is so behind compared to most other countries. We have an extremely high rate of cesarean sections and infant deaths compared to other developed countries and non-developed countries. With this movie, you get to see what home birth is really like, and you learn it's not the dirty experience many doctors make it out to be. It's amazing to watch women go through labor like we did for so many years with beautiful outcomes. Hospital births just do not seem to compare in that aspect sadly. I do feel that there are time when they are definitely needed, but not 90% of the time. Until hospitals change their practices and their way of treating pregnant women, they will never be actually needed for most births. They are so quick to rush labor and give drugs, which is not the healthiest way to give birth. I hope that by watching this movie, while it does have some bias as all movies do, you can begin to understand more about the positive aspects of home birth. This is an area that desperately needs more publicity so that people can see the benefits and the options other than a hospital they have. We need to take a deeper look at what we are told we need to do and what is the "norm" when it comes to our own bodies, experiences, and our children. 

So Sexy So Soon by Diane E. Levin Ph.D. & Jean Kilbourne Ed.D.

    This book, So Sexy So Soonwas an eye opener and a good book to read. I learned a lot that I felt was vital for me as a parent to know. We now live in a time where our children are sexualized earlier than ever before. Toddlers are made up to look like 20 year old women, our pre-teens are half dressed and "hooking up," and out teens are living lives of porn stars. This is not comforting for those of us who are parents. This book helps you take a look at this over-sexualization of children, and gives you ways you can fight back. This book has a lot of great information and tips, and it really gets you looking more deeply at childhood in this day and age. I say things in this book that I could see having affected my own childhood, and they are even greater now for our children. It's important for parents to educate themselves so that they know what is going on in our culture and how to help our children through it. The book is well written, in an easy to read and understandable format, with clear writing. I definitely recommend reading this book if you are a parent!

I Am A Vegetarian, But My Dog Isn't

     For those in the hardcore vegan/vegetarian community this might be upsetting. I am okay with that, because science and nature back up my decisions on what to feed my dog. Dogs are carnivores. They cannot digest grains, and are not meant to digest plant matter. Is it okay to occasionally give your dog a fruit or veggie? I think so. My dog will eat an apple slice or gnaw on a carrot every now and then. I don't feel it's hurting her, I've never seen the evidence in her heath or her stool. That being said, I would not try to feed her exclusively with vegetables and fruits. Nor would I feed her any of the vegetables or fruits that dogs cannot because they will make them sick. Do I think it's fair to subject an animal to a diet their bodies are not created for, nor is good for their health? No I do not. I think animals are wonderful, and I try to do my best for any I see.

     I personally get a great deal of unease when it comes to eating meat now. I get high feelings of anxiety, anxiousness, tenseness, unease, and stress when I go to the meat counter at a market. Bear in mind this happens when I go look at all ORGANIC meat, the very best kind, that was also raised and treated the best. So even the highest level of standards for meat put my at unease when thinking about eating them. I've seen Food Inc., I won't eat conventional meat. But when I look at my dog I see a little furry carnivore, cute and tiny, but a meat eater with no doubt. If I stood before my dog holding a piece of meat or a veggie (and I've done this before) my dog goes straight for the meat every time. Like I said previously, she eats the occasional small piece of veggie or fruit. But her diet mainly consists of meat. Not just meat though, but bones of different animals as well as the guts/innards or different animals. And she loves it! She is a happy, thriving dog when she is on this raw meat diet. When I tried switching her back to kibble and canned dog food to see what would happen, she refused to eat the kibble and she had massive diarrhea on the canned dog food. My dog hates dog food, and I can understand why! It is mostly grains and corn processed dog food are made of. Dogs cannot digest grains at all. Let me repeat DOGS CANNOT DIGEST GRAINS. So if you are feeding your dog grains please stop for the sake of your dog. They are not built to digest grains and it affects their health. Do the research online and in books, those who truly know a lot about dogs tell you they cannot digest grains.

     I have purchased the most fancy, expensive processed dog kibble I could find. It's still dog kibble. My dog won't eat it. She is smart, and knows what is good for her and what is not. Sadly some dogs do not and they eat kibble their whole lives because they don't get a chance to taste what is better for them. Feeding a dog a raw meat diet is not very expensive if you put some effort into it. Hit up big sale days at the grocery store and load up on cheap meat, which you can freeze. Call butcher shops in your area asking if they have pieces of meat that they normally don't sell, or even leftover pieces, that you can buy lost cost for your dog. You can go to a Farmer's Market and ask someone there selling meat the same thing - if they have any leftover meats they can sell you at low cost. Please make the effort for the sake of your dog.

     While I cannot eat meat at this point, I will not subject a carnivore animal to eat the same as me. My dog has no qualms about eating meat; it is what is natural and best for her. I do not think it is humane to force a dog to eat something their bodies are not meant to eat. Raw meat, bones and animals innards are the best thing to feed a dog - not a vegan/veggie diet. Please understand that it does not make you less of  a vegetarian or vegan because your animal eats meat. They are supposed to, and as an animal lover, you are doing what is the best for your animal. I cannot eat meat but I have no issues keeping it in my freezer and fridge for my dog, because I know it is what is natural and good for her to eat. And she loves it! If she hated meat I would think twice, but there is no hesitation on her part. Give her meat and it's gone in a matter of minutes, or with the bigger bones she gnaws on them all day. This is the big sign that my dog is supposed to eat meat. :0)

Our Dog Gracie Enjoying Her Meat! :0)

     Here is a link to a website that dispels myths about raw meat diets for dogs: Myths About Raw Feeding

Packaging Girlhood by Sharon Lamb, Ed.D. & Lyn Mikel Brown, Ed.D.

     This is a book, Packaging Girlhood,I definitely recommend mother's of girls read. It is not always easy to read, as it gives you a look at things that are hard for any mother to imagine. However, this is information we as mother's need to know. We need to see what's going on beyond the surface and what marketers are really selling to our daughters. The world of pink and glitter from head to toe, being cute and flirty, wearing sexy clothes, doing everything to get a boys attention - those are things that our society is now teaching our children through TV, movies, magazines and celebrities. These things are limiting our girls. Each girl is so diverse, so unique, with so many facets to her personality. We need to embrace that and let her shine for all her unique and amazing qualities. Not tell her she's unique but then force her to choose between princess, diva, rockstar, punk, goth, or tomboy. Labels are not healthy in that form. I remember growing up feeling like I didn't fit into just one label, but feeling like I had to limit myself to one. Was I a cutie? An angel? Miss attitude? A bad girl? It seemed I could only be just one.

     Now I am the parent, and I am a lot more involved than my parents were. They basically took a nap during my growing up, which did a lot of harm to me. So I am determined to do much better with my daughter. Since starting the book, I've begun to look at things in her world a lot deeper. We don't watch TV (that's a whole other post!), so I don't have to worry about TV shows or commercials getting to her. Unfortunately they are often in the previews of DVD's though, and some DVD's don't let you skip to the main menu. You have to sit there and fast forward through all the previews. It's worth the extra hassle for me, to keep my daughter from seeing things telling her that her life quest should be to impress a cute boy. How silly! And yet so many mother's unwittingly are letting them teach their daughters just that. Marketers are sneaky and they will sneak those things in whenever they can. They want your daughter to think have glittery jewelry, cute shoes and the latest cute clothes is the most important thing. They don't encourage her to get up and go join a soccer team, or ride horses, or go hiking. They don't offer positive examples of girls who do those things - just examples of the girlie, boy crazy, glittered out girl.

     Here is a couple excerpts from the book that I think are pretty mind blowing: "Disney girls are women with Barbie doll bodies. And, like Barbie, one small size fits all. The form-fitting clothing of these heroines proves it. They have all the exotic made-up faces of women and the gowns and midriff-baring bikini tops of women. No real women of course - they're too perfect - but the male fantasy version." Is this what we want to teach our girls? To be some man's fantasy version of a woman? No! More from the book: "They arch their backs (did they use the same template for the Victoria's Secret bra ad as they did for The Little Mermaid and Pocahontas bursting out of the water scenes?), toss their hair, smile sweetly, and speak softley. They're pretty when they're angry. ..... Disney girls cannot resist a mirror. ..... Disney girls are not complete without a man. ..... A girl can't have her own story or live a life of bravery unless, in the end, she assumes her rightful place. She is not a Disney girl unless she marries."

     Wow! But all that is found in the Disney movies. Most of the time we just haven't really noticed it. Or you already have, and congrats on that! Packaging Girlhoodis a must read for all mother's of girls. We need to learn about what the marketers are trying to turn our girls into, and how to help them. For more information on the book, click one of the links above. You can check for it in your local library, pick it up at your local bookstore, or order a copy online. 

An Attack On Our Parental Rights

     Today I read a very informative, and a bit scary, post at The Homeschool Post about the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child treaty that it is pushing all member nations to ratify. To quote from The Homeschool Post article: "The CRC Treaty consists of 54 articles which spell out what members of the Convention believe are the rights of a child, ranging from the “right to live” to the “right to privacy from parents.”  But to understand why this treaty is so dangerous, we must first turn to our Constitution to understand how treaties affect our laws and protections. Our Constitution gives a very high value to the treaties into which our country enters.  Article VI, paragraph 2 states: “all Treaties made, or shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby.”  In short, any mandate of a treaty takes precedent over all state and federal laws, including rights and protections in our Constitution.  Passing the UNCRC would take away many rights and freedoms we currently enjoy, and we would be giving governing authority of our freedoms to the international community."


     You can go to http://www.parentalrights.org/ to view an article by article review of this treaty, as well as sign the pledge for the Parental Rights Amendment, which would protect parents and our rights. You can also find your list of Congressmen to contact about these issues. One Congressman in my state has signed the pledge, so I contacted the other 3 I could. If you are not quite sure what to say, they can also provide you with a general note that they have been using in their calls to Congressmen. I just edited it and used it in my emails. We as parents need to stand up on attacks against our parental rights. Please check out http://www.parentalrights.org/ for more information, and also for screenings of their showing The Child in your area. This is a short film that covers many of the issues the UNCRC would create for families, and the rights it would take away. Let's all do our part so we can see the Parental Rights Amendment ratified!

Natural Wood Toys - An Etsy Shop (Amazing!)

     In my quest to replace as many plastic items as I could, I began searching for quality wooden horses. My daughter loves horses, so this was a *must* replace item. We had accumulated many plastic horses with plastic hair that now made me cringe. There are a lot of great wooden products out there, but we really wanted decently big horses that we could customize a bit, and all non-toxic. We finally found what we were looking for: Natural Wooden Toys! They are an AMAZING shop on Etsy with beautiful and unique wooden toys. We were able to customize the colors on our horses, and we ordered 5 of them. My daughter was SO excited to be able to order them! When they arrived we were super busy so I didn't get to open the box until long after she had been asleep. I have to tell you - when I saw them, I almost started crying. They are beautiful, absolutely wonderful and I am sure they will be treasured for a very long time!

     I was blown away by the craftsmanship and the lovely detail on them. They were exactly as my daughter asked. Not only that, but the sellers themselves were so wonderful to work with! They were extremely patient and answered all of my (numerous) questions, kindly and with as much info as they could. The entire experience has been great, which is not something you always get to say when purchasing online. Natural Wood Toys displays kindness and professionalism, which makes the whole purchase a very pleasant experience!

     I love the unique quality in hand crafted, hand painted items. Each is a bit unique and special in it's own way. You don't get that "same as everything else" type mold used in mass produced plastic toys, so each toy has a bit of unique character to it. And no one has two exactly alike.

     There are tons of customization options with the horses, which is great if you have a horse lover like my daughter who wants one in each color and type! :0P We sat down together and looked at the horses listed, as well as the color/design options sent to me, and picked out her 5 top picks. I can honestly say neither of us was disappointed! My daughter adores them!

     Last night I set them up in her room near her bed so when she awoke she would see them. I woke her up and sat with her, usual morning routine as she wakes up and gets up, waiting for her to notice them. I saw her eyes glance over them and then go back - "Horsies!" she said happily, with a huge smile on her face. :0) She got up and started looking over them, counting them, and exclaiming over them all.

    And we cannot forget the two smaller friends who came to live with us as well. My daughter held up the rabbit, telling me, "I love rabbits! I have been trying to catch one like this outside!" We have wild rabbits that run around this area looking for food daily, and she's always chasing them haha. The chipmunk is so cute as well, with it's adorable detail! So welcome home to our new adorable friends!

     So if you are looking for a beautiful and long lasting gift for your child or for someone else, please stop by Natural Wood Toys and see what they have to offer. You will not be disappointed! :0) The toys are all beautiful and wood is so much more long lasting than plastic!