Always makes me happy

Having fresh-cut flowers in the house always makes me happy. I thought I'd share these pictures from a couple of weeks ago when all my peonies were in bloom. They smelled soooo good, and I was so sad to see them go. I also love this idea from Pure Syle Home - anything green brings a little bit of the oudoors in and feels so refreshing and pretty. (Also LOVE her shed / playhouse idea.) And I was trying to get every last bit out of my annviersary roses. And seeing them in this jar reminds me I need to post about my big flea market adventure with my good friend Jamie. More to come!

The List

I made some progress on my list last....er...two weekends ago (holy cow, what did I do last weekend?).  And we finally made our summer list.  Drumroll, please......



It was assembled with input from all four family members, and we actually had a good time putting it together.  And you'll see I had to add at least one item toward the bottom, just so I could check it off (please tell me you do that, too!)

And did I ever mention that I finally did the chalkboard door?  In like January.  And it still needs touch ups around the trim.  Add it to the list! (looking at this picture reminds me I also should have put potty training on the list....and hanging those pictures properly!).

{Inspriation for this list: here.}

Organics

I've had my fair share of paranoia about the foods we eat, how they affect our health, and finding the "right" diet for my family and myself.  It can be a little overwhelming.  I read somewhere that up to 30% of cancers are caused by diet.  Anyway, I'm starting to digress, but this article on CNN yesterday caught my eye. 

It summarizes the findings of the Environmental Working Group (they have some interesting fact on sunscreens as well) where they determined which types of produce contain the highest level of pesticides, mostly due to their soft outer skins.  According to the article, ""You can reduce your exposure to pesticides by up to 80 percent by buying the organic version of the Dirty Dozen,"":

The Dirty Dozen

Celery
Peaches
Strawberries
Apples
Domestic blueberries
Nectarines
Sweet bell peppers
Spinach, kale and collard greens
Cherries
Potatoes
Imported grapes
Lettuce

On the flip side, there are other types of produce that don't have the high levels of pesticides because they have thicker skins:
 
The Clean 15

Onions
Avocados
Sweet corn
Pineapples
Mango
Sweet peas
Asparagus
Kiwi fruit
Cabbage
Eggplant
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Grapefruit
Sweet potatoes
Sweet onions

As much as I wish I could buy only organic produce all the time, it's not always possible (or affordable), so I think I'll try to consider the lists above and buy organic where there is a significant advantage to do so.
 
Do any of you worry about these things or have certain philosophies on the way you buy your produce?
 
I recently found out that an organic farm in Wisconsin (Harvest Moon Farms) will be doing weekly produce drops at my office building from June to October.  I decided to split a full share with my co-worker, so I'm really excited to be able to have a variety farm-fresh fruits and veggies each week from a farm that is all organic (and supports genetic diversity in their plants....that's a whole separate topic!).  After splitting the cost two ways and dividing it by 20 weeks, it was really only about $17 / week.  Plus, it saves me some shopping!  :-)
 
I know this post was not that exciting, but just thought I'd share.  I'd love to hear your thoughts as well!
 
P.S.  Can you tell I've watched Food Inc.recently?  :-)