Blogger Awards!

Thanks to Codi at Melon Belly, I have been awarded a Beautiful Blogger Award! Codi, thank- you so much for reading (And Liking!) my blog. You all should definitely go check out her blog when you get a chance. I also want to say a special thanks to Christy at Just Thinkin for liking my blog enough to give me the Sunshine Award!  I really appreciate you thinkin about me!

Now for THE RULES:
 1.Thank the link to the person that gave you the award
2.Pass this award on to 7 bloggers you've recently discovered and whom you think are fantastic
3.Contact said Blogs to let them know they've won
4.State 7 Things about yourself!

About me:
1. I enjoy running and my goal is to run a marathon with my father-in-law.
2. I love gymnastics.
3. I love reading anything by Karen Kingsbury.
4. I have awesome friends!!!!!
5. I am not a fan of germs!
6. I enjoy baking, especially when my family comes to visit.
7. I am only 5 feet tall!

Now to pass it on to 7 wonderful Bloggers:
1. Aleksandra's Corner
2. Roslyn's Closet
3. The Pursuit of Mommyness
4. Terra on the Bookshelf
5. Our Crazy Life
6. Good Girl Gone Redneck
7. Life Requires More Chocolate

Carbon Footprint

Are you conscious of your carbon footprint? A carbon footprint is measured by the amount of carbon dioxide that is placed into the atmosphere as a result of your daily life. Virtually everything we do results in some amount of carbon dioxide being released into the air. Even leaving appliances plugged in or flipping the light switch has an impact on your carbon footprint. There are numerous things that we can implement in our daily lives in order to reduce it. Switching to reusable canvas bags for grocery shopping is a simple and practical thing we can all do. Not only are you helping the Earth, but you also will have an easier time carrying your groceries. Recycling is another easy thing we can all do. Check with your local waste companies, they may even provide you with a free recycling bucket.

Being energy efficient is also very important in reducing your carbon footprint. One of the Earth biggest producers of carbon dioxide is coal burning power plants. These plants are responsible for creating the electricity that we use in our homes. By consuming more electricity, these plants are forced to burn more coal and release more carbon emissions. “On average, every American is responsible for about 22 tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year, according to statistics compiled by the United Nations. That is far above the world average of 6 tons per capita.” (Clayton Sandell). We could reduce this easily by during down our heaters a few degrees or remembering to always turn off lights. Stopglobalwarming.org informs us if we were to move our heaters down two degrees in the winter we would save the atmosphere 2,000 pounds of carbon emissions. Again, we are helping the Earth, but ourselves at the same time. Think about how much money you could save by wearing warmer clothes around the house! Also according to stopglobalwarming.org,” if every household in America replaced just three bulbs with energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs, we would all save $60 a year and collectively keep a trillion pounds of CO2 out of the atmosphere”. My family has replaced nearly all of our bulbs and I can confirm that we have saved tons of money on our electric bill. Not to mention, they last for 6-10 years so you won’t have to replace them as often.

If you would like to find other ways you can reduce your carbon footprint go to http://green.wikia.com/wiki/How_to_reduce_your_carbon_footprint . They have great ideas. Although we may not be able to do everything on their lists, every little bit helps. Are you interested in finding out your own personal carbon footprint? Go to http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator/  and input your information to find out. I completed the questionnaire and my family of four produces approximately 58 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year compared to the average American household of four that produces 110 tons of emissions. Although this may seem like a good time to pat myself on the back, it is far from it. The average worldwide household of four only produces approximately 22 tons of carbon emissions. What does your family do to help reduce their carbon footprint?


Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

Recipe Corner: Garlic-Basil Shrimp

 This wonderful recipe was provided by a friend of mine. She discovered this Ellie Krieger recipe in the Costco Connection magazine.  She says although the recipe calls for orzo pasta, she prefers to eat it over linguini. Thanks for the recipe Natties!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 pounds large shrimp (20-25 per pound), peeled and deveined
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 cups cooked orzo pasta (or any other type of pasta), preferably whole wheat

Directions

- Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking, then add the shrimp and cook, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.

- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the oil remaining in the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

- Add the wine and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.

- Stir in the tomatoes and basil, and season the sauce with salt and pepper. (I cooked the mixture until the tomatoes started to burst open a little)

- Return the shrimp to the pain and cook just until heated through.

- Serve with the orzo (or pasta your prefer).

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 380 cals, 10 g total fat (1.5 g saturated fat, 5.5 grams monounsaturated fat, 2 g polyunsaturated fat), 35 g protein, 35 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 215 mg cholesterol, 490 mg sodium.

Open Discussion: Portrait Studios

Every mother loves getting professional photos taken of their little darlings, but no one loves paying the steep prices. Do you feel that the quality of your photos depends on the price? Would you be just as happy taking your child to the Wal-Mart portrait studios as you would taking them to the Picture People?


Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!

Silent Sunday

An oldie, but a goodie! 

Hooray for Captain X-Ray!

Strike a pose!

Useless Fact of the Day

Each year, the average family uses about 18,000 gallons of water to ________________.

Take a guess in the comments below!