March Garden Planning Meeting Recap

Tuesday night's meeting was a great one!  Not only did I get to get out of the house after a crummy, rainy, shut-in day with the kids, I got to talk gardening with some very wise women!  Everyone brought their favorite gardening books along with any other community info they had.  Some books that our members recommend are:

The Backyard Homestead, Carleen Madigan
Golden Gate Gardening, Pam Pierce
Turtle Tree: Biodinamic Seed Initiative
How to Grow More Vegetables, John Jeavons
Square Foot Gardening

First, the best news -- our official "frost date" in the Silicon Valley was February 23rd.  That means that we can begin planting with a reasonable expectation that our little seedlings won't freeze overnight before establishing themselves.  This is just a guideline, however, so don't hold me accountable if you go on a planting escapade this weekend and we have a cold snap!  Many of us have started our seedlings indoors and will begin "hardening them off," or, adjusting them to the great outdoors, in 4-6 weeks or so.  If you don't want to bother with seedlings, organic starts are available at several local nurseries and are safe to plant in the ground after the first week or two of April.

Everyone had some great ideas to share.  Jessica W. has had really positive experience with a local program in San Jose called "La Mesa Verde."  This is  a  non-profit organization that will assist San Jose residents in establishing their own organic vegetable gardens in their front or back yards.  Not only will they come out to consult with you on your prospective plot, this organization's volunteers (including the Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County) will help you build raised beds, irrigate and plan your garden for the season.  They provide free classes to grow your knowledge of gardening along with your vegetables.  Throughout the season, a Master Gardener will check in with your garden to monitor progress/problems.  I think that this is a wonderful way to bring home gardening back into the community's focus -- especially among those of us who believe organic produce to be beyond our budgets.  This FREE program (can you believe it?) is limited to 100 families, so if you or someone you know is interested in participating, please contact them at (408) 278-2160.

Another wealth of resources in our community is the Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County.   Click on the link to find some interesting -- and free -- classes surrounding gardening and sustainability. 

A favorite spot of mine is Common Grounds Garden Supply and Education Center in Palo Alto.  This is the little shop that supports the Common Grounds Research Garden at Stanford.  They have a fantastic selection of heirloom, open-pollinated seeds and starts as well as books, supplies and a very knowledgeable and helpful staff.  Click on the link for their schedule of classes and events.

I managed to finish building the Salad Table (click for construction plans) I had hoped to demonstrate on Monday night in about 4 hours.  I think that the salad table and pots are great options if you want to grow just a little something but don't have space or time to allot to a full-fledged garden.  I think that it will be well worth the minimal effort it took to build and I really am looking forward to having a beautiful and easy to access plot of greens right outside my kitchen door.  Check out the University of Maryland Professor who designed the table showing Martha how it's done on this video.

If you would like some ongoing help with your garden planning and maintenance, check out www.groveg.com.  They have a free trial period during which you may use their software to plan out your garden and get tips on planting.  

We spent the evening exchanging resources, ideas and seeds.  Our gardening goals for the season ranged from the simple "I wanna grow stuff" to the ambitious "retro-fitting the front yard for veggies."  No matter where we are in our gardening path, I hope that we all get the reward of at least one yummy veggie by summer's end.  Please post any tips or questions you encounter on the email loop as they come up. Thanks to Kimberly N. for bringing seeds to exchange I had been wishing I had bought this year.  I am excited about mini persian pickles and sweet peppers.  It was great to see faces that we know through the email loop but had never met in person.  We hope that you can all make it to a meeting soon!

Happy Gardening!

Christina

March Monthly Meeting: Vegetable Garden Planning

We have had several requests that we get together and plan our vegetable gardens for the springtime, so let's do it!

March is the perfect time to start our seeds and prepare our beds for the season.  We'll let you know about a wonderful program in San Jose that helps new gardeners get started growing their own fresh, organic vegetables as well as a demonstration on how to make your own salad table for growing greens outside your kitchen door. General discussion on what works and doesn't in the bay area and tips for gardening in small spaces.

If you are a seasoned gardener, bring ideas and resources to share.
If anyone wants to swap seeds, bring your extras and we can exchange. You can't beat your own yard for eating locally! 

When:  Tuesday, March 2nd, 7:00 p.m.

Where:  Rozenhart Family Chiropractic
              4620-B Meridian Avenue
              San Jose, CA 95124

Free Screening of the Documentary, "Food, Inc"

Holistic Moms Network of San Jose Presents
a free screening of
"Food, Inc."

Please join us for the screening followed by a discussion of the film!  Please note that we are holding the screening at a different location than our monthly meetings.  We have secured the community room at the Cambrian Branch of the San Jose Public Library (1780 Hillsdale Avenue, San Jose)
for this event.  The room's capacity is 100, so make sure to R.S.V.P. soon!

How much do we really know about the food we buy at the local supermarket and serve to our families?

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield's Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms' Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.

February, 2010 Monthly Meeting

 Holistic Moms Network of San Jose Presents. . .

LINDA S. TJIPUTRA, MBA, CFP

Money Management: A Woman’s Perspective

When:   Tuesday, February 2nd at 7:00 p.m. 

Where:  Rozenhart Family Chiropractic 
              4620-B Meridian Avenue
              San Jose, CA 95124

Please R.S.V.P. at the Evite

 

This is a topic that we all can relate to -- money management!  Our financial needs and priorities completely change when we become mothers.  Learn how to organize and plan your finances for the future.  Join us for a presentation by Linda S. Tjiputra, MBA, CFP followed by questions and discussion.  Hope to see you there.

A sample of topics covered in presentation:

1. The “What If” question.
2. Taxes: Strategies to minimize your taxes :
   
   
   1. Before and After-tax investing
   2. Tax-deferred vs Tax-free investment
   
   
3. Retirement Planning
4. Sending Your Kids to College: What you need to know:
   
   
   1. Funding Strategies
   2. Which Strategy is best for you?
      
   
   
5. Estate Planning: Beneficiary Reviews, Titling your Accounts, Deed of the House, Living Trust vs. Will.

January Meeting Details

Sex, Cries, and your same old mate:
A Talk about Sex After Baby 

In this discussion, you will be able to talk, laugh, share, and perhaps, problem solve about the realities of being a new parent but also a loving, romantic partner. Studies have shown that a for a majority of couple's satisfaction with their relationship goes down after the first baby is born. Let's talk about some of the effects of birth, hormones, sleep deprivation and touch overstimulation, but also focus on how to keep connected to your partner and your sexuality through this life cycle too.
With Melissa Fritchle, MA  Holistic Psychotherapist Intern and Sex Therapist Intern at Process Therapy Institute

When:   Tuesday, January 5th at 7:00 p.m.

Where:  Rozenhart Family Chiropractic
             4620-B Meridian Avenue
             San Jose, CA 95124

Please R.S.V.P. at the Evite  

Put this night on your calendars!  See you there.

November Monthly Meeting Recap: Discussion on Consumerism

I am woefully overdue in posting this recap of our November Meeting -- I apologize!  I will post December's Meeting recap when I get notes from those who attended.  I had a sick daughter to tend to who really could have used the massage information given out in December's Meeting!

Our group discussion was on the topic of Consumerism.  How can we resist the culture of consumerism ourselves while also teaching our children to value the simple joys of life?

First, we discussed what a healthy level of consumerism is.  Clearly, living in the Bay Area, none of us are complete homesteaders and we need to do some shopping.  We clarified the difference between shopping for needs and shopping for wants.

When we shop primarily for wants, we fall prey to overabundance.  When we have too much stuff, it actually leads to waste.  We buy more to store the stuff we already have.  We buy more because we can't be bothered to sort through our stored stuff to find the item we need.  We become so overwhelmed with stuff that we need a break from it.  Some, unfortunately, find relief by going shopping (?!?).  It's a downward spiral when we shop primarily for wants. In order to curb this pattern, it is recommended to "purge" your home of excess regularly.  While it may seem wasteful to give away items to charity, recycle them or simply them throw away, when you simplify your home, your mind will follow suit and become less excessive in its consumption.

Shopping for needs requires some mindfulness.  Of course, food, clothing and shelter basics are often no-brainers.  Other purchases require some thought.  Do I actually need to buy this item to accomplish my goal?  Will my life be improved/simplified by bringing this item into my home?  A member recommended that we ask ourselves a series of questions to determine whether an item is a need; Who is the item for?  What is the purpose of the item?  Where will it be stored/consumed?  When will it outlive its usefullness/leave the home?  If you really want to consume less, keep yourself out of opportunities to do so.  Don't walk into a store or visit a website without a purpose in mind -- no window shopping.  

The value we hope to instill in our children is that life is not about accumulating things.  An abundant life is one in which we own less and experience more.  Teach them this lesson through your family activities.  Reduce, reuse and recycle those things you do consume.  Some members are committed to not bringing logos into the home.  Logos often bring with them a host of underlying values of consumerism for status.  Other members find community service to be a great way of showing their children how rich their lives are and how to give to others with far less.  A book was recommended to help with ideas on how to espouse living better with less:  "The Simple Living Guide:  A sourcebook for less stressful, more joyful living" by Janet Luhrs.

With the holidays approaching, we all brainstormed on ideas for giving that don't involve excessive consumption.  Here is a list of the ideas we came up with:

-- Show the kids the Heifer International Catalog and allow them to choose the animal that they would like to donate to a community.

-- For those who are crafty, make items for those who would appreciate them.

-- Give gifts of experience rather than tangible goods, such as:
    Spa treatments
    Cooking Classes
    Community Center Classes
    Dance
    Children's Musical Theatre Tix
    Season Tix, Movie Tix, Gift Certs for activities like Kayaking or to Regional Parks
    Hotel Stays, touring events, museums
    Dinner Theatre (like Montalvo)
    Summer Camps, Roaring camp train ride

Giving simple, non-stuff gifts is something that we can control.  What about being on the receiving end of the Christmas stuff onslaught?  How can we communicate to our family that we actually want less?  This is especially difficult when kids and grandmothers are involved! We all know that one of the great joys of being a grandma is to buy lots and lots (and lots) of toys for the grandkids.  Telling her to reign it in is pretty hurtful to some grandmothers and makes you feel ungrateful.  There comes a time, however, when you need to communicate the values that you are trying to live.   One member had a great method of how to approach this touchy subject.  She always puts her requests in a "sandwich."

She layers a positive thought
with the negative (what you want changed)
followed by a positive

For example;

Positive:  "Mom, you are such a great grandmother.  You are always finding ways to bring smiles to    the kids' faces."

Negative (what you want): "What has really been making them happy lately is not having to argue about cleaning up their toys.   We have really made it a goal to only have X number of toys out at a time and it has really changed their behavior.  They fight less and play more!  If you are thinking of them for Christmas, you might find some classes or other experiences that don't involve tangible "stuff" to argue over."

Positive: You are such a great piano player, maybe you could play for them sometime and teach them some basics.  I know that we would love to come over to hear some Christmas carols!"
  
Another way to approach consuming less is to think about the way that families interacted before all of the technology entered our homes.  Card games, cooking a meal, playing soccer at the park, going to the theatre, bowling.  These all have something in common -- you do them TOGETHER.  One family member is not individually staring at a computer screen while another stares at his iphone and another at the television.   It is amazing how our consumption choices impact our daily lives.  Let's be mindful of this and build the lives we want by being very choosy when it comes to consumables.

It just so happens that Mothering Magazine posted this article via their facebook page today.  This is a great example of a family living an abundant life on less.  Check it out.

October Monthly Meeting Recap: Environmental Toxins

Tuesday night's meeting was a great one.  Our guest speaker, Linda Kincaid, shared some important information on testing your home for major environmental toxins.  While Linda is knowledgeable on many chemicals commonly found in the home, she chose to focus on radon and formaldehyde for Tuesday's presentation.

Radon is a cancer-causing natural radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell or taste. Its presence in your home can pose a danger to your family's health. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in America and claims about 20,000 lives annually (EPA).   Radon is naturally-occurring and can be found in many areas of the country.  Linda has found that it does not often occur in high levels here in the Bay Area flatlands, but has found dangerous levels in homes located along the mountain range from Monterey to the North Bay.  One member from San Carlos was highly recommended to test for radon due to her location in this range.  She handed out free radon testing kits to ensure that your home has safe levels of radiation.  Linda cautioned that radon comes not only from  what lies beneath our homes, but also from what we bring into our homes.  She passed around a radon detecting machine with some samples of marble and granite counter tops.  The granite (especially red granite) emitted elevated levels of radon.  This is something you may want to consider when renovating your kitchen. 

Linda is currently working on a research project focusing on formaldehyde levels within the home.  We have all heard about the chemical off-gassing of common household items like mattresses and carpets.    Formaldehyde, a common chemical in new wood products and finishes, is an irritant and an asthma trigger. Other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) cause similar symptoms (Kincaid) .  New building materials emit substantial amounts of these chemicals initially, with emissions decreasing over time.  Linda brought a new topic to light many of us had not considered;  furniture made from particle board.  Particle board (MDF) is now commonly used in place of natural timber.  The reasoning for this is that MDF is much cheaper to produce as well as reduces the falling of virgin timber.  The downside to MDF is that it is created by mixing sawdust with formaldehyde-containing resins and pressing them into boards.  This material is the basis for most laminated furniture, flooring and cabinetry.

Linda told a tale about a client of hers that had collected a house full of such furniture from Pottery Barn.  For years, the formaldehyde gas emitted by this furniture didn't seem to bother the family.  Their home was drafty and had a high turnover of interior air.  This flushed out much of the gas.  The family decided that it was time to upgrade their home by making it more energy-efficient.  They added insulation as well as double-paned windows.  While this upgrade certainly reduced their heating/cooling bills, it also reduced the air-exchange in their home.  They effectively sealed in the formaldehyde gas.  Within a few months, the family members became so sick (lung irritaion, fatigue, sore throats) that the Father needed to take a leave of absence from his job.  As the medical bills piled up and no cause for their maladies was found, they decided to hire Linda to evaluate their home for toxins.  What she found was levels of over 300 parts per billion (ppb) of formaldehyde in their home.  Just 100 ppb of formaldehyde will cause illness in most adults.  The family vacated the house and put the furniture in storage.  After properly ventilating the house, the formaldehyde lowered back down to levels of 20-30 ppb.  Linda recommends shopping for furniture at thrift and antique stores in order to avoid the formaldehyde present in modern, MDF-based products.  

Another interesting point that she brought up is that new homes acquiring a "Green Point Rated" standard, tend to have the highest levels of formaldehyde amongst homes she has tested.  This is due to the "sealed" nature of the homes for energy-efficiency as well as the high concentration of manufactured wood products in the homes.  

If you would like to test your home for formaldehyde, the process is pretty simple.  Check out her Formaldehyde Testing 101 Article for instructions.  In the meantime, open windows and doors at least once a day to bring outside air into your home and try to reduce/eliminate any purchases of pressed particle board in the future.

If you would like to read more about Linda Kincaid's research, she has a treasure trove of articles available at The Examiner.

Next month's meeting topic is "Fighting Commercialism."  This is an especially challenging topic during the approaching holiday season.  Bring your ideas for less commercial modes of celebration.

Christina

Our trip to Arata Farms Pumpkin Patch in Half Moon Bay

We all had a great time at the Pumpkin Patch yesterday.  The first words out of T's mouth this morning were "I wish I could go to the pumpkin patch one more time."  With not much in the way of crowds, we had full run of the little park.  They really have some great spots for fall photo taking.  The colors are so crisp and vibrant.  After everyone worked up an appetite, we went up to the brewery at the marina for fish and chips.  Mmmmm. . . the calamari was fantastic.  My husband is not a fan of calamari, so I rarely get to order it when we go out.  I got to order it yesterday and didn't even have to share!  Actually, I did have to share because it was way too much for one person to consume in a sitting.  The kids loved having their own private room in the restaurant where they could play fort under the tables without too much opposition from their overstuffed parents.  I must say that both the farm owners and the restaurant manager were more than accommodating to our group.  They really went out of their way to ensure that we had great times in Half Moon Bay.  I really recommend both of these establishments and will certainly return next year.  Here are some photos of our wee members:

I've deleted the captions because I realized that I really shouldn't post the names of the kids online.

                                   HAYRIDE!

L is seriously considering whether she wants a hayride-induced labor.

And this wasn't taken at the farm, but some Liederhosen on this beautiful boy will brighten your day.