The Friday Feedback Forum

October 22nd, 2010 - filed under: Furthermore » Feedback

Are you ready for ultimate cuteness?? Bring on the VEGAN BABIES!!!













Oi there! Can you handle all that cute?! Kinda out of control, right? It was a really, really good weekend. And now it’s the weekend again, which means it’s time for comments, critiques, thoughts, support, and suggestions. Lay it on me!

I’m so excited for this weekend! We’re heading out of town on a mini-vacation, and I get to spend time with some of my favorite people on the planet: my in-laws! (yes, I am so super lucky) Happy Birthday Mama!!!

And now for the Love List – three little things that’ve got you all giddy. Mine =
1. Positive spinning bad news into opportunity.
2. Believing in myself. Not over-thinking things.
3. Taking mad risk and seeing the payoff.

It’s been an wild week, can you tell?


Now I want to hear from you. Gimme gimme the Love Lists!

And have the most wonderful weekend!

  • wendi

    Your son is to die for! He always has that cute open mouth smile that brings a happy thought :)
    I love your tutorials, Keep those up!
    Enjoy your vaca, I so need one of those!

  • http://radicalturtle.com/ Leslie Cao

    1) I love my fun friends who bring me joy
    2) I love the abundance of good food all around me (avocados, bananas, cho-co-late)
    3) I love those photos of the little kids in costumes
    4) I love your insightful posts
    5) I love the cold, fresh air and bright moonlight
    6) I love myself!

  • Rea

    Cute cute cute! I’m dying to know about all these mad risks and such!

    1. Working so hard on studying for a bitch of a test and acing that thing this morning!
    2. Learning the virtues of patience.
    3. Mexican food date night with Kennedy.

  • http://mutualmenu.blogspot.com Joselle

    Complete adorable overload!

    I love that:
    1. I started blogging again.
    2. I get to spend tomorrow morning with my husband and our dog for a visit to the vet and then an afternoon with just the husband going to see vegan cookbook author, jae steele doing a reading at our local bookstore. And then Tofurky pepperoni pizza and beer for dinner (we’ll throw in a salad, of course)!
    3. That feeling that everything is just as it should be.

  • MathTutor

    Vegan babies, FTW!!!

    Okay so I got some info for you about hemp! I know you asked me about the zero tolerance policy in your hemp post.

    This article from abc touches upon the “zero tolerance policy”
    http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=91405&page=1

    This article is about the fight to legalize hemp within congress:
    http://www.ronpaul.com/2010-05-06/ban-on-industrial-hemp-results-in-high-prices-and-lost-jobs/

    And this article is super informative and talks about how awesome hemp is! Since we are both crunchy people I assumed you would like to read it :)
    http://www.hempfarm.org/Papers/Hemp_Facts.html

    Oh and just because I know you are into vinager too, feast your eyes on this!
    http://technorati.com/lifestyle/article/vinegar-clinically-proven-to-destroy-fat/

    Now for my Love list:
    1. FINALLY getting through with my chem test, a relief considering it was over quantum numbers, the wave-particle duality theorem, and other scary stuff.

    2. Finally being able to vote during the Texas gubernatorial race! It’s so exciting I can’t wait to vote :))) Lots of interesting news articles to read about it too.

    3. Upon “deactivating” my facebook account, having my dad call me and ask why I wasbretaliating against him by “deleting” him from facebook. Then him telling him that I should come back to facebook because he “has a lot of good pictures of [me] on his page!!” =P

  • Meredith

    Love your baby-very squishable!!
    My list:
    1. Baking and Pastry class Saturday AM, it’s Doughnut Day!
    2. Bonfires and Hot Toddies with famiy
    3. Hiking through fall-colored trees!
    I just got even more excited for my weekend reading that-YAY!!

  • Jeni

    OMG CUTE!!!! What are they all looking at?

    Love List:
    1) My baby in a tiger costume
    2) Waking up to seeing snow on the ground two days ago
    3) Going to the market after hubster gets done work

    @MathTutor – doesn’t it feel great to deactivate? I just did it and haven’t looked back. Cute dad though. Mine was pushing me to do it for months now… lol

  • Sarah

    1. Waking up with my husband and 2 babies all cuddled around me because it’s *fall*

    2. Overhearing my husband tell someone good things about me <3

    3. My 2 year old telling me that fall means that 'plants sleep. working on it' meaning the plants are getting ready to sleep over the winter :)

  • http://www.zestysurprises.blogspot.com Sunnie

    1) That my awesome partner made me eat strawberries (I am learning to like them) and they were AMAZING.
    2) Getting better at being a Veggie
    3) My new kitten!

    I have been consistantly plagued by an idea that I have neither the time nor the expertise to implement, so I am putting the idea Out There in case someone wants to take it on:
    Anyone who has used The Daily Plate to record the food they eat every day, both as a nutritional and a diet monitor, knows that it can be a fantastic tool. As a nascent vegetarian (on track, slowly, toward veg*n) I wish every day that there were a similar site geared toward showing you your daily estimated vitamin intake and how it adds up in comparison to the recommended intake. I don’t have a ton of downtime, and although I am a passable cook I don’t feel like I am eating a wide enough range of foods to cover everything I need. This is semi foolish since I know I have been eating vastly better than when I was more omni-oriented, but the concern is still there. Plus, how awesome would it be to have an easy way to see how well you have your bases covered??
    If this already exists in some form (I know that I can look up nutritional content ingredient by ingredient, but it is not the same as a daily monitor nor is it as conducive to the modern I-wants-it-now-plz lifestyle) please please enlighten me. I would love to use it! The more tools we have for healthier lives the better.

  • Minna

    I actually have a little request for you. About time management. Would you like to write a small article about how you manage to get all things done?

    The problem here is not the lack of time, I’ve been struggling more with myself: how to set priorities, how to *plan*, how to develop a system. To-do lists won’t work, making a plan in my head doesn’t really work. There are some great days (very seldom though) when I get quite many things done, but how to keep that up every day?

    There is one thing about time management I’ve realized: you need to be really quick about everything you do – that way you might get more things done.

    You have proven us that for you, time management is not a problem. Please share your tips! :D

  • Meghan

    @Mathtutor

    I dunno, I have really read a lot of things about the LOW thc content of hemp foods, pretty much everything that shows up on google aside from possible the things you link to, including this place http://www.testpledge.com/foods.htm based in california. This site (a little old) says that there is “currently” no legal limit for THC in foods sold in the US http://www.hempreport.com/ And there are TONS of studies out there that show that consuming hemp won’t cause one to fail drugs tests… not because there is no THC, but because of how low the content is.

    I still don’t see any definitive evidence that this “no tolerance policy exists.” Low THC isn’t no THC.

  • Meghan

    @Sunnie

    I don’t know this is exactly what you’re looking for, but this: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp calculates nutritional info (including vitamins and minerals) of recipes you type in. I gather from seeing other recommendations that people have made for this site that you can use it to keep track of what you eat. I would hope if the site has these two separate capacities they have had the good sense to merge them to give people what you are looking for. :-) I haven’t tried it though, but it might be worth poking around!

  • http://mutualmenu.blogspot.com Joselle

    I second Minna’s request for a time management post, Sayward. I’m trying to use my time more wisely now, as I seem to always be “running” out of it, even though I get the same 24/7 as everyone else. ;) I’d definitely like to get this in order before I start nursing school next year, especially since my husband and I plan to have a baby during my schooling, too.

    And on that note, I now need to make some time to get off the comp and study anatomy and physiology!

  • Callie

    Squishy baby overload!

    This has been such a good and weird weekend!

    1. Payoff from reconnecting with old friends.
    2. Great fun from going the extra mile (actually, 50) to connect with new friends.
    3. A partner who’s great to adventure with, even when those adventures aren’t always good.

  • MathTutor

    @Meghan

    I really wished I had saved the initial site where I learned about the zero tolerance policy! I will keep my eye out for it :)

    I know for sure that the THC level is closely monitored though.

  • http://sara-and-company.tumblr.com Sara

    1. Cooking all weekend! My mom is visiting from my home town, and we cooked up a storm. On the list: banana bread, apple pie (we had to give some to my landladies, we had so much), gnocchi, butternut squash soup, spinach alfredo pasta, and hummus. I love using seasonal and locally grown produce! And not only is it a bunch of food to eat, it’s also a great way to show my mom how easy it is for me to cook good-for-me meals.
    2. My mom coming up to visit. :)
    3. Vintage shopping in Kensington Market. Thank you city of Toronto! My vintage hankie collection is growing and I’m using less Kleenex! It’s a win for me and the environment. Also, having a hankie is super stylish.

    As per usual, Waits is so adorable I want to simultaneously coo at your baby whilst finding someone to procreate with to myself produce a baby that adorable.

    Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little about the procreation bit. Happy week!

  • http://sara-and-company.tumblr.com Sara

    @ Minna

    I’m a vegan university student, so for me, time management is a biggie. I like cooking in advance! I make a ton of stuff on the weekend (or during the less busy times) and freeze it so I can defrost stuff and serve for the rest of the week. Also, for lunches, I cook extra of whatever I make for dinner for the next day. Having high protein staples like edamame or hummus and a bunch of pre-washed fruit is great to keep on hand too for when you’re in a rush and you need to grab something and go.

    Even though I’m keeping up with 5 classes of work (and I go to art school, so this means hours of sculpting, sketching, painting, etc) I still manage to clean the apartment once a week, meaning vacuuming the place, scrubbing counter tops and floors, and dusting. I think the best thing to do is plan. I know it doesn’t sound all that sexy, but it really helps that I know what sort of foods I can cook each week, and I have planned days to clean and do laundry. As well, I’ve made a habit of waking up 20 minutes early and doing some yoga.

    I use Mrs Meyers to clean the house (this stuff is biodegradable, I would suggest it!), so I keep it in spray bottles for high traffic areas. After I use the kitchen for example, I spray the cleaner and then wipe away, same with after I step out of the shower. When I’m on the phone, I dust the living room. I do yoga poses and deep breathing when in line at the grocery. Stuff like this is a no brainer, and saves you from constant heavy cleaning, and gives yourself some me time.

    I think multitasking is something that’s really important as well. Not traditional multitasking, though, I’m talking things like listening to a audiobook while cleaning, slathering shea butter on my hands while I do dishes (your hands are protected by rubber gloves, and the warm water helps the lotion to absorb into your skin), and catching up on podcasts while I cook. I love getting cardio in when I vacuum too, by pumping up the music and dancing! Or, do sit-ups and jumping jacks during commercials while watching TV.

    The best thing you can do to fit everything in is plan it. Remember, you don’t need to write down every moment of your life! Have a general idea of what you want to do each week, don’t be too hard on yourself, and remember, life is a work in progress!

    Cheers :)

  • Krysta

    Waits’ smile makes happy. Precious. Love Lists are awesome. Trying to focus on the positive and what I’m grateful for really helped me get out of a postpartum slump.

    Here is a Love List:
    1. Every day is a choice.
    2. Hailey running with wild abandon and Clementine squealing with excitement and the sight.
    3. Bamboo scarves.

  • Laura Louise

    1. Thunderstorms (I’ve never seen a thunderstorm at this time of the year)
    2. A hot cup of cocoa with cinnamon when I come home frozen at night. It’s getting cold here extremely fast, someone ate away our fall this year, it went from 34 degrees to 0 in a 6 weeks!
    3. The book Eating, by Peter Singer and Jim Mason. It’s an excellent book, I recommend it to everyone!

    @Sara – Thank you for your time management tips! I need to use your way of cleaning for sure. Right now my apartment looks like crap and I don’t invite anyone over, though I’d like to, just because I don’t want to clean for 12 hours. Last time I cleaned for 4 days, I know, It’s madness.
    I already love listening to podcasts while taking a shower and watching TV shows while cooking or washing the dishes. This makes chores more fun AND saves time.

  • Christa

    You are making me want my own baby NOW instead of later…. so freaking cute!

    Love list:

    1. Knitting! snuggling up under the blanket on the couch with my husband, a movie and my needles… bliss.
    2. Keeping my house cleaned on a regular basis – I’m getting better!
    3. Autumn – something about it this year just feels so good and right and I’m loving it!

  • Melissa C.

    *squeee!*

    Waits is THE cutest! Lovin’ all the Waits camera-time lately; Seeing his adorable face always makes me smile!

  • http://www.windycityvegan.wordpress.com windycityvegan

    Definitely joining the lovefest late, but I have reaped so many benefits from my mini-media fast every weekend (Friday 1600-Monday 0800) that I’m just going to have to get used to it!

    1. Making my daughter’s Hallowe’en costume from all upcycled materials, and with a lot of creative direction from her – I am always amazed at how bossy my three-year old can be!

    2. Fresh bread.

    3. Finding peace in making a very difficult decision, and having confidence that I made the right choice.

  • Meghan

    Wow. A weekend media fast. That sounds like an excellent idea. Not an idea I’m very sure that I could get myself to do, but an excellent idea! Imagine what I could accomplish…

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

    You guys! I just want to say again that I seriously LOVE reading these, and even though I don’t respond to every one, they each mean so much to me! I read them over and over and they make me so very happy. =)

    @ MathTutor – Awesome, thanks for all the links!

    @ Jeni – Haha, they’re all looking at a bunch of parents and grandparents jumping up and down and waving going “Hey baby! Weee, look over here! Smile baby! Yay!”

    @ Sunnie – Like Meghan suggested, I’ve used SparkPeople to track my nutrients and it’s the best program that I’ve found for the job.

    @ Minna & Joselle – Oh man. Man oh man. The reason that I get so much done is that I NEVER STOP WORKING. Seriously, it’s compulsive, I multitask to the extreme and I simply cannot stop and relax. It’s not so much time management skills as it is an overdriven work ethic. And honestly, I think my health and well being suffers because of it. So, I don’t know that I’m the person to write that article – yet! I’m working on learning!

    That said, Sara’s ideas are *fantastic* and I concur with every single one. =)

    @ Krysta – That pic you took of him standing is one of my absolute favorites, so thank you! And Happy 7 months to Clementine!

    @ windycityvegan & Meghan – Woah, weekend media fast is BOLD. I don’t know if I could do it, but at the same time I think it would be so positive. Hmm, maybe a MMM down the line . . .

  • Kate in SB

    OMG THE BABIES ARE THE CUTENESS.

    Also! I have an idea for your website: a search bar on the main page.

    I’m making your vegan polenta lasagna again tonight. Not too hard to search for in on your recipe page… but… a search bar would make it super slick and easy! :)

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

    @ Kate in SB – Gah! The search was there until a few days ago. Somehow it disappeared when we added the new button for the store. I’ll get it back! Thanks!

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