Spotlight on jbk21 (Jacquelyn)

[Jaimee]

This is the Spotlight Thread for jbk21 (Jacquelyn)

Jacquelyn, please copy the questions below into a new post and bold them.  Answer them as you feel comfortable, adding any extra information you'd like to share.

DDC members, please feel free to comment and add your own questions to keep the conversation going!

1. How did you choose your screen name?

2. Where do you live?  Where were you born?

3. What is one of your favorite books?

4.  What was the last fun purchase you made?

5.  What is one of your favorite go to recipes?

6.  If you could visit anywhere in the world where would you go and why?

7.  What are your plans for this birth?

8.  What is your current job?  What did you do pre-motherhood?

9.  What is one thing you like to do in your free time?

10. What is one thing you plan on doing differently with this baby?  What's one thing you'll do the same?

We look forward to getting to know you better! 

[jbk21]

1. How did you choose your screen name?  I wanted something sort-of anonymous, but also incorporating my initials (married and maiden) and my "lucky number".  

2. Where do you live?  Where were you born?  I live in Portland, OR but am from Ottawa, Ohio (town of ~4500).  DH and I lived in Cleveland, OH for 3 years before moving to Portland a year ago.  Now we're never leaving :)

3. What is one of your favorite books?  Picking favorites is so hard... I love urban homesteading/ eco-lifestyle books and non-fiction like memoirs and books about spirituality.

4.  What was the last fun purchase you made?  I just bought some maternity clothes at a consignment store that I'm really excited about :)

5.  What is one of your favorite go to recipes?  This is a tough one- cooking has been hard for me while pregnant- I am pretty uninspired, and I am eating vegetarian while DH is dairy-free veg so it's hard since I want cheese and he can't have it :)  Pregnancy cravings!   But I love just roasting up a tray of veggies, or eating a huge salad.  We're really enjoying the summer produce!  

6.  If you could visit anywhere in the world where would you go and why?  Europe.  My DH has traveled extensively (19 countries and we're only 26) and he loves certain parts of Europe- Macedonia, Switzerland, the UK.  I want him to show me around :-)

7.  What are your plans for this birth?  unmedicated birth at a birth center.  I'm really looking forward to it!

8.  What is your current job?  What did you do pre-motherhood?   I am a super-part-time independent consultant for an online business research firm.  I sit in my pajamas and get paid to do relatively easy, fun (sometimes tedious) stuff. 

9.  What is one thing you like to do in your free time?  I love knitting, sewing, baking.  I like being a housewife- cooking and cleaning are so life-giving for me.  That doesn't exactly sound like stuff that people do in their "free time" though- so other than stuff around the house I love going on outings with my DH and DS.  We are still exploring new parts of Portland and Oregon which is so fun.

10. What is one thing you plan on doing differently with this baby?  What's one thing you'll do the same?  I will worry less about my "performance" as a parent and what other people think of me, and I will rely more on my instincts.  Being in the Midwest until my DS was 16 months was hard because we parent so differently than most people in Ohio.  It is such a relief to be surrounded by parents here that parent very similarly.  One specific thing we'll do differently is start baby-led weaning (for solids) instead of trying purees first.  DS didn't like purees, so we stumbled across BLW by accident and necessity- he was finger-feeding at 7 months.  One thing we'll do the same?  Almost everything, but I am most excited for co-sleeping and breastfeeding another little babe.  

[LunaLady]

Hello! 

I think we have a lot in common! Not only from reading this, but also from recent discussions in the Aug. Chit Chat thread 

I live just up in the Seattle area, so I totally understand loving this part of the country! I'd never be able to live anywhere else, I think. Maybe Alaska or Canada, but  the PNW is just lovely 

I'd be interested in hearing more about the books you like - because I'm very interested in all those topics, too! Do you have favorites you want to share?

And I love hearing from other women who enjoy being a housewife and raising kiddos! 

[jbk21]

Sigh, the PNW = paradise, if you ask me :-)

Well, books.  For instance, I have a "favorites" cubby in our expedit bookshelf and it has the following books:

Raising Baby Green

Handmade Home

The Urban Homestead

Mudhouse Sabbath (A liberal christian author (Lauren Winner) but explores some traditionally Jewish practices and how they are beneficial/ applicable to Christian lifestyle as well.  A really short, interesting read.)

Baby Makes Three (by the inimitable John Gottman- famous marriage and family psychologist.  He has done amazing research on divorce, specifically.  It was a great book, I wish I had revisited it after baby #1 was born.  I guess there's still time before #2!  I have a psych degree (focus on marriage and families) so I love this kind of stuff)

Jesus Freak (sounds more scary than it is, haha!  It's written by Sara Miles- a Christian lesbian living in San Fran (if I remember right).  Liberal, social justice, all-around great book about caring for those in need.)

Enough (by Will Samson- another liberal christian (see a trend?) author writing about american consumerism.)

 Other favorite authors are Shane Claiborne, Donald Miller (for the memoirs and funny writing style, not necessarily his theology), Brian McLaren and Peter Rollins (for deep, deep, deep theological/philosophical discussion), Anne Lamott, etc.  Obviously a very liberal Christian bias to my reading.  Lately, however, I have been reading pregnancy/birth/breastfeeding stuff.  Ina May Gaskin, Peggy Vincent, Penny Simkin, etc. Hubby is reading Freakonomics and it's blowing his mind.  I'm excited to read it.  I love reading stuff that will teach me something- theology, philosophy, psychology, birth/parenting, interpersonal relationship stuff, homesteading, knitting, etc. 

[LunaLady]

Thanks for the list!! I will check out those urban homesteading ones from the library! :)

I do have Ina May's books, so I've devoured those. And I just checked out The Birth Partner from the library, and I'm working on that one and DH said he wants to read it, too, because he's confused about labor 

I'm loving our discussion in the Chit Chat thread on used stuff!!! Sometimes people make me feel like a cheap-o when I say I like to buy used stuff, so it's nice to hear from someone (so many people!) that I'm not crazy! What I find crazy is spending $15 on one baby pajama! 

Do you do natural cleaning/bath&body stuff? I've made a huge effort in the last year to switch over to all natural stuff in that regard and WOW is it ever cheaper! 

[Jaimee]

Originally Posted by LunaLady 

Do you do natural cleaning/bath&body stuff? I've made a huge effort in the last year to switch over to all natural stuff in that regard and WOW is it ever cheaper! 

We order from Frontier Natural Products Co-op for all our toiletries, cleaning products, and some food/baking supplies.  $250 gets your free shipping and near wholesale prices!

[jbk21]

I do use natural cleaning and body stuff.  I make everything at home... I posted it on the July chit chat I think, let me see if I can find it :)

For cleaning supplies I usually use vinegar & water, baking soda, castille soap, etc.  
 

Originally Posted by LunaLady 

Thanks for the list!! I will check out those urban homesteading ones from the library! :)

I do have Ina May's books, so I've devoured those. And I just checked out The Birth Partner from the library, and I'm working on that one and DH said he wants to read it, too, because he's confused about labor 

I'm loving our discussion in the Chit Chat thread on used stuff!!! Sometimes people make me feel like a cheap-o when I say I like to buy used stuff, so it's nice to hear from someone (so many people!) that I'm not crazy! What I find crazy is spending $15 on one baby pajama! 

Do you do natural cleaning/bath&body stuff? I've made a huge effort in the last year to switch over to all natural stuff in that regard and WOW is it ever cheaper! 

[LunaLady]

Yep, sounds like what I use! My 'cleaning basket' pretty much just has white vinegar, baking soda, dr bronners, borax, soap nuts, and I do use bon ami for the toilets. I use all of that for household cleaning and laundry. I just started hanging laundry out to dry this summer, too - that's been fun!