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Ongoing Alaskan mama chat..

54K views 2K replies 84 participants last post by  BusyMommy 
#1 ·
Since there are so few of us that check here.. I thought we should open up an ongoing Alaskan mama chat.. just stop in, and post whatever is on your mind..

I will start..

My kids are on the habitat for humanity webpage!

www.hfhanchorage.org

two pics down is A... drawing with chalk on the wall in his wool longies..

check out the photo gallery and you will see more of my family! (really cute pic of O and dh in the groundbreaking gallery!)
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#27 ·
yeah, but what else could you expect from Frank? I actually have a friend who named her very dumb dog Frank

actually having a beautiful sunny day here in Anch but too busy to sun bleach my dipes... hope it stays nice and I can sun them tomorrow!

I wish I could sew
I"d be all over that coop!

re the extreme home makeover- I was talking to Katy the local LLL leader here, and apparently the woman (Betsy, was it?) was her sponsoring leader back in the day. A very deserving family by the looks of it!

enjoy your day mamas!
 
#28 ·
hemp is not pot!!! Gawd I wish people would get that straight...especally suposedly intellegant people. As soon as people hear hemp they think reefer what a bunch of dorks, just ask a pothead I am sure they could tell you all about it. Ugh and this is someone in charge of AK politics. I wonder if Hemp would survive here it is such a hardy crop and can pretty much grow anywhere but the winters are pretty harsh. I have heard it used as a coveror companion crop here in the states but I think they distroy it after its done being used. I know that that 'King' Cotton has something to do with hemp not being growen in the US, seeing as cotton is just as powerful as oil here in the states it has taken a long time for alternitive fuels to get their foot in the door but it has been done.

Anyhow I cant wait for my hemp fleece to get here so that I can make dipes outta them. BBB consigns some hemp fleece fitteds that a friend of mine makes, she gave me a few for ds and I love them so I am having her show me how she did it cause mine dont come out the same and I am making some without snaps I can use with my snappies.

Iam watching DS chilling in his bouncer here at my feet. This thing has an attachment that makes noises like rain and ocean and a window with bubbles and fish and lights...he's digging it...he has been so awake lately already at 3 weeks old and has really gained some head control and I think he has been finding his way to the boob at night without waking me up cause Ive gotten so much sleep lately. what a great kid.
 
#29 ·
Hemp is a weed, it grows really well without fertilizers and pesticides in the wild. I've read that in the capital city Lhasa hemp grows wild in empty lots. I'm sure it grows wild elsewhere, too. Interestingly, hemp was illegalized after some heavy lobbying by Dow Chemical because they are the manufacturers of nylon and polyester. Too much competition in the rope business! Of course there was the Reefer Madness campaign to make it seem like marijuana makes you go crazy to give society a reason to think that hemp is bad.
On a side note, I totally understand the feeling of wanting to get your hands on that amazing fabric to make some fluff with! I waited almost three weeks for mine to get here and I only have a few yards left. I can't cut it until I decide that I really want to make something with it, don't want to waste it on something I won't love.
Andi
 
#30 ·
Hey just an FYI to those of you planning to do some sewing with hemp, it gets really, really scratchy in our FBKs hard water and can also get terribly stinky. If you use hemp fleece, sew it soft side in. That buttery soft fleecey side can very quickly turn to sandpaper if your water chemistry isn't right. Also, don't sew more than three layers together or you might end up needing to use bleach to get the stink out. This happens to me even with three layer inserts. The hemp-stink thing was never a problem for me with nb diapers but yuck, once my dd's started solids...

I'm supposed to be heading down to Kenai next week, Dh is going dip netting(?) or something like that. We're meeting some friends in Anchorage and planning on camping somewhere, I'm a bit fuzzy on the logistics. Any suggestions on must do things in the Kenai area? If the weather is really bad we'll probably just spend the week in Anchorage.

Anyone picking berries yet? I did a quick cruise around the neighborhood this weekend and got a whole cup of blueberries. DD1 hates then and gets very quickly annoyed with the whole berry picking thing, it breaks my heart. DD2 loves them though, so hopefully I'll have a future berry picking partner.
 
#31 ·
Hey FBKS mamas what do you guys think about the baby bottle in the display case over at Noel Wien Library? The theme seems to be families and pets or something like that so I'm feeling a little offended by the fact that they a displaing a baby bottle right in the middle of it.

I've just left a msg with the librarian telling her that I have a concern that I'd like to discuss. When/if she calls me back I'm thinking that I might explain to her that the formula companies and bottle manufactorers don't need the library to help them advertize their products.

UPDATE...
OK so she just called me back and gave me a url for a form to fill out...

http://library.fnsb.lib.ak.us/books/reconsider.htm

It bothered me so this is what I wrote...

Quote:
I object to the baby bottle that is prominently displayed in your display case. Display of this item communicates to the public that bottle feeding is the "norm" for feeding babies. I'm asking that you be sensitive to the fact that breastfeeding mother may view such a display as a promotion of bottle feeding over breastfeeding. For more information about how displays such as yours undermine women's efforts in breastfeeding please read the following article.

Watch Your Language!
By Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC
(Reprinted from the Journal of Human Lactation, Vol. 12, No. 1, 1996)

It's posted online here:
http://www.bobrow.net/kimberly/birth/BFLanguage.html
 
#32 ·
natashaccat,

Where are you going on the Peninsula? What type of things are you looking to do? Homer is always a great place for some good food, art, and shopping.

Going on a long walk down the Kenai beach is always nice (if you can get away from the Dip netting area). There are many pretty trails/parks/lakes to visit on the Sterling Hwy. Skilak lake area is beautiful.

Enjoy this beautiful sunny day
 
#34 ·
Anyone go to the Bear Festival? I was in ER today, but didn't see much besides a banner... is it in some special location?

that bottle thing stinks..

I saw something was going to be on teh news tonight about the Alaska extreme home.. in fact, I think I might be missing it!
 
#36 ·
omg I am so glad the forums are up again I have so many questions that I need answers to. Okay just a few but I was going insane I needed my MCD fix. A PP said something about hemp dipes and ak water. My dipes, a few hemps and several dozen organic prefolds, have become pretty rough...no hemp stink yet. I know you cant use fabric softeners on dipes and i use those dryer balls but I dont like how rough they are getting. Anyone have this problem too? What do I do? We have well water and it torture on my hair and skin, its very hard water really soapy feeling and all. I use vinegar in the rinse cycle and arm and hammer (purex is next) to pre wash and in the main wash. Its a front loader machine and I use 1/4 of the detergent recomended. Any suggestions? Okay thanks for all your input...I am off to shower and go to the farmers market...its semi nice today.
 
#38 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by alaskanteach
You know, that's funny because a few weeks ago there was a woman at Fred Meyer that told me that I should leash my children.. I only had two with me, and the littlest was 1 foot away from me..

She ALMOST ran him over with her cart, and it was all HIS fault, regardless of the fact that she had a cell phone glued to her face..

I bet she would like to nominate me... But I had some choice words for her.
Dang. That's just idiotic. My mom used a "leash" on my brother, but he was the youngest of four and he loved running into the street or hiding in the PX/Kmart clothing racks.

I have all 6 here now, and lemme tell ya, I don't take crap from anyone. I do apologize if M forgets where he is and gets in someone's way, but he's got a right to "help" Mama shop...his favorite thing at Fred's is to carry his own basket when I pick his yogurt out for him.


What do you want to bet that the woman who lectured you doesn't have kdis?

/plus w/ the cell phone glueage, she'll have brain cancer inside of five years.

love, understanding, and a little snarkiness,
penelope
 
#39 ·
Natasha, if you're talkiing about the MAIN display case (the huge one), those displays are supposed to give clues to titles of books. Last year: airplane, mouse, cat = Stewart Little.
 
#40 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by andisunshine
Yeah, really, I don't think whoever invented nursing bras with hooks and eyes ever had to actually use one!
:
I just bought a new Medela (??) bra and I LOVE it, but the claspy-thingy is funkaaay, and this comes from a woman who has been wearing nursing bras for 13.5 years!!!

I simply can't click it back together easily...it almost feels like I have to undress to re-do the bra...OTOH, it holds the boobage up something wonderful!! And feels easy to wear, which is nice.
 
#42 ·
I heard that deal or no deal is coming to town too..

hey, I am thinking of having a yard sale. Anyone want to share their experiences with these in AK? Did they go well? rained out, etc? I could take my stuff to once upon a child, but they always seem so picky- no snowsuits right now, they are out of season...
 
#43 ·
"hey, I am thinking of having a yard sale."

One whole quarter of our living room is filled with stuff to yard sale (when both Dh and I have a weekend when neither of us is on duty).

This year has been awfully rainy, but who knows, this weekend could be perfect. I'd say go for it. We have a yard sale every two years and it brings in a few hundred bucks, not bad.


Good luck!

ps if you don't know what else to do with your stuff and don't want money for it, the Women's Shelter in your area might love to have it.
 
#44 ·
I sold a lot of baby stuff one year when I was trying to pay for books for graduate school. I made quite a bit, but it was a LOT of work, and may be too hard with three little ones..

I often donate to big brothers/big sisters, ARC of Anchorage, and Catholic Social Services. I have donated to Salvation Army before in the past, but that is just a bag of things or two at a time. I am trying to unload my WHOLE HOUSE.. I need Clean Sweep.
 
#46 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by spruce
Natasha, if you're talkiing about the MAIN display case (the huge one), those displays are supposed to give clues to titles of books. Last year: airplane, mouse, cat = Stewart Little.
Yup that's the one. I dunno perhaps I'm overreacting but it just bugs me because I feel like my dds are constantly being bombarded with images and paraphenelia of bottle feeding babies. I know that the library folks did not intend to discriminate against bfing mamas but I don't like going to the library and seeing them perpetuating the norm of bottle feeding. I think that this is a huge problem in children's literature in general and our library could do a better job of unbiasing their collection to include more books with bfing babies.
 
#47 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by alaskanteach
rikiamber.. I hear ya about the hard water. I noticed it most with the sherpa dipes..

penelope- I love your snarkiness!
If you don't use pocket diapers 1/4 to 1/2 cup of calgon water softener might do the trick. It will cause pocket diapers to repel like crazy thopugh.

http://www.charliesoap.com/index.asp

For pocket diapers I've found that Charlies Soap does a pretty good job of unscratching hemp and sherpa. I alternate it with WindFresh because I get stink if I use CS every time. I think that the WS in the Charlies builds up if I use it with every wash.

There's some stuff called RLR that's a monthly de-mineral treatment but I can never get down to Walmart to see if they carry it locally. I see it FS at some of the WAHM sites too but I've never gotten desperate enough to order it. One other thing I've heard suggested is to add a tsp of CLR to the wash but I've never been brave enough to try it.
 
#48 ·
I think I will use the calgon that sounds like a great idea, if it dosent work i will try the other soaps thanks for the advice. I was getting pretty bummed about the scrachyness...even my cotton pfs are scratchy and I really need them all to be in top notch shape when I go visit my family because they give me flack about cd-ing, I want them to see how wonderful it is with no problems.
 
#50 ·
It used to be off Old Seward and Dimond but now I think it is still south anchorage, but it moved..

Ok, I checked teh phone book, it says 7770 Old Seward.. but I don't think that's right unless they have more than one location? I thought I saw it where 3 sisters used to be..

anyway, 522-9274
 
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