This video is the coolest thing I have come across in awhile. Please check it out, and take it to heart.

That film is just one example of the organic and whole grains trends in supermarkets lately. Publix has its Greenwise sections, (even opened a Greenwise Store!), Wal-Mart joins the bandwagon last year with Organics. Wild Oats and Whole Foods stores are popping up every where (everywhere EXCEPT Lakeland, that is!!!), not to mention of course the many small independent or chain health food stores that have held their own when it wasn’t so popular to eat healthy.

going organic:

An article at realmama.org spells out exactly what ORGANIC means and why pesticides are so harmful for kids and adults. If you aren’t sure which foods are especially important to buy organic, use the following guide:

“Produce with most pesticide residue:

• apples
• bell peppers
• celery
• cherries
• imported grapes
• nectarines
• peaches
• pears
• potatoes
• red raspberries
• spinach
• strawberries

Buy organic produce for those fruits and vegetables most often eaten by your child.

Produce with least pesticide residue

• asparagus
• avocados
• bananas
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• sweet corn
• kiwis
• mangoes
• onions
• papayas
• pineapples
• sweet peas”

I’ve read that if the produce has a thick skin that you peel, its less necessary to buy organic. If you eat the skin, or if it is something grown in the ground like root vegetables, go organic. 

coffee beans: always go organic?

Here at MamaNeedJava, all roads lead to coffee. A friend of mine read in a magazine that coffee beans can be bought non-organic because the roasting process burns away the chemicals. I would still say its best to buy at least fairly-traded grounds (farmers are paid fair market wages) and beans from environmentally friendly growing practices, such as Starbucks’ Shade Grown Serena.

unrefined foods:

Um, do the words”enriched” or “bleached” sound like nutritious adjectivesto you? What’s the point of eating empty calories and leaving your body with a 10% of the nutrients and then replacing it with additives- food dye, hormones, genetic enhancers, radiation, and so on. Take in calories that are life giving instead of life depleting!

And, for goodness sake’s, don’t follow all the marketing hype by thinking that Gold Fish and Chips Ahoy “made with whole grains” is some how a truly healthy alternative to junk food. It’s still junk food. They just through some oatmeal or something into the ingredients. What’s worse, I’ve heard several moms struggling to lose baby pounds eating these types of “healthy” snack foods rather than cutting the sugar and junk and eating REAL whole grains. Sadly, most people don’t even know what whole grains are. That’s another blog for another day, but for now I’ll insert this little thinking piece from an internet article by Bonnie Liebmann for “The Whole Grain Guide“:

“If whole grains are so healthy, why do an estimated 80 percent of us eat them less than once a day? It doesn’t help that many people don’t even know what whole grains are.

1. Which breads are usually all or mostly whole grain? (a) whole wheat, (b) multi-grain, (c) rye, (d) pumpernickel

2. Which grains are whole? (a) bulgur, (b) quinoa, (c) couscous, (d) oatmeal

3. Which cereals are whole grain? (a) Total, (b) Product 19, (c) Special K, (d) corn flakes, (e)shredded wheat, (f) cream of wheat

The answers:

1. a. In theory, multi-grain, rye, and pumpernickel breads can be all or mostly whole grain. In most of the U.S. and Canada, however, only whole wheat bread is (see “The Bread & Cracker Box”).

2. b, d. Quinoa and oatmeal are whole grains. Bulgur and couscous sometimes are and sometimes aren’t.

3. a, e. Total, Product 19, and Special K have healthy reputations. Of the three, only Total is whole grain (see “Cereal Numbers”).

It’s not easy to separate the whole wheat from the refined chaff nowadays. Shoppers may understand that a refined grain has had most of its bran and germ removed (see “Meet the Kernel”).

But they may still be stumped when it comes to guessing whether, say, pearled barley is refined (yes), or if cornmeal is whole grain (rarely), or whether unbleached wheat flour is white flour (always).

“Consumers can’t figure out what’s whole grain and what isn’t,” says University of Minnesota researcher Joanne Slavin. “The bagel store sells ‘whole grain’ bagels, but are they really whole grain? It’s a big mess.’”

I’m not any kind of expert on these subjects, but I truly think its important to consider what you are putting in your body as harmful toxins that later result in all kinds of allergies, diseases or disorders. Even more so when considering your children’s health.  Say “YUCK” to MacDonald’s, Chefoyardee, Doritos, soda, candy, milk, on and on- start eating what is cultivated from good ol’ water, soil, and sun!!!

The attendance at the Polk Blogger Meet-up is probably a great sample cluster of the blogosphere; throw in some techies, a consultant, a reporter integrating blogging as a news forum, and an online operations director for the local paper- and then there’s me, representing the “mommy blog” genre rather humbly! Great conversation- what a wonderful way to collaborate, share ideas and knowledge, and just plain get to know other people who have a similar interest in blogging. As I’m sure there will be other mentions of this on their blogs, along with possible photos, I will link here when it becomes available.

If my blog starts to get a little better, you can all thank Chuck and Josh! Those guys are like a well of wisdom when it comes to that stuff, and to think, I got to sit in on it! You ever think, “Hey, I wonder what it would be like to be a fly on the wall for [such and such]“? That’s what tonight was for me. Like I got to hang out in the stall of the boys locker room and hear what they really talk about — except not exactly. Although I was the only girl!

No drinking games, and Chuck did not come in his tie-died skirt and colorful platform shoes. Good job, Chuck!

So thanks, guys! We gotta do it again sometime! Maybe even start a real meet-up?

UPDATE: Here is Chuck’s rendition. Gawd I hate candid photos- that’s me flinching oh so cooly. HERE is Billy’s “scoop”- at least there are no photos!

Lakeland Local’s Chuck, Empirical Polk’s Josh and I are going to be meeting at Starbucks at Lakeside Village on Thursday, Jan. 18th at 8:00 PM. Bloggers in Polk County welcome!

Look for The Hulk behind the laptop (that would be what is called an inside joke). If you don’t see him, look for me and my books. Maybe I’ll leave the books.

 Don’t look for this guy.

If he’s there, something has gone terribly wrong. Get back in your car.

Ok, grab some coffee. Then get back in your car. Do this quickly.

Ya’ll, I am so exausted! (and YES I say ya’ll- unlike some other Floridians I am ACTUALLY southern!)

After working about 11-12 hours total on Wednesday, I barely touched the first item on my “to-do” list for today before the hours zipped by without warning and before I knew it I was hauling off to downtown Lakeland’s annual Christmas parade. It was great weather and lots of fun, but I kept wishing I had just gotten work done instead. I am some what of a perfectionist, especially when it comes to hard work. If I feel like things are hanging over my head it is really hard to enjoy myself. This is yet another facet of “work at home” life: your work ALWAYS goes home with you! It squeezes into the five minutes Lil’ E is engrossed in “Dora the Explorer”, follows me into the bathroom while I oversee him taking a bath, and stays up late with me until wee hours of the morning while my dog snores at my feet. It is very rare to find “stopping points” or to take a breath in between projects, so there’s that constant tick in the back of my mind, always telling me to steal away another hour for some work.

There are many reasons why I put up with this, reasons which are not uncommon to any one who holds a job. First of all, I need the income. When I say that, I mean it. My money doesn’t support eating out or excessive car payments, it supports electricity! I also know that my work wanes in and out in volume. If I get no projects in January, I will be kicking myself for not taking all I could get in December to hold us over the lull. (This is why there’s no point bragging about all the hours/money I get this week, for they might be split three ways to spread into lagging weeks.) Secondly, I put up with the nagging feeling of always having more work to do because it is my job. There are a few things in life which deserve your attention. I miss lunch dates, I forget a conversation I had yesterday, I admit that. When it comes to commitments to family its a whole different matter, and to me, the same goes for work. If I say I want the work, and I tell my boss or a client I will get it done by a certain time, then gosh darn it, that’s my word on the line. I wish I were better at this in all areas of life, but some things gotta give in order to keep priorities straight. I feel badly when I have to put a friend off for hang out plans or re-schedule a million times, but then again if I hung out each week with every person who asked, I would literally be out of hours in which to do work. Lastly, I enjoy working to an extent. I would love to soley focus on personal writing, but of course THAT doesn’t pay bills, so who am I to complain that I get to keep one small foot in the door to the corporate world, to own a pair of closed toe shoes and wheel around a laptop from time to time while hoping for a small raise or promotion within the companies I do, basically, virtual or out-sourced administrative/clerical work for? All this while almost exclusively telecommuting from home, I mean, it is exactly what I desire: to be able to wake up and cuddle with my son, to be the one to prepare his meals and put him to sleep allllll day loooooong. I always felt like it was the most ridiculous thing in the world to have a child but not raise that child – ridiculous as in unnatural – to not have a parent or close family member be the sole providor for the child the family brought into the world. (Disclaimer: Of course, this is a personal conviction and one I DO NOT wish to impose on any one else!)

Long story shorter, to “squeeze” hours into my life in which I have honest to goodness “work” to do (aside from the full-time job of child rearing and home keeping) is a blessing and I have nothing to complain about. I simply wish there were more hours in the day, is that so much to ask for? Sheesh.

I know so many people feel like this. I hear every day people say how busy they are, and I can imagine! Between family, friends, holidays, work, church activities, physical exercise, meal planning, house cleaning, bill paying, pet responsibilities, travel plans, college classes – how are we even meant to have time for it all? I recall a time when, after just having the baby, my to-do list for the day was literally one or two points long: “Sweep and check the mail.” Seriously. The rest of my brain was taken up with memorizing when to nurse, when to diaper, when to bathe (MYSELF!), and how in hades to get myself and the baby dressed and ready to get out of the house on time for a doctor’s appointment!!!

It’s amazing how quickly we fill up our schedules again and complicate life with more DOING after brief pauses such as births, wedding, deaths, natural disasters or vacations.

Currently, my alarm clock is scheduled for 6 hours from now, so I can go meet up with some great ladies in my church and get “discipled by grace” (aka bible study, which I actually am “leading” tomorrow so I can’t skip this time!). I plan to stop at Starbucks on the way and suck down a triple tall cap for liquid energy. I have spent 15 minutes trying to work and re-work my agenda for the day to include all that needs to be done, but I finally gave up and will just have to trust that I will do my best and if things don’t get finished the sun will still come up on Saturday.

G’night! 

I finally joined a playgroup, or rather, a Stay at Home Moms Meetup. I went to my first “event” last night, which was a “coffee break” at Starbucks (yeah, you know why I joined this group! My motives are revealed!). No, but really, it was interesting. Of course, I gave both of my new mommy friends my blog address, so I can’t say anything bad about them, HA! I wish there was something to say, it might make this little post a lot juicier, but in reality they were both very friendly, welcoming gals. I, on the otherhand, am convinced that I am socially inept. And I don’t think I can spell because that word looks wrong.

Here’s me all last night:

ME (uneasy stare out the window rather than at some one’s face): “Soooo,… what do your husband’s do?”

I MEAN, DID I ACTUALLY ASK THAT!?? I know, I know, it’s as though I’ve read the manuals on making mommy friends and was on step 4 or something. (Seriously though, does anyone have such a manual? How much you want for it?)

Among my list of mommy friend manual questions: “How long have you lived here?” “How many kids do you have?” OH, I am SO cliche.

I’m ashamed to admit that just days into membership, I have already extended an RSVP to “craft day”, to which I cancelled in the same day when I realized how much work I have to get done tomorrow!

I wonder if mommy groups have some sort of sorority hazing practices or something… like perhaps to be in the group you have to host a tupperware party or wear a Christmas vest or something. Gawd, I hope not! I’d rather we all just have to fart in front of eachother- express membership for me!

Based on some feedback I’ve recieved on the msn article on a Starbucks on every corner, I thought it might be enlightening to share a little more about my thoughts on the coffee giant.

I’m not a complete expert on the subject, but I do like to call myself some what of a coffee shop guru. I have worked at mom and pop shops, as well as large chains, including Starbucks, as a barista (fancy term for the coffee bartender) for about 7 years. Though I believe that the local individually owned shops are charming, unique and personal, I think Starbucks deserves a full profile before we throw it in with MacDonald’s.

Since Starbucks’ humble beginnings on Pike’s Place Market in Seattle in 1971, Starbucks has, according to Fortune magazine, “changed everything … from our tastes to our language to the face of Main Street.” Starbucks has certianly taken its place in corporate America’s “big business”: the store boasts over 8,000 stores world wide, with  an average of 25 new locations every week. Don’t forget that these figures do NOT include locations such as Barnes and Nobles or Target, which proudly SERVE Starbucks coffee. According to Business Week, Starbucks averages 30 million customers a week!

So what do I make of this companies record growth and sustainability? As a patron and past employee, I have a perspective that would argue against all those who view it as the evil empire, trampling all the local shops and displaying its green and white siren logo as the very symbol of big business.

Why is Starbucks in a different league than MacDonalds? They have a practice of legendary service, of going above and beyond the customers basic need for java in order to provide meaningful experiences that enrich their daily lives. Employees are rewarded and encouraged for focusing on the people, not the sales. Cards that read, “Exceed expectations. Look for ways, both big and small, to let customers know they are valued” and “Make a friend. Make a difference. Make someone’s day” are passed around employees pockets and pinned to employee bulletin boards to remind them that thier job goes beyond espresso, milk and syrup. The motto, “develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all the time” resonates in thier minds. They ask for the names of customers when taking drink orders, not just to label the mug, but to label the face. Often repeat customers find that their name and drink are memorized within a few subsequent visits.

When was the last time MacDonald’s new YOUR name and order?

Starbucks as a corporation also stands apart because of the emphasis they put on giving back to the community. Through programs like The Starbucks Foundation, Make Your Mark program, Urban Coffee Opportunities and annual Holiday Angels Joy Drive, Starbucks rigorously seeks to employ a standard of corporate social responsibility. They take part in environmentally sound practices like the eco-friendly coffee growing techniques and “Fairly Traded Coffee”, as well as little things such as recycling all used coffee grounds and bagging them up for free for customers to take and fertilize their garden with. Businessethics.com said this about the company:

The company’s presence in 33 international markets has sometimes made it an easy target for anti-globalization activists. Yet Starbucks is winning kudoes from those in the know for its treatment of coffee farmers, commitment to its nearly 75,000 employees [this number has since been blown away], and the diversity of communities where it conducts business. Starbucks can be looked to as a model of how to institutional social values in a company.

Going one step further, not only would I toot Starbucks’ horn any day of the week, I would also like to point out that with a little research, it is not hard to find studies that reflect the BENEFITS Starbucks has to the local coffee shop market. By educationing customers on their drinks and setting a standard of quality across the board, local communities become increasingly interested in the coffee shop scene, which expands to increased business for mom and pop as well!

And one last thought: If you think there is no difference between Folgers and Starbucks coffee, you are brewing your coffee wrong and wasting precious java moments on less than par counterfeits! Do yourself a favor: on your Christmas list this year, add a coffee grinder and a French Press coffee maker, along with a bag of Starbucks coffee (try Verona, my personal fav). Follow directions and sip down that quality caffiene!

Just a little word from your friendly neighborhood mama.

Recent MSN article. What do you think? Personally, I LOVE having three Starbucks locations within 3 miles of me! (Is it just me?)

Hey everyone! Head over to the new Mama Need Java message board. There we can have ongoing discussions about current blog posts, as well as main topics of Mama Need Java. Do not let this coooooool feature pass you by! If you want to become a moderator, let me know.

It’s really not that hard.

Some of my favorite things to do while living in Lakeland:

1. Well, I like to shop, and I really like to shop for food. Try Strawberry Palace produce stand off South Florida Ave., Gourmet Country in Merchants Walk Plaza, the Lake Miriam Publix, or travel to Tampa for Wild Oats Markets.

2. Outdoors: The weather is FINALLY letting up, as our 8 month summer comes to an end. Step outside, you just might smell cinnamon in the air. Lake Hollingsworth- if you want to commit to the 3 miles. Stroll downtown- include Lake Mirror, Barnett Family Park, and Hollis Gardens in your walk. Lake Morton is looking a little better these days, and as a plus for parents, the children’s section of the Lakeland Public Library is slowly being put back together (yes, that’s indoors, but you can feed the birds at the lake when you get out!) Also, take a walk in your neighborhood- unless you live in the Combee area!- or try the boardwalk/nature trail at Peterson Park for some quiet time.

3. Great days in Lakeland wouldn’t be complete without goooood coffee. Starbucks coffee far outweighs the local coffee scene, sorry. It’s brewed darker, fresher, and just plain better. For specialty espresso drinks (for the java illiterate, that means lattes, caps, misto/ a lait’s, mochas, machiatto’s, etc.) stick with the wonderful siren logo as well; Starbucks just does a better job with consistency of recipes, temperatures, and quality of the espresso shot itself (blame that on the equipment). However, skip the frapps if you want a blender drink: Mitchell’s Coffee House has got some Frozen Mochas that really hit the spot. Made with powder mix of espresso and chocolate, the outcome is generally smoother, less syrupy sweet.

4. Pizza and other “joints”: Pizza Palace (downtown and off S. Fl) is great, and so is the pizza place in the new Lakeside Plaza next to the movies. YUM! Sandwhiches: try Purple Onion’s french dip or cuban, or Mitchell’s Coffee House lunches M-F from 11-2. Panera Bread is a decent choice for baked goods, sandwiches, etc – esp. the broccoli chedder soup. On weekend, enjoy 2 for $2 all beef Nathan’s hot dogs at the twisty treat/ Nathan’s place off S. Florida in downtown area. I wish I could refer you to nicer dinner choices but we are too poor for that. I recall Gosh (sushi bar), Cafe Panino, and Carabba’s being my favorite before my son came along!

5. After all your shopping for food, eating, drinking coffee, and then working it all off at the parks, remember to find a place to cuddle up with a good book. While Barnes n Nobles and Books A Million offer a large variety of books that you can take with you to your seat and never put back on the shelf, I like to find little nooks of reading space. Munn Park’s benches are nice, or the large steps surrounding Lake Mirror. Starbucks’ make good reading spots, so long as it isn’t their rush hour. I used to read on SEU’s campus but I don’t think alumni’s should sit around at their old schools.

6. Wines- I was told today by an unnamed employee at an unnamed chain wine store that their prices are too high and the quality ain’t that fabulous. He or she suggested I just go to Tim’s. Tim’s Wine Market is my favorite, and I don’t think its JUST because my brother-in-law works there, but more that he hasn’t brought me a wine I didn’t like. In comparison, the other unnamed place has given me four tastings and four purchases, and only once did I get a taste of something I liked, (and even then, the sales associate convinced me to buy something else, which I hated when I tried it at home and dumped it out.)

7. Art: I don’t get around to this much, and I really should. But a great day needs some art so here goes: Lakeland has a unique mix of artists, we are really quite rich in creativity. Just look at the pieces hanging on the walls of the downtown coffee shops. For some creative inspiration, Polk Art Museum is an obvious choice. Or make your own at one of the many pottery places, (my favorites are Pottery on the Park or Picasso’s Cup). The local colleges, even PCC, offers art events through out the year, and the annual Platform Florida is a fun event too.

8. Churches: A great day in Lakeland might, for me, include church in some factor, especially because faith plays a major role in my having a great day. Church and I have a love-hate relationship. I’ve tried many protestant churches in Lakeland and I’m just going to lay it out there: The bigger ones like Victory, Family Worship, and Without Walls turned me off by the hyper emotional mix of spiritual gifts and flaunting materialism. Some smaller baptist churches were just way too, how should I say it, ostrich with its head stuck in the sand? Bigger baptist church was great structurally, had much too offer (FBC at the Mall), but the quirky pastor with his wanna-be-mullet, constant smirk, and sermon’s made of nothing but acronym’s were too much. Others were extremely closed off, fake, or greedy, the unfortunate imperfection of churches and my own judgemental sin made it impossible for me to deal with. My family and I have been going to and getting involved in Trinity Presbyterian, because despite the whole predestination thing, the community is one of the most real, gutsy, loving, selfless, Jesus-focused I’ve ever been around. Also worth noting is Oasis Community Church- visited a few times and here of great things happening there.

9. Music: A great day needs great music. Whether you own an iPod or you can just listen in the car with the windows down, (or maybe you are one of the few people who keep the tv OFF and listen to music still- like, “what’s that in the corner over there, honey, a stereo? Gosh, I forgot all about THAT!”) My favorites go all over the spectrum, so I’ll limit to my recent music binges; Ella Fitzgerald- the swing stuff, not the ballads, John Williams and the Boston Pop Orchestra with their CD Joy to the World -hey, its as close as I got to the entire Home Alone soundtrack, Jimmy Needham- oh, so good, and as always, Nicole Nordeman. Diana Krall makes for some good times too.

10. Friends and family in Lakeland- though we fight all the time, and you all get super annoyed with me constantly (trust me, it works both ways!), a good day usually gets boring if I am going it alone! Hubby- in your good moods, you are truly the best friend a wife could have!; baby E-man- I’d take you any where and I never leave you with a sitter because YOU ARE SO MUCH FUN!; Nanny/canine woman- damn, why do we keep hanging out and leaving all other responsibilities behind- probably because we LIKE each other!; neighbors/relatives R and R; you guys are the best, you make me laugh, how R-female goes on and on, especially if she drank too much, and R-male loves to talk about anything and everything he thinks he is an expert on!; Kitchen Designer- when you are happy, every one knows it! You laugh loud and strong- its so good to hear. Keep ya head up!, and Mec- who probably never ever reads this because she is busy chasin around two little ones all day, you are the kind soul that I aspire to be!

That’s the ten ways I have a great day in Lakeland. How do you?

Tonight I’m all about black coffee, as I awoke about 12:30 in the afternoon today and our AC is frozen up. So at the moment I am hot and sleepy and my left eye won’t stop twitching.

On a different note, reflect on this: the Greek root of “to believe” means “to give one’s heart to”. That sure puts a different connotation in the mind with regards to words like “belief”, “religion” and “faith”. To believe is not like joining a political party or taking a pledge, its about the heart, and more specifically, the giving of the heart over to what it is, or WHO, the belief is in.

The tricky thing is that I give my heart over to all sorts of things. In the last week I have given my heart to: money (or lack thereof), my home, the idea of acceptance, new clothes, my son, my husband, my writing, my TV shows, and the list continues. See, just because I wasn’t giving my heart to Jesus doesn’t mean my heart wasn’t being given. That’s impossible. Even if you aren’t giving your heart outwardly to others or to God, you are in reality just devoting your heart to yourself – your career, your car, your looks, whatever it might be.

So how do I give my heart to God? How do I continue to place my desires, my devotion, my fears and limitations, and my genuine belief in His hands? It could quite possibly be as simple as talking to Him about it. Novel idea, huh?

So with that, I need to say farewell, because this mama needs some time to give her heart away to the right Thing before getting to “work” for the night, black coffee in tow.