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I know this is a natural mommy blog, so let’s talk natural – gasoline. 

I heard our president say that the reason the economy tanked is because of bad mortgages. In my opinion, this is a bold-faced lie. The economy may have been damaged by the mortgage companies, but it was pure and simple the oil companies that put us in this position. When gas was $3 – some places $4 per gallon, prices to heat your home and business, prices of food and just about everything bought and sold skyrocketed because it cost more to get materials, more to sell materials and more to get places. It was costing people 2x as much to get to work and a can of green beans jumped $0.50 more per can. Whatever “extra” money people did have was used up to pay to get to work – not on clothes or eating out. When mortgage rates (variable) started to go up the extra money needed to pay the mortgage was already used up in paying the extra money being used to simply get to work. I don’t know about you, but i quit driving. Being a work-at-home mom, I didn’t drive much anyway, but I can tell you that our weekend trips, two and three trips to get bread and milk stopped and my husband started picking things up when he drove through town to get home. 

Anyway, so now that I have told you that I think the reason for the recession was gas, I will tell you this. I would not be surprised that the oil companies will start pushing gas prices up as soon as they can. The fact that the government seemed to stare blindly at these gas prices as working American’s struggled tells me that they turned a blind eye. 

Please check out the Picken’s Plan – a great idea to get us off of oil and use more wind and natural gas. 

Oh, All Natural Mommies is powered by wind – our hosting company uses wind power to power their servers.

All Natural Mommies has decided that we would like to pick a charity in which we will give a portion of our proceeds. We have had several brought to our attention but we want to know what YOU think is the best charity that meets the following requirements:

1. Benefits children.
2. Has a high ratio money actually going to benefit kids (i.e. 90% or more of their money needs to benefit kids and 10% goes to pay administration).
3. Is something that isn’t controversial (which is why we are looking for a new charity).

Post your thoughts here.

Whether you like them or not, you must admit that Jon & Kate have a lot going on and manage to keep it all under control. The house always looks seamlessly clean and organized and Kate is now staying home with her kids full-time (I am SURE TLC is rewarding them for having a four season run on their TV show which is allowing Kate and Jon to spend more time with their kids). Anyway, I was reading an article the other day during the one hour per month I am alone by myself with someone who is allowed to have sharp objects – my hair lady – when I began reading an article on Jon & Kate (what else is there to do under a dryer). I decided that although I love the show and it is obvious that they have been a hit on TLC it is also true that Gosselins seem to be thriving, and must have something we call all learn from them.

So, if you go to TLC and search for Jon & Kate you will end up here: http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/jon-and-kate/jon-and-kate.html

The one thing that caught my attention and interested me the most was her house, so I wanted to learn more about how she keeps it all together.

Here are Kate’s organization tips (taken from http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/jon-and-kate/kates-organization-tips.html)

Tip #1 Organize

As a mother of sextuplets and twins, one of the best methods for keeping a family organized is lists! No one has the memory of an elephant! Keep a constant running list of “To Dos” and then cross things off as they are completed! My to-do lists consists of meals for the week, which loads of laundry need to be done, and which parts of the house needs attention. Lists will keep you and your family organized.

Tip #2 Shop on a Budget

Shopping for a family of 10 means planning ahead and staying on a budget. The good news is that you can have healthy, home cooked delicious (even organic!) meals for a large family. Look for sales! Watch the sale papers and take advantage of store promotions, coupons and rainchecks. Keep a constant running list of things that are on sale and that you need at the store from week to week. This will avoid buying things that you don’t need. It’s also good to stock up on items that you use a lot of and that are on sale!

Tip #3 Prepare for Outings

Plan ahead! If outings are well thought out in advance, it will allow for a better time for all! Always take plenty of drinks, snacks, clothing and supplies. Make a mental plan of how the day will unfold and then adjust it as necessary!

Tip #4 Count Your Blessings

On days that your role as mom seems mundane and pointless and repetitive(we all have those), remember to count your blessings! Take a moment, see all that is positive in your life and the life of your children and it will give you that boost that you need!

Tip #5 Promote Safety

Talk about different scenarios and what is safe and acceptable and what is not safe and what they should not do in different situations! Remind them to come to YOU as a parent if they hear something that they don’t understand, think that is bad or don’t know what it means. You want to position yourself as their resource person to keep conversation lines open. This needs to start at a very young age.

Tip #6 Provide Order

A schedule will help everyone in the family. It removes the guesswork and a lot of frustration. It allows the things that need to get done to get done because life becomes somewhat predictable.

Tip #7 Reward Your Children

Reward them for their helpfulness and kindness—if only with your words, this will mean a lot to them. They want your approval!

Tip #8 Make Housework a Family Affair

Especially in a large family, involving all of the kids in the housework, chores, cooking, cleaning etc. This helps to provide family unity, and a sense of belonging. It also teaches kids to develop a strong work ethic. And encourage Dad to get involved—n our situation,much of what a successful mom is able to accomplish, is due to a very present and helpful dad!

Let’s all try to incorporate this into our lives and see if we can make it look this seemless. I will be back with more.

Krista