25 Things you can do TODAY to be Energy Efficient

1. Set fridge between 37 and 40 degrees and the freezer at 0
2. check the rubber seal on the door
3. clean the coils or filters of the fridge.
4. set the water heater to 120 degrees
5. set the water heater on a timer
6. wrap the water heater in an insulation blanket
7. wrap the water heater pipes
8. fix burned out oven coils
9. match pot size to burner size and keep the lid on it
10. use the microwave, toaster oven or a crock pot
11. do not preheat the oven unless baking
12. turn the water off when brushing teeth
13. check sinks and pipes for leaks
14. take shorter showers
15. install low flow shower heads
16. use insulated curtains or dark colors
17. use compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs or LED bulbs
18. use power strip to eliminate energy hogs
19. wash full load of clothes in cold water
20. set correct water level on washer
21. hang clothes instead of using a dryer
22. activate "sleep" features on printers and office equipment
23. use motion detecting switches on outdoor lighting
24. use ceiling fans instead of air conditioner
25. water in the early morning or evening

Field Trip to Pu'ukohola Heiau

Today the boys' preschool took a field trip to Pu'ukohola Heiau, which we have been to before.  In fact, we have gone many times to enjoy the wonder of Whale Hill (name translation) at Kawaihae.  It is, after all, part of the National Park Service, which appeals to my inner nerd.

Puukohola was built in 1790 by Kamehameha I (before he set out to conquer and unite all the Hawaiian Islands) as a gesture to the war god Ku.  The restoration work that has been done on this site is nothing short of incredible.  All the rock walls have been restored using traditional method (no mortar) and if you have ever been to any other heiau, you know that most of them are just sparse rock piles out in a field.  This is like the Yorktown of Hawaiian temples!  

The boys had fun, although Koa wasn't exactly being cooperative about walking or sitting in his stroller.  And it was hot as Hades.  I always complain about it being freezing in Waimea...until we go down to the coast and I'm hot/sticky/sweaty.  Ugh.  Anyway, there is an underwater heiau called Hale o Kapuni, which is dedicated to the shark gods and we saw a few shark fins swimming around in the bay.  Its also whale season so we got a great view of humpback whales breaching (and some mean waves/people surfing)

They were showing a History Channel video about Hawaiian warriors and Ikaika thought that was super cool.  Opa had actually taped that exact episode and I thought we had all watched it together, but apparently Ikaika was asleep.  I'll have to see if I still have the tape and maybe we will watch it tonight. 

Here's Ikaika just bein' silly.  Crazy kid. 

Waking Up

I am a heavy sleeper.  Once I'm asleep, you could drive a Mack Truck through the room and I wouldn't stir.  Needless to say, I am not a morning person.

Alas, people need routine.  Sleeping in until 10 on the weekends, however grateful I may be for the opportunity, is extremely unhealthy considering I wake up on the weekdays before 8am.  Some nights I will go to sleep after midnight and some nights we are in bed before 10.  Maybe that's why my body is so tired all the time.

I was telling Mr A last night that I need to pick a sleeping routine and stick to it.  Ideally, I would like to wake up around 6am because that gives me time to write or run before the kids wake up (and once they are in school, they will need to be awake by 7am).  That would put me in bed around 930/10pm, which gives me time to unwind and fall asleep...or whatever *wink wink*.

No need to be so ambitious right away.  Besides, I close shop 3 nights a week, which sometimes puts me at work until 11pm.  For right now, I am going to shoot for awake at 7am, in bed by 1030pm.

The goal is to be doing that 7 days a week, not just on the weekdays.  This would not only help regulate my sleeping (giving me more energy), it would also make the transition to Ikaika going to school less stressful, going to Sunday morning church service a possibility, and eating breakfast with my husband during the week a reality.  Healthier, happier, less sleepy, more productive.    

Koa's Baptism

Earlier this month, during my family's yearly visit to Hawaii, we had my youngest son baptized at the Catholic church. It was the epitome of “low-key”. We didn't send out invitations or take group pictures. Koa wore jeans, the godmother wore flip-flops and a hoodie. His baptism was followed by a typical Sunday at the beach.

However, far from being perfunctory, Koa's baptism was an incredibly profound moment in our life as a family. The sacraments (baptism, marriage, anointing of the sick, etc) are defined in the Catholic church as times when we actively receive God's grace. I think these are also times when we experience “spiritual intimacy”; when we are drawn closer to each other by being closer to the Lord


I hardly remember my own baptism (I was 2), but as an adult I made the decision to get married in the Catholic church. Standing in front of the Church before God, our friends and family, we exchanged vows to love each other completely and “become one flesh”.  We welcomed Jesus into our marriage.

Standing up next to the baptismal font, I took hold of my husband's hand and smiled. Here we were again, before God and our family, living our life as one flesh. We were committing ourselves to our son, being stewards of God's gifts to us.  We now welcomed Jesus into our life as parents.  I felt the same rush of love and grace that I felt standing on the alter with him 5 years prior.  

I'm not trying to give Koa the golden ticket to Heaven. I'm not even guaranteeing that he will be Catholic as an adult. Through his baptism, my husband and I are welcoming Koa into our family, symbolically making him a part of the larger community of faith, and publicly acknowledging (along with my sisters and my husband's cousin) that it is our responsibility to teach him about God.

Just as my husband and I once stood in front of the Church and made these promises to each other, now we stand and make these promises to our children. Even though Koa's baptism was “low-key”, it was a rare moment in a busy, modern life. It was a moment of quiet spiritual intimacy, where we were drawn closer together as a family and closer to our Creator. 

Bathroom Essentials vs Clutter

In my never-ending quest for frugality, I seem to have forgotten that saving 50 cents on stuff I don't actually need is, in fact, wasteful (read: NOT frugal).  Also, this accumulation leads to a bathroom cupboard full of trial sizes and half-full bottles that seem to remain there for years. 

I was pawing around my bathroom yesterday trying to figure out just what I would define as an essential and then emotionally eliminate the need for all the other junk. 

Just eyeballing this picture, I can tell you that about half the things in this cabinet will not need to be replaced once they have been used up.   (and a fourth of these things have been in my possession for over 2 years)

Moving on to the bathroom closet and, sadly, its not much better on the other side of the room.  This closet is full of hair products I never use and a plethora of lotions that have been hanging around since the dawn of time.  To illustrate this point, allow me to point out the EIGHT (8!) bottles of sunscreen.  Some have maybe 4 applications left in them, yet they remain in this closet and new ones keep showing up.  The very definition of clutter.

SOLUTION

I came up with a list of the things I consider "essentials" (disposable/consumable items that, once they run out, need to be replaced).  I will keep this on-going inventory and try my best not to introduce anything new until the original product has completely run out.  Then I need to let go of my perceived need of all the other crap.  Last night I even used up some samples Ive had lurking around. 

Of course, "essentials" is such a relative term, the list will look different for everyone.  But, for the sake of this post, I'm sharing mine.

• toilet paper
• shampoo
• conditioner
• soap
• facewash (debatable - this could be combined with 'soap' depending on what kind of bar I'm buying)
• face lotion (night)
• face lotion with SPF (day)
• body lotion
• sunscreen
• toothpaste
• mouthwash
• kids shampoo/body wash
• clay (for masks)
• eye drops
• analgesic balm
• first aid kit (bandages)
• floss
• Q-tips
• hydrogen peroxide

Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

I was poking around over at The Non-Consumer Advocate and came across this post idea.  Enjoy!

Yesterday
The morning was spent walking with the boys around town completing a long list of chores (bank, post office, another bank, grocery store, library, etc) - our first outing with the stroller since the weather has changed for the beautiful.  Then I worked (bar side!).  After work I played Hawaiian scrabble with Mr A.

Today
I took the boys to Tutu & Me Preschool, again walking with the stroller.  Now I am going to catch up on some reading and hopefully get a quick run in before we hit the HPA basketball game tonight.

Tomorrow
MOPS in the morning and then writing in the afternoon.  Get my coupons and shopping lists ready for our next trip to Kona.  Probably rent a movie (I'm thinking The Help)

No Love for Facebook

Facebook = Giant Time Suck.

About a month ago, I officially deleted my Facebook account. 

The reasoning behind this was simple.  That book I read about branding and marketing made me realize that the people behind Facebook already knew I was addicted and were now trying to find ways to keep me on there longer in order to show me more advertisements.  (BOO!)  Even though I was keeping up with friends across the world via the miracle of modern technology, I was also sacrificing real connections in lieu of status updates.  (DOUBLE BOO!)  The worst was when I noticed that I was ignoring my kids saying "mommy, come read to me, play with me" because I was checking Facebook...again... (SUPER BOO!)

The fact is, I loaded my plate this year.  Besides my New Year Resolutions and my To-Do List, I also have both my husband's and my children's commitments to honor and support.  Phew!  I can't be doing all that PLUS managing my life if I am constantly distracted and wasting precious hours here and there living in the fantasy world of Facebook.

It's a time suck and I don't need it. Besides, I have this blog to satisfy my need for online narcissism.