This week in review

I am starting a weekly post where I'll share interesting blog posts, news stories, and whatever else is going on in my life.

Blog posts and news of note:

• FDA Actually Taking a Stand on “Natural” Labeling?
• What does natural really mean?
• Are you being decieved by chicken labeling lies?
• Water fights
• Marketing junkfood to kids: new research
• 28 million Americans need food stamps
• USDA's new report on food availability
• An abundance of scarcity...
• 5 amazing things you can learn from a toddler
• Top 12 foods to buy organic
• Does breakfast really matter?
• Cell phones and brain tumors
• A coffee with your donut could protect against Alzheimer's disease.
  POP QUIZ: (you can put your answers in the comments if you wish)
  Does the above article say:
  a) coffee and donuts could protect against Alzheimer's
  b) coffee could protect against Alzheimer's
  c) donuts are good for you after all

Around here:

I've been reading Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the table in the land of plenty by Mark Winne. It has been a very captivating read so far, although I had to slow down this week. I am currently on the chapter where he addresses social policy and personal responsibility. It is has given me a lot more to think about regarding social policy and it is done in a way that doesn't pitch it against personal responsibility.

A sleep update... Unfortunately my youngest still wakes up at least twice at night, but it appears that if I get up earlier, I'm not as tired. I have finally started carrying my cell phone in my PJs so that I can stay track of time and use that as an alarm (instead of my kids). So far I have been less tired and have gotten a lot more accomplished. But there is still a lot to sabotage my plan (subject for another post), but this time I'm not giving up.

Oh, and my three year old has been diaper-free for a week. Even at bedtime! I thought it would never happen. So for you moms out there who think their kids will never go to the bathroom on their own, they will.

It is finally looking like spring here. For starters, we have been to the playground 3 days this week. I came across this post about how you survive Cleveland winters if you get through February. I did and even though we had a blizzard in March it was much more enjoyable because it wasn't as windy and it was not as cold. Oh, and I'm the only blogger who loves the early daylight savings time. I probably wouldn't like it if I had to be somewhere in the morning, but the brighter evenings do so much for me.

I have to figure out to what extent I'm going to garden. Although I have tried growing stuff on the porch to my former apartment, this is my first try at a real garden. I took another close look at my garden bed and what I hoped was strawberry vines may actually be something else :-(
I'm really hoping it's not poison ivy or its cousins.