More Environmentally Friendly Grocery Shopping With Bulk App

I constantly go back and forth on committing to being more environmentally friendly in my daily life, because while it's absolutely the right thing to do, it's also kind of time-consuming and infuriating at times. We recycle, reduce, and reuse as much as possible. Yesterday we cleaned out the garage and took out a whole bunch of cardboard to a recycling center; I took some dead batteries to the local Home Depot, which was one of the only places I was aware of that would accept non-rechargeable batteries for recycling. 

Did you know that the air packaging that comes in Amazon.com boxes cannot just be tossed into the curbside recycling bin? You actually have to take it to a grocery store with a recycling bin specifically for plastic bags. I dropped it off at the local Ralph's, but I felt a bit uneasy about it since it was shoved to the side, behind a sign, overflowing, with little text about what it does and doesn't accept. 

It's one of the reasons why I am conflicted about being more environmentally friendly. If retailers and lawmakers don't actually make it easier to recycle things, then things don't get recycled. I mean, how many people are actually going to read the packaging labels on various Honest Tea pouches that say you have to go set up a separate box in your kids' classrooms for recycling that you then have to package off and ship, when most of your recycling could just go into the bin at home or at school that gets picked up by the city? Almost none. 

Enough about that. Anyway, I just started using Bulk, an app created by Zero Waste Home, which is a blog dedicated to going even further than "reduce, reuse, recycle", and has as its mantra "refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, rot". In this app, they have created a community resource that lists any stores that provide bulk bins, and allows users to submit stores, indicate what bulk goods they sell, and whether they accept reusable containers, as opposed to just using the flimsy plastic produce bags in the store (which I confess I still do, but it's probably time to make a change). 

The app is very attractive looking, and very basic at this point. I registered in order to add new stores, rate items, and bookmark locations. 

For the bulk selections, you can rate the stores on the various offerings, and what sort of items they have on sale such as baking supplies, alcohol, grains, etc. In this screenshot, I rated our local Sprouts, which offers quite a variety of bulk goods the last time I checked. I actually think as a result of checking out the bulk bin more thoroughly, I'm going to drop a few things from our Target list, such as sugar, brown sugar, flour, etc, since ounce for ounce, it will be cheaper getting it from Sprouts. One of the things that I didn't capture in the screenshot was that it asks whether the store accepts reusable containers or not. Some stores do, other stores don't. I think a great thing to add would be to ask whether the store also provides a discount for using reusable bags/containers. Sprouts will give you a five cent discount for every reusable bag you bring. 

I added a Ralph's location to the app, since it wasn't listed, and it was pretty easy to do. The only part where I messed up was when I left off a period for the Ralph's website, but then again, it was also pretty easy to send an email indicating I erred. 

The 2013 Guide To The Checkpoints App

People still search on the old Checkpoints guide that I wrote a few years back. Checkpoints has since changed quite a bit, but the overall premise is still the same: scan items, check into places, and do other things via the app in exchange for coins and points. The coins can be used to play in-app games to earn more points. The points can be exchanged for gift cards from places like Amazon.com, Macy's, Target, and more.

What has changed:

• There are fewer points and coins being assigned to each store and item. In most stores, you can earn coins with specific items, and the point spread you can earn is between five to thirty or forty points. Sometimes if there is a specific ad campaign going on, you can earn even more points. 
• The app opens with the following screen below, which tells you the "Scan Of The Day", and other ways to earn points on the app. 

• In the previous guide, I mentioned a bunch of cheats where you could gain extra points and coins by scanning the same item multiple times or checking into multiple locations at the same area. You should know that this is against Checkpoints' terms of use, and if caught, could lead to getting your account banned from the app. Before you get banned, though, you will get a warning, and have to agree to use the app as it was intended. You still get to keep the points you already earned.

• I didn't find this out until recently, but you can register your airline rewards cards to earn extra miles. Registering your Alaska Airlines miles account nets you 1000 airline miles, while the other airline loyalty programs will net you 500 miles or points. Just add your airline loyalty membership card number 

• The fastest way to earn points, which I haven't really done, is to refer people for points. The new rules allow you to earn up to 7500 points for every friend you refer. What happens is that you earn the points that your friends earn for the next two weeks. (As noted in the screenshot below, my bonus code is "cheekyang".)

Other miscellaneous notes:

• Scan At Home no longer exists. You can no longer scan items from the comfort of your own home, unless you live right above a grocery store. 
• Whereas before there was a two-minute delay before you could scan stuff in a different store, or check into a different location, now there is at least a five-minute delay before you can scan new items in a different store. 
• You can now earn points by signing into Checkpoints.com online and completing offers, such as watching videos, registering for different sites, or answering questions or surveys. I do not recommend signing up for different sites - some of them require money upfront or later, and some of them end up deluging your email inbox with spam. The surveys are not worth the time investment, as you have to answer a few questions to qualify, and most of the time you spend five minutes answering questions only to find out that you don't qualify. I wish they would screen these better. 
• Installing apps no longer seems to net you any coins. Instead you get points for every app you download. Some of the apps will require you to complete a task before you can earn any points.

• If you decide to install the Checkpoints toolbar, you can earn points from doing your searches through Yahoo! and shop via your account to earn extra points when you buy things online. For example, shopping at Barnes & Noble will net you three points for every dollar you spend. There is a daily limit to the number of searches you can do via the Checkpoints toolbar. It appears to be seven searches, according to my history. That's kind of low if you ask me. Make it at least ten searches!

• To check the history of your scans and points, log in on Checkpoints.com. From there, you can check your history, collect points by completing tasks like watching videos or completing surveys, and checking your history by clicking on "My History". 

"Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow" - Sir Ian McKellan & Patrick Stewart's Interpretations Of Macbeth

While searching for "Patrick Stewart reading Shakespeare", I came across the following video of Patrick Stewart as Macbeth and the famous "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" soliloquy. This particular version appears to be a modern version with the original lines intact, and the atmosphere created is a menacing, dark one.




Patrick Stewart talks a little bit about the soliloquy, and how Sir Ian McKellan gave him a bit of advice on how to do it. "The important word in the tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow is the word 'and'." And that was the key for him. The NYT review of the Macbeth interpretation is very positive. Apparently you can watch the whole thing on the PBS website for free.



It's a bit jarring to see a young Sir Ian McKellan doing the same soliloquy. This is a more classic interpretation of the play. They both give pretty riveting performances, and I can't decide which version I like better. (Though it's not like I have to choose.)



Below, Sir Ian McKellan does a brilliant explication of the soliloquy, expanding on each word, and what's going through his mind as he interprets the work. If you look closely, Patrick Stewart is in the background. Kids, if you are doing your English homework on Macbeth, you should pay close attention to what he says.

Spontaneity Is The Spice Of Life

• The Psychology Of Giant Princess Eyes: Brenda Chapman, the creator and co-director of the 2012 Pixar movie Brave, said she came under fire for attempting to make certain characters more realistic-looking. “At one point they thought I was making the mom too big, her bum too big,” she told Time. “And that was frustrating for me because I wanted her to feel like a real middle aged woman.” 
• Which America Do You Live In? - 21 Hard To Believe Facts About 'Wealthy America' And 'Poor America': In millions of families, both the husband and the wife work multiple jobs and it is still not enough. (Caveat: Don't read the comments.)
• Chinese labor camp inmate tells of true horror of Halloween 'SOS'. 

Calabasas Farmers Market Favorites

I try to go to the Calabasas Farmers Market every Saturday with my daughter. I love getting her fruit samples, and trying out new foods. Lately, I've discovered a few things that I intend to purchase regularly. 

• Mills + Company Meats makes delicious homemade charcuterie. I tried to sample everything while I was there, and I was partial to the chicken liver mousse (and I HATE liver), and pork pate. They also have a housemade mustard, as well as pickled fruits and veggies. Every week they run a special, and unfortunately last week I missed out on the pork rillete. I picked up a pork pate jar for $10, which is a few bucks cheaper than what you can get for it online at goodeggs.com. 
• Cappy's Dry Rub is a delicious spice mixture that we use on our grilled meats. It works well on anything - chicken, beef, or pork. There are three blends - original, hot, or salt-free. The salt-free one works really well, because it allows you to control the amount of salt. Last week I saw that they also had a blend that was created specifically for fruits and vegetables. It tasted awesome. 

Everything You Need To Know About Target's Cartwheel App

It is no secret that I love Target - I have written many articles detailing the different ways you can save money there. But what really got me to make Target a permanent part of my actual shopping was their new app, Target Cartwheel, which is shockingly underused, considering how awesome it is, especially with the latest update.

Although Cartwheel is available on both Android and iOS, you don't necessarily need a smartphone or tablet to use it. You can also go directly to http://cartwheel.target.com and log in using your Facebook account.

The whole point of Cartwheel is to add items that you want to buy to your "cartwheel" that you want to save money on. Depending on the item, you can save anywhere from five to thirty percent. You can add up to seventeen items to your cartwheel to use at one time. The best deals usually are for Target's generic brands, such as Up & Up, Simply Balanced, Market Pantry, or Archer Farms.

When you are finished selecting all your items, click on the redeem in store button on the top right corner. You can then print out your Cartwheel-specific bar code, along with the list of items you want to buy. The list includes the item, the amount of, the number of items you can buy per offer, and the offer expiration date. Once you've found all your items, you can show the list to the cashier, and the cashier will scan the bar code to give you the discount.

Of course, if you know how to stack your coupons and various Target-related discounts, you can save even more on your purchases. Here are some good tricks I discovered since I've started using the app:

• The latest update allows you to use your phone's camera to scan items in the store or at home. Once the item is scanned, then the Cartwheel app searches its database for a match, and if there is a match, you have the option of adding it to your Cartwheel. This feature is perfect for last-minute purchases. 
• Stack your coupons. Target allows you to stack Cartwheel savings with one Target coupon, plus one manufacturer coupon per item. Target coupons can be found at http://coupons.target.com, and manufacturer coupons can be found at sites like Coupons.com, or SmartSource. In order to print the coupons, though, you will need to install the printer apps from the websites. The printer app tracks how many coupons you've printed, as some coupons have limits. 
• Additional savings can be had when you bring in your reusable tote bags and use your Target Red Card. For every tote bag you bring in to hold your groceries, you get a five cent discount. Many cashiers often forget, so remind them if they don't give you the discount. Your Target Red Card will net you 5% off every purchase.
• You can only use one Cartwheel barcode per transaction, but you can do up to six Cartwheel transactions a day. 
• You are limited to seventeen items per Cartwheel. If you try to add more items than allowed, you will be asked to remove an item before adding new ones. 

Chinese Politics

Chinese debate Middle East crises and draw parallels to their own country. 

Hackers put up anti-Chinese Communist party mooncakes on government site.

How to handle a Chinese government raid.

Chinese bloggers try to "un-verify" social media accounts to protect themselves.

Charles Xue, Chinese American billionaire investor, goes on CCTV to criticize himself.   

China detains activist billionaire Wong Gongquan on suspicion of "gathering crowds to disturb social order.

How to block a surveillance camera by Ai Weiwei.  

The rise of the nu han zi or manly women in China. AKA tomboys. 

Worth Reading/Watching

Hello, Tailor Spring 2014 Fashion Post

The Surprising Science Behind Napping

Roy Choi's Los Angeles Restaurants

There is Amazon Instant Video for iOS BUT NO LOVE FOR ANDROID???

There's No Excuse For Misogyny In Space - This article is about Riddick and its terrible treatment of Katee Sackhoff's character.

Which brought to mind, Hello, Tailor's review of Dredd, in which she calls it a great chick flick. After reading her endorsement, I watched it on Amazon Prime. It was pretty satisfying on several different levels - it wasn't overly complicated, there was zero angst, and all of the main characters were slowly fleshed out, especially the women. Lena Headey was pretty amazing as Ma-Ma, the scary drug kingpin of the Peach Tree block. Olivia Thirlby plays a rookie with psychic powers, and you can see her slowly growing into her role.

Much better than a bunch of lesbo and rape jokes that centered around Sackhoff's character.

Worth Reading/Watching

8 Reasons People Of Color Must Rally For White History Month

How Can I Eat Well While Working From Home?




Netflix wants to know what shows you're pirating.

Everyday sexism at the Art Institute of Chicago.

W. Kamau Bell Is Trying To Become A Thing

Field Negro Guide To Arts & Culture w/Vernon Reid & Kamau Bell - podcast, also available on iTunes.

Jaden Smith said something stupid on Twitter today, which reminded me of Key & Peele's sketch about him:



Jaden's Mythology from Peter Atencio on Vimeo.

5 Good Sushi Restaurants In The San Fernando Valley

Today, I came across kevinEats' post on Go's Mart, an obscure sushi joint in San Fernando Valley, and it reminded me that there are quite a few good sushi joints in San Fernando Valley. Most of them never make the local media's "Best Sushi In The Valley" lists because apparently L.A. writers don't like to venture further than Northridge for their food. It makes finding recommendations around where I live pretty difficult.

Here are a few places that we've really enjoyed:

• Brothers Sushi: A tiny restaurant in a non-descript strip mall on Ventura Blvd. The service is friendly, the food is good, and there's quite a number of rolls that are interesting and delicious. We especially like the spicy tuna rice cakes, and the kerry roll is pretty good, and the salmon nigiri is always yummy. A warning: I am pretty sensitive to albacore tuna, and whenever I eat it here, it does terrible things to my stomach. I would skip it if you are sensitive. 
• Little Brother's Sushi: If you can't make it to Brothers, this is a good alternative, though I think this one is more popular. It's also on Ventura Blvd, a further bit down. They have almost the same menu. 
• Shibuya: This place is across from Calabasas Commons. It gets crowded pretty fast, and for good reason. It has some great rolls, the nigiri is fresh, and we especially loved their rock shrimp tempura. (It's not always available, so you have to ask for it.)
• SUGARFISH by Sushi Nozawa: This restaurant just opened at The Commons, so we haven't had a chance to try it yet. We have tried the one in the Santa Monica location, and it's fantastic. This restaurant is a bit more refined than your normal neighborhood sushi joint, and they offer a tasting menu. It's not for those on a budget. 
• SushiEx: Budgeters should go here. This is a little mom & pop place on Vanowen in a tiny strip mall. I'd recommend it for takeout as there are only two small tables inside. As many Yelpers noted, they skimp on the fish for the sushi rolls, so watch what you order. What you do get is pretty good, and they have a fairly large, interesting menu for such as small operation. The owners do not speak much English, so be a little patient with them. They also offer other Asian snacks in front of the register. 

Worth Reading/Watching

Shamed in Edina for using food stamps.

Time Warner Cable admits it lost customers because of CBS/Showtime blackout.  (Note: we totally cancelled the TV portion of our cable last week. Amazon Prime and Hulu Plus are adequate enough replacements for us.)

Bill on unlocked cell phones moves forward.

9 Recent Children's Books I Adore

I love reading, and I want to pass on that love to my two and a half year old. Luckily, she loves going to the library, so we go almost every week, and every week is an opportunity to pick something new out. I discovered that as a mom, I'm fairly picky about children's books. I read material to her that is far above my daughter's comprehension, and she seems to do just fine. She's memorized some of her favorites. She's not picky, though. As long as the story entertains her, that's enough.

For me, the illustrations and the story have to be good. If the story can't be good, then the art needs to be beautiful. Too often, the stories are too long drawn out, have an overly obvious moral, or are just plain not fun. If the art isn't good, then it totally takes me out of the story. 

Below, I've listed 9 children's books that I picked up recently and adore:

• Bark, George by Jules Feiffer is hilarious, short, and sweet.
• Who Wants A Cheap Rhinoceros by Shel Silverstein is funny, silly, and full of awesome sight gags. 
• The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle is a classic case of escalation. "Hey, you. Want to fight?" has become a running joke in our house. 
• Where's Walrus? by Stephen Savage is a beautifully illustrated wordless story about a walrus' escape from the zoo, and the zookeeper's hapless attempts to find him. 
• Press Here by Herve Tullet was given to me by a friend, after we watched that video of a baby who couldn't figure out how to work a magazine. We love the interaction on this book. 
• Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell is a classic and great for peeking at animals. 
• Going To The Zoo With Lily & Milo by Pauline Oud is a fun and cutely illustrated book about a bunny and a mouse's adventures at the zoo. 
• Counting With Wayne Thiebaud by Susan Goldman Rubin is an easy counting book filled with wonderful paintings by the artist Wayne Thiebaud.
• A Very Special House by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Maurice Sendak is a great nonsense poem full of fun and imagination. 

Additional Google Reader Replacement Suggestions: Not Reviewed At All

I came across this article on The Verge, which discusses the hiccups the popular Google Reader alternatives have been experiencing, and how they're improving on the original product. Plenty of people chimed in on the comments with their own products and suggestions for alternative replacements. I have not checked these out yet, but am listing here for future reference.

• SwarmIQ - Free, I think.
• Feedbin - $3 a month, has beta Android app. 
• Tiny Tiny RSS - a free, self-hosted, open source solution. There's also an official Android client. 
• Rivered - Different from other Reader alternatives in that it's just a "river" of updates - no unread items, no categories, no tags, etc. 7 day free trial, "Less than the price of a coffee per month after that". (Ugh, just name the damn price.)
• Fez - Social, smart tags, view your feeds a few different ways, there's also a self-hosted version. Pay what you want, starting from $2 a month. If you pay for 6 month or yearly subscriptions, you'll get at least one month free. 
• SubReader - Currently in private beta. Free to sign up. 

Shortcuts: Target

I've been making better progress with saving money, but sometimes I'd rather really just skip straight to the meat on a website and get my deals immediately. So here are the shortcut links for Target:

• Target Weekly Ad
• Coupons - Coupons can only be printed once.
• Clearance
• Target RedCard: 5% off all purchases; free shipping, extra 30 days to return items, pharmacy rewards.
• Daily deals
• Cartwheel
• All current deals and promo codes
• Sample spot: occasional free samples
• Target Facebook
• Target Style Facebook
• Target electronics trade-in program
• Target text alerts
• Target's price matching policy
• Target Cartwheel 

Bonus savings: every cloth bag you bring in to hold your stuff gives you an additional $0.05 discount. 

Typically, I peruse the Target weekly ad, print out the necessary coupons, and print out appropriate Cartwheel coupons. Then I see if there are additional coupons for the items I need to buy, such as Pampers, directly from the company itself. Target allows you to stack the manufacturer's coupon + Target coupon + Target cartwheel program + the sale price, so you can get pretty substantial savings. 

Earning More Referral Points At Checkpoints!

Checkpoints made an announcement yesterday on their Facebook page:

When you refer somebody to the Checkpoints app, and they sign up and include your username as a referral, you'll earn 10 points first, then you'll earn all the points they earn for the next two weeks (excluding game points, their referral points, or registration points).

(My Checkpoints username is cheekyang.)

To update my earlier post on earning points at Checkpoints:

• Scan At Home is no longer available.
• You can do any of the "cheats" I listed, but when you try to cash in your points for a reward, you'll get a warning that you violated their terms of service. If it's a repeat offense, you may be banned from the app.
• You can't post your Checkpoints username on app stores - it'll get you banned. 
• You can post your Checkpoints username everywhere else though - social media, blogs, email, etc.
• You can still do surveys to earn points - honestly, though, I found them more cumbersome than they're worth. Many of them ask pre-qualifying questions, and some of the pre-qualifying questions are as long as the surveys themselves. If you don't qualify for the survey, you aren't eligible for points. 
• You can still earn points via the Checkpoints toolbar. It's currently only available on IE6 and Firefox. 

Referral Links

I've discovered the wonderful world of referrals. So, if you want to try these things out, give it a shot and both you and I will get something.

• Sign up for Amazon Student - I get $5, you get Amazon Prime free for 30 days, then get it for a year for $39 (that's half off the normal price), which gives you unlimited free two-day shipping, and unlimited instant video streaming, and you'll also get a $5 credit for every friend you refer. (The $5 promotional credit is limited to use within one year.) (Definitely worth it if you're a student.)
• Sign up for Amazon Mom - I get $10 credit, you get a 15% off Amazon Baby Registry completion discount, in addition to 20% off diapers, wipes, and other essentials. (Works best in combination with Amazon Subscribe and Save. This is totally worth signing up for! New members can sign up for a 3 month trial of Amazon Prime, which gives you free two-day shipping. To get the full benefits of Amazon Prime, you have to pay for the annual membership of $79.)
• Sign up for HuluPlus for a two week free trial - which is one more week than the normal free trial. You can refer up to 26 friends per year for two free weeks per signup. (Worth signing up for if you're not strict about watching live TV and you're itching to cancel cable.)
• Checkpoints - my username is cheekyang - if you sign up for the app and include my username, I will get bonus points. I forget how much. (Fun app to use while grocery shopping.)
• MySupermarket - I'll write a full review soon, but if you use my referral code GV-VKQEMUCGGC, you'll get $10 off your first order of $50 or more, and I will also get $10 cashback. 
• Evernote - Evernote just introduced their referral program. Click on the link, and sign up for Evernote, and I'll receive points for every person who signs up through the link. This is a new program, so currently the rewards include up to 12 months of Evernote Premium, a 1 GB boost in the upload limit, and an exclusive visit to Evernote headquarters. There will be additional prizes/rewards added as the program rolls out. 

I'll update this post as I find apps and products with worthy referral points/prizes.

It's A Janelle Monae Kind Of Friday

Quick & Totally Unfair Reviews Of Google Reader Replacements

In case you haven't heard, Google Reader is shutting down soon. Because of this, there's been a flurry of competition to become the next big feed reader. I've been trying out...a lot of them. These were my basic requirements:

• Must be able to grab my feeds in a timely manner.
• Must be decent to look at. (I can't stand ugly designs.)
• Must have a compatible Android app, that's fairly intuitive to use. 
• Must have decent sharing options. 

Here are the ones I tried, and what I thought of them:

• Feedly - This is a popular choice, and looks pretty, but I really disliked many of their UI decisions, especially on the Android app. I could not figure out what I was doing, and I also didn't like the original requirement of installing a Chrome extension. 
• CommaFeed - Advantage of being open source; it looks pretty much like an even cleaner Google Reader. However, there's no app. 
• TheOldReader - A Google Reader clone. Slow as molasses, and kind of ugly. 
• Flipboard - I don't like Flipboard. It doesn't work as an RSS reader, and the UI is baffling. A lot of the feeds I read are text-heavy, and valuing images over text is not a priority for me. 
• Bloglovin - Big with fashionistas, this feed reader is pretty but inadequate.
• TinyTinyRSS - Self-hosted solution - too complicated for me to set up, and I wanted an app, so this one didn't happen. 
• Inoreader - Tried this one out, and forgot about it. I think it was too slow for me. 
• Hivereader - This one comes from Francis Cleary, one of the original "sharebros". This reader is slick and pretty, and contains the internal sharing feature we all loved so much in the original Google Reader. It's still a little buggy, though - for example, I can't figure out a way to indicate the last post is read, and it doesn't seem to update feeds very often. I really the Pocket integration. There's no app, though it's on the way. 
• FlowReader - FlowReader is the current winner for me. It's pretty, it grabs feeds, and it'll grab my Twitter feed as well as my Google Reader feeds. It could grab my Facebook feeds, too, but I don't feel like granting Facebook more access to my life. Also, the Android app works really well, and they've worked out the syncing issue that was bugging me earlier. It's still a little buggy, though - the "save for later" feature on the site doesn't seem to be working. However, it's working on my phone, and I'm happy about that. (Update: looks like site's been hacked. I might have to wait this out.)

Want to try other readers? Here's a short and incomplete list:

• ReplaceReader
• LifeHacker's suggestions

Conclusion: currently it's a tossup between Hivereader and Flowreader. The biggest reason Flowreader is edging out Hivereader for me is because the Android app works fairly well. 

Leftover Ideas: Mac And Cheese Muffins

We eat pasta a lot. Sometimes, there'll be a little bit of pasta left over, but not enough for another full meal. When that happens, I turn the pasta into mac and cheese muffins. I got the idea when I came across this recipe for mini French onion mac and cheese. I can't do justice to those pictures, but I can tell you what I did.

This particular recipe is very simple. You just need to keep in mind the 1:1 ratio for the roux, and stir while you're adding in the milk. It's actually one of the least complicated recipes I've made for mac and cheese. If you're using leftover pasta, you need at least one cup's worth of pasta.

Once you've mastered it, you can experiment with the flavors. At first I just kept the French onion theme - using onions and Gruyere, because that's what I had. Once I ran out of those, I changed up the type of pasta - from macaroni to rotini, and yesterday I made them with cheddar cheese and frozen peas. (I cooked up the peas first.)

It's simple and a total crowd-pleaser. If you're serving it to your kids, you might want to consider feeding them their vegetables first.

Public Service Announcement: 9-1-1 Service No Longer A Requirement For California

Yesterday, while trying to figure out how to eliminate some bills to cut down on costs, I had the bright idea of turning off my landline. I called AT&T and asked them to cancel my service. "By the way, will I still be able to dial 9-1-1 even without service?" "No, if we disconnect your line, it's totally disconnected. You can call 9-1-1 from your cell phone if you have one."

That didn't sound right to me, so I tried to Google it, and found California Public Utilities Code Section 2883, which does list the requirement for carriers to provide a "soft" dial tone so that non-subscribers can call 9-1-1 in case of emergency. I called AT&T back with this information, but for my pains, was told that the requirement was no longer in place as of 2012.

In conclusion, if you are worried about access to 9-1-1 service in the event that your cell phone service is disabled in an emergency, you might want to retain a landline.

Cooking Failure: Brussels Sprouts Chips

Today I had brussels sprouts from the farmers' market. Usually I roast them in the oven, and that's plenty good for me, but I wanted to check out some alternative recipes. I found this brussels sprouts chips recipe, which promises to convert brussels sprouts haters. It was also attractive because it was simple.

I actually did roast my brussels sprouts, but since I had to remove a lot of the outer leaves anyway, I decided to test out the recipe with those discarded leaves. After dinner, I salted and peppered them, and added olive oil. I stuck them in the oven and waited 10 minutes, as instructed on the recipe. That was my mistake. 

By the time I checked on them, most of the leaves were burnt. I tasted an unburnt one, and was unimpressed. I had added too much salt, and the leaf didn't taste much different than a regular brussels sprout. It wasn't crispy like a chip, and if you were a brussels sprouts hater already, well, you would still be a brussels sprouts hater. Still, I think I will try this recipe again, with a few changes.

Lessons learned:

1. Easy on the salt.
2. If it's the first time with the recipe, check the oven frequently.

What To Get For The First Year Of Parenthood

My friends are at the age where they are all starting to have kids, and occasionally, someone will ask me the most useful things I've come across.

Below, I am recommending necessities, and not just things you need to add to your registry.

If you are planning to breastfeed:

• Get a pump. If you are planning on returning to work, a double breastpump will probably be more convenient. Pumping isn't fun, but it's cheaper than formula. 
• Invest in bottles and breastmilk bags so you can freeze your milk for later use. Milk can remain in the freezer for several months, and if you have a lot of milk, you'll want to pump out the milk rather than deal with the discomfort of remaining engorged. Also, you should get your baby used to drinking from a bottle after the first few weeks, so that if you want to, you can hand off the baby to someone else to get fed. 
• Breastfeeding covers are nice, but not a necessity. Generally you can just cover up with a jacket, or just go into a different room to breastfeed. As your child gets older, they won't tolerate the cover as well.
• Get washable nursing pads because your boobs will leak milk. And that would be pretty embarrassing if you're presenting something at a meeting, wouldn't it?
• Lanolin is a godsend for chafing nipples. All that sucking will dry your skin out. 

Oh, and if breastfeeding doesn't end up working out? Don't worry about it. Seriously...your kid's not going to remember whether or not you breastfed them, they are not going to suffer ill health effects from the formula you give them, and you don't get a prize for breastfeeding the longest. It's just a method of feeding your kid. Your sanity, and your baby actually getting fed, is more important than the act of breastfeeding.

Medical:


Note: Whenever you can, just buy the generic brand of medicine. You'll save money, and the products all have the same active ingredients anyway.

• Bulb syringe aspirator - We got multiples of these, because the ones we purchased that weren't this specific one were terrible. They split, and didn't work, and wasted my money. This is the same as the one we got from the hospital, which worked like a charm. Warning: it takes a few times to get this right, and your baby isn't going to like it. One of our friends preferred the Nosefrida, but we drew the line at sucking snot out of our baby.
• Infant acetaminophen - Although you cannot use this the first few months, it will come in handy whenever the baby gets miserable with fever or a cold.
• Children's Benadryl - This is used to treat allergic reactions. Honestly, it's been more used than the acetaminophen, mostly because our baby seems to be really sensitive to some food products.
• Boogie wipes - Ok, so they are a bit overpriced, but they're basically saline wipes that gently wipe your baby's nose. Better than plain tissue, which can get stuck on a baby's face.
• Saline solution - For loosening up the boogies inside a child's nostrils.
• Hydrocortisone cream - Useful for eczema patches that just won't go away, or heat rashes.
• Eczema cream - Eczema is common in babies. I like the Aveeno brand one.
• Sunscreen - Technically, you aren't supposed to put sunscreen on a baby unless it's at least six months. But if you live in an area like Los Angeles, like I do, it's kind of hard not to just go ahead and do it. Sunscreens come in different forms - stick, lotion, spray, etc. I've found the stick to be pretty convenient, but the sprays seem to provide the most coverage. Don't forget to cover the neck area, especially in the back.
• Diaper rash cream - You may have to try a few different brands before you settle on something you like. I have tried Aquaphor (also useful for dry skin), Triple Paste, and Desitin (the purple one, which has fewer ingredients). They all work equally well. 
• Humidifier - The first cold your child gets, your pediatrician will recommend a humidifier to make it easier for your child to breathe. We use it every night these days; it comes in handy especially in the winter. 

Nice but not necessary:

• A white noise machine - This may end up being a necessity. Only you can tell for sure. If a house is too quiet, the baby will be awakened by any noise. The first few months are a very confusing time for the baby, and the white noise will remind the baby of being in the uterus. 
• Itzbeen Pocket Nanny - This one was a lifesaver for us in the first few months. You can use this to track the last time your child has eaten, slept, or been changed. 
• Combine Amazon Mom with Amazon Prime with Subscribe & Save. You'll get Amazon Prime for free for the first three months of your Amazon Mom membership, along with a 20% discount on diapers and wipes subscriptions, and other discounts as well. Amazon Prime gives you free two-day shipping, access to instant streaming via Amazon Instant Video, and access to the Kindle Lending Library with no due dates. You can use the Subscribe and Save option to buy necessities like diapers and wipes at a discounted rate. Then you can spend less time in the Babies R Us store.
• Rewards"R"Us - This is the rewards card for Toys R Us/Babies R Us. You're likely to get a lot of Babies R Us gift cards, so this is a useful place to spend those gift cards. You might as well reap the rewards, too. You'll get discounts in the mail and in your inbox, and occasionally, a few dollars discount off major purchases.