…or Begins. Depending on how you look at it. After almost a year of blogging all the news your womb can use, this will be my final week here at Fertility Notes and at b5media.

Sniff.

But don’t you be sad! You can still find me at my private blog (you can email me for details) and at www.nationalparksonline.net, our newly revamped blog chronicling Michael’s and my two-year road trip to all of the National Park sites across the United States and keeping you up to date on national park news. If you’re interested, I am working on some pretty neat things over at www.par.net for folks looking for autism or intellectual disabilities services here in Pennsylvania.

And here’s even better news: for those of you following my personal fertility journey, we received two very nice hCG (aka “pregnancy hormone“) numbers this week. While I’m wary of celebrating just yet, things are looking pretty good. We have an ultrasound (!) scheduled for later this month.

Since this will likely be my last post, I wanted to leave you with some of my favorite all time posts and helpful hints. Here is what I learned writing Fertility Notes:

• Even though some people can be mean and irrational, if you are struggling with or living with infertility, you never need to feel alone.

• Telling your partner he is “seriously F-ing with your fertility feng shui” tidies up the bedroom far faster than nagging.

• Acupuncture (and my acupuncturist) is awesome.

• Sometimes struggling with fertility gives us compassion and brings us closer to people in unlikely ways.

• You can still enjoy a fabulous foot massage from your husband while pregnant.

• This may have been the hardest post I’ve ever written.

• There is not nearly enough information available in schools regarding infertility.

• Estrogen is not all bad. In fact, sometimes it’s kinda nice.

• The end result is more important to me than how I get there.

• Cultivating my Qi is important. And it can be fun.

• It is possible for joy and sorrow to occupy the same space.

• You ladies love learning about herbal tampons.

• The Barren Bitches Book Brigade may be one of the best online meeting of minds I have ever participated in. A monthly opportunity to read, reflect, respond and most importantly gather the thoughts of beautiful, intelligent women. You should join the next one!

• Raising a child is relatively inexpensive, once you get to that point.

• I will never stop caring about Choice and the environment, getting angry about misinformation, or boycotting products that do not respect women (that means you, Tampax) And I hope to goddess that my children are rabble rousers too.

• My top ten random reasons for wanting to have a baby are still 100% accurate.

I invite you to comment here or email me at polchic@hotmail.com to tell me what you have learned. Don’t be a stranger!

Post from: Blisstree

Here’s Where the Story Ends

Sigh.

I think I can squeeze in one more trip or two to the beach. I have to. I still have summer reading to do. I still haven’t finished the The Mind-Body Fertility Connection: The True Pathway to Conception by James Schwartz. Did I mention that I have some extra copies to share? Want one?

Let me tell you what I know: James Schwartz is a Board certified Hypnotherapist and founder and director of the Rocky Mountain Hypnotherapy Center in Lakewood, Colorado. He’s got a fertility program called, “Hypnosis to Promote Fertility” which focuses on “healing the mental and emotional barriers that can often prevent conception.” That practice is the basis of the book that I have for you.

If that sounds like something you’d like to know more about, email me at polchic@hotmail.com and ‘ll tell you more….

Post from: Blisstree

Freebie Friday – Win a Copy of the Mind-Body Fertility Connection by James Schwartz

Brandi is now the proud owner of a Fertility Scope – an adorable little contraption designed to test your saliva to determine the optimum time to try to conceive.

Thanks so much to everyone who entered.

Post from: Blisstree

Freebie Friday – Who Won a Fertility Scope?

1. Friday Favorites: Caves Reveal Climate, Amazon Sighting, Eco-Tourism, Soaring Solar and More (A perennial favorite)
2. Those Kicks Aren’t Done Kicking – Reuse Those Shoes! (mentioned in BestHealthMag.ca. Nice!)
3. Five Reasons Being Green Is Good for My Mental Health (by guest blogger Alicia from Mental Health Notes)
4. Is $4 Gas a Good Thing?
5. How is My Green Sunscreen Holding Up?
6. Green Giveaway – Learn to Create a Healthy Home CD (check here for the winner)
7. How Does Your Garden Grow?
8. Do You Know What You’re Putting on Your Face?
9. Why There is an Environmental Blog on the Health and Wellness Channel
10. Seems $4 Gas Might Be a Good Thing in NYC

Post from: Blisstree

Top Ten Posts at Daily Tomorrow This Month

Here’s another reason. The Arizona Republic reports:

More than 265 teenagers from 44 U.S. states and nine Canadian provinces will meet at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff from Monday to Aug. 3 to participate as finalists in North America’s largest high-school environmental-education competition: the 2008 Canon Envirothon.

Teams will be tested on knowledge of soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife, and a current environmental issue. This year’s current-issue topic for the competition is “Recreational Impacts on Natural Resources.” Students will analyze long-term and short-term environmental, social and economic factors relative to recreational impacts upon natural resources and their management.

Participants will compete for a share of more than $125,000 in educational scholarships and Canon products. The competition is organized by the National Association of Conservation Districts in the U.S., the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its Natural Resource Conservation Service, and the U.S. Forest Service.

Wow. That does not sound like an easy competition!

Recreational impact on natural resources is an important subject to me and an issue that the National Park Service grapples with constantly. Does rock climbing harm Devil’s Tower? Do power boats disrupt wildlife at Voyageurs National Park or the Everglades National Park? Is snowmobiling in Yellowstone really that big of a deal?

Looking at the few comments readers left on the Arizona Republic article, some folks think no, not really. One commenter suggests:

“Recreational Impacts on Natural Resources.” Translation: If you kiddies want any of our grant money, you must submit to our global warming eco-whacko brainwashing and stop having any kind of recreational fun. No hunting, fishing, offroading, four wheeling, hiking, biking, horseback riding. . No fun allowed in the future. Get it? You want fun? Keep it in your house.

What do you think?

Post from: Blisstree

Flagstaff Hosts 2008 Environthon Next Week

HGTV shares a list of Garage Sale Strategies to optimize your time and your dollar.  But I think the basics are:

• plan ahead,
• chart a route,
• start early,
• know what you are looking for and what you are willing to spend and
• don’t be afraid to haggle.

There is always a balance to be found between how bad you want something and how badly someone wants to get rid of it.  I know because last summer was the summer of garage sales for me, my husband, brother and any willing friend we could enlist. My parents were selling their house and our collective goal was to eliminate the need for a storage shed and minimize the amount of Stuff we would each get handed over to us and expected to add to our already-full households. We knew before we even set up in the mornings which items we were sick of looking at and would give up at any price and those that were a little more dear. Sure, I’ll say it – I waited until just the right little girl came by to give up my rocking horse. I needed to know it was going to get a good home.

Now that we are trying to transition most of the plastics out of our home, I am finding myself frequenting garage sales as a buyer more and more. How hard is it to find a non-plastic ice cube tray? you would not believe. In fact, I am still looking.

So, I will be out and about on August 9th. Will I see you around?

Post from: Blisstree

Reuse and Recycle on August 9th – National Garage Sale Day

BUT,  had we known about the Better World Club, we may have signed up with them instead. What’s the difference? The Better World Club is the:

Nation’s Only environmentally friendly auto club. Membership Includes eco-travel Services, Discounts on hybrid car rental, insurance Services, Free Maps, Auto Maintenance discounts and bicycle roadside assistance. We donate 1% of annual revenues toward environmental cleanup and advocacy.

If you’re thinking about making the switch, BWC will actually waive their sign up fee if you are transferring over from another club. Why would you do that? They give a few reasons. And they promise they won’t leave you stranded. Should you need roadside assistance:

Our Arrival Goal is 30 minutes in urban environments and 60 in rural environments. We currently respond in 38 minutes.

Nice!

And if Click and Clack like them, that’s good enough reason for me.

Post from: Blisstree

“Improve Your Car-Ma” with the Better World Club

With all the talk surrounding carbon footprints lately, it might be easy to forget that there are other natural resources in short supply.

H2OConserve.com helps you calculate your water footprint. How?

The Calculator gives you an estimate of the total amount of water you use, what is called your water footprint. The Calculator takes into account not only the water used in your home, but also the water used to produce the food you eat and the products you buy. Your water footprint includes other factors such as water utilized to cool power plants that provide your electricity, and water saved when you recycle. You may not drink, feel or see this water, but it makes up the great majority of your water footprint.

I took the test and scored lower than the national average, but not as low as I’d hoped. Here are the tips H2O Conserve gave me to lower my score:

• You do not have any low-flow faucets in your home. By switching to low-flow faucets, you can reduce your water flow by 3.5 gallons per minute.
• Your household uses over 15 gallons per person per day just for the laundry. Consider doing your laundry less often, and make sure that you only use your washing machine when it is completely full.
• Your household uses more than 1 gallon per person per day on the dishes, which is the national average. You may want to consider getting a low-flow dishwasher, and try to use fewer dishes when you cook and serve meals.

Post from: Blisstree

What’s Your Water Footprint?

While cramps during the TWW can cause a little panic and anxiety in addition to the normal discomfort, they are totally normal and, unfortunately, not indicative of anything. In fact, they could simply be a common side effect of progesterone. Trust me. After about an hour on the internet this morning and a few more calls to a doctor, no one is willing to place any significance on cramping (or not cramping), spotting (or not spotting) during the two week wait.

Argh.

So, I’m leaving you with some Cramps that are a little more fun:

Post from: Blisstree

Cramping During the Two Week Wait

So, who do you like best?  Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), the Ocean Conservancy, or the Worldwatch Institute? You can cast one vote right now with one click. Or you can “bid with your lid” by mailing them, your name and address, AND the name of ONE of three participating organizations listed above to:

Stonyfield Farm
c/o Bid with Your Lid
PO Box 4840
Manchester, NH 03108-4840

Post from: Blisstree

Help Stonyfield Farms Give Away Some Money