Yup we give a crap

~ Mumsgoneclimbing ~ 1 Comment

1382938_10151959852896788_1251071400_nPoo is a reasonably central topic in our household. We have a one year old, which is a good enough excuse, but even before Boston came along my partner was well known for his poo stories (not yet sure if I am proud of this or just amused by it). So we were really stoked when we found an ethical poo cleaner company! Okay okay they are a toilet paper company.

I found out about Who Gives A Crap through a post on the  Down to Earth Mother Blog and I was sold within 5 minutes of perusing their website. Here is why…

1385574_10151954549201788_1762973596_nFor $30 including free postage to our door we received 48 rolls of poo paper (only $5 more then we are currently paying at woolies), Who Gives a Crap use 100% post consumer waste recycled fibres, saving trees and reducing landfill,  NO chlorine, inks, dyes or weird perfumes, YES it is biodegradable and safe in septic tanks…and I can personally promote the thick soft as silk (almost) feel. The big selling point for Steve and I is Who Gives a Crap donate 50% of profits to WaterAid who improve sanitation and build toilets in the developing world. EVERY ROLL OF WGAC PROVIDES SOMEONE ACCESS TO A TOILET FOR A WEEK.

So what do you all think? Are you going to give a crap?

note: If your wondering why such an ethical company has individually wrapped rolls here is a good response to the question from their facebook page. thanks for the feedback! Unfortunately we can’t send rolls unwrapped because of moisture and hygiene issues. We can either wrap them in paper (infinitely recyclable) or plastic (not recyclable in Australia). The largest paper pack size that can be used before paper packaging becomes too weak is a 6-pack. When we found out that our producer doesn’t have the technology to make paper 6-packs we were disappointed, but then we ran some numbers and worked out that wrapping rolls individually would only increase our total paper usage by around 0.7%. We also realised that if we reduced the length of each sheet from 11cm to 10cm we’d have a comparatively huge saving on our total paper usage! We’re continuing to work on our packaging, but we’re also focussing on the low hanging fruit that allows us to hugely increase environmental efficiency – like using trains instead of trucks (trains are 10 times more environmentally efficient) to move product around. Hopefully that helps clear up some of the things you’re thinking about!

twenty-nine and feelin’ fine

~ Mumsgoneclimbing ~ 2 Comments
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Yup I have wrinkles! LOVE IT

Yesterday was my birthday. I have been getting a few sly grins and “ooo nearly 30” comments but I am here to say loud and proud “I am TWENTY-NINE and feelin fine”.  You would have to be daft not to notice that our society doesn’t exactly celebrate getting older (well not past 21). Every magazine, television program and billboard is selling the younger looking you. I admit that being the still tenderish age of 29 I am hardly an expert on the matter of ageing but growing old is yet to strike fear in my heart, and I hope it never does. Yeah for sure there are times from childhood, adolescence and my early twenties that I look back on with nostalgia, I had some damn good times! I also love to meditate on where I am and who I am right now, it is a person I would not be without having 29 good years behind me, I have experience and wisdom that just doesn’t grow on trees. Then I look to the future…I feel so excited at what else life has in store for me, what else I can create and achieve, the places I will see, the people I will love…it is all so exciting.

I also look to older people in my life that still embrace the experience with the eyes and enthusiasm of a child. No I am not saying you should eat sand or spin spin spin till you fall down. Just see the magic and wonder in the world, embrace possibilities and hey…try something new. I see these elders and think “oh man I want to be just like that when I grow up” (then I think oh geez I am not even that adventurous now hehe). I am sure you also know people like this, or if you do not know them maybe an elder in the public eye has inspired you with their vivaciousness. See them, applaud them, then take all the inspiration you can get.

It is high time we throw all this anti ageing bullpoop off a massive cliff and into the deepest depths of the ocean. We should not feel shamed to get grey hair and wrinkles, start disappearing from society or distance our self from the youth because we couldn’t possibly relate to a teenager. We are a global village, villages are meant to work together and guess what!? Elders have an extremely important role in all of this. Who will I be in another 29 years? I am not sure exactly but I can tell you this, I am committed to becoming someone I respect, who inspires me, who breaths life into the world.

Boston joins the X-Men (Saethre-Chotzen Sydrome)

~ Mumsgoneclimbing ~ 3 Comments
My power is charisma...whats yours?
My power is charisma…whats yours?

” We found a mutation!” said the geneticist with a big grin on his face…my mind goes ” Did you just say my son is a mutant???”

Okay so lets put this into context. When Boston was only a month old his blood was taken for DNA testing. Dr Gabbet was fairly sure his craniosynostosis would be linked to a syndrome, 9 months down the track they were still searching. Not all cranio kids have genetic abnormalities, for many there is no explanation to why, but Boston had lots of physical indicators pointing to the contrary.

So when they finally found the mutation in his TWIST1 gene a big piece of the Boston puzzle was found. Despite my initial gawk at my little man being labeled a mutant (please note that at no point did any doctors refer to Boston as a mutant) it is nice to have an explanation, another part of his story, and a relief that there was not a more sinister syndrome behind everything. I am still learning about Saethre-Chotzen Syndrome and are yet to have a full follow up with Dr Gabbet, but in short;

Saethre-Chotzen Syndrome occurs in 1 in 25,000-50,000 people (yup Boz is a rare gem) and  is caused by a mutation in the TWIST1 gene. This gene is in charge of making a particular protein that plays an important role in early development of bones, muscles, and other tissues in the head and face. Craniosynostosis and ptosis (drooping eyes) are symptoms along with a bunch of others that you may or may not have noticed in Boston. Next time you are lucky enough to give him a smooch (if you are indeed one of the lucky ones who has met Boston) check out; the shape of his nose and ears, his short gorgeous fingers, his narrow palate and wait for it….the dimple above his bum. There can be developmental delays (which we have experienced), although most people with Saethre-Chotzen syndrome are of normal intelligence. Not all people with the syndrome have every symptom, in fact many people go undiagnosed because abnormalities are so minor they are never noticed.

It has taken a little while for the new information to sink in but I am now embracing all that comes with it, much that I am sure Boston is yet to teach me. Our new question is whether Steve or I have passed this down or whether it is a new event in our families genetic history. If Boston has inherited the mutation we have some big decisions to make about extending our family…but more about that in another post.

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