Confession and a Review

I’ve talked a lot lately about all the new things that I’ve taken on recently and how it’s been a bit much. I think I’ve gotten a good routine down with Tyler’s schooling and Parent Club has calmed down a bunch (or I’ve just settled into it better as well).

The one thing I’m still struggling with is the blog. It takes me hours to get a post up with the writing, pictures, links and editing it. Many times it’s taken me the better part of a day to do it.

Not to mention contacting companies to do reviews and giveaways and then actually doing the reviews and giveaways.

The reason I started this blog in the first place was because I felt like I needed something to show that I was here. I know, like 2 happy, healthy, kind, caring boys isn’t enough, but I really felt like it wasn’t. I felt like I needed to show that I could do something. So I took 2 things I love, writing and being green, and put them together.

While I’ve enjoyed writing the blog it always seemed more like a labor than a labor of love. Probably because I was trying so hard to find something outside of me to make me feel whole inside.

It turns out that I really love just being a mom and all the things that are involved with being a mom. Like Parent Club and being able to be home so that I can help Tyler with school. Tyler’s doing better this year than he ever did last year and is the happy lighthearted kid that I knew before we moved here.

I’m going to go back to work (very part time) as a yard duty at Dylan’s school. It’s only 1 ½ hours a day and I found out that if I had college credits I could work as an aid in the classrooms.

So after much soul searching I’ve decided that I really want to go back to school to get my degree in education, I’d really like to be a kindergarten teacher. That little revelation I figured out after a great talk with my grandma who was a teacher. I've had people tell me that I would make a great teacher many times, but I never thought that I would. Who knew?

Which brings me back around to the blog. I don’t want to say I’m quitting, but I am taking a break. A blog is a lot of work and for me takes a huge amount of time and energy. I thought that this would be my passion, or maybe wanted it to be so I could say I had one. It turns out it’s not and that’s ok. I cannot express to you how hard it was to say that.

This blog taught me that I don’t have to look any further than my own backyard to be happy, or maybe it was the Wizard of Oz? At any rate, I’m so glad I started the blog and I know I’m better for having tried it.

I’m not shutting down my blog because like I said, I’m not done; I’m just taking a break. While it’s not my passion, I did enjoy it and may come back to it.

Lastly, I want to thank everyone who has read this blog, commented on it or told a friend about it. Thank you so much, I so very much appreciated every click and every comment that was left.

Now one last thing before I go, or one last review before I go. I was sent these eco, removable, reusable stickers from ecominders that help you remember to be green. You can put the stickers in the bathroom to remind you, and your kids, to turn off the water when brushing teeth, or next to light switches to remind you to turn off the light when leaving the room. There are sticker packets for kids, home and work so no matter who you are or where you are, you can be green.



I love these so much and are exactly the kind of thing I wish I had come up with. We could all use an extra little ecominder in our life and since I won’t be around for a while, this is the next best thing. Hehehe

I also plan on leaving my Facebook and Twitter accounts up and continuing with daily tips. So if you want to stay in touch you can find me there. Either way, it's been great knowing you and thanks again for taking this journey with me.

Blogging, Weddings and Yoga

Sorry I’ve been MIA lately, life just keeps getting in the way of writing.

On Tuesday my sister got married and I officiated at the ceremony. I got ordained through the Universal Life Church just so I could do it. It was pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.

The wedding was pretty much the only thing I had on my mind last week and my mom and I spent all weekend shopping for it. Now this wasn’t a big blow out wedding but within the last couple of weeks it went from them just getting married at the courthouse in front of whoever happened to show up, to a real wedding that needed a dress, accessories and food……for whoever happened to show up with the last minute invite to a wedding held in the middle of the week.

For them October 5th is super special and the next one to fall on a Saturday would be around 2013 and they didn’t want to wait that long. So they figured they would just get married on the day they wanted and then have a big party later.



They also thought, quite wrongly, that no one would be that interested in seeing them exchange vows. So after much silliness Holly and Balta got married at his parents’ house under a weeping willow. Our dad flew in from Boston and flew our brother and his fiancé in as well.

The ceremony was short and sweet on a super windy Orland day. I hate talking in front of people but made it through (when I offered to do it the ceremony was just going to be in front of both parents and siblings) and was even loud enough that most of the people could hear me over the wind.



After the ceremony the tequila was flowing and much of it was flowing into me. I have never before drunk as much as I did that night. Luckily for me I’m not a sloppy, mean or overly flirty drunk. Also lucky for me my brother’s fiancé Melanie is a major sweetheart and stayed by me while I was swaying a bit. So here’s a big thanks to my fbff Mel!



So after recovering from a most awful day I thought it would be nice to get back into yoga. I’ve never been a big workout person because I have a naturally athletic build so I have to be careful about what I do or I bulk up even more. What’s always worked well for me is pilates and yoga, so I mostly just stick to those. Yoga’s also nice because, as I’ve mentioned, I’m also naturally pretty high strung, so the calmness of it is just as good for my mental well being as it is for my physical well being.



Aurorae sent me a yoga mat to try out and I was super happy to find out that it’s phthalate free. They even have one called Northern Lights that’s biodegradable, very cool.

I love how soft the mat is and how it conforms to your hands, feet and body. I also love that since it’s phthalate free it doesn’t have that weird plasticy smell. The focal point at the top is nice for helping me stay balanced and centered on the mat.



You can also get a rosin bag, like the one they sent me. It helps absorb moisture from your hands so you can grip better, this was very cool.



So that’s how my week began and ended, how was yours?

Pumpkin Pie For The Soul

So the Fall Balls are actually Averie’s Vegan Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes. They looked so good and I love pumpkin pie, which I can’t eat anymore, that I just had to make them.

The first batch was straight her recipe. There were 2 problems with them, which is why there was another batch. Problem one, I apparently didn’t rinse the blender as well as I thought I had after my smoothie so the pumpkin spice donuts tasted more like banaberry donuts, while not awful, definitely not what I was going for. Problem number two, I really need to accept that I cannot have flax seeds, we just do not get along.

And so the need for batch number 2. For the second batch I bumped up the amounts and changed a couple of ingredients; for example, I replaced the flax seeds with cashews, the agave with honey and took out the coconut oil.



These ones came out much stickier but were crazy good. It was just like eating a piece of pumpkin pie minus the crust. I think that they were stickier because flax seeds absorb moisture unlike cashews. I was actually thinking about giving these a try with chia seeds, but at the same time, I’m not really sure if they would work.

Averie also has a recipe for a raw vegan pumpkin pie that I would really like to make. When I went to the store for a can of pumpkin puree I ended with the extra large size that has enough to make 2 pies. I only used about 5 tablespoons, so I really do need to make something else with it.

Pumpkins are a great source of calcium and potassium and are definitely in abundance right now. I’ve never tried cooking with fresh pumpkin but I bet it would be even better than the canned. Plus fresh food takes a lot less energy and uses a lot less resources to produce.

Ok, I’ve never actually made anything with a pumpkin before this but considering how good these donut holes came out and how much I think I’m going to love the pumpkin pie, I’m going to need to find a greener way to do it than buying canned pumpkin. I found instructions on ehow.com for cooking pumpkins that can then be used in other recipes. And since you can’t turn around without tripping over a pumpkin at any store right now, I’m definitely giving it a try after my canned pumpkin runs out.

Nothing says fall to me like pumpkin pie and right now I could definitely use some fall inspiration with this crazy heat wave we're having. Today it was only 95* but the 2 days before were both in the 100's. Ridiculous. Anyways, it's really great to find foods that satisfy that emotional need as well as the physical. I can't wait to make the pie for Thanksgiving.

Here’s the (thrown together) recipe for my Fall Balls in case you want to give them a go, and yes Aimee, they’re gluten free!

• About 1 cup cashews
  
• 2 heaping tbsps pumpkin puree
  
• 2 tbsps honey
  
• 1 ½ tsps pumpkin pie spice mix

Grind the cashews first in a high speed blender or food processor. Then add the rest of your ingredients until they’re all blended together. Scoop out your mixture and roll into balls. I like to refrigerate mine so they get a little firmer.

Do you have any great gluten-free pumpkin recipes?


Oh, and I'm still planning on making my own caramel apples either with the raw recipe mentioned on Bitt of Raw or with one the I found in a magazine. Just in case you're curious. ;)