This photo stirs something deep in me...Maybe it's the simple food - Urban Acres produce in the Polish pottery bowl given to me by Gran on our recent North Carolina road trip, or my husband's rustic homemade pesto pasta that cost cents to make, or that it was all eaten outside on our deck with friends and wine in spring atop the tablecloth I scored at an outdoor market in India a decade ago. So many favorite things, all in one little square.
What is stirring your heart today?
I was so inspired after watching video after video of Farm To Table Family tonight that I had to write this and share with you. Here's a smattering of things that have been inspiring me lately to be more free, more healthy, more who I am. Maybe they will inspire you too...
First, Farm To Table Family on PBS. The light...the fun...the beautiful food...the simplicity and joy of cooking simple, healthy food for your family. I'm in love with this little Asian family, and you don't even hear them talk. Watching these videos has inspired me so much. I tend to keep my kids busy while I'm cooking so I can just be a busybody and have that time to myself. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, but something resonated with me deeply to see how much her children are involved in growing, foraging, and cooking and baking in the kitchen. Not only licking spoons but scooping avocados, icing the cakes, kneading the dough. We do let our oldest cook a bit, but I tend to get stressed when she's helping me. A great pointer in this video - prep ingredients ahead of time in little bowls, then invite your child in to help. So. Much. Smoother. And Norah is old enough now to sit on the counter with me and be more involved, but until these videos, I still had her on the floor playing with Tupperware.
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There are just too many good magazines out there, and I want to read all of them!
First, Organic Gardening is now Organic Life Magazine, and the first issue comes out soon. We already subscribe to Organic Gardening, which has been so beautiful and always included so much more than gardening. I'm excited to see the direction they take it now that it's changed. Organic Life, get in my mailbox!
Next, Taproot. Gorgeous, just gorgeous. I could frame the covers. "Taproot celebrates farm, food, family and craft through writing, photography and the arts, both fine and domestic." Um, yes, please.
Deeply Rooted is another beautiful, artistic magazine I've become acquainted with that I simply must read. You purchase each issue separately, and it's more like a book. "Deeply Rooted Magazine serves to be a light in the midst of the things that work overtime to steal our attention and affection away from God. Through our publication, we deliver incredibly rich content, written and created by published authors, pastors, real women, and talented artists."
And finally, Bella Grace. I saw this magazine on someone's Instagram and went to the magazine's website to investigate. I bought the current issue for a friend for her birthday and I'll admit, I wanted to keep it when I was flipping through the pages! The magazine was a work of art. "Bella Grace is a special publication devoted to discovering magic in the ordinary. Our aim is to touch the souls of our readers through beautifully penned stories and striking photographs that capture life's beautiful journey." Swoon.
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Here's my new handy keychain from dōTerra that holds 8 small vials of essential oils for use on the go. I've been gradually soaking up the knowledge over the last year-and-a-half of how these oils can help me and my family. When I started using them, all I knew was that lavender made my bath water smell good, and now I'm carrying fennel in my purse. Ha! It's a journey.
So, here are the 8 oils I chose for my keychain:
Honorary mentions:
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What are your favorite essential oils to carry with you? I'd love to know!
If you'd like to know more about any of these oils, my experiences, or oils in general, please contact me or check out my site. I'm still learning, but I'd love to share as I go.
A few years ago, I discovered Kangaroo Care on Etsy ~ the artist in Estonia makes beautiful, colorful babywearing necklaces from crochet beads and wood. The textures and colors are interesting for babies and safe for them to play with and chew on while nursing or just being rocked and held. Bonus: you get to directly support the work of an artist.
This is my first Kangaroo Care necklace I got a few years ago when Luci Belle was a toddler.
I wore it when Norah was born, too.
That necklace made me happy, and I wore it for my babies until it was literally threadbare, faded, and the string finally snapped. It was hard to let go of a piece of jewelry that was between me and my children during so many important moments.
It was time for a new one, but I just couldn't decide. I don't do well with too many options, and all the colors were glorious! These are the ones I was drawn to...
I finally decided on the bottom left. It just jumped out to me. For me, when in doubt, the answer is always bright color. It goes with pretty much everything I own, and I - and the girls - couldn't be happier with it!
I also ordered the bottom right necklace in the above photo - the white and grey beads with white ruffle! I'd love to give this necklace away to one of you!
To enter, just post a comment and let me know who the necklace would be for and why - if you'll be giving it to a friend or keeping it for yourself, which is totally great too! I'll randomly choose a winner from the comments on Tuesday, November 25th.
As a family, we've decided to take the month of August to simplify our lives even further, to cut back on spending and get back to the simple, wonderful things that make life worth living. We've already been eating cleaner thanks to our first completed Whole30, which we're both continuing to do for the most part. But now we're feeling led to tackle other areas like TV/movie consumption, financial spending, and just how we spend our time in general.
Technology is helpful, but I don't want our family to be defined by it. There are so many other things that are important to us: embracing time outside in nature, savoring the simple gifts of childhood like reading books together, making crafts, digging in the dirt, and running through a sprinkler. I want my children to be able to find ways to play on their own (or with us) without a TV, phone, or Kindle being involved.
Here's what we've committed to for the month of August:
No TV/movie/Netflix watching at all. Let's be honest, this is probably going to be the hardest on mama, not because I like to watch TV (I rarely do), but because I absolutely use TV/Netflix as a crutch to keep my 4-year-old busy when I need a break. I'm pretty stringent about her only watching shows like those on PBS Kids or other classics like Richard Scarry's Busytown, Little Bear, and Strawberry Shortcake. And I'm not some kind of supermom who thinks I should be able to parent 100% of the time without using media, but I do think we need to cut it out for a month just to take a step back and re-evaluate. This will open the door back up to more creative play, more often. For instance, our babysitter Rachel who comes twice a week has a strict no-TV-watching policy while she's with any kids she's babysitting. You wouldn't believe the creations she and Luci Belle come up with - a "dollhouse" made of cardboard and recycling scraps, a secret hideaway made from a carseat box, and a super hero tissue paper cape.
No technology while eating, nursing, or bathing. We've gotten into the bad habit of answering texts while at the dinner table and allowing our oldest daughter to eat her lunch while watching a show. I've picked up my phone to check Instagram while nursing as my precious wide-eyed 6-month old is looking up at me playing with my hair. And the other night, I took my phone with me to take a bath. Seriously? This is not okay.
Cook and share meals at home. We haven't been eating out much since Whole30, but this will also eliminate the several-times-weekly trips to Whole Foods to get my daughter pepperoni pizza from the hot bar. We know how to make an awesome homemade crust ourselves, so instead we're going to have a fun pizza-making fest here at home and freeze them for later. Or spend some time on the patio at our own business, Urban Acres, and eat some of our awesome artisan pizza.
Be outside. Yes, August is absolutely sweltering in Texas, pretty unbearable unless you're near water. So we're either going to find water, just sweat it out, or hunker down inside. I'd like to see more family walks this month, then a run through the sprinkler when we get home.
Read more books. After the children are in bed, Steven tends to veg out watching a movie on Netflix, and I join him mindlessly or work on some writing/creative stuff. At the same time, I have, like, 6 books going and can't seem to finish any of them. I hope to fix that in the month of August! And I know my husband will benefit from getting back to reading more.
So here are the books I'm currently reading that I'd like to finish:
Um yeah, so 7 books.
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We've already started preparing Luci Belle for a month without TV and have been talking about all the things that are better than it, anyway. Tonight, we're making a list of all the things we're going to do in August instead of watch shows. I can only imagine the ways this is going to change our family.
And I don't know if this is weird, but I actually feel giddy about this. Probably because it stirs what's deep in my soul, what I want my life and family to be about, and what I know is healthiest for us.
They say that "transparency creates accountability," so now that it's out there, there's no turning back. August, let's do this!
For me, yoga has always been the perfect type of exercise for my body ~ its peaceful and slower pace still gives me a really challenging workout. Kudos and much respect to all of you runners, but that will probably never be me. It feels so great to get back into yoga again postpartum (and Pilates for the first time!).
Lately, I've been trying to ride my bike to our local yoga studio, and can I just tell you how freeing that is? Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love babywearing and taking walks with my girls in the stroller, but when it's just me - with nothing attached and nothing to push - I almost feel naked. In the best possible way.
So the other day, I threw my water bottle and a good book into my bike basket, and my new flowery yoga pants and I got peddling. I felt like a kid again flying down the side streets to the studio and chaining my bike to the closest pole.
For my first class back after having Norah, I chose a Yoga Basics class taught by an instructor with a voice that could lull you to sleep and sounded a lot like Ione Sky in Say Anything. The class was slower paced and focused a lot on relaxation, twists, and really listening to our bodies. At the end, she asked if anyone wanted a few drops of lavender oil on their towel. My hand shot in the air. It was heavenly.
As I look forward to this time each week, I've been thinking about all the great lessons yoga has taught me lately:
Well, yesterday was day 30 of my first Whole30! I made it. And miraculously, I made it without any cheats, minus an accidental teensy taste of honey on a coffee spoon. Oh, I got really close though. Like that time I almost downed an entire box of crackers while preparing my daughter's snack. And when we had our first Sunday of homemade artisan pizza at Urban Acres and I just stared at it longingly while my friends devoured theirs.
But it was worth it. I'm so glad I completed my first Whole30. Even more than the physical benefits, I feel more in control of my desires and less controlled by food.
I finished my Whole30 before we had a big dinner at our house last night and tried some potato salad and a bit of Mexican chocolate cake and fruit cobbler for dessert. A few bites into the desserts, I couldn't take any more sweetness and didn't even finish it.
This morning, I had my first coconut milk latté post-program and used only 4 drops of Stevia instead of the usual 12. So I'd say that's progress!
Here are some other great things I experienced while on Whole30:
These were the hardest things about it:
Here are the favorite things I ate on Whole30:
First, cilantro mayo. Wow, I never knew how super easy it is to make your own mayo! I used it more like a sauce and added it on my eggs or meat just to give it a little zing. You could also make your own chicken salad. Having an immersion blender and a wide-mouth mason jar like the recipe says was perfect. If you don't like cilantro, just leave that part out!
Here's the recipe from this @whole30recipes Instagram post:
Cilantro Mayo
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This was my favorite snack on the program - apples sliced into rounds topped with homemade almond butter and unsweetened coconut flakes. How many times have I had apples and nut butter? But never sliced into rounds! Something about it made it seem more special, like a chip.
Here are the two best dinners I had on Whole30...
First, Fried Plantains with Chipotle Lime Chicken & Chipotle Lime Slaw - unreal! It was a little sweet, salty, creamy, so amazing. Here's where I got the recipe.
The other amazing meal was PaleOMG's Pizza Spaghetti Pie. Seriously so easy and perfect for right now when spaghetti squash is in season!
But mostly, we just kept it simple. Here's my last Whole30 breakfast on day 30 - simply Applegate chicken apple sausages and 2 eggs fried in ghee.
What I'm going to do moving forward:
So there you have it, folks. I definitely see myself doing another Whole30 in the near future. It's just so helpful to have a program to regain perspective and discipline when you need it. And the community of folks doing Whole30 and sharing recipes makes it even better. If you're considering doing it, I'd be happy to answer any questions or help in any way!
* This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
"Sacrifice crosses a line into martyrdom when it's not balanced with self-care. Our kids don't need a martyr; they need a mother. A martyr gives up her life to the extent that she no longer exists – she loses who she is while taking care of everyone else. A mother cares for her family and cares for herself. She allows motherhood to expand her experiences and her understanding of herself. A mother models the art of self-care for her children when she pays attention to her need for rest, nutrition, and exercise. She shows them how to find a Friend who understands when she takes the time to pray and read God's Word. She strengthens their faith when they see her turn to God for answers to her own life. Following the example of Christ we can learn to sacrifice without losing ourselves along the way." ~ from Real Moms, Real Jesus by Jill Savage
Almost 4 months in, I'm finding what the "art of self-care" means with two children. Awhile ago, I learned my lesson that self-care cannot fall by the wayside after having kids. Sure, it's more difficult and maybe looks a lot different than it did before {say, a 5 minute shower with a baby in the Bumbo at your feet}. But for me, it's non-negotiable to get in some self-care time however small, so I stay both sane and healthy. The goal here isn't perfection, as if that were even possible. A little goes a long way.
Here are some ways I've been practicing self-care lately...
And then there are those crazy days when you got in zero self-care, no matter how hard you try. So you end up at "happy hour" at your friend's house at 5pm. While your kids play together, you drink a glass of red wine and color unicorns and rainbows in your friend's kid's coloring book. And that's okay too.
I'm Christine. believer. idealist. writer. artist. treehugger. wife. mama. daughter. sister. friend.
just trying to see the beauty and share with others along the way. {learn more}
"This is your life, this is your real life, and you are living it. Your life is not going to start later. This is it, it is now. It's funny how a person can be so busy that they forget that this is it. This is my life."
~ Lee Smith
