Sellin Stuff

With a potential move for my family on the horizon, I feel the urgent need to simplify. Unload. Throw everything out.
Two weekends ago, we had our first yard sale. Which- can I just say, why do people expect you to practically give everything away? If I wanted to give my stuff away, I'd DONATE it. So don't expect me to sell you my perfectly good Tassimo Hot Beverage Maker for fiddy cents. And when I say no to your offer of fiddy cents, don't scoff at me and wipe your hands on your shorts like my yard sale stuff is dirty. That is not going to help your negotiating chances.

Moving on. We made almost 200 dollars! Woot to the woot. It felt good.

Really, really good.

And it got me in the mood to sell everything else. Things I wasn't even thinking of selling!

Stuff is overrated. Money? Money isn't.

So make me an offer. Just more than fiddy cents.

What's For Lunch

Organic Cherry tomatoes
Organic grapes and pear
Vegetable Pasta with Pesto

***Yum.*** :)

Blogger's Apprehension

I have a confession.

Come closer.

I am afraid to blog.

What if I fail? What if I don't update frequently enough?

OR

What if I have nothing to say?

Well, that's just silly. I always have something to say.

What if I regret what I say?

Probable.

Maybe I should just give it a go. This blog has been dormant long enough, taunting me from the corner of the interwebs. It's time to dust it off and send it out into the world.
Or at least the World wide web.

Now. I hope my words don't fail me.

Healthy Grazing

Being a busy mother (whoa, am I really a Mother, now? Crazy) requires fast eating on a daily basis. Gone are the leisurely made sandwiches with carefully peeled cucumbers and hummus. Wait...I never did that, either.

I hear a lot of Mom-types complaining about not having time to eat healthy now that they have a youngun taking up their time and energy. Sure, you may not have as much time to prepare healthier foods, but you can spend as much time buying healthier options as unhealthy ones, so no more complaining.

But what to eat on the go? When your little one is trying to climb the stairs fearlessly? When teething babies prevent you from spending more than five minutes to refuel?

Here are a few of my daily eateries. I tend to snack or eat lightly throughout the day, so I don't really sit down for a proper lunch or anything.

Just as a friendly small print disclaimer, I am not a nutritionalist. Or a doctor. But I am a very hungry, breastfeeding (it does make you hungrier, and I am a firm believer in EATING when you are hungry!) Momma that fit into her pre-baby jeans a month after having said baby.

And I hate exercise.

I don't condone not exercising. But if you're not gonna jog around the block, and you're going to hate your chunky butt as it can't squeeze into your NotMom Jeans, some precautions must be taken.

So here are some healthy weekday foods that I have found to give me more energy, pack alot of nutritious punch, and keep me from wearing sweatpants day in and day out.

First, commit to breakfast. I know, I know, you "don't have time". Yeah ya do. It takes less than two minutes to prepare some healthy cereal for yourself.

I eat a high fiber cereal every day during the summer, (usually shredded wheat) with fresh fruit and soymilk. I like Silk. Delish. During the wintertime, I do steelcut oats (Trader Joe's has a frozen one, takes two minutes to cook,) with walnuts and blueberries. You can use fresh, dehydrated, or frozen fruit-don't even thaw, just toss it in-and if you want it sweetened, use honey. Honey is a power-food, great for giving you a little energy. I sprinkle some cinnamon on top,too.

Breakfast is essential to maintaining a healthy weight. Just make sure that for your daily, routine breakfast, you stick to high fiber and protein (whole grains, fruit, eggs, milk or soymilk) and low fat (save the bacon for the weekend). Automate your breakfast. Make it part of your routine.

For the rest of the day, you can eat snacks or small meals. I eat constantly. I eat a full dinner, but hardly ever a "proper" lunch. Here are a few of my favorite snacks.

Vanilla yogurt and walnuts.

Can I just say that I heart Trader Joe's?

They are the bomb, yo. I seriously don't know where I would be without my friendly neighborhood Joseph's. They have delicious 2% milk fat vanilla yogurt that is creamy and comes in a perfectly small container. The kind I get comes in a six pack with three vanilla and three blueberry cups.It tastes like dessert, and toss some walnuts for some protein, and you have a healthy amount of protein, fiber, essential fatty acids, calcium, probiotics and antioxidants.

Quick mini "quesadillas"

I like mine with blue corn tortillas (also from TJ's) and a stick of provolone or plain old mozzarella cheese. Blue corn has 20% more protein than yellow corn, and also more phytonutrients, as does any food that naturally has more color. Just microwave a couple, roll up, and top with shredded lettuce, salsa or avocado. If you're feelin like you need some fiber in your world, spread with some refried black beans from a can before topping with cheese.

Raw nuts.

Truly the best snack for you to nosh on daily. Fiber and protein to keep you satisfied. EFAs and antioxidants to keep you alert, ward off cancer, and even keep your skin and hair looking great.

I like to keep a bag of raw, unsalted almonds on my kitchen counter, and I grab a handful throughout the day.

Apple slices and peanut butter.

Flatbread and hummus.

I don't diet. If I feel like ice cream or chocolate covered pretzels, I eat them. Everything in moderation, and drink as much water as you can possibly stand throughout the day. If you eat healthy 80% of the time, you can stand a treat now and then.

What are some of your favorite snacks?

Brand New Blog

Ah, how I love a crisp, clean, new blog to write my name all over!

The smell of new blog. So nostalgic.

So what's this blog about, any way?

It's about babies.

Not my baby. My baby is much cuter.

It's about being a new Mom and an old Wife.


Oh, no, lovelies. I am much hotter. And younger. I was born in the eighties, after all...


That's better.

It's about being kinda crunchy-organic living? Yes.
Green living? Yes.
Baby wearing and Breastfeeding? Of course.
Cloth Diapers? Not so much....yet. I am little intimidated by the idea of flinging my baby's poo into the toilet and tossing yellow stained inserts over my shoulder into a pile of clothes I may or may not get to wash this week.

So,yeah. I'm that kind of crunchy.

I don't use products with harmful chemicals on any member of my family.

All of my produce, cleaning supplies, meat, dairy, and cosmetics, for the most part, are either organic or all natural.
I don't even use conventional nail polish.
I use reusable bags for shopping.

We're pretty healthy.

BUT.

I don't wear shoes suited for trekking through the wilderness.
I wear makeup, and shave my underarms.

Not me.

Oh, and I hate exercise. So no hiking with trail mix around here. I'll eat it, for sure. But I'll probably be walking around a mall or something.

So, I guess you can say I live a crunchy lifestyle for the restofus.

Low maintenance greenery, Kinda like lantana.