What's Good for my Soul

Saturday morning, how I look forward to you. It is understood by all that Saturday mornings are when mama takes a couple of hours to treat her body and soul to yoga. I have discovered FREE! yoga classes every weekend at our local Lululemon store. By the weekend I am craving some solo time, so I do my best to make the most of the couple of hours of me time. My drive usually consists of a hot mug of coffee in hand, the windows down, and some good (loud) music, because I can without a toddler in the back seat :). This morning, I let myself get lost in the sounds of The Flaming Lips.

This morning my soul was also craving some girl time: the kind where you sit in a quaint French bakery and share Quiche Lorraine and Apricot Danishes, a few cups of coffee, and chat your heart out.

Meanwhile, Storey gets some good time with her Dad. When I came home today, Josh had put together a little slide show of what they had done together.. This refreshes my soul.

Storey's new favorite thing to do: seeing how tall she can stack a tower of books and toys

Fun at the Pumpkin Patch

A gorgeous Friday morning at the pumpkin patch with our friends Meredith and Lilah, Rachel and Ethan. The kids were thrilled to run through the pumpkins together, move pumpkins around, and in Miss Lilah's case, eat the pumpkins :). The mamas were thrilled to be out on such a crisp and perfect morning, together.

Me Vs. the Flu

echinacea plant, backyard garden

I have become determined to keep my family healthy this flu season. We have decided to not get either flu vaccine, and Storey will continue at this point in her life to be vaccine free. However, this does not mean I am not proactive against the flu. I have chosen to turn to Mother Nature for help and guidance, as well as some research from what I believe to be credible resources. (After all, Mother Nature does not lie :)).

Our daily regimen goes as follows. I hope you will be able to take some info for yourself and little ones to stay healthy this season:

*Resist any temptation to touch any part of your face, with unwashed hands:: The portals of entry for the virus is the nose and the mouth or throat. This can be challenging for toddlers :). Also, cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hand. Viral particles are easily passed from hands to eyes and nose even if you use a tissue.

*Washing hands frequently:: The best method is to wash with warm water for at least 30 seconds. It is the friction of rubbing your hands together that help kill germs. I also keep a bottle of anti-bacterial hand wash in the car to use after outings.

*Using warm salt water to help stop proliferation :: H1NI takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate. Gargling and using a neti pot with warm salt water to clean these areas can reduce viral population.

*Water.

*Eating foods rich in Vitamin C:: citrus fruits as well as broccoli, red/yellow/orange peppers, tomatoes

*Raw garlic clove:: natural immune booster, natural detoxifier

*On to the herbs::

-Wish Garden Daily Immune for Storey (once every other day for it to last longer)

-Elderberry extract- enhances immune system; taken when feeling the slightest bit run-down; can also be used in treating the flu as it prevents the virus from invading respiratory tract cells

-Echinacea root- stimulates immune system; take on the first onset of infection to heal faster; some sources say to not use as a preventative but with first symptoms

Some of the sources I have gathered my information from:

http://www.botanical.com/site/column_susun/susun_flu_season.html

http://www.holisticonline.com/remedies/Flu/Flu_herbal-medicine.htm#Echinacea

May you stay well this flu season.

Some Thrifty Creativity

Josh and I have been on a drive lately of using every item of food we have and not letting anything go to waste if we can help it. (Let me just say that a tight budget can really draw out your thriftiness and creativity :)). When we find ourselves here, I surround myself even more with those simple things that bring me pleasure and Josh really works his magic in the kitchen. We are always pleasantly surprised what fun we have with a little extra effort and imagination.

This week our "thrifty creativity" meant using left-overs to make a whole new creation:

Left-Over Potato Soup Cakes

Potato soup,or any soup for that matter, is very budget friendly as it can be stretched for several meals (we got at least 5) and can be made into yummy cakes!

First, find a willing sous chef as there is lots of "misking" to be done

Take:

*1-2 servings left-over soup (2-3C) and add 1.5C flour (we used whole wheat)

*Add 3 tsp baking powder

*Mix well

*Add 4 oz crumbled goat cheese (or available cheese)

*1/2- 3/4C milk, for consistency (think pancake batter)

*Tasting your ingredients is a must

*Fold in cheese

*2 tbs fresh chives

*1/4C chopped spinach (or other greens in fridge)

*1 helper to make sure it is all to her liking

*Stir in chives and spinach

Proceed like cooking pancakes:

*Medium heat skillet

*1 tbs oil

*Scoop 1/2C batter and spread to 1/4" thickness on skillet

*Cook cake until browned on each side (about 2-3 min each)

*Plate with small bunch of fresh basil to take cake up a notch
*Serve in bed with favorite disney movie

Orange, Clove, Rosemary Potpourri

If I close my eyes and breath in deep the scent of orange peel, cloves, and rosemary, I can imagine brisk winds outside and wooly scarves to keep me warm, bright reds and deep oranges falling from the trees, crackling fires.

*3 orange peels
*1 sprig fresh rosemary
*1 Tbs cloves
*Fill pot with water to cover
*Turn burner on low
*Close your eyes and breath in the warm and inviting scents of fall
*Potpourri can be stored in fridge and pulled out to enjoy over the next week

Indian Fries

As Josh was preparing the potato soup at the beginning of the week, he peeled the skins off 4 potatoes with knife about 1" thick
In bowl, mix together:
*1/4C olive oil
*Tbs of each: tumeric, coriander, cumin
*Tsp paprika
*2 tsp garlic powder
*Tsp onion powder
*1/8C parmesan cheese
*Add potato skin and mix skins and spices by hand
*Lay out single layer of fries skin down on cookie sheet
*Bake at 425 degrees for 30-40 min

Still giddy

Dear Josh,

I have found you.

I know you.

I love you.

I see you for all that you are.

Thank you for being so solid for me when I can get unraveled very easily.

You bring me back down to the ground and remind me of what matters when I tend to make "mole hills into mountains".

You make the everyday an adventure.

Thank you for a very happy four years.

You still make me giddy.

Bliss

Oh, sweet moment

I inhale

every part of you

tiny buds

and full blooms

I open wide

my Self to you

I am full
and overflowing, spilling
out to you.

Again and again

And again.

*Bliss, Julia Corvallis

Dear Beach,

Thank you for allowing me to let go completely, see this little girl so blissfully happy, breath deeply in and out your salty air, and just be--

with my family. You are missed.

Blessing Way

I am privileged.

I am privileged to be surrounded by the women in these photos. They represent strength, simplicity, beauty, friendship in the truest sense of the word, community, and I see something unique in every one of them. These are some of the women I could not get by without.

This group of women gathered to honor and celebrate my sister(-in-law), Jackie, as she embarks on a new journey, birthing a fourth life into the world.

"I am a willow, flexible

beautiful

resilient

endowed with the power of surrender

to the wind rustling through my leaves,

my branches.

My roots reach deep into Mother Earth,

anchored in Her strength,

I bring forth life in joy!"

-Willow Tree:: Bonnie Anderson

Each of us shared our blessings, encouragement, how we have been moved by Jackie, our hearts. Yes, there were tears shed :).

..you live with a deep inner strength, openness, and elegance

..look, feel, let life take you by the hand. let life live through you.

new journey brings new strength and new experience

enjoy the simple moments

We created a bracelet for Jackie out of beads we had selected with purposeful intention

this bead, like your family, would not have been what it is without the 4th part.

Our friend, Jen, lead us in a beautiful belly-dance interpretation of birth

Jen celebrated Jackie with the gift of henna art

Alisa, our midwife, blessed Jackie with a Native-American foot scrub with cornmeal with words of wisdom that spoke to us all

Baby Alder, we cannot wait to meet you. See you around October 10th-XO