capturing the sweet life.

Cleanse Advice - Cookbooks

Coming from a meat and potatoes kind of family, the thing that intimidated me the most about starting the cleanse was that I knew that my cooking repertoire included very few things that would pass as "cleanse-friendly".  So I headed to the library and checked out every single vegetarian/vegan cookbook they had.  Yes, I left with TEN cookbooks (the maximum allowed) on my first trip and came back for the other five at a later date.  There were a few I found to be the most helpful, and here they are:

Supermarket Vegan by Donna Klein

15 Minute Vegetarian by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler & Mindy Toomay

Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers (I've heard all of the Moosewood cookbooks are great for Vegetarian cooking)

Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

The Gluten-Free Bible 

From Asparagus to Zucchini - Third Edition

I found these cookbooks to be so helpful because going in to the cleanse I was worried about having enough variety.  I mean, one can only eat so many beans and so many salads.  But these cookbooks all helped me feel like there was a whole other culinary world waiting for me that I had never explored.  And that meals didn't have to include meat to be yummy.

So do you have a favorite vegan/vegetarian cookbook?  If you do, post it in the comments and I'll do a follow up post with readers suggestions!

Save Mad Men from the Ad Men!!

So by now, I'm sure all of you who are as big of a fan of Mad Men as I am have heard that we won't be seeing new episodes until 2012.  Apparently, the creator, Matthew Weiner, has taken issue with a few things AMC/Lionsgate is asking to change about the show.  Namely, AMC is looking to integrate product placement in the series, cut two minutes from the show to give more time for advertisements and eliminate/reduce two regular cast members to save money.

I can't imagine AMC takes a "loss" on Mad Men, so basically it sounds like it's coming down to greedy studio execs wanting to ratchet up the amount of money they're making on arguably the most lucrative show on cable television.

And who would suffer if the above criteria came to pass?  The fans, surely.  

So let your voice be heard - head over to the Save Mad Men from the Ad Men Facebook page and "Like" the page.  Social media has an ever-increasing impact on decision makers in all fields, television being no exception.

Tell those bigwigs at AMC/Lionsgate that we don't want ANYONE messing with our show!

Were the Kids on the Cleanse?

I just had to post this because it was too funny not to...

...there's your laugh for the day ;0)

Cleanse Advice - Getting Started

Thank you so much to all of you who have been so supportive about my cleanse "experiment."  Really, your words of encouragement kept me going during the cleanse and your kindness since I've completed it have me just beaming with pride.

Many of you have commented that you, too, are interested in starting the cleanse in hopes of reaching your own higher level of wellness.  So first let me say, "Whoo Hoo!!"  Honestly, I gained so much from those 3 short weeks, I just want to shout it from the rooftops.  If you're sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, I highly recommend giving yourself the gift of this cleanse.

To that end, I'm here to help you get started.  First I recommend you purchase Kathy Freston's book, "The Quantum Wellness Cleanse."  

Or, at the very least, reserve a copy from the library.  And, no, she's not paying me to say that!!  But the info she has in the book about WHY you're restricting what she's asking you to is invaluable and more that what I have or will cover on this blog.  She walks you through every day of the cleanse and seems to have an uncanny way of saying exactly what you need to hear on that day.  It's kinda eery, in that sense, but extremely helpful.

You could also purchase the companion book, "Quantum Wellness" if you're interested in delving deeper into the spiritual aspects of the cleanse.  I have not read that book, however, so can't really comment on it's content.  But I assume it would give you a more well-rounded approach to living your life with purpose and wellness.

So, after you've gotten the book, what's the first thing you'll want to do?  Well, first, read it all the way through.  It's a pretty short read, given that the last 50-75 pages or so are dedicated to recipes you can enjoy while on the cleanse.  You don't even have to read every page thoroughly, but it does help to get an idea of what's to come.

Next up, time to go shopping!

Kathy gives a nice shopping list in the book as well as here on her website.  I found it to be very helpful to think of all the wonderful food I could have, instead of focusing on the things I couldn't.  To her list I would add the following items (just from my own personal experience):

• Rice cakes (get the unsalted, unflavored kind - yuck on their own, but great with peanut or almond butter)
• Brown rice multi-seed crackers - my favorite are these by CrunchMaster; they sell them at Costco.  Really good with hummus or white bean dip.
• Trio granola bars - I kept one of these in my purse and in the car at all times.  Great for when I felt like cheating while I was on the go.  Also available at Costco.
• Any of the sprouted grain products by Ezekiel 4:9 - tortillas, burger buns, bread, english muffins.  For those days when you just want a friggin' sandwich!
• Black bean burgers
• Canned pumpkin - great for mixing into oatmeal
• Veggie soups, like minestrone, potato or pumpkin and legume soups like black bean and lentil.  Great for quick and easy lunches.  Make sure to read the label, though and look for no added sugars or wheat products.
• Herbal tea - make it as iced tea if you're tired of drinking plain water all the time
• Mott's Calcium Fortified, No Sugar Added applesauce
• Calcium fortified orange juice
• Pumpkin seeds in the shell
• Black olives
• Pre-popped popcorn - organic Target brand

So that should get you started.  Next time we'll talk about cookbooks you might want to check out.  There were a few I found invaluable through the duration of the cleanse and will be purchasing now to keep the healthy eating going.

Above all else, I want to wish those of you embarking on this journey the best - I truly hope you find it as beneficial to you as I have, and I believe you will.  For those that are still skeptical, I know how you feel.  I was, too.  So if you have questions, please feel free to post a comment.  I read them and will gladly answer them as best as I can.

Wishing all of you health and happiness!

Photo Shoot Catchup - Final Round

So here are some shots from my last photo session of the 2010 season...

You've seen these adorable kids on here before - they're my good friend, Diane's, kids and I was lucky enough to photograph their family around Christmas last year, just after baby Andy was born.  As you can see, he's turned into quite the charmer!

And it's hard to believe, but I met Diane when she was pregnant with Joey - time goes so fast...

Gotta love toothless grins, whether they're on a little baby or a first-grader! 

Okay, Diane - next time, you and Gabe need to be in the shots, too!

Weekly Obsession = Bookshelves

With the invention of E-readers and iPads and phones that read books aloud TO YOU, sometimes it seems as if the days of actual paper books may be limited.  But I, for one, would hate to live in a house devoid of books.  In fact, I'd rather there be stacks and stacks of them around me.  To me, the number of books in a home speaks to a person's commitment to learning.  To education.  To expanding their horizons and having an open mind.

To that end, nothing tickles my inner bibliophile more than a huge, wall-climbing bookshelf, rich with leather bound first editions, hard cover best-sellers and, yes, even trashy paperback romance novels.

Image by Domino

 

Some day I think I need to own a home with a bookshelf so tall, you need a ladder to reach the top.  That sounds about perfect.

Disney Dream Portraits

Disney just released their latest collection of Dream Portraits by the legendary, iconic photographer, Annie Leibovitz.  I always love to see Annie's work, and these in particular showcase her incredible ability to transform photographs into art.  So inspiring...

Queen Latifah as Ursula from The Little Mermaid

Jeff Bridges as the Beast/Prince and Penelope Cruz as Belle from Beauty and the Beast

Oliva Wilde as the Evil Queen and Alec Baldwin as the mirror from Snow White

And here's a look at some of the past portraits, in case you've never seen 'em:

Do you have a favorite??

Photo credit: Getty Images

Don't Forget - Earth Hour Tonight!!

Tonight at 8:30pm local time (that's YOUR local time, wherever you are), won't you join me and millions of others in shutting off all the lights in your home for 1 hour?  Let's save some energy, help raise awareness of sustainability and show your commitment to protect our precious planet.

From the Earth Hour website:

Earth Hour is a global grass-roots movement encouraging individuals, businesses and governments around the world to take positive actions for the environment, and celebrating their commitment to the planet by switching off their lights for one designated hour.

Earth Hour 2011 aims to show the actions that people, businesses and governments world-wide are taking to reduce their environmental impact. Thereby establishing and encouraging others to join an interconnected global community engaged in dialogue and resource sharing that generates real solutions to environmental challenges.

The highlight of Earth Hour 2011 will see the world’s most iconic landmarks go dark for one designated hour, as hundreds of millions of people transcend race, religion, culture, society, generation and geography, switching off their lights in a global celebration of their commitment to protect the one thing that unites us all – the planet.

 So light a candle, snuggle up with your partner, kids, cat, dog, iguana or a warm cup of tea and get the warm fuzzies knowing you did a little something today to change the world ;0)

{Fabulous Finds} Friday

Looks like winter just does NOT want to let go of West Michigan!  Ice on the roads makes for nasty travel, but ice on the trees makes for beautiful pictures.  Wish I'd had time to get up early and go take some more pictures, but I got a few of the trees in our front yard...

Kinda hoping the next "nature" photos I take are of flowers blooming!

On to the good stuff:

1.  What a fun take on the classic monthly baby photos!  I love it when people take a good idea and make it their own with a unique twist.

2.  I'm loving these bookends from Pottery Barn...a set for each kid, please!

3.  One of my favorite products, Envirosax, has come out with a line of cute little reuseable bags for kids!  What a great little lunch bag - or how about giving these as favors at a birthday party?  That's sure to make the moms happy!

4.  That "To the Moon" bag would be PERFECT at this outer space-themed birthday party.  I love a good party idea for the boys out there.

5.  Parenting's list of Totally Weird Baby Products.  Play-Doh cologne?  Really?

6.  I think this thing could easily be added to that list.  I mean it never even crossed my mind to carry a car seat in my purse...why is this needed?

7.  Are you an architecture nut like me?  Then maybe you, too, will get a kick out of Fantasy Floorplans and Mark Bennett Designs which offer architecturally correct floor plans from some of your favorite TV shows.  Now if I could just get them to do the Dunphy's residence from Modern Family so I could recreate it as my next house...

8.  In a similar vein, check out the set decoration pics from the newly released film, The Adjustment Bureau.  I love both spaces equally.  I think I have split-design personality disorder...

9.  Since we're discussing Hollywood, why not take a stroll down memory lane?  How many of you ladies had posters of these fellas in your rooms growing up?  I know I had my share of Tiger Beat and Bop! pages gracing my walls...but wow - some of these guys have NOT aged gracefully.  Stamos, Lowe, Dempsey, Cusak - better with age.  Keep up the good work.  What do you think?  Who was/is your favorite?

10.  That last one gotcha hankerin' to watch Say Anything or Risky Business?  How about putting together an 80's heartthrob marathon with this as your setting.  Ladies, I'll set it up, you bring the popcorn!

Hope you all have a great weekend - Don't forget about Earth Hour tomorrow - 8:30pm EST!  Shut off those lights!

There are days...

...when I feel like my head will explode if I hear another "Hey mama?", "mommy" or "MOM!"

...when I feel like everything I say to these kids about being a good and kind person just goes in one ear and out the other.

...when the thought of doing one more load of laundry or cooking one more uneaten meal has me checking the inpatient qualifications at the local mental hospital.

...when I want to cry from having to pick up so many toys, turn off so many lights, put away so many dirty dishes.

....when I actually DO cry from stepping on an errant Lego, Polly Pocket or Matchbox car and dreaming of the day when I will no longer have those toys strewn about my entire house.

...when I think about leaving them here at home while I just run to Target, BY MYSELF, just for a little peace and quiet.  I mean, how young is too young?

...when I want to scream at the top of my lungs to stop "Whining!  Hitting your sister!  Pulling the dog's tail!  Throwing your cars!  Making such a mess!  Going to fast!  Going to slow!  Playing with your food!  Driving me crazy!"

...when I forget how lucky I am to have two kids that are, for all intents and purposes, very well behaved, very kind, very loving, and very smart.  I forget that there will come a day too soon when they won't want "mommy", when they'll be off to college and no longer in our house, at our dinner table.  

I have to stop myself from wishing away the next 16 years of our lives because I know it'll be gone before I know it.  And these incredible kids who call me "mommy" are the best things that have every happened to me.  Why would I want to wish that away?

 

Photo Shoot Catchup - Round 2

Here's another session with another fantastic family from this past fall...  

Truly, these guys are one of the nicest, most down to earth families I've ever met and I'm so lucky to consider Dana a friend.  And isn't there daughter so adorable?!

She and Natalie had a playdate awhile back and they were like two peas in a pod!  Dana, we have to get another one on the books!

Their family is so amazing, that I have to tell you about Dana's blog.  She and Chris are looking to expand their family through an open adoption and have started a blog to chronicle their journey.  Be sure to check it out and spread the word - ANY child would be lucky to join this family!

Cleanse DAY TWENTY-ONE - The Finale!!

I DID IT!!!

I am not one for tooting my own horn, but please excuse me while I toot away a bit (wait, that came out wrong...).

These last few weeks have been, for lack of a better word, revolutionary for me.  I have to admit, I was somewhat skeptical when I started this cleanse.  I mean the results Kathy was promising sure seemed enticing, but I doubted that I would see such a dramatic shift.  I mean cleanses were for health nuts.  For people who had control issues with food.  For radicals who were used to putting their bodies through hell to lose a few pounds or fit into a smaller size.

Boy was I wrong.

I am NOT a health nut.  But I do have a vested interest in my personal health, as well as the health of my family.  I want to have energy for my kids.  I want to have the motivation to lead the kind of life I've always envisioned myself living.  

I don't have control issues with food.  At least not in the sense that I'm constantly thinking about food or how many calories something has or how much exercise I'll have to do to burn something off.  In fact, I'm rather the opposite.  I don't think about the implications of eating something unhealthy or what that does to my body or to my metabolism.  I kind of just eat whatever I feel like eating.  Always have.  Well that worked fine in my early 20's, but apparently you can't get away with eating like a college dorm resident much past the age of 25.  Didn't get THAT memo...

And I'm certainly not a radical when it comes to fitting into a certain size.  I don't keep "skinny clothes" in my closet dreaming of one day fitting into them again.  Weight loss was a by-product of this cleanse, and a welcome by-product at that.  But it was never the goal.  Long-term health and deciding to raise my consciousness about food and how it fueled my body - those were the goals.

Today, I am so much more aware and conscious of my eating patterns.  I feel better than I have in years.  YEARS, people.  It's so eye-opening to realize that my normal, baseline energy level isn't just one click above sloth, like I had thought for so long.  Without certain chemicals and substances playing cruel tricks on my body, I've discovered that I CAN have the energy I want to have.  I CAN find the motivation I thought I'd birthed out with my first child.   I'm so grateful for the strength and discipline it took to stick with something this challenging because it's taught me so much about myself and my body.  I know, for certain, I'm a better person because of the time I've given to myself over the last 21 days.

I've had a lot of people ask me questions about the cleanse and say they could NEVER do it.  Hear this, everyone - I thought the very same thing.  I mean give up pasta?  And cheese?  And chocolate?!  Read that part above again about just eating whatever I wanted and never really thinking about it.  I don't like being told what to do and I certainly don't like being told I can't have something.  So why would I ever have wanted to sign up for something like this?  What on earth compelled me to deprive myself of some of my fondest gustatory pleasures?  

I'll tell you...

    I was tired of not knowing how certain foods affected my body.  

    I was tired of feeling like I never had enough discipline to stick with something.

    I was tired of being a hypocrite.  How could I tell my kids to eat healthy and to practice moderation when I wasn't doing it myself?

    I was tired of being angry that I wasn't one of those people "born with a higher metabolism."

    I was tired of just hoping that one day I would change.  Just hoping that one day it wouldn't be so hard.

    Mostly, I was just tired of feeling tired.  

I wanted, no I needed, a change and wanted to prove that I had it in me to do it myself.  To not have to rely on a pill or some magic number of calories .  So I just made the decision to do it.  One day, I just said, "Enough.  If I want change in my life, I'M going to have to make it happen.  No one is going to do this for me.  I'm not just going to wake up one morning and have boundless energy unless I change how I'm living."

It helped tremendously that my incredible husband was as gung-ho about this as I was.  Well, he wasn't gung-ho about giving up coffee, but he did it.  I'm not sure I could have done this without him because it WAS a huge lifestyle change for us.  And the thought of him sitting across the table munching on a cheeseburger while I ate quinoa and beans would have sucked majorly.  But he stuck it out with me, supported me the whole way, and is on board with making some of these changes stick long-term for our family.  Plus, I must say, it was kind of nice seeing my super-human, marathon-running, can't-put-on-weight-to-save-his-life husband struggle with something that came rather easy to me (giving up caffeine).  It was kind of nice to be ahead of the health curve on him for a change!

So if any of you are considering doing this, even just for a day, or a week, I can't give you enough encouragement.  It IS possible to feel better.  It is amazing how impactful this can be.

Over the next week or so, I'll try to give some further pointers on how Brian and I made it through the 21 days - foods to eat and have on hand, snack ideas, cookbooks to try.  Understand, it's not easy.  But nothing worth doing ever is.  And you WILL see results - and, most importantly, you'll see them fast.  Overnight, even.

As for changes going forward, that's for another post.  But Brian and I do intend to make some long-term dietary modifications that have been, cleanse-inspired, shall we say.  However, tomorrow is going to be a guilt-free day.  I'm looking forward to eggs for breakfast.  And maybe even some bacon.  And a good friend is coming for lunch and we're having PIZZA!!  Going to try not to go overboard, but I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't just a tad excited :0)

Thanks for keeping up with our journey here on this blog.  If you have any specific questions you'd like me to address, post a comment.  I'm happy to talk about this because I believe in what it can do for people.  Because I know what it's done for me.

Retail Therapy

Ugh, what is WITH this weather?!  Third day of spring and we got a huge ice storm.  Welcome to West Michigan!

So, what's a girl to do when she can't leave the house?  Shop online, of course!  And man do I have some eye candy for you, c/o the amazing online store, Terrain.

These just make me so happy.  Stay safe.  And dry.  And warm!

Photo Shoot Catch Up - Round 1

So before my self-imposed exile from Blogville, I had a few remaining photo shoots to share with you.  First up:

You may recognize 3 out of the 4 members of this family - they were my very first clients!!  I was lucky enough to be asked to photograph them again this past summer with their newest addition, Henry.  These two make some good looking kids, don't they?!

Thanks, Lisa, for giving me the privilege of spending time with your boys - again!

Logo Design - Part Deux

So some of you have asked me about my logo and which option I ended up with...well, truth is, I'm still mulling it over.  I took into consideration what everyone said here on the blog as well as on my Facebook page, but I just wasn't IN LOVE with any of the designs.  None of them felt like ME.  So I asked Kim to do another set with a few changes...here's round two:

As you can see, we tried to combine elements of each together to come up with a composite result.  I think Kim did a fantastic job, but....still, none of them seemed right to me.

SO....

Back to the drawing board.

I decided that I really didn't care for the the red/yellow combo - all I can think when I see it is ketchup and mustard.  And I don't want people to associate my photography with hotdogs.  So I told Kim to scrap that.  I sent her some images of colors and logos that I'm drawn to right now.  Things like...

Image from FeeFeeRN

 Image from Etsy seller Sally Matthews Art

Image from Etsy seller LeapingGazelle  

Peacock Blue

So I'm thinking a little more monochromatic, blues, greens...I think I just want something a little fresher, a little cleaner.  This is WAY harder than I thought it would be, so I'm so grateful to Kim for being patient with me.  Hopefully she'll be able to translate all of this into something that feels just right to me.  I'll keep ya posted!

Cleanse Update

Sorry it's been a few days since I've posted about the cleanse.  Rest assured, we're still going strong here - on day 19, which means only 2 more to go!  Yippee!!

Some kind of nasty cold has systematically taken out every member of our family over the last few days, concluding with Brian's bout with it today.  Man, nothing will have you reaching for old comforts like a stuffy nose and achy body.  BUT...we've powered through, likely because the end is very much in sight. 

So just wanted to update - I've tried a few recipes over the last few days, some that have worked out well, others that....left much to be desired.  My favorite was probably tonight's dinner, which consisted of brown rice, peppers & bean sprouts in a spicy ginger peanut dressing.  Overall, I think I've eaten more peanut butter over the past 19 days than I had in maybe an entire year leading up to it!  I mean, I like PB and all, but we've gone through nearly 2 jars a week!

I've also made a Quinoa Tabbouleh, which was pretty good, and a Warm French Lentil Salad which probably would have been better if I'd actually not overcooked the lentils...it DID, however, give Brian and I the opportunity to try fennel, which we both really liked.  I've always shied away from fennel b/c Food Network tells me it tastes like black licorice (which I abhor).  But it has a very subtle anise flavor, nothing that's at all offensive.  And the crunch and texture is similar to celery, which I also quite like.  Bottom line = big thumbs up for fennel!

So there's a few more recipes I'm anxious to try over the next couple of days - I ventured into the local Asian market for the first time in search of miso for a delicious sounding miso/tahini sauce for soba noodles.  ...holy giant tub of Miso, McQueen!

 

Seeing as how I've NEVER used miso before, I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with all this soybean paste...any ideas?!

So just two more days.  The end is in sight.  No stopping now!

Weekly Obsession - Silhouettes

This week I've got a mental crush on Silhouettes.  My grandma used to have a charm bracelet with a silhouette charm of each of her grandchildren.  Maybe this is where it stems from.  Wherever, silhouettes are a timeless yet still modern way to show some family pride in just about every room of the house.

Pottery Barn

Mike Miller for West Elm

Mike Miller for West Elm

 

Ahhh.  Just love all of these.  Don't be surprised if you get that above Christmas card from me next year!!

So whaddya think??

{Fabulous Finds} Friday

Ahhh - spring is FINALLY in the air!!  Went outside yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to find that my tulips and daffodils were already starting to poke through.

It's such a welcome sign - this winter was rather mild for us here in West Michigan, but it does seem to stretch on forever sometimes.  So it's nice to see we're one step closer to flip flops and capri pants!

 

Many wonderous things in blogland this week.  Check 'em out:

1.  Many of you know I have a mild obsession with stationary.  That's why I was pretty thrilled to discover all of the eye candy over at Petite Lemon.  May be my favorite stationary site yet!

2.  Okay, I hope you visited last week's online magazine (Sweet Paul).  I found another fun one, but this one's for your kids!  Check out the March 2011 issue of Action Pack - it's full of fun science experiments, recipes & craft projects that can be enjoyed by the whole family.  So cool!

3.  Love the movie Up (I do, I always cry during the opening sequence)?  Check out the experiment going on over at National Geographic.  It'll make you a believer!

4.  Well if these are the darn cutest pillows?!  I think these would be so cute as an Easter present for your little guy (they make 'em for girls, too).

5.  Speaking of little guys, do you ever find that there just aren't as many cute clothing, crafting, and handmade toy options for boys as there are for girls?  I try to feature lots for both boys and girls on my site, but it can be hard sometimes finding cute stuff for boys.  Well, check out this comprehensive list of ideas celebrating the boy.  Some adorable stuff on here, to be sure.  I think I might be making that balance board and the Monster crayon bag.  Any moms of boys out there that sees something that piques your interest??

6.  I'm kind of in love with the idea of using tree stumps as decorations.  I saw a hollowed out one used as a vase the other day and this end table looks awesome, too...

7.  So there's been a lot of talk lately about the harmfulness of plastics in baby bottles, sippy cups, kids dishes, etc.  But the safe alternative, glass, poses a problem for those of us with kids who like to get a little rough with their food containers.  Enter the Din Din Smart Stainless Bus Platter.  It's dishwasher safe, plastic free and cute, to boot.

8.  Time's list of the 100 All Time Greatest Toys.  Is your favorite listed?!

9.  Um, I totally invented this thing.  Like millions of my fellow moms probably have!  I just didn't get all ambitious and actually make a prototype and market it to the masses.  Thankfully, someone has and now all of us with wandering kids can take full advantage!

10.  There's a couple of photo experiments going on right now that I find really sweet and, often times, hilarious.  Check out Young Me/Now Me and Back to the Future.  Such a brilliant idea!  We did something similar at my wedding, recreating a photo taken of me and all my cousins back when I was around 4 years old.  Check it out:

Are there any photos from your childhood you'd like to recreate?  Give me a call and we'll make it happen!

Here's hoping you all enjoy a bit of spring this weekend!

Happy St. Patty's Day!!

Just wanted to wish all of you a VERY happy St. Patty's day today!  

Kind of wishin' I wasn't on this cleanse so I could have a beer to celebrate...

...or a Shamrock Shake!

Oh well - there's always next week!

Guess the Rockstar

Can you guess which rockstar rocked the following ensembles??  No cheating!!

Print = Moxy Creative House

I got 8 right -- you??

Cleanse DAY THIRTEEN - Deprivation

Okay, starting to get antsy here.  For some reason I felt really tempted today to just cut the cleanse short.  It was as if the naughty part of my brain was trying to exert control again, saying "You've already proven your point.  You can go without.  So why not just stop and grab that pizza you've been wanting for two weeks?  Two weeks without it is plenty!"  Still, I know that at least 75% of the reason I wanted to do this cleanse was to stick to something, to show some discipline.  And that means sticking through the entire 21 days.  Sticking with something even when it's hard, even when it's inconvenient.  So even though it's hard and I want to give up, I will not let myself.  No way.  

People have asked me, "Is it hard to do?  Do you feel deprived all the time?"  The answer is yes.   

Yes I feel somewhat deprived because I AM depriving myself.  I'm depriving myself of the pattern of self-indulgence I'd fallen into.  I'm depriving myself of ALWAYS having what I craved, never thinking about how it made me feel and just mindlessly putting whatever I wanted into my body.  That's uncomfortable.  That's hard.

But...

It's totally been worth it.  The amount of energy I have now is at least double what I had before the cleanse.  And not just energy, but motivation.  I want to be doing something, all the time.  So my productivity has increased.  I want to be present and engaging with my kids.  So my quality time with them has increased.  I want to live a more healthy lifestyle.  So I've been working out almost everyday and my overall level of health has increased.  I just can't overstate the benefits I feel I've received from doing this short little experiment.  I'm not saying it's for everyone, but if you're truly tired of feeling sluggish and just want to give your body a chance to reboot and reset itself, to find it's natural state of equilibrium without all the substances and chemicals we come to depend on, then give this a try.  Even if it's just for 1 week.  It will open your eyes.

 

Breakfast:

PB & J on sprouted English muffin
Banana

Lunch:

Sesame soba noodles w/carrots, green onions & edamame
Clementine
Popcorn

Dinner:

Spicy pumpkin soup w/black beans
Carrots

Snacks:

Apple & rice cakes w/Peanut Butter
Handful of almonds
 

 

Excited for tomorrow's breakfast - I whipped up a batch of "breakfast quinoa" that should be pretty tasty.

Image from Foodblogga

Help Japan

Like many of you, I'm absolutely heartbroken over the devastation in Japan.  Each image I see reminds me of the thousands and thousands of human  beings that have been affected by the earthquake and tsunami.  It's almost too much to bear at times, but I know it's not even a fraction of what those in Japan are going through.  Being a half a world away can make you feel helpless, but there are things we can do.  Since half of the work is figuring out how and where to donate, I thought I'd do my small part by posting a few links here on my little blog to places you can go to help those in dire need.

 

Japan Society Earthquake Relief Fund: Japan Society has partnered with several Japanese and American non-profits working on the front lines of disaster relief and recovery. 100% of tax-deductible contributions will go to organization(s) that directly help victims recover from the devastating effects of the earthquake and tsunamis that struck Japan.

The American Red Cross: Those who want to help can go to Red Cross site and donate to Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami. People can also text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation to help those affected by this disaster.

Oxfam: Oxfam is working to identify partners to assist people who are suffering in the Pacific tsunami disaster and whose voices may not otherwise be heard, targeting hard to reach areas affected by the disaster.

UNICEF: UNICEF's focus is providing aid and care to the children affected by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. UNICEF has prepositioned staff and emergency supplies throughout the region to assist vulnerable children and families should the need arise, but your aid is essential.

Save the Children: Save the Children has launched an appeal for $5 million to help children affected by Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami, specifically with the goals of providing and setting up child-friendly spaces to provide a protective environment where children can spend time with other children and trained teachers.

The Salvation Army: The Salvation Army in Japan immediately dispersed teams following the disaster to the most severely affected areas where they are distributing basic necessities to survivors. These teams will also assess the damage to discern the next steps in their relief efforts. With 200 officers, 3,000 members and nearly 1,000 employees already in Japan, your donation will likely be put to work immediately. Mobile users can also text JAPAN or QUAKE to 80888 to donate $10.

iTunes:  Apple has set up an American Red Cross donation system for iTunes users; donations of $5-$200 can be made via iTunes. If you have iTunes installed on your computer, just go to the iTunes Store and follow the link to donate.  They already have your credit card info on file, so this is a super quick and easy way to donate.  Be aware, however, that donating this way may not qualify as tax deductible.

Online retailer Alibaba.com has set up a Donate Disaster Relief Products page, where all AliExpress purchases made for disaster relief and emergency items are sent at cost, shipped to Japan free of charge. Emergency items like sleeping bags, tents, gloves, clothing, masks and LED flashlights are available; just be sure to specify "Japan Earthquake Relief" as the shipping address at checkout.  This is a great way to donate supplies instead of just money.  Obviously both are needed.

 

I know times are tough for everyone, but a tragedy like this puts into perspective what it means to live without.  If everyone decided to forgo a night out to dinner this month or a week's worth of trips to Starbucks in favor of sending that money to help the earthquake victims, image the impact that would have.  Just $20.  Now that's something we all can do.

Cleanse DAYS NINE - TWELVE - More than Halfway There!!

Well, I did it - I survived a weekend traveling.  I survived a kid's birthday party (a CARNIVAL-themed party, no less!).  Gotta say, I'm feeling pretty much like a rockstar right now!

Before we left on Friday, I spent a good portion of the day cooking up some ready-made meals to take with us so we'd always have something in the fridge at my mom's house.  Here's what we took with us:

• Steelcut oatmeal made with coconut milk, bananas & pecans
• Sesame noodle salad w/carrots, green onions & edamame
• Quinoa pilaf w/carrots & walnuts
• Black bean and corn salsa
• Fire roasted salsa, guacamole & tortilla chips

My mom was also kind enough to have a ton of fruit and vegetables available to us.  So we definitely didn't go hungry.  Thanks, mom!

As for the party itself, Brian and I made sure we ate before we left, just so we wouldn't be salivating the entire time on empty stomachs.  My sister-in-law did have salad and veggies so we did munch on those at chow time.  And potato chips, which were on the tables.  But neither of us had even a taste of cake!  Can you believe it?  For those who know Brian, in particular, this was no small feat - I'm so proud of him for staying strong in the face of one of his very favorite foods.  I, on the other hand, did cheat just a hair.  I was cutting Natalie's pizza for her and by god if it didn't CRY OUT for me.  So I stole a bite.  One bite.  And damn if that wasn't some of the best pizza I've ever tasted!

So one moment of weakness.  Not too bad - I'll take it.  And I don't feel at all like I've failed (when I started I thought ANY slip would constitute failure).  I'm not perfect and that's okay.  Progress, not perfection.  That's what Ms. Freston would say...

So I'll get back to posting my menu tomorrow.  Got some yummy things on the menu plan this week.  Things like:

• Spicy pumpkin soup w/black beans
• Vietnamese spring rolls
• Chimichurri rice
• Homemade breakfast cookies
• Quinoa tabbouleh
• Asian lentil stew

And more!

We're down to single digits here!  It is starting to feel like a lifestyle change, I must say.  When I first started I thought about food nearly every minute of every day. What I could have, what I couldn't.  Now I think about food right before I'm supposed to eat and then again when I'm typing up the blog and only occasionally in between.  For the most part, my mental energy has been completely redirected towards being productive, having fun with my kids, planning for the future, etc.  I finally feel like the old me again and it's so good to be back!

More Green!!

I should've known better than to post my weekly obsession last night before reading my blogs today - there's a proliferation of green goodness all over the style blogs this morning, with some even proclaiming Kelly green as the next big color - you heard it here, folks!

So here's some more green goodies from blogland:

From Anthropologie

Jielde

Modernica

Patricia Urquiola

Ronan & Erwan Bourollec

Z Gallerie

Chantal (image from Apartment Therapy)

Le Creuset (Image from Apartment Therapy)

Dean Flowers (Image from Apartment Therapy)

Slide (Image from Apartment Therapy)

Patricia Urquiola for EMU Group

Weekly Obsession = Kelly Green

Who's Kelly Green?  That's what Natalie asked me the other day when I was compiling images for this week's obsession.

In honor of St. Patty's Day this week and the Spartans making the NCAA tournament (it was a bit touch and go for a bit there!), I thought I'd share some images of my current it-color-of-the-moment.  I love how this particular shade of green reminds me of grass and springtime.  And my days at MSU ;0)  It's just such a happy color that instantly adds a bit of pizazz to your home or wardrobe.

From Cole Haan

 

GO STATE!!

Just a little touch of spring for ya'll!

Have a great week!

{Fabulous Finds} Friday

Very thankful this morning that my dear friend, Adina, and her family who are currently living in Hong Kong are all okay.  Her husband travels frequently to Tokyo but wasn't there this week, thankfully.  Adina, big hugs to you and your family - stay safe!!

Natalie and Adina's daughter, Aubrey, on their first day of preschool this year

On to what's fabulous this week:

1.  Natalie has made a few marble artworks and they're always some of my favorite pieces of art she creates.  Thinking of getting a proper canvas and having her try one for our living room wall...

2.  So easy, right?!  Jake would love a long 2x4 like this to use as a road for his cars...

3.  Oh, Martha.  You've done it again.  You've made me long to do laundry, if only I could do it in a laundry room like yours.

4.  Beauty from despair.  Check out the beautiful photography work done by Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre documenting the decay and destruction of Detroit.  The analogy they draw between ancient Roman ruins and what we're seeing today in the Motor City is compelling.

5.  The Zero Waste Home.  A friend was telling me about something similar yesterday and I've had this website bookmarked for some time.  Maybe we can't all do what these people do, but perhaps we can all do a little something extra...

6.  I just adore this print for a child's room.  Makes me want to run out and buy a ton of fonts so I can do this myself (which would probably, in the end, be more expensive than just buying the print itself...).

7.  Great way to document whatever is tickling your kids fancy right now.

8.  I just discovered this great online Magazine (my first).  Check out the spring edition of Sweet Paul, a special Kid's Edition.  Not sure how I feel about online magazines in general, but this one is pretty cool!

9.  Add this to the top of the list for when the cleanse is over!

10.  For all the rainy days ahead - who doesn't love butter?!

 

For those of you with friends or family in Eastern Asia right now, I hope they're all safe and sound.  Thinking of those who maybe haven't been so lucky and hoping for comfort and support to them and their families.

Have a safe and happy weekend, everyone.

Cleanse DAY EIGHT - Tempted by the Princess

Whew, another day of temptation survived! I tell ya, nothing like walking into an arena filled with hot dogs and cheese stix and cotton candy to REALLY test what you're made of on a cleanse!  But I actually survived.  Despite buying a cheese stick for Natalie and having the garlic tickle my nose and watching her pull the stringy cheese out of her mouth.  I thought, "What if I took one bite?  Who would know?  Natalie's not going to tell anyone...".  But I would have known.  And my intention is to be 100% honest with ya'll, good or bad.  It's not that I feel like I have to be perfect, it's just -- if I'm going to slip up, do I REALLY want it to be with one bite of a crummy arena cheese stick?  Wouldn't it be better to have like a really good piece of dark chocolate?  Or a delicious pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream?  Or a juicy, medium rare piece of filet mignon?  Who wants to screw up on a CHEESE STICK?!

So my record stands.  Eight days with no gluten.  Eight days with no cheese.  One foot in front of the other, one day at a time, one temptation at a time.

Breakfast:

That delicious steelcut oatmeal I made last night - SOOOO yummy
Clementine
Handful of red grapes

Lunch:

Snall McDonald's french fries (did someone say I had a weigh-in tomorrow? Oh crap!)
Carrot sticks & Celery w/Peanut butter
Smoothie w/almond milk, strawberries, banana, ground flax seed & protein powder

Dinner:

Romaine salad w/carrots, chickpeas, edamame, yellow pepper, & balsamic vinaigrette
Red grapes & pineapples
(After the show) - Peanut butter & jelly sandwich on gluten free bread

Snacks:

Trio bar
Chips & salsa
Pumpkin seeds
Apple

 

A great big thank you to my friend Laura who had us over to her lovely new home tonight for dinner and a playdate.  She put out the most unbelievable fix-your-own-salad bar that rivals ANY I've seen in a restaurant.  She made it so easy to stick to my cleanse and eat well while I was at her home and inspired me to add more variety to my own salads!  Thank you, Laura!  I do kinda wish I could have had some of that spaghetti pie, though!

Disney Princesses on Ice

As a special treat for Natalie, I took her to see Disney's Princesses on Ice tonight at the Van Andel Arena.

I snapped a few shots with my iPhone (because I forgot both my digital camera AND our video camera) and they leave MUCH to be desired in the way of clarity, but that's about what you get from the 3GS.

Now if I had a new iPad 2....it has a camera.  A NICER camera.  Just sayin', Brian.  Maybe you wanna look into that?

Our seats were fantastic - center ice, lower level, handicap section.  Don't look at me like that!  I searched for best available seats and that's what I was given.  I didn't even realize it until I got to the arena and tried to kick some people out of what I thought were our seats...whoops.  We were actually the very last row in the lower level (which meant easy in, easy out) and were slightly elevated on a platform which gave us great sight lines.  And we had a ton of room around our seats so Natalie was able to dance around and I didn't have to worry about people squeezing in and out or my kid whacking someone on her head while she twirled like Tinkerbell.  Seriously, I'd sit there again in a heartbeat.  Especially for $12 a ticket.

I have a few friends going this weekend and just a few words of advice for you guys (or anyone going to see the show, for that matter) -

1) The princesses you see on the above poster are the only ones featured.  So don't let your little ones get too jazzed up for Tiana or Rapunzel.  Disney needs to update this stat, b/c Natalie was pretty disappointed not to  see those two (especially since their merchandising had them splattered all over the place - see below).  Natalie decided that either they didn't know how to ice skate or no one came to their home and told them it was "showtime."  Her words.  There are some nice cameo's by Mickey, Minnie & Goofy, however.  And Tinkerbell acts as a silent MC for the evening.  And if your girls' favorite princess is Mulan, well, then you're in luck!  (Mental note - must rent Mulan so Natalie stops asking me who that "Hi-Yah! girl" was...).

2) Do NOT, under any circumstance, park in a parking structure within a 3 block radius of the arena.  Took us forever to get out of there b/c we got there a little late and had to park nearly at the top.  Do yourself a favor and find a nice lot somewhere and walk to the arena.

3) Be prepared for a massive onslaught of Disney princess merchandise.  Come prepared to spend money or have the talk in the car on the way over that you're only allowing one thing/not allowing anything.  I told Natalie on the way over that I didn't bring any extra money and that her gift was to see the show, so she knew not to beg for every Tinkerbell snowcone/Tiana cotton candy/Ariel twirly light saber/Cinderella lightup necklace gizmo that came our way.  That being said, I DO wish I would have allowed her to buy one thing, but I honest to goodness didn't have any cash with me.

4) Trust me when I say that neither YOU nor your child will be out of place if you decide to wear you princess finery.  I'll just leave it at that...

5) Bring a camera.  Or, better yet, bring a video camera so your little ones can watch it again the next day.  It really was quite magical to see Natalie's face when her favorite princesses were out there!

 

So that's it - Natalie had a great time and would probably sleep until 10am tomorrow if she didn't have school.  Best $24 I've spent in awhile ;0)

Glee - "The Talk"

So yea, here's my official shout out to Burt Hummel for his handling of "the talk" all of us parents dread.  I'm not lying when I say that I actually made notes and tucked them away into my parenting binder (yes, I have one of those) for future reference:

 

"But when you’re ready, I want you to use it as a way to connect to another person. Don’t throw yourself around like you don’t matter. ‘Cause you matter, Kurt."

Well said.

Cleanse DAY SEVEN - Dinner Disaster

Whoo Hoo!!  One week down, two to go!  Today I felt really great - very motivated, ready to tackle anything.  The problem with that is that I'm looking around and seeing so much that I want to do, I'm starting to get a little overwhelmed by my ever-increasing list of projects!  I feel like if I can just get on top of a few things, particularly in the way of household organization, then I can really harness this extra energy and tackle a number of things that I've been wanting to do but haven't had the energy.  In the coming days, I'm hoping to share with you my new organization system (it involves a binder, people!  Anyone else out there as crazy about binders as I am?  No?  Just me?  Okay then...).  I know as a mother, I feel like I'm not only responsible for my own schedule, but my two kids and even my husband's, to a degree, as well.  Plus keeping on top of all the household things that need to be done, stuff that needs to be purchased, appointments that need to be made...it's a lot to keep organized.  But from a solid foundation of organization I know I can function much more efficiently.  So that'll be my next big project that I'm hoping to share with ya'll.

In the meantime, I tried a new recipe tonight.  Pineapple Fried Rice w/Tofu.  It did not go well.  Bravo to those of you out there who are able to get tofu to look and taste appealing.  I've just not had very good luck with it.  

So I think that will likely be my last attempt, at least during the duration of this cleanse.  It's one thing when you make  crummy dish while you're eating "normally" - you can just grab something quick and easy out of the pantry or fridge if you can't eat what you prepared.  When you're eating all heathified, pretty much everything needs to be fresh and prepared from scratch.  Or at least you have to think ahead and have some stuff already prepared.  There are very few convenience foods for us to choose from right now.  So a dinner disaster left me SERIOUSLY starving when I went to the movies with friends tonight.  Which, of course, was enough reason for me to indulge in a little movie popcorn (sans butter, of course!).  Hey, I can have popcorn!  So what if it's salt and trans fat laden!  It's gluten free!

Breakfast:

Handful of red grapes
Trio bar
Glass of calcium-fortified OJ

Lunch:

Big bowl of potato leek soup
Banana

Dinner:

Pineapple Fried Rice w/Tofu = FAIL
Substitution = 2 rice cakes with peanut butter
Carrots

Snacks:

Movie theater popcorn - yay!
Handful of cashews
Clementine
Apple

On the bright side, I whipped up another batch of steelcut oatmeal this evening.  Instead of going for an apple walnut flavor, however, this time I cooked the oats in 1:1 water/coconut milk.  Then I added two mushed bananas and a big old bunch of pecans.  Threw in some nutmeg, cinnamon and a little vanilla and voila!  Banana nut oatmeal.  No sugar, lots of fiber and protein - totally healthy AND totally yummy!

Here's to week two of clean livin'!

Cleanse DAY SIX - Dessert!!

Woke up feeling okay this morning - sore throat was better, but kind of came and went throughout the day.  I'm hoping the healthier diet will help me fight off whatever this might be.  So far all winter the whole household hasn't been sick at all (knock on wood), so I will be seriously pissed if I get sick NOW.

Watched a very thought-provoking movie tonight (Capitalism: A Love Story) and caught tonight's episode of Glee.  Hopefully tomorrow on Hulu they'll post clips from tonight's episode that I can repost here - I thought "The Talk" between Kurt and his father was really well done.  I know (hope!) that talk is a long way off for us and our kids, but I can only hope that we handle it as eloquently as Kurt's dad did.

Anyways, feeling mentally and physically nourished today.  Here's what went down the hatch:

Breakfast:

Steelcut oatmeal w/apples & walnuts
Banana

Lunch:

Peanut butter & jelly sandwich! (natural PB and strawberry all-fruit spread on gluten free bread - not bad)
Carrots w/hummus for dipping
Potato chips

Dinner:

Yellow rice w/lentils & broccoli - Dang, that was pretty good!
Spinach & romaine salad w/nuts & seeds and O&V dressing

Dessert (Yea, you heard me!):

Tropical Fruit Cup - check out the recipe:

Pineapple - Banana Fruit Cups w/Coconut
Recipe from Supermarket Vegan

2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
(I used canned crushed pineapple cuz that's what I had - would be better with fresh, I'm sure)
2 large ripe yet firm bananas, peeled and sliced into 1-inch rounds
1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut (I used unsweetened and I toasted it)
Juice of 1 fresh lemon (about 3 Tbsp)

In a medium bowl, toss all ingredients gently yet thoroughly to combine.  Let stand about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend; toss gently again.  Transfer to small dessert cups or bowls and serve at once.

How easy is that?

AND, it was pretty yummy.  I'm not gonna BS you and say it was "Just as good as a bowl of ice cream!"  But it actually was very refreshing and did satisfy that craving for something sweet that I often get after a very savory meal.  Just lookin' for things to incorporate into our diets AFTER the cleanse...

Snacks:

Pickles & olives
2 clementines
Rice cake w/Peanut Butter and cinnamon
Handful of walnuts

So tomorrow makes it one week of vegan, gluten/sugar/alcohol/caffeine-free livin' for Brian and I.  Whoot whoot!  I'm starting to get a little anxiety over our upcoming weekend, however.  We'll be headed to my mom's house for the weekend to attend my niece's birthday party.  Eating this way is hard enough to do at our own home, but traveling???  Where there will be CAKE???  This will really test me personally as I'm sure I'll be mighty tempted to reach for convenience over home-cooked, especially while we're on the road.  I'll have to do a little prep work on dishes that travel well so my poor mother doesn't have to try to come up with something that fits into our diet parameters!

Oh, and for all of you NOT cleansing and who are able to enjoy Fat Tuesday - hope someone out there had a paczki for me!!

Our Budding Astronaut

For several months now, Natalie's been talking about wanting to be a pilot when she grows up.  I'm kind of in love with the fact that she would choose something like that.  Now, I know, there's plenty of time for her to change her mind (pretty sure I'm STILL changing my mind about what I want to be when I grow up!), but for now, I'm encouraging her as much as possible.  I can't help but feel a little proud that all of my "You can be anything you want to be" and "Who says girls can't like dinosaurs/boys can't like dolls?" talks are paying off - she seems to be developing her own interests outside of what is gender-expected of her.  Finally, I feel like I'm doing something right as a parent!

Last week at preschool they discussed Outer Space and Astronauts.  We talked about how many astronauts start out as pilots and then undergo further training to become astronauts.  She thought that was the coolest thing.  So now, as long as she can be a mommy, too (which she's clear that she wants to be), she's got her sights set on a shuttle mission.  I think I see space camp in her future!!!

 

Cleanse DAY FIVE - Shreddin'

Wow, what a relief to wake up this morning feeling better.  My energy was back up and my mood had improved significantly as well.  And the cravings, while still present, were certainly more tolerable.  What a roller coaster this has been so far!  After speaking with my friend Jen who recently completed a similar cleanse, she said days 3 and 4 were her hardest, too.  So while I don't expect the next 16 days to be a snap, it's nice to know that I wasn't going completely crazy yesterday!  And maybe, just maybe, the worst is behind me.

Contributing to my lack of energy and motivation in the months leading up to my decision to do this cleanse was certainly a lack of physical exercise.  But for those of you who've struggled with this, I'm sure you know how it goes.  You know mentally that if you just get up and get moving, you'll feel better and you'll have more energy.  But where are you supposed to get the energy from to get moving in the first place?!  No one ever seems to have a good answer for that, other than, "You just have to DO it."  Well, excuse me, but if it were THAT easy, wouldn't EVERYONE be DOING IT?!  So actually, I've found that when I have a little momentum going and a little energy in my tank, that's when I feel like exercising.  And I can honestly say that the changes I've made to my diet in just these few short days has given me more energy.  And more motivation.

So today, I spent some quality time with America's favorite ass-kicker, Jillian Michaels.  

And, true to form, girl kicked my butt!  I've done this workout before, but usually rest when it gets too hard.  Today when I did the workout, I found I was mentally tougher.  What she was saying actually made sense to me.  You know, the part about how you have to push if you want change.  When it's uncomfortable, that's when you're making progress -- that's when you're changing yourself.  So I pushed.  Pretty sure my body will pay me back tomorrow, but for tonight I can go to bed knowing that I fed myself with healthy, nutritious foods and moved my body the way it was designed to move.  And I feel pretty darn good about that.

 

Breakfast:

Monkey waffle sandwich - 2 gluten free waffles spread with natural peanut butter, topped with sliced bananas
Fruit salad (Natalie and I finally finished off what was left!)
Glass of calcium-fortified OJ

Lunch:

Peanut soba noodles w/carrots & peas
Carrots w/hummus for dipping

Dinner:

Leftover quinoa w/pine nuts & cranberries (pretty yummy leftovers, I might add...)
No sugar added applesauce

Snacks:

Handful of black olives
2 baby dill pickles
Clementine
Rice cake w/Peanut Butter and cinnamon
Mandarin orange spice herbal tea sweetened with agave nectar

Okay, so now for the bad news.  Pretty sure Jacob and I are coming down with a cold.  He woke up with a snotty nose and pretty much wouldn't eat all day (which is usually a dead giveaway that he's either teething or coming down with something).  And as I sit here typing this, I definitely feel my throat getting a bit scratchy.  I know how hard this cleanse is to do when I'm feeling healthy - I'm a bit concerned that being sick is REALLY gonna push me over the edge and send me head long into a bowl of chicken noodle soup and a grilled cheese sandwich (on gluten-rich bread!).   Gonna have to summon some strength from somewhere deep within, I'm afraid.

In the meantime, I've got two bags of lentils in my pantry waiting to be used in this week's menu.  Anyone have any tried and true lentil recipes to share?  Also, any difference between the greenish-brown ones and the red ones (besides the obvious COLOR difference)?   I'm ashamed to admit it, but I've never cooked them and don't think I've ever tasted them.  So ease me in gently, won't you?

New Feature - Weekly Obsession

As a new feature to the blog, every Monday I'll be sharing my weekly obsession with you guys.  It's just a little way to let you in on what's been consuming some of my mental energy (besides being a mom and wife, working on photography, cleansing, dreaming of far away lands, etc.).  Maybe by sharing the obsession, I can find someone to chat about it with and I won't have to seek therapy!

This week's obsession = Barn Doors

What?!  Barn Doors, you say?  Well, yes.  More specifically, indoor barn doors.  Behold:

I just love the combination of rustic and refined and I think barn doors are a wonderful, unexpected way to add a rustic element to a room.  I'm definitely adding one of these to our next house.

What do you think?  Are you as enamored with these as I am?  Or do you think they belong outside, say, on a barn?

Cleanse DAY FOUR - Cravings, Yearnings, Needing, Wanting

Okay.  Mark day number 4 down as by far the toughest for me.  I woke up cranky and just could not get out of my funk.  Which, of course, meant every single food that I ever would have turned to last week I wanted desperately today.  Pizza.  Ice cream.  Pesto pasta.  Cheese (especially of the melted, gooey variety).  I even had a hankerin' for a cold glass of milk.  Also, it didn't help that my new Cook's Country magazine came in the mail yesterday and had me drooling over Orange-Glazed Chicken, muffins, and strawberry shortcake... *Sigh*

A wonderful email from an even more wonderful friend reminded me of something tonight -- food is just fuel.  It doesn't need to consume my every thought.  Meals should NOT be what I look forward to or dread in a day.  And it's okay to want something and not have it (how many times do I tell that to my 5-year old!).  So I'm plowing through.  17 more days.  I can do anything for 17 days....  Oh, and I just weighed myself - I've already lost 3 1/2 pounds.  In 4 days!  Holy heck.  With complete honestly I say to you that I did NOT start this cleanse to lose weight.  Now, I figured that by going from a pizza/ice cream/pesto/cheese diet to a quinoa/bean/salad/fruit diet would net me a few in the pounds-lost column.  But it genuinely is not what I'm ultimately hoping to gain from this cleanse.  It is, however, a nice little bonus that I'm going to use as motivation to keep on keepin' on!

Today's menu was kind of boring - we had a lot of leftovers in the fridge that we needed to finish up, so most of our meals were a hodge podge of this week's earlier fixins.  I have a bunch of fun recipes to try next week, though!

Breakfast:

Banana
Steelcut oatmeal w/apples and walnuts
Glass of calcium-fortified OJ

Lunch:

Trio Bar
Bowl of potato leek soup
Fruit salad (this fruit salad I made just will not end!!  We eat it every day and there's STILL a bunch left!)

Dinner:

Spinach & romaine salad with carrots, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, toasted almonds and oil & vinegar dressing
CrunchMaster multigrain crackers

Snacks:

Black olives
Tortilla chips and salsa
Apple
Rice cake w/Peanut Butter and cinnamon

 

And a big BLOG-STYLE shout out to a few of my friends today.  Melissa and Zezette -- great to see you at Java Gym.  You girls always know how to make me laugh and kept my mind off everything for a few hours.  And Jen - if you're reading, words can't express how happy I am to call you my friend.  You're kindness and support were like the big hug I needed tonight.  Love all of you!

Have a great week, everyone!

Cleanse DAY THREE - Sugar Beast

Day three, still truckin' along.  Felt slightly less jubilant today, but still found that I had quite a bit of energy.  My patience with the kids was tested, though, as I think the sugar monster is starting to rear it's ugly head a bit...would have given anything for a piece of chocolate at about 2pm today.  But I got busy going back to the grocery store and fixing tonight's dinner.  I think if I can find ways to stay busy when I'm in the midst of a craving, I should be okay.  If you see my kids on the street in the meantime, stop and give them a hug.  They may be in a for a rough couple of days if I get any crankier!

On to today's menu --

Breakfast:

Banana
Bowl of fruit salad
Peanut butter and almond butter spread on rice cakes
Glass of calcium-fortified OJ

Lunch:

Greek salad (without the feta) from Panera Bread
Potato chips

Dinner:

Tacos filled with black bean & veggie salad, yellow rice, and guacamole
Chips and fresh homemade salsa (I make a delicious salsa using this recipe)

**Forgive my food styling as it clearly leaves much to be desired!  I don't know how those magazine folks do it!

Snacks:

Trio Bar
Pistachios & walnuts
3 baby dill pickles
Apple

 

Looking back on today's menu I'm seeing a noticeable lack of protein.  Lots of protein in the black beans, of course, and some in the brown rice.  But I definitely needed something else at lunch, even though the salad was huge and I was pretty full afterwards.  Protein is definitely the most challenging thing for me to make sure I'm getting enough of, especially since we've chosen not to eat tofu.  But as Kathy says in the book, protein-deficiency is NOT a problem we have in America.  Obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol...THOSE are the real threats to our health.

Logo Options - Need Your Help!

Hey everyone!  I've been collaborating with Kim over at MadiLu Designs for my brand spankin' new photography logo and she's given me 4 lovely options to choose from.  And, since I'm pretty darn indecisive, I could use all the help I can get deciding which might be the best for me to go with.

So, without further adieu -- here's the preliminary designs (keep in mind that the colors will likely change -- more on that later):

So, what do you think?  Which one(s) do you like best?  Do you like the fonts, graphics, color schemes?? When I gave Kim my ideas and inspirations, I was loving a lot of jewel tones.  I specifically told her "peacock blue" but I was envisioning something with a little more green in it.  So I think the above blues might go a bit "greener."  But that was a few months ago, and thanks to Pinterest, I'm noticing that I'm finding myself drawn more towards fresher colors now - light blues, light lime green...  My tastes change CONSTANTLY, so I'm tapping ya'll for some help on this one.

Which one would most captivate you?  Are you drawn more towards jewel tones or lighter, fresher colors?

This is obviously a HUGE decision for me as I want to keep one logo and branding style and stay with it for the duration of my business.  This one decision will impact marketing materials, product packaging, web elements, etc.  So no pressure or anything!!

Spring Photo Shoots - What to Wear??

Before we know it, spring will be here and it'll be time to get outside for some great shots of your family.  If you're looking for ideas on what you could wear, check out the latest lineup from Inspire Me Baby:

Now for a Michigan spring, the outfits for the little girls might be a little chilly.  But throw a cute cardigan or denim jacket over them and they'd be equally cute.

Most importantly, you want to think about how all of the clothing looks together (b/c you'll all be photographed together) as well as how each outfit looks with each of the other outfits (b/c you'll likely be photographed as a couple, mom and 1 kid, dad and another, etc.).  Just a little planning ahead of time can mean the difference between mediocre photos and harmonious, clean looking portraits.

Cleanse DAY TWO - Placebo Effect??

Well, day two on the cleanse is in the books.  Now I don't know if there's a little bit of a placebo effect taking place, but I honestly feel a little better.  I went to bed last night and felt, I don't know, cleaner.  Lighter.  And then this morning, 7:30am rolled around and I actually woke up on my own, feeling very refreshed and ready to start my day (anyone who knows me that a pre-8am wake up time is only done out of necessity with me!).  

My good mood and higher energy level lasted pretty much the whole day, but I did discover something.  When I'm really hungry (like stomach growling hungry), THAT'S when I want to hit the drive-thru or shove whatever I can find into my mouth.  I had to leave to get Natalie from preschool around 11:15 this morning.  That was too early to eat lunch, but I hadn't eaten breakfast since 8am.  So I was pretty dang hungry and was ready to scrap the cleanse then and pull into the nearest Arby's for some roast beef! Thankfully, I didn't.  But next time I'll know to keep some almonds or a granola bar or something in the car for those moments of weakness.

Brian had an interesting story to share today.  He had a business lunch meeting at Applebee's and discovered that their menu is not very "cleanse-friendly".  He ordered their Chicken Paradise Salad without the chicken.  He said the waiter looked at him like he had two heads.  "Without the chicken?  Are you serious?"  Um, yea, bud.  So apparently vegetarians are hitting up Applebee's often enough for this guy to get used to a no-meat salad...

On to today's menu:

Breakfast:

Bowl of steelcut oatmeal w/apples & walnuts
Small bowl of fruit salad
Glass of calcium-fortified OJ

Lunch:

Leftover soba noodles w/peanut sauce & shredded carrots
Handful of toasted walnuts

Dinner:

Quinoa pilaf w/shallots, cranberries and pinenuts
Asian style sesame green beans

Snacks:

Handful of pistachios
Bowl of air-popped popcorn
4 baby dill pickles

Also, one tip I wanted to share.  I went out shopping in search of yummy things to fill my cabinet with.  I knew I'd probably be cooking a lot of quinoa (because our whole family likes it and it's one of the grains highest in protein), so I did a little comparison shopping.  

So as you can see, if you plan on purchasing quinoa for your family, I beg of you, do NOT buy it from Meijer!!  It's amazing how much they've jacked up the price on it.  Harvest Health is better, but not by much.  Do yourself and your pocketbook a favor and check out your warehouse store!

{Fabulous Finds} Friday

I debated whether or not to keep this feature of my blog, and ultimately decided to keep it in because I believe in sharing good ideas, beautiful objects, and creative solutions to problems many of us share.  Plus, from a purely selfish standpoint, I like how these posts keep links to fun sites organized for me so I can refer back to them often.  But hopefully you, too, find them useful or, at the very least, a welcome bit of inspiration in your day!

1.  Super cute idea for a one year-old's birthday photo shoot.  Can't you just imagine hanging that canvas on the wall in his/her room?!

2.  Kind of thinking I need to make some cushions like these for my dining room chairs.  Outdoor fabric = brilliant!

3.  Sometimes it's hard to find cute, unique things for little guys to wear for a photo shoot.  I think these little neckties are just adorable!

4.  Celebrity moms.  Such great photos.

5.  I'm patiently awaiting the return of Mad Men!!  Until then, check out these behind the scene photos.  Just as gorgeous as what's shown on screen!

6.  I'm already thinking ahead to Natalie's 6th birthday party and leaning towards an "ice cream" theme.  Wouldn't this be perfect?!

7.  I showed this awesome slide to Natalie and she's now added it to her wishlist for our next home.  Honey, could you please look up "how to build radical cement slide through center of house" and get on the plans for this?  Thanks!

8.  Oh, and Brian?  While you're at it, I think it's time you stepped up your Saturday morning pancake breakfasts.  I mean, you've mastered the recipe for the kids...it's time to challenge yourself!

9.  In love with blabla kids - wonderful gift ideas for new parents, especially.

10.  Documenting the little moments.  SO important.  And you don't even have to be that great of a photographer.  Can you imagine how wonderful it would be to have a book like this from even just one year of your childhood?  HAVE to remember to do this for 2012...

 

Hope there's something there you find worth checking out!  Have a great weekend, everyone!

Cleanse DAY ONE - The Journey Begins

Well, day one is pretty much under our belts and, so far, so good.  Here's a run-down of what I ate:

Breakfast:

Bowl of steelcut oatmeal w/apples & walnuts**
Small bowl of fruit salad (berries, grapes, pineapple)
Glass of calcium-fortified OJ

**Last night I made up a big batch of steelcut oatmeal.  Instead of using plain water to cook the oatmeal, I used unsweetened apple juice to add more flavor and more sweetness.  I threw in a couple of cut up apples and a ton of walnuts.  This should give Brian and I a filling, healthy breakfast for at least the next 3 mornings...

 

Lunch:

Bowl of roasted potato & leek soup
Banana
Salad w/romaine, spinach, carrots, sliced almonds, & sunflower seeds w/oil & vinegar dressing

**I had to get over a bit of a mental stumble with the soup because I usually throw handfuls of cheese and bacon in my potato soup!  But actually, the soup was delicious by itself and I didn't feel deprived at all.  I definitely doesn't need the cheese.  And the bacon...well, bacon makes pretty much everything better, but at least the soup was pretty darn good without it.  Maybe after the cleanse I won't put quite so much in...

 

Dinner:

Buckwheat noodles w/spicy peanut sauce
Carrot-coconut salad (recipe here)

 

Snacks:

Handful of Ruffles potato chips (hey, I'm not perfect, okay!)
Handful of toasted walnuts

 

So, I feel pretty good today.  Proud of myself for getting through one whole day of the cleanse!!  It's not much, but, hey, it's a start!

 

Pantry Clean-Out

Brian and I decided that the best way for us to kick off our cleanse would be to clean out all of the verboten foods from the fridge and pantry so that we wouldn't constantly be staring at all the yummy pastas and candies and breads every time we go get something to eat.  It's too much temptation!

So here's what our pantry looked like yesterday before the clean-out:

And here's what we're staring at after:

 

So lots of healthy beans and grains in the pantry, which address my biggest concern of getting enough protein over the next 3 weeks.  Then the fridge is stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables of all kinds. 

That's a pretty well-stocked kitchen, if you ask me!

My New Obsession

During my 6-month hiatus from writing this blog, I have still been reading other blogs.  I find endless inspiration from the community of bloggers out there, whether they be blogging about interior design or photography or parenting or food...it feels pretty incredible to be a very tiny, tiny part of that community.

So I wanted to pay respect to those bloggers I get the most inspiration from here on this blog.  I've replaced the "I'm Lovin" section on the right of the blog with the "On My Google Reader" list.  Check out some of these other sights, but I must warn you - once you start exploring all of the brilliant, creative work out there, you, too, may have a Google Reader subscription list that's well over 75 blogs long and very hard to keep up with!

So it was through one of these many wonderful blogs that I stumbled upon my latest obsession - Pinterest!!  Pinterest is basically a virtual bulletin board of your very own.  So say you're online shopping over at The Gap and you see a shirt you love.  You can save a picture of that shirt to your "My Style" bulletin board over at Pinterest.  Or say you love the way a particular living room looks in the latest Pottery Barn magazine.  You'd like to recreate that (or portions of it) in your own home.  Now if you're like the me of 1 month ago, you'd rip that page out of the catalog and put it into a "Design" binder, probably never to be seen again.  Well, with Pinterest, you can go to the PB website, find that page in the catalog and save the picture to your virtual "For My Home" design board.  Then you can add other pieces from other websites and blogs and use that board for inspiration, dreaming, whatever.  You can create as many different boards as you want (I have 25 right now, with every intention of growing that number!!).  

 Here's what my "For the Home" board looks like:

 

And, what's so cool, is that you can see other people's boards to get even more creative inspiration.  It's like a giant love fest of creative, stylish people sharing creative and stylish ideas!

So, getting your own Pinterest started requires an invitation.  You can request an invite through Pinterest directly, but that takes a few weeks or possibly longer.  Or you can request an invite from me!  Each subscriber can invite up to 5 others.  So if you're interested in joining this site (it's totally free, by the way), let me know and I'd be happy to hook you up with an invite.

Happy pinning!!

Back to Blogland

Hello everyone (if anyone is actually still reading this thing!).  Time to dust off some cobwebs and get this blog back in action.

First, let me apologize for dropping off the face of the blog planet.  This fall was personally very challenging for me and I felt like I was spreading myself too thin.  I felt like I wasn't doing a very good job at any of the "jobs" I have - being a mom, being a friend, being a photographer, being a blogger...so I just needed to pare down, step back and think about what I wanted this blog to be, what I wanted from it, etc.  What I've concluded is that I really want this to be a place I can come and share my thoughts with my close friends and family and perhaps even a few strangers that wander through.  What I intend to STOP using it for is photography promotion.  Now don't worry - I'll still post pictures from photo shoots I do (as that is becoming an ever-increasingly larger part of my life), but I'm putting the finishing touches on my preliminary website that will be dedicated SOLELY to my work.  Once I get my logo finished by Kim over at MadiLu Designs, the website will be a lot slicker and more professional looking.  But for now, at least I've got my domain name purchased and a temporary website up to showcase my work.  In the future, I may start a dedicated photography blog, but for now, I'll have my website for my work and this blog will serve more as a personal space.

So now that THAT'S cleared up, let me tell you what specifically prompted me to get back into blogging...

For months now I've been feeling incredibly tired and run down and like I have no motivation whatsoever to do much of anything.  My doctor put me on anti-depressants because she said she thought it sounded like depression.  Well, I didn't really feel sad or depressed, but I figured the medication was worth a shot, if for nothing else than to kind of give me a spark to get my engine started.  Well after being on them for 6 months, they didn't help one bit.  I felt the same physically on day 180 as I did on day 1.  Oh, except that by day 180 I had gained 10 pounds, felt stressed out more than I had in several years and felt like my brain just never turned off.  It was very disturbing.  Now, that's not to say that I don't think SRI's work for some people (I have no doubt that they're a lifesaver for some), but as my doctor explained, if you don't have a neurochemical imbalance in the brain, SRI's aren't going to "fix" whatever's wrong.  There must be something else going on.  

During the 6 months I was on Celexa, I also tried several other "easy" fixes to combat the fatigue - going to bed earlier, going to bed/getting up at the same time,  watching less TV, working less on the computer...nothing seemed to help.  I mean, I was getting a full 8 hours of sleep every night (at least) and was still waking up tired.  So I finally had to face the reality that I'd been trying to avoid -- the most likely culprit of my lack of energy was diet and (lack of ) exercise.  Guess what?  When you feed your body crappy fuel and you treat your body like crap (by not taking care of it and exercising it), you're going to feel like crap.  Shocking revelation, I know.  

At about that same time a few weeks ago, Oprah had Kathy Freston on her show again, advocating a vegan diet.  Harpo staffers tried a vegan diet for one week and most of the people they interviewed said that they felt better than they had in years and became more conscious of their food choices and how they relate to their morals and beliefs.  This really struck a chord with me, particularly the part about raising my consciousness about the food I choose to feed myself and my family.  One of the reasons we joined the CSA last year was so that we were more aware of where our food was coming from.  Well now I'm realizing that where the food comes from is just one piece of the puzzle - I really need to focus in and find out exactly how particular foods make me FEEL.

I have friends all the time who say, "Oh, I can't eat dairy, it makes me feel like crap" or "I went gluten free for a week and I've never felt better - I must have a gluten intolerance."  These statements always surprise me a bit because I don't have that level of awareness when it comes to food.  About the only thing I can say is that when I drink too much alcohol, I feel awful the next day.  But that's sort of a no-brainer.  I've never tried to tie how I feel each day to what FOODS I've eaten.  And since I don't think I've gone a day in my life without gluten, dairy AND animal protein, it's hard to single out which food may or may not be contributing to my lack of energy.

So I did a little more reading up on Kathy Freston and discovered one of her books called "The Quantum Wellness Cleanse."  

I checked it out from the library, read it and felt immediately like what she was saying made so much sense.  In her 21-day plan, she advocates a diet free of gluten, animal proteins, caffeine, alcohol and refined sugars.  Instead she steers you towards a diet full of wholesome, plant-based foods.  It's about "choosing foods that don't tax the body and make it work so hard; it's about taking a break, but not about starving."

Also, for those people who hear the word CLEANSE and recoil in horror, please know that while this book talks about becoming more aware of food choices, it's really more about raising your consciousness and treating your body with kindness so that you can feel and look your best.  It's not about deprivation, it's about awareness. 

So people ask, "Isn't it kind of radical to give up all these things entirely for 21 days?  Why not just try giving up gluten first?"  Well my answer to that is, "What if it's not gluten?  Then do I need to sign up for another 21 days of eliminating something ELSE from my diet?"  To me, 21 days is infinitely more doable than 42, 63, 84, or 105 days of trial and error.  I can do anything for 21 days.  Plus, I'll admit it - I have an affection for instant gratification.  That's part of the reason I eat the way I do, without really thinking about what a particular food may do to my body.  So the thought of drastically changing my diet (for the better) and seeing results in a short amount of time caters to the perfectionist in me, as well as my desire for real, discernible results.  Plus, ya know what, part of this IS about discipline for me.  I hate to say it, but I'm not a very disciplined person.  And the idea of committing to something that may be challenging or uncomfortable for 21 days and seeing that through to the end will do wonders for my self-esteem and feelings of accomplishment.  I need to do this so that I know that I CAN do this.

So that brings us to today - today is DAY ONE of my cleanse!!  I'm excited, nervous, and, to be really honest,  a little scared.  Excited for the changes that this will bring to my life.  Nervous that I'll have to really change shopping, cooking, and eating patterns that have been firmly established.  Scared that it's going to be hard.  And uncomfortable.  I'm scared that I'll flip out and binge on chocolate and pasta by day 5.  And...I'm scared that I'll fail.  Fear of failure is what's kept me from doing a lot of things in the past, though, so I'm choosing to walk through that fear.  I'm also trying to broaden my idea of success instead of worrying about slip-ups.  The perfectionist in me says that even one slip up would constitute failure.  But part of what appeals so much to me about this book is that she advocates kindness and tolerance of yourself.  It's about "leaning into change", as she calls it.  One day or even one meal of conscious eating is better than nothing.  

So I'm choosing to challenge myself.  I'm choosing to NOT take the easy road this time.  I'm choosing to gain insight and clarity into how my diet affects my mood and physical well-being.  I'm choosing to break free of the control that food has over me so that going forward on day 22 and beyond, I'm the one in control.

The plan is to blog about my experiences on this cleanse.  Warning - the first few days may NOT be pretty!  Brian's doing the cleanse with me, though (you know how he likes a challenge!), so it's awesome to have that one-on-one support.  But hopefully you'll check in periodically and maybe even give me a little pep talk every now and then -- I can use all the help I can get!  Wish me luck!!