New Year New You?!?!

Ah, New Year's Eve.  The time of year when we set completely unrealistic goals for ourselves and eagerly jump in, only to fail by January 15.  Jaded much?

It's true, though, right?  We have all the best intentions, only to unknowingly set ourselves up for failure by taking on the world all at once.  I'm all for a big project (ask me about running distance races without training), but we (read: me) need to do it in a realistic healthy fashion.

Let's take the marathon example above.  I have run a handful of half marathons, and one full.  Before the full, I was the youngest person in my training group.  Check mark in the plus column, right?  I was also the only one who had seriously neglected my training, only doing up to 13 miles in one stretch prior to race day.  For you marathon newbies, the mighty marathon is a whopping 26.2 miles.  Yup.  D is for Dumb in my pre-race prep.  Marathon day came, and through sheer will (i.e. I'm a total stubborn ass), and a couple course angels I met along the way, I finished.  However, I couldn't walk for three days after the race.

I tell you this story for two reasons.  One, if you decide to do a marathon, TRAIN.  Two, running a marathon without building up is also how we set our resolutions.  We take on these huge tasks without first building our mileage.  You need to do some training runs before taking on the big race.  Makes sense, right?

This year, I'm setting resolutions that I will tackle all through the month of January, setting the stage for 2015.  But, this year I've worked to set a foundation for these resolutions through 2014.  These are things I've started to do a bit throughout this year that I really want to commit to in the upcoming year.  Some are teeny tiny, others are going to really take some commitment. 

I think this is another way we set ourselves up with resolutions.  One of mine?  Stop using body lotions and completely commit to coconut oil.  Silly, no?  Yup.  But, I wanted to make a mix of easy wins and resolutions that require work.  This way, there are some that come easy and others that require a bit of elbow grease to get the job done.

What are your resolutions this year?  Do you have a balance of easy achievements and those that require some serious commitment?

Happy 2015, be safe, be well...  Mamaste :)

For the Love of... KALE!

I have a terrible habit of hating on things.  I don't just dislike things, I hate them...  and am usually quite vocal about it. It's my black and white nature coupled with my (dis?)ability to be quite vocal. As we close 2014 and move into 2015 I've decided to focus on my loving side, so you will see more blogs of this nature.  Introducing: For the Love...

One of my obsessions of late is the almighty kale. Jeff & I are getting ready to embark on the Conscious Cleanse, so as we get ready to take the plunge I'm easing us into it by adding some more fruits and veggies.  My veggie du jour is kale.  I. Am. Obsessed.  I haven't yet added it to my daily smoothie, but everywhere else I munch this leafy green is making a guest appearance.  One of my biggest obsessions is kale chips.  They are amazing to eat and super easy to cook.  Check out my go-to kale chips recipe below!

Kale Chips
Kale - as much as you want.  Note: Only make as many as you think you will eat in a couple of days- they don't keep too long.  And you'll eat them PDQ anyhow!
Coconut Oil
Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Wash, chop your kale and spread it out on a cookie sheet.  (Note: size of kale pieces kind of depends on your preference.  Sometimes I like bigger chips, sometimes smaller.  Get creative! Don't pile kale pieces on top of each other or they will be soggy and not cook)

Melt your coconut oil.  You don't want to use a ton- just enough to very lightly coat your kale.  You can coat the kale with your hands or use a pair of tongs.  Lightly sprinkle with sea salt and put in the oven.  Cook chips for 5 minutes and then flip.  Cook 4-6 more minutes, watch them closely!  Your kale will brown slightly then burn quickly.  (Note: Burnt kale chips = EEWW).

Let them cool for a few and enjoy!  MMM!

Tree Hugging Wipes

Another thing I have become a little obsessed with since becoming Mama is keeping things as environmentally friendly in our house and for our little one as possible.  I cannot believe how much waste (in more ways than one!) is produced by a baby!  Diapers, wipes, all the laundry...  WHOA!

We have only just begun our foray into cloth diapering (more on that in an upcoming entry), and since it's had some growing pains I have also looked into other ways to reduce our environmental impact.  One thing I decided to do was to make my own wipes.  

There are a couple different angles when making your own wipes.  Some mamas are more concerned about the chemicals and less about the environmental impact of tossing the wipes.  If that is the case, you can use this recipe with a roll of paper towels.  For me, I wanted to reduce the chemicals & also the waste, so I use these.

Making the wipes is super simple.  You need:

Water (distilled is best, especially if it takes you awhile to work your way through the wipes)
Castille Soap (I use Dr. Bronner's Unscented)
Witch Hazel
Essential Oils (this is completely at your discretion- my little man has really sensitive skin so I don't use it much.  When I do, I like orange and lavender)
Almond Oil

Boil 1 1/34 cup water, set aside to cool.  In a bowl, mix 1 tbl castille soap, 1 tbl witch hazel,  and 1 tbl almond oil.  Mix with cooled water and add any essential oils you want to use.  Pour the mix over your wipes and allow it to soak in.

I store my wipes in an old wipe container, but you can also store in a wipe warmer (this is probably a better bet as they can be cold on baby skin!).  In the mornings I wash my little guy's face and hands before changing his diaper and using the wipe on his diaper area.  It serves a dual purpose to clean his sweet face and also act as a wipe!  I love knowing exactly what's in our wipes and tossing just a little bit less into the trash.

Enjoy :)

For the Love of Little Man

I can't believe William is 12 weeks old today.  While I can somewhat remember life before him ( I know it included showers, dinners out and later nights), I can't remember my heart before he came into our lives.  I tell people all the time that I literally can't articulate the love I have for my son.

I'm going back to work Monday, and we are incredibly fortunate to have fallen into a wonderful childcare situation.  We will be sharing a nanny with another family, and the babies will be at our house a few days a week and at another house the others.  I will get to see my son's face during the day and even sneak away for some love. 

It's unbelievable how something sneaks into your heart and grabs hold of it so tightly and so suddenly.  I watch him discover the world day by day- the littlest things make my husband and I giddy with joy.  He has started to discover his hands- the boy must be a genius!  These little moments and discoveries make our days.  We thrive on them, and on him- and of course have fallen into the new parent trap of ignoring one another.

For those who have children, you may have experienced this.  This little person comes into your life, and takes every bit out of you- in the most amazing way, but suddenly there's little left for anything else.  I suddenly overlook the man who gave me this beautiful son, and it's starting to show (she says, pondering her sweats and unbrushed teeth at 4 pm...). 

We've had to recalculate a bit, and quickly.  I had fallen into the Mommy trap, making it my one and only priority, and neglecting my other half.  When we started to slip, I remembered- that in order for our son to thrive in our household, Mommy & Daddy have to thrive.  Meaning...  a screaming and neglectful Mommy and Daddy equals misery for that most important little man.

I'd heard (and completely disagreed at the time) that a couple's relationship must come first, and the child second.  My over analytical brain shredded this one, thinking how is that even possible?  Baby must come first!  My husband can take care of himself!  How wrong I was.  My husband still needs to be nurtured and loved, and even taken care of.  We are learning to take care of each other in a different way, but I realized that it can't be as an afterthought.  Baby makes three, and the two that were there first still need to share their love and make room for one another.

My Favorite(r) Things

Yes, I know favoriter isn't a word.  It was that or "My Favorite Things Part Deux".  So just go with it!  Again, no compensation or kickbacks received here, just me sharing some of the awesome discoveries I made this holiday season!

You may notice a trend here...  I got a little "bah HUMBUG" this year about Christmas gifts.  One of my pet peeves is when someone tells you what they want for Christmas.  And you. didn't. ask.  Now, if I ask for suggestions, that it totally one thing.  But if you just present me with what I should get you, and word it that way...  well, it makes me want to give you a stocking full of nothing.

So I was faced with two options this year.  One, forego gifts entirely, in the mean spirit of my seasonal grumpiness at above mentioned rude person or two, take advantage of the opportunity to give people gifts with meaning.  This year, I've really been trying to gift folks with gifts that support small business or give back in some way.  Surely that erases some of my bitter rant, right?

Enjoy!

Aden & Anais RED Swaddles- these are my FAVORITE swaddles.  I call them magic blankets.  I mentioned them in my first post about my favorite things- they are amazing for nearly everything baby related!  Well, this holiday season they have a special collaboration with (PRODUCT)RED where Aden & Anais' proceeds are going to support this amazing cause.  A perfect gift that gives back!  Find them here .

Krochet Kids- this is an amazing organization that employs people all around the world.  They create gorgeous crochet goods, and every piece is signed by the person who crafted it.  Love their goods!  Find them here and #knowwhomadeit.

Fortune Cookie Soaps.  This company is one part sassy and one part smelly- but in the best way possible!  I can't wait to gift their adorable and yummy fortune cookie soaps this Christmas.  They come in a wide array of scents which change with the season and literally look just like a fortune cookie!  Check out their whole line of products here.

Birchbox.  I have been a Birchbox member for a year or so now, and absolutely love it!  Every month, they send you a box with 5 or so samples based on a beauty profile you fill out.  You can gift a subscription or just check out some of the goodies they have on their site.  They also do special edition boxes which are really cool.  To gift a subscription, visit here.
 
Shea Radiance.  Their lotion is, in a word...  AMAZING!  We live in Arizona, aka the surface of the sun, aka hotter than hell and uber dry.  I found this lotion about a year ago and absolutely love it.  Their black soap is also pretty darn amazing.  Best of all, this is another company that gives back.  Their shea butter is sourced from women-run cooperatives in West Africa.  Sign up for their email list and get 10% off your first order!  Visit them here.

Blue Apron.  This is a new favorite of mine and so fun!  I love to cook, but often get into a rut with the same old rotation.  Chicken, pork chops, veggie burgers...  Blue Apron will send you the ingredients and recipes for 3 meals per week.  It's been a great way to add some variety to our menu and try some things we would never gravitate towards at the store.  Our first meal was steak, creamed kale & sunchokes.  It was restaurant quality and incredibly delicious.  Give it a try here.

Happy Shopping :).