Caffeine Overload-Find Relaxation

This sums it all up right here!

I am officially on day 2 of my 17 week challenge and am doing pretty well besides the fact that I have school starting up in a week and I thought I would have a few more things organized by now than I do. Lets just say I am a bit stressed. In fact more stressed than I have been in a good year or so as I have been able to eliminate stress by making my household more frugal and simple by ridding it of all the extra "crap". So why am I so stressed right now you ask? I am a goal setter junky! I don't know if I just like the feeling I get when I accomplish something or if I feel I need to prove something....? The ultimate problem with this is I take on far too much than I can handle and I like everything to be perfect. So, again with school starting back up in one week I need to figure out how I am going to find time to cook, clean, bathe, get my kids from place A to B, find homework time, find family time, and figure out how I am going to pay for it all :-/ Man oh man is reaching for the "American Dream" stressful!

Luckily in all of this, I do have a supportive husband. The only problem with relying on him to help with the cleaning (he is a great cook even though I have to remind him that meat and cheese is only good in moderation and that beer doesn't need to be added to everything!) is that he doesn't clean to my expectations. He is the type of guy who will do the dishes but not wipe down the counter or do the laundry and leave a load overnight in the washer, can you say dingy? Then when it comes to the girls, he has a very short attention span and does not deal with whining. Well you would think that is good, but, when a toddler or an infant is in that mode and you respond by yelling, you get no where....But, I guess if I want the help I will have to take what I can get and maybe just maybe he will figure it all out on his own, lol!

So how am I dealing with this stress? Well not necessarily the correct way so I am going to remind myself and quite possibly you on some healthier and more natural ways to relieve the pressure that stress puts on to your body. Because if you are like me right now and trying to lose some excess weight, stress is probably going to get in your way and will get a tight hold on that fat you are trying to eliminate!

 

Today my day consisted of waking up, drinking a cup of coffee, getting the kids and I ready and out the door, having a physical done, home to take a long nap and then more coffee on my way to work! I would say that this is my first official low of my weight loss challenge and it is only day two. Sure I am on track for calories for the day and probably will be for the day and sure I have a nice long workout scheduled for tonight after work. But, again with being stressed and loading up on caffeine I will get no where fast. So, I need to take some time and figure out what I can do to get on track and quick. Here are some great tips on how to rid yourself of this toxic thing called stress that I am sure EVERYONE faces every once in a while and some a few more than others.

While thinking about all the ways I could elevate this stress, I realized I actually did do a few. For instance, I took a nap and just shut off my mind for a moment, as my mother suggested and believe it or not I slept a solid hour and 45 minutes, falling asleep almost as fast as I hit the pillow! Another thing I am doing is I am writing about it! I am not completely venting as I don't feel like anyone would care to hear more than I shared as a lot more people are dealing with worse! But, at least I am moving towards a healthier way of dealing.

A few other ideas on how to deal with everyday stress besides nap or write would be to take a nice warm bath (maybe with a glass of red wine and a piece of dark chocolate..make an event out of it!), read a book, breath deeper (this one doesn't seem to do it for me), find a distraction (preferably not your children, they may make matters worse if they need a nap!), minimize what you have going on, exercise, go on a nice long nature walk and take in the beauty around you, drink some herbal tea (this is what I should have done instead of coffee), emerge yourself into a hobby, get a massage, have some quiet time, read, yoga or just laugh! All of these things I enjoy and in the moment I forget about. The good thing is once I do get busy on something else(like work or blogging!)and after a good night sleep everything seems to be less intense than it once was and I tend to think about how silly I was in the first place to spend so much of my precious time worrying over something so petty! I hope this little reminder helped you out because if it didn't it at least calmed me down.

Love Montana! Wish I could find one of the pictures
 we have of the hidden waterfall but this is just as pretty!

Thanks for reading and hope everyone is having a sunny day!

Go Green get Fit- my 17 week challenge!

This is how I have been feeling lately. :-(

Now it is time to make this blog a little bit more personal. Don't get me wrong I have tons of blog posts coming up still on a variety of fun topics. Some of which to look forward to are homemade children crafts, raw food diet, under wire bra controversy, upcycling, my allergy curing salt lamp, frugal living, and much much more! But I have come across a fact about myself that I was aware of, but, I just didn't know the extent of the problem until today! One of the reasons I have become so interested in eating healthier, greener living and exercise was because I have always been on the chubbier side. Sure this is a common thing here in America, but when you have thick frizzy red hair on top of that, kids are not afraid to make it known that you are different. It may have been 15 years ago since I have been tormented by someone for my looks but I am pretty sure it is the culprit to why I have a demeaning self esteem today.

Enough about that, what got me thinking deeper into my constant need to lose more weight or become healthier was as innocent as looking over my Facebook page. I started this by looking at all the baby pictures of my oldest daughter, comparing her to her little sister and just remembering how crazy life was being a first time mother at the time. Well by doing this I noticed that I have one measly picture of her and I over the last 3 years and maybe one or two other pictures of me within that time frame as I am always dodging the camera. This to me is kind of sad, if I continue to live this way my children will not have any pictures of their mother to show their children and grandchildren and I want to be remembered, damn it! (excuse my language but come on Haley what is your problem?)

So, in order to overcome this I know what I have to do. I need to focus even harder on my weight loss goal not only for my happiness, but for my children and my career of being a nutritionist. I figured I would use my blog to keep me motivated and quite possibly help my followers stay motivated as well! I have a pretty hectic schedule for the next few months as I start school up again in a week full time, work 26 hours a week, continue to spend as much time with my babies and husband, on top of all the other tasks of being a mommy and wife. (which I am not taking the time to list all of those because that will be darn right depressing at the moment and I am running on an Adrenalin high after doing a half hour of yoga and about 30 minutes on the elliptical and id like to keep that high!)

Here are a few things I am going to do:

Cardio 4-5 times a week for at least 40 minutes

weight training and yoga 3 times a week

eating a healthy, organic diet

have one night a week where I treat myself to a glass of red wine, dark chocolate and a movie (come on every girl needs this once in a while!)

give up on caffeine (this will not happen overnight but I am going to really work on this)

drink a lot more water

Okay that sounds easy for the most part right...I am not so much worried about the eating part it is the caffeine void and the exercise that will bring me down. You would think that just replacing my morning coffee with a run would do the trick but I have tried that and it actually makes me crave it more. I think it is a mind over matter thing and am determined to kick the addiction! Once I take a day off it is even harder to pick myself back up. But I am going to make sure I am totally honest with you guys so feel free to comment if you see me slip up!

My goals: I am currently 159.4 pounds...thanks to my beautiful girls :-)

I want to be at least 150 by October 1st (which is in 5 weeks), 135 by Thanksgiving (8 weeks) and ultimate goal to be at 125 by my birthday which is Christmas day!!! (also another 5 weeks from Thanksgiving) Note: If I do not reach 125 but am comfortable with it I will take it! This just gives me an idea of what I am shooting for, I am a highly goal driven person and this actually makes it more fun!

Had to add this because my grandma, bless her heart, has been reminding me daily on our chats that, "An apple a day will do me just fine, it will keep you regular" as she reminds me!

A topic of interest to me right now is the Raw Foods "diet" I will talk about it more in the very near future but I have been reading a lot about it and am astounded by how youthful, healthy and SKINNY these people are that follow this way of eating. Briefly these people just eat raw foods, meaning that they do not cook anything and stick to all natural fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and more! I love it all but also love me a good home cooked meal so I don't think I could ever completely be a raw foody but I am willing to try anything once. I am completely jealous of these foodies complexion, the before and after pictures are absolutely jaw dropping on how much puffiness, weight, and more that these people have over come just by changing their diet to raw foods! I am going to challenge myself to dedicate one day a week to raw eating and see how it makes me feel. My husband would not have this if he knew but since I am very occupied with school and week there is a few days I won't see him during the week, which is upsetting but got to live the American dream right? I will just make sure I pick one of these days to be my raw day. Can't wait to see how it makes me feel! Let me know if you have tried it and what you thought, love to hear from my readers!

Well here we go, now that it is in writing I have no time to waste. today was a good start. I ate some amazing vegetable lasagna, some pickles, mixed fruit, steamed broccoli, smoked chicken on whole wheat bread with vegan mayo, fresh granola in soy milk and enjoyed some green tea! I also went for a walk, did 30 minutes on the elliptical, and practiced some yoga for 30 minutes! I'd say one successful day now on to what another 119 to go. I will try and post a current picture of me, even though again I dread cameras but it is only fair that I start working on that bad habit right now, today as well! wish me luck, this girl is in for a one heck of a sweat!

Plastic NOT Fantastic

So as I am sure I have stated before, my husband and I have been on the journey of becoming more green over the last three years since my oldest joined us here on this beautiful place called Earth! We first began the process to save a little money but after our Ella was born we continued. We wanted to do our part on not only keeping this Earth in good shape for her and her children, but, to keep her healthy and away from the amount of chemicals there are in our everyday products that are causing this uproar in Cancer in people who should be living far longer than they are! As a parent we want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to guarantee a healthy upbringing for our children and why expose them to the billions of toxins that companies are putting in things we use to eat off of, brush our teeth with or even eat! How is this even legal is the question I keep coming back to?! There are always unanswered questions and although I probably cannot ever get an answer that I am satisfied with I can do my part to avoid these harmful things as much as possible.


One happy and HEALTHY kid!



Over the last few years we have tried a few things to become greener,  some we have ditched and some that fit our family needs and lifestyle we have stuck with. We have officially switched to all organic, paraben free; cleaning products, shampoos, body washes, toothpastes, deodorants, lotions and diaper rash creams. We have made our own wipes out of essential oils, recycles paper towels, water and baking soda. We have stopped buying plastic baggies, paper napkins, and paper plates and now only use our reusable grocery bags and mesh sacks for produce and other groceries. All of these have been easy changes and have not costed me any more money than before as I now do not have drawers full of beauty products I only used once and only now only buy new when absolutely needed. I have yet to buy organic makeup but trust me, once I get through all the makeup I have, I will never be buying anything from Walmart or Mary Kay again!



There is an abundance amount of things I am dying to try or change out but it is either too expensive or the things I have now are not warn out yet. Making it is more Eco friendly to keep them out of the landfill until need be. Some of the things I am excited to try in the next year or so is bamboo sheets and towels, makeup of course, less toxic toys for the kids (right now they have more than enough I am actually trying to give them away!), and more things for my kitchen which brings me to the whole idea of today's post....



The awesome thing about reusable bags is that you
 can get them in all different shapes, sizes and designs to fit your need or style,  Love them!



About six months ago my husband brought me this article that was given to him from a customer he was dealing with for work. I guess he noticed that she too was very into the organic way and he began telling her about our journey. The article was about the harmful effects that plastic has on our body. Plastic contains BPA which is Bisphenol A, this is what is put in plastic that helps harden it. Research shows that this chemical can cause obesity, early onsets of puberty in children, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, liver complications and blunten the effectiveness on chemotherapy drugs. Sure now a days most items have a stamp on them that states they are BPA free but that doesn't matter because 90% or more of them still have a Pythalate in them which is abbreviated to be PVC or Polyvinyl Chloride. The main concern with this chemical is pregnancy complications, a hormone change it causes in males causing more of a feminine behavior, and the ellevation of cramps and bloating during PMS in women. These are just two of the many other ingredients that are in that innocent plastic water bottle you have sitting on your desk right now that are harmful to us.



Totally want this Popsicle maker set! Safer alternative to the plastic
kind I am sure you all have owned at one point in life!


After reading this small article he was given we both knew that we needed to make a change. We thought about just getting rid of all plastic in the house since we had a baby on the way and even though my oldest was done putting everything in sight into her mouth we knew we would soon have another youngin busy at exploring everything with her gooey gums. Well, when we started looking around we realized that is virtually impossible to do, wishful thinking in fact. Do you realize how many things are made of plastic? Take a look around I would have to say, especially if you have kids majority of your belongings are in fact plastic! We decided that one, we can't just go get a dumpster and rid our house of plastic because how Eco friendly would that be? and two we absolutely do not possess the funds to replace everything at once.

Favorite food storage containers,
cheap and can multipurpose them!

So we decided to do a couple things from here on out. The first one was to start with the kitchen. My mother in law sells Tupperware so we had a heaping cupboard of nice, fairly new Tupperware so I went through it and pieced them together by sets, then I went through the utensil drawer and so forth. I then went on my favorite sight right now, M2M which is a Facebook sight for local moms to sell and buy gently used things and started selling! Within a week I sold ALL of the plastic in my kitchen and took that money and bought stainless steel, glass, wood or ceramic replacements for the things I absolutely needed. It was so exciting for me to be able to not only buy all new things but to buy things that will probably last forever, are safer for my family to eat off of and I did it without adding anything to the landfill or hurting my wallet! I still have a few more things I would like for example more stainless steel sippy cups/ water bottles and some glass storage containers for food but all in due time! The next direction we are taking is to start tackling the rest of the house and not bring in any more plastic! This is going to be hard as we have great friends and family that are always gifting us things, but, the least we can do is not buy any ourselves. I refuse to buy even plastic baggies, which has been the hardest thing for my husband to adjust to, we use brown paper bags for snacks, reusable glass or stainless steel containers, wax paper or aluminum foil. It isn't as difficult as I thought because now that I look at the way we consume differentl,  I do a heck of a lot less shopping, lol!




If you want to learn more about the harmful toxins that companies put into their plastics go here... http://www.breastcancerfund.org/clear-science/chemicals-linked-to-breast-cancer/plastics/

There is also this family that I have read about that decided to live completely Plastic free! I don't know how they did it but it is extremely insightful! They have a book that I have not yet gotten my hands on but here is a bit about them if it interests you... http://www.odditycentral.com/news/austrias-green-heroes-family-lives-a-life-without-plastic.html

I even try to limit the plastic my food comes in, it is possible.
Actually pretty easy if you are buying the most nutritious foods out there, (preservative free that is)

The Secret to Cutting Those Calories Without Hurting the Brain!

Do you know how many calories you are suppose to consume a day? Are you having trouble losing weight or keeping it off and think you are doing great by eating healthy and keeping yourself moving but are just not seeing any results? It is probably those hidden calories that are easily over looked that are creeping up on you!...Okay, okay, I know I sound like every other infomercial out there that think they have the next best thing next to diet and exercise to shed those unwanted pound, but here is the thing, I am not selling a thing or telling you to eat virtually nothing, just sharing some little tips that has helped me make the leap towards better health!

1. Sure we all like to indulge in a soda once in a while and think that if it is diet we are safe....beyond the aspartame epidemic, that could become a post in itself. Full Calorie soda will add 150 calories to your daily intake, for just a small can. That is 10% or more of your calories for the day and not only does it add calories, the 30 grams or more of sugar in there makes you think that you are hunger. This causes you to grab for more food, which in most cases is not the best food as now your body is in "starvation" mood and in search of something to keep your blood sugar at its peek, adding alas more unwanted and unneeded calories. So,  if you are looking for that pick me up; op for herbal teas, like green tea, this can give you the pick me up you are looking for, while being 15-20 calories with no sugar added and if you can not handle the taste of tea try a small cup of coffee (only 1 or 2 with no sugar added), some fresh pressed juice, again with no sugar added; all of which will fulfil your need for a soda and will be significantly lower on calories AND sugar with a heck of a lot more benefits to your body because soda has absolutely NO nutritional value!




While talking about soda I figured I would share a few quick little facts I have read on the amount of harm it does to our body. (please see above) I know you were all aware of the soda, to some extent, but I found that you are either an extreme soda drinker or not one at all. So I figured I would nip in the butt to begin with. The good thing is that there are a vast amount of people concerned about the amount of soda we are consuming and are trying to put a stop of these considerably large and extra large soda's that are being sold as low as a dollar on every corner of the country. see this article.... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/30/bloomberg-plans-a-ban-on-_n_1557851.html It may just be in New York right now but it is at least a start!

Alright, on to the real reason I wanted to post today! There are so many easy ways to cut out 100-200 calories a day, you just have to be willing to give up on some of the extras and find a healthy alternative. I will start by giving you a few ideas to get your mind rolling and once you start replacing some of the calorie rich foods that are not needed, before you know it, you will be doing it on every meal!

I will start with my favorite (warning a lot of these I did not only change out because of calories but because of the "nasty" toxic ingredients in them as well as fats)
        2. Skip the packaged popcorn and make your own...cooks faster, tastier and super easy! Just get a small lunch size paper bag, put a 1/2 a cup of fresh popcorn,  fold bag  twice over and put in microwave for around 3 minutes, depending on microwave. Then dump in bowl and add a little olive oil and whatever seasoning you would like! This is now the go to snack over anything else in my household. we don't even miss all the processed crap our cupboards use to be filled with anymore, one of many replacements!

This is all you need for some heavenly "movie theatre popcorn" and it all probably costs $3 for about 50 servings which makes me one happy mama!

         3. Get rid of that salad dressing! Not only is it an added 70-200 calories per serving it is made of pure CRAP! either switch it out for olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice or make your own. It doesn't take too long and you will cut your calories down by at least 50%, don't worry you will get use to it!
         4. No more Mayonnaise on that turkey sandwich or wrap! Believe it or not, there are a bunch of things that are way better than that. One of which is yellow mustard...did you know that this is 0 calories??? crazy huh? look on the back my friend. I couldn't believe it either! Or how about some good ole' Avocado, remember not only is that low on calories it is also a super food! another one of my favorite is hummus, again low on calories and super food! why eat something that doesn't have any benefits to the body right?
         5. Last but not least, get smaller plates! I know this sounds ridiculous or to some even a joke but in reality if you use small 6 inch round plates versus the regular size plate you will be amazed when you actually feel full after even the first plate. You may have to go back for more occasionally but that is okay. When you have a larger plate you pile it just as full and think you have to finish it and in most cases you are already to the point of full just don't realize it, go ahead and give it a try!


Yum! and when it is filled with energy reeving, tasteful food like this, there should be no time to complain about the size of the serving just make sure you enjoy every last bite, like it was your last because it soon will be :-)!

I could go on for hours but my intention was not to exhaust your mind it was to open it. So here are just a few of hundreds, give them a try and use them to begin the process of replacing other fatty favorites with foods that are filled with nutrients, vitamins and energy boosting components. I guarantee you won't feel deprived at all!

Load Your Kitchen and Body Up on SUPER Foods!

When going Grocery shopping I like to include a few foods that are full in fiber, protein, and antioxidants as well as many other vitamins and nutrients. I tend to make them the center of all my menu items. There are an abundance of food that fit into this category, but, I am just going to give you the "tasty ten" these I think everyone should have in their kitchen. I am also going to include a few bonus foods that were new to me about 6 months ago and may be unknown to you, until now. I challenge you to pick up at least one of the unknowns next time you go shopping and give it a whirl!

1. Salmon
Serves as a lean source of protein and Omega 3. This will leave you feeling full but has much less fat than any other meat alternative. Great with rice and veggies. This is my go to meal as it is quick easy and full of protein.

2. Avocado
This is a healthy fat, chock full of Omega 3(important for Heart health) and is great as an alternative on sandwiches, salads and even as a dip! We make guacamole on a weekly basis as my three year old is in love with it and could eat it as her main dish.

3. Oats

Rich in fiber and just one cup is packed with 4.6 grams of Resistant Starch, which is a healthy carb that boosts metabolism and burns fat. I like to make a crock pot of oatmeal every Sunday with Raw honey, fresh apples, almonds, Cinnamon, nutmeg, a little agave nectar, fresh figs and of coarse a few tablespoons of flax seed and wheat germ to give it an extra boost. I switch it up every once in a while but this is my favorite mixture.

4. Black beans
A cup of black beans packs a whopping 15 grams of satisfying protein without any added saturated fat. This is a great alternative to red meats as they are hard for your body to digest and should be limited to one or two servings a week for optimal health. I like to put these on my salads, mixed in with my brown rice or in my tacos and quesidillas.

5. Blueberries (when in season to get the most nutritional value)
Has phenomenal anti-aging effects, has 4 grams of fiber in a 1-cup serving and is only 80 calories, leaving it figure friendly. We use these in all kinds of things, In our morning smoothies, in our fresh squeezed juices, in cobblers, cereal, oatmeal and yogurt, a little goes a long way and my tot can not get enough of these tiny little endeavors.

6. Broccoli
This is the must have cancer-preventing power food. This can be enjoyed cooked or raw and is only 30 calories per cup but full of fiber yum! We love this on our potatoes, with some homemade Italian dressing as a snack or in our stir fries. Believe it or not this is by far my daughter favorite vegetable of them all, she will take it right out of the fridge as is and chows down!

7. Pears (again best when in season)
Just one pear packs 15% of your daily recommended amount of fiber. But make sure to ditch the peeler on this one, the skin is where all the rich fiber is stored. These switch up the routine a bit and are even juicier than an apple. We use this in smoothies, juices and even cooked up with ricotta, cinnamon and nutmeg, yum yum!
8. Green Tea
This steamy sip hydrates like water but with a hint of flavor and a punch of antioxidants. Studies have shown that replacing other beverages with this 5 times a day will make you lose weight twice as fast, most of which is around the midsection. This I was not to fond of at first because I could not see giving up my dear coffee in the morning. But I just added a little bit of lemon juice and it became a sure favorite after that. You can drink it hot or iced and there are many different flavors to choose from. I like to get it in bulk from the local farmers market because then I know I am helping a small business and getting it fresh!

9. Dark Chocolate
For the Chocolate lovers out there that can not part with their sweets, try this and rejoice! It is packed with antioxidants and can rev up your metabolism, but remember all good things in moderation!

10. Garbanzo beans
These are also known as chickpeas, great source of fiber, protein and healthy fats and one half-cup serving has 2 grams of those good ole' Resistant Starches. These are again great on salads in place of meat or made into Hummus, which is an amazing dip that you can use as a substitute on sandwiches, veggies and crackers. My family can not get enough of it. I will be sure to post our favorite recipe in the Family Recipe section soon!



Now if you want to read more on these amazing super foods keep scrolling because I have so much information packed in this little mind I can't bare to keep it to myself......




These Super Foods were unknown to me just months ago I now have been trying to locate and include them into our everyday favorites. Most of which can be found at local health food stores or online.

1. Goji berries (also known as wolf berries)
These increase immunity, protect liver, improve eyesight and quality of blood as well as prevent aging!  They are often dried and can be eaten like raisins. We have used them in granola bars and trail mixes and love love love them!

2. Acai
These are antioxidants that can help people sleep better, makes the immune system stronger, slows down aging, regulates the level of cholesterol in the body, improves vision, circulations/function of the heart and reduces the onset of inflammation! You can get these as a supplement or as a powder to add to smoothies. I have had no such luck at finding it in any other form yet.

3. Cacao
This is the bean that chocolate is made from that provides us with ultimate health benefits, which includes, increase blood flow to the brain; magnesium that helps with constipation, easing menstrual cramps and heart health; provides iron which fights against anemia; zinc, another mineral that plays an essential role in enhancing immune system; Vitamin C, Omega 6 fatty acids and compounds that trigger weight loss. This can not only be found in Dark Chocolate but coconut water, cacao butter and powder, among other things. We include this in our smoothies as well as some other baked goods.

4. Aloe
I use to only associate Aloe with the gel you put on your skin when you stay outside to long in the blazing sun (something I am far too familiar with being a red head) But it has far more benefits to use beyond that. If consumed it can help maintain the balance between good bacteria and the intestine, helping digestion; can control seasonal allergies; keeps blood sugar normal; has calcium, selenium, zinc, chromium and magnesium in it; contains sterils an enzyme that greatly reduces the risk of atherosclerosis; helps in healing and preventing fungus infections and keeps immune system healthy. WOW! what a mouthful or a head spin in your case! This is still pretty new to me as well, but, I do know that they make some pretty delish aloe drinks that you might be able to get in your produce section of your regular grocery store. pick one up and give it a try, it can't hurt!


5. Hemp Seeds
These small little seeds are very versatile and should not be over looked! They are full of calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, manganese and copper; rich in Omega-3, even more so than walnuts; help fight against disease and make your immune system stronger; can alleviate the symptoms of eczema and are rich in essential amino acid and rated the best possible essential fatty acid there is! These can be put in salads, smoothies. shakes or made into hemp milk. They even make a hemp seed protein powder if you prefer that instead of your regular protein powder for smoothies and recovery drinks after working out.

I hope I didn't exhaust you too much, if so I apologize and recommend you go find yourself one of these fab five super foods and regain that lost energy because there is still some time left in the day, better make it count! Lose it, Love it, Live it :-) My pitch phrase for the day as I am thinking about melting away this last bit of baby weight!

TTFN!!! (TaTa For Now as Tigger says!)

Life has no reruns so make it a brilliant adventure!

I am completely new to the idea of blogging, but, as I extend my interest in health and fitness I tend to come across new products, ideas and information that I just can not wait to share with the world! Requested by a family member and a dear friend I have decided to spare my close encounters the headache of listening everytime I find out some new fun fact and instead start writing about them! I am hoping I can share relevant ideas and thoughts with others who share the same interest as me and help them acheive some of thier goals of living a green, organic and active life. My intent is to share this information on different aspects of this way of life that I feel are very important in order to raise a happy and healthy family. I promise to include recipes, craft ideas, reviews on organic products, exercise ideas as well as much much more on the green lifestyle that my family strive on obtaining daily.

I started this journey about three years ago, as the birth of my oldest daughter was pending. I would lay awake at night dreaming of giving my child the perfect life. At first I thought about the materialistic things I would provide her with. These included barbies, dolls, clothes and so forth in which were items I wished to possess as a child. Looking at this now disgusts me as material items should not become more of a "need" in our eyes over chemical free breathing and pure water! During this time my husband and I were very low on funds and I was stressed because I didn't want my daughter to have anything used to start her off in this big ole place called earth. How selfish of me! I must have looked like a brat in every one's eyes, here I am almost negative in the bank and I refuse to take hand me downs and thought that we "needed" a $150.00 swing that babies usually only use for the first few months of life and in my case my daughter actually ended up hating, guess that is what I get. Shortly after she was born I began to rethink a few things. Here is this small little human who depends on me to keep her warm, nourished and educated. The first time she fell ill, she was given a nebulizer and I remember just bawling. I thought, could I have done something differently to keep her from catching this horrible bug?

Shortly after this epidemic (or what I thought to be an epidemic), I started researching natural remedies and tried a few with great success. At this time, I also was finding that bills were piling up fast as I was not working immediately after the birth of my first born and needed to find ways to cut costs. I then resumed my research, this time on cheaper cleaning products and came across an article talking about the amount of chemicals that are in cleaning products as well as your everyday skin care products. I felt as if this was a cruel joke and grabbed a large garbage bag, went through my house and tossed almost everything that had a long list of ingredients, touched my baby's skin and/or was not being used. I felt rejuvenated and clean! This was the beginning of my new life and since then I have been one busy bee making more changes daily to increase the health of my little nest and the chick lings in it!

 






These girls are my inspiration and will be talked about quite frequently so I thought I might as well introduce you from the get go! The tot is Miss Ella and the bity lady is Miss Ellena! They are both very different but amazing in every way!