Could be an interesting holiday gift for the Clean Freak or Greenie in your fam

photo via Etsy

I am gaga over these felted dryer balls. I have been using mine for about half a year now and wish I had them many, many moons ago. They really do work in your dryer by helping seperate the clothes during tossing for a shorter drying time which saves energy and money on your PG&E bills. Yay! Plus, they are almost waste-free. No more fabric sheets to toss in the trash. I only use 3 balls, but most people recommend 6. I've been doing okay with 3 but I may end up buying a few more for the new year since I still get a little static cling. Zap!

I purchased mine from Farm Fresh Fiber on Etsy. She's a great seller and you can buy some balls with a little lavender oil to give your clothes an oh-so-fresh scent.

Am I alone?

On cloudy days do you ever pretend that you live in the 15th century somewhere in England or Scotland and your name is Rowan or Mathilde or Cybele and you have really, really long, wavy black hair, a creamy perfect complexion and your wearing this gorgeous velvety green dress with a braided golden belt hanging loosely around your waist and your running through this field of tall grass because you see your handsome lover across the way and he's running to meet you and some farmer or some farmer's daughter is playing the harp and you can hear its muffled tune drifting through the air?

No?

Yeah, um, *clears throat*, me neither.

Making wishes

It's cold outside. There is some green on the ground, but the fallen leaves have hidden most of it. I'm dreaming of dandelions and hoping to make some wishes soon...



This song is so gentle and soft that it floats through you just like the dandelion in the wind after you've kissed it with your breath to make your wish. Kesang Marstrand is my new favorite voice.

STOP

image via Fluffy Flowers

I've had a really busy week. It's been a hectic week. It's been one of those weeks where you can't believe you actually stayed sane. At least I think I'm still sane. Don't ask the husband.

Today on the drive back home from dropping the kids of at school I stopped at the STOP sign that I stop at a thousand times and I looked up. The ruffly grayish white clouds were amazing against a very light blue sky. I took in a deep breath... and then sighed. My wholed body sighed with me. I let go of the tension. I let go of the busy-ness. I let go of the future and embraced the now. The now was so beautiful and peaceful and loving. One single moment reminded me to take time to see what I was missing during the "rush" of it all. I just had to stop.

I'll take this one... and that one... oh, and that one too!

Oh My Gosh! Best. T-shirt. Ever!



And, this one... So. Cool. Totally!



All of Out of Print's t-shirts are wearable in the cutest possible way. They make great gifts for the book nerd in your family (even if that person happens to be yourself). I saw this link on Marla, Plain & Small's blog. She has good food, crafts and schtuff to share.

Be kind to your body

During the holidays I am the worst procrastinator ever when it comes to being kind to my body. Exercise goes to the wayside. Healthy eating gets pushed aside by faster food options. And mindfulness... what's that? It's a terrible way to be and I excuse it by telling myself "I'm too busy" or "This has to be done before that can be done". This year I'm challenging myself to NOT give in to lame excuses and instead keep tabs on my health.

Kind Over Matter is helping me by offering a Be Kind To Your Body Challenge. Thank goodness for other people who take an awesome lead. These type of people are so appreciated. They definitely give you the kick in the arse that you need.

So, today is my Day 2 of the challenge. I've been able to fight the urge to dip into the Halloween Candy jar because I'm tracking what I eat on LoseIt.com. It is nowhere near easy because after working, cleaning and running the kids around all afternoon all I want to do is rip off my jeans, throw on my comfy pjs, plop myself on the couch and munch on sweety, salty goodness.

I took a pic of my breakfast this morning because it looked so pretty. And it was super yummy and filling as well!

Brown Rice Rice Cake topped with peanut butter, strawberries, blackberries, bananas and blueberries sided with Oregon Chai's Peppermint Original. Mmmmmm.

Three cheers for health! Hip! Hip! Hooray!

Giving Thanks

Are you prepping for the big day? I'm talking about Thanksgiving. I'm hosting this year and I'm getting a wee bit nervous. I'm going to have lots of help from my sis and my mom, but hosting brings all kinds of strange energy. I want to have fun, relax and have a totally wonderful atmosphere so my guests can do the same. We'll see how it goes. If I blog after the event, you'll know I survived.

Since I'll have just as many kids as adults in the household come next Thursday, I decided that Paper Glitter's Thanksgiving/Fall Kit will be perfect. Isn't it cute??!



I haven't decided if the adults will get the same table treatment. I may go simple for them.

The holidays are bringing so much excitement. Blogland is getting in the spirit too. There are so many holiday goodies that it just makes me scream with joy. I want to do everything. Information Overload! I don't want to suffer alone, so take a peek at a few that caught my eye:

12 days of Christmas Advent Calendar (A free printable! *swoon*)
Russian Friendship Tea (Simple, Pretty and Tasty.)
Little Wooden Gnomes (These are totally adorable. I'm having our Girl Scout Troop make them.)

Another World

We've been back from vacation for almost two weeks now. It was a vacation that changed my perspective on so many things. I came back home wanting more of the simplicity and pure joy that filled so many of my days while away.

So, as a family, we are taking small (very small) steps toward that simplicity. We are not letting work and computers and phones govern our lives as much they have. I'm trying to ground myself more to "home" and not wanting more "things". It's hard to do considering I want to buy every little cute pen or sticker or card or shirt or etc... that I see.

The Mexican Riviera was beautiful. Our hotel was awesome. Being able to spend time with my sister and her family was a treasure. Falling into a new kind of nature was bliss.

We had so much fun climbing pyramids, driving through the crazy streets of Playa Del Carmen, kayaking through mangroves, playing in the warm Caribbean, eating delicious local food, swimming in a gorgeous pool, drinking Green Juice and Tamarindo margaritas, napping on beach beds, cooling ourselves off in cenotes, biking through the jungle, and really spending time with eachother without the typical interruptions of work or a computer.

Why can't the vacation mindset stay with me in my normal daily life? I know it can. What makes me give in to the lure of checking the computer? Things are going to change for me... one little step at a time.

It's hard for me to share pictures because how can I just choose a few out of a hundred to tell this beautiful story?

Savasana

I haven't done much today. Most days I would feel guilty. Most days I'd be a little disappointed that I didn't accomplish more. But, not today. Today I was grateful for my moments of not being anywhere and not checking off a "to do" list. Today I rested in savasana. I laid down, closed my eyes and listened.


Sounds
Kids.
Cat.
TV.
Music.
Heartbeat.
Breath.
Breath.

Breath.

I changed my mind

Today I woke up and I wanted to:

~Stay in bed with the covers over my head and not work, or get breakfast and lunches ready

~Eat a really bad breakfast with lots of sugar and no nutritional value whatsoever

~Drink coffee

~Dwell on what I think I'm doing wrong as "Mom"



After a little chat with my hubby (Thank you, Hon!) I ended up:

~Greeting the sun with a smile and doing the daily routine happily

~Ate a healthy egg salad sandwich with a bowl of fruit for breakfast

~Drank more water

~Took a nice walk around the lake to clear my mind and re-center myself


Sometimes I just need a little shake to get me going. I'm grateful for the "shakers" in my life.