Hi Everyone!I was making my lunch today and thought I'd share with you a little tip that helps me a lot-
(I like anything that helps me a lot these days.)
When you get home from the grocery store each week, or however often you go, put a dozen eggs on the stove to hard boil.
After they're done, store them in a glass container or even a plastic bag, in their shells.Then you have a quick, easy, & nutritious snack ready to go all week! You can also use them in a salad for an easy meal- just toss in some raw cheese, avocados, and you're ready to go!
Today I had a rather harrowing experience with my three little ones at the grocery store. Why can grocery shopping with little people be so extremely difficult? Things didn't get better until both boys had 3 bananas.
And then I came home and saw my lovely hibiscus smiling at me. And things felt a little bit better.
Here are some more favorite things from my organic garden:
Lavender in a pot. Beautifully green, graceful, and calming.
I absolutely love the mint that comes back year after year. Mint is wonderful served in a pitcher of ice cold water with some lemon wedges!
And the joy of my week- peonies cut from my neighbor's front yard. She says her husband is allergic to the smell and that I can have as many as I want! I love plants & living things! What are a few of your favorite things?
Navigating the world of kid's toys and products can be a tricky one. For instance, there are certain brands that have "some" products which are toxin free, but the rest of their line is loaded with chemicals. (Does that make any sense to you? Not to me, either!)
Fortunately, I have something to tell you that will make your life a little easier.
Isn't that what we all need as busy parents?
The sister of my neighbor, Becky, runs a WONDERFUL website called The Soft Landing. All of their products are free of toxins like BPA, phthalates, PVC, melamine & flame retardants.
They have great prices, and a wide variety of products: everything from bath toys to sippy cups to bug spray and shampoo.
I wish I had an amazing post today about some fabulous toxin free something or other that would change your life, but I spent a good part of the morning camped out in our basement, praying a tornado wouldn't rip my house apart!
I am from California, and this is my first time sitting in the basement, listening to a tornado warning siren go off for over an hour.
Real weather is crazy. Really crazy.
The dead bugs and mice droppings in our unfinished basement are also crazy.
Especially when you have two very small boys. ;)
BUT, we are all safe! And that is truly something to be thankful for.
With summer coming up, we all love having a nice tan! Unfortunately most tanning beds promote cancer, rather than promoting health. That's unfortunate because Vitamin D, from the sun, is one of the healthiest nutrients around, and you can get a tan in the process!
Enter Dr. Mercola- who says that we all look better with a tan, and that we all need Vitamin D!
Check out this enlightening Dr. Mercola article to find out about the dangers of genetically modified foods, found in over 80% of foods on supermarket shelves!
Can a wet bag make you happy? Yes, it can, if my lovely friend Charlotte Lee, founder of an awesome new stay at home mom business, adorably named Monday's Child, makes it!
You all have got to check out Charlotte's awesome products. They are creative, durable, practical, and PRETTY!
For Christmas, she sent me four wet bags for my enormous cloth diaper collection- two large, and two small. The fabric is adorable, they hold up amazing in the wash, and they fit a ton of diapers inside! (Even the medium sized bags!) I love them and use them every day.
She also sells the cutest snack bags I've ever seen!
Check out her online store here, and support an awesome stay at home mom!
"You are going to LOVE it. Everyone raves about it!" my sister said emphatically. "Really?" I thought. "Rave about a lip balm? Ok...." Thoughts of Carmex and Burt's Bees floated through my mind, and as beloved as the latter product is, I couldn't quite say I would RAVE about it.
But my sister assured me I would love this new lip balm intensely, so I promised to give it a try, and pass on my new love, or dislike, for it to you all!
And let me just say she was right. I still can't believe I feel so strongly about a lip balm, but I do. Meet my new love, everyone:It's shea butter lip balm, by an awesome company called Perfect Organics. Perfect, and organic, they really are- as they use absolutely no toxins and their products meet the absolute highest standards.
All the ingredients are organic, and there are no toxic preservatives, fragrances, dyes, etc. that are found in products everywhere, even on shelves in health food stores.
And my sister tells me this company is run by a lovely, sweet woman who (no doubt!) has fabulously glowing skin and is passionate about bringing the highest quality products to market.
She's doing a great job!
My sister also sent me some of their shea butter, which is equally as love-able as the lip balm.
It is SO creamy and luxurious. And I'm not going to lie, I have some stretch marks from my recent pregnancy. I put some of the shea butter on my recovering stomach, and forgot I had used it.
TWO days later, I noticed that my lovely stretch marks looked lighter. I thought it seemed odd, but then I remembered about the shea butter!
Sign up for a free membership for this site, and you can access the Perfect Organics products at the best price online! (My sister works for this company!) They sell couture clothes as well, so that's why you'll see a picture of a model on their home page. ;)
Enjoy these perfectly organic, and perfectly pleasing products everyone!
So, I know I promised you a review of my new favorite skin care line, Perfect Organics, (and it's coming!) but in the meantime, you have got to check out this great article by Dr. Mercola about how to keep your eyes healthy!
This article stuck out to me because astaxanthin is one of the main ingredients in the Oceans 3 products by Garden of Life!
Ladies and gentlemen, it's not too late to lock in your spot as a Beyond Organic insider! Jordan Rubin, author of the Maker's Diet, is generously opening up his new company to allow you and your family to:
Eat the world's healthiest foods for little cost
Earn some extra money sharing the new products with others
Enjoy other benefits of being an insider, such as a personal Health Account designed to keep you as healthy as possible, access to attend the Beyond Organic University, and the ability to help others around the world in need of food!
Today, Jordan Rubin appears on TBN and will be viewed by thousands, introducing his new company. Become an insider today to reserve your spot!
If you have been wondering how you can possibly afford to feed your family the world's healthiest foods- and live a true organic lifestyle- then I am beyond excited to share the answer with you today!
I have literally been praying for something like this- and Jordan Rubin has definitely done it again!
He's starting a new company called Beyond Organics, and their goal is to create the world's healthiest foods, holding themselves to standards that are unheard of on the market right now- even with the current USDA organic certification.
And what's even better is that he's giving everyone the chance to access these amazing foods- at an unbelievable price!
Why wouldn't you want to save money on the world's highest quality beef, dairy products, chocolate, spring water, and even probiotic infused flax seed oil? And this is just the beginning- there will be many more foods to come!
Additionally, you can even make some extra money by spreading the word about Beyond Organic's awesome new products! And it's FREE to become an insider, so you've got nothing to lose!
Become an "insider" to reserve your spot, but hurry, because Jordan Rubin will be announcing this company on TBN tomorrow, and the floodgates will be opened! There will be thousands who choose to take part after viewing this program, so you better lock in your spot today!
I am so excited about this- what an answer to prayer to spread the message of healthy living and eating with the world, and make it possible for every family to have access to the amazing foods they need to thrive!
Do you want to live life at your personal best, help those in need all around the world, have a ton of fun while doing it, and eat the world's healthiest foods at the most cost effective price possible???
If not, then don't bother reading the rest of this post.
But if you do, I have some extremely exciting news to share!!!! Jordan Rubin, founder of Garden of Life, and author of the Maker's Diet, has recently announced the launching of a brand new food company- designed to do all the things I mentioned above- called Beyond Organic.
I couldn't be more excited about this company! It gives EVERYONE a chance to have access to the world's healthiest foods, and truly allows you and your loved ones to:
Change your diet, Change your life, and Change Your World!
Want more info? Check out their website to find out more!!! I'll also be talking more about it this week so be sure to stay tuned!
The war over vaccines is a big one, fueled by a lot of money- and greed. Check out this startling article from Dr. Mercola discussing how the President of the American Academy of Pediatrics wants to take down a sign Dr. Mercola has in Times Square encouraging everyone to make informed vaccine choices.
I am a huge supplement fan. For some reason, there is so much controversy about them, but I don't have any whatsoever- if you're taking really great ones, you'll notice an incredible difference in your quality of life.
If you're not taking really great ones, you're probably wasting your money, since your body can't utilize what you're trying to give it. That is why I am such a HUGE fan of Garden of Life products. I have tried other brands, and ended up with stomach aches and sub par results.
I have literally rebuilt my digestive system these last 5.5 years on the Maker's Diet by faithfully taking their Primal Defense probiotic every day. When I was really sick, I used to take 9 capsules a day. I truly credit the supplements as much with my health recovery as I do to following the diet to the "T."
So if you came to visit my house today, (or any day of the year!) you'd find the following Garden of Life products on my shelf:
Top Supplements You'll (Almost!) Always Find in My House:
Immune Balance Rapid Extra strength lozenges (We keep some on hand to use if Mark feels he's fighting something)
Beyond Organic Raw Protein Powder
Primal Defense Kids
The only Garden of Life supplement I'd like to add to our repertoire, in addition to these, is their Perfect Food or Perfect Berry green drink/capsules, which serve as the equivalent of 5-6 servings of fruits and vegetables!
To give you a glimpse of what living the Maker's Diet out looks like practically, I wanted to share you the top ten foods you would find in my house if you came to visit today. These foods are some of our family's staples!
Top Ten Maker's Diet Foods You Will (Almost) Always Find in My House:
Organic, raw milk from an amazing organic and local farm.
In a country that is so emphatic about "rights", how come it seems the only ones who have rights are the ones who set the rules?
Move over, big government. I don't want you telling me how I can drink my milk, thank you very much.
I don't care if you disagree with me, this isn't about pasteurized vs. unpasteurized. This is about control. You're welcome to your opinion, even if it's different than mine. Just don't shut down hard working citizens who don't do anyone any harm, and produce excellent food products.
As the farmer says in the documentary, Food Inc, "Smells like money to me."
I love good beef. It is my love language. Not really, but kind of! Add butter to beef and I'm even happier!That's the idea behind my super simple slow cooker roast.
Pop it in in the morning, let it simmer all day in its natural juices and some lovely organic butter, and you have a wonderful meal by 6 p.m. I know a roast seems like a fussy dinner, but it's really not!
And you can even make this work if you're dining for one or only two. Just have the meat man cut you a pound or so of roast!For our family of 5, (well, only 4 are eating) we love a solid 2.5-3 lb roast. Then we have plenty of leftovers for sandwiches!
Here's my recipe for a delicious slow cooker roast:
Ingredients:
1 organic, 100% grass fed organic chuck or arm roast (2-3 lbs)
1 stick organic butter, I like Organic Valley's unsalted version, for when it will be heated in cooking. I like raw butter for unheated things, like steamed veggies or spread on toast.
Organic Pepper: My favorite brand is Frontier Organic.1 whole organic onionIn the morning, put your roast in your slow cooker. Rub the meat all over with Himalayan/Celtic sea salt and pepper.
Directions:
Rub salt and pepper all over the top of the roast, and set the stick of butter on top.
Cut the onion into quarters, and separate the individual pieces (they are crescent shaped now) all over the roast and in the slow cooker.
Turn the slow cooker on to low, and cook all day. (I like to have it going by 9 or 10 a.m. and serve around 6) Cook until it is very fork tender.
You can also make a lovely gravy out of all the juices that accumulate!
(Photo courtesy of Timothy Titus)
