So You Think You're Healthy?

So did they.








They had all the money, the time, and the resources needed to keep themselves in top shape.









They had the personal trainers and the personal nutritionists. They had maids and chefs.













They had more incentive than most of us do to stay healthy and in shape- they're celebrities after all!











So why do they look like this? Why will they die of the same diseases that afflict most Americans: heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's?










Why didn't their good looks, fit bodies, and health last if they were doing all the "right" things?









Granted: time, stress and life take their toll on us all. But wouldn't you expect better results from people whose very livelihoods necessitate the stellar maintenance of their bodies?










I'm not trying to make fun of these celebrities. I'm trying to make a point. They thought they were healthy. They thought they'd always be healthy. They thought they'd always look the way they did in their 20's and 30's. But if this is how they look in their 50's and 60's, what will they look like in their 70's or 80's, if they even live that long?










My question to you is: why do you think you'll turn out any different?

Grow Your Own: How to Grow an Organic Garden: Part 4

So, did you find your hardiness zone? Did you select the delectable herbs, fruits and veggies you want to grow for your family this year? I hope so! I know you'll love your garden, no matter how big, or small it is!

Today I am going to show you my favorite garden accessories. These products make my life easier!

First we will start with my beloved tomato cages. If you've grown tomatoes before, you know that they can be a little crazy. A little more like tomato "trees." But not quite as well behaved. Anyway, the garden center tomato cages do work for the first month or so, but you definitely need something more heavy duty for the entire growing season. And if you're like me, and live in a place where there are ridiculous winds and crazy thunderstorms all summer, the right cage can mean life or death for the plant! My flimsy garden center tomato cages just blew right over last year until I got these! They are made of concrete reinforcing wire, and you can get the wire at Home Depot or any hardware store. You can also use them for cucumbers, peas, or any other climbing plant. Check out these articles to find out how to make your own:

http://www.motherearthnews.com

http://www.correntewire.com/tomato_cages

Ok, speaking of tomatoes, here is some organic fertilizer I'm going to use this year. It's by Garden's Alive and I have heard nothing but great things about it. One woman I know grows 600 tomato plants a year here in K.C., MO. She says Tomatoes Alive is absolutely beyond...the best fertilizer she has ever used, even better than conventional fertilizers! She used Miracle Gro before she went organic. Click on the Garden's Alive link to see it!

My second favorite garden accessory are my earthworm castings. I got mine from Northern Lakes Worm Castings online. I especially love these when transplanting veggies that you've started inside. And I also love making it into "tea" to water the plants with. Earthworm castings are "black gold"- an aptly given name. They are an incredible allover fertilizer. Check out the link for more info.

Lastly, every gardener needs to decide how they are going to water their plants. I would love to make my own rain barrel. A rain barrel is just what it sounds like, a large container which catches rainwater coming off of your roof, so that you can use it to water your plants. It usually attaches the downspout of your home. I can't use rain barrels because I can't attach it to our home since we don't own it. Once we're in our own house someday, I definitely plan on making a few. You can make your own and it's really cheap- maybe $30 for supplies. It's really a great way to conserve water and be a good steward. Plus it's free! You can also watch videos on You Tube teaching you how to make one.

If you're not able to do a rain barrel, though, I'd recommend this hose filter by Pacific Sands. Remember that the chlorine in your water is harmful for your growing plants and also is a chemical you don't want to ingest! (Chlorine was used in chemical warfare in World War 2- do you still think it's ok to drink?!)

Well, this pretty much wraps up my favorite gardening accessories! I hope you're well on your way to growing food (and memories) that your whole family will enjoy!

Grow Your Own! How to Grow an Organic Garden: Part 3

Ok, so now that you've seen some amazing reasons why you should garden, let's talk about how!

These are my top six tips for getting started from scratch!

1. Determine your hardiness zone, and your area's last spring/first fall frost.
If you don't know when you should be planting, you won't be able to grow things at the right times or harvest the maximum amount! Also check out the dates for your area's last frost in spring and first frost for fall on this website. Once you've got those dates figured out, you're ready to move to the next step.

2. Decide what you want to plant!
Do you want just an herb garden, or veggies and fruits? Do you love green beans but hate Swiss Chard? You can grow practically everything. My advice is: choose the veggies and herbs that you use anyway. It seems exotic to grow your own kale, but if you don't eat it anyway (it's really good for you!) use the space for something your family will eat! Make a list of your favorite fruits and veggies, and include a couple new ones you'd like to try. Just don't include 100 new ones! Our family's favorite veggies are green beans, squash, peppers, tomatoes (which are technically a fruit) peas, radishes, lettuce, cucumbers, and carrots. For herbs, I'm planning on growing basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley and mint this year. For fruits, we got all our fruit trees and plants from Fast Growing Trees, an online store that sells mature trees, so you don't have to wait 5 years to get fruit!

3. Decide how you want to grow.
Do you have space for a traditional in-ground garden? Will you use raised beds or containers, or is your garden on your windowsill? There are so many different options. If you have a backyard, and you can dig a traditional garden, that is truly a blessing. If you're like me, though, you have a backyard but you can't dig it up, because you don't own the house! I use containers that function as raised beds. (Actually they are better because air can circulate from all sides. They are called Smart Pots and I love them! You can use them in your yard, on your patio, or your front porch, or in a window! They come in sizes 1 gallon-200 gallons! And the great thing about them is that you can use regular dirt in them, you don't have to buy special potting soil like you do with standard containers. If you do decide to container garden, there is a FABULOUS book called "Bountiful Container" by McGee & Stuckey. It goes through each plant and tells you how to correctly plant it and maintain it. It is easy to read and reference, and not boring! I highly recommend it, even if you have a traditional garden, because the information on each plant is so good!

4. Decide if you'll grow from seed or transplants.
Once you've got your list of desired herbs and veggies, (and even fruits!) decide how you'll grow them. Some foods, like cucumbers, don't like being transplanted, so you have to grow them from seed. Personally,I like growing just about everything from seed, because it's fun, and it's the most affordable. I got my seeds from www.seedsavers.org, and www.seedsofchange.com. I like buying organic and heirloom seeds, because most seeds these days are genetically modified or hybridized. Even some "organic" ones! I go for heirloom seeds and make sure "hybrid" is nowhere on the package. This is especially true for tomato plants. You can also get organic seeds/heirloom seeds from Whole Foods or any natural food store.

5. Decide how you'll arrange your plants, and figure out when they need to be planted.
Timing is everything in gardening. And so is your growing arrangement. For example, some plants don't like each other and won't produce well when they're in close promixity. And some plants have mutually beneficial properties and grow better when they're together! This is a fascinating concept called companion planting. It's used a lot in organic gardening because the right arrangements not only encourage higher yields and greater growth, but they stave off unwanted insects. I read a great book on this called "Carrots Love Tomatoes" by Louise Riotte. Also check out this great article that has a list of "friendly" plants by Seeds of Change's newsletter. For timing, check out your county's local extension center for a listing of what should be planted on what dates. Do a google search for "*your county* extension center. This information should also be in the white pages of your phone book.

6. Decide what soil you will use.
The soil that you use for your plants is so important! If your soil is lacking nutrients, your plants won't grow properly. If you are growing in the ground, check out www.gardensalive.com for natural soil amendments and tests to find out if your soil is lacking anything crucial. If you're growing in a raised bed or container, it is very important that you buy organic soil. But let me warn you, do not buy any "organic" soil by Miracle Gro or Scott's Brand. They are owned by Monsanto, the manufacturer of Round-Up. They are absolutely not "organic" or environmentally friendly. Don't waste your money! Instead, look for local lawn and leaf companies in your area that manufacture compost and distribute soil to residents. Here in Kansas City, I got my dirt from Missouri Organic. You might have to get a lot, but it would be well worth it! Plus it's much cheaper when you buy dirt locally. If you just have a few pots, though, and need some potting soil for ceramic/clay/plastic containers, I'd recommend you get some from your local natural foods store/Whole Foods. Don't buy it from Home Depot or Walmart. They're not really organic, even though they say they are.

Well this concludes my first 6 steps to growing your own organic garden. Tomorrow we'll talk about my favorite garden accessories. Happy Gardening everyone!

Grow Your Own! How to Grow an Organic Garden: Part 2

So, have you started dreaming of your fresh picked cilantro or tomatoes yet? As I said yesterday, there is truly nothing like harvesting your own food! Except maybe the joy of eating it!

Today I'm going to talk about the top five reasons why I love my organic garden. I know you'll love your garden for the same reasons!

#1 Reason I love my organic garden : It's fun!
Having a garden is so much fun for the entire family. Nathaniel loves being outside while I'm watering the plants. He digs his fingers in the dirt and puts his hands in the water. I can't wait to teach him how to plant seeds and harvest food from his "own" garden someday! These kinds of memories can be ones your children keep the rest of their lives. I'll never forget one hot Pleasanton summer when our large sideyard garden had watermelons galore! And I vividly remember picking zucchinis the size of a baseball bat and fresh rhubarb for pies. Having a garden truly is a family affair, which is good because it keeps it from being one more "task." We're all busy enough already!

#2 Reason why I love my organic garden: It's economical!
Especially these days, who's not in need of ways to save a little cash? Growing your own food can save you a ton! It's so affordable to get started, especially when you grow your food from seed, and you get SUCH a large return. If you do it right, you can even get enough to can, juice, or freeze the extra! And it's always fun to give some away to friends. It's the difference between spending $6 to buy one pound of organic tomatoes at Whole Foods, or buying $6 worth of seeds and having more tomatoes than you know what to do with, the entire summer!

#3 Reason why I love my organic garden:It's healthier!
Having your own garden is a great way to eat fresh picked organic food, especially if your budget is stretched already. And food is truly bursting with nutrients when it is picked at the peak of ripeness. If you do it right, you won't need to use any fertilizers or pesticides. I live in Missouri, referred to by some as a "very buggy state." Ew. I'm from California and hate bugs. But, in my garden last year, I did not need to use a single pesticide. (And wouldn't anyway) How you grow your plants can make all the difference with bug control. More on that later!

#4 Reason why I love my organic garden: It's pretty, and a stress reliever!
It is so beautiful to spend time in your garden (even if your garden is just a windowsill) There is just something life-giving about being around green and growing things. (My personal opinion about the cause of this is that we were created to live with God in a garden!) The beautiful colors, the heavenly fragrances, and the bees and birds that are attracted are just as wonderful as the food itself! Last year I grew beautiful 6' tall sunflowers called "Jerusalem Sunrise." They were a gorgeous lemony yellow. I had about 5 plants with flowers bursting all over each one. They were so beautiful, but what was even more fun was that they attracted these small birds that were an even brighter yellow than the flowers themselves. They did eat all of the seeds and totally ruin the plants, but they were so pretty to watch, I didn't care!

#5 Reason why I love my organic garden: It teaches you to be a good steward, and gives you an appreciation for seasons.
You'll never look at a handful of radishes at the store quite the same way again. Once you've done it yourself, you know how much work it took, so you appreciate food more. You're less likely to waste food or to buy things you don't really need. Honestly, it also makes you more thankful. You realize how little we are in control of things. You can't force any seed to grow. You can't even force it to rain. God truly is in control of all things. Just because we can go to the store in the U.S. and buy food aplenty, doesn't mean that it's available everywhere. And just because we can do this today, doesn't mean that we'll be able to tomorrow. God is truly our provider, and you can feel this more when you're appreciating all the steps that it takes to get food on your table.

I could go on and on, but let's get to the good stuff! How to do it! That's what I'll be talking about tomorrow. We'll discuss the first steps of what you need to do first to get your garden up and running. In the meantime, check out this website to find your growing zone. This will give you an idea of the time frames you're working with. See you all tomorrow!













(my concord grape plant just starting to bud!)

Grow Your Own! How to Grow an Organic Backyard Garden- Part 1

I love my garden. There is nothing quite like stepping into your backyard and picking fresh herbs for your spaghetti, fresh green beans to steam for a side dish, or scrumptious summer berries. If you want to eat local and organic, you can't get any more local than your own backyard! Having a garden takes some work, but the results are more than worth it. This week we'll talk about how to grow organic herbs, fruits and veggies- all in your own backyard! For now, let me introduce you to some of my current backyard loves...

one of my loves, because they grow in early spring, beautiful peas!

and here we have my ABSOLUTE favorite right now, my dwarf peach tree that is starting to blossom!aren't strawberry plants just so cheerful? They always seem like they're in a good mood.
here are my adorable lettuce and radish plants. Last year my husband said my home grown lettuce made the best salad he'd ever eaten. I hate to say it, but it was the best salad I've ever eaten too! I can't wait for this year's crop.

I look forward to helping you and your family eat backyard local and organic herbs, fruits and veggies this summer!

Maker's Diet on a Budget: Tips for Cutting Costs

Ok, if you've ever been to Whole Foods, you know why it is aptly nicknamed "Whole Paycheck." There's no way around it. Organic, unprocessed food as God intended for us to eat is expensive. These days, at least. It used to be that organic food was the norm, you didn't have to pay extra just to eat for optimal health. But before you get scared and run back to Costco for your Doritos and frozen pizza, I have some tips to help you eat well and get the most out of your hard earned dollar.

1) Cut out everything in your budget that is expensive and harming your health (e.g. daily coffee and eating out) and use that money for buying food and supplements.

2) Locate a food co-op in your area. Go to http://www.localharvest.com and do a search for one. A good co op can save you tons of money!

3) Go to Farmer's Markets! Eat local and organic as much as you can. It is so much cheaper to buy organic veggies and fruits from a farmer's market than it is from a health food store! (Tip: make friends with the organic farmers that you purchase food from. If they know you, they will often throw in free fruits and veggies or give you discounts!) Again, you can search http://www.localharvest.com or contact your city to find one locally.

4) Look into joining a local CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. How it works is you pay one amount at the beginning of the growing season, and then you are given a set amount of the fruits and veggies that are currently growing. You usually get a ton, and it is one more way to eat locally! Plus, it saves time if you don't want to go to a market each week. See http://www.localharvest.com

5) Even more fun, grow your own fruits & veggies! This is a GREAT way to get the most of out your money! Plus it's fun for your kids, and it's a good way to get them involved in the whole family eating healthy. It's so inexpensive, and you get so much! I think an organic backyard garden is the best way to get a large variety of fresh fruits, herbs, and veggies in your diet without breaking the bank. Plus nothing tastes better than fresh food from your own backyard!

6) Use ground beef as much as you can. You can make burgers, chili, meat loaf, spaghetti, tacos, etc.. I also like to use ground beef to make meals last- for example, we'll have tacos or spaghetti for a couple nights in a row, so I get a night off of making the meal from scratch.

7) Eggs are another great source of cheap protein. I eat an egg sandwich for lunch everyday! :)

8) Buy your organic grass fed beef locally. Consider buying 1/4 or 1/2 a cow, or splitting either of these arrangements with friends. It is always cheaper to buy a cow in bulk. But you have to faithfully use the meat! Don't just leave it sitting in your freezer! See http://www.eatwild.com to find an organic grass fed farm in your area.

9) Don't ever buy supplements from Whole Foods or any other natural food store. Retail prices are so expensive. You can find everything cheaper online. My favorite online store is http://www.choicenutritionals.com. If you order over $100, use coupon "10percent" for a 10 percent discount, and if you order over $50, you get free shipping. I also like http://www.vitacost.com but I have found that once you factor in shipping costs, it is cheaper to buy from Choice Nutritionals.

10) Buy whole organic chickens. Buying chicken breast/thighs/etc by the pound is so much more expensive. I roast a couple chickens each week and use them for dinners and lunches. I'll post recipes soon!

11) Don't buy organic snacks like bars, cereal, or even organic burritos and pizza. The more work it took someone else to make, the more money it's going to cost you.

Lastly, here are a few tips that will help you save money no matter what kind of food you eat. (But let's hope you're following God's plan for optimal wellness when you go grocery shopping!)

12) Know before you go. Take inventory of what's currently in your fridge and pantry, and plan out a week's worth of meals and snacks in advance. Make a list and stick to it! Wandering the aisles window shopping is a recipe for spending more money.

13)Limit your shopping to once a week. It's this amazing phenomenon. The more often I go to the store, the more money I spend! If you run out of something, I promise you'll survive 4 more days. But if you plan right, 95% of the time, you won't run out before the week is up.

14) Lastly, don't throw away food. You're just dumping money down the drain. Use your leftovers and don't buy things when there's half an unused jar sitting in the back or side of your fridge.

I hope these tips help you save some hard earned money, and eat better!

Next week, I'll be discussing how to grow an organic backyard/container garden!

Why I Love Cloth Diapers...Part 5!

Ok, I promise this will be my final post on cloth diapering! Can you tell I love it very much? (I love anything that looks cute and saves me money!) Oh! and I forgot to mention, my #5 reason why I love cloth diapering is- NO BLOWOUTS! I think I have had about 5 or 6 total with Micah, and it was usually because I had the diapear on the wrong setting. With disposables, Nathaniel used to have blowouts 1-3 x per day when he was a newborn!

Anyway, for this last post in my series I wanted to share my favorite cloth diapering accessories. I'll start with my favorite night time accessories. Nathaniel is a SUPER heavy wetter and he will soak right through a gdiaper and prefold at night if I don't add anything else. Fortunately for me, he doesn't care one bit, he won't wake up or anything, but not all kids are like that.

So here is what I use for Nathaniel's night time diaper:

1 gdiaper +

1 Baby Kicks organic hemp/cotton fleece doubler underneath the prefold (for extra absorbency) +











1 Bummis Organic Infant size prefold+


1 Bummis fleece liner on top of the prefold:






This works great for us for Nathaniel's night time! If I don't use the fleece liner, he will soak through to his clothes. For Micah, I use the same ingredients but use his Little Beetle wool covers. (By the way, I don't love using the fleece liners because polyester fleece is obviously not a natural material, but....it wicks moisture away from the baby's body and onto the prefold below, so the baby feels dry. Unlike Nathaniel, Micah HATES being wet, and so I care more about him sleeping better!)

Ok, so that covers the night time accessories. Now let's move on to to the diaper storage accessories. I have Diaper Dekors for both boys, and I line them with these awesome Wahmie diaper pail liners. ( I have an adorable monkey print!) As long as the bag is shut, I honestly have no odor issues, and overall have significantly less odor than I did with the throw away Diaper Dekor liner bags. (Another savings, btw!) You don't have to use them in a Diaper Dekor/Diaper genie type pail though- I know people who use trash cans or even a laundry basket.










On laundry day, the Wahmie's bag goes right in the wash after I dump out the diapers into the machine. Easy peasy!

Ok, so here are some more diaper accessories I love, my beloved cloth wipes. As I said yesterday I love the Baby Kicks hemp/cotton wipes. I love these wipes because they do SERIOUS diaper cleanup duty. I can easily use one of them where I would have had to use 3 or even 4 disposable wipes. I started off with about 20 of them, but now I have probably about 50 or 60 since I'm diapering both boys. I do laundry 2x per week. I would figure that you'll need one wipe per messy diaper change, and I don't even bother with the pee diapers unless their skin is sticky! (Pee is a sterile substance, in case you didn't know!) You'll need 2 if it's a super messy diaper. Seeing how few I can use has kind of become a game for me. It's easy to use both sides of these during a cleanup and maximize its usage. Again I just combine it with my 99 cent spray bottle from Walmart, some diluted soap, spray it well and wipe!












All right, here's my final favorite diapering accessory- my washing accessories. I love this Imse Vimse wool wash for Micah's Little Beetles because you just squirt a little right in the machine, and it lasts foooorrrrreeever.

For washing everything besides the wools I love Biokleen's liquid laundry in citrus and their oxygen bleach. I use their Oxygen bleach in place of something like Oxi-Clean, which is not environmentally friendly or chemical- free, by the way.







The Biokleen is super concentrated, so it lasts me about 2-2.5 months per bottle. That's with all our other laundry as well. You only use 1/4 oz. for a load of diapers!

Ok, so to wrap this up, here are my favorite cloth diaper websites. I have found the absolute best prices on http://www.tinybirdsorganics.com
They have free shipping, and I have bought my prefolds, Little Beetle covers, diaper pail liner and wool wash from them. I love getting free shipping, because I don't have to go anywhere, and I don't have to pay sales tax, which I'd have to if I buy something locally!

I bought my wipes, doublers, and fleece liners on Amazon. They actually have great prices and a lot of cloth diapering supplies!

I got my gdiapers at Whole Foods with a $2 off coupon. Babies R Us also sells them, so sometimes you can use those great Babies R Us coupons to get a discount there! Amazon also sells them.

For anyone concerned about price getting started, I'd definitely recommend the gdiaper system, or using prefolds with a polyester cover. I've heard great things about Bummi's wraps. Check out Bummi's organic diaper kit that is a very affordable way to get started.

Well this concludes my series on why I love cloth diapers! Feel free to send me any questions that you have!