happy2bee

New!

2012-01-01T16:38:00.000-08:00

it's up.

finally. ready.

or as close to ready as it's going to be.

come on over and check out my new blog: www.thebeekeeperswife.com!!!

i haven't decided what i am going to do with this one yet, but for now, the fun is all over here

check it out

subscribe to the new fun for twenty twelve!

surviving or thriving?

2011-12-13T23:44:00.000-08:00

there are so many words that this title brings to my mind right now. it is a question that i have been asking myself on a daily basis for the past couple weeks. am i just surviving or am i thriving? last week there were a couple days where i am pretty sure i was just surviving. but the goal is that when i feel that way... to thrive.

thrive.

our lives are busy. that is just the way our culture rolls. ask people how they are doing and you will generally get one of two answers. the standard "good/fine" or "busy/crazy."

when someone asks me how i am doing, i want to be able to replace my standard "fine/busy" with "amazing" or some other fabulous adjective.

our pastor had us take a little stress test this last week. christmas is worth a lot of stress points.

my life is busy -- however, it is a life that i have created that way. i could go to work and then come home. i could eat my dinner and go to bed. that's not too busy. i could choose to celebrate holidays by buying a present and calling it good. maybe putting up a christmas tree.

that isn't what i choose.

i choose to make an advent calendar with fun holiday activities that i probably won't complete more than half way.

i choose to pull out boxes of christmas decoration to make my house festive.

i choose to send a ridiculous amount of christmas cards.

i choose to spend an entire day baking christmas cookies.

i choose to go to parties and get togethers and socialize with people i care about even though i feel exhausted, my dishes aren't done, i'm still doing laundry from my trip i returned from weeks ago, and my office looks like a black hole.

i choose to make a december daily book (which i may or may not finish in december)

i choose to try and watch all the christmas movies ever made.

my life is what i make it.

i am choosing to look for more ways to serve others this holiday season.

i am choosing to try and embrace the "busy" of the season instead of spending it "stressed out"

i am choosing the reality of my life (messy bedroom, dirty dishes, too many undone projects) and loving it instead of wishing it looked like something out of christmas catalog.

my life is what i make it. holiday or not. each day is a gift. everyday a friday.

my day tomorrow is looking kind of long. i feel tired already... but -- i have two things i am going to look forward to.

1. i want to make someone else's day bright and cheery

2. the eggnog/silk nog we are going to drink while decorating our christmas tree.

what will make your tomorrow be a great day?

tonight we bought our tree.

we picked it out in record time.

not too much twirl and whirl this year.

our house smells like the woods.

it's great.

thankful: days 3-11

2011-11-11T21:52:00.001-08:00

since i haven't been on a computer for the past week, i didn't post my thankful thoughts...but tonight, i have a few minutes -- jon said i couldn't go to sleep at 7pm...

11. salsa - we had tacos tonight from a little place - tacos with pineapple salsa. i love love love salsa. so amazing.
10. a safe helicopter ride. on monday we took a helicopter tour of kauai. it was amazing. so amazing that i wasn't even scared because it was beyond breathtakingly beautiful. i figured if we crashed that at least it would be in happiness. i was still thankful when we landed safe and sound as the weather was a little crazy this last week. yesterday a helicopter crashed off of the island of maui (well molokai to be exact) killing 4 tourists and the pilot. they are still determining the cause, though it is likely that a sudden downpour had an effect. i was thankful before...but last night i was extra thankful when my sweet dad called to make sure we were ok and told me about what he had heard on the news. crazy to know that just a few days before it could have easily been you. anytime, anyone, any place. i am thankful for each day. each moment.
9. starbucks pumpkin spice latte's -- especially when they are calming my soul
8. the best gluten free bread i have ever had made into a delicious supper sandwich - freshly made from the living foods market on kauai.
7.little coffee shops that make me happy - little fish coffee in hanapepe. - your homemade chai and delicious musabi warmed my soul.
6. outdoor dining - especially when you can hear and see the ocean - but my patio at home is just as fabulous
5. nature. beautiful canyons. fresh pineapple, papaya, and apple bananas
4. macadamia nuts - oh my goodness. i am an addict.
3. airport staff who go the extra mile to make sure you get on your plane and your bags follow.

we are having a lovely time on our trip. i don't think i have ever ate so much dessert in a one week period. period.

thankful: day 1 + day 2

2011-11-02T23:06:00.000-07:00

1. lady bugs - i love them - a couple weeks ago we went hiking and i saw more lady bugs than i have ever seen in all my life - clumps of them (like below) every where, for miles. wow.

2. a friend who help you pack - it went much faster with your help. thank you thank you kim!

jon and i are going on vacation.

it's going to be good.

i'm not planning on being near the computer,

though thoughts of posting my thankful thoughts are spinning in my head...

until then

chat when we get back??

in my make up bag

2011-10-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

(check out this ny times article on their latest campaign: Beauty Might Not Be Blind, but the Casting Call Was)

for the past few years i have used Bare Escentuals/Bare Minerals products. i just love them and continue to love them even more. i have never really been one for "make up" other than using it to liven up my "morning" look ... i don't really "play" and i've had the same routine for the past -- forever...

i was introduced to the line when my sister-in-law started carrying it in her salon, MisBehaven. i went to a salon event where a company rep gave me a mini make up make over and an introduction to the products and i decided i was in love.

*the products are easy to use
*possibly more or less than you usually spend, but a quality product
*long lasting

*most have an amazing rating with the Environmental Working Group's Cosmetic Database
*fun - i heart the kits + brushes (the cheapest way to buy brushes is through a kit - double goodness)
*natural

anyhow...

the reason it's on my mind is because kim and i went to a make up party at the salon on sunday evening. we had an amazing time. two wonderful estheticians/make up artists (kael and ciara) , a talented hair stylist (brittany), girls, pizza, and great make up made for a fabulous evening. we cleansed, we had our make-up done, we had our hair done, we ate, we chatted, we shopped... and then kim and i left for a night out-- at wal mart (yes, we are a little lame and didn't stay out late).

i learned how to back-comb, how to put my hair in a side bun, and how to use some new bare minerals products and several make-up techniques. fabulous.

i was so very proud of myself - because the next day, after a little trial and error, i recreated my look...

this was an unheard of feat in my book

thank you thank you Misbehaven team + our sweet hostess!

p.s. we had so much fun we've decided to host our own party later this season - if you live near to us and our interested let me know and i'll make sure you get an invite

TGIF

2011-10-21T21:16:00.000-07:00

May your weekend be as lovely + relaxed as Winter's

...expecting a call from my mother right. about. now.

one saturday afternoon

2011-10-20T21:20:00.000-07:00

we took some hot chocolate. we took a camera. we took some photos.

embrace the season

hello wednesday

2011-10-19T21:04:00.001-07:00

so awhile back i used to blog a lot

those would be those good ole' summer days

the days before my iphoto crashed and i thought i had lost all my photos and it was horrible

beyond horrible

then it was almost fixed for a few weeks

now - as of this weekend

it is fixed

hooray!

i have pictures again

i can share my pictures again

it is good.

3 links for you tonight

1. We Can All Become Job Creators - helping create jobs one coffee cup at a time. love it. i will support it.

2. Amazima - a friend shared this tonight - i added it to my list of favorites

3. Notes from a Dragon Momma - this is sad, but i also find it inspirational

finding our rhythm again

2011-10-16T10:52:00.000-07:00

i love fall.

it's my favorite.

but

busy.

coming home after four months away

extra

busy.

i finally put all my food away that i brought home

i only have three boxes left to unpack

i dusted my bedroom

progress is being made

but

the fall decorations aren't out yet

and it's the middle of october.

however,

we are enjoying the season

caught up or not

the sight of holiday magazine covers make me oh so happy

we had pumpkin pancakes for breakfast yesterday

(they are a gluten-free recipe - i added an extra egg + water, i did not add the sugar)

we had pumpkin spice latte's this morning.

we played in the leaves while drinking hot chocolate yesterday.

yes.

the

season

has

arrived

enjoy it!

p.s.

enjoying this playlist this morning: elsie's autumn playlist

perfect.

a song for your weekend

2011-09-30T22:47:00.000-07:00

tonight as i was driving home this song came on the radio - it was just what i needed...

"I know the weight of this world can take you down like gravity and I know the current of yourself can take you out, out to sea but hold on, hold on

And he'll break

open the skies to save

those who cry out his name

the One the wind and waves obey

is strong enough to save you"

Tenth Avenue North - "Strong Enough to Save"

move

2011-09-27T21:34:00.000-07:00

just a little inspiration borrowed from liz kartchner

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

a reminder + a song

2011-09-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

i was checking in with one of my favorite blogs and this was the post: what i want women to know

women - check it out - it's a good reminder

we have been so busy for the past couple weeks and my computer has been on the blitz and still isn't 100% so... hopefully back to good soon

until then - enjoy one of my favorite songs: (don't forget to turn off the sidebar music first)

when we eat out in the summer...

2011-09-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

**warning -- the following has absolutely nothing to do with healthy food - unless you count the delicious factor (which you may not believe unless you tried it as it doesn't really seem appealing in the pictures)...**

...it looks something like this:

tuesday is tomato soup day at the cafe

jon orders it with two grilled cheese, i order it with egg salad (and a few potato chips for crunch)

the picture is not a lovely one and the plate doesn't come fancy

we love the soup - it's creamy, full fat, homemade yum that i'm glad i don't have access to most of the year

dinner salad at the bar

(yes, we eat out at the bar back here-- it's just about the only place you go for dinner and they are family friendly)

now i consider this particular salad to basically be junk food

but

my-oh-my do i love it

shredded ice berg lettuce, chopped onion, tomato and cheese with crushed saltine crackers

ranch dressing

(jon adds thousand island too)

(the boys get it with chicken -- you can get it grilled or "****" style (little fried pieces) -- it really does say that on the menu too -- i still blink (or maybe suppress a laugh) every time hear it ordered that way

see that big white bottle of ranch

that's how it comes back here

they don't ask you if you want it

they just bring it to you

in a squeeze bottle

to eat with everything

oh yes, it is very dangerous

nobody does ranch dressing like montana

- except maybe jode's homemade -

p.s.

these are my vegetarian options (almost always) back here (within an 1-3 hour radius) - with the addition of a baked potato or grilled cheese, and sometimes pizza

(there is a mexican place 90 minutes away that is delicious when we get over there)

but

there is always

ranch dressing

ice cream

(and potatoes- deep fried any way you can think of...but that's a whole other post)

who really needs anything else to eat in the summer?

don't answer that

-and if you do-

--remember i really like to cook--

pictures: anniversary jaunt

2011-09-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

we only had about 24 hours, but decided to make the most of it and take a quick trip over to red lodge, montana and the beartooth highway -

"It is one of the highest and most rugged areas in the lower 48 states, with 20 peaks reaching over 12,000 feet in elevation. In the surrounding mountains, glaciers are found on the north flank of nearly every mountain peak over 11,500 feet high. The Road itself is the highest elevation highway in Wyoming (10,947 feet) and Montana (10,350 feet), and is the highest elevation highway in the Northern Rockies."

-- quote + more info can be found here --

breakfast at red lodge: we walked around downtown and our noses found fresh, delicious doughnuts...

our hotel clerk advised two breakfast spots: Prindy's Place (for bacon+eggs at a good price) and Cafe Regis (if you like granola and bagels) -- our hungry bodies found Prindy's first, a cute green and yellow diner - we sat at the bar and had sweet cream pancakes+ a veggie omelet -- it was delicious and gave us our fill of butter for the day) -- funny breakfast moment - i am thinking it was the owner-- was telling a customer (in my non-remembering exactly words) that they were the basic bacon+eggs kinda place and if you wanted something healthy and fancy that you'd have to go around the corner to Cafe Regis -- jon and i had to smile, and we had to go around the corner to satisfy our curiosity... we found a cute cafe, shelves of natural products lining the perimeter, with a lot of charm and what looked like a good menu - as we were stuffed with our good pancakes+eggs breakfast from our cute diner - we opted for some drinks+danishes to-go.

beartooth highway:

at the bottom

almost at the top

the top- that pole (jon and i estimate they are about 20 ft) is for measuring the snow and marking where the road is so the snow plows don't go off the edge - yes - the snow gets that high

so beautiful

this was our blackberry+cheese danish from cafe regis

to was the best i can remember having

which is why jon is giving me the - "you really think i'm sharing" look

but he did

because he loves me

at the top - too bad it doesn't factor in the wind chill

(we started out in the high 60's at the bottom)

coming down the other side

we went everywhere, but cody

we even went a few miles into yellowstone

until we got to the pay booth

--no time for that park jaunt today--

we're obsessed with these little things

amazing water, rushing so fast

they had a huge landslide a few years ago -

i told jon to drive quick over that section of the road...

candy store in red lodge - this is only part of the taffy section

and doesn't show the hundred other baskets they have of hard candy or the fudge section

downtown and where we ate dinner - which was warm comfort food - wild mushroom lasagna, shepherds pie, and a shared beet salad... it was pretty tasty. our waitress had had a long day i think. she wasn't very friendly - she was trying, but it just wasn't working well...it's ok, the lady in the next shop we went to made up for it - she was very perky and very friendly and i bought pink striped, knee high, smart wool socks for $5 (super duper deal)... and then we drove home. the end.

happy weekend-ing to you!

thursday thanks

2011-09-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

for family: my parents were able to spend a day with us awhile back. it was wonderful to have them back here - to take my dad and andrew to mount rushmore for the first time (and fuddruckers too), to see my mom. it was short, but oh so sweet.

jon's parent's came too -- it was great to have both sets of mom+pop with us for the day!

on our way

2011-09-07T04:00:00.000-07:00

"Happiness keeps you sweet, sorrow

keeps you human, life keeps you

humble, success keeps you glowing,

but only God keeps you going."

messin' with the camera remote on our anniversary jaunt

-quote found on a friend's facebook status-

today i heart...

2011-09-06T14:29:00.000-07:00

melanie&marco + frozen grapes (they're the best sweet treat)

i finally finished the season -- so great - definitely one of my favorite shows from now on -- but i don't know if the next season can compare to this one - we'll see

autumn mini book goodness

2011-09-06T04:00:00.000-07:00

since fall is in the air - i've decided to begin the welcoming process by purchasing my seasonal mini book - the past two years i have made my own, but this summer i bought elise's summer mini book and loved it (especially the fact that it was all made and ready to go -- which was good -- because i might have started working on it at the end of july...) so here we go again with autumn. hooray!

find the book here: autumn mixed paper book
find more paper goodness at elise's shop: elise joy
find elise's blog: enjoy it --- this has been my go-to blog-first-thing-in-the morning this summer -- love it!

a little promo of the fall goodness -- can't you just smell the holiday latte's...

autumn minibook promo from elise blaha on Vimeo.

crisp air + crisp rice

2011-09-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

this morning felt a little chilly

perfect opportunity to wear a hat+sweatshirt

however,

in an effort to still retain some summer

flip flops+cold cereal were in order

rice krispies to be exact

i like them the best in the form of rice krispy treats

but,

those are not a safe breakfast option

except on a holiday, which i guess it is today...

anyways

i ate two bowls of rice krispies for breakfast today

(yesterday i had two bowls of coco krispies for snack)

we are laboring today on the labor day

must take the honey off while the sun shines

this week is most likely our last week of 80 degree weather

almost good bye summer

are you making the most of these last sunshine-y days?

for more ideas on embracing the last bit: click here

p.s. found this little goodie when i went to take my picture this morning

my funny little brother with his bee-stung eye

makes me smile big

it takes a village + the flowers i still dream about

2011-09-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

it takes a village (or almost one) ...to plan a wedding - especially in less than three months and when the groom is out of town all summer and the bride is working over full time and begins her student teaching the week before the wedding...

jon and i were blessed to have so many wonderful people make our day happen and make it special - people who will never know the extent of how thankful and appreciative we are for making our wedding dream come true --- we love you and thank you once again for all you did!

one of my (many) favorite aspects of our wedding was the flowers -- they were amazing and made even more special by the fact that they were put together by katrina and my second momma, carolynn. they were more than perfect...

-- if you are in need of fabulous wedding flowers - you can find katrina here: bashful botanical

just a taste (i only have a few pictures with me in montana):

wedding photography:

julie lopez : julie lopez photography

kimberly miner: kimberlyink

5 years ago today

2011-09-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

oh yes, it was a happy happy moment

photo by: kimberly miner

cupcake wars audition tape

2011-09-02T08:19:00.000-07:00

let yourself smile for five minutes while watching this little cutie - then go find a cupcake!

Sweet Tooth Fairy Cupcake Wars Audition from Collin Kartchner on Vimeo.

p.s. one day i am going to drive to utah so i can have a photo/video shoot with collin kartchner -- i'm thinking maybe next year might be good... you can also see more of his work at: collinkartchnerstudios

p.s.s. we're off to celebrate still loving each other (and even liking each other most days) for 5 years and counting -- happy weekend -- you celebrate too! - - not our marriage silly -- well i guess you could -- but i was thinking more along the lines of it's the weekend...eating cupcakes...enjoying the last bits of summer... ok. off with you... off with me...

lulu

2011-09-01T04:00:00.000-07:00

the other day i walked into the trailer after being gone for a bit

-- this is what i saw --

...she let me take the picture- didn't even move- which almost never happens...

----

our dear little lulu

she's such a spoiled dog

i held strong the first month and she didn't get on the bed

then one day jon let her up on the bed for snuggle

now the snuggles happen on a daily basis

---and i change my sheets a few times a week---

(which is really ok because clean sheets smell and feel so good)

anyways.

lulu likes to do things in 3's

one of those things is going to the vet

(i kid you not - seriously this is the 3rd set of 3's)

last month she greeted our new county vet with a yeast infection/uti

(it was his first week on the job - fresh out of school)

--one--

last weekend we took her for a walk on saturday

apparently she didn't like that too well cause she went didn't want to get up the next day

two days later we thought all was well

wake up thursday morning and she is totally lame on her back left leg

call the vet (but he was out with the cows)

friday morning to the vet - but on the mend

arthritis maybe?

--two--

tuesday at lunch

pet lulu

feel bumps (or lumps) all over her left side in various sizes and some on her right

call vet (but he's out with the cows again)

call another vet about an hour away

drive an hour

visit vet

lulu has hives

lulu is allergic to something (who knows)

or was bit by something

(jon found a dead spider in her bed last night?)

lulu gets a shot

lulu gets a prescription for steriods (two weeks)

lulu gets her ear checked too

lulu gets another prescription (ear goop)

lulu gets a treat

lulu goes home

--three--

lulu on steroids

drinking water every two minutes

peeing a bucket every two hours

luckily this time she's not mad starving trying to take apart the stove to get to one little biscuit between the appliance and the wall (hello prednisone)

that was three.

we should be done now.

thank goodness

(last time this happened to the tune of $600, this time we are happily settling for $75)

don't worry though...

this "little girl"

(our lu-lee belle)

---also known to respond to "lulu stinky butt"---

she's priceless for sure

just one pretty thing

2011-08-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

now taking donations for this lovely:

find it here: ribbons blouse - tiny bees

emersonmade

it will find it's way into my closet. i have faith

- maybe not money right now -

but it's good to have goals :)

Dear Teacher | One Little Word

2011-08-30T09:22:00.000-07:00

the power of a word

-found on ali edwards this morning-

click here: Dear Teacher | One Little Word

-- while i haven't been taking the class i have participated in "one little word" during previous years and plan on taking next years class

grocery store secrets...

2011-08-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

sometimes you just have days when you want to eat everything in the house. then you go to the grocery store. hungry. looking for dinner.

you walk out of the store with...

fresh salsa
lime tortilla chips
asian salad mix
spaghetti o's
asparagus
cocoa krispies
mini rice cakes (cheddar + kettle corn)
pringles
apples
martinelli's lemonade
peach frozen fruit bars

it could have been worse. (we passed up the blueberry cheesecake goop from the deli case, the instant mashed potatoes, the ice cream, the...

i blame it all on roommate ryan. he moved in with us about two weeks ago (after the teenagers went home). he eats spaghetti o's - and chips - and chips ahoy cookies, and ben and jerry's ...and...and... he starts most his meals with ice cream - tonight he bought a box of doughnuts. my summer activity level cannot sustain these treats... all this processed goodness (tongue in cheek) that hasn't seen the inside of my shopping cart since college (if that as i grocery shopped so often) -- except for an occasion here and there...jon and i couldn't take it any longer. between ryan and watching "arthur" the other night -- we had-to-have our own can of spaghetti o's (sorry no saucy o's jon...) -- so we did. tonight. for dinner. along with our chips+salsa, salad, and lemonade - with an occasional pringle + rice cake...and jon might have finished off the pint of ben and jerry's cake batter, with a little help from me of course.

it's on now.

might as well go all out -- mom - we'll be over tomorrow night for velveeta shells and cheese...

disclaimer - ryan does eat vegetables too. and fruit. and i might have fed him a few home cooked meals in the last week that included many vegetables - particularly zucchini...

packin' it up -it's not just a brown bag anymore

2011-08-26T04:00:00.000-07:00

as much as i love the nostalgia of a "brown bag lunch" - which i will never fully give up -

the rise of the reusable container - in the form of something cute, chic, functional, and bpa free - makes me oh so very happy...

-------

for the past year or two i have packed my lunch in various bpa free, reusable plastic containers or empty pint and cup sized canning jars. the jars are generally my preference for any item that needs to be reheated as i try my best to avoid microwaving most plastic. my lunch bag is a cute little reusable bag i bought at whole foods for $2 this fall or something similar.

however

we have now moved to a new favorite:

black+blum

it all started when we made a stop at the leaf and bean, in bozeman. we saw these and just had to buy for friend+roommate, kim - so we did. she loves them!

lunch pot

bento box

lucky me - my mom stopped by and bought me my own lunch pot (in orange) on her way to visit me...

they make a few other items we might have to have - if it's love at first sight for you too, click on over to their site or you can also find them at amazon.com

looking for a new eco lunch bag for school year -- or just because--

support handmade and shop etsy

want to enter a giveaway?

click this link: vegetarian times lunch gear giveaway

packin' it up - brown bag lunches

2011-08-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

once upon a time (this spring) i went to the hospital cafeteria for a take-out sabbath lunch

it was delicious. i loved it. i eventually ate every bite. i was by myself. i didn't have to do the dishes.

----------

taking my own lunch

--a short(ish) history--

i think my mom packed my lunches up until 4th grade - it was then that i discovered i only wanted to eat hot lunch - specifically haystack, burger, and pizza days - or any other day that involved ranch dressing (my love affair began young)
i ate lunch at home (homeschool perk) until high school. after some quality time eating at the boarding school cafeteria (mostly buttered toast with brewer's yeast + pb, jelly, and applesauce on toast -- the bread was homemade) i was back at day school where the next two years consisted of -- not packing a lunch (i just realized that not once did i eat in that high school's cafe) and a lot of taco bell runs...though there was those two short months my junior year when i was obsessed with jack-in-the-box (oh. my. word. help.)
college - lunch? what's that -- between a full load and two-four jobs -- lunch?
6 months of teaching school - hello t.v. dinners - i had a serious stash in my fridge - i tried all the vegetarian ones ever made at that time - school cafeteria - sometimes - on desperate days.
2 years ago. began consistently packing a lunch on a daily basis. the kind with salad and vegetables.
this last year - i can't live without my packed lunch. i bring my own dinner to staff meeting. i have created a brown bag monster (joking joking -- i still order out sometimes --)
summer - i make jon a lunch most mornings - as it has to withstand the heat - we are still working on adding creativity--- it usually consists of : pb+j, granola and protein bars, apple, carrots, any other random fruit we have around, juice boxes (he. is. obsessed. no joke.) - extra shake bottles of lemonade or gatorade mix and sometimes chips...
p.s. - every morning when i make jon's sandwich, i instantly want to eat one too -- i heart pb+j

----------

now that your head is filled with our lunch history...

what's yours?

let's brown bag it and you can tell me...

----------

there has been a lot of chatter about lunches lately

(back to school will do it every time)

here are some lunch box links

(click em!)

blisstree: reasons to brown bag it - you probably already know, but reminders are always good
vegetarian times: break for lunch - 21 day challenge + recipes - need help getting started? like a plan?
vegetarian times: a+ after school snacks - fun for kids+adults
peta: pack a lunch with a punch - quite a few quick+easy vegetarian ideas using scratch+convenience foods
country living: the great lunch makeover - "fresh takes on the standard brown-bag meal."
blisstree: meatless monday: 10 vegetarian recipes for easy brown bag lunch - try some new recipes?
martha stewart: brown bag lunches - a gallery of 50 sandwich, salad, and dessert recipes
martha stewart: kid friendly lunches - not your standard pb+j
martha stewart: 25 after-school snacks - "ants on a log" included

aren't you excited now

summer sunshine + sunflowers

2011-08-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

a little bit down the road from us...

summer is quickly ending

where did august go?

isn't it funny how things always seem to be twice the speed after the half-way point

i am determined to love every last drop of the next month

then- i will embrace fall with open arms and a warm heart

-- it's my favorite season, but shhh.. don't tell summer--

last week i ran across this great little list for

"squeezing the last drops out of summer"

i thought how nice it would be to share that link

--and then forgot--

until now

don't you hate it when you can't remember what you want to remember?

then you spend a ridiculous amount of time and energy trying to remember (or find)

lucky for me - i spent some time looking and then -- i turned to the one that has all the answers --

i googled it

guess what

first one on the list

--then i found a few more --

here's my short list

(click them and let your end of summer adventure begin)

how to squeeze the last drops out of summer

christine kane: 22 ways to squeeze every last drop out of summer before it ends

seattle times: Squeeze the last drops out of summer with these ideas for kid-friendly activities

etsy: treasury - squeeze the last drop of late summer

two (of us) for tuesday

2011-08-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

this is lulu

this is me

this is lulu+me playing chase - on the bed of course

there she goes...

2011-08-22T04:00:00.000-07:00

this is my friend, kim -- oh, and me too

she is also my roommate

except in the summer while i am in montana

(then my roommates are teenagers, husband, and dog)

she is traveling for three weeks

three weeks

this means there will be

online chatting

texting

emailing

talking on the phone

calendar updates

my life just got that much less interesting

because there will be no stories like this...

luckily

when she gets back

she should have three weeks worth of stories

that should keep me entertained for awhile

i should have no excuses for non-productivity for the next three weeks

except for the small fact that she did not take

hulu

netflix

the internet

with her

i might not be so bored after all

but

i will still miss you

emersonmade

2011-08-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

some mornings you just spend too much time on the computer - hopefully not most mornings. one of these too-much-time mornings, i renewed my intense love of a site that i haven't been on in awhile...

have you discovered: emersonmade

oh i just love love love them!

-- they live on a farm
-- they renovated their farmhouse into a lovely home that i would like to live in too
-- emerson designs, styles, models -- everything -- the clothing line and her husband, ryan, does all the photography
-- they are funny
-- they include their animals in many of their pictures - which i love to see - especially the chickens
-- they sell beautiful clothes (made in the USA - which is quite important to me) that i would love to own -- this skirt is on my wish list:

design sponge posted a tour of their home : emerson farm

my favorite (i am very jealous and hope to have in my future perfect home):

can we all say ahhhh......

summer squash

2011-08-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

did i tell you the story of how many squash plants i planted this year?

ready for it?

yes, you saw that correctly.

however, i incorrectly assumed that some (a lot) of them would die

but they didn't.

this picture was taken a few weeks ago:

the plants are now much larger - but i don't want to go out and take a picture right now - use your imagination...

then they started to get a lot of these:

now i have a lot of zucchini - and soon a lot of yellow squash too - probably about 8 tomorrow when i go out and pick them...and more zucchini too.

we have been eating a lot of zucchini. i love it. i've grilled it, roasted it, sautéed it, put it on salad and ate it plain. it's good. it means summer. i like it.

but -- i have a lot of it -- so i took some to the librarians -- and tomorrow i'm going to take some more --

and i'm going to make some zucchini bread - but i have to find the right recipe...soon

which brings me to the question of -- do you zucchini too?

this summer i have made a lot of recipes from the Martha Stewart website (seriously has been my go-to site this season) - i love their little collections - especially the ones that are vegetarian, or like the one i am sharing - produce specific.

here is one for: zucchini - click it, explore it, and go try something new to eat!

back to business

2011-08-18T16:20:00.000-07:00

well, i looked at the calendar this morning and it told me two things:

1. i have taken 18 days of "blogging vacation"
2. i have exactly 3 weeks until i pack up the car and head back home

usually, i would be packing up tonight and heading back tomorrow - but this year i'm staying with the husband, in montana, for longer...

the past few weeks we haven't been up to much - i made a dent in the projects that i need to get done and this next week am hoping to get most of them accomplished...trying to get things done ahead of time rather than procrastinating... i don't really know if it's as much fun and old habits die hard.

where we left off:
we try to celebrate everyone's birthday -- our worker, travis, had a birthday and we were more than happy to put together an impromptu bbq and a quick batch of cupcakes --- anyone else having a birthday?

taking a break

2011-08-01T21:22:00.000-07:00

we're going to be taking a vacation (or mostly) a vacation from the computer

for the next week or two.

projects to do

can't get sucked in....

see you in a bit

catch up: 4th of july

2011-07-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

you remember that far back don't you?

the boys worked all day

the girls cooked up some burger, macaroni salad, and cupcake goodness

yummy eating commenced around 7:30pm

a little old school (as in circa 2000) "charlie's angels" watching

fireworks at the lake at dusk

it was a good day

the end.

thursday thanks

2011-07-28T14:24:00.000-07:00

i am so very thankful for this boy.

thankful:

- i have one little brother - who isn't so little anymore

- i always have someone to celebrate my birthday with - we share the same birthday!

- i never need to deal with leftovers when he is near

- he isn't a picky eater - the only thing i found he doesn't like this summer is coleslaw and pasta w/a vinaigrette

- for his sense of humor

- sweet smile - when he wants it to be

- he likes to fix things

- he always has my back

- for the travel opportunities he gets to have this summer

- i can be so proud of the man he is becoming

road trip: minnesota bound

2011-07-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

awhile back -- ok - really awhile back -- jon and i climbed (literally) into the semi and set off for minnesota to pick up a load of bee boxes from a supplier. we left late for our 8.5 hour trip - to the tune of about four o'clock in the afternoon - but were in good spirits - road tripping in the semi can't be beat.

a little ways down the road we stopped for some fuel, both the truck and the human kind. armed with a ridiculous amount of snacks we traveled the straight and level path across north dakota - thats right - the entire state - just about as flat as a pancake without a turn in sight. they do have the best rest areas though.

this trip was on the tail end of the june floods and gave us some interesting sights as the water level was quite high in many areas... p.s. the top left picture below is of a train going across tracks that are almost covered by water..

and road construction through a lot of minnesota - it is funny, as soon as you get close to minnesota it's like the insect population triples and lands on your windshield. serious. i also saw one of the biggest insects ever. i still don't know what it is -- but it was attacking jon and i's heads (or trying to) so we smashed it. it looked like a monster bee-fly...

we spent the night at a truck stop in fargo, north dakota - where we had a midnight mcdonalds snack and early morning breakfast (healthy healthy -- have you tried their hotcakes? yummers -- for fast food quality of course). after driving the rest of our way and loading up, it was afternoon. now turn around and go back. this time with a rest stop in fargo again for food and fun at scheels sporting goods (that's where the ferris wheel was - i don't know if they have them in other stores - the fargo store is the very best). we arrived in montana about 3am - a 22 hour day for us - and thankful for not getting stuck out in the middle of nowhere on a really super-soft stretch of a road construction dirt road while fully loaded at 2:30am on the way back.

bed looked and felt lovely and lulu was quite happy to see us. home-sweet-trailer.

stormy weather

2011-07-26T08:56:00.000-07:00

on friday a huge storm system went across eastern montana (a line that stretched almost completely across the state from north to south) - i wish i had taken a picture of the radar screen. we were on tornado watch all afternoon and evening. i have come to terms --and almost enjoyment-- of these summer storms... but i draw that line at tornados. someday (i'm thinking sooner rather than later) - when i have my storm cellar - i will greet them with open arms and camera in hand -- until then -- i still prefer for the tornados to stay away.

tornados aside. there is something absolutely amazing and beautiful about a storm.

i took these pictures when i went to town friday afternoon. i pulled over and just sat for a few minutes watching the storm roll in. watching the intensity build, the clouds cover the sky and darken the day. feeling the hot, humid summer air. the scent of the storm and the rain it brings. the cold wind clashing with the hot of the day. the thunder boom and the flash of light. it brought rain. it brought hail (i love hail). it reigned in the dust. it brought a lot of weather alerts on my radio (good to know it works well) it brought a tornado -- luckily not to us, but a county away.

my mom encourages me to embrace the storm - to turn my recent fear back to the love i had for them when i was younger. when i told her we were on tornado watch on friday she replied with "what a great time to watch "twister" and eat cookies and ice cream"(instead of worrying about it) -- she's the best mom. always knows just the right thing to say to me. so here i am. embracing the storm (but not the tornados -- yet).

"it is not in the serene times we grow but rather in our storms."

motion of mercy

2011-07-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

I was poor I was weak

I was the definition of the spiritually

Bankrupt condition

So in need of help

I was unsatisfied

Hungry and thirsty

When you rushed to my side

So unworthy

Still You gave yourself away...

That's the motion of mercy

Changing the way and the why we are

That's the motion of mercy

Movin' my heart

Now I'm filled by a love

That calls me to action

I was empty before now I'm drawn to compassion

And to give myself away

Living for the lost

Loving 'til it hurts

No matter what the cost

Like you loved me first

That's the motion of mercy

God give me the strength to give something for nothing

I wanna be a glimpse of the Kingdom that's coming soon

by Francesca Battistelli

Music Video: "Motion of Mercy"

CD: Hundred More Years

Song: "Motion of Mercy"

weekend:

2011-07-24T20:40:00.000-07:00

it's always sad when you don't think you have your camera but then realize the next day that you really did. good thing that these nifty cell phones have cameras so you can still take an impromptu photo.

the sky was absolutely marvelous yesterday. just beautiful. the kind of sky that you just want to sit outside and look at forever and ever. it was a day-after-the-big-storm kind of sky. ---and i took a few pictures with my phone. ones that looked great on my phone, but as i looked at them this morning i realized that i forgot to roll down my window and so they are not as lovely as i would like...however, i feel that it is a little mean to withhold pictures, even though they don't do it justice:

these pictures were taken on our way to church - i had a lovely 50 minutes of staring out the window at the pretty blue sky. we stayed for potluck and were able to get to know many of the church members. country churches might be the best. i know that we have been greatly impacted by the absolute, friendly welcome we have been given. it is a reminder and a challenge to us to always be warm, friendly and welcoming at our home church, even though there are quite a few more members.

which brings us to our evening: which was fairly uneventful - we consumed a ridiculous amount of ice cream and watched Cupcake Wars and Master Chef on hulu. that's it. perfect day.

thursday thanks - quick quick

2011-07-14T16:18:00.000-07:00

- rubber gloves
- dish soap
- strawberries
- chocolate chip cookies
- chocolate chip cookies with strawberries (and maybe some ice cream too)
- online recipes - i use them all the time
- hair bands - my hair is constantly up during the summer
- trash cans
- flip flops

--- rushing to get dinner for the hungry troops---

happy thursday!

a barrel (or two) of fun...

2011-07-13T08:29:00.000-07:00

a few weeks ago:

it is amazing how just a couple weeks ago we were flooded (literally) with rain. and now... just a few days later it seems...we need rain again. that is how it works around here. prayin' for some storms to come our way.

in the meantime... it's been blustery. yesterday+ the night+ this morning we are enjoying lots of wind to the tune of about 40 mph gusts--- the trailer's rockin' -- because of the wind, silly-- yesterday afternoon i sat in the parent's trailer and enjoyed the swaying -- don't you want to move out of your house and into a trailer too?

i woke up this morning and told jon that i thought i would have to watch "winnie the pooh + the blustery day" today - i think i will while i bake some chocolate chip cookies. sounds like a good plan - you have to enjoy what you've got!

"If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward."

-- Martin Luther King, Jr.

weekend: catch up

2011-07-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

these are from a few weekends past - but not last weekend (which is still to come -- patience now...)

the weekend of the rhubarb cream pie + pancakes

no outside adventures this weekend - the weather wasn't too fabulous

we just stayed inside and baked the day away

and played "Risk" on the xbox - can you say addiction

the weekend of strawberry shortcake + breakfast burritos

also - the weekend we conquered the puzzle + planted the garden

i believe we also watched a lot of hulu...

it was good

they don't know:

2011-07-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

- how much they help each other

- how much they teach each other

- how much they stick up for each other

- how much they look alike

- how much fun they have

- how thankful (someday) they will be for this time they have spent together

- how thankful i am (today) for this time we have spent together

- how much they love each other

- how much i love them

weekend:

2011-07-10T12:18:00.000-07:00

as jon and i went to sleep last night, we both said to each other "what a great day."

it was just that good.

sunny. breezy. an ice cream + pizza kind of day. we played board games all evening with mike and kate. laughing up a storm. eating popcorn + cold cereal. almost consuming a couple tubs of ice cream because they are our ultimate favorites. walking at sunset. lulu ended the day taking a snooze on the bench. spoiled pooch.

jon and i spent most of the day driving around the north dakota countryside. a little of it was spent waiting in road construction. but it was good waiting. the kind where you talk to the motorcyclist behind you and enjoy the windmills and great views beside you.

it all started because we decided to drive to church -- it takes about an hour. we felt like the pioneers. except our truck is just a little faster and less dusty than a wagon. we arrived at our little country church to a sweet congregation of about 25 people. we were more than warmly welcomed, introduced to almost all of the church members, and invited for lunch. the pastor is the same pastor i had at my academy church during sophomore year. i walked into the church and told jon "i know him" - true that. such a small world sometimes... isn't it great. he (the pastor) and his wife have five of the most beautiful + polite boys i have ever seen. we are excited to have found a "summer" church family and are looking forward to getting to know new people in our community.

the rest of the day was spent taking the long way back home. looking out the window at the canola fields and rolling hills. spotting ranches that we loved + passing through some of the smallest towns (blink and you'll miss it). no storms. no weather warnings. just sunshine.

oh happy day!

hope yours was just as lovely.

f is for ...

2011-07-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

-friday! (of course)
-fanciful fruit pizza - well at least that is what the pillsbury website calls it --- jon's afternoon thought as to what we should make for our end of the week dessert - it was delicious - though it would be even better with my sugar cookie recipe instead of the store bought - we had blackberries, fresh pineapple and peaches. i didn't really strive for presentation on this one - just plopped it on -- still tasty...

- four - the average number of loads of dishes i wash by hand per day - i do have a small sink+dish rack
-fresh sheets
-funnel clouds - one was 45 miles away from us today -- that is still too close for my comfort level
-flying insects - we are surrounded by them - mosquitos, flies, fruit flies. all giant. all obnoxious.
- flesh. burnt flesh. my first sunburn in a really long time. torched shoulders and arms. it didn't even feel hot outside (thats what the breeze will do for you) i knew better. at least i was wearing a hat. i am always getting after jon and the kids - so tonight, i am sure jon had a small smile while telling me to "put some sunscreen on next time"

hope your weekend is the best -- last saturday we were on a tornado watch all beautiful day. it was a bummer. hoping tomorrow brings lovely, warning free weather.

thursday thanks

2011-07-07T17:02:00.000-07:00

- wash machines -- mine is broken right now. i am thankful to the wonderful person who invented it and i am thankful to the wonderful person who will come fix mine soon. soon. soon.

-gas prices are a little less right now- when we were in minnesota last week this station had it for 3.44 - i hadn't seen it that low for far too long

- taking a minute to remember the past -- this is what is left of a little bitty town out in the middle of no where that jon and i drove by yesterday. at some point it had people who lived here. a little school. false fronts on the store buildings. maybe a house or too.

-road signs -- in front of the little bitty town that was -- it goes in all four directions, pointing you the right way towards the farm you are looking for -- yep. that one out in the middle of no where no where -- because this sign-- the one in front of the little bitty town that was. it's out in the middle of no where - about 30+ minutes on a gravel road to get to the back to the highway - and then it's another 20-30 minutes going 75 mph to get to the next town. middle of no where. great place for bees to make some honey.

- for no muddy roads as we were traveling yesterday -- the person before us wasn't as quite as lucky - you can't see them very well, but we drove in the very deep tire tracks of someone who was holding their breath, hoping they wouldn't get stuck as they drove through a very very soft dirt road.

- taking a minute to "stop and smell the clover" - that is exactly what jon said to me yesterday as we stopped, rolled the windows down and inhaled...

so nice to stop and drink it all in. to talk about how blessed we are even in the midst of stressful moments. to remember the good. to love the life we've been given

- to be challenged: the GOOD 30 day challenge: Waste Less - got us set up this morning with what will work for us and our summer situation - also trying to increase my reusable container use versus ziplocks or plastic bags - which i tend to use more of in the summer because of limited storage/fridge space.

-to grow: "Seek out that particular mental attribute which makes you feel most deeply and vitally alive, along with which comes the inner voice which says, 'This is the real me,' and when you have found that attitude, follow it."

-- James Truslow Adams

- to be reminded: 3 ways to fully show up in your life
- to let myself off the hook--it doesn't have to be perfect: Supposed To

just:

2011-07-06T21:35:00.000-07:00

just finished: talking with melissa! -- so proud of her - today she successfully defended her thesis for her masters!!

just ate: grilled vegetable panini sandwiches using our new grill and a delicious bite of schwan's dark sweet cherry ice cream (our summertime favorite)

just trying: to kill the mosquito that keeps buzzing around my head -- unsuccessful so far...

just wishing: that my wash machine was in working order (it stopped working on the 4th -- kinda funny -- i am pretty sure it is the same problem i just had last month with my wash machine at home)

just starting:

forever strong

one of my favorite movies. it's about rugby + character. we've watched it every summer for the past four years and i love it every time plus some.

just trying: to not think a tick is on me every time -- i pulled one out of my brother on monday. i was lightening fast. uber impressive. still -- gross.

two for tuesday

2011-07-05T15:51:00.000-07:00

well - my sunday felt like monday, my monday felt like sunday, and today, tuesday, has felt like....tuesday.

1. this was supposed to be a nice post re-capping our holiday and our past week's adventures - however, i've been completely enthralled with "so you think you can dance" -- every time i get near the computer it's like a magnet to the next episode i can watch on hulu. utter distraction. we'll try again tomorrow. i only have one more episode til i'm caught up - plus, every time my brother catches me watching it he tells me how "lame" the show is -- not that i let him dictate my t.v. preferences or anything.

2.

jon and i went down to the lake last night to watch the fireworks

it was lovely

thursday thanks

2011-06-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

- family - a usual one i know, but always good to take time and appreciate... this afternoon really thinking about how lucky jon and i are to be close to our family - to talk with them often throughout the week. to be able to spend the summer with my brother and sister. to work on a daily basis with jon's parents in our business.
-road-tripping in a semi-truck -- high above the road - biggest windshield (which became completely covered in bugs on the eastern side of north dakota and our couple hours in minnesota) - bed + fridge (hotel on the road) - truck stops (especially truck stops at that have 24 hour Mcdonalds for midnight snacktime).

-not getting stuck out in the middle of nowhere on a really super-soft stretch of a road construction dirt road while fully loaded at 2:30am.
-vacuum cleaners
-watermelon -summer yumminess on sale at our little grocery store this week
-Scheels --sporting goods store-- why have i never been to one of these before - definitely a new favorite "summer store"

fun to be had at scheels

- veggie burgers (i love love love them) - which is why i ordered this cookbook:
"the best veggie burgers on the planet" - really excited to try new recipes out this summer

-magazines -- favorite road trip item -- well, besides my camera, but it doesn't really count
-air conditioning -- it was 93 degrees yesterday - which would be fine if it hadn't been a high of 69 two days before
- summers in montana - sometimes this is a really hard one for me, but this year, instead of focusing on what i don't have or miss (fresh summer produce, farmers market, a lawn, bbq's + socials with friends are just a few) i am really working on embracing the joy that is living in a different place for a season -- as ali edwards says: be "present" in the season and enjoy + know the "deliciousness of summer."
-- two little articles on the summer season:

ali edwards -- the change of seasons | summer rhythms (above quotes take from this post)
incourage: six tips to enjoy a beautiful summer {at home}

yesterday+today

2011-06-24T17:09:00.000-07:00

yesterday:
- we took trip to walmart -- yes, back here traveling to walmart takes about ninety minutes vs. three...
- i bought plants to attempt a garden (let's cross our fingers the weather loves us this year)
- there was a giant lightening show -- it never ceases to amaze me how you can literally see storms 100 miles away like they were just down the road from you -- we caught the edge of it, and the guys were out working in it...
- jon came home at 3am with a tick crawling up his arm (yesterday mike picked one off of his neck). we all went to sleep a little paranoid.

bringing home a new laundry room door

today:
- library visit. love. love. love this library + i came home with a borrowed puzzle to do over the weekend.
- jon pulled a tick out of lulu's ear at lunch time. we are not excited. it is crazy tick invasion this year. i am hoping that they all sizzle in the next week or two
- looks like we are going to have another "light show" in the next hour to go along with dinner...which...
-i have no idea what i am going to fix for dinner - which means i'd better post this and hop to it before the hungry ones invade.

oh the things one can do with a tractor -- as seen this afternoon

have weekending!

thursday thanks

2011-06-23T07:47:00.000-07:00

- surprise packages are the best!
- the ability to act on a idea - create a new project, a new passion
- watching disney movies with my sister
- good weather that lets the boys work all day - we. love. sunshine.
- email updates from my bff
- clean sheets
- finishing a good book...even though part of you wishes it would go on forever
- haystacks
- calling your mom (or dad or a friend)
- dental floss

monday night tacos

2011-06-21T11:28:00.000-07:00

any evening that has tacos in it is going to be good.

these hit the spot last night. a nice break between work sessions -- right now the boys are working most nights moving the bees to various locations...they come home and eat + relax for a couple hours and then go out for a few more hours of work --

yummy grub usually means happy attitudes - which is good as michael got soaked by a torrential downpour at the first stop of the night and jon had to use his mad driving skills later that evening to keep them from sliding into the ditch -- yes, in case you were wondering...it's been a little wet around these parts lately. one storm after another. but we aren't complaining. nope. not when you look at the radar and see the crazy business happening a few miles east of us and in the midwest and south. nope. no complaints here about the weather... at least for today.

so back to taco night...

i love these two more than they love tacos and salsa - and that's a lot

we've just about made it through our first week of family dinners --- jon and i talked about it last week and made a commitment to dinner at the table (no t.v. or phones or laptops) this summer. we haven't told these two kiddos, but i think they might have caught on. no complaints yet.

and our dessert...

pre-storm clouds + sunset light

right now:
today is supposed to be the day. the day that i read my book. the book that i've had since november and have been saving and saving and saving for just the right day to read it -- today is supposed to be that day. but it's noon already and i haven't read a page.

instead i have been doing dishes, playing with pictures on my computer and absently watching "princess protection program" (an original disney movie of course) and "alice in wonderland"...

-- kate just came in and made a grilled cheese sandwich - it smells delicious. i might not be able to resist...that's right - this summer i might be living off of pb+j's, grilled cheese, and tacos of course!

pretend it's still sunday...

2011-06-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

because that is when i was supposed to post this -- however, i was nicely sharing the computer with my brother, who really needed to maintain his civilization -- and i went to sleep before he was finished.

so. this morning is still sunday.

happy fathers day!!

did it work?

(probably not because you are most likely at work or some form of it and it is difficult to pretend it's still sunday when you are having to be amazingly productive)

this is my dad and i:

i like him quite a bit. i could write and write about all the wonderful things he has done for me and how much he loves me but i would start with the tears and then i'd never get this posted. so -- i will just say.

this is my dad.

i love him bunches.

i love that i could see how proud he was of me when he handed me my diploma.

i love that he walked me down the aisle and "gave me away"the day i married jon.

i love that he used to let me play multiple rounds of dutch blitz when i was young to see if i could get myself "ungrounded" by winning.

i love that we can go walking in the mornings and i can learn about his busy life.

yep. i love him bunches.

this is my papa joe (aka my father-in-law):

i'm not sure when or why i started calling him that -- but it seems to be sticking.

papa joe's been in my life since 1999.

i can count on him to make sure that all situations are under control if jon is gone.

i can count on him to make sure that i get a picture of all important food moments for the scrapbook.

he is often one of my road trip traveling buddy -- i think he is even getting used to all the stops i have to make (like trader joe's in bend, starbucks, and a few others)

he is kind and generous and took me to disneyworld-- for which i am very appreciative (if you know how much i love disney you will know how big that "very" is)

he makes my life better in lots of little ways and big ones too.

love you papa joe!

a little bit ago:

lulu ate jon's pb&j sandwich this morning - baggie and all... i'm not sure if this is a sign of how the rest of the day is going to go or not --

--- ok ---

i now give it permission to be monday

--as long as lulu doesn't start the day by eating any more sandwiches--

four things. -- the last is the best one --

2011-06-16T13:11:00.000-07:00

-- i have forgotten sandwich bags twice now - both times they were on my grocery list -- excellent

-- this morning i came into the trailer to find jon with the covers over his head...hiding the fact that lulu was snuggled up next to him

--last night i had my first alerts with my weather radio. two tidbits about that -- first. it's quite neat. second. it's quite loud.

a big thank you to my very tired husband and father-in-law who traipsed down to the corner bar with me to wait out the storm with a basket of shoestring french fries, ketchup+ranch -- p.s. there is no other ranch like montana ranch -- i don't know where they get the stuff, but it's ridiculously good. a close second to my mother-in-law's homemade goodness which is beyond amazing.

-- the highlight of today:

this little poochie -- the one who we all were feeling sorry for because her eye is just a little bit swollen-- this little poochie -- the one we were all chuckling about because she is spoiled and gets to hide underneath the bedcovers --

yep this same little poochie -- the one who you can smell her stinky a mile away now --

this little poochie -- the one who visited the neighbors' field and rolled in the manure --

yes this little poochie -- wagged her tail all the way home...

covered in horse poop

precious one?

tuesday -- the day i got my...

2011-06-15T20:22:00.000-07:00

lulu just wasn't sure she wanted to face the day yesterday...or she just remembered how much fun it is to lay around all day in the truck and decided to try it out in the trailer -- she stayed there until afternoon when she decided she might be a little bit hungry...

she went out with jon last night while he was moving bees

had a great time, minus a couple stings--one of them was above her eye

she has a little swelling, but she's a pro beekeeping-pooch and is ready for the next night-time venture

a reminder of all of our wet weather - muddy-ish trucks

but not anymore - because they had a nice wash today -

the boys filling totes with delicious sweet food for the bees

it's been so cold, wet, and rainy that they aren't able to find enough to eat yet

and last, but definitely not least...

yesterday we picked up this fabulous little thing

happiness is me.

i have turned it on today just for the joy of knowing i have it.

hello weather radio - we are friends.

we are now tuned in (with battery back-up) to weather alerts

think: tornado watches + warning

the ones that come in the middle of the night when you aren't looking at the weather channel

don't get me wrong -- i don't think this little device is my saving grace -- but it definitely could be helpful

or obnoxious if it wakes me up in the middle of the night for a non-life-threatening alert...

still.

happy. happy. joy. joy.

and so it begins

2011-06-14T20:42:00.000-07:00

we made it -- 16 hours in the car and all is well in our little summer-time world

once again we rolled in with the rain --

(as the costco gas attendant said - you must always come in june -- yes, yes i do)

some light rain showers + some i-can't-see-the-road-but-the-wipers-are-as-high-as-they-go showers

...and don't forget the 360-degree lightening storms--which to quote arline

"Fireworks, celebrating your arrival?"

-- yes - let's just think of it that way

a few snapshots of the back seat

lulu loves katie + katie loves lulu

today i worked on cleaning the trailer + went to town with jon

a few lovely surprises:

the grocery store had sweet peppers -- the little mini kinds in the bag at not a ridiculous price and also they carry the betty crocker gluten free baking mixes -- at maybe a ridiculous price but exciting for us to have close at hand
delicious tomato soup from a local cafe (can you say cream?) - excellent with grilled cheese and carrot sticks -- maybe jon might have bought a slice of fresh strawberry rhubarb pie too...which him drowned in half+half before eating it all up
these cutie-pie fluff balls were at the local supply store --- so cute --- i also found something else that was beyond exciting for me - but i'm not going to share that until tomorrow - stay tuned..

melissa - i immediately thought of you...

our day has been good

how was yours?

friday! -- the one where my summer began...

2011-06-10T21:29:00.000-07:00

today was my last day at work for awhile - it was almost my last day at work ever -- but then i last month we (jon+i) decided it wasn't and so back again in the fall i'll go -- why oh why - well here is what my last week at work looked like:

-rainy day monday movie - coloring included

- watermelon day + sunflower seed spitting and rolling in the field

- pink lemonade + paper puppets + a few minutes of pixar short films

- sandwich + ice cream cones on the playground - play outside all day

- picnic in the field

i know you're jealous - everyone should have my job - with the requirement of you can happily survive having your name (or teacher teacher) called every 15 seconds by multiple children, don't mind having boogers picked and wiped on your sweater or coughing in your face, and can productively, creatively and kindly (at least most of the time) break up sharing, pushing, and "so-and-so said they aren't my friend" disputes while teaching social skills and loving your friend... to which you will be richly rewarded with the funniest comments you've ever heard and the sweetest smiles you'll ever see. it really is the best job ever -- the one that i am finished with for a few months -- now to put on my other career hat -- to which i need to find a creative name for besides cook, trailer-keeper, errand runner, dog catcher (well- one that also includes hulu-watcher, blog-reader, bookworm, scrapbooker) -- hello it's montana time.

our pacific northwest sky was trying to confuse me the other night with a montana-style sky

this is one of the things i've been doing instead of packing

but today, as my summer officially began, i decided i'd better hop to it -- so i made my list -- see....

and i completed much of it with about 3.5 hours of errands

now that all but three of the errands are done, i just have to pack it up - and that is another list that is even longer than this one. significantly.

but for right now-- it's my time.

as in mY time.

the time where i get to do whatever i want.

wHateVer i want.

are you scared?

you shouldn't be -- don't you know how responsible i am?

all i want to do is eat my Cars shaped mac and cheese and read a book .

that's it.

that's what i am going to do right now.

as soon as i hit the "publish" button

p.s. did you know that before tonight i never knew photo booth had this feature...

shows you how much i've toodled around with it -- but nOW i know -- beware...

p.s.s.

the other sign my summer has begun - the weather channel is an online favorite - tonight i read that

it really should be summer now - for reals - "la nina's reign is over" -- which gives me a little more hope that i might have a few less tornado warnings this year -- which would be good -- did i mention i dreamed about tornados again last night - second time - survived both times. this time with a sturdy piece of cardboard, a pair of hand cuffs and metal hand rail -- i woke up thinking that it was just a little too final scene of twister-ish - and also wondering where my brain comes up with this stuff

-- maybe i was a police officer in my other life --

--ok you can stop laughing now--

...seriously...

on a more serious note -- it isn't as expensive (a relative term i know - but i was thinking like a really big number) to have a safe room or storm cellar as you might think -- i checked -- if you want to check you can go here: FEMA: Safe Rooms or High Wind Safe Rooms

may merriment

2011-06-09T08:56:00.000-07:00

just a select few from a month that flew by so fast i can hardly remember what happened...good thing i have pictures to remind me ---

melissa graduated -- she's going to be the best nurse practitioner ever

kim and i bought cupcakes from cupcake jones to celebrate the occasion--

one of each kind of course

it's beginning to feel a little like summer - sandals and starbucks frosty frappuccino goodness

a girl weekend with my favorite kellie and alecia - insane amounts of fro yo and non-stop chatting -- literally -- i think it was like 8 hours before we slowed down.

today:

starbucks - quality "alone" time -- i should make this a regular on the calendar this fall

so many things to do - jon calls me to see if i am packing every five minutes (well, not quite, but close-- actually his last call was to tell me that i didn't fill out the address on my latest online order - but he took care of it -- what a good husband)

last night i came home and put the packages on the table, ate copious amounts of chips and salsa, and sat in my comfy chair. it was good. i think the dishes might be getting stinky in the sink though -- i should probably do them tonight. along with pack. which means i'd better make a list.

i'll get right on that...

graduation - part I

2011-06-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

our little nephew, nikolas - all grown up...

friday night program -- proud families documenting their graduates

our family

a good looking bunch

nik, jon, and i

we are so proud of this boy -- he surprised us all and got himself baptized on sabbath. it was lovely and we cried some tears - it is amazing and awe-inspiring when you can see the power of prayer and the love of God working

right now:

i probably should be packing - or at least that is what jon thinks i should be doing...

i think i am in avoidance of montana storms and i just don't know how much longer i can hold out -- probably til monday and that might be it... hmm...

graduation - part II

2011-06-07T21:31:00.000-07:00

first of all, i know you are wondering where graduation part I is -- well, you might be crazy, or more likely it would be that i haven't posted it yet -- but i will. pinky promise. soon.

this was a few days ago ---

the whole family

-jordan, i have no idea what you are doing in this picture, or in half of the other ones we took-

after graduation we had a lunch for friends and family - i think our count was somewhere in the 35 zone

good to know how many people you can fit in your house -- mine doesn't quite fit that many (well unless we are all getting really cozy) -- but thanks to nice weather and a porch we did quite well

haystacks, of course

the boys took over the porch

i have more pictures - actually between the past two weekends i have about 1,250 more pictures - that's what happens when you shoot in multiples and lots of them - these are just the "in short" choices

it was a good good weekend - this boy worked hard this year and i am proud -- he took his gpa from a ridiculously low slacker level to a 4.0...

i always knew he had it in him and am thankful he finally pulled it out.

in other news:

this weekend we were all broken - saturday jon woke up with an extremely sore neck and back, lulu blistered her paws and was completely lame, and my hip popped (or pulled a muscle) and i wasn't enjoying walking much from evening on -- we just had to chuckle about it.

update: jon had a massage that put him almost back to rights, and me a tiny massage, that combined with pain killer and rest has almost put me back to rights, and lulu went to the vet on monday and has pain killer, bandages, and ointment and is getting back to right.

right now: watching pirates of the caribbean: dead mans chest

family time

2011-06-03T09:33:00.000-07:00

let the festivities begin...

you have no idea how hard it was to get this boy to "dress up"

but i think he still enjoyed most of his night --

he definitely enjoyed the end of it,

the part where all of us went out to mexican

we like this particular venue because they are open late (as in we walked in the door at 9pm)

and we are almost always the only ones there (no-we've never gotten sick)

they have delicious salsa (we eat a lot of it)

it was good. family is good. having us all together (minus jordy's husband, ben) is good.

the loud, talk over each other, 5 conversations going on at once is good.

i have to go clean my house now to make ready for the big after-grad lunch -- i have one hour. yikes!

oh -- and i wanted to share this quote --

"Up to a point a man's life is shaped by environment, heredity, and movements and changes in the world about him. Then there comes a time when it lies within his grasp to shape the clay of his life into the sort of thing he wishes to be. Only the weak blame parents, their race, their times, lack of good fortune, or the quirks of fate. Everyone has it within his power to say, 'This I am today; that I will be tomorrow.'"

-- Louis L'Amour

p.s.s. - jon and i have both broken out the country music - let summer begin!

the kitchen sink

2011-06-02T00:17:00.000-07:00

all you need is a dirty kitchen sink (or a whole kitchen) + sponge + a bottle of soft scrub

it's like a therapy session. for free.

i clean when i have angst in my life -- or when i feel that way -- or at least i used to before i found some roommates -- now i talk to them about it all -- now after reading this they are going to be handing me a sponge and a bottle of soft scrub...shoot.

when you clean you start with something that is usually kind of yucky and and end up with something that is usually kind of not yucky. and maybe shiny. and smelling of soft scrub. --have i mentioned my love affair with soft scrub yet? it is long lasting and never ending --

today -- today -- well, today was a good day. everyday that i'm alive is a good day. but today was also a little obnoxious in a lot of small, intermittent ways.

this evening consisted of complaining about it (sometimes i say telling stories about it or venting -- but tonight was just plain complaining because i was mostly all over it but just wanted to complain about it anyways in an annoyed and sometimes exclamatory way -- that is a main point in the differences between telling a story and complaining) -- kim very nicely listened to me. she doesn't say much. she rarely complains. i tell her it is good that i love her so much. tonight i told her at least i wasn't complaining about her -- she agreed.

this brings me back to the kitchen sink. i complained too much tonight (and maybe some other nights in the more recent future)... shoot.

kitchen sink think. free therapy while scrubbing the sink (counters+cupboards+stove)

unfortunately, it's not a brand new think. i wish i could say that i was a more perfect and uncomplaining person --- i blame it on being an almost only child for the first part of my life and on my grandma spoiling me (that doesn't really count as a good excuse does it...) i don't think that i am the person who complains the most -- but if i am the one who complains the most in my house what does that mean...shoot. does it make a difference that everyone else just says it in their head and i just say it out loud? ...shoot.

our kitchen sink is going to be the shiniest one in the neighborhood.

p.s. didn't you know that i plan all my character building just in time for spring cleaning?

p.s.s. i do reserve the right to point out that daily end of the year program practice with kiddos --who have spring fever, raging hormones, and less than a double digit number of days before summer vacation -- is enough to make anyone just a little bit crazy

pooch + quote

2011-05-09T23:22:00.000-07:00

"Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it."

-- Groucho Marx

moms+midnight

2011-03-30T09:37:00.001-07:00

today i'm thankful for my mom who lets me come over at midnight, talks to me into the wee hours of the morning and feeds me chocolate chip cookies, pretzels and tea at 1am. who hugs me tight and lets me sneak off with yet another one of her cookbooks - to add to the other 13 that i already have at home.
today i'm thankful for a puppy who won't stay kicked off the bed because she wants to snuggle even after she steps on my stomach with all of her 55 pounds and makes me think i may not have my innards in tact still.

today i'm thankful for coffee - which makes 4.5 hours of sleep much more enjoyable.

hello wednesday. i'm ready for you.

love you momma. so much.

sunday funday?

2011-03-06T20:36:00.000-08:00

we bought a flat of mangos last week at costco and i have been eating them up -- tonight i ran across this smoothie recipe from whole foods and it looked like it might be delicious -- use frozen bananas if you have them (add an extra if it taste's too "green" for you) i sub the soy protein powder for brown rice protein -- but you can use whatever you have...

GET OVER IT GREEN PROTEIN SHAKE

Nourish your body after a night of indulgence with things it really needs: nutrients and antioxidants. Sweet mango and banana, a hint of green earthy flavor and soy protein powder that contributes even more plant power!

Ingredients

2 cups organic chopped fresh greens such as spinach or kale, thick stems removed
1 mango, peeled and cubed
1 cup original or unsweetened ricemilk
1 banana
3 tablespoons Whole Foods™ Organic Vanilla Soy Protein Powder

Method

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

i'd say it's been a fairly productive day - ended with an evening of back-to-back-to-back-to-back "Lie to Me" - i think i've mentioned our addiction to this show...

it's going to be a busy week -- i'm not quite prepared for it -- menu is almost done -- but that's about it and i still have one more dinner to plan...oh --- i got it -- falafel salads with homemade hummus and ranch dressing. well, that is one more check off the list -- now i'd better go get to a few more before bed -- happy sunday!

love love love these girls

taken a couple weeks ago -- girl's trip to boise --

how the story goes...

2011-03-05T23:56:00.000-08:00

it goes like this...

when jon is home i don't really blog. there are a lot of things i don't do when jon is home that i do do when he is gone. blogging is one of them. it is either that he demands all of my free time or he demands the computer, or it could really be just that we do other things --- also i go to bed earlier because i can't sit in bed with the computer on for hours when he is trying to go to sleep -- this is because i don't like it when he is on the computer and i am trying to sleep. phew. glad we got that covered.

so i realized (again) today that i just haven't been on the pictures --- really since summer -- and here it is almost summer again.

i also worked on my december daily book today -- yes, i am aware that it is march. and no, it isn't done, but it is close. that should tell you about how much scrapbooking i have been doing lately.

so the real question is just what have i been doing? well, i think i have been hibernating and when not hibernating i think i have been at work with possibly a weekend or two of travel... so while i can't really think of any "thing" that i have been doing, i know that it has been good. and that's what counts right?

p.s. how did it get to be march already?

today i spent most of the day hibernating in my sweats and sweatshirt -- then i spiffy'd up a bit and went out on the town -- well to town that is -- to senior recognition and a birthday party to be exact. now i am back to the sweats again.

the family at senior recognition

at the birthday party

two for tuesday

2011-02-22T20:59:00.000-08:00

1. i have a cold - nothing life-threatening yet - but a cold -- have you ever used a netti pot?

i am becoming more comfortable with them, but today i used it and accidently blew too hard and made my ear go pop and hurt for awhile -- and even thought i knew it was 99%improbable that i had hurt my ear drum, i still made jon get a flashlight and look in my ear to make sure everything was looking lovely -- just because it made my ear hurt less -- i will still use the netti pot tomorrow and try not to blow so hard.

- polka dots and red high heels make me smile -

i think i'll borrow kim's skirt and wear this combination again soon

2. "Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around"

-- Leo Buscaglia

good night!

happy valentines day!

2011-02-14T16:00:00.000-08:00

it is one of my not quite favorite days - but this year, i'm determined to love it all the way

but

valentines day or not -- i definitely love my valentine

he drives me crazy every day...and i love it

awhile back we had our pictures taken by kimberly miner -- there were many lovely ones, a few of which i've already shared -- but thought i would share a few more for LoVe dAy!

and a kiss in honor of the holiday

there are more -- but i have to save a few for my "christmas cards" -- more like christmas in july cards -- which is fine because we still haven't had my side of the family christmas this year

oh -- and i can't forget my other valentine --

my little lulu -- sneaky girl yesterday morning... wanting to be close to the sunshine

valentines tea

2011-02-13T23:49:00.000-08:00

today kim and i had a tea party for our moms and sisters.

it was sweet and fun and full of pink and red

this weekend has been so very busy (a good busy). tonight - right now - is the only time i have really had a moment to sit down and just relax (and i really should be in bed as it's almost midnight).

this last week has been especially busy -- catch up after the previous week spent out of town (with no internet in case you've noticed the lack of posts) -- but we decided that it would be wonderful to invite our family over for a valentines tea party -- and it was...

all us girls

we had a lot more weekend goodness -- more pictures to come

greet the day with enthusiasm

2011-01-29T09:31:00.000-08:00

a few pictures:

this morning at our house

ready to go -- the neighbor dogs have come to visit

baking apple bran muffins --

jon is in california right now, so we can break out the bran

a quote:

"Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

wishing you a grand and enthusiastic rest of your weekend!

today is brought to you by the letters: b-f-f

2011-01-27T18:00:00.000-08:00

this is my beautiful bff (best friend forever don't-cha know)

she's pretty darn cool. she likes to meander in stores with me and look at holiday goodness -- to cook dinner with me and try new recipes -- to watch epic movies in the winter and bike ride in the summer. she helps me to remember to take my vitamins, wash my face and eat my vegetables on a consistent basis (because she does all those things on a very consistent basis). she allows me to be more honest with her than i'd ever really want to because she knows me well enough to understand what i'm saying and read between the lines for what i'm not. she helps me take copious amounts of pictures of whatever we we are doing and makes appropriate "wide eyes" when i am telling her my crazy stories. there's a lot more - i could go on and on --- and on some more -- cause we've been bff's since we were eight, which was like 20 years ago...

this is us now

looking forward to our next twenty years

the many faces of michael

2011-01-27T00:59:00.000-08:00

this past sunday -- which seems like forever ago -- we headed outside and took some senior pictures of my not so little, little brother. it was super-duper cloudy all day, and we were running late -- which of course was timed perfectly with the very bright sunshine deciding to make an appearance -- now a smart thing would have been to take pictures later and avoid all the glorious and squinty brightness -- but have you tried to "schedule" with your little brother before? so, since we were all ready the picture taking commenced. i'd say we ended up with some lovely photos of my dear brother. he's not really into smiling that much -- mostly smirking i think-- generally followed by some harassment directed at his big sister...gotta love him

this one might be my favorite, just because it reminds me of when he was a very little boy

jon took this one

did i mention that we share the same birthday?

last year's fun - my sweet husband made our cake from scratch -- it was yum

it's been a busy week and now it's almost over. oh dear. or is it oh good?

two for tuesday -- but on wednesday

2011-01-19T19:54:00.000-08:00

winner winner ~~chicken~~ smoothie dinner...

andrea!

(message me your info and i will send this fabulous book your way)

2. i found this quote the other day and it was just perfect for me:

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

lulu+i via photo booth -- last night -- too late into the night -- watching reality tv on hulu

weekend + giveaway

2011-01-17T12:23:00.000-08:00

what a good weekend i had -- how was yours?

i went with two of my best girls to one of their timeshares at a resort in idaho -- it was beautiful -- surrounded by mountains that had some snow still clinging on and lots of trees. we started out on friday night with a stop at my very favorite huckleberry's -- we had some great salads from the deli, pasta from the pasta bar and walked out with not one, but three desserts from the dessert case -- yes -- these girls know where it's at -- (just for the record, it wasn't my idea to get dessert, but it might have been my idea to try more than one... you know how hard it is to just choose one) their juice bar juice of the day is one i am super excited to try -- pineapple, pear, and purple cabbage -- thinking i maybe try and make it to the grocery store and try it later this week -- speaking of juice -like substances -- i came home last night and found this fabulousness had arrived:

don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY to win this great book!

click here to enter

i'll choose a winner tomorrow

p.s. this morning i had a great smoothie -- little apple, orange, grapefruit, little banana, lots of kale, some flax seed oil, hemp & pea protein

the rest of the weekend was great -- the resort completely makes me think of the movie "dirty dancing" -- big recreation center, classes, golf, meet and greets, etc. the only thing it was missing was patrick swayze.

i think ms. lulu cuddle-bug missed me -- this is us right now -- she's laying on my lap while i try and type on the laptop -- we have a pretty good system down

don't forget to enter the giveaway!

sweet potatoes are my favorite -- + enter the Giveaway!

2011-01-13T20:51:00.000-08:00

i'm so very excited about this: USDA announces new school lunch guidelines -- so many kids eat two meals and two snacks a day outside of their home -- let's make it as nutritious as we can and teach these little ones a healthier way to eat

i'm also so very excited to try this recipe: sweet potato and black bean enchiladas

don't they look delicious?

have i told you how completely obsessed i am with sweet potatoes and yams

i am pretty sure that if i don't have at least one every week i will go through withdrawals.

i bake or roast them, throw them in whatever soup i am making -- today i ate one with quinoa and broccoli. now i am excited to try them with my favorite beans and tortillas -- it might be epic.

don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY for your chance to win my favorite Big Book of Juices and Smoothies

tomorrow's friday! everyone do the chicken dance to show how excited they are :)!!

get your green on... + a GIVEAWAY

2011-01-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

are you friends with your blender?
if you've answered "no" to this question, it might be time to reconsider -- just sayin'---

two years ago i did a lot of juicing -- it was great -- i love fresh juice -- this last year i made a lot of fruit smoothies -- they are great -- i love fresh smoothies made from our local fruit that we froze during the summer -- this year i am in love with green smoothies -- they are really great for a variety of reasons...

1. fast breakfast
2. fiber-full
3. pretty tasty goodness-- unless you have a lot of arugula going on and then they might be just tasty goodness
4. highly nutritious
5. dark leafy greens - need i say more? maybe -- these are powerhouses of nutrients and disease fighting goodness -- a key ingredient to a healthy energetic young body that most all of us don't eat enough of

this fall i realized that my next step to good health was increasing my veggie intake -- being the slightly lazy one that i am -- i looked for the easiest ways to do that -- sneaky little ways of boosting that don't take much time or energy. smoothies are a great way to get all those raw nutrients in fun deliciousness.

you should try it -- i'm making it easy for you by providing 3 similar, but different green smoothie recipes to get you started. if you need to make your smoothie a more complete meal, throw in a scoop of protein powder -- my favorites are hemp and pea, but there is a variety to choose from to suit every body.

**i have a vita mix -- which is one of the great joys of my life, but i know that a regular blender will work also -- it may just take a bit more work if you use a lot of frozen or get too thick**

i don't usually use a recipe (but i love to use recipes) -- i kind of toss whatever --usually a 3-4 of the following -- pear apple orange grapefruit banana blueberries raspberries pineapple peaches strawberries cabbage lettuce kale spinach chard spring mix --whatever is on hand, in season, or in the freezer -- i kind of like the trial and error and have only had one major yucky tasting disaster.

also -- it's good to remember that green and red make brown -- sometimes your smoothie might look like something you might not normally drink depending on your food color and combinations... don't be worried -- it usually tastes much much better than it looks...

**if you decide to become a green smoothie maniac -- it might be good to look into some fun books:

my most favorite juicing and smoothie book ever - i have liked almost every single recipe, my pages are tattered and splattered -- i have given it as a gift to several people and it's my first and highest recommendation for a great all around juice and smoothie book -- the emphasis isn't on green, but there are a fair amount and lots of fruity goodness -- get it -- use it!

The Big Book of Juices

i borrowed this one from my mom, but haven't done too many since i usually forget to use a recipe most of the time - the author is definitely a green green green smoothie maniac :) -- she uses greens i don't think i've even seen before -- but she has a beginner and a kids smoothie section to get you started so don't be too scared...

Green Smoothie Revolution

and now the recipes

1. Whole Foods: Double Green Smoothie

2. Joy the Baker: Kale Spinach and Pear Smoothie

3. Bob Harper's Green Drink -- a good one for ideas on adding supplements to your smoothie

also -- to make your smoothie experience even more enjoyable (and convenient) i recommend a straw - even better a great portable container with a straw like this one:

my precious and fun "to-go" cups

i now own three -- i just bought the venti size last month -- i use them almost every day because i try to juice or make a smoothie everyday and usually am running out the door with it -- as smoothies tend to grow easily in size (and i always make too much) -- i can usually pour one for the morning and then pour the other one to take for a snack or with my lunch at work...

i don't know if they still have them at starbucks (or you can find something similar and not from starbucks), but if they don't now, they probably will this spring with the return of the iced drinks -- friendly tip: wash them out right away so gunk doesn't stay in the straw or buy a straw cleaner -- i bought a camelbak one and use the tiny end -- it works great.

ok -- go forth and get your greens -- and let me know how it goes -- in fact -- in honor of the new year and my great desire to see the world obsessed and drinking good for you green smoothies -- i am prepared to bribe you with a GIVEAWAY:

i will send the lucky winner a copy of my favorite book:

here's what you need to do:

1. leave a comment telling me about which green smoothie recipe you are most excited about and why - or if you are just not excited about this smoothie business and why

2. extra credit -- get someone else to get their green on :) -- pass it on and/or subscribe to my blog -- don't forget to confirm if you enter your email address or it won't work

winner will be chosen in one week -- on tuesday, january 18th

two for tuesday

2011-01-11T22:41:00.000-08:00

1 -- something i don't love love love even though i know it is good good good -- helping my body along by learning to sleep on my back and to use my laptop at a table

2 -- something i love love love and i know it is good good good - my husband and my lulu

photo taken by kimberly miner

this last week was a trifle trying -- not that i don't love looking on the bright side and smelling the roses -- but sometimes i have to work a little harder for that happy positivity -- like this last weekish... every now and again i tend to go through a few days or so where i just can't shut my mind off and it isn't a good time. nothing like trying to control all the uncontrollable in life -- but -- no matter how i feel, i always know i can count on jon and lulu to make me smile -- along with a lot of other people too -- but today i am thankful for my little family of jon, lulu, and i -- especially as i look at this picture and know how beautiful and blessed my life is. i could not ask for more than i already have.

and -- as this seems to be the week of the classics -- it's seems appropriate to mention that when i'm worried (which i am too much of the time ) and i can't sleep (which happens a lot when i can't shut my brain down) i do (i really really do) count my blessings (there are many to choose from) instead of sheep (usually it's my to-do list...) --- i highly recommend it -- here's a little music to help you along... (turn off the music in the sidebar before you press play :) )

yes -- i love glee

2011-01-09T23:34:00.000-08:00

i do -- i cannot tell a lie. it makes me quite happy --- especially fun numbers like this one i was watching tonight --playing a little episode catch up while i pay bills (trying to make the process just a little more fun) -- i just love love the umbrellas and water---and the music too of course--enjoy! --- oh and make sure to turn off the music on the side bar before you play the video or else it won't sound so lovely...

p.s. it was a great weekend with my best girls -- we shopped, ate thai food and drank boba thai iced tea (my favorite), watched movies til 2am and ate copious amounts of frozen yogurt. now to conquer the week!

it's a blueberry muffin kind of morning...

2011-01-08T08:19:00.000-08:00

not to brag or anything -- but i slept really good last night. 8 hours of deeps sleep goodness in my snowflake flannel sheets and my christmas pajamas with lulu next to me -- lulu --who must have been tired too because she didn't change positions the whole night, therefore eliminating a paw in my face or pushing me off the bed... it was a good night.

this morning i woke up and walked out to greet the roommates -- with my eyes barely open -- only to see through my little eye slit that my roommate and best friend forever (seriously) was making blueberry muffins for breakfast. everyone should have roommates that wake them on the weekend to fresh blueberry muffins... aren't you jealous? you should be.

did i mention that they are in snowman liners??

so it's chai tea and hot, fresh, buttery blueberry muffin for me this morning... oh you're wondering about lulu --well she slept in an extra 25 minutes this morning, not even rousing when bridger jumped up on the bed and gave her a little shove with his nose -- nope -- she stayed in bed til she was good and ready to get up and come out and get loves from justin for 15 minutes before finally being ready to head outside and begin the day.

speaking of beginning the day -- i better get a move on as i'm supposed to be ready to leave for early church in 23 minutes. yikes. i'm still in my jammies!

lulu love + the tub

2011-01-07T19:33:00.000-08:00

she's so silly.

right before i snapped this picture she was high centered

trying to decide if she wanted in or out.

i guess she decided in.

hope you have a great weekend.

mines going to be filled with some girl time

with a few of my favorite people.

today

2011-01-05T21:55:00.000-08:00

today -
--felt like monday all day -- because i didn't go to work yesterday
--jon's alarm went off at 3:30am or was it 3:15?
--i went to the chiropractor again
--currently watching the biggest loser on hulu while surfing the net

--loving these links:

moving: transform your body 2011 -- great little workouts brought to you by women's health and a few favorite trainers -- including my ever most favorite bob and mandy ---and tony too (much love for him after spending an hour a day with him for 90 days...bring it!)

bob harper

mandy ingber

p.s. i have most of bob's dvd's and mandy's yogalosphy dvd and enjoy all of them immensely

eating: --thinking i want make this beautiful salad soon rainbow kale slaw

contemplating: vote for your thoughts -- a great reminder on the power of our thoughts from one of my favorite sites

family time

2011-01-04T22:12:00.000-08:00

today we picked up my family from the airport that is a few hours away --they had been out of town for two weeks-- then we met up with my sister and her husband and grandma for lunch at the olive garden. jon and i ordered the usual eggplant parmesan with angel hair pasta. it was delicious--but better than the food was the company. i have missed my family a lot, and am especially missing my spunky little sister who lives away from me now...

we were quite cozy with the six of us and all the luggage

my momma and i

catching some shut eye after being up since 3:15 in the morning

jordan and ben

the only picture missing is one of grandma --- the one i took didn't turn out well...

family is good. even better than the thai food take out that we had for dinner tonight...