{ a day in the life of ME }

This is a guest blog, part of my new {a day in the life of ME} series on LobotoME Brain Fog Blog. This first one is from a great friend of mine, Julie, a busy mother of 3 who manages to work, be a great mom, travel with her family, work out everyday, have a clean, organized house and feed her family healthy meals everyday. {She & I try to sneak out for yoga class together at least once a week for our SANITY.} She uses her momME planner, feed ME pad & check ME pad each week and hopes to use the Sit ME pad soon and have a date with her hubby. I think you will all enjoy hearing how she does it all. Thanks Julie for sharing your Sanity Saving Tips with us!

So when Jenny asked me to do a guest blog on her site, my initial thought was, “oh no, my new mantra is to say NO to anything above my daily requirements because I over-committed my summer by saying YES one too many times.” I decided to do this blog however, because Jenny is a dear friend and also I wanted to give her some free time this week to spend with her family. So why me??? I think Jenny thinks my life is crazy, IT IS, and she thinks I balance everything somewhat well---I guess that depends on who you ask and it would most likely be a different response from my husband, children, parents, co-workers, friends, etc.

I am a busy, working mom (36) of three children all under the age of three—yep, that is correct, although Jaden will be turning four next month. I joke to my friends that even though I have my Ph.D. and I am a college professor who got tenure and promotion to Associate Professor just this past spring, people still look at me as I trounce through the grocery store with three young kids in tow like I never graduated from high school and haven’t heard of birth control. I actually have done both, but we had twins the second time around, hence, the magical, busy number of three small children. The twins are now 15 ½ months old and things seem to be getting harder instead of easier, is that possible???

So you might wonder what a typical day is for me. The time my day starts depends on my three children. If all goes well, we might make it to 5:45 am. My husband leaves at 6:45 am for work, so on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I am on my own until 5 pm with three kids (Tuesday and Thursday, David takes Jaden to work with him and then drops him off at preschool for the day). During the school year, I teach on campus these days and things are even crazier than in summer. First thing I do is nurse both the twins, yes, I am still nursing, they were to be weaned last month but somehow that didn’t happen. Then I quick do diaper changes/get them dressed for the day while trying to keep Jaden entertained and then I make a mad dash for the shower—if I don’t do this now, I never will. The shower always ends up with one or more children trying to push open the glass shower door because they can no longer entertain themselves—I am quick, five minutes or less. By now they all want breakfast but I need to quick put lotion and what little make-up I wear on. During this process, I generally have the twins crawling on my lap. I quickly get dressed and upload one twin in each arm (~20 lbs a piece) and head downstairs. Jaden by now has no more patience and wants to eat now. You might be saying, why don’t you feed them all first and then take a shower? Well our house arrangement isn’t perfect right now because Amara's room is connected to our bathroom and there is no door between the two rooms so in essence she is in our bathroom. As a result, I need to get the shower out of the way so I can put her down for her nap after she eats breakfast without waking her up (our house is currently for sale - a great house for a family of 4, but not 5!). I feed everyone, let the twins play for a bit and then put them down for their morning nap by 8:15 am. I then get Jaden set up with something to play with or he goes outside jumps on the trampoline, plays in the sandbox, etc. Whew….I quick scarf down some cereal while reading the news online and my emails. I have about 30 emails to respond to everyday for work so this takes up quite a bit of time. Before I know it, it is 9:45 am and I need to quickly get Jaden dressed because my Body Sculpt class starts at 10 am. I wake the twins up, change diapers, get snacks, mad dash out the door and arrive a few minute late for my class. I carry my purse, a baby in each arm and Jaden by my side into the daycare hoping one of the twins doesn’t slip out of my arms. Whew, 10 am and I feel like I have had a full day---is David home from work yet??? SANITY TIP #1 for MOMS: Find a workout class that has daycare and build it into your schedule—your body, brain, and children and husband will LOVE you for it. I have been doing the same class for 3 ½ years three days a week and have hardly missed a day except when my midwife demanded at 20 weeks that I stop all exercise when I was pregnant with the twins. Seriously, this is the BEST gift you can give yourself even if you hate exercising. It is so empowering to have a free hour during the middle of the day to focus on nurturing the body that nurtures others 24/7 (Tuesday and Thursday I run 4 miles in morning pushing the twins in my BOB jogging stroller with friends while Jaden is at preschool). After class, I try and have a play date for Jaden or do something special for him since in the morning I am so busy with the twins. We come home by 12:30 pm and I feed everyone, besides me, and I get the twins down for their afternoon nap. I feed my children healthy, whole foods. We are vegetarians and eat mainly organic food. I did start eating fish while pregnant with the twins and am still eating it and enjoying the protein. Don’t get me wrong though, Jaden eats more than plenty his share of crackers and bars and while they are organic, I don’t really consider them healthy, whole food. Since Jaden doesn’t take a nap anymore, I let him watch one video lying in his bed while the twins sleep. I have guilt over this sometimes, but I also have work that I need to squeeze into my day and he needs quiet time or he will be an overtired, cranky preschooler by 5 pm. So while everyone is in their rooms, I grab a bite to eat by 1:15 pm and then get to work. It is summer break, but as I mentioned, I overcommitted myself this summer. What do I need to squeeze in to the 1 ½ of “free time” I have you might ask?? Here is my list of things to do for the summer: Revisions for scientific manuscript for Fire Ecology Journal, revisions for invited book chapter on the Ecology of the Eastern San Juan Mountains, prep and give volunteer plant walk for Colorado Native Plant Society, prep and give volunteer plant walk for the Mountain Studies Institute, create an ACCESS database for the Forest Service for plant ecology analysis, start data analysis and writing two new scientific manuscripts for my long-term forest restoration fire research project, coordinate with my intern for San Juan Collaboratory, work on invasive weed project for Aztec Ruins National Monument, work on Environmental Assessment for the Vegetation Mgt Plan for Aztec Ruins National Monument, work with students on their senior seminar research projects, work with colleague and students on a fire ecology study in the Missionary Ridge burn area, attend climate change conference and establish research project for summer Field Ecology course related to early snowmelt, climate change, and plants, attend and present oral presentation at national Ecological Society of America conference, coordinate with local non-profit to have a class participate in a cooperative learning experience for fall….is that all, not really. Anyways, I think you get the point, I am BUSY. Kids wake up, snack, play, dinner, play, bath, books, and bedtime by 7:30 pm for twins and 8:30 pm for Jaden—don’t forget to throw quite a bit of chaos into the mix. I then take 30 minutes to relax (read blogs, email friends, de-clutter our house, etc.) and then back to work on my “to do” list and bed by 11 pm. SANITY TIP #2: Work as a team with your partner. David is amazing. The minute he walks in the door, he helps me with everything. In the beginning, I definitely had to ask for help, but now we pretty much have it down for the most part to keep our evening chaos in check. By this point you might be asking, I am after re-reading this blog, “is she happy?” The answer is YES. SANITY TIP #3: The only moment is the moment in which we are presently living. Focus on that and try to leave the past in the past and let the future happen through the actions you are taking in the present moment. For this is the only thing we truly can control. This helps me make it through some of my long days and the recent six day puke/diarrhea parties the twins had literally ON me—trust me, you don’t want to know what this past week was like. In moments like this, I go back to my life mantra from Thich Nhat Hanh, if you haven’t read anything from him, it is a definite must. His teachings are very simple, but that is the point. Life doesn’t need to be difficult if we slow down and show compassion for ourselves and others. “Breathing in, I calm my body, Breathing out, I smile. Breathing in, I am in the present moment, Breathing out it is a wonderful moment.” I have said this mantra in some of my most painful life moments and have accepted these moments graciously. I gave birth to my 1st son, Denali, at 21 weeks gestation and repeated this mantra throughout his birth even as his spirit left my body and I wept uncontrollably.
LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH, and SMILE.

{ spend smart. live rich. }

I think this statement by Suze Orman really was what got ME started on the path to better money management.

"Money is a teacher. One of the primary ways you learn who you are is through your money: how you make it, spend it, share it, save it, open your hands to it or block its flow."

A lot of you have asked if Dave Ramsey was my financial guru so to speak. He isn't. However, I would definitely recommend you read his book, it will certainly inspire you to become debt free and look at money in a different way. Simple Mom also has a great overview of his 6 step plan to Debt-free Living. I have read a lot of financial books recently - some by Suze Orman, Dave Ramsey and David Bach. The books that I thought fit ME the best and really hit home with ME were:

Your Money or Your Life
Smart Women Finish Rich
Smart Couples Finish Rich
Women & Money

A lot of you asked, why do you care how much money you spend - you seem to have plenty of it? Well...Without disclosing our ENTIRE personal lives on this blog or copies of our tax returns :-), I will say we can do better. We are very lucky to have 2 successful businesses, a beautiful home that has appreciated over what we purchased it for, little debt in the grand scheme of things and money to pay the bills and travel. Having said all of that (and being very grateful for that list), we aren't very good at saving. We are however very good at traveling and Sam at the age of 4 has been to more countries than either Will or I had until we were in our 20's.

We are after 4 things with our enhanced focus on saving more and spending less.

1) Spending less on s%*t we don't need (new home furnishings when the ones we have are great, new mt. bikes when the ones we have work fine, etc) and using that money for other enjoyments and pleasure - mainly travel. Finding that balance between saving for the future & having great LIFE experiences (now, not later) is a goal of ours.

2) Spending less in order to save more for the future. We don't want to work until we are 65. Retiring early doesn't just happen magically and since neither of us have a trust fund to retire on, we need to SAVE for this grand early retirement plan of ours.

3) Spending less in order to have less stuff - Less stuff to deal with, take care of, put away, etc. After spending the last 10 years bringing MORE stuff into our lives (cars, bikes, trailers, books, furniture, kitchen appliances, art, paintings, etc.) we want to spend the next 10 downsizing. We are on a mission to de-clutter and part with anything that isn't useful or wanted in our home.

4) And last, but not least, to teach Sam that $ does not in fact grow on trees. :-)

{ 4th of July salad }

What I always bring to 4th of July BBQ's

4th of July Salad...
1 Bag of Spinach or Arugula Salad Mix
1/2-1 cup of Sliced Strawberries
1/2- 1 cup of Sliced Blueberries
1/4 cup of Feta or Goat Cheese (I tend towards the goat cheese more)
1/4 cup of slivered Almonds
2 TBS of light Vinaigrette (I like to use a light raspberry vinaigrette)

Hope you all have a happy, safe & relaxing long weekend!  

{ energy saving tips }

Here are some tips for saving on your energy bill this summer. Save $ & Save Mother Earth!

• Take your cooking outdoors. It's the season for grilling, so why not take advantage? It's too hot to slave over a hot oven anyway.
• Give your dryer a break and line-dry whatever clothing you can. If you need to use the dryer, make sure you're doing a full load and clean the lint trap after every use.
• Watch the dial on your thermostat.
• Open windows at night and in the early morning, allowing cool air to enter the house, then close everything up. It will help keep the house cool without switching on the AC.
  
• If your air conditioner is an older model, it will pay to switch to a new, Energy Star-approved one. Not only will it be more effective at cooling your home, but you can also reduce energy consumption by 20 to 50 percent, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

{ organize ME }

The other day some of you asked to see how I was using my weekly momME planner and how with all of my to-do's I prioritized. What I do is generally put my {wow, wouldn't it be great, but also a miracle, if I could get all of these things done today} list into each day. Then I highlight my THREE Most Important To-Do's for that day. I try to tackle them right off the bat and schedule time for them. That way I am not getting "distracted" by to-do items that, while they may need to get done, aren't as important. YOU will see I also list one household to-do each day (again, that doesn't mean I'm not picking up or washing dishes, but one time consuming- water & weed the garden item - generally an item that I need about an hour for). Another example could be {clean all 3 bathrooms}.

{ NO spend month }

So, July is officially {NO spend month} here in OUR household. This means ME. Since Will never buys anything and Sam can't yet!

I NEVER carry cash (no point in mugging ME) but I decided to experiment and withdraw cash to pay for groceries each week (within my budget) and pay for gas with our business credit card and put my personal Credit Card AWAY. Hide it. Far, far away. And see if I could survive a MONTH with NO CREDIT CARD and no frivolous purchases (lattes, clothes, etsy art, ebay purchases, Target trips, etc). So, here it goes....Wish ME luck. Here is the spreadsheet I will be using to track my purchases.

Others have attempted this before and some do this every July. How much $$ could you SAVE each month if you didn't buy S%&t you don't need? Could you use this $ saved to put towards paying off debt or save for an upcoming vacation?

If you'd like to join in on NO Spend Month, take the button from the sidebar and GO for it. Let ME know how it goes.

** A lot of you have questions about NO Spend Month - I will get back to you in a different post later this week.

{ hopeful ME }

1: desire with expectation
2: expect with confidence
3: TRUST;
4: be FULL of HOPE
5: believe that anything can happen: if you do - it can!

An adorable picture of my MOM wearing that hat I gave her. {I'm glad Sam can't read yet!} Today she is having surgery to remove the cancerous tumor & kidney. Today I am full of HOPE. Hope that she will BE just FINE.

** Late breaking news...her surgery has been rescheduled (for sometime mid-week)...her surgeon's flight was canceled from Hawaii. So the wait continues. Back to the mat I go.

*** Stay tuned for my post tomorrow on my goal for July as NO SPEND MONTH. Can, Jenny, ME, not spend any $ during the month of July with the exception of food & gas? I'm feeling up for the challenge. Are any of you?

{ enjoying the great outdoors }

I think the phrase the great outdoors must have started in the West, where outdoor living is such an integral part of our lifestyle. The last 6 dinners/birthday parties/events we have gone to or hosted have all been outside. We also eat outside on the deck almost every night.  We designed our living spaces so that there was little boundary between the inside & outside (large sliding doors; lots of windows; several decks and lots of outdoor play areas).  Whether its a deck, patio, porch or grassy common area, outdoor spaces I think its really important for families to have an extension of their home that lets them get out in in the fresh air to play, relax or simply have dinner under the open sky. Where do all of you eat, play, relax outdoors during the summer?

{ lobotoME luv & a free momME planner offer }

Lil Sugar part of the popular PopSugar craze blogged about the momME planner!

Posh Mom blogged about us!

Fitness For Mommies did too!

And so did Car & Caboodle!

**And a limited time offer for all of you busy moms (and to thank all of my blog readers for your support), buy one momME planner, get one FREE {to use next year or give to a mom in need!}

{ school ME }

We've been working hard on our letters & numbers over here. I got a wall mounted whiteboard for my office so Sam could {practice} anytime she wants too.

I've also recently discovered this blog which has great preschool learning ideas and this one that is a fun online learning tool to use with your kids {thanks Steph for directing ME to Starfall!}

{ simple ME }

I'm still on this big push to simplify our lives - our home, our finances, our work systems, our days, our meals, etc. I'm selling stuff on ebay; donating stuff to charity; cooking simple, fresh summer meals; working less and spending more time with the family playing outside and working on the garden; buying less and saving more. And I'm really trying to do this for the summer because I want more time to do the things I enjoy.

{And for those of you that tried bidding on my items 2 weeks ago, my ebay account is back online (someone hacked into it - can you believe it?!?!) - anyway, my listings are back up if any of you are interested!}

One of the things I've been doing lately with my momME planner is deciding what I'd like to accomplish on any given day and then highlighting the 3 Most Important To-DO's (eg. send rep kits, order new banners, return call to M.) Those are the 3 things that MUST get done. There are lots of other things on the list, but by making sure I am getting through the most important things first, it takes some pressure off for the rest of the day. Anything else that gets checked off the list is BONUS. I've also been listing only one major house item a day (eg. catch up on laundry, clean bathrooms, or weed garden). This doesn't mean I don't do other "household" related tasks (washing dishes, tidying up, watering the garden - all things that I do everyday) but I only undertake ONE major item (requiring an hour or so of time) a day. I've been keeping the meals simple with hardboiled eggs, fresh fruit & plain yogurt for breakfast and healthy mini flaxseed muffins (recipe to come soon); turkey, avacado, & veggie sandwiches for lunch; and something on the grill (chicken, fish or steak) with a big, healthy salad for dinner.

Here are a few great articles I've come across lately that might inspire YOU to live simply this summer (and all year long).

Simplify Your Cleaning Routine
Simplify Your Budget

Simplify Your Morning Routines

Enhancing your Productivity at Home by Simplifying Things

So what are you guys doing to simplify your lives this summer?

{ i'll be back soon...in the meantime..a giveaway }

One, new copy of this great book - Pottery Barn Kids Rooms!
Leave a comment telling ME what you'd like to do to your kids room { by Friday, the 27th }.

{ rocked to the core & back on my mat }

So...my mom was just diagnosed with kidney cancer. My mom who is a vibrant, healthy 60-year old woman. My mom who is the best grandmother any child could ever ask for. My mom who is my best friend. This has rocked ME to my core and the only thing that has kept me going these last few days is my time on the yoga mat & meditation cushion.


With each pose I've been sending strength & healing out of my cancer-free body to hers. With each warrior posed I've sent courage her way. With each sun salutation I've sent strength her way. With each eagle pose, I've sent cleansing thoughts her way. With each savasana I've sent healing energy her way. And with each breath during meditation I've envisioned the tumor shrinking. This time on my mat has given ME the strength to be strong for her.

Sometimes we need these events to happen to truly awaken us... To help us all focus on what is important and to remind us all to take care of our bodies & our souls. It is good to stop and pause and ask ourselves, "Are you truly living your life to to the fullest - in a way that reflects what (and who!) is most important to you?" If not, what would it take to create a more FULL and ALIVE life for yourself?

Needless to say, I'm going to be taking a little time off from this blog while we figure out how to get my mom well again. I'll keep you all posted.

namaste,
jenny

{ eco-chic }

In case any of you missed it in last month's Body & Soul Magazine, here are 25 wonderful ways to reuse & repurpose items in your house and a variety of other eco-chic tips.

{ out of our heads }

{ happy father's day }

To my husband.

And to my dad.

And to Will's dad.

And to my Gramp.

And to my brother, a new dad.

And to all of the other dad's we know. Happy Father's Day!

{ you will be missed }

{ weekend plans }

Put on this race.

Going to do this over the weekend.

And this nature walk scavenger hunt.

Have a father's day picnic with family.

Daydream about our next dream vacation here.

And remember that every moment we have together, the 3 of us, is precious.

Pic from PepperPaints

{ summer lovin' }

I'm loving these images from Amy Butler....Check out more of her beautiful designs & images here.
{Yes & I still need to take that sewing class that I said I was going to do!}

{ sacred space }

"You must have a room or a certain hour of the day or so where you do not know what is in the morning paper. A place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. At first you may think nothing is happening. But if you have a sacred space and take advantage of it and use it everyday, something will happen. Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again." - Joseph Campbell.

I think it's important for everyone to have a place in their homes where they can go to sit, drink a cup of tea, practice yoga, meditate, read or relax. This is the space I created on one end of Sam's playroom. She practices yoga a lot with me there and helped me decorate it (note the flags).

Here are some tips on how to create a sacred space at home here, here and here.

{ compost ME }

One of my goals this year was to begin composting. I was looking for a compost bin that would look okay on the kitchen counter and that wasn't too big. I finally found it. And its only $14.99. Any composters out there?

{ need a project? }

Download a free copy of Ready Made Magazine here.

{ my HERO is on Oprah again today! }

Must see. Must read.

{ getting rid of clutter }

Here is a great tip on a way to reduce clutter in your house by focusing on one room per week. This is sort of the approach I take. For example, I'll bring a box & a garbage bag into Sam's room and clean out any junk or damaged items into the trash (things that can't be repaired or recycled) and put things to donate to Goodwill into the box). I do this once a month with various rooms in our house. I just did this with the kitchen (amazing how many things you can accumulate in a kitchen that you never use). I had 3 teapots! Grab a box & go - it's amazing how much "lighter" you feel when you get rid of things you don't need or want anymore!

Great chalkboard storage jars here.

{ need a father's day gift? }

Get him a witty honey do list - he will appreciate the more light & comical tone to your nagging. Trust ME, I know.

{ healthy grocery shopping tips }

The typical American consumer hits the grocery store at least twice a week. Why, then, does it feel like we never have anything to eat at home? Follow the advice below to make sure you not only have a well-stocked pantry for healthful eating, but are buying the right products at the right time in the right way. One of the things I like to do before even setting foot in the store is evaluate what I have in the fridge, pantry & freezer to use for meals that week. While doing that I like to clean out any "old" or "unhealthy" stuff that is in there. Starting "fresh" each week with a clean refrigerator helps ME.

1. Rule number one: Buy fresh food! There is no simpler, no easier, no plainer measure of the healthiness of your food than whether it comes in boxes and cans or is fresh from the farm or the fields. If more than half your groceries are prepared foods, then you need to evolve your cooking and eating habits back to the healthy side by picking up more fresh vegetables, fruits, seafood, juices, and dairy.

2. Shop the perimeter of the store. That's where all the fresh foods are. The less you find yourself in the central aisles of the grocery store, the healthier your shopping trip will be. Make it a habit -- work the perimeter of the store for the bulk of your groceries, then dip into the aisles for staples that you know you need.

3. Plan your meals. Use your Feed ME meal planner pad. Look through your fridge, pantry & freezer & see what you have left that you can use for meals during the upcoming week. You can type a few ingredients into google and it will produce a variety of recipes you could make from those products on hand. Planning your meals out in advance keeps your grocery costs down and helps you avoid take out food during the week.


4. Shop with a list. Use your Check ME grocery shopping list. Organize your shopping list based on the tip above -- that is, by the sections of the store. This will have you out of the supermarket at the speed of light. By keeping yourself to the discipline of a well-planned shopping list, you can resist the seductive call of aisle upon aisle of crappy junk food, thereby saving your home, your family, and yourself from an overload of empty calories.


5. Food-shop with a full stomach. We're sure you've heard this one before, but it's worth repeating. Walking through the grocery store with your tummy growling can make you vulnerable to buying things you shouldn't. If you can't arrange to shop shortly after a meal, be sure to eat an apple and drink a large glass of water before heading into the store.

6. Buy a few days before ripe. There's no point in trying to buy fresh vegetables and fruits for your family if the bananas turn brown and the peaches mushy two days after you get them home. Buy fruit that's still a day or two behind ripeness. It will still be hard to the touch; bananas will be green. Feel carefully for bruises on apples, check expiration dates on bagged produce, and stay away from potatoes or onions that have started to sprout. If the produce on the shelves looks a bit beyond its peak, don't walk away; ask to speak to the produce manager. Chances are, there's a fresh shipment in the back just waiting to be put out on store shelves. For a real taste treat, if you're going to eat them within the next couple of days, pick up a bunch of vine-ripened tomatoes. There's just no comparison.

7. Buy in season. Sure, it's tempting to buy strawberries in December, and once in a while that's fine. But fresh fruit and vegetables are best when purchased in season, meaning they've come from relatively close to home.

8. Buy organic whenever possible. Sure, it costs a few dollars more. But a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that organically grown fruits and vegetables contain higher levels of cancer-fighting antioxidants than conventionally produced foods.

9. Buy frozen. Frozen fruits and vegetables are often flash frozen at the source, locking in nutrients in a way fresh or canned can't compete with. Stock your freezer with bags of frozen vegetables and fruits. You can toss the veggies into soups and stews, microwave them for a side dish with dinners, or thaw them at room temperature and dip them into low-fat salad dressing for snacks. Use the fruits for desserts, smoothies, and as yogurt toppings.

10. Stock up on canned tomato products & beans. Here's one major exception to the "fresher is better" rule. Studies find that tomato sauces and crushed and stewed tomatoes have higher amounts of the antioxidant lycopene than fresh, because they're concentrated. Canned tomatoes are a godsend when it comes to quick dinners in the kitchen. Warm up a can with some crushed garlic for a chunky pasta sauce; pour a can over chicken breasts and simmer in the crock pot; add to stews and sauces for flavor and extra nutrients.
Beans can be mixed with brown rice, added to soups and stews, pureed with onions and garlic into hummus for dipping, or served over pasta for a traditional pasta e fagioli.

11. Avoid products containing: Aspartame, Acesulfame K, Dextrose, Evaporated cane juice, High fructose corn syrup, Hydrolyzed protein, Maltose, MSG, Niacin, Partially hydrogenated soy bean oil, Sucralose. Thanks Shane for that list!

So what are you all cookin' up this week?

{ cool treats for hot days }

We made a batch of yummy, homemade popsicles this week...SO much healthier than store bought ones that have artificial sweeteners & preservatives in them.

We used some of these recipes that I found in Body & Soul Magazine.

And then I made up a recipe using 1 cup organic, plain yogurt; 1 cup frozen organic fruit (we like blueberries); 2 TBS whey protein powder; 1 cup ICE; 1/2 cup pomegrante juice and 1 packet of powdered stevia.

But my favorite Popsicle recipe is a smoothie recipe I make - GREEN smoothies!
1 banana
1/2 cup mango
handful of fresh spinach
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ice
1 scoop of whey protein powder
Mix in blender!

Voila! A YUMMY green smoothie! Sam loves it just as much as I do. We make it for breakfast often! And now, it makes great popsicles too!

We use these star shaped molds.

{ what are you putting on your skin? }

According to cosmetic industry estimates, on any given day a consumer may use as many as 25 different cosmetics and personal care products containing more than 200 different chemical compounds. What I found frightening was that many of the products I purchased at natural foods stores (labeled as natural & organic),that I assumed were safe for ME & my family still had dangerous chemicals in them.

This is an excellent database (managed by the Environmental Working Group) where you can type in any product and it will rate it as safe to harmful. {Thanks Julie for passing this site along!} In the database you can enter in any products you use from sunscreen to toothpaste to mascara and see a rating on its safety. There also is a quick guide for baby products that is really useful if you don't feel like spending a lot of time looking for specific items. Even items that you may think are safe that are listed as all natural and organic can sometimes have harmful products as I found out when searching one of the sunscreens we use.

{BTW, we have switched to UV Naturals Sunscreen which you can buy at REI.}

I was super surprised to see that Method products are considered moderately hazardous!
Seventh Generation scored way better {not as cute packaging but safer}.

{ get more done @ 5pm }

Here are some great tips from Well MOM on how to use your time more efficiently after 5pm to get stuff done + have time to take care yourself + spend quality time with your family each evening. And yes, it does mean turning OFF the TV. And remembering to stop and Breathe. Oh, and Well Mom just wrote about LobotoME.

Here are some great health & nutrition tips for busy moms from Gabby.

And here are some more tips from, who would have guessed, CNN. They have a whole section of their website dedicated to {busy moms}.