Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Annual Camping Trip, Part 2

this post has been a long time coming
let's just say i had a hard time picking my favorite images
so excuse me for a moment while i photo vomit...
the end!

Friday, July 25, 2014

mojito water

a few things you should know:

1)  we drink a lot of water at our house
2) we love water
3) sometimes water can get kind of boring on its own, especially in the summer when there are so many fresh flavors in season
4) infused water is our favorite way to remedy #3
5) mojito water is a current favorite
(thanks to my friend Nicki, who came up with the brilliant idea!)

aaaaaand, with that said, here's the recipe
because i know you're dying to try it too (right?)

mojito water
ingredients:
- a few leaves fresh mint, chopped
- 1 lime, sliced into wedges or coins
- ice
- fizzy (or regular) water



instructions:
- place lime in a cup, squeezing a bit of juice out as you go
- add mint and mix / muddle together
- top with ice and water

and just like that, you've kicked your water up to a whole new level

Monday, July 21, 2014

wonderful wonder all around

i have a couple blog posts in the works right now
that were supposed to be up last week,
buuuuut, they're not quite ready so for now they remain in my drafts pile

instead of leaving you empty handed though, 
i thought i'd share a quote i heard over the weekend
as soon as i heard it, i thought of this exact picture i took on our way home from camping
(more camping pics coming soon, by the way)
and this morning i put the two together and came up with this:

"be aware of wonder"

there are so many wonderful and awe-inspiring things in our every day lives
so much to be thankful for
little evidences of grace all around us
we just need to make ourselves aware of it all

i often catch myself taking  for granted my life / kids / family / all the good things that i enjoy every day
then remind myself to notice them, savor them

so today i'm encouraging you to do the same:
take a look around, 
make yourself aware of the little things that make life wonderful
(and hey, if there are big things too, all the better!)

can't think of anything?  here are some examples to get you started:

- sunshine
- loved one's smiles
- nature
- berries
- children laughing
- the salty ocean breeze
- a good friend
- love
- sacrifice
- redemption
- dark chocolate
- coffee
- big life events (weddings / births / graduations / etc)

now it's your turn
what wonderful thing(s) do you want to take the time to become more aware of (and thankful for) today?

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

my current favorite green smoothie

i buy a big tub of organic baby spinach every week
partly to force me to eat my greens (true story!),
but also partly because spinach is super versatile:
i can throw it in a salad,
stuff it into an omelette, 
wilt it with some spices for a super easy side dish,
...or, one of my favorite it's-3pm-and-i-still-haven't-had-lunch "meals," 
blend it into a green smoothie!

i've posted a couple green smoothie (or "green monster") recipes here before
(here and here), 
but this is the one i've been going back to over and over lately
and even though i have it so often, i still find the flavor really interesting
plus it's dairy-free / sugar free (date sweetened) / perfectly paleo
and it's got a boost of hemp protein in it!

yes, it's that good
the kids even love it*
you're welcome.
*(bear in mind, these same kids chose a thai broccoli salad and a kale superfood salad for lunch the other day...i've been told those aren't your typical two year old choices!)

at any rate, here's the recipe
try it for yourself - let me know what you think!

ingredients:
2-4 ounces coconut milk
(i use trader joe's light coconut milk because it's free of additives)
 1 heaping tbsp vanilla flavored organic hemp protein powder
(i sometimes just sub raw shelled hemp seeds)
1-2 medjool dates
1 cup (packed) organic baby spinach
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups ice

instructions:
- place ingredients in a blender or mini food prep
- blend until well combined
- drink up
(it turns out pretty thick so i often start with a spoon then switch to a straw)
like i mentioned earlier, i often have this as a late lunch to get me to dinner without filling up too much
it works great as a light breakfast, a snack any time of day or even an add-on to a meal!

Monday, July 7, 2014

Annual Camping Trip, Part 1

at the very end of my last post, i mentioned that we'd gone camping the weekend before
what i didn't mention was just how stunning the drive up was
seriously, i have lived in BC for almost 16 years now (yeesh, that makes me sound old!)
and i have yet to get over how gorgeous this place is
seriously folks, if you live around here, get yourself outside sometime, 
you don't know what you're missing!

even if you don't live around here, i'm sure there's something the great outdoors in your area has to offer
after all, it's not called the great outdoors for nothing

so go discover it!
take pictures, if that's your thing
or just take it all in
make memories
get exercise
breath in the fresh air
gasp at how beautiful it all is - i definitely do!
p.s. stay tuned - more photos to come from the actual camping part of our trip + scenery from the way home
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