feeling quiet

no words today. just some pictures of the beautiful quiet all around me.






shhhhhhh...

xx.

love is lots of things

love is lots of different things.

...it's eating a cupcake made by an awesome auntie...

...wearing a scarf made from an old t-shirt, and standing in the light of the kitchen...

...it's giving love to something smaller than us...

...it's being with your family, celebrating...

...it's sitting in your grandmother's favorite chair...

...it's cauliflower with lots of curry waiting to be roasted...

...it's a big bowl of toasty kale chips...

...it's a big bowl of fresh produce...

...it's sitting by the fire in my favorite coffee shop...

...it's little people with big smiles...

...it's colorful pieces of paper arranged in a way that creates happiness...

...it's spices and herbs and nourishment...

...it's taking pictures kissing produce (and ginormous earlobes waiting for kisses from joey)...

...it's taking silly pictures in the winter's light...

...it's fresh spring rolls...waiting for spring...



what does love look like to you? xx

excuse me

please excuse the blogging hiatus...

i've been busy
taking art classes
meeting up with friends for dinner
wiping butts
hanging out on the couch
finishing up 48 hours of continuing education credits
working
living
cooking a million batches of banana muffins
food shopping
wiping more butts
trying to get out with the kids more
staying silent
going to bed at 7pm
reading
writing
thinking
dreaming.



what have you been up to? xx

nine rules to live by

1. start loving yourself today. do it right now, right where you're at. don't wait for permission, don't wait to be skinnier, healthier, shining bright on the outside. the time is now. do it. love.

2. the sink will always fill up with dirty dishes (especially right after you finish cleaning the kitchen) so stop worrying about it. find your peace with the dishes. do them. now, or later.

3. find something that really makes you happy. one thing that you look forward to. lately this "thing" has been trader joe's spicy hummus. oh yeah.

4. write letters to people you love. tell them how important they are to you. because they won't be here forever, and neither will you. and people can't read minds. so tell them. now.

5. lemons make it better. they just do.

6. hug the little people you love (and the big ones, too). i'm hard pressed to find a little one in my life who will turn down extra snuggles.

7. find beauty everywhere. and color. and love.

8. feed yourself what makes you feel good. and score bonus points if it's in a pretty bowl.

9. if it's green, it's good.


what are some of the things making you happy right now? what are some of the things you know to be true? xx

little things i've learned

i've been a little cooped up here lately, with the snow and the kid-wrangling. just looking through my pictures from the last couple of weeks, pondering the little things. here are some peeks into some of the things i've learned::

...i like to make dinners in big pots. mainly because it's easy. and most likely because you can throw anything in there and it usually comes out tasting delicious...

...this is a very steamy, crappy photo, but one thing about me is that i make veggie chili, entirely too much. if you've eaten at my house, you know this...

...eight year olds are wicked moody...

...i spend lots of hours a day at my kitchen window. which is a good, good thing...

...lulu likes to dress herself. which often means that you will find her wearing stripes, tie-dye, and a tutu, all at the same time...

...when i know that someone is taking my photo, i act very very awkward...

...my family produces a lot of dirty dishes, which have to be cleaned...

...seaweed is my new favorite condiment, especially on avocados!...

...bright colored couscous brightens up even the gloomiest of days...

...watching little people doing their work is a very beautiful thing...

..tea equals therapy...

...some lemons have nipples...


...and when my children tell me that they are "so sick!" and i keep them home from school and go as far as taking them to the doctor and i find out that they are in fact not really that sick at all, they are actually pretty healthy, i take them on random homeschool field trips (like here where we went to the stonyfield organic yogurt factory) and make them watch movies about good bacteria and learn stuff. yeah.

so that's it! hope you're staying toasty warm, doing something you love. xx

like this...except the exact opposite

ok, i have a little secret.

for the past three weeks...i've been feeling like absolute, complete crap. kind of like the above picture, except exactly the opposite of that.

i've tried very hard to push through and do mind-over-matter and just suck it up and not complain. but finally today i hit my wall and had enough.

the fact that i am so so sick is kind of ironic, considering that approximately three weeks ago, i completely changed the way that i relate to food. i started juicing, lost a bunch of weight, started eating amazing superfoods, finally fit in my clothes, and have had moments of brightness and vigor.

except for all the moments in between when i've felt like p.o.o.! i've been achey like i've never experienced. i feel like i have whiplash! my glands are swollen, my legs hurt, i have no energy, i've had headaches every day (numerous times a day), all i want to do is sleep! the list of symptoms go on and on.

on sunday night the fevers started. and then the sore throat, so sore i really couldn't even move my head. it hasn't been pretty. i haven't been able to be a good mom. there have been ugly moments. and today, for the first time in like 20 years, i broke down and went into the doctor for a sick visit!

i actually had to wear a face mask because of my symptoms, which really freaked the kids out (yes, the kids were in tow!). but when all was said and done, i just have some mysterious nasty virus that is ruining my happiness and there's nothing to do about it.

except get over it and be happy?

well, today i am channeling the happy vibes of my husband, who is on a secret tropical island (i wish i was joking) enjoying life! i am choosing to think about the sunny days ahead, where i am enjoying an icy drink beside a pool somewhere warm.



what do you do to snap yourself out of the sickies?

the bright spots

sometimes i wonder if maybe i'm going a little crazy with the day-to-day grind of motherhood----oftentimes the same things, just different days. today was one of those days...all the kids home because of the snow, grumpiness and cooped-upedness and angst. luckily i got out of my own way and decided to save the afternoon----hot chocolate for the kiddos, a big fire in the fireplace, a huge pot of chili simmering, and a big bowl of popcorn to snack on. i always have to remind myself that there will be a day, somewhere off in the future, when i will look back on these days and wish that i could have them back. my littles wont be little forever. life is too short and too sweet to be mean.

so in the honor of this, here are some of the bright spots (all food related?!?) of the past couple of weeks...

:: green smoothies in front of the fireplace

:: nori wraps with avocado and carrots

:: i like to kiss my produce. especially my avocados! and i finally have collarbones again, thank goodness.
:: a new sweet treat

:: veggies sauteed in turmeric, my new favorite spice.



hope today is filled with bright spots for you. xx

soul shakedown party

this has been my favorite song forever, but it's really coming alive for me lately. i feel like i'm smack-dab in the middle of a soul shakedown party. right now we're lounging around on the rug, in front of the fire, working on a project for gray, and listening to this song on repeat. after the illness that i experienced these past two days (part of the shakedown?), i feel so good today. friends coming for dinner---we'll see how they react when i try to serve them green juice in wine glasses instead of the usual booze. ;)

xx

happy

i found this picture on my camera. gray took it a couple of days ago. i love it because it really captures how i'm feeling lately...happy, present, in the moment. really soaking it all in, and living the way i want. i like that my kids are seeing me like this. i like that i'm gifting myself with this feeling. like like like, love love love. happy. xx