Local Organic Food Sourcing

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Being a busy mom on the go, I have found using a local organic food delivery service to be the best, least time consuming option.  I like to get my food fresh and support local farming that engages in practices that are sustainable and environmentally friendly.  My kids and future grandkids need us to all do our part to ensure they have those options available to them.  Lets face it, our soil has become depleted of nutrients due to the chemicals, pesticides and toxins that are in our environment.  

Living up here in not the warmest part of Canada year round, our growing season isn’t as long as I would prefer.  Although I like to grow my own food in the summer, it isn’t long enough to produce a huge variety of produce not to mention the time involved - I am a busy mom and food preparation takes time. 

I love that I can just go right online and select my fresh fruits and vegetables, they have already taken the time to research the farmers and their farming practices.  It tells me how far my food has travelled, where it is from, and they only offer products that they feel meet their standards.  So that takes time off my plate in not having to do all that research!!  Best part is - it gets delivered right to my door!  No driving to more than one place to get the ingredients that I need, it allows me to plan my meals for the week easier.  I can plan my meals and shop seasonally to keep my costs down - bottom line, it saves this busy mom time that can be spent on more important things than running around.

My kids get totally excited when our organic box arrives... they love to help take out the food, touch it, see it, and help to put away.  I feel like when they get to do this they appreciate the knowledge of where their food has come from, and more easily engage in trying new foods.  To save time, I like to wash, chop, then store my veggies in glass dishes so its easier for me throughout the week when I want to make a juice or anything else I have planned!

Do you think this might save you some time?   

 

Essential Oils and Emotions...

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Ever have one of those days where the kids are cranky, you have a huge headache and your husband is driving you crazy?!  I think as moms from time to time we all have those moments!  

Imagine if you had a magical solution to bring calm and joy back into your home that was really quick and simple... Well there is!  I have been using Essential Oils for several years now and have experienced the benefits that they have to offer.  

Now I will tell you in full transparency my husband was quite skeptical at first.  However, over time he himself witnessed the positive effect that Essential Oils have had on our children, myself, and well, now him too!  

I started more so using them when the kids were "wound up" and didn't want to go to bed.  I would simply choose an oil that was meant to help calm them down, I found within a short period of time they would settle down and fall asleep with ease.  

As I began to learn more and more about oils and use them on a regular basis, I found how essential they really were in our day to day life.  In a perfect world we would all get the proper amount of sleep and just be happy all the time.  For the most part I'd say we are, but there is so much more to the oils than just that.  As I write this post it's later in the evening, I'm using some InTune - Why?  It helps me stay focused!  Occasionally when I don't get enough sleep I'll put on or diffuse some Wild Orange mixed with Peppermint and it gives me a boost of uplifting energy!

It doesn't matter what the emotion is, my husband laughs and will tell you, "I have an oil for that!".  There's even an oil called "Forgive" on those occasional days when it might be needed!  LOL!  In all seriousness they are a wonderful natural way to enhance our emotions in a holistic and positive way that's safe and effective!

Have you tried Essential oils?

Designing a Family Friendly Home

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Managing a home that is inviting and kid-friendly isn't always that easy.  Kids are full of energy and would more often than not prefer to play and have fun versus keeping things tidy!  I have experienced this first hand.  However, there are systems that can be put into place so that your space can still feel "grown up" and beautiful, while being kid-friendly!

Nowadays open floor plans are much more common.  This is where thought and planning of storage and the layout of your home becomes essential.  It doesn't need to be plain and boring, this is where you can be creative!

Define some designated places in your home that's simple and easy for kids to put their belongings.  Using a bench with some pull-out bins in the entry for kids to tuck away their mitts, toques, sun hats (etc) and some hooks for coats and backpacks at a child-friendly height makes it easier for them to get in the habit of putting away their belongings and accessing them when needed.

Having lots of seating so that kids have space to spread out and ensure there is enough room when friends come over to play and hang out is something to take into consideration.  Bean bag chairs can easily be moved to various locations, ottomans can be multi purposed as seating or to put your feet up and can also be used with a serving tray as a coffee table.   Sectionals take up less space and generally provide lots of seating and room for kids to spread out and be comfortable for naps, movies and such. 

Choose upholstery that will stand up to the abuse that kids can dish out, as well as accidental spills - IT HAPPENS!  Choose durable fabrics that are washable.  Slip covers that can easily be removed and cleaned.  Leather is simple to wipe up.  

When choosing carpet or area rugs within a home, look for one that can take on high traffic.  Outdoor area rugs should also be considered to use indoors, they are much easier to clean and there are plenty of stylish ones available in todays market, they are generally more cost effective as well. 

When designing your child's bedroom think outside the box!  What activities or interests does your child have?  Creating a space that is not only functional but is reflective of them will more likely want them to keep it neat and tidy!

Choose a separate room or space to designate for play and creativity.  Keeping toys with storage solutions in one space will help to keep extra things out of their rooms and prevent it from being scattered all over the house.  Framing their artwork to hang in the space is cost effective and gives them a sense of pride that their work and creativity is important.  Even places such as the dollar store has budget friendly options so the investment is minimal.  It's also easy to change as they grow!

When we take our children into consideration when designing a space it ensures that us mama's (and the family) will have a beautiful, organized environment and will help to keep OUT the chaos so we can enjoy the beauty and tranquility in a easier way than most might think.

What areas in your home could be addressed to be more functional?

 

Why does "Juice" love to Juice?

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Because it's AWESOME!!!  So I'm going to select a few of my favourite reasons...  When I first learned of my health "hiccup", at the time I had only heard of juicing.  I was already on a wellness journey and juicing was something that kept coming up...  so my hubby went out and got me my first juicer.  I had no clue what to do...  I found a couple recipes, started to experiment and fell in LOVE...

Did you know that the beautiful green coloured "chlorophyll" is only found in plants?  It has a unique structure that allows it to enhance the body's ability to produce hemoglobin which in turn enhances the delivery of oxygen to cells..

Lets talk about detoxification!  We all know how many toxins are just floating around everywhere, so flooding our body temples with nutrients that are found in fruits and veggies stimulates the liver's detoxifying pathways to enhance the body's ability to remove those toxins.

It is alkalizing! Bamo! Alkalizing foods are important for us, the majority of people are acidic from things such stress, caffeine, sugar, meat, alcohol and poor food choices.  It's important to keep our PH levels alkalized and stay at a 7.5PH or higher.  Plant based foods are alkaline.  You can get test strips from your local health food store to check your own PH and stay on track!

What goddess doesn't want to look beautiful?  I'm guessing we all do!  Vitamin C is a precursor to collagen, a skin protein responsible for preventing premature wrinkles.  Hey - why not?  Best part is fruits and veggies are high in vitamin C!

Juicing can also refresh our minds and cleanse our taste bud palates.  All that beautiful living food gives power and vitality to our cells.  It hydrates us much quicker than water, and by removing the fiber, you can absorb all those nutrients within about 20 minutes.  You get a mega dose of enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, some of which would get trapped in the fiber and exit out, well you know where that goes!  LOL!

Intrigued?  Let's face it, you are probably not going to love your first few juices depending on your current diet and taste bud preferences.  So if you don't love it at first, give yourself a chance to adapt and see how your goddess temple feels before you throw in the towel.  Give this a try...

1 Green Apple, 2 Carrots, 4 Celery Sticks, Handful of Spinach, 1 Peeled Lemon, 1 inch Piece of Ginger (optional)                                                                                                                                                                                              

Cheers to your health! Enjoy!

Let me know if you give it a try and what you think, what's your favourite juice?