Jun 17, 2014
the collective-2
This month I got to do another guest post for the two lovely mamas of Bugs and Peanut! They have a Collective, where I, along with a group of amazing women get to document how we fulfill those dreams on our bucket lists. This time around, I tackled learning to play the guitar--a long time dream of mine. Read the entry here! Thanks so much for following along!
Jun 14, 2014
24/52
"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2014."
She wanted her mama milk, and she wanted it now! A smile changes into tears in the span of a heartbeat. It's amazing to watch.
what we ate
Today was a good food day--and by that I mean one with minimal fuss, thanks to left overs, and a toddler who actually ate the food I made her, and deemed it yummy.
Breakfast: Cream of buckwheat with vanilla almond milk, coconut oil, cinnamon, and cardamom, lime soy yogurt
Snack: Banana with almond butter, coconut water
Lunch: Lentil meatloaf sandwiches
Snack: Green smoothie, flax crackers with tahini
Dinner: Brown rice pasta with avocado pesto sauce (Julie), cabbage, daikon, and tofu Sukiyaki over brown rice and barley (Mama and Papa)
Dessert: Lactation cookies--or let's just call them what they really are--vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (Mama and Papa)
Breakfast: Cream of buckwheat with vanilla almond milk, coconut oil, cinnamon, and cardamom, lime soy yogurt
Snack: Banana with almond butter, coconut water
Lunch: Lentil meatloaf sandwiches
Snack: Green smoothie, flax crackers with tahini
Dinner: Brown rice pasta with avocado pesto sauce (Julie), cabbage, daikon, and tofu Sukiyaki over brown rice and barley (Mama and Papa)
Dessert: Lactation cookies--or let's just call them what they really are--vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (Mama and Papa)
Jun 7, 2014
23/52
"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2014."
Wild, wild curls. Just like her emerging personality. She who will not be tamed.
Jun 5, 2014
little adventures-to the gardens
When I lived in NY I never got around to visiting the Statue of Liberty. In Tokyo, Tokyo Tower was merely a familiar face in the night, as the cab I was riding in flew by it, after a long night of drinks and endless, wonderful conversations with dear friends. It's all too easy to let these iconic landmarks pass us by, as we are busy with daily living. I think, for me, it's always been a case of thinking that I will get around to it at some point, as these places are in my backyard. And then I don't. Years later I get a little wistful that I didn't.
These days I live in another bustling city, complete with its own share of beautiful landmarks, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and culture galore. Now that life with my toddler is beginning to take on more of a stable rhythm, I'm thinking it's time to get to exploring, and see what magic--both hidden and on display-- the world has to offer.
We recently became members of a botanical garden. I had been wanting to do such a thing for years, and never taken that definitive step. It's the most beautiful place--lush, peaceful, and yes, filled with a certain magic. Julie sometimes has a hard time warming to local parks, especially when there is a crowd there. She clings to me, wrapping arms and legs around me like a koala, saying "No?" firmly, but pronounced like a question (as she does these days). But the gardens are different. Their magic works as much on her hesitancy as it does on my anxieties borne of cabin fever, and we are renewed and enchanted. She takes off quickly from my side, with her little drunken sailor gait, falling flat on her face, and hopping right back up with squeals of amusement. I settle on some aged bench, the marble cool and comforting, and say a silent thanks to this little adventure.
These days I live in another bustling city, complete with its own share of beautiful landmarks, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and culture galore. Now that life with my toddler is beginning to take on more of a stable rhythm, I'm thinking it's time to get to exploring, and see what magic--both hidden and on display-- the world has to offer.
We recently became members of a botanical garden. I had been wanting to do such a thing for years, and never taken that definitive step. It's the most beautiful place--lush, peaceful, and yes, filled with a certain magic. Julie sometimes has a hard time warming to local parks, especially when there is a crowd there. She clings to me, wrapping arms and legs around me like a koala, saying "No?" firmly, but pronounced like a question (as she does these days). But the gardens are different. Their magic works as much on her hesitancy as it does on my anxieties borne of cabin fever, and we are renewed and enchanted. She takes off quickly from my side, with her little drunken sailor gait, falling flat on her face, and hopping right back up with squeals of amusement. I settle on some aged bench, the marble cool and comforting, and say a silent thanks to this little adventure.
Jun 3, 2014
22/52
"A portrait of my child, once a week, every week, in 2014."
I can't make up my mind this week, so here's two. She's so at home in nature, out where the breeze is delicious, and you could get lost for hours in the greenery.
Jun 1, 2014
from the bookstack
The Hip Chick's Guide to Macrobiotics--A Philosophy for Achieving a Radiant Mind and Fabulous Body
by Jessica Porter
This...This is the book that started it all--my transformation from junk food addict with a sick body, to healthy living enthusiast. I picked this book up at the local bookstore when I was at the end of my rope, and felt like I had run out of options when it came to my health. My thought was that nothing could hurt at that point, and there was just something about this book that called to me. That might sound a bit "woo-woo", but I have always believed in the validity of that sort of energy.
I read this book--first with curiosity, which quickly morphed into fascination, and then settled into hope and excitement that perhaps there was a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Add on to that the fact that Jessica Porter is a very funny lady, who can make even the complex ideas of yin and yang appealing in a way that most philosophy books can't quite manage, (at least I haven't come across this yet) not to mention a wonderful recipe creator, and this results in a book that is certainly the most enjoyable book on health that I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
Macrobiotics is deep. It isn't merely a way of eating, but it rests upon the aforementioned philosophy of yin and yang, incorporating it into everything from food preparation to lifestyle. I can't begin to cover this vast subject matter, but I can say that the idea of there being an in and an out breath, an expansion and contraction, and other opposite but complimentary forces in the universe makes sense. We see these forces at play frequently in life. When I began to incorporate these idea into my own life, the difference was palpable. It could be as simple as making sure to eat root vegetables, as well as leafy greens within one meal. It could mean deciding to relax and go the gentle route during menstruation, nourishing myself with more "expansive" or yin foods. After following the ideas laid out in this book, I was healed of all illnesses, major and small within six months. But that's a story for another day.
What I can say is that this book was the catalyst in my health journey. It launched me into the most profound period of my life, helping to shape me into the person I would become. I laughed and I cried as in all great adventures, and I put the book down deeply changed. If you are looking for a starting point to change your health, or at least break free from a paradigm of health that doesn't serve you well, please give this book a read. I refer back to this book when I lose my footing, want a dose of laughter and hope, or just plain want to make a delicious dinner that serves my body well. It is quite the amazing read.
I'd love any book recommendations you have. If there are any books that you adore, please do let me know!
by Jessica Porter
This...This is the book that started it all--my transformation from junk food addict with a sick body, to healthy living enthusiast. I picked this book up at the local bookstore when I was at the end of my rope, and felt like I had run out of options when it came to my health. My thought was that nothing could hurt at that point, and there was just something about this book that called to me. That might sound a bit "woo-woo", but I have always believed in the validity of that sort of energy.
I read this book--first with curiosity, which quickly morphed into fascination, and then settled into hope and excitement that perhaps there was a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Add on to that the fact that Jessica Porter is a very funny lady, who can make even the complex ideas of yin and yang appealing in a way that most philosophy books can't quite manage, (at least I haven't come across this yet) not to mention a wonderful recipe creator, and this results in a book that is certainly the most enjoyable book on health that I have ever had the pleasure of reading.
Macrobiotics is deep. It isn't merely a way of eating, but it rests upon the aforementioned philosophy of yin and yang, incorporating it into everything from food preparation to lifestyle. I can't begin to cover this vast subject matter, but I can say that the idea of there being an in and an out breath, an expansion and contraction, and other opposite but complimentary forces in the universe makes sense. We see these forces at play frequently in life. When I began to incorporate these idea into my own life, the difference was palpable. It could be as simple as making sure to eat root vegetables, as well as leafy greens within one meal. It could mean deciding to relax and go the gentle route during menstruation, nourishing myself with more "expansive" or yin foods. After following the ideas laid out in this book, I was healed of all illnesses, major and small within six months. But that's a story for another day.
What I can say is that this book was the catalyst in my health journey. It launched me into the most profound period of my life, helping to shape me into the person I would become. I laughed and I cried as in all great adventures, and I put the book down deeply changed. If you are looking for a starting point to change your health, or at least break free from a paradigm of health that doesn't serve you well, please give this book a read. I refer back to this book when I lose my footing, want a dose of laughter and hope, or just plain want to make a delicious dinner that serves my body well. It is quite the amazing read.
I'd love any book recommendations you have. If there are any books that you adore, please do let me know!
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