{ the spending diet...weeks 3 + 4 }

Hmmm...this gets harder each week. WHY. OH. WHY? does shopping have to be FUN!?!?! And why are we programmed to do it?

Anyhoo, I did order this book from amazon. Its not at our library and I love her blog and I'm really interested in her green smoothie revolution.

I resisted buying this. And these. And this. And this. And this. All were in shopping cart for 2 days before I shut it down. I did pick up a new soccer ball for Henry and a few small gifts for Samme's birthday party.

I found that the time I like to shop the most is at night after the kids go to bed. So instead I've been turning on a Tracy Anderson DVD and doing mat work or watching West Wing (we have all 7 seasons and on a side note...I declare there has never been a better television show) or reading a book. I've been trying to stay off the computer. And off the aptly named gilt. That helps.

I'm still selling stuff like crazy on ebay & craigslist. I chant, Less is more, less is more.

Came across this quote on the new YouvsDebt website that really resonated with me... "I want my children to know financial peace. I don’t want them to worry about finances. I want them to be able to be free to do what they want to do, regardless of income.” Yes and yes.

How y'all doing? I'm moving onto APRIL. Around and around I GO!

{ happy birthday }

happy birthday sweet samme...i can't believe you turn seven today!

{ on my mind }

I'm taking a few weeks off from the blog...busy over here gearing up for our first race of the season; spring cleaning; shipping orders; and planning Samme's birthday celebrations at the end of the month. Cheers!

ps - A yummy green smoothie recipe found here.

cute image via etsy

{ green ME }

Like last year, a little leprechaun came to our house and left the kiddos little green suitcases filled with green treats (healthy snacks, garden seeds, art supplies, etc.) For breakfast I made the kids a rainbow fruit plate which they gobbled up and green juice and Samme got a leprechaun sandwich & rainbow fruits & veggies for lunch along with a chocolate gold coin for a treat! Afterschool we will make rainbows with Henry (he loves gluing things). This is also a cute St. Patrick's Day Rainbow craft that we've made before. Dinner will be green pasta, spinach, peas, salad with all green veggies and green tea icecream for dessert. If I didn't have to work today (which I do & should be doing right now instead of blogging, I'd bake this cake for dessert!)

As they say in Ireland, "Go mbeire muid beo aran am seo aris!" May we all be alive and well, this time next year!

{ the spending diet... week 1 + 2 }

Well... I already knew we weren't going to be totally successful this month because my husband had his eye on this.... Speaking of the ipad2...(note: we don't have an ipad (the first version) but we do have lots of MEpads! ha!;-).... we generally wait for the 2nd generation (lighter, faster, cooler)...but I was thinking that in our house we already own... 2 MacBooks; 2 iphones; 1 itouch (that the kids use?!?! - what 6 1/2 yr old needs to use an itouch?); 2 ipod nano's (sometimes used on runs/workouts); 1 ipod shuffle (no longer used); and apple TV (I don't even know how to use this). I mean, really? At some point isn't enough, enough?

Anyway, the past week we were on spring break with the kids (hiking in Sedona and a water park in Phoenix), and we managed to do good on the spending diet....we ate out a fair amount but we were staying in a hotel so we knew (and planned for) as much. I bought a new toiletry holder at the drugstore (the zipper on mine busted) and a fashion design pad thing for Samme (to keep her quiet & occupied in the hotel room while Henry was napping). But other than that I haven't purchased anything other than food + household items so far this month. (Please note that I was in a 5-mile radius of Anthropologie, Lululemon & Target on the trip and didn't go in them, not even for a peek). I've had stuff sitting in shopping carts online & in the grocery store and managed to abort purchases. I've also been selling a bunch of stuff on ebay too towards the Bora Bora fund. In addition to our Spring Break trip, we've been doing lots of fun, free things (Discovery Museum, Rec Center, hikes, bouncing on the trampoline, bike rides, starting to work on the garden, etc.) and no shopping.

I have this picture (above) of our house on my desk bulletin board to remind me how great it will be to have NO mortgage and this picture of our (fingers crossed) Bora Bora trip for our anniversary next year and a picture of the orphanage in Kenya that I want to go on a mission trip to...all to help keep me motivated to spend our money wisely.

Those of you participating, how's it going so far? How do you stay motivated to stay on track budget wise?

{ on my mind + menu }

1. On my mind...Japan.
2. The kids have been loving these blueberry muffins.
3. An impressive challenge.
4. On my menu this week... Spinach & Kale stuffed shells; this recipe; veggie quesadillas; homemade pizza; and salmon + asparagus rice bowls.
5. More tips on how to fit in a daily workout.
6. Love this chalkboard! Fun!
7. Love this chalkboard idea too for kids!
8. Great tips on purging your house of unwanted/unneeded stuff.
9. Cookie magazine (my fav parenting magazine ever) former editors new gig... momfilter....love it!
10. Love these children's prints!
10. Don't forget to order your LobotoME Mantra Cycling Jersey by the end of the day today! GO!

ps - Today's my mom's birthday! Happy Birthday Mama! We love you!

image via Vol 25

{ the iron maidens }

So, you know the big bike ride {the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic} I'm doing this spring with the girls to raise money for cancer research...? We have custom short sleeve biking jerseys in the works for our team {the Iron Maidens} with the LobotoME mantra image on them! You can own one too! They are $98 including s/h (and won't be ready to ship for ~ 6-8 weeks). You need to order by Monday, March 14th. Send payment via paypal to info @ LobotoME.com and add a note with the size you want. Please note the size chart & measurements below as the sizing is a bit funky. Happy riding!

{ drink ME }

You know how I love ME some green juice since that's what I talk about all the time, right?

Well recently, I had the opportunity to sample some of Healing Coolers juices (that they deliver right to your door...no driving to the juice bar across town, no cleaning out or should I say mucking out your own juicer at home! How awesome is that? I used the juices over a 2 day period earlier this month (along with some soups and green smoothies) for a mini cleanse at the start of my 21-day Adventure Cleanse ala Kris Carr. It was a great way to get a jump start on the cleanse with minimal work and allowed me to get off on the right foot for a longer 3-week cleanse (more on Kris Carr's Adventure Cleanse later). I think it would also be great for someone who wants to drink a green juice a day but doesn't have the time to juice their own or doesn't live close to a juice bar. You could get a 6 pack and have one every morning each week. I recently sent the Recovery Cooler to a business partner who had been super busy + sick and she loved it!


Back to my review of Healing Cooler...the yummy juices I sampled were (in order of awesomeness from top to bottom):

Kale + Company - I love Kale Juice so no surprise this was my favorite hands down...Kale, Spinach, Parsley, Watercress + Apple. YUM. Guzzled this down. And wanted MORE...badly.

Pineapple, Orange, Lime - I chugged this post spin class and it was super delicious...

Green Leaf - Another one of their green juice selections this one contained pretty much every Green Vegetable known to man and I imagine must have given my cells a super BOOST... Cucumber, Celery, Parsley, Spinach, Kale, Dandelion Greens, Watercress, Pear, Lemon + Ginger. WOW. This one is more potent than Kale + Company most likely because it has the Dandelion Greens + Ginger.

Pear Mint - I should state that I'm not a big Mint fan unless its in a Mojito... :) But this was a delightful combination as well!

Not only do the juices taste A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. but they come packaged together in an adorable Healing Cooler box with a Healing Cooler re-usable ice pack and a gift card. Not to mention the cute bottles are reusable as well. What an awesome gift for someone who needs a little health boost or who is sick. I would SO much rather have a box of juices sent to me than flowers or chicken soup, wouldn't you? Their slogan is “A healing gift from the heart.”

For more information visit their website here or follow them on facebook here. Healing Cooler is based in New York City but they deliver locally and nationally.

{ on my mind...the spending diet }

Love this quote above via Sherbet Blossom. I've been thinking about this a lot lately especially in light of the Spending Hiatus (beginning today). This year I'm calling it the Spending Diet via Anna at Then She Saved. Because to me it is like a diet - there are still the necessities (mortgage, utilities, gas + healthy food) but there doesn't need to be the random, unnecessary purchases or consumptions like Forever21 clothes and cupcakes. So, the Spending Diet has begun. I will be reporting back on a weekly basis...