{ hoME office }

I do most of my work/work out of my home office...Shipping happens partly from here and partly from our warehouse down the road. I love my workspace - lots of great light, right off the kitchen/dining room area, etc. Samme has a chair and space to do art projects, homework, etc. although we tend to do most of that in her playroom or in the kitchen.


and in the interest of keeping it REAL around here (a picture of my non-domain...the garage).... YIKES. I need the garage to be more like my office above - clean and organized. So this is the project I'm working on this week (in my free time)....what are you working on this week?

{ spending hiatus - month 3: week 2 - the hoME edition }

As many of you know, my little family and I have been on a mission to try to reduce our spending and energy consumption and grow some of our own food. To simplify our lives and adhere to slow family living. How is it going you ask? Wonderful! The other day I paused to look around and see how it was going... the clothes were up on the clothesline, the windows were open to air out the house, and the garden was tended to. Greens for our nightly salads were handpicked by Samme from the garden and the rest of the veggies were from our local farmers via the market. The TV was only on late at night when we watched the Tour highlights after the kids went to bed. Simple is good.
ps - I'm so inspired by all of you with your urban homesteading successes too!
pps - No unnecessary spending this week! Although I think Henry would look spiffy in this.

{ the garden }

Happy Earth Day everyone! I spent the past weekend and free time this week working on our garden and getting the chicken coop ready! Who-hoo! I am so excited! I've been really inspired by this nationwide revived approach to the {victory gardens} concept. Check out this post too. And if you need even more inspiration to start your own, check out this article about 10 Ways Gardening can help you through a recession and reasons why gardening is great exercise.

In addition to planting a vegetable garden this spring, in honor of earth day we also put up a clothesline and I am giving up using paper towels (why does this seem harder than it should be?) We are also doing some trail work this week and cleaning up some trash along one of our bike routes. What are you doing in celebration of Earth Day?

Speaking of the recession, I've joined in a voluntary {spending hiatus} for the remainder of 2009 at Mostly Mod. More on this soon - what my exceptions will be (handmade products, birthday gifts that I can't make, garden supplies, and a few things on our list of things to buy this year - eg. our landscaping project and belay device for our home climbing wall and items that help organize and simplify our lives.) So there won't be NO spending going on, but there will be totally mindful consumption and LESS spending overall and my Dave Ramsey envelope system wallet. I need to buckle down if we are going to meet our lofty saving and debt payoff goals and have our pot of travel funds this year. Anyone want to join in?

Adorable garden illustration via My Tiny Plot.

{ lovely, creative home }

Love this blogger's home tour via Sugar City Journal. Love that it reminds ME of summer. {I really need to move to the beach!} And love the {family sketch notebook} idea.

{ happy earth day & PA primary day }

cute image via Midwest Modern Girl.

Today, 2 very important events are taking place - Earth Day & PA Primary Day { VOTE }! We are going to spend as much time outside as we possibly can and we are going to clean up trash along our road...and then watch the election coverage unfold tonight. This is the only Earth we’ve got, let’s give her a lot of love {and elect someone who will give a darn}. For more information about Earth Day, visit Earth Day 2008.

Here are some great tips on ways you can celebrate Earth Day as a family via Crunchy Domestic Goddess.

• Plan a meal made only of local, organic foods - Use this as an opportunity to talk with your kids about where your food comes from.
• Plant a tree, a bush, a garden or even some herbs or flowers in a pot.
• Spend some time outside - on a hike, a walk, at the park - enjoying each other’s company, appreciating nature, and picking up any garbage you see
• Designate an “Earth Hour” every week where you turn off your lights in the evening for one hour to save electricity
• Encourage your kids to round up some of their toys or clothing they’ve outgrown and donate them to a local charity
• Visit a local charity or thrift store to see how items you no longer use can benefit others
• Take your kids to a local recycling center to see where all of the bottles, cans, newspapers, etc. go
• Print out an Earth Day coloring/activities book for your children and work on it together
• Take a trip to the library and check out some books related to nature - endangered species, water, plants and flowers, etc. - or books specifically about Earth Day
• Talk with your kids about water consumption and how turning off the water while brushing teeth helps conserve it. Encourage all family members to take shorter showers or consider filling up baths with a little less water.
• Change your incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs to conserve energy and encourage the kids to turn off lights/TV when they aren’t in use

And here are 2 great Obama videos! Donate! Vote! Get involved!

This one & this one.

{ ten thoughts on whole living }

Meditation forges a healing connection between mind & body.
Let your inner nature inform and inspire your fitness regime.
Saving the earth requires rethinking the way you live.
Nourish your skin as you would your body - with natural ingredients.
When you need help, ask for it. No one scores points for suffering along.
Learn to mother yourself.
When it comes to money, honor your strengths and acknowledge your limits.
Approach spring cleaning as a ritual, not a chore.
Find a new use for something old - or find it a new home.
Use tasks to guide, not restrict, you. Allow the future to unfold.

These are all wonderful thoughts on whole living...I encourage you to take one per week this spring and work on it. Schedule a massage, a yoga class or a girls night out (take care of yourself). Look at what you are good at with money (eg. giving to those in need) and identify ways to manage your money more closely aligned with all of your values. Try meditating for the first time or work on bringing the practice into your life on a more regular basis. Schedule your tasks & to do lists, but leave some room for spontaneity in your schedule each day. Plan a day or weekend for spring cleaning - turn on the music, open the windows, let fresh air in, buy some flowers for your kitchen & bedroom, and de-clutter by getting rid of stuff you don't need & giving it to someone who does.

Ten Thoughts on Whole Living via April + May 2007 issue of Body & Soul Magazine

{ pulling a mo }

I'm pulling a Maureen (her nickname in high-school was Mo) and using up all the stuff in our over-crowded fridge, freezer & pantry before buying anything else other than perishables (some fresh fruit, greens, milk & eggs weekly). I think that if I do this for a month, I will save money & use up all the stuff that we have - some of which has been around for awhile. I am going to have to be creative...But I did learn that if you type in a couple of ingredients in google, it comes up with different recipe options for you that include those ingredients. Wish me luck.

{ inspire ME }

A few things that are inspiring ME this weekend...

Life Artist Book
& Blog

Pure Style Living

What's inspiring you at the start of this NEW year?

{ holiday reading pleasures }

The Family at Home...Love. Life. Style. Great design ideas, wonderful photography, inspiring homes, simple living well tips & fun recipes.


Mom-A-Licious Cookbook....Excerpt from the Mom-a-licious manifesto: "Get out of any ruts and get moving. Not exercising enough, watching too much TV, or going through the drive through for dinner? Make the needed changes and live your best life, today." Here are some recipes from the book.

{ christmas redux }

christmas eve...ready for santa & the reindeer.

making christmas cookies...yum.

making gram's swedish coffee cake...it took 6 hours...

the dress up clothes...a huge hit.

the requested gift... a baby "but not a real one, mama, just a pretend one."

an adorable handsewn paper stocking filled with goodies from my friend alli {sew creative}.

the dress up clothes & rack {filled with a bunch of my old dance costumes my mom saved}.

christmas morning fun.

someone was a good little girl this year.

{ and to all a good night }

All of that preparation for Christmas and then boom, it's over...So, take advantage of the kids still loving their new toys and the departure of the guests, and take a few minutes today to breathe...make a cup of tea and relax on the couch with a good book, unroll the yoga mat for a few poses or bundle up and head outside for a brisk walk. Just breathe and be grateful for an abundant and happy celebration...and forget that there are only 364 days left until the next go around! :)

{ merry & bright }

This is how Samme filled out my planner for this coming week. I am going to take her cue and take a break from posting until after the holidays. We’re busy with our advent activities, Christmas busy-ness, solstice celebrating, getting ready for company, baking more cookies, making gingerbread houses, last minute wrapping & creating, etc.

So, instead of feeling swamped as in "I need to take a picture of this to post to my blog," or "I wonder what is up in blog land today," I’m just going to give myself a break. I'll be back after Christmas with posts on setting a vision for your life in 08, getting organized in the New Year, setting obtainable & fun goals for a happier & healthier YOU and a BIG LobotoME giveaway on DesignMOM the first week in January.

In the meantime, Merry Christmas to all you out there in blog land. I treasure the blogging friendships I’ve made in the last year and have learned so much from all of you. I hope your holidays are merry & bright!

{ i luv you samme }

photo by: Todd Newcomer

{ it's beginning to look a lot like christmas }

{ all is calm all is bright }

So after a busy week of getting re-nested and catching up on emails, orders, laundry, Christmas stuff, etc....I took a yoga class today to help me remember to just breathe this holiday season. Take some time today to just relax with a cup of tea and a good book, or do some sun salutations by a window, or go for a hike or snowshoe. Here are some additional tips from Kimberly Wilson for keeping calm and taking care of yourself this holiday season.

Spent a fun afternoon baking gingerbread cookies with Sam & my mom and made a martha inspired mobile. Pics later this weekend. Off to a Big Hat Party tonight! Hope you are all having a joyous weekend!

jello anyone?

Check out this brain jello mold - I found it at a store in Durango. Find out more about it here... Perfect for Halloween!

I'm just like Gwen Stefani...

Okay, not really. In fact, other than the fact we each have a child, she & I have nothing in common that I know of.

However, this dear organizer, Monica Ricci, who wrote a review about my products on her popular blog said, "From the hip, retro design and trendy color scheme to the quirky elements incorporated into the products, (for example, “Breathe” is one of the items on the PackMe travel list) LobotoME is, relatively speaking, a Gwen Stefani among so many Celine Dions."

I'll take that.

So I went around the house all night long dancing to Hollaback Girl. My family was amused...for a little while...

Read the entire review here.

brain buzz...

Check out Casa Sugar's buzz about LobotoME here.

This is your brain on blueberries...

Since we are all about brain health around here, wanted to share this new tid-bit. According to a new study published in the Journal of Nueroscience, a natural compound found in blueberries, grapes, tea & COCOA may enhance memory, especially when combined with exercise. I won't bore you with the details of the mice running on the platform, but the mice did grow NEW blood vessels in their brains.

So replace a daily cup of coffee or soda with a cup of green or black tea (I love the Republic of Tea's Pomegrante Green Tea).

Eat blueberries - throw them into a protein smoothie each morning or add to a salad.

Snack on frozen red grapes for a nice, cool, healthy, sweet fix.

And EAT dark chocolate! Yipee!

Positive Thinking Day is TODAY!

Today is going to be a great day. Today I am going to workout. I am going to eat healthy.Today I am going to get plenty of sleep. Why, you ask? Because today, September 13th, is National Positive Thinking Day.

"I choose to create a GREAT DAY!"