Vegmom Moments

First Snow of 2012

Vegkid is running around in shorts, I have a Tshirt on and it is Freezing + Crazy windy as in, sounds like my roof is coming off kind of windy.  But that doesn't stop us from making a snow man:

No Sirree!

I told Vegkid he should get more clothes on to play outside and he said:

"Why Mom? I was born with cold blood"

Alrighty then.. 

Well at least I convinced him to wear a long sleeve shirt.  And yes those are crocs with no socks...

The first snow of 2012 also happens to be my Mom's Birthday:

Considering it was 54 degrees and raining this morning, this snow is quite the shocker.  But you won't hear me complain!!

Happy First Snow Day of 2012

 

Good Bye 2011 - Hello 2012

Hubs and I sat down last night to put all our memories from 2011 in to our little book.  We basically write down everything that comes to mind from the year prior.  For some reason it was hard to remember EVERYTHING.  Thanks to this blog and my Family picture blog, I was able to piece together all the interesting events.

A lot of business travel, personal travel, several family trips to Michigan, an Awesome Florida trip where Dolphins and space shuttles were involved, An Amazing South Carolina trip where Dolphins, forts and long sandy walks were involved.  Veg learned how to swim this year.  We had several visitors at the homestead. Saw a light house, a great lake, went to Airforce Museum, Mountains, Chess club and sporting events.  We grew lots in the garden, enjoyed the Farmers market, started Juicing, and So much more!

2011 was a Great Year!!!

We drank lots of these:

And these:

Lots of NeeNee Soup:

Lots of Raw Vegan Goodness:

This one is Bananas, Pomegranate and Pecans with Macadamia Cream sauce:

First Persimmon Try:

Raw Vegan Creamy Kale Salad:

Raw Vegan Baklava:

Developed a love for Cauliflower:

I completed my First and Last Full Marathon... 

I simplified more in 2011, Made a lot more home body care products, Started my 10 Minute rule (breaking tasks in to 10 minutes so they don't seem so daunting).  I also began being happy about what I have accomplished vs. what I still have left to do.

At the end of 2011, my Accomplishments were many!! Both in the house and out of the house.  Both mentally and physically.. I even enjoyed crafts again as I prepared my self for 2012.  

Prepared myself Mentally that is!!  2012 is going to be another Big year.  I can feel it.

To start with, my Nutrition Classes will officially begin, and I'm super excited about that.  I'm going to complete another 1/2 Marathon (if my hormones cooperate that is).  But this time, I'm going to drop at least 15 minutes off my time.  I'm going to focus on myself a little more, find MY HAPPY, while being the best parent and wife I can be.  Most importantly, I'm taking back control of my happy!  The moods of others should not dictate my own.

Yesterday I got out for the first 1/2 Marathon training day of 2012.   For not running much the past few months, I was impressed with my Body's ability to jump back in.  I went a total of 4.5 miles with the first 3 running non-stop with no pain.  Powered by Greens!!!

My rest days for this 1/2 marathon training will be different! I'll be including some strength training and muscle stretching to the mix.  If I want a different result, then I must do different actions.  2012 is the year for Different and for finding my Happy!

Bring it on 2012... This will be the best year ever and I'm ready!!!!

 

Leaf Pile Jumps

The Hubby came home from work tonight and surprised us with his Leaf Blowing magic.

He realized that we had Silly Apple Pumpkin Day without any Leaf Pile jumps.   We ALLLWAYS have leaf pile Jumps on this day.  

But this year, our leaves hadn't fallen yet, so I didn't think much about it.

See, Leaves are still on tree:

Well Hubs being all Manly says "That just won't do"...  he gets out the Leaf Blower and begins to blow the leaves that have fallen from our entire lot, then gets them all across the drive way and in to a pile:

Before we knew it, there was a Nice Size Pile on one side of the house.  

Next thing I know, the kiddo comes Running across the driveway to Jump in:

(I happened to click the camera mid air)

Then he did a Jumping summersault... This one, the camera caught mid-rear *smile*:

Vegkid was Quite the happy guy.  

I guess Fall is officially here... Or maybe winter is here?  It was 34 degrees this morning!  Brrrr!!

Did you jump in the leaves when you were a kid?  Do you still?  *wink*

 

Another Cider Mill off the List

When we were kids we went to Cider Mills in Michigan but didn't really appreciate them. At least I didn't.  I remember dreading those (what seemed like) long drives and then being chased by bees.  

I just assumed the tastes and smells of a Cider Mill were everywhere.  I figured all states had apples?  I took for granted how special those places really are.  When fall time came, everyone had Pumpkin patches, fresh apples, fresh cider and the best cinnamon donuts in the world, right?  

WRONG!!!  Hubby and I spent 15 years trying to find the perfect cider and perfect donut from our pasts.  There wasn't a state we lived in or a state we visited that could compare.  Eventually we gave up, put cinnamon sticks in a pot and sucked up the smell of Fall in our own way.

Then Veg came along.  I wanted him to have those childhood memories of the Cider Mill, but I wanted his to be great ones.  We went on a Michigan Mission, to hit as many Cider Mills as we could..  Mostly finding those that had kids activities.  He has had the best of times, I have some of the greatest pictures, and we all have amazing memories.   It is a trip he looks forward to every year.  

For him, Cider Mills and Michigan are a vacation spot and a place to see his grandparents.  But today was a Special Cider Mill Day.  Not only did we find one that he hasn't been to before, but he got to go with his Uncle and it happened to be that very Cider Mill that me and his Uncle went to when we were kids.

I believe we have hit a total of 15 over the past few years on our Cider Mill tours... And never stopped at this one until today. (thanks Uncle J)

I love that their Barn says "A Family Tradition"  because it really is!!  Especially in this family!!

Uncle J, got an extra yummy treat:

Donuts and cider also did NOT go untouched!

But the very best part of this day, is that it wasn't planned.  We were supposed to go do something else and the weather didn't cooperate.

I'm not complaining about that!!

P.S.  I may or may not have had one of these once we left our adventure today:

Oh, don't judge, I'm on Vacation...*wink*

The Beach Trip

As Promised, more pictures...less words today... Enjoy:

We took a little boat ride to Fort Sumter and passed by this big ol' aircraft carrier.

Our condo was AMAZING...

Veg found this and said.. "Mom, you have to get a picture for your blog"

OK!

This was our beach view from the tippy top of our spiral stair case.

Hubby got up early squirrly for this picture.. and I'm so glad he did!! 

As for these, well... I was determined to be back at the condo AND at the top of the spiral stair case on our porch for every single sun set.   And I was *smile*

The condo was full of every thing we could need to be comfortable, so homey and perfect location.  We rented bikes and rode every day, we walked every day, went swimming and to the beach EVERY Day....

But my favorite part of the whole trip (besides watching Veg learn how to swim) was taking naps on the screened in porch... and eating fruit while playing board games on the screened in porch, and catching the breeze from the ocean on the screened in porch!

Thinking you get the idea... It was an amazing trip.... and I really now want a Screened in porch!

Ah, some day!

Back At It!!!

Before being a Mom, I was pretty much a wife and a worker bee...

Hubby and I split the chores 50/50 on our tiny house, we did everything outside of work together, even worked together some jobs. Life was pretty simple then. I had a couple friends, a couple dogs, family 500 miles away and my scrapbooks...

Well, things have changed...got a little more complicated... My worker bee status has shifted to being a boss-bee... Yeah, can you imagine???

As a Mom, I tend to be the primary care giver 95% of the time, which adds lots of hats to my head.

For the house?? Well it's a little larger then our tiny starter home and let's just say Hubby and I no longer split everything 50/50... 90% of those fall to me these days..

Of course still have family and friends and dog And scrapbooks... But now I also have Garden, compost, Food Prep, Exercise, kid sports, School events, Blogs... Ah, you get the idea...

The other thing that has changed, is that I learned over the past few parenting years that I'm a person.. Not just Mom, Wife, Boss Lady.. But a real person. I have likes and dislikes, and need time for myself. Amongst everything going on around me, I have to stop and say "Hey lady, what do YOU want".

Not surprised to say that my wants don't always fit with everyone else's in this house, and there are times where I've learned THAT is OK!!!

And Sooo I find a balance! Something that has worked for me to stay sane.... I juggle it all and make it work... But when one thing requires more attention, I have to drop other things to make it all fit.

When the marathon training happened for example, I couldn't drop work or kid or husband...I was able to combine me time with exercise so that didn't get dropped. But something HAD to go...

Turns out my House got the shaft....as in disgusting mess.... And food prep, also didnt happen so well... New food tries were far and few...Distant family...let's just say Ive missed 4 birthdays..

This weekend... Not only did I play outside with the Veg Kid, take the dog to the park, and run 2.5 miles (without hurting by the way)...but I cleaned a whole lot of this very dirty house. I organized, I decluttered, I scrubbed....I was a Mom on a Mission..as in BAGS of stuff gone!!...I also sent two Bday gifts to grandparents, went grocery shopping, paid the bills, played lots of UNO, and made 4 new Vegan foods.

So I'm Back at it... Back to normal exercise, a clean house, new raw and vegan food tries, normal sleep, a normal work week, fun with the kiddo, spending time with Hubby...and back to posting more regularly on this Blog...

After all it is my release, my journal, a connection to friends and family.. And a place to make new friends.

Stay tuned, I know the excitement is unbearable *smile*

Do you have any tricks for balancing it all???

And by the way... Why when I wear dark socks do I get fuzzies in my feet, but when wearing the same exact socks only light colors , I don't get fuzzies? Just wondering?

Happy Birthday NeeNee

My Mom is this wonderful human being...I've posted some of this before...But today is a special day and worth repeating... She will help her neighbors, her husband, her family, and never think once of her own needs. 

She supported me no matter if I wanted to hang puzzles and shirts on my wall, to when I wanted my own phone line (before cell phones existed) to sports, to hobbies.. she took care of my friends when their parents weren't available or when they just needed running water.. *smile*

My Mom didn't "Discipline" per say... .  But she allowed us to make our own decisions in life, showed her support, and offered encouragment... she has been there more for me then anyone in my life.

More Snow and Some Great Fun!!!

7:00 AM - "Mom Mom MOM... Look outside"  I hear from the Vegman

7:02 AM - THAT IS A LOT OF FLIPPIN SNOW!!!!!  (I tell myself)

7:03 AM - Check the school report... YUP - Even our school is Closed!

7:03:02 AM - Vegman starts screaming and jumping and whooping and hollaring....You would have thought it was Christmas..  More snow, then he's seen in his whole little life...

And the Rest is History!!!! 

There was Sledding.. There was Snowball throwing... There was an Alien Ship that came down to grab all the little people:

There was a Jet Ski:

Veg went really fast... Zoom Zoom

Veg did some Shoveling to earn money... lots and lots of shoveling:

We made the Biggest Fort Ever, with 2 rooms...Dig, Dig, Keep Digging....

Our fort had a fire place so he could warm up his hands :-)

It also had a Kitchen for snacks:

PBJ, Cherries, Grapes, Carrots, and some Vegan Marshmallows, just because!

The dog decided to leave his room, and come over to Veg's...

"Excuse me, Mr. Dog, can you please stop eating our house"

 
Oh... and there was a snow man... NO, not the upright kind with three parts... It was my Vegman.. he thought that if he rolled enough times down the hill, he could turn in to a snow man...

Ummm.. His plan was flawed:

So you see, it was a great Morning/Day here at the Veg House..  It was one with lots of snow!!

Hubby joined the fun, to build the Jet Ski and Space Ship... He even broke a smile... I got a picture and everything...

Hope you had a great day where ever you are...

 

A Dusting???

I don't have TV Stations, so I get most of my news from other Moms, Co-workers, online... and if for some reason I hear something through the grapevine, I'll go look it up my self to get more details.

BUT.. today... no one warned me... I had no idea... There was no Mom's Chatter, the Co-Workers were working, and I was in a meeting...

I come out of a window-less room to find snow.. a LOT of snow... How did this happen?  How Could I OF ALL people not know about the pending snow...

The biggest snow flakes I'd ever seen kind of snow.... A co-worker took this picture from his car in the parking lot:

This is what I found when I got home:

And the radio is saying as I pull in my driveway... "There are no winter weather advisories, but expect some light snow showers..we'll receive a dusting if that?"

Really?  A Dusting????

We went out side to play briefly before Veg went to bed, Hubs even came out and built a castle, but he and Veg knocked it down before I could get a picture.. they also knocked down my cute snowman when I came in to get it a nose.. sigh sigh sob sob.

So much snow this year... what a wonderful winter... Now I have to figure out how to get in my 4 miles tomorrow!  Definitely a challenge!

 

Gifts Are Wrapped

And Bagged....  Can I just say this is ALL for one kid???

And thats not whats included in his Stocking!!   I know you can't tell in the photo, but that is a LOT of stuff...

Funny enough, he hasn't asked for anything... Except a few Tools (Check), K'nex (Check) and Legos (Check).....Books from NeeNee (Check)...  I don't even know where all this other stuff came from...

Well I do know where they came from... Ya See, Hubby wanted to purchase some stuff for Veg this year, but they are NOT things that I would normally purchase, nor the things that Veg asked for....... so along the way, I grabbed some stuff too... soon... well... you end up with a LOT of stuff.  + Grandparents

Bags, boxes & Tissue paper, reused from years past... A few things with wrapping just for effect! 

We have had the same rolls of Wrapping paper for many years... I refuse to buy more!   We'll probably be using the same wrapping paper, when we are in our 60's :-)  The more reusable bags we get, the less I wrap...

Some how, Christmas is here already...  At the last minute (as always)...  I'm ready for it!!

Tomorrow will be a fun, stay at home day!!! 

Some Veg Pancakes, Green and Peppermint Smoothies, Mexi-Fiesta... and Presents... Lots and Lots of Presents!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Turkey Trot 4 TRUCKS

The Want - Take kids with friend to Turkey Trot Race on Thanksgiving Day as a new tradition

The Dilemma - Which to choose?  Cost - when you add up all the kids?  Location?  And time of day?

Solution - We make our own!!!

My Awesome Friend Suggested we just do our own.. This way, we control the time, location and cost...

But we can't have a Turkey Trot without Shirts.... Neither of us have the time to decorate all those shirts.  So I suggest we use printer iron on things..

She goes to buy the shirts and iron on things... They ask child #1 what theme we should have for our Turkey Trot...

Child #1 says "MONSTER TRUCKS"

Ummmm... What does that have to do with Turkeys?  But OK...  Put on thinking Cap...

Ahhhh....We can't have a Turkey Trot without Donations to something...  Sooooo!!!

How about we have a Turkey Trot 4 TRUCKS???  And we are!!

Awesome Friend's, Awesome Hubby, drew us a Truck with Turkey driving.. It came out SOOOOoooooo Cute!  As in Adorable, professional, cartoon kind of cute!!!

They came over tonight, and we used some fancy Shmancy T-Shirt program.. then printed, and ironed...YES, I own an IRON!!  Of course I didn't know how to use it!!    But that is another story!

While the kids played, we made our Awesome Original Shirts... (maybe I'll show pic tomorrow!)

Soooo where does the Charity come in??  Well, we are going to buy a bunch of matchbox trucks....

For every marker the kids pass in their "Trot" they get a Truck to donate to Toys for Tots... The further they go, the more trucks they collect!

And there ya go!!

Our First Annual Turkey Trot 4 TRUCKS....

(Of course my friend humbly reminded me that I hadn't bought ANY trucks yet!!  Hmmm... MUST GO SHOPPING!)

Good Thing #11

Continuing On with Happy Thoughts November....And in NO particular Order.....

NeeNee Visits are always a GOOD THING!!!

I had to go out of town for a couple days, so my Mom agreed to come visit and help out with the Vegman.

This didn't turn in to a "SPA" visit like the others.. I didn't make a whole lot of foods, and she didn't get to sleep in until 11 every day like those of trips past.. Although she did get naps, if that counts.

But she did get to eat out almost every day which is a treat for her, we went to a dinner/music show, and I made a smidgin of Green Goodness, and left her an all natural "survival kit" in the bathroom.....

She also got some long steamy showers with all natural/vegan soaps/shampoos.... And, Didn't have to cook except, a couple salads and some potatoes...  Outside of playing board games until her brain was fried, I think it was a tad relaxing... haha....  But certainly not as much as I would like.

We got her some certificates so she could go shopping once back home (since we ran out of time while here)...And...

We finished this puzzle...

She wasn't allowed to leave until we did...  Ya see every trip requires closure... We start a list when she arrives and she can't leave until we finish the list... Closure!!

The only thing on the list this time, was finishing this stinkin' puzzle.....  AHhhhhhhhhhhh... 2000 pieces of pure insanity....

In Summary...Hubby and I got out for a couple dinners, NeeNee and I had some alone time to visit, Veg had some special NeeNee time, a short business trip was completed, and I took a couple days off work to do absolutly NOTHING!!!!

All in All it was a great visit... and that is a VERY GOOD THING!

Puzzle Snob

I am a Puzzle snob.  Yes, its true!.. Started at a young age when my Mom and I would go looking for puzzles.  She would ONLY buy the best quality... Hubby gave me the label, but I'll where it proudly.

We didn't have lots of funds, but this is the one thing we did together and picking out puzzles with my Mom was the best shopping trip.  We'd look for the prettiest, the biggest, the strangest...

BUT IT HAD TO BE THE Good Quality.   As in, picking up a finished puzzle and it not falling apart kind of quality... I have been a Puzzle Snob ever since.  The others just won't do....

Now that Hubby and Veg are on the Puzzle Train with me... we are finishing a puzzle a week...  Seriously... 600 or 1000 to 1500 piece puzzles a week... Hubby said... NO MORE Expensive puzzles...

So he went off to discount store and brought home $5 puzzles.... I of course FROWNED upon the puzzles that fall apart 2 pieces at a time...The colors not so vibrant.... and well, yes... I whined!!

But we did a couple anyway:

 

 

And then...... THEN..it was my turn.. I got to pick a Puzzle!!  

Look at those colors, look how pretty!!!  I love Springbok puzzles.

I thought, surely it would take us a month to finish... the money would be worth the entertainment?

NOPE---- took ONE Week!

But, you know what they say?  A family that Puzzle's together.....keeps husband away from video games.. (for a few minutes any way)  *wink*

Now it is back to the $5 puzzles... they started a train today... *sigh*... But soon, soon, it will be my turn again...

And we are going for this 2000 piece bad whammer Jammer.... I can't wait!  *smile*

Puzzle is Complete

With the three of us working on this bad boy, we finished in record time!!! 

 

I was just telling my friend, how the glare of our light made it hard to see the shades of colors, and you can almost see the glare in this photo.  That blue sky for example is actually like a 100 shades of blue...

So I had to wait until day light, turn off the big lights, open some windows, and it became MUCH easier.

Veg really participated in this one, so I'm looking forward to letting him pick the next one....

Chess Anyone?

Grandma H is a Pottery Gal, and has been working on a surprise for Hubby for over a year...  She finally finished all the pieces and brought them to Hubby on her visit.

I can say, it came out very nice...

Here are some faces up close:

 

She said "This is and will always be a one of a kind set, as I will NEVER do this again..."

Turned out to be a lot more work then she originally thought *smile*

Veg and Hubby have already played a couple times....I can see this providing many years of entertainment. (as long as pieces don't break)......And we find a place to put it (its HUGE)

Veggie Stars Aligning

So I'm not sure what is happening but within the past 24hrs I've heard/read the following statements...

My Friend's Hubby Caved on the Green Smoothies And child likes them too.. Wooohooo!

My Hubby's Friend, Decided today's lunch was a great chance to try a meat-less meal.  He ordered All Veggies and LIKED THEM.

My Dad called.. (Yes, the same person that wanted to drop me in a hay field to find lunch)... He told me that after a medical procedure has decided to try Juicing to heal his little Bod and lay off the Red Meats....  I'm excited and shocked...I mean this is HUGE!   Even if he doesn't do it, just the THOUGHT that he was considering it.  It is HUGE! 

My Hubby Shouted after eating his delicious dinner that he "Loves being a Vegetarian"... He actually said those words... Then said... "I can't believe I just called myself a Vegetarian"  *smile*  He continued with,  "I'm not sure what your doing to me, and I never thought I'd say this, but I Love this food"  Yippppppppppppeeeee.... I think laying off the dairy for almost 2 weeks, has started to shift his taste buds again.  And all the flavors seem so much more.......well......... Flavorful !!!  

I heard from local Starbucks that more people are asking for their Choco Fraps with Water instead of Milk... That I'm no longer the only crazy person.  Awesome and Vegan by the way (shhhhh, don't tell)

PS... if you like the Java Chip Fraps... Get them with WATER instead of MILK....  Save yourself the calories (and other milk yuck), Save the added expense of Soy, and give some Cow Udders a break... It tastes Sooo good, with water, why bother with the other stuff??

Then I just read a Blog from a Mama that is starting to switch to more raw foods, which is super cool.. Check out her Cute Etsy stuff by the way...

Even my Vegman chimed in today... "Mom, I've decided that I want to be like you when I get older.  If I'm healthy, then I'll be happy and I like being Happy"

Is it just me or is something happening out there?  Have you had new motivations lately?  Anything your going to try on the health frontier?

Personally, I'm looking forward to the morning, when I can have another one of these:

Yum!
 

Family Puzzles

My Vegman is back in to puzzles and especially the kind that we can do together.  So we pulled out a couple 200 and 400 piece puzzles from our closet and spent lots of time together Saturday working on them.

Then later that day, I stopped at Hallmark to pick my friend up this Springbok puzzle.  Their puzzles are the best quality and only the best will do for my friend... Especially their new 2010 editions...  So much to choose.

Anyway, while there I noticed another "FAMILY" Puzzle.  They are sooo great, because not only do they have the Springbok quality but they have different size pieces.  Bigger pieces for the smaller kids, and smaller pieces for the adults.  Allowing everyone to sit and work on them together.

When I saw this, I knew it had to be mine:

 

Vegmom, Vegdad, Vegkid and even our Spunk Dog are represented in the cutest scene ever!! 

Veg and I decided that we couldn't wait until Christmas and began work on this masterpiece Sunday Night. 

We agreed to ONLY work on this puzzle while we are together, as it is a FAMILY puzzle.   But this is actually very hard for me, because if I walk past and see a piece, I SOOO wanna stick it in the spot.   But a promise is a promise!  *smile*

I have a feeling that a 1000 piece puzzle is in our future as we are blowing through the 400's pretty quick.

Which one we will choose next?  Now that is the question!

When Things Work Out

I posted the other day about my happy place being invaded, and some surprises, now I can say with all certainty that I AM BACK IN MY HAPPY PLACE!!!

While I put the things I couldn't control or change in my brain's "Garbage"... I took the things I could change and then did so. 

One Single Scheduling Conflict by my Significant Other that confused things for the rest of the summer, brought about so many good things for my Vegman.... Who knew?

My Vegman was able to spend a wonderful day with a Friend's Family. 

When I asked if he had a good time, he said "So Good, I didn't want to leave?"  Awww...

He'll be spending another day with this family, and a different day with his Best Girl's Family. 

He'll be starting a new Camp, all about Circuitry which is right up his alley.

I get to take a day off work and spend the whole thing with my Special Guy!  Oooh, the possibilities of fun are endless... What will we do??? Stay tuned!!

I'll still be going on my Scheduled Business trip, but the Inlaws will be coming only once to visit (while I'm gone) instead of twice.

Communication was the surprise topic at Hubby's class today (enough said!)

Hubby's Class will be ending sooner then we thought,  so he will get a very nice long visit with his Mom! *wink* 

Veg's School will be starting sooner then I thought, so things will get back to normal much quicker.

On top of all that goodness... I had two Delicious Green Smoothies today.... 

Things just don't get much better then that!!!

 

Finding Balance

A discussion came up at the conference last week regarding work/life balance.  And the same talk came up while visiting my Dad and then talking to Hubby this weekend.  It seems to be a theme of having too much to do and not enough time to do it all...

And so we juggle... and try to find a balance.   At the end of the day, a balanced one will lead to feeling satisfied without regrets.  Knowing as a Mom, Wife, Worker Bee and Person, you did all you could for that day.  And possibly even took care of yourself in the process.

Today was a Balanced Day.... Here is how it went with narration:

• Knowing today was a busy one, I took a couple hours early this morning to lay in bed and get some extra rest.  (ME)
• Rather then exercising solo, Veg asked to go play Tennis.  This allowed us time together, and me to break a good sweat. (MOM)
• I drove further to the tennis courts so we could have extra talk time in the car and give Hubby some "quiet time" at the house. (MOM)
• As a family we went out to lunch to a place of Hubbies choosing for Father's Day (FAMILY)
• While Veg was having his "relax" time, I did house chores (HOUSE)
• While Veg and Hubby were busy watching a Movie, I bathed the dog and did more house chores. (HOUSE)
• Veg and I wrote late Thank you Cards and late Father's Day cards together (FAMILY)
• I had a laundry marathon through out the day while finishing up other things (HOUSE)
• Green smoothies and cut up fruit were digested (ME & FAMILY)
• Board Games and Book Reading (MOM & FAMILY)
• Hubby and I watched a Movie together after Veg went to bed (MARRIAGE)
• I Sat down at the computer to put out some work fires and play catch up (WORK)

Of course little things thrown in there like dinner, showers, blah blah blah.. But you get the idea.  And its only Sunday...  Of course it is 1:15am and I should well be in bed.  However, at the end of the day, I feel good about what I accomplished.

Sure I didn't get everything done with the house or work that I could have.  But I got lots.  And in the process, I Made time for Me, Hubby and Veg... 

So it was a successful Balanced Day.

And I can't complain one bit!

OH and if any Guys are reading this that happen to be Dads... "HAPPY FATHER'S DAY"

Running on the Beach

Each time I've gone to the beach, I see people running on it.  I always think, how uncomfortable that must be with Sand flying in their running shoes or getting in their socks.....

But this time... THIS TIME... Something told me to give it a try....I wanted to run... But couldn't go on the side walk trails alone, because these guys roam freely around the resort... REALLY!   

This guy was pictured just off the walking trail path... and I will choose not to become his lunch.  Granted, I will take his picture.. but don't worry, I used the zoom button and then happily walked my hiney the other direction.

And I couldn't run at the pool... One because, you should NEVER run by a pool (right?) but also because there was a Towel Monster there... and he was very scary!!

I wouldn't run IN THE OCEAN.... Well because, I won't go in the ocean... HELLO... I found these there:

And they belong to SOME THING that I will choose not to meet in person.

And these are reason #2 and #3 that I will NOT go in the ocean... Just keep running, Just keep running....

And so I gave running on the beach a try... This I could do!  As long as I avoided this guy... He was MEAN:

Strangely enough, my feet did not fill with sand.  My shoes and socks did not fill with the sand....  Really no sand... BUT, the moisture from the wet hard sand absorbed in to my shoes.....

I ended up with wet socks, even though I wasn't any where near the water.  That was not something I expected on Day 1.... But Day 1 was not a horribly long run out or walk back.  It was nice and relaxing and the breeze off the water felt sooo good. 

Of course the second day I was more prepared for the wet feeling.  But it didn't stop me.  I went pretty far.  And then walked just to the edge of that building... And then one more corner.... and then one more piece of drift wood in the distance.... 

And then I thought... Hey, there is a point, that shouldn't be too far off... I'm going to see if I can make it to the point....

Note to self... DON'T DO THAT AGAIN!!!  The point is mean... It is MUCH MUCH further then it seemed.  The Point kept moving.....I finally stopped trying to get to the point... Next thing I know, it took me 2 hrs to get back.  TWO HOURS!  

Ah, but so nice..... I will run on the beach again... and I WILL LIKE IT!!! 

 
  
 
 

A Festival Kind of Day

We left Hubby at home this morning to work on our soon to be Home Made Compost Tumbler:

At this point the door was being cut and the holes in the side's were already drilled. 

Veg and I took off to An Earth Festival... which was HUGE fun, we were there for Several hours. 
We learned bunches, got some free goodies, and some not so free goodies...  And of course the Kid Activities which are always educational and fun.

After an outdoor Veggie lunch, we came home to use the "facilities" save hubby from his Compost Tumbler building, and dragged him to another festival with us... This one was all about Chalk... On the side walk kind of chalk...

It was Very Very Very Cool....

 

 

We walked around for quite a while, had more Veggie food, and then came home to play in the yard.

Should I say.. Veg and I played in the yard, while Hubby got back to his Tumbler... he was on a mission!!  (no pressure from me... nope...none....)  *wink*

After a while, I decided to leave them both in the yard and go for run... Sometimes these days I just want to RUN!!!  So I put on my Happy Shoes... And got in a quick 2 miles...  When I came home, Veg said....

"Oh Mom, when you got out of my site I thought I would cry forever"  Awwwwww.....  Such a Love bug... At least when he likes me... that doesn't happen all the time these days.   *smile*

Needless to say, it was a day of Festivals and one of being outside!    A Wonderful Day!!!

PS.. it is 8:16 and Hubs is still working on the Tumbler...  Stay tuned... There will be a completion photo soon.. I can feel it!!!

Traveling Duo and Some Raw food goodness

Sooooooo... There was a trip... to Michigan!  Just me and my Boy!  And man was it a great one!! 

My Hubby didn't make this trip but the only thing I knew he would miss was my Green Smoothies.. So I made him a "Smoothie" Card with recipe inside.... And not only did he make smoothies for himself, but he took some to friends.

(ignore my hand cut blender please)

 

I actually left him about 15 different cards through out the house..So he wouldn't be sad that we weren't home.  (Told you I was busy last week) but he found almost all of them before we even left... Stinker!

Then it was time to Pack up the car...  and head out... 

The Mountains looked like Erupting Volcanoes with Clouds and Fog in the distance:

 

And the rain hit us on the other side of those mountains... but nothing too terrible....

We Stopped at a coffee place to rest my weary eyes along the way.   And they had this sign in the window.. So I figured I was welcome:

The rest of the trip was supposed to go along with my theme of no plans.. But then I made plans... And then none of them worked out as planned.

Day Light Savings threw me ALL off and we ended up leaving the house later then "planned"  From there, everything else just took a turn for the better!

Plans set for at least 5 people from hubby's family all shifted, and left me with extra open time to be with my Friend... Our trip ended up being 90% my family including my bestest oldest friend! 

We went shopping which was HUGE Fun.. As in shopping from lunch time through Dinner time in one day just us girls.  I discovered that my hiney fits in to a pant size that I haven't fit in since 16 years old.... Granted I'm just a "little" more jiggly then when I was 16... (just a little... really)

And my friend decided to make me dress like a grown up.  She found me the cutest tops (all cotton of course) to go with the bottoms I picked... I even found a pair of Organic Cotton Capri's.... LOVE THEM!!!  

We found a whole years worth of clothes for the Vegman at some outlets, and did a whole lot of talking! So much fun..

The food on this trip was The best...

Lots of these (thanks NeeNee):

 

Some of this:

 

Red Pepper Deli in Northville Michigan has the BEST Food... and my friend even decided to join me for some Raw Goodness.. (And she liked it!)

I had some Raw Bread and Seed Cheese for the first time!  It was quite tasty!

 

The best part was, the owner remembered me *smile*  And seeing how far they've come with Raw food Challenges, Organic food Co-ops, and classes since the last time I was there, is really exciting.  

We also tried a couple smoothies and a raw brownie for dessert!  Yum Yum Yum!!!

My Mom assisted with a Green Smoothie morning:

 

We also went to Tomato Bros. which I'd been told was the best Pizza in town:

It was pretty darn good!  My friend and I split a Veggie pizza (mine without cheese)  And a very yummy salad..

Most of my other food was either Salad, Fruit or Raw Veggies on Pita...

OH... I even got some yummy treats at this place.... I SOOOO NEED ONE OF THESE IN MY TOWN:

And was told that I couldn't leave Michigan without a coffee drink from:

The coffee drink was quite tasty, I must say!  BUT even better was the company... My friend and I sat out on the patio in the sunshine for  hours, and just talked and talked....

While Veg got some extra time with his NeeNee at an Arcade:

 

Veg spent so much time with his NeeNee this trip... and went to the park, arcade, out to eat.  They read books with Grandpa C, and played in the yard.  He also got to play putt putt and visit with our friends, and visit with another set of grand parents.  

He also got to visit the Baby Dog (that isn't a baby):

 

We went here, which the picture doesn't do justice and it was the biggest indoor playscape I've ever seen.. As you can imagine my germ-o-phobe tendencies kicked in, but I put them on the back burner so he could have fun with his grand parents.   And fun he did have!

 

To finish up the trip, we stopped off at Luna Pier on our way home, so Veg could see one of the Great Lakes from his book...  

The Sun was just beginning to come up and the air was chilly, but it was a Great moment.  He was Sooooo excited to see Lake Erie that he had read about.  And EVEN said "This is the best day ever"  :-)

 

To make this stop even more special, this Biker Guy that lived near the Pier saw us and our out of state tags.  He came out and gave Veg a toy Motorcycle to play with on his trip... (a BIG one too)

Normally I would fear a stranger walking up to us in 1/2 day light in an empty parking lot.  But there was a peace over this fella.  And normally I wouldn't take a toy from a stranger, but knowing I had many many hours ahead of us, and my Vegman was very sad to leave his grand parents, I made the executive decision to allow the toy exchange.

Thank you Mr. Biker Stranger... You really did make our day and also showed us that the kindness of people is out there, big and strong!!

Then... my Mom sent me a link to this place in Cincinnati Ohio.. I stuck the address in our Garmin and Off we went!

At the Loving Cafe, I LOVED THE FOOD!!!  The name was quite fitting!  Not only Vegan, but to my surprise, many raw dishes too!

I decided to try a Raw Pizza, which came with a salad:

 

OH MY YUM!!!  I need a better dehydrator.  That Pizza "bread" was soooooooooo good!  And the salad dressing... Really did I say OH MY YUM!!!!!!!!

Thinking this will be our new Adventure Plan... Where we go, we shall find good Vegan and/or Raw Treats!

At this place we found both.  Veg had a Vegan Grilled Panini Sandwich and a smoothie.  While I had my Raw goodness.  Then we both split a piece of Vegan Chocolate Cake and called it a day....

That was all she wrote!  The boy slept in the car for the next 3hrs.  And I went in to an Energy zone, to get us home.. Speed limit of course *wink*...

It would be many more hours before we made it home, but Ahhhhhhhhhhh.... Home we are... There were those mountains calling me... Hello there!!

So there it is... the Adventures of a Traveling Veg duo.... Lots of fun, lots of relaxing, some GREAT food, some GREAT Shopping, the kindness of strangers and some great weather, and getting home safely...

What more could a girl ask for???  And as for the Vegman?  HE LOVED his birthday present.. But asked if we could fly next time.  HA!  Said that driving stuff is for the birds! *smile*

Back from Hiatus

The week before last seemed like a whirlwind both at work and home... Soooo much to be done in all aspects..

Something had to go, and it was this blog.. I couldn't give up the Exercising, after all I have a 1/2 Marathon to train for.  And I couldn't give up work... It pays the bills ya no?  And went in to the wee hours of the night with so much going on.

And I couldn't give up all of Veg's School Activities, because I am a Mom too...  But most importantly, I had a mini-vacation to get ready for, and was more then willing to do so!!

Ya see, when Veg had his birthday in Feb. he asked for NOTHING but a trip to Michigan to see his grandparents... And a trip to Michigan, he did get!!! 

Just so happened his spring break peaked its head around the corner, so we grabbed it!  And took off in the wee hours of the morning a few days ago.

I didn't blog from there, because well... I didn't wanna!   And its my Blog, so I can post if I wanna...  Well the real reason I didn't is because time was limited.  We stayed busy but in a good way...

More details to follow!!

Old Traditions make new ones

We used to call our Grandma by the name Niece (NeeSee)  I have no Idea where that came from, or why we called her that, but we did....

And when my Veg was old enough to speak, he called my Mom (NeeNee)  I have no idea where that came from, or why he called her that, but he did. 

We tried "Grandma",  "Gamma", "Grammy"..... NOPE!  He called her NeeNee and there was nothing we could do to change his mind!  And we didn't really try!   It was meant to be!!

When we were little, my Mom would decorate our room while we slept on the Eve's of our Birthdays....  And now I do that for Veg...

This Year, we ran out of balloons... So we made some out of Ziploc Bags... He actually thought they were pretty cool and asked if we could save them for next year.... And we will... A new tradition is born!

 

When we were little, my Mom, my Aunt and my Grandma used to say "Walk on my back" and we would... It was because they all have sore backs and we were too little to rub them properly...

Look what I found, upon coming home the other night:

 

The Vegman has taken over the torch of the Back Walker!  I think this should be an Olympic sport, it is very tricky after all, and takes much coordination.  Wonder if this is genetic?

In the mornings, when we were kids my Mom would make us something special for Birthdays...  I have done the same for Veg only Vegan... Everything from Cupcakes, to Strawberry biscuits, to fancy pancakes... But this year topped them all, with the Green Smoothie and candle:

 

He also received a candle in a cookie at restaurant with dad (day prior), a cupcake at home, and a candle stuck to a plate (since they had nothing Vegan) while at a restaurant with me and NeeNee.... 

The boy had some Unique candle birthday surprises.... BUT they all tied in to our old traditions, and some new ones...

When we were little we'd send our teeth to our Grandma Neice when they fell out.  We knew there was no tooth fairy (or at least I did).  But when I sent them to Grandma, I knew that some cash was not far away....

When Veg's first teeth came out, he was soooo excited that he had to send them to his NeeNee for her to see..... Coincidence?  I THINK NOT!  

I'm not much for some holidays, nor did I think we had too many family traditions... But it seems we do.... And they aren't intentional, they just happen...

I mean my kid is walking on my Mom's back...  Its almost a little creepy, in a good kind of a way!

Day At The Farm

Continuing with the theme of 2010 of no plans... just doing and going..  I woke up this morning with a brilliant idea...

Wait a minute... back up.....>>>>>  A couple years ago we went to a festival where we saw a local farm family with their animals and teachings....

Then Last year we saw the same couple at the Farmer's Market every weekend.  We would buy their goodies, and one day grabbed a brochure.

Turns out they give tours and other fun things, but most people would go in the summer, when their gardens are actually in full bloom. 

I however, woke up this morning with 20degree temps, flurries of snow, and middle of winter, decided it would be a GREAT idea to go to  the farm for a tour.

The sweet kind lady obliged me with my last minute phone call, and off we went!!!  Soooooo Glad we did this!

You see, they are a working farm with Chickens, Llamas, Rabbits, veggie gardens, fruit orchards and Honey bees.  BUT..

They are all organic, self sustaining, and use or sell almost everything that comes from the farm.  Even the Llama Poop.. Really!  It makes for good soil apparently.   They compost Everything with lots of compost beds.  And spin their own yarn from the llama and rabbit fur.  They also have Solar panels, and showed us how much coal is saved by using them.

Because it is an Organic Farm, they encourage good bugs and birds, so they plant things that attract them.  And shared that info with us.  But also have natural ways to discourage the critters they prefer to not have on their farm.

We saw everything from the animals, to the yarn being spun, a couple different wheels, what happens to the fur...to how the compost is turned and the worms that were busy working.  We also got to feed the chickens, grab some of their eggs, fill their water buckets, give the Llamas treats, and take one of the Llamas for a walk.

The dogs on the farm were Hubby's favorite... And I think they liked him too... 

We also saw how carrots will stay growing all year if covered with leaves... Sigh, wish I would have done that to ours.  *smile*  We learned about soil, compost, raised beds, rotating crops, and saw a new green house being built.

Such a great winter day of learning and fun....  

Feeding the chickens..

 

Sweet little bunny face:

Taking a Llama for a walk...  Much like a dog for a walk, only a lot bigger...

Yup, there are bees in there!  (listen closely)  Yeah, I didn't like this part so much :-)

But the Vegman was right in to the action.

 

You lookin' at me?  I know you aren't lookin' at me!

 

Normally the llamas can roam in that big field, but they came up close for us to visit with them. 

Next thing I knew, we were in there with them and they didn't care a bit.

Sometimes having no plans are the best kind!!!

MORE SNOW DAY FUN AND A GATOR

It started snowing again so Veg and I decided to go back out for a bit... once it began to get dark, we just turned on some outside lights... A little darkness won't keep us from having fun... No Sirree!!  We both did some sledding in the yard, and built some more stuff.

Eventually he went in, and I kept working on his fort.... I think in total we spent 5+ hrs outside today.   Such a fun snowy day.... And thankful we didn't have to be anywhere....

So here is the story of our late night snow adventure:

This is Snowy Gator.... I felt creative tonight, he was not made by the hubby, or he would be much cooler.

This one was all me... with Mud for eyeballs, leaves for nostrils and twigs for claws....  This Snowy Gator is Environmentally friendly :-)

One of his eyes kept falling off, and his mouth is really open, but you can't tell in the pictures.

Another drive in the car before dark... More snow fall, made it seem bigger.

Veg had to adjust the mirrors before he could go for a spin.

 

 

Do you ever just lie in the snow, with no one around, look up at the sky and be still?

Or am I the only one that does this??  Don't answer that!!!

Seriously the most peaceful moment.  And all you can hear is the snow falling (if your quiet enough) and the trees crackling...  It doesn't even feel cold (if wearing waterproof clothes).  Its like you really transported away from everything.   And so quiet... The snow around you makes the sounds so different.

Been many years since I had the opportunity.   And tonight, I took the opportunity....Funny enough, I had to have laid there for the longest time, because at one point the neighbors were looking out their window wondering why I hadn't gotten up.  (they were watching me shovel the fort)... ha ha..

But my own family didn't even come looking for me...  They know I'm just odd.  But I doooo love those moments.  Even if they are odd.... So peaceful...

Fort complete.....He's going in..... 

Yeah, so what if it's dark outside!!  That's what lights are for...

Some windows to the fort turned alien eyes when a light was put in side...

A cool side effect and nothing planned :-)

Hubby has agreed this is now labeled "Swan"...  :-)

Now I must go take a burning hot shower to thaw out my body parts... That fort building is hard work, but I'm positive the temp dropped in the process.... Brrrrr!!!

SNOW CAR...VROOM VROOM

When we woke up today there wasn't as much as expected but there was a BUNCH of snow/ice.  There was enough to shovel for real...

See:   And we shoveled lots... our driveway, our neighbors, driveway... even had to loan out the shovel to people that didn't have them.... There was quite a bit of the heavy wet stuff.

It was even raining while we were out, but we didn't care... I'd say 2hrs at least.

Hubby and I made it a tradition to make a "sculpture" every time we are around snow since we got married.

Some times we made forts.  But mostly tiny snow men, and sometimes if lucky we'd get enough snow for something cool.  Like a Car, a Ship, a Dog, Turtle... The list goes on.

Hubby broke tradition recently when he decided he would no longer partake!  UNTIL TODAY!!!

This my friends is a Turkey!  I say it looks like a swan, you be the judge:

 

 

And this.... THIS... is the masterpiece of the day!!!  Hubby got his touch back, that is for sure!

My job is to shovel piles.  Hubby makes the coolness out of the piles.....  Here we have Herbie the car and his Veg Driver:

 

Then it was Veg's turn to build a "sculpture"...

Here he is gathering snow:

 

And his Masterpiece with Lava rocks and all....  Welcome to Mount St. Tofu...(he said the rocks looked like tofu, hence the name).... Mount St. Tofu is erupting......   RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

As you can tell it was a fun morning here at the Veg house.  Hope you are having fun wherever you may be!!

ITS SNOWING!!

Real, live, blanket covered, wonderful, beautiful, playful Snow....

Earlier I made this guy... I was feeling silly, and he made me happy!

 

But he didn't like to be inside much....  A little to warm for him.

 

They are saying we will wake to bunches more....  as in inches, and inches....

Could it be so???  We shall see!!! 

CHANGE OF PLANS

Because this is a year of no plans, it leaves a lot of room for changing plans!  *smile*

On Saturday after our kids run, we ended up going out to eat... It was a beautiful day so we ate on the patio which we Never do there... But hey, why not?

Then a friend wrote to say they were going ice skating!!!  Well of course we will go!!... And we did! 

Something happened to our kids between this visit and last visit.. Something called Confidence!  My young one was skating off by himself, trying turns, learning how to fall, get up, and catch himself... Her young one was not afraid AT ALL and didn't want to stop skating with his Momma!

They brought me the coolest book that her Hubby picked out filled with Natural remedies and other house fix it things.. It also gives directions on how to kill livestock, but his sweet note in the front told me to ignore that part!  The rest is really good!  I promise!!  Will post more about that later.

Then Sunday it was supposed to be a cleaning and shopping day.. Nothing else planned!  Veg asked if we could "play school"  I agreed, but only if I could work on the "craft lessons".   He set me up an area to do crafts... SCORE!!!!!!!!!!!  Got to make a Birthday card :-)  Am I sneaky or what??

He then asked to go ice skating again?  I told him NO because I had lots to do.... Well after some house chores, all our grocery shopping, and a couple other stops in the pouring down rain, I thought to my self?

"Self?  Why not go ice skating again"  So I checked on the times.... Called ahead for Veg to be ready by the time I got home with groceries, and took him to the rink with only 30 minutes left to skate!!  He was Soooo excited!!  And 30 minutes was plenty.

Then Monday night, I had tons to do (make up for Sunday not doing) ... instead I felt tired, and so I went to sleep!!

Isn't it fun when plans change??  Everything else will get done!  But enjoying your kids, and taking care of yourself, that is the most important plan of all!

Even if I didn't get to post lunch box pictures... coming soon I promise!

BACK TO THE 80'S

Do you ever wake up and think.....  Lets do something different today?  Well I do that lots, but this time I was on a mission...  Taking the Vegman Roller Skating.. But finding a roller skating place was harder then I thought...

Until I realized there is one not too far from our Favorite Veggie eating place!  BONUS!!!!  Yummy Food, and some skating!  How perfect is that??

So off we went on our mission...

 

And we found it... And it took me back to the 80's in a big way.. I almost think the skates were still from the 80's but people were even dressed like it.   Torn jeans and the hair and the sweaters off the shoulder... I was like "Did we just time warp??"......  Then the song "Thriller" came on and I was like... "Yes, we have certainly gone in to the time machine"

The Vegman LOVED our adventure...Thankfully, Hubby walked on the skating floor, and kept Veg up right (mostly) while I enjoyed skating around and getting my rolling feet back.  

Been many years, since I set foot in 4 wheel skates... THINK Bonaventure?  Is it still there??   Hubby was pretty impressed with my ability to stay standing.... ha ha... Took me a little while to get my footing back, but then I was swooshin around, and gliding like it was 1988 :-)

By the last time around, Veg finally GOT it!  We used NeeNee's "Focus" trick... goes like this... Find something to look at and try to get there... Focus on that spot and you won't fall.  It seemed to work... For the most part.

As long as he "stayed focused" :-)

 

Tons of Skating fun!!!  Another great day with no plans for 2010 *smile*